Dangerous Data

"Benjamin Kensworth..." I said aloud as I studied the data that I've seen before, "Twenty years old, born in Connecticut on January seventh, Capricorn..."

He was sandy blond, blue eyed and gorgeous, to say the least. If he wasn't so after my head I would be head over heels in love with the guy. I was blonde too, but I had dark, brown eyes that I hated. I really didn't want to look at this man anymore. After all, he wanted me dead. Who wants someone gone like that? Like I've said it before, but never meant it. I think we all have. I felt dizzy. I needed air.

I almost collapsed down the stairs as I stumbled outside to the backyard. I took in a big breath of air; practically gasping for it. Did I forget to breathe on my way out? After a minute or two I went to lean on the short, chain-link fence to look at the neighbor's beautiful garden. They just moved in. I never saw them though. My mother has said he was a good looking man around my age. I remember just saying, "Whatever" and going back to my fan fiction. Turned around at my hideous backyard, however, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Well, well, well. We finally meet, Dakota," a masculine voice spoke and made me nearly jump ten feet...figuratively of course. I immedately turned around and fell on my ass.

"Ben-Benjamin?" I scooted away from the fence, he was my neighbor?! Holy fuck!

He pulled out a pistol with a silencer and pointed it at me, "Just calling me Ben would make this a lot quicker, Sweetheart." I looked around and was flabbergasted that no one was here to witness this. He snickered at my futile attempt to get help, "Try to get help, you're dead." There was a moment of just my life flashing before my eyes then he spoke again, "Give me one good reason why I should let you live."

"Uh...Uh...." I stammered.

"Out with it!" Ben shouted.

"Um, because this thing called murder charges and a guilty conscience and CSI and I'm a good person?" I smiled halfheartedly.

Ben glared at me with the 'I'm not amused' look, but he put down his gun surprisingly. Did he not think of those things or what, I wondered. "Into my house, now." He then raised his gun back up at me. Well that was short lived, I thought.

"You want me to jump your fence?" I asked nervously. I can't jump fences because let's just say I'm not too athletic. He nodded with a stern face whlie adjusting his grasp on the pistol. I climbed onto the short fence and struggled to climb over it. I stumbled and fell onto the ground with a thud and he just stood there and I think I heard him chuckle a little.

I then got up and dusted myself off and gave him the 'you happy?' look. He just replied, "Follow me." I followed him into the large, luxury house that happened to be next to our shack of a home. He placed the gun onto the kitchen counter, too far away from my reach. Ben then leaned on the counter and gestured me to sit on a stool where I now resided on.

"Why didn't you just kill me?" I asked bluntly.

"You were right." Ben coolly replied.

"For once in my life I am." I shook my head and laughed.

"I still want you dead, just not here." He glared at me, which cut off my laughter.

"Ah, but why? We just met and you want me gone." I cocked my head in wonderment at this attractive weirdo.

Ben sighed looked away and then locked eyes with me, "The homeless man, do you know who he is?"

"No...but he looked fimiliar..." I admitted quietly. I know I shouldn't have given any information to the enemy, but he seemed to be onto something bigger for some reason.

"That was my father. He wants us both to die." Ben confessed with heavy eyes. My eyes widened at the statement. That would explain some things, but also leave me with a new set of questions. Funny how things did that.

"So..." I began not really knowing where I was going with my sentence, "you....you....want me dead before I can kill you right?"

"In a sense." He shrugged and walked past me.

"Then why tell me?" I asked as I turned to face him, "Seems like for a Harvard grad, you lack some common sense."

Ben stopped in his tracks, obviously ticked that I said that with his tone of voice, "Well, I just wanted it to be fun. That's all."

Fun? This guy is sadistic as all hell! "Sadist much?" I remarked.

"For a drop out, I'm surprised you even know what that word means." Ben smirked.

