Chapter 119 - Deep Dark Web

My first query was "how to find a person by IP".

As it turned out, this wasn't as foolproof of a method as stories made me think. Sometimes, it allowed to find a precise address, but most often it just showed a person's city at best. My search, though, opened my eyes to the existence of other methods of finding people through internet.

My second query was "how to hire a hacker".

Somehow I didn't even doubt that I will find my answer in open access. And I was right! You'd be surprised what stuff you can and can't find just from a quick Google search.

Then I had to query "how to access Deep Web" and "download tor browser". Half an hour of fiddling more and voila! I got to a hacker forum where people brag about how they hack things and offer their services for hire.

"Sometimes I just can't believe how easy it is to get to all the illegal stuff," I murmured, shaking my head, then glanced at the few prices offered. "Or how cheap it is. And yet, the main vampire site around does NOT require TOR or even VPN for access. It's a wonder they at least hid it from showing on Google searches."

"One needs an invite to access it, though. Without it, they wouldn't see anything incriminating, or anything at all," JJ said from over my shoulder. With him leaning so close, his hair brushed over my shoulder, giving off a slightest herbal scent from the shampoo he used.

"Fair. Oh, what do you think of that guy? His forum history shows he has a lot of experience." I opened a profile of a hacker-for-hire and his bio. He seemed reliable enough, and not out of my price range.

"Ma chèrie… I wish I could advise you here, but I barely understand half of the terms and words used on this page." JJ let out a small self-deprecating chuckle. "I fully rely on your judgement here."

I grinned. "I'm sure that if you put your mind to it, in just a few years you can become a hacker yourself."

"As much as I like modern technology, I don't find the prospect very attractive. This level of technical complexity…" He ran his hand over the edge of the monitor screen. "It's like magic to me. I can't even imagine to understand how it works."

"Same here." I sighed. "We've been taught in school about the basics, how the computers operate on zeros and ones, but I can't even imagine how it turns into this all." I nodded at the computer.

Without JJ's help, but with his reassuring presence over my shoulder, I picked a good enough hacker and sent him a brief description of my problem. I omitted all the supernatural details, of course. Christina was just someone who sent me threats, and I was ready to pay to find where she lived.

The response came the same evening. The hacker agreed to do what he can do, no questions asked, half of the payment upfront. I was told to expect results in a few days, a week tops. With great hopes for success, I prepared to wait, when an unexpected call interrupted my routine.

The number was in my contacts—the call came from the secretary of the big CEO who bought my (Avarice's) furniture. By then, I almost forgot that I pestered the man into passing my message to his boss, fully expecting to be rebuked without even a notice.

I took the call expecting to hear said notice, but instead got something even more unexpected.

"Diana, my boss would like to meet with you and discuss your offer. Come to his office at tomorrow, seventeen o'clock, address…" I listened with raised brows. This left me no room for negotiations, and good thing that I had nothing planned for tomorrow seventeen o'clock that I couldn't freely move around my schedule.

I didn't dare to wonder about my luck, though. Instead, I just said, "Yes, sure. Can you please repeat the address?"

⠀⠀

The man's office was located in a modern business complex, full of tiled floors and glass doors. The entire first floor was a store of his company, but with an invitation to my name, I bypassed all that and went straight to the top floor where I was directed. With ten minutes to spare before the appointed time.

The secretary recognised me on sight, something I wasn't sure what to think about. "You came early, Diana. My boss is busy at the moment. Wait here." He pointed from his desk at the chairs standing next to a wall with that obvious purpose.

I sat down, looking back and forth between the door and the secretary. The door was closed, and the man seemed busy with whatever he typed on his computer. Pointedly busy, I'd even say. Still…

"It's interesting, why Denis Sergeevich called for me after all? I didn't think someone like him will be interested in an offer from someone like me." I mused aloud, as if not expecting an answer.

The secretary gave me a sharp glance, but kept silent. With an inward smile, I continued, "It's not really lucrative. From a successful businessman like Denis Sergeevich, I'd expect only to accept lucrative offers. Then again, buying antiquities, unless you are a professional expecting to resell them, isn't a very lucrative business in general."

"Please, keep silent. You are distracting my from my job," the secretary cut me off with a glare.

Chastised, I sighed and shut up. No answers there. I pulled out my phone, opened a book and sat to wait. In just a few minutes, the door opened and an older man in a suit walked out, not sparing me more than a glance.

The secretary pressed a button on his desk. "Denis Sergeevich, your next appointment is here," he said into a comm device.

"Let her in," a voice rang from inside.

I stood up. In the end, I will just have to get my answers from the man himself.