SNEAK PEEK AT WHAT BEN FOUND OUT

2 MARCH, TUESDAY, CONTINUED

"Can you just say everything again? But this time, say it like you were talking to a really dumb pup?" At my request, Ben sighed.

"The contact you hooked BenX up with is from the Red Crescent Pack in the Central Covens." Ben started all over again, "They are offering me a shitload of money if I can solve their network problem."

"Their network problem is caused by a malicious software."

"Specifically, it is a virus that that infected their network which copies and erases data from any end devices plugged into it."

I know I told Ben to tell it to me like I was a dumb pup, but Ben explaining it point by point was getting annoying.

"This virus is the one I created to protect all our devices in case of data leakages into foreign networks."

"It has been leaked into the Red Crescent Packs network from your previous phone the day you "lost it" in the Central Covens." Ben made air quotes around the words "lost it" making it sound like he didn't believe I have lost it at all.

"And Red Crescent just happens to have a pack wide centralised WiFi with rather shoddy firewalls between... Nevermind, that's probably too complicated for you."

Ben decided to jump to the conclusion at this point, "So now, unknown to the Red Crescent Pack, we have their network held ransomed and access to all their dirty secrets."

"I didn't download it all - the total data size is crazy, but since they've allow me to plug into the network to "fix" their problem, I'll be able to access the files and shift through to download the useful things - I'm going to write a quick app to automatically filter through the data and mine for the good stuff, but for now, I've already picked up few interesting documents."

Harvey was frowning at his screen, "I don't see a report about any of that here, Ben."

"That's because there isn't one." Ben answered in his usual monotone so he sounded like he couldn't care less, but he quickly added, "I've only just completed the initial manual scan and confirmed my suspicions."

Ben yawned widely.

"Were you working on this since last night?" I narrowed my eyes at his dark rings and mussed hair, "Did you sleep at all?"

"I slept... Like two hours this morning. I haven't eaten since 3." Ben was surprisingly honest.

I handed him my precious glass box of pasta and fork, "Here, you need this more."

"Thanks." Ben opened the container and dug in. Actually, he pretty much wolfed the whole thing down.

"Your mum's mac and cheese is like the best." He said with his mouth full.

Harvey and I watched Ben eat like some kind of half starved shipwrecked survivor, and then Harvey decided that he had to put his foot down, "You need to sleep."

"You also need a bath." I said. I mean, not all the bad smells in Ben's basement could be blamed on Ink's failed experiments.

Harvey nodded sternly, "You can continue tomorrow."

"But I'm so close." Ben said between mouthfuls.

Close to starvation, from the looks of it.

"Tomorrow, Ben." Harvey insisted, "I'll have Jonah check on you in the morning."

Ben grunted something that probably meant okay.

"Oh wait. Sam." Ben shovelled the last bit of Mac into his mouth and turned back to his computer, "I've got something to show you."

He tapped on the keyboard - I'm not sure how Ben used a computer without even touching his mouse, but he flipped through a few windows before landing on the one he wanted to show me.

"These text messages were from the device closest to the coordinates of your previous phone, and sent just before the virus activated."

ABITCHGAIL

-Did you get it? Tell me you did it.

YOU

-Yes. I have it with me now.

ABITCHGAIL

-And?

-....

-????

YOU

-It not on. Wait.

ABITCHGAIL

-I'm waiting....

YOU

-Dun forget ur promise.

ABITCHGAIL

- Just hurry up and ss her chat.

-Did you find it yet?

YOU

-Fingerprint lock

-wont open

ABITCHGAIL

-Of cos it wont open! Why would ur fingerprint be same as hers? Arughhhh ... Do I have to do everything myself?

YOU

-wait, now it wants password.

ABITCHGAIL

-What r u waiting for?

- give password.

YOU

- I dunno password.

ABITCHGAIL

- Wat kind of friend are you?

YOU

-oh. It worked.

-the password is password.

ABITCHGAIL

-hurry. Show me Henry chat.

YOU

-wait.

ABITCHGAIL

-Dont u dare check contact list first! You can get boys numbers later. Check Henry chat first!

YOU

- wats the hurry. Even if they flirting, wat can you do?

ABITCHGAIL

-just check the chat!

-i'm sure we will find dirt.

-check all her chat. I bet she flirt with every guy.

YOU

-uhoh.

-blackscreen.

ABITCHGAIL

-WAT!?

-...

-???

-PEARL!!!! U better reply!!!

And that was the end of the chat.

Ben spun around on his turn chair to face me when he had scrolled to the bottom of the chat.

