No Way Back by Anna Mac

Chapter 7 Queen’s Back

Jane wanted a cheap hotel for two reasons: the first was to save money, and the second was to conceal her location from others. She didn’t want to stay in a hotel that required ID registration because if she did, it wouldn’t make a difference if she wore a mask and hat because her photo and other personal information would already be out in the open. She didn’t want to take that risk.

The driver, a seasoned cabbie, was very familiar with the surrounding area. As he considered how to get to the hotel, a look of bewilderment quickly spread across his face.

“Excuse me, miss, did you just come down from the top of the mountain? Isn’t that the Fowler family’s villa? You look a bit familiar like I’ve seen you somewhere before…” The driver said, trying to piece it together.

As he spoke, the radio returned to its discussion of the Fowler family and the identity of the true heiress, Jane.

“I’m not the Fowler family’s heiress. I have no ties to them,” Jane stated coolly.

The driver scratched his head, embarrassed. “I’m sorry, miss, but today there’s just too much gossip about the Fowler family…”

“It’s fine,” Jane said, waving her hand.

Soon, Jane arrived at a nearby hotel, paid the fare, and checked into a room.

Jane tossed her bags to the side and pulled out her cell phone, dialing a number. “The vast sky is my love, the flowers are blooming on the mountainside” started playing as the ringtone,

Someone’s excited voice came through: “Queen! Yes, I did just get your call. Oh my God! You said you were leaving the Darknet, and I didn’t think you’d be back.”

Jane took the phone away because she seemed to know that the person on the other end of the line would be so excited and loud.

Then, after some consideration, she said, “Andy, I’m sorry, but I really need some cash, and I’m looking for a job.”

Andy exclaimed on the other end of the phone, “Are you coming back? Oh my God! The Darknet will shake from the news of that! Queen, with your status and reputation, finding work shouldn’t be hard for you. Wait for me!”

that, Andy

bag and entered her username and password into an unknown website. An old bronze

The Darknet, as its name implied, was an underground website connecting the

were tasks that most people would never

a sponsor, one had to be qualified and have enough money and power. They couldn’t get in if they didn’t

pass a skills test by the Darknet’s administrators. Therefore, the people who could enter the Darknet to take on tasks

them. She was known simply as “Queen,” and she was a legendary hacker who once ruled the

finally logged on this time. When she went back online,

how everything was going and

from “AFK forever” to “Back on board.” Because

jumped for joy

way through Meridonia’s impossible–to–break firewall and hack into it.

known as “Queen,” with the implication that she was the best hacker in the world and

shot suddenly quit the Darknet and closed her account a month ago, it caused

didn’t matter to them now because Queen was

jumped for joy at this news

and Andy said, “Queen, there’s a mission here. They need you to hack the firewall of a terrorist organization. 750 thousand dollars, pay when

Jane quickly

Before anything else, it wouldn’t pose a threat to the country’s security. And second, it couldn’t violate human ethics.

though Jane was famous on the Darknet, there

on the Darknet were often involved in some sort of shady business. That was why the work that Andy had just introduced was exactly the kind of mission that Jane had

across the keyboard like butterflies. Like falling snowflakes, code and programming appeared on the

joking with Andy, she quickly broke

it