CursedLaird Read Online Free PDF

have worked, but not now. Age lines were more pronounced when
he did this and she wondered if he knew just how pitiful he looked. “What did
you find? I can see it in your eyes. You’re on to something.”
    “What I’m up to is none of your business.” She cut a glance
across her shoulder. Poppa held a loaded spear gun in hand. When he leveled it
over the side at Kip, she watched the color drain from Kip’s cheeks. Gone was
the flirtatious Kip, now she read fear in his eyes. “As you can see, Poppa’s
not forgiven you for the way our marriage ended. If I were you—”
    She didn’t get to finish. Poppa shot the spear through the
bottom of the fishing boat directly between Kip’s feet. Water flowed in
rapidly.
    “You crazy old fool,” Kip screamed as he scrambled to start
the outboard motor. “You could’ve killed me.”
    “Believe me, Kip, he doesn’t miss what he aims for,”
Caledonia stated, leveling a cold stare his way.
    “That was a warning,” Poppa claimed as he reloaded the spear
gun. “The next shot’s aimed for your little head.”
    Caledonia never saw Kip move so fast. One massive pull of
the cord fired the motor to life. He didn’t even sit before he cut the boat
away from the Marcail Struana and headed straight for the closest shore.
Laughter burst from them as they stood watching him try to control the boat as
well as bail water to remain afloat.
    Several moments passed before any of them gained control.
Caledonia hugged her poppa. “I love you.”
    “Aye, lass. I love you too.” He returned her hug then turned
to put the spear gun away.
    “Nice shot, Mr. Kavanagh,” Abel claimed as he patted Poppa
on the back.
    “Doubt he’ll take the hint,” Percy said as he shrugged out
of his drysuit. “That one’s a snake.”
    “Aye, there’re more spears where that one came from,” Poppa
bragged. “Next one’s aimed for his balls.”
    Caledonia shook her head as she walked to the anchor chain
and reached beneath the water level to retrieve the camera. There were pictures
on there she couldn’t wait to show Poppa and Abel.
    Abel removed a towel from the sonar screen. When she raised
an eyebrow he shrugged. “Didn’t think he needed to see what we saw.”
    “Good thinking,” she praised. “Have you been getting a
decent signal? It’s near bottom.” She crossed her fingers and said a prayer
that the older-model refurbished sonar equipment didn’t fail right now.
    Abel nodded as he pointed to different shapes on the screen.
“It looks like you found something rather large, here in the center. And from
what I can tell, you may have found another crannog.”
    “You’re right. I think we’ve made a major discovery.”
    She removed the memory card from the camera and slid it into
her laptop. While she waited for it to load, she studied the sonar images. The
image was clear. A large, human-shaped object appeared. Granted, it was simply
a dark blotch on the screen but she knew. She knew it was a phenomenal find.
Who posed for this statue? Was he famous? And most of all—what was his position
in Scottish history?
    Caledonia documented the find on the map and in her notes.
The images were stored in the sonar’s computer along with its exact location.
As soon as Poppa set the automated reel for the towfish cable at a slow, steady
pace for rolling it in, she made him sit beside her. Together they studied the
pictures from the camera.
    “Looks to me like you found another crannog. That’s not much
to be excited about,” Poppa stated.
    “It’s not the crannog, it’s what’s inside,” she claimed,
pointing to the statue that appeared in the next picture.
    “What’s that?” Poppa asked.
    “It’s what I hope will put us on the map in the salvage
business, Poppa.”
    * * * * *
    It had been a long night of preparations and little sleep.
Every time she closed her eyes, the handsome face of the statue filled her
thoughts. Strange dreams kept waking her. A voice she deemed as a spirit