Chapter 1: The start of something big
I still can't believe this, all this time I have been so blind, so naïve. For years I resented Konstantin, doubted him like everyone else, but he was right about so much. I wish I could tell him that now. There are so many shadows and mysteries that I once dismissed as mere stories, but the line between our myths and truths are fragile and blurry. I need to find answers. I must understand what Karel's plans are. I need to find the truth. Elizabeth Clark
London, Britain
The rain fell harder and harder against the roof and the window panes, lighting bolts illuminated the skies of Britain. The moon had barely risen, yet it felt as if night had fallen ages ago. The planking sound against the roof of the one-bedroom flat succeeded in keeping her awake – not that the sounds of the rain was keeping her from tossing and turning.
Elizabeth Clark lay atop of her bed in the dingy studio apartment of London. Her legs were crossed over each other and she was still fully clothed in street wear, from the black t-shirt to the sturdy brown boots that could withstand any type of weather or terrain. She leaned back on her pillow, staring up at the ceiling. Her hip holster were still strapped on, although her pistols rested on the nightstand table, still close enough for a quick reach, should she need it when intruders came in.
For the most of the world she was known as a Journalist, working in London. For the others they knew her as the second known world's famous archaeologist, but for those who know her very well knows that she is a warrior from the Lux Veritatis. She's also known as being acknowledged in old maps, all kinds of ancient texts, including manuscripts. She can answer any questions concerning myths, legends and all languages. She's also been seen working with the world famous archaeologist and world traveller Lara Croft.
Two more lightning bolts reached the sky, and thunder complemented it loudly enough to rattle the shutters outside her windows. She sat up on the edge of the bed. She leaned forward, resting her head in her hands. She hadn't slept well in over a month, for numerous reasons. Elizabeth rose; she glanced at the clock on the wall – 8:30pm. This was going to be another long night. She went to her backpack that laid by the desk, near the windows. She opens the bag and took out three beautiful shards. She looked at them and wondered why did her partner leave them behind? Where could he be? She thought.
(Flashback to a month ago)
Strahov, Prague
What the hell is going on in here, she thought. The facility is more or less destroyed and things are mgoing pretty crazy. She heads down through the Strahov's hall's and chambers trying to find her partner. She came to Eckhardt's lab and walked over fallen stone only to find Eckhardt's lifeless body with the shards still stuck in him. She looked around for Kurtis but she only saw the sleeper half destroyed. She turned back to Eckhardt and removed the shards and walked to a nearby doorway and she walked long hallways, walked over stone's before she enters into the arena. She saw not far a corps of a mutant bug and a mutant fly but not far away she saw a pool of blood with footsteps leading to a hug door. She walked closer to the pool and saw a shape in the blood it looked like the churigai, she thought. She takes a closer look at the footsteps and noticed that the footsteps aren't the size of her partner's steps. Who's been here and where did they take Kurtis, she thought and starts following the footsteps. She walks until she finds herself outside the Strahov again. She frowns cause of the snow covered the blood tracks. She sighs and walks to her bike and as she starts the engine she hears police sirens and looks up to see police cars heading this way.
"Well took them long enough." She said to herself and took off before they could see her.
(Flashback ends)
I can't sit here, she thought with boredom. As tired as she was, she couldn't stay one more night here in London. She needed to go back home in Surrey. I need more answers, she thought. She retrieved the key from the table, as well as her guns and backpack. She turned outside the door, not bothering to lock her apartment. There wasn't anything inside that someone will steal, she thought.
She trudged down the stairs, past the landlord's office and out onto the streets becoming soaking wet in the fallen rain almost immediately. Elizabeth started the engine of her motorbike, kicking it into first gear, released the clutch and throttled her way down the west streets, towards Surrey.
Britain, Surrey
Elizabeth stood in front of the iron gate of her Manor. For a moment, she looked through the bars and admired the walls of the building she had gotten from a friend. She took a deep breath as she pushed the door bell and waited for an answer. The warrior couldn't hold back the smile when she heard a familiar voice.
"Good evening. How can I help you?" her loyal butler asked kindly.
"You can start with opening the gates for me, Henry." She asked and immediately followed by the sound of the buzzer.
