Chapter 2:Homecoming

ZIPS POV

Where the hell is she. How did this guy find her? i thought he was dead. Oh well better go and call Lara.

Zip picks up the phone and rings Laras mobile number. Come on come on pick up the phone. I hope she isn't hurt or worse. Stop thinking that Zip you know she won't be dead she's a tough cookie. Speaking of cookies i would like a couple of cookies right now. stop it! mind you a cookie would taste nice right now. Seriously stop it now.Sorry. Hang on am i going crazy talking to myself in my head. "Do you want anything? If you do just ask winston."

God how much longer is he going to be here.

"Winston would you mind seeing to our guest please?"

"Certainly sir."

Winston exits as Zip tries to call Lara again.In the distance the mumbled voices of winston and the guest can be heard.Oh god i forgot to tell Alister about the pendant i'll tell him in an minute,once i have told winston to keep an eye on our guest. "Winston can you come here please?"

"yes sir what is it."

"I want you to keep an eye on our guest while i go and talk to Alister."

"certainly sir."

Winstons exits.

Zip walks up the stairs past his room and towards Alisters study.

Knock Knock Knock.

"come in."

"Alister, Lara told me to tell you she has the pendant of light and she is on her way home."

"when did she tell you this?"

"about two hours ago"

"WHAT!!!!!!"

"Why? whats wrong?"

"she just called me saying she ran into a slight problem but she has sorted it and she will be home in ten minutes."

"why didn't she call me?"

"she couldn't get through to you the line was engaged."

She is not going to be happy when she sees our guest. I am not going to explain how or why he is here he can do that himselve. Personally i hope she slaps him then throws him out. He should never have come here. Mind you Lara never says no to a challenge.

ALISTERS POV.

Where is she? Zip is going out his mind with worry and i am also worried she should be here by now. Zip seems to be hiding somthing from me. I'm gonna go downstairs and see what is so secret down there that i can't see it. If Zip doesn't wan't me to see it i'll go and see what it is. Alister exits his study and heads downstairs.

"Zip who is that in the living room?"

"Winston,why?"

"who is he talking to?"

"Me, aint that right Winston?"
"What would that be sir?"
"Alister wanted to know who you were talking to and i said it was me"

"is this true Winston?"

"Yes sir it is true."

I still think he is lying but if winston says he isn't then he musn't be lying.

"Hello Alister long time no see"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

"I'm here to talk to lara when she gets here."

"you're supposed to be dead."

"well i'm not."

"you know lara will not be pleased with you here."

"I know."

"Then why don't you save us all the trouble and go away before Lara gets back."

"I need Laras help."

"What with?"

The guest laughs in a deep voice.

"Doing what she does best, finding lost artifacts."

"And what artifact would that be?"

"The sword of the sadako angel."

"Never heard of it and if i haven't heard of it that means that Lara would not have heard of it."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that Alister Fletcher."

"Why?"

"What did you say she just recovered?"
"The pendant of light."

"that proves my point, the legend goes that if somone uses the pendant and the sword together they will be taken to the underworld to challenge the throne of the underworld."
"And who is on the throne?"

"Arydia empress of the underworld"

"Arydia? That name rings a bell."

The guest chuckles in his deep voice.Alister looks at him with great worry.

"I thought it might."

In the distance a motorbike can be heard driving up Croft Manors long drive-way.Riding the bike is Lara.Alister and Zip rush out to meet her.As they approch the bike they notice blood smeared on Laras t-shirt.

"Lara what happened to you?"

"I ran into a spot of bother, come inside and i'll tell you all about it."
All three people walk inside the large manor only to be greeted by the mysterious guest.

"Hello Lara how've you been?"

"Not that well now i've seen you James Rutland."Replied lara "i thought you died in Bolivia."

"I nearly did thanks to you and that sword.What happened to that sword anyway?"

"I sent it to the Museum to be on display in the King Arthur section."

Lara is a lot more calm than i thought she would be.I better go and find out more about this sword and pendant before Lara gets to angry and shoots somthing. Last time she got angry she shot Zips computer and nearly shot me.That was a scary day.

"Lara what's wrong?"

"Don't talk to me Alister."

Lara storms off into her room.Alister goes up to comfort her when he hears her crying.

"Lara you know you can tell me anything."

Lara storms off again.Alister follows.

"why don't you talk to me?"

