BUDAPEST TEAM

After a lengthy discussion, Joe was gathering his things, ready to leave, when my phone buzzed on the table. I glanced at the screen—a call from Budapest.

"Hold on, Joe," I said, grabbing the phone. I tapped the speaker button and addressed the team on the other end. "What's the update?" Laurene moved closer and Joe seemed anxious.

The line crackled briefly before one of the Budapest team members spoke, his voice low and serious. "Sir, we have been tracking the movement of your money. It was a hacker—professional, top-tier. But we found out something else. He had help. Local help."

I felt my stomach tighten. "Local? You are saying someone in Comoros helped him?"

"Exactly," the voice continued. "We asked around, and the word is that two or three people arrived here from the U.S. a few days ago. But here is the problem—no one knows who they are. The Comoros team has been completely calm about them."