The Inner Sanctum Read online

  PRAISE FOR

  THE VULTURE FUND

  “A fast-paced thriller—action, adventure, romance, even a morality tale. Frey touches all the bases in this fast-paced thriller that combines Robert Ludlum with Barbarians at the Gate.”

  —Newark Star-Ledger

  “A gripping thriller…secretive, velvet-gloved villainy…unstoppable excitement.”

  —Richmond Times-Dispatch

  “A Wall Street and Washington shocker.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  “A winner! Following the success of The Takeover, Frey follows it up with a second book that’s every bit as good. Gripping intrigue, hot, fast-moving action…a stunning conclusion…mesmerizes readers.”

  —Booklist

  “Stakes so high, no one can be trusted. This story was spun for the movies.”

  —Poisoned Pen

  “Ultra-exciting…a powerful and multilayered financial and political thriller. It’s only a matter of time before Frey achieves the same recognition as Cook and Grisham have obtained in their respective fields of medical and legal thrillers.”

  —Ed’s Internet Book Review

  “An exciting genius.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  PRAISE FOR

  THE TAKEOVER

  “Fast-moving.”

  —James Patterson

  “Great…wonderfully exciting.”

  —San Jose Mercury News

  “Resembles Robert Ludlum when Ludlum was fresh. A grand first novel.”

  —St. Petersburg Times

  “A fast-paced roller coaster of love and lust, murder and betrayal, politics and business.”

  —USA Today

  “Offers insider’s knowledge of the high-stakes world of investment banking.”

  —Wall Street Journal

  “Entertaining and energetic. Superbly taut.”

  —Financial Times

  “Money, sex, secrecy, conspiracy, killings…exciting.”

  —Mystery News

  “Fast-paced and convincing.”

  —Chicago Tribune

  “Enormous wealth, murder, dirty tricks, political intrigue, colorful villains, relentless pacing. Enjoy!”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Fast-paced conspiracy and intrigue”

  —New York Daily News

  “Grishamesque skullduggery and intrigue.”

  —Library Journal

  “Fast action….The author’s worst-case scenario of scary political ramifications could easily become tomorrow’s news.”

  —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

  “A rich, heavily textured, action-packed thriller.”

  —Mostly Murder

  “A high-speed thriller…relentless suspense.”

  —Elwood Call-Leader

  “Strikingly memorable and noteworthy.”

  —Lansing State Journal

  SIGNET

  Published by New American Library, a division of

  Penguin Putnam Inc., 375 Hudson Street,

  New York, New York 10014, U.S.A.

  Penguin Books Ltd, 27 Wrights Lane,

  London W8 5TZ, England

  Penguin Books Australia Ltd, Ringwood,

  Victoria, Australia

  Penguin Books Canada Ltd, 10 Alcorn Avenue,

  Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 3B2

  Penguin Books (N.Z.) Ltd, 182–190 Wairau Road,

  Auckland 10, New Zealand

  Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices:

  Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England

  Published by Signet, an imprint of New American Library,

  a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.

  Previously published in a Dutton edition.

  Copyright © Stephen Frey, 1997

  All rights reserved

  REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Ebook ISBN 9780593160176

  Cover design: Scott Biel

  Cover image: Yongyuan Dai/Photodisc/Getty Images

  v5.4

  a

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Epilogue

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Prologue

  April 1997

  The man sat calmly in a large leather chair at the edge of the lamp’s faint arc of light. He inhaled deeply, held his breath for several moments, then slowly tilted his head back and blew thick, pungent smoke toward the ceiling. He was in no rush. He had negotiated many times before and was acutely aware of the value gained from projecting indifference in these situations.

  David Mitchell peered through the gloom at the figure in the leather chair, but could distinguish little except the indistinct outline of the man’s body and the glow of a cigar tip as it moved. David wanted to push the meeting forward but said nothing for fear he might give away his impatience—and in the process, the deal.

  “So what is my incentive?” the man finally asked, his gravelly voice filtering through the smoke-laden air.

  “Two million dollars,” David answered. “A million when the contract is signed and another million when full production begins.”

  “Two million dollars.” The man chewed on the words for a moment, then spat them out. “You’ve asked a great deal of me. I don’t think two million is enough.” He tapped the cigar gently on the side of a crystal bowl and a perfectly symmetrical inch-long ash fell into it.

  “How much is enough?”

  “More than two million.”

