The Orphan

Copyright© 2025 by A Well-Traveled Man

Chapter 1

When Michael Forte was born, he was left on the steps of St. Thomas Orphanage in Chicago, Illinois. Sister Anna found him and fell in love with him. Since Michael didn’t have a name, she named him after Michael the Archangel and chose Forte, meaning strong, for his last name. Michael was a gifted child and had read all the books in the orphanage by age six. His photographic memory helped him retain and organize information.

Michael knew he was different from the other children because of the things he could do. When he turned five, Michael could read other people’s minds. When he turned six, he could move objects with his mind. Then the big one happened when he turned seven. He found out he could teleport short distances. He could also influence Sister Anna, the Mother Superior, and the staff to forget or do him favors.

He didn’t use the influence gift often and practiced his gifts in private or away from the orphanage. Michael feared what might happen to him if his gifts were known, so he kept them a secret. The prime time for adoption was between the ages of 4 and 10. Michael had dark skin like a Hispanic and was taller than the other children, hindering his adoption.

Michael also sabotaged several adoptions because the people wanted him for the wrong reasons. Caucasian kids were adopted quickly, leaving the other minority kids to wait longer periods or grow up in the orphanage. Sister Anna tried to get Michael into a Catholic school, but it was full. So, she called a friend and got Michael into a private school. He advanced past his peers and studied high school courses in the fourth grade.

The private school wore uniforms, so Michael wore used clothes donated by students’ parents when they were outgrown. He advanced in math, computer science, languages, and martial arts. He chose martial arts because it didn’t require staying after school. Sister Anna set him up with private lessons at school during study period. Soon, Michael was maintaining the school computer system and the students’ laptops and tablets. That allowed him to practice his hacking skills as students routinely forgot their passwords.

Michael knew where everyone was, both at the orphanage and at the school. He also had a powerful, persuasive ability, almost like hypnosis. Michael didn’t use that skill very often, but it was helpful getting out of trouble. When he was late getting back from work, school, or roaming around, he would tell a Sister or the Mother Superior to ignore his tardiness, and they would forget it.

Sister Anna arranged for Michael to work at a mortgage company that contributed to the orphanage. Unknown to anyone, the mob owned the company to launder money. Michael started cleaning the office at the end of the day. When the owner, Mr. Bruni, discovered Michael had excellent computer skills, he had Michael transfer all the paper files onto the computer. Mr. Bruni gave Michael money to buy clothes suitable for the office. Michael’s job expanded to updating their accounting and computer systems.

When Michael turned fifteen, he had already graduated from high school. The school allowed him to enroll in an online college and do the work on the school computer. They wanted him to continue maintaining their computer system and the students’ and staff’s laptops. They helped Michael apply for a scholarship, so there wasn’t any additional cost for his education.

Mr. Bruni trusted Michael and told him to deduct a 15% handling fee from all payments. The fee wasn’t to be entered into the computer but put on a separate USB drive. One day, Michael arrived at work and heard an argument in Mr. Bruni’s office. He saw two men in suits arguing with Mr. Bruni about missing money. Michael used the company phone Mr. Bruni gave him to video the argument. The men threatened Mr. Bruni and pulled out their guns.

They demand that he open the safe, and Mr. Bruni pulls out his gun, and everyone starts firing their weapons. When the gunfire stopped, Michael hid in the supply closet, and the men left. One was wounded, and he found Mr. Bruni dead. Knowing the combination, Michael opened the safe and found a duffel bag of cash and stacks of money, along with two books on the shelf. He put the money and two books in his backpack, grabbed the duffel bag, and left after wiping down everything he touched in the office.

Returning to St. Thomas Orphanage, he went to the storage shed. Michael put the contents of his backpack in a box and hid it with the duffel bag. Then he found Sister Anna and told her what had happened at the mortgage company. He didn’t tell her about emptying the safe or recording the event. She told Michael that the police and the bad men would soon find out he worked there. He would be the prime suspect because he was an orphan.

Sister Anna told Michael he needed to leave town immediately for his safety. She asked how much money he had, and Michael said he had saved over $1200. Sister Anna said she would make some phone calls and told him to pack his clothes. Michael went to the storage room where the donations were kept and found two duffel bags. Then he went to the storage shed and got the duffel bag and box. Returning to his room, he emptied the box into a duffel bag and put his clothing on top. Michael put the smaller duffel bag into the larger one and added more of his belongings, including his laptop.

Early the next morning, Sister Anna took Michael to the bus depot. She handed Michael an envelope and told him to buy a ticket to Phoenix, Arizona, call the number in the envelope, and book a cheap motel for the night. Kerrie Kratos is a childhood friend of mine, and she will help you disappear. Sister Anna hugged Michael goodbye, crying, and left.

Michael went to the ticket counter, purchased the ticket, and told the clerk to forget him being there. Then he asked about the video surveillance system, and she said it’s recorded on CDs and changed every twelve hours. Michael told her to remove the CD and give it to him. When she did, Michael told her to wait an hour and put a new one in the recorder. If anyone asks, say Detective Jones took it for a murder investigation.

He left the ticket counter smiling and got a hot dog, chips, and a bottle of water for breakfast. Thirty minutes later, the bus departed the terminal, and Michael was sure he had covered his tracks. He was sure the police would investigate Mr. Bruni’s death. But he had never been fingerprinted, so there was no way to prove the fingerprints found in the office were his.

The school had photos of him when he first attended, but Michael avoided getting his picture taken for class photos. He was so advanced that he wasn’t part of the class anyway, and it wasn’t like his family wanted a yearbook or his graduation picture. The police would figure Mr. Bruni’s death was tied to organized crime and report it that way. But the mob would want their money, and they were the ones to worry about.

They arrived in Phoenix, Arizona, after 30 hours, 1800 miles, and six stops. Michael found a clean, cheap motel two blocks from the bus station and paid cash for a two-day stay. He told the manager to ignore him and his movements and went to his room. Michael unpacked a few belongings and hid his duffel bags under the dresser. It was attached to the floor, but a gentle lift raised one side. He grabbed his backpack and $10k in cash and went shopping.

The Goodwill store was a mile away, and he bought two pairs of jeans, four shirts, a pair of tennis shoes, socks, and underwear. The socks and underwear were new in their packages, and the rest were in like-new condition. He also picked up a matching set of rolling luggage. Next, he went to a restaurant for lunch. He asked the busboy if he knew where to get papers for work in Spanish. Jose, the busboy, said yes for $25 and agreed to meet behind the restaurant at 5 p.m. Michael bought a pay-as-you-go phone at a convenience store and returned to the motel.

At 5 p.m., they met behind the restaurant, and Michael followed Jose six blocks into an alley. Jose knocked on the garage side door, and a man opened it. Jose introduced Michael to Mr. Brown, and he asked Michael what he wanted. They agreed to $ 1,500 for a driver’s license, a Social Security card, and a birth certificate. Mr. Brown took Michael’s picture, and they waited for him to do his magic.

Then the sales pitch started, and Mr. Brown offered that for an additional $500, his new ID would pass a security check. For an extra $1,000, it will come with a complete background. Michael gave his ok and asked for the name, Anthony Conti. Mr. Brown got to work on the documents, and Michael gave Jose $25 and told him they had never met. When the documents were done, Michael read Mr. Brown’s mind, and his work was worth the price.

Michael paid Mr. Brown and told him to erase everything he did and forget about him. He returned to the motel and called the phone number Sister Anna had given him. A young lady answered, and she asked who was calling. Michael told her his name, and she said her name was Kerri Kratos. She asked Michael to meet her at the Sky Harbor Airport private terminal at 7 a.m. tomorrow. Michael agreed, and they said goodbye. He went to a nearby restaurant and had dinner.

When he returned to his motel room, he found a man searching it. Michael said, “Freeze,” and the man didn’t move. He worked the man over like a heavy bag during martial arts practice. The man fell unconscious to the floor, and Michael searched him. His wallet said he was a PI named Clive Pollard. Clive had a bag with entry tools, including lock picks and an electronic keycard hack. He had a silenced Glock 9mm, keys, and a cell phone.

Michael carried Clive to his SUV and drove around the back of the restaurant. He dumped Clive into the dumpster and parked his SUV three blocks away. Michael searched the SUV and found a duffel bag with duct tape, tie wraps, a hood, and a small bag with drugs and syringes. He also found a laptop under the front seat. Michael wiped down the areas he touched, left the keys in the ignition, took the duffel bag and laptop, and returned to his motel room.

He thought about how Clive found him, and he pulled out the duffel bag of money. He said shit, finding a tacker at the bottom of the bag. Michael flushed the tracker and hacked into the laptop. Michael saw Antiono Benelli’s email to Carl, hiring him to find Michael Forte. He checked Carl’s cell phone, and luckily, he hadn’t reported to Antiono Benelli yet. Michael crushed Carl’s cell phone and turned off the GPS locator on the laptop, then went to bed and crashed.

Early the next morning, Michael put the contents of the duffel bags into the suitcases and added his clothes. He also folded the duffel bags and put them in the suitcases. After his shower, Michael put on his new Goodwill jeans, shirt, and tennis shoes and walked to a nearby restaurant. He ate breakfast and then called a cab to the airport. Michael waited in the lobby of the private terminal and wondered what was in store for him.

Then a plane arrived, parked outside the terminal, and a young woman exited the plane. She entered the lobby, Michael stood up, and introductions were exchanged. Kerri said, “My, you’re a tall, handsome young man,” and told Michael to get his luggage. They went to the plane and put his luggage in the rear. When they got in, Michael told Kerri he had never flown before. She started the twin engines, and Michael asked if parachutes were available.

Kerri laughed and told Michael she was a good pilot. They taxied to the runway and waited for clearance. When approved, Kerri moved the plane onto the runway and took off. Michael said, “Wow, that was a rush,” and they laughed. During the flight, Kerri asked Michael about his education and hobbies. She was shocked that he had already graduated from high school and was nearing his bachelor’s degree in computer programming.

