Chapter 15
"Alright, fuckers. Here's your man," he announced, tapping a final key with a flourish.
A massive holographic display flickered to life, projecting a high-resolution image of a man with sharp features and cold, calculating eyes. The name "Amin al-Khaliq" glowed beneath the portrait in bold, red letters.
The three gathered around the display as their faces bathed in the blue glow of the hologram.
"This asshole," Aris began, gesturing at the image, "is Amin al-Khaliq, also known as 'The Ghost.' He's a grade-A piece of shit terrorist with a rap sheet longer than my dick."
Kazuo couldn't help but think how much easier his investigative journalism would have been with someone like Aris as an informant. The wealth of information at the hacker's fingertips was staggering.
Aris continued, rattling off a list of al-Khaliq's alleged crimes. "Terrorism, human trafficking, genocide, environmental destruction – you name it, this fucker's done it. He's got his dirty fingers in every pie from here to Alpha Centauri."
"Where is he now?" Morrigan asked, her eyes never leaving the image.
"Somewhere here in Paris like I've said," Aris replied. "But that's irrelevant."
"Why, can't we just go to his house and kill him right in the spot."
"Sure, if you want to go through his numerous military-trained guards surrounding him all the time. You'll be in the news faster than a glitch in the neural network. No, we need to be smart about this."
"Then what's the plan?"
Aris clicked his keyboard, pulling up a map of Paris. Lines crisscrossed like veins, pinpointing locations. "He's catching a train to Nantes in two days. Visiting family, if you can believe it. He'll be in a maglev train at exactly 14:03 on the dot with the travel code A-9R2X."
"Wow, how did you manage to know that detail?" Kazuo asked.
"I have my sources."
"Of course."
"What's your idea for taking him out?" Morrigan inquired.
Aris leaned back in his chair, a smug grin spreading across his face. "Well, my dear, since you're the self-proclaimed 'master of war,' I thought I'd leave that honor to you. How would you like to infiltrate a train?"
Morrigan furrowed her brow, considering the challenge. "I could buy a ticket on the same train, take out his guards, then go for the target."
"Bad idea," Siobhàn said. "The train's security system would flag any weapons. Plus, a firefight in a confined space? Recipe for disaster and collateral damage."
"Then, what am I supposed to use then? My charming personality?"
Kazuo cleared his throat, drawing their attention. "I might have an idea."
All of them turned toward him.
"Really? Do tell," Morrigan said.
"Ok, back when I was investigating this powerful criminal – real nasty piece of work – an assassin took him out in the most unexpected way."
"How?"
"While passing by at the bastard's seat, he pretended to sneeze and blew arsenic in the guy's face. Minutes later, the bad guy was dead."
Aris raised an eyebrow. "And you're suggesting this because...?"
"Well, Morrigan's immortal, right? Arsenic won't affect her. She could poison both her drink and al-Khaliq's. No mess, no fuss, and she walks away unscathed."
The room fell silent as they considered Kazuo's proposal. Morrigan nodded and smiled.
"Not bad, kid. Not bad at all. It's discreet, effective, and leaves no trace. I like it."
"Plus, it minimizes the risk to civilians," Siobhàn chimed in. "We can't afford another public incident like the highway fiasco."
"And Arsenic is still untraceable despite the advance technology," Kazuo added. "Morrigan can easily hide it."
Aris clapped his hands together. "Well, well. Looks like our little newbie's got some brains after all. Alright, let's flesh this out. We've got two days to plan and prep. Morrigan, you'll need to brush up on your acting skills. Siobhàn, start working on a convincing alias and backstory for her. Kazuo, you're with me – we're going to dig up everything we can on al-Khaliq's travel habits and security detail."
As Siobhàn and Morrigan left to start their preparations, Kazuo waited until they were out of earshot before leaning in close to Aris.
"Listen, I appreciate the help with Morrigan's mission, but I've got my own problem I need your expertise on," he whispered.
"Oh? And what might that be?"
"It's about Minister Lefebvre. I need to access a secret server farm hidden beneath a data center in La Défense."
"Shit, that's some high-level stuff. What's the deal with Lefebvre?"
Kazuo sighed. "It's a massive corruption scandal. He's been selling state secrets to foreign powers and terrorist groups. I was supposed to meet with an informant, Yuki Sato, to get more info, but..." He trailed off.
"But what?"
