Moscow Gold

Douglas L. Field

Description

An action-packed adventure tale interweaves history, suspense, and romance as an expat journalist and his partners work on a story to uncover the whereabouts of missing Spanish gold reserves.
David Fordham is an expatriate living on the edge in Madrid. He is a free-lance journalist. His editor details him to investigate a cold case from the Spanish Civil War era some 30 years before. David resists. Doing the story threatens to disrupt his comfortable and accustomed lifestyle. It will expose him to notoriety he does not need. But, it is height-of-the-Cold-War 1963. David, Ariel Muñiz, a young Spanish woman and Ignacio “Nacho” Arjona, a veteran of the civil war, are irretrievably drawn in. They intrude themselves into a labyrinth of long-forgotten events that powerful individuals and institutions all over Europe must, at all costs, guarantee will remain undisturbed.
David is smart, ambitious and a quick learner. His investigation leads him out of Madrid to locations around Spain and then extends to Paris, Gibraltar, Moscow and Berlin. His talent and ability for espionage and street craft develop fast against the backdrop of a budding, then flourishing relationship with Ariel and a profound and enduring friendship with Nacho as the three confront and endeavor to survive intrigue at the highest levels and mortal threats to their lives.

Sujets

• Historical
• Spanish Civil War
• Spain
• Journalism
• Spain (groupe)
• KGB
• Abwehr
• Fiction
• Gibraltar
• Madrid

Informations

• Publié par: iUniverse
• Date de parution: 18 avril 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781663203373
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

MOSCOW GOLD
 
A Novel of Twentieth-Century Spain
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DOUGLAS L. FIELD
 
 
 
 
 

 
MOSCOW GOLD
A NOVEL OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY SPAIN
 
Copyright © 2022 Douglas L. Field.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
Certain characters in this work are historical figures, and certain events portrayed did take place. However, this is a work of fiction. All of the other characters, names, and events as well as all places, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
 
 
 
iUniverse
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Bloomington, IN 47403
www.iuniverse.com
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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6632-0336-6 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6632-0337-3 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022903958
 
 
 