She asked if he spoke any foreign languages, and Michael said French, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese. Kerri asked how he learned so many, and Michael said that at the private school he attended, there were international students, so he had to learn to communicate with them. She said Anna told her you were smart, but this goes beyond that statement. Michael told her he kept it a secret to avoid causing problems at the orphanage.

They landed at Santa Monica Airport, loaded Michael’s luggage in Kerri’s Range Rover, and drove to her house in Beverly Hills. Michael said, “Wow, your home is almost as big as the orphanage,” and Kerri laughed. She said it was her parents, and she inherited it when they passed. Kerri gave Michael a brief tour of the house and showed him his room. She said, “Get settled, meet me in the kitchen for lunch,” and left. Michael stashed his money and contraband under the dressers and put his clothes away.

While they ate, Kerri told Michael she was a defense attorney at a law firm in Beverly Hills. Then she said Anne told me about your troubles in Chicago, and she has a solution if it’s agreeable. Kerri told Michael she’s defended some criminals, and they owe her favors. So, she’s arranged for your name to be changed to Michael Kratos so they can pass him off as her nephew. Michael said that’s fine with him if it doesn’t cause her trouble.

Kerri assured him it wouldn’t be an issue. Then she asked about his clothing situation, and Michael said it was basically hand-downs, but he got four shirts and jeans at Goodwill in Phoenix. She laughed and said they were going shopping after lunch. After lunch, they went to the Beverly Center and Macy’s first, then Bloomingdale’s, and finished at Footlocker.

They left with over a dozen bags, and Michael said it would take years to pay her back. Kerri laughed and told him not to worry because there would be more shopping later. Michael groaned, causing Kerri to laugh. When they arrived home, Kerri showed Michael what to hang in the closet and put in the dresser. She selected an outfit for Michael to wear tomorrow, and they went to the kitchen for dinner.

While they ate, Kerri told Michael he would come to work with her in the morning. Then, at lunch, they would take care of his document issue. Michael asked if she would mind if he changed his first name to Nicholas, and Kerri said that was an excellent choice. They finished dinner, and Kerri told Michael they would leave for the law office at 7 a.m. tomorrow and said goodnight.

On the way to the law office, Kerri told Michael that some of the attorneys could be brash and to ignore them. They arrived at the law offices of Collins and Kroft, and Tammy, the receptionist, thanked Kerri for bringing her the lovely gift. Kerri told Tammy This is my nephew Nicholas Kratos, and he’s fifteen, so he’s off limits. Tammy offered to babysit Nicholas, and everyone laughed.

Kerri and Nicholas went to her office. She told Nicholas to make himself comfortable while she worked. Nic picked a law book from the bookshelf and read it. Then he replaced it with another one. That caught Kerrie’s attention, and she asked if he understood everything or was flipping pages. Nic told Kerri he has a photographic memory and read the entire book. She got up, picked up the book he was reading, and asked Nic what was on page 52.

Nic said it was the case of Johnson vs. the County of Los Angeles and recited the first two paragraphs. Kerri said that’s amazing and told Nic to keep it to himself. You want to avoid attention, and Nic agreed. He finished reading six law books and was about to get the seventh off the shelf when a man entered the office. He told Kerri he needed her help on a case, and she told Ronald she wasn’t his personal assistant. We have interns and associates to help you, so please leave.

Ronald said it would be in her best interest to help him, or he would miss the filing deadline, which would be her fault. Nic said, “Excuse me, but I’m Kerri’s nephew.” That sounded like a threat. You have a choice, Ronnie. Leave now, or your nuts will pay the price. And if you threaten my aunt again, your nuts will be the least of your worries. Several people were standing outside the office, watching and laughing as Ronald got pissed and punched Nic in the jaw. Nic kicked him in the balls, then knocked him out with a punch to the jaw.

A crowd formed outside Kerri’s office, looking and laughing at Ronald. Then, a man parted the crowd and told everyone to return to work and enter the office. He asked Kerri what had happened, and Nic said Ronnie had entered the office and demanded help with a case. She politely asked him to leave, as Ronnie threatened her. I asked him nicely to go, and Ronald punched me in the jaw. Now there are several felonies Ronald committed, so do we call the police, or will you handle the asshole?

Kerri and David Kroft, a named partner, laughed. David asked Kerri who the young man was, and Kerri said, “David Kroft -meet my nephew, Nicholas Kratos.” David shook Nicholas’s hand as Ronald woke up, moaning that his balls hurt, causing more laughter. David said he would take care of Ronnie, but asked them to meet in his office at the end of the day. David left with Ronnie, and Kerri told Nic he took care of her biggest problem at work. Nic said he was happy to help out his Auntie, and they laughed.

At 11:30 a.m., they left the office to applause. Kerri told Nic that Ronnie wasn’t liked at the firm because he treated everyone badly. They drove to a photography studio in Culver City and knocked on the alley door. A man answered and welcomed them inside. Kerri introduced Nicholas to Max, and he said everything was done except for the photo. Max took Nicholas’s photo and laminated his driver’s license.

When it was done, Max gave the documents to Kerri, and they thanked him for his help. Max warned them not to use the documents for a few days so he could complete Nicholas’s background. However, the driver’s license is valid and on file with the DMV, should the police run a check. They stopped at In-N-Out Burger for lunch, and while they ate, Kerri told Nic he needed to take a driver’s training course.

Public transportation is sparse, and walking is out of the question. Nic asked what he’d drive, and Kerri said they would find a good used vehicle. Nic asked how he would pay for it, and Kerri told him not to worry. He would be helping her, and he solved her biggest headache at work. Nic asked about school, and Kerri said I have friends at my alma mater, UCLA. Once your background is set up, we can enroll you there. It would be good to continue with online courses for the time being.

On the way back to the office, Kerri asked Nic where he learned to fight. Nic said he spent years taking karate at school and growing up in the orphanage. When you don’t have much, what you have is important. There’s always someone bigger, and you have to protect what’s yours or lose it. Everyone left me alone after the fourth grade, and I became the protector of the younger kids. At school and the orphanage, I became an expert at reading people. A few seconds could mean getting a beating or taking down your enemy.

Kerri said, “My god, she didn’t think it was that bad.” Nic told her not to forget Mother Superior. Sometimes, she was worse than the fight. I learned early to fight late at night or away from the orphanage. No one messed with me at school because I maintained the school’s computer system and the students’ and teachers’ laptops and tablets. That was what I was doing at the mortgage company when the event occurred.

When they arrived, Nic showed Kerri the video he had taken of the event, and she was shocked to see it. Kerri said Anna said the police were corrupt and on the mob’s payroll when she called. After seeing the video, they would have destroyed it and railroaded you to a conviction. Nic said he was waiting for a month and would send it anonymously to the Chicago news stations. Kerri said it’s a good idea to let things settle down and then create a shit storm, and they laughed.

Everyone got quiet when they entered and went to Kerri’s office. Pamula Kerri’s legal secretary told them Ronald had been suspended for a month without pay and would face a disciplinary action hearing when he returned. Pamula said he was walking like a bull rider as he left the office, and everyone laughed. When she left, Kerri asked Nic what he had read about the people in the office he had met. Nic said he only checked out a few.

Tammy looked at his crotch while talking to them, so her intentions were obvious. Ronald is sexually repressed because his wife divorced him, and women only want him for his money. David Kroft is having family issues, probably with a son or daughter. Pamula is happily married but wants a family, but her husband’s job prevents it. Kerri said Oh my god, you picked all that up from the brief encounters. You’re going with me for jury selection on Thursday.

At the end of the day, they went to David Kroft’s office, and he waved them inside. Inside was Robert Collins, the other named partner. David made introductions and asked Nic to explain how the fight took place. Nic told them about Ronald coming into Aunt Kerri’s office and demanding that she assist him with a late court filing or that she would suffer the consequences. She asked him to leave, and Ronald threatened her.

I asked him to leave or suffer a kick in the nuts. After learning my name, he called me Nicki and punched me in the jaw. I responded with a kick in the nuts and a punch in the jaw. Now, where I grew up, if you called a man a woman’s name, only one person would walk away. But being in an office with my aunt, I showed restraint, which allowed him to live for another day. It’s the ultimate disrespect to call a male a female. Ronnie deserved what he got and much more, causing the partners and Kerri to laugh.

Kerri told them that Nicholas was her nephew and had come to live with her. He’s 15, has graduated from high school, and is close to earning his bachelor’s degree in computer programming. I’m taking him to UCLA to enroll in online courses there, and he’ll occasionally help me with my cases. David asked Nicholas where he grew up, and Nic lied, saying South Dakota. His parents died in a car accident, and Aunt Kerri graciously took him into her humble house. David said Kerri’s house is hardly humble, and everyone laughed.

Robert told Nicholas his laptop was slow and asked him to check it out. Nic worked on it for ten minutes and returned it. Robert checked it and was amazed to find it like new. He asked what Nicholas did, and he said too many programs were running at startup and in the background, slowing the laptop down. The programs will still work while you access them, freeing up memory and computer resources. Robert thanked Nicholas for repairing his laptop, and the meeting ended.

On the way home, Kerri told Nic he had impressed the partners. That will go a long way with her status at the firm and Ronald’s demise. She said they may even offer you a part-time job maintaining the firm’s laptops and computer system. We’re paying a computer firm to come and repair the network once or twice a month. Nic said that’s because they make money from repairs, not from installing preventive programs. A proper firewall and antivirus program would reduce it to a few visits yearly.

While they ate, Kerri told Nic that her father had a gym in the basement and could use it anytime he wanted. Nicholas thanked her and said he would use it three or four times a week. Then Kerri opened her laptop and said she attended a driving school in Arizona. She opened their website and showed it to Nicholas. Radford Racing School offers the best instruction, and the introduction course takes two days. The advanced course takes two to three days, and when completed, you’ll be prepared for anything.

They finished dinner, and Nicholas told Kerri he was concerned about all the money she was spending on him. Kerri told Nic that she had plenty of funds, and he was paying her back by helping her at work. Taking care of Ronald lifted a huge weight off her shoulders. He sabotaged two of her cases, and she almost lost her job. She couldn’t report it, or the managing partners would think she was trying to shift blame. Now they will look deeply into Ronald’s actions and see what a virus he is at work. They ended their conversation and went to bed.

