DOPE Season 2 Episode 13 by Erasmus Ugochukwu Okafor
**Not just a pen but Hybrid**
As they felt they were trapped in confusion as if they were losing the battle of wits, Hugo didn’t hesitate to call Jose on the phone to hack into the CCTV of the Bank.
After a while of the check, Jose said: “I think your predictions are right. The cloned Octavio was captured by the camera as he walked into the bank, used the fingerprints to have access to the account, but I wonder why he didn’t do the transfer immediately …Oh, wait…there is something,” he said and checked further, “Bingo! The Iris or facial recognition made it hard for him. Octavio was smart enough to add facial recognition to make the security of the money tighter. Since the eyeballs aren’t of the real Octavio, they need more work to do and it’s not going to be easy,” Jose reported, making them know they just bought some time to make them work faster before the money is carted away.
“That’s where the battle of wits and clash of technology is needed just as I mentioned earlier,” Tessie said and shook her head in dismay.
“Yeah, you mentioned that before, and what does it mean?” Hugo asked looking more confused.
As they were discussing, someone knocked and began to enter the restroom, making them startled and calm. Tessie immediately pulled Hugo closer and began to kiss him. She pulled up her cloth, revealing her pants as she pushed Hugo’s hands to her hips, making Hugo begin to pull down her pants slowly.
The security man entering the toilet saw what was going on and hissed, slammed and the door and shouted: “Fucking mad dogs,”
Hugo didn’t know when to stop, so he continued kissing the girl and tried to force his fingers in between her legs. This made Tessie so horny that she fought hard to control the romantic moment. They continued fondling each other and about to make love when Jose cleared his throat to make them know that he was still on the other side of the telephone.
“Oh, sorry for that,”
Tessie apologised and cleaned the spittle on her lips, “That was too far, I’m sure,”
Hugo got his senses back and took a deep breath like someone that just got busted in the middle of a crime.
“Close indeed,” he said and smiled, “what have we missed? But that was a fast play,”
“From what I’m observing from this end,” Jose said as they listened using the earpiece hidden in their ears, “They may be working on the server right now, and for this to work, someone needs to break into the server room for the server to be altered, so I guess that Margarita is in the building too, that’s if she isn’t heading to the server already,”
Tessie quickly pulled up her pants, pulled down her mini gown, and took a deep breath.
“I’ll find my way to the server,” Tessie said as she resolved to take the risk.
“No, you don’t need to do that since Hugo is a signatory to the account,” Jose advised, “all you need is to find a way to be fast enough because even if you guys succeed in getting hold of the cash which would take lots of signings, hence taking more time, you guys may be stopped by the hacker that may already be in the server as we’re speaking. And once she gets hold of the coordinates in the server room, the entire setup is changed, making it even impossible for Hugo’s signature to be recognised. I think going into the server room is still the only option left for us because, even though Hugo is a signatory to the account, he can’t use that option anymore except the foul method just as Ignacio and Margarita may be doing right now. We don’t even know if there is a gang of backup that could start shooting sporadically if matters get worse,”
Tessie shook her head disapprovingly, showing that Jose wasn’t right about her mom’s modus operandi. “My mom doesn’t need crowd,” Tessie hinted, “I know how she operates. She isn’t even good with guns because she naturally hates the sounds but her work in silence makes the greatest noise when you start seeing the results. She’s smarter than you think. She’s alone and we’re already wasting more time. I need to head to the server room now in any means possible,”
“And the more we waste time here,” Hugo hinted, “the more suspicious it would become, and the security guy may come back. But I hate to accept this mission to the server room. I wish I know the server stuff. I’d have been the one to take the risk instead of you,” he added concernedly looking into Tessie’s eyes, “do we have any other option?”
“Negative,” Tessie said and smiled, “Hence the need for me to delve into action without hesitation,”
“Exactly, so let’s be fast about it,” Jose mouthed and continued typing fast to know how to help Tessie gain her entrance into the central server room.
“If they can’t use the facial recognition that has already failed,” Tessie murmured, “It means that they will do anything possible to change the technical set up of the Mexican bank so that Ignacio’s eyes would be recognised as real. There is suspicion already and the security would have been alerted since the person they thought was the real Octavio couldn’t get his face recognised, so the only way for the duo to escape is to change the server settings through technical override known as the battle of wits and clash of technology. I already know the terms, so I’d be working with Mr. Jose while in the central server room, I can decipher the code and work ahead of them but need a little hand because I’m not a full-time programmer,”
“Or you call it the clash of the Titans,” Jose said and smiled, “Now; the battle of technology is between Margarita and me. Interesting….”
Some knocks from shoes approaching to the restroom announced the arrival of not just one guard but about two or more this time, making Hugo and Tessie be fast in whatever they were doing to avoid being sensed as having skeletons in their cupboards. Two security guards suddenly showed up this time to check was going on but by then Hugo and Tessie were already coming out, smiling and feeling satisfied as if they just finished a round of marathon sex. Tessie even pushed aside one of the security guards as they gained entrance back into the main banking hall. Their smiles were cut short when they looked up straight ahead and saw the fake Octavio exchanging pleasantries with the bank manager, making it obvious to them that they may have succeeded.
