The Diamond Bearers' Destiny

by Lorena Angell

  “Yes. I was asked by Maetha to come and try to gather information for them.”

  It’s obvious to Chris that Freedom doesn’t want him back in the compound. Once he gets Chris alone, he says “I have to wonder what you’ve been told about me concerning the little mishap with the diamond and your friend, Justin. I also have to wonder if you’ll cause me any problems while you’re here.”

  Chris maintains his determined facial expression and says, “I’m sick and tired of Maetha and the games she plays. I want to be on the winning team.” His scalp begins to tickle as if a small individual strands of hair are being gently tugged. He resists the urge to itch his head, knowing Freedom is reading his mind. Chris uses his pent-up anger toward Maetha to occupy his thoughts. I recognize his actions as a way to try to fool Freedom’s mind read.

  “You’ll have to prove it. Prove to your father, and to me, where your devotions lie.”

  Chris is taken to an observation room and shown the horrific experiments being performed on people with powers. In viewing Chris’s memories, I have to wonder if Freedom facilitated the horror show in an effort to get Chris to crack. Even though the demonstrations are extremely atrocious, Chris maintains his unwavering guise.

  His resolution is put to the test when his father orders him to bring me to the compound. Chris knows it is a test, but he doesn’t know if he will have the strength to carry out the order. He wonders if there may be another way, recalling Crimson had said, “There’s often more than one correct way to do things. Don’t be afraid of being flexible.”

  By the time Chris arrives at the motel and is back in my presence again, his mind fights against his orders. He doesn’t want to take me to the compound and expose me to the danger there. He doesn’t want to be forced to watch me die.

  When Jonas offers to take my place, Chris is incredibly relieved.

  Once it is agreed that Chris will take Jonas instead of me, he has Brand repeat a couple of times so he can kiss me without killing me. Viewing Chris’s memory in this way allows me to relive each of his repeats, and that is probably the strangest thing to see. I have no memory of each kiss, only the last one. He kisses me five different times, each kiss slightly different, but all amazingly sensual . . . and each ending with Freedom appearing nearby. Then Chris leaves the room and heads back to his father.

  Freedom is livid that Chris brings Jonas back to the compound instead of me. He corners Chris and gives him the shakedown, meaning he literally strips him down looking for cameras, microphones, and other surveillance equipment. Finding nothing, he demands that Chris “pass the message along that Jonas will die by six o’clock that evening if Calli doesn’t come to the compound.” Freedom orders Chris to have Brand and Deus come as well. At this point, he tells Chris he is Brand’s and Deus’s biological father.

  Chris takes the information and mouths it to the hidden camera outside the compound, imagining my face instead of a lens. Inside, he feels apprehensive. He knows Freedom is watching him closely, waiting for him to slip up.

  Chris wishes he could see the future to know whether or not it will be a good move to have my group come to the compound. More than anything, he hopes we’ll at least be able to secure the release of Jonas, and the four of us will be able to escape unharmed . . . and his position within the compound will remain intact.

  Chris’s perspective of what he views while watching the showdown between Freedom, me, Brand, Deus, and Jonas through the observation glass allows me a different angle too. Chris feels helpless. He tries to convince his father to give the order to kill Agent Alpha. At the same time, he tries to act like he doesn’t care about me. The course of events concerning what happens to Freedom is similar to when Justin died . . . a quick, well-executed, acrobatic positioning of Freedom’s body in front of the bullet General Harding orders his guard, Max Corvus, to shoot. Chris recognizes the signs that indicate Brand repeated with Freedom to get him in that position. Nothing else could bring about the same stupefied expression, Chris thinks. Chris assumes he probably had the same expression when Brand repeated with him the first time, only he almost crashed the car he was driving.

  Chris has to act like he doesn’t care who lives or dies. His friend Jonas lies bleeding to death on the floor. I stare at him through the glass, speak to his mind, and basically tell him I am about to shove Freedom’s diamond into my chest. Chris is terrified and figures I will end up like Jonas.

