Page 115 of The Atlas Maneuver

“Maybe,” Koger said. “But nothing about this place seems haphazard. Everything has a purpose. So my guess is there’s something there.”

Citrone stepped close to the wall of cabinets. “How do we access it?”

“We can tear it all down,” Koger said.

Jeanne began her own inspection of the wall. “It might be easier than that. The authority has experience with the ingenuity of Swiss bankers and brokers. They can, at times, go to great lengths to conceal things. Unfortunately for us Swiss storage operations don’t have the same strict reporting standards as the banks do. Old bunkers once used by our military have become the new locales for hiding bullion.” The older woman continued her scrutiny. “I’d say we’re looking at a hidden panel among these cabinets. Activated by a remote control. It would be a lot quicker to use that, as opposed to tearing this entire wall down.”

“Townley has to have it,” Cassiopeia noted. “But he would not be stupid enough to carry it on him.”

She stared at Koger, who seemed to read her thoughts.

“I agree,” he said. “Let’s take a look.”

They reentered the security office back at ground level and decided this was not the place.

“Does Townley have an office?” Koger asked.

Citrone nodded and led the way out of the room and down the hallway, past the reception counter, toward the elevators. Farther on was a single door that Citrone opened. Beyond was a corner office with windows dotting the two outer walls, the others filled with an array of modernistic art. A desk, credenza, a few chairs, and a leather sofa rounded out the décor. Everything was in perfect order, the desk devoid of paper. Not a surprise considering Townley’s stiff personality.

“There’s a safe here,” she said, “somewhere, with a controller inside. If that other vault really exists, it’s probably not a place visited all that often.”

“That makes sense,” Citrone added.

Koger checked the desk. All the drawers were unlocked. Which did not bode well for something to be concealed within. Cassiopeia studied the pictures and quickly checked them. None concealed a safe behind, like in the movies where the frame smoothly swung out on hinges. Jeanne was examining the credenza, and behind the left side door she found a small iron safe.

They all rushed over.

“Okay,” Citrone said. “Now what?”

Jeanne reached for a mobile phone. “That’s easy.”

Cassiopeia watched as a two-man team used acetylene torches to burn through the safe’s hinges.

“We many times have to forcibly enter vaults,” Jeanne said. “I came prepared.”

“She always does,” Koger muttered.

“I don’t recall you ever complaining.”

“Do I ever get the last word with you?”

“Now, what fun would that be?”

The men finished their work and extinguished the torches. One of them then removed the metal door. Cassiopeia and the others crouched down and stared inside. There were some papers, two stacks of euros, and a remote control.

Jeanne reached in and retrieved it.

They headed back down to the wine vault and faced the wall ofcabinets. Jeanne pointed the controller and pushed its single button. A hiss, like pneumatics releasing, then to the right of center two entire vertical columns of storage cabinets parted, each opening outward, revealing a short corridor that ended at another steel door with an electronic lock.

“Hot damn,” Koger said. “Paydirt.”

The big man marched through the portal straight for the closed door.

“Stop,” Cassiopeia yelled.

CHAPTER 65

ELSALVADOR BECAME THE FIRST COUNTRY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLDto adopt bitcoin, the world’s new currency. Remember those words, as they will be engraved in the history of money. But as of today, opinions differ. Was it a bold move, a smart move, a dumb move, or simply a gamble?

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