Thrones of Blood and Dust

The Code

I don’t mean no disrespect

As I come on the stage

Ya’all fake MCs get off and reflect

We don’t roll on the same page

 I’m the intellect

Don’t burn in rage

I am God’s select

I flow

I glow

I blow

And I am the Lion king

The champ in the ring

Dazzling your eyes with my diamond ring

Connecting like Ringdom

Flourishing is my kingdom

Your flow is boredom

My flow is freedom

You can’t stop me

You can’t be me

I’m so fly

I fill up the sky

So baby come closer, don’t be shy

Chilling out of this space

Making you an ace

Winner of the race

And I love your apple face

It’s your boy, Jack

Stand attention, the rap game is mine for hijack

I rule and smack

Y;all struggle while I still back

Boom! Jack will never lack

“Whooh!” DJ Karl clapped. “That was hot Jack. I really felt you, dude.”

DJ Karl was a twenty three year old local music producer.

“Thanks Karl.” Jack left the booth and took in a deep breath.

There was another guy sitting in the studio. He was of moderate height, stocky and athletic. He had a hard expression with an aggressive jaw and mean looking eyes. This was Teks, a local drug dealer and part of the  local musical group called Hoodies comprising if himself, Jack and another guy called Timon.

“I need to run home.” Jack said and carried his laptop bag “Can I get two sachets, Teks?”

“Dude, you still owe me three dollars.’

“I know, Teks. I got something coming up tomorrow so chill.”

“Chill? I don’t tell Lorenzo to chill. I never say to Marcus chill. Those guys don’t sell on credit and when you owe them and waste a day, they come on you with guns.”

“I promise, I will pay up tomorrow.”

Teks hesitated before giving Jack two sachets of weed.

“Are you going to chill in the hummocks?” Karl asked.

“No. I am going home.” Jack replied, hiding the weed in his stockings. “I got work to do at home.”

“Are you writing a new song?” Teks asked.

“No. I am writing a book.”

“I don’t get it.” Teks looked surprised. He was rolling weed.

“Guys this music stuff is not working out. I got to roll on Plan B.’

“Come on, dude,” Karl said, “many great artiste suffered for longer periods before the made it.”

“I have been doing this stuff for eight years, performed on the streets for five years and I can get a good meal sometimes. I can’t wait for uncertainty.”

“What happened to hacking? We can go back on that.” Teks said, checked out his rolled weed, loved the smoothness at which he rolled it before bringing out his lighter.

“No… I left hacking because I wanted to leave crime.” Jack said. “I thought I could find solace in music, make money and  name for myself but I can’t see that coming to reality. So I want t become an author.”

“What kind of book do you want to write?” Karl asked.

“You need a publishing company, I hope you know that. Writing is like music, you need a company to sign you and that is so difficult. J.K Rowling got rejected by twelve publishing houses before Harry Potter was accepted.” Teks said and lit inhaled smoke.

“I know.” Jack said. “But things have changed.”

“How?”

“There is  a platform that gives every author a chance to get published, make money without any literal agent or much stress.’

“Really?” Karl said.

“Yes and that is what I am clinging to. Have you heard of Dreame?’

“I have never been there but I want to sue them.” Teks said.

“Why?”

“They are taking Tasha away from me. She is so stuck to them. She says she reads the best stories there and when we are together, 80% of her attention is there. So I will sue them for stealing my baby’s time.”

“You are high.” Karl said and they laughed.

“Okay, I see this contest there and I am joining. I may win thousands of dollars and get my book published. I can even earn from home if they sign my books. I got a sure job.”

“Whoa! That sounds great.” Karl said, “So do you have a plot? Have you ever written a book?”

“No. This is my first and I got a plot. I am writing a fantasy book.”

“What?” Teks raised his face abruptly. “Like time travel, wizards and all those stuff?”

“Yes.”

Teks laughed hysterically.

“What is funny?” Jack asked.

“I will never be your fan because I don’t believe in such craps. There is no such thing like paranormal. Anything that science can’t explain is balderdash..”

Jack knew how obstinate Teks could be when it came to arguments so he did not want to argue with him. Plus, he had to post an update. His Ringdom editor, Rebecca sent some writing guides  to him so he was going to give it a scrutiny.

“See you guys.” He said and went out.

He came out of the studio and began to walk down the street.

“Hello Jack.” He heard someone say from behind and turned swiftly.

He saw a tall, thin man with a long nose and low dark hair coming after him. Jack looked at him, wondering if he had ever seen his face before. He could not remember seeing him and the man called him by name. Was he a cop? He had weed in his stockings and that was dangerous. Damn!

“Who are you?” Jack asked.

“I am Lorenzo.”

“What do you want?” I don’t know you.”

