The Diamond Bearers' Destiny

by Lorena Angell

  Once he clears the building, he opens up and runs to the airport, risking being seen by regular people. He arrives at the airport and finds he’s missed his flight. He’s incredibly angry and frustrated. How will he get back to New York in time to pick up the boy? The next flight doesn’t leave soon enough. The train takes nearly three hours. Running isn’t an option. Driving is out. Chris decides to wait till the next flight and hopes there is no delay. Even without a delay, he realizes he’ll arrive about twenty minutes past the time he should be there.

  As I see his memory-visions, I think to myself that the cursing going through Chris’s mind is both justified and acceptable.

  Chris ponders his life while he paces the floor of the airport, waiting for the boarding call. He wants out and away from his father’s clutches. He hates being tied to this lifestyle. He never asked to be a spy, the duty was imposed upon him through pressure and implication.

  The plane boards and leaves on time, heading for New York. Chris can’t sit still in his seat. He feels as if he’ll explode if he holds still. Soon the plane begins its descent and then lands.

  Once Chris is out of the airport, he launches into super-speed running. He has a lot of ground to cover to get down to lower Manhattan. The fear of being discovered or seen is absent from his rational mind. He simply must arrive in time, just in case anyone else is aware of the new emergence of power in the Runner he’s trying to reach.

  Chris arrives to find police are there to take a report of a kidnapping. Two Nigerian women hold each other, sobbing. A distraught man speaks broken English to the officers, giving the description of the two kidnappers.

  Hunters, Chris realizes.

  He is only one face in the large crowd of onlookers, but the ache of failure painted over his face apparently makes him stand out—that, and the fact he’s wearing a Runner’s suit. A stranger comes to stand beside him. Chris pays him no attention, thinking he’s another onlooker. Then the man speaks.

  “You were too slow, son.”

  Chris raises his eyes to the man next to him. A long scraggly beard and mustache do nothing to detract from the man’s large nose. He’s a Hunter. Chris says despondently, “I know.” Then he turns and walks away from the crowd. In Chris’s mind, he deduces the Hunter was left behind to kill the family if the captive escaped.

  Because Chris was too slow, too concerned with keeping his father happy, he knows many lives will never be the same. So much pain and misery lies on his shoulders.

  Chris finds a pay phone and calls Clara.

  “High Altitude Sports,” she answers.

  “Clara, it’s Chris.”

  “Good to hear from you, Chris. Do you need me to secure an extra ticket back to the compound?”

  Being inside Chris’s memory and hearing his thoughts as well as his words, I can say he does exactly what I do: constantly running through things to say or not to say before speaking.

  After a brief moment of silence, Chris says, “No. I was too late. I missed him and he was taken by the Hunters.”

  “Oh dear. I’m so sorry, Chris. Was my scheduling wrong with your flights and hotels?”

  “No. This is all on me. I screwed up, Clara.” She doesn’t answer back and the line goes quiet for a few seconds. Then Chris says, “I’m going to take some time off. I’ll see you later.”

  “It’s all right, Chris. Take all the time you need. But remember, you are not the first person to miss a pick-up.”

  “I know. Bye.” Chris hangs up the phone with the thought running through his mind that he’s the first to miss a pick up because of his duty to meet with the government task force in charge of rounding up and capturing people with powers.

  Chris’s memory jumps forward. He becomes the fastest Runner at age twenty, just like he had been shown in the vision. He has slowed down the information he feeds his father and feels immense regret for ever telling him anything, but the damage can’t be undone. Following Jo Jo’s advice, Chris has stopped trying to find love. Instead, he focuses on the beauty of the world, the complexities of nature, and the operations of the compound. True to Jo Jo’s advice, love has found him. The females of the compound all seem to have a crush on him.

  I find myself feeling a bit jealous observing these memories in his mind. I don’t recognize any of these girls. At least, none of them stand out in my mind because I wasn’t at the compound for long and only got to know a small handful of the female Runners.

