Hacker (CENTURIES series: Book #5) (VERY SLOW UPDATES)

13

| February |

"So, how much did I miss, boss?"

The big boss chuckled quietly as I sat down in his chair with a wince, in front of his desk where piles of paperwork seemed to create towers of redundant answers for me.

"It's good to see you back on your feet, Caleb. You've been missed."

"Yeah, well, no need to miss me anymore. I'm ready to take down some bad guys," I enthusiastically announced. More so, I was ready to finally have a decent night of sleep without night terrors taking my mojo away. "Catch me up."

The boss pursed his lips ever so slightly, but then lowered his gaze. "The Russian mafia is getting more and more aggressive. They took down Agent Santino and they took down you in their search for the USB. You're both lucky to have escaped alive."

I nodded once and absentmindedly let my hand fall to my bad knee. Vince had gotten his taste of the Russian mob as well, a few months back while everything was still going on. Thankfully, unlike me, he was a trained agent and had felt them keeping tabs on him. He had hidden the USB with Agent Rya Wilkins shortly before they got to him. They had roughed him up as well, but like me had escaped within an inch of his life.

It appeared the fight for power was on, and the Russians wanted to be in the lead. C.E.N.T.U.R.I.E.S were hiding their knowledge too well, except for me, Eli, the boss and now Rya and Vince. We were the exceptions who knew what was going on, which meant we were their prime targets. The question was, how had they known who I was?

"How did they find me?" I asked, looking over the Boss who sighed and leaned back in his chair with a deep frown. "Do you think the people from C.E.N.T.U.R.I.E.S could've leaked my identity to the Russians somehow, in hopes they might take care of me for them?"

"It's a possibility, but it's thin," He acknowledged. "As much as I'd like to deny it, the Russians aren't stupid. They know if C.E.N.T.U.R.I.E.S leaked a name after being airtight for years about their business, it would mean they were setting up some kind of trap. The Russians wouldn't fall for it. On the other hand, If C.E.N.T.U.R.I.E.S did send those Russians after you somehow, that meant they would've had to cut some sort of deal with them. And as you know C.E.N.T.U.R.I.E.S is not too happy about making deals. In any case, why would they leak your name knowing full and well they would've lost information through you?"

The boss made a good point; If C.E.N.T.U.R.I.E.S had given me up to the Russians, it wouldn't exactly have been a smart move on their side. They wouldn't risk their information getting into the wrong hands—or risk those who knew about them spilling all their secrets.

But if that was the case, then we were back to square one.

"So how did they discover me, if not through C.E.N.T.U.R.I.E.S?" I gritted, feeling both angst and frustration build up. "They called me out by name, said they knew I worked for you and what I did. How could they possibly know if not through them?" I was a ghost. To the world, I didn't exist, neither as Caleb or Zachary Montrell. I was a nobody, so how had they found me and known who I was?

The big boss narrowed his eyes, the wheels in his head spinning just as hard as my own were. If we had a security breech somehow and we didn't catch it soon, all our lives could be at stake. Me, Zoe, Elana...

And everyone else involved.

"I don't know," He finally spoke up. There was a note in his voice, one that grated with frustration and anger. "I will figure it out, though, I promise you," He vowed, sitting up. "No one will get hurt on my watch again."