Tessie and Hugo covered their eyes with sunshade glasses while Tessie used a scarf to cover her hair. They waited by the corner and waited for Jose’s instructions and guides because, at the moment, Jose and Margarita were clashing with trying to outwit each other in the hacking of the Mexican bank’s server.
“It’s time,” Jose said in an indistinct tone, “this is the deadly part. Tessie, are you ready?”
“Give me the instructions, sir,” Tessie replied and smiled as she prepared herself for the inevitable.
“What functions does the pen do?” Jose asked as he checked to see the best route for Tessie to follow into the server room, “There is a vault leading to the central server location and it’s wired and electrified. A slightest mistake means you’re as good as a dead person. I repeat; can you do this, ma’am?”
“The pen can make me invisible…”
“I’ve heard that before, what else?” Jose asked as his thumb flexed on the keyboards of his computer.
“It can trigger the security alarm of the bank,” Tessie added.
“That’s a nice one,” Jose said as he listened and typed.
“It can collect samples for lab…”
“Is it like fingerprints and Iris snapshot that can be taken to the server to change the setup for the face of Hugo to be recognised?”
“Exactly,” Tessie said and smiled, “can it work?”
“I now know the scientific instrument you have with you,” Jose said and smiled, “The pen is called ‘The invisible hybrid or the mother of technicalities’. That’s a powerful instrument. It used to be encoded in a key but now, if it’s now in the form of a pen, then it’s more sophisticated than the one I used to know. Hybrid indeed,”
“I’m impressed,” Hugo said as they went to a seat and sat; pretending to be waiting for their turn to meet the cashier.
“You need to trigger an alarm to make it seem as if there is a fire in the building,” Jose instructed, ”this will trigger the fire sprinkler. This will distract the people so that you can gain entrance to the vault that leads to the server because I can use the opportunity to deactivate the electrical settings of the vault. Meanwhile, you’re invisible now to the entire CCTV in the bank due to the powerful pen you have with you. I’ll count from ten to zero”
“Copied,” Tessie said and took a deep breath as she braced herself for the unforeseen circumstance.
Hugo held Tessie by the shoulder, looked into her eyes, and said: “Are you ready for this?”
Tessie took a deep breath and said: “Positive,” As she panted with preparedness and conjure of self confidence.
“I’m counting now: Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five….four…three…two…one…zero,”
Tessie pushed the emergency red button immediately, making the fire alarm to start to blare. There were smokes everywhere while the fire sprinklers got triggered; splashing water everywhere.
There was pandemonium in the bank due to this because everybody thought there was a fire in the building, leading to a stampede as the people ran helter-skelter to force themselves through the exit door as they jostled for escape.
Octavio who was with the bank manager at the time of the confusion became even more confused at this time because he couldn’t fathom what was going on. He was suspicious that they may have a company that could have come for the same purpose but wasn’t sure of what was going on. He was almost at the verge of concluding the final part to make the transfer to his private account in New Zealand.
As the numerous customers scampered for safety, the security guards tried to calm the people down but they couldn’t be stopped, making it easier for Tessie to leave immediately to the hallway that led to the staircase since she couldn’t use the elevator at this time. She ran as fast as she could until she got to the tenth floor; it was a tedious journey to the tenth floor but her experience with the gym helped a lot this time.
Jose’s instructions led her through until she passed the vault and got close to the server room. As she tried to enter, Jose informed her that there was someone in the server room already, so she swerved and entered one of the rooms that led to the hallway.
Margarita came out of the server room and slammed the door, and then began to head straight out of the room the banking hall because they have just two minutes before the fire alarm would stop and it would be easier for them to have it all.
Tessie already knew that it was her mom because she perceived her perfume and smiled.
When she felt that there was no one around, she slowly opened the door and entered the vault.
Jose quickly deactivated the security for just ten seconds making Tessie crawl into the central server.
When Tessie got there she saw lots of computers and wires, making her confused, but Jose was there to guide her through.
“Pull out the white computer,” Jose instructed.
“Done,” Tessie said as she pulled it out and flipped it open. “What next?”
“Type code 78654vfsioemndtb 5f5557788,” Jose instructed as Tessie typed.
Tessie did as instructed and then placed the pen before the computer screen, making it absorb Hugo’s facial prints and fingerprints. The required specimen was transferred from the pen to the central server. This automatically overrode whatever Margarita did there.
“What next?” Tessie asked as she panted heavily.
“Leave there now! I mean now, now, now! Your time is up!” Jose shouted, “You have company. I repeat, you have company approaching, and you just have twenty seconds left,”
Tessie quickly dashed to the door and waited. Immediately the man entered, she left unnoticed but forgot to collect the pen that she dropped in the server room.
The computer programmer already suspected that something went wasn’t right, making him look around searchingly. Seeing the pen, he grabbed it immediately, observed it, and shouted because he already suspected that something anomalous just took place and the security protocols had been breached.
