the shower. I was going to need a lot of coffee to get through this day.
The hot shower relaxed my stiff shoulders and neck. Until then I hadn’t realized just how tense I was. It had certainly been a long and stressful night.
I was still searching my brain for anything I had learned or read about to explain the barricades I kept seeing. At first, I thought it was an actual person I was battling, but that didn’t make sense because if someone knew I was in their system they would have just kicked me out. I would have just come back in and tried a different route. That had happened a few times over the last few days, but not last night.
When I started getting attacked from different angles at the same time, I knew they must have seen my breach and added a new series of bots to combat me. I could beat a bot. I had come close tonight.
One thing I had learned about hacking was that programs could learn and anticipate my moves, so I had to vary things up some. It wasn’t going to be easy, but I vowed that after several days in a row of pressing and finally making some progress that I would take a reset. Tonight, I would try to do some research on Westin Force. Hopefully, there was more online about them than the Raglans. At least it was a lead to follow.
The break would hopefully confuse their bots too and make access a bit easier when I came back to it. Plus, I knew my break point and I was going to need to sleep. I certainly wouldn’t have the time to even nap today.
I got out of the shower with a smile on my face. I had a solid plan and was ready to tackle the day so I could start initiating it.
I dried off and dressed for the day. I even managed the basics of my makeup routine. Sapphire would likely notice the bags under my eyes, but I doubted anyone else would.
As I was leaving my room, I noticed the dim light from my laptop. “Crap!” I muttered quickly closing the lid knowing it would disconnect the connection I likely still had to the mysterious server I was hacking. That was a rookie mistake, but Shay had just caught me off guard and I hadn’t been thinking. I didn’t have time to freak out over any possible implications of such a mistake. I was certain it was fine, maybe even a good thing as it started confusing the bots early.
The house was still quiet with the exception of Shay fumbling around in the kitchen as I tiptoed through.
“Susan, is that you? I need coffee,” Shay yelled out.
I crept from the house carefully shutting the door behind me as I pretended I hadn’t heard her demand.
“Susan!” I heard her yell again before I reached the door of the café.
When I looked back the lights were on in both Sapphire and Sage’s rooms. So much for staying quiet so they wouldn’t wake.
I shook my head, but the small act of defiance against my mother felt revitalizing. As long as she stayed away from the restaurant, then I might even survive the day.
Previously I had to open the restaurant every day. I hated getting up that early. We didn’t open until seven, but the kitchen staff arrived between six and six-thirty to prep before opening. It had taken some time, but I now have a staff I could fully count on for that.
When I let myself in, locking the door behind me, the place was already bustling with energy.
“Good morning, Jimmy,” I hollered out to my head cook and trusted friend. My mother thought I was irresponsible for entrusting him with opening each morning, but he was the best and had never let me down.
“Hey doll. Everything looks good and we’re a go. If you want to open a little early today it’s all good,” he yelled through the food warming window.
“Are you sure? I saw Mr. Ross sitting in his truck out front already.”
“Kitchen’s ready. Might as well start the day.”
“Rosie? Candace? Are you ready?”
“Yes ma’am,” they both responded.
“Ed, how are you this morning?” I asked our busboy and dishwasher.
“I’m great, Susan. Let’s do this.”
I was thankful to see them all alert and ready, because I certainly wasn’t.
I walked over and flipped on the open sign and unlocked the front door. I could already see Mr. Ross scurrying