While Nicholas slept, he had a dream. He was in a hospital room watching Ronald talk to a doctor. The doctor told Ronald that, unfortunately, they couldn’t save his testicles. They were too damaged and had to be removed. But the good news was that his jaw only had a hairline fracture, so they didn’t have to wire his mouth shut. He needed to be careful and eat soft foods for a month, and he would be fine. When the doctor left, Nicholas could read Ronald’s mind.

He was worried the law firm would discover the missing money from his clients’ holding accounts. He also inflated his billable hours on his cases to pay alimony to his bitch ex-wife. Her attorney estimated his earnings, including his year-end bonus. That left little to pay for his apartment, car payment, and entertainment. His girlfriend spent money and cut off sex until he caved and bought what she wanted.

He was able to control everything while working, but now, because of Kerri’s nephew, he was screwed. Ronald reviewed his clients and thought of Rico Prado, a client he got off on a possession with intent to sell cocaine. He got off because the police conducted an unlawful search of his vehicle during a traffic stop. He had two kilos of cocaine in his gym bag in the trunk. Ronald needed his laptop at the office to contact Rico, and Nicholas’s dream ended.

Chapter 2

Nic woke up early the next morning and went to the basement. He was surprised to see weights, a speed bag, and a heavy bag in the corner. Nicholas practiced martial arts, returned to his room, showered, dressed, and went to the kitchen with his laptop. While they ate breakfast, Kerri asked Nic to come to work with her and review the evidence in her case. It was an embezzlement charge against her client, and she wanted his opinion of the investigation.

No one was there when they arrived at the office, and Nic excused himself to use the restroom. He then went to Ronald’s office, hacked his laptop, and planted a worm on the hard drive. It took less than five minutes, and he returned to Kerri’s office. She gave Nic the file and read the police report and the crime scene investigation. He asked Kerri why the detectives hadn’t inspected everyone’s computers and the company’s mainframe.

She asked why they would do that, and Nic said someone could have accessed the account remotely using your client’s login and password. All they have is your client accessing the account and withdrawing the funds to an offshore account. Anyone at the company could have done it if they had known his access codes. Also, at the time of the withdrawals, where was your client? There is no time for withdrawals or transfers, just the dates from their account to the offshore bank.

Kerri asked to see the file, and Nicholas pointed out the missing information. She said, “Holy shit,” and called the judge for an emergency hearing. Then she called her client and got his locations during the days of supposed withdrawals and transfers. Once she had the information, Kerri said, “We need to make a stop before going to court.” They left the office, went to the Beverly Center, and went to Brooks Brothers. Kerri explained their situation, and they fitted Nicholas with a suit, shirt, tie, belt, and dress shoes.

They left, promising to return to get the suit properly fitted. When they arrived in Judge Paul Burks’s chambers, he asked Ms. Kratos what was so urgent that she demanded an emergency hearing. Kerri presented her expert’s findings and said the investigation lacked sufficient evidence to prove that her client committed a crime. Judge Burks asked the prosecutor for the missing information, and he stuttered, saying it must have been an oversight. Judge Burks told the prosecutor the missing information had better be here within thirty minutes, or I’m dismissing the case with prejudice.

They took a break, and Kerri said that the prosecutor was in deep shit with the judge. How he answered the question raises doubt about the reason for the missing documentation. Thirty minutes later, they returned to the judge’s chambers, and the prosecutor said the documentation was missing. Judge Burks dismissed the case with prejudice and awarded damages and attorney’s fees to Kerri’s client. He also ordered her client rehired and paid back wages. Then Judge Burks told the prosecutor he was reporting his actions to the state bar.

When they arrived back at the law office, they were called into David Kroft’s office. David asked how she had gotten a ten-million-dollar embezzlement charge dismissed with prejudice. Kerri said her expert reviewed the file and found critical information missing. When the prosecutor stumbled in explaining the missing documents and could not produce them, the judge dismissed the charges, awarded damages and attorney’s fees, and returned the client’s job with back wages.

David asked Kerri who her expert was, and she laughed and pointed to Nicholas. David asked Nicholas how he had spotted the error in the discovery. Nic said he set up a mortgage company’s computer and accounting system. Every transaction is time and date-stamped to protect the company and client. There were the withdrawals and transfers dates, but no time was listed or the activity of the other computers in the office. So, anyone could have transferred the funds if they knew our clients’ codes.

David said, “That’s amazing. You spotted that with a cursory review.” He asked Nicholas to review our attorney’s hourly billing. Several clients have complained of excessive billing, and we need to identify a problem before a client sues us in federal court. If that happens, we’ll lose clients like the plague. Nicholas said he would be happy to check the billing system, and they returned to Kerri’s office.

When they settled, she said, “See, you’re providing valuable assistance to me and the firm. So, stop worrying about the small amount of money I’m spending helping you settle here.” Kerri went to work on another case, and Nic checked his cloud account. He had Ronald’s laptop files, and he started examining them. He found Ronald’s confidential client file and hacked into his laptop using his backdoor access. Nic deleted the file and then emptied the recycle bin.

Next, he discovered Ronald’s overbilling scheme and theft of client funds from their holding accounts. David Kroft was right that if this came to light, it would ruin the firm’s reputation. So Nic changed Ronald’s computer password and shut down his laptop. Then, he hacked into the law firm’s mainframe and copied the employees’ billing system. It was a better way of examining it without alerting anyone to the investigation. Nic spent the rest of the day studying it and making notes so he could begin programming.

At the end of the day, Kerri told Nicholas they were going to dinner to celebrate their court victory today. When they arrived at the restaurant, two young men opened their doors, and one drove away with her Range Rover. While walking inside, Nicholas asked Kerri if she wasn’t worried someone would steal her vehicle. She laughed and said it’s called valet parking, which is common here because parking is restricted. Nicholas observed the people in the restaurant and how they were dressed.

He felt out of place here, and Kerri sensed his discomfort, telling him to relax. She said he was dressed properly and to enjoy the meal. Nic told her that back in Chicago, the gangs would have a field day robbing these people, and they laughed. When the waiter arrived, Kerri asked the chief’s recommendation for this evening. He said the ribeye steak, and she ordered two for them. While they ate, Nic said this was his first steak dinner, which tasted fabulous.

It was then that Kerri realized how depraved Nicholas (Michael) had been raised in an orphanage and swore she would change that quickly. While they ate, Kerri told Nic that Ronald was her main competitor for partnership at the law firm. He closed more cases by settlement, but she had more trial experience and success. The firm looks at income generated, and settlements are more profitable than trials. Nic said yes, but it shortchanges the client and the firm to settle if they have a strong case.

Kerri said, “That’s it in a nutshell.” Ronald settles quickly and leaves money on the table. Lawyers get a reputation for how they litigate cases. So, if the opposing counsel knows you’re not going to trial, the offer to settle is ¼ of what it should be. The best settlements are at the start or during the trial when they see you’re willing to let the jury decide the damages. On the way home, Nicholas thanked Kerri for the excellent meal, and she said it was billed to the firm, and they laughed. Upon arriving home, they said goodnight and went to bed.

Nicholas woke up early the next morning and decided to teleport to the basement and try using the weight equipment. He hadn’t teleported in weeks, and Nic was in a darkroom when he did. He felt around the walls and found a light switch. By the structure, he was in the basement, but in a hidden room. There was a desk with an old monitor, a file cabinet, a double-wide safe, and gun racks holding rifles, handguns, and ammo.

It had to belong to Kerri’s father, and before he told her about it, Nic needed to discover what the computer, files, and safe contained. He didn’t want to expose her to anything that could harm her legal career. Kerri didn’t say how her parents died, but upon seeing this room, he suspected foul play. He checked the computer first, then the file cabinet, and realized her father was laundering money for the mob. Nic wondered how he had become involved in two money-laundering operations. It was just pure chance.

The bright side was that no one came after Kerri or the house, which was good news. He would have to discreetly investigate Kerri’s parents’ death and find out when it happened and the circumstances of their accident. Nic also needed to research safe cracking to open the safe, but he definitely couldn’t tell Kerri what he found. He found the exit/entrance, hidden behind the gym’s wood paneling. It was too late to exercise, so he teleported to his room, showered, dressed, and went to the kitchen with his suit and laptop.

On the way to the law office, Kerri said they would go to Brooks Brothers for lunch to have Nic’s suit tailored. Nic groaned, but Kerri laughed and said it wasn’t that bad. He said it wouldn’t be bad if they had women tailors, but men feeling him up gave him the creeps, and she laughed again. Nic said, “So you think that’s funny? Imagine Ronald fitting you for a dress.” Kerri said, “Oh my god, don’t make puke,” and they laughed.

Upon arrival at the office, Kerri worked on her case while Nicholas worked on the billing program. Nicholas listed the probabilities in percentages with a red flag when the billable hours exceeded his estimates. He listed all cases from the past year involving named partners, senior partners, junior partners, associates, legal secretaries, and interns. The red flags appeared for three junior partners. Ronald Slylar, Simon Wright, and John Harding. They all used associates and interns for case development and research. Their billable hours should have been minimal until the trial or settlement. Ron Sylar had the highest billable hours in the firm.

They went to Brooks Brothers at lunchtime, and Nicholas put on his suit. James marked it up for alteration, and Kerri said we needed two more, one dark gray and one deep blue. After they finished, Kerri said they needed two sports coats to match the black and brown dress slacks and ties. They left with the sports coats, shirts, and ties. Nic asked why he needed additional suits and coats. Kerri said it was for client meetings and court appearances.

After stopping at a deli for sandwiches, they returned to the office and ate lunch in Kelli’s office. She said that when coming to the office, always bring a coat and tie in case you are called to court or a client meeting. Otherwise, always wear a suit if you go to court or a preplanned meeting. Nic said she was asking a lot, and Kelli laughed. She told Nicholas that business casual is okay for the office, but courts and clients expect more professional attire.

Kelli went back to work, and Nic went to David Kroft’s office and asked his assistant if Mr. Kroft was busy. She made a call and told Nicholas to go inside. David asked what he needed, and Nicholas said he had completed the billing task. David asked how he finished it without his approval for the billing records. Nic said he hacked into the billing files, and you can fire me later. The reason was that someone there could be involved or pass the word on, and everyone would cover their tracks.

