The First Billion

by Christopher Reich

  Q: How about some insider knowledge: What is the next book we can expect from Christopher Reich?

  A: The new book is presently titled BLOOD MONEY, and it deals with our government’s efforts to root out terrorist financing. The story concerns an elite team of financial investigators, members of the Foreign Terrorist Asset Tracking Team (FTAT), and their quest to hunt down a shadowy figure known as the Director before he can perpetrate a terrorist act on American soil. I drew a lot of the story from my research in the area. The work being done in Washington, and in concert with our allies, is as fascinating as it is urgent. Stop the money and you stop the acts. But first you have to find the money, and it’s not as easy as you might think. On the plus side, our government has earmarked a lot of money for the task. I was in D.C. earlier this year and had the honor of meeting professionals at the Financial Crime Enforcement Network, Customs, the IRS, and the Treasury Department. I’ll tell you one thing: I wouldn’t want to be the bad guys. Make no mistake; we are going to nail them.

  Published by

  Delacorte Press

  Random House, Inc.

  1540 Broadway

  New York, New York 10036

  This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination

  or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons,

  living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2002 by Christopher Reich

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced

  or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or

  mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any

  information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Publisher, except where permitted by law.

  Delacorte Press® is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., and the colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.

  Visit our website at www.bantamdell.com

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Reich, Christopher.

  The first billion : a novel / Christopher Reich.

  p. cm.

  1. Americans—Russia (Federation)—Fiction. 2. Chief executive officers—Fiction. 3. Investments, Foreign—Fiction. 4. Russia (Federation)—Fiction. 5. Missing persons—Fiction.

  6. Conspiracies—Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3568.E476284 F57 2002

  813’.54—dc21 2002022254

  eISBN: 978-0-440-33432-3

  v3.0