The engine of the quad bike roared as Lara sailed around the bends of the dirt track. Bumps and vibrations shuddered through her body and the wind whipped at her face and bare arms. She loved the quad bike but felt her track was a bit too short and a bit too easy to navigate. She had often considered building an extension onto what was once her hedge maze, but seeking that kind of planning permission was always a nightmare, no matter how high up you were in aristocracy. Still, she found it so increasingly difficult to get her much needed adrenaline fix at home these days that perhaps a little more renovation would be worth the hassle. She needed the challenge.
Her thoughts dispersed as the quad bike jerked violently. Something was wrong. The handle bars swung back and forth out of control and suddenly the bike collapsed forward on one side. Lara grimaced as she watched one of the front wheels pass by and was too late to hit the brakes before the bike took a nose dive where the ground fell away into the underground tunnel. Lara let out an involuntary scream for the moment she was airborne, and was silenced when she hit the dirt, the tumbling bike narrowly missing her crumpled body. She lay there for a moment trying to catch the air that was knocked from her lungs, but only found herself with a mouthful of dirt. She spat in disgust but her mouth was too dry and she could feel grains of dirt settle between her teeth. She struggled to her feet, her legs and arms a little wobbly, and stretched her body in different places to test for injury. Apart from a few scrapes and bruises she was non the worse for wear. She wished she could say the same for her poor bike however. She sighed melodramatically, the thought of lugging that heap of metal and rubber up out of the tunnel was anything but appealing. She decided to leave it for the moment. She had spent all morning training and admitted to herself that a shower and a bit of breakfast was what she needed right now.
After a rigorous tooth brushing and one long hot shower, Lara slipped into a white vest and comfy loose fitting gym pants and made her way to the kitchen to make breakfast: beans and toast with a cup of tea. Winston had often scoffed at her pedestrian taste in food but Lara always rebutted, "Beans are full of protein and Vitamin C, dear Winston, the cornerstone of any diet for a girl like me."
She proceeded to the dining room, switching on her hi-fi and flicking through the morning paper.
"A package arrived for you, Lady Croft."
Lara glanced up to see her faithful butler with a brown paper package in his arms.
"Thank you, Winston," Lara replied, "You can just leave it on the table."
"Will there be anything else, milady?" the old man inquired, setting the package down gently.
"As a matter of fact," she pondered, "Would you be a dear and order a new quad bike for me? The other one has…reached the end of its track I'm afraid."
"Yes, milady." Winston gave a curt nod and left the dining room.
Lara stuffed a piece of toast in her mouth and examined the package. There were many stamps on the front originating from India. The return address was from Prof. Noreen Bailey of the Institute of Archaeology in Delhi. Bailey was an old colleague of Lara's who left Britain to teach archaeology in India. She hadn't heard from the professor in many years and was curious as to what was in the package. Lara wiped the crumbs from her hands against her gym pants and carefully undid the brown paper wrapping. Inside was a binder with a collection of historical notes, sketches and photographs. Attached was a letter written in Prof. Bailey's handwriting.
Dear Lara,
I would like to share with you my latest discovery while studying in Delhi. Remember my trace findings referring to an ancient unknown tribe residing near the Ganges? Well my years of research have not been in vain. I've discovered the location of a unexcavated temple said to be that of the very tribe I've been digging into. They were known as the Infada tribe and remained solely reclusive from other tribes as - and I do hope my translation is correct in this - apparently they possessed a weapon of mass destruction. Other tribes had migrated far from the Infada people out of fear of their power. This is why there is so little evidence about this tribe. But now I have found the location of their temple as you can see from the photographs. Isn't this exciting, Lara? The problem is, the land surrounding it is quite treacherous as the area is prone to serious mudslides, and no one here has the stones to set up an excavation. This is why I'm writing to you, Lara. I may be on the other side of the world, but I'm no stranger to your reputation. So what say you, Ms. Croft? Up for a little adventure? I already have permission to excavate the site, just…be a dear and try not to damage anything.
I await your response with anticipation.
Yours sincerely
Noreen Bailey
P.S. The "weapon" I mentioned is supposedly resting inside this temple. The documentation I have sent includes sketches of this artefact. If does indeed exist, I trust you will retrieve it and return it to the institute for further research. Be careful with it. There is nothing in the world quite like it so you understand it's value. I would very much appreciate your participation.
Lara smiled. She hadn't had a proper adventure since she inadvertently blew up a small portion of the Great Wall of China last year. This would provide the adrenaline rush was desperately seeking. And moreover, the professor's research was certainly intriguing. Lara finished her breakfast and proceeded to sort a flight to India.