Jungle of Deceit Read Online Free PDF

you have photographed. Why would you go from documenting civil wars to tagging along on a so-far unproductive jaunt in the mosquito-infested jungle?”
    ***
    An uncomfortable churning began in Mitch’s stomach−something like trepidation, or possibly a reaction to one of the many shots he received yesterday.
    “ Putting it that way, I can imagine you’d be curious.”
    Alex continued to stare with her arms crossed.
    The unsettling feeling in Mitch’s stomach persisted, and her eyes seemed to be the root of the problem.
    Truth be told, he could have remained concealed in the dense forestry, but on some subliminal level he wanted to be discovered by this downhearted woman.
    Trite answers would not satisfy Alex, he knew−but if he was to reveal his true purpose for being here, one of two things might occur. One, perhaps the beautiful and enigmatic doctor was involved in the heist to begin with—a struggling archeologist driven by her ambition.
    Mitch saw Alex cock her head, studying him as if he were a new species of jungle wildlife.
    No. He didn’t really know her, but that summation just didn’t fit.
    The second, more likely reaction, would be for Alex to take a personal affront to someone stealing the artifacts, and insist on joining his search, which could threaten her safety.
    And he didn’t want that to happen.
    “ Mr. Hasslet?”
    “ Mitch,” he sighed. “If you want to be formal, make it Mitchell.”
    “ Why are you here?” Alex persisted.
    “ Nicholson must have told you. Your grant was running out—”
    She waved away a buzzing mosquito, or was she discarding his words?
    “ What did Nicholson tell you?” he asked.
    Alex’s stare was direct. “That you were a necessary evil, and that I should not torture you.”
    “ Torture?” Mitch hated it when his voice pitched like that.
    “ I’ve been known to torture men, or so the rumors have it.”
    They had reached the river. A flock of Jibaru storks perched at the edge on spindly legs looking as if the slightest breeze might topple them over. The water was thick with mud and almost viscous enough to impede the current. It reminded Mitch of Willy Wonka’s chocolate river.
    He reached out and grazed Alex’s bare arm. Her skin felt warm and moist. “Can we stop for a minute?”
    “ Tired already?” Alex teased, but glanced down at his hand, which he jerked back.
    Under her scrutiny, he felt unsettled. Whatever Alex surmised from his expression, she didn’t seem keen to share. Instead, she dropped her backpack at her feet and stooped down onto the lush bank, her tanned arms wrapped around her knees. She stared up at him with frank curiosity.
    Mitch had never seen anything so riveting. For just a second he was not considering the banal aesthetics of a beautiful woman. Instead, he was in awe of the creature herself. She was enigmatic, poised, and possessed a hint of youth. The overall effect captivated him. It was like stumbling across a fawn in the wild and thinking there was no more enchanting being in the world.
    Now there was.
    “ For just a few minutes, Mr. Hasslet,” Alex offered in a quiet voice. “And only because you look like you could use it.”
    Genuine relief caused his knees to buckle. “Mitch,” he mumbled with exasperation.
    “ Mitch,” Alex repeated on a smile.
    Oh, hell yeah.
    That smile was prettier than the fawn.
    “ I guess I am a little tired.” He didn’t even realize how tired he was until he actually sat down. Now he wondered what single motivating force could ever inspire him to stand again.
    “ Well, honestly…” Alex cocked her head, “−you look like you got hit by a truck.”
    Of course.
    It wasn’t hurting, so Mitch hadn’t even considered it. Yesterday, when he left New York he was sporting quite the shiner. Beneath a shadow of scruff, his jaw was discolored as well. He must have looked li ke the battered leftovers of a street brawl.
    “ I imagine I do.”
    There was no likelihood of telling her the