  The blinding light caused by the explosion of the diamond entering my chest makes Chris and his father raise their arms to shield their faces. When Chris lowers his arm, he sees me on my knees, hunched over, with blood covering my body . . . but I’m still alive.

  Relief inundates his body as it becomes apparent I am healing.

  General Harding freaks out, swears, and shouts all kinds of exclamations because of the unbelievable events he has witnessed. They both watch me heal Jonas’s chest.

  “I want those . . . whatever they are!” his father says, less a request than a demand.

  My own memory fills in the blanks of our escape because Chris’s memories end when Brand lands one of his trademark precise kicks to the groin that incapacitates him. From a girl’s perspective, this is a first-hand experience of unparalleled pain, pressure, nausea, and discomfort like I have never felt before—and one I will never forget. The experience leaves me wondering why nature has left the male’s most vulnerable parts hanging in the open.

  By late evening, Deus Ex arrives at the gate, wanting to be let inside. General Harding accompanies Chris outside to speak with her.

  General Harding says, “Why would I want to risk my own neck by allowing you inside this complex after watching you help the enemy today?”

  “They lied to me. No one told me about the diamond Calli carried, or that Agent Alpha possessed one inside his body. You’d do yourself a favor by allowing me back into your compound because I know how many other diamonds are out there and I can help you get your hands on them.”

  General Harding turns and glares at Chris. “What is she talking about, Chris? Are there more than two of those diamonds?”

  “He’s not going to tell you anything, General. He’s working for them.”

  General Harding’s head whips toward Chris. “Is that true?”

  “I was, but not anymore. Maetha lied to me too.”

  General Harding stares at Chris then moves his focus to Deus Ex on the other side of the gate. “I don’t think I can believe either one of you.”

  His father is probably going to kick him out of the compound based on Deus’s accusation. Crimson told him to do whatever was necessary to remain in the good graces of his father and keep his position within the facility. He takes a deep breath and says, “Give me a task, sir, and I’ll prove where my loyalties lie. Let me demonstrate rather than try to convince you with words.”

  Deus straightens her spine and says, “Test me as well, General. I want to help you collect diamonds, and you have the weaponry needed to accomplish the mission.”

  General Harding contemplates for a moment and then says, “All right, the two of you must work as a team and go get me a diamond. Prove yourselves to me. Confirm to me, Chris, that you’re not a double agent, and Deus, earn your right to work by my side.”

  Deus bows her head. “Thank you, General, sir. I have a plan already.” She presents the plan, including a back-up plan of a mock kidnapping which, she explains, will give them another opportunity to secure a diamond if the first plan fails.

  Chris is shocked that she has already pre-planned to this extent.

  I recognize, however, that she must have repeated many times until she found the plan the general would like. If the plan is successful, it will appear that Deus is working on her own, not for the government, and that Chris is just in the wrong place at the wrong time. General Harding approves the plan, provides Deus with the military-grade high-powered rifle she needs to blow out a heart, and sets them to their task.

  Once Chris and Deus ar
e on their way, she says to him, “I know you’re trying to play both sides of the fence, Chris. You can’t fool me.”

  “Think whatever you want.”

  “You’d be smart not to get in the way of me completing this mission.”

  “I won’t get in your way,” Chris responds. In his mind, he envisions what will happen when Deus Ex tries to pick up a diamond—death. His spirits are lifted slightly with the knowledge Deus will die through this task while he proves himself to his father.

  Deus adds, “I want Maetha to be the one. She is the biggest threat to me. Once she’s dead, I’ll take her diamond and you’ll return to your father and tell him I fled with the stone.”

  “That wasn’t the plan. Besides, why would I stand by and watch you take the diamond and have all the power for yourself?”

  Deus says, “If you do as I say, I won’t kill you. I will use you and your knowledge of both your father’s actions and those of the Diamond Bearers to complete my mission.”

  “Your mission? So now I’m your spy too?”