Nicholas explained his assumptions on billing, and David agreed. Nic said that based on those assumptions, three attorneys raised red flags. I’m not accusing anyone of wrongdoing, and an experienced independent litigator should examine my findings. However, the attorneys are Ronald Slylar, Simon Wright, and John Harding. Their billing hours are way excessive for using staff to perform the grunt work. Their hours should be low until trial prep, trial, and settlement conferences. Sometimes, their billable hours exceed the staff, which seems irregular.

David said, “My god, those three attorneys have clients complaining about their legal fees.” Nic said he’d advise a discrete independent review so the firm isn’t accused of a cover-up. There may be other issues, like making employees work overtime and not billing their time. Nicholas gave David a USB stick containing his findings, saying it covered only the past 12 months’ cases. Then he told David they needed to install a proper firewall and an antivirus program on their computer system. What they have isn’t worth shit, and they laughed.

David thanked Nicholas for his analysis and said he would receive a nice bonus for his excellent work. They shook hands goodbye, and Nic returned to Kerri’s office. Kerri asked Nic where he went, and he said to present my billing findings to Mr. Kroft. But don’t worry; I covered your ass, and they laughed. Kerri asked what he found, and Nic closed the door and said You must keep it confidential. No one can know, or we will be pariahs at the firm.

Kelli agreed, and Nic said he found three attorneys with suspicious billing. Mr. Kroft must hire an experienced litigator to investigate the cases and verify my findings. However, he said they were the same lawyers whose clients complained of excessive legal fees. Kerri was almost dancing and asked who, and Nic told her. She said, “Oh my God, there’s toast if it’s true.” The firm will have to reimburse the clients and fire the attorneys. Legally, they must report it to the state bar association for a disciplinary hearing.

At the end of the day, Kelli was called into Robert Collins’s office and told they were in a bind with one of Ronald’s cases. She had to be in court first thing tomorrow morning to defend Ronald’s client. Kelli said she would do it, but don’t expect miracles. She accepted the file and returned to her office. She said, “Let’s go home,” and they left the office. They stopped at Mamma Wong’s Chinese restaurant, and they got two dinners to go.

While they ate, Kelli said Ronald was still messing with me, and he was suspended. Robert assigned me one of his cases, and I’m due in court tomorrow morning. Kelli asked Nic if he would help her review the file after dinner. Nicholas said Sure, anything for my favorite Auntie and they laughed. Kelli read their client’s statement, and Nic reviewed the police report. Nic asked Kelli if she had the police report of drug dealing with a description of our client. Kelli said no and asked why. Nicholas told her the police report uses that as the reason they stopped and searched our client.

They reviewed the file again, and no report was found. Kelli said, “Let’s hope Judge Paul Burks is hearing the case,” and they laughed. She said this should have been dismissed at the arraignment. Ronald took this case to trial for a fee, and the client should have only paid an appearance fee. Kelli reminded Nicholas to wear a sports jacket and tie in the morning, and they said goodnight.

Nicholas had another dream or vision. This time, he watched Ronald exit a taxi at the law offices of Collins and Kroft. He followed Ronald into the building and used his key to enter. The roving guard saw the lights on in the law offices and entered with his weapon drawn. He confronted Ronald and told him to freeze. Ronald panicked, picked up a letter opener, and rushed the guard, trying to escape. Unfortunately, the guard was quicker and shot Robert in the shoulder. Nic watched the police and emergency personnel arrive and arrest Robert. Then his dream ended, and he drifted into a deep sleep.

Nicholas teleported to the basement gym and practiced martial arts on the heavy bag early Friday morning. When he finished, Nic returned to his room, showered, dressed, and went to the kitchen. Kelli met him, and they drove to the courthouse. They entered the court, and Nic watched as Kelli requested a sidebar with the judge and prosecutor. When they returned, the judge dismissed all charges due to an unlawful search and told the prosecutor to expunge all arrest records.

Their client, Jamie Fordham, was thrilled and thanked Kelli before hurrying out of the courthouse. Nicholas asked Kelli if she wore a cape under her suit, and they both chuckled. They stopped at McDonald’s drive-thru for breakfast on their way to the office. When they arrived, Tammy told them Ronald had broken into the office the previous night. The security guard caught him, and Ronald tried to stab the guard to escape. Unfortunately, the guard had his gun drawn and shot Ronald. So, he’s in the hospital jail section.

Kelli said she hoped Ronald made friends in the jail showers, and everyone laughed. While they ate a late breakfast, Kelli told Nicholas she had booked defensive driving training for him on Monday so they would fly to Phoenix, Arizona, on Sunday. It’s at Radford Racing School, and it’s a two-day course. Nic asked how he would get home, and Kelli said, “You’ll fly home commercial.” But they have an advanced course starting Wednesday, and you’re on the wait list. So, if you get in, I’ll pick you up Saturday morning.

Nic asked if it would be cheaper to fly commercial, and Kelli said yes, but she needs the airtime, and her schedule doesn’t allow much free time. After you arrive home on Saturday, your suits will be read at Brooks Brothers. Nic said, “Oh, great. I love to be touched by a man,” and Kelli laughed hard.

Kerri went to work on a case, and Nic researched Kerri’s parents’ death. They died in a vehicle accident. It happened on a mountain road, and authorities ruled that their vehicle failed to see the curve in the road, broke the guardrail, and fell 100 feet to their death. There were no skid marks, and the driving conditions were misty that morning. It was highly suspicious, given what he knew, but it happened five years ago. The article said Mr. Kratos owned an accounting firm in West Los Angeles.

Nicholas was curious and logged on to his cloud account. He opened Ronald’s files and searched some more. Ronald had a dark web login, and he copied the link. He needed this to get into the safe in the hidden room, but he couldn’t do it here. He would have to do it on a public WIFI, where it couldn’t be tied to him. Nic realized his mobility was limited now, but it would change after attending the defensive driving school and getting a used vehicle. Nobody walks in LA, and public transportation sucked.

He started programming a WIFI hacking program when Keri interrupted him, saying it was time for lunch. They walked a half block to a café, and Nic asked if she was sick. Kelli asked why, and he said we walked, and they laughed. While they ate, Nicholas asked Kerri if short skits were normal here. She said yes, they’re in style now. He wondered if going commando in style here, too. Kerri asked why, and Nic said the young woman at the table behind you is flashing her goodies.

Kerri discreetly looked and said, “Oh my god,” and they laughed. Nicholas asked if shaving was in style, too. Kerri giggled and said she wasn’t discussing female grooming with him. They finished lunch and returned to the office. Kelli resumed working, and Nic continued programming his WIFI hacker. When he completed it, Nic checked for nearby WIFI signals. There were 10, and he tested the hack on two, and it worked. Kerri said they were done for the day and left the office.

On the way home, Kerri stopped at an Italian restaurant for takeout. While they ate dinner, Kerri told Nicholas they were going used car shopping tomorrow. We’ll probably not buy anything, but we need an idea of what you like and a ballpark of the cost. Nic asked how he’ll be able to pay for a vehicle, and Kerri said, “A birdy told me you’re due a bonus, so don’t worry.” Besides, David told me they were considering hiring you part-time as the firm’s computer technician. They finished dinner, said goodnight, and went to bed.

After breakfast on Saturday morning, Kerri and Nicholas checked out the Ford dealer’s used cars. He liked the Bronco, but it was too boxy, and the Explorer was too big. They had a drawing for the Bronco Raptor, and Nic added his name. The next stop was the Chevy dealer, and Nic liked the Tahoe, but it was too big. They were having a drawing for a Colorado Trail Boss, so he filled out a ticket, and they went to the Dodge dealer. Nick saw nothing he liked and stopped at In-N-Out Burger for lunch.

While they were eating, Kerri told Nic to talk with the instructors at the racing school and get their suggestions on the vehicle he should buy. Nic said he would do that and couldn’t believe the cost of used cars. Kerri said the dealership would negotiate the price, but they would do it reluctantly. She said private party sales are better if you can find the one you want. We’ll look in the local newspaper and the LA Times next weekend and see if something interests you.

After lunch, Kerri said, “ Let’s go shopping.” Nicholas groaned, and she laughed. When they arrived at the Beverly Center, Kerri said they were only getting a few things. Famous last words, and he got new luggage, socks, underwear, sweats, and two pairs of swimming trunks-well, one pair of trunks and a Speedo. The sales lady said the board shorts are for the beach, and the Speedo is for pool swimming. Kelli and Sandi, the saleslady, had fun selecting the right size and style for Nicholas.

On the way home, Kelli said the one thing we haven’t talked about was sex. Nic said we covered that in sex-ed in school. I know the only thing girls and women want and will do anything to get it. Kelli was laughing so hard she had to pull the Range Rover over and park. When she recovered, she resumed driving, and Kelli told Nic her father said, That’s what boys would do. Nicholas said Probably, but females are more devious, and they laughed.

Upon arriving home, Nic took the purchases to his room and packed the new luggage with clothes for his defensive driving training. He included his fake ID and $10k in cash under his dresser. When he was done, he checked for WIFI signals with his laptop. Theirs was the strongest, but there were six with four bars in strength. Nic hacked into all six and saved them for future use. Then, using a neighbor’s WIFI, he accessed the dark web.

He was surprised it had everything he needed and plenty he wouldn’t ever use. He ordered three books on safe cracking and an amplified stethoscope. They were in Ronald’s order bin, and he’d complete the order when he returned from his trip. Kelli called that dinner was ready, so he shut off the laptop and went to the kitchen.

While they ate, Kerri asked if he was ready to go, and Nicholas said yes. She asked if he needed spending money, and Nic said no, he had enough for the trip. Kelli said, “When you return, we need to open a bank account for you.” That way, whatever pay you receive from the firm can be directly deposited into your account. It will also give you an ATM card to purchase things or get cash. When dinner ended, Kelli said we’d leave at 7 a.m. tomorrow, and they said goodnight.

