Catherine Hughes dragged her trowel across the dry, sandy floor of the gun powder room. The dark, confined space resembled a small catacomb burial chamber. Not a place one would volunteer to be unless it was extremely important. The entrance was small, requiring a person to crawl inside.
Excitement was growing the faster she shoveled. Months of excavation and work were about to pay off, she hoped. It had been an agonizing wait for the necessary paperwork to be approved in order to start this project. She paused for a brief moment to give thanks that she was finally to this point. The moment had hopefully arrived that would prove her theory was true.
“I think we’re close, Martin,” she said.
Her mentor and lead archaeologist on this project, Martin Hollister stopped what he was doing and turned to face Catherine digging a hole in the floor of the room.
“What makes you say that?” He asked.
“Because the letter indicated that it was buried in a shallow grave and I have already dug down three feet so far. How much further could it possibly be?”
“I hope you’re right, Cat. This is our last day to find out and our permit expires at midnight tonight.” Martin gave her a look that suggested they were running out of time.
She was certain this was the place. It had to be. The document they had uncovered and upon which this entire excavation project was centered around mentioned a valuable artifact that would change history. It was vague about what kind of artifact, though. Perhaps a piece of treasure or another document that would lead to the location of some kind of lost clue. The implications of this document however, led the team to believe that it could prove the Castillo de San Marcos was older than originally believed. That, or it could prove that there was a Timucua Indian settlement on this spot before the fort was constructed. Either development, if proved to be true, would result in history being rewritten.
Martin wasn’t as convinced that this was the spot but he believed in his protégé. Catherine had instincts that he had never seen in all his years as an archaeologist. She had been right many times before on other digs when he wasn’t so sure. Enough for him to go with the flow when she had a hunch. He was there to oversee the project and make sure that all formalities were catered to while appeasing local laws and preservation guidelines. He let her run with her instincts.
But this was their last day and so far they hadn’t found much other than small pottery shards and various other paraphernalia.
Catherine thrust her trowel into the bottom of the hole. It met her with resistance. She thrust into it again checking to make sure it wasn’t just a rock. The trowel hit against a sturdy object.
Her heart beat hard against her chest. Adrenaline surged through her veins. She was confident her hunch was about to be confirmed.
“I found something!” She yelled.
*********************************************************************************************************************************
Strong, confident, independent Catherine Hughes is in a race to beat the clock following a lead that could result in the rewrite of Florida history. What she finds instead is an adventure that she never expected and an entirely new way of looking at her hometown.
Alejandro Varela is a conquistador with a mission to protect and serve the Castillo de San Marcos, a job he protects as he does his own life. Unexpectedly, he is thrust into the middle of a scandal where a reported spy could be the undoing of the St. Augustine townspeople and his survival.
Set in the Nation's Oldest City, The Conquistador's Captive is a quick and thrilling read that will leave you believing in timeless love.
Excitement was growing the faster she shoveled. Months of excavation and work were about to pay off, she hoped. It had been an agonizing wait for the necessary paperwork to be approved in order to start this project. She paused for a brief moment to give thanks that she was finally to this point. The moment had hopefully arrived that would prove her theory was true.
“I think we’re close, Martin,” she said.
Her mentor and lead archaeologist on this project, Martin Hollister stopped what he was doing and turned to face Catherine digging a hole in the floor of the room.
“What makes you say that?” He asked.
“Because the letter indicated that it was buried in a shallow grave and I have already dug down three feet so far. How much further could it possibly be?”
“I hope you’re right, Cat. This is our last day to find out and our permit expires at midnight tonight.” Martin gave her a look that suggested they were running out of time.
She was certain this was the place. It had to be. The document they had uncovered and upon which this entire excavation project was centered around mentioned a valuable artifact that would change history. It was vague about what kind of artifact, though. Perhaps a piece of treasure or another document that would lead to the location of some kind of lost clue. The implications of this document however, led the team to believe that it could prove the Castillo de San Marcos was older than originally believed. That, or it could prove that there was a Timucua Indian settlement on this spot before the fort was constructed. Either development, if proved to be true, would result in history being rewritten.
Martin wasn’t as convinced that this was the spot but he believed in his protégé. Catherine had instincts that he had never seen in all his years as an archaeologist. She had been right many times before on other digs when he wasn’t so sure. Enough for him to go with the flow when she had a hunch. He was there to oversee the project and make sure that all formalities were catered to while appeasing local laws and preservation guidelines. He let her run with her instincts.
But this was their last day and so far they hadn’t found much other than small pottery shards and various other paraphernalia.
Catherine thrust her trowel into the bottom of the hole. It met her with resistance. She thrust into it again checking to make sure it wasn’t just a rock. The trowel hit against a sturdy object.
Her heart beat hard against her chest. Adrenaline surged through her veins. She was confident her hunch was about to be confirmed.
“I found something!” She yelled.
*********************************************************************************************************************************
Strong, confident, independent Catherine Hughes is in a race to beat the clock following a lead that could result in the rewrite of Florida history. What she finds instead is an adventure that she never expected and an entirely new way of looking at her hometown.
Alejandro Varela is a conquistador with a mission to protect and serve the Castillo de San Marcos, a job he protects as he does his own life. Unexpectedly, he is thrust into the middle of a scandal where a reported spy could be the undoing of the St. Augustine townspeople and his survival.
Set in the Nation's Oldest City, The Conquistador's Captive is a quick and thrilling read that will leave you believing in timeless love.
