Chapter One: The Fifty-Million-Euro Scar

The guard crouched and reached for Lin's shoe. An alarm erupted at the far end of the corridor. Red lights spun, and a French announcement repeated through the building: “Cold-sample storage temperature anomaly. Technical personnel respond immediately.” Both guards pressed their earpieces. The crouching man swore, stood, and pointed at Lin. “Stay here.” They ran down the corridor. Lin did not stay. He pushed his cart into the staff lift and selected the ground floor. Before the doors met, he saw bald Doctor Fischer hurrying from the other end of the hall, all his confidence from the successful medical gone. The lift rose. Lin took the wafer from his shoe. A tiny green point had lit on its surface. The alarm had not been a coincidence.