I noticed a heavy glass bottle next to me out of the corner of my eye and I grabbed it by the neck. Might as well end it now, but get him before he can grab the gun. Before I could pick it up and swing, however, he grabbed my arm with the bottle still on the table and yanked me to him. The bottle fell to the floor and hit the ground with a clang. The glass was too heavy to break or even crack. "Let-Let go of me!" I shouted, like that'll work.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." He shook his head with me still close to his warm body, "You're the one talking about murder charges and here you are trying to bash my head in! Pitiful!"

I glared up at him and squirmed in an attempt to release myself, "Just why does your father want us killed?"

That caused him to let go, surprisingly but thankfully. Benjamin then began to walk into the nearby living room, "Follow me." I stood there for a moment, contemplating if I should grab the gun still on the counter. He then turned mid-stride and said, "Don't even think about touching my pistol, Sweetheart. Now follow me."

As I reluctantly went after him into the living room, I noticed how luxurious it was. It was huge to say the least. Two large L shaped sofas, separated by an enormous glass coffee table filled the center of the room. I turned my head to the left and there were exotic plants of every color of the rainbow, "Orchids?" I had to ask. Orchids were my favorite type of flower; I didn't care if I was becoming Cody or not, I loved orchids. Before I knew it, I found myself forgetting why I was in the living room and walking to the beautiful flowers that he obviously took well care of.

The sound of Ben chuckling had pulled me out of my trance, "Well...the blog was right...."

"Blog?" I thought aloud, "My private blog?" I then turned around, "How do you know about that? No one has ever read it."

"Oh, Sweetheart." He had gotten a little too close for comfort towards me, "Nothing on the Internet is private, that's Internet 101...." He then caressed my face with his hands, "But then again....you dropped out before college, didn't you?"

Now he was just being an ass, I had to respond by punching him in the gut...so I did. He doubled over and I ran for it....or tried to. Man, does he recover quick! Ben snatched my arm and firmly held it as he stood back up and regained his composure. All I could do was stand there with my eyes firmly shut awaiting being punched or slapped or something of the sort. However, nothing happened. So I began still with my eyes in flinching mode, "You never answered my question...."

"Yes they are orchids." He dumbly replied to the wrong question on purpose with me still in his hard grip.

"What?" I sneered, "No! I meant the other thing!"

"What other thing?" Okay now he was just playing dumb.

"Let me go and I'll explain," two can play at this game, asshole. I hid a smirk.

"Fine," he had a childish tone as he let me go and let me sit on one of the L shaped couches. He oddly sat next to me, "You want to know about why he wants us both killed, right?"

He didn't even let me explain...I guess he was tired of his own games. "Yeah..." I replied quietly, "Wouldn't you if you were in my position?"

He nodded. Wow, I never seen any side profile photos of Ben and and holy matrimony he's gorgeous! I was knocked out of my stare once again by his voice, "It's because we're hackers, to be frank with you, Dakota."

"He wants our heads because of that? But---

"Let me finish." His tone had gotten more serious, "I've hacked into some great things....some great, illegal things....and I've...I've...." he trailed off.

"And you've...what?" I leaned closer to him even though we were already close to one another. I just needed to know why I was involved.

"I threw you under the bus, Dakota. I said that you've helped me."

My eyes widened as far as they could go as I sank into the couch. I was gonna be killed because some asshole didn't want to die alone. Why? Why me? Why now? Just why?

My eyes grew heavy as I sat up on the couch, I felt numb as I said it, "Give me the gun. I'll end myself now and get it over with." There was no other way, I thought. No other way out of this mess.

"Wh-What?" Ben stammered, "But what about your family?"

I didn't even look at him or at anything for that matter. I stared ahead into nothing as I spoke in a monotone way, "Fuck them; they didn't care much anyway. When I dropped out, my father cut me off. I don't even talk to him anymore. Just give me the gun, Ben."

"There has to be something...."

"You gave me the problem, so I gave you the solution. Give me the gun." I ignored the hot tears forming at my eyes.

"Isn't there anything you're alive for?!" Ben shouted angrily, "I don't understand!"

