The Diamond Bearers' Destiny

by Lorena Angell

  “Can I help you?” Chris asks.

  Deus raises the gun she’s carrying, causing Chris to jump out of his chair. His first instinct is to run, but she blocks his way. Chris assumes she is a Runner because of her quick maneuvers. He tries to get around her one more time, but she blocks him and moves close to him, pressing the end of the barrel into his chest.

  She speaks in a sweet, girl-next-door kind of voice. “Chris, if you fight me, Calli will die.”

  Her words stab into his frozen heart. How does she know his name? The bigger question is how did she know to use Calli as a means of getting him to cooperate? The only person with motives dark enough—and a keen awareness of his weaknesses—is Justin Macintyre. Chris assumes he must be the one working with this girl.

  Chris raises his hands to show he will be compliant. He asks, “Where’s Calli? Is she safe?”

  “You’ll just have to come with me and find out for yourself.”

  “If anything has happened to her, I won’t give you this amulet.”

  Deus Ex’s mouth forms a pleasant smile. Her mannerisms seem like she could be a perfect honor student or student-body president . . . well, except for the gun she has pressed against Chris’s chest. She doesn’t look or act the part of kidnapper. I guess this is how she was able to get past the guards outside.

  She takes Chris’s arm and pulls him to the door. “Ok, loverboy. Here’s how we’re going to do this. Down the road about a mile is a parked van. The driver is expecting me in about five minutes. If I don’t show up with you, the driver will leave and Calli will be killed. Do you follow?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m going to put my gun away because I know you understand that fighting me will only result in death for your cutie-pie.” Deus lifts her jogging jacket to reveal a holster. She secures her gun and readjusts her clothing. “You will do as I say, move when I move, and you’ll keep your mouth shut as we leave the building. Got it?”

  Chris nods with a scowl.

  Deus opens the door. The two guards are nowhere to be found. Deus says, “Let’s go.”

  Deus performs a series of stop-and-go movements down the hall and out into the foyer. It reminds me of the child’s game of Red Light Green Light. She opens the door and efficiently disables the two guards in what appears to be a choreographed brutal dance. Then she takes hold of Chris’s hand and says, “Run with me down the road.”

  Chris does as ordered and they speed across the compound property and into the trees. True to her word, he spots the van about a mile down the road. They stop and she opens the window-less sliding door.

  “Get in!”

  Chris catches a glimpse of the male driver as he lowers his head and steps up into the empty van, just before he’s assaulted by Deus. She slams a crowbar into his right knee, debilitating him instantly. Chris instinctually grabs his knee and howls in pain. He looks up in time to see another swing coming his way, hitting his other leg, cracking his shin.

  I feel the horrific pain Chris experiences. In my current state, my stomach flips over and over to the point that I have to pause and use my healing powers on myself before reentering his memories.

  Deus says to Chris in her sugary-sweet voice as she slams the sliding door closed and climbs in the front passenger seat, “Can’t have you thinking you can run off before I get my payment, now can I?”

  The driver turns the wheel and accelerates down the road. Chris, in incredible pain, holds both legs and lies on his side, trying not to move. The winding road and the speed at which the driver takes the curves make it impossible to not be thrown around in the back of the van. Every movement brings fresh waves of pain for Chris.

  I pull out of his mind once again. I’m mortified to experience what Chris has gone through. I can’t believe the level of brutality he’s endured at the hands of Deus. I now fully understand the level of hatred he had toward Deus when I first met her. Yet, I’m even more confused why Chris would side with her to kill Neema after everything she’s done to him.

  Chris squeezes my hand, bringing my attention back. He says, “Keep going, there’s more.”

  I reenter his memories, but choose to skip past his long painful ride to Justin’s compound. The scene opens up as Justin is ordering other guys to strap Chris down on a bed. Justin holds a needle which he injects into Chris’s arm.

  Before Chris blacks out, he looks around the room and realizes he’s in the room from his vision. He’s finally in the one place he has dreamed about for years, in excruciating pain, about to pass out, but he’s the happiest he’s been in three years. He knows I will come walking through the door.

  He awakens after hearing some commotion in the hall. The door opens and I enter his room. The beautiful, confident woman of his vision stands before him like a dream. I heal his legs and he notices I wear an amulet around my neck. Finally, everything makes sense in his mind. Calli has the healing ability because she wears an amulet. Of course! he thinks. I feel what he experiences, the joy flooding his body, the sweetness of my breath, and the warmth of my cheek against his. He’s in heaven.

  I remember feeling the same incredible happiness as well.

  Later that night as we lay in each other’s arms after learning I am an Unaltered with a diamond shard in my heart, he wars with his emotions. He wants to be angry, wants to be happy, and feels like everyone is against him. Hearing Maetha’s name again stirs unsavory sentiments within him. She has been the source of so much misery in his life, but he can’t ignore the reality that I am lying next to him wrapped in his arms. The vision Maetha had given him had come true after all.

  Chris’s memories speed through Justin’s death, Agent Alpha’s entrance into the room, Maetha’s appearance out of thin air, our escape by the skin of our teeth, and the lengthy run to Indiana.

