Page 33 of Hacker Beloved

Mr. Kline’s head bobbed. “Years ago, you needed a key to open the door to access the safe. We’ve updated the vault door and other security, so that key is no longer needed.”

“What happens if I can’t find the number? Can I hire someone to get into it?”

“No, they are built into our vault. We allowed our clients to put a hint in the system, but I think your father’s code was written over.”

“Maybe it’s not. What is written?”

He grabbed his pen and wrote ‘yipweb’ on a piece of scrap paper and handed it to me.

“We will need a detailed description of the safe to get into it,” Asher stated.

I ignored the voice in my ear. “Mr. Kline, could you please take me to the vault?”

We didn’t need a safecracker, because I knew the number. My father and I had developed our own code-writing system after watching old war movies. We had then used it to write each other notes.

“The vault is located in the basement, if you’ll follow me,” he said as he rose from his chair.

I was on the edge of my seat, ready to rise, when CJ’s voice crackled through the comm. “Stahl. I wasn’t prepared for the basement. Looks like they have no cameras down there.”

“Before we go, may I use the bathroom?” I asked.

Mr. Kline nodded and motioned toward the door across the lobby. I leaped from my chair and rushed to the door. Once inside, I flipped the deadbolt lock. My reflection stared back at me in the mirror—a woman who just a few days ago had spent her time in yoga pants, now wore a designer suit. A stylist had shown up at the hotel during the meeting for this mission.

"Alright, CJ," I whispered. "What's the plan?"

"If I had to guess, the system in the basement is a closed network. The only way I can access it is from inside the building, and it wouldn’t be a quick hack," he said. "I think we should stop and regroup. Tell the bank manager you had an urgent call and you will be back later."

The text from the serial killer had provided a hard deadline and I couldn't walk away. We wouldn’t make it. “You will still have me through the earpiece. I’m going to see if I can get in.”

“No,” Asher growled. “CJ is right. We can figure out another solution, and if that means I have to buy a safe in this bank, I will. You are not going anywhere we don’t have eyes. Vincenzo claimed he didn’t have any influence on the bank, but we don’t know that for sure. Besides, you don’t know the combo?”

“I don’t want to chance what the killer might do,” I shot back.

“You will not go to the basement. Get your ass out of this bank…or I will come over there, throw your ass over my shoulder, and carry you out myself,” Asher threatened.

“Let’s take emotions out of this for a second,” Antonio said.

Asher's voice cut through the comm, drowning out Antonio, “On this one, you don’t have a say.”

The two brothers argued back and forth. After flipping the deadbolt, I was startled to find Mr. Kline so close to the door.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

My gaze surveyed the room and landed on Antonio. He had a brow up, almost like a challenge.

“Yes,” I replied.

I turned to follow the bank manager. When I moved, I caught sight of the front doors being pushed open, and a truly angry Asher strode into the bank. Mr. Kline opened the door to the back area, and I slipped through before Asher could make it to my side.

“Get your ass back out here,” Asher ordered.

I ignored him and continued down the long white hall filled with employees walking between offices. When we reached the end of the walkway, Mr. Kline hit the elevator button. A pair of silver doors slid open, and we walked inside. He swiped his keycard against a reader above the elevator keypad. The buttons lit up, and he hit the one with the letter, B.

“Zayla’s in the elev—” the comm cut out as I descended. The reality that I had nobody watching me struck like a punch in the gut. But I was too close to what we needed to turn back now. The doors opened, and we proceeded into a marble room.

To the left sat a man dressed as a security guard watching footage of the building.

“It’s not much farther, Miss. Solace,” The deeper we went into the basement, the more the air became stale. We turned right, and before us was the large circular door to the vault, open.

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