"This is only the beginning, and it's definitely not a dream," I say.
I deposit the coins and log onto the computer. It only takes me a few seconds to get into the access portal. I type in my boss's username and password, and I'm fully inside.
I used to be employee #1. The entire corporation trusted me.
Look at me now, mom.
I speak up as soon as I have the list of all the accounts in front of my face. "Okay, everyone. I'm inside the accounts. Check this out," I say.
They all look over my shoulder at the moving numbers on the screen. "Any names of importance?" Ash asks.
I bite my lip and scroll through the list. There are names of politicians, lobbyists, and various heads of charity groups. They used to seem important, but not anymore.
"Not really," I say.
But I quickly stop scrolling. There is one account of interest. It's a massive report that just keeps building. A name that's clearly made up.
"Wait a second," I say. "Look. Right here."
"Goldilocks Industries LLC," Ash reads. "I'm sorry, but it's not ringing any bells."
I scroll through the account before searching the Internet for any trace of the name. Not much shows up. "I think that's the point. It's a dark account," I say, scrolling through the reports. "Looks like the LLC was created two months ago and has somehow already generated millions in capital gains. Whoever made this account knew what they were doing."
"Yeah, but who's behind it?" Heimdall asks.
I click around but reach a dead end. "That's odd. It says here there are automatic deposits every week, but I can't seem to see what bank their account is tied to."
"Lucifer," Ash says. "It has to be connected to him. That's how he offered Loki and Heimdall all that cash. He's flexing hard."
Dark money. Some super-secretive private firm shit. I've read about this in articles and seen it in the movies, but I've never witnessed anything firsthand. Our firm was corrupt, but we never handled anything of this magnitude.
"You really think your old boss is helping Lucifer?" Heimdall asks.
The truth is that I have no idea. "Jackson was a prick, but he wasn't that smart. The person that made this account clearly wanted to cash out early."
I try to remember everything he said on the day I quit.
"He said something about a new business plan. Maybe he was forced into it," I say.
"Maybe they all were," Ash says.
"Every firm?" I ask.
"The five firms form a diamond around the city. You heard the television. Everyone was bought out, but the merger won't take affect until months from now. What if that merger wasn't even set to happen?"
"I'm not following," Loki says.
But I am. "Are you suggesting that Lucifer was behind the buyout?" I ask.
Ash nods and works it out in his head. "I'm not saying I know how it happened, but he's as persuasive as they come," he says. "If he knows the apocalypse is coming, he knows the merger will never happen."
Heimdall chuckles. "What use is cash if the world has fallen? What I mean to ask is why cash out now?"
"If I were to take I guess, I'd say that he's using the money as leverage," I say. "Most likely, he knows the money won't matter soon. Then again, he probably doesn't think he'll lose either."
"Can you freeze the account?" Heimdall asks.
I nod, but my heart is pounding all the way into my ears. "I can do it, but the effects can't be reversed. This is high-level economy shit. We need to be sure this is the right move," I say.