Blood Ruby

“Papa, the vultures are circling us. We’re losing the battle to save the land you worked so hard for, and cherished. I don’t know what to do…”

A young mother, Katy Vega, desperately wishes for spiritual guidance from her deceased grandfather, as Katy and her grandmother struggle to hold on to their farm land in Hawaii, against money and power, of lawyers and from politicians hired by developers, to build a luxury valley resort on the north shore of Oahu.

Working multiple jobs to get by, did her wish come true when Papa’s Vietnam War buddy enters the club? The man in the wheelchair confesses that he’s dying of cancer then adds, “Your grandfather talked often about you, Katy — your devotion to family, your determination once you made up your mind, and your good-hearted nature. He loved and missed you a lot.” Cisco pauses before saying, “Your grandfather hid rubies in Vietnam before he was killed in combat. It’s yours, that is, if you have the courage to go and get it.”

Was his story true or a fable of a dying man? She thought how crazy it would be to chase after an unsubstantiated story, until she discovers a rare ruby in her grandfather’s Army wooden footlocker in the attic.

Having never flown on an airplane in her life and having to confront her inner demons, Katy’s desperation in saving her family’s land won over. Needing help in a foreign land, she partners with Diep, a Vietnamese native and co-worker at the club.

Starting with a black and white photograph of a group shot of Papa and his war buddies in Saigon in 1964, one dead end led to another, until finally they locate Minh, an ex-prostitute and the owner of a brothel during the war. Now blind, and a Buddhist nun living in a mountain temple, Minh admits she did help Papa hide the gems. However, this was many years ago, and at the time, she wasn’t blind.

A hunt for riches quickly turns into a fight for their lives, against a powerful Vietnamese crime lord, who wants the rubies that were stolen from him during the war.