Welcome to my online cyber thriller, The Phisherman. To learn more about the story and meet the three main characters, click HERE. If you'd prefer to start at Chapter 1, click HERE. To select another chapter, click HERE.
Running through the front door, Nick raced Alison to her DB11. Although they climbed inside simultaneously, she was revving the powerful engine before he could buckle up. At the sound, a middle-aged male in lycra1 cycling past half-turned in his seat and vainly tried to curse them over the noisy roar.
And then she was off.
With Katy Perry’s ‘Roar’ blasting through the speakers, Alison rapidly accelerated down the road. Within three seconds, she was over the speed limit, swerving at the last moment to narrowly avoid the cyclist who shook his fist in futile rage.
As Alison did her best to race through London’s congested streets, Nick could tell she was enjoying the opportunity to show off her driving skills.
And she was impressive. The best thing, though, was the expression on her face. It was easy to see she’s like me; she thrives on the thrill of the chase. Of course, I was right - it only took her twenty minutes.
They sharply braked in front of a nondescript double-storied terrace. Nick had to push himself again to keep up to Alison as she climbed out of the car and raced towards the front door of the building she’d identified as the hacker’s residence.
Alison banged her fist loudly on number 17’s white front door as she yelled, ‘This is the police. Open the door NOW.’
Knowing time was of the essence, Nick simply charged at the solid panel of wood.
It never stood a chance.
As his muscular frame crashed into the middle of the door, its hinges folded while the lock barrel forced its way through the flimsy wooden surround of the door frame. One hit and it was down for the count.
Nick stumbled slightly, then rapidly continued inside, only to crash-tackle the hairiest person he had encountered. It wasn’t until he attempted to force the giant, hairy arms behind the beast’s back that he realized it was a life-sized model of an ape-like being.
Alison could not stop herself from laughing aloud when he rolled it over.
‘Looks like you’ve caught your hacker, Nick,’ she laughed as she eyed the prone form of Chewbacca stuck under Nick’s tussles.
Nick jumped to his feet, feeling considerably embarrassed.
However, it was only for a moment.
He heard the sound of someone watching Star Wars through a large open doorway on his left. He was tempted to chase the noise until he saw the stairway. He was sure the computer with the files he was after would be up those stairs.
And hopefully, my son of a bitch hacker.
Racing upstairs, Nick called to Alison, ‘You take down low. After arresting Chewbacca, I can only go up.’
It didn’t take Nick long to find the room he was after. One step inside made it clear the regular occupant was a technology nut.
And a whole lot of nuts on the side.
The array of technical objects and sci-fi movie collectibles was overwhelming. However, neither the occupant nor any computers could be seen. Instead, three huge, unconnected monitors perched on the cluttered desk showed both had been there.
Nick spent a few minutes fruitlessly searching the room before Alison joined him and said, ‘There are two young gamers downstairs who suspect their housemate is a hacker.’
Gazing over the room’s contents, she commented, ‘They also believe he’s still in his room.’
Nick stood back and stretched his arms wide as he said, ‘Here’s hoping you have better luck finding him than me.’
Alison examined the room with a practiced skill that could only come from tracking and finding hackers. Within two minutes, she located a mobile phone and a black case housing the hacker’s PC.
Alison swiftly opened the black box, then groaned, ‘As I expected, the hard drives are gone.’
‘One thing we do know - he hasn’t been gone for long. This PSU’s heat indicates it’s only been off for an hour or so.’2
Nick carefully touched the black power supply. He was disappointed to feel it was still warm.
We must have been so close to catching the son of a bitch.
He was jolted from his thoughts when Alison powered the mobile phone up and exclaimed in surprise, ‘Hey, Nick. We might have some luck with this phone. I can’t believe your hacker didn’t wipe it.’
A smirk crossed her face. ‘Maybe he knew you’d ask for me help, and now he’s running scared?’
She connected the phone to her laptop and performed a quick analysis using a GCHQ cyber forensic tool.
‘So, your hacker deleted any information we could use to uncover his physical or digital identity. However, he left the tools in place to know when someone moves the phone.’
Alison removed any evidence of her investigation, powered the phone off, and returned it to its hiding place.
‘Hopefully, he wasn’t checking right when I was on it. If he was, he’ll know it’s been found. But if not, we might throw him off by leaving it here untainted.’
Nick wandered out of the room and into the narrow hallway, swearing profusely as his anger and frustration boiled over.
If only the Agency had left me in play to work with a whole team, I would have had the resources to set a net before the SOB escapes the area. Whoever my hacker is, he can’t be too far away.
From what those two dipsticks downstairs told Ali, at least we know I was right - my hacker is a ‘he.’
Nick turned and saw Alison frozen in the doorway with a death-stare. Instantly, he realized he had allowed his emotions to run out of control. His mouth had spouted words he should never have uttered.
He brought his mind back under control, reflecting on what just happened. To his chagrin, he couldn’t remember the difference between his silent thoughts and his spoken words.
