Cold-blooded quest for power E-Book

P R Mosler

• Herausgeber: novum pro Verlag
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 636

Beschreibung

Wei Cáo, boss of the Düsseldorf branch of a cartel, collects millions from the sale of stolen data. His henchman Yuri Belyayev does the necessary work for him. When automobile developer Carlheinz Holtkamp appears with a request for help, Gerd Bach and the Staller company end up in the middle of the action. To celebrate Hannah's wedding to Kilian, the two all-rounders from Gerd's team find themselves at Dominik's sister's house. But what does the Nuremberg bank employee have to do with the cartel's activities? Gerd Bach has no idea how dangerous the investigation will be and who they are on the trail of. Can he and Emma Wolf avert the danger to Dominik's family, especially Hannah's children?

Leseprobe

Imprint

www.pr-mosler.com

Facebook: @p.r.mosler

Instagram: @p.r.mosler

Similarities with living or deceased persons are purely coincidental and not intended. All names are fictitious.

Publisher

More books by this author:

Battle for the Loreley (ISBN 978-3-95840-753-4 / February 27, 2019)

The Retribution of Nemesis (978-3-948379-36-0 / February 11, 2020)

Murderous legacy (ISBN 978-3-99107-141-9 / September 28, 2020)

Horror trip amusement park (ISBN 978-3-99107-495-3 / May 27, 2021)

L'affaire de l'amour (ISBN 978-3-99131-045-7 / March 17, 2022)

Knowledge is power

The human mind is a mystery,

that no one else can comprehend.

But whoever finds the solution,

this knowledge offers unlimited power

on the path of the craving for recognition.

P. R. Mosler

Cold-blooded quest for power

1 Prologue

January 28, 2007

"Are you sure that you can deliver on time and, above all, in full?" Vladimir Sakharov asks his interlocutor.

"Of course!" confirms Yuri Belyayev firmly.

"I simply cannot afford to get involved in a deal that is doomed to failure," the Russian CEO replies.

Anyone watching the two men is guaranteed to think it's a business meeting. And it is. But no one would think that this could be about selling illegally acquired information.

The Speicherstadt in the heart of Hamburg is home to the in-house café of theSpeicherstadt coffee roastery. Surrounded by brick buildings and canals, high-quality coffee is processed here into selected flavor variations.

The coffee and the breakfast in front of him are excellent, but Vladimir Sakharov is not paying attention to that at the moment. Instead, the fifty-four-year-old CEO is interested in obtaining the extremely important information without taking any risks. He is5‘9“tallwith a strong, slightly stocky figure. His short-cropped hair is now more gray than brown, but that doesn't bother him in the slightest. He remembers joiningSacharow Awtoover thirty years ago. Back then, he was still studying and the company belonged to his father. Ivan Sakharov was of the opinion that his son should learn the business from the ground up. Vladimir angrily remembers how he distributed the internal mail as an errand boy and served drinks at unimportant meetings. His father had no idea what he was putting his son through. Everyone in the company was only too willing to pick on him. He wasn't getting anywhere like this! On top of that, this led his father to believe that he was completely unsuitable for a manager position. He would probably never have got any higher than head of department. 'If at all', he thinks angrily. But he certainly didn't expect his father to die of a heart condition at the age of seventy, otherwise he might have changed his will. As the only son, Vladimir was now the legal owner ofSakharov Avtoand at the age of forty-one he rose to become the head of the company. He soon realized that his knowledge was not enough to take the company forward. But that is exactly what was trying. He’s still doing his best! To achieve this, he also resorts to means that cannot be obtained legally, if necessary. It was only after he was able to come up with suggestions that were useful to the employees of his company in their work that he began to be accepted as the top boss. After thirteen years at the helm, his company is now one of the leading companies in Russia.

The automotive industry is one of the toughest on the global market. Always at the center of politics and the environment, development must always be up to date, meet requirements and be sold cost-effectively.

Yuri Belyayev knows this too. The thirty-nine-year-old blonde Russian first approached the CEO eleven years ago to propose a deal. Since then, the6‘1“tall man has acted as an intermediary for the illegal procurement of data.

Vladimir Sakharov has no idea who is behind this man, but it is clear to him that his boss must be a dangerous and exceptionally well-organized leader who will not reveal himself under any circumstances. This is also the reason why he agrees to meet with the middleman. The only thing that counts is the information!

"If you want to back out, you'd better say so straight away. That way we can save ourselves unnecessary time," Yuri Belyayev advises him.

"I didn't say that," Vladimir immediately contradicts angrily. "I just don't want the trail to be traced back to us. It's not for nothing that I'm meeting with you myself. Nobody in my company knows where I get the information that I feed into the development department."

"That's how it should stay," agrees Yuri. "Don't worry about the procurement. If you stick to our agreement, we'll do the same."

"And how do you want to get the data?" the entrepreneur asks curiously. It is extremely important to him to obtain the latest development data from the selected company. To date, his technicians have not managed to rectify the errors in the assistance systems. "As far as I know, the company whose information you are offering me works with excellent safety devices. I have heard that Germany has the best monitoring systems in the world. How do you intend to overcome them?"

"Leave these problems to us. So far, you've always received everything we've offered you," Yuri reminds the company boss. He takes a parcel out of his jacket pocket, which immediately changes hands. While Vladimir pockets the thick, unmarked envelope, which he knows contains various data carriers, Yuri continues: "As agreed, the first half of the data we've obtained. You know that you can't do anything with it alone. Only when we have our money will you receive the other half."

"That's not a problem," assures Vladimir Sakharov immediately. He is already familiar with this kind of security. He also knows that the organization behind Yuri Belyayev keeps its promises. He has already seen this for himself several times. "I think you'll be able to access it in three to four days. You've already received the deposit, haven't you?"

"Of course! For the rest of the payment, we'll proceed as usual. Open an account in the name of Suzi Wang. You'll find the details in the envelope. As soon as we have the money, I'll give you an appointment for the handover." Without another word, the Russian stands up. Before Vladimir could stop him, he has disappeared.

