The Diamond Bearers' Rising

by Lorena Angell

  * * *

  Once we get back to the hotel, I turn on my computer and start the masked Internet browser. I sure don’t want our location tracked by Max. After the browser opens, I type in Max’s website address.

  A solid black background pops up. Then an animation of hundreds of loose diamonds tumble from the top of the screen to the bottom. The words, “They Are Among Us” flashes after the diamonds are gone. A video box begins to play. Max is filming himself, his actual face, with his full name posted across the bottom of the video.

  Beth says, “This guy is absolutely nuts! He just put a huge bullseye on his back.”

  “My name is Max Corvus. I am a U.S. Army soldier and I’m at war. This war is one that most of you will never see—you should hope and pray you never see what I’ve seen. But you can believe me when I say there are individuals around you that have unimaginable superpowers. Dangerous powers. You’d be wise to examine my website closely to learn the identifying traits and signs of this enemy so you can spot them, because we are all at war, war against nature and the Diamond People.”

  Clara’s eyes meet mine. “We can only hope someone takes him out quick.”

  Max continues. “I had to drop off the radar for a little while after my failed attempt to expose the Diamond People. My information and archives were stolen which almost discouraged me entirely from starting back up again. I no longer had any proof to support my claims. Well, now I have new proof.”

  The video cuts to black and white surveillance footage of what looks like a manufacturing floor. The camera position is up high, capturing mostly the tops of heads, not faces. Boxes move down conveyer belts, passing workers who inspect the contents. I instantly spot Brand walking carefully between workers. Even though I can’t see his face, his body shape, the way he moves, and his hair style is recognizable. The footage must have been taken at the Missouri facility where Brand investigated the obsidian bullet factory.

  “See this person here,” Max points with his finger. “The workers said they didn’t see him on the floor that day. Now watch this next screen. These two employees are walking right toward him. Normally people will shift and turn when they pass someone else to avoid running into them. But this person is the only one who moves. The other two didn’t even know he was there.”

  The frame switches to a different angle of an empty hallway. Brand comes walking around the corner, but his face is digitally blurred out. The shot freezes mid step. Max says, “Here he is again. I’ve hidden his identity not to protect him, but to encourage bidders. Who wants to know who the Invisible Man is? And how badly do you want to know? But wait, there’s more.”

  The screen switches to a different video. The filming is bumpy and dark, and at first it’s hard to tell what I’m looking at. Then the focus changes and reveals the filming is taking place inside a moving vehicle. The camera faces the side mirror out the passenger window, displaying the area behind the truck.

  Beth says, “What are we supposed to be seeing?”

  “I don’t know.”

  The camera zooms in on the mirror, blurs a little, then focuses.

  Beth points to the screen and exclaims, “Is that you, Calli?”

  Oh no! “Yes, I think it is.”

  The camera pans to the left and focuses on the speedometer: 70.

  “You’re running 70mph?”

  “No. That’s kilometers. It’s around 45mph.”

  Max narrates the video. “What you’re seeing here is one of them running behind our truck. We’re traveling at 70kph and the individual is not having any trouble keeping up. But what you can’t see in this video is the fact that when I looked in the mirror without the camera, I couldn’t see the runner. Not only can this person run at superhuman speeds, they can do so invisible to the human eye. But not to a camera lens.”

  I say, “He’s not gendering me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “No pronouns like she or her. Instead, he says person, runner, they, and them.”

  Max continues. “My driver couldn’t see them in the mirror, but I could with the camera.” The screen switches back to Max. He looks as though he’s drank way too much coffee. His eyes are opened more than normal, his hands shake, and his neck arteries bulge as he talks. “This footage isn’t fake. I didn’t doctor it. What’s more is I know these two people. I know where they live—”

  “Is he threatening you?” Clara asks.

  Blood rushes from my head, pooling in my gut. I feel sick.

