Page 90 of Malachi
“Yeah, what’s this breakthrough you talked about?” Ollie doubled down.
“Well, I was tucked away in my office while all of you were in meetings today. That meant that most of the offices at the church were empty while you all were busy. I have been trying to get into some files on the Reverend’s server. I was able to hack into his computer remotely from my own. But the files I need have been password protected. This last week, I’ve been attempting to breach his security.” His words held anxiety and excitement, replacing the worry I had felt for Eden. This was big. A breakthrough, indeed.
“Did you crack it?” Delilah asked eagerly.
“I did.” There was a collective intake of air around the room, excitement bubbling up until it almost crackled and sparked in the air around us.
“What was in the files?” Ruth asked in barely a whisper.
“It was an accounting ledger. At first glance, it wasn’t much to look at, other than the sums,” he explained.
“What do you mean?” Eden asked.
“It wasn’t a normal ledger. These numbers were massive. Far more than tithing or normal revenue earned through mundane means. It was nothing like anything I’ve seen in any of the church ledgers thus far,” he continued.
“Do you think it’s the accounting records for the children?” Levi asked solemnly. My stomach turned and recoiled at the thought of it.
“That’s exactly what I think. It is the only thing that makes sense,” Zeke explained. I didn’t want to let the hope inside of my chest loose from its cage, but it was almost impossible not to. This could really be it.
“This is the proof we need!” Ollie exclaimed, slapping his thigh with his hand. “Proof that they are selling these girls for profit.” The thought sickened me, making me want to run out of the barn and vomit all over the ground. How could people, real life people, sell other people for profit? Let alone children?!
“Not so fast. It’s not that simple,” Zeke stated solemnly. Of course, it wasn’t that simple. Nothing ever was.
“Seems pretty straightforward to me,” Ollie scoffed.
“You’d think so, but it’s not. The ledger is basically encrypted. Nothing is what it seems, and I haven’t been able to crack it enough to have it be irrefutable proof. We need the words there, or it’ll just be another loophole for the Reverend to jump through with ease. He’ll find some way to claim that the money is from something else. But it’s a huge start.” Zeke’s words were like ice on the hope that threatened to take over. He was right. It wasn’t that simple.
“That it is. Good work, Zeke. Seriously, great work,” Levi reassured him.
“The good news is that we have the next piece of the puzzle as well,” Zeke continued, unable to hide a small smile as he revealed this next bit of news.
“What do you mean?” Ruth asked.
“Well, attached to the ledger is a list of names. While it isn’t enough to stand on, it’s a lot more than I had hoped for right out of the gate,” he explained, leaning forward so his elbows rested on his legs as he spoke.
“What do you mean, a list of names? How do we know the Reverend won’t just say it’s a list of people being paid for their work?” Ollie argued. It was a good point. We didn’t need him finding any loopholes to weasel his way out of things this time.
“That’s the problem. But I know that’s not it,” Zeke explained.
“How can you be sure?” Levi asked, his brows furrowed in thought.
“Towards the bottom of the list of names was one that stuck out.” We all waited with bated breath for him to continue. “Naomi Phillips. And dates. The dates match up with the timeline Naomi gave us for when she was abducted.” His words settled over each of us differently. Some of us bore smiles of excitement, others wore expressions of concern.
“Was that the only name on the list you recognized?” Talia asked in a small, nervous voice. My eyes found hers as she inhaled a shuddery, unstable breath.
“No, it wasn’t, love,” Zeke admitted, reaching for her hand. “Your name was there, too. But just your first name. I’ll keep digging. I’ll get the information we need. Just give me a little more time.”
“I don’t know, Zeke. I think this is enough. Can you get the files printed out? Or on a flash drive? I think this is all the FBI will need,” Levi argued. There was a thrum of excitement buzzing through the pole barn.
“Already done,” Zeke said with a grin, holding up a small black USB stick. Such a small thing, to represent such a massive breakthrough for our plans.
“You really think it’ll be enough?” Ollie questioned. We were all in the same boat, hoping against hope that this was it, that the end was actually near.
“I do. Give me a minute,” Levi commented, pulling his cellphone from his pocket and walking over towards the entrance of the barn for better reception.
“Hey, Agent Driscoll. It’s me, Leviticus Temple. I wanted to tell you I think we found what you need.” Levi’s voice continued, explaining the information Zeke had found.
“Yeah, I understand,” he commented after a long pause, looking back at us. “Yeah, we can do that. It won’t be a problem. Sure. See you then.” With that, he hung up, jogging back up to us.
