Programmed Danger

I pressed my ear against the dark brown oak wood, trying to make sense of the faint whispers coming from within the room. It was difficult to decipher the complete sentences, as the words were all jumbled up and blended. As I continued to listen, I realized that the people inside the room were three FBI agents. 

I wasn't sure why they were there, but I knew it had something to do with my older brother. After about four minutes, I heard someone approaching the door on the other side, prompting me to quickly scramble back and hide in the kitchen, my heart racing. 

Suddenly, a deep voice broke through the muddled whispers. "You either go to jail, or you give us this so-called program you have developed," the voice said with a grave tone, laced with a hint of sinister intent. 

Charlie, my older brother, tried to defend himself, but his words trailed off as the agents continued to press him. "Wasn't that what we were discussing for the last two... three hours?" he asked, but the agents were not amused. 

"You joke now, but I don't think it's going to be very funny when you're staring back at me from behind bars," one of them warned. With that, the same one who had just threatened Charlie opened the door and left, giving Charlie and me a three-day ultimatum. Once they were gone, Charlie started to speak, but before he could say anything, there was a loud knock on the door.

Charlie started for the door, but I revealed myself from the kitchen and mentioned, “Mom said to see who it is from the side window.”

“It’s probably just Kyle wanting to know why the FBI was here,” said Charlie confidently. “He’s usually pretty nosey.”

“If you get kidnapped, the blame is on you, ok?” I said, joking. “Because I warned you.”

Charlie chuckled, “Ok.”

Charlie turned the handle. That was the last I saw of him before everything exploded in pain.

+++

As I slowly regained consciousness, I realized that I was confined in a dark, cramped space. I could hear faint voices in the distance, but they were muffled and incomprehensible. I strained my ears to listen closely, and I was able to catch a few words here and there. Something about money, a program, and the FBI. My heart began to race as I realized that I might be in danger. After all, I was being mugged in a leather bag.

As I struggled to free myself, I groped around in the darkness, hoping to find some way out. But the bag was made of thick, sturdy leather that was impossible to tear apart. I felt suffocated and disoriented, and I couldn't tell how long I had been trapped there. Maybe minutes… maybe hours. I could smell propofol in the air. I also couldn’t remember anything from earlier that day. Maybe because I had been trapped in this bag for days!

Despite the fear and uncertainty that gripped me, I tried to remain calm and think rationally. I knew that I had to find a way out of this situation before it was too late. I tried to steady my breathing and focus my thoughts on finding a solution.

As I lay there, trapped and helpless, I couldn't help but wonder how I had ended up in this predicament. With every passing moment, the voices outside grew louder and more urgent. I could hear Charlie, but what he was saying was blurred. Finally, I said something. “Hello? Can someone please open this bag?”

There was a swift movement from outside the bag, and all of a sudden, I was standing in the middle of three people. More specifically, Charlie, and two… ninjas?

Ninjas weren’t real. Maybe it was Charlie’s friends dressed up as ninjas playing a trick on me. That was it. 

“Who are….. Youuuu?” I stretched out the uuuu. “Charlie, are you okay?”

“Quiet child!” whispered one of the ninjas. “We are in a crucial situation.” It paused for a moment, turning its attention towards Charlie. “Yes?”

“I have to ask my friends,” replied Charlie, somehow not afraid of the ninjas. “Especially Quinten. He built the entire thing!”

“Hold on a se-” I started. 

“I’m going to put him back in the bag,” said one of the other ninjas. He had a gruffer voice, but he sounded like he had a good sense of humor. 

“What’s going on?!” I yelled, causing everyone in the room to turn their heads toward me. “I’ve been trapped in a bag for who knows how long, and possibly drugged! I demand to know what is happening!”

“For god's sake! Give us a minute!” Yelled the third ninja. She had a British accent, with a sinister tone in it. It sort of seemed familiar. Never mind that now. 

The ninjas and Charlie turned their attention back to the conversation they were having. “Call him…” said one of them. When Charlie didn’t make any movement for the phone, it said. “Now.”

Just like that, Charlie snapped into action, pulling the phone out of his pocket, and dialing Quinten’s number.”

The phone rang for a couple of seconds, and then Quinten picked up the phone. Charlie put it on speaker. “Hey dude! What’s up?”

One of the ninjas raised an eyebrow. “Nothing,” said Charlie. “Just need to ask a quick favor.”

“No prob,” replied Quinten. “What is it?”

“I got an offer to sell our program for three million dollars to…” He glanced at one of the ninjas. It was the woman. She nodded her head side to side vigorously. “No,” she mouthed.

“An unknown buyer.”

“Holy cow! Three million dollars?”

“Yeah.”

“Make sure it isn’t a scam.”

“It isn’t,” said Charlie. 

“Then sure!” Said Quinten, practically yelling. I could almost hear him grinning. “You didn’t even have to ask me! Just make sure you split the money between the group.”

“I will. Great! Okay, bye…”

Charlie hung up, and he looked up at the ninjas. “So… it’s a yes.”

“I think we got the gist,” said the first ninja who had spoken to me. “We have the money. Do you have to program?”

“Yes,” said Charlie. “I’ll get it. It’s in my room.”

“Wait,” said a ninja. “You can’t tell anyone else about this. You could expose us.”

“My lips are sealed,” said Charlie. 

The ninjas looked at me. 

“My lips are sealed,” I said. “But seriously, who is going to believe me if I tell them I got drugged and kidnapped by ninjas.”

The ninjas ignored me, and the first one who had spoken to me, said to Charlie. “Get the program.”

He started walking to the door at the end of the hallway. Then he stopped, halfway. “Actually… I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“The FBI came right before you guys. I’ll go to jail if I don’t give them the program.”

“That’s why we came here,” said the woman. “The FBI won’t use your program for good.”

“That’s not the point. I’ll still go to jail.”

“Not if you give them the program.”

“Didn’t you want the program though?”

“We do,” said the ninjas in unison. 

“How am I supposed to give it to the FBI, and to you?”

“You could just choose one of us… or, you could duplicate the program, and give one to the FBI, and one to us. It’s a win-win! Though, you will have to change the program you give to the FBI so it doesn’t work.”

“You want me to lie to the FBI?” 

“Pretty much,” said the second ninja. 

“Let me think about it.”

“No.”

Charlie raised his eyebrows.

“Hellooooo? Did anyone forget I was here?” I said, looking at the people around the room. “First of all. Three million dollars? Where do you get that kind of money from? And second of all, you want him to lie to the FBI?”

“We already told you. Yes!” said the third ninja. “Yes? Or no.”

“Fine. Yes,” said Charlie, walking over to his room. “But I don’t know how to copy the code. I’ll have to ask Quinten to come over.”

“Wait,” said one of the ninjas. All of them snapped into maximum attention. 

I said, “What?” 

One of them put their hand to their waste. “Do you hear that?” 

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the roof exploded. “Run!” Yelled Charlie. 

I did. Right into an FBI agent.

To be continued…