Page 7 of Ruin Me With Lies
Once I’m settled, he regards me.“I’m told you’re a tech whiz?”
Don’t oversell.“I don’t know about awhiz…”
If he’s knowledgeable in this area, then next he’ll ask if I’m an Independent or with a Cyber Family.
“Are you an Independent?”he asks.“Or are you with a Cyber Family?”
In the tech world, if you want to be taken seriously, if you want the high-paying jobs from companies that matter, you join a Cyber Family.It’s a stamp of approval, a certification, a mark of trust.Most major organizations won’t hire Independents.Too unpredictable, too mercenary.Loyal only to money.And more often than not, they end up running ransomware attacks against their own employers.
“I’m with a Cyber Family,” I answer.
“Which one?”
I’m part oftwoof the top Cyber Families.But given the Castellos’ familial ties with Red Cage, only one is safe to mention.“The Timberly Day Family.”
Lorenzo lifts a brow.“Really?”
Hmm.He knows more than I expected.Seems Red Cage taught him well.
“You can check,” I say.
“Oh, I will.”
No, he won’t.Not anytime soon.Not while they’re in high-discretion mode, trust level at zero.
“Let’s test your skills,” he says.“What if I asked you to hack our security system?”
“Here?At Black Gold?”
“Yes.”
“I would need my laptop, details on the cameras, or just the IP address, if they’re IP cams.”
“How long would it take you?”
“If your camera guys just installed them, punched in a password, and called it a day, two to five minutes, tops,” I reply.“But if you had a pro secure the servers with firewalls, it will take longer.Depends on how strong the protection is.”
Lorenzo pushes off the desk and disappears through another door to the right.Moments later, he returns with a worn piece of card and hands it to me.
Camera details and IP address.
“Do it,” he orders.“You’ve got nothing but time.”
With a nod, I unzip my backpack and pull out my laptop.
“Stay with her,” he tells Luca, then heads for the door.Hand on the doorknob, he pauses to glance over his shoulder at me.“Your life depends on you getting this done.”
“Okaythen,” I mutter when he’s gone.
Luca flops down beside me.
I slide him a glance.“You’re a tense and serious bunch, aren’t you?”
He throws his head back against the couch, legs sprawled, arms crossed.Clearly not thrilled about babysitting duty.“If you wanted jokers, you should’ve gone to the circus instead.”
“Point taken.”
CHAPTER THREE