  “—I feel adequately protected to put my own face and name on the line to expose these individuals. I no longer worry about being killed for my knowledge because if I am, I’ve put measures in place to ensure my information and secrets will be spilled worldwide.”

  I feel the overwhelming need to call my parents. I must warn them.

  Chris speaks to my mind. Take a deep breath, Calli. Max isn’t going to do anything to your parents. They’re safe.

  How do you know?

  I’ve already moved them to safety, to Bermuda.

  Max continues in a wild, losing his mind kind of way. “If you could see what I’m dealing with, you’d know it is true. Several governments are hunting me down. They don’t want me scaring the citizens. Why would they want me to shut up if it wasn’t true? But I’m here to tell you, they do exist!”

  The video ends. Beth scrolls down the page to begin looking at the comments.

  Chris bi-locates to my side. “Sorry, I had to get to my apartment before I could come to you.”

  I say, “Chris, will you alert the Bearers to a Gathering? Have them connect to my diamond.”

  “Yes. When do you want this to take place?”

  “As soon as possible.”

  “Okay.”

  Clara walks over to us. “Chris? How are you doing this?” She reaches out and sticks her hand right through him. “Are you a Bearer, Chris?”

  Chris and I exchange worried glances. Neither of us realized Clara didn’t know. She was at General Harding’s compound when everything went down, she just wasn’t included in exactly what happened.

  I suppose I’d better catch her up to speed. Maetha’s cautionary words surface in my mind about Bearers and Spellcasters. I don’t feel in my gut that involving Clara in the current situation is a bad thing. She is the Runners’ leader, after all, plus she already knows quite a bit already.

  “Clara, we’re about to have a Diamond Bearer Gathering. You’re welcome to stay and observe if you like. If you do, you’ll be expected to respect the secrecy of the group.”

  She says, “I understand, explicitly, Calli.”

  “Well, part of that secret keeping obligation would include not divulging who carries a diamond.” I motion to Chris.

  Her eyes widen and she nods.

  One by one, the Bearers begin appearing in the small hotel room. Crimson speaks to my mind telling me she’s on her way to attend. She arrives just before the last Bearers appear. The fact that Crimson is in person brings a heightened level of importance to the topics to be discussed.

  I speak to her mind, Where’s Brand?

  He’s in Texas at a hotel.

  Were you able to meet with the individuals you needed to?

  Yes. They’re safe now.

  I hope it’s okay I let Clara stay for the Gathering.

  You don’t need my approval, Calli. However, I would appreciate it if you referred to me as a Bearer around Clara.

  I note that all the Bearers are present. I say to the group, “Thank you for coming so quickly. Most of you know about Max’s website, I’m sure. He needs to be shut down. Jonas, is there anything that can be done?”

  “I’m working on it. Without an exact location I can’t take down servers.”

  I say, “About that, I think he’s using an enchanted bubble to confuse intruders.”

  Chris asks, “How does that work?”

  Maetha speaks up. “It’s the same concept as the electromagnetic disruption dome that protects
my island from detection. The enchantment for the island was set up using the existing rock below the water line.”

  I ask, “Who created or designed it?”

  “A Spellcaster named Vita. She specializes in this area.”

  Clara says. “I know Vita. She also set up the Hunters’ bubble.” I’ll ask her if she helped Max.”

  “Good luck,” Maetha says. “She won’t talk to me anymore.”

  Jonas says, “Calli, if I may interject, any Bearers using phones need to turn them off and if you can, take the battery out right now. We don’t know what kind of partnerships Max has made or what kind of technology he has access to. I’ll get new phones for everyone, and we will be changing them out regularly.”

  Beth and I reach for our phones and turn them off. Maetha, Duncan, and Aernoud vanish from the gathering. They return soon, I assume having just disabled their phones like Beth and me.

  I catch Maetha’s eye and she says, “I told you I don’t like those things.”