The entrepreneur thoughtfully finishes his breakfast. The information on theseDVDs willcertainly help him to get to grips with the problem of data that cannot be analyzed. The espionage cartel behind the salesman Yuri Belyayev immediately offered to provide him with the appropriate software at his request. Naturally, this organization is also interested in satisfying him. With this software, his employees can finally access the procured construction plans. At the latest when he has the second half in his hands. That is only a matter of time. It was right to look around the German automotive market. Development there is subject to enormous specifications. The positive publications from this company made him turn to Yuri Belyayev and his boss. Tomorrow morning he will take care of setting up the account. He also has the right contact for this.

Kilian Hochmuth has been sitting at his desk for a while now. The bank employee is Götz Hackenberg's deputy. They are primarily responsible for looking after the private customers of the more affluent society. This morning they had arranged to meet at nine o'clock to complete the requested report for Alfred Hinrichsen, the director of the large Nuremberg bank branch. But his friend has not yet turned up. A repeated glance at the large wall clock shows him that their deadline has passed half an hour ago. "Götz has his meeting with the director at eleven o'clock," Kilian mumbles to himself. "Where is he?"

Götz and he have been friends since elementary school. The fact that they ran into each other again a few years ago at this bank was a coincidence. They had started their careers independently of each other. Now the two thirty-six-year-old bank employees work hand in hand and also maintain their private friendship.

Kilian decides to start work without waiting for Götz. That way, his friend can at least have access to the finished data. The documents he needs are on his friend's desk. The fact that Götz owns the individual office where the customer meetings take place doesn't bother him at all. He himself finds it much more interesting to have his well-equipped workstation directly in front of this office. This allows him to see much more of the activities surrounding them both and keep in touch with the other colleagues.

He searches the desk in Götz's office, but finds nothing. The phone interrupts his search. The number displayed announces an external call, but he pays no attention to it. Still busy with his search, he automatically picks up the receiver. "Yes, please?" he inquires thoughtlessly.

"I need your help. Open a new account for me. As before. One million plus your ten percent. The name is Suzi Wang ..."

"Wait a minute," Kilian interrupts the man, who hasn't even given his name yet. "We can't possibly open an account for you over the phone. Who are you anyway?"

The connection is abruptly terminated.

Kilian looks at the receiver in amazement, shrugs his shoulders and hangs up, shaking his head. "Some people really are unbelievable," he says. His eye catches the documents he was looking for. "At last!" He takes the file from the top shelf and gets to work as quickly as possible.

Götz Hackenberg doesn't show up at work until well after ten o'clock. The5‘9“tall man attaches great importance to a well-groomed appearance. He has his medium-brown hair cut regularly and the tips bleached blonde. At the moment, however, he looks rather rushed.

Kilian also knows how to dress for his role in the house. Although he is not too keen on sport, he has a good figure that suits his height of5‘8“perfectly. His gray-brown hair provides an interesting contrast to his blue eyes.

"What took you so long?" Kilian follows his friend into his office. "You know what's at stake."

"Yes, of course," groans Götz. He is also aware that the head of the bank is dealing with staff cuts. "But there was no other way. Svetlana was of the opinion that I had to enlighten my wife today. She gave me a choice. It was either her or me."

"You mean either her or your wife?"

"No, it's her or me. If I don't tell Silvia about us, she would be only too happy to take on this task."

Kilian can't help but smile. Götz has brought this story on himself. If he's honest, he doesn't like the way his friend treats the two women. But he stays out of it. "How did you manage that?"

"I told Svetlana that I simply don't have the time at the moment. After all, it doesn't help her one bit if my boss throws me out."

"And she accepted that?" Kilian is amazed.

"No, that only happened when I took her to the jeweler this morning to pick out her wedding rings. That calmed her down. They cost me a small fortune," groans Götz.

Kilian opens his eyes in amazement. "You want to marry Svetlana?"

"No way! But first I've got some peace and quiet. Let's get to work." Götz looks at the clock display in horror. "My goodness! We'll never get this done."

"Not too bad. I'm almost finished. Come on, let's go through this quickly together."

Götz looks at his friend, breathing a sigh of relief. "You've probably saved both our necks. Thank you."

The meeting on the executive floor lasts over two hours. On his way back, Götz stops for a moment in front of his deputy's workplace before disappearing into his office with an expressionless face.

Kilian hurries after him. "How did it go?" he asks excitedly.

"Well..." Götz deliberately pauses. Suddenly he begins to grin. "Mr. Hinrichsen has made up his mind. He wants us to take over the work of Mr. Baier and Mr. Weingarten. The two of them will be demoted to another branch, while we will be given additional powers." He pats Kilian on the shoulder. "We only have your report to thank for that."

"That's great," says Kilian happily. Considering that his wedding to Hannah Schwarz is only three and a half weeks away, he is relieved to hear the news. "Oh, by the way, I almost forgot. Someone called this morning. From outside directly to your extension. But the man didn't give his name. He wanted you to open an account for him. On the phone. Can you imagine that? Some customers have strange ideas. Don't you think?" Kilian doesn't notice that his friend stiffens at the very first words.

Götz listens to him excitedly. "What did you answer?"

"I wonder what? That you can't open an account over the phone. But I didn't get any further. The guy hung up straight away. Absolutely rude!"

"You're right," agrees Götz. "Let's wait and see if the man gets in touch again. But I don't think so." He eyes his friend lurkingly as he ushers him out. As a precaution, he closes the door behind him.

Meanwhile, Kilian notices that Götz is really breathing a sigh of relief. You can't miss the lurking look with which his friend is scrutinizing him. 'What's wrong with Götz? Have I done something wrong? Hardly! Opening an account without written authorization is forbidden without exception. Götz is definitely not ignoring that. Nevertheless, his friend's behavior is more than just strange.' Through the glass pane of the closed door, Kilian watches from his workplace as his superior reaches for the phone.

