Sidekick (22 page)

My jawed dropped. “You hacked into Pierce’s computer?”

“It wasn’t hard,” he mumbled shoving half a burrito in his mouth. “I guess you like them beautiful and stupid too, huh?”

I looked over to the shelves.

“She is standing right there,” I said pointing to the blonde. “She can hear you.”

Bart started to laugh and shook his head.

I followed my own finger-point. The blonde was spinning in a circle trying to catch a stain on the back of her dress. I sighed.

“Pierce is not like that.”

“Sure, I believe whatever you have to say about Mr. Password One Two Three, One Two Three.”

I shot Bart a death stare. He smiled big back at me.

“Moving on,” I said. “Are you going to help me or what?”

“Follow me.” He waved a hand towards the back room.

Ms. Chasing her Tail perked up at this and gave me a suspicious look, but a dust mote floated past her face throwing her off my scent.

When we got into the cave of blinking lights and wonder, I started to ask Bart if he could hack into my father’s computer, but he cut me off.

“Impossible,” he said. “And this is me saying it.”

“Why?”

“His system is the best I’ve ever seen.” He spun quickly on his heel to face me. “I’m a genius, not a wizard.”

“I know that. I just meant—”

“Maybe I should write a program that could call his computer like a dog? And it could come running to your feet?” He dropped himself into a plush office chair with a grunt.

“Jeez, sorry. I just thought you were some sort of super geek.”

“You may think you are insulting me with that word, but my kind has reclaimed g
eek
. I take that as a compliment.”

I tilted my face to the ceiling and mumbled, “Whatever, nerd.”

Bart gave me a look that could probably kill in Dungeons and Dragons before saying, “I could theoretically hack into your dad’s system remotely, but not in the timeframe you need.”

“Great.” I had hoped Bart could save me from having to break in. Even if St. James Industries hadn’t changed their security protocols regarding little old me, there was no way I could pull off Choden’s plan. Say I did get into my father’s office. I didn’t even know the start-up password for his computer. It was a waste of time.

“Oh baby, it’s not all doom and gloom.”

I looked up.

“I said I couldn’t hack the system remotely. That doesn’t mean I can’t help at all.”

“How?”

“There are other ways to access a computer.”

I nodded quickly. “Well, I was thinking if I managed to get in I could use one of those flashcard thingies to copy the whole lot. Do you need passwords for that?”

He gave me a pitying smile. “You’re so cute, but your father would have safeguards against that. Are you sure there’s even a port for your flashdrivey thingy?” He blinked his eyes like a Kewpie doll.

“Well, no,” I replied, resisting the urge to smack him. “So what’s your plan?”

“We send your father an email.”

“You can get into his system from an email?” I asked. “That’s it?”

“That’s it,” he replied putting his hands in the air. “But there’s a little catch.”

My shoulders slumped. “Of course there is.”

“You have to get him to download an attachment.”

“Okay, well, nice try, but next plan.” I sat down on a nearby desk. Suddenly all the computer lights dimmed and a Barry White song came on.

“Hey! Get off the keyboard! You triggered seduction mode.”

I jumped up, and quickly brushed off my backside, feeling icky. “I thought you didn’t need to seduce the ladies.”

“It’s not for them. It’s for me.”

“You’re so weird,” I said shaking my head. “Anyway, my father is not going to download some virus attachment.”

“You’re his daughter. Surely you can think of something he’ll open.”

I paused. “Maybe. But he’ll probably open it on his phone, and his secret plans would most likely be on his office computer.”

“Doesn’t matter. The network would be segmented to include his office.” He picked at some leftover burrito stuck in his teeth. “You leave that part to me.”

“Okay, well, this is good news,” I said feeling marginally better. “So I don’t even need to break in. I just need to figure out something that he’ll be tempted to open over email.”

“Yeah, no, I didn’t say that. You need to send an attachment he’ll open,
and
you need to break into his office to be on his computer when he does.”

“What?” I shrieked. “Now you’re just being silly.”