  Jonas continues. “I know there are new mobile phone monitoring devices in existence that allow the user to identify your exact location, obtaining any contacts, pictures, video, and saved docs on the phone. The devices are controversial, violating civil rights, but they’re still being used.”

  I ask, “If you could get one of those things, could you use it to spy on Max?”

  “Well, yeah, but I wouldn’t be able to get one very easily. I have other methods to do basically the same thing. I need his phone number, though.”

  Chris speaks up. “I have a number he’s used to call me. I don’t know if he’s still using it.”

  “Have you tried calling him back?” Beth asks.

  “No. I didn’t think of that.”

  Jonas says, “Don’t call yet. Let me help you so we can attempt to see where the call gets routed.”

  Avani says, “What difference does it make if we find out where he is? We can’t get to him if he’s in an enchanted bubble.”

  Chuang says, “We could bomb the area where Calli last saw him. I think that would break the bubble.”

  Ruth says, “Why? If he’s not there anymore we end up with more trouble than before we started.”

  “Not to mention innocent casualties,” Chris says.

  “That’s part of the game, unfortunately,” Chuang says.

  I clear my throat. “Jonas, Chris tells me my parents have been relocated to the island.”

  Jonas says, “Yes. They are here. So is Brand’s mother and older brother.”

  “What about your mother, Jonas?”

  “I requested she be left alone. Her future doesn’t show any danger at this time,” Jonas says.

  I ask, “Did my parents or Brand’s family have negative futures?”

  “Yes.”

  I’m relieved to hear others were looking out for my parents and Brand’s, but I make a mental note to point this out to Brand. The fact he doesn’t have a diamond yet prevents him from taking part in this gathering.

  I say, “Another issue to be addressed: I don’t think we should depend upon invisibility topaz any longer. The recorded footage of Brand and me on Max’s website will have everyone on high alert. Does everyone agree with me?”

  Yes’s and head nods confirm my suggestion. I add, “I’m not sure if anyone else has figured this out yet, but Healer quartz allows the user to detect diamonds.”

  “What?” several Bearers exclaim. Other Bearers grumble to each other, but all listen intently when I speak.

  I explain what happened with the Healer Rhonda and how she was able to feel my diamond.

  Amalgada asks, “Is she going to tell others about this?”

  Fabian follows with, “Did you instruct her to keep that a secret?”

  I answer, “No, I didn’t.”

  Duncan cuts at me. “What were you thinking? We must all do everything we can to protect the lives of the Bearers.”

  Clara speaks up. “I’ll find her and tell her to keep quiet.”

  I say, “There’s more. This woman who received the Healer quartz had her power removed only three weeks ago in South Carolina. There is an active machine here in the U.S.”

  “Where?”

  “We don’t know exactly.”

  Jonas says, “I’ll monitor power usage spikes in that area to see if we can detect the surge needed to operate the machine.”

  “Good,” I say.

  Jie Wen asks, “Were you able to unite the clans?”

  “The Runners and Healers are on board. I expect the others to join once they realize the magnitude of the situation: both with the power-removing machine and the upcoming blast.”

  Jie Wen presses, “How did you fair in Portland? Did you get the officials to listen to you?”

  “Uh, well, not exactly. They listened and then tossed us out.” Jie Wen’s smug expression is entirely unwanted by me. “I’ll figure out something else. We still have a year left.”

  “Calli,” Avani says, “I’ve scanned the Portland area and found several inventive intelligent minds that should be preserved. They should have top priority once evacuations take place.”

  “Thank you. The Healers agreed to house those affected with the Elemental blast at their facility in California. I’m going to Norway with Clara and hopefully Brand to try to find Max again. Everyone should remain on high alert when you’re around Unaltereds, or if you feel a constricting sensation in your chest. It may indicate someone is sensing your diamond. Does anyone have questions?” I look around the group. No one speaks up. “Okay. We’re done for now.”

  Bearers vanish one by one, except for Jonas who remains and moves near Clara.

