The office was a mess, our cubicles were a mess. There were people running here and there, projectors were on, every person was using two systems to get the job done at the earliest. I could hear shouts and screams and I was pretty sure no one knew who was talking to whom. It looked like a horrible disaster.
Alex Bianchi loved it. In fact, he urged it, screaming at his workers to find who ever had the audacity and talent to hack into his systems and steal the client data. Again.
“I cannot believe the pathetic security this billion dollar business has. You all should feel ashamed of yourselves.” Alex shouted, his face enraged, not one person had the guts to reply to him. Mostly because it really was their fault. “Security team!”
Immediately around 15 heads snapped up, staring at their boss with fear written all over their faces. “You are all fired!”
A collective sound of desperate gasps filled the air at Alex’s horrid proclamation.
Every protest was silenced with a stern glare with Alex. Even I physically flinched.
Myra, remember to not get on the bad side of this unpredictable billionaire. You need this job.
His eyes then turned to us, the Cyber Security team. “You have three hours to find out this person. Or all of you are also fired.” His eyes wandered over everyone’s faces before settling on mine. Moreover, with that unsympathetic expression I knew he meant every single word of what he said.
All eleven of us would be jobless and depressed within the next three hours.
I looked at the Security team and felt a huge cloud of fear tower over me. Alex when angry was super terrifying.
“With all due respect Mr. Bianchi.” Ajay started, he was the senior most person and had an incredible hacking mind, and he had been in the company for over 10 years now. “We are all trying our very best. There has been some progress, we now know what proxy servers he is using to route a fake signal. And I am sure we can track it back to him. But we will need the Security team, you can’t fire them at this point.”
Alex didn’t seemed fazed, on the contrary, his eyes just narrowed – annoyed at the speech.
Ajay wasn’t fazed even a little bit. He continued, “I cannot assure if we can give find the person behind this in three hours but I can assure you we have done triple security now. Every document, every folder, every file is encoded and it is near impossible to have this scenario again. If you could give us some days we will surely find out more about this code, the hacker is using.”
I was amusingly surprised to see Alex actually relax at Ajay’s words. He took a deep breath. “Three days, Alex, you have three days. No one sleeps. Security team you are hired again, for now.” Alex threatened before walking out of the room.
Everyone breathed out in relief as soon as the intimidating man disappeared through the door. Collective voices of thank you and you are amazing, rang in Ajay’s direction. Who instead of smiling and saying welcome, said. “Go and do your work. Don’t kiss my ass now.”
Me, my feet seemed to have a brain of their own. I walked outside the door, following Alex.
“Hey rich boy.” I shouted just as his figure was taking a turn. I knew I was aggravating him, especially after all this. I should not be calling him that. But I had this weird emotion of loving to irritate him.
Alex turned, his eyes darkening and his mouth turned into a scowl. “Don’t call me that.”
I grinned in response. “Are you okay?”
“I possibly lost a million dollar deal. No, Myra, I am not okay.” Alex scorned.
“Woah chill.” I rolled my eyes. “You will get ten more such deals.”
“Not if media finds out about this.” He grumbled, waving a hand through his hair. He looked more stressed than a pig giving birth.
“They won’t.” I assured, not even knowing if they really would.
Alex shook his head. “Go and do what I hired you for. Don’t stand here and chit chat or I’ll fire you.”
“With all due respect Mr. Bianchi.” I said, faking the sweetness in my voice. “Fuck off.” And with that I turned away, with my head held high but my heart beating furiously fast and in terror.
What the hell made me say that? My mouth really needed a filter.
Where was I when God was distributing foul language filters? Probably eating a cheese pizza or sleeping.
I quickly ran to the Security room and Ajay caught me as soon as I entered it. “Myra, start decoding. Help Athena.”
I walked to Athena, who did not look happy with this new arrangement. She glared at Ajay for pairing her with me but didn’t say anything. She probably thought I had some disease, and by the look she was giving me, I had to wonder if I truly did.
