18. SHADY
SHADY
KARSON
I’d spent two long weeks at SolStar.
But beyond sending out a handful of media releases about the land controversy to keep my father happy, all I did was sign paperwork. My mission was to keep my head down, be the perfect worker bee, and act as if nothing was amiss.
Secretly, adrenaline pumped through me.
I’d discovered something important about the mysterious company registered in my name. I’d checked the system. All the files were encrypted. I wasn’t sure what my next move was, but I knew I needed to access those files.
Somehow.
Relief flowed through me when the semester break ended. I returned to my studies, where I was less trapped and could figure out a plan to access those files. Getting to the bottom of Karlos’s sneaky new company was my priority.
After a grueling economics lecture, I texted Gus that a group of us were heading to the cafeteria. Thankfully, he was fine with me hanging out with the friends I’d made, despite my father’s overbearing reach.
I set my coffee down on the table just as my phone beeped.
IVY: Wish you were here. I miss you, city boy. I’m going to yoga tonight, so call me later. Hope you’re enjoying being back at uni xx
KARSON: Missing you more. Yeah, glad to be back. Much better than doing paperwork. I’ll call you tonight… I don’t want to interrupt you in the middle of a downward dog haha xx
She sent a laughing emoji and a purple heart. I turned to look at Tyler sitting opposite me.
He was studying for a double degree in Advanced Computing and Commerce and always seemed to have a pile of books within reach.
Like his chinos and button-up shirt, his brown hair was, without fail, perfectly arranged.
He was telling the sporty-looking young woman beside him all about some guy from class.
“Honestly,” Tyler declared, “I don’t even know why Kelvin bothers with uni.
He was some kind of child prodigy. This must be so basic for him.
He could have made millions by now. My guess is he’s trying to play it straight, after all the trouble he got into when he was a kid. ” His eyes bulged with excitement.
The sporty blonde girl beside him laughed and, seeing that I was listening in, gave me a little wave. “Hey, I’m Jamie.”
“Hey, good to meet you. I’m Karson.” I smiled. “So, who’s this Kelvin guy? And what happened when he was a kid?”
Tyler sucked in a breath. “You don’t know? Bro, he’s like hacking fucking royalty. I bet you’ll remember the stories after I tell you.”
“He is.” Jamie nodded as she took a sip of matcha.
I smiled. “Okay, fill me in. The suspense is killing me.”
Tyler leaned in and whispered, “Remember when all the online systems went down long enough to piss everyone off, about five or six years ago? Banks, supermarkets. A bunch of other shit.”
“Yeah, I vaguely remember reading about it.”
“Well, they traced it all back to some skinny kid. He was running the entire operation out of his dad’s basement. Brought everything to its knees,” he breathed, shaking his head.
“Oh, that kid! He was all over the news, some kind of kid genius. Didn’t he get locked up or something?” I asked, squinting as I tried to recall.
“Yeah, well, that was Kelvin. And nah, they didn’t lock him up.
He was just a kid, so they let him stay home, but they basically put him under house arrest,” Tyler said, between sips coffee.
“But that was ages ago. Kelvin’s one of us now.
He’s quiet, but he’s a cool guy. Just don’t leave any of your devices lying around near him, or your bank account might end up drained. ” He grinned.
Jamie laughed. “Yeah, Kelvin’s a bit of a legend around here. I don’t think there’s anything he can’t hack.”
“Shit!” Tyler blurted. “Here he comes. Shut up.”
A pale, lanky, red-haired guy wearing dark-rimmed glasses and dressed in all black approached our table, a motorcycle helmet in one hand.
“Hey, Kelvin. How’s it going?” Jamie said, looking up at him.
“Good.” He shoved his phone into his pocket. “How about you guys?” he asked with a one-sided grin.
“We were just talking about the assignment due on Monday.” Tyler opened his laptop. “Obviously you’re all over it, Kelvin, but have you got any tips for us mere mortals, mate?” he joked.
“Sure, man.” Kelvin grinned. “What are you stuck on?” He put his helmet down and sat beside me. “I’ll see if I can help you out.”
“Thanks, Kel,” Tyler said. After a quick introduction around the table, Tyler worked through the questions. Kelvin answered them one by one.
Eventually, Tyler stood up and stretched, thanked him, then made his exit.
Everyone else had left—except the two of us.
“What about you, Karson?” Kelvin asked, stifling a yawn. “If you’re done, I need to get to work.”
“Actually, I could really use your help.” I paused, staring at him. “What’s your rate for hacking services?”
He leaned back. “And who says I do that?” He crossed his arms.
“Wild guess,” I said, leveling my gaze. “Look, I’ve got an urgent job, and I promise you’ll get a bonus that’ll make it sweet for you. So, what’s your rate?”
