Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone from the Uncharted series, they belong to Naughty Dog. I do however own my character.
Right, here is the next chapter. Thank you to Neon Jack for your review and I hope you enjoy this one. Now there is a little chunk of Uncharted dialogue in this chapter, but there was always going to be some. So read on and enjoy...
Chapter 2
"Who are you?" came a challenging voice and out of the corner of my eye I saw Sully move. Unbeknown to me Nate also moved.
"Sam, what are you doing?" he asked, glancing down at the drawn gun the man called Sam was pressing into the back of my seat.
"We're not alone," replied Sam.
"No," said Sully in as relaxed a manner as he could muster. "My friend here got caught without a ride and so I agreed to give her one."
He glanced at Sam in the mirror.
"It's not going to be a problem is it?" he added.
Sam did not remove the gun.
"Friend?" queried Nate, his tone suggestive. He leant forward in his seat to get a better look at me. "Wait a minute. Freya?"
"Nate," I replied, my voice sounding uneasy.
He smiled.
"Long time no see," he continued cheerfully.
"Mhmm," I said before clearing my throat rather loudly.
"Ah!" he responded before placing a hand on the barrel of Sam's gun. "It's alright, she's good."
Sam paused and looked at him.
"Come on," continued Nate. "Put it away."
Sam breathed out loudly, but he removed the weapon from my seat.
With the situation seemingly calmed, we all sort of relaxed. Yet as Sully drove further down and into the dark lamp lit streets, I got the feeling that Sam was far from comfortable with the situation.
Sully pulled up outside a small hotel and parked. We all got out and dusted ourselves off, stretching like we had driven for several hours rather then minutes.
"Right then," Sully started. "Shall we?"
He indicated for us to enter the hotel.
"Ok, I guess the reception can call me a taxi," I said, starting up the couple of steps.
"You're English?" said Sam, looking at me.
I paused.
"Yes," I answered unsure.
"Yep, she's a Brit," said Nate, clapping his brother on the back but he brushed him off. "Sam?"
"Have you got something against them?" asked Sully, now coming up the stairs to join me.
Sam looked at me, his eyes meeting mine, as if he was trying to read something he expected to see.
"How about we get in the door," continued Sully, deciding to rapidly change the subject. "Would rather not be standing out in the open like this."
"Yeah, come on," concurred Nate to which Sam just nodded and indicated with his head they should go in.
The lobby was fancy and welcoming, it appeared to be a decent hotel. I guess I had expected them to go for something a little cheaper. I headed towards the desk where a woman waited, but Sam strode in front of me. I stopped, not pleased by his rudeness, but he turned and nodded his head for me to go wait with Nate and Sully. My brow furrowed and he put on a slight smile.
"I'll get her to call you a cab," he said quietly.
"Oh," I said, a feeling swimming in the pit of my stomach. "There's no need to I can-"
"It's the least I can do," he interjected and then added. "Which hotel is it?"
I told him the name and went to wait with the others. He returned rather quickly with three sets of keys and indicated we should go upstairs. I opened my mouth to speak, but he told me that I could wait in Nate's room until it came and that the lady would ring up when it arrived. Nate gave Sam a look I think he thought I wouldn't see but I did. I was not so sure, but I seemed to be unable to do anything about it as I felt a bit frogmarched as we ascended the stairs. He opened the door to room four and in we went. It wasn't a bad room, rather big in fact, with one double bed and a balcony window. They gathered round the table that sat near the window. Sully then took his key and disappeared only to return with a bottle of Scottish whiskey and a glass. They were in the mood to celebrate and I soon saw why as Sam produced the stolen cross and laid it on the table.
"So it was you guys," I said, looking at the stolen item.
"Yep," said Nate with a smile. "I wish I could have seen Rafe's face when he realised."
"Rafe?" I questioned.
"The man in the tux who was bidding against me," clarified Sully. "I know you know who I mean."
"Ah! Right," I replied nodding. "'Angry man'"
The three of them looked at me oddly.
"Never mind, yeah, his face was certainly one of fury," I continued. "Threw his paddle like a three year old and everything."
Nate and Sully laughed while Sam smiled a little. I glanced at the telephone.
