Hacker: The Outlaw Chronicles Read Online Free PDF Page A

accessed on our servers and why.”
    “I didn’t see anything,” she said. “I swear. I was just—”
    “Start at the beginning. Tell me everything.”
    She lowered her face into her hands, beginning to cry now.
    “Don’t disappoint me, Nyah. I’ll know if you’re lying. And, trust me, I’m not the kind of man you want to lie to.”

1.4
    I WANTED to scream , but I knew no one would hear me. Not in this concrete bunker deep underground.
    The man across the table studied me. His eyes seemed like black pearls, impenetrable and cold. I knew I wouldn’t be leaving that room anytime soon, maybe never. Whatever I’d stumbled onto, it was dangerous enough for Bell to sic this lunatic on me. What were in those files I’d transferred to Pixel? Something big, obviously, and very dangerous.
    I looked up at a video camera, and the man settled back in his chair. “They’ve been turned off,” he said. “We’re quite alone and these walls are very thick. I assure you.”
    I swallowed, said nothing. I believed him. I also believed he was capable of much more than I was imagining, which was pretty awful. I sat up as straight as I could and tried to speak without coming completely undone. “There are people looking for me. I’ve been gone a long time.”
    He glanced at his watch. “Really? Who would be looking for you? Your friend on the bike?” He shook his head and stretched his lips into a tight smile. “Not anymore.”
    I felt like puking right then and there. “Where is he?” I asked again. “Please tell me you didn’t hurt him.”
    “Pixel,” the man said slowly, as if he were chewing on the word. He shook his head.
    “ What did you do? ” I felt the last seams of my resolve pulling apart. I had to get out of that room, out of that building, but there was no way I could overpower him. And I was deep underground. I could never escape before they reeled me back in. That’s exactly how it felt: like I was a fish on a hook.
    “Your friend’s in very serious trouble, just like you. Apparently, he understands what’s at stake, and he is cooperating fully with authorities as we speak.”
    “He’s with the police?”
    “He’s told us everything. Like I said, if you lie to me we’ll know. Now, start at the beginning. I won’t ask again.”
    The man’s face was hard as a statue’s, but I knew he was lying about the authorities being involved. If Pixel was in custody then why wasn’t I? Why was I being held in a concrete room? It made no sense. Chances were that Pixel sat in another room just like this one, maybe next door, and the only path out for both of us was to tell them everything. I had nothing to hide, after all. I only hoped he’d believe me.
    “All of this is very simple,” I said. “The reason I came here was to help my—”
    Before I could say mother , the man’s mobile phone rang, cutting me off.
    “Yes?” he answered, irritation making the word sharp as a rock dropped on the table. His gaze flicked toward me and his mouth twisted into a frown. “How long ago?” He squeezed his eyes closed. “I see. No, no, keep them there. I’ll bring the girl up.”
    Hope kindled inside of me as he holstered his phone. Bring the girl up . Was I leaving? Or was he just taking me somewhere else to question me? He seemed uncertain for the first time, and caught off guard.
    He crinkled his nose at me. “Smart girl,” he said. “Apparently that call you made worked out, though I had my doubts it would. The FBI doesn’t come running for just anyone. Jill Corbis, was it? She’s waiting in the main lobby to take you into custody.”
    Jill. She’d gotten my call. She came to my rescue. “What—?” I started.
    He held up a massive hand, stopping me. “The question is, why? Why would the FBI come for a teenage hacker like you? I suppose I’ll find out soon enough.” The man leaned close. “Though let me give you some advice. If I were you, I would consider carefully what I told the