“Okay, I’m going to have to think about that for a while. What are we going to do about the two Chinese nationals in custody? If we determine that the bonds are real, they’re guilty of not declaring financial instruments, or if we determine the bonds are counterfeit, they’re guilty of possession of counterfeit financial instruments. So which charge is it going to be?”
Ken smiled. “Since you’re a newbie to this dance, just watch and see what happens.”
They walked back across the hall to where the two men were being held. The Customs officer was waiting for them. So was another man.
“This is Mr. Wong,” the Customs officer said. “He is from the Chinese Embassy.”
Mr. Wong showed Jake and Ken his identification. “Mr. Zhang and Mr. Li actually have diplomatic immunity.”
“They didn’t have diplomatic passports,” Ken responded.
“A simple oversight,” Mr. Wong said. “We apologize for any inconvenience. They will also need the documents back, which you now have in your possession. Those documents are the property of the People’s Republic of China. Your cooperation is appreciated.”
Jake slowly handed the briefcase across the table. As he did so, the watch was exposed from under his shirt sleeve. Mr. Zhang looked at the watch and nudged Mr. Li with his elbow. Mr. Li extended his left hand across the table and glanced down at his own watch. Jake followed his gaze. Li wore a watch identical to the one Jake received from Daniel Jacobson.
Thinking quickly, Jake said, “Please inform your people that the man you came to see has passed away.”
Both men bowed slightly as they took possession of the briefcase.
Jake and Ken sat in an airport coffee shop, waiting for their 3:00 p.m. flight back to Washington, D.C. They sat at a small black metal patio table with uncomfortable black metal chairs.
“You want to tell me what that fuss was all about?” Ken asked.
“My first lead in a murder case,” Jake replied. “And it’s international money laundering.” He took his cell phone out and called his boss.
“Briggs.”
“Daniel Jacobson, vehicular homicide from this morning. We have a possible connection to New York and a definite connection to China. International connection makes it FBI jurisdiction. I want this case.”
“Pending approval from Dr. Rosen allowing you to return to duty, I can do that.”
“I also need high level electronic surveillance on the two businessmen from China I came here to see. You have their passports and cell phone numbers in the system. I also need ears inside the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, specifically at the International Funds Transfer Desk.”
“You know we’re not going to get a warrant for that.”
“I need you to find a way. This is something critical.”
“Solid lead or hunch?”
Jake looked down at the watch. “Somewhere in between.”
“Okay, I’ll see what I can do.”
Jake put his cell phone away.
“So you want to clue me in to what’s going on?” Ken asked.
Jake brought him up to speed on the death of the bank VP.
“And your sympathetic approach regarding the death of Daniel Jacobson?”
Jake held his arm out exposing the watch. “The vic from this morning wanted me to have this.”
Ken examined the watch closely. “What is it?”
“I don’t know at this point, but both of the Chinese nationals in custody were wearing identical watches.”
“Ya mind?” Ken asked holding out his hand. Jake took the watch off and handed it to him. Ken pulled his jeweler’s loop from his pocket and examined the watch in detail.
“Interesting, especially the holographic bird.” Ken handed the watch back to Jake.
“Yeah, looks like some strange type of eagle.”
“Not an eagle, it’s a mystical bird, not a real one.”
“Mystical?”
“It’s a Phoenix, from ancient Egypt. Supposedly lives for 500 years, builds a nest and sets it on fire. The old bird burns up in the funeral pyre nest and a new bird rises from the ashes.”
“I understand that’s how Phoenix, Arizona got its name.”
“Yep, it is. So the gold bearer bonds…”
“Are connected to the murder,” Jake finished. “And something tells me these gold bonds were going to be honored by Daniel Jacobson.”
“And somebody at the bank didn’t want that to happen?”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Jake said. “Either way, I’m thinking Jacobson was on his way to us as a whistleblower…”
“And boom! No more Jacobson.”
“Yeah, but somebody still needs that money transferred.”
“Okay,” Ken said. “We know how — the gold bearer bonds — we just don’t know who.”
“But we do know where.”
“The Federal Reserve Bank of New York.”
CHAPTER 2
That evening, Peter Steinmetz sat in his private office at home and studied the diagrams and results from the first test of the solar weapon. The Coronal Mass Ejection, or CME, had been generated as expected, but the targeting was off. Just a matter of adjusting the timing, he reminded himself. The next test was thirty-six hours away, and everything was proceeding as planned.
At 54, he considered his current position of trust and authority as a mere stepping stone to something much more powerful and rewarding: a position among the top six people in the emerging global elite who would dominate and control the planet. Peter’s family had been international bankers for generations and during that time had quietly accumulated nearly a trillion dollars in assets: primarily gold, commercial property, artwork and diamonds. Peter’s father, Emil, was President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and had encouraged him to follow a career path outside of banking and finance.
“It’s time for this family to diversify its powerbase,” his father had said on many occasions. Peter was the first, and so far the only one, to take his father’s advice.
He had become quite adept at hiding the disdain he held for the common people around him. With a naturally charismatic personality, he had learned early on in his childhood how to manipulate and influence inferior beings. They all lacked the sense of power and decisive action that he possessed, allowing their minds to be influenced and corrupted by emotions and concern for others−a weakness he never experienced. That strength of internal power and certainty had driven his upward motion throughout the military quickly and cleanly, avoiding the emotional traps and destructive alliances that had damaged so many otherwise promising contenders. Now he stood alone, unchallenged by others he had left in the wake of his superiority. In thirty-four and a half short days his ascendancy into world authority would be complete.
When Jake entered Briggs’ office at precisely 8:00 a.m. the next morning, Briggs’ desk was its usual mess with papers and files littering the surface. Jake’s anxiety level had been rising all morning. What if Dr. Rosen didn’t approve me for duty? What then? He looked at Briggs’ face to see if he could tell which way the decision had gone. Briggs didn’t seem unduly concerned.
“Am I good to go?” Jake asked tentatively.
“You are. But you’re on a short leash. Weekly check-in with Dr. Rosen. Anything looks off to her, and you’re back on the bench, or I guess couch, in this case.”
“What about the intel on what’s going on inside the Federal Reserve Bank office?”
Just then, the intercom beeped. “They’re here,” Briggs’ secretary said.
“Show them in.”
Jake turned and watched as a pudgy older man and a young petite woman with blonde hair enter Briggs’ office. She was cute and Jake smiled at her. She didn’t return the smile. Instead she just glanced at him and turned her gaze to Briggs.