Wicked Ways: A Supernatural Crypto Thriller
Hi Everyone,
This is the first part in a series of short stories I'm writing featuring two of my favorite subjects, Cryptocurrency and Magick. I hope you like it, any suggestions to improve the story or content are welcome and please don't forget to vote.
Wicked Ways: A Supernatural Crypto Thriller
By Jason Nelson
Chapter 1: High Tech and Low Lives
“I rambled with the worst of them, fell in love with a harlequin, saw the darkest hearts of men and I saw myself staring back again”. “Bartholomew”, The Silent Comedy.
The Chateau was buzzing as always as Vaughn and his entourage entered the foyer. The usual groupies and Hollywood types were all there milling around waiting to see who they can see and be seen with. Vaughn paid them no mind as he walked to the elevator and pressed the button for the penthouse level.
As the lead singer of the heavy metal band, Death’s Chain, Vaughn was getting used to star treatment, but he always felt like people were only interested in his celebrity and not him. This led to two problems:
- How to make people like him for who he is
- How to keep all the hangers on from knowing he is a world class computer hacker and master magician.
As he entered his hotel room, his bassist, Suzy, barked to everyone waiting inside “out bitches!” and in seconds all the groupies were heading for the door. Vaughn kissed Suzy on the top of her head, like the sister he never had, she was the love of his life.
“Okay, now that we’ve some privacy” Clancy, their manager/fixer came into the room from the bathroom, wiping white powder from his nose, “the name of the game is code cracking, our client who happens to be a very patriotic American wants the accounts of three high level Al Qaeda commanders”.
Vaughn rolled his eyes “didn’t they kill all those guys?”
“The thing about roaches, sweetheart, there are always more” Clancy said, his thick English accent not affected by his choice of candy.
“Touché” Vaughn said with a smirk, “okay Suzy, call the lads, get everyone here, this is going to be an all nighter”.
“Sure thing babe” Suzy said taking out her cell phone. A few flicks of her finger and they were on conference call. “The Chateau, Penthouse 54, twenty minutes” and hung up the phone.
Chapter 2: Death wears Prada
While Vaughn and his crew gathered, a young woman with fire red hair entered the hotel and made her way to the bar. Her tight body, concealed only by a sheer black evening dress, her upside down cross dangling between her breast and her hair falling to her shoulders. Every eye in the bar turned to look, both men and women gazed in awe and envy.
“Vodka, straight up” she said, the bartender couldn’t place her accent but knew she wasn’t a local. After pouring her drink, he quickly scooted away. He was afraid of her and couldn’t figure out why.
As she sipped her vodka, one of the local hipsters sat down beside her “hi, I’m Scott” he said holding out his hand.
“Of course you are, so Scott what do you do?” she said not looking at him.
“I work in the movie biz, Producer” She could hear him patting himself on the back. He was rich and powerful and he knew it.
“And you want to talk to me?” she said knocking the shot back and slamming the glass down. She snapped her fingers and the bartender was back refilling her glass.
“Well, yes” Scott continued, “there’s this party upstairs and I was hoping you’d like to join me”
“A real party or are you just hoping to get between my thighs? Now she was looking at him.
Scott was a little startled from her directness. “Well, the night is young, maybe both”
She smiled and before he could respond, reached out and grabbed his crotch…hard. “Listen you piece of shit, you’re cute and I’m sure rich but I’m not in the mood right now. When I do get in the mood I’m going to find you, take you and then after you’ve satisfied me I’ll decide if I’ll let you live…we clear?”
“Yes Ma’am!” Scott said, his voice going up a few octaves.
“Good, now where is this party?”
Chapter 3: The Art of Deception
Vaughn pulled the flash drive from his laptop as the computer began its memory wipe process. Soon the PC would be back to its factory settings, its memory completely erased by the Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics or ICE program that Vaughn used after each job. How this worked, after completely whatever assignment Vaughn was on, he would start the ICE program and put it out onto the open internet with a timer and a code to look for that would identify the intruder which in this case would be Vaughn’s own computer.
The timer would give Vaughn enough time to download the data to be stored for transport. When the timer counted to zero, the ICE program would then look for the code that represented the breach in security and head straight for it. The ICE program would then begin the delete process wiping the PC all the way back down to binary code and the command line. Of course Vaughn hated to waste a good laptop and kept a mirror image of the laptop for easy reinstall.