  “No, you are only my spy. You no longer work for Maetha or your father. You will give me the intel I desire when I desire it, or I will hunt you down.”

  Chris banks on the fact that Deus will die in her attempt to secure a diamond, and he believes that if Maetha truly knew the reason for the sacrifice of a Diamond Bearer, she would actually volunteer to help balance nature.

  The information Crimson gave Chris helps him prepare for what is about to happen. I am not able to access Crimson’s information through Chris’s memory with my extraction. What I can see is that Chris feels this is nature’s will being carried out. This is Chris being able to maintain his important position within his father’s compound.

  His memory reveals his concentrated efforts to control his mind and actions when he arrives in Indiana and I launch myself at him, pinning him against his car with my kisses. This is weird to feel from his point of view. He has to stay on track, and he needs to act quickly before any Bearer picks up on his intentions. He pulls himself away from me to try to take Maetha outside, but she is unavailable. Chris’s stress mounts, and he worries the plan will be exposed. Then Neema offers to talk with him instead.

  Chris’s memory shows him handing the velvet box to Neema and stepping back while she is gunned down. Even though he knows her death is for a higher purpose, he still struggles to keep the contents of his stomach down. Deus tells him to leave and meet at the rendezvous point, and he doesn’t hesitate. He runs for about a minute before he has to stop to vomit. Then he continues to run.

  Once he arrives at the parked car Deus had waiting, he lets out a shout of frustration to the sky and drops to the ground in exhaustion. Even though Crimson had basically ordered him to do what he just did, guilt takes over. At least, he figures, he will only have to wait about an hour before returning to the lake. He is anxious to explain to Maetha, and to me, that Crimson had ordered him to remain in his father’s good graces and by doing what he just did, he has kept his place and eliminated Deus Ex at the same time. He knows the Diamond Bearers will view Neema’s death as a necessary sacrifice, one condoned by Crimson. He hopes I will see it that way as well. He keeps reminding himself that all their futures are dependent on the success of this mission.

  A half hour passes, and Deus Ex arrives at the car. Chris is devastated, and inside his head he’s cursing, using every word in the book, plus a few more. Why is she here? Why didn’t she die? Was Deus actually able to pick up the diamond? Chris wonders.

  “Where’s the diamond?” Chris asks.

  Deus is angry. “Give me the keys, Chris!” He tosses them to her, and they get in the car and drive away.

  After a few minutes, Deus says, “We’re executing Plan B. I couldn’t even touch the diamond. Something about being too near it caused my powers to activate and put me into a repeating loop until I withdrew my hand. So now the Bearers can come rescue you, and this time you will pick up the diamond.”

  This was all for nothing! Neema’s death was for nothing! Chris fears for every Bearer’s life, including mine. His biggest fear is that I will be the one to come to his rescue and be killed. He begins preparing himself mentally for that probability.

  Deus drives to a pre-planned destination, an old farmhouse in upstate rural Indiana. Chris is tied to a chair in the barn, where he plays the part of having been kidnapped. They will wait for the attempted rescue.

  Deus and Chris wait for several hours. Finally, Deus leaves the barn to go use the little girl’s room. After she has been gone thirty seconds, Crimson appears beside Chris and unties him.

  “I thought she’d never leave,” Crimson says.

  “When did you get here? I didn’t see you come in.”

  “I’ve been by your side since Neema’s death. I followed your vehicle here and have been inside, sitting over on that workbench all day. Come on,” she motions for him to follow her.

  “Can you become invisible?”

  Run! Crimson speaks to his mind.

  Chris and Crimson flee the scene and run to Massachusetts, where Crimson has a car parked. They drive it to the ferry and then to Maetha’s home.

  Chris’s memory slides to an earlier point today before Duncan and I arrived, when he and Crimson arrived at Maetha’s home. Maetha told him then that I had witnessed the death of Neema and am taking it rather hard. She told him that eventually he would need to allow me to extract his memories in order to fully understand his motives, but the extraction would drain all my energy for several hours. Chris is completely taken aback to hear I witnessed the murder. He wonders how I will ever be able to see him as a good person again. Even with a mind extraction, will I be able to forgive him?

