Aaron sat in the cramped van parked a few blocks away from the high-end restaurant. The air inside was thick with tension and the faint smell of old coffee. Technophile sat at the front, his eyes glued to a series of monitors mounted on a makeshift console. Celeste leaned against the side of the van with her arms crossed, her gaze sharp as a knife.
"Alright, team," Technophile began, his voice calm but commanding. "This is it. Months of planning, weeks of setup, and days of testing all come down to this. We're not stealing money. We're proving why we're the best."
Aaron nodded nervously, his fingers tapping against his laptop's edge. He'd spent the entire night rehearsing his part of the hack, but the pressure of the real thing was making his palms sweat.
Celeste smirked, noticing his unease. "Don't freak out, newbie. Just follow the plan, and we'll be out of here before anyone realizes what happened."
"Easy for you to say," Aaron muttered under his breath. "You're not the one with their fingers on the keyboard."
"Exactly," she shot back, her tone laced with sarcasm. "I'll be the one saving your butt if you mess up. So don't."
Technophile raised a hand to stop the bickering. "Focus, both of you. Celeste, keep monitoring the network. Aaron, get ready. We're going live in five."
Aaron took a deep breath and cracked his knuckles. "Alright. Let's do this."
The restaurant's WiFi had already been replaced by Technophile's team the night before, ensuring everything was set for the hack. Inside the van, the tension grew as the minutes ticked by.
"Target just entered the restaurant," Technophile announced, watching a live feed from a hidden camera. "He's sitting down. Shouldn't be long now."
Aaron adjusted his position, his laptop balanced on his knees. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, waiting for the signal.
"Celeste, status?" Technophile asked.
She glanced at her monitor, where lines of code scrolled rapidly. "Network's stable. No interference detected. We're good to go."
"Aaron?"
Aaron nodded, swallowing hard. "Ready."
Technophile's lips curled into a grin. "Alright. Let's make history."
The first step was to intercept the buyer's device. Aaron's fingers flew across the keyboard as he launched the fake WiFi network. On his screen, he saw the buyer's phone connect.
"We've got him," Aaron said, his voice steady despite the adrenaline surging through him. "Device connected to our network. He's ours."
"Good," Technophile replied. "Now, start the interception."
Aaron typed rapidly, initiating the Man-in-the-Middle attack. The buyer's login request to his bank was redirected through their server. Aaron's screen lit up with session cookies and encrypted data.
"Session cookies secured," he reported. "Mirroring the bank's site now. It's an exact replica."
Celeste leaned over his shoulder, her eyes scanning the screen. "Looks good. No red flags from the network. Keep going."
Aaron nodded, his focus unwavering. "He's in his account. Altering the transaction amount now. From 1.5 billion to... 7 billion."
"Perfect," Technophile said, his tone calm but commanding. "Now split it."
Aaron's fingers danced over the keyboard. "Splitting the payment. 1.5 billion to the client's account. The rest is moving through our shell companies. First stop, Seychelles."
Inside the restaurant, the buyer's transaction appeared normal. He smiled, sipping his wine as he confirmed the payment. He had no idea his billions were vanishing into a labyrinth of offshore accounts.
Back in the van, Aaron continued his work. "Funds are hopping through Panama... now Cyprus. Each step is masked with a different VPN. No way they'll trace this."
Celeste's eyes flicked to her monitor. "Network traffic still looks clean. No alerts from the restaurant's IT team."
"Bank notifications?" Technophile asked.
"Intercepted and delayed," Aaron replied. "He won't get any alerts for at least 24 hours. By then, the money will be gone."
Technophile clapped his hands. "Nice. Now, erase our tracks."
Aaron nodded, his hands steady despite the pressure. "Uploading fake router logs now. They'll only show the buyer's device activity. Wiping everything else."
Celeste leaned closer, her voice low but firm. "Don't leave anything behind, Aaron. Not a single byte."
"Relax," Aaron shot back, his confidence growing. "I've got this."
As Aaron finished erasing their digital footprints, he initiated the final step. "Router's broadcasting a signal to shut down. It'll brick itself in thirty seconds."
Technophile's grin widened. "That's our cue. Pack it up, people."
Aaron typed one last command, converting the remaining funds into Monero, an untraceable cryptocurrency. "Done. Funds are now in Monero. We're clean."
Celeste clapped him on the back, a rare show of approval. "Not bad, newbie. Not bad at all."
Aaron allowed himself a small smile as he powered down his laptop. The screens in the van went dark one by one, and the team began packing up their gear. The atmosphere was electric with the thrill of success.
As the van pulled away from the restaurant, Aaron leaned back in his seat, his heart still racing. "Did we really just pull that off?"
"Damn right we did," Celeste replied, her smirk returning. "And we made it look easy."
Technophile glanced back at them, his expression serious but satisfied. "Good work today, team. Now, let's get back to the office and wait for the feedback."
Aaron exhaled deeply, the weight of the job finally lifting from his shoulders. For the first time, he felt like he truly belonged in the team.
Back at the office, the team waited anxiously for the boss's call. Hours passed, each minute stretching into eternity. Finally, the phone rang.
Technophile answered, putting the call on speaker. The boss's voice boomed through the room. "Job's a success. Client's thrilled. He wants to host you all at a party to celebrate."
Aaron couldn't help but grin. The adrenaline of the day was still coursing through his veins, and the thought of celebrating their success felt surreal.
"A party?" Celeste said, raising an eyebrow. "Hope it's worth the risk."
Technophile chuckled. "Relax, Celeste. We earned this."
Aaron leaned back in his chair, a newfound confidence settling in. He'd survived his first big job, and for the first time in a long time, he felt like he was finally in control of his life—even if it was just for the moment.