Severed Threads

SEVERED THREADS

KAYLIN MCFARREN

PRAISE FOR KAYLIN MCFARREN’S THREAD SERIES

SEVERED THREADS

“Kaylin McFarren's latest novel is a fast-paced mixture of romance, mystery and adventure, with more than a dash of the paranormal tossed in for good measure. It's also provides the reader an exciting introduction into the worlds of deep sea diving, treasure hunting and Far Eastern vs. Western culture. Readers will quickly be drawn in by multiple plot lines that intertwine and ultimately lead to a very satisfying conclusion. Crisp writing and sparkling dialogue that will hold the interest of any reader who enjoys a good mystery story that's well told.”

•
MARK GARBER, President, Portland Tribune

"An intriguing tale of mystery, deception and murder."

•
REBECCA READS, Austin, Texas

"Sizzling adventure awaits in this wonderfully fresh story from
Kaylin McFarren."

•
RHONDA POLLERO, USA Today bestselling author

THREADS SERIES - Book #1

July 2012

Published by

Creative Edge Publishing LLC

8440 NE Alderwood Road, Suite A

Portland, OR 97220

Copyright 2012 by Linda Yoshida

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law.

ISBN 10: 1475186525

ISBN 13: 9781475186529

E-ISBN: 978-1-4675-2671-5

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

If you purchase this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

Author’s Note

I’ve often been asked, “What inspires you to write?” Most authors have a pat response. It might be the people they’ve known, the circumstances in which they find themselves living, books they’ve read over the years, a favorite movie, or their desire to live in another time and place – a romantic, undaunted, and unpretentious era. For me, oddly enough, stories develop in the recesses of my mind, becoming a pageant of dreams, often reoccurring and continuing like a weekly series on television.
I find I’m compelled to write because my brain keeps me up at night with possibilities. Unfortunately, there isn’t an on and off switch. Once I have a story in my head, I’m completely consumed. This might sound egotistic and self-promoting, but if I don't put it on paper or on my computer, I'm convinced I’ll be haunted by the failed opportunity to impact other people’s lives
– to produce insight into resolving broken relationships and damaged emotions. However, by no means does this qualify or allow me to advise and counsel the general public. There are accomplished specialists trained to address those specific needs. My purpose is simply to entertain and to open the mind’s eye, allowing a frosted view inside the average woman’s thought process. I’ve simply been given the gift of a vivid imagination, taking me on journeys better shared with good company.

This one’s for you, baby – the man who’s always in my corner, never letting a day go by without reminding me how much I’m loved.

Severed Threads

- A pirate’s ditty

Two foreign, fetching, lonely souls

Did meet one day with common goals.

One lived on land, one traveled seas,

Per chanced a glance through Chir Pine trees.

Two hands, one touch, one swan, one rook,

A kiss exchanged, great risk they took.

Bosoms fused with mutual aim,

To share their hearts – ignite the flame.

Then torn apart to distant shore,

To bid farewell, to love no more.

How cruel this sad, divided fate,

To search once more at heaven’s gate.

The blooms may fade, the skin bare bone,

But love will never live alone.

Threads severed once will bind again.

When true love’s found, death has no end.

- Kaylin McFarren

One

The adventure begins…

Chase Cohen tumbled over
Stargazer's
side and into California’s cold Pacific Ocean, his dreams of riches so close he could barely breathe. Five years of diving for corporate salvage companies had taught him to restore his senses as quickly as possible. To concentrate and remain focused on his purpose. Yet every time he entered this icy underwater world, he found himself briefly caught up in his surroundings. Off to his right, a brown dogfish approached. It hovered close by, apparently intrigued by his trailing bubbles. When he smiled and reached out, he half-expected the shark-like creature to dart away. Instead, it swerved and circled around him – an action reminiscent of the daring woman in his life.

Sam Lyons suddenly dropped into view, sending the fish scurrying for safety. Hanging weightless before him in his black mask, wetsuit and regulator, his partner took on the appearance of a dark avenger. His salt and pepper hair swayed in the current above his head, matching the rhythm of his large slow-moving hands. The muted light in the ocean framed his brown eyes, now tense with impatience.

He signed, “Okay.” Chase mimicked his action.

Deflating his buoyancy compensator vest, Chase followed Sam’s scissoring fins down the length of their anchor line and in no time they reached the bottom, eighty feet down. Moss-covered boulders were tucked into the soft gray sand. In the distance, the ground gradually sloped into an opaque bottomless depth. The jagged outcropping just beyond had snagged unsuspecting ships and dragged them beneath the waves for hundreds of years. According to the coordinates on Sam’s map, somewhere in between the bottomless pit and mountainous rise lay a barnacle-crusted anchor and chain. If his calculations were right, below them rested the wreck of the
Wanli II
– the Ming Dynasty Emperor's lost dragon ship. But aside from an ornately decorated piece of wood Sam had acquired from a local junk shop, it was still unclear what had led him to this particular spot. Perhaps the drunken ramblings of the retired salvager he’d kept company with at the Crow’s Nest Bar. Or the volumes of books he pored over every night. Had he really found the mother lode as he claimed? Chase had his doubts, but Sam’s unrelenting pursuit of his elusive treasure ship gave credence to the notion that something spectacular lay buried down here. Something he was so sure of he'd stake his life on it.

            As they swam beyond their own anchor, an occasional fish passed by. But there was nothing of interest in the gray, gloomy water. Following Sam, Chase floated over a pile of craggy bedrock into a gully of crevices spanning like arteries in all directions. They signaled and nodded before separating to cover more ground
, 
to peer into dark places, hidden nooks and crannies where evidence or unseen creatures might rest.

For twenty minutes, they surveyed the ocean floor. They fanned boulders and crustaceans, dusting off layers of sediment. The further and deeper they went, the muddier the frigid waters grew. Chase strained his eyes and ran his hands over rocks in the hazy murk but the anchor chain was nowhere to be found.

This is pointless!
Diving 101 had taught him the necessity of staying within visual proximity of his diving partner, to carefully monitor his time, but growing impatience tempted him to blaze his own path. He signed to Sam before veering off and heading due north. He continued groping along, his flashlight bouncing off the particulate, floating like dust in the narrow beams of light. As he mindlessly continued his search, minutes ebbed away along with his youthful enthusiasm. He'd considered circling back to catch up with Sam when something took shape before his eyes. His hand closed over the metal object, an iron ingot half buried in silt. Believing it had been used as ballast for an ancient ship, his avidity returned. He brushed the sand away, scanning for porcelain shards, chain links, anything to confirm Sam's boisterous claims. But his efforts proved fruitless. The marker stood alone – an ancient, deceptive decoy. He glanced at his watch and quickly realized time had evaporated. Worse yet, his partner had completely disappeared from view.

Damn it!
Chase shook his head, frustrated by his lack of common sense. What was he thinking by wandering off? He noted the position on his compass and checked his gauge. By his calculations, he had barely five minutes to spare. Just enough air to clear the surface. To reach the ship and waiting crew.

But what about Sam?

As he curled back around to locate him, Chase’s breath suddenly caught. He felt a wall hit his lungs, the stream of oxygen halt in his regulator.
What the hell?
He briskly tapped on his gauge, but the impenetrable problem remained.

Equipment malfunction?
The gravity of his situation sunk in with the weight of lead. Reacting purely on instinct, he triggered the inflator on the buoyancy compensator in his vest. He sucked on the backup mouthpiece. Then, willing himself to sustain a controlled ascent, he rose through the swirling cloud of silt he’d kicked up from the ocean floor.