I'm updating slightly early, because I'm not sure if I can tomorrow. Please review people! I want to break 300 on this story. Thanks to everyone who voted for The Spark for the People's Choice Award! excited squealing drowns out the thank-yous Lots of love!

I daresay this chapter title is a little obvious. At some time or another, throughout the course of the story, I knew I would be forced to let them get their hands on the diamond, or you would all be very disappointed

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the things I own. The things I own are the things not owned by Colfer. Colfer owns everything except the things I own. The things Colfer owns are the things I do not own. :) Try that one, all you people who think you're the next Artemis Fowl.


Something cool, and hard met her fingers, and she pulled madly on it, finally freeing it from the mass of burning wires. "The Flame of the Gods," she whispered, holding it up. It was indeed huge. Her hand could not fit halfway around it even, and it glowed a deep blue, sparkling dangerously.

Zane stopped his Portuguese swearing, and stared in awe. No wonder they'd done so much for this diamond! It must be worth an entire country!

Valerie suddenly laughed, turned, and ran down the table towards him, clutching the diamond tightly to her. "Are you alright Zane?"

"Wonderful."

He stood with a groan when Valerie untied him, and stretched out his cramped muscles, glancing at her for permission before lifting the diamond out of her hand. "I have to admit, Madam, when you lit that lighter and I saw how young you were, I would never have believed you'd been holding this and I was alive. You're only eighteen!"

Valerie scowled at him. "I'm nineteen today. Nice birthday present, isn't it?"

Zane grinned. "It is, Madam."

For an instant, Valerie hesitated, staring at the floor. Then she lifted her eyes. Very slowly. "My name is— is Valerie."

Neither of them moved. "Thank you."

Valerie spun suddenly, picking up her gun. "I promised someone they would die tonight, Zane. Let's go. There are helicopters outside, and I think we have about nine minutes left."

Inwardly, Zane groaned. History repeated, except this time she didn't have a bomb. He hoped. He took off running after her, out of the room, tucking the diamond into his pocket. "Do you actually—"

"Are you serious?" Valerie glanced back over his shoulder. "Where would I get it? It's called a bluff, Zane. Just like the CIA thing. How else do you think I stay alive?"

"You're wicked."

"Thank you." Valerie turned the corner, and pounded across the entryway to the front doors. "Watch yourself, Zane. If they figure it out or decide to start shooting, we're dead. There's too many of them."

Zane laughed and sped up until he was right behind her. "By the way, how'd you get out of that copter?"

Valerie shoved open the door. "I jumped dear. Elementary. I went out the rear exit."

"You actually jumped?" Zane almost slowed before remembering speed was of the essence, and had to hurry to catch up with her as they went down the huge flight of stairs.

"Of course not! I hung from the stupid crossbeam for two hours, and jumped off when we reached the landing pad. That harness caught onto it nicely, I must say. I was so very pleased they provided me with it after bandaging me up like that."

Zane shook his head in reluctant admiration and annoyance at how stupid she was, and moved up beside her as they pounded down the strip towards the helicopter pad on which several copters had already landed.

"Where did your shirt and bandages go, by the way?"

Valerie flushed slightly, but it was hard to tell, since her cheeks were already pink from the cold and the exertion. "I took the bandages off so I could move better, and the shirt so I'd be recognized without it."

Zane looked at her sideways. "It's an improvement, in my opinion. Much more shape."

Valerie swore at him, and turned slightly pinker.

There were shouts as they came around the curve within sight of the huge crowd at the landing pad, and several men almost began to shoot before being screamed at by superior officers not to be fools, because then she'd push the button right away.

Valerie held out her hand, breathing hard. "Give me the diamond, Zane. For a moment."

Obediently Zane dug it out of his pocket and handed it to her without breaking stride. Freedom. So incredibly close. It was exhilarating, and he felt slightly drunk. The impossibility of the whole thing, and they were actually doing it!

In the criminal world, there were legends of criminals who'd done the impossible. He'd never thought he'd actually meet one, much less be involved in the whole thing. Valerie was nineteen tonight. She'd killed Kusac Trabar, she'd destroy and broken out of The Fortress, she'd stolen the Flame of the Gods, and she was avoiding the Sun Ye On and the Mafia at the same time. Not to mention her minor victories, such as disappearing from a helicopter in midair. He'd say she jumped. It sounded better.

Valerie slowed just slightly, smiling as the men hurriedly parted for them. They were only two, and she had only one gun the other one was out of bullets. Perhaps it was the reputation. She'd have to work on building that. It could come in handy.

The Tyrant and a Chinese gentlemen were halfway to the largest copter, but they'd stopped halfway, watching her fearfully.

Valerie stopped in the very center of the pad, and held up her hand, flashing the huge diamond at the sea of men around her. "The Flame of the Gods. Look carefully, because you're never going to see it again." She smirked at The Tyrant tauntingly.

The Tyrant made a strangled noise, and glanced down at the timer that was still in his hand.

"Worried?" asked Valerie. "How nice. Now where is that despicable creature I had stand up on the table earlier this evening. I'd like to put a bullet through his head before I let you all go."

"But—" stammered The Tyrant in a panic, "we only have four minutes left! Have you set it on a timer, or do you have a button?"

Valerie slid a hand into her pocket casually. "I'm not that stupid, dear. I like to allow for unexpected business."

