Page 79 of Fate's Unseen Shadow

“You’ll see. What’s your username?” The screen in front of him looked nothing like their login system, but she gave it to him anyway.

“ECassin.”

“Pathetic. Password?”

“ECassin814!”

“How old will you turn on August 14th? Please don’t ever use that kind of password again. If you’ve learned anything from your time with me, at least give us a challenge.”

The screen looked different, but sure enough, her email inbox popped up on the screen.

Ryker kept typing, working on a second screen. “The system will show this login. This means if they’re reporting anything to the FBI, it will throw them for a damn loop. But our location is unavailable, so they can’t track you here.” He clicked on the email at the top of the list, the last one that had come into the system. “In order to get into the accounting side of the software, I am going to need Mitchell’s help.”

“But he said he wouldn’t help you.”

“He’s about to not have a choice.”

“What does that mean?”

Ryker double-clicked on the email attachment. It opened a file, and something started to download.

“I don’t understand.”

The download finished. She expected something to happen, but nothing did. She waited quietly.

Thirty seconds later, Ryker’s phone rang. “Keep quiet, Ella.” He tapped the phone screen. “Now, are you willing to help me out?” Ryker answered on speakerphone.

“What the fuck, man! Don’t pull this shit on me. I thought we were cool. How did you get in? How…oh. Oh no. How did you get Elizabeth Cassin’s login information? Ryker?—”

“Stop asking questions. I need to be in the system for a few minutes. Consider it a small favor that I’ll owe you. Ridiculously small, but I’ll repay it if I can.”

“But Elizabeth is missing. How did you log in with her credentials?”

“You need to go back to English class if you don’t realize that was a question I told you not to ask. I want access to the accounting system. You have my word. I’m not doing anything to the system, but if I release this virus that is now in place, you’ll have a very busy June cleaning up my mess.”

“I can get fired for letting you into the system.”

“I can hack into the system.”

“It’s protected.”

“I can find your weak spot.”

“I have no weak spot.”

“That’s bullshit. But if you open the door, I won’t appear on your reports. Open the door, Mitchell. I can guarantee I will not change anything. I need to look at something.”

“Why?”

Ella opened her mouth to answer but Ryker held up his finger, his eyes hard with a warning. She snapped her lips shut. Fine. She’d stay quiet. Until this situation, she’d never realized how no one ever told her to do anything. Ever. She ran Cassin Systems. She trusted her management team to do their job, but if she disagreed with them, her decisions were final.

“I don’t have all day. Are you going to help me, or do I click this button, and then you’ll be the one who needs help?” Ryker swiveled back and forth. “Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.”

“If I get caught, you better take me on in your company,” Mitchell muttered to himself.

“I work alone.”

“Of course, you do.” Mitchell rattled off a bunch of jargon Ella didn’t understand, and after a few minutes, she stared at Cassin Systems’ accounting records on the screen.

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