When they arrived at Santa Monica Airport, Kelli showed Nicholas how to do the pre-flight check on the twin-engine Beechcraft Baron. After filing their flight plan and getting fuel, they took off for Phoenix, Arizona. They landed at Sky Harbor Airport, and Kelli rented a SUV. They drove to the Courtyard by Marriott in Chandler, Arizona. When they checked in, Kelli asked the desk clerk to keep an eye on her nephew. He’s sixteen and attending Radford Racing School.

Nicholas said she means to keep Horney females away so she doesn’t become a Great Auntie. Kelli and the desk clerk laughed hard, and when they recovered, they checked in and went to the suite. While he unpacked, Kelli told Nic that the shuttle bus leaves at 7 a.m., so be in the lobby by 6:40. If you’re late, it goes against your grade. She said three people failed the course in her class for being tardy. They didn’t take the course seriously and partied every night. Two more flunked because of low test scores.

Nic promised to kick out the females by midnight, and they laughed. Kelli told Nic to call every evening and let her know how he was doing. Nicholas promised he would, and they hugged goodbye. Kelli left for the airport, and Nic checked out the hotel. The gym was adequate, and the pool was Olympic-sized. He went to the front desk, picked up brochures about things to do close by, and returned to his room. He saw the Gala Resorts and Casino, and they had shuttle buses every hour from noon to 11 p.m.

He had never been to a casino, and that was definitely something to explore. Nic grabbed his cash and fake ID and went to the lobby. There was a shuttle waiting, so he boarded and took off for the casino. Nicholas was ID’d at the entrance, and his driver’s license passed inspection. He went to the restaurant and ate lunch. They had TVs showing how to play poker, blackjack, roulette, and craps. He studied the instruction videos and chose poker.

After lunch, he went to the poker table and bought $500 of chips. He lost a dozen hands learning the game, but read the other players’ minds and started winning. Nic stopped reading minds and played the game straight. By 6 p.m., he was tired, so he took his chips to the cashier. The clerk offered him to open a casino account. If planned to return, it would be easier and safer than carrying cash. So, Nicholas did, but got his $500 stake back in cash.

The shuttle van returned him to the Marriott, and he was surprised to make almost ten grand in that short time. He went to a diner across the street for dinner, then returned to his room. Nic hacked into the main WIFI, as the guest was restricted and slow. He checked out Rayford Racing School’s website and was excited about attending their classes. Nicholas shut off the laptop and went to bed.

Early Monday morning, Nic went to the hotel gym and worked out on the weight machine. Then he returned to the room, showered, dressed, and ate breakfast at the free hotel breakfast bar. The shuttle van arrived at 6:50 a.m. and got on board. They arrived at 7:15 and were shown to the classroom. Joel Carr, the lead instructor, welcomed everyone and gave a course overview and safety briefing. Then, they went to the simulators to test our driving skills.

Next, we went to the slalom course and drove a car between pylons. The first trip was slow, so we increased the speed. When everyone had completed the course, we returned to the classroom for accident-avoidance training. There was a test, then ground school teaching what to do and not to do when driving on city streets and freeways.

We took a lunch break and then returned to the classroom to review what was next. It was rack track training, and Joel told us to follow the instructor’s instructions. We were fitted with driving suits and helmets, and then each student practiced controlled car skids and corrections. Then there was oval track training, and we returned to the classroom to evaluate our performance.

The shuttle returned us to the hotel around 7 p.m., and Nic went to the diner, got dinner to go, and returned to his room. During dinner, he called Kelli and told her about the training he received and could hardly wait to try it in her Range Rover. She laughed and told Nicholas In your dreams. Kelli said he finished late, and Nic said yes because several students had trouble doing the track work. He said he would call again tomorrow night, and they said goodnight. Nic undressed and crashed.

When we arrived at school the next morning, several students were missing. Joel handed out tests, and when they were complete, they reviewed what they had done yesterday. Then we put on our racing suits and helmets and did high-speed braking. There was a brief review of our performance, and then it was on to Advanced Handling of the vehicle. When that was complete, we moved to the oval track and performed maneuvers at high speed.

After lunch, we had another classroom session and testing on the simulators. The instructors would create conditions, and we had to avoid them. When we were done, it was graduation time, and we received our diplomas. Joel pulled me aside and said I qualified for the advanced training, but a weather front was due, so it was canceled. He asked me if I could make it on Monday, and Nic said yes, hoping Kelli would approve.

When they arrived at the hotel, Nic called Kelli and told her he had passed the course. But a storm front is due, and the advance training is rescheduled for Monday. I qualified, and there is room for me to take the course, but it requires another trip. Kelli said it’s okay. Tell them to reserve your spot. I’ll book the first flight out tomorrow morning and pick you up at the airport. Nic said thank you, Auntie, and Kelli laughed and said goodbye.

Nic turned on the TV and watched the local news. He saw that the storm front was due midmorning, so he hoped to fly out before it arrived. Nicholas bypassed the casino, went to the diner, and ate dinner. Returning to the hotel, he confirmed what time the shuttle would leave for the airport, went to his room, packed his things, went to bed, and fell asleep.

Chapter 3

Nicholas arrived at Sky Harbor Airport just in time to catch his flight. He hoped his luggage made it onto the flight, which landed at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank at 7:15 a.m. Kelli met him at baggage claim, and, lucky for him, his bags arrived on the carousel. On the way to the law office, Kelli said she may have a solution to his vehicle problem. She said you were right about David Kroft having issues with a sibling.

His son, who is in his freshman year at college, just got his second DUI. His first offense was reduced to reckless driving, and he was on probation for a year. When he got the second DUI, the first was reinstated, and he lost his driving license until he was 21. David is so pissed that he’s selling his son’s Ford Bronco Raptor. It has 20,000 miles on it and is in excellent condition. It’s a 2024 model, and David asked me if we were interested in purchasing it.

Nicholas said yes upon inspection, and we can agree on a price. They are sky high, new and used, and hopefully, they aren’t worth more than 60% of the new. Kerri said David is taking it to the dealer and asking for its trade-in value. So, let’s wait and see what the dealer offers. When they arrived at the office, Nic asked Tammy if her babysitting came with tuck-ins. Tammy said, “Oh, yes, and kisses,” and everyone laughed.

Once settled in Kerri’s office, she said your early arrival worked out great. I’ve got jury selection tomorrow morning and could use your help. Nicholas said, “Sure,” and Kerri said, “Great.” We’ll go to Brooks Brothers at lunch and see if one of your suits is ready. Nic groaned, and Kerri laughed. She said it was an assault case, and research and trial preparation were done. The prosecutor is charging my client with aggravated assault, and it was a simple bar fight between two people.

The prosecution’s main witness was the instigator, so jury selection is key for our client to avoid jail time. Nic asked if the witness had prior convictions, and Kelli said the judge ruled them inadmissible. Nic asked, “What about a plea deal in a previous case for testifying? “Kelli said she didn’t consider that, but that would be admissible if true. Nicholas said that since your client hired you, he obviously has money, so is there damage to the bar? “

Kelli said, “Oh my god, that’s it.” Yes, the bar owner is claiming $30,000 in damages and loss of business. Nicholas said, “Well, there has to be some link between the prosecutor and the bar owner for them to go after your client. The bar should have insurance, so unless previous incidents risk the bar’s policy, there has to be a reason not to file a claim.” Kelli called Pamela into her office and asked her to find out who insures the bar and research police calls to the establishment. Also, subpoena the bar owner and notify the court and prosecution that they have been added to our witness list.

At lunchtime, they went to the Beverly Center and Brooks Brothers. His suits were ready, and Nicholas had to try on each suit. Kelli giggled as Charlie, the tailor, made sure everything fit correctly. They stopped at a deli for takeout and returned to the office. While they ate, Nicholas raised his soda and said, “ Here’s wishing your next suit fitting you have a bull dike seamstress.” They laughed, and Kelli said, “You were right, Charlie was a little handsy.” Nic said Handsy? Charlie knew the length and weight of everything, causing Kelli to spit out her drink.

David entered Kelli’s office and asked what was so funny. Kelli told him Nicholas had his final fitting for the suits we purchased. He complained that the tailor knew the length and weight of everything, and David laughed. He asked Nic why he didn’t kick him in the jewels. Nicholas said he was going to, but Charlie, the tailor, was excited, and any further stimulation might cause an accident. Kelli and David laughed so hard they had to grab something to keep from falling.

When they recovered, David gave Kelli the dealer’s offer for the Bronco Raptor. Kelli looked at it and said, “We’ll take it.” David said, “Great, I’ll bring it to the office tomorrow,” and left. Nicholas asked why she agreed to purchase it without seeing it first. Kelli showed Nic the dealer’s offer, and he said, “Holy shit, they saw David coming.” I bet the dealer was pissed David didn’t trade it in, and they laughed.

A few minutes later, David returned and said the network was down. He asked Nicholas to look at it. Nicholas agreed and asked where the computer room was located. David showed him, and fifteen minutes later, the system was running normally. Nic reported to David that the system was back online. He asked what the problem was, and Nicholas said several, but a cable was unplugged this time. Someone didn’t want to work, so they unplugged the mainline.

David told Nicholas to purchase a digital lock and install it on the door today. He gave Nicholas his Mercedes key and a credit card, telling him to buy whatever he needed but get receipts. Nic found David’s Mercedes by pressing the key fob. It was a Maybach GLS SUV, and he started it. Then, using the navigation system, entered Home Depot. Nic parked at the end of the lot, taking two spaces so the vehicle would not be damaged. He purchased a digital lock, a Dewalt combo kit, a bit combo kit, a chisel, and a hammer.

He returned to the office and installed the lock. When he was done, Nic entered the code several times to confirm it worked. After putting the tools inside, he locked the door and went to David’s office. Nicholas said it was done and gave David his key, credit card, and receipt. He said the tools are locked in the computer room and gave him the code. David thanked him and asked about the other problems.

Nic said a computer room is normally dust-free and cooler than the office. Yours isn’t, but it’s workable by cleaning the input and exhaust screens twice a month with a small vacuum. Another thing is a quality firewall and antivirus program. They aren’t that expensive and will save you time and money. The last thing is a backup system so that your data can be recovered if your mainframe dies. David told Nicholas to write him an estimate of the cost of labor and materials. Nic agreed, and he returned to Kerri’s office.