"That taxi is taking a while," I commented.
"I'm sure it will be here soon," said Nate with a smile. "Wanting to be rid of us already?"
"No, it's not that at all," I said, shaking my head at him as he smirked. "I just-"
"Why don't you just take a seat," interrupted Sam, indicating to the bed. "Make yourself comfortable."
I looked at him and he sighed.
"I don't mean it like that," he added causing Nate to glance at him but Sam shook his head. "Come on. I'm bored of waiting."
"Would you like to do the honours?" asked Nate, handing him a hammer.
Sam nodded as Sully set out three glasses and poured them each a drink. He then turned to me and proffered the bottle, but I declined to which he shrugged and lit one of his cigars. They all took a seat then and Sam took a swig of his whiskey before he picked up the cross.
"Okay," he said, placing the cross on the edge of the table and raising the hammer before pausing. "I hope I don't go to hell for this."
Nate smirked giving Sully a look as Sam brought the hammer down upon the end of the cross and broke it open. He then looked into the broken end and the smile ran away from his face.
"Shit."
Nate's brow furrowed.
"What?!" he asked.
Sam looked at the other two.
"It's empty."
"What?" exclaimed Nate, staring at Sam in disbelief.
Sam then shook the cross upside down and along with splinters of broken wood a rolled up piece of parchment began to emerge. As it did Nate sighed.
"Ah, you're such an asshole."
Sam laughed as Sully added.
"He's your brother."
I had been watching and listening, but that one sentence caught me off guard. Brother? Wait a minute. Sam was Nate's brother? I didn't even know he had a brother. I mean, I couldn't say that I knew Nate as well as some, I had first met him through his wife Elena, but I couldn't remember her telling me he had a brother. Did she even know? I wasn't sure.
"All right, skull and crossbones. Very good sign."
Come to think of it, did Elena even know Nate was doing this, it didn't seem like something she'd approve of. I shook myself out of my thoughts. Now was not the time.
"That's Avery's insignia…" said Sam, his voice sounding impressed.
Wait what? The Captain Avery? Sam unrolled the parchment.
"What is this?" he questioned out loud. "Ah…'Hodie mercum eris in Paradiso.'"
"Today you will join me in paradise," translated Nate instantly, Sam joining him on the words 'in paradise' before continuing.
"It's what Jesus said to Saint Dismas on the Cross, but…"
"Right," concurred Nate with a nod.
Sam peered at the parchment more.
"What about these numbers here?" he asked, turning the scroll more to Nate. "What do you make of this?"
"Some kind of code?" suggested Sullivan. "Or a phone number?"
Nate half laughed seemingly at the fact neither of the two got what they were.
"C'mon," he said, looking between the two. "They're dates…"
"Huh?" said Sam, looking closer at the numbers upon the scroll.
Nate turned it back towards Sam.
"Look," he said. "1659…"
"That's the year that Avery was born," replied Sam.
"1699."
"Lemme guess, the year he died?" said Sully with a smile.
"By most accounts, yeah, but…" answered Sam, moving the parchment back to Nate. "That means we have date of birth, date of death and 'Paradise'."
I could see the cogs of Nate's mind whirring as his brother spoke.
"Which means we're looking for…Avery's grave," Sam finished.
Like Bletchley Park's Bombe Nate's mind had reached an answer.
"At Saint Dismas' Cathedral…" he said, getting up from his chair.
"Huh," replied Sam, looking down again at the scroll.
"Wait a second," started Sully, watching as Nate retrieved something and came back to the table with a book. "Hasn't Rafe been scouring that site for ages already?"
Nate, having flicked through the book to the page he wanted, lay it flat on the table.
"Yeah, the Cathedral," replied Nate before pointing to the scroll. "See these symbols?"
"Yeah," nodded Sully.
"These are found on old Scottish gravestones," continued Nate excitedly. He looked to Sam. "Right?"
He nodded and I felt like I wished to get up and look too, but I stayed put.
"Now look at this," said Nate, removing a scrap of folded paper from the book and unfolding it before the other two. "The layout of this place is really unusual."
"Huh," responded Sam, looking at the paper and nodding.