His whole body language during the conversation shows Kilian how excited his friend is. 'What's going on?' he asks himself. As his curiosity seems to be slowly growing out of control, he slowly turns his back on Götz. He carefully picks up his own phone and presses the conference call button, then dials his superior's device.

He listens in amazement to the rest of Götz's conversation. 'There's no such thing,' he thinks, perplexed. His friend is involved in illegal activities. He has never said a single word about it to him. Without Götz noticing the observation, he ends the eavesdropping function.

Kilian's thoughts are entirely focused on the conversation he has just witnessed. 'Can that really be? Have I perhaps misunderstood something?' Kilian ponders. But then he shakes his head vigorously. 'There's hardly anything to misunderstand. Why is Götz doing this? Why is he getting involved in such dubious business?'

On his computer, he watches the new additions created by his friend. His wait is rewarded. 'There, there it is! Suzi Wang!' Götz has actually opened the account.

Kilian knows that nothing will happen today. Thanks to the overheard phone call, he is informed about the next steps. And when they will happen. Tomorrow is Friday. If Götz has worked properly, and he can assume that he has, then he will find the deposit in the new account by midday tomorrow.

The following day, Kilian takes the time to check Suzi Wang's account from time to time. His suspicions are confirmed when, at twelve o'clock, the new account balance is shown as one million and one hundred thousand euros. 'Just what this man wanted,' thinks Kilian. Before he can log out again, a new entry appears on the page for this account. A transfer of one hundred thousand euros to an external account. The new account balance with Suzi Wang is now shown as exactly one million euros.

Kilian remembers what the caller said on the first phone call: '... plus your ten percent'. He starts to check the incoming transfer and ends up with the sender. 'The man's name is Vladimir Sakharov. Is that his real name?' he wonders. Curious, he searches for the name of the recipient who has received the one hundred thousand euros. When he finds it, he opens his eyes in disbelief. "That doesn't even exist!" he blurts out quietly as he stares at the name that appears on his screen in large letters. Sure, the bank account and the corresponding account number are completely unknown to him, but not the name of the account holder. Götz Hackenberg! 'My friend has just earned one hundred thousand euros,' Kilian realizes. 'In an illegal way, mind you. And with just ten minutes work'. To him, that sounds like money laundering or similar dirty business. 'What should I do now? Should I talk to Götz about it? Better not! After all, he's involved in these crimes. Who knows how far my friend is involved in this story. I might put myself in danger. No, I can't do that! Should I go to the principal? Do I have proof of my claim? Of course, this account exists. But I can't prove that it was set up for illegal purposes. I'm quite sure that the account will be closed five minutes after the money is withdrawn and all the data will disappear from our computers. Even the director isn't that quick. Besides, he's more likely to believe Goetz than me. No, that's not it either! Without the director on my side, there's no way I can involve the police. So I can't do anything?' He stares in despair as he thinks about what he should or can do, or whether he wants to do anything at all. After all, Götz is his friend. 'But if he indulges in illegal activities, that's the end of the friendship,' he assures himself. The idea that suddenly occurs to him makes him sit up with a jolt. 'Exactly, that's it!' He knows what he has to do. "Well wait," Kilian whispers to himself. "Not like that!"

He knows from the phone call that a woman is due to come by this afternoon to collect the money and close the account. But he is going to put a spanner in the works for these people. He ponders for a while, then nods and reaches for his private phone book. Before long, he finds the entry he was looking for. Using his private cell phone, he dials the number he has found.

"Vollrath," comes the familiar voice.

"Hello, Eva," Kilian greets his former girlfriend. "Would you perhaps have time to visit me here at my workplace for a few minutes?" He knows exactly what makes his ex-girlfriend tick. She is always on the lookout for the perfect man for her. Kilian fell into this trap until she met Götz. After all, he was his superior, one step higher in the hierarchy. She dropped his friend when she met a wealthy plastic surgeon who had a lot more to offer her. The pretty woman is just right for his plans. He can still remember the shiny shoulder-length hair that first caught his eye. He would have described it as pink. But Eva always claimed the color was bronze. If she didn't have a steady man in her life at the moment, she would definitely go to the big bank. After all, there are plenty of men here who match her idea of a perfect partner.

"I could certainly arrange that," she promptly confirms his opinion. "What's it about?"

"I'd like to explain that to you in person. What do you think of two o'clock? Would that be acceptable to you?" He knows from the diary that Götz has an appointment with a major client at the bank manager at 2 p.m.

"Agreed. See you soon then." Eva Vollrath is in a hurry. After all, she has to dress up properly for her visit to the bank and choose the perfect outfit. She is curious to see what Kilian wants from her. 'Maybe he misses me enough to try again,' she thinks hopefully. At the moment, she wouldn't mind. He has always been extremely generous and her last rent payment has once again caused her bank account to shrink quite a bit. But an exclusive lifestyle demands a corresponding level of payment. She arrives at his workplace on time.

Kilian keeps an eye on Götz throughout the day. His plan works out when his friend walks past his desk shortly afterwards.

"I'm with Mr. Hinrichsen," Götz informs him.

"All right," he replies without looking up from his work.

As soon as the friend has turned his back on his workplace, Kilian fills out a payment slip and signs it with the name Suzi Wang.

"Hello, Kilian." Eva gives him a friendly smile.

He looks up in astonishment. He almost didn't recognize the woman standing in front of him. Instead of the light pink hairstyle, Eva Vollrath now has a shiny mane of jet black hair. However, he is actually pleased about this. It suits his plan very well. He wonders why he never noticed the calculating look in her eyes. Apparently he had been completely distracted by this woman's beauty. But that was once! Now he only needs her for a very specific task. And she will never know what it was all about. He stands up to greet her and shakes her hand. "Eva, it's good to see you. Come and sit down."

"What do you want from me?" she asks curiously. She crosses her long, slender legs and her gaze wanders promisingly to his face.

"Just a moment!" Kilian asks, apparently distracted. He picks up his phone. "Yes, please?" he asks. "What, now? ... Do you have to? ... Yes, fine, I'm coming."

