Paycheck

Advanced Composition

19 November 2007

The dark and rain drenched night was as dark and wet as the Titanic's murky Ball Room. The rain was down pouring outside. Jack was all alone at his computer attempting to hack the Department of Defense's mainframe computer system for a private contractor. He tried telling himself that he needed the money, it was just another paycheck, but even though he denied it he really did it for the thrill, just to prove that he was intelligent enough to do it. It was a thrill he hadn’t had since the last time that he went BASE jumping in Arizona.

Jack first hacked a computer at the age of 12 and had been an addict ever since. Five years of computer hacking had cost him a lot. Jack was still in school, but barely. His grades were slipping and teachers would continually tell him what great potential he had. He hardly left his house though still got out every now and then but he didn’t do many social things. The last thing that he did was go BASE jumping with one of his online partners in crime at the Grand Canyon. It was a tough getaway considering that they had to avoid the Park’s Rangers.

Jack had fun though. He was more of a reserved adrenaline addict who would rather carry on meaningless relationships, with others just doing the same than to try to have an actual meaningful relationship, with that perfect girl.

And he was in!

Jack couldn’t suppress his surprise, he knew that he could do it; he just hadn’t expected it to be so easy. Well to tell the truth it wasn’t, it took a very experienced computer hacker to do it, but then again not every computer hacker had been hacking as long as Jack had been.

Now to get the job done, there was only so long that Jack would be able to be in before the DOD discovered that they had been hacked and started to run sweeps to try and discover Jack’s location. But he wasn’t worried. He had three minutes to get out before they decoded his IP address-masking software written specifically by himself. He started the system’s analysis that he was being paid to run; his contractor wanted a look at what the DOD’s mainframe looked like without having to actually risk his security. And he was done. All that was left was to upload the information using an encryption software, again developed by Jack, to his contractor’s temporary email account and $50,000 would be wired to his account.

The file was sent. An IM window opened:
“Is this all of it?”
“Yes, everything that you need is right there . . . Where is my money?”
“My associate has just transferred the funds to your account. Good job. We may require your assistance in the future. Have a good evening, Mr. Anderson.”
“Wait . . .”
“What?”
“You need anymore help doing impossible hacks and what not”
“Good night, Mr. Anderson”

Jack couldn’t help but to smile. Even though his employer, God knows who, couldn’t see his face or hear his voice he still knew that Jack was being sarcastic.

After a quick check of his bank account Jack decided that he was going for a run. At least that’s what he told himself. To tell the truth Jack hated to be around the place that a hack occurred afterwards. He didn’t know why it was. The FBI would find him if they found out that he hacked the DOD. Although he wasn’t worried. If found him, they probably would lock him up in a small white cubicle, either that or shoot him for treason. Either way it wasn’t so bad. He’d either have a job or be put out of his misery.

Running. No where particular just to run and feel free. The feeling that nothing else matters except one foot in front of the other. Jack ran through the dark city streets all alone: free and yet exposed to the car of a gun for hire. Jack heard the tires of the car but not the gun as the car sped up and put a .45 cal slug into his back.

The impact of the round in his chest cast him to the ground. He was exposed. Somehow he had landed face up. Odd that I landed face up. I should be face down. Jack lay there as the rain fell on his face, feeling it run down like the tears that his family would soon shed. He became tense and then went to sleep.

The assassin needed not to double check his work. Jack was just another paycheck.