Page 66 of The Atlas Maneuver

It was clever. Damn clever, in fact.

“It’s called the Atlas Maneuver,” Kelly said, “because that’s where it was first formulated. In the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Katie Gledhill has an estate there. I was present, along with a handful of others, when the plan was conceived. They have already tested it several times across the globe. And it works. Every time. They’re now poised to take it to the next level.”

“And the Japanese know about it?”

“That’s what the woman, Aiko Ejima, told me. If people know that the bank owns that many coins, Atlas collapses. The manipulation would be out in the open. It only works if no one knows.”

“Why not just expose it all? Tell the world.”

“That could be a problem, without proof. Remember, bitcoin ownership is anonymous. The bank would have a lot of deniability. It would simply just stop the manipulation. I’m the proof, and they want me dead.”

That they did.

“Stupid me thought we are all on the same side. Big mistake. Those bastards have the loyalty of a great white shark.”

Which had made him wonder.

He knew what they wanted for Suzy.

But what were they planning for the Bank of St. George and Catherine Gledhill?

CATHERINE TAPPED THE PHONE AND CONNECTED WITHKYRA. “WHEREare you?”

“South of Basel following a lead from the Japanese consulate.”

“I just spoke to Kelly Austin. I need you to stand by. There may be some new instructions.”

“I’ll be here.”

She ended the call.

Employees within the bank, when hired, were subjected to rigorous background checks, which were periodically updated. The idea was to ascertain if there was anything that could lead to blackmail ora compromise of their position. Participation was a non-negotiable condition of employment. Kelly’s file contained a name change that happened years ago. A terrible car accident. Massive injuries. Multiple surgeries. A prolonged recovery. No surprises there.

But there’d also been something else.

She and Kelly were friends, and she could count on one hand the number of people ranked in that category. They’d spent time together and shared things. Catherine had spoken of her father, a little about her mother, careful with her words but grateful for the ear. Kelly had also spoken about her past and the awful experience she’d bravely rebounded from.

Brilliant and courageous.

That’s how she’d many times described Kelly, who seemed invincible. Except for one weak point. Something else they’d also discussed. Along with the anguish. So she’d played that card with Kelly on the phone.

Now she waited to see.

Would it work?

CHAPTER 36

AIKO FOLLOWED THE TRACKER FOR THE VAN DRIVER’S CELL PHONE. She’d never anticipated the CIA making such a bold move with an armed intruder at a foreign consulate, or the death of one of her own, or the appearance at the consulate of Cotton Malone, who managed to retrieve Austin. The old saying she’d heard as a child rang true.Spilled water never returns to the tray.Yes. Mistakes had been made.

But she would rebound.

The tracker indicated that the cell phone was ahead, a few kilometers down the road. Interestingly, they were not all that far from the scene of yesterday’s intersection collision where Malone absconded. She kept driving, following the signal, spotting a small shopping complex busy with cars. Among them was a white van. The same one from yesterday? Minus its markings?

One way to find out.

She motored up and parked in an empty spot, approaching the van from behind, creeping close to the passenger-side door and glancing inside.

No one there.