It would solve so many problems.
Charlotte’s bills were mounting. My mother had taken a second job and I was supplementing as best I could.
It would be so easy to go down that path. Hacking for money. A little information here. Selling some passwords there.
I wouldn’t have to worry about Charlotte. About Mom. About paying my bills.
I could quit Holt IT. I wouldn’t have to look at Chuck Bennett’s smug face a day longer.
I could wear the black hat proudly.
But I couldn’t. That’s not why Freedom Overdrive existed. I wasn’t in it for the money. It was important to remember that.
Instead I gave Toxicwrath the name of the cancer research foundation that Mason donated to every month in honor of his dead brother.
00:15 Everything is ready on my end.
00:16 A few more days. Let’s make it perfect.
I wasn’t sure what Toxicwrath was waiting for. He had been so quick to jump on this one, but now he was putting on the brakes. I was feeling antsy.
I was pleased with the dry-run hashing attack I had performed in the sandbox, the virtual container for testing programs. It had gone according to plan. The SQL injection was some of the best I had ever coded. I was feeling untouchable.
The high I got from an exploit was unlike anything I could describe.
And the sheer magnitude of this one had me almost trembling in anticipation. I didn’t want to wait three days. I was ready to go tonight.
We were using skills and methods I had never attempted before. The hashing attack was sophisticated. The layers involved were totally different from anything I had ever done.
I had never attempted the use of an SQL injection before, but I was confident in its execution.
And it seemed the target deserved to go down.
But I’d follow Toxicwrath’s lead. For now.
I had planned to spend the rest of the evening preparing. Retesting in the sandbox environments. I hadn’t bothered to shower and I was wearing my oldest, most comfortable pair of pajamas.
Then I called Mason, making an excuse about working late.
We ended up making a plan for him to come over later.
How had that happened?
He so easily slipped under my skin without my realizing it.
I found myself excited at the prospect of seeing him.
Now I was scrambling to clean up the house, even if I had told him I wouldn’t. I took a shower and picked out an attractive outfit to wear.
I was finding the process of getting ready enjoyable. I liked dressing up and looking pretty. I wanted to see the heated look in Mason’s eyes when he saw me. I longed for it. Craved it.
I thought about the way he touched me and my body became warm.
Toxicwrath hadn’t asked me why I had chosen the American Cancer Foundation as the recipient of the Virtuant money.
I was glad.
There were times I found myself fantasizing about a future with Mason. One where I didn’t feel the need to lie about trivial things. Even if I could never be completely open, I still thought about it.