Eva doesn't notice that there was no one on the other end of the line. Kilian looks at her regretfully. "I'm sorry, I have to go there for a moment. But it'll only take five minutes. Can you wait that long?"

"If I have to!" she pouts.

"Thanks, I'll be right back. I promise."

Kilian dashes off. He makes his way to the cashier's desk and requests the payout for his customer, who is waiting for him upstairs. "Mr. Hackenberg has probably already requested the money," Kilian claims to the counter employee.

"Yes, that's right. Everything is ready."

He receives the sum in a silver money case, signs his name and makes his way to his desk. As soon as he is out of sight of his colleagues, he quickens his pace. The detour via his private locker is essential for his plan. There he deposits the money from the suitcase by simply dropping it into the locker. At the moment, there is no time to tidy up. Shortly afterwards, he returns to Eva Vollrath with the empty luggage. "Sorry."

The suitcase of money attracts Eva's attention. "What have you got there?"

"Excuse me? Oh, you mean the suitcase. That's nothing. It's empty. We've received new suitcases. Now the old ones are being discarded. I asked for one of the suitcases to be given to me for private use. It really looks good. Don't you think?"

"I certainly would. I'd like one of those too." Her thoughts are already running through various processes in which such a suitcase could be very helpful.

"Really?" That was exactly the answer he had hoped for. Kilian examines the suitcase. Then he sets it down on the floor next to the pretty woman. "Oh, what the hell. I can get myself a new one."

"Seriously?" Eva's eyes start to shine. "Thank you. But why did you actually ask me to come?"

Kilian smiles. He knows what's about to happen. "I wanted to ask you for help. I'm getting married in less than four weeks. Hannah is simply gorgeous," he gushes to the horrified woman. "We want to go on our honeymoon to the Caribbean. But there's one small problem. She has two children. Really sweet, I tell you. But I'd like to spend our honeymoon without them. We've been thinking the whole time about who could help us. And then I thought of you. You've always told me how much you like children. So I thought maybe you could look after them for the three weeks. You'd be doing us a big favor." Kilian has to stifle a laugh at the look on Eva's face.

"Three weeks?" she asks in a panic. "You can't be serious! What makes you think I would look after a complete stranger's children? You can forget it!" she hisses indignantly. 'How could he come up with such a crazy idea? And I'm all dressed up for it! That bastard!' she thinks angrily. She stands up quickly to stop any further discussion on the subject. 'But I'm taking the suitcase with me! That's what he gets for it now.'

"Too bad, there's nothing we can do. I understand what you mean. But at least I had to try. No hard feelings," he apologizes. "Come on, I'll show you out."

He accompanies Eva to the door and bids her a friendly farewell. He makes sure that she doesn't look at the surveillance cameras. He simply speaks to her in the appropriate places so that she turns towards him. He confirms to the security guard that the money case is correct.

He goes to his locker once again. Now he has a little more time. His briefcase has been in the steel locker since midday. He empties the case completely. Then he puts the money inside. 'Strange,' he thinks. 'That such small packages should add up to a million euros. The ten packets of one hundred euro bills are each just four inch high. But he knows that's true.' A banknote is only1/254 inchthick. He can fit two rows of five packets in his suitcase. So he can transport everything outside at once. He remembers that his colleague from security told them about the faulty scanner at the entrance to the underground car park in complete secrecy over lunch. "Just right for my project," he says happily. He takes the suitcase back to his workplace. He is back in his chair not a second too soon. He has just managed to close the account before his supervisor arrives.

Götz gives him a brief nod before disappearing into his office.

Kilian follows on his heels. "Hannah called me earlier," he fibs. "We have another appointment at the jeweler this afternoon. Do you mind if I leave at half past three? I'll make up the time in the next few days."

Götz grins cheekily at him. "Sure, I don't want to be responsible if Hannah dumps you. I'm glad that you're finally getting one too."

"Thank you very much," says Kilian ironically. "I thought you'd be happy for me." He joins in with his friend's cheerful laughter, then turns to leave. But after two steps, he stops again. "Hey Götz, there was a woman here earlier who closed her account. As it was one of yours, I'd better let you know. The amount was quite high for a cash payment, but you had already arranged everything, so the lady had no complaints. On the contrary, she was apparently happy that it went so quickly, as she was in a hurry."

"What are you talking about?" asks Götz, irritated. A glance at his watch shows him that it can't have been his contact. 'Sakharov said four o'clock and not two o'clock,' he ponders. 'Or did he make a mistake?' "What was the woman's name?"

"Suzi Wang. She showed me a valid ID. Why? Is there something wrong? The woman picked up a full million."

"No, it's all good." Götz is certain that Vladimir Sakharov simply told him the wrong time. 'Thanks to Kilian, everything went smoothly. Even if he doesn't know what it's all about.' Götz smiles at his friend with relief. "Thanks for the help."

"I was happy to do it." assures Kilian. 'If you only knew,' he thinks mischievously. 'I'm curious how you're going to explain that.' He leaves the building punctually through the underground parking garage. He gives the security guard a quick wave before getting into his car unhindered.

2

"Where did you get the idea that I would go?" Oliver is amazed. "When your sister gets married, it's a family celebration. At most, only the closest friends of the bride and groom are invited. I'm not one of them or the other."

"You don't believe that yourself," Dominik contradicts. "We've been friends for how long now?" He does the math. "More than twenty years. You've been family ever since. You know that! Besides, Hannah specifically told me not to show up without you under any circumstances. You can't let my little sister rip my head off."

Dominik Schwarz doesn't understand why his friend is so reluctant. The thirty-eight-year-old flight expert, who is5‘9“tall, wears his blond hair in a military short haircut. His athletic, well-trained figure, together with his cheerfully sparkling blue eyes, is quite impressive. He remembers how he met Oliver Klein.

The security technician, who is just under a year older, is no less good-looking with his short chocolate-brown hair, same-colored eyes and height of6 feet. The two completed their military training and dual studies in electronics and communications engineering together. A few years ago, they moved toStaller Industrie Werke GmbHtogether as security specialists and all-rounders to support the special projects, as they were unable to turn down the extremely lucrative offer from company boss Peter Staller. Since then, they have been working hand in hand with the members of the special projects team, whose boss is Gerd Bach.

