Chapter Twenty-Six: Gabriel's POV
1198 Words
I slipped out of calculus during the teacher's bathroom break, knowing I had maybe ten minutes before Professor Davis returned and noticed my empty seat. Kevin "Data" Morrison was waiting for me by the old maintenance shed behind the gym, just like we'd arranged.
"You made it," Kevin said as I approached, his laptop already open and balanced on a makeshift table of stacked crates.
"Of course I made it," I replied impatiently. "Did you bring everything we need?"
"Yeah, I've got my laptop, wireless adapter, and some special software that should help us dig deeper," Kevin confirmed, adjusting his thick glasses. "But I have to warn you, this might not be as easy as you think."
"Nothing about this has been easy," I muttered, looking around to make sure we weren't being watched. "Just get started."
Kevin's fingers flew across the keyboard as he connected to the school's Wi-Fi network. "Okay, I'm accessing the underground racing site now. What exactly are we looking for?"
"Anything about the anonymous rider," I said, watching the screen intently. "Registration details, payment information, IP addresses, whatever you can find."
"Alright, let me scan their database," Kevin said, running what looked like several different programs simultaneously. "This might take a few minutes."
Come on. There has to be something.
I watched the screen fill with lines of code and data that meant nothing to me, but Kevin seemed to understand perfectly. His face was creased with concentration as he navigated through different layers of the website's security.
"Anything yet?" I asked after what felt like an eternity.
"I'm getting some basic registration data," Kevin replied. "But it's mostly what you'd expect - fake names, burner email addresses, generic information."
"What about the anonymous rider specifically?"
Kevin pulled up a profile screen. "Here's what I found. Registration name: Anonymous. Gender: Female. Age: Listed as 21, but that's probably fake. Email address is obviously a throwaway account."
Female. I can’t lose a race to a girl. I have never heard that any girl could race, this racer might have faked his gender as well.
"That's it?" I demanded, frustration building in my chest. "That can't be everything."
"Payment was made in cash at the track," Kevin continued reading. "No credit card information, no bank transfers. She was smart about covering her tracks."
"There has to be something else!" I snapped. "People don't just disappear without leaving any trace!"
Kevin held up his hands defensively. "Look, I'm doing my best here. This site has pretty good security, and whoever set up this registration knew what they were doing."
This is bullshit. There has to be a way to find her.
"Is there anything else you can try?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm. "Any other way to track her down?"
Kevin thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. "There might be something. I could try tracing the IP address she used when she registered."
"Do it," I said immediately.
"But there's a catch," Kevin warned. "If she used a VPN or registered from a public server like a library or coffee shop, the IP trace won't give us her actual location."
"How likely is that?"
"Pretty likely, if she's as smart as she seems," Kevin admitted. "Most people who want to stay anonymous online know about VPNs and public networks."
Of course. Nothing about this is going to be simple.
"Just try it anyway," I said. "Maybe she made a mistake."
Kevin started another program, this one looking even more complex than the first. "This will take longer. The IP trace has to go through multiple servers and—"
"Gabriel Blackwood!"
The sound of Professor Martinez's voice calling my name from across the courtyard made both Kevin and me freeze. I could see the teacher walking in our direction, probably wondering why I wasn't in class.
"s**t," I muttered under my breath.
"What do we do?" Kevin whispered, looking panicked.
"Keep working," I instructed quietly. "I'll handle this."
"Mr. Blackwood!" Professor Martinez called again, getting closer. "What are you doing out here during class time?"
Think fast, Gabriel.
"Sorry, Professor," I called back, stepping away from Kevin and the laptop. "I was feeling sick and needed some fresh air."
"If you're sick, you should go to the nurse's office," Professor Martinez replied, stopping about twenty feet away from us.
"I was just heading there," I lied smoothly. "I feel much better now."
Professor Martinez looked suspicious but didn't press the issue. "Well, get back to class then. You're missing important material."
"Yes, sir," I agreed, waiting for him to walk away.
As soon as the teacher was out of sight, I turned back to Kevin, who was frantically closing programs on his laptop.
"I need you to keep working on this," I said urgently. "Can you continue the search from home?"
"Yeah, sure," Kevin nodded. "I'll run the IP trace tonight and see what I can find."
"Good. Text me as soon as you have anything," I said. "And Kevin?"
"Yeah?"
"This stays between us, understand?"
"Got it," Kevin confirmed, packing up his equipment. "Radio silence until I have results."
I watched him hurry away toward the main building, then started walking back myself. The whole investigation had been a bust so far, but at least we had a plan for moving forward.
Someone has to know who she is. Someone has to have seen her face.
I was rounding the corner near the cafeteria when I ran into Tiana, who appeared to have been waiting for me.
"There you are," she said with her usual predatory smile. "I've been looking everywhere for you."
"I don't want to talk to anybody right now," I said, trying to walk past her.
But Tiana stepped directly into my path, blocking my way with her perfectly manicured hands on her hips.
"Oh, come on, Gabriel," she purred, moving closer. "Don't be like that."
"Like what?" I asked impatiently.
"Like a sore loser," Tiana said, reaching out to touch my chest. "I heard about what happened at the race last night."
Of course she did. News travels fast in this school.
"I said I don't want to talk," I repeated, but Tiana ignored me completely.
"You know what you need?" she asked, starting to unbutton my shirt with practiced fingers. "You need someone to help you forget about losing."
"Get off me," I said, grabbing her wrists to stop her hands.
"Come on, baby," Tiana whispered, pressing herself against me. "Let me make you feel better. I know exactly what you need to get your confidence back."
This is the last thing I need right now.
"I said get off!" I snapped, pushing her away more forcefully than I'd intended.
Tiana stumbled backward, her expression shifting from seductive to shocked to angry in the span of seconds.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded.
"Nothing's wrong with me," I replied. "I just don't want to—"
"Mr. Blackwood! Ms. Martinez!"
Not again.
We both turned to see Vice Principal Johnson walking down the hallway toward us, his expression stern and disapproving.
"What's going on here?" he asked, looking between Tiana and me suspiciously.
- Writer
