Read Online Love's Paradise by Celeste O. Norfleet - Free Book Online Page A

steer clear.

Chapter 5
    G enie didn’t start the engine right away. They just sat there in the car, staring out the front windshield mostly in shock. “Wow, that was really intense,” she said breathlessly.
    â€œYeah, it was too intense,” Sheri replied. Her heart was still beating like crazy. “I can’t believe I got so angry and he actually had security escort us out.”
    â€œWhat a rush,” Genie added excitedly, putting her key in the ignition without turning it. “I thought stuff like that only happened in the movies. Being an archaeologist really is exciting.”
    Sheri took a deep breath and released it slowly.“Okay, this obviously didn’t go as expected. Still, nothing’s really changed,” she said confidently. “I’m going to do exactly what we intended to do. I’m going to stop them from destroying that site. Granted, it isn’t going to be easy and it certainly doesn’t look like Jordan Hamilton is going to listen to reason.”
    â€œYeah, you got that right,” Genie said. “But bottom line, he was right, it’s private property and he can do whatever he wants on his property. We can’t actually force him to comply.”
    â€œI’ll call the Smithsonian and let them know what’s going on,” Sheri said. “Their lawyers should be able to do something about this, but it’s going to take time.”
    â€œBut what if we don’t have time?” Genie said impatiently.
    â€œThe museum will be fine. Don’t worry,” Sheri said, as the wheels turned in her head.
    â€œI don’t know about that. I’ve heard that situations like this get bogged down in bureaucratic red tape and then nothing gets done. Money changes hands and eventually everything just gets swept under the rug and buried. What we need is to act fast, right now, immediately,” she said excitedly.
    â€œGenie, calm down. There’s a way to handle this. We have to follow the proper procedures.”
    â€œOkay, okay, I get it. So short of kidnapping Hamilton and holding him ransom to get what wewant, what do we do in the meantime? Please don’t tell me we just get to sit around and do nothing?”
    â€œNo, we do our work and we follow the rules and gather as much information on the Crescent ship as we can. If the Smithsonian lawyers are going to do battle with Jordan Hamilton and his high-priced attorneys, we need our side to be as prepared as possible. Nobody knows this island’s history better than I do.”
    â€œOkay, that sounds good.” Genie put the Jeep in gear and pulled out of the parking lot. They drove in silence for a while, each reflecting on what had just happened at the site. Genie started talking about everything that happened. She was getting more and more excited.
    Sheri gazed out the window, seeing the sights of Crescent Island pass by. It was peaceful and tranquil outside, but there was still an unsettling feeling. Gone was her usual excitement and energy. The island seemed to have slowed to a sigh as the last signs of summer clung to the trees and the quiet of fall’s approach hovered all around. This was her favorite time of year. The weather wasn’t cold yet, but there was a bit of a nip in the air. That’s exactly how she liked it. It was as if the whole island was preparing for the next season.
    â€œMan, this would have been so cool if it happened next month instead of today. Then we could have let Mother Nature take its course. Let’s see thegreat and powerful Jordan Hamilton dig through snow, ice and frozen ground,” Genie joked.
    The thought made Sheri smile. “Fortunately for him the weather’s usually not that bad here. It gets cold and we sometimes have snow, but not a lot and not often. Even when Washington gets hit hard, we barely get a dusting. That’s probably why they chose this site.”
    â€œYou know it’s a shame he