  Chris’s memory speeds through the next three years of his life. A couple relationships between Chris and various girls fly by in his recollection, none of which are serious, all of which end over the same reasons: Chris won’t open up.

  Because of the greatly reduced, tightly-measured information he feeds his father, General Harding issues vicious threats, insisting if Chris doesn’t continue helping him, he will invade the compound and kill everyone. The clan’s Seer, Donald Rheyes, doesn’t see anything of an invasion in the future, so the decision is made to not move the clan. Clara advises Chris to continue keeping his father happy, but to be careful.

  Other important issues have developed. Chris meets with Clara in her office to discuss the fact that reports have been made about a boy named Justin Macintyre who is consorting with the Death Clan. Clara says, “Is it possible to follow Justin in your spare time?”

  “Follow him where? He doesn’t ever take time off. He never leaves the compound.”

  “Perhaps we should place him on the next delivery team with you. That way you could watch him closely.”

  “Okay. Let’s do that. What do you think is the greatest threat from him talking to the Death Clan?”

  “That’s a good question, Chris. They already know everything about our clan. Maybe they’re trying to coordinate a delivery of some kind.”

  The scene in Chris’s mind jumps to a small group, a delivery team, including Justin. They are checking into a motel for the night. Everyone’s hair and running suits are wet because they’ve run through a heavy spring thunderstorm. The sun is low in the sky, but the group still has time before the Shadow Demons surface.

  The guys get situated in their room and Justin says to Chris, “I’m going to go get some ice. I saw the machine by the office.”

  “Okay,” Chris says, trying to appear normal. Inside he knows this is probably a moment of opportunity for Justin to make a phone call to his contact.

  Justin leaves the room and Chris waits a moment before following him. Chris arrives at the ice machine and to no surprise, Justin is not there. Chris walks around the corner to the office door. Voices travel with the evening breeze from the parking lot beyond the office. Chris carefully approaches the edge of the building and listens.

  Justin’s voice says: “Why not? I know I could beat him.”

  A man replies, “Not yet. I’m told Chris needs to remain in his position for the future to play out.”

  “Fine.” Justin doesn’t sound too thrilled.

  Chris recognizes the voice, but can’t place a face with it. He slides a little closer to the corner to try to get a peek at the two of them. The male’s face is turned away, but Chris recognizes him anyway by his large muscular build and military haircut. Max Corvus, a soldier from his father’s compound, is talking to Justin. Why is he talking to Justin? And how did he find us? Chris wonders. His foot accidentally crunches gravel. Max and Justin both turn their heads in his direction.

  Justin grunts in frustration, probably because he knows he’s been caught. “You spyin’ on me, Chris?”

  “Yeah.” Chris doesn’t try to dismiss his presence. He walks toward the two conspirators. “Why are you talking to him?” Chris points to Max.

  “That’s my business.”

  “No, you were talking about me, so it’s my business too.” Chris’s mind fills with apprehension. He wonders if Max has told Justin about his spying. Then he wonders if Justin is spying on him for his father? “Tell me what’s going on here.”

  Max pats the air in front o
f him and says, “Now, now, don’t worry, Chris. This is nothing for you to be worried about.”

  “Really?” Chris doesn’t even try to control his sarcastic tone. “Does my father have him watching me?” Chris points to Justin.

  Justin takes a step back. “Wait, what? Do you two know each other?” he half-laughs. “And here I thought I was the one with secrets to hide.”

  Max cracks a devious smile. “Everyone has their secrets. The question is, are either of you going to rat the other one out?”

  Chris’s mind reels with confusion.

  Justin says, “What are you involved with the Death Clan for, Chris?”

  “I’m not.”

  “Well then, how do you two know each other?”

  Max says, “I work with his father.”

  “The government? You work for the government? I thought you were—” Justin spits on the ground. “Holy crap, you’re a spy, Chris.”

  “What, and you’re not? What information are you giving the Death Clan?”

  “Like I’m going to tell you. What are you leaking to the government?”