“We have not met officially but I was referred to you by a friend of yours who believes in your prowess in code breaking.”

“A friend of mine? Who is that?”

The man smiled.

“That is not necessary. There is no crime involved. I work for someone whose father died leaving an unsolved code. She has tried so many code breakers but they failed to break it so the friend talked about you.’

“What code is it? I don’t want to go to jail.”

“I do not have the authorization to reveal the identity of my boss but her father was a billionaire who died one year ago. He was establishing a new company and it all depends on the code. He died without giving her the solution, and she wants to carry on with the project.”

“Why did she not contact the makers of the code?”

“It is more complex than you think. No single person or firm made the code. He worked with a group of coder separately and none of them knows the solution because everyone only knows a part. It was a smart move by him to protect the techniques to avoid hijacking. I promise, it is not a crime and you have the chance to make five hundred thousand dollars tonight.”

“What? Five hundred American dollars?”

Lorenzo smiled.

“Yes. Five hundred thousand in cash. But it is not automatic. You can only earn it if you break the code and she has the solution box. The solution is the only pass word to the project data . A lot of code breakers have tried to defraud her by claiming to have decoded it but each time she ties to use the solution to open the project data it fails. You will only earn the money if the solution can open the project box. If your solution can’t do that, you will be given twenty dollars as compensation for your time. It is a win-win situation. You either make ten dollars or five hundred thousand dollars.”

Jack thought about this. He did not understand all he said but one thing was for sure: he was going to earn ten dollars.

“Okay.” He said.

******

Trisha Bell alighted from her Hennessey Venom and closed the door. The twenty-seven year old business tycoon was imp thin, with vermilion-red hair which flowed freely over her shoulders. Her face was round, with large blue eyes and velvety eye lashes. Below her dainty nose were sherbet sweet lips, which made her elegant, bouncy personality. Her expensive Oscar de la Rent which she wore in an offbeat way made her classical, giving her that rebellious facade that made men shiver.

Lorenzo walked up to her and stood like a servant before the  Queen of England.

“Very good evening Miss Bell. I hope you had a wonderful day.’

“Thank you Lorenzo.”

“I know you must be very tired but I have something of great importance for you.”

“Lorenzo, I am tired and need a rest.”

“I am sorry to be a bother but I found him.”

“Who?”

“The code breaker. It was not an easy task and getting him to do this was also not easy.”

“Lorenzo, I am tired of the fraudsters you bring. I think I am off the code stuff. I don’t think anyone can break it and as a business woman, the ten dollars each of them go with and my time that they waste means something to me.”

“I understand Miss Bell. I apologize for that but I hope this will be that last one. If he fails, then I promise not to bring this up again.”

She hesitated and then said, “where is he?”

“He is at the lobby, ma’am.”

“Okay. I will be with join you in the next twenty minutes.”

*****

Immediately Trisha came inside the lobby, Lorenzo got on his feet. Jack wondered why Lorenzo had to get up like that but when he saw Trisha, he saw a charismatic lady with some bossy air around her. He needed the money so he got on his feet too.

“Good evening Miss..” Jack began.

“Miss Bell.” Lorenzo and Jack noticed the care he used in calling the name.

Trisha studied Jack.

She saw entrancing almond shaped sea rover eyes that were adventurous, radiating a-gleam with delight and the vigor of youth. They were soft and swam with power, deepness and youthfulness . They shone brightly, like two sapphires dipped in milky pools. He had a fade and taper cut and scythe-shaped eyebrows. His crescent-of-moon eyebrows were thin and narrow. His hawkish nose and defined cheekbones sat above a concrete jaw. His Titan’s shoulders were part of his dishy, lion-like grace personality.

His white skinny T-shirt showed his stout chest, which tapered and gave him an athletic look.

“Hello.” She said and sat on a pew. Jack expected her to ask him to sit down but she did not. Lorenzo kept standing. Jack sat down comfortably.

“Lorenzo tells me you can break the code.” She said.

“He said that but not  me. I need to know more about it so I can have a direction.’

“Are you here to waste my time?”

“I have a time to use too Miss Bell. I was on my way home to use my time when he met me.”

She looked into his eyes for a few seconds and saw some level of rawness in him.

“Okay, my father owned Bellglobe Group Of Companies...”

“You mean Mr. Bell William?” Jack said and he could not hide his surprise. That was one of the richest men in the world.

“Yes. Bellglobe has different aspects of productions and his last project was Bellz: an electronic company and his focus was to start production of phones, laptops, tablets and soft-ware. He was a man who loved exclusiveness and his phones were to have a unique operating system which was not Android or any known OS. This involved a lot of secrets and the firm that sourced the technical agglomeration was Tripple-S Incorporated. My father personally dealt with the software programmers who worked independently and each package was coded by Tripple-S without them knowing the contents and solution. Only my father knew it.

