Echoes of the Vanished
Reiner Sepp’s disappearance leads Superintendent Kulli Harma into a chilling world of cybercrime and dark secrets. Will her investigation reveal the truth or trap her in a web of danger?
📝 1,138 words. ⏳ Estimated reading time: 8 minutes.Today, I’m posting a very short crime-story I wrote some time ago.
“They’re after me.” Those were Reiner Sepp’s last words before vanishing, leaving behind a tangled web of questions.
The young tech visionary, Reiner Sepp, had always been at the forefront of innovation in Tallinn. His latest project—a predictive AI model to foresee major economic shifts—had drawn global attention. But as it advanced, so did Reiner’s paranoia. His once-public persona became a shadow of itself, retreating into secrecy.
Superintendent Kulli Harma leaned back in her worn chair, eyes fixed on the blinking cursor of her laptop. She had spent nights trying to decode Reiner’s final transmissions, the fragments of digital noise he left behind. Her reputation as a cybercrime investigator was formidable, yet this case affected her in a way none had before. It wasn’t the complexity that bothered her—it was the sense that something larger than Sepp’s disappearance was at play.
Harma and her cyber expert team began to assemble the pieces. They traced Reiner’s online activity, interactions with mysterious individuals, and the strange symbols in his code.
A dark pattern emerged, a secret society operating in the internet’s shadows, a group of hackers manipulating the very fabric of reality.
It didn’t take long before Harma understood that the case drew her into a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
The hackers, “The Silent Code,” were a formidable adversary, their skills surpassing anything she’d encountered before. They seemed to anticipate her every move, leaving behind a trail of cryptic messages that were both tantalizing and frustrating.
Harma wasn’t a stranger to late-night messages. Earlier, she had received one: “I have information on Reiner. Come to TalTech’s parking lot. One hour.”
She’d thrown on worn jeans and a sweater, her hair still wet from the shower.
As she arrived at Tallinn University of Technology, the silence of the parking lot pressed in on her. The buildings stood like sentinels, their windows reflecting nothing but the dark sky.
She stepped out of her car and tasted the cold air—sharp, biting, laced with something unidentifiable. The taste of her dry lips lingered on her tongue, a reminder of her growing anxiety. She could almost taste the tension in the air, a dense sensation that made it hard to swallow.
The quiet enveloped her, amplifying the crunch of her boots on the gravel. She moved through the biting Estonian winter, her heart steady, though her mind raced. It raced at Reiner’s final words, the whisper into the night that alarmed everyone. “They’re coming for me.”
When a figure emerged from the shadows, she was half a dozen steps into the lot.
A hooded man stood just feet away, his features concealed except for his eyes—a gleam of something unsettling behind them. She hadn’t seen him until then.
His voice was low and gravelly. “Thanks for coming.” No melodrama, no chilling whispers—just cold fact.
Harma demanded, “Who are you?” Her voice was steady.
“I am the keeper of the silent code. And I’m here to warn you. You’ve been meddling in places you shouldn’t.”
Harma’s fingers twitched, itching to reach for her weapon. “Dangerous game? I’m not playing any games.”
The keeper’s breath ghosted across her skin. “Ah, you’re mistaken,” he said. “Every move you make, every clue you uncover, it’s all part of a grand design.”
“Cut the cryptic nonsense. What do you want?”
A dark, hollow chuckle.
“Want? I want you to understand the consequences of your actions. The silent code isn’t just a set of rules, it’s a living, breathing entity.”
“Living and breathing? Sounds like superstititious nonsense.”
The keeper’s voice hardened. “Mock if you must, but remember this: the code sees and knows all. It’s in the wind’s whispers.”
Harma scoffed. “Poetic, but hardly threatening. I’ve faced worse than wind and shadows.”
“Have you now?” Amusement colored his words. “Tell me, superintendent, have you ever felt the weight of a thousand secrets pressing down on your chest? Have you tasted the bitterness of betrayal?”
“Spare me the melodrama,” Harma smirked. “If you have something to say, say it plainly.”
The keeper circled her, his footsteps eerily silent. “Continue your investigation, and you’ll unleash an incomprehensible force. Lives will shatter, and you’ll be left in the rubble, wondering where it went wrong.”