Kerri asked Nicholas where he went, and he said David asked him to run an errand in his Maybach GLS SUV. After driving the Maybach, he changed his mind about the Bronco, and they laughed. Kelli said she couldn’t believe David would let you drive his $180,000 Maybach. Nicholas said he handed me the key like a Ford or Chevy, so he wasn’t concerned about me damaging it. Kelli said, “Yeah, that’s because the firm is paying for it.”

On the way home, we stopped at Jose’s Mexican restaurant for takeout. While they ate, Kelli told Nicholas they would go directly to the courthouse in the morning. Jury selection should be done by lunchtime unless there are issues. Nic asked what issues, and Kelli said each side has 10 objections to jurors, so the selection will take longer if both use them. Also, there are issues before trial, like last-minute witnesses if the other side objects. They finished dinner, said goodnight, and went to bed.

Kerri and Nicholas entered the courtroom early Thursday morning, and Judge Paula Groves was hearing the case. Jarrett Spitzer was the prosecutor, and the court was called into session. Judge Groves asked if there was any last-minute business to attend to before jury selection. Jerrett said, “Yes, your honor, the prosecution objects to the last-minute addition of bar owner David King to the witness list.”

The judge looked at Kerri and asked her for her response. She said new information came to our attention yesterday, and we need David King to clarify some issues. Jerrett said we haven’t had the opportunity to depose the witnesses. Kerri responded that David King and Jerrett Spitzer are friends, and the prosecution failed to notify the court. The judge overruled Jerrett’s objection and asked if there was anything further. Kerri said, “Yes, your honor, we also want to call Jerret Spitzer to the witness stand.”

Jerrett raised his objection, and Judge Grove asked Kerri why. She said the prosecutor offered their star witness, Dwayne Jones, a plea deal on an open felony assault case so that he would testify in this case. The Judge asked Jerrett if that was true and said, “Yes, your honor.” But you already ruled that past offences weren’t admissible. Judge Grove said yes, but you hid the plea deal, so that offence is open for the defense to question. I’m also allowing the defense to call Jerrett Spitzer to the stand, but restricting questions to his relationship with David King and the plea deal.

Jerrett went off the deep end and called the judge a bitch, for sabotaging his case, and Judge Grove cited Jerrett with contempt of court. She dismissed the charges with prejudice and ordered the District Attorney’s office to reimburse Collins and Kroft their attorneys’ fees. Jerrett started cussing up a storm, throwing things, and threatening the judge. The bailiff tasered him and took Jerrett away in handcuffs. Reid Croft thanked Kerri and me, then asked when she would file the civil case.

Kerri said she would file it early next week, and they headed back to the law office. Nicholas said he was disappointed not having to wear a suit on Friday, and they laughed. They passed a Bank of America, and Kerri made a U-turn and parked in front. They went inside, opened his account, and received a temporary ATM card. When they arrived at the law office, David asked what had happened in court that morning. They’ve received dozens of calls congratulating you.

Nicholas said Auntie put on her cape and whipped the prosecutor’s ass, and everyone laughed. Kerri said they were doing pretrial motions, and she requested Jerrett Spitzer, the prosecutor, to take the witness stand during the trial. When Judge Paula Groves heard that Jerrett knew the bar owner and made a plea deal so his star witness would testify, she granted the motion. Jerrett went off the deep end and called the judge a bitch, cussed up a storm, and threw things.

She dismissed the case with prejudice and ordered the district attorney’s office to pay our lawyer’s fees. That further infuriated Jerrett, and the bailiff tasered him and took him away in handcuffs. I’m filing a civil lawsuit for our client, Reid Croft, next week. David said Jerrett Spitzer was the leading candidate to replace the retiring D.A. Now the city hall and mayor are trying to put a lid on the shit storm he created. David told Kelli Great job, and stop by my office to complete the paperwork on the Bronco and left.

Nicholas said, “Wow, my Auntie is a rock star. Can I have your autograph?” They laughed. She said that once I file the Civil Lawsuit, it will have everyone’s attention in city hall. They can’t afford to let it go to trial now that Jerrett has had his breakdown. Hopefully, I’ll get higher-profile cases from the firm and finally make a partner. Nic said if not, plenty of other firms will want you. Maybe you need to ride in the back of the Range Rover like that cable show, and Kelli laughed.

Kelli completed the paperwork on the Bronco and followed Nicholas home in the Range Rover. They checked out the Bronco Raptor, which looked like a new vehicle. David must have detailed it before taking it to the dealer for a trade-in. Kelli said they forgot to get dinner and took the keys to the Bronco. Nic said, “Don’t try to steal my ride,” and Kelli left laughing. When she returned, Kelli said the ride was like a truck but had good acceleration and handled well.

While they ate dinner, Kelli said she would set up an appointment at UCLA for your evaluation. Nic said he promised David he would present an estimate for repairs needed on their computer system. Kelli told him not to go cheap and put a high value on his labor. The service we were using charged us thousands of dollars every visit. Whatever you charge will be significantly more affordable than their bills, and your response will be quicker. When they finished dinner, they said goodnight and went to bed.

Nic teleported to the gym early Friday morning and practiced martial arts on the heavy bag. Returning to his room, he showered, dressed, and went to the kitchen. Kelli arrived with a box of books, and they took off for the office. On the way, she told Nicholas the books in the box were her books from law school. During his free time, he should study them so when he’s evaluated, he’ll know the law.

When they arrived, Nic carried the box into Kerri’s office and first prepared the proposal on the computer system for David Kroft. He hacked into the accounting system, saw what the other computer firm was charging per hour, and cut 20%. Nicholas drew up the proposal after estimating the hardware and labor costs. He would build a custom firewall and antivirus program using freeware as a starting point. Once the computer learned the law firm was canceling its service, he expected they would try something to get their company rehired.

The system needed to be both a defense and an offensive weapon. Once the proposal was finished, Nic started reading Kelli’s law school books. He was in a zone and was halfway through the box when Kelli said, “Let’s go to lunch.” They went to the café down the street, and while they ate, Kelli asked if he had found the law books interesting. Nic said no, it was mostly boring, and she laughed. She said studying law is boring, but applying it to a case becomes interesting.

When they returned to the office, Nic completed reading the box of books, printed the proposal, and took it to David’s office. David waved Nicholas inside and read the proposal. He then asked Nic several questions about the time frame for completing the project. Nicholas said it will be a week to ten days after he returns from his performance driving school next Thursday. However, the law firm shouldn’t cancel the tech company services until his work is complete.

David asked why, and Nic said the main reason is sabotage. They won’t be happy losing your lucrative business and may try to infect your computer system to force you to reestablish their services. I’m not claiming they will, but it’s known to happen, so better safe than sorry. No one should know the safeguards installed except you, Robert, and me. The same applies to the computer room access code. The more people know about the firm’s security measures, the less effective they are.

David agreed with Nicholas’ advice and gave the go-ahead to improve the firm’s computer security. He said he would find a suitable work area for Nicholas and a credit card for expenses. They shook hands goodbye, and Nic returned to Kelli’s office. She asked how the presentation went, and Nic said David approved it, and I’ll start after the performance driving school. Kelli told Nicholas to see Sharon in administration and get the paperwork for direct deposit.

He went to the administration department and asked for Sharon. She wondered what he needed, and Nicholas said Aunt Kelli said he needed a form for direct deposit. Sharon said they needed to set him up in the system first and asked for his full name, address, social security number, and job title. Nic said his job varies, but he is a security consultant. She asked what type of security, and Nic told her it could be personal for you. He asked how in-depth we should go, and Sharon laughed.

Sharon finished setting him up in the system and handed Nic the direct deposit form. She said, “I’m calling Kelli about you,” and Nicholas said, “Please do. Auntie loves hearing about me,” he left Sharon laughing. Returning to Kelli’s office, she was on the phone laughing, so he put the form on her desk and sat down. When she finished the call, Kelli said that it was Sharon. She said you made inappropriate comments to her. Nic asked if she enjoyed them, and they laughed.

Then, they saw an older man with an entourage pass Kelli’s office. She wondered who they were, and then she got a call asking her to go to David’s office. Nicholas said he’d warm up the Range Rover for the getaway, and they laughed. Kelli left, and Nic anonymously emailed the video of the murder at the mortgage company in Chicago to all the news stations. He used a Hotmail account he’d set up. Nic was sure one of the Chicago news stations would report it, but with the corruption, who knows?

Kelli returned excited and said the older man was her client, Reid Croft’s father. Henry Croft is the CEO of Croft Industries, and he congratulated her on winning his son’s case. Mr. Croft asked her to nail those crooked bastards at city hall to the wall in the civil case. He said she succeeded, Collins and Kroft would get all Croft Industries criminal and civil litigation. When they left, David said Croft Industries’ business could bring millions of dollars to the firm.

Nicholas asked if she was dreaming of a Mersades Maybach, and they laughed. Then Kelli said she would have to spend the weekend working on the civil suit. So, he would have to fly commercial to Arizona for the driving course. Nic said that’s okay; he can somehow manage on his own while she goes for the brass ring. Kelli laughed and said, “Oh, you poor baby, I’ll make it up to you,” causing more laughter.

On the way home, they stopped for Italian takeout. Nicholas watched for vacant houses for sale and saw two, remembering the addresses. While they ate, Kelli said she would prepay his airfare and hotel so he wouldn’t have any expenses except food. Nic asked about getting to the airport and home. Kelli said she would take him to the airport on Sunday. But depending on what happens next week, he may have to order a Lyft ride home. They finished dinner, then said goodnight and went to bed.

Early Saturday morning, Nicholas teleported outside the house and walked to the two vacant houses he saw. He peered in the windows and verified that they were vacant. He also checked the garages to be sure and noted where to request the deliveries to be made. Nicholas was ready to walk home, but he tried teleporting instead. He was shocked; he was home and had never attempted teleporting that far before. Returning to his room, Nic turned on his laptop and went online.