“That depends,” he mumbled, looking around to make sure nobody else was within earshot. “What’s the gig?”
“Long story short, my father set up a company in my name. Without my consent. I need you to access the encrypted files.”
He eyeballed me.
“Look, I need your help. So, can you do it?” I pressed.
“Is that it?” He seemed bored. “I was hoping it’d be something interesting.”
I threw my head back and let out a laugh. “Sorry to disappoint.”
“When do you need it done by?” He stared off into the distance.
“Yesterday.”
“Got it.” He rose to his feet. “Here, give me your number and I’ll be in touch,” he promised, handing me his phone.
I tapped in the number for my secret phone, then handed it back.
“Look, you should know my father is—”
“It’s all good, man,” he said, meeting my gaze. “I know who you are. And I know who he is. Karlos Wells. Pretty shitty dude, from what I can tell.”
“You’re not wrong there.” I frowned. And you don’t even know half of it.
He slung his bag over his shoulder and grabbed his helmet. “I’ll be in touch.”
“Hey, thanks for this, Kelvin.”
He nodded once.
As I watched him walk away, a glimmer of hope sparked inside me.
***
IVY
A sense of renewal flowed through me as Miki and I sat eating our lunch on our towels beside a natural freshwater pool, surrounded by the sound of trickling water.
The day had been almost perfect, except we’d forgotten our swimsuits.
“Who needs a swimsuit?” Miki asked. “No one else is even around. We can’t miss swimming in this paradise.” She laughed, peeling off her clothes and tossing them onto her towel.
I shook my head and laughed. “You’re crazy.”
“Maybe. But it’s more fun than being sane.” She giggled. “Come on, the last one in is on dish duty tomorrow!” she cried, launching herself into the crystal-clear pool. “It’s freezing!” she shrieked, waving her arms.
A buzz of excitement built as I watched her swim. I peeked around for anyone else heading down the track, but the coast was clear.
Screw it, why not?
I peeled off my shoes and slipped out of my clothes, running into the shallows and then jumping in. “It’s like ice,” I said with a scream. Squeezing my eyes shut, I dived beneath the surface.
We swam to the other side, ducking under the spray of the waterfall, laughing and splashing each other as we shivered.
“Okay, I’m way too cold now,” Miki said, hugging herself as she hurried out of the water.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I answered, my teeth chattering as I followed her out of the water, wrapping myself in my fluffy towel.
“Spectacular. It was totally worth it!” she said, pulling on her clothes as she took in the surroundings in wonder.
“It is pretty special.” Taking in the endless maze of green before us, my heart ached as I remembered how much Karson had loved it.
“We’d better get out of here if we’re going out tonight,” Miki said with a grin. “I can’t wait!”
“Me neither! It’s going to be heaps of fun. Great idea to come here today. I didn’t realize how much I needed this.”
“Aww, bring it in, girl.” She gave me a quick hug as a cold, wet drop hit me in the face, followed by a splatter on my nose.
I looked up as the clear blue sky transformed into thunderous gray. The black clouds were ripe to erupt.
“Run!” Miki laughed as a crack of thunder split the air and it started bucketing down, soaking us in seconds.
Screaming and laughing, we bolted toward the track for the long trek back to the Honda.
***
KARSON
Reluctantly, I tore myself away from the hot cascade of water flowing from the oversized rain shower.
After rubbing the fluffy towel over my wet skin, I pulled one of the navy Polo Ralph Lauren bathrobes from the stack, slipped my arms into it, then went straight to the kitchen to make myself a hot chocolate.
Gus was stretched back on a chair with his feet resting on the table, the flat-screen TV mounted on the wall blared as he munched away at his dinner.
“Jeez, Gus, are you going deaf?” I raised an eyebrow at him. “Turn it down a bit, will you?” I smirked.
“Righto, smart-ass. Wait until you get to my age.” But he picked up the remote and adjusted the volume.
“There’ll probably be bionic ears by the time you’re my age, so you won’t need to worry.
And you’ll probably own the bloody company that makes them, if I know you. ” He chuckled as I grinned back at him.
My attention shifted to the screen. “Turn it up!” I cried, straining to hear.
“New kids on the block, BioBuild, founded by Dyson Khan, has seen unprecedented growth this month. From tech to e-commerce, this is by far the fastest-growing venture right now. It’s unquestionably one to watch, folks, but you’ll have to get in line if you want to put your money up. In other news…”
A buzz crackled through me, but I kept my face still and forced my hands to stay at my sides. Gus could not know that I was involved with Dyson’s company and risk my father finding out during one of his regular interrogations. That would be a disaster—for all of us.