The eighth of thirteen creepy tales of murder and mayhem on Friday the 13th…
Flies on the Wall by Jon Minton
Fun Fact:
In the story, the villain uses technology to spy on and manipulate the lives of his coworkers. I wish I could say this was some speculative work of horrors yet to come, but I didn’t have to look far for inspiration.
The FBI has seen a rise in technology-based fraud – https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams
When researching the book I was shocked that the FBI reported close to $956 million in 2021 related to just romance scams – https://www.fbi.gov/…/inside-the-fbi-romance-scams…/view
In 2018, a new law established the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency – https://www.cisa.gov
If that’s as terrifying to you as it is to me, check out my horrifying techno-thriller.
Find Jon’s Friday the 13th story here…
Blurb
Rosalind Clark works for Panoptic Finance, an industry leader who takes its motto, “We see the big picture,” very seriously. They utilize cutting-edge technology to keep the money flowing and their investors happy.
Rosalind is driven and successful, but her focus on work and a new promotion are causing friction in her marriage. Things get complicated when she runs into James, an old friend, and unintended sparks fly.
Bill is a senior member of the company’s cybersecurity division. The company sent people to work from home during COVID-19 and implemented spyware to keep their employees on task. It caused technical issues and elevated the risk of ransomware attacks. In response, Bill’s team received remote access to company devices, everything from phones to company cars.
Bill discovers Rosalind’s affair because she’s using her work phone to keep her secret from her husband. What starts as voyeurism turns into manipulation of Rosalind’s life. How far will Bill’s obsession go?
Excerpt:
Bill poured scotch into a tumbler and used mini tongs to drop in a single ice sphere. He grabbed his drink and a Charcuterie board and headed to the living room. He placed the board on the coffee table, next to his laptop, sat in his leather recliner, then hit the button on the side to pop his feet up.
The laptop played a hacked feed from Rosalind and Craig’s home security cameras. Rosalind used her private cell for personal calls except for the affair, but she installed personal apps on her work phone. Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp. The gem was when Bill found the app for her home’s camera system, HD color cameras in every room of the house, and four external.
“Stream to the living room.”
The laptop obeyed, and his TV played a mirror of the stream. There wasn’t any audio, which was a bummer, but Rosalind wasn’t home anyway. He let the motion capture auto-switch cameras as Craig moved through the house, eventually stopping in the kitchen as he fixed dinner.
The camera feed split, showing an external camera as Rosalind’s car pulled into the drive. Bill’s heartbeat quickened. The love triangle had been heating up over the last few days, and Bill thought this was the day she would talk to Craig. Maybe not confess to the affair, but at least begin the initial divorce talks.
Bill pushed the footrest down and leaned over to use his laptop. He accessed the audio on Rosalind’s work phone, surprised at how clear it was.
God bless technology and the geniuses that gifted us with it.
About the Author:
Jon Minton is an American speculative fiction writer based in Oklahoma City. He is a software developer but has always been passionate about a great story.
He reads and writes everything from horror to historical, but his primary genres are science-fiction and fantasy. A few of his favorite authors include Stephen King, Anne Rice, James S.A. Corey, N.K. Jemisin, and George R.R. Martin.
He is the vice president of the Central Region Oklahoma Writers.
*** Find all the stories here: https://linktr.ee/fridaythe13thstories
Author Alicia Dean 