All Chapters of DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH : Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Chapter 50: The Master CopyThe sound of the tide hitting the walls grew louder echoing through the granite room like a ticking clock. Down in the archive the air was thick and cool filled with a century's worth of history. Elena sat on a crate, her fingers moving precisely across her laptop keyboard. Beside her the open oilskin sleeves caught the light showing the faded carbon slips and handwritten diaries that Silas Vane had tried to erase.Julian stood near the aluminum ladder watching the external relief valves. A small trickle of dark river water had started to seep across the floor, a sign that the harbor was reaching high water. He looked back at Elena, his features lit up by the laptop screen, his simple gold wedding band catching the light."The lower seals are starting to leak, Elena " Julian said, his voice low and steady. "We have twenty minutes before the automatic floodgates trigger. We need to move the ledger and diaries up to the main deck now."Elena didn't look up, f

Chapter 52: The Architectural BlueprintThe sound of the keys on the keyboard was the thing you could hear in the quiet Brooklyn studio. Elena was sitting in front of her computer watching as the words on the screen changed as she worked on her project. For a time she had to write according to the rules of the big companies that paid her. Now she could write at her pace.Julian came out onto the floor of the library carrying a big stack of papers with the plans for a new building. He leaned on the railing. Looked at Elena with a warm and gentle smile. He used to be a shot in the corporate world but now he was a different person."Marcus just sent us the okay for the writers retreat we are building upstate " Julian said, as he came down the stairs and spread out the big papers on the long wooden table. He smoothed out the edges and his simple wedding ring caught the sunlight. "The local people in charge said yes to our plans without changing a thing Elena. We can start building the hou

Chapter 54: The Sovereign MatrixThe smell of cedar and dirt filled the air as evening came to the sanctuary in the country. Inside the main cabin Elena sat at a simple desk made of pine wood. The desk was rough and not fancy like the offices she used to work in. It felt real and comfortable. She could see the hills outside the big windows and they looked nice in the purple twilight. The sound of her laptop keyboard was steady and calming. It made her feel free.Julian came in bringing mountain air with him and it moved the papers on her desk. He took off his jacket and put down a computer tablet that showed the plans for the electricity in the writing cabins. He stood there for a moment watching her work. He looked happy and proud. He came up behind her. Put his arms around her and his simple wedding ring caught the light from her screen."The solar panels are working, Elena, " Julian said softly, kissing her hair. He pointed to the lights on the tablet. "We are not connected to the

Chapter 56: The Rising CurrentThe mountain valley below the lodge was covered in a thick white fog as the sun came up. Inside the library the air was still and smelled like old cedar wood and hot coffee. Elena sat at a table with her laptop open next to an old shipping crate from 1937. The old diaries of the union workers were under glass weights on the table. She had copied all the writing from them into her computer.Julian walked over to her from the fireplace, where a big rock was glowing in the light of the dying fire. He was carrying two cups of coffee. He set one down next to her computer mouse. He pulled up a chair and sat down next to her. His shirt had some sawdust on it from the work they were doing on the cabins."Marcus just checked the morning data from the city, " Julian said, looking at the numbers on Elena's computer screen. He reached out. Touched his coffee cup and his wedding ring made a soft clicking sound. "The small printing companies have finished changing the

Chapter 58: The Unbroken HorizonThe wind was blowing hard across the valley making the big windows of the library shake.. Inside everything was calm and quiet. The big fireplace was putting out a lot of heat. It smelled like wood. Elena was sitting at a table working on her laptop. She had a lot of papers and books spread out around her like old records from the harbor and a diary that belonged to Thomas Miller. She had taken all these things and put them into her computer so now they were a part of her story.Julian came over to her carrying a pot of coffee. He had been checking on the writing cabins they were building. He used to wear suits but now he wore casual clothes like a work shirt and jeans. He looked really calm and relaxed. He put the coffee down. Sat down next to Elena putting his hand on hers."Marcus just called from Brooklyn, " Julian said, looking at Elena with a smile. "The train with our books just crossed the state line. We are really independent now Elena. We are