Greed by Marc Elsberg

Author:Marc Elsberg [Elsberg, Marc]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781473555266
Publisher: Transworld
Published: 2020-05-08T00:00:00+00:00

43

With a roar the jet lifted off into the blue-black early morning sky. Other planes, from a Learjet to a 747, were lined up behind it on the taxiway, their lights like a string of pearls.

Melanie Amado had taken up position on the viewing platform with her microphone. Gusts of wind ruffled her hair, and the noise of aircraft engines created a dramatic sound backdrop.

‘Here in Berlin, a private jet belonging to a super-rich participant at the summit takes off every minute. Most of them arrived only yesterday. Rumour has it that some of them are flying directly to their doomsday resorts in New Zealand. Comments made by Italy’s trade minister last night …’

Maurizio Trittone appeared in one half of the screen. ‘We’d take care of Italian companies and employees if necessary, but a huge business like General Motors could not expect to gain any bailouts from us.’

Amado: ‘… immediately prompted speculation that the car manufacturer may be on the brink of bankruptcy, a claim dismissed by both the company itself and the US administration as completely unfounded. Asian markets nevertheless opened well down today, with losses concentrated in the automobile industry and its suppliers, especially since Trittone also stated that …’

Trittone: ‘Italy will leave both the euro and the EU if …’

‘Are they all out of their minds?’ asked Jeanne. She dropped down next to Ted on the sofa in the dark living room and stared at the giant TV screen in front of which he was swiping and typing on his phone. He was wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, and she was still in his shirt.

‘Come back to bed,’ she said. What time is it? The TV said five a.m.

‘The airwaves are ablaze,’ he said.

Jeanne took her phones out of her bag. Someone had tried to call her during the night. ‘Trittone must be aware of the reaction he’s going to unleash.’

‘Of course he knows.’

All three numbers. Jeanne had given all three to very few people. Caller identity withheld.

‘I overheard him talking to George last night,’ said Jeanne. ‘It sounded to me as if George was promising Trittone money and lucrative positions in return for certain favours. Maybe a few media statements at opportune times?’

The caller hadn’t left any message. It couldn’t be that important. She opened her stock market app. Asia was a bloodbath. Markets in Europe and elsewhere would follow. If this went on, countless companies would enact swingeing cuts or go bust in the coming weeks, and millions would lose their jobs and no longer be able to pay off their loans and mortgages. And the anger would continue to build.

‘It’s a pleasure doing business with men like Maurizio.’ Ted smiled to himself, his face bathed in the bluish light from the TV. ‘And they come so cheap.’

‘Did you …?’

Now he looked at her. ‘What?’

‘Do business with Maurizio?’

‘I don’t do business with people like Maurizio. That’s what people like George are for.’

‘George does a lot of work for you.’

‘George doesn’t work for me. He works for himself.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.