Terminal Justice by Alton L. Gansky Read Free Book Online

“We have money missing. We’ve been robbed.”
    “Robbed? Someone broke into the bank building?”
    “Not physically, sir … electronically. They broke into our computer system and pirated away money.”
    “Not possible,” Booth spat. “We have the best protected computersystem created. Someone would have an easier time breaking into the queen mother’s bedroom in Buckingham Palace than into our system.” Despite his bluster, Booth knew that billions of dollars were transferred around the world electronically every day. Sooner or later someone would turn that to his advantage.
    Barr shook his head slowly. “Last night someone successfully transferred funds from our bank and placed it somewhere else. We don’t know where; we don’t know how.”
    “But the alarms … the fail-safes … the tracking systems …”
    “All circumvented, I’m afraid,” Barr said sadly. “Ingenious, really. Quite ingenious.”
    Slowly Booth walked to his desk chair and dropped in it. “Do I want to know whose money they’ve taken?”
    “It’s not good, sir. They took funds from the largest account of the Silver Dawn.”
    Booth groaned. He wanted to swear, to scream obscenities until they echoed down the halls and out the doors to the ocean, but all he could muster was a simple, deep, guttural moan.
    “Two hundred million American, sir,” Barr replied to the unasked question.
    Booth groaned louder. “The Silver Dawn? Two hundred million dollars?”
    “Yes sir.”
    Leaning his head back, Booth exhaled loudly. “Of all the accounts, why the Silver Dawn?” The Silver Dawn was the most ruthless of the Irish terrorist groups and was known for its indiscriminate use of car bombs. Scores of civilians had died or been injured by their terrorism. They were not known for kindness or forgiveness. They would want more than their money back; they would want an explanation, an explanation that Booth didn’t have. “We have to get that money back, right away, George. We must do that right away, or my life is worthless. Do you understand, George? Do you understand?”
    “I understand, but how?”
    Booth sat staring at his vice president. He had no idea how to gather two hundred million dollars, but he had a very clear idea of what would happen if he didn’t.

4
    SHE’S NOT THE BIGGEST
, CAPT. ADRIAN ADAIR thought.
No, not the biggest and not unique, but she is nonetheless important
. Gazing from the bridge, Captain Adair let his eyes trace the lines of the thirty-year-old
Sea Maid
. To him the ship formed a beautiful shape as it plowed through the sea, pushing aside tons of water with its wedge-shaped bow. Many ships were larger than the
Sea Maid
with her 110-foot beam and just over 700-foot length. But she was his to command, all 18,000 tons of her. And now, making way at a brisk ten knots, Adair felt a sense of euphoria. Tomorrow they would dock in Mombasa, Kenya, and unload their cargo of grain, food staples, and medical supplies, which would then be transported by trucks to Somalia, Ethiopia, and other famine areas. It will be another mission accomplished, another voyage without incident.
Just the way it should be
, he thought.
    Those who had sailed with Captain Adair over his twenty-two-year career had crowned him “Lucky” Adair. In more than two decades of service on the world’s seas, he had never been injured, lost a crewman, or damaged a ship. The more superstitious sailors would never refer to him by the unlucky title of “Lucky,” but they all wanted to sail with him. He was stern but never vicious. He prided himself on bringing his ship to port in better condition than when it left. If a sailor could understand that goal, then he could expect the respect of the captain; those who could not were not allowed on board again.
    Now Adair, who loved the sea more than any man could,purposely took in the scenery around him. The sun was setting in the west, painting the slate-gray sky with streaks of iridescent red