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like his chest was filled with concrete, the weight of it pulling him toward the soft mattress. Mentally, the wheels were churning at a blistering pace and the brakes were inoperable.
    Thoughts of his friend Lukas streamed through his mind like a dozen video clips. Short snippets from his time with Lukas on Rob Howell’s boat replayed in brief segments. He recalled Lukas’s familiarity with Pho Nam Penh; Penh’s connection to the insurance company involved in Collin’s lawsuit; the mounting stack of evidence against Penh and Tranquil Pacific Casualty Insurance Group, which he headed; and the reasons Lukas was sure Penh was coming after Collin’s money. Scenes that flashed by included the crash course in all things technical that Collin would need to know, as well as the outline of the plan to run and avoid Penh and his group of thugs, the Komodos. Despite his thorough indoctrination, Lukas had never predicted this many close calls coming this close together. It wasn’t supposed to get dangerous. Collin’s mind was spinning and he needed more than ever the reassurance that only Lukas could provide.
    Collin waited as long as he could, then tapped his thumb on his phone to dial Lukas’s number again. It always took several rings for Lukas’s security protocol script to run and verify Collin’s ID and credentials.
    Lukas answered this time in his customarily calm and assuring voice. “Hallo, meine freunde. How goes it?”
    “I guess I’m OK. I just can’t sleep. Can’t relax. And can’t stop thinking about those guys. That was too close a call. I mean, I’ve never decked someone like that before.  I’m not used to it. What if they show up here?”
    “I’ll check footage from the surveillance cameras in the Munich train station first. Then I’ll check the airport.” Even as Lukas said these words, Collin could hear his fingers clicking away at the keys of his computer. “It’ll take a few minutes, but I’ll let you know if there were any hits. But for now, just stay where you are and try to rest. You sound exhausted.”
    “I am, and I’ll give it a try. But I can’t stop thinking about it. After all this time, I can’t believe they’re still after me. Why won’t they just leave it alone?”
    “That’s not how they operate. Pho Nam Penh is a very patient, meticulous man. He won’t forget a $30 million payout—ever. If he believes there’s a way to get it back, he’ll work tirelessly to that end. He’s a real son of a—”
    “But how did they find me? I mean, it’s been months since I’ve picked up a tail. Why now? Did I get too complacent or something?”
    “Well, Collin, this is where the news goes from bad to worse.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “It appears that there is a renewed interest in you and your story. Some pictures of you surfaced on the Internet this week. I didn’t want to worry you until I knew the implications.”
    “What pictures?”
    “Pictures of you shaking hands with one of Pho Nam Penh’s top lieutenants. I’m sending them to you now.”
    Collin paused to open the text message and view the pictures. “What? I’ve never met . . .”
    “Apparently you did. Last time you were in the Bahamas—what, two weeks ago? And that’s not the worst of it.”
    “It’s not?”
    “No. Check out the next picture of you seated at a table with none other than Pho Nam Penh himself.”
    “Really? When was that?”
    “London, three days ago. The day before the massive hack attack on the Royal Bank of Scotland. The day after you visited that same bank and transferred money out. Remember that?”
    “Wait. What are you saying? Are they somehow trying to link me with this guy? Do they think I had something to do with his crimes?”
    “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Do you remember sharing a table with a Vietnamese guy in London?”
    Collin studied the picture. “I remember this. I was in a crowded pub in Kings Cross, sitting by myself, as usual, just watching TV and