Chapter 29 Terror D?
Karen hurried out of the room in shorts and a tank top, feeling a rush of nerves as she noticed the smile on Van's lips. "Not bad, my wife sent them to you," he remarked.
His wife? Tonia would be thrilled in this outfit but Karen wasn’t comfortable. The source was the only reason she didn’t reject it. “Please thank her for me.” she replied, trying to hide her discomfort.
Van picked up on her hesitation. "You don't seem to like it," he observed.
"It's more Tonia's style. I want to be different," Karen explained with a forced smile, relieved that Van didn't seem offended.
Van nodded understandingly. "I get that. But if you want to make an impression in front of a board one day, you need to have a killer look to match your super brain."
Karen knew she had to make sacrifices to achieve her goal of revenge, even if it meant compromising a bit of her personal style.
"This hacker is a tough one," she grumbled, to which Van just smiled. "You'll be dealing with him frequently."
Karen's eyes lit up at the discovery of the hacker's name. "Terror D? My late mentor would have been thrilled. Dexter always wanted to learn from Terror D, he was considered the best in the cyber market."
Van was impressed by Karen's enthusiasm for the cyber genius. "You've already outshined the others. Can you do the same with him?" he asked, hopeful that Karen could outsmart Terror D and make him proud.
Karen's natural passion, fueled by her desire to honor her late friend, was evident to Van, who believed that nothing could hinder her progress. Karen concentrated, her lips pursed as she entered more codes.
"I've managed to block and delete some of the footage, but he's attempting to uncover my identity," she explained to Van.
Curious, Van inquired, "What's your plan?" It was clear that Karen's passion was deeply rooted. Whenever she sat in front of the monitor, a newfound radiance enveloped her, a glow that Van had never seen before.
"I'm trying to uncover his identity as well," Karen admitted, willing to reveal herself if it meant granting Dexter’s wish. However, Van intervened, cautioning her, "What if..."
Before he could finish, Karen exclaimed, "Damn, he's gone," visibly deflated and frustrated. Van breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that some things were better left unknown for the time being. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?" She asked.
"Good job," Van remarked, a slight smile forming at the corner of his lips.
A week later, Karen had settled into a routine. She would wake up early to train before the arrival of either Van or Cathy.
"Cathy's assignment is complete," Van informed Karen, surprising her. "We were just starting to get along."
"That's the idea. I don't want you to get too comfortable, so Ricky will take over for the next week," Van explained as a tall, muscular man, almost the same height as Don, stepped in.
Karen was already displaying signs of improved fitness. Her once puffy cheeks were now slightly thinner, and her skin was becoming tauter. Even her slightly protruded stomach had flattened, and her vision was clearer than before.
Ricky’s training style was different, with a lot of punches leading to a few injuries.
Whenever Karen thought she was making progress, the intensity of the training made her feel like she was getting nowhere. She always looked forward to when it would end.
“I have some jobs that can pay you,” Van announced when she was done with the routine. Karen forced a smile and went to freshen up. Returning, she assessed the job as her face fell. “This will take time. I will lose sleep.”
“No pain, no gain,” Van shrugged and left. Karen was left alone, with no friends or companions. It was just her and her computer, with enough food, water, and shelter.
Every day, Van would come in the morning and leave by midday when her physical training was over.
Now, he was bringing her small businesses, and depending on how efficient she was, he would bring her more.
A month passed, and so did Karen’s fourth trainer. Van could barely recognize her now. Aside from her hacking glasses, she barely wore the ugly eyeglasses like before.
After the optometrist came to check her eyes, the medication was changed because her condition had improved. Her skin was radiant, and her energy was over the top.
Van was pleased with her learning speed, though she still hadn’t shown interest in working on her appearance. “Your pay from the three jobs is on this card. I think you should celebrate.”
This was Karen's first time earning her own money, but she didn't feel deserving of payment. "How much is it?" she asked, not reaching for the card.
"It's around 100k for the four ethical hackings. It's still on the low side, but once you start working with top organizations, you'll be making millions," he explained.
If he gave her those jobs now, Roger would fish her out without sweat so this was all he could do for now.
“Thanks, but I think you should keep it for all the help you've given me," Karen politely declined, surprising Van with her kindness.
"I already set my conditions. Not getting paid was not one of them," he insisted, pressing the card into her hand.
Karen still wanted to show her gratitude, so she suggested celebrating. "How about I take you out?"
At the mention of going out, Van had an idea. "Let me test your skills, but you'll need to disguise yourself and use a different name."
Excited and nervous, Karen accepted the challenge. It was a departure from her usual routine of ethical hacking and physical training.
"Where are we headed?"