Ahmed squirms and pleads to Achmet, “I did not steal the money, you must believe me!”

Achmet continues to regard the man in front of him, with the eye of a hawk about to strike. Achmet then speaks slowly and threateningly, “Ahmed, you were entrusted with the sum of $1.3 million United States dollars. You were to transfer the money from a bank in Bahrain to a bank in Belgium that’s willing to serve as a conduit for the money, for the usual extortionate fee of course. The money was then to have been transferred to Syria to fund certain of our jihad efforts there. The bank in Belgium claims the money never arrived there. We have an operative inside the bank in Belgium. She confirms that the money never arrived at the bank in Belgium. The money left the bank in Bahrain and never arrived in the bank in Belgium. Then tell me, Ahmed, what happened to the rather large sum of money under discussion?”

Ahmed squirms again. “Achmet, you must believe me. I ordered the money transferred from Bahrain to Belgium. The bank in Bahrain can verify this.”

Achmet explodes, “Ahmed you are a fool! The bank in Bahrain tells us that the money was ordered transferred to a bank in the Bahamas by your computer order. The bank in the Bahamas is not in our, ah, network and will, of course, tell us nothing. We could, of course, send in agents to the Bahamas. However, their chance of success is very small. Undoubtedly, the money received by the bank in the Bahamas has been split into smaller chunks and transferred to other banks, probably to banks that are not in the Bahamas. There’s no effective way that we can trace the missing money. It's gone forever and our efforts are, to an extent, crippled.”

Achmet glares at the unfortunate Ahmed for a bit then asks, “Is it then that you are so stupid to have let someone else know the names and passwords that are necessary to transfer the money from bank to bank?”

Ahmed instantly replies, “No Achmet. I’m the only one who knows the names and passwords. I’m very careful that no one else in the organization knows the secret data.” Immediately after speaking, Ahmed realizes that he has, in effect, convicted himself of stealing money from the organization. He then slumps hopelessly in his chair, knowing what must come next.

Achmet intently studies Ahmed for a few moments, then motions for one of the men seated in the shadows along the wall to come forward.

Ahmed falls to his knees and pleads. “Achmet, I didn’t take the money! I would never steal from the organization. I’m innocent. You must believe me.”

Achmet tells the man from the shadows, “Find out what you can from this fool!”

A still pleading Ahmed is led away by the man from the shadows.

Achmet then ponders what he will tell his superiors. The money had to go somewhere. There's no trace of the money in Ahmad's accounts. Ahmad's lifestyle doesn't indicate that he stole large amounts of money. From previous experience, it’s unlikely that his bully boy can break Ahmed and find out where the money has gone. The organization doesn’t like failure. Given the recent disappearance of large sums of money from organization accounts, perhaps Achmet needs to rethink his own position within the organization.