Hack Me Up

Chapter 2: Phase Two

The BANKABLE headquarters was eerily quiet at 10:00 PM. The panic from the earlier blackout still lingered in the sterile, high-tech air. Herra Philips sat in the corner of the executive conference room, her body language radiating a quiet, dangerous composure. She was meticulously flipping a chrome pen end-over-end, her eyes scanning the room.

Across the long mahogany table sat Marcus Bright, the owner, whose face was etched with exhaustion and genuine fear. Beside him was the bank’s Head of Cyber security, a man named Mr. Evans, whose jaw was clenched tight, fueled by professional shame.

The briefing began. Dylan, despite being the youngest at twenty, was the one who took the floor. His composure was remarkable. With a few clicks on the conference room projector, he displayed the penetration report—a detailed, clinical breakdown of how easily they had taken down a multi-million dollar system.

"The initial point of entry was the staging server, which retained an unsecured default test certificate," Dylan began, his voice clear and concise. He navigated the slides, showcasing lines of code and network maps. "This isn't a complex hack; it's a foundational oversight. We then used a low-level SQL injection via the login API to map your entire user database schema."

He clicked to the final slide: a simplified diagram showing the BANKABLE firewall as a sieve. "In under four minutes, we achieved root access, enabling us to execute the 'Secure Failed' script and isolate your network without triggering a single high-level alarm."

Herra saw Marcus Bright wince with every slide, but Mr. Evans only grew more rigid.

The Accusation and the Defense

As Dylan concluded, Mr. Evans slammed his palm flat on the table, making the glasses jump.

"You call this a consultation?" Evans’s voice was laced with contempt. "You are detailing an act of corporate terrorism. This is blatant illegality! I say you fabricated this whole exploit. You didn't 'test' our system; you maliciously hacked a functioning firewall."

Before Herra could move a muscle, Frank—who usually remained a silent, imposing presence—stood up. His six-foot-plus frame towered over the table.

"Mr. Evans," Frank’s voice was deep and steady, every word measured. "You were briefed on the terms of engagement. Our contract, signed by Mr. Bright, grants us explicit legal authorization to perform penetration testing. Every action detailed in that report is covered under that agreement. We are ethical hackers, and everything we do is anchored in the legal framework of your consent."

Evans remained furious. "Ethical? You're a bunch of young con artists who exploited a loophole! No professional firm breaches a corporate network this easily!"

Celeste let out a theatrical, sharp laugh. "Oh, darling, if you think that was hard, you’re delusional. What you're experiencing is the gap between your paper credentials and your real-world competence."

"How dare you!" Evans snapped, his face flushing crimson. "A twenty-year-old and a twenty-eight-year-old street punk are not going to tell me about my job!"

Herra, who had been listening to the exchange with cool detachment, finally slid her pen into her breast pocket. She looked past the fuming security head and locked eyes directly with Marcus Bright, the true power in the room.

"Mr. Bright," Herra's voice was low, cutting through the noise like a cold steel blade. "You are currently paying this man a towering amount of money. His service quality, however, is far from a cent he even deserves."

Evans lunged, half out of his seat, but Frank’s massive hand was instantly planted on the table, a silent, immovable barrier. Herra remained utterly unfazed.

Marcus Bright saw everything in that moment: the sheer confidence of Herra, the immediate threat of his own security failing, and the utter inadequacy of his current Head of Cyber security. He stood up slowly.

"That's enough, Mr. Evans," Marcus said, his voice flat with finality. He gestured to the two corporate security guards at the door. "You're done. Clean out your desk and leave the premises."

The Head of Cyber security was led away, protesting vehemently until he was out of earshot. The silence that followed was heavy.

Marcus Bright sat back down, visibly shaken but resolute. He looked directly at Herra. "Ms. Philips, I don't care about the money now. I care that the bank I built is not a punchline. I am terrified of being genuinely hacked. What do I do next?"

Herra smirked faintly and looked at the empty space where Mr. Evans had been sitting.

"You understand the importance of relevant employees, Mr. Bright," Herra said coldly. "Now, you must secure the bank with relevant security." She gave a brief, sharp nod to Frank.

Frank immediately placed a thick, leather-bound contract on the table. It was the formal proposal to replace BANKABLE’s entire security infrastructure with The Constellation’s custom-built, proprietary firewall and monitoring system.

Marcus Bright didn't even read the fine print. With a desperate nod, he grabbed the pen and signed the contract. Within minutes, the initial payment and their operational pay—including the hefty bonus—were wired to The Constellation's secure offshore account.

The first major domino had fallen. Herra had her first institutional client, and the resources to pursue her true target were now immense.