  His final thought, before I pull out of his mind, is of his new conviction. He hopes I will be able to understand his side of the story and in time allow him back into my life. He will continue to fight for the will of nature whether or not I am by his side. Naturally, he hopes I will be with him, but he is prepared to continue the path he has chosen, stand his ground, and see this to the end.

  I open my eyes and look at our clasped hands. I mentally let go of his, and he untangles his fingers from mine. An incredible wave of exhaustion washes over my body. Extracting his memories definitely taxes my energy levels, just as Maetha said it would. My eyes travel slowly from his hands up to his face, coming to a halt when I reach his eyes. They are full of tears on the brink of spilling over. His mind tells me he viewed all those memories as I did, so he knows everything I saw.

  He speaks in a whisper, with a slight smile. “Calli, if you had read my mind when Neema died, you would have known exactly how I was feeling even though my face didn’t show it.” The tears overflow and run down his cheeks.

  I reach up and place my hands on both sides of his face, pulling him to me. The infusion of energy from our skin-to-skin contact helps revitalize me immensely. I gently kiss his lips. He wraps his arms around me and caresses my head and back while he returns the kiss. The tender moment is one I truly didn’t think would ever happen again. But now, being held and kissed by him, with a full realization of the past events, tears run down my cheeks as well. Chris moves back and gently swipes my tears to the side and then pulls me into the most comforting embrace I have ever had.

  “I’m sorry I hurt you, Calli. I didn’t mean to.” He hugs me tighter. “I don’t want to let go of you.”

  “Please, keep holding me.” So much is racing through my mind. I’m still processing the events his mind revealed to me. I basically just saw the movie of his life along with all the reasons for his recent choices. I can’t hold those choices against him. I don’t want to be angry or upset with him anymore.

  “I have no secrets now, and it’s such a relief,” he whispers into my hair. I feel his warm breath on my scalp and it sends shivers throughout my body.

  Are you going to let him off the hook or not? Jonas’s voice comes into my head.

  I bolt upright with a sudden je
rk and say, “Yes.”

  Chris has a surprised expression because of my quick move. “Yes?” he asks.

  “Uh,” I say as I stand, close my eyes, and shake my head a bit. “Yes, it is a relief.” My head begins to swim with dizziness, which causes me to tilt sideways. I shuffle my feet to catch my balance.

  Chris jumps up and clutches my upper arms to help me gain my footing. His thoughts wander. The extraction drained her strength. However, she seems relieved to know the truth. Does she forgive me?

  Jonas’s voice says, Just forgive him already, Calli. Poor guy is beating himself up, and draggin’ his heart through the mud isn’t helping.

  Chris places his hands on my waist and asks, “What are you thinking?”

  I look up into his eyes and move next to his body, placing my hand on his cheek, and whisper, “That I forgive you.” He pulls me into another hug. My head fits nicely against his strong chest just under his chin, and he rests his cheek on top of my head. I try to look for our future but can’t see long term. I do see we are about to leave and head to Ohio.

  Good job, Calli, Jonas says to my mind.

  I answer back, Did you hear and see everything?

  Yes.

  You know, it’s rude to eavesdrop, Jonas.

  It’s no different than when you read other people’s lips.

  Sure it is. What if Chris and I someday . . . you know . . .

  What do you mean ‘what if?’

  Yeah, well, you better excuse yourself from my head if that ever happens.

  Mary’s here trying to teach me how to control my powers. I told her about our mind link, and she said it’s because of our shared diamond. She also said one of us will have to surrender our chunk so the diamond can be whole again. I just don’t know when that will be.

  I’ll ask Maetha.

  No, ask Crimson. I’m really jealous that you get to meet her in person. I wish I were there.

  “Calli, are you all right?” Chris asks. I hadn’t realized he is holding me at arm’s length, observing my behavior as I speak to Jonas’s mind. “Are you having a vision?”