With a Pull of a Trigger

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Charles pressed enter, and the whole code was erased, and the laptop showed a black screen and green words in the center.

Job well done.

Greg went towards Charles, looking at the laptop. “That doesn’t look good.”

Charles stared at the black screen in which more and more green symbols appeared. “Fuck,” he whispered. “Somebody get the servers! Jim, disconnect the servers. Drew, help him! Dana, disable the electricity and get the generators!” he commanded, his fingers still moving across the keyboard.

“If we turn off the servers, the website won’t come on!” said Jim.

“I don’t give a damn about the damn website! Turn it off, now!”

Jim and Drew ran to the glass door and went about turning off the servers. Dana nodded as they finished, disconnecting the main power supply.

Charles continued typing on the keyboard until finally, the screen became nothing more than a plain black background.

Charles abruptly stood up and slammed the laptop screen down. “Damn it. Whoever did this was smart. They knew what they’re getting into.”

A voice, loud and clear, sounded on the speakers overhead. “Agent Browne, you better inform me quickly.”

Greg looked up at the huge speaker. Charles cleared his throat. “Sorry, Miss Chase. The encryption was deciphered, but when we finished it, it was about to release a virus that would go into the network and steal classified information. We had to turn off the servers and the electricity.”

“Get this finished fast, Charles.”

Charles nodded. “Yes, ma’am,” said Charles, already walking towards the long table. He looked up at the black screen, nodded to himself, and took out his phone from the inside of his suit jacket.

“Hello?”

“Charles?”

Charles smiled. “Hey, Star,” he said, walking towards the laptop.

Greg looked at Vicky and stifled another smile. The damn girl was looking more and more crushed by the second.

“You didn’t call me back after the date,” the woman—Star, apparently—on the phone accused.

Charles reddened with the speed of which he could type. “A mission came up. You know how it is, Star. After all, I’m sure Langley gets more of the missions than we do.”

The woman laughed. “I’m still Cell Twelve, Charles, and a senior agent, at that, who works in the main Cell Eleven office. I feel like I’m in the wrong environment like a penguin in the desert. What do you need?”

Charles put his phone on his shoulder and raised his shoulder so that the phone was trapped between his ear and shoulder. He opened the laptop and turned it on. “There was this encryption and I had to finish decrypting it. Upon decrypting it, however, a virus was about to be released to steal information from the network. We’ve been forced to shut down power and servers to prevent it, and I entered a code to subdue it temporarily. What am I going to do next?”

The woman laughed. “You’re asking me for help, Charles? You? The great man who managed to hack into the MI6 database back in ’07?”

Charles rolled his eyes. “Yes.”

“Well, I must say I’m flattered. I never thought this day would come. I’ll send the code you need to input to your phone. After that, you reformat the computer, and then turn the power and servers back on.”

Charles nodded. “Thank you. Also, please operate the website for me. We won’t be able to put it back on until at least tomorrow.”

“Alright.”

“Bye, Star,” said Charles.

“You owe me coffee and a date.”

Charles grinned. “I’ll pay you when all this is over.”

A click and the conversation ended. Charles looked at his phone—at the code that was just sent—and put it back in his pocket, his fingers moving across the keyboard again. After a few minutes, the desktop reappeared on the screen, and Charles sighed in relief. He stood up, turning the laptop around so that it faced Vicky. “Reformat this, Vicky. Dana, turn on the power, and Jim, the servers.”

Charles walked to the other side of the room and spoke into a PA system. “Good morning, agents. This is senior agent Charles Browne speaking. We’re sorry for the inconvenience and delay, but it had to be done. Electricity and the servers will be turned back on soon. Have a good day.”

Charles looked at Greg and nodded curtly. Greg sighed and exited the room.

“Jim, once those screens turn back on, keep your eyes peeled for agent Saunders.”

Jim nodded, and Charles exited the room.

He could feel the start of a migraine coming.