Page 120 of The Atlas Maneuver

But he needed to make sure she’d be okay.

He owed her that.

“We need to agree on what’s going to happen, once we are there,” Aiko said.

He knew what she meant. “I have no idea how this is going to play out. Last I knew Kelly Austin controlled everything. So it seems what happens is up to her.”

“Neither one of us can allow the bank, or the CIA, to regain control of those coins.”

“On that we agree. But I can’t allow Japan to acquire them either.”

“I understand. Perhaps a joint operation? With joint decision making? Neither one of us taking advantage of the other.”

He liked the sound of that.

And hoped her desire for honor in others worked both ways.

Everything about this was risky.

And for what?

Unlike a stock, where there was a company behind it, one with people, places, and a history, with bitcoin there was not a single tangible thing of inherent value to represent an investment of tens of thousands of dollars for each coin. Just blind faith. From uncritical minds. No questioning, no suspecting. What had somebody once said?

Belief can be manipulated. Only knowledge is dangerous.

He kept speeding south.

Less than half an hour to go.

He’d lost his pistol but gained the automatic rifle retrieved back at the blast site. Surely the DST would be after them. He wondered if these cars were equipped with trackers. He hoped not. No matter. They were way ahead of any pursuers unless there were agents at or near the Gledhill property.

Which he doubted.

From everything he’d heard so far about Gledhill, and the people at the Bank of St. George, none seemed the type to involve the authorities. They were all working outside the lines, using subterfuge and secrecy to the max.

To cross paths with Suzy Baldwin after all these years seemed a sign. What did it mean? Hard to say.

What had Einstein said?

Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.

Yep.

Suzy came along at a turning point in his life. He could have kept cheating on his wife, accomplishing little to nothing in a mediocre navy career as a JAG lawyer. Instead, he came to his senses, then Stephanie Nelle changed his life forever. She saw something in him that he’d never seen in himself, and for that he was eternally grateful. Now here he was in Morocco dealing with another matter of life and death, the stakes unusually high.

Miles passed without comment from either one of them.

Finally, Aiko said, “Our main problem is getting inside. They’re not just going to allow us to enter.”

He’d already been thinking the same thing.

“Don’t be so sure about that.”

CHAPTER 69

CASSIOPEIA HAD CALLED OUT ON INSTINCT.

Something was wrong.