Chapter 05 #2
“I was working late, catching up on something, and when I left the office, I heard someone in the break room. I went to check and saw Lex on the Donkey Kong machine. I didn’t think much of it then, but the whole high score thing happened, and I connected the dots. And you, how do you know?”
“He told me. When we started dating again, he told me everything. He wanted to make sure I knew what I was getting into.”
“That’s good. I’m glad you knew before everything blew up.”
“It was better that way, yes. Did you ever tell anyone about it?” I wonder.
“No. Not before today.”
“It must have been difficult to keep that secret.”
“I didn’t want to betray him. I was never close to Lex, but I owe a lot to Nammota.”
“A lot?”
“You’re aware of his second hit, the one on StarCare?”
Of course I am. It’s probably my favorite cyber heist Lex ever did—and it’s a big hit among Nammota fans, too.
About ten years ago, a series of scandals and complaints erupted about StarCare, one of the biggest healthcare insurers in the country.
Millions of people relied on them, but after a few edits to their policies, the insurance giant had massively denied thousands of requests, leaving entire families with hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt.
True to his Robin Hood nature, Nammota had stepped in, repairing the unfairness with some karmic retribution of his own.
Adroitly hacking into the offshore bank accounts of StarCare’s CEO, Norman Becker, as well as the main shareholders, Lex had gathered millions upon millions of dollars, which he had then used to liquidate the debts of the wrongfully ignored families.
The huge media coverage nearly drove StarCare to bankruptcy, but they somehow weaseled their way out of that mess with a lot of PR stunts and are now the second biggest insurer.
“Yeah, I know about it,” I tell Oli.
“My dad was in a nasty car accident, and even though he wasn’t responsible for it, StarCare refused to pay his medical bills.
It ran up to over half a million, which we couldn’t even remotely cover.
My family was among the ones Nammota helped.
Thanks to him, I got to go to college, as did my sister, and my parents are debt-free.
Plus, I gained a strong appreciation for ethical hacking. ”
I’m speechless for a moment, touched by Oli’s story. There was reverence in his voice the whole time, so I don’t doubt that his appreciation of Nammota—Lex—is genuine.
“He’s the reason you started hacking.”
“Exactly. I’d never betray Nammota by revealing his identity to anyone.”
“Does Lex know?” I wonder.
“I don’t think so, no. My dad was just a name, a security number, and an amount of money. I doubt Lex ever linked me to him, and I also don’t think he remembers every single person he’s helped over the years.”
“I wouldn’t put it past him,” I mumble.
Oli returns to eating his lunch, but I ignore mine, lost in my thoughts. “I’m trying to help him, you know?” he says out of nowhere.
“How?”
“I’m monitoring the prosecutor’s office to see what new evidence they bring in. Their cybersecurity is much weaker than it should be, so getting into their computers wasn’t too hard.”
“Wow, you’re really dedicated.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, I can’t let my hero rot in jail. Even if he got the girl.” Before I can react, he quickly adds, “Sorry, I don’t mean it in a weird way. I’m actually seeing someone, and it’s been great. I don’t have regrets about what could have been between us. Not anymore.”
“Is it the same woman as before?” I ask with an endearing grin. I’m happy he’s found someone because it means we can be real friends now.
“Yup.”
“So it’s been a couple of months … Are you still unwilling to tell me more about her?”
“Yup.”
“Why?”
“I promise that as soon as we’re ready to make it official, I’ll tell you more.”
“Two months and it still isn’t official?”
“We were just having fun for a while. A lot of fun. And now we’re slowly venturing into getting more serious.”
“That sounds familiar …”
“I bet it does,” he impishly replies.
Oli’s blossoming romance brings me back to mine, to my early days with Lex, and to our feelings growing despite our common sense.
But there was never a choice to begin with, was there?
It was like evidence, the irrepressible outcome of meeting Alexander Coleman and getting to know him.
Had it been my choice, I wouldn’t have been attracted to him, fallen in love, started a relationship …
I didn’t want any of that, even tried to fight it with all I had.
But there was a path written for us somewhere in the stars, and as much as we tried to steer away from it, we couldn’t.
The situation we’re in is terrible, but I’d do it all over again. The communion of our souls, the harmony we found, the perfection of us together is one in a billion, and I’ll never, ever regret any of it. He’s my baby. My Lex.
“Are you okay?” Oli asks with worry in his voice.
“Yeah, why?”
“You’re …” He points to his cheek, waving his finger up and down, and it makes me realize a tear’s running down mine.
“Jesus fuck, I’m so done with crying all the time,” I groan, wiping it away.
“We think—the guys and I—that you’re being very courageous, Andy,” he kindly explains. “We know it can’t be easy, but you’re here, day after day, and we think you’re a badass for it.”
“Still, I hate that I’m crying so much. It’s like the whole thing made me hormonal or something.”
“You’re worried about the man you love. It’s okay.”
I nod, trying to convince myself he’s right. “Thank you, Oli. For this, for the talk, for the burger …”
“Which you’ve barely eaten.”
What is it with everyone trying to feed me today? “Yeah, I’m—not very hungry lately.”
“You need to take care of yourself, Hulkette.”
“I’m trying.”
“If you ever need help, or someone to talk to, or anything, you know you can come to me, right? Or any of the guys. We’re here for you.”
I feel warm inside for the first time since Lex’s arrest. Oli’s kind words, his support, and his friendship come at a much-needed time.
Having him on our side, helping Lex however he can, feels monumental.
If the prosecution discovers anything, Oli will find out and tell me, then we can work on countering it.
For the first time in a while, I don’t feel entirely hopeless.