Lahat ng Kabanata ng DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH : Kabanata 111 - Kabanata 120

Chapter 110: The Sovereign GavelThe gray runway of Brussels-Abelag Terminal shone under a dark low-hanging sky as the Gulfstream landed with a sharp stop. Mist stuck to the glass panels of the executive tarmac making the sharp lines of the surrounding logistics towers blurry.Julian stepped out of the plane first into the cold damp air. He wore a black cashmere coat over a dark charcoal suit, his broad shoulders back against the driving rain. His gray eyes were cold and alert scanning the tarmac. Elena followed him, her dark hair pinned up against the damp chill, a protective black trench coat wrapped tightly over her silk blouse. The raw quartz pendant around her neck felt heavy and cold against her collarbone while the unpolished silver band on her hand shone under the industrial tarmac lights.Waiting at the base of the air-stairs were three Mercedes-Benz sedans, their engines humming quietly. Marcus’s European security lead opened the door of the center vehicle as soon as Julian’

Chapter 112: The Blackout GambitThe tier maritime chamber of the Palais de Justice was a big room with dark polished mahogany and old brass fixtures. Above a large stained-glass skylight let in some gloomy Brussels rain making long distorted shafts of sepia-colored light that cut through the shadows. At the bench sat Magistrate Vivienne De Clercq, a woman with a sharp unreadable expression. She had been doing this job for decades dealing with Europe's volatile international trade disputes.Julian and Elena walked down the center aisle, their footsteps hitting the floor with a rhythmic unyielding authority. As they took their places at the defense table the air in the room seemed to contract under Julian's presence. He took off his cashmere overcoat and threw it over the back of his chair standing tall like a wall of dark charcoal wool and absolute lethal focus.Across the aisle Baron Hendrick Vance sat with his team. The haired banker looked calm, his fingers steepled as he nodded at

Chapter 114: The Sub-Tier PerimeterThe descent into the archives of the Palais de Justice felt like stepping back into a forgotten century of stone and iron. The stairs down from the marble of the public galleries led to raw damp limestone corridors. These corridors were lit by low-wattage security bulbs spaced apart. The bulbs hummed against the dampness underground.Julian moved down the flight of stone steps. He did so with the predatory ease of a hunter stalking prey into a cave. His large frame filled the corridor. The dark fabric of his cashmere overcoat brushed against the walls. His gray eyes were hard. Like ice. They seemed to be made of executive power.Elena was behind his shoulder. Her dark leather trench coat was zipped up tight against the chill of the sub-tier. She held a security mobile command unit. The unit's screen was dimmed to a clinical blue. This blue highlighted the angles of her face. Her right hand was steady over the console. Her unpolished silver band caug

Chapter 116: The Riviera VectorThe Gulfstreams engines were really loud as the plane took off from the runway at Brussels-Abelag. It was like a roar that just got louder and louder. The plane went up into the air fast and the sky was all rainy and stormy.There was no time to relax after what happened to Baron Vance in court. The people inside the plane were already. Working like they were in a war room. It was a tense and serious atmosphere.Julian was standing at the front of the conference table. He had taken off his suit jacket and his big frame was leaning against the table because the plane was going up steeply. His sleeves were rolled up. You could see the muscles in his arms. He looked really focused and serious, staring at the map of the Riviera on the screen.Elena was sitting under the lights typing away on her computer. She was really fast and precise like she knew what she was doing. The stone pendant around her neck was swinging back and forth as the plane went up."The

Chapter 118: The Biometric LockoutThe inside of Hangar 4 was an empty space made of corrugated steel. It smelled like fuel for airplanes, hydraulic fluid and electronics that were working hard. In the middle of the floor there was a jet with no company name on it. The jet was black and medium sized. Its engines were not making any noise. A small unit was humming and making the ground vibrate.Under the jet's wing a temporary medical station was set up. It had computers that were showing a strong yellow light. This light was making shadows on the jet's body.Julian walked past the pieces of the side door. He was really big. Blocked the whole exit. His jaw was tight with anger. His gray eyes were fixed on something in front of him. He did not look at the guns that were lying around the room. Just being there he made the air feel thick and hard to breathe.Elena was standing next to him. She was wearing a leather coat that was a little open. Her fingers were moving quickly on the comput