iUniverse rev. date: 04/18/2022
CONTENTS
Author’s Note
PART 1 : BAR MONTEAZUL
Prologue
Chapter 1       Madrid: Tuesday, August 13, 1963
Chapter 2       Madrid: Tuesday, October 20, 1936
Chapter 3       Cartagena: Sunday, October 25, 1936
Chapter 4       Cartagena: Monday, October 26, 1936
Chapter 5       Odessa: Tuesday, November 3, 1936
Chapter 6       Madrid: Wednesday, August 14, 1963
PART 2 : ¡NO PASARÁN!
Chapter 7       Berlin: Friday, November 6, 1936
Chapter 8       Moscow: Saturday, November 7, 1936
Chapter 9       Madrid: Sunday, November 8, 1936
Chapter 10     Madrid: (Later on) Wednesday, August 14, 1963
Chapter 11     Carabanchel: Thursday, August 15, 1963
Chapter 12     Madrid: Friday, August 16, 1963
Chapter 13     Madrid: Saturday, August 17, 1963
Chapter 14     Madrid: (Later on) Sunday, November 8, 1936
Chapter 15     Madrid: Monday, November 9, 1936
Chapter 16     Leganés: Monday, November 23, 1936
PART 3 : SARDINERO BEACH
Chapter 17     Carabanchel: Wednesday, August 21, 1963
Chapter 18     Odessa: Tuesday, December 8, 1936
Chapter 19     Berlin: Thursday, December 10, 1936
Chapter 20     The Western Mediterranean Sea: Monday, December 14, 1936
Chapter 21     Moscow: Friday, December 18, 1936
Chapter 22     Madrid: Tuesday, December 22, 1936
Chapter 23     Madrid: Thursday, August 22, 1963
Chapter 24     Santander: Friday, August 23, 1963
Chapter 25     Santander: Saturday, August 24, 1963
PART 4 : OPERATION MARKGRAF
Chapter 26     Madrid: Thursday, February 11, 1937
Chapter 27     Ciempozuelos: Thursday, February 11, 1937
Chapter 28     Ciempozuelos: Friday, February 12, 1937
Chapter 29     Ciempozuelos: Saturday, February 13, 1937
Chapter 30     Ciempozuelos: Sunday, February 14, 1937
Chapter 31     Arganda del Rey: Monday, February 15, 1937
Chapter 32     Moscow: Wednesday, February 17, 1937
Chapter 33     Berlin: Tuesday, March 9, 1937
Chapter 34     Madrid: Thursday, April 8, 1937
Chapter 35     Paris: Monday, April 12, 1937
Chapter 36     Paris: Monday, May 3, 1937
Chapter 37     Paris: Wednesday, May 5, 1937
Chapter 38     Paris: Friday May 7, 1937
Chapter 39     Paris: Saturday, May 8, 1937
Chapter 40     Paris: Sunday, May 9, 1937
Chapter 41     Paris: Wednesday, June 30, 1937
Chapter 42     Berlin: Friday, July 2, 1937
Chapter 43     Moscow: Tuesday, July 6, 1937
Chapter 44     Paris: Friday, July 9, 1937
Chapter 45     Madrid: Thursday, September 16, 1937
Chapter 46     Teruel: Thursday, December 16, 1937
Chapter 47     Teruel: Christmas Day 1937
Chapter 48     Teruel: New Year’s Day 1938
Chapter 49     Teruel: Thursday, January 27, 1938
Chapter 50     Teruel: Wednesday, February 23, 1938
Chapter 51     Irún: Sunday, August 25, 1963
Chapter 52     Paris: Monday, August 26, 1963
Chapter 53     Paris: Wednesday, August 28, 1963
Chapter 54     Paris: Thursday, August 29, 1963
Chapter 55     Moscow: Thursday August 29, 1963
Chapter 56     Pullach: Friday, August 30, 1963
Chapter 57     Paris: Friday evening, August 30, 1963
Chapter 58     Saint-Cyprien: Sunday, March 12, 1939
Chapter 59     Perpignan: Monday, March 13, 1939
Chapter 60     Port Bou: Tuesday, March 4, 1939
Chapter 61     Port Bou: Friday, March 7, 1939
Chapter 62     Barcelona: Friday, March 21, 1939
Chapter 63     Madrid: Tuesday, April 11, 1939
Chapter 64     Madrid: Saturday, August 31, 1963
Chapter 65     Paris: Saturday, August 31, 1963
Chapter 66     Madrid: Saturday, August 31, 1963
Chapter 67     Madrid: Friday, May 19, 1939
Chapter 68     Madrid: Wednesday, May 24, 1939
Chapter 69     Paris: Sunday, September 1, 1963
PART 5 : EL AQUEDUCTO DE SEGOVIA
Chapter 70     Paris: (Later on) Sunday, September 1, 1963
Chapter 71     Chalon-Sur-Saône: Sunday September 1, 1963
Chapter 72     Banyuls-sur-Mer: Monday, September 2, 1963
Chapter 73     Cerbère: Friday, September 6, 1963
Chapter 74     Madrid: Tuesday, September 3, 1963
Chapter 75     Segovia: Saturday, September 7, 1963
PART 6 : CARABANCHEL
Chapter 76     Madrid: Monday, September 9, 1963
Chapter 77     Madrid: Thursday, December 12, 1940
Chapter 78     Berlin: Wednesday, December 18, 1940
Chapter 79     Carabanchel: Tuesday, September 10, 1963
Chapter 80     Madrid: Wednesday, September 11, 1963
Chapter 81     Moscow: Thursday, September 12, 1963
Chapter 82     Pullach: Friday, September 13, 1963
Chapter 83     Carabanchel: Thursday, October 10, 1963
PART 7 : MONTIS INSIGNIA CALPE
Chapter 84     Madrid: Sunday, October 13, 1963
Chapter 85     Algeciras: Wednesday, October 16, 1963
Chapter 86     Pullach: Wednesday, October 16, 1963
Chapter 87     Moscow: Wednesday, October 16, 1963
Chapter 88     Madrid: Wednesday, October 16, 1963
Chapter 89     Gibraltar: Thursday, October 17, 1963
Chapter 90     Gibraltar: Friday, October 18, 1963
PART 8 : THE SUNSET CLUB
Chapter 91     La Línea de la Concepción: Friday, October 18, 1963
Chapter 92     Madrid: Monday, October 21, 1963
Chapter 93     Madrid: Wednesday, October 23, 1963
Chapter 94     Madrid: Thursday, October 24, 1963
Chapter 95     Madrid: Friday, October 25, 1963
Chapter 96     Madrid: Friday, November 22, 1963
Chapter 97     Madrid: Saturday, November 23, 1963
 
Epilogue
Historical Background and Context
Acknowledgments
About the Author
 
To my wife, a beautiful woman with a beautiful soul, and to my grandchildren and beyond; should they ever wonder who Sandy and I were, here is a glimpse.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
The sweep of Spanish history in the middle decades of the twentieth century is complicated and convoluted. A short summary of the background and context of the historical events out of which the following narrative springs is in order. To promote greater ease of understanding I have prepared one. Since, however, this is a work of fiction, I have put the summary at the end of the volume. The reader is invited and encouraged to reference it early. But for the moment, let the adventure begin!
 
In Spain there is a lot of sun and an excess of light,
So that everything is all too clear. It is a country
Of emphatic claims and denials where doubt has
Been put to the torch—to that sinister clarity.
—Manuel Vincent



PART I
BAR MONTEAZUL
At times, a historical event will take on a life of its own. It comes to transcend its past. It exists in the present. It projects its influence into the future. It motivates actors and actions. It animates human relationships. It taints lives and reputations.
One such event is the disappearance in 1936 of several billion dollars of Spanish gold reserves in coin and bullion. These reserves are known to exist. They were sent to Russia for safekeeping during the crucible of civil war. What happened to them thereafter is less clear. Their subsequent history persistently survives as the story of the Moscow Gold.
PROLOGUE
Paris: Saturday, May 8, 1937
Five young operatives from East Europe were gathered in the ticketing flat at Invalides Métro. They had a soccer ball.
Each had wrangled himself a blue-and-white-striped jersey of the Racing Club France soccer team. They could have given themselves French code names but decided their own Slavic given names would be adequate for this hit. Tickets already bought; they were loitering just past the entry barriers.
They dribbled the ball, kicked it off the wall, and passed it about. Working their feet and expending energy, they hoped to look and act French. It would distract their mark. The mark was late. That made them nervous and fidgety.
“We sure this is the right station?” Todor said to no one in particular.