"She was murdered. By a vampire assassin, if you can believe it."
Aris let out a low whistle. "Damn, that's some heavy shit. What's in it to me?"
"You mean like a payment?"
"Uh, yeah. I can't do something for free. You saw the servers right? You know how expensive the electricity is here?"
"Ok, fine," Kazuo raised his hand. "What do you want as payment?"
"What do you mean...money of course. What the hell kind of question is that?"
"I thought you wanted something that's not money."
Aris started to stroke his chin. "Alright. I want those state secrets that you're going to get."
"What?" Kazuo stared him in disbelief. "You want me to hand over sensitive government information? This could ruin careers, maybe even lives."
Aris smirked. "Or I could use it if things get messy. If you know what I mean."
"You want to use those info as blackmail?"
"Do you have any idea how much they're worth? These politicians would pay me big to have those evidence against them purged," he said. "If you want, I can split the reward to you, fifty-fifty."
The offer was tempting, a shortcut to exposing corruption. But selling out to a hacker? That went against everything Kazuo stood for. Yet, wasn't that the point of his investigation? To bring the truth to light, no matter the cost?
"You know what, not only are you a pervert, but you're also a complete scumbag."
"Who cares," Aris shrugged. "Doing the right thing doesn't pay the bills."
"What about the truth? Bringing the perpetrators to justice?"
He rolled his eyes. "Justice? That's a pretty word for a broken system. You think anyone out there cares about justice? They only care about is their own skin. Besides, you think these politicians will just roll over and confess when you shove evidence in their faces? No, they'll bury it, like they always do."
"I can't believe you think that way. You're just going to let them get away with it?"
Aris leaned back, crossing his arms. "I'm not letting anyone get away with anything. I'm just using their weapons against them, and at the same time get money out of it. So, you want me to be in your side or not?"
Kazuo is torn between his principles and the pragmatic reality Aris presented. The hacker's words hit hard, challenging everything he believed about justice and truth. Is this the real world now? A cesspool of compromises and dirty deals? He felt a knot in his stomach, knowing that working with Aris might be his only shot at exposing Lefebvre's corruption. But at what cost? The line between right and wrong blurred, leaving Kazuo questioning if the ends truly justified the means. He hated the idea of becoming what he despised, yet the temptation to use Aris's methods gnawed at him.
He sighed, trying to clear his mind of the conflicting thoughts. "Fine. I only agreed because I'm desperate."
"So, we're in business then?"
"For now," Kazuo said. "But any hint of betrayal, and I'll make sure you regret it."
"Noted," Aris swiveled his seat and started typing. "Now, let's begin on how to get in to those servers."
Lines of code scrolled by at dizzying speeds as he delved deeper into La Défense's security systems. Schematics of the building's layout materialized, revealing hidden corridors and secret entrances. Guard rotations, camera placements, and weapon inventories appeared in rapid succession.
The hacker's face was bathed in the blue glow of his screens. He muttered under his breath, occasionally cursing when he hit a particularly tough firewall. But each obstacle fell before his assault of keystrokes and coding prowess.
As the minutes ticked by, a complete picture of La Défense's defenses emerged. Aris had uncovered everything from the head of security's morning coffee routine to the exact model of biometric scanners guarding the most sensitive areas. The server farm's location was now pinpointed, along with potential access routes and blind spots in the surveillance system.
Kazuo watched in silent amazement as Aris worked his digital magic, realizing that with this level of intel, their chances of success had just skyrocketed. The hacker's skills were undeniable, even if his ethics were questionable.
Aris leaned back in his chair, cracking his knuckles. "Alright, I've got the full layout. This place is a fucking fortress, but we've got options."
He pulled up a 3D hologram of La Défense, zooming in on specific areas as he spoke.
"Main entrance is a no-go. Too many guards, too many scanners. But there's a service entrance here," he pointed to a small door on the building's west side. "Used by cleaning bots. Less security, easier to slip through."
Kazuo leaned in, studying the hologram. "What about inside? How do we get to the server farm?"
"That's where it gets tricky," Aris replied. "Elevators are biometrically locked. But I found a maintenance shaft that leads straight down to the sub-levels. It's tight, but it'll get you there."
"And the servers themselves?"
"That's where my magic comes in. I'll create a ghost ID for you - top-level clearance, indistinguishable from the real deal. As far as their systems are concerned, you'll be the head of IT doing a routine check."