‘If you’ve finished your little temper tantrum, maybe we should chat with the two lads downstairs?’ Alison quietly suggested. ‘We might get a sufficient description to release an APB on this elusive hacker before the evening news.’
Nick enthusiastically agreed. He was keen to get a better idea of who they were chasing. He was also eager to escape the awkward environment he’d instigated with his outburst.
After running down the stairs and finding his way to the gaming lounge, Nick was surprised by how young the two petrified teenagers were.
Getting them to talk will be too easy.
‘You boys are in a lot of trouble,’ he almost spat at them as Alison entered the room and stood beside him. ‘So, you’d better start telling us what you know about your hacker buddy upstairs. You don’t want to make this any harder than it needs to be. And for the record, I’ve worked on prisoners in Guantánamo Bay. So I know how to make you squeal like little piglets.’
As the boys visibly flinched, Alison gasped at Nick’s intimidating comment.
‘Nick, I need to see you outside for a minute,’ she demanded.
When Nick stepped back into the entryway where the fallen Chewbacca still lay on the floor, Alison stepped into his face and quietly hissed, ‘I don’t know why you’re reacting like this, but it needs to stop now. They’re just two young kids who happen to share a house with your hacker. This is not their fault. In fact, from what you were mouthing off upstairs, it sounds like the blame might lay with you a little bit more than you’ve let on. So, let me lay it down for you, Nick. This is my country, my jurisdiction, and, as of now, it’s my interview. Your role is to shut up and cool down.’
Nick was about to react, then realized it would only worsen matters.
‘Sorry, Ali. You’re right. I think I was thrown by how close we got to catching the little prick. But you’re right. I’ll hover in the background and let you do the talking.’
After staring at Nick for several seconds, Ali stepped back into the room.
‘It’s okay, boys. You can ignore what my partner just said. You aren’t in trouble. In fact, your assistance in catching your hacker housemate will be greatly appreciated.’
Over the next half an hour, Alison extracted any information she could about their target.
Nick tried to intervene at one stage. A sharp glance from Alison was all it took for him to resume his restless pacing.
By the time a sketch artist arrived, Nick knew the hacker was a mite under six feet tall and had a skinny build. He also had dark hair, brown eyes, a whiny voice, wore thick-rimmed spectacles, and was fortyish. The other thing was the name he’d told them: Alan Jones.
Alison gave the two gamers her NCSC number, instructing them to call if they remembered anything else, then left them in the qualified hands of Tetiana, the sultry-voiced green-haired sketch artist.
Nick was disappointed when Alison told him on the way out, ‘I doubt your hacker has a record anywhere, Nick. This Alan Jones is too good at what he does. I suspect he’s a professional hacker who’s been in the business a long time. Considering the bits and pieces in his room, he’s been into tech longer than me. We’ll need to think outside the box if we’re going to catch him. I can almost guarantee this will take longer than you hope.’
‘Maybe we can discuss it over dinner?’ Nick suggested.
He was taken aback when Alison abruptly responded, ‘Sorry, Nick, but I don’t have time for dinner and conversation – not tonight. I’ve pushed too many other matters aside to help you today, and I still need to go through them.’
‘We’re not going to catch your man in the next twenty-four hours. And I’m positive he won’t run. He’s been getting away with this for so long, he thinks he’s too clever to be caught. That’s his big mistake. So don’t stress. We’ll catch him. For now, I need to drop you off at your hotel so I can get back to NCSC and fulfil my other duties. I promise we’ll pick Alan Jones’ trail up first thing tomorrow.’
Alison revved the DB11 and raced towards Nick’s hotel. Other than the distinctive tone of Delores O’Riordan, the only sound filling the small cabin was an awkward silence.
As Alison dodged and weaved her way through the heavy traffic, Nick remembered his rant in the hacker’s hideaway. Alison’s icy demeanor told him he’d said something he shouldn’t have. The problem was, he didn’t know what.
And that wasn’t all he was unaware of.
Unbeknownst to Nick and Alison, they passed within one hundred yards of a particular shared accommodation facility as they headed to Chelsea. There, a skinny hacker with dark hair, brown eyes, a whiny voice, and thick-rimmed spectacles was freaking out as he watched the progress of Nick’s phone on his computer screen.
London – 2 pm Tuesday
From the moment Nick charged through the hacker’s front door, Alison suspected something was wrong. He knew that was not protocol.
Hell, it’s not even his country. This is my turf. I’m the one putting myself out to help him. Yet he broke through the door and ran around like it’s the Wild West.
She had found it impossible not to laugh when he got caught up in that life-size Chewbacca model in the house’s entryway. It lightened the moment briefly.
Then he was back to charging around like he was in control and could do whatever he wanted. He acted like he was James Bond from MI6. Unfortunately, she had met his sort too often in her lifetime. And it did not impress her.
Not … one … bit.
It didn’t take Alison long to find the two long-haired teens playing a modded PS3 in the downstairs gaming room. She recognised the sound of the recently released Lego Star Wars finale as soon as the noise abated from Nick’s grand entrance.
