Hacker

Chapter 4: Blatherskite

Blatherskite

(noun)

A person who talks a lot but does not make sense; Nonsense

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Chapter Four

Chapter Four

They stood in silence for a while, only interrupted when Cameron appeared at the doorway. It had started raining outside, and his hair matted to his forehead.

"Eliza Rowan Harpsworth," Reagan pronounced, her eyes reading off the screen. Eliza's eyes flamed in response. No one was allowed to say her full name. She saw Cameron take a step forward, and Eliza put a hand against his chest, preventing him from moving further. In a split second Reagan's eyes flicked to Eliza's hand, and then back to Eliza.

"Why?" she asked.

Eliza's mind blanked, all she could think of was what Reagan would think of her. She'd seemed impressed with her that night in the garage. All she could think now was, Reagan's eyes would permanently look at her the ways she was now, if she figured out what Eliza's job really was.

She felt sluggish, like she was made of tar just thinking about it. She looked at Cameron and gave a subtle nod. He rushed at Reagan, a clean cut with his hand to her neck. She collapsed on the bed, and Eliza grabbed the backpack, rushing down the steps. Opening the passenger door, Cameron unceremoniously dumped Reagan in. They heard a noise, and Eliza turned around. Reagan's dad peered out the door. When he realized what was happening, he ran down the steps.

"GO GO GO!" Eliza shrieked at Cameron, and they raced out of there, speeding off back onto the main street. Looking behind her, she saw Reagan's dad in the distance , a phone in his hand. She screamed at Cameron again, who was already several leagues above the speed limit. The sound of tires squealing against the floor pierced through the air, as he made a sudden turn.

Eliza didn't need to ask him where they were going.

New Haven, Connecticut. The safe house.

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The car's clock read 1:34 in the morning. Cameron's eyes hadn't left the road for the past two hours.

Hearing a shuffling in the back, Eliza saw Reagan's eyes open, and then open wider when she realized she was in a moving car. Pulling out her phone, Eliza aimed the lense at the bleary-eyed girl. "Smile," was all she said, before clicking a picture. Sending the picture to an unknown number, she felt Reagan peering over her shoulder. "What are you doing?" she questioned.

Cameron turned around to look at Reagan. "Listen sweetheart, you know too much information about us. We can't have you running to the police now can we?"

Reagan opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb," Cameron advised. "Save that for the possible outcome of the police finding us."

"All I know-" Reagan began, "-is that you're a hacker."

Eliza tensed up at the term, but it was barely noticeable. Cameron glanced over at her.

"And," Reagan continued. "Who is the Archangel? And the Celest-"

Reagan didn't even have time to finish that sentence when Eliza jumped over her seat. In one swift motion she clamped a hand tightly over Reagan's mouth, practically on top of the girl.

Cameron guffawed from the front seat, his emerald eyes smirking as he watched the entire scenes play out from the rearview mirror.

Reagan's cheeks were a bright red, contrasting greatly with her tanned skin. "You. Don't. Speak. Those. Names. Ever." she hissed at Reagan, who nodded vehemently.

Getting up, the two sat together in the passenger row of the sedan. At one point Reagan dozed off, her head resting on Eliza's shoulder. Eliza paid no attention whatsoever to this action, a crease appearing between her eyebrows as she pondered.

"There may be some repercussions, you know." Cameron noted.

Eliza's head shot up, "What do you mean? I know the spot well, and thankfully there weren't any cameras near us, and no audio devices either. I can look into the cameras nearby though, to check heat signatures.

Reagan's head slid down from her shoulder to her lap.

Eliza ignored Cameron's smirking eyes, by busying herself and pulling out her laptop.

After a moment's thought, she placed the laptop on top of Reagan's head. Cameron snorted from the front seat. "Road, cam," Eliza reminded, before searching up the street they were on. Columbus Avenue.

Checking into a database, there were three shops in that particular area, that could've been in hearing range.

The first one had gone bankrupt, and the bank had foreclosed everything. That would include any visual or audio tools.

The next one was a sushi shop. No cameras, and didn't open until seven noon. No witnesses either.

The third shop however, did have cameras, and had been open. A pharmacy. Eliza cursed under her breath. The camera had picked up the car driving, and there wa audio as well.

Eliza became more panicked, and hacked into the camera footage. There they were, a few minutes ago. The white sedan cruising along, and she could clearly see the silhouettes of her and Reagan. The dreaded words then came over the audio.

"Who...Archangel?...The Celest..."

It felt like a brick was in Eliza's stomach. She looked at Reagan, who was sleeping peacefully despite all this.

"Did you realize that she has no problem in the fact that we have kidnapped her?" Cameron pointed out, and Eliza nodded in confirmation.

"She hated it back at the motel apparently. Maybe she sees this as a door to get to."

"Yeah, the doors of death. Is she crazy?"

"Possibly," came Reagan's voice. Lifting up her laptop, Reagan got up, rolling her shoulders.

"Besides, you guys can't kill me." she stated smugly.

"Any why is that?" Cameron asked.

"Because that would put you in a deeper hole than you are now. The cops are on their way to find me, and how would they like it if they see my sorpse dumped in a sewer somewhere?"

Silence.

"Okay," Cameron consented.

They drove the next twenty minutes in silence.

"Here we are, New Haven," he pointed out. Our safehouse is in an area called Fair Haven Heights, in an apartment complex. Eliza nodded.

"What happened to the house one in Providence?" Eliza asked.

"You have more than one?" Reagan said, surprised.

They both ignored her. "Didn't pay rent. Foreclosed."

"What about long Island?"

"Demolished."

"Springfield?"

"Spontaneously combusted. And by 'spontaneous' I mean they stuck dynamite in it. Seventy-four casualties."

Eliza didn't need to ask who they were.

"You guys are making a-absolutely no sense. You're talking about people d-dying so ca-casually?" Reagan stuttered out. Cameron smirked again.

"Sweetheart. You know nothing about us. You didn't tell her anything more did you Eliza?"

He waited for a response but got none. "Eliza?" he asked again.

But Eliza's hands had clenched into fists, and all she heard was the word 'Sweetheart' over and over again.

And all she saw was red.

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That's Chapter Four Guys!

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~Ananya Ramesh