Elizabeth went through the entrance and stop in front of the manor's doors. She turned off the motorbike's engine and walked in.
Henry walked up to her "Welcome home Miss Clark" He greeted "Shall I make you some coffee, or anything else?"
"Maybe later, thank you." The Warrior breathed in the air of her home and glanced around. "Did something happen?"
"Edward is back from New York and two police men was looking for you and a journalist came asking for you again." He answered.
"What did the police want?" She asked.
"They want to ask you about Miss Croft." He answered.
"Thanks Henry. Can you tell Edward to call my cousin Lloyd." She took a breath "I want to see him tomorrow morning ASAP."
"Will do Miss." Henry said and walked off.
Elizabeth walked up the stairs and entered the study and found Alex sitting behind the desk reading a book.
"Alex" she said and he looked up.
"Hey Liz, back so soon?" He asked
"I can't find anything, Alex" She sighed and sat down.
"Maybe this will help" Alex said turning the computer screen.
Elizabeth saw an email and started reading.
Dear Alex
I hear you are great in finding things out about ancient artefacts and ruins. I need your help, I have heard about a myth of the Black Angel but I can't find anything about it. Please help me; I am a historian in Turkey. I wait for your reply.
Thank you.
Joachem Karel.
Karel surely knows how to come back from the dead, but why does he want the Black Angel, she thought and looked at Alex.
"Don't reply on his email and see if you have any luck on find Kurtis please." She said and got up and walked out, leaving Alex to get to work.
The sunlight shined through the windows, waking her up. Another day she thought and got up. She went to the bathroom and turned the hot water of the shower on and she looked herself in the mirror. She sighed and undressed herself and walked into the shower, making the hot water rundown her scared and tattooed body. She washed herself and then when she was done she turned the water off; pulled the certain away and grabbed a towel to dry herself.
She walked back to her room only to see a tray of food and coffee on the table. I didn't even hear Henry come in, she thought and then she noticed a letter next to the tray. She picked it up and opened it.
Lloyd is on his way and Alex found Kurtis Trent he is in Nancy, Franc. Alex and I are out to get some supplies for your next trip.
Love
Edward
Nancy, France
He was sitting in a bar drinking his beer. He was thinking of Paris and Prague, but more importantly he was thinking of the British woman again. The bar was quiet and it made him think more. This place looks like the Café Metro back in Paris, small and quiet, he thought. Kurtis was sitting in the corner of the bar like he had sat in the café in Paris. Kurtis casually glanced at the door, half-expecting to see a thin, beautiful brunette women coming through the door to threaten the bartender. The thought made him chuckle a bit and he took another sip from his beer. He heard the door open and he swiftly looked up, an action that was seemingly unconditioned. He was semi-disappointed, however to see nothing more than a man coming through the door, dressed in a blue t-shirt, black jeans and a pair of black boots. Odd fellow, Kurtis thought passively, taking another drink.
The man stood still and looked around until he saw Kurtis sitting in the corner, he walked over and pulled a seat up next to him and called the bartender. Not long the bartender came and asked the man what he wants to drink.
"I'll have what he's having." He told the bartender in an African accent. Kurtis slowly glanced his way and then turned his gaze back down to the brown bottle in front of him.
"I don't know much about foreign beer." The man mentioned to Kurtis.
"That's nice." Kurtis mumbled, trying to distance himself from this further friendliness this guy might display. He didn't want to chat, that wasn't what he was here for.
The bartender brought the man his beer and he exchanged his pounds for the alcohol. This guy comes from Britain but he doesn't sound like one, Kurtis thought.
"These stuffs confuse me." The man said to Kurtis.
Kurtis glanced at him "You're not from around here."
The man sighed "No, I'm not but I am here on business not pleasure." The man chuckled, taking a sip from his beer. He glanced backwards, in the direction of two black-clothed men who just came in and seated themselves at the counter.
"What business?" Kurtis asked.
The man glanced back at Kurtis "To find a man for my boss." And he takes another sip from his beer. "Hope they're here for someone else?"
Kurtis eyed him suspiciously "Who must you find? What are you talking about?"
"They don't look like they belong here and neither do you." He answered.