Within a minute, she knew neither of the frightened young men was the hacker Nick pursued. They were typical gamers. They loved tech as long as it gave them what they wanted: hi-def video at a high frame rate. When it came to hacking, all they wanted to know was how to mod their console or game to give them the slightest advantage over their online competitors.
All they could tell Alison was, “you need to talk with the other guy, Alan Jones. He’s in his room upstairs. We don’t know what he does up there, but we’re sure he’s a serious hacker.”
Alison quickly checked the other downstairs rooms. Satisfied she hadn’t missed anything or anyone, she climbed the stairs in search of Nick and the mysterious Alan Jones, though she was sure the elusive hacker was long gone.
When she found Nick, it was apparent they had located their quarry’s sanctuary. She’d seen places like it too often over the years, though she had to admit that the advanced hackers she caught seldom fit the stereotype. “Alan Jones” was old-school. Looking at the tech on display, she suspected he’d been a cyber-citizen longer than her.
Knowing the tricks of the trade, it didn’t take long to discover where Mr Jones hid the phone and computer case. She wasn’t surprised when she popped the metallic box open and saw the hard drives were gone; that was typical for someone who knew they were coming. She was surprised to find the heat from the case’s power supply unit showed they had missed him by less than an hour.
And the two hidden items imply he knew when Nick and I were on our way. That’s a new set of problems I need to address.
First, however, she needed to examine the room and its contents to understand her prey better.
She did not expect Nick to go off like that after she’d demonstrated how warm the power supply was. And the biggest shock wasn’t Nick losing his block – it was what he said about the Agency.
It sounds like Nick and the Agency are not on the same page. In fact, it’s like they’re reading different books.
It made Alison wonder about her partner and the quest they were on. She could tell from Nick’s reaction that the threat of his mysterious project was genuine.
However, she was unsure where Nick stood with it all.
After interviewing the two gamers downstairs, Alison decided she needed time to dig into the mysterious project without Nick’s interference.
Thankfully, it was easy to ditch him with the excuse that I had to catch up on work I’d put aside to help him.
She could tell Nick was unhappy when she brushed aside his suggestion for dinner as brusquely as she did. Alison suspected he wanted more than a purely professional relationship.
And, she had to admit, she had been looking forward to seeing him again.
However, after hearing the words that spewed forth from his mouth in the hacker’s shack, it was prudent to push those thoughts aside.
At least for the time being.
After dropping Nick at his hotel in Chelsea, she returned to Central London to reflect on what had transpired and dig into Nick’s project. She had a good friend at Langley who might provide some insights on the mysterious Project 831.
However, as she sat at her desk, she pondered whether she was doing the right thing or stirring up a hornet’s nest. The world of secret service agents was small and protective. It could be damaging if she started making wild accusations.
Especially for me.
Of course, Alison’s biggest problem was that she was suspicious by nature.
No. I’ve become like that by nurture. After the deep betrayal from my supposed parents I uncovered a few nights before I left for London, I know that’s why I struggle to trust anyone.3
At the time, she’d turned to the person who’d been her most trusted confidant since she was twelve: the Game Master. He had helped her through almost every problem she’d had since they met online.
She’d sent him an encrypted message explaining what Amelie and Thomas had told her. When he replied two days later, she felt the twist of a knife so sharp that she could never again trust the two people who’d raised her.
For the Game Master had discovered a dark secret. One of her parents was still alive, though he wouldn’t divulge any more. When she pressed him for information, he told her it would merely cause her greater grief.
better u dont know for now pFrom that night, Alison knew she could no longer accept Thomas or Amelie in her life. They had supposedly given her everything they could, everything any child could expect from their parents. They raised her to believe that anything was possible for her. All she needed was a big dream and to emulate the example they had set as her loving parents.
Yet, after everything was said and done, their life as a family was a lie.
When she confronted them with what the Game Master had uncovered, they denied it. Alison was not surprised by how good their acting was after the lie they had convinced her to believe for a lifetime.
What they could not deny was that they were not her parents. And they’d only let her know she was not theirs when she was about to leave.
So that was what she did.
Without another word to them, she packed her belongings and left. They had told her that her birth parents were dead to her.
From that point, so were Thomas and Amelie.4
Thanks for reading my online serial. I hope you enjoyed this chapter enough to click the heart-shaped LIKE button below. I also hope you picked up several breadcrumbs that should help you put the pieces together as the jigsaw is revealed over the remaining chapters. If you’re a Phisherman subscriber, thank you for your support. And if you have any suggestions to help make it better or you simply want to encourage me as a storyteller (either would be appreciated), please leave a comment.Yep … it’s a MAMIL
PSU = Power Supply Unit
This incident will be included in the published edition of “The Phisherman”
If you’re like one of my Beta readers who found Alison’s reaction in this chapter unbelievable, I’ll respond in the same way - Alison’s reaction is based on someone I know who only discovered he was adopted as an adult.