“You’re talking about diamond simulants, like cubic zirconia or moissanite. They are different chemical compounds from diamond. This stone, other than the way it was formed, is indistinguishable chemically from a natural diamond.”
“Okay, I’ll take your word for that. So, what’s your interest in all this?”
“Well, first, even though it’s technically real, as a synthetic diamond, its true value is only about sixty percent of a natural diamond.”
“Why?”
“Mainly because of the natural diamond industry. They have created a mystique and romance around natural diamonds that has inflated their value even more than centuries of people coveting them for their beauty. And that’s despite the troubling human rights issues that have come to light about diamonds.”
“Blood diamonds, you mean,” Sam observed.
“Yes. And the fact that they’re still being used to fund terrorism in some parts of the world, despite the industry’s efforts to clean up their sources.”
“So, back to this diamond,” Sam prompted. “Someone attempted to pass it off as a real, or natural diamond. That’s fraud. Why is that of interest to the Defense Department?”
“Not just this one. There have been more than two hundred sold throughout the world — all perfect diamonds. Together they’re worth billions of dollars, and all of them fake.”
“Madam Secretary, what’s your interest?” he persisted.
She continued as though she hadn’t heard or wasn’t interested in his question. “Unlike synthetic diamonds that are grown in a laboratory, these are nearly impossible to distinguish from the genuine version.”
“Okay.”
“The process works by placing a tiny fragment of diamond, called a carbon seed, into a microwave along with varying amounts of a carbon-heavy gas, most commonly methane. The gas mixture is heated to very high temperatures in the microwave to produce a plasma ball, and inside this, the gas breaks down and the carbon atoms crystallize and accumulate on the diamond seed, causing it to grow.”
“How long does it take?”
“The process can take up to ten weeks to produce a marketable diamond, but it works so well, experts reportedly need a machine to tell the lab-grown gems apart from natural ones sourced from mines or riverbeds.”
“But they can still tell the difference?” Sam asked.
“Until recently they could. But now there’s a third type. We suspect they’re being made through a carbon seeding process, but are being planted within the thousands of recent growing craters in Siberia.”
A wry smile of understanding formed on Sam’s lips. “The melting permafrost releases enormous amounts of carbon in the form of methane and someone with a high-powered microwave is turning them into high quality diamonds?”
“Exactly.” The Secretary of Defense sighed. “And in the process, the diamonds formed become indistinguishable with flawless diamonds mined from the Earth.”
He still didn’t understand how any of this was related to him, but the mystery had aroused his curiosity. “Then how do you know this is happening?”
“Because more than a hundred of these have hit the market in the past two weeks.”
“I thought the diamond trade was massive?” Sam said. “How does a hundred or so of these stones have the power to collapse the market?”
“These aren’t every day diamonds being released into the world for a tiny fraction of their usual value. Think of the Kohinoor — the most precious gem in the British Crown Jewels, stored in the London Tower. It’s one of a kind. No one has ever come close to finding such a perfect diamond of its size. Now imagine a hundred of them flooding the market. The diamond trade is about to crash irrevocably.”
“What do you want me to do about it?” Sam asked.
“I need you to find out who’s making the diamonds. We know that whoever he or she is, has been working in Siberia, where the craters are popping up daily.”
“You’re telling me that the Secretary of Defense of the United States has an interest in the overly inflated price of diamonds in the New York diamond district remaining inflated. And I’m to do the job of the police, or Customs, or the CIA — whoever is responsible for stopping international criminal activity.” Sam stated it in a flat tone that expressed his disapproval.
“I don’t care. The country cares.”
“Why?”
She looked at him, as though unsure how much to tell. “There’s a man named Leo Botkin. He owns a number of diamond mines throughout the world. He has the most to lose here.”
“So? I mean, it’s not very nice, but since when has the government concerned itself with how companies like this do their business? If the market’s changed and the general public are happy for it, why not let it happen?”
“You misunderstand me, Reilly.” She smiled. “I don’t care if Leo Botkin and the entire diamond cartel goes bankrupt.”
“Then why look for this diamond-smith?”
She sighed. “Because the enemy of my enemy might just be the ally I need right now.”
Sam thought about it for a moment. “Why do you think this person is targeting Botkin specifically? He or she could just as easily be out to get the entire diamond industry. Maybe their relative or family were killed over blood diamonds in Africa, who knows?”
“No. Whoever it was has the means and know-how to target Leo Botkin specifically. More importantly, he or she is willing to overcome mountains and move oceans just to destroy the man.”
“What do you know?” Sam asked, suddenly intensely curious about what he was missing.
“Hurricane Hilda came straight toward Manhattan last week. It was reported to nearly hit the city, and then at the last minute, turned ninety degrees and headed north toward the Hamptons where it was responsible for the destruction of just one house — Leo Botkin’s 23,000 square-foot mansion.”
Sam grinned, and his eyes filled with incredulity. “Next you’re going to tell me this mysterious person was using old HAARP technology to manipulate the weather.”
The Secretary of Defense set her jaw firm, and fixed her steely green eyes at him. “That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Sam breathed in deeply. He could taste the tension in the air. It wasn’t like the Secretary of Defense to ever reveal state secrets. He glanced at her face. A gentle crack seemed to form in her once impenetrable resolve.
“Are we safe to speak here?” he asked.
“Yes. This place is more secure than any office at the Pentagon.”
“Okay.” He exhaled slowly and waited.
She met his eye, and said, “The High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program, known as HAARP, was initiated as an ionospheric research program jointly funded by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Its original purpose was to analyze the ionosphere and investigate the potential for developing ionospheric enhancement technology for radio communications and surveillance. It has not, and never will be used for anything related to weather control.”
“HAARP controlling the weather was a whole bunch of conspiracy theorist propaganda, nothing more.” Sam shook his head. “So, what was controlling the weather?”
“When the conspiracy theorists argued that HAARP was artificially producing differential heating areas of the atmosphere, which could induce local weather conditions such as floods or droughts to militarize the weather, the onus of proof landed directly on the Defense Department.” The Secretary of Defense grimaced. “By the time the U.N. received more than a thousand complaints regarding weather manipulation, the U.N. issued a resolution forcing DARPA to prove that such a thing by HAARP was scientifically unfounded.”