“Is that a threat?”
He whispered, “A promise. The silent code is patient, waiting for the right moment to strike.”
Harma stood her ground. “I’ve heard enough. Take your code and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine.”
“Such bravado,” the keeper mused. “But how well do you sleep at night? Do the ghosts of your past keep you company in the dark?”
“My conscience is clear. Unlike some, I don’t hide behind riddles and threats.”
The keeper’s laughter dispersed in the air. “Clear conscience? Oh, my dear superintendent, we both know that’s a lie. The silent code sees through your facade, right down to your guilt.”
Harma’s jaw clenched. “You don’t know anything about me.”
His voice dripped with false sympathy. “Don’t I? The compromised ethics, the lives you couldn’t save... They haunt you, don’t they?”
Harma hissed, “Enough. You’re a coward, hiding in the shadows.”
The keeper’s tone turned sharp. “Careful, superintendent. The line between bravery and foolishness is thin. Cross it, and you might find yourself on the wrong side of history.”
Harma watched him go, her mind racing. Every instinct told her to chase him, but she knew better. This wasn’t a moment for impulsiveness. She needed more—more information, more leverage. And she would get it, on her terms.
Weeks passed, and the investigation intensified.
Harma’s team traced the Silent Code’s online movements to a server farm outside Tallinn. The group was meticulous, leaving almost no trace. Almost. But Vaiko and Kersti, two of the sharpest hackers in her unit, found a vulnerability.
Kersti sat at a laptop in a small, dimly lit room, fingers flying over the keyboard. The Silent Code’s system was vast and intricate, but they were making progress.
Kersti muttered, “I’m in,” her voice calm despite the pressure. “I’ve found their control system.”
Vaiko glanced at her as he monitored the security feeds. “How long?”
Kersti responded, cold like a sniper and never taking her eyes off the screen, “Ten minutes, maybe less. But we’ve triggered something—they know we’re here.”
Vaiko swore under his breath, eyes darting to the red alerts flashing on the screen. “We’ve got to move, now.”
Kersti didn’t respond. Her fingers worked in a blur. The Silent Code’s servers had advanced security, but she was close—so close.
A knock on the door froze them. “Security,” a voice called from the other side.
Vaiko moved to the door and opened it, keeping his expression neutral. Two security guards stood there, their eyes scanning the room.
“Just routine maintenance,” his heart pounding.
The guards hesitated, then nodded. Then, they turned back down the hallway.
Kersti whispered, “We’re done,” finally sitting back. “Let’s go.”
They slipped out before anyone suspected, leaving the Silent Code’s control system in disarray.
Back at the police station, Harma stood on the rooftop, staring at the city. The Silent Code had been dealt a blow, but this wasn’t the end. Not yet. Reiner was still out there, a ghost in the machine, and until she brought him back, there would be no peace.
But for now, she had won.
While scrolling through news articles about cybercrime in The Netherlands, Harma found a familiar name - Reiner Schmidt. Her heart raced as she read he had been arrested in London for hacking into several high-profile companies.
Harma couldn’t believe it. After years of searching, someone else had finally caught Reiner. She felt a mix of relief and disappointment.
She knew deep down that this wasn’t the conclusion of Reiner’s story. He was still out there, in the digital realm - his true domain.
The line between right and wrong had blurred for her. She couldn't deny the thrill in chasing cybercriminals, but at what cost?
Hey there!
I’m Simon, a business owner who’s totally passionate about writing (and one day, I hope to marry the two!).
A Call to All Writers!
Suppose you can be in contact with a small group of people on a mission to build a publishing company that champions writers and puts their needs first.
Yes, it’s a publishing company that cares about writers and their success.
Would you be willing to take 2-3 minutes to help them turn this vision into reality?
In my late evenings I'm completely absorbed in Forensics: Catching the Killer.
Ever been angry at everything but can’t explain why? Many of us have been there. Here’s what the journey looks like:
I’d love to hear what you think about this article! Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below so we can discuss them.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read! If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it with your friends—it really helps us grow! Or you can subscribe to get more posts like this directly to your inbox.
Haven't read too many stories set in Tallinn. Or Estonia for that matter.