Devil's Gold Read Online Free PDF Page A

the ignition and releasing the emergency brake, she slammed her foot on the gas pedal and sped onto the road away from the river. She ignored the rusted pipelines and oil-crusted riverbeds that flanked both sides of the street. It was sad, and she was angry.
    Cassidy sifted through a million ways to explain to her camp that they’d be closing up shop. “Damn, damn, damn.” It all sounded as if she were raising the white flag and laying her weapons down.
    As the vehicle bumped over the uneven road, Cassidy gazed beyond the dying mangroves and poor vegetation. She envisioned the Niger Delta as it was more than forty years ago, before the never-ending burning sky. The lush tropics full of chattering creatures called to her soul.
    Africa.
    She connected with the endless plains covered with nothing but dust balls during the dry season, and with the mountain ranges that held century-old tribal secrets that continued to feed the world with new species. A precious corner of Earth was dying, and no one cared.
    Pulling off the road, she followed the bend of a dry riverbed, remnants of an oil leak still present in the blackened soil. The small haven of her encampment came into view. Modern tents were erected in a half moon, circling a constant burning fire pit. Cleaned and polished concrete buildings scattered beyond the line of tents marked the rehabilitation of a dead village.
    She stopped the vehicle and soaked in the view. The engine rattled and heat rose from the ground in waves of humid fog, but she remained. She’d been here for six months, and it hurt to think of the damage her announcement would do to the pride and sense of achievement these natives felt about this renovated township.
    Cassidy inhaled. The rain abated, leaving behind a sense of renewal. In this tiny patch of land carved into a diminishing mangrove outcrop, the Niger Delta flourished. Mangrove roots were cleansed of suffocating oil and clung to the edge of a thin stream that remained free of pollutants. Her heart hurt. If given enough time, she was certain these steps toward environmental resurrection could be successfully implemented throughout the entire region.
    On the left, a small band of locals worked the water filtration system she’d introduced. Tears burned behind her eyes. What would happen to these people when she left?
    Running her fingers through her hair, she yanked her ponytail loose. The wind and rain had created a clumped and tangled sodden mess of it. Cassidy allowed herself a brief second to fantasize about a hot shower and scented soap. Instead of igniting a yearning, though, the vision spurred anger.
    It wouldn’t be long until that fantasy became reality.
    â€œDamn.”
    A young woman dressed in stained khaki’s and a ZEBRA T-shirt raised her arm and waved. Cassidy sucked in her bottom lip and briefly closed her eyes, seeking patience and guidance. “Double damn,” she said softly. Inhaling a deep breath, she slid from behind the wheel of the Jeep and plastered a smile upon her face. “Time to stick a pin in the voodoo doll of reality.”

    Jake waited. The interior of the laboratory was dark, lit only by the glow of the multitude of lab equipment humming on the counters. He lounged in a chair at the center work table, his fingers drumming an impatient beat on the hard metal surface. Lifting his arm, he pushed a small button on his watch lighting up the dial. As if his motion triggered a signal, the computer screen flickered to life displaying a message to accept a satellite signal. He leaned forward and moved the mouse over, completing the connection.
    Jake frowned as an empty room came into focus. A hand flickered on the monitor, displaying an index finger pointing upward indicating for Jake to wait. He sighed, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his arms behind his head. Muted voices echoed from the computer and filled the dark corners of the laboratory with