"You just made that up to persuade me," Oliver reproaches his friend.

"Nonsense! It's important to Hannah that you're there. She wants to ask you for something in connection with the wedding. But don't ask me what it's about. I have no idea."

"Even if I wanted to, Gerd would never let us both go on vacation at the same time. He can't afford that."

"I haven't told him anything yet. First I wanted us to complete the last job properly. It's done by now. If you give me your consent, I'll take care of the boss. Agreed?"

Oliver looks at his friend thoughtfully. The image of a vivacious woman appears before his eyes, her blonde ponytail swinging back and forth while her blue eyes flash with exuberance. When he met Hannah Schwarz, she was just sixteen years old. Intrigued by the spirited teenager, he helped her brother look after her, which wasn't exactly easy. She met Henry Ruge, who was a year older than her, and married him at the age of twenty-four. Oliver couldn't stand the man. But after one look at his girlfriend's happy face, he kept this to himself. His instincts did not deceive him. The marriage was not under a good star. Henry hoped that the marriage would speed up his rise in Dominik's father's company, which owned a large chemical company. Just six months after the marriage, Henry began cheating on his wife. The marriage ended in divorce when Hannah was twenty-eight years old. Their children Emil and Leonie were just three and one year old. Oliver helped her move back into her parents' house, where she and the children moved into one of the two side wings that Eduard Schwarz had added to the main building for his children. Oliver was fascinated by the young woman who was taking her life into her own hands and determinedly building a future for herself and her two children. But she is his best friend's little sister. So she is taboo for him.He shuts his feelings deep inside himself and keeps his distance from her. That is also the reason why he has turned down Dominik's invitations every time for the past seven years. But now she wants to see him. He also wants to see the man Hannah is planning to marry. This time, he won't keep his mouth shut if he doesn't like something about the guy! "All right then!" he gives in. "Yes, I'll come with you."

"Great!" Dominik pats him happily on the shoulder. "All you have to do is pack your suitcase. I'll take care of everything else. The civil ceremony is on the twenty-third of March, the church on the twenty-fourth. We're leaving a week before. So on the sixteenth. That's two weeks from Friday. We leave straight after work. We need just under five hours from here to Nuremberg. That's fine!"

Li-Ming Tián enters the branch of the large bank, which is located right in the heart of Nuremberg. Without looking around, she takes in everything that is happening here. On each side of the entrance area is an employee of the security company contracted for this building. They wear uniforms so that their presence acts as a direct deterrent to various dubious visitors. The young Chinese woman knows that they are armed, but that doesn't bother her. She has a simple job to do here that doesn't require weapons or fighting.

The bank counters are busy, so she would certainly have to wait twenty minutes. She turns to the bank employees doing their work at the advisory desks. Here, too, all the employees are engrossed in conversations with customers. She will probably have to be prepared to wait.

A young man appears next to her, looking at her rapturously. "Can I perhaps help you?" It's obvious that he likes the Chinese girl with the pretty eyes, who is about the same age.

"That would be really helpful," Li-Ming smiles, taking advantage of the bank employee's behavior. "I have an appointment with Mr. Hackenberg at four o'clock. Can you tell me where I can find him?"

"Mr. Hackenberg? I think he's on the top floor. You know, I've only been working in this branch for a short time and I don't know all the employees personally yet. But if you can wait a moment, I'll ask quickly. Agreed?"

"Yes, of course."

It takes the young man less than two minutes to appear with the requested information. "Come on, I'll walk you there," he offers. He stops in front of the private customer advisor's office and knocks on the frame of the open door. "Mr. Hackenberg? You have a visitor," he announces to his companion.

Götz immediately rises to meet the customer. He holds out his hand to greet the woman. "Götz Hackenberg," he introduces himself. With a welcoming gesture, he shows her the way to his desk, while the young bank employee withdraws.

"What can I do for you?" asks Götz. He looks at the Chinese woman with a connoisseur's eye. Twenty-five years old,5‘3“tall with a stimulating figure and shoulder-length black hair. A thick strand of dark purple hair stretches from the top of her head down her right side to the back. Her Asian features are extremely attractive and her eyes have the typical expression of Chinese origin. Now those eyes are fixed on him in amazement.

"I thought that my visit to you had already been announced. For four o'clock this afternoon," Li-Ming Tián replies emphatically. "My name is Suzi Wang."

"You are Suzi Wang?" Goetz opens his eyes in horror. "That can't be! That's impossible!" he stammers.

"What are you trying to say?"

"Suzi Wang was already here. At two o'clock. She collected the money and closed the account. Just as it was agreed. Then she left again."

"Four o'clock was agreed, not two o'clock," Li-Ming grumbles. "Who was that woman?"

"I have no idea. She introduced herself as Suzi Wang." Under no circumstances will Götz admit that he didn't personally take care of this woman. If he did, he would quickly lose the job and the ten percent that comes with it.

The Chinese woman stares angrily at the bank employee. "There will be repercussions!" she hisses angrily, before hurriedly leaving the room and shortly afterwards the house. Even before she gets into her car, aMitsubishi Galant with a power outputof119 kW,she dials the number of her current commander.

The organization, which specializes in procuring data of all kinds for those customers who can afford it, is widely ramified and now operates in a well-functioning network construct.

Wei Cáo is the head of the Düsseldorf district. With a height of5‘7“, the slim black-haired man towers over most of his compatriots. His piercing dark eyes make the forty-year-old look extremely dangerous. The Vice Consul works at the Chinese Consulate General inDüsseldorf-Oberkassel, which means he has the right contacts to help the students under his care find internships. None of the people involved know that these people are replaced by employees of his organization if necessary. Only in an extreme emergency would his subordinate contact him. It is therefore immediately clear to him that something is not going according to plan. The student Li-Ming Tián was already made available to him when needed by his colleague, the Nuremberg district manager, even before he was allowed to take over this area himself. The student has been working for her organization for several years without complaint. Li-Ming Tián is one of the few employees permanently stationed in Nuremberg. Her main task is to access the accounts of Vladimir Zakharov or other customers as quickly as possible.

