Blood Diamonds Tallinn Chapter 6

Blood Diamonds of Tallinn

Emma didn’t stop crying.

The woods swallowed them whole, branches clawing at her face, snow soaking through her jeans. Every breath tasted like smoke and blood. Liina’s last moments replayed in her mind—bullets tearing into her chest, the spray of crimson across the back door, the way her body had crumpled toward Emma. The diamonds in her hand felt heavy, cursed. She clutched them like a lifeline, fingers slick with sweat and something else she didn’t want to think about.​

Miko dragged her deeper into the darkness, his grip firm but gentle. “Shh,” he whispered in broken English, his voice hoarse. “We safe now. Hide. Wait.” He led her to a crumbling barn on the outskirts of the woods, its roof sagging under snow. Inside, the air was cold and stale, the scent of old hay and damp earth filling her nostrils. A metal silo stood in the corner, its hatch half-open. “Here,” he said, pointing. “You stay. I go get help.”

Emma shook her head, tears streaming. “No… I can’t… I can’t stay here alone.” Her voice cracked, raw and desperate.​

Miko cupped her face, his eyes softening. “You strong, Emma. I come back. Promise.” He pressed the diamonds into her hand, his fingers brushing hers. “You keep. Safe.”​

He left without another word, the door creaking shut behind him. Emma slid down the silo’s cold metal, hugging her knees. The diamonds glinted in the dim light filtering through cracks in the roof, mocking her. Hunger gnawed at her stomach, but fear was stronger. Every sound—a rustle, a creak—sent her heart racing. She imagined the attackers finding her, their guns raised, their eyes cold.​

Hours passed. The sun climbed higher, casting weak beams through the barn’s broken windows. Emma’s sobs quieted to hiccups, exhaustion pulling her under. She dozed fitfully, dreams of Liina’s laughter and the gunshot’s echo warring in her mind.​

When Miko returned, the sky was darkening. He burst through the door, breathless. “We go,” he said, grabbing her hand. “Friend help. But… we give him diamonds. Half. He help us.”​

Emma’s stomach twisted. “Half? But… Liina said they were our fortune.” Her voice trembled, betrayal burning hotter than hunger.​

Miko’s eyes hardened. “No choice. He know people. Police. We need.” He pulled her up, the diamonds clutched in her fist.​

They left the barn as dusk fell, the woods eerily silent. Miko led her to an abandoned factory on the Kopli peninsula—a hulking red-brick beast with shattered windows and graffiti scrawled across its walls. Põhjala Tehas, the locals called it, a former rubber factory turned urban exploration paradise. The place loomed like a ghost, its hangars gaping open, inviting and terrifying.

Inside, the air was thick with dust and the faint smell of old rubber. A group of figures huddled near a rusted conveyor belt—four men, their faces shadowed, eyes gleaming. Miko approached one, a tall, wiry man with a scar across his cheek. “This him,” Miko said, nodding to Emma. “American girl. We need help.”

The man smirked, his gaze flicking to the diamonds in Emma’s hand. “Half, you said?” he asked in accented English.​

Emma’s grip tightened. “No,” she whispered. “We need all of them.”​

The man laughed, a harsh, grating sound. “You think you have choice?” He stepped closer, his friends fanning out behind him. “Give.”​

Panic surged through Emma. She backed away, the diamonds slipping from her fingers. Miko lunged, grabbing her arm. “Run!” he shouted.​

They bolted, the men’s shouts echoing behind them. Emma’s legs burned, her lungs screaming. She stumbled over debris, her vision blurring. Miko pulled her through a maze of corridors, doors slamming shut behind them. They burst out into the night, the factory’s lights fading as they ran blindly into the woods.​

They got separated in the chaos. Emma’s hand slipped from Miko’s, and she found herself alone, the trees closing in. She ran until her legs gave out, collapsing against a tree trunk. Tears spilled over, her breath coming in ragged gasps. “Dad,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry.”​

Just then, a hand clamped over her mouth, silencing her. Emma’s eyes widened, terror freezing her. A figure loomed in the darkness, his grip firm but not cruel. “Shh,” he whispered, his voice low and steady. “I’m here to help.”