Molten Gold Read Online Free PDF Page A

what he was implying, but he knew her imagination was
captured by the story. He could practically see her longing to jot this all
down. He’d have bet a year’s wage that the moment he left she’d be making notes
and working up a story for some time in the future. He kept his response brief
and as vague as possible.
    “Records from back then are pretty sketchy, as you can
imagine,” Jared said. “War is a complex beast, which even in hindsight never
really makes much sense. There are always gaps, confusion. Having said that, as
best we can make out, your uncle and his team were in the area and could well
have stopped a truck carrying gold bars.”
    Adelaide stood abruptly, vibrating with outrage.
    “How dare you? I’m sorry my uncle’s friend has died, but you
can’t come into my house and make accusations like that. My uncle was a good
man, a loving person and was devoted to this country. He spent most of
his life defending what we stand for and keeping us safe. Uncle Mark was not a thief. He was a warm, brave and strong man who held a fierce pride in our land
until the day he died. I will not let you sully his name or drag his team’s
reputation through the mud on some misguided witch hunt. Get out of my house.”
    Even though part of Jared had guessed this might be her
eventual reaction, he felt a stab of sadness. He could see shock and confusion
mingled with her overriding anger. Now he’d given her a taste of what was truly
going on, he hoped that when she calmed down she’d see things more clearly.
    “When confronted by something as visceral as gold, people act
differently. Sometimes—”
    “No,” Adelaide cut him off fiercely. “My uncle would never
act dishonorably.”
    “I was going to say,” Jared continued calmly, “that sometimes
things are hard to understand back here. It’s a different world in the Middle
East, especially when it was under so much unrest. Something like that gold bar
is easily slipped into a duffel bag. And it can mean the difference between
living comfortably and not making ends meet. Or it could have been viewed as
something to hang on to for the future. Life in a war zone is not cut and
dried, or easy to contemplate. It’s a cliché, but things really are different out there.”
    “Circumstances might be different, but people aren’t,”
Adelaide insisted.
    Jared could see that she was calming down, but remaining
stubborn.
    “What might seem like a betrayal right now isn’t necessarily
what it seems,” he reiterated. “We can’t judge what was going on in their minds
until we’ve uncovered more about the situation.”
    “And this is what you’re looking for? Gold bars?” Adelaide
tapped her foot.
    Jared realized his time was running out.
    “Actually I’m looking for those answers,” he replied. “If I
find the gold, then obviously I’d like to retrieve it too. But the Army needs
answers about what happened out there. So I’m looking into it. Only after we
know will we decide what to do.”
    “My uncle had nothing to do with any of this,” Adelaide said
in a calm but strong and firm tone. “I’m really busy right now. On a deadline.
I’m sorry, but you’ll have to excuse me, please.”
    And that was it. His time was definitely up in her eyes.
Jared stood and dipped two fingers into the breast pocket of his jacket. He
withdrew a business card. It was plain white except for his name, email address
and phone number embossed in black. Simple and understated. It also made no
reference to his connection to the Army or his job title.
    Giving Adelaide the card, he met her eyes. He nodded
respectfully.
    “Please think about everything I’ve said,” he asked. “And
don’t hesitate to give me a call if you think of something that might be
useful. Even if it’s just a name your uncle mentioned, or any reference to a
job or mission that went south or he wasn’t comfortable with. I’d really
appreciate any insight you can offer.”
    He knew his gaze was