8

  They met again the next morning, but this meeting was held in Warner’s office. It was a beautiful large office, faced in expensive woods and stones, handmade cabinets and desk, paintings and Persian carpets here and there, and an extravagant sofa set with matching coffee tables to one side.

  “Wow!” exclaimed Chad.

  “Italian,” said Warner, by way of explanation. “A bit over the top, but my position demands it. Sheikhs spend millions on offices, and so do top businessmen, Arab and non-Arab alike. It’s a showing-off thing. The office of the regional director of Citizenbank cannot fall into category two. Got to be grade-A. They judge me by these things - house, office, car, model of mobile phone, watch, you name it. Having been extremely poor twenty years ago, with really nothing, now that they have wealth, they feel important, and part of that feeling demands the satisfaction of knowing that whoever they deal with, whom they have to treat on par, is equally important in his organisation. Otherwise they feel slighted, and consequently extremely difficult to handle. Oh, yes, they know I’m the great boss of Citizenbank, but it’s the trappings that demonstrate how I myself am valued by the bank. I’ve got to have a top-of-the-line Mercedes, a new model every year, and so must my wife. If she’s seen driving around in anything less, they’ll feel superior to me, and, boy, I really don’t need an illiterate beggar of twenty years ago thinking he’s my better. They must find no reason to not treat my position with all due respect. Funny, isn’t it, the beggars of yesterday?”

  The first half-hour passed quietly, as Warner waded into pending work, Mandy, his pretty secretary, bustled about, and the visitors read newspapers and drank coffee. The meeting commenced after Warner signed some final papers and sent Mandy off, with the instruction that no telephone calls, visitors or paperwork were to disturb them.

  “Yes, Bob,” said Warner, making a show of sitting back. “Where were we last?”

  “You want to know the reason for the secrecy surrounding Credit Shield Insurance. The cloak and dagger stuff, as you’ve been calling it," replied Kerry, smiling.

  “That’s right. If I see justification, if I see the necessity of it, I am prepared to authorise it,” said Warner firmly. “But if there is no justification for undercover stuff, I will reject it, and this will have become our last meeting on the subject. It’ll then be up to New York to figure out what and how, and to push it through using other means.”

  “We understand your position,” said Kerry. “You are right. We need you to authorise our scheme.” He paused. “Chad will continue.”

  Chad commenced. “You know what we’re planning to charge as Credit Shield Insurance coverage - $4 on every $1,000 outstanding. It looks ridiculously low, but it’s not. You see, this insurance scheme is different. We intend to charge the premium in the credit card itself.” He slapped his hand loudly on his thigh to punctuate his statement.

  Warner studied Chad’s face dubiously. “So? What the fuck difference does it make?”

  “Inside the card, inside the card! Work the figures out,” urged Kerry, getting agitated.

  “You work them out,” said Warner stubbornly.

  Kerry calmed himself down, determined to not recreate the antagonistic atmosphere of the last meeting. “Fine, George. Chad thought it up, and he’s been entrusted to see it through. Let him continue to explain.”

  “To the customer, Credit Shield Insurance will be dressed to look like an insurance policy,” continued Chad, “but it’s far from that, really, really far. Purchases on card statements currently belong to outside vendors, but now, at last, Citizenbank itself will have monthly entries in that sector of its statements. Have you ever calculated how credit card interest rates multiply? Sure, you know it’s compounded, but have you ever looked at the figures themselves?” The two Dubai bosses waited mulishly to hear Chad’s version of things. “Nobody does. Later I’ll demonstrate the figures on a computer. Specifically, I’ll show you what happens as time passes. You’ll be shocked perhaps into cancelling your own credit cards.” Everyone laughed nervously. “For the moment please take my word that the figures are mind blowing. That’s why we’re not involving New York, and that’s why we need you to authorise it here - in Dubai. It’s such a secret program that,” he paused for effect, “it’s our intention to keep it hidden from cardholders too.”

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “What?” blurted Michel. “That’s impossible.” He laughed. “Who’s going to pay without understanding what it is? Without knowing?” Warner, too, laughed.

