After our hacker girls sleepover in Zurich, Chelsea took her things and left for the airport while Vivian stayed back to get me setup in my apartment, which no longer felt like my apartment. Perhaps it’s bashing my head in at an Italian hotel or maybe just a hunch but this apartment no longer felt like the place to be.
Vivian makes an appointment for a local Swiss doctor for next week while we try to figure out where my missing laptop could be
Vivian: Think Ella, do you remember where your laptop was?
Ella: Yes, it was on the desk thing in our hotel room
Vivian: Okay, so then certainly the hotel got it maybe they set it aside in an important hide away spot
We both look at each other knowing this is false hope and try to give it a go. Vivian calls Gianni from the Italian hotel
Gianni: Hello Ms. Vivian and how are things in Switzerland?
Vivian: they are going pretty good, Ella can talk more now which is a good and bad
Gianni: put her on the phone, I want to her that angels voice
Vivian switches her cell phone to speaker and I speak with Gianni in voice that is not yet mine
Gianni: Bella Ms. Taylor! How are you?
Ella: ciao, va bene, ma manca qualcosa
Gianni: What?! Como?
Ella: Oh sorry, I think I know Italian now from my coma. I am missing my computer laptop, can you look to see if its there?
Gianni: It was not in your bag Ms. Taylor?
Ella: No
Gianni: Oh, that is weird. We should not have anything else of yours here. I can check while on my shift. Do you like your hat?!?
Ella: bellissimo grazie amor
Gianni: Ok I call you back when I know something
Offput to where my laptop is, I need something to work from. Vivian offers to grab a spare laptop from her university lab later in the day. Meanwhile my mind is set to go back to Los Hellas so we start to prepare for what we can even if its in two weeks
Vivian: like I said I am busy with university studying and exams so tomorrow I need to leave and get back on that. If it works I can visit you after.
Ella: that’s fine
Stealing Candy from a Baby
Back in Los Hellas Mary Poros who has Ella’s laptop with her at her Los Hellas office gets intel from her employees
worker #1: So we disabled all tracking and most apps however we are able to get replica copies of Ms. Taylors emails to the device in the meantime
Mary Poros: Excellent, good work gentleman. Anything interesting?
worker #1: So far not much, not much data on it either. She did book a plane ticket for Los Hellas for in two weeks
worker #2: 10 days to be exact
Mary Poros: WHAT?!?!?
worker #1: it appears that Ms. Taylor is headed back for Los Hellas. We don’t know why though and there’s not communication about that
Mary Poros: This little slippery bitch. I hope she comes here, will make taking her out on local soil easier
The men await further instructions stoically and emotionally disconnected from the whole situation which is probably what they are paid to do.
Mary Poros: okay, let her come here. Don’t trail her or do anything weird… at first.. just let her get in and settled. Then we plot
Both workers nod in confirmation and leave the office of Mary Poros. She’s not pleased.
Welcome Committee
As the days get nearer and I seem medically approved to travel to Los Hellas. I feel more impatient than scared. I’m ready. Each day I gain more strength mentally and physically as I recover from my hospital stay in Italy caused from a romantic weekend that turned out to be not so romantic at all.
I call my hidden savior, Chibuzo who is on a month long vacation in Africa
Ella: Chi, how is it going?
Chibuzo: Ms. Ella? How are you? Are you sick? Why are you talking weird?
Ella: it’s a long story. What’s up with you?
Chibuzo: Africa was great. I think every second cousin I know asked me for money, I ate my weight in delightful food and I think the heat is off me for leaking those files so I am ready to go back to Los Hellas next week. And you?
Ella: me too
Chibuzo: me too, what?
Ella: me too. I am packing up and heading to Los Hellas later this month
<Chibuzo mumbles African sayings>
Chibuzo: Okay I am sorry my dear English is not my first language. You what?
Ella: I’m coming back to Los Hellas. Look. I need something else for you? Can you help me find an apartment?
Chibuzo: the lord is testing me right now. I heard you say you are moving back
Ella: CHIBUZO don’t make me waste my words!
Chibuzo: Ok ok. This is crazy but I learned with you when you have a plan you have a plan. I have a Airbnb in Los Hellas and a guest is checking out in a few days. Once they are out I will stop listing it and it can be your apartment would that work?
Ella: Your ancestors have blessed you
Chibuzo: you are crazy girl. Okay let me fly back in a week or so I will set it all up. When are you coming?
Ella: 10 days
<Chibuzo mumbles more African sayings>
Chibuzo: you know my dear never a dull moment with you. I take care of it. Send your flight so I can give you an African welcome and pick you up
Ella: Sure thing. Thank you Chi!
Chibuzo is both shocked and also knows this simple request will end up being complicated, but he loves Ella and believes in the right thing.
