Page 82 of The Atlas Maneuver

“She is a good hunter,” her mother said, motioning out to the field. “Her father was good too. I trained him myself. It’s still impressive. A bird that size able to take down a fawn ten times its weight.”

That it was.

But her birds were all determined predators.

“This has to be done,” her mother said.

“I only wish it was not necessary.”

Another car appeared, then motored down the dirt lane that bisected the trees at the far end of the meadow. The hawk seemedunfazed by its presence as it drove past. The vehicle rolled up to the rookery and stopped. Lana Greenwell climbed out from behind the wheel and closed the door, dressed in a stylish business suit with low heels.

“What is this about?” Lana asked, approaching. “Kelly? Has she been found?”

Catherine understood the confusion, as Lana had only visited the estate as part of some official dinner or event, never early on a Friday morning after a personal summons.

She motioned for Lana to come closer. “Does anyone know you are here?”

Lana shook her head. “I did as you asked. My office thinks I’m running a personal errand before coming to the bank.”

“I appreciate that. It’s important this be kept confidential.”

“You know you can count on me.”

Catherine motioned. “This is my mother, Madeleine. I don’t think you’ve ever met her.”

Lana nodded an acknowledgment of the introduction, which Maddy barely returned. Pleasantries were not her strong suit.

“I asked you here because we have another security leak,” Catherine said. “A major one. Japanese intelligence is fully aware of the Atlas Maneuver.”

Surprised filled Lana’s face. “How is that possible?”

“I’ve been wondering the same thing,” she said. “The number of people privy to that information is severely limited.”

The bank maintained a top-notch intelligence capability, the need made more acute by volatile world conditions. Knowing what was happening had become a necessity. Investments required protection. Economic, political, and social trends had to be constantly studied. Political risk analyses were made hourly, which improved decision making. The board required constant advising on technological developments, sociopolitical issues, terrorist threats, anything and everything that could affect business. Part of this intelligence division was an extensive array of internal security for both its own and its customers’ protection. The team consistedof sixteen employees who worked away from the main building on the outskirts of Luxembourg City, maintaining a level of anonymity and independence. Among them were IT specialists adept at covert record gathering. Once Kelly Austin had revealed what she knew about a Japanese spy, Catherine had asked that Lana be given a quick scrutiny.

“You made a call yesterday,” she said to Lana. “Thirty minutes after you and I spoke in your office, after we discovered Kelly’s breach.”

Lana stood still and said nothing.

“The call was on your personal cell phone, not the one the bank provides,” she added. “An account that is in the name of your nephew. We know this, as your nephew is a named beneficiary on your company retirement account. That was careless, Lana. You know our security people are thorough. But you were probably in a rush to report what you knew.”

She’d chosen this spot to confront her traitor since it was isolated and away from anyone and anything. Nowhere for Lana to go. No one to help her. Lana started to shake. Like that fawn who realized far too late that the hawk had the upper hand.

“Kelly is a traitor,” Catherine said. “That is clear. But so are you, Lana. What I wonder is, why?”

COTTON WAS STUNNED.

Kelly had made two calls to Catherine Gledhill, her former employer, then she’d left, on her own, with a woman.

“Wait here,” Aiko said.

And she left the car, retreating toward thegasthausto use her phone. Obviously, this was a conversation she wanted kept private. Though they were temporarily working together, it was a reminder that they were not on the same team. He watched as the PSIA operative listened for a few moments, then ended the call and returned to the car.

“I could not make contact with our source within the bank,” she said. “I must say, I did not anticipate Austin communicating again with the bank. Everything we know indicated that was not a possibility.”

He agreed. Something had changed. He played a hunch. “You have eyes at the Basel airport?”

She nodded.