“Is it a virus?”
“No, Dad.”
“Can I do this to anybody?”
“Only people on your network.”
“Hyde is on my network?”
“Technically, we’re on his.”
“How is that possible?”
“He likes fancy electronics. His router’s huge.”
“How do you know how to do this?”
“School. Joe Soulsby parked his car outside the computer lab and used his laptop to mess with people during exams. He got expelled.”
“It can’t be that easy. Don’t we need a password?”
“’Giggles0501.’ We had a pizza party for dance last month. Kayla gave the kids the router password for their laptops.”
“You have everything figured out, don’t you?”
“I pay attention. Part of being an INTJ.”
“IN what?”
“Forget it.”
“How do you know it’s true?”
“Huh?”
“How do you know this stuff about Hyde?”
“Remember when we had the snow day?”
“No.”
“We had a snow day at the end of February. The roads were so bad that even Mr. Whitaker couldn’t get to work, but by the time we had dance, they plowed. Kayla told me she’d give me a ride, so I walk over to their driveway and the car’s unlocked so I get in. Then Mr. Whitaker walks out lookin’ all sketchy. He takes out his cellphone and makes a call. He doesn’t see me in the car, so I roll down my window while he lights his cigarette and I can hear him perfectly even though he’s tryin’ to be quiet. He says words like, ‘baby-girl,’ and ‘sexy,’ and ‘I love you, sweetie,’ then he tells her he’ll be online all night.”
“That’s why you think we’ll see something tonight.”
“When Kayla finally walks out he changes his voice like it’s a business call. She gets in the car, tells me to roll up the window because it’s freezing cold so I do and Mr. Whitaker waves goodbye.”
“Un--”
“--believable. I know.”
“So now what?”
“The hard part. Are you sure you’re okay with sending your thirteen-year-old daughter to do your dirty work?”
“Don’t you like our little adventures?”
“Mom walked out after our last ‘little adventure.’”
“We’re fixing that, remember?”
“Pay attention because I’m not explaining this again.”
“Teach me, young master.”
“You’ll be able to see everything on Hyde’s screen, just like it’s your own computer. If you wanted, you could control his screen; that’s what the program is really made for. After tonight, don’t move the mouse! If you move the mouse or hit a key while he’s at his computer, he’ll see it on his screen too. To connect, click the icon in the top right corner and a big green ‘connect’ button’ll pop up. To get out of screen-sharing mode and back to your computer, don’t try to click the icon; just push ‘escape’ on your keyboard. It’s the button on the top left.”
YOU ARE READING
The Brandywine Prophet
General FictionSuburban life has turned William Carmel from a drug-fueled creative prodigy to a gentle husband and father. When the voice of God commands him to construct a million-dollar amphitheater on the hill behind his home, the budding prophet obeys and unle...