“Good” Clancy said standing up to stretch, “the client will transfer the payment to our wallets once they have possession of the flash drive. They are supposed to be meeting us here tonight.
“You told them where we are, are you out of your freaking mind?!” Suzy said standing up from her laptop.
“It’s cool, little miss; he doesn’t know you two, only me. Besides, we’ll be in a room full of people, what could possibly happen?
Vaughn rolled his eyes, “cool, if we’re finished, I’d like to go play” Vaughn reached out his hand to Suzy who took it with a smile.
As they headed to the elevator, Suzy looked up at Vaughn; “I don’t trust him, having the client meet him in the same hotel where we’ve been staying is risky”.
Vaughn considered this “don’t worry about it pretty girl, Clancy might be an alcoholic coke head but he isn’t stupid” he said as he entered the elevator.
Suzy thought about this for a moment, “wait doesn’t that make him the very definition of stupid?!” she said as she got onto the elevator.
The promoters for tonight’s Death's Chain concert were throwing a party for the band and their guest a few floors down and Vaughn could hear the music through the elevator walls. The elevator door opened to a hallway filled with people.
People talking, dancing (in what room there was to dance) making out or doing one type of drug or another. By now Vaughn had become so used to all of this that he barely noticed it. Suzy on the other hand was having the time of her life. Currently she had her arms around a thin boy in dark makeup, kissing him furiously as he tried to tell her his name. Jake, Jack, Joseph… it didn’t matter and soon he came to realize that.
Vaughn had learned a long time ago that Suzy is a predator. She doesn’t have sex with partners, she devours them. Takes a piece of their soul into herself, it gives her strength and more of an edge. Her mother called her a vampire once and all Suzy (at the time Cecilia) did was laugh and walk out of her parent’s home never to return.
“Don’t hurt him too bad” Vaughn said laughing and continuing into the suite, that was when he saw her. Tall, fiery red hair, black dress and eyes like silver, Vaughn was in shock, she had silver eyes.
“Hi” he said walking up to her “are those contacts?”
“No” she said smiling at him, the woman looked Vaughn directly in the eye, not like she was trying to be polite and look him in the eye as they spoke but like she was sizing him up, like when a fighter is thinking about knocking someone out.
“I’m Vaughn” he said extending his hand. “Crystal” she returned taking his hand “is this your party?”
“My band played tonight, the promoters threw this little shindig in our honor”.
“Must be nice” she was still sizing him up and Vaughn became a little uncomfortable. “Can I get you a drink Crystal?”
“No..thank...you”
Chapter 4: Guns don’t kill people, but they help.
The questioning look on Vaughn’s face was replaced by one of shock as Crystal pulled a pistol from the folders of her dress, Vaughn caught the glint of gold and silver, but it was the barrel that held his attention.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl and the assassin pulled the trigger, the gun pointed squarely at Vaughn’s chest.
“BARRA!”
Vaughn yelled, the ancient incantation of banishment, the bullet evaporating before making contact. The force from the blast knocking Vaughn back but not off his feet. The loud bang, heard over the music, turned all eyes to the balcony.
Steadying himself, Vaughn looked up to face his attacked but she had vanished.
Just then Vaughn’s phone beeped, 30 BTC Received, the message read. Vaughn looked up and saw the full moon looking back at him. “Thank you Mother” he said putting his hand over his heart.
Down below on the street, the door to a Dodge Challenger slammed shut, “the fuck man!” Crystal said settling into her seat.
“What’s wrong babe?” the man in front said as he drove.
“What’s wrong? No one said that asshole was a mage, he banished by the bullet at point blank range!” Crystal was beyond upset, knowing that the people who sent her to kill Vaughn will not take excuses.
“Look” Alonse said looking at Crystal from the rearview mirror, “the Council knew what they were sending you in to do, I don’t think they would just wipe you for …….” Alonse voice trailed off as the car came to a sudden stop. The lights on the corner dimmed and a voice came over the radio…
“Don’t let this idiot fool you, we are not pleased that the Mage lives, you have more one chance to kill him…TONIGHT. If you fail us, not only will we kill you we will make sure that you suffer for all eternity and you know we can do that…now GO!”
The street lights came back up and Alonse spoke again …missing one shot, I mean they aren’t monsters!” Alonse laughed, more to assure himself than anyone else. “Hey, when did we stop?” he asked.
To Be Continued....