Fatal Transaction (Thriller & Suspense, Cyber Crime)

by Lawrence, W. Richard

  With his complaints aimed at her, he never noticed the screen flash a message before giving the charge total. But Sara saw it. Her program worked. “Okay. Fine.” She backed away.

  Chapter 19

  Opening her eyes for the hundredth time that night, Sara gave up on sleep. Excitement mixed with apprehension drove it away. It was almost six o’clock. She headed for the shower. Everything was in place. By the end of the day, she’d be heading out of the country with a big piece of Levy’s money. He’d finally get what he deserved, and so would she.

  Preparing the last of the food in her home, she sat down at the counter one last time. Her stomach rejected the light breakfast. Grabbing her laptop, she moved to the couch, plugged in the jump drive, and accessed the file with Levy’s offshore banking information. Although she could do the transfer once she was out of country, she might need the money as she traveled to Italy.

  Opening a link to Levy’s offshore account, Sara was surprised at the balance. He’d been stashing money away for quite a while. There was more than enough here to buy all the anonymity she’d ever need.

  She set up several automatic transfers to different temporary accounts under her control. The transfers would take place periodically throughout the weekend. The money would be split up and moved through a dozen offshore accounts until it finally ended up in hers.

  Part A done.

  Logging out of Levy’s account, she logged into her own. The balance was small right now, but that would change very soon. In addition to Levy’s savings, all of the money from the credit card transactions would soon follow a similar path to this account. The card she ran at Jasper’s last night had installed a program that would not be activated for two weeks, but once it was, it would transfer all of the money from the credit card transactions into this account.

  Knowing Kai would eventually find the changes she’d made to the program, Sara had at least three weeks, maybe four, before the money quit flowing into the account. By then, she would be well established in her new life, and no one would be able to find her.

  Then she’d be a good citizen and send an anonymous tip to the FBI about Levy’s illegal operations. They might need help to make sure Levy was shut down for good.

  Sara made one last backup of her files, then shut her laptop and slid it into her pack.

  Now for part B.

  Using a knife from the kitchen, she tore open the portable hard drive containing Levy’s computer files. After prying the case apart, she made a few scratches across the surface of each disk.

  Then she dropped them behind the refrigerator. Something to keep Kai busy.

  Picking up her pack, Sara headed for the door. Reaching for the handle, she remembered one final but very important detail. She turned, set the pack down, pulled out her phone, and set it on the counter where it would be easy to find.

  Shouldering her pack again, she opened the door a few inches and looked for Mike’s car. With Ben and Jarred in New York, her escape would be easy. Mike’s car was in almost the same spot as it was the other night. She slipped out.

  Using a route not easily seen by Mike, she worked her way down the walkway to the far set of stairs. She took them down and cut around the building to the alley. She peeked around the dumpster. Mike was in his car, awake this time, and talking on his phone. His head still pointed in the direction of the stairwell by her apartment door. She headed to an RTD bus stop a few blocks from her apartment.

  After three transfers and several checks out the back window, Sara arrived at Denver International Airport. A couple of times she suspected that Mike was behind her, but each time the suspicious car turned off.

  Entering the terminal, she headed to the restrooms. She stepped into an empty stall, pulled out her old driver’s license and credit cards, and flushed them, along with her old life. She was no longer Sara Beckwith; she was now Sara Ramos.

  Sara exited the restroom and cut across the terminal. She left the building on the opposite side from where she’d entered. She pulled out a bus pass as she headed to the shuttle area. Climbing into the bus headed to Estes Park, she dropped into the last open seat. It was a little before ten a.m., and the hard work was done. All she needed now was to retrieve her passport. Her new life was less than a day away.

  The tension building for the last several weeks had peaked last night. Now it was nothing more than a memory. As the shuttle pulled out, she let her head fall against the back of the seat. Closing her eyes, she wondered if the smile she felt on her face was evident to those around her. She didn’t care. She’d made it.

  ***

  “Yeah, I got her. She got on a shuttle heading to Estes Park,” Jarred spoke breathlessly into his phone. He’d abandoned his car and run down a level to watch for Sara as she got off the bus. Seeing her exit the bathroom, he discreetly followed her.

  “I’m on it. I have the shuttle in view now.” Ben was in his car, ready to follow in case Sara did not get on a plane.

  Jarred also relayed the information to Mike.

  “Well, get back up here. The cops are about to have your car towed away.”

  It had taken all three of them in different cars playing leapfrog to stay with Sara. Rushing back up the escalator, Jarred exited the building and headed for Mike. “We need to hurry.”

  Mike was in a conversation with a police officer

  As Jarred approached, the officer shifted his attention to him. “Next time, don’t leave your car unattended.”

  “Sure thing.”

  Once the officer was out of earshot, Mike spun toward Jarred. “Catch up with Ben. Stay with Sara, but don’t let her see you. Give me a call when she gets off the bus. Levy wants to be present when we grab her.”

  ***

  As the shuttle made its way up to Estes Park, Sara glanced around at the others on the bus. The two men next to her were wearing kilts. She kept looking at them. The one closest to her stared back.