  After arriving at Maetha’s residence, Chris begins to put two and two together. He can see the next logical move concerning the diamond will be to insert the rest of it into my heart. When Maetha orders me to go with her, Chris grabs me. No way is he going to let me go without laying claim to my soul first. He captures my head and kisses me like there’s no tomorrow—and in reality, he doesn’t know if there will be a tomorrow. He wants me to know, without a doubt, that he loves me. He pulls me into a tight hug. I hear myself whisper in his ear, “It will be all right. I love you, Chris.”

  He watches me walk toward the door, and when I turn my head back to him and smile, he is overcome with emotion. The door closes, and he plops down on the chair and fights the sobs that want to erupt out of his throat. So much has happened in too short of a time. He finds it difficult to comprehend everything. He’s saddened by the deaths of the clan leaders only a few hours before and angry that Justin was involved with Agent Alpha and his father.

  Chris recalls the distressing moment when Agent Alpha called me by name. He wonders how Agent Alpha knew me. Plus Agent Alpha also recognized Maetha.

  As Chris tries to sort through the mess of information within his head, he also understands I am about to receive the rest of my diamond, and he can’t even be there to witness the event.

  Hans Lindlbauer tries to comfort Chris by telling the story of how I helped him escape the clutches of the government not too long before. He brings Chris the box of Pulse Emitters showing him what I designed. Chris remembers me and Brand talking about them. He promptly takes one, attaches it to his jacket, and runs out the door after me.

  Once out in the night air, he can’t bring himself to step into the darkness. The fear of being ripped to shreds holds him back. A voice within his mind reassures him that everything will be fine. He will be safe. He closes his eyes and takes a step away from the light and into what he believes will be his demise. Nothing happens.

  I pause and reflect on what Chris felt concerning the Demons. I had no idea how afraid he or any other person of powers was of the dark. Understanding his fear of Demons prompts me to investigate them further and try to find a way to eliminate them.

 
As I travel back inside his memory, Chris runs through the trees toward the glowing light ahead, where a crowd encircles Maetha and me. He arrives just in time to watch Maetha slam the diamond into my chest. He waits anxiously with more fear than he thinks he can handle until he can’t stand it anymore. He yells, “Help her!” and then watches Maetha reach in and remove the diamond. She attempts to remove the shard, but it won’t come out without tearing vital parts of my heart. She leaves it in place and repairs my damaged body.

  Chris’s reality spins in all directions. This is all new territory for everyone involved, not just him. To find out there are people like Maetha, who, come to find out, isn’t a Seer or Spell-caster but an all-powerful Diamond Bearer, really blows his mind. Furthermore, I am going to become a Diamond Bearer as well. Maybe not today, but someday. That one really does a number in his brain.

  His memories show that after he helps me inside after the failed diamond-inserting attempt, he continues to hold me after I lose consciousness. He smoothes my long hair out of my eyes, and kisses my temple and forehead while he whispers comforting words.

  Viewing this tender moment through his memory almost makes me cry.

  Once the decision is made to travel to Miami to find out the black rock’s identity, Chris feels like he and I can finally get the alone time he has longed for. While he drives the car and I sleep, he thinks about our futures. He hopes we can get to the bottom of everything soon so we can finally relax and develop a real relationship. He looks forward to sharing his life, his interests, his world with me. He wants to get to know me, wants to learn everything there is to know.

  Then we stop at the gas station.

  Of all the bad luck in the world, he has led us into a robbery in progress. When Agent Alpha appears, after the watch is closed, it becomes clear to Chris that our situation will get worse before it gets any better. He realizes this journey with me is far from over and that our future is still way out of reach.

  Chris’s memory jumps to the old warehouse in Miami. When he kisses me, it feels as if time stands still. He can’t imagine breathing without me in his life. He’s ready to throw in all his chips, jump into whatever situation is required to secure our love.

  Chris’s memories leap forward by a huge amount. We are on the plane ride back to Colorado from Alaska. He’s thinking about his new friend, Kikee, feeling happy that we as a team were able to figure out the identity of the yellow stone of the shaman. Sitting next to Chris is Maetha who comments, “You performed well, Chris.” Then his ears plug with an underwater sensation muffling the voices around him. As the pressure in his head normalizes, his clarity returns. He begins to realize what has just happened as the fog of mind-control lifts from his brain. He turns in his seat to locate me. When he sees the downturned expression on my face his recent actions weigh incredibly heavy in his gut. He knows he needs to get to the bathroom pronto before he throws up all over Maetha. But to get to the bathroom, he has to walk past me first.

  After visiting the bathroom, and regaining control of his emotions, he sits near me and apologizes for his behavior. The amount of guilt flooding his system is so extreme, that I think: if guilt could be used as electricity, he could have powered Las Vegas for a year! He desperately hopes I can forgive him because he doesn’t know if he can ever forgive himself. I comfort him with what he considers to be the most important words I could ever say. I tell him I can see the bigger picture and have had a vision of our grandchildren.