  “What are you?” Chris asks Justin, then turns to Max and says, “I don’t know what you’re up to or why you’re playing two games, but I can’t have this idiot running around telling everyone about me or I’m no good to my dad.”

  “Oh, I don’t think Justin will say anything about you if you don’t say anything about him. Am I right, Justin?”

  “Yeah.”

  Max continues, “Justin will continue to let you keep the fastest runner title in exchange for your continued secrecy about his connections.”

  “Justin isn’t faster than me, so that doesn’t really matter.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “How do you know? You’ve never beat me.”

  “I let you win.”

  “We’ll see about that.”

  Chris’s memory jumps ahead. He sits in Clara’s office, telling her about the encounter with his father’s soldier. Chris outlines the verbal agreement made between him and Justin.

  Clara says, “This won’t last for long. I don’t believe Justin will keep his mouth shut.”

  “Well, once he opens it, I’ll have to step down.”

  “I know.”

  “I’ll keep you updated on any other activity.”

  “So did you find out if Justin is faster than you?”

  “Yes. He’s faster. But he said if I’d deny his involvement with the Death Clan, he’d let me keep my spot.”

  “The two of you raced?”

  “Yeah. The problem is, I was considering stepping down from the lead position, but now I can’t or he’ll take the lead. As long as I stay put, he’ll be forced to hold back.”

  “How long have you been thinking of stepping down?”

  “Not long. My parents are divorcing and I know my mother could use my help getting the house in order.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “It has been a long time coming. She’ll be happier, I think. It got me thinking. What’s the point to life? I mean, as a person with powers I don’t have an optimistic future. If two normal people can’t make a marriage work, what chance do I have?”

  “These are heavy thoughts you’re having. Marrying someone with powers would be a wise choice for you, but it doesn’t guarantee a successful marriage. Relationships are tricky under the best circumstances.”

  “I just need to know if there’s any kind of future for me other than betraying my friends on a daily basis and pretending to be someone I’m not. I need to know if I have love and companionship in my future.”

  “Have you asked Donald for a reading?”

  “Yeah, he told me to have a reading done by the Seer Maetha.”

  “Then I guess that’s what you should do.

  The scene in Chris’s mind jumps to a quiet grassy area in a park. Chris sits at a picnic table with his elbows on the tabletop. Maetha sits across from him.

  Maetha says, “Finding love weighs heavy on your mind.”

  “I only want to know if my life’s path has any purpose. Is there anyone out there for me?”

  “Give me your hand,” she extends her arm across the table, with her hand open. “I will show you the vision I’ve had concerning your future.”

  Chris takes her hand and closes his eyes. His mind fills with the image of a room, like a hospital room, a bed upon which he is lying with two broken legs.

  I recognize the vision because I saw the same one when I looked into his mind following the Death Clan’s destruction. Chris had said Maetha had given him the vision. I hadn’t realized just how significant this event was for him until this moment as I experience his emotions in connection to what he’s seeing.

  Chris views this vision as meaning he and the girl, whom he recognizes and calls “Calli”, are destined to be together. He assumes this event won’t happen for a few years because he sees himself as being older in the vision.

  As I experience Chris’s pure joy through his memories, I begin to understand his seemingly unfounded deep attachment to me shortly after I read his mind at Cave Falls. I hadn’t comprehended his emotions before. I mean, how could someone have that kind of certainty about someone else? Now I understand.

  I’m momentarily focusing on my own questions, but Chris’s memories come back into focus. Realizing he has a destined love, a Healer, who will enter his life down the road, helps him decide to quit his role as a spy. He truly feels like a new person. He vows that as soon as he can, he will begin to clean up his act and reorganize his life. He wants to be ready for the day his Healer walks into his life. He doesn’t want to be a closed box or a secret-keeper any longer.