Tripple-S coded the various packages under the name 778-Transaction. Only one of their agents was allowed to have access to the code. My father died three days after it was completed. I tried all I could to find the solution but could not. To get the program running, the solution was needed and no one has it. If the code could be broken, then we can have access to the production. I thought the agent had it. He was called Agent L-MP30, which was a secret code name because his identity has to be hidden. I got in contact with him but he did not have it.”

She did not tell him that there were some people after the solution and L-MP30’s identity leaked and he was murdered a few days ago. That might scare him off.

“If you can break it, I promise you will get five hundred thousand dollars today and another two and a half million dollars will be wired into your bank account at once.”

Jack felt his bile rising, and his intestines seem to be contracting and expanding.

Three million dollars!

“Okay.” He said. “Do you have the code?”

“Yes, I do. E-9 Delta BH-666 Meg 2666.”

“I need some timem and…a space to smoke.’

“You can smoke here if you wish.”

“I mean…”

“m*******a? Yes, go ahead. I must remind you that I have means of verification.’

“I know.” He said and the thought of ten dollars came back to him. No! he wanted to leave here with five hundred thousand dollars today. This may be the break he had been looking for. He had always prayed to have that break and take care of his mother and his sister who were his only family members.

“I need more than the code. I need the source of the final code which is every entity involved. Tripple-S had each of the packages from individual group of programmers which they used to make the final code.|

“I am sorry I don’t have that information.”

“Okay.” Jack said. He did not tell her how he planned to do it but he had no choice than to hack into Tripple-S database. He was going to use Wiznet which could easily  use a web application security scanner that could automatically find SQL Injection, XSS and other vulnerabilities in their web applications and web services. It was available as on-premises and SAAS solution. This had one of the most efficient Dead accurate vulnerability detection with the unique Proof-Based Scanning Technology, Minimal configuration module, with a Scanner that can automatically detect URL, rewrite rules, custom 404 error pages. REST API for seamless integration with the SDLC, bug tracking systems and ,any more. It was an APP he modified himself and kept as a secret, making have one of the deadliest hacking tool in the world.

“Okay, let me get to work.” He said.

“Good. Whatever you need, let me know.” She said.

“I need a bottle of beer.’ He smiled, “and food too,”

“Lorenzo, give him whatever he needs.”

Thirty minutes later, after smoking, eating and sipping a bottle of beer, Jack was on his system and working. He got into Tripple.

Using various hacking tools, he was able to find 778-Transaction and disintegrated the code. ?he traced each code to the programmers and hacked into their systems. He realized that Mr. Bell was one of the smartest business men in the world. The complexity at which he used to get the programs done was intense.

Ten hours later, two sachets of m*******a smoked with numerous sticks of cigarettes, he found a solution. He did not know what it meant but he was almost sure he decoded it.

It was now 6:00 AM. He had to call his mother that he was going to spend the night in the studio.

He called  Lorenzo.

“I have done all I could. If this is not the solution, then get my ten dollars and I am out of here.”

“Very good.” Lorenzo said. “I wish you got it. Do you know what it means to be the one who found the person who got it? She will have more regard for me. I have been working for the family since she was a child.”

“Good. Please get her here. I need to go home.”

“Very good.”

Fifteen minutes later, she came into the lobby dressed in yoga pants and singlet.

“Good morning, Jack. Did you work all night?”

“If I start, I don’t stop till I can go no more.”

“Hmmm..so?”

“I got something.” He said.

“I have the solution box in  my laptop.”

He copied something into a flash drive and gave it to her. She slot the drive into her system while Jack lit a stick of cigarette.

He felt sleepy. He closed his eyes, enjoying the smoke when he heard her say, “Oh my God!”

He opened his eyes and her expression told him what he wanted to know. She looked at him in disbelief.

“Lorenzo!” she called.

“Yes, ma’am.’

“He did it! He got it!”

Jack tried to assure himself that he was not dreaming. He just made three million dollars!

****

Jack got to the train station a few minutes later, with his backpack hanging over his shoulders. He had some of the dollar notes in his pockets, bag, stockings and the feeling of having over two million dollars in his bank account was surreal. He could not wait to get home. He could imagine his mother’s face if he told that they were going to get a new home and leave the derelict cabin they lived in.

So many things ran through his mind. He made it at last.

He got into the train, sat down. A lady was about to sit next to him when a big man dressed in black trench coat pulled her and sat on the seat.

He produced a smile which could cause a pregnant woman miscarriage.

“Hello, I am Boe. I guess you are Jack Brian.”

*******