"Here's the cathedral," explained Nate, pointing to it I assumed on the bit of paper before pointing to a different spot. "But the graveyard…is way over here."
Sam smiled and half laughed.
"Rafe's been focussing on the wrong area," he said, holding his hands out in front of him with his palms facing up.
"Exactly," Nate concured.
"Guys," continued Sam with a sparkle in his eye. "We're going to Scotland."
"All right, all right," said Sully, sensing the boys were getting ahead of themselves. "Wait…wait up. You do realise Rafe knows you're coming?"
I noticed Sam's eyes flick to me and then to Nate before returning to Sully.
"Yeah," said Nate, seeming undeterred. "We can deal with that when we get there."
Sam nodded in agreement.
"That psycho would like nothing better then for you to show up," continued Sully. "Plus he's got Nadine and her whole army to back him up!"
"Yeah, but he doesn't have this," argued Nate, pointing to the scroll that he held in his left hand. "The biggest pirate treasure of all time is within our grasp."
"I thought this was about saving Sam," said Sully, indicating to Sam with his cigar as he lent back in his chair.
I wondered what he meant by that.
"It is," Nate replied. "But come on, it's both right? We need the treasure so we can save Sam."
Now I was really confused, how would finding Avery's treasure save Sam? Was he in a huge amount of debt or something? I didn't know and I noticed Sam was giving me another odd look. Sully sighed.
"How is Elena cool with all this?" he said, now leaning forward and looking at Nate before realising the answer just by looking at his face. "Oh, Jesus, kid."
I knew it, I knew Elena had to not know about his brother and therefore this too. I did not approve.
"Look, it's just not that simple," responded Nate, making my brow furrow.
"Look," sighed Sully. "With all that you two have been through together-"
"She wouldn't understand this," interjected Nate, rolling up the scroll.
"You are not giving her enough credit," reprimanded Sully.
Nate sighed.
"I can't take that chance," he replied.
Sully sighed and lent back in his chair. Sam now chose to speak up.
"Nathan, he's right," he started, resting both elbows on the table and interlocking his fingers together in front of himself. "Things have changed. Rafe's involved now. And…"
Nathan pulled out his mobile.
"I can-" continued Sam, seeming a little unsure, though I wasn't sure if I was reading him right. "I can take this on my own. Really."
"Great," said Nate and I could tell he was going to ignore them. "Well, thank you for your input. Both of you."
He then rose from his chair having found the contact he wanted in his phone.
"Excuse me."
With that he made to leave the room, heading for the balcony.
"Hey," he said as he opened the door. "Hey, it's me, yeah."
He paused for the person's reply.
"No, the reception's lousy," Nate continued before shutting the door for privacy's sake. Sam poured himself another drink, as Sully took a puff of his cigar, before offering it to Sully who declined so Sam placed the bottle back down. "Yeah…"
The atmosphere in the room now changed as we could no longer hear Nate and I really wished the phone would ring just so I could leave.
"Something on your mind, dear?" asked Sam with a sigh to Sully who had lent back again in his chair.
Sully paused for a second as he thought how to phrase what he was going to say.
"Look, I um," he started as Sam took a swig of his drink. "I realise it couldn't have been easy…all those years away. And I'm sorry for what happened to you."
"Hmph," Sam grumbled as he finished his glass and placed it upon the table.
"But it's not his fault," continued Sully, indicating to Nate with his cigar.
I wondered what Sully meant. He looked up at Sully.
"I never said that it was," he replied, Sully now lent forward.
"It took a long time for him to get out of this game," Sully now explained.
"You see a gun to his head?" said Sam a little coldly. "He chose this. Okay. He's meant for this life."
"You really believe that?" asked Sully, holding Sam's gaze.
Sam shook his head in a way that meant he couldn't believe Sully was asking him that.
"Why are you here, Victor?"
Sully sighed.
"Because somebody's gotta keep an eye out for him," he replied.
The two men just stared at each other in silence before Nate finally came back in.
"No, I'll just see you in a few more weeks?" he said to the person on the phone as he entered. Sam looked down at the table while Sully took several puffs of his cigar. "Yeah. I will. Okay. I love you too."