  David drew in a long breath. He was annoyed at the lack of progress but tried not to make it obvious. “Can you really deliver?” It was a bold question, and despite the dim light he noticed the man’s relaxed
posture suddenly stiffen.

  “Of course I can.” The voice was still steady but now conveyed a repressed anger at the younger man’s audacity.

  “How can I be certain?” David asked quickly, sensing that he had struck a nerve.

  “You can’t be certain. You just have to trust me.”

  “I’m giving you two million dollars. I need more than trust, I need guarantees.”

  “Impossible. There can be no guarantees.”

  A few moments of uncomfortable silence ensued.

  “Perhaps I’ve made a mistake in coming here.” Instantly, David wished he could have taken back the words.

  The man reclined into the chair. “Fine,” he said confidently. “Then leave.”

  David felt a drop of perspiration trickle from the end of his eyebrow slowly down the right side of his face. He couldn’t enter into a transaction on such fragile terms. But he couldn’t walk away from it either.

  The man saw David’s indecision and made his move. “What you get for your money, Mr. Mitchell, is my ability to act alone. And don’t underestimate how important that is. It’s what makes this situation attractive to you. There will be no time wasted on fact-finding missions and no committees adding years to the process.” His tone intensified. “Don’t think for a minute I’m being greedy requiring more than two million dollars for my participation. If I decide to accept your proposal, what you pay me will be nothing more than a rounding error on your profit statement.”

  A rush of anticipation surged through David. That was true. The payoff would be immense. “Then how much do you require?” He asked the critical question once more.

  The man shook his head. “Come back to me with a revised proposal. Work through our mutual acquaintance.”

  “But time is of the essence. I want to know what you require now.” David felt the protective wall around his emotions crumbling, and his left eye blinked once—involuntarily.

  If the face hadn’t been cloaked in shadows, David would have noticed the trace of a smile turn the corners of the man’s mouth up. The blink of the eye—the crack in Mitchell’s countenance—had not gone unnoticed. “I won’t suggest a number. I never do.” He pointed the smoldering cigar tip at David. “But I’m becoming impatient. Make certain your next offer is your best offer.”

  David nodded, realizing there would be no end to the negotiation tonight. “All right, I will.”

  Mitchell had scored higher on the psychiatric exam than anyone in the firm’s history. Now the man saw why. Despite excruciating pressure, Mitchell was maintaining his demeanor admirably. There had only been that drop of perspiration and tic of his eye. Most of his predecessors had fallen apart by now. “You’re doing the right thing, Mr. Mitchell,” the man said gently. He didn’t give a damn about Mitchell, but spoke the words compassionately to manipulate the younger man’s emotions. It was business, that was all. They wanted Mitchell for the long term. They wanted him locked in now, not getting cold feet later and accidentally saving himself. “You’re definitely doing the right thing.”

  “I know,” David said, trying to exude confidence.

  “Without a big hit like this one they’d crucify you. They’d let you bleed up there on the cross until you expired, then they’d burn you. And believe me, you wouldn’t rise from the ashes. There would be no phoenix story here.”

  “I know,” David said again, this time through clenched teeth. The man was absolutely right. The pressure was intense. Without a strong performance, much stronger than he had shown so far, he would be terminated, and there wouldn’t be another job—not like this one anyway.

  The man puffed on his cigar. Someday, if Mitchell proved worthy, they might allow him insight into the bigger picture. They might let him see why one had to win and the other lose. And they might let him understand how they could make that happen.

  David rose from his chair. It seemed obvious the meeting was over.

  “Mr. Mitchell.”

  David turned back as he reached the door. “Yes?”

  “I want you to understand two things before you leave.”

  “And they are?”

  “First, I’ve never used my position this way before. I am entirely ethical. I am not corrupt.”

  David’s silence spoke volumes.

  The man’s eyes narrowed as he sensed skepticism. “Second, I’m considering your proposal because I believe it is in the country’s best interest. Money is not the driving force in this situation, not my primary motivation.”

  For an instant David thought he saw the face, but then it faded into darkness again. “What are you talking about?”

  “My paramount concern is national security. And I’m willing to use any means necessary to achieve that end. That is why I’m willing to consider your proposal. The money is secondary. Do you understand?”

  “Yes.” David stared at the dark figure, marveling at the man’s ability to rationalize. At his ability to avow with sincerity that $2 million—or whatever the number turned out to be—wasn’t the real issue. “I’ll be back to you tomorrow through our mutual acquaintance.”

