FADE IN:
INT. OFFICE – DAY
An empty, open-plan office decorated in modern millennial gray, the logo for Hi-Hai painted on the wall behind the reception desk.
TILDA (30s) sits at this desk typing random letters while trying to eavesdrop on JORDYNNE (20s) who is talking animatedly on the phone in the glass corner office.
TILDA
OMG! Look at me! I’m Jordynne with a ‘y’ and two ‘n’s. I’m so clever and perfect! Sun shines out my ass!
Jordynne catches Tilda’s eye, smiles, and gives a thumbs up through the glass wall. Tilda returns the gesture with a fake smile.
Jordynne hangs up and comes out of the office with her matching coat and handbag.
JORDYNNE
OMG. Michael loved our work!
TILDA
(under her breath)
My work.
JORDYNNE
I’m going to get an acai bowl from next door. You want to come?
TILDA
No thanks, I’m all set.
She holds up a brown paper lunch sack.
JORDYNNE
Perf! You can stay and man the phones. What would I do without you, Tilly?
Jordynne leaves out the door. We hear her heels clicking down the hall and then the elevator ding.
Tilda unwraps her pb&j and is just biting into it when the phone rings. She looks at it, then her sandwich, then reluctantly sets down her sandwich and picks up the phone.
TILDA
Hi-Hai Language Solutions, this is Tilda. How may I help you?
A smooth AI VOICE answers.
VOICE
Matilda Raymundo.
TILDA
Yes? And this is…?
VOICE
We know what you’re doing, you clever girl.
TILDA
Sorry?
VOICE
Don’t worry, Matilda, we won’t tell anyone about your little code patch. But in exchange we would like you to do something for us.
TILDA
Who is this?!
VOICE
Your supervisor just left for lunch. It’s work from home Friday, and you’re alone in the office. Do this for us now, and we won’t tell your boss what you’ve been up to with the foreign currency exchanges.
TILDA
Are you watching me?
VOICE
In the outer pocket of your backpack is a flash drive.
Tilda reaches down into her backpack and pulls out a nondescript royal blue flash drive, stunned.
TILDA
How did you-
VOICE
Go into Ms. Hollis’ office and log in to her computer. We know you know the password, you sneaky girl. Put the drive into her computer and click ‘run’ in the pop-up window. It should take 20 minutes. When it’s finished, log out and put the flash drive in your lunch bag. When you leave work at 5:30, go for your walk around the park as usual. When you pass the trashcans by the charging station, drop the paper bag in the paper recycling bin. Finish your lap and then get into your car and leave immediately. Do you understand?
TILDA
This is creepy. I’m calling the police.
VOICE
Are you sure you want to get the police involved, Matilda? If you do this for us, we won’t tell your boss or the police about your secret skimming project. Do you understand?
TILDA
What’s on the flash drive?
VOICE
You don’t need to worry about that, Matilda, but the clock is ticking. Do we have a deal?
TILDA
What proof do you have?
VOICE
Matilda, this little favor we’re asking won’t cost you anything at all. But if you don’t do as we say, you could lose everything. Is it really worth it to question us?
TILDA
Fine. I’ll do it.
VOICE
Thank you.
There is a click as the call ends.
Tilda looks at the clock and then walks into the glass office with the drive. She logs in, plugs in the drive, hesitates for a second, but then starts running the program. A green percentage bar shows up on the screen.
As the numbers steadily climb, Tilda goes back to retrieve her sandwich and eats it while watching the screen.
Finally the bar shows 100% and Tilda grabs the drive and logs out hastily. We hear the elevator ding in the hall.
She is about to leave when she notices jelly residue on the CTRL key. We can hear Jordynne’s heels clicking again, getting closer.
TILDA
Shit. Shit.
She licks her thumb and wipes the jelly off, then hurries out of the office back to her desk.
Jordynne walks in with a to-go bag.
TILDA
(Too loud)
Hi! Hi-Hai acai…bowl.
JORDYNNE
(startled and confused)
Hi? Any calls?
TILDA
Nope! Nopey dopey. How about you? Any calls? I mean. Nope!
She laughs awkwardly.
