BURNER ✅

2 • hack

"What are you doing?" Anastasia's roommate Lucy asks as she surveys the lounge room. She knows exactly what Anna is doing. She has seen this many times. Lucy wants me to say it...

"Nothing..."

"Annie, are the C.I.A going to be looking for you again?" Random question? No not really. Anna is used to it. See, she is a hacker. A great hacker. Lucy took one look up at the setup in front of her and freaked out.

"I'm being careful." Anna says going back to smashing her fingers along the keyboard. She needs to be quick, in and out.

"Who is the guy?" Lucy looks at the photo in the corner of Anna's screen.

"That's what I'm finding out." She answers continuing her search.

"So you are taking photos of randoms now?"

"I didn't take the photo." Anna arrived home around thirty minutes ago. She did a restore on the phone hoping to find something more. Anna has deduced that the phone is a burner. It explains 'M's' weird string of questions. She is assuming 'M' is the big boss, the guy in charge, the guy who organises the phone. If that is the case she has some advice for him because a smartphone is a poor choice for a burner especially if you are some sort of criminal, but there she goes again making assumptions.

"Who took the photo then?"

"The phone. A smartphone's camera takes footage throughout the day. It saves it, just nowhere you can find it."

"Seriously?" Lucy squeaks covering her own phone camera with her hand. "Is that why you have that outdated phone?" She points at Anna's brick sitting on the table.

Don't get me wrong I'm an I.T nerd I was technology so I have pretty much anything I can get my hands on but for personal calls I prefer a phone no one can hack.

Anna shrugs her shoulders ignoring Lucy's question.

The computer pings and Anna knows she has a match. Covering her tracks she closes her way out of the C.I.A's facial recognition database. Once she is done she opens the information. The photo matches one Marcello Morretti. There were several photos on the phone but she searched for one with something incriminating. The phone user is clearly on the phone from the way his hand is holding partly over the camera but the man next to him is holding a gun. The man with the gun Anna now knows is Mr Morretti.

"Why does Morretti sound familiar?" Anna asks Lucy.

"Morretti is the Italian Mob family. They own Sparrow Industries." She answer leaving Anna to her computers. The Mob! Oh my god!

The burner phone buzzes on the table.

M: You are awful quiet Red. Something wrong?

Burner: Red?

M: You won't tell me my name so I improvised.

Burner: ... red isn't very original.

M: Not original but appropriate.

Burner: Ok. Why don't I just call you...

Burner: Marcello?
With a burst of courage Anastasia attaches the photo she found on the burner and clicks send.

Nothing happens, no reply text and Anna sits there frozen watching the phone. Suddenly the phone buzzes again although this time it doesn't stop as it is a call. He is calling me. Marcello Morretti, mob boss is calling me!

"Oh my god!" Anna yells.

"What?" Lucy runs back into the lounge room.

"I found this phone at the Cafe it was lost. I text the only contact and now that contact is Marcello and he is calling me and oh my god he could kill me and he is cute right? That picture is cute. Oh my god. Oh my g-"

"Anastasia! Take a breath and shut up." The phone stops and the two girls let out a sigh. "I'm going to take a shower. Are you right?"

"Yep." Anna whispers her eyes still glued to the phone.

M: You aren't answering.

Burner: You got that right buddy. I know who you are... Marcello Morretti, thirty three, Italian Mob Boss and CEO.

M: What are you scared of?

Burner: That you will kill me.

M: I promise not to kill you.

The phone buzzes again and Anna stares at it for a few moment before pressing it her ear. She says nothing and the person on the other end sighs.

"When one answers the phone it is customary that they greet the other person." Marcello's voice is smooth and sophisticated.

"Good evening Mr Morretti."

"Better but Marcello is fine Miss..."

"Let's stick with Red."

"Do you not trust me?"

"Should I?"

"Probably not."

"Then no I don't trust you."

"Have dinner with me."

"You are joking right?"

"No. That way you can return the phone."

"How about I follow the original plan and leave the phone at the Coffee Bean to collect?"

"No."

"I don't want to have dinner with you."

"I didn't ask if you wanted to. I said 'have dinner with me'. It wasn't a question."

"As you used to people following your every word?"

"Yes."

"No."

"A car will collect you at eight. That gives you thirty minutes."

"I'm not having dinner with you."

"See you soon Red." Marcello chuckles before he disconnects the call.

"Oh my god!"

...
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