Exploited (Zero Day #1) Read online

  I didn’t need clarification as to what she was talking about. I understood her half sentences and vague questions. Once upon a time I had been fluent in Rose-speak. I guess I still was.

  Talking to her brought up memories. Too many of them. And with them came the familiar anger.

  After years of radio silence she dared to storm back into my life with too many questions. Too many demands.

  I should freeze her out. It was what she deserved.

  Yet I couldn’t hang up. Not yet.

  Not until I knew why she was there, ready to bulldoze her way into my life after I had decidedly shut her out years ago.

  “I don’t want to hear this, Rose,” I muttered, turning on the lights. Drinking wine in the dark was pathetic.

  Drinking wine in the dark while talking to my ex-friend was just downright depressing.

  “Hannah, listen to me. Someone mentioned you in a group chat today.”

  I sighed. Of course. I should have known it had to do with rescuing me, even if I didn’t want it. Or need it. Rose had always liked to imagine herself as my protector. It had chafed then and it chafed now.

  “Rose, lots of people talk about me in group chats. What else is new?” I said it without a hint of modesty. Because it was the truth. In the online community Freedom Overdrive was a legend. One I had cultivated carefully over the years.

  Rose Norris was the only person in the world who could connect Hannah Whelan to Freedom Overdrive. After all, she was the one who had helped me craft the persona many years ago.

  —

  “How sad is it that in this day and age, people still fall for the chain-letter shit?” Rose muttered, watching me as I gained access to the hospital payment system.

  I found Charlotte’s name and the outstanding balance my mother owed for her continued care. An amount that she would never, in a million years, be able to pay.

  “People are stupid.” I frowned and changed the amount to zero.

  “Yeah, but so is that,” Rose stated, pointing to the screen.

  “What are you talking about?”

  Rose had helped me cobble together an email to be blasted to everyone in the finance department of Stanley Graves General Hospital. It was a silly email saying that unless they clicked on the link, bad luck would befall them. Rose and I had giggled like children as we concocted fake anecdotes to convince the receivers that the bogus email was in fact true.

  Rose had come up with Gene Taylor (our coding professor’s name), who hadn’t clicked the link and so he had lost his job, his wife left him, and his dog was run over by a Mack truck.

  “Poor, poor Gene,” I had sung as she hit send on the email, which contained a piece of malware that, if clicked on, would allow us access to the system from within the hospital.

  Most of the people we had sent it to had spammed it.

  But it takes only one.

  And that one was Candace Sykes. Hospital admin. Head of finance.

  And complete moron.

  “If you zero out the account, it will raise every red flag in the system. You can’t be obvious, Hannah,” Rose lectured.

  “I thought this was to help my mom!” I exclaimed, getting frustrated.

  Rose leaned over me and tapped a new number into the account balance. One that was significantly more manageable, but still too much, in my opinion.

  “Mom shouldn’t be paying for this at all. Those assholes responsible should be picking up the tab,” I fumed.

  “I agree. But getting yourself busted won’t help your mom. So stop being a hothead and think about things rationally.” Rose was calm. She was always calm.

  I had gotten to know my roommate pretty well over the last few months. While I still thought she was a bit on the weird side, she was also incredibly smart. And incredibly generous with her knowledge. And not prone to extreme displays of emotion. I could learn a thing or two from her.

  I took a deep breath and tried to settle down. “Okay, you’re right. I just wish there was something I could do. Some way to make them pay.”

  I got up from Rose’s desk and went to flop down on my bed. The months since my dad and Charlotte’s accident had been a roller coaster. Charlotte was now living in a residential facility full-time. She required around-the-clock medical care, which wasn’t cheap. Dad’s life insurance money was going toward outstanding medical bills and Mom, now living on one income, was having to work a second job to make ends meet.

  She was barely holding it together. And I was trying like hell to pick up the pieces. I had started working at a computer store in town and sending most of my paycheck home so that Mom had something extra. She argued that I should keep my money, but I wouldn’t hear of it. I promised her that I would help take care of Charlotte. And I meant it. Mom and I weren’t overly close, but we agreed on doing what was best for Charlotte.

  I just needed to figure out how.

  Shaving off a few bucks from her hospital bill wasn’t enough.

  “Have you ever heard of the Lomaxians?” Rose asked suddenly.

  “The Lomaxiwho?”

  “The Lomaxians. They’re a hacktivist group that’s been around forever. They take down corrupt corporations and politicians. They blast leaked emails and top-clearance government information. They keep the people informed.”

  I sat up and stared at Rose. She spoke breathlessly. Passionately. It was the first real emotion I had ever heard in her voice.

  “So they’re a bunch of criminals,” I deduced.

  Rose’s face flushed red, her eyes flashing. “No! They’re not criminals. They’re crusaders! They wake this world up by exposing the real criminals!”

  I held up my hands in a placating gesture. “Wow, okay. I get it.”

  Rose shook her head and sat down at her desk. “No. You don’t. But maybe you should. Maybe that’s the way you can help Charlotte. And help a lot of other people too. Make the right people pay for what happened to your dad and sister.”

  I had no idea what she was talking about. “By contacting the Lomaxians.”

