At 9:15 a wire transfer arrived from a bank in Cyprus. Ten million dollars, as promised by Omar Celik, from a Lannak subsidiary in Croatia. Mitch, Stephen, Jennings, and Frick all smiled and took a deep breath. Neither Jennings nor Frick knew the backstory. They had no idea where the money was going or what it was being used for. However, given the Scully lawyers’ anxiety, it was obvious that time was crucial. Jennings, British to the core, suspected it was related to the Scully hostage the press had been salivating over, but he was much too professional to ask. His job was to simply advise his client and oversee the wires coming in and the big one going out.
Mitch called Riley Casey in London, not really expecting to learn anything, but just to inquire anyway and ask, “Where is the damned money from the Americans?” Not surprisingly, Riley had no idea what the Americans were up to.
At 10:04, a wire arrived from a bank in Mexico City. The last installment of $15 million had just landed, and now the question was what to do with it. Solomon Frick stepped into another office to call his client with the good news. Mitch called Abby with the same.
By 3:45, Abby was ready to go. She had been there for only two nights but it seemed much longer. She felt captive in the hotel, as nice as it was, but when you’re afraid to leave the premises and you know you’re being watched, the clock slows considerably.
At 4 P.M. she walked into the lobby and smiled at Hassan. Though no one was around he whispered anyway, “What is the status?”
“Nothing has changed. We have seventy-five million.”
He frowned because he had to. “Very well. We will accept it.”
“Not until I see Giovanna.”
“Yes, well, to see her, you must leave the hotel.”
“I’m not leaving the hotel.”
“Then we have a problem. It’s too risky to bring her here.”
“But why?”
“Because you cannot be trusted, Mrs. McDeere. You were told to come here alone but we suspect you have friends in the vicinity. Is this true?”
Abby was too stunned to answer quickly and lie convincingly and her hesitation revealed the truth. “Well, uh, no, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Hassan smiled and pulled out his phone, which appeared to be another Jakl. He stuck it in front of her and said, “You don’t recognize this person?”
It was a shot of Cory leaving the front entrance of the hotel. Even with sunglasses and a cap he was recognizable. Nice work, Cory.
She shook her head and said, “Don’t know him.”
“Oh really,” Hassan said with a nasty smile as he slid the phone back into his pocket and glanced around the lobby. It was still deserted. Softly he said, “His name is Cory Gallant and he works in security for the law firm of Scully and Pershing. I’m sure you know him well. He’s here in the city with at least two local agents he thinks he can trust. So, Mrs. McDeere, we are not foolish enough to bring the lady here to the hotel. You can’t be trusted either. The entire operation is on the verge of a terrible collapse. Giovanna’s life is in danger. Right now she has a gun pointed at her head.”
Stunned as she was, Abby tried to think clearly. “Okay, I was told to come alone, and I did. I had nothing to do with this guy showing up and I’ve never seen any local agents. You know I traveled here alone because you watched me. I’ve done everything you’ve asked me to do.”
“If you wish to see her, you must take a walk with me.”
Among her many thoughts, the most prominent at that moment was: I’m not trained for this. I have no idea what to do next. Somehow, she managed to say, “I’m not leaving this hotel.”
“Very well, Mrs. McDeere. Your refusal is putting Giovanna’s life at risk. I am offering to take you to see her.”
“Where is she?”
“Not far. A pleasant walk on a nice day.”
“I don’t feel safe.”
“How do you think Giovanna feels?”
With a gun to her head? There was no time to ponder or negotiate. She said, “Okay, I’ll walk, but I’m not getting in a vehicle.”
“I didn’t mention one.”
They left the hotel through the front entrance and turned onto a busy sidewalk. Abby knew the hotel was in the center of the city and near the medina, the original walled settlement that is the heart of Marrakech. From behind oversized sunglasses, Abby tried to see every face and every movement, but she was soon overwhelmed by the crowd. Wearing jeans and sneakers and carrying a bulky designer shoulder bag, she got a few looks, but there were other tourists, mostly Westerners, roaming about. She prayed that Cory and his boys were somewhere close behind, watching, but after his getting busted by Hassan she was not so confident.