I finally turned to face him and let the tears fall and sobbed, "Why do you care?! You had your life cut out for you Mr. Harvard! Mr. Rich Boy! Look at this house! Look at you! Why would you throw me under the bus anyway?! I suck at everything! The only things I do are write stories about people that don't exist and sometimes I hack computers!" I lowered my head and wailed as I did the 'ugly cry' as they call it. I didn't care anymore. I really didn't.

"Your stories are intriguing, though." He began slowly as he rubbed my left shoulder, "I've read all of them, whether I knew what they were about or not. They've conveyed snippets of your life here and there. I've really enjoyed that about them."

I lifted up my head, was he just saying that? But how would he know that was the case if he didn't read them? "You...You read all of them...?" I hiccuped.

"Yes...I have...." his voice was much more gentle, more...compassionate, "I had to learn about my competition before I met her."

Ouch, competition? Did Ben stil think we were out to kill each other? I guess so, "Just how much do you know about me?"

"Everything you don't want me to know."

My eyes widened and I chuckled, "Oh...that's not creepy or anything..."

He laughed back, "Well murder is not all rainbows and butterflies, my dear."

Ouch again! Just what's with this guy, anyway? "Do...Do we really have to kill each other?"

"Well it's either that or we stage a coup against the United States government....I think this way is much more logical."

"Okay, Spock." I laughed dryly. Then it went silent as I thought about it. No, it's impossible...

"You're seriously not thinking of doing that.....are you?" Ben turned his head partly.

"You've hacked into some illegal things before, right?"

"Yeah, but..." he stopped, "No, no, no...we're not fighting the system!"

"Why? 'Cause you were nursed by it your whole life? We're gonna die anyway!" I slapped his shoulder to get him pumped.

He sighed loudly and thought about it. At least, that's what he looked like he was doing. He stared into nothing and I just gazed into him. "I guess....I guess we have no other options but to choose life."

"Great." I finally smiled as I stood up, "Well I try to convince my mother to stay the night with you. I--

"My name's Kevin," Ben remained seated.

"What?"

"She knows me by Kevin. If I used my real name things would've gotten ugly. So, don't be surprised if she says 'Kevin'."

I walked up to his house phone, shocked he still had one, "May I use this?"

"Sure." He then got up and went into the kitchen.

I dialed my mother's cell into the phone and felt like I was in the olden days. She picked up, "Hello, who is this?"

"Hey, it's Dakota. I'm at the neighbor's house."

"Oh Dakota, I was wondering where you were. You're at Kevin's?"

Ben didn't lie to me...that's a start, "Uh, yeah Mom. Is it okay if I stay the night?" I smelt potatoes being cooked in th kitchen; they smelled really good.

"Dakota, you're nineteen! I think you can decide for yourself, no? Thanks for letting me know, though."

"Okay, Mom. I gotta go. Thanks for picking up."

"Okay, Sweetie. Goodbye."

"Bye."

I hung up the phone and then walked into the kitchen. The aroma of potatoes, my favorite food, filled the air. It's like this Ben knew everything about me! Oh yeah, he does...right. I forgot. But why is he catering to me? "Vegan, right?" he said as he was sauteing the vegetables.

"Yeah how did you---

"Blog."

"Oh."

"Yeah." He went quiet for a moment and then spoke, "Have a seat." I noticed the gun was missing off the counter as I sat down on the same stool as I sat on last time. Ben cooked for another couple minutes as the only sound between us was diced potatoes frying. He then put them on a plate and served them to me, "Here you go, enjoy." He smiled at me for the first time. Boy, did he have a cute smile. I smiled halfheartedly back and began to eat. He then sat on the stool next to me and watched me eat for a minute, which kind of freaked me out. He then turned away his body towards the white kitchen and spoke, "So we have to hack into the infrastructure of the government and make them our bitch essentially."

I swallowed my food and put my fork down, "And just how are we gonna do that, Ben?"

He shook his head and sighed, "For once in my life, I don't know."

My nostrils flared as I resumed eating, I was nearly done with my food and my patience.