Chapter 80 : The Third Victim.

Farah sat hunched over her laptop, fingers dancing across the keyboard with focused determination. She was trying to hack Prof Syed's phone to delete the compromising videos. Her first step was to access a secure hacking platform known for its discreet services – the elusive DarkWebHacks.com. The website's interface resembled an underground marketplace, its digital alleyways leading to various hacking tools.

 Noor and Zeba hovered anxiously beside her, their eyes flitting between Farah's screen and the clock on the wall.

 Their apartment was filled with an uneasy tension as they were waiting for Mahi's return. Mahi is the latest victim of Prof. Usama Syed's despicable actions.

Noor glanced at the clock and voiced her worry, "It's 11 in the morning, and still no sign of Mahi."

With a nonchalant tone Zeba, remarked, "Maybe Prof. Syed hasn't finished his... business yet."

Noor shot Zeba a disapproving look, "How can you be so nonchalant about this?"

Zeba shrugged, "What else should I say? The man doesn't seem to settle for just one round; he needs more than five."

The room fell into an uneasy silence until Farah slammed her hand on the desk, "Stop talking, both of you! I'm working on something here."

Noor and Zeba both exchanged glances and sighed.

With newfound silence, Farah delved deeper into the process. She went through the virtual shadows, guided by her familiarity with the dark web's intricacies. Farah's mouse clicked on a discreet link, leading her to a forum where skilled hackers exchanged information. Here, she hoped to find an exploit for the specific model of Prof. Syed's phone. 

Encountering the first hurdle, Farah faced a secure gateway demanding a decryption key. Unfazed, she deployed CipherSeeker, a hacking tool designed for cracking complex encryption. Lines of code cascaded across the screen as she patiently awaited the program's attempts to decipher the digital lock.

"Farah, any progress?" Noor asked. 

"It's not working. I need something more advanced." Farah told. 

Minutes passed without success and frustration etched onto Farah's face. She shifted tactics, entering a hidden chat room within the hacking community.

Farah typed message - 

"CipherSeeker isn't breaking through. Need advice. Any ideas?"

In a hidden chat room, Shadowbyte, renowned for expertise in infiltrating mobile devices, responded promptly. 

"Try CodeWarp. It excels in smartphone breaches. Download it and follow the commands precisely."

Farah downloaded CodeWarp, initiating a brute-force attack to uncover weaknesses in the phone's security. The room's tension heightened as the hacking tool methodically tested combinations.

 "Farah, are you sure this will work?" Zeba asked. 

Farah replied, "I'm trying everything but it's difficult." 

She tried another message in the chatroom - "CodeWarp is making progress. Fingers crossed."

But Minutes ticked by, hope slowly fading as CodeWarp encountered resilience.

ShadowByte: "Looks tough. If it fails, switch to NetProbe."

Farah engaged NetProbe. Yet, the network defenses remained resilient, resisting Farah's relentless attempts.

ShadowByte (private message): Any progress?

Farah (typing): Network defenses strong. Need another angle.

ShadowByte (private message): Try a stealthy approach. Use ProxyCloak for anonymity. Slip through undetected.

Following ShadowByte's advice, Farah employed ProxyCloak, a tool designed to mask her digital footprint. Again Lines of code danced across the screen, as ProxyCloak created a virtual cloak around Farah's actions. The digital pathway, once obscured, now opened up new possibilities. Farah delved into the deeper layers of the network, exploiting subtle weak point that remained hidden from standard hacking attempts.

ShadowByte (private message): Making progress?

Farah (typing): Cloaking worked. Exploring network vulnerabilities.

On the other hand, Noor and Zeba were watching anxiously though they could not understand anything.

Farah (typing): Found a weak link. Initiating NetBypass to slip through.

ShadowByte (private message): Smart move. Keep it low-key.

NetBypass allowed Farah to navigate through the network undetected. With a few more clicks, Farah accessed Prof. Syed's phone and swiftly went through to the folder containing the compromising videos. The room, once tense with uncertainty, now exhaled in collective relief as Farah initiated the deletion process.

Farah (typing): Files deleted. Mission accomplished.

ShadowByte (private message): Well done. Cover your tracks and get out.

Farah executed a series of commands to cover her digital tracks, leaving no trace of their intrusion. She did the same thing to hack Prof Syed's laptop. And Farah succeed this time too. She sighed, her eyes still fixed on the computer screen. "Now I have to hack Prof. Syed's laptop. But I've noticed something – he knows about my hacking skills. Otherwise, I wouldn't need help." 

"Should she talk to Elara? He's a police officer; he might have ways to help." Noor suggested. 

"No, not yet. I'll only involve Elara if I can't handle it on my own. Let me try first." Farah replied. 

"But you should take Elara's help. It might be safer." Zeba insisted. 

Farah shook her head, "I don't want Elara to get involved. I can handle this. Today, I'm not going to be the fourth victim; Prof. Syed will be the fourth victim."

Zeba questioned, "Are you planning something?" 

Farah shook her head, "Not yet, but I'm thinking."

In the midst of their conversation, Farah received a message from ShadowByte. 

ShadowByte (private message) : All good on your end?

Farah (typing): Yes, and thanks for helping.

ShadowByte (message): Won't accept thanks like this. How about a coffee as thanks?

Noor and Zeba also saw their messages as they were still standing there. Noor teased, "Look, he's asking for a date."

Farah smirked and replied, replied to ShadowByte's message, "Sure, tomorrow at 7 PM, Luca's Cafe."

Zeba asked, "You agreed this early?"

Farah shrugged, "There's no harm in having coffee with someone who helped us."

The doorbell's ring echoed through the apartment. "Maybe it's Mahi." Zeba told and hurried to the door to open. As she opened it, her fear was confirmed—it was Mahi.

Mahi's situation was dire, her appearance telling a harrowing tale. She stood at the doorway, trembling, her eyes haunted by the recent ordeal. Zeba recalled her own experience when she wasn't able to walk properly. She was in that truma too. 

Farah and Noor joined them in the dining area. Zeba gently guided Mahi to the sofa, urging her to sit, while Noor hurriedly fetched a water bottle.

Mahi took the bottle with her trembling hands and took a sip. She struggled to find her voice, "I wanted to stop him, but....but he didn't stop. He touched me everywhere, and I couldn't do anything. I wanted to scream, but no sound came out. It felt like I was trapped, suffocating."

Farah sat beside Mahi and patted on her back, "You're safe now. We're here for you."

Mahi shattered her momentary relief, "No, we're not safe. He'll call again next week. We have to endure this every week."

Farah looked at Zeba and Noor for confirmation. Though the duo told Farah about Prof. Syed this morning they didn't tell about that Prof. Syed would torment them weekly.

Mahi revealed another thing, "He recorded everything. Last night... everything. I can't live like this. I can't tolerate all that."

"Recorded? But he didn't... he didn't do that to us." Zeba struggled to find words. It was something new that Mahi had faced. 

"This is a whole new level of cruelty. How does he get away with it?" Noor murmured. 

"If murder were legal, I'd kill him right now. He doesn't deserve to breathe." Farah got more angry. 

On the other hand Mahi continued to share the torment she faced in the hotel room. "He... he called me to the hotel room. I knew what was going to happen, but I felt helpless. He... he assaulted me, he forced me, and I couldn't stop him. I begged him to let me go, but he just laughed..."