Sarah Who?

The sound of gunfire echoed through the empty streets as Sarah darted between abandoned cars. her heart pounding in her chest. She had been on the run for what felt like an eternity, pursued by shadowy figures who seemed to know her every move. She had no idea why they were after her, or even who they were. All she knew was that she had to keep moving, continue hiding, and above all else, keep her identity a secret.

Sarah had changed her name, dyed her hair, and even undergone surgery to alter her appearance. It had been a risky move, but she knew it was the only way to stay alive. The only way she could survive. As she made her way towards the outskirts of the city, Sarah's thoughts turned to the one thing that could potentially save her: the encryption program. It was a piece of software that she had been working on for years. A program that could scramble and secure any data that was fed into it. It was the reason she was being hunted, and yet, it was also her only hope.

The problem was that the program was stored on her laptop, which was now in the hands of her pursuers. She had managed to grab a backup laptop before she fled, but without the encryption software, it was useless. She had to find a way to retrieve the program, and that meant going back into the heart of the city, back into the lion's den.

She inhaled a deep breath and made the decision to go back. She understood the risks of how dangerous it would be, but Sarah knew that it was the only way. She made her way over to a small café where she remembered it having a decent Wi-Fi connection as she settled into a corner table. She pulled out the spare laptop and began to work.

First, she had to create a new email account under a false name. Once that was done, she sent a message to her old account, praying that it would reach the right person. In the message, she included a link to a file sharing website and a password. It was a simple plan, but it was all she had. Sarah waited anxiously for a response with her eyes glued to the screen. Bouncing her left knee up and down, she was fidgeting enough that her water was rippling and caught the blank stare from a young man wearing wired earbuds sitting across from her table. Sarah realized that he was staring at her uneasiness, so she gave him a half-cocked grin in hopes to ease both the patron and perhaps herself as well.

Finally, a message window popped up in her email. The message was sent from her old account. The reply contained a single word: "done". Sarah let out a sigh of relief that caught another stare from the young gentleman's raised eyeline from the book he had been buried in. She quicky clicked on the provided link. The file sharing website opened, and she entered the password. Sarah held her breath as the encryption program began to download. It was working. She was filled with excitement that she was going to make it out alive.

Suddenly, the door of the café burst open and a group of armed men stormed in. Sarah's heart skipped a beat as she recognized the leader of the group. It was the very man who had been hunting her for years. The man who wanted the encryption program for his own financial gain. He strode towards her showcasing a cruel smile on his lips. "I'm afraid I can't allow you to leave with that program," he smirked. "Hand it over now, and I might consider letting you live."

Sarah's mind raced. She had to think of a plan, and fast. She remembered the password that she had included in the email. The password that would reset the program and erase all of the data. It was a risky move, but it was her only option now. Sarah firmly stands up, with her hands slightly shaking, and faces the man. "You want the program? Fine. But you'll never be able to use it." In that moment of bliss, Sarah pressed a key and a prompt popped up on the screen that read 'reset your password?'. The man stopped dead in his tracks as Sarah rotated the laptop screen to show him the prompted message. The man's smirk quickly vanished as he stood still next to the table, realizing what Sarah had done.

She pressed the enter key, and the program began to erase all of its data. The man's face contorted with rage as he lunged towards her, but Sarah was ready. She quickly gripped the sides of the spare laptop and swung it in a violent upwards motion that landed underneath the man's chin, knocking him unconscious. The other men for a moment, stood with utter disbelief, but quickly regained their composure and began to fire at her. Sarah darted out of the café back into the streets. With the sounds of gunfire ringing in her ears, Sarah had the encryption program. More importantly, Sarah had her life. But at what cost? She had lost everything else. Her friends, family, and her old identity. As she slipped the henchmen and disappeared back into the crowded streets of the city, one thought echoed through her mind: she was free. She had at last outsmarted her pursuers and claimed her freedom. She had won. Not only had she hit the reset button of the program, she had also reset herself.