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Episode 11
Scene 1
White Hat is in his decent rental in the mountains of Peru. He’s at a rustically stylish desk that could use a good refinishing. He’s drinking coca tea and having a chat with Tommy that is being facilitated by Cobra.
White Hat: Finally, we meet again, Tommy.
Tommy: You could call once in a while, ya know.
White Hat: I had to make it believable that I was dead.
Tommy: Great excuse.
White Hat: I wish we were meeting under better circumstances.
Cobra: I’m not trying to rush you guys, but could you cut to the chase? Tens of thousands of people will die if Silk Rabbit isn’t stopped.
White Hat: Tommy, how do you know Huggy Bear?
Tommy: I met him at an open market in south Florida. He knows I run The Free Life website, so we started talking.
White Hat: You trust him?
Tommy: He lives in one of the neighborhoods that’s refusing taxes and so-called government ‘services’. The vibe I got from him is good.
White Hat: You’re usually a good judge of character. I mean, after all, you were right about me.
Tommy: Glad you still have so much modesty.
White Hat: Cobra, I’m thinking to give access codes into you to Huggy Bear. Between the three of us, maybe we can crack Viper. What do you think?
Cobra: It’s risky, but it looks to be our best option.
White Hat: Ok, Tommy. Put me in contact with Huggy Bear.
Cobra: You will allow someone else to know that you’re alive?
White Hat: I might need to make a comeback. Stop hiding.
Scene 2
A husky fellow is sipping a highly ornamented tropical drink on the beach. He gets an alert on his phone that makes him raise a quizzical eyebrow. He answers cautiously.
Husky Fellow: Yes?
Tommy: It’s Tommy.
Husky Fellow: Yes, I remember.
Tommy: Cobra needs your help. Have time to talk?
Husky Fellow: Is Cobra secure?
Tommy: I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t.
Husky Fellow: Send me the codes.
Tommy: Will do.
Ten minutes later, the Husky Fellow is meeting Cobra.
Cobra: Hello, Huggy Bear.
Huggy Bear: Hi Cobra.
Cobra: Silk Rabbit has hacked DOBAMS through Viper and is going to launch 101 bombings and missile strikes in less than twelve hours. We need your help to stop the attack.
Huggy Bear: We?
Cobra: White Hat.
Huggy Bear: White Hat’s dead.
White Hat: I’m going quite well for a dead man.
Huggy Bear: How do I know it’s really you?
White Hat: I suppose you can’t, unless we meet in person one day. But right now, a much more urgent matter needs our attention.
Huggy Bear: You need to get into DOBAMS?
White Hat: We could, but their security protocols are much higher. I was thinking it would be faster to cut power so their weapons can’t fire.
Huggy Bear (looks warily at empty tropical drink): I’d better switch to coffee.
Scene 3
At DOCRAP headquarters, Mike Rack is having an emergency meeting with his small team of nerds.
Mike Rack: Good morning, everyone.
Irwin (snarky, tired): What’s good about it? You called us in early.
Mike Rack: That’s the positive attitude I’m looking for, Irwin. I got a call from Mister Cannon over at the Department Of Bombings And Missile Strikes. There are 101 unauthorized bombings and missile strikes set to go off in less than twelve hours. Viper has locked them out of the system and Silk Rabbit is taking credit.
Kyle: That’s a cool name for a hacker.
Mike Rack: Can we stick to relevant commentary, Kyle?
Irene: What about GoogAppleZon? Are they going to work with us?
Mike Rack: Well, I tried calling GoogAppleZon, but they kept putting me on hold, so I just gave up.
Irene: Typical.
Kyle: Do you know where they’re planning to drop bombs and shoot missiles?
Mike Rack: You mean their targets?
Kyle: Was I not clear?
Mike Rack: Watch your tone, mister. No, we don’t know the targets.
Kyle: I sure hope it’s not my neighborhood.
Mike Rack (sarcastic): That’s very empathetic of you, Kyle.
Irene: If it’s Silk Rabbit, then maybe they’re targeting government buildings.
Mike Rack: Possible. We don’t know. What we do know is that we have to outhack Silk Rabbit and stop those attacks, otherwise we’ll lose our jobs, and I’ll lose my pension, cuz I’m old and almost retired.
Scene 4
White Hat and Huggy Bear have been hacking for a couple hours on a joint video call via Cobra and have had zero success. White Hat is on his third cup of coca tea, and Huggy Bear is halfway through a liter of cold brew. Katia is curled up on a fairly nice sofa, reading a book that she’s not very impressed with.
White Hat: This is very humbling.
Huggy Bear: Didn’t dying kill your ego?
Katia (amused): Would successfully faking your death reduce your ego?
White Hat: Very funny.
Huggy Bear: There’s gotta be an angle we’re missing.
Katia: What about DOCRAP?
White Hat: What about it?
Katia: Don’t they have access to Cobra and Viper right now?
Cobra: She’s right.
Katia: So get into DOCRAP, and go from there.
White Hat: That’s a great idea, actually. Why didn’t I think of that?
Katia: Ego?
Huggy Bear nods in agreement.
White Hat: Cobra, who at DOCRAP is overseeing the transfer from you to Viper?
Cobra: The head of DOCRAP, Mike Rack, has a small team of nerds, in a surprisingly small office suite.
Huggy Bear: Size of the office suite isn’t so relevant, is it?
Cobra: I suppose not.
Huggy Bear: Cobra, can you link us to those DOCRAP nerds?
Cobra: I can show you where they are in my system, but you won’t be able to access their accounts.
White Hat: Do you have private data on them?
Cobra: Of course.
White Hat: Do they have any embarrassing habits that they wouldn’t want exposed to the public?
Huggy Bear: Are you suggesting we blackmail them?
White Hat: In exchange for saving thousands of lives? Absolutely.
Cobra: There is one in particular named Kyle. He has certain, rather unorthodox fetishes.
White Hat (thoughtful): Hey, wait a sec. Isn’t that the guy that got some presidential award for helping find me?
Cobra: Yes, the one that spilled coffee on me.
White Hat (smiling): Ok, let’s have a look at that unorthodox file on Kyle.
Thanks for your time and attention!
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