The Hackers Anonymous Leader by Solome Hailemariam (ebook reader below 3000 txt) 📕

internet stalker. He looked younger than the others.
"I am Jack" this was the one that told me Liam has been stalking me
"My name is Aurum" said the one looking oldest of all. His name was very nice.
"Hi, I am Aiden" this one was blond just like Liam.
"So, where do y'all live?" I asked them
"We live around downtown, but we like hanging around here because it's noiseless," Aiden said
"Oh, do you guys live together?"
"No, we don't, but we used to. It's pretty complicated." Aurum said
"Then do you guys live on your own?" I said
"Yeah," said Aurum
"So, what's the complicated story? I wanna know" I said.
"We were...." Aiden started but Aurum poked him and he stopped.
"It's very complicated," Aurum said
      I didn't like how they were acting so I asked
"Is there anything you're hiding? because Aiden started but you stopped him." I said eagerly.
" No, why would we? it's just that...." Jack started and Aurum finished it for him
" we've got to go, right boys?" Aurum said and they all started standing up.
"Wait but you only told me your names," I said
"Yeah, we have really got to go," Aurum said, and they left without even saying goodbye
"Wow!" I whispered to myself.
"Thomas, I know you're out there. I have to talk to you, come out." I called out,
"Hey, what happened?" He walked out from where he was hiding.
"AHA!" I yelled at him, "I knew you were out there! I told you not to follow me and you said you wouldn't!" 
"What?! oh C'mon, that's not fair," said Thomas
"Anyway, I am a little suspicious, what are they up to?" I said to Thomas
"I told you not to trust them," He said 
"I don't need 'I told you's right now," I rolled my eyes at him
"Okay fine, now that you know, you won't see them again, will you?" He seemed scared of them which made me laugh.
"Why are you laughing?" He said 
"Are you afraid of them?" I asked him still smiling,
"No, what the hell?!" He said
"Okay fine but I still have to find out what they are doing," I told him and we started walking down the hill,
" What? No, that's not what's happening," He said
"You said you're not afraid of them right so let me do this," I told him 
"Fine, maybe I am, a little" He made a bashful face.
"Don't worry. I will figure out more about them," I decided to tell Scott everything so that Scott, Thomas, and I could work together.  

           I didn't need to beg him into this. He was totally into it already.
"So what's the plan?" Scott said,
"We can't make the plan without Thomas," I grabbed my phone to invite Thomas over,
"We can plan it on ourselves and tell Thomas the plan tomorrow,"  that might be a good idea, but what if there's something Thomas doesn't agree on?
"There might be something that Thomas doesn't agree on. Why waste our times when we can just invite him over?" I unlocked my phone to call him
                    
                 We talked over it until we agreed on a scheme. "This is good," Thomas said.
The next morning we pretended like nothing happened last night so that no one finds out what we have been up to and what we would be up to the next couple of days. The whole day we stayed together going over and over our plans. 
"Okay, we got it," said Thomas
             Late that afternoon, Thomas and I hid behind the barrier wall and Scott walked down the hill, behind them, to hear what they were talking about. He had a recorder in his hand. He walked as slow as he could behind them. I was terrified something would happen to him but hey didn't see him. 
              Thomas and I walked down the hill, pretending like we didn't see a thing. 
"Aye, Lydia," Aurum called out
"Hi," I said
"You blowin' us off?" He said
"No. How are you guys?" I gave Thomas a sign to leave.
"We're good, how are you?" Aiden asked
"fine" I froze when I saw their tattoo on their forearm. It said "THAL" and a thunder symbol.
"What does 'THAL' mean?" If they try to hide it then it might mean something.
"Oh it's nothing. It's what we call our friend group," Aurum seems to be the leader of the gang or the group, whatever they call themselves.
"Yeah?" I asked them
"Of course," Aurum is the one answering all the questions.
"Well, I've got to go, I have lots of things to do," including your gang's mess.
                         Scott and Thomas were waiting for me at the end of the hill. We ran back to Thomas's house and up to his room. We closed the door so that his detective father won't hear us.
"Did you get anything?" Thomas said
"Yes, but let's listen to the recording first," Scott started the recording
"10738629, that's the code for the bank security camera," Thomas wrote the number on his hand 
"Liam, you're gonna hit the gas station quick. Find out the code, you have 48 hours. Aiden, your mission for the next 72 hours is to find out the password for the code I've found of the bank's security camera. Jack, you will have 72 hours to get the password for the code that Liam..."
              We could hear them no more.
"I stopped recording. I was too far away. I couldn't hear them." Scott shut the recorder and put it in his pocket. 
"It's fine, it's not hard to find out what he said after that," I said,
"So what did you find?" said Thomas,
" There's this tattoo on all of their forearms. It says 'THAL'. I asked them what it meant but Aurum said it was their friendship tattoo, but I don't think it's just that. I am sure it's more than that..."
 I told them.
"Well, that's something we need to find out," Scott said
"Okay, but should we be doing this by ourselves?" I wasn't sure if we should, "I mean, the case is pretty big. We can't do it by ourselves. Shouldn't we tell someone that is more mature than us?" 
"Well, let's try. If we can't do it, then we will tell my dad," His dad suddenly walked in,
"Tell me what?" He said
"Oh, hello Mr. Newtson," I said trying to hide what we were talking about,
"Hello, Lydia, Scott, and Thomas," He said, "Now is there anything you would like to tell me?" He asked. I gave Thomas and Scott a yes sign.
"Yes," Scott said
 We told Detective Newtson everything.
"You kids should not be involved in these things. You need to focus on your education from now on, don't worry about this. We will be investigating the case. Now promise me you won't go behind my back and try to find out about it. It's not safe." Detective Newtson said
"Yes," We said.
               Scott and I went home that night and went straight to our rooms and decided to talk about it the next day.