The top cartel boss's decision to process customer payments via another city is a very good strategy that is extremely valuable in keeping their activities secret.

"What happened?" he interrogates his subordinate curtly.

"We have a problem!" the Chinese woman claims, before going on to tell him what has happened.

"Go home. I'll sort this matter out," Wei Cáo promises. He puts his cell phone down on the antique desk and stands up. He looks out of the window with his hands in his trouser pockets. 'Where is the mistake? Have we even made a mistake? Someone didn't want us to receive the money. It can't be Vladimir Sakharov. He knows he can't do anything with the first half of the data alone. Yuri Belyayev is loyal to me. The former Russian mercenary earns good money from his work. He won't dare take such a step. The bank is the problem. Guaranteed! Yuri must deal with it immediately.'

Wei Cáo reaches for his cell phone. "We need to talk," he assures his conversation partner curtly. "In an hour. AtAsiaonHansaallee."

Yuri Belyayev arrives punctually at the five-starrestaurantand is shown to Wei Cáo, who has made himself comfortable in one of the séparées. At his request, the Russian takes a seat opposite him. As soon as the servants have left the two men alone, the commander begins his report. "Li-Ming had to leave the bank without having achieved anything so that we wouldn't attract attention. What happened there?" he asks the Russian in conclusion.

"I can't tell you that. Not yet! But you can be sure I'll find out," Yuri promises. "I'll take care of it immediately." Without another word, he stands up, nods briefly to his boss and leaves. His thoughts turn to Vladimir Sakharov. The man has been doing business with him for far too long to suddenly betray him. He can't imagine that the head of the automotive company would want to take him on. 'The man simply isn't rested enough for that,' he estimates. Only when the mercenary is sitting in his car does he reach for his cell phone. "It went wrong," is the first thing he tells the CEO. "We haven't received any money."

Vladimir Sakharov made himself known after the second ring. He knows who this number belongs to. These cell phones were purchased especially for communication between the two of them. But what Yuri Belyayev has just told him is enough to make him sit up perplexed in his chair. "What? Why not? It was all arranged. The account was set up on time. I personally took care of opening the account. Everything just as you wanted it. I checked the account balance at one o'clock. I kept to our agreement."

"That may be true," speculates his interlocutor. "But when we went to collect the money, there was no account. Your man at the bank told our contact person that we had already collected the money two hours earlier. But that wasn't the case."

"It's not my fault," insists Vladimir Sakharov. "I demand the rest of the documents. Your instructions have been followed one hundred percent by me. I have no idea who is playing the wrong game in your club."

"Nobody plays wrong with us," the mercenary rages angrily. "The fault lies with your contact at the bank. Make sure we get our money, then you'll get the data." He wants to break the connection.

"Wait!" the entrepreneur holds him back. "I can't clarify it that quickly from here. If my contact at the bank is involved, I'd like to know. I'm sure he won't admit any of this to me."

"That's not my problem!" grumbles Yuri Belyayev. "Make sure you have your people under control, otherwise I'll terminate our business relationship immediately."

"I pay my liaison very generously for his services. I have always worked with the same person for the last six years without any problems. You have also been satisfied so far."

"That's possible. Yes. But someone is spitting in our soup. We have to find them. And quickly."

Wladimir thinks about his idea for a moment. "All right then! What would it cost me if you took this on?"

"You want me to take care of the man?" Yuri is amazed.

"I want you to find out exactly what happened and why. Find the money. After all, it belongs to your boss. It should be in all our interests to clear up this story. A mishap like this must not happen again."

"I'm not going to contradict you. What if your contact is actually involved?"

"Then you must know what you have to do! I would be prepared to pay two hundred and fifty thousand euros for it."

"I'll have to clear this with my boss. You'll hear from me!" Yuri hurries to take the necessary measures. That same evening, he speaks to his commander a second time.

Wei Cáo listens wordlessly to his henchman as he tells him about his conversation with the CEO. For a long time, he simply stares ahead of him. 'Should we take care of these problems? Sure, they're not ours, but they could quickly become ours.' He stands up. Hands in his pockets, he steps to the window.

"What do you think?" he asks for his colleague's opinion without turning around.

The Russian has already come to a decision. Although he only acts as an intermediary between his boss and the customers, he too is deeply involved in these machinations. "There's a lot at stake for all of us," he begins cautiously. "If we have a leak somewhere, it can destroy the whole organization. Before we move on to the next job, we should clean up our weak points."

Wei Cáo looks blankly at his garden. 'Yuri is right. We can't afford to ignore this threat to our company. In the worst case, we'll all end up in prison. No, even worse, we'll be deported home and end up in China's prisons. That must be avoided at all costs!' He has built something up in Düsseldorf. He works at the Chinese Consulate General. He has privileges that he could never achieve in his home country. The two-family corner house onKaiser-Friedrich-Ringis only a seven-minute drive from his workplace. Even though there is one property next to the other with little space in between, he feels at home here. In the beautifully arranged garden with its tall trees, an opaque vegetation has been created that offers him a certain amount of privacy. He doesn't want to give all this up at any price. He turns powerfully to his sidekick. "We'll take care of this matter. Get us as much background information as you can from Sakharov. Then we'll decide what to do together."

"Good, I‘ll contact you."

Vladimir Sakharov receives positive feedback from Yuri with the request to hand over all the background information available to him.

3

Götz spends the whole Friday afternoon pondering who the woman who misappropriated the money might have been. She must have known about it somewhere. His gaze falls on his friend's empty desk. 'Do you think Kilian has anything to do with this?' He shakes his head vigorously. 'He would have had to know what it was about first. Besides, he would never have had the guts to do something like that,' he judges. 'If he didn't lie to me, then this woman must exist. But I have no idea how to find out. After all, I can't just go and ask. That would cause far too much of a stir.' He resolves to talk to Kilian first thing on Monday.