  “Can I help you?”

  “Why the kilts and all?”

  “It’s for the Scottish Highland Festival.”

  “The what?”

  “Scottish Highland Festival. It’s put on every year. You never heard of it?”

  “No,” she answered slowly.

  “You got any Scottish or Irish blood in you?”

  “Luckily, no.”

  He let out a hearty laugh. “What a pity.”

  The two tried to stay in character as two Highland lords, but she found it easy to trip them up. Still, she enjoyed their conversation on the way up to Estes.

  The shuttle pulled to a stop near the fairgrounds. Everyone but Sara disembarked.

  “Where to?” the driver asked.

  “Post office. On the other end of town.”

  “Came all this way to mail a letter?” Checking his mirrors, he pulled back out onto the street. A few minutes later, he stopped alongside the main road that ran through town. “Post office is just on the other side of that restaurant. You can cut right through there.” He pointed to a small pathway.

  Hoisting her pack, Sara stepped down onto the pavement, and headed toward the slit between the buildings. The aroma from the restaurant filled her nostrils, reminding her stomach it had missed breakfast.

  She had time. Her flight out of Cheyenne wasn’t until seven that evening. Doing an about-face, she headed for the source of the savory smells.

  In a short glimpse, her world crashed around her. Her appetite vaporized.

  A car drove past with Jarred looking out the window. She only saw his face for a fraction of a second before he turned away, but she knew it was him. Sara stopped and stared. A second car went by. It was Ben.

  Reversing course, Sara cut between the buildings. Expecting Mike to be waiting for her in the parking lot ahead, she dropped her pack in one of the trash ca
ns along the path. If she escaped, she could come back for it. Regardless, she couldn’t let Levy find out about her new identity.

  ***

  It was a beautiful morning for a drive in the mountains. The sides of the hills along the road were covered with pine and aspen trees. Just what Derry needed to relax and get his mind off work—and Sara.

  Coming over the hill into Estes Park, the traffic slowed to a crawl. As the cars crept along, Derry searched for a place to park. He found a spot his little Civic barely squeezed into. He stepped out, and stretched. Falling in with the crowd, he shuffled toward the fairgrounds.

  A large family stood in line near the entrance. He gave them his extra ticket and went inside.

  A hundred yards or so inside the entrance, knights on horseback carried lances as they rode down the center of the path, followed by their pages. Some of the pages carried signs, listing the times for the various events in which the knights would be participating. The heavy armor jousting competition was scheduled for three o’clock. That sounded like fun. He planned to watch.

  Numerous large tents lined one side of the dirt road. The other side was filled with food vendors and other assorted displays. He wasn’t hungry yet, so Derry cut toward the closest tent. It was full of booths, each displaying a different Scottish name. As he plodded past one booth, a young lady about his age called out to him.

  “Sir, would you like me to look up your heritage?” She had long, wavy, reddish-blond hair.

  “I’m sorry, but I’m not Scottish, I’m Irish.”

  She didn’t lose a bit of her smile. “Oh, that’s nothing to be sorry for. I’m part Irish me self.”

  He wondered if her Scottish brogue was real. Probably not.

  She glanced in the direction Derry was heading. “The next tent over is where you can learn about your Irish heritage. So, what be your clan name?”

  “Conway.”

  “That’s a good Irish name. The tents have the clans in alphabetical order. Yours should be toward this end. Would you like me to come along and show ye?” She smiled brightly as her eyes move over his body.

  This girl was trouble.

  “Oh, I think I’ll look around in here first, but thanks for the help.”

  The girl continued to smile. “You sure? It’ll be no trouble at all.” She reached out and placed her hand on his.

  “Thanks, but I’ll be fine.” With the red danger flags waving in his head, Derry extracted himself from her hold, and moved out of her reach.

  Drifting into the next tent, he found the Conway booth in short order.

  “May God smile upon ye, young man. Are you interested in learning about the Conway Clan?” The elderly man in the booth rose as Derry stepped in.

  “Sure.” A picture of castle ruins hanging behind the man caught Derry’s interest. “That place looks old. Is that where the Conways are from?”

  The man turned around to look at the picture. “Oh, that, by Irish standards, is not old at all. The Killorglin Castle was built in the 13th century. But it wasn’t until 1587 that it came to the Conways. You see, it was granted to a Captain Jenkin Conway, who changed the name of it to Castle Conway, and—”

  A hard bump from the back knocked Derry into him.

  Derry reached out to steady him. “Sorry. You okay?”

  The man’s attention went to the cluster of people behind Derry.

  “You can’t run out on us, Sara. No matter where you go, we’ll find you.” The deep voice was just loud enough to be heard over the pandemonium that surrounded them.

  Another shove. Derry twisted around, and spotted two men in suits flanking someone. The man next to him was big, about Lamar’s size. Impossible to see around.

  “It’s the weekend, and I’m free to do what I want with my own time. Levy doesn’t own me. So move out of my way, you big jerks.”