He checked the freeware available for firewalls and antivirus programs. He chose the best suited for alteration and began programming the firewall first. Nic was in a zone until Kelli called to say breakfast was ready. Nicholas saved his work, shut off the laptop, and went to the kitchen. While eating, Kelli said she needed to go to the office to research the civil lawsuit. She asked Nic if he could help, and he agreed to go.

When they arrived, Kerri said they needed to find evidence tying the police, the prosecutor, or someone at city hall together on the case. Nic asked why there was no police report for the Rusty Nail Bar fight. Kelli said that it was strange because two detectives had investigated it. Nic let Kelli do her work and hacked into LAPD records. He searched for cases involving Dwayne Jones and found six. He copies them, then exits the LAPD database and prints the cases.

Nic read the police reports and found four involving LAPD detectives Darrel Hodge and Tony Dowd. They also worked on the case involving Reid Croft. Their report stated that Reid was guilty of starting the fight with Dwayne Jones. Nic told Kelli he found a link, but she would have to get files and records legally on Monday. “Don’t ask how I got it, and I won’t have to lie to you,” she laughed. Kelli viewed the police reports and said this was the link.

Kelli gathered everything she needed, and they headed home. On the way, they stopped at an In-N-Out Burger Drive-Thru for lunch. While they ate, Kelli said she and Pamela would get the court and police records simultaneously so there couldn’t be a cover-up. If Jarrett Spitzer were the prosecutor on all the cases, then that’s all she needed to file the lawsuit. Kelli went to work preparing the civil lawsuit, and Nicholas went to his room.

He continued programming the firewall and finished it when Kelli called him for dinner. Nic saved his work, shut off the laptop, and went to the kitchen. While they ate, Kelli showed Nicholas how to download the Lyft app from Google. Then, she entered her credit card information as payment and scheduled his ride to the airport on Sunday morning. Kelli told Nic to order a Lyft ride when he lands coming home. They usually take under thirty minutes to arrive. When they finished dinner, they said goodnight and went to bed.

Jarrett Spitzer, the prosecutor on Kelli’s case, wasn’t having a good weekend. He was jailed for contempt of court and put in the general population. One of the men he convicted recognized him and beat the shit out of Jarrett. Word spread fast, and even when he was put in protective custody, threats were made. Then he took a shower, and four inmates jumped Jarrett and left him unconscious on the shower floor, bleeding. He was rushed to the hospital and underwent emergency surgery.

Early Sunday morning, Nicholas packed his bag, including his fake ID and $10k in cash. He met his driver at the curb. Traffic was light, and they made good time going to Burbank Airport. The flight departed on time and landed at Sky Harbor Airport around 9 a.m. Nic took a shuttle to the Marriott Hotel, checked in, and settled into his room. At 11 a.m., he took a shuttle to the Gala casino and got lunch. On the way to the poker tables, he saw a raffle for a Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide in black. The bike looked slick and mean, so I bought 10 tickets for $25 each.

Nicholas looked at the poker table, and it was full. The pit boss told him he could get a spot at the high rollers’ table, and he agreed. He bought in with $5,000 cash and lost for the first hour. He got an advance from his account and started winning. He cashed out at 6 p.m. and took his chips to the cashier. Nic was surprised he won almost $50k. He deposited his winnings minus $5,000 cash into his casino account, and while leaving the casino, they posted the winners for the raffle.

Nic was shocked to see that he had won the Harley-Davidson motorcycle. He asked how he could get it, and the person working the table told him the requirements. He had to present his driver’s license, pay tax, title, and license it before he could pick it up at the dealer in Chandler. Grif asked for the address and hours the dealership was open. They were open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nic thanked the lady and took the shuttle van back to the Marriott hotel.

He ate dinner at the diner across the street and planned to pick up his motorcycle after class on Monday. He hoped to have enough cash to pay for everything and would get it from his casino account if he was short. He’d bet Kelli would freak out seeing him arrive on the Harley. After dinner, he returned to his room and called home. When Kelli answered, Nic said he had arrived and was settled in his room. Kelli asked him to call her cell phone tomorrow night because she might work late. Nic said he would and said goodnight.

Chapter 4

Nicholas woke up early Monday morning, went to the hotel gym, and worked out on the weight machine. Returning to his room, he showered, dressed, and ate breakfast at the breakfast bar. At 6:45 a.m., he boarded the shuttle bus, and they went to Radford Racing School. Joel, the lead instructor, welcomed everyone to the course. Then, they had a safety briefing and the rules of the training sessions. The instructors were always right, and failure to follow instructions would result in dismissal.

They were given a driving knowledge test and fitted with racing suits and helmets. Then, in a van, they toured the different race tracks. Next was ground school, and then they were trained to throttle and steer. If not done correctly, this caused the vehicle to spin out of control.

After lunch, they did slalom racing, first at slow speed and then at highway speed. Moving the vehicle quickly at 50 mph can cause issues, and it did for several students. Paddle shifting was next, and they ended the day with individual performance evaluations with an instructor. Joel warned everyone that it would go against their grade if they were late, and training ended at 4 p.m.

When the shuttle bus arrived at the hotel, Nicholas took a taxi to Chandler Harley Davidson Motorcycles. Thomas checked his ID, and they filled out the paperwork. Nic had paid over $6k in taxes, title, and registration. They offered insurance, so Nicholas purchased it for a year. Then the safety gear and he another grand. Thomas was happy when Nic left the dealership and returned to the hotel. He put the cover on the Harley and locked it.

Nicholas ate dinner at the diner, then went to his room and called Kelli on her cell phone. She was still at work, but said they got the police reports and court records. They backed up our thoughts, and the police and prosecutor were fixing cases. So, I’m finalizing the lawsuit and drafting letters to preserve emails, phone records, and files. Nic said, “You go and get them, girl,” and Kelli laughed. Nicholas told her he’ll call again tomorrow night, and they said goodnight. Nic undressed and crashed.

Tuesday was a repeat in the morning, except that a few people were missing. They reviewed what they had learned yesterday, then put on the racing suits and helmets. First were accident-avoidance drills. That was an intense exercise and very beneficial. Then they moved to handling drills on the oval track and took a lunch break.

After lunch, we did a heel-to-toe downshifting exercise and another handling drill on the larger elevated oval track before moving on to skid control exercises. We finished the day on the track doing ABS breaking exercises. We returned to the classroom and were individually evaluated on our performance by our instructors. Joal reminded everyone to be on time tomorrow, and class was excused.

The shuttle van arrived at the hotel after 4 p.m., and Nicholas put on his helmet and rode around Chandler, getting experience riding the Harley. He rode the freeway, highways, and surface streets. After almost two hours, Nic stopped for fuel and returned to the hotel. He put on the Harley cover, locked it, and went to the diner for dinner. While eating, he thought about how to get his luggage home and decided to call the airline.

After dinner, he returned to the hotel and called the airline. They would ship his luggage and hold it at Burbank Airport for up to a week. The cost wasn’t cheap, but it was less than shipping it via UPS or FedEx. Nic called Kelli on her cell phone, and she was leaving the office. She said the lawsuit was filed, and the letters were sent by courier with a signature required. Nic told her about his training, and then they said goodnight. Nic stripped and fell asleep.

The last day of class began with an introduction to the road course. Then, a lead-and-follow exercise followed by an instruction ride-along on the road course. The final exercise was an open-track session by ourselves for time on the road track. At the end was graduation, and the training was over before noon. The shuttle van returned us to the hotel, and Nic rushed to pack.

He took the airport shuttle, shipped his luggage, and returned to the Marriott. Then, Nicholas got on his Harley and started his ride home. He figured it would take around seven hours, and hopefully, he’d miss the rush hour traffic. With stops for fuel, food, and rest, he pulled into the driveway at 8 p.m. Kelli rushed outside, and Nic said, “Hey, baby, want some excitement? Hop on,” and they laughed.

She asked how he got the Harley, and Nicholas said he took a shuttle van to see the Gala Resort and Casino. They were having a raffle and he bought ten tickets. One was the winner, so what do you think? Kelli said it looks sleek and mean, but be careful. It’s dangerous riding a motorcycle in L.A. Nic said he knows and planned to stay off the freeways and stick to surface streets.

They went inside. Kelli asked where his luggage was, and Nic said it was at Burbank Airport, waiting for him. He’ll pick it up in the morning. Nic asked about her day. Kelli laughed and said it was busy answering irate phone calls. Judging by their response, settlement offers should begin shortly. Kelli told Nicholas to pick up his luggage at lunchtime and avoid the rush-hour traffic. Nic agreed, and they said goodnight and went to their rooms. Nic finished his order on the dark web and fell asleep.

Nic teleported to the gym early Thursday morning and practiced martial arts on the heavy bag. It felt good to hit something after the layoff from driver training. Returning to his room, he showered, dressed, and went to the kitchen. Kelli said, “Let’s take one vehicle, and I’ll drive you to the airport. We’ll have a long lunch, and no one will complain after the long hours I’ve put in.” Nicholas agreed, and they headed to the law office.

When they arrived, David asked Nicholas about the advanced driver training. Nic said it was great, and he learned a lot. If you have some free time, I can show you some tricks in your SUV. David laughed and said he’d take a rain check. He gave Nicholas a charge card and told him to be sure to turn in the receipts, and he left. They entered Kelli’s office, and Nic ordered a backup drive from Newegg and charged it to the credit card. Then he double-checked the firewall program and corrected several errors.

Then he started changing the freeware antivirus program and was in a programming zone. Kelli brought him out, saying it was lunchtime, and Nic saved his work. On the way to the airport, she told Nicholas his fingers were flying across the keyboard while he was programming. He said he wasn’t paying attention to how fast he was typing. Kelli told him to program privately, or you’ll attract unwanted attention. Nic agreed, and they arrived at the airport.

They got his luggage from the airport and stopped at a deli for takeout on returning to the office. While they ate lunch, Kelli said she set up his evaluation at UCLA on Monday morning. Her friend Mia Sanders would meet him at 8 a.m. in the administration building reception. Nic asked what she looked like so he would recognize her. Kelli said you’ll meet her this weekend at her place in Manhattan Beach. Mia invited us for lunch on Saturday.