Vladimir Sakharov passes on all the information he has about Götz Hackenberg to the mercenary. The vice-consul's henchman immediately ensures that his boss has the bank employee under permanent surveillance. From the moment Götz Hackenberg leaves the bank, men from Wei Cáo's organization follow him at every turn.

By Sunday evening, Yuri Belyayev knows the entire background of his target, knows that he is married and has a mistress. That same evening, he discusses the details of his approach with his boss and his client. Two flights for himself and his companion are quickly booked. The airlineEurowingstakes off its first plane at ten minutes past seven on the desired route, with a flight time of one hour and ten minutes. Li-Ming Tián will be waiting for them at the airport at the right time in a rented luxury limousine with a chauffeur.

Meanwhile, Götz has two sleepless nights behind him. He keeps racking his brain. But he can't find any answers to his questions. The thought of how his client will react makes him break out in a sweat. If he doesn't find out who is responsible for this misery as quickly as possible, it could cost him his life. 'I absolutely have to know who this woman is!' He arrives at the bank very early on Monday.

He is greeted in a friendly manner by the security guard at the main entrance. "Mr. Hackenberg, you got out of bed early," he greets with a smile. "Are there any problems?" Paul Anstedt is the security guard who met Kilian and Götz in the canteen on Friday.

"Problems? No," assures Götz. "Just a lot of work. If I want to get it done by this afternoon, I'll have to start early." He is about to leave, but turns back to the man. "Tell me, Paul, you were also on duty here at the main entrance on Friday. Weren't you?"

"Yes, that's right. On the late shift. Why?"

"I had a customer who closed her account. She was given a large sum of money as a result. As I wasn't at my desk when she arrived, my colleague took care of her. Now I just have to process the final documents. I couldn't ask my colleague about it, but I assume there were no problems. If there had been, I'm sure you would have noticed. Wouldn't you?"

"I know what you mean," nods the security guard. "I also remember the young lady. Extremely attractive, straight black hair down to her shoulders and exclusively dressed. Mr. Hochmuth took her to the exit and said goodbye to her politely. She had one of our typical suitcases with her. Mr. Hochmuth confirmed to me that this was correct."

"Exactly," Götz quickly agrees. "Then everything's fine. Thank you very much for the information." He makes his way to his office on the second floor. Sitting behind his desk, he thinks back over the conversation. 'So this woman really does exist. Then Kilian hasn't lied to me. He knows absolutely nothing! But now I have to find out who this woman is and how she found out about the account.'

The phone interrupts his train of thought. He immediately realizes who is calling, even though no number appears on the display. "Hello," he answers. "How does he know I'm already in the bank? Am I being monitored?" he ponders suspiciously. He wouldn't put it past his client.

"I was informed of your failure," Vladimir Sakharov accuses the bank employee. "What do you have to say to me?"

Götz starts to sweat. Now he has to sell himself as well as possible. "I can't fully explain it to you yet. The fact is that a woman I don't know has turned up at the bank. At two o'clock. Unfortunately, I wasn't in my seat. A colleague then looked after the woman. She asked for the account to be closed and the money paid out. As I had already prepared everything for the payment at four o'clock, the agreed time, the colleague simply completed the missing steps without knowing what they were about."

"Are you sure that's how it happened?" the entrepreneur doubts. "How could an outsider have found out about this deal? Couldn't it have been your colleague himself?"

"That's what I thought at first. But then I spoke carefully to the security staff. This woman really does exist. My colleague didn't know the woman. She left our building on Friday with a suitcase full of money. However, I can't get to the surveillance tapes to have a look at her without attracting attention."

"Leave it to me!" Vladimir demands. "You'll get a visit today," he assures him. "Do what these people want you to do!"

"Yes, of course," promises Götz. 'I wonder what's in store for me,' he asks himself anxiously.

Regardless of the events in Nuremberg, this morning also marks the start of the working day in Düsseldorf. Gerd Bach has been in his office since the early hours of the morning. The6‘1“tall man has a slim, athletic figure. His thick fawn hair and shiny honey-colored eyes round off the handsome and interesting appearance of the project manager atStaller Industrie Werke.Fine laugh lines around his eyes testify to his sense of humor and give him a charm all of his own. The twenty-eight-year-old electronics engineer has been a member of Peter Staller's family since he was ten years old. The deep friendship that developed between Gerd and Peter's son Andreas was something special for everyone. There is a bond between the two young men that could not be deeper between brothers. Peter and his wife Karola have long regarded Gerd as their son. Even though Gerd grew up in the youth home, the Staller family home has also become his home over the years. He is always welcome in this family. He feels safe and at home here. After his studies, Peter brought the young man into his team as a project manager for special orders. Gerd now also deputizes for the CEO when necessary. Everyone approves of Gerd's decision to have a relationship with Emma Wolf. The chief inspector moved from Berlin to Düsseldorf for his sake. Everyone who observes the two of them together recognizes their deep affection and understanding for each other.

The project manager goes through the schedules for his team with his secretary Anna Zerlinski. However, he is not completely satisfied with the scheduling this time. Together they revise the plans. Finally finished, Anna stands up. "I'll enter the changes quickly, then we'll take another look at the whole thing. Agreed?"

"Of course."

Anna goes into the anteroom to her own desk. The5‘6“tall blonde with the cheerful blue eyes began her career atStallertogether with Gerd. She has been friends with Gerd Bach and Andreas Staller since their graduation trip to Hawaii. A visit to theRoyal NewCasino nearWaikikiBeach turned out to be a nightmare. They ended up in a hostage situation in which Anna had to stand up to her enemies alongside the two young men. Since then, the pretty twenty-eight-year-old has come to the aid of her friends on more than one occasion. She is now in a relationship with Stefan Wolf, Emma's brother. She not only works as Gerd's secretary, but is also responsible for coordinating all the work steps of the entire team. She is the one who has the employees' backs when it comes to bureaucracy. While she is still working on her task, Dominik appears in his boss's anteroom.