  These words prompt Chris to reevaluate everything he learned before. He comes to the conclusion that because the initial vision Maetha gave him came true, even after all the logical aspects didn’t make sense, then maybe my vision of our grandchildren might come to be as well. He knows he needs to change the direction of his mind and focus more on helping the mission, not wallowing around feeling sorry for himself.

  He grasps the realization that the way he can help the most would be to return to his father. He would be able to fight for our future and the futures of our children and grandchildren from within the government facility.

  His memory jumps to the point when he leaves the motel in Denver, heading back to the compound. He isn’t sad or depressed: he feels invigorated. Part of his invigoration is because of the amazing kiss he’s just shared with me before leaving.

  He still feels good about his decision after his long drive to Montana. When he arrives at the Runner’s compound to pass along Maetha’s instructions to Clara to have the compound’s occupants split up and spread out to prevent mass attacks, he finds several Runners are already missing. People are packing up, getting ready to move.

  Chris calls his father from Montana, as Maetha had instructed, as a mislead to his whereabouts. Then he begins his trip back to Denver. When he stops for gas, he sees his neighbor Jo Jo. Chris can’t believe the coincidence of running into her. What are the odds of that happening? he thinks.

  “Chris, can I ride with you back to Denver?”

  “Did your car break down?”

  “No. Don’t worry about that. I need to talk to you on the way to Denver.”

  “How did you know that’s where I’m headed? Oh wait, you’re a Mind Reader, aren’t you?”

  Jo Jo climbs in the car and waits for Chris to begin driving before she talks. “Chris, I am not a Mind Reader. I’ve been following you.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ve been spying on your father and his studies since before you were born.”

  Chris’s heart begins to race. “Do you work for the government too?”

  “No. I knew you would become a Runner and that your power would be a difficult thing for your father to deal with. I’ve been your friend and confidant throughout the years because I knew you’d need support through your hardships.”

  “How did you know I’d be a Runner?”

  “I have the ability to detect which power any one person will develop.”

  “What’s that called? I’m not familiar with that ability.”

  “Pull over at the next crossroads and I’ll tell you more.”

  Chris does as instructed and puts the car into park. “Let me guess. You don’t want me to crash the car when you tell me what you’re about to tell me?”

  Jo Jo nods. “Chris, my name is not Jo Jo. My abilities are on a level that you’ve never heard of before, mainly because no regular person has ever known of these powers. Only one other person on the whole earth knows of my complete set of abilities, and that one person is Maetha. I am the one who designed the Sanguine Diamond and instructed Maetha how to use it.”

  “How can that be? Crimson was the one . . . holy crap! You’re Crimson!” Chris stutters.

  Chapter 4 - The Bigger Picture

  “Don’t forget to breathe, Chris,” Crimson gently reminds him. “Like I said, I’ve been following your father’s research and it’s progress since before you were born. General Harding’s projects have the capacity to throw the balance of nature completely off kilter. When you were born, I viewed you as someone who could be instrumental one day, someone who might be able to shut the program down from the inside. I’ve learned over my many years that insiders are the best choice of options to keep from drawing unwanted attention.

  “Even though I considered you as a possible covert insider, I never knew you would choose to go back to your father to serve as a double agent to help the Diamond Bearers. This means you are ready to do what must be done for the sake of humanity. You’ve proven yourself in my eyes with this single decision.”

  Chris is at a loss for words. “I don’t know what to say. Calli said she saw a vision of our grandchildren and I just want to make sure I do everything I possibly can to have that vision come true. You do know Calli, right?”

  “Yes. Chris, you are making a selfless choice. You were never expected to do this. I didn’t befriend you to someday get you to risk your life. Your own loyalties and compassion have brought you to this point, and I couldn’t be more proud.” She smiles with a twinkle of
moisture in the corners of her eyes. “Okay, let’s get going. We’ve got a dire situation ahead of us.”

  Chris directs the car back onto the road. He says, “I can’t believe I’ve had lemonade and cookies with the oldest woman on the earth! This is so cool!”

  “I’ve been closely involved with many individuals over their lifetimes, none of whom ever learned my secret. Then again, none of them ever made the choice you made: to do whatever it takes to support nature’s will.”

  Crimson continues to talk to Chris about the importance of disabling and dismantling the program that could end life as we know it. She gives him instructions and recommendations of what to say to his father so he will agree to let Chris back inside the compound. The most important instruction she gives him is to maintain his position within the facility at all costs.

  The details and the revelations brought to his attention through Crimson open his eyes and help him see the bigger picture in a hi-def, wide-screen format kind of way.

  Chris’s memory jumps forward. He stands facing his father, trying to convince him he is done with being on the wrong side. Agent Alpha stands beside General Harding. Chris says, “I’ve learned things in the last three years about the most powerful people with powers that I believe you would be interested in hearing. After spending time with them, I’ve decided you weren’t off your rocker at all, dad, er, sir. They need to be eliminated.”

  “Good to hear you’re seeing the reality of our situation, Chris. I can’t ignore the fact you walked out on me, though. How can I trust you?”

  “I don’t expect you to trust me. I only hope you’ll give me a chance to get even with them. One lady in particular, named Maetha, really messed with my mind and I’d love to see her go down.”

  “Are you still in good standing with their group?”