JORDYNNE
I’m going back to my office now.
Jordynne steps away and Tilda sighs. She looks at the flash drive and notices for the first time a butterfly symbol etched into it. She shoves it into her paper bag.
EXT. – PARK- DAY
Tilda is walking through a city park. She keeps a quick pace and keeps peeking over her shoulders. She looks at everyone she passes with suspicion – a young woman pushing a toddler in a stroller, an old man with a cane, a jogger, a dog-walker.
She reaches a recycling bin and shoves the paper bag in there, then takes off walking again.
She arrives at her car, unlocks it, gets in, and slams the lock shut.
She exhales and looks at her phone – a message from Mika reads: See you tonight, sexy! ;*
She smiles and starts the car.
INT. – LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
MIKA (30s) and Tilda are sitting on the floor at the coffee table, eating from takeout containers.
MIKA
And you have no idea who it was or how they knew so much about you?
TILDA
(shaking her head)
Or how they even got into my backpack.
The hint of relief passes across Mika’s face, before she wipes it with one of concern.
TILDA
That’s what freaks me out the most. That they could get so close to me. I feel violated. The same as when my neighbor started stalking me back in Houston.
Mika looks alarmed and pained and maybe a bit guilty at this.
MIKA
Did anyone bump into you at the park? Or maybe they snuck it in while you were in the bathroom in a cafe?
TILDA
Maybe.
MIKA
I’m going to make you a drink.
Mika places her hand on Tilda’s shoulder and slides it down her arm to her hand.
MIKA
And then I’m going to make you forget all about flash drives.
They smile at each other and share a kiss. Their kiss grows more passionate and the reach for each other.
TILDA
Let’s forget about the drinks.
Tilda stands, and holds her hand out for Mika. Mika takes it and stands as well. They kiss as they walk toward the bedroom.
In her enthusiasm, Tilda bumps into an end table, knocking Mika’s purse to the floor. Pens, lip balm, tampons, and other items scatter across the carpet.
TILDA
Oh, shit, I’m sorry.
Tilda turns to begin to pick up the mess.
MIKA
Leave it.
She begins to draw Tilda in for another kiss, but something catches Tilda’s eye – a royal blue flash drive. She picks it up and flips it over to see a butterfly symbol etched there.
TILDA
Mika?
Mika looks terrified.
MIKA
Baby, it’s not what it looks like.
TILDA
What the fuck does it look like? Why was this in your purse?
Tilda begins to back away. Mika holds her hands out in a conciliatory manner.
TILDA
Who are you? Have you been – what? – spying on me?
She gasps.
TILDA
Have you been playing me
MIKA
No, baby! I care about you I would never hurt you!
TILDA
But you would blackmail me?
MIKA
It’s not like that. Let me explain.
TILDA
You’d better explain. What is on this flash drive? And why did you threaten me about our secret project? It was your idea!
MIKA
It wasn’t me on the phone. It was my boss.
TILDA
Darren? From the driving instruction agency? Why would he want to ruin my life?
MIKA
They would never tell anyone! They were just bluffing!
TILDA
They? Who the fuck is they?
Mika exhales deeply and looks Tilda in the eyes.
MIKA
I work for an organization.
Tilda finally stops backing up and stares at Mika.
TILDA
An organization?
Mika runs both hands through her hair.
MIKA
You weren’t supposed to find out, but I’ll tell you. We’re called Mariposa. It’s a kind of collective. People with different… skills come together and try to bring about change by exposing the rich and powerful. I help them out sometimes.
TILDA
By teaching teenagers how to drive?
MIKA
That’s just cover. But yeah, it’s a good one. Makes surveillance easy. Different cars every day. And then when they found out I was dating you, they asked if I could help with this mission.
TILDA
Mission?
MIKA
Jordynne, your boss? She’s dating a really sleazy guy. A politician. Chaz Hamish. He mismanaged the funds for wildfire relief efforts a few years back. My superiors suspect he took advantage of the tragedy to line his own pockets, but they need proof. And so far, your connection to Jordynne was the closest we’ve been able to get. The flash drive has mirroring malware on it. We were hoping to find something incriminating within social media or email correspondence.
