Binary: An Encrypted to Cipher Bridge Short Story Read Online Free

The room was poorly lit, so it took Ronnie’s eyes a second to adjust enough to realize that someone was kneeling in front of them.
    “Zach!”
    The FBI agent turned to face her. Since he’d left her, he’d acquired a black eye and multiple bruises up and down his neck. Apparently, he’d tried to fight back against the bokken.
    “You were supposed to go.”
    Zach snorted. “Like I’d leave you.”
    Oh, but how she wished he had.
    “Enough. My money,” the Chinese Triad leader said.
    “I can get it for you,” Ronnie said, trying to keep the both of them alive.
    The man spit, though. “We are not simpletons. We know the Robin Hood Hacker immediately distributes the money as soon as she steals it. My hundreds of millions are already gone.”
    Ronnie could feel the muzzle of a gun digging into the base of her cervical spine. “True, but I have the money in my own accounts. I can transfer it back to you.”
    “You have two hundred million?” Zach asked.
    “Yes,” the triad leader said. “You have that much? The rumor is you are broke after the plague.”
    “That is broke to me,” Ronnie explained.
    “Prove it,” the leader of the Yakusa said.
    “I just need a bank account number.”
    The Triad boss nodded sharply to one of his men, who handed her a scrap of paper with a long string of numbers.
    “I just have to let my assistant know so that he can execute the transfer.”
    The man nodded. Ronnie read off the numbers.
    “Got them,” Quirk said. “Give me a sec.”
    “It’ll just be a moment,” Ronnie relayed to them.
    “You have one minute,” The Triad leader barked.
    * * *
    Zach wanted to punch the guy out for threatening Ronnie like that, but there were at least two dozen guns trained on them, plus another dozen bokkens. Which had proved extremely effective deterrents that last time Zach went up against them.
    “Won’t even need that much time,” Ronnie said. “Quirk, are you ready?’
    She cocked her head, clearly getting his answer.
    “Alright, Quirk, give them everything we’ve got.”
    Zach could tell by her tone that money was not what she was talking about. Just in time, Zach closed his eyes as every light in the room exploded, plunging them into darkness. The only illumination came from the electrical outlets sparking.
    Zach brought his elbow up into the sternum of the guard behind him. The man, already dazed, reeled back. Zach jumped to his feet, continuing the attack, grabbing the guy’s gun and spraying the guards with automatic fire.
    Then he hit the floor as they returned fire.
    “Zach!” Ronnie yelled as she threw something at him. Night vision goggles. He donned them, gaining a distinct advantage. He took out another four or five guards. Swinging around, he found Ronnie diving for an electrical outlet. Despite the sparking, she plugged a small hand-held device into the socket. It looked like a gas dispensing nozzle.
    “Quirk. Do it. Reverse polarity! Zach, close your eyes!”
    Zach did as ordered. A loud crack and then a sustained sizzle filled the air. He couldn’t help but push up the goggles and take a peek.
    A huge electrical arc sprouted from her nozzle and landed at the outlet on the other side of the room. Men screamed as they were caught in the electricity’s path. It was as if Ronnie commanded lightning itself. Then she flicked her wrist as a fly fisherman might.
    The arc jumped from one socket to another, mowing down the guards on that side of the room. Soon, the smell of burning clothing and flesh clogged the air. But Ronnie wasn’t done. She flicked her wrist again, and the arc leapt to the far side of the room. Men scattered, running and screaming as the electricity sliced through the air.
    “Quirk, that’s enough.”
    As suddenly as it had appeared, the huge arc vanished, plunging the room into absolute darkness. Zach pushed his goggles down again. The room was littered with bodies. Those not dead were crawling to the exits.
    “Well, that’s one way to