Chapter 164 The Search for the Mentor
“He’s a total genius, but honestly, with so many people in the world, a few extraordinary ones aren’t a surprise. So, Tilda, what do you think? Are you interested now?”
“Andy, help me get in touch with him. I want to join this group as soon as possible!”
Tilda couldn’t hide the excitement in her voice.
“I knew you’d say that. I’ve already reached out. Just wait for them to set up a time for you to come to Slosa.”
“Thank you, Andy. You’re a lifesaver.”
“Tilda! If you thank me again, I’m getting mad. We’re friends, aren’t we? After all we’ve been through, there’s no need to thank me.”
After she hung up, Tilda stood at her window, clutching her phone tightly like a drowning person grabbing for a life raft.
Is this man the one her mentor had mentioned before?
Tilda actually knew very little about her mentor.
Even though he gave Tilda a home, taught her many things, and helped her unlock her hidden talents, most of his life was still a mystery.
Whenever Tilda got picked on, he was always there to protect her. It was the first time Tilda ever felt like she had family.
He never told Tilda his real name. All Tilda knew was that her mentor’s last name was Kerrigan.
As for Dane, it was a name Tilda overheard him mumbling once and memorized.
After Tilda learned all she could, her mentor disappeared without a trace, like he never existed.
Tilda searched everywhere, high and low, tracking down people who’d met him. They all said her mentor might be in trouble.
To this day, Tilda has never seen a body or even a single clue about what happened.
Her mentor never reached out again. He just disappeared from Tilda’s world.
Tilda joined the dark web partly to sharpen her skills and earn money. She also hoped this huge underground network might help her find clues about her mentor.
She came up empty every time.
The name, Dane Kerrigan, was the only clue he ever left.
While searching for her family, Tilda never forgot about that name.
She had asked Andy to help track him down.
Tilda found several people with that name, flying all over the world whenever there was a lead. However, it was never the man her mentor had mentioned.
Now, she’d finally found someone with that name.
If only this time she could find something about her mentor.
No matter how slim the chance, Tilda had to try!
The next day, Tilda didn’t have any classes, so she slept in.
After getting ready, she made herself an egg sandwich.
Just as she finished, a message popped up from the dark web.
Clown wrote, “Queen, we’re all set over here.”
Tilda saw the message and called Jarrett.
He picked up immediately.
“Queen!”
“Hop onto the group forum and start a chat. It’s easier to talk that way.”
Tilda didn’t rush to give Jarrett her personal info, even though she’d already checked out the squad. She knew they were okay. They were even from families she knew well—it’s always better to be safe.
Years on the dark web had taught her that.
“Got it!” Jarrett replied.
Tilda finished her sandwich and went to her computer.
She logged into the forum Jarrett had made and joined the group chat.
Jarrett announced, “Queen is here! Everyone, give her a warm welcome!”
Theo asked, “Is this really Queen? Wow! I’m your biggest fan!”
Astrid replied, “Me too.”
Zach chimed in, “Me too.”
Queen asked, “You guys… ever consider changing your usernames?”
Jarrett replied, “Aw, Queen, if you wanted to find out who we are, it’d be super easy for you anyway. We all know each other in real life. No need to hide.”
Queen replied, “Alright, I guess I was overthinking it.”
After that, Tilda changed her username to just Tilda Jenson.
If Tilda wanted to lead this new squad and really earn their trust, she couldn’t act like she was better than everyone else.
Everyone else had already shared their real names.
Only Tilda was still hiding behind her codename.
Keeping her identity secret would only make her seem untrustworthy from the start.
Jarrett was shocked. “Wait!!! Is that your real name?”
Theo typed, “Why does that name sound so familiar? I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere before.”
Astrid wrote, “Hey, that’s my last name too! Tilda Jenson. My Uncle Russell has a missing daughter with that name.”
Zach replied, “Agreed.”
“All right, time’s short, so let’s not discuss my personal stuff for now,” Tilda said. “You can call me Queen in private—I actually like that nickname.”
She continued, “I’ve checked your rankings on the hacker leaderboard and the cases you’ve solved, so I have a pretty good sense of where your skills are at.
“I’ve put together a plan to help you all get better at hacking. How much you improve will depend on your effort and talent.”