DarkMarket_ Cyberthieves, Cybercops and You - Misha Glenny [102]
On another day, while quietly keeping an eye on Mert, he spotted a stack of credit cards on his table. Later he came across two ID cards for Mert, neither of which had his correct name, date or place of birth on them. Finally, he noticed Mert surfing a website with detailed instructions on how to crack open an ATM machine. The longer Mert stayed, the greater his need for money – and large sums of money at that.
Mert had met Sanem – a dream woman with whom he was besotted. Sanem is the one person in the world who can confirm whether or not Mert’s extraordinary story is true. And Sanem isn’t talking.
32
TURKISH DELIGHT
The Sükrü Saracoglu Stadium in the bustling Asian district of Kadiköy was packed to the rafters for Fenerbahçe’s final home game of the season. Fenerbahçe had already won the Süper Lig title and so this game on a gorgeous Sunday in late May was a noisy celebration for some of the most fanatical football supporters in the world.
And into it stepped Mert Ortaç. Perhaps for real; perhaps just in his own mind.
Up in the executive boxes there was an expectant and convivial atmosphere. Sahin and his trusted lieutenant, Çagatay Evyapan, were awaiting the kick off at 5 p.m. The football fans of Istanbul were regarded as among the most fanatical in Europe and they were divided into three camps. Two were on the European side of the city, Galatasaray and Besiktas, while the yellow and navy-blue shirts of Fenerbahçe lay across the straits in Asia. Sahin and Çagatay were both committed Fenerbahçe supporters and the former’s visits to his home city usually coincided with a game – indeed, he had an executive box at the stadium.
Among the friends invited to this game was Mert, who, Sahin told Çagatay, was one of the new boys working on his skimming trade. Mert also introduced his new girlfriend, Sanem. She dazzled Mert, while the ostentatious wealth of his companions dazzled her.
Sanem already knew the profiles of some of the people in the executive box. It was not difficult wheedling secrets out of Mert. Not only was he a chatterbox by nature, but he was desperate to impress his young paramour, whom he considered way out of his league. Seeing powerful men like Sahin and his well-built sidekick Çagatay strut around the executive box must have been confirmation for Sanem that little Mert really did have some impressive contacts. If, that is, the Fenerbahçe game was not an episode from Mert’s dream.
Life had been good for Mert. He and Sadun were starting to make serious money from the Akbank scam. As an active informant for National Intelligence, he enjoyed wide-ranging protection and he was highly regarded by Cha0, the key player on DarkMarket. But above all else, he was spending every day and night with a fabulous, beautiful young woman who seemed to be similarly smitten.
Summer had arrived and Mert decided to capitalise on his good fortune by taking a holiday in Antalya at the coveted Adam & Eve Hotel, where designers had successfully mated a high budget with singularly poor taste. Huge infinity pools lapped at an atrium with ever-changing light shows, while the rooms were known for the countless mirrors, conducive to much high-energy sex. None of this came cheaply. Rooms started at $400 a night, while visitors noted that one could quickly rack up huge bills with the extras. But for Turkey’s young, beautiful or rich, it was the holiday destination of the season.
As soon as Mert and Sanem had checked in, they ran into Çagatay, who had also flown south for the summer. Çagatay explained to a tubby bespectacled gentleman accompanying him that Mert had been assisting the Cha0 team with ‘administrative matters’. The tubby gentleman squinted at Mert before exclaiming, ‘Wait a minute? I’ve known this guy since he was a kid in shorts! What the hell are you doing in this business?’ And Mert responded as he always did