Chapter 15 - THE ZURICH CONNECTION
The winter snow blew sideways across the tarmac at Zurich Airport as Arthur’s private Gulfstream jet came to a smooth halt near a private hangar. Arthur stepped down the airstrip stairs wearing a heavy wool overcoat, accompanied by Sarah and a team of armed Swiss federal marshals.
They were driven in a bulletproof sedan to the Bahnhofstrasse, the famous banking avenue lined with stone fortresses of ancient wealth. Inside the private subterranean vault of the Bank of Switzerland, the chief archivist unlocked a massive vault door using two master keys.
Arthur stepped inside the cold metal room, approaching a stainless steel deposit box numbered 1984. He inserted his silver key into the keyhole, turning it until a heavy mechanical click echoed through the vault.
The door swung open, revealing stacks of original defense blueprints, microfilms, and a modern digital drive glowing with a small blue standby light.
"The drive is active," Sarah warned, drawing her weapon as she scanned the dim corners of the vault. "Someone is remotely accessing this server right now!"
Suddenly, the heavy vault door behind them began to swing shut with a loud hydraulic hiss. Arthur lunged forward, grabbing the digital drive just as the steel doors slammed shut, locking them inside the airtight room.
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The emergency speaker on the wall chimed, broadcasting a smooth, cultured European voice that filled the metallic space with mocking amusement.
"Welcome to Switzerland, Mr. Montgomery," the voice purred. "You were foolish to bring my father's drive back to its place of origin."