“Hi.” I muttered, smiling lightly at her. Trying my best to be friendly even though I sucked at it.
Athena just rolled her eyes and that she did well, they disappeared right under the eyelids. “Whatever.”
Well you know what they say – foul mouth, stinky personality.
I grabbed my laptop and sat next to her, waiting for her to acknowledge or at least give me some work.
I stared at her laptop while she typed a code furiously to counter the hacking code. And every time it failed she would groan, banging her fist on the table. Making me jump every time.
“Well do something or are you getting paid just to watch me type?” Athena criticized, her grey eyes jeering at me.
I felt a pang of anger but washed it down. I didn’t want to have a fight in the first two weeks itself. “What do you want me to do?”
“Make me some coffee.” Athena mocked.
I bit my lip from trashing her with my words. Because if I started getting sarcastic there was no winning for her.
If there is one thing I can be good at – it is being sarcastic.
“Whatever.” I snorted, looking down at my laptop and starting to analyze the code myself. She could stick her rotten attitude up her plump butt.
“Annoying brat!”
I breathed out, trying to hold onto some restrain and positivity. Now I knew why she sat alone and no one talked to her. Because she wasn’t made for human interaction. She took being introvert to a whole new level. And her motto was to get rude.
I vaguely wondered if she had any friends, the odds were zero.
For two hours, I worked on every decoding technique I knew. It was in vain. The damn code was so well written it seemed impossible to crack it. Of course every hacker code had its signature, it’s sort of a pride thing for hackers. And this hacker did too, his signature was to include 4’s after every four lines on the fourth word.
When I first saw the code I had a feeling I had seen this signature somewhere, I just couldn’t place where. But after two hours of staring at the same code I couldn’t remember seeing anything except the code. I couldn’t remember my own mother’s face, I couldn’t remember my own face.
“I’ll get some coffee.” I muttered to no one in particular. I took my sleepy Panda mug and got up.
“Black for me.” Athena ordered without even looking up.
I narrowed my eyes at her, who the hell was she to order me around like that? “Get it yourself.” I snapped before running out of the door. I was sure she’d throw her laptop at me if I stood there for a minute longer.
I leaned against the coffee machine, pressing the Expresso button. I would add milk later, somehow I couldn’t drink coffee or tea without milk.
The whole office was almost empty except for the office night workers and of course the Security team. I glanced at the clock on my phone. It was 2. 58am. And everyone was still working, high on coffee and low on happiness.
“My library job was better.” I said to myself, pressing the milk button. At least I could sleep properly at night. But then again it didn’t pay me this much so I couldn’t complain.
I took a sip and winced at the bitterness. It wasn’t as bitter as Athena’s arrogance but I didn’t have to swallow that. So I added a spoon of sugar.
My phone suddenly started vibrating making me jump in shock, who would call me at 3 in the night?
Alex idiot Bianchi of course.
I picked up the call wondering what he wanted now. Probably an update on the situation.
“Hey rich boy!” I said faking joy.
I heard a groan from the other side that made me smile real. Oh how I loved to annoy him! “You aren’t going to stop calling me that are you?” there was resignation in his tone.
“Aww sweety, nope.”
Alex sighed. “Anyways I shouldn’t have snapped. But this situation is making me irrational. Two hacks in a month, the company will drown if this continues.”
I walked to the nearby couch and sat on it, sipping my coffee. “I know Alex, everyone is scared. If this company drowns so do the people working here. All are working really hard.” I assured, I had seen them working. I was sure this was going to be a long sleepover with no pillow fights and plenty horror stories. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”
“How can I? I am still in the office.”
“Really?” I half-shouted in surprise. I had thought he had already gone home and slept on his fluffy ass bed.
“Obviously Myra.” He answered as if I was crazy for thinking he could even sleep. I vaguely wondered if he even slept and if he did what would he dream of – taxes and meetings? “Do you want to meet?”