Kurtis looked at the two men "They look normal men who had come from work and wants to take a break." Kurtis sighed "Why don't I belong here?"
"That's not what you were thinking a minute ago." The man said and took another sip of his beer.
"Listen, I don't know why you are here but I don't care now leave me alone." Kurtis said dryly.
"Look I can't leave without you, but if you want my boss to come get you herself then be my guest." The man answered and looked at Kurtis.
Kurtis didn't care who he's boss was and gripped his beer tightly, wary of his BoranX hidden in his holster beneath his jacked.
"You don't have to reach for your weapon, my friend." The man added.
How did he know that I have a gun, Kurtis thought "I'm not your friend" Kurtis retorted "What makes you think I have a weapon?"
"Well after what she told me about you, I doubt you're reaching for your phone." He answered.
"Who the fuck, are you?" Kurtis asked in a low and angry voice.
"Trust me, Kurtis" The man sighed "When you hear what I have to say, you'll be glad you didn't blow my head off." The man answered in quiet manner.
"How the hell do you know my name?" Kurtis asked quickly.
"It's not safe to talk here, my friend." The man said.
"Why?" Kurtis asked.
"Those two men who came in are looking for you." The man said.
The man glanced backwards at the two men who were watching them, then faced forwards, sighting. He took a final swig of the beer.
"First tell me who asked you to come find me." Kurtis asked. He knew those men where here for trouble.
"An old friend of yours" The man answered and stood up from his seat casually.
Kurtis sighed as the man headed out the front door of the bar. The two men at the counter rose and approached Kurtis. They stood on both sides of him and he rose. "Do you mind taking a step out of my space, guys?" Kurtis asked with a dryly voice.
"Are you Kurtis Heissturm?"
Kurtis sighed, who the hell were these guys and why did they want to know who I am. "I don't know what you're talking about, buddy."
He felt the barrel of a gun at his side and he immediately felt anger growing in the pit of his stomach it was strange for the two men; most people would react with fear. Kurtis was so used to it, and so out of patience with things these days.
"We were told we'd find you here in Nancy, hiding from our boss" the other man spoke "If you come quietly, it makes things easier for you and for us." Kurtis sighed again; he lowered his fingers behind his head. By this point, both men were holding handguns, drilling them into his sides.
The bartender emerged from the back hallway he'd been in and as he came closer one of the men pointed his gun at him. The bartender's eye's grew wide, and took a fearful step back, raising his hands.
Kurtis saw his opportunity and he backhanded the other man then the one who pointed his gun at the bartender. Kurtis removed his gun and dived over the edge of the counter of the bar as the men started shooting at him. The bartender got shot on the head and fell to the ground lifeless.
Kurtis sighed as he looked at the bartender's lifeless body and then he quickly loaded his gun and leaned over the edge, firing at the enemies. Who are these guys, he thought. Kurtis ducked back and ejected his empty clip as he heard one of the men "I'm out" and the men run out the door as the other one kept on shooting. Kurtis took a breath and got up and shot the man in the shoulder. He pointed his gun at the man as he kicked the man's gun away from his reach.
"Tell me who sent you?" Kurtis said in anger.
"He will get you." The man laughs and bit hard on his teeth until white staff came out of his mouth, killing him.
Kurtis sighed and holstered his gun, walking out finding the same man he had talked to before the fight standing at a bike next to his.
"Mind telling me who you are?" Kurtis asked "And who they are"
"My name is Lloyd" He answered "And my boss will have the answers to that question. I'm just here to pick you up."
Kurtis sighed, if he's playing with me then I'm gonna play with him, Kurtis thought but the man's name sounded familiar, he left it there "Well Lloyd let's go then."
"Great, Britain here we come." Lloyd said and got onto his bike.
As he said Britain Kurtis' heart skipped a beat, Lara? He Thought. It had to be, she was the only one in a hundred million women in Britain. Lara Croft is the only one who knew as much about me, he thought again and also got on his bike and they drove off. This was the start of something big.
Authors notes: Hey guys this was my first story that I deleted I wanted to write it better but I see I made the story defenrent please review and tell me if you want the old one or the new one called never turn back
R & R
THANK YOU ALL