Harvey had his concerned frown on, and for some reason he was also looking at me.

What? I looked at the screen, and then looked at the guys nonplussed.

I had never seen this conversation before in my life! Why were they looking at me expectantly like that?

"Gimme a clue." I said meekly.

Harvey pressed his lips together, but Ben raised his hand, "I've got this."

"Sam..." Ben started, suddenly reminding me of Beta Lucas, "Think... Do you know who these two girls are?"

They were girls?

"Do I know them?" I asked.

"Yes, you know them." Ben chuffed, unable to hide his immediate impatience, "Why would I ask you if you didn't?"

Okay, so it wasn't some random chat... I studied the conversation again.

"They're in your class!" Ben was really the impatient type.

"Okay, okay! Give me time to think!" Geesh... Okay, I'm guessing "YOU" was the owner of the phone. And...

Ben used his mouse now... And highlighted the name right at the bottom. I read it aloud, "Pearl?"

Oh, as in MY Pearl? The one in MY class?

I looked back at the screen, then ABITCHGAIL was... "Abigail!"

Hahahaha. Pearl had nicknamed Abigail "ABITCHGAIL" in her phone. Hahahahaha....

That was terrible! But funny all at the same time.

Oh wait, suddenly the dots were coming together, "Pearl stole my phone, and tried to use it when she got home, and couldn't unlock it properly, thus triggering the virus to activate?"

Ben smirked, "You're a genius."

Grrrr....

"Don't worry, I've checked. The virus is totally contained to the Red Crescent Pack." Ben seemed to think this was a big deal.

"The central coven traffic and security and the train station, hospitals, and banks are unaffected."

Ben stretched and cupped his hands behind his head, "It's a good thing you made me put in that failsafe, huh, Harvey? It'll be a f***ing mess if those went offline... especially the railway..."

I would think the damage was bad enough as it is, "But Bra said his whole pack ran on a central WiFi!"

"Yeah." Ben grinned, "They thought it'll be more secure that way."

Harvey pinched his nose bridge, "Tomorrow, when you start work... Start with writing a full report..."

"But Harv! I'm this close!" Ben said, "If I could just have a few more hours - I'd be able to figure out the algorithm to replicate their encryption process and automate it to decrypt..."

"Sure." Harvey nodded calmly, "But AFTER you submit a full report of your findings so far."

Ben growled, dropping his head, and then he stood up and stretched, his height surprising me all over again, "I'm going to sleep."

"Take a shower first!" I reminded him as he passed.

"Whatever, Sam." And Ben left us unceremoniously in his basement.

Harvey sighed, just a very little, "Apologies alpha. Ben can be... a little difficult when he's tired."

I picked up the food container and fork, "I know. Don't worry, Harvey. I'm used to Ben's moods."

I had meant to reassure Harvey, but that only deepened Harvey's frown. Why? Did it go against my good Beta's impeccable professional principle for a beta be grouchy when he was tired?

It not that I wanted my betas to throw tantrums or exhibit unprofessional attitudes, it's just that I would prefer to deal with a sincere grouch than a grouch who wore a fake smile.

But if I said that, would I be setting myself up to deal with moody unprofessional betas for the rest of my life?

Harvey walked me to my front door, "Is there anything else I can help you with Alpha?"

I shook my head.

As if on cue, Ki opened the front door with his usual Killion dollar smile, "Welcome back goddess."

Now that the handover was complete, Harvey bowed and stepped back with his usual wry smile, "Goodnight Alpha."

And I forgot why I even worried about coping with anything less than the best betas in the world... My betas wouldn't even leave me standing alone on the front porch.

I really should give them more credit.

"Night Harvey."

When Harvey had left, I turned my attention to Ki who was smiling in such a way that I knew something was up.

And the realization hit me that even if they wore smiling masks, it's not like I wouldn't learn to see through it. So it really didn't matter, whether they preferred to wear a constant smile, a cool air of professionalism, or an indifferent attitude, I was their alpha, I could deal with it, "What's up, Ki?"

"I reported today's diadem incident to your alpha father." Ki confessed, "Your parents and Beta Lucas would like to talk to you."

Ah. I guess this was inevitable.

"Okay."

Ki relieved me of my empty food container and used fork and led me to the living room where Mum was sipping tea while Dad and Beta Lucas hunched over papers spread over their half of the coffee table.

My diadem and the rest of its box lay open on the other side of the coffee table.

"Goddess is here." Ki announced with his beautiful smile.

"Ah, Sam. I know it's late, but this is important." Dad said.