I almost smiled at his question but Athena walked by me and the smile dropped.
“Talking to your love boy I see.” She scorned, staring at me with disgust.
“None of your fucking concern.” I retorted, getting seriously annoyed with her insolent approach.
She seemed least affected by my harsh words, possibly because she was used to herself and in that comparison my words were honey. “Maybe you should work so you don’t get fired.” She paused dramatically. “But oh you don’t have to work because the boss wouldn’t fire you anyway.”
Since the call was still on, I didn’t think twice before my mouth spoke the words I was to regret forever. “Hey Alex, did you fuck and leave this girl? She seems pretty pissed about our relationship.”
Athena’s face was worth every yell I was to receive from Alex. Her face turned to horror-stricken. Not believing what I just said, her lips turned into a thin line and her hands formed fists. I just knew she would pay a million to any Russian gangster to kill me right now. Without a single word, she stomped her way back to our room.
“You are forgetting your black coffee.” I shouted from behind, a slight smile on my face.
She didn’t care to turn back.
“Myra!” I winced as Alex’s voice screamed though the phone.
I gulped sensing the upcoming war. “Hey Alex.” I replied meekly.
“What the fuck!” his voice was so loud if I kept the phone five feet away, I’d still hear him clearly.
“Sorry.” I apologized trying to sound sincere. I was so bad at apologizing.
“Sorry? Really? What were you thinking saying those words? Fuck her? Relationship? Do you think before speaking? And at least say sorry like you mean it.” Alex was livid.
I sighed knowing no excuse would justify this behavior. I was just so furious at Athena for that comment. Did she think I got this job because I was sleeping with Alex? Gosh, I felt my heart beat increase, did everyone think that? That I was incapable and a slut?
“Why did you hire me Alex?” I questioned, needing some peace of mind.
“What?” he seemed taken aback by the sudden question?
“Why did you hire me?” I repeated. “I haven’t completed my training, I am not certified, and you are still pay me way too much. There was no technical interview. No HR interview. So on what basis did you hire me? And don’t say you saw capability and a bright future on my face. That’s just lame.”
There was a long pause, Alex was thinking about his reply, a formal and false I was sure. It just made me want to cry. Was I really here because Alex might have found me attractive or he thought he could bed me? Just the thought lowered my ever flying self-confidence. I felt worthless.
“Zivah talked about you.” Alex started. “She talked about how you really worked hard, and how hacking was your passion, not just something you were learning under parental pressure. I didn’t believe her. But then we got a few applications from your classes – codes and papers of students. My technical team analyzed them, Ajay was in that too, you can ask him if you want. The names were hidden we only got the student IDs. And believe me or not Myra, only two out of thirty seemed capable enough. One turned out to be you and other one didn’t want a job now.”
Alex paused, letting his words sink in. “You would have been hired anyways. I saw your ID on the books that day at the library and guessed it was you. I didn’t hire you because you are pretty or because of whatever that woman said. Don’t doubt yourself Myra. I would never stoop that low. When it comes to work, I don’t take chances.”
I smiled, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. I knew about the classes sending out applications, they would do it every four months, we just never knew which company it went too. So that the students wouldn’t pull some strings to get hired. “Thank you.” I said, really glad I knew this.
“Anytime hacker girl.” Alex’s tone turned teasing and I chuckled, grimacing at the taste of coffee. It had turned cold and bitterer now. (bitterer, such a funny word to speak)
“Stupid coffee.” I grumbled, throwing away the remaining coffee.
“I know a place that has some great coffee.” Alex hinted.
“At 3. 30 in the night?” A part of me wasn’t ready to have a late night coffee with him. And a part of me was dancing with joy to spend more time with him.
But everyone knows, as the clock strikes midnight, secrets walk out and emotions have a party. And the next morning, it’s a regretting hangover.
“It’s a 24*7 coffee shop.” He assured. “After all we need to talk about our relationship.”
I groaned, rubbing my forehead. I knew I was going to regret my words.