“Look, St. James Industries has programs that monitor the activity flow of all the computers in the building. I’m going to have to work quickly to get the information before they realize what I’m doing. I can’t keep the port open, manage my security defences, decrypt passwords,
and
sneak around the computer all at the same time. You need to do the last part.”

“Okay, you’re losing me.” All this computer talk was making a buzzing sound in my head. “Talk me through it.”

“Here’s how it will go,” Bart said wiping his hands onto his jeans. “Step one, you break into his office.”

“Check,” I said ignoring the little person in my head laughing hysterically at the certainty of my
check
.

“Step two, you turn the computer on.”

“Okay.”

“Then you do nothing.”

“Excellent. I like that part.”

“I will send the email to your dad from your phone here just in case he is GPSing you. We don’t want him to know you’re in the building.” He stopped talking to make a note on a doughnut wrapper. “I should mask this location too.”

I nodded. “Okay, good.”

“When your father opens the attachment, I will breach the system. The main screen on the office computer will come up. That’s how you’ll know it worked.”

Bart sounded excited, and I had to admit, it was infectious. “Then you will choose whatever file you think is the most important in figuring out what your father is up to, and you will open it. Whatever file you open, I steal. Then I shut everything down.”

“Wait, only one file?”

“Yup. The activity on the computer will be monitored. I can mask it with a super awesome rootkit I’ve designed—patent pending—but not for long, and we need to stay below a threshold of activity. You can fool around a little bit, but not much. They will have packet sniffers up the wazoo to check for traffic.”

“Now you’re just making up words,” I said.

Bart shut his eyes and shook his head a little. “I don’t expect you to understand. I just expect you to follow instructions.”

“What if I choose the wrong file?”

Bart shrugged. “Look, the longer you search around, the more likely you will be caught. I can’t help you with that part. You’ll have to use the force.”

My brain felt a little hot. This was all happening so fast. When Choden came up with this plan, it had seemed hopeless. Now with Bart’s help, it actually seemed…possible.

“Bart, I don’t know what to say.” Suddenly I was feeling a little emotional. “Are you really willing to do all this because you’re bored and you want to meet Ryder?”

“No, I’m doing all this for a
date
with Ryder. That and I need an outlet for my powers. Helping you might be it.”

I smiled. “You have a DVD copy of
War Games
under your bed, don’t you?”

“I use it when porn doesn’t do the trick.”

“Gross.”

He ignored me. “Well, what about you? Why are you doing all this? I thought you didn’t want to be on your father’s radar?”

I planted my hands on my hips. “I have been the beneficiary of evil doings for far too long.” I shifted my gaze to look at something far off in the distance. “It is time for me to right some wrongs.”

“What was that? A heroic proclamation?” Bart reached for the doughnut wrapper and pen. “Did you want me to write it down?

“Look, my father messed up my karma,” I said seriously. Unfortunately, being serious made it harder to ignore the pain residing in my chest these days. “I have always known there was something not quite right about his business, and I turned a blind eye to it…mainly because I really love expensive shoes and handbags. I have to make things right.”

“Ah, rich girl guilt. I hear it’s a bitch.”

“Sing it, brother.”

“And you say I’m the nerd.”

After Bart’s, I went back to my apartment to feast on stale cinnamon buns.

Training with Choden was supposed to resume first thing in the morning. With my father’s town hall happening tomorrow night, we didn’t have much time, and I still had to fill him in on what Bart could do to help.

I needed to get some sleep…right after I finished writing an email to send to my father.

After three hours of teeth gnashing and banging my phone against my forehead, I had two emails.

The first consisted of two words. The second only one.

Tomorrow, I would have to tell Bart which one to send.

I stared at both.

I had to choose, or I’d never get any sleep.

Finally, I picked the winner and flicked off my light.

Chapter Twenty-Five

“Miss St. James? Are you supposed to be in here?”

And just like that…I was caught.

Granted, I’d only had about twenty-four hour’s worth of preparation, but I still didn’t think I’d be caught in the first five minutes.

I swivelled on my heel to face the security guard. His expression wasn’t threatening, more quizzical.

