The idea of going back home chilled me.
So I found myself doing something that would change my life.
I leaned forward andstared across the room at Rose, who looked up at me, her eyebrows raised.
I took a deep breath and spoke. “Show me.”
—
It was late when I finally got home. I had exactly fifteen minutes to get myself ready.
I usually had a ritual that involved a glass of wine, my favorite faded Dandy Warhols T-shirt, and a fuzzy pair of slippers.
Not the typical uniform of a prolific cracker, but it worked for me.
I didn’t have time for any of that this time.
I kicked off my shoes, grabbed a soda from the fridge, and sat down at the kitchen table. I powered up my laptop without bothering to turn on the lights.
I quickly opened my IRC client and found the chat I was looking for.
21:10 You’re late. Now 2110. Servers set to go down in ten.
My blood started pumping wildly. My ears started to buzz and my mouth was dry. My body went into hyperalert, ready and waiting.
I was ready.
So ready.
My fingers twitched uncontrollably and I had to take a deep breath before typing out my reply.
21:11 Botnets in place. Infected file ready.
Not for the first time I wished I knew who my mysterious partner was. Most would find it odd that I trusted someone I had no plans to ever meet. He was simply a means to an end.
Our partnership was new. I had spent years working solo. Preferring to hack as a solitary venture. I had been doing a pretty good job too.
Better than good.
I had made a name for myself in the hacker community. I had become respected.
Admired.
Feared.
My attacks were few but well executed.
My plans were faultless and without fail.
I knew I was on a lot of radars but I covered my tracks.
I was invisible.
Untraceable.
Until Toxicwrath contacted me.
It was out of the blue. At first I had been suspicious and rightly so. I worried that the person on the other end was an undercover cop trying to entrap me. I knew how the authorities operated. Trolling the deep Web looking for crackers and reaching out to make contact was a normal practice.
