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But there were holes.
Some banks weren’t connected to the system. There was no information on those accounts available. And the kicker? They were the ones I really needed. At a guess, those three accounts had received transfers of close to eighty million dollars. The value of all the others combined only tallied twenty million. The fact that they weren’t traceable using the verification program wasn’t lost on me.
I scanned the list, comparing the SWIFT codes, and sighed. The only remaining accounts I had left on the master were the unconnected ones. I wouldn’t be able to generate any more results.
The bank that held those three accounts was one of the oldest in the world. It was also one of the most well-known, but only if you were in the right circles. I’d come across their name before, but gaining access as a client was itself a process reserved for a limited few. A personal recommendation by an existing client was necessary. Every potential patron was vetted though an in-person interview conducted by a client relationship manager as well as going through a verification to confirm the deposit amount. Anything under fifty million dollars was unlikely to qualify to open an account unless there were extenuating circumstances—in other words, the person’s sponsor was one of the bank’s high-ranking clients. The bank had carved a niche market of old money families and corporations and prided itself on being an impenetrable fortress.
Hundreds of the world’s best hackers and bank robbers had tried. All had failed.
Monaco’s Grande Banque Unie—the Grand United Bank, established in the seventeenth century—was literally the only bank in the world that could boast having never lost a cent of its clients’ money through theft of any kind.
“Shit,” I muttered. “Why couldn’t it be a bank I can actually get into?”
“You okay?” Ry asked, startling me.
My heart hammered in my chest, and I pressed the heel of my hand to my breastbone, breathing hard. “You scared the life out of me.”
He smirked. “Sorry not sorry. What’s going on?” He deposited a steaming cup of green tea on my desk and leaned back, propping his butt against the timber top.
“I’ve hit a dead end.”
“I find that hard to believe.” Ry raised an eyebrow and dared me to disagree.
“The accounts where most of the money was deposited are with the Grande Banque Unie.” I rubbed my temples before sipping my tea and sighing happily. “Thank you for this.”
“So, hack into it.”
I huffed out a laugh, but it held no humour. “It’s not that easy. The bank is a literal fortress. The only way into the building is by invitation. Clients are vetted, and you don’t just apply for a job there. Accessing their systems is just as difficult.”
“Can you get in there via an existing employee?”
“And do what? Kidnap them?” I asked, rolling my eyes.
“No. But you could steal their swipe card.” He waved me off, anticipating my next words. “Yes, I know they don’t use swipe cards, but you know what I mean. Borrow their identity. Or whatever.” Ry shrugged. “It depends how far you’re willing to go for this, Zali.”
I didn’t even hesitate, my cold hard stare locking onto his. He met mine unflinchingly. “All the way, Ry. These fuckers need to pay.”
He nodded, his lips remaining in a straight line. “Well, then, we do whatever has to be done.”
Nineteen
Ezra
“W
hy are you here?” Roe asked me when he pulled open the door to see me, cap literally in hand, standing on his doorstep.
I’d been standing there for five minutes, gathering the nerve to knock. I was sure he’d seen me through the windows, but he’d given me time to pull myself together.
Or maybe it was so he could psych himself up to give me a piece of his mind.
I swallowed, nerves piling on top of my earlier nerves at his less than warm reception. “I was hoping we could talk.”
He looked me up and down, crossing his arms over his chest. Roe wasn’t a big man—I was taller than him—but he seemingly towered over me in that moment.
“I’m not sure what there is to say. Your actions have shattered any faith I had in you.”
“I know. That’s why I’m here. Can I come in?” I asked, gesturing to his family room.