Tessie disappeared from the secure area in the nineteenth second before the twentieth second that got the entire area back to normal. She quickly went back to the banking hall where Hugo waited, by then everything had returned to normal and the people calmed for normal business to continue.
Tessie was bold this time, so she removed the sunshade glasses, even Hugo removed his glasses too. Making their identities known.
It was surprising to Margarita when she saw her daughter with Hugo. She whispered to one of the security guards making him use the intercom to gather other security guards to arrest Hugo and Tessie.
“I think we have impostors here,” Ignacio said and smiled, “arrest them!”
“Not so fast,” Tessie yelled, “These people here are the impersonators. Arrest them!”
The confusion was created, making the security guards gather; including the stakeholders and the three top managers of the bank.
“If we’re the imposters, how then is the owner of the account be able to have his account back?” Ignacio said and smiled, “I am Octavio, and I put it to you guys that you’re here to hack into my account,”
Tessie brought out the letter that Octavio wrote with his signature at the end of it, handed it over to the manager of the bank. “Read this, then let’s check the security details. Let this impersonator write, and then compare it with the handwriting and signature of the real Octavio. This guy is Ignacio Santiago, and he’s a clone impersonating the real Octavio Jesus,”
The letter was taken to the computer room and the signature checked. It was verified that it has a match with Octavio’s signature in the bank.
Tessie quickly took back the letter and handed it over to Hugo because the letter could expose some things about the drug hidden in the basement.
Some confusion was created, so facial recognition was used again to determine the veracity or otherwise of Tessie’s claims.
Immediately the face of the supposed Octavio was checked, the security alarm got triggered. This confused Margarita because she thought that she already got it covered.
That of Hugo was checked and it went through, making it obvious that Hugo was the real signatory to the account.
“This can’t be it,” Margarita yelled as the police officers entered the bank and grabbed her, together with Octavio.
“This guy is Ignacio Santiago and the lady here isn’t the real Margarita but her real name is Pooja Samrat; the supposed dead scientist who caused the death of the former vice president and his entire family. Arrest them!” Tessie hollered in anger.
“Sorry, I found this in the server room,” The chief programmers said and brought the pen forward.
Margarita smiled because she knew so well that the fingerprints would be checked, and once it’s done, Tessie would be arrested.
Seeing the pen got Hugo so weak to the spines, making him seek for an escape route, even though it would be an impossible mission.
The programmers collected the pen, took it into the lab, and came back feeling a great shock about his discovery as he hummed some strange songs.
Margarita was so happy this time so she yelled: “Can you guys remove these restraints and get these criminals arrested? Now we all know who the hacker is,”
Hugo was so weak this time because he knew that everything they laboured for had become a fiasco.
Looking at Margarita who was already struggling to get freed from the handcuff, the scientist said to her: “Sorry, ma’am, but we just discovered that you’re the real manufacturer of this deadly weapon called ‘hybrid’ and you were the one who entered the central server and tried to override the setup. The counts of charges against you just increased, together with your accomplice who is a clone,”
Looking at her mom as she was being arrested, Tessie smiled, came close to her and whispered: “You taught me well, and I learnt well and fast too. Welcome to jail where you will rot and die with this monster you call a hubby,”
Margarita already knew what Tessie did that got her implicated, so she shook her head in submission to fate, smiled, and said: “Take me out of here. I deserve it. I failed my daughter, my blood,”. Having said that, she hissed and followed the policemen while Ignacio followed.
“Sorry, guys, for the inconveniences,” One of the bank managers apologised and took Hugo and Tessie into the secret room where the formal transactions were made and the entire money transferred into Tessie’s account in Madagascar.
Hugo was so happy at the end of the day but couldn’t say anything because he was surprised that the pen that was supposed to implicate Tessie didn’t work against her but criminalised Margarita more and more.
As Tessie and Hugo entered the airplane and left for Brazil, there was grave silence between them.
Hugo couldn’t say anything but remained calm. After a while, he slowly went Tessie who was busy looking out from the window and enjoying the beauty of the constellation for it was already nightfall as the stars graced the sky.
He tapped her on the lap and sat beside her. After a while of silence, he cleared his throat to talk but couldn’t find the right words.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Tessie said and smiled.
“How did it happen?” Hugo asked with utmost curiosity.
With smiles all over her, she said: “The pen has what is called ‘last resort’, or you call it ‘last bullet’ which is used to erase the entire prints on the pen and then reveal the print of the first person that touched the pen, including the entire information about the manufacturer of the pen and the entire hidden information about it. I triggered it before leaving the central server room. I deliberately left the pen there so that Margarita would be implicated. I didn’t leave it by mistake but a calculated attempt to consummate our plans and make the impostors arrested for good. Remember that I told you that it’s not about guns but a battle of wits and technical override. That’s what just took place, and now your arch-enemy is down. Let them kiss the law court this time as prison remains their next abode; that’s if they don’t get a sentence of a life jail,”
Hugo was so impressed by the smartness played by Tessie, making him so proud of her. In that absolute happiness, he didn’t know when he pulled her closer and gave her a memorable kiss and romance that took them to cloud 9.
To be continued.
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