Tiger Threat by Sigmund Brouwer

you know?”
    Abe didn’t know that Vlad knew English. It was a secret I’d keep for Vlad.
    â€œI’m sure,” I said. At least, I was sure according to what Vlad had already explained to me. “Trust me.”
    â€œA bank?” Abe said.
    â€œA bank.”
    â€œOnline?” Abe asked.
    â€œUnless you would prefer to walk.”
    â€œOnline it is,” Abe said. “Got an internet address?”
    I gave it to Abe. His fingers flew over the keyboard. The computer screen brightened, then dimmed, then brightened.
    Abe read out loud, “Commercial Bank of Kuwait. Cash link service. Fixed deposit interest rate inquiry. Limit inquiry. Balance inquiry. Funds transfer. This the stuff you’re looking for?”
    I glanced at Vlad. He gave me a nod too slight for Abe to notice.
    â€œThat’s it,” I said. “How about balance inquiry.”
    â€œTo find out how much money is in the account?”
    â€œYes.”
    Abe tapped the keyboard again. “It needs a user name and password.”
    I took a piece of folded paper from my back pocket. I unfolded it. I put it on Abe’s desk.
    â€œVladinsky,” Abe said. “This is the user name?”
    â€œTry it,” I said. “And there’s the ten-digit password.”
    I put a hand on Abe’s shoulder. “Go slow. Don’t make a mistake.”
    â€œI don’t make mistakes,” he said. “Not at any speed. That comes with being a geek.”
    I leaned over his shoulder and watched the computer screen. Seconds later, a number appeared on the computer screen. A very big number.
    Abe spun his chair around and faced us.
    â€œRay,” he said, “that’s over twelve million dollars.”
    I wasn’t good at math. But I was good enough to know that all those zeroes meant he was right.
    â€œIt’s in a bank in Kuwait,” I said.
    â€œYou don’t understand,” Abe said. “We are in this account. Remember earlier when I said ‘funds transfer’?”
    â€œI remember,” I said.
    â€œThat means you can send this money anywhere. Right now.”
    â€œAnywhere,” I repeated.
    â€œSure,” Abe said. He was trying to act casual. But I could see he was scared. “By entering the right user name and password, it’s as if the money is yours. If you’ve got another account somewhere that can take the transfer, all I need to do is give this online account instructions where to send it.”
    I closed my eyes and rubbed my face. Twelve million dollars.
    â€œRay,” Abe said. “People will kill for money like this.”

chapter twenty - four
    â€œRay,” Abe said. “Ray, what is going on here?”
    I was standing at his window, looking through the blinds and down the street at a parked white van.
    â€œAbe,” I said, stepping away from the window. “Give me a second or two. I need to think.”
    Abe was right about one thing. People would kill for a twelve-million-dollar bankaccount. In fact, after hearing Vlad’s story earlier in the night, I knew that at least one person had already been killed for it. Vlad’s father. Now it looked like Vlad might be next. Or guys on the hockey team.
    Still, it didn’t seem right to let the Russian mafia just take the money.
    â€œRay,” Abe said.
    I put up my hand to keep Abe from talking. An idea was coming to me. Mr. Russian Mafia couldn’t take the money. Not right away. He needed the user name and password. Then he’d have to find a way to get that information to the people back in Russia who had sent him here. If there was some way to delay him, and if the delay was long enough...
    â€œAbe,” I said, “how long would it take for you to set up a new account at another online bank where we could transfer money from this account?”
    â€œAre you thinking of stealing the money?” There was awe in Abe’s voice. I guess twelve