Maybe insisting upon wearing the suit had been a mistake. But it was a work of art! How could I not? And once Choden had realized I wasn’t going to change my mind about it, he had lent me Ryder’s utility belt. I hadn’t really practiced using it all that much, but it gave me confidence. It also made me feel powerful…and slinky. Given the expression on the security guard’s face, it also made me look crazy…and up to no good. Good thing I didn’t wear the mask too.

“I, uh—”

I had no idea what to say.

Choden should have better prepared me for this scenario. He should have known I wouldn’t make it past the guards.

I looked around the marble-floored foyer for some plausible explanation as to what I was doing. The towering ferns and expensive paintings weren’t saying much.

We had decided sneaking in was the best bet. Choden was supposed to cause some sort of disturbance in the back lot while I slipped in the front door. Obviously, Choden had done his part because the security guards at the front desk had jumped up when they saw something on one of the screens at their desk, and they had hurried off down a hall. I then scurried in and went for the elevator. I had only just managed to press the up button when this guard popped up out of nowhere.

Now, I was caught.

“Should I call someone?” the guard asked.

“Oh no, don’t do that,” I said quickly. I glanced at my watch. Bart had probably sent the email by now.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to be here.”

“I—”

“I thought the Rehab Center had been moved? To the gym?” the guard said pointing down the opposite hallway.

Rehab Center?

What was going on? Why would I be going to the Rehab Center?

Jenny.

No, it couldn’t be. The guard thought I was Jenny?

“I go there a lot, don’t I?” I said, trying hard to sound normal.

“That stuff you’re wearing,” he said, pointing to my belt, “is that a new therapy thing?”

“Yes. Yes, it is,” I said slowly.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes. Yes, I am.”

My heart was running around screaming hysterically, but I was fine.

“You’re right. I’m headed in for some late therapy…but I left something upstairs.”

Just then, the elevator made a classy-sounding ding, and the doors slid open.

The guard took a step back. “Oh, well then, have a good night Miss St. James.”

“Thank you,” I replied, practically jumping into the elevator.

I spun and pressed the top floor button while smiling at the guard.

The doors started to close.

Suddenly his hand popped in the gap, and the doors slid open again.

“One more thing,” the guard said.

I froze.

“Check in before you leave. Someone set off fireworks in the dumpster out back. We’ll escort you out.”

I gave him a thumbs up.

The doors slid shut, and I collapsed against the mirrored wall. Then I spotted a camera mounted on the ceiling. I shot up. Hopefully, I had just looked tired.

The building was only five floors, but it sprawled.

When I got to the top, I hurry-walked to my father’s office.

It wasn’t locked.

Atticus St. James did not like visual displays of weakness. No one would break into his office because no one would dare break into his office. Of course, iron-clad security forces lurked everywhere behind the scenes, but the illusion of ultimate power reigned.

I stepped into the office, and shut the door quickly behind me.

This time I allowed myself a good moment or two to slump against the wall with my eyes shut. Luckily, there weren’t any security cameras in here. My father wouldn’t want any of his evil deeds caught on tape.

I took a breath before I opened my eyes. A wave of nausea rolled over me.

Given who my father was, what I should have seen was a giant throne surrounded by stone walls with chains and cuffs dangling down. Instead, I saw modern furniture, and glossy white walls imprinted with orange happy face logos. To most, it looked like the type of office where employees played ping-pong while they brainstormed. To me, it looked like hell.

Lies. Manipulation. The happy face of evil.

I gave myself a shake. I didn’t have time for this. I walked quickly to the computer and turned it on.

While I waited for it to load, I couldn’t help but notice Bart had been right. I ran my fingers over the smooth white processor. No ports.

It only took a second for the computer’s password box to come up. I prayed Bart knew what he was doing.

Minutes dragged on. With each passing second, alarms dinged in my head and the sound of imaginary footsteps ran down the hall towards me. I could practically see the security guard downstairs taking a sip of his coffee with a look on his face that said
What’s taking her so long?