Zane groaned softly. "You shouldn't have told them that, Valerie! You'll be killed!" He turned, jerking open the door of the copter. "You! Get out of there!" He motioned the pilot out angrily, glancing back desperately over his shoulder at Valerie at the man hastily scrambled out of the copter and backed away a safe distance.

Valerie shook her head in frustration. "I have to kill him, Zane! The rules! I have to!"

"Damn your rules!" shouted Zane. "Do you not understand? Another time! You've done enough tonight! Now get in the copter now, and we're leaving! I've had enough!"

"No!" Valerie glared at him a moment, and then turned back to The Tyrant, who seemed slightly confused by the whole disagreement, and what it was about. "Where is the man? Bring him to me!"

The Tyrant hesitated only a moment more before turning to the man beside him, and whispering something pleadingly. Several things, actually. The head of the Sun Ye On turned hastily, and shouted something at his men in Chinese, sweeping his arms through the air for the desired effect.

From the right, there was a sudden scream of terror and pleading, and a scramble of several men.

Zane grabbed Valerie's shoulder, and leaned over, whispering urgently in her ear. "Please, Valerie? I don't want to die here. Not this close. Please not this close!"

"We're not going to die, Zane." Valerie shook him off impatiently. "I just have to kill him, and then we'll leave."

"If you die before you hit the button, it won't matter." Zane glanced around nervously. "Listen to me for once will you, Valerie? I'm a bodyguard. Saving lives is what I do best. Every alarm in my system is going off full-blast right now. Something's wrong."

"You're too paranoid." Valerie turned, staring at the miserable man who'd been thrust out into the open by his former comrades, who huddled in front of her, sobbing. "You know what he did."

Zane relented slightly. "Look, at least stay close to the copter. Shoot him and get in as fast as you can."

"No." Valerie drew her gun from her shoulders, one hand in her jean pocket still, and stalked forward, eyes fixed on the man who had destroyed her family and her innocence. "He's going to pay. I'm not going to let it be painless. Not after the baby."

Knowing it would be useless to argue with her, Zane glanced around, trying to catch the angle most bullets would come from. It wasn't much help in the end. After all, they were surrounded— a bodyguard's worst nightmare. Hundreds of men, armed to the teeth. There were only two of them, and they were running out of bullets.

Valerie stood in front of the man, gun leveled at his chest. She saw no one else. "You killed them," she whispered. "You killed them all. Even the baby, you fool!"

The man moaned.

"If the baby had lived," she continued stoically, "perhaps you would have as well. But no. You killed him. With a knife. It was not even a quick bullet. You drove a knife through him, and let him die slowly. And there was no one to come or to hold him."

Zane shuddered. How could a person do that to a baby? Just— just— poor Valerie.

He glanced around, seeing the subtle movement of guns being removed from holsters, and the men waiting to shoot. They were tense, and nervous. Afraid that perhaps the bomb would go off, any minute. They were relying on the word of their superiors who Valerie had tricked on numerous occasion, and nothing was safe anymore.

Perhaps that hesitation and doubt would give him just enough time to keep her alive. She wasn't going to listen to reason anymore, but giving the circumstances, he didn't blame her.

It surprised him she wasn't screaming, or crying. She was very still, and that was all. Somehow, the stillness of her, and the utter void of emotion was the most worrying. To be hurt so badly that it was impossible to express that hurt was a horrible thing.

It was very still. Terribly still, Zane checked to make sure the copter door was wide open, glancing around one last time before moving out after her from the protection of the copter.

Valerie ignored him, but she must know he was there. Zane would not force her back. He only hoped she would hurry.

Slowly, Valerie pulled the safety. No one moved. No one spoke. It was like the world had stopped, and everything was waiting. Overhead, the moon came out from behind the clouds that had gathered, watching. A breeze stirred the pines behind them.

She pulled the trigger.

After that, Zane had difficulty keeping everything in order. It happened quickly, that was for certain.

The man toppled, sob cut off halfway through, and as his body hit the ground, he heard the simultaneous clicks of hundreds of safeties being released all around them.

With an inward groan of frustration, he hurled himself at Valerie, managing to get her between him and the copter as the first of the triggers were pulled. There was no time. No time to think, and no time to wait. Why must she be so damn stubborn?

The glass in the windows and the windshield shattered as he swung her into the copter, and he shoved her head down, instinctively turning his head to push his face into his sleeve.

Underneath him, Valerie scrambled to her knees. "Let go of me Zane! Get in and shut the door!"

Speed. Zane had been right after all. She shouldn't have told them she was controlling it all with it a button. Maybe that she could stop it if they did what she said. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Valerie jammed the altitude lever up sharply, shooting out the broken windshield with her left hand. If they didn't hurry, they wouldn't be able to get off the ground. They'd either be shot to pieces, the copter would, or there'd be too much weight on it.

The men were starting to drop their guns and run towards the copter, wanting to hold it down.

As the copter began to rise, the door slammed shut, and Zane collapsed into the seat next to her. "How are thing?" He turned his head to cough, and took a deep breath. "Are we going to make it?"

Valerie risked a peek over the jagged glass in her window. The first man had just missed the crossbeam. "We did."

Zane smiled and coughed again. "Yeah. Nice birthday present."


Points to anyone who can guess what's wrong. Something is wrong! I more chapter, and an epilogue. Please review, I want to break 300!

You who do not review: Your evils will condemn you on the day of judgment. :)