  “Not contacting the Lomaxians. But using their methods to do it yourself.”

  I didn’t know what to say. It was one thing to change my grades. To take a few dollars off a bill. But to go full-scale cybercommando? I wasn’t sure I was cut out for that.

  Rose waved me back over to her desk, pointing to her screen. She had pulled up a tech article about the Lomaxians. It detailed their latest exploit. How they had discovered hidden communications between high-ranking government officials involved in a child pornography ring. They sent the information to the authorities. They got some very bad people locked up. Even if the methods they used were illegal, they had done a good deed.

  “And they never get caught, Hannah. They’re simply doing things the authorities can’t. Catching the bad guys.” Rose turned off her laptop.

  I had to admit, what she was suggesting appealed to me. It filled me with a self-righteous fire. I was tired of feeling powerless. I was ready to do more. Be more.

  “How do I contact someone in this group? Aren’t they all completely underground?”

  Rose grinned, a wide, toothy smile that took me aback. I had never seen her like this. “You’re talking to one of them now,” she whispered.

  My eyes widened. “You’re a Lomaxian?”

  Rose nodded.

  “Can I become a Lomaxian too?”

  “Maybe you could become your own thing. A warrior for the cause. I could show you how. We could do it together. We could carve out a tiny piece of justice for those who deserve it.”

  “Freedom for all, right?” I laughed, feeling giddy.

  And just like that, Freedom Overdrive was born.

  —

  Rose had helped me get started. She had been my mentor. She showed me the ropes. And then things got complicated. More complicated than either of us felt comfortable with.

  Emotions became heightened, and what had started as an intense, necessary relationship devolved into an
ger and accusation.

  We stopped talking. I got a new roommate the following year of school and Rose transferred out of Virginia College. Without a word, she disappeared from my life.

  I had tried to track her down on more than one occasion when I was feeling lonely and weak, but she didn’t want to be found.

  We had been close, as close as two people can be, but it meant nothing in the end.

  I hadn’t heard from her since the day she left our dorm room all those years ago.

  Now she had decided to blow back into my life, expecting me to be the open book I used to be. Things had changed.

  I had changed.

  I didn’t need Rose anymore.

  Or so I thought.

  “They’re not talking about Freedom Overdrive, Hannah. They’re talking about you.”

  That gave me pause and had me giving her my undivided attention. My anger, my bitterness, took a backseat.

  “What are you saying?”

  “Someone used your name in open chat. Hannah Whelan is Freedom Overdrive. I had to jump in and shut that shit down real fast. But someone knows.”

  “Are you sure—?”

  “Yes!” Rose yelled, her usual calm all but disappearing. “How did this happen, Hannah? How could you let yourself be exposed?”

  —

  “If you’re going to do this, Hannah, you have to protect yourself at all costs. That means you can’t tell anyone.”

  Rose’s eyes were the most intense I had ever seen them.

  “Not your mom. Not Charlotte. Not anyone.”

  “Except you,” I said.

  We sat cross-legged in the middle of our dorm room, our voices hushed. Excitement sizzled and popped inside of me.

  “Except me. If you want this to work, you keep your mouth shut. You keep your nose to the ground. You are normal. You are aboveboard in all other things.” Rose clenched her hands into fists on her knees.

  “Why me? Why are you trusting me like this?” I didn’t get why a girl who had built herself this top secret world had decided to let me in.

  Rose didn’t answer me immediately. The noises from the hallway seemed far away.

  “Because my instincts about people are never wrong. I’m not wrong about you.”

  Rose gripped my hand in hers, so hard it hurt. “Don’t ever let me regret it.”

  —

  “I haven’t told anyone. I haven’t done anything wrong,” I protested.

  I hated having to defend myself to her. To anyone.

  I wasn’t some dumb kid who needed supervision. I had come a long way from that naive girl Rose had helped to mold.

  What she was suggesting was ludicrous. It made absolutely no sense. I was always careful. No one could find me unless I wanted them to.

  “You’re mistaken,” I said dismissively. But I felt panic. It blossomed in my gut even as I tried to tamp it down.

  “I know what I saw. Don’t speak to me like I’m an idiot,” she snarled.

  “What you’re saying is impossible,” I argued.

  “Is it?”

  Rose sounded sure. Too sure.

  There was only one connection between my two worlds.

  “Who have you been talking to?” I demanded, my voice icy hard.

  I heard Rose’s quick intake of breath. “You think I would say something?”

  “There’s no other way—”

  “There’s a hundred other ways if someone is smart enough,” she snapped.

  “I don’t have time for this crap,” I muttered, concerned in spite of myself.

  How was this possible?

  I had been so careful.

  Painstakingly so.

  I started to doubt. There wasn’t room for questions. For second-guessing.

  But…

  If someone knew my name, then others could find out as well.

  He would find me.

  Mason.

  It would all be over.

  Everything I had worked for.

  Everything I was trying to achieve.

  Done.

  I had to move quicker.

  Much quicker.

  I had to know what Mason knew. It was a matter of life and death.

  “You’d better take time for this crap, Hannah,” Rose spat. “This is serious.”

