Chapter One: The Fifty-Million-Euro Scar

Then a low-resolution video opened. A young man huddled beside a concrete wall. His hair had been shaved close and his cheeks were hollow. He pulled his left trouser leg to the knee and showed the crescent scar on the outside of his calf. “My name is León Vega,” he said, his voice breaking with the signal. “The man who arrived in Paris tonight isn't me.” Lin stared at the screen. Behind him came a very soft click. Someone had opened the outer security door. Vega heard it too. He leaned close to the camera. “Pull the card. Don't let them know the terminal still works. Please—” The image vanished. Lin removed the wafer. The handle of the examination-room door turned slowly, and the lock gave a hard metallic knock.