Long, powerful fingers slowly traced down a smooth, porcelain-like back, their soft yet firm touch playing a rhythm as soothing as a country blues melody, kneading every muscle fiber along the way.
Tense, relax. Tense again, relax again. The friction between fingertips and skin created a slight burning sensation, amplified by the effects of rose essential oil, sending nerves oscillating between sharp stings, numbing tingles, and waves of comfort.
"Ah~~~"
A sultry moan escaped from Hannah's lips, making JJ, who was pretending to observe and learn, blush furiously.
"Move down from the trapezius, bypass the raised scapular spine, grip the deltoid, and use your knuckles to apply slight pressure on the infraspinatus fascia above the teres major."
Jack explained in an entirely detached, professional tone, as if the youthful, alluring body under his hands was nothing more than a demonstration tool for massage techniques.
There was no helping it—when in a state of absolute self-control, desire became emptiness, and emptiness became desire. Sometimes, even if the body wasn't exhausted, the mind still needed a break.
The female governor, who owed the FBI her life, had expressed her gratitude with a lavish gift—an entire week of hot spring relaxation for the fugitive task force.
The bathhouse they were currently in was built in a fully replicated 18th- and 19th-century European style and had already stood for two or three centuries.
As early as the late 19th century, the wealthy and elite of the country had flocked here, believing that the mineral-rich hot springs possessed miraculous healing properties for various ailments.
Even multiple U.S. presidents had treated this place as a wellness retreat, with government funds once allocated to study the therapeutic effects of the spring water.
However, the FBI agents only stayed for three days before leaving. Soaking in hot baths and getting massages got old quickly. After some quick discussion, they found a more exciting way to spend the rest of their break.
Wherever there were hot springs, there was usually geological activity—and that meant rich mineral deposits. Less than an hour's drive from Hot Springs, there was another famous attraction: Crater of Diamonds State Park.
Someone had come up with the brilliant marketing idea of turning a commercially unviable diamond mine into a public park.
For just a $10 admission fee, visitors could dig through the muddy field all day long, and if they found a diamond, they could take it home.
Jack and his team weren't after tiny, hard-to-find diamonds. They had a bigger, shinier goal—Arkansas' other famous mineral: natural quartz crystal.
Although Aubrey had retired from Wall Street, he still held shares in several companies, including a mining company called Avant.
This company owned multiple quartz mines in Jessiville County, Arkansas. While some of these mines allowed paid public collection, the most productive and highest-quality mines were off-limits.
As a minor shareholder, Aubrey had some privileges—like taking everyone on a private tour of one of these restricted crystal mines.
Natural quartz, essentially just natural glass, is a crystalline form of silicon dioxide. When it crystallizes perfectly, it's called quartz; if it undergoes a gelation process and loses water, it becomes agate; and if the gel solidifies while retaining water, it becomes opal.
The Aztecs in Central America once embedded obsidian—a type of volcanic glass, also a quartz variant—into wooden clubs as weapons. This primitive "chainsaw sword" was favored by the legendary Jaguar Warriors and was called macuahuitl.
While perfectly crystallized quartz prisms weren't particularly rare in nature, their value had been inflated by superstition. Many believed natural quartz could absorb negative energy, a myth that had persisted for generations.
Jack suspected that Aubrey had suggested this trip just to humor Alice, who believed in such things. But everyone knew that women—like dragons in Western mythology—were instinctively drawn to shiny objects.
Since Hannah and JJ were both visibly excited, Jack had no intention of spoiling the fun.
Trekking through red, muddy terrain, struggling through excavation pits dug by backhoes, was no easy task. But when the women saw massive chunks of natural quartz scattered everywhere, practically free for the taking, their cheers echoed through the site.
Jack, too, was astonished. In both his lifetimes, he had never seen a quartz mine like this. Every casual dig turned up fist-sized, high-purity quartz crystals. A quick rinse was enough to see the fine lines of a palm through the transparent stone.
Even though he knew these crystals weren't particularly valuable—most were only fit for industrial use—some gem-quality specimens could still be found.
The geological conditions in which quartz formed affected its composition, leading to unique internal fractures and colors. Essentially, the more aesthetically pleasing a piece was, the more valuable it became.
Spurred on by the women's enthusiasm, the team spent an entire day digging. Fist-sized, forearm-thick, and even volleyball-sized chunks of quartz filled an entire pickup truck—over a ton in total—before they hauled everything back to the mining facility.
A blast from a high-pressure water gun washed away the mud, revealing the breathtaking brilliance of the crystals under artificial lighting. Jack now had a more tangible understanding of what Aubrey had meant by "high-quality mineral deposits."
According to the workers, although natural quartz was generally a low-value gemstone, the white quartz from this mine was of exceptional quality. A fist-sized piece could easily fetch $300–400.
For particularly fine specimens—ones with rare inclusions or unique formations—prices of $700–800 or even over $1,000 weren't uncommon.
Jack casually picked a few that caught his eye, considering mounting them on wooden stands as display pieces.
Since this was a "team-building" outing, feasting and drinking were naturally part of the plan. After a long day of digging, everyone had worked up an appetite. With their haul safely packed, they drove to a riverside campsite.
Traveling with a wealthy man had its perks—Aubrey had arranged for a party company to set everything up in advance.
Premium steaks from neighboring Texas, crawfish and smoked duck from Louisiana, and Georgia's famed peach wine paired with fresh peaches—three states' specialties came together for this FBI banquet.
Everyone knew Aubrey had spent a fortune on this trip, but they indulged guilt-free. After all, they were just bystanders—the real reason for all this was Aubrey's ongoing back-and-forth with Alice.
It wasn't entirely clear why someone who claimed to have commitment issues had suddenly taken an interest in a single mother like Alice. But looking back at their interactions, it wasn't completely out of the blue.
During the collar bomb incident, they had faced life-or-death situations together. When Alice's life hung in the balance, aside from Jack—the ever-busy protagonist—Aubrey had been the one by her side the entire time.
It was easy to see how the suspension bridge effect had taken hold. After the fugitive task force was formally established, their daily interactions had allowed any underlying emotions to grow naturally.
Jack had no reason to meddle in their relationship. In fact, he even reassured Jubal, who was somewhat concerned about the situation, right in front of Aubrey.
If they ended up together, so be it—Alice mainly worked desk duty, so it wouldn't affect much, as long as they kept it discreet within the FBI.
Besides, it wasn't like they were rushing to marriage. Plenty of American couples lived together for life without ever tying the knot.
And if things didn't work out?
Simple—just kick Aubrey out. He was a retired Wall Street millionaire who had joined the FBI purely out of idealism. He could work in any department—it didn't have to be this one.
(End of Chapter)
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