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“If you knew how sick I am of people underestimating me,” she whispered.
“Sage,” started Hex.
“Let me finish. Please. When my parents died, my granny thought she was making it right, except she wasn’t. She was making it worse. Now, I’m fairly certain she knew nothing about the jewels and where they were from, and I’m also certain she knew nothing about the diamonds. That all came after her death. So, this sordid tale has more turns than Lombard Street in San Francisco.
“The antiques we found with the wood in common were somehow a part of Yun and Silverstein’s plan. I don’t know how, but that seems logical. Something in those items is common, we just haven’t figured out what it is yet.
“The jewels are something different. Nothing about their location, dig point, cave, mine, wherever the fuck they came from says they can be weaponized.
“I admit. I’m not the weapons expert, but I’ve been having enlightening conversations with Montana, Susie, and Sophia Ann. Brilliant women, by the way. You’re damn lucky to have them.” Eric, Keith, and Luc all smirked at the young woman, nodding.
“Anyway, there were four parts to this horrible tale. The antiques which just seemed to be easy money for my parents and others. The priest and his gambling habit forcing him to steal for Yun and quite possibly others. The jewelry and loose jewels, most of which were simply stolen for the jollies of it. And then, the loose stones and diamonds from the cave in question.
“We’re working to get the antiques back to where they belong. Any of the loose stones that need to be reset I can do from here and make sure it looks like new. Since we all know there is nothing special about these diamonds, we need to prove it to Yun and his men.”
“Honey, how do we do that?”
“We find that weapon and take the stones to him. We need to broadcast to the world that he is delusional, and most importantly, that this weapon has no viable use. If we do that, others won’t follow in his footsteps. The diamonds can either be returned to their natural settings or owners and maybe, just maybe, I can live a normal life with my husband.”
She let out a long breath and took her seat, staring at the others in the room. Rory stared at the young woman, nodding.
“That was pretty fucking great, kid,” smirked Rory.
“Thank you,” she nodded.
“You might have something with all of this, Sage,” said Eric. “But you will not be the one taking the diamonds anywhere near Yun. He would seize any opportunity to get his hands on you, and we can’t let that happen. Mike is already in California with the others. We’ll get the diamonds to them and, hopefully, find the machine.”
“So, you don’t think I’m crazy?” asked Sage.
“I think you’re about as sane as any of us,” smirked Luke.
“I was afraid of that,” she grinned. The room laughed at her, nodding their heads. It was true that they were all a bit on the crazy side of the normal train, or normal side of the crazy train. Whichever made you happiest. At least they were relatively normal on most days.
“I think we’ve found something,” said Susie, walking into the room. “We didn’t pay much attention to this because it’s so mainstream. Gunpowder.”
“Gunpowder? But how would gunpowder get on, or in, a diamond?” asked Hex.
“It didn’t. It’s actually shocking that Yun’s team didn’t figure all this out. Gunpowder needs three things to be effective. A nitrate, typically potassium nitrate. That would supply the oxygen to ignite the powder. You need charcoal. One of the simplest, easiest things to find or make. That gives the powder carbon. And finally, you need sulfur as a fuel. It lowers the temperature, thereby increasing the rate of combustion.”
“Susie? Honey, we all know how gunpowder works,” said Eric. “What does that have to do with anything here?”
“I know that you know about gunpowder. But tell me this. How are diamonds formed, Eric?”
“Carbon.”
“Right. Carbon.At very high pressures and temperatures, the carbon atoms are squeezed so much they are forced to start touching more atoms. When the pressure is about fifty thousand times the pressure at the surface of the Earth, and the temperature is about sixteen hundred degrees Celsius, the carbon atoms bond with four other atoms and result in diamonds.”
“Are you saying that all this started as the ingredients for gunpowder?” asked Hex.
“Yes. Come with me.”
The room full of more than a hundred people followed Susie out of the offices and toward the back of the property where the firing range was. Sophia Ann and Montana were already waiting. On a post near the back wall was one of the larger diamonds from Sage’s collection.
“Eagle? You’re one of the best shots here. I need you to shoot that diamond,” said Susie.
“What? I’m going to shatter it?”
“Just do it. And don’t miss. Shoot right for the center.” Eagle nodded, staring at his brother Hawk, who only shrugged. Lining his sights to the diamond, he fired.