  “Hi Clara. Do you remember me?”

  She looks him over. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re Jonas Flemming. But he died.”

  Jonas smiles broadly. “Not exactly. I mean, I would have. Technically I did, for legalities, but Maetha healed me. Now I’m a Bearer like Calli.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” Clara says, her eyes traveling over Jonas. “I didn’t know Maetha could perform a healing on that level.” She smiles. “I’m happy you’re alive.”

  After everyone leaves, Crimson heads back to Brand, leaving Beth and Clara with me.

  I ask Clara, “What did you think of the Bearers?”

  “I didn’t know there were so many. I’ve actually met a couple of them in my travels, but I didn’t know of their significance. Like with the woman who drove you and Beth to meet me and Nate.”

  I look over to Beth who seems to know better than to explain who Crimson really is.

  Clara says, “We should go to Norway to the place you feel Max is located. Maybe we can find him somehow.”

  “Okay, but Brand should come too. You know, just in case we need a do over.”

  “I agree.”

  “Only problem is he’s in Texas right now,” I say.

  “That’s only a technicality. A little arranging and he can be set on his way to us.”

  * * *

  It’s taken a week to get all the arrangements pulled together so Clara, Brand, Jonas, and I can travel to Norway. Our plane is currently descending to the airport.

  In the last few days, Chris was able to call Max on the phone. Jonas helped to trace the call. They didn’t come up with anything other than Max is somewhere in Norway. At least we know he’s still there.

  Chris told me about his call with Max. He asked Max why he thinks he has exclusive intel that no one else knows. Chris then told Max he knows everything Max knows and if he started spouting details Max’s info would lose value real quick. So Max offered to cut Chris in on the profits—whatever that means.

  I’m proud of Chris for approaching Max in that way. I only wish I could have been a fly on the wall to see Max’s reaction to Chris’s threats. And better yet, Chris was able to keep up the pretenses he’s against the Diamond People, as Max calls us.

  After Captain Rutherfield completes the landing and brings the plane to a ha
lt outside a maintenance hangar, the four of us exit and make our way to rent a car. I muse to myself that if we were with Maetha, she’d have a car waiting for us. Now that I’ve had the opportunity to fly with Crimson and avoid all the little time-consuming details of everyday human life, I find myself feeling impatient to be slowed down like this. Three of us have the Runner’s ability, but Brand doesn’t and can’t be handed the power now because he’s an Unaltered. He really needs his diamond. I suppose I could let him use my necklace with the Runners topaz and that way we could bypass the rental car all together, but eventually the topaz will deplete and we’ll be in the middle of nowhere without a car. So, on to the rental agency.

  Brand and Jonas sit in the backseat as Clara drives following my instructions to the industrial complex area of town.

  I say, “Slow down, Clara. We should park here and walk the rest of the way just in case Max is watching for suspicious vehicles.”

  Brand announces, “We’re not going to run into trouble.”

  “Really?” Clara says, arching an eyebrow while eyeing Brand in the mirror.

  “Yeah. The building is empty. You don’t have to park here. Keep driving.”

  Clara looks at me for reassurance. I forget she’s not as familiar with Brand’s power. I tell her it’s okay and she keeps driving. She turns one more corner and I recognize the building immediately.

  “There it is. I can’t believe this place was here all along, but I couldn’t see it.”

  Clara says, “That’s the power of the confusion enchantment.” She stops the car and turns it off.

  We get out and begin walking around the building. We never leave each other’s sight, though. The warehouse is empty with no evidence remaining to indicate what they were doing. We walk all around the perimeter of the building. Clara carefully inspects the ground, picking up tiny shimmery bits of what looks like discarded gum foil.

  She extends her hand to me. “These are enchanted.”

  Brand leans in for a better look. “What is that?”

  “I’m not sure.” She angles her hand right and left, allowing the light to reflect off the surface of the bits.