Chapter 19
Zara wondered why Lincoln’s expression had suddenly turned so intense. “Are you okay?”
“I’m going to tell you everything, what I’m doing here, what’s going on, everything. But we have to make sure no one else hears. We’ll have to go into my bedroom.”
Was this some kind of ploy to get her into bed? “Um…that’s what they all say?” she ventured.
Startled, he shook his head. “No no, it’s nothing like that. My bedroom is the only place I’m sure hasn’t been bugged. I keep it locked at all times, and I do a sweep every time I come back in. I can’t do the whole suite, there wouldn’t be time.”
A bug? What the hell had she gotten herself into?
“Okay, give me a second to check in on Mia.”
She tapped on Mia’s door, but got no answer.
She pushed it open and found her sister fast asleep, sprawled face down across the queen-size bed, snoring softly.
She’d probably be dead to the world for hours.
Good, she needed the sleep. Zara didn’t see the point of scolding her.
She wouldn’t soon forget the fear she’d experienced at Banyans.
After closing Mia’s door, Zara followed Lincoln into the main bedroom, which was twice the size of the two others and had a beautiful view of the Kona coastline.
Distant lights glittered through the blur of water streaming down the plate-glass window.
It was a nice feeling being so high up, like a bird safe in its treetop nest.
“You should have a seat. This story might take a while,” Lincoln told her.
She chose a cozy armchair and curled her legs under her, pulling her robe over them.
She caught him looking, but found she didn’t mind.
Now that he’d shed the identity of Jim the gardener, he seemed more in command of himself.
Before, he’d watched every word he said.
Now he had a glint in his eye that told her he was a man to be reckoned with.
To be honest, she wasn’t sure which version of him she preferred. She still had to get to know this one. But, for better or worse, her attraction to him hadn’t gone anywhere. After all the ways he’d helped with Mia, it might have even increased.
“About a year ago, one of my mining operations turned up a remarkable discovery. At first, no one knew what to make of it. It was a crystal formation that had never been seen before, with properties no one understood. Unfortunately, an earthquake buried that mine before we could fully explore it. I turned to another company that I own, Higher Ground, which had extensive lab facilities. They worked on it for months, and were finally able to recreate the same formation. It turned out to be something…well, pretty incredible. We call it the CHUM.”
“The chum? That’s a horrible name,” she said, never one to hold back her opinions.
“Why?”
“Well, chum is bits of junky bait that you throw in the water to attract fish. Or it means friend, but in a kind of overly casual way. Also it’s one letter away from chump. No one wants to be a chump.”
He stared at her for a long moment with hard green eyes. Then he laughed. “No one dared to point any of that out. Maybe you’re right, but it doesn’t matter. We don’t need to market it. CHUM is an acronym for crystalline harmonic universal magnifier.”
“But it’s a crystal?” she asked dubiously. Some people ascribed medicinal and other powers to crystals, but she hadn’t pegged Lincoln as one of those.
“Yes, but it’s not just any crystal. It has the ability to magnify whatever energy source is nearby.”
Her mouth fell open as she absorbed the possibilities that opened up. “So we’d need less energy because the crystal magnifies it?”
“Yes.”
Wow. Talk about world-changing. “I could use that. I could get an electric car if I didn’t have to pay for more electricity.
When will us peons be able to get our hands on it?
” She saw his expression shift. “Probably never. I get it. It’s on a bigger scale, right?
Like power companies will have them, or maybe cities, or states. ”
He didn’t answer, still looking very uncomfortable. She decided to switch to a different line of questioning. “So you lost this CHUM at the resort? That’s what you’re looking for?”
“Yes, I had a sample of the lab-grown version, the only one they’d gotten to work. I lost possession of it, and the last time it was seen was at hale twelve at the Royal Leilani Resort.”
“Can’t they make another one?”
“We just reestablished the lab in a bunker in Maui. They’re working on a new sample, but so far they haven’t managed to create one that works.
For all we know, it could have been a fluke the first time.
” Sitting on the foot of the bed, he leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees.
“But that’s not what I’m focused on. The CHUM is potentially very dangerous.
It already caused a city-wide blackout. Remember when all the lights went out a couple months ago? ”
She shrugged. “I was home, I slept through the whole thing. I heard about it, of course. You’re saying the CHUM caused that? Greatest strength, greatest weakness kind of thing? It can power a city but also blow out a power grid?”
A smile flitted across his lips. “Exactly. Anyway, that Japanese security guard is looking for it too, and possibly others. That means it’s dangerous on more than one level.”
“Can you call the police?”
Now he looked even more amused. “I have the equivalent of a small nation’s police force working for me in various capacities. I doubt calling the actual police would help much. It would make the situation worse if word got out more than it already has.”
It finally sank in that he was trusting her with something huge. And that was despite the fact that he knew about her father. Was it wise to tell such an enormous secret to the child of a con man? Maybe not, but he’d taken a chance on her. He was trusting her with this, and that meant a lot to her.
“Tell me about the Japanese guy.”
“He works for Kendo Tanaka, a business competitor and crime boss, if you can believe the rumors. He wants to find the CHUM almost as much as I do. He’s gone to great lengths and nearly gotten me killed a couple of times.”
“What?”
The story he told her next, detailing his time in the jungle was nearly too crazy to believe. A kidnapping? Two plane crashes? The more details he shared, the more fascinated she became. An image of this mysterious crystal shimmered into her mind, calling to her. She wanted to see it for herself.
“Tanaka’s here in Kona right now,” Lincoln finished. “He’s staying at the Kona Queen with his family and grandkids.”
“Ohh, good choice, the Kona Queen is great for families,” she said absently. “Lots of activities for kids, a fantastic pool, right near a snorkeling pond…” She shook her head. “Look at me, getting all concierge-y on you. Do you think he’s here for the snorkeling or for the crystal?”
“He probably has multiple reasons, but I can’t get close enough to learn more. He knows me. I went over there in my gardener gear but didn’t get far.”
An idea sparked in her imagination. One so crazy, only Zara Morrissey could have thought of it. She might not believe in crystals, but she believed in energy. Everything, in the end, was energy. And the energy that vibrated between her and Lincoln was something special.