Chapter 126: The diamond

GIDEON'S POV

My eyes gleamed with a sinister intensity as he held the phone, his voice dripping with malice. "Mark, I've got a message for you." He jerked his head toward the captives, their eyes wide with fear. Diana, Olivia, Alex, and Mrs. Claire sat bound and helpless, their faces etched with desperation.

"Tell Mark hello," I sneered, shoving the phone at Diana. Her voice was laced with defiance. "Mark, don't give in. We'll find a way out of this."

I grin twisted into a cruel smile. "Mark's mom is here too. Olivia and Alex send their love." Mrs. Claire's voice trembled. "Mark, please be careful. Don't trust him."

Olivia's voice cracked with emotion. "Mark, don't do it. We're counting on you." Alex's voice was firm. "We'll get through this, Mark. Stay strong."

Mark's voice was laced with desperation on the other end of the line. "Please, don't hurt them. I'll do whatever you want."

My tone turned cold. "You have 24 hours to deliver what I want. If you don't, things will get ugly." The room fell silent, except for the sound of heavy breathing.

Diana's eyes flashed with determination, her jaw set in a fierce line. My laughter echoed through the room, a cold, menacing sound. "We'll see about that," he said, his eyes glinting with malice.

As I sat waiting for Mark to do whatever he wanted, Diego walked into the room, his appearance commanding respect. Diana's angry gaze was fixed directly on him; she couldn't lift her eyes off him. I knew she must have felt betrayed after finding out Diego was my best friend.

"Diana, what's wrong with you? Why are you so moody all of a sudden?" I teased in amusement as Diego approached me.

"My friend, welcome," I said to Diego. "I'm glad you could join us." I admired his sleek black suit, trousers, and shoes.

"I'm doing well," Diego replied. "How are you?"

"I'm cool," I said. "I'm trying to organize our plan, and the others will join us soon. We've contacted Mark, and now he just needs to give me what I want."

"Is he going to comply?" Diego asked me, and I sensed a hint of excitement in his voice. "He will surely do it. The nuclear power will be ours, and we'll take over the world. He'll be controlling the world with that."

"I think it's a better idea," I said. "And today is the last day. Today is the day we leave London and head to New York."

"That's great," Diego said. "No problem, Gideon. Now, what's the next plan? Let me know."

I tapped his shoulder, trying to avoid the question he just asked. "Let's just say this is the plan. I've gotten all of them in place. Now, let's wait for Mark and see what happens."

But Diego pressed on. "What exactly is the plan? I need to know."

I hesitated, then suggested, "Let's step out and leave them to their worries." We walked out of the room and toward the bar in the living room. As we sat down, I pulled out a bottle of tequila and two glasses. Diego settled into the soft couch, and I poured him a drink.

"Let's enjoy this while we wait," I said, handing him the glass.

I sat waiting for Mark to make his move, my eyes fixed on the clock. Diego strode into the room, exuding confidence. Diana's gaze locked onto him, her eyes blazing with anger. I knew she'd feel betrayed - Diego was my best friend, after all.

"So, is Mark going to play ball?" Diego asked, a hint of excitement in his voice. I nodded, a plan unfolding in my mind. "He'll do what we want. And with that nuclear power, we'll be unstoppable."

Diego's eyes lit up. "We'll take over the world," he whispered, a grin spreading across his face.

I chuckled, feeling a rush of adrenaline. "Today's the day we leave London behind and start fresh in New York."

Diego nodded, his mind already racing ahead. "What's the next move, Gideon?"

I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "Let's just say we've got everything under control. Mark's going to do what we want, and then... well, you'll see."

Diego raised an eyebrow, but I just smiled and gestured toward the living room. "Let's grab a drink and wait it out."

We walked over to the bar, and I pulled out a bottle of tequila. Diego settled into the couch, and I handed him a glass. "To our future," I said, clinking my glass against his.

"Oh, really? Are you just going to sit here and wait for Mark to bring the time to us, or are we going to start torturing him to ensure that we get what we want?" I asked, my voice laced with frustration.

The Diego's expression changed, and he began to suspect something. "Why are you speaking in such a manner?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

I held his gaze. "There's no problem, are we good?" I asked, trying to gauge his reaction.

The Diego smiled, hiding his face behind that smile. "Are we good? I'm asking you," I repeated, making sure I was on the right track.

The Diego continued to smile, and I took that as a confirmation. "Yes, we're good," I said, relieved.

"Now that we're good, I'll let you know this," I continued. "I'm still looking for a way to get Juliet to join us. If Juliet were here, I think our chances would be higher. But I don't want to make any mistakes, especially since Mark has been guiding Juliet all this time."

