Chapter 6
741words
The very next day, he took me to a secret location. It used to be one of the mafia family’s arms warehouses, but it had long since been converted into a site for special transactions. The warehouse was massive, yet poorly lit. Only a few industrial bulbs hung from the ceiling, casting dim, yellowish light over the concrete floor.
“Five million dollars. Crypto payment. Cash on delivery.”
The voice echoed through the empty warehouse. It belonged to Ivan, a hacker whose English carried a heavy accent.
Ivan was small and thin, around thirty-five years old. He wore thick glasses and a wrinkled plaid shirt. At first glance, he looked more like a reclusive nerd than a top-tier hacker capable of threatening the FBI. However, the laptop in his hands told a different story.
On the screen, complex lines of code flickered nonstop. Neon-green characters glowed eerily in the darkness. It was a cutting-edge money-laundering system—a software rumored to move funds across the globe without leaving a trace.
“This system is my masterpiece,” Ivan said proudly, his fingers flying across the keyboard. “I spent three years developing it. Your money will pass through seventeen different countries’ banking systems, and the FBI won’t be able to track a thing.”
A complicated flowchart of moving funds appeared on the screen. Numbers shifted and jumped continuously.
Caspian studied the demonstration in silence, his brow slightly furrowed, as if weighing something. His men stood around us, alert and watchful, but I heard what Ivan was really thinking.
‘These mafia idiots have no idea I left a backdoor in the system on purpose. Once they start using it, I can control everything remotely and drain the Falcone family dry. Five million? Once I empty their accounts, that money will be pocket change. I’ll go home, buy a villa, and never take another risky job again.’
The greed and deception in his thoughts sent a chill down my spine. The harmless-looking nerd was a complete fraud.
Just as Caspian was about to nod and agree to the deal, I spoke up.
“Wait,” I said in fluent Russian.
Ivan froze and turned to look at me, so startled that his glasses nearly slipped off his nose.
“This code is outdated.”
I walked over to his laptop. Under Caspian’s puzzled gaze, I pointed at a specific section of the screen.
“There’s a fatal flaw right here.”
Ivan’s expression sank instantly. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he said, “What are you talking about? This is the latest encryption technology–”
“No,” I cut him off coldly, my voice leaving no room for argument. “This is a simplified version that’s easily traceable.”
Then I added, without emotion, “And the backdoor you wrote into it is painfully obvious. Frankly, it’s an insult to our intelligence.”
I turned to Caspian, adding, “This thing is worth fifty thousand dollars at most, and even that’s generous.”
Ivan exploded in anger, his face turning bright red. He suddenly pulled a small-caliber handgun from inside his jacket and aimed it straight at me.
“Woman! How dare you question my work? Do you know who I am?”
The atmosphere in the warehouse instantly turned explosive. Caspian’s men drew their weapons in unison, black muzzles locking onto Ivan. However, at that moment, Caspian raised his hand. Everyone froze.
“Ivan.” His voice was terrifyingly calm. “I’ll give you two million.”
Ivan stared at him, stunned, forgetting to lower the gun. “What… what did you say?”
“Sign the contract,” Caspian continued evenly. “And apologize to my wife.”
A cold smile tugged at the corner of his lips before he continued, “After that, you work for us. From today on, you belong to the Falcone family.”
Ivan looked around at the armed men, then met Caspian’s ice-cold gaze. He knew he had no way out. In a place like that, there was no escape except death.
His hand shook as he lowered the gun. He signed the contract, a document that sealed his permanent servitude to the Falcone family.
Then, he apologized to me. “I’m sorry, Madam. I was disrespectful.”
After the deal was finalized, Ivan was taken away by Caspian’s men to receive further work arrangements. The warehouse fell silent once more. Only Caspian and I remained.
I looked at him, confused.
“That junk software isn’t worth the price,” I said. “Why did you give him two million?”