"Won't they notice an extra person on staff?"
"Nah, I'll create a whole backstory. Employment records, security clearance, even a fake social media presence. By the time we're done, you'll be more real than half the people working there."
"What about the mechs? I've heard they can detect false IDs."
Aris waved a hand. "Those tin cans? Please. Their detection software is child's play. I'll code your ID to emit a signal that'll make them think you're one of their own. They won't give you a second glance."
"Okay, so we've got a way in and a cover. What's the catch?"
"Time. Once you're in, you'll have maybe an hour before the system realizes something's off. You'll need to find the data and get out fast."
"One hour? That's not much time to search through government secrets."
"Which is why I'll be guiding you through your earpiece. I'll have eyes on everything - security feeds, data streams, the works. You just focus on not getting caught."
"One more thing," Kazuo leaned forward. "How exactly am I supposed to hack these servers once I'm in? I'm no tech expert."
Aris smirked and reached into his pocket, pulling out a black USB drive no bigger than his thumb. "With this little beauty right here."
"That's it? Just a USB stick?"
"Not just any USB stick, my friend. This is state-of-the-art tech. Fastest data transfer you've ever seen, and it'll automatically hack into the server once I program it. All you gotta do is plug it in."
Kazuo studied the device. "Seems too simple. What's the catch?"
"No catch. That's the beauty of it. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best ones. Just don't lose it or let anyone else get their hands on it. This thing in the wrong hands could cause some serious damage."
"How long will it take to download everything?"
"Depends on how much data we're talking about. But with this baby? Shouldn't be more than a few minutes, tops. It'll compress everything on the fly too, so you won't be lugging around terabytes of raw data."
The door slid open with a hiss, and Morrigan strode in with Siobhàn close behind. They paused, taking in the scene of Kazuo and Aris hunched over the holographic display.
"What's all this?" she asked. "I thought we were done with the planning."
Aris swiveled in his chair. "Oh, this? Just a little side project for our intrepid journalist here. Seems he's got a taste for high-stakes corporate espionage."
Siobhàn crossed her arms. "Care to elaborate?"
Kazuo sighed. "It's about Minister Lefebvre. I've uncovered evidence of massive corruption, but I need access to a secure server farm to prove it."
"And let me guess," Morrigan said, "you roped Aris into helping you break in?"
"Pretty much," Aris shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for a good heist."
Siobhàn stepped closer, examining the holographic schematics. "This is La Défense, isn't it? That place is locked down tighter than a nun's chastity belt."
"Nothing I can't handle," Aris boasted. "We've got a solid plan. In and out in an hour, tops."
Morrigan snorted. "An hour? In that fortress? You're out of your fucking mind."
"Hey, don't underestimate my skills. I've hacked tougher places in my sleep."
"And what happens when it all goes to shit? Because it will. It always does."
Kazuo stood up, facing the group. "Look, I know it's risky. But this information could bring down corrupt officials who are selling out our country. It's worth the risk."
Morrigan crossed her arms, looking between Kazuo and the holographic display. "If you're really going through with this insane plan, you might as well take Siobhàn with you."
"Why? I thought this was supposed to be a solo mission."
"Because you've got no fucking clue what you're doing when it comes to infiltration and spying," Morrigan replied bluntly. "Siobhàn, on the other hand, has years of experience. She'll keep your ass alive in there."
"She's got a point," Aris said. "I've seen Siobhàn in action before. Remember that job in Belarus? The one with the terror boss and the stolen bioweapon data?"
Morrigan's lips curved into a half-smile. "How could I forget? She slipped in and out of that compound like a ghost. Grabbed the data and left without a single alarm going off."
"It wasn't that big of a deal," Siobhàn shrugged. "Just had to dodge a few security mechs and bypass some laser grids."
Kazuo looked at Siobhàn with newfound respect. "I had no idea you had that kind of background. Why didn't you mention it before?"
"You never asked. Besides, it's not exactly the kind of thing you bring up in casual conversation."
Aris clapped his hands together. "Well, that settles it then. Siobhàn, you're now officially part of Operation Server Heist. Think you can keep our intrepid journalist here from getting his head blown off?"
"I'll do my best. But Kazuo, you'll need to follow my lead in there. No heroics, no improvising. You do exactly what I say, when I say it. Got it?"
"Got it. I'll be on my best behavior, I promise."