  Chris returns to the Runners’ compound with renewed energy and learns about a new delivery assignment. A time trial is held, and Kayla Cooper times as the slowest. Chris is slightly bothered by this because he knows Kayla has a crush on him. He adds another girl to the trio, Jessica Harper, as the third member. During the process of completing the delivery, which requires him to hold Kayla’s hand to give her speed, Chris senses that Kayla is reading more into the situation than she should. He admits to the two girls that he has been shown a vision of his soulmate. He tells them his heart belongs to his mystery girl. Kayla begins holding hands with Jessica to extract her running power instead of his, appearing rejected.

  This particular memory of Chris’s sheds more light on events I witnessed while at the compound. It also marks the first time he labeled me as his soulmate. In his mind, the girl named Calli, whom he’d never met, gave his life meaning, purpose, and hope.

  When Chris returns to the compound after completing the delivery, Clara pulls him aside and asks him to go investigate the possible disappearance of another delivery trio. A different delivery request had come in the day after Chris, Jessica, and Kayla left the compound on their task. A new group had been selected to run the delivery, only they hadn’t arrived yet at the delivery destination. Clara can’t help him with the search because she needs to go pick up a new Runner in Ohio.

  Chris calls his father first to ask if he is responsible for the missing Runners. When his father assures him he’s not involved, Chris heads out and hires a Hunter to help him search. All the while, he stews over the fact Justin hadn’t timed as the fastest Runner of the missing trio. Dirk Evans had. The fastest should have been Justin—unless Justin knew ahead of time the trio would be compromised. Chris wonders if it would be so bad to simply expose Justin as a traitor and, in doing so, eliminate his own position with the clan.

  Chris arrives at the compound and heads straight to Clara’s office. He catches sight of Justin just before he knocks on the door. Justin has a concerned look on his face. Chris runs his pointer finger across his neck to indicate to Justin he is about to go down, and then knocks on the door.

  Clara invites him to come in. Chris enters, noting someone is in her office with her, so he speaks a bit cryptically, to keep from giving away too much in-formation
. When Clara tells him the Healers are also missing three members, Chris looks over at the girl sitting on the couch. She looks like she is about to pass out.

  I must admit, it is truly amazing to see my younger self through Chris’s eyes.

  In his mind, he shouts, What? Calli Courtnae! No, it can’t be. She’s so young! She’s fragile looking. Chris swiftly scans my face and body. I don’t look like the woman he saw in his vision—the woman I would one day become. I wear no makeup to enhance my green eyes, and nothing is noteworthy about my short hair, but I have an iridescent glow that is impossible to look away from. The question comes into his mind, which he then asks Clara: “Why did the Healers send her to deliver the news?”

  “Calli is not a Healer. She’s a Runner. This is her orientation.”

  He is almost brought to his knees by the wave of shock, confusion, anger, and disappointment that washes over him. His mind protests, A Runner? No! She’s not a Runner! Calli is supposed to be a Healer! He struggles to maintain his composure and asks Clara to step out into the hallway. He tries to tell her he knows for certain the girl on her couch is a Healer, but Clara won’t listen to him. He looks at me through the window—the timid, frail girl who is supposed to be his destined love, the one who will set his life’s path in order—and turns away from Clara and goes to his room.

  I experience his feelings through his memories. Chris feels betrayed. His hopes and dreams have crashed in a single moment. Why would the Seer Maetha show him a vision that isn’t true? Is it possible there are two different Calli Courtnaes? No, he recognized my high-set cheekbones and green eyes. He knows I am his Calli, but will I be his at all? The vision clearly showed me as a Healer who will repair his injured legs. A Runner won’t be able to do that. And no one possesses multiple powers. That is impossible.

  Chris still needs to deal with Justin, continue his investigation into the missing Runners and, he determines, avoid crossing my path. He reasons he doesn’t have time to wallow around in his own private misery.

  His memories prior to beginning the delivery assignment reveal he looks my way a lot more often than I’d realized. He discusses my presence with a few of the other boys, calling it unusual. He also discusses his vision with Mr. Rheyes, the clan’s Seer, who recommends he take me along on the delivery team to keep an eye on me.