A Matter of Finances

By Robert Reynolds

Expatriate Louis makes his way along the dusty streets of Da Nang to a river café to meet with his beloved Xuan. He has good news about a proposed transfer to Saigon and is certain Xuan will be thrilled. Arriving late for their rendezvous, Xuan, however, has another agenda. With the Vietnam War as a backdrop, A Matter of Finances is a tale of love and betrayal across generations and cultures.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: May 2, 2018
• ISBN: 9781387765140

Robert Reynolds

Based in Calgary, Robert is an emerging author who spends his days working in the oil and gas industry but has been a big fan of the spy thriller genre ever since his childhood when he read one of his grandfather's original James Bond paperbacks from the late 50's. He is married with a young daughter and when he's not day dreaming about dangerous adventures in exotic locales he enjoys running and other outdoor pursuits.

Book preview

A Matter of Finances

A MATTER OF FINANCES

Robert Reynolds

Copyright: 2018

ISBN: 978-1-387-76514-0

This is strictly a work of fiction.  Characters, events and places are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.  Any resemblance of persons living or dead, event or locales, are purely coincidental. 

Chapter 1

The sky was no longer clear as it had been a few weeks before and the mists that hung on the mountainsides were gray and heavy and looked as if they might soon fall. The billowing nimbus vapors clung precariously to the foliaged sides that loomed above the pass, the steeply winding mountain course known as the Hai Van. The clouds had rolled in off the sea and now they lingered there, hovering around the sides of the mountains like a mother osprey protecting its young.  In a few weeks the clouds would gather strength, come down off the hills and bring the rains.  In the soft twilight the pass was still visible, a tiny perforation between the mass of gray clouds and lush green slopes.

A gentle, warm breeze pushed down the slopes, snaking along the narrow ribbon of highway that wound along the mountain’s side.  It followed the sharp roll of the terrain as it dropped from the heights and spread over a rice-filled plain and unkempt sandy beaches that opened around the city.  The wind was soft and it slipped unnoticed into the city, gently caressing the foliage as it passed. Louis felt it come lightly upon him as it rustled through the trees that lined the bustling thoroughfare. 

The breeze cooled across the perspiration that lay lightly on his flesh like moist silk.  It was soft enough to be her kiss.  The breeze blew past, and the still, humid evening settled back in.

As he strolled to meet Xuan where they took their evening meals, Louis saw flashes of lightning shimmer above the pass.  The flickers came at erratic intervals and he watched for several seconds expecting to see the yellow light.  It was as if it knew he watched and would tantalize, for