"You wanna know why? You gave me the wrong info on the sword of King Arthur.i found a way to save my mother but if you hadn't given me the wrong info she'd be here now!"

"Lara how was i supposed to know it was the wrong info?!"

Lara pulls out her gun and fires at alister in a rage.Luckily she misses and hits Zips computer.

"Hey that computer is state of the art it cost a lot!"Zip shouts at Lara

"I don't care!"says Lara.

"Alister where are you going?"

"Upstairs to research the sword and the pendant that Rutland told me about."

Why doesn't she leave me alone? I am a grown man i can go where i want and do what i want.She is not my mother.Imagine if she was though that would be wierd.

Laras pov

Ok i am a little freaked out that Rutland is here. Everyone thought he died in bolivia along with all his men and amandas pet. I wonder where Amanda is now. Probably scamming an old defencless man out of his money. Or she could be preparing an attack on the manor.No thats a silly idea she would never do that, not after i killed her pet and her boyfriend or so she thinks. I wonder what would happen if she turned up and saw Rutland alive after all these years. The look on her face would be priceless. Oh well better find out what Rutland wants with me. I also wonder what Zip meant when he suddenly said yes i would like a cookie right now.Lara goes downstairs and walks up to Rutland.

"Now will you explain to me why you are here?"

"I am here to ask for your help."

"o.k. i'm listening."

"The pendant you took off the terrorists can be used with a sword to take the user to the underworld to challenge the throne of the underworld."

"What sword might that be then?"

"The sword of the sadako angel."

"So where is this sword then?"

"The sword is in Ireland in a castle in the hills, the person who owns it is a man by the name of Murtagh. He used other artifacts to save himself when he was going to die of old age in the medieval times. Have you heard the legend of Eragon?"

"yes."

"Murtagh is the man who trained Eragon. Killing him won't be easy."

"who said i need to kill him? I can sneak in to his castle,steal the sword and get out."
"His castle is better defended than the United Nations and the the white house."

"o.k. so what do propose we do?"

"I have foound a way to break in undetected for a while but once we have the sword the alarms will be triggered and we will have to get out through the sewage system. He has a lot of security guards and a high level sucurity system that is almost impossible to avoid. If i can slip past the guards and hack the system i can buy us some time to escape. It will not be easy. If you are too much of a wimp i will go now and you will never see me again."

"I am not a wimp but that offer of you leaving does sound good right now. You can stay for now just until we have the sword and are back here safe."

"o.k. we will go tommorow night it is safer tommorow."

"why?"

"Murtagh gets home late tommorow from the Queens birthday party at her castle in Ireland."

"He knows the Queen?"

"Yea he is very well connected, the royal family, the prime minister and even the head of MI6!"

"The head of MI6!!!!"

"Yes i told you he is well connected do you still want to do this?"

Not really but i suppose i better.Just to keep up my fearless up for anything image.

"Yes of course i am. i'm up for anything."

"Good you better get some rest.Why don't you go to your room while i make myself a cup of tea and watch a bit of tele?"

Pardon me but did he just sound like he owned the place? He told me to go to my room while he makes himself a cup of tea and watches a bit of tele.

Rutlands pov

Lara will warm up to me soon then i'll be able to stay here for a few years. Hopefully that will work and she will forget about the whole trying to kill her to get into Avalon thing. Oh well i better go and find my room.

Lara said it is the first door on the right side of the stairs then the third door along the corridor. I might just snoop around for a bit see if i can find the artifact room. There is no point leaving here without somthing valuable. Rutland walks up the stairs to the library and searches around for a secret bookcase.He searches Alisters desk and finds a switch.He is surprised to find out that it opens a secret wall panel.When he searches

inside he finds a secret tunnel that leads down underground to a secret artifact room.It also leads to another tunnel that leads to a private helipad.

"Whoa what is this place?"

"This place is private."

"Sorry Alister i was just exploring the Manor and i found this lever which lead me down here."

"If you get out know i won't let Lara know you were here."

"I already know Alister."
"Lara i was then coming to tell you he was down here."

"I heard it all Alister so don't give me any bullshit."

"Sorry Lara."

God! Is Alister a suck up or what. This guy needs to toughen up. Mayby i can help him if he wants my help. I better slip away while she has a go at Alister.

"where do you are going?"

"Just going up to my room."

"Just go i can't be bothered to deal with you at the moment."

Phew that was close better go to sleep now.