"Good morning, Anna," the all-rounder greets the young woman. He points to Gerd's office with his finger. "Can I see him?"

"Yeah, sure. Go ahead and go in."

Dominik smiles gratefully at her before turning to Gerd's office. But then he turns around again. "Anna, have you worked out the schedule for March yet? Can you tell me what the work situation will be like the week after next?"

"I'm just about to enter the changes," Anna explains to him. She smiles knowingly at him. "Are you planning to take a vacation? Gerd won't be happy about that. Why March of all months? It's cold and wet then," she claims.

"My sister Hannah is getting married. On the twenty-third of March. I'll barely manage to persuade her to postpone the wedding until my vacation fits into our schedule."

Anna laughs happily. "I'm sure you're right. Go and see Gerd now. I'll bring the plans in a minute." While Dominik sets off, Anna takes another look at the schedules. 'He's unlikely to go without Oliver,' she thinks and starts to clear up the week in March as best she can.

"Hello, Gerd," Dominik also greets his boss. "Do you have a few minutes for me?"

"Only if you don't bring any problems with you," Gerd teases. "The day started very peacefully. I'd hate to change that."

"I can't promise you that," the all-rounder replies honestly. "You know my sister Hannah. She's getting married on the weekend of March twenty-fourth. The civil ceremony is on Friday and the church wedding on Sunday. I would like to take a vacation the week before. I'll be back the following Monday."

"Isn't that the week after next? That's just ten working days away."

"More like nine."

"Why are you so late with this? Surely it's been clear for a while. Right?"

"Not really. Hannah only let us in on it when they ordered the posse. The two of them surprised us all. But I didn't want to come to you on our current assignment. After all, we only completed it last Thursday."

"I can only say thank you for that," nods Gerd.

Dominik grins cheekily at him. "After all, I didn't want to be responsible for your gray hair."

"Very funny," grumbles Gerd. "It's good that you came to see me straight away."

"After all, I don't want to cause any trouble. At least no more than necessary. Oh, just so we're clear, Oliver absolutely has to come with me."

Gerd's eyes widen in horror. "You're both out at the same time? Does that have to be?"

"Well, it's my sister who's getting married. She's asked me for help with the preparations. And Oliver," Dominik chuckles happily. "The poor guy still has no idea what's in store for him. Hannah wants him to be best man. But no one has told him yet, so please keep that to yourself."

"Sure," agrees the supervisor resignedly. They are interrupted by Anna's entry. "Let's go through the plans together," asks Gerd.

"I took the liberty of rescheduling the appointments for the week in question as far as I could," reports Anna. Less than half an hour later, they are in agreement.

"Then I can only wish you both a lot of fun at the wedding," Gerd remarks, before smiling mischievously at Dominik. "It's up to you how you digest your colleagues' grumbling afterwards. It'll be pretty tight for everyone afterwards in April."

"We'll manage that. Thank you, Gerd."

The project manager looks pensively after his employee. "Hopefully no new orders will be added in the meantime."

"Are you afraid you won't make it?" asks Anna with a smile.

"We can probably just let that come to us," he replies. "I have to see the boss anyway, so I can inform him straight away."

As soon as the bank opens its doors, the three visitors register with Götz. He is glad that Kilian hasn't shown up yet. His friend's working day doesn't start for another half hour. He rises from his seat to greet the new arrivals properly. He already knows the young woman from her visit on Friday. The men, on the other hand, are complete strangers to him. 'In their dark gray suits, the two men look more dangerous than busy,' judges Götz. 'But maybe that's just me.'

Ignoring his outstretched hand in greeting, Wei Cáo's henchman introduces himself: "Yuri Belyayev." He doesn't take the time to introduce his companions to the bank employee. He should only introduce Li-Ming under the cover name Suzi Wang anyway, and he deliberately conceals Boris Timofeiev's function. "I was commissioned by Mr. Sakharov to take care of the deficits you have caused. What can you tell me about them?"

"That's quickly explained," assures Götz. "But unfortunately I don't have much yet." He passes on what he already told Vladimir Sakharov this morning. "The deficits, as you mentioned earlier, are not mine. I have neither passed on any information nor spoken to anyone about the tasks I am handling for Mr. Sakharov. I don't know how this strange woman fits into the story. I haven't the faintest idea how to track her down. But unless we find her, we'll probably never know how she knew about the account."

"Leave it to us," demands Yuri Belyayev. He scrutinizes the bank employee. The man's forehead is covered in sweat and you can see the fear in his eyes. That is understandable in this situation. But his gaze is clearly focused on his visitors. For now, he believes Götz Hackenberg. "I'll tell you how we're going to proceed. Accompany us through the bank. Give us a guided tour. After all, I'm a new customer with corresponding wealth who is interested in your security precautions, among other things. Keep the conversations that arise discreet, just as you would with any other customer. Leave the rest to us."

"Yes, fine," Götz gives in. He knows that he has no other choice. Besides, he's happy to get off so lightly.

They start their tour with his boss, who greets the potential new customer very courteously and gives his permission for the tour. They don't stay anywhere for too long. Only when they reach the surveillance room, where the two security guards on duty are watching their screens, do Götz's companions take more time. They are already used to the kind of questions Yuri Belyayev asks the security staff. Many major customers want to know how the bank's security is guaranteed before they leave their money in its care. They answer the visitors' questions politely. Li-Ming stays in the background, her head down, not taking part in the conversations. She watches every movement of the two employees out of the corner of her eye. No one notices the small ampoule in her hand.

"If you really do have an incident in your bank, can you access it retrospectively using the camera surveillance?" Yuri asks the security expert sitting in front of the screen.

"Of course," confirms Heiko Ertel, one of the employees. "The data that is recorded here must be stored for several days under the strictest precautions. We can also access the last seven days from here."

"Then you might be able to prevent a theft in time? Or help the police catch the perpetrators after a theft?"

"Yes, after all, that is the task of such monitoring," asserts Heiko Ertel. "I'll show you. Just give me a date and time from the last week."