The Charity Chip (27 page)

“I’ve been trying to find access to Isak’s computer for almost a year now. The computers used by the students, Doctor Kozyar, and even the eye-candy secretary don’t connect to Isak’s computer.” She threw up her hands. “I can’t just sneak into Isak’s office and plant the mole. All the doors have chip-sensor locks, and the windows have bars. Can’t you hack in from the street?”

Martín shook his head. “I’ve already tried. His system is wired only and doesn’t send or receive a wireless signal. Once it leaves his computer, all the data is encrypted.” He sighed. “Physical access is total access. I need you to plant a mole, just like the old days.”

“Can we cut power to the door locks?” asked Angelica.

“No, they default to the locked position, and then you have to open them with a physical key,” answered Martín.

“A physical key?” asked Julio.

Martín nodded as he continued to type. “Yes, an old-fashioned metal key.”

“I can get us a key,” said Julio. Angelica gave him a puzzled look. Julio shrugged. “I’ve been helping Carmen with the food deliveries. She lets me use her key for the hallway and the back door to the alley.”

“But what about Isak’s office?” asked Angelica.

Julio shook his head. “It doesn’t need a key, as long as he is in the building. I’ve been through it twice.”

“Are you sure?” asked Martín.

“When he invited me to join Caritas, I walked right in. The hallway door and the back door have chip-sensor locks with backup keyholes.” He smiled. “But I can get us a key.”

“How?” asked Angelica.

Julio winked. “Carmen trusts me.”

Martín pointed at Julio. “Tomorrow, you get the key. The day after tomorrow, we plant the mole. By Saturday, we’ll have the evidence.”

C
HAPTER
S
EVENTEEN

La Llave

(The Key)

^T
he next morning Julio stared at Raúl as he slept. He wanted to kick him and wake him up before leaving for Caritas, but decided that his revenge would have to wait, and he hurried down the stairs with his skateboard under his arm. The morning fog was thicker than usual and muffled the sounds of traffic as he skated for Caritas. The thought of stealing the key from Carmen made his stomach flutter.

Carmen greeted him with her usual smile and tossed him the keys. “The delivery truck will be here in a few minutes. You’re such an angel for helping an old woman.”

Julio smiled and gave a slight bow. “At your service,
señora
.” The butterflies in his stomach fluttered. He headed straight for the alleyway, and propped open the back door with the board. Shrouded by the fog, he slipped the key to the alleyway door off the ring and tucked it into his pocket. When the delivery truck came, he carried in all the groceries like usual and hung up the keys beside the refrigerator. Carmen rewarded him with a glass of milk and a handful of
rosquitas
, but his nerves had dampened his appetite, and he had to force himself to eat.

He continued with his normal routine and tried to concentrate. A few minutes after he began his schoolwork, Angelica came in. She glanced at him and took a seat in the corner like usual.

Julio snuck her a text.
I got it.

She looked over at him and smiled. She sent him a text.
Meet me at Plaza Manco Cápac in front of the statue 3 p.m.

Julio kept his cool on the outside, but three o’clock could not come fast enough. He avoided sitting with Angelica during lunch. He sat alone and wolfed down his food. As soon as he finished lunch, he grabbed his things and hurried out the door like he had someplace to be. The key was heavy in his pocket, and he looked over his shoulder several times as he skated away halfway expecting Isak to be following him. He didn’t dare pull out the key until he was standing in front of the statue of the Incan ruler. He breathed a sigh of relief before tucking it back into his pocket.

He skated over to the intersection beside the cathedral. The one-armed boy selling matches was gone. A boy about his age dressed in a dirty soccer jersey and pants with holes in the knees darted between cars asking for handouts. He watched as the boy tapped on car windows and frowned at motorists, trying to evoke sympathy. He was shocked at how dirty he was.
Is that what I looked like?
Embarrassed for the boy, he looked away.

“I thought you would be hanging out at your new school or whatever it is.” Julio turned to see Raúl with his skateboard under his arm.

Julio popped up his board and scowled. “I was done for the day. Why aren’t you in bed still? You need to rest so you don’t reopen those sutures.”

Raúl waved him off. “I’m fine, and besides I need to figure out a way to get the rest of the money I owe Sergio.” He nodded at the boy begging in the intersection. “Maybe I should join him.”

“Maybe you should.”

Raúl nodded at Julio’s skateboard. “How much do you think your skateboard is worth? We could sell that.”

“I’m not the one that got stabbed and lost the package.” He pointed at Raúl’s board. “Sell your own skateboard.”

Raúl shrugged. “My board is too old, and the front truck is going bad.” He looked over at the bank. “Why don’t you go to the bank and make a withdrawal from your chip?”

Julio shook his head. “I told you it doesn’t work that way. It only buys the necessities.”

“I need money. Doesn’t that count?”

“Exactly how much money do you need?”

“About a hundred and fifty soles.”

Julio fingered the Saint Michael’s pendant under his shirt. “Do you think Sergio would accept less?”

“I might be able to talk him into less. Chicha listens to me.”

Julio sighed. “Okay, tell him I can get a hundred soles.”

“Why don’t we go together, tonight? We can take care of it all at once.”

Julio rubbed his finger across his eyebrow. “Last time I went to
El Infierno
things didn’t go so well. I think I’ll pass.”

Raúl chuckled. “That’s nothing. Chicha really likes you. He actually wants you to join the gang. Besides, you already passed the initiation.”

Julio tightened his jaw and tried not to show his anger. “I’m not interested in joining. Tell Sergio I have one hundred soles, but that’s it.”

“I need you come with me. Please,
hermano
. Together we could take care of this.” A group of teenage girls dressed in school uniforms of black skirts and white blouses walked by. Raúl turned his head to follow the coy group.