  “Good.”

  David stepped into the deserted corridor and closed the door. Cool fresh air rushed to his face, and for a few moments he stood there cleansing his lungs of cigar smoke, allowing his heart rate to slow down. It had taken immense courage to proceed with this meeting. Christ, the whole thing could have been a setup.

  Finally he began walking away, the sound of his hard soles on marble echoing into the far recesses of the corridor. But it hadn’t been a setup, and now the final piece was almost in place. By tomorrow night all the hard work, planning, and payoffs would begin returning dividends.

  Chapter 1

  September 1999

  “That’s quite a caseload you’re lugging home tonight, Jesse.” Neil Robinson, branch chief of the city’s Office of Internal Revenue, nodded at the young woman’s overloaded bag as the two of them threaded their way through the after-work crowd spilling onto Baltimore’s downtown sidewalks.

  “Oh, I just threw a bunch of old files in there before we left to impress you,” Jesse laughed, as they dodged several men in suits coming around a corner. “I want you to think I’m working hard so you’ll get me a new grade and I can get a raise.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding. I just got you your new grade two months ago. And you got your raise then.” Robinson tried to sound annoyed but turned his head so she wouldn’t see him smile. He knew full well the files in her bag were active. Jesse Hayes and her friend Sara Adams were the hardest working revenue agents at the branch. But somehow Jesse consistently combined her amazing efficiency with a contagious smile and a positive attitude—something Sara couldn’t always manage.

  “Pull a few strings for me, Neil,” Jesse said, yanking the bag’s strap higher on her shoulder. “Aren’t I worth it?”

  “Of course you are, but that isn’t how the government works. They don’t care what you’re worth, just how long you’ve been around.”

  “That doesn’t sound very encouraging.” Jesse grinned. “How am I going to feed my four children?”

  Robinson raised an eyebrow. “Jesse, when did you have children?”

  “When I decided this would be a good time to go for another raise.”

  Robinson shook his head and laughed, then checked his watch. Five after six. He was five minutes late for his meeting with Gordon Roth. Robinson prided himself on being punctual, but tonight he was consciously late. Hopefully, Roth wouldn’t wait around. “Where are you headed, Jesse?”

  “Class.”

  “Oh, right, business school,” Robinson reminded himself. They stopped at a corner waiting for the light to change. “A master’s degree in business.” He looked at her proudly. “Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?”

  “It’ll sound a whole lot better when I’m finished.�
�

  The light changed and they moved ahead with the crowd.

  “How’s school going?” Robinson sensed her frustration.

  “Fine, I guess. I shouldn’t complain, but sometimes it isn’t easy to sit in class for three hours after a day at the office.” She sighed. “I hope having an M.B.A. will be worth all of this.”

  “Have patience,” he said paternally. “It will be worth it in the long run.”

  Jesse recognized the delicate admonishment. “I know I shouldn’t sound so frustrated, Neil. It’s just a lot of pressure.”

  “Sure it is, but you have a way of finishing things you start. And nothing worth anything in life comes easily.” He pulled a handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiped perspiration from around his mouth. Perhaps he should just skip the meeting with Roth altogether.

  Jesse smiled at Robinson as they hurried up the street. They didn’t have the typical supervisor-subordinate relationship. He was her boss, but a true friend as well. “You know I’ll always be grateful to you for writing that recommendation, Neil. I think it made the difference in my being accepted at the Maryland Business School.”

  “No, you got yourself in, Jesse.”

  “Well, it was extremely important. A woman in the admissions office told me the recommendation had a big impact.” Jesse paused. “And it’s nice of you to let me leave early one day a week to attend the municipal finance course.”

  Robinson held up a hand. “Not a problem. Hell, you do more by noon than most of the others do in a full day. And that’s not a criticism of them. They work hard too.” For a moment Robinson and Jesse were separated as they made their way through a large tour group milling about in front of a hotel entrance. “When do you graduate?” he asked, as they came back together.

  “Next June.”

  “Then it’s off to New York, right? To work for one of the investment banks up there.”

  Jesse hesitated. Going to New York would mean leaving the IRS, and she didn’t feel entirely comfortable about her boss knowing that her ultimate goal was to resign. But they had talked about the matter several times and he had steadfastly encouraged her to pursue the new career. “That’s my hope. But there’s so much competition for those jobs.”