Nic asked what type of swimwear you or I were wearing. Kelli laughed and said, “We’re going for lunch, not to sunbathe. So, shorts and a T-shirt will do for you.” Nic said he doesn’t have shorts and T-shirts other than underwear. Kelli said, “Great, we’ll go shopping tomorrow at lunch,” and Nic groaned, causing her to laugh. They finished lunch and resumed working on her lawsuit, and Nic continued programming the new antivirus program.

An hour later, Nicholas finished the antivirus program, went to the computer room, and installed the firewall and antivirus onto the mainframe. Then, he ran a virus scan and found 76 viruses. Nic inoculated them and then deleted them. He repeated the scan, and the system was clean. Then, he ordered 1 TB of cloud storage and put it on the firm’s credit card. The final step was scheduling the backup, and he set it up for every 24 hours.

When he returned to Kerri’s office, she asked where he had gone. Nic said to check the computer mainframe and ask Tammy if she had toys for bathtime. Kerri laughed and asked if he really did that. Nic said no, but he was thinking about it. She said Don’t do it because you’re sending the wrong message, so leave it alone. Nicholas asked Kerri if she had bathtime toys, and she laughed and said it was none of his business.

Kelli stopped at a Mexican restaurant for takeout on the way home. Nic noticed a black sedan following them, but didn’t tell Kelli. When they turned into their neighborhood, the sedan took off. Nicholas remembered the license plate and expected them to be followed again. During dinner, Kerri told Nicholas to gather his dry cleaning, and they would drop it off on the way to work. They finished dinner, said goodnight, and went to bed.

Nicholas teleported to the vacant house early Friday morning and retrieved his package. He opened it in the alleyway, threw away the box and packaging, and returned home. He put the safe-cracking books and amplified stethoscope in the hidden room. Nic returned to his room, showered, dressed, and went to the kitchen. After breakfast, they went to the law office and entered Kelli’s office.

She worked on her civil case, and Nic searched online for a freeware encryption program. He found a 128-bit one that looked good and started altering it. Nic was in a zone programming when Tammy called Kelli and said a LAPD detective wanted to see her. Nicholas told Kerri to wait, and I’ll go with you and record the event. They went to the lobby, and the detective said Listen bitch drop the civil suit or your life won’t be worth shit.

Kerri said Sorry, detective, but my client demands justice. The detective grabbed Kelli’s coat, lifted her, and said I’m going to kill you and threw her to the floor. Nic said Try that with me, asshole and he rushed Nicholas. He kicked the detective in the balls, lifting him two feet off the floor. Then Nic punched him with an uppercut, coming down, and the detective landed on the ground with a thud. Tammy called 911, and soon there was a sea of police and emergency personnel.

It turned out the LAPD detective was Darrel Hodge, and he was arrested for aggravated assault and making terrorist threats. His partner was arrested in their unmarked car in front of the law office. Beverly Hills PD took a copy of the video, and finally, the lobby cleared. Kelli told Nicholas they needed to get to court to get an emergency restraining order. Upon arrival, a judge viewed the video and gave Kelli and Nicholas a restraining order against the LAPD.

Nicholas told Kerri it was all right to bypass shopping due to the circumstances. Kelli said no, and they went to the Beverly Center. He got three pairs of shorts, three polo shirts, and a pair of sandals. Before leaving, they stopped and got two pairs of sunglasses and lunch at the food court. While eating, Nicholas asked Kerri how her ass was, and he could give it a massage if necessary. She laughed, said it was fine, and he wasn’t touching it, causing more laughter.

After lunch, they returned to the law office, and David asked what had happened this morning. Kelli told him one of the detectives involved in the civil case showed up and asked for me. So, I went to the lobby with Nicholas, who recorded the meeting on his phone. Kelli told David about what happened and how Nicholas ended the threat. David asked to see the video and said, “Oh my god.” He asked for a copy and said he would call the LAPD police chief.

David left, and Kelli resumed working on the civil case. Nic resumed programming, and at the end of the day, he finished the 512-bit encryption program. David came into Kelli’s office and said there was a settlement conference at City Hall at 9 a.m. Monday morning. He told Kelli to contact Reid Croft and his father, Henry, and have them available to discuss an offer. David said he was going too, but she would handle the negotiations. He would be there to show how serious the matter was and offer assistance if needed.

Leaving the office, Tammy said the Rams called and want you to try out. Nic said it wouldn’t work out because his specialty is kicking two balls, and everyone laughed. On the way, Nicholas said he won’t be able to attend because of the UCLA thing. Kerri said he shouldn’t be there. There could be news media and all the other assholes in the city government. Besides, if you show up, questions would be raised about who you are and why you’re there.

Nic said, “OK, he’ll suffer alone with Mia at UCLA,” and they laughed. They stopped, got Chinese takeout, and arrived home. During dinner, Kelli told Nic they would leave around 9 a.m. for Manhattan Beach. Mia is selling some of her old boyfriend’s things that he left at her house. I agreed to help with the garage sale for a few hours. Nic asked if he was supposed to cruise the beach looking at the sights. Kelli laughed and said No, you’re helping too. They finished dinner, said goodnight, and went to bed.

Nic teleported to the basement gym and practiced martial arts on the heavy bag. Returning to his room, he showered, dressed, and read the three safe-cracking books he bought on the dark web. They were interesting to read and told him where and how to open digital and manual dial safes. He would try to open Kelli’s dad’s safe tomorrow morning and went to the kitchen.

After breakfast, they drove to Mia’s house in Manhattan Beach. Upon arriving, Mia hugged Kelli and said, “It’s good to see you again.” Nic said, “Hello. I’m Antonio, Ms. Kelli’s boy toy,” and everyone laughed. Kelli said the comedian was my nephew Nicholas, who had shaken Mia’s hand. Nic looked at the items for sale and asked how much for the desktop computer. Mia said $200, and he said I’ll give you $200 for the computer, printer, and monitor. Mia said sold, and Nic paid her and put the items in the Range Rover. He saw two boxes of books and asked the price. Mia said $50, and Nicholas asked if there were vintage Playboy magazines at the bottom, and everyone laughed. They settled on $20, and he loaded the boxes in the vehicle.

Several girls walked by in bikinis, and Nic told Kelli they had to visit Mia more often. Everyone laughed, and after 30 minutes of no activity, they moved the tables into the garage. Mia said the prime time for selling was in the morning. By noon, there was no parking, and the customers stopped shopping. After cleaning everything, they went inside and sat at the kitchen table.

During lunch, Mia asked Nicholas questions about his education and hobbies. After lunch, she gave him a test and was shocked that he finished it in 20 minutes. Mia graded it and looked at Kelli, shaking her head. She asked Kelli if she knew Nicholas’ IQ, and Kelli said no, but he reads a lot and is a quick learner. Mia said they will have more testing on Monday and possibly Tuesday. Kelli said that’s fine, but Nicholas doesn’t want to be a poster boy for the university.

What he does on his tests remains confidential and will be used only for his university acceptance. I know how greedy bastards exploit gifted students for their own benefit, and it’s not happening. So, assure me he won’t be exploited, or we’ll forget about the visit. Mia assured Kelli that the testing would remain confidential. She gave Nic a packet with a temporary parking pass for his vehicle. It also included a map of the university, where he should park, and the location of the administration building.

On the way home, Kelli told Nic to leave immediately if he sensed problems. Mia will keep her word, but others may catch wind of what she’s doing. If someone asks your name, make one up and leave before more conversation can take place. When they arrived home, Nic carried his purchases to his room and set up the computer. He turned it on and found Mia’s boyfriend had left his files on the computer. He was a stockbroker and had his login and passwords for the various services he used, including the brokerage he worked at.

That was a serious error on his part. Nic copied the hard drive to his cloud account and fine-tuned the computer. He updated the BIOS, Windows, and the rest of the programs. Then, he deleted the crap programs and fixed the startup program. The last thing he did was install his firewall and antivirus program. The computer ran like a new machine and was perfect for his programming. Then, he went through one box of textbooks, which were heavy in finance and economics. Kelli said dinner was ready, so he shut off the computer and went to the kitchen.

While they ate, Kelli said the firm has a Dodger suite that it offers to clients, partners, and select associates. Someone’s plans changed, and I’ve been offered the suite for tomorrow’s game. She asked Nicholas if he’d been to a baseball game before. He said yes once, and they sat in the left field bleachers and cooked in the sun. Kelli laughed and said the suite is air-conditioned with amenities. She said it’s a 1 p.m. game, so we’ll leave at 11 a.m. They finished dinner, said goodnight, and went to bed.

Nic teleported to the hidden room in the basement early Sunday morning. He used the amplified stephanoscope on the safe and turned the combination dial slowly to the left. When he heard a click, Nic turned right and then left. The process was slow, but it worked, and he was surprised when he opened the safe. On the left side were stacks of gold bars at the bottom. Bundles of cash were on two shelves, and gold and silver coins were on the third shelf.

The right side of the double-wide safe contained Kelli’s dad’s antique western gun collection. Whatever her dad was into, he made good money at it, skimmed it, or stole it. Nicholas closed and locked the safe and then returned to his room. He showered and double-checked the 512-bit encryption programming. After correcting several programming errors, Nic added it to his firewall and antivirus programs. Next, he began programming tracking and attack bots. They would help track, identify, and control the intruder’s computer.

Nicholas was in a zone programming and almost finished the bot program when Kelli interrupted his thoughts, telling him breakfast was ready. He saved his work and went to the kitchen. During breakfast, Kelli told Nic to wear jeans, a polo shirt, and tennis shoes to the ballpark. She also told him to wear sunglasses, and they would get him a ball cap there. Kelli explained that during commercial breaks and innings, the cameras scan the suites looking for celebrities.

Those images are shown on the Jumbotron and sometimes on the broadcast, so wear sunglasses and a baseball cap to disguise your appearance. Nic said, “I’m not supposed to pick my nose or grab my crotch when it happens.” Kelli laughed and said that wouldn’t be a good idea. When they finished, Kelli told Nic they would leave in an hour, and he returned to his room.