Turning a Side Eye
Back in Europe, while working at the hotel Gianni looks into where Ella’s laptop could be only to learn that while Ella was in the hospital, and a coma, some American men came to the hotel and took her laptop, amongst others things. He gives Ella a call:
Gianni: Ciao Ms. Taylor I have good news and weird news for you
Ella: Ok
Gianni: So apparently the day after you were admitted to the hospital, a group of American men arrived at the hotel and demanded to see your things. I was not working, unfortunately a new junior employee was who did not know better and he allowed them to sort through your stuff.
They also requested to management to delete any videos of you and your partner, um, Mr. Nicolas Castis, checking in or being together
Ella: Excuse me, what?
Gianni: I know. This is weird and the hotel did it, they were probably bribed something BUT….
They did not ask to delete the videos of themselves. So I have video and pictures of who the guys were that took your laptop. From what we can tell its the only thing they look from your belongings
Ella: Can you send me?
Gianni: it would be my pleasure. I will text the pictures of the men to you and Ms. Vivian. I’m sorry that is not much help, but maybe its a crumb of something to help you?
Ella: I guess so
Gianni: Anything else? Any new and exciting boyfriends I should know about?
Ella: omg. Stop Gianni. I have enough male drama… not you of course
Gianni: My pleasure. I text you now. Text me back what else you need, kisses to you darling.
Gianni texts me the pictures of the men who took my laptop but I do not recognize them from anything. I message Vivian to bring me a laptop the next day and decide not to tell her the reason why.
Meanwhile back in Los Hellas Mary Poros summons by phone her servant and fake techie supporter, Amy Huang to start an offensive:
Mary Poros: Hi Amy, you have an upcoming media interview tomorrow right?
Amy: Yes I do. Did you want me to talk about the city initiative?
Mary Poros: No actually, that’s whatever. When you go on TV can you start talking more about how Ella Taylor is insane or dumb or something?
Amy: What do you mean?
Mary Poros: Well, we have reason to believe that Ella is on her way back to Los Hellas
Amy: Huh? Why?
Mary Poros: I don’t know why dumb people are dumb. Seems likely though and given that the last thing we need is her coming forward with random data, could you, you know… start ruining her credibility locally?
Amy: I mean I can. She is competition for me in the tech world, in the political world though I don’t see her as a threat?
Mary Poros: I know kiddo, I know. Thing is she has quite the following and she can be a threat to you by simply telling her followers to not vote for you so there’s that
Amy: Oh
Mary Poros: and the last thing you want is anyone getting into your way of winning the next local election this year, right?
Amy: I mean yeah. Is she really that much of a threat? I already blasted her online a few times
Mary Poros: a few more nukes wouldn’t hurt. I know I would appreciate that and can make sure your campaign gets a few more dollars thrown your way. Can you do it?
Amy: Call out Ella as dumb somehow during my next media interview?
Mary Poros: something like that. Check your campaign account tomorrow, I can make it worthwhile. Not under my name of course, that would be over the campaign donation limits…
Amy: Sure. Can do. Anything else? I’m busy non-stop with local campaign activities. I have to do a stupid school opening tomorrow
Mary Poros: thats it for now. Remember poor people can’t afford to run for office
Amy: Alrighty Mary, noted
The next day Vivian brings me a laptop I can use, I still debate on telling my laptop was stolen and by Americans no less. Vivian is already in deep enough for someone her age and after all she’s just a data scientist. With Chibuzo lining up an apartment for me, my health improving and I start to pack up I realize it’s now things are only slightly longer than a week before I enter the matrix of Los Hellas.
I call Chelsea just to check in:
Ella: Hey girly, how’s Los Hellas
Chelsea: Dude, what the fuck. My office was raided this morning! They asked the weirdest questions.
They checked our servers, asked for backup drives. They said they think “proprietary IP” was being hosted here. I think its related to you
Ella: Are you sure?
Chelsea: Kinda dude. Anyway nothing is here. We threw that burner phone into the ocean behind Taco Bell like a year ago and all I do here is actual work so… clean as a whistle
Ella: what kinds of things did they ask?
Chelsea: nothing too precise as usual - although they questioned the hell about me being in Zurich and who I met with there etc etc but luckily there was that actually dev conference so they couldn’t get me for once. I think someone is watching you or looking for something
Ella: no shit sherlock. I’m sorry about your office though
Chelsea: it’s all good. Do you want me to pick you up at the airport? You good with that?
Ella: I’m good, Chibuzo is going to get me and he got me a place to stay too so I won’t need your couch as appealing as that is.
Chelsea: you know you miss it
Ella: alright I gotta run chica. If I can do anything just say so
Chelsea: for sure. byeeeee
As I hung up the phone from Chelsea I started to feel more so that ever caught between two worlds. I was not really feeling so European anymore and yet afraid of how my transition with Los Hellas would go.
With my laptop missing I was also not feeling so much at ease either.
What exactly of mine was being watched or tracked?