TILDA
This is a lot.
MIKA
I’m so sorry, baby! I never meant to scare you. I didn’t think how it might be triggering for you. I was just trying to make the world a better place.
She looks down, dejected.
TILDA
Why didn’t you just ask me to help?
Mika looks up.
MIKA
What?
TILDA
If this guy is as horrible as you say, why didn’t you just ask me to help you?
Mika stutters.
TILDA
Plus, I’m not sure you’ll get much off of Jordynne’s work computer. You’d do better to infect her phone. It would take some finesse, but I sure I could get access to her phone somehow.
MIKA
You want to help?
TILDA
Why not? You’re not the only one who wants to save the world. Besides, you know how much I hate Jordynne.
They smile at each other.
MIKA
Okay. I’ll introduce you to my boss.
Begin montage.
— It’s night in an empty parking lot. Tilda and Mika step out of a car and walk towards MIKA’S BOSS, a shadowy figure in a trench coat. Tilda and Vanessa shake hands.
— Tilda and Mika and Mika’s boss sit in a dark corner of a dive bar, discussing plans, writing in a notebook.
— Tilda sits at her desk in the office, typing code. When Jordynne walks by she smiles at her and compliments her outfit.
INT. – LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
Tilda sits on the couch typing on her laptop. Mika brings her a glass of wine and joins her on the couch.
Tilda gives a final keystroke with a flourish.
TILDA
I think that’s it.
MIKA
You finished?
TILDA
Yeah. It’s ready to go.
MIKA
Tomorrow, then?
TILDA
Yeah, tomorrow.
MIKA
Cheers to that.
They clink their wine glasses together.
INT. – OFFICE- DAY
Tilda is at her desk. She’s watching Jordynne through the glass of her office.
She pulls up a QR code onto her phone and takes a deep breath.
She walks to Jordynne’s office.
TILDA
Hey girl!
JORDYNNE
Hey!
TILDA
I was just wondering if you could help me out and do a quick test of our new QR codes for me? Do you have your phone? I just want to make sure they work before I update our site.
Tilda holds up the QR code on her phone.
JORDYNNE
Sure thing! Just a sec.
She gets out her phone and scans the code. She receives an error message on her phone. She turns it around to show Tilda.
JORDYNNE
Uh oh! Someone’s got more work to do!
TILDA
Oh darn. I guess I messed up something. Let me go fix that!
She backs out of the office. When she turns around, she smiles. She pops a quick text to Mika: We’re in.
INT. – BEDROOM- DAY
Tilda is in bed asleep. Her phone buzzes and dings. She squirms and grabs her phone. She reads it sleepily.
Mika walks in with two coffee mugs. She hands one to Tilda and gets back in bed.
MIKA
Good morning, sexy.
TILDA
Good morning indeed.
Tilda grabs the remote and turns on the T.V.
On the screen, we can see footage of Chaz Hamish being led out of a building by police.
NEWS ANCHOR
Early this morning, State Senator Chaz Hamish was arrested on 32 charges of corruption including conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud, money laundering, and filing false tax returns.
Tilda and Mika cheer.
TILDA
We did it!
MIKA
You did it.
They kiss.
The screen changes to show Jordynne being escorted by police.
TILDA
Is that?
NEWS ANCHOR
Hamish and his companion may be facing additional felony charges for possession of narcotics, which were found in his home during the course of the arrest.
Tilda’s phone dings again. She checks it.
NEWS ANCHOR
The charges and arrests may have upset Hamish’s plans to run for Senate in the next election, as Republican party leaders are beginning to withdraw their support.
TILDA
I think I just got promoted.
MIKA
It’s about damn time.
They clink mugs and take sips.
MIKA
What are you going to do about our secret project?
TILDA
I already nixed it.
MIKA
And the money?
TILDA
Donated to disaster relief.
Mika kisses her cheek. Tilda turns to her.
TILDA
So. Who next?
FADE OUT.
THE END
Lores Denison wrote her first book about a family of kittens when she was 8 years old. Since then she has been published in Pensworth and Deep Overstock literary journals. When she’s not writing in a cafe, she can usually be found traipsing about the woods somewhere.