  “And that’s why Citizenbank is going to default subscribe everyone,” said Chad.

  “What?” This time it was Warner. “There’s no such thing. You people are wasting your time. And ours.”

  Chad sat down; it was Kerry’s turn.

  “George,” said Kerry, “we need you. Unless you agree, we’re stuck, and that’s why Carl has decided to offer you both an in into this deal. It’s money.”

  “You see?” said Warner mockingly, turning to Michel. “Everything’s about money. Play tough, and out it comes. Money talks, Bob, so keep talking. Don’t stop now. I like the sound of money, if only the word itself.” The tension evaporated, a dark fog suddenly lifting, and everybody started grinning from ear to ear.

  “Credit Shield Insurance is a scam we will run,” said Kerry, smiling. “We, the people in this room, backed by the supremo, Carl Snyder. Chad has been positioned here to oversee technical details, and we’re to help him think it through. Let’s presume we do succeed in hoodwinking customers. It’s what we’re working on. Chad has already asked for a survey. Isn’t that right, Michel?”

  Michel nodded, gazing in admiration at Chad. “You are one below-the-belt dirty bastard, Chad. These guys have some deep game plan against the dumbfucks, George. Deep, very deep.”

  Warner held his peace, closely watching Chad and Kerry.

  “The money will be good, extraordinarily good,” resumed Kerry. “Our calculations show that in the first full year after implementation, Citizenbank will gain almost two hundred million US dollars in your territory alone. That’s two hundred million of pure profit – two hundred million not available today via the existing portfolio of activities. And within five years the figure will cross the billion dollar mark. Annually, George. Every single fucking year. Like it?”

  “Sounds good, Bob, but it won’t be any use to me when I’m doing life in jail on conspiracy and fraud charges.”

  “We have that covered. Chad?”

  Chad dug into his briefcase and handed a document to Warner. It was the legal opinion arranged by Mohammed Eida, the lawyer.

  Warner read the document without comment, then handed it over to Michel. “Read the Arabic part, Michel; that’s our operational language.”

  Michel read both Arabic and English sides simultaneously, whistling softly when done. “Says the same thing in both languages, George. These folks have been as busy as bees.”

  “Okay,” said Warner reluctantly, “so maybe I won’t go to jail. It’s still a risk, but let’s agree I have a fighting chance. But where’s the big money? I don’t think Carl Snyder has authority to grab all or part of the loot simply because he looked the other way while we scammed and fleeced customers. I don’t see money. Do you, Michel? See any cash?”

  Michel, too, acquired his boss’ doubtful look. “No, I don’t. We can steal from customers, but we’re obliged to steal for Citizenbank. Maybe the secret plan is to fill the vault downstairs and then burgle it ourselves.”

  They laughed heartily.

  “You’re missing something, George. And you too, Michel,” said Kerry patronisingly. “Who makes money when Citizenbank makes money?”

  Warner saw it immediately. “The shareholders. By God, the main shareholders get most of the money.”

  “That’s right, George, the shareholders. And who’ll get the credit for multiplying their billions?”

  “Carl Snyder,” said Warner. “And for fuck’s sakes, Bob, drop that patronising tone.” Kerry grinned hugely. “You were trying to cheat me; you guys were trying to keep the money to yourselves. If you’d come clean at the outset, I’d have seen my interest and played ball from the start.”

  “Don’t forget me,” cautioned Michel.

  They laughed again. Everything was forgiven.

  “So how much?” asked Warner.

  “Don’t know,” answered Kerry. “The scheme has been approved, and the shareholders have agreed to pay Carl suitably to cover him and his team. He can't press now on amounts and percentages, but once money starts rolling in and he has figures to work with, be sure he’ll nail them. We’ll get our share. Don’t know about the first year, but from the second year on, it’ll be in the millions.”

  “And then they’ll transfer me to Africa to rob me of my share,” lamented Michel.

  “That’s a good point, Michel. What happens later, Bob?” asked Warner.

  “Good point, indeed,” agreed Kerry. “I’ll take it up with Carl.”

  “He must guarantee our money for the period of the scam, or life, Bob,” said Warner firmly. “Whichever ends first.”