 

4.

 

The next day Scott and I went to school saying nothing about last night at home. 
"Hey, Thomas," Scott and I said
"Hey, guys, so my dad told me last night that maybe we might need to get involved because he is a detective but we're just some kids, so the gang won't suspect us if we try to find out more about them and plus Lydia is starting to be friends with them, so they might want us to implicate," Thomas said
"I think that's a good idea," it was a nice idea. 
"But he said 'do not get involved unless we tell you to'," said Thomas.
         When Scott and I got home, I told him I had something to do in my room and went straight to my bedroom. I opened my computer and searched.
            'THAL'
As I scrolled through the results, I found a tattoo that looked exactly theirs. When I clicked on it, mom brast through the door. 
"Lydia! How many times have I told you to vacuum your room and put your garbage outside?!" 
I slammed my computer shut and said.
"Sorry mom, I will do it now." she looked calmer,
"Okay sweetheart, when you finish, get changed. We will be having dinner at Anne and Henry's today."
Anne is my mom's best friend. Mom respects her too much. Sometimes I wonder why.
"Mom, can I stay home for today? I am not feeling well."  
"You will be okay honey, it would be disrespect if we don't bring you with us." I don't even know why I asked her, I knew she would say that.

                     I opened my closet, but all I saw was what a mess my closet has been since school started. I dug through the pile of clothes to find my pink casual short dress which was open-back. I hated getting invited to dinners, but I had to go anyway because apparently it would be "disrespectful" not to go. 
                       Later that night, I went outside while everybody was inside having dessert. I needed some air. I was in a jam, but all that thought disappeared from my mind when I saw someone walking toward me. When I started to get up to go back inside, I noticed it was just Lucas so I sat back down on the porch. Lucas is Anne's only son but not Henry's. Henry had 2 twins from another woman, whom he does not know. I hated Lucas, but for mom's sake I have to pretend as I like him. He sometimes vanishes at night and would be found in a nightclub drunk or beaten up or in a fight. He never showed up to dinners with us or his family. Sometimes I wonder why Anne and Henry won't do something about him. As he got closer I noticed something very strange, something I have never seen before, 'THAL' was tattooed on one of his forearms. I decided to tell Scott and Thomas when we got home, but I never did because He had 5 guys with him. They had the biggest muscles I have ever seen. Right when I saw those 5 guys, I got up to go inside when someone gripped me in an unyielding hold behind me. When I tried to scream, they put something on my mouth which suddenly made me dizzy. A couple of minutes later I felt someone carrying me and taking me somewhere. I've lost my balance. I wanted to yell, I wanted to smack his face, I wanted to talk but I couldn't move my lips or any body part. All of a sudden I was totally unconscious.