In Pursuit of a Diamond [On Hold]

In Pursuit of a Diamond (Chapter 13)

Brief word from the author:

Dear Reader,

Wow!  I can't believe you and I have both made it all the way to Chapter 13!  This is by far the most dedicated I have ever been to a story of my own creation.  And who do I have to thank for that?  Everyone who read, voted, commented, or even fanned!  Words cannot express how much it means to me.

On a side note, I received a request via private message to put up a picture of Aubrey so that they could imagine it more clearly.  I had trouble thinking of a celebrity who matched the physical description of Aubrey I provided and the way I pictured him in my mind, but this was probably the closest there is to a match.  I will give one hundred points and a smiley-face to the first person who can guess who the actual actor is.  Also, I'm not entirely sure that I understand how to post a picture.  So, if you don't see one, you may disregard this entire paragraph.

Well, enough from me.  Enjoy Chapter 13!

Yours in spirit,

RaeF1994

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Genny stormed down the hall of the Movement base, seething from her confrontation with Aubrey.  How dare he come back, after three years, without a word of warning, only to say that everything she had been working and striving for was wrong!  She had let him go; he had no right to come waltzing in with his views twisted that way.

Well, he may have listened to the Anti's, and he may be looking at things askew, but she certainly was not.  She had gotten on perfectly well for three years without him.  Why let him back in now?

She threw open the door to the research room and began haphazardly rummaging through file folders.  It took her awhile to become aware of another presence in the room.  She turned around to see Fabron Macer standing in the corner, bent over a case on one of the desks.  He noticed Genny as well, and flashed her a grin.  "Hello, 'Vieve," he said.

"Macer," Genny replied curtly, turning back to the files.  She didn't like Macer one bit.  He had a horrible drinking habit, and was far more brawn than brain.  She never did understand why Norensis kept him on.

After a moment, she felt hot breath over her shoulder, mixed with a rancid smell of alcohol.  She wrinkled her nose and turned around, where Macer was staring intensely at her.  "Can I help you?" she asked.

"You wanna see somethin'?" Macer asked, his face so close to Genny's that she felt as though she'd get drunk just smelling his breath.

"No, not right now," she replied, turning her back toward him, but he pushed her back around by the shoulder and leaned in again.

"But you'll be wantin' to see this," Macer said, "It's ain' somethin' you'd see everyday, if nothin' more."

"Alright, fine," Genny sighed.   Macer smiled drunkenly, happy to have an audience to whatever it was on which he was so intently focused.  "Come 'ere," he said, gesturing over to the corner desk.  Genny followed him, and her jaw dropped when she was close enough to see the contents of the case.

She had seen pictures of the Hope Diamond before, but it was certainly far more breathtaking seeing it in person.  The cut was pristine and elegant, and the light reflected the blue of the jewel with an eerie red, that glinted spectacularly against the glass of the case.

"Is that-?"

"The Hope Diamon', tha' is," Macer said, grinning again at her reaction, "Toldja you'd wanna see it, 'Vieve.  Did'n' I not tell ya?"

"But Macer," Genny exclaimed, still staring in fascination at the Diamond, "Where on earth did you manage to find it?"

"Well, d'you know that Sommerfeld kid?  Aubrey or somethin' or other?"

Genny's face fell.  "Yes, I know him," she replied bluntly.

"It's him as had it," Macer said, "Wrote Norensis up, too, and done told 'im as he was gonna give it to some o' the Anti's for safe keepin'.  Well, Norensis weren't all too pleased 'bout it, o' course, an' he done sent some of us out there as to get it from 'im.  Wouldn' tell us 'imself, though, Aubrey wouldn'.  We must 'ave been searchin' for hours on end afore we finally finds it, buried just by an abandoned cottage."

"But Aubrey's here at the base now, isn't he?" Genny asked, her voice rising, "Why is he here if you already have what you were looking for?"

"'Ell if I know," Macer said slackly, "It was Norensis as told us to bring 'im back here.  Maybe wants to question 'im or somethin'.  Or, more likely as not, hold 'im for an exchange with the Anti's, maybe?  Seems tha's the sort of thing as goes on.  You know," he leaned in closer to Genny, "Were it me in charge, I'd jus' kill 'im."

"You wouldn't!" Genny cried, shoving him forcefully away.

"Like 'ell I wouldn'," Macer slurred, smiling again in that drunken way that had begun getting under her skin, "He done served 'is purpose.  Keepin' him 'round won't do nothin' but another thing to keep track of, right?"  He straightened up, "Ah, well.  Won't be long afore Norensis sees it tha' way too.  An', between you an' me, I think as I'd be happy to the honors."  His smile this time showed every one of his yellow teeth.

Disgusted, Genny ducked around him and hurried out of the room, running straight into someone in the hall as she did so.

"Sorry," she muttered, getting onto the floor to help pick up the things she had knocked out the other's hands, "I'm a bit distracted, wasn't really watching where-"

She froze mid-sentence as she looked up at her companion.  Amiria Sommerfeld had changed drastically in appearance from the time she had joined the Movement.  Her long, red-gold hair was thinner and had a few whites poking out.  Her face, once lively and young-looking, now was rather wrinkled and pale, and there were dark rings encircling her eyes.  Genny had seen her progressing towards this for the last four years, and thought nothing of it.  However, with no one on her mind but Aubrey, his mother was the last person she wanted to see right now.

"It's fine, Genny," Amiria said softly, helping her gather up the papers and small boxes, "I was just running these to the research room."  She stood up and turned to go through the door.

"No!" Genny cried suddenly, not about to forget Macer's little anecdote.  Amiria looked at her curiously.  "I-I mean," Genny stammered out, "Don't bother.  I'll take them in." She quickly took the stack into her hands and shoved them into the lab before rejoining Amiria outside the door.  "There."

Amiria's eyes were wide, and then narrowed.  "Well, uh, thank you, Genny," she said uncertainly, "I suppose I'd best be on my way,"

"Yeah, yeah, me too," Genny nodded.  She turned to go, but before she had taken so much of a step, Amiria stepped out in front of her and quietly said, glancing nervously at the door to the research room all the while, "I need to talk to you."

"What is it?" Genny replied, just as quietly.

"I heard a couple of the men talking a moment ago," Amiria said, her gaze boring into Genny's, "They mentioned Aubrey's name, Genny.  I heard them.  What's happened to him Genny?  I know you must know."

Genny shook her head, "I don't know what you mean, Mrs. Sommerfeld," she whispered, "As far as I know, Aubrey's just fine."

"I know they were talking about him," Amiria said, a note of panic cropping up in her voice, "Please, Genny, if anything's happened to him, I have to know.  Please tell me."

But Genny sighed and shook her head again, "There's nothing to tell."

She was lying, clearly enough.  And she could tell by her face that Amiria wasn't buying into it for a second.  But Genny certainly didn't want to be the bearer of bad news.

Amiria sighed, downcast, and nodded.  "Okay.  If you're sure there's nothing?"

"Nothing at all."

She turned and left without a word.  Genny watched her retreating back as she left, breathing heavily with relief.  But this wasn't over.  Whether Amiria knew it or not, Aubrey was definitely in quite a spot of trouble.  And Genny wasn't about to stand around and allow that.  Not after all this time.