Lahat ng Kabanata ng DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH : Kabanata 91 - Kabanata 100

Chapter 90: The Atlantic CrossingThe Gulfstream G650 plane had two engines that were making a loud humming noise as it went up into the dark sky over the Atlantic Ocean. Below the city lights of New York were getting smaller and smaller and soon they were gone, leaving Julian and Elena all alone in the air between the power they had just taken and the big challenges that were waiting for them in other countries.Inside the plane it was very quiet which was strange because the tables and seats were very fancy and expensive. There was a table in the middle of the plane with many computers on it and they were all turned on. Julian and Elena had just gotten a warning from Arthur. It was still fresh in their minds. Arthur was not going to give up without a fight. He was going to try to hurt them.Julian was sitting at the table looking at one of the computers. He was wearing a shirt but he had taken off his tie. His eyes were fixed on the screen, where he could see what was happening at t

Chapter 92: The Continental LedgerThe elevator at Terminal 4 climbed with a loud rumble. Its glass walls showed the wet Rotterdam harbor. Below huge trucks were already moving through the gates in a line. Their tires kicked up water as Elena's override got the logistics grid working again.When the doors opened on the floor the executive suite was quiet. Unlike the office in Manhattan Hendrick Vance's office was old-fashioned and fancy. There was oak paneling, old paintings of Dutch ships and deep leather armchairs that smelled like tobacco and expensive cognac.Julian walked into the room first. His long black coat swung open as he went to the big wooden desk near the windows. He didn't look at the art or the view of the North Sea. He focused on the computer terminal built into the desk.Elena followed, her trench coat dripping on the floor. She checked the silver chain with the raw quartz pendant around her neck. She closed the office door behind them. The fight on the steps was ov

Chapter 94: The Anchors HoldThe rain outside Terminal 4 had slowed down. It was now a rhythmic drizzle. The industrial area of the Rotterdam port looked like a slate of charcoal and silver. Below the office the automated cranes kept moving in a silent synchronized dance. They were lifting containers onto the cargo beds. This smooth flow proved the new regime was in control.Inside the suite the sharp clinical blue light of the mainframe terminal changed to a resting green. The hostile buy-back parameters were locked. Hendrick Vance had been permanently removed from the perimeter. Arthur's international shadow had been stripped of its power.Julian didn't look at the monitors anymore. The cold mask he had worn on the flight over the Atlantic and during the confrontation at the gates was gone. Now he had an intense heat that burned only for the woman standing in front of him.He walked over to the oak double doors. He slid the brass security deadbolt into place with a click. This offic

Chapter 96: The Midnight TarmacThe rain had. It was a clear starry European night when the silver Mercedes van arrived back at Rotterdam’s private executive airfield. The wet runway shone like a mirror reflecting the white taxi lights and the sleek Gulfstream G650 waiting at the center of the staging area.Julian stepped out into the cool night air first. He held back his hand to help Elena out. They had worn heavy wool trench coats to brave the harbor mist. Now they were unbuttoned. Their corporate attire gave way to a relaxed tiredness. Elena's raw quartz pendant caught the flash of the airfield lights—a silent jagged anchor shining against her skin.Marcus stood near the base of the aircraft’s air-stairs. He had put away his tablet. The sharp tension that usually defined his posture was gone, replaced by the satisfaction of an executive who had watched a flawless deployment execute across two continents."The flight path is clear all the way across the Atlantic " Marcus reported.

Chapter 98: The Ridge’s EdgeThe sun was coming up over the Atlantic Ocean and it was shining through the clouds. It made the runway look pretty as the Gulfstream plane landed at JFK airport. The plane touched down on the ground. It slowed down really smoothly. Elena was still sleeping, all wrapped up in a cashmere blanket. Julian's arm was around her. It felt warm and heavy.The plane stopped moving. Elena woke up. She was all snug in the blanket. The plane was in a hangar and it was really quiet. There were no reporters or cameras like there were when they left. One black car was waiting for them and it was parked inside the hangar. The windows were tinted so you could not see inside. They got into the car. The driver took them away from the city. They went north on the parkway.After two hours they were out of the city. The scenery changed. The tall buildings and streets of Manhattan were. They were in the Hudson Valley. It was really pretty with lots of trees and mist. They arrive