I paused, formulating a plan. "That's why I'm going to use his mom as leverage. I know he shares a lot with his mom, and without Juliet in his world, he's vulnerable. He'll bring the time, just like that, without us having to torture him. He wouldn't want me to hurt his mom."

The Diego listened intently, and I could see the gears turning in his head. "As for now, I've organized some ladies for the party. Are you in or out?" I asked, trying to gauge his interest.

Diego's expression changed, and he looked at me with a mixture of surprise and amusement. "I'm not ready for that. Let's just focus on business and making money," he said, his voice firm.

I raised an eyebrow, sensing a sudden change in his demeanor. "Are you a changed man, or have you become a priest?" I asked, my voice laced with sarcasm.

Then Diego chuckled, trying to cover it up. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt your lover if you don't authorize it," I said, my voice serious.

"No, no, no," he tried to protest, but I cut him off. "Don't give me any excuses. I know you're acting up because of Diana, who's locked up in that room with those three. If you want to fear, you can just say we're friends, and what are friends for? I'll release her immediately."

Diego just smiled back at me, his expression unreadable. "Alright, no problem. Let's just do whatever you want to do, Gideon," he declared sharply, his voice firm and resolute.

As we enjoyed our drinks, cleaning our glasses together, my phone rang. I quickly picked up, and on the screen was a call from one of my dealers, Frank. "Hello, Mr Gideon," Frank said. "I'll be receiving you here."

"What's wrong, Frank? How's it going? Is the chopper ready?" I asked, my words calculated.

"Yes, it's ready right now, and we're set," Frank replied. "I just need to give it some fuel and get it ready for your next flight."

"Alright, very soon now, it's like we're leaving the country," I said. "I need it to be perfect for my next trip, and it won't be just me traveling in that chopper – my friend and my diamond will be with me."

Frank smiled at the other end of the line, aware of my plan. "Immediately I get the diamond from Jones or Mark, I'm leaving the country," I continued. "After avenging my brother's death, I'm going to end their lives."

"Alright, sir, I'll make sure the chopper is ready before you call me back," Frank said.

After I hung up, the Diego's gaze was still on me. "The Eagle's case is still on me," I said, and he looked away, facing the big screen on the wall.

"I'm just concerned about your new plan and development," Diego said. "Are you really going to do this? All of this just for the diamond?"

"No, it's not just for the diamond, Diego," I replied. "You should know better. I'm doing this because they were involved in George's death, and I have to exact my revenge. Plus, they're in possession of the most powerful weapon in the world, and I must get it from them."

He nodded, his expression serious. "Alright, but time is of the essence. Every minute we waste is a waste of our lives, and you know Mark is a detective with connections to the police. Even with Mr Holland on our side, we still have to be cautious."

"I understand, Diego," I said. "I'm working on it."

DIANA'S POV

"Don't worry, Mrs Claire," I said, trying to console her. "I know Mark and Juliet will not rest until they see us free." Olivia's words gave us hope and confidence, and maybe she was trying to console herself too.

"Are you alright?" I asked, my voice soft. "I know for sure that they are the best. They're the kind of people... the family I never had. I think they've become like a brother and sister to me."

I bowed my head, regret in my voice. "I trusted the wrong person, and that's how I ended up here. I was supposed to save him, but now I need saving."

Alex tried to reassure me. "Don't feel bad about yourself. All that happened is in the past. We're all together now, and like you said, Mark and Juliet will not rest. Not even Mr Jones, who followed us here."

"What does the diamond have to do with revenge?" Mrs Claire asked, her words barely above a whisper.

"The diamond is a nuclear weapon," Alex replied, his voice low.

Mrs Claire's words shocked me. "Yes, it's a nuclear weapon. And if it falls into his hands, we're all dead – not just us here, but the entire world that doesn't even know about it."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "I never knew that. All my life, I thought it was just another accessory, not a nuclear weapon."

Mrs Claire's words were laced with fear. "Like I said, the nuclear weapon has too much power. If it's distributed around the world, it could cause destruction and start a world war. We can't let him have access to that kind of power. If we do, we're all done."

I tried to calculate how to free ourselves, a hint of amusement in my voice. "This isn't the first time I've been locked up. My brother did it to me before he died, and now his second brother is doing it to me. But I'll figure out how to get us out of here."

As I thought about our situation, I wondered where Mark was. "Where is Mark?" I muttered to myself. "Is he dead?" I didn't know if he had survived the accident or not, and the uncertainty was eating away at me.