The photo from the park flashed into Julio’s mind. He could see Mamá’s loving face, and everyone looking at the camera, except for Raúl. He remembered his promise and sighed. “
Bueno
, what time?”

Raúl turned his attention back to Julio. “What? Oh, everyone should be there after eight. I’ll meet you out front and get you past Turco.” He climbed on his board and started after the group of schoolgirls. As he skated away, he shouted over his shoulder, “See you tonight,
hermano
.”

Julio wished he had never made that promise to Mamá.

* * *

The key burned a hole in Julio’s pocket. He tried to sit down on the bench and wait for Angelica, but soon found himself skating anxious circles around the park. Fortunately, Angelica was prompt. Unfortunately, she brought Martín with her.

“Let’s keep moving,” demanded Martín when Julio approached them. “That way it looks like a chance meeting, and we can see if anyone follows us.”

Julio fell in beside them on his board, skating lazy turns to keep from passing them. “I have the key,” he said as he reached into his pocket.

“Not yet,” warned Martín. “We don’t want it to be obvious.”

Julio rolled his eyes and kicked his board forward.

“Are you sure you got the right key?” asked Angelica.

“Positive. You can slip through the back door and right into Isak’s office, but how are you going to plant the mole if Isak is sitting in his office?”

“Simple,” answered Martín. “We have to create a diversion. Any ideas?” They turned and followed the sidewalk toward the cathedral.

“I could start a fight with someone,” offered Angelica.

Martín shook his head. “Unless they were in on the scheme, it might not go as scripted. Besides, that might not get him out of his office and you need to be free to plant the mole. Julio, you have to create the diversion.”

“I could pull a fire alarm,” said Julio as he coasted along.

“Too much noise and confusion,” answered Martín, “And besides, it would bring attention from the local authorities. We need something that would get Isak out of his office.”

“Well, if we are inventory, then putting that inventory in danger would get his attention. What if we all suddenly got sick?” asked Angelica.

“That might work, but how do we make everyone get sick at the same time?” asked Martín.

Julio remembered his discussion with Doctor Barilla about drug overdoses. “Ipecac syrup. If I put some ipecac syrup in the drink during lunch time, about fifteen minutes later everyone will be throwing up.”

“But Carmen only lets us drink water with lunch,” said Angelica.

Julio grinned. “I can get her to let me make some
chicha morada
. The flavor should be strong enough to disguise the ipecac syrup. I’ll drink it along with everyone else.” He wagged a finger at Angelica. “But you might want to pass on the
chicha morada
tomorrow.”

Martín nodded in agreement. “Okay, Julio, that should work. Can you get it by tomorrow?” He turned back toward the statue of Manco Cápac in the center of the plaza.

“No problem.”

“How will I know that Isak is out of his office?” asked Angelica.

“Just wait at one of the computers until he comes into the student area,” said Martín.

“If she does that, she might not have enough time to get around the building, into his office, and plant the mole before he comes back,” said Julio. “You leave right after lunch and wait somewhere in the alleyway behind the building. I’ll text you when Isak comes to the cafeteria.”

“You might want to take an extra dose of the syrup so you are the first to throw up,” said Martín. “Make sure you make a big mess in the middle of the room. The smell alone will trigger everyone else’s gag reflex. The syrup will do the rest.” They stopped in front of the statue and Martín looked up at the Incan leader. “Julio, which pocket is the key in?”

“My left pants pocket,” said Julio with one foot on his board and the other on the sidewalk.

Martín still stared up at the statue. “Angelica, give Julio a hug and take the key.”

Angelica rushed over to Julio with her arms extended like he was a long-lost relative. She wrapped him up in an extended embrace and even kissed him on the cheek. Her silky brown hair brushed against his cheek, and he longed for it to continue. At last, she pulled away and smiled at him. Julio checked his pocket. The key was gone.

Martín glanced over his shoulder at Julio. “Just a couple more days. Tomorrow we plant the mole. By Saturday morning, we’ll have enough evidence to stop Caritas.” He started walking for the opposite corner of the plaza, and Angelica followed him. When she was a few meters away, she looked back over her shoulder, smiled at Julio, and held up the key for him to see.

* * *

Julio shoved the ipecac syrup and
chicha morada
drink mix into his backpack and then checked the time on his phone—seven thirty. He put the backpack at the head of his bed ready for tomorrow. He pulled the pendant from under his shirt and held it up in front of the candle. The money chip inside was only slightly bigger than a grain of rice. He rubbed the charity chip beneath his skin.
It’s hard to believe that something so small could have so much control over my life.

The lights of the stadium cast an eerie glow against the incoming fog as Julio skated toward
El Infierno
. Alianza Lima was preparing for
el Clásico
, the big game with their major rival, La U, Saturday night. As he skated, he dreamed about one day watching
el Clásico
in the stadium, but chided himself for lack of focus. He arrived at
El Infierno
early, but waited down the street for Raúl to show. Turco sat in his usual spot playing with his knife.

A few minutes after eight, Raúl slipped out the front door and looked up and down the street. Julio shook his head. Raúl had been upstairs all along. He hopped on his board and skated over. Turco stood and brandished his knife when he saw Julio.

“
Hola, hermano
. Did you bring the money?” asked Raúl before Julio had even picked up his board.

“It’s in a safe place,” answered Julio. “Is Sergio here? Will he accept our offer?”

“He’s upstairs by the fire.” Raúl turned and started inside. “
Vamos
.”

Julio glanced at Turco, who glared at him as he twirled his knife. “I think I should wait here.”

Raúl put a hand on Turco’s shoulder. “Sit down. My brother is here to pay my debt.” Turco flicked his knife into the ground and sat back down on his crate. Raúl motioned to Julio and started up the stairs. “
Vamos
. We don’t want to keep Chicha waiting.”