As Nate sat down the two turned their attention back to him. He looked between the two.
"Just told her that the job is gonna take a little longer than expected," he said simply. He'd obviously been talking to Elena. "Which is the truth. All right?"
I sensed Sully was uncomfortable with it though.
"So come on, what do you say?" continued Nate, leaning forward in his seat and glancing at Sam before looking directly at Sully. "Sam could still use our help."
Sully looked at Sam before sitting forward again.
"Well… " he started, grabbing the whiskey and pouring himself another. "I do hear that the weather is particularly fine in Scotland this time of year."
Sam nodded slightly at him, I guessed in gratitude, as it was Sully's way of saying yes with a joke of a sort, because from personal experience I knew it was far from fine there right now. Snow and ice and gales, not exactly wonderful, unless you were indoors and didn't have to go anywhere, meaning you could watch it out your window while a warm fire crackled in the grate. They all drank to the venture and I sat there feeling like a lemon.
"Right," I said, getting up from the bed. "This has been lovely, but I'm going to go. I'll get a taxi myself and leave you lot to your evening."
They all turned to me as if they had only just remembered I was there. Sam shrugged.
"I'm sure that cab will be here any minute," he commented, reaching for the bottle again.
I looked at him, trying to read him and my expression hardened.
"You never called one did you?" I said, trying to keep calm.
Nate glanced at Sam.
"Sam?"
"No," said Sam, sipping his drink and watching me over the rim of his glass.
The other two looked at him now and he placed his glass down.
"I figured if Rafe's already got one woman working for him," he said, looking between the two before looking again at me. "Why shouldn't he have two?"
"Are you serious?" said Sully, now rising from his chair. "There's no way she is working for him."
"Yeah Sam," concurred Nate. "She's not like that."
"How well do you actually know her?" he asked, turning his gaze to Nate. "Honestly?"
"Well enough to know she wouldn't work for, or with him," said Nate, holding his brother's gaze. He sighed and glanced at me. "Look, I-"
"Why were you at the auction?" interjected Sam, now standing up.
"I was looking to purchase a specific lot," I said, not sure I was liking where this was going.
"This perchance?" he said, picking the cross off the table and proffering it in my direction.
"No, something else entirely," I said, holding his gaze. "Which I failed to acquire due to someone or some ones stealing a lot and abruptly bringing an end to the auction!"
Sam smirked a little and moved towards me as Sully and Nate rose from their seats.
"What?" he said coldly.
"A dinosaur if you must know!" I said, snapping a little.
Sam stopped and stared, one of his eyebrows raised, before he laughed. The laugh didn't feel all that genuine.
"Nice try," he said, glaring at me.
"Actually-" started Sully, but he was cut off by Sam.
"If you think I would believe that they would be auctioning off a dinosaur at such an event-"
"Actually you'd be surprised at how many dinosaurs can be found on the black market," I interjected sharply. "And at the prices they go for. Hundreds of thousands of pounds, even millions occasionally."
Sam's expression was dark and I felt myself back up a little.
"Look, Sam, she's not with Rafe," tried Nate again, now putting himself between Sam and me. "Trust me."
"Even if that were true we still can't let her just go," said Sam, backing off a little.
Nate looked at him as I saw Sully realise what Sam meant.
"Because she heard all that we have been discussing?" he said, taking another puff of his cigar.
"Precisely," said Sam as Nate sighed. "She therefore has to come with us."
"Come with you?" I said, staring round the three. "To Scotland? Oh no, no, I don't want to go, not with you lot."
That made Sam look at me hard.
"Why, because Rafe will blow your cover?" he scowled and Nate shoved him.
"Because I know Nate," I retorted. "Trouble and danger seek him out. No offence, Nathan," he shrugged and smiled, "but I have no wish to come back in a coffin."
Sam's expression softened a little, but only a little. The three of them said nothing.
"I just want to go back to my hotel," I finished.
I thought I might have succeeded, that they were going to let me walk down to the lobby and leave.
"How do we know you won't go off and ring Rafe," said Sam. "Tell him we're coming?"
Nope, I hoped too soon.
"We already know he knows we're coming," said Sully, giving Sam a look.
