My brother actually laughed at dinner and said, ‘I sold that useless laptop of yours for five hundred bucks. Finally got rid of your junk.’ My cousins cheered him on. Then he added, almost proudly, ‘Already handed it off to the buyer.’ I got up, stepped outside, and called my supervisor. By the time I made the report, the FBI cyber team was already tracking the device…
Outside, the night air felt raw and wet. The driveway still held the day’s heat, but wind had picked up, carrying the smell of cut grass, gasoline, and someone’s woodsmoke from down the block. I walked to my car because I needed walls around me, even if they were only thin metal ones.