  The voice. The way she said jerks. Could it be the girl from Jasper’s? Sara?

  Squeezing out of the booth, Derry maneuvered around the big man. It was Sara. She stood, held between two men. Each man gripped one of her arms. Trapped.

  “You’re coming with us. Levy’s orders.” They picked Sara up and carried her.

  Stepping in front of the men, Derry stood his ground. “The lady said she doesn’t want to go with you.” Sara’s gaze snapped toward him. “Put her down.”

  Derry’s attention was on her. He didn’t see the blow coming.

  The larger man’s fist slammed into Derry’s sternum before he could block the blow. The air was pushed from his lungs as a sharp pain spread to the back of his body. He grasped his midsection with both hands.

  The men stepped past him.

  Sara and her adversaries were gone. Vanished as if they were never there. The crowd moved around him as if nothing had happened.

  Chapter 20

  Derry slowly stood upright.

  “You okay, son?” The man from the booth stepped out into the isle.

  Derry rubbed his belly. “I’ll live.”

  “What happened? Do you know those men?”

  Derry needed to hurry, to save Sara. Without answering, he ducked out of the tent. He scanned the crowd in both directions. The mass of people was thick.

  Spotting two dark suits moving away from him, he cut through the masses to catch up. Trailing a few feet behind, he watched for an opportunity to help Sara. The men held her tightly by the arms as they forced her to a picnic table. Two other men were waiting. The bigger of her captors shoved her to sit beside one of the seated men before he sat on the other side of her. The second aggressor took a seat on the opposite side of the table. She was hemmed in on all sides.

  The odds of saving Sara went from slight to zero. Four men surrounded her. What could he do? Against one, he could find a way to help. Two, maybe. Four, with one of them as big as Lamar? No way.

  Lamar!

  Derry slid his phone out. He could call Lamar.

  He stopped. Even if Lamar rushed up here as fast as he could, it would take too long. The north end of Denver was over an hour away. He started to put his phone away but stopped. Phones did more than make phone calls.

  Holding his phone at his side, he walked past the table. With the noise of the multitude around him, no one could hear his phone taking pictures. He took several photos, hoping that at least one would be good enough to identify the men.

  As he walked by, he tried to hear their conversation, but the same noise that masked his phone made it impossible to hear what was said.

  Derry positioned himself at the edge of the food court. There he watched and waited, determined not to lose sight of her again. He didn’t wait long. The four men and Sara rose as one. The one who’d been doing the talking led the group, and the other three surrounded Sara. With the four men covering her, it was next to impossible to even see her, much less rescue her.

  The formation maneuvered through the mass of Scottish Highlander spectators toward the exit. Once outside, one of Sara’s captors peeled off only to return minutes later with a black stretch limo. Sara and two of the men slid into the back. The other climbed into the passenger seat.

  His time was up. If he hoped to save Sara, he had to act now. Derry hurried toward the vehicle. Before he reached it, the driver punched the gas, leaving Derry in a cloud of dust.

  The limo headed up the hill, not down toward US36 and Denver. Where could it be going? Wheeling around, Derry dashed back to the gate. “Where’s that road go?”

  The young girl at the ticket booth followed Derry’s finger. “Up the hill.”

  Obvious. “Does it leave Estes?”

  The girl paused before answering. “Not directly. But you can get to Highway 7 that way. Or circle back around and get on 34 or 36.”

  “Where does Highway 7 go?”

  “Same pl
ace as 36, it’s just longer, but they both end up in Lyons.”

  Pivoting around, Derry ran to his car. He had to catch up with that limo.

  ***

  Sara sat facing Levy in the back of the car. He gazed out the window.

  “Where are you taking me?”

  “To your death.”

  “For wanting to spend the day at the Scottish Highland—”

  His glare snapped toward her. “For trying to run.”

  “What? Who told you that?”

  “You did. With every word and action. You know the punishment for running.” Levy’s voice was calm, even, and cold.

  “I just came up here to spend a day in the mountains.” How much did Levy really know?

  “You spent two hours this morning trying to lose my boys. You’re running.”

  “Why would I run when the project is so close to completion? That doesn’t make sense.”

  “Because you know your usefulness is coming to an end.” His deep blue glare bore into her.

  She needed to think, to find a way to save herself. But she couldn’t.

  He peered out the side window.

  Sara followed Levy’s gaze. “So, I’m going to get the same treatment as Steve? Your chair?”

  “No, I think not. I made a promise to Mike, and I always keep my promises.”

  “What about your promise to let me go once I finished the credit card program? What about my freedom?”

  “I never promised you anything—that was your assumption.” Raising his voice a little, he added, “Jarred, take the next side road. Find a place deep in the woods.”

  “For what?” She knew the answer, but hope made her ask. She had only minutes to live.

  His ice-cold stare sent a chill down her spine.

  Chapter 21

  Derry blitzed toward his car and brought up the GPS program on his phone. The connection was slow. Taking a seat behind the wheel, he checked the map again. It had loaded, but had not pinpointed his location. He couldn’t wait. He started the car, and hoped the program would find his current position soon.