"Ah, but," replied Sam. "He doesn't know about the graveyard."
Nate could see his brother was not going to let up whatever they said.
"Sam."
Sam looked at his brother, then Nate lent in and spoke quietly to him. I could not hear what they said. Sully took Nate's glass and poured some whiskey in it before handing it to me. I accepted this time and he then poured himself one. We then sat together on the bed and waited.
"Okay?" said Nate, finally loud enough for us all to hear.
Sam nodded.
"Freya?"
I looked at Nate.
"Can I have your phone please?" he continued, I gave him a look.
He made a pleading face at me, his eyes giving a quick indication to his brother behind him that meant he needed at least one person to cooperate easily.
"Fine," I said, getting up, opening my bag and handing him my phone.
He smiled at me before handing it to Sam.
"Happy?" he said, giving his older brother a look. Sam half shrugged and Nate turned back to me. "Right, you're coming with us, but you can go back to your own hotel tonight. You'll get your phone back tomorrow, that way Sam can be sure you won't ring Rafe."
I paused and glanced at the hotel room phone, my expression suggesting that surely if I wanted to I could use the hotel phone, but Nate quickly caught my eye and shook his head. I sighed and nodded.
"Good," he said, seemingly relieved. "Now we'll ring you a cab and we can all go get some sleep."
"You sure she'll be there in the morning?" said Sam, casually making us once again turn to him. I could see Nate looked at if a headache was coming on. "Well, how much does she value her phone?"
Nate looked at his brother and opened his mouth to speak, but I spoke before he could.
"You want something of value for collateral, huh?"
Sam nodded.
"How about your divers watch?" suggested Sully, indicating to it with his cigar. "I'm sure it's worth a lot to you."
I looked down at the watch and with another sigh made to start removing it.
"No," said Sam, making me look up at him. "I think that is a much better choice."
He pointed towards my chest and my confusion grew for a moment and then I knew what he was asking for. As I had bent my head to undo the watch, my necklace had swung free and had caught Sam's eye.
"No, not that," I said, my fingers moving immediately to take hold of it. "Anything but that."
"Sam, the watch is fine," said Nate, seeing the distress on my face.
"No, I think not," replied Sam, a funny look in his eyes. "No necklace, no go."
Sully looked to Nate, but Sam didn't want to listen.
I felt tears threaten to fall but I had no choice, we were at a stalemate. I felt like stamping my foot, but instead I gripped the bed knob at the end of the bed to control my emotions, before my fingers moved to the clasp to undo the gold scarab from around my neck.
"Freya," said Nate, indicating I didn't have to do it but I shook my head.
Sam held out his hand and I let the necklace drop into his palm. I then looked him hard in the eye.
"You lose it, or any harm befalls it and nothing, no army, no living thing that exists on this earth will be able to protect you from me! You got it?"
He nodded.
"I'll keep it safe," he said and for that moment alone I felt he sincerely meant his words.
Nate looked between us and nodded.
"Right, I'll get you that cab," he said before disappearing from the room.
By the time the taxi arrived everything was sorted and I was grateful to get in it and be heading for my hotel. Sully and Nate had seen me off before heading back upstairs. Unbeknown to me, Sully gave Nate a look as they ascended the stairs and Nate sighed and nodded. The two went back into Nate's room where Sam had been watching from the balcony but now came back in.
"You shouldn't have done that, Sam," said Sully, giving him a look.
"What?" said Sam with a sigh.
"Made her give you that necklace," continued Sully.
"This?" he said, holding it up. "Sure it's gold, but it's not worth a huge amount."
"No, but it has a great deal of sentimental value," replied Sully.
Sam looked at him.
"It was her mother's," said Nate, stepping forward to look at the necklace. "All she has left of her. I've never seen her without it."
"That's because she never takes it off," added Sully. "Ever!"
Nate looked at Sully and then back at the necklace. Sam's face had lost all expression. He glanced down at the little gold scarab in his hand and maybe just maybe felt a tinge of regret.
Ok so there we go. What do we think? The adventure will properly get going in the next chapter. If you feel like telling me what you thought then please click the review button...pretty please *Puppy dog eyes*.
