The castle stood there in front of their eyes as the car approached on the ramp. It was not easy to find it, but something like this just could not get over two experienced treasure hunters. Wherever the eye could see dense forest surrounded them, the sun shone pleasantly, the tiny stones of the ramp were cracking under the tires of the car as it was inching forward.
"Not bad." - Nate whistled appreciatively as he leaned closer to the windscreen to be able to see the whole building. Lara lowered the volume of the music, and looked around suspiciously, but did not see anyone at first. The Aston Martin only rolled at an easy pace, she wanted to leave time for themselves to make sure everything was fine.
"By the way, it never came to your mind to simply say that Mrs Johnson got sick and you came alone?" - Lara suddenly asked, idly watching Nate. A startled expression appeared on his face. He was silent for a moment, but then smiled.
"It seems I can't think of everything." - he said, but did not look at Lara. Of course, he had thought of it, he was no fool. He would have solved the situation alone, but when he had entered the hotel, and the first thing he had seen on a sign, was her name, he could not resist the temptation. Lady Lara Croft – the secrets of Genghis Khan - it stood at the entrance of the auditorium, and it had made him smiled. They had not talked to each other since the time she had called him after receiving his message with the article. Nate felt that fate wanted them to bump into each other again. Exactly when he needed someone to play the role. He could not have found anyone better for this than Lara.
"Well, then let's get to it." - Lara looked at him as she stopped the car in the parking lot. "Don't forget. Avoid questions, and don't make acquaintances. As soon as possible we obtain the map, and we are out of here."
"Yes, ma'am." - Nate saluted jokingly. "Relax, we're not going to be nabbed. In the worst case, we start bidding." - he smiled.
"I don't think that would be the worst case." - Lara cautiously pointed to a balcony, where an armed guard appeared in the very moment. "I think this won't be as easy as we thought."
"Such a little thing won't deter us, right?" - Nate said, then opened the door and climbed out of the car when he saw someone heading towards them.
"Welcome to the estate. May I see your invitation?" - a man approached, and bowed stiffly. The suit fit him like a glove, his English had a slight accent. Nate pulled out the letter, and handed it to him. "Welcome, Mr and Mrs Johnson." - the man continued, after having checked the names on the list. His eyes gleamed with mild disdain, as he looked at the guest's clothing, but it was not his job to criticize. Jeans, boots, cargo pants, t-shirts, not what he was accustomed to. "Please follow me, your luggage will be carried to your room." - he added, but Lara interrupted.
"Really nice of you, but we would like take care of our things ourselves." - she looked significantly at Nate, who after exchanging some quick glances finally succumbed and walked to the boot. "Would you bring up the bags, darling?" - Lara charmingly asked him, and followed the butler, leaving Nate alone with the five bags.
"Yeah, of course, sure. Why wouldn't I carry all the stuff all alone?" - Nate muttered to himself, simultaneously trying to hang all the baggage he found on his shoulders. "What the hell does she keep in these?" – he mumbled to himself, when he raised one bag. You'll get this back - he thought yammering and after a lost battle with the bags he struggled to walk towards the building.
Lara and the butler were standing in the lobby. The man explaining in a cool voice, she absently listening while reading a piece of paper.
"... you can use anything in the guest wing of the castle, but Herr Schiffen would highly appreciate you to respect his privacy and not to visit the rest of the house. A further description of the program is to be found on the sheet you are holding. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Please follow me." - the man said, then started going up the stairs.
"Let me help you." - Lara turned to Nate, and smiling she took her backpack from him. "What took you so long?" – she asked jokingly, and followed the butler. Nate was just annoyed, looking after her, while his shoulders had already ached heavily under the heavy bags.
Nate entered the room, with a loud groan he dropped the luggage to one of the armchairs, then himself to another, while somewhat irritated he looked around the room.
"What the hell do you keep in these?" - he said at last, massaging his shoulders.
"Only the most necessary." - Lara stepped up to the terrace door, flung both wings open, and walked out into the open space. "You'll thank me to have thought of everything." – Nate could only hear her voice distantly, as he lost sight of her. He lifted the sheet of paper, which was previously seen in Lara's hands, and which now lay in front of him on the small table. After briefly running his eyes over it, a slight grimace appeared on his face, as he threw it back. "Something you don't like?" - Lara looked at him again as she returned to the room.
"The auction will be tomorrow afternoon, until then we must find out where the map is kept." - Nate said, still sitting in the armchair.
"The party tonight will be just the right occasion for this." - Lara picked up one bag, and began rummaging through it. "I hope you didn't break anything." - she said without looking up.
"Party? Don't tell me you seriously want to go to this party." – Nate straightened up for the first time, waiting for her answer.
"Of course we'll go. Don't you think it would be a bit suspicious, if we don't? - Nate sighed in a way as if he had been told Christmas was falling out this year. "We're trying to gather some information, in the first occasion we disappear and get the map while the others enjoy themselves."
"It's written here you need to wear a dinner jacket." - Nate was reading the paper again with some indignation.
"Now don't tell me you don't have one" - Lara looked at him sharply. But then her lips curved into a smile seeing his sour face. "It's good that I thought of everything." – she said cheerfully. "Come on!" - Lara grabbed his hand and pulled him out into the corridor. "Let's look around a little bit."
...
The castle was beautiful, lots of corridors, even more rooms. It managed to retain the medieval atmosphere, but all the equipment was in line with modern demands. Lara looked up to the high ceiling in amazement as they slowly walked along, old, but shiny armours were lined up, the walls were decorated with colourful flags. Nate tried to remember everything so that they would not get lost later. All the time they did not run into anyone else.
"I think this still must be the guest wing." - Nate could not understand himself why he was whispering.
"You're right." - Lara replied, but then they stepped out to a balcony located above the main entrance. Downstairs the butler was explaining to another guest who just arrived. The woman looked like a movie star, wearing a broad hat, so her face could not be seen from up above. Two men accompanied her, who looked like twins, wearing the same kind of suits.
"Who could that be?" - Nate walked to the railing beside Lara, watching her curiously.
"I have a feeling that we would very