I began thinking as I squeezed the yellow ball in my hand. Even though I said I needed 3 days, I can reach India in merely 24 hours if I tried. Tickets weren't hard to get, and my passport just needs to be cleaned up in the government database to return to being functional.
I had once sneaked into their database and removed information of me being in the US from it, but that could be reinserted easily. I knew the way into the database, so I can do it. I also had enough money to scrap up for a plain ticket.
But before that, I decided to do a few things.
First, with the image of the dragon-marked young man, I did a search. I scanned the entire internet for a face like that—dark web, deep web, and normal web—and even then, I didn't find anything related to him. Then, I began searching the logo of the dragon.
Nothing other than images of other dragon books was on the normal web but I found a few results on the Dark Web. It was surprisingly all from people selling books with the dragon mark. But soon enough, I found something weird in that.
These were not legit people selling the books. They were phishing for buyers!
If someone was buying the book all the way on the dark web, the chances were that they knew about the book's weirdness. That means the one trying to buy might have more books. These were ads for sale in name, but in reality, they were just phishing to find more people with the books.
Were there many dragon marked books out there then?
I couldn't dig any more information about them.
I sighed. My skills weren't good enough. I needed help. And I knew where I could get help. Only one person I know could hack into the world's best databases with one eye closed. The person who taught me how to hack.
My discord friend.
He could dig deeper into this than I ever could.
I messaged him: 'I want to meet you. Very important. Come to the Hills Restaurant tonight.'
I got a reply immediately: 'busy tonight. I have a party with a Hollywood actress as my date. Sorry.'
I asked: 'Please Jack, my life depends on it.'
He asked: 'What's going on here buds, you begging me? Now that's new 🙉'
I said: 'Can't explain online. Will do when I see you.'
I begged. I begged until he agreed.
He said: 'Fine. But after this, you have to join me in that bank project I mentioned. My savings are thinning.'
I agreed.
"Don't be late, Jack…"
Hills Restaurant had the usual tasty smell around its tables, and the lights were ever the more colorful today. But sitting on a random table with a cup of chai in hand, I felt gloomy and restless. My fingers rapped against the table and my eyes darted around nervously. Sometimes, my gaze would subconsciously follow girls and feeling like a creep, I would move my gaze away.
Then I'd think they probably thought I was a creep. No. I am not. I only had horny thoughts about a few girls and they were all people I knew well. Not strangers.
Jack, you bitch, you are 15 minutes late already. Are you coming?!
I suddenly felt two firm arms plant themselves on my shoulder and squeeze them. "Your shoulders are stiff, Melvin. And your body is restless." He closed in on my ears. "Did the pigeons shit on you on the way?"
I grew alert. That was our hidden code asking whether the feds were on us. Did he think I am luring him here due to demand from feds? Is he that deep into bad blood hacking?
"No, pigeons can't shit on me Jack. I haven't entered the world of those yet, I am still skirting around places with a safe roof over me."
Jack came and sat before me. "Good," he said. "But then why are you here?"
"It's complicated."
"Can I help?" He took my chai.
"Otherwise I wouldn't have called."
"I have a place we can sit nearby. All systems are already made usable. Let's go there after the chai. What about the danger level of your issue?"
"Life threatening."
Jack frowned. "Not prison but life threatening?" He shook his head. "Got yourself into mafia business didn't you? I told you not to mess with their field."
"Not mafia," I softly said, staring into the muscular man's dark eyes.
He was in blue suits, with his 500$ haircut looking as pompous as ever. But he was a cool man. A reliable man. My mentor. Someone I could trust.
"Not mafia?" Jack hissed. "Did you mess with the terrorist associations or something? Or even worse, did you mess with any of the major conglomerates?"
"None of them," I hissed back softly, "I am not reckless."
"Then who?"
"They came to me. Let's go to your place. I am not sure you would want to help, but you have to help me this time. I am begging you."
Frowning, Jack drowned the chai and we walked out of the restaurant. I yelled, "Old man, put it on my tab."
We then reached the parking lot and I frowned when I didn't see Jack's red McLaren. He walked around with it, always.
"Didn't take Red Beauty with me. Today, we'll use this."
I gawked at the limousine parked silently in the shade. It had completely missed my distracted attention.
"You bought a Limo?"
"Got it as a gift for saving a man's career. Had to hack into big time systems."
I entered the car with a more assured heart.
Jack followed me. The inside was basically a room!
"Drive us to the beach," Jack said and the driver began moving.
I, feeling angsty, gestured to Jack, asking if the driver was trustworthy. He just grinned. "Benjamin taught me how to walk. He just drives, he is no driver. He is my guy. Go on, tell me your story."
"I want your help in rescuing my family." I took out a dark book from the backpack behind me and put it in between us. He frowned at the sight.