  “There’s no way. I’m untraceable.” As soon as I said it, I knew how ridiculous I sounded.

  No one was untraceable. Not completely. Not if one knew where to look.

  “Fuck, your God complex is out of control. You need to check your ego and find out what’s going on. I’ve heard rumblings about you working with someone new, but I didn’t take it seriously. Given that you’ve always insisted on working alone.” There was a note to Rose’s voice that I recognized as suspicion. And maybe some hurt too.

  Maybe I wanted her to hurt.

  Just enough.

  “I am working with someone,” I told her. Admitting it only to her. Only to maim.

  She was silent for a while. The bullet had hit its mark.

  Then I felt silly. Juvenile. Why would I want to hurt Rose? I had let go of any grievances a long time ago.

  She had reached out in an attempt to help. To warn me. I needed to keep my petty emotions in check.

  I had to remain even-tempered. Unhurried. Unconcerned.

  That was the Hannah Whelan I had become.

  “It’s a new partnership. One that I vetted carefully,” I explained, hoping to allay her obvious worry.

  “Who is it?” she asked, her voice raspy. Choked. I could hear the jealousy. Her words were clipped and cold.

  She was upset I was working with someone new. Someone who wasn’t her.

  Because in the beginning it was just her and me.

  Until I learned that working alone was the only way to move forward.

  Hacking—for me—was a solitary pursuit. Partnerships wouldn’t work.

  It was another thing that Rose had taught me.

  Yet I’m working with Toxicwrath now….But I was in control this time. Right?

  “Just a cracker I’ve met. He’s good. Really good. He’s in line with the mission. You remember how important that is.” I wouldn’t give her specifics.

  “Who is it? Can you really trust them? Are you being careful?”

  “Look Rose, I appreciate the heads-up, but I’ll take it from here. I’ve got some things in the works. You don’t need to worry about me.”

  Rose sighed. “I do worry about you, Hannah. Always have. You know that.”

  I felt a little sick to my stomach.

  “Stop it, Rose. Just stop it,” I snapped, needing to end this conversation quickly.

  “Han—”

  “I have to go. I have a date tonight.” I had to put that out there. Remind her of who I was. Of who I’d never be to her.

  There was silence.

  “Rose? Did you hear me?”

  “Yeah, I heard you. Though I must say I’m surprised. I didn’t think that heart of yours was capable of feeling anything,” she replied nastily.

  “I’ve got to go.” I didn’t want to talk to her anymore.

  “Hannah, watch your back.”

  “Is that a threat?” What was Rose’s angle?

  “If that’s what you think, then so be it. But we both know you can’t trust anyone.”

  “Yeah, I guess we both learned that the hard way.” I heard her sharp intake of breath.

  “Yes, we did.” I squeezed my phone in my hand so hard I thought it would break.

  “I’ll do some digging on my end. See what I can come up with,” Rose offered.

  “Why? This isn’t your problem.”

  “You’ll always be my problem,” Rose spat out, and then the line went dead.

  I dropped the phone onto the table, deeply unsettled.

  My instinct was not to believe anything Rose told me. Our history led to wary mistrust. She had said I was in danger of being found out. But how did she know this?

  I had to get
to Mason’s. I had to get dressed. I had to pretend I wasn’t losing my shit. But I had to do something else first.

  I sat down at my computer and opened up a VPN tunnel, then started searching. I scoured the deep Web for Hannah Whelan.

  And found nothing.

  Not a single damn thing.

  But that didn’t mean there wasn’t something out there. I should get Toxicwrath on it. See if he could find anything.

  Just not right now.

  Tonight I had other things to do. Other plans to put in place.

  Always the goddamned plan…

  I felt like a ticking clock. Time was running out.

  What if Rose was making it up, just so she could weasel her way back into my life?

  And what if she wasn’t?

  I couldn’t risk it.

  I went upstairs, picking out the first blouse and skirt I found. I ran a brush through my hair, barely sparing myself a glance in the mirror.

  Preparation time was over.

  I had to move.

  Chapter 14

  Hannah

  “Sorry I’m late.” I walked through the door that Mason held open, feeling flustered and out of breath.

  Mason took my coat and hung it up. “Hey, I’m in no position to comment on your tardiness. I’m just glad you’re here.”

  He put his hand on the small of my back and I stiffened slightly.

  The guilt raged inside of me. It was impossible to tamp it down in my frazzled state.

  I stared up at the handsome man smiling down at me and wished there was another way.

  I could back out now. Leave him alone. Save his heart.

  Save mine.

  But how could I, when so much was at stake?

  My conversation with Rose had left me rattled and off-kilter.

  “Hannah Whelan is Freedom Overdrive.”

  Who had discovered my identity? What had I done wrong? What door hadn’t I closed properly?

  The questions were making me paranoid. It was unsettling.

  Or was Rose full of crap? Was it all a ruse to insinuate herself back into my life?

  The timing was suspect.

  Mason leaned down and kissed me lightly on the lips. My mouth was rigid and unyielding, causing him to frown.

  I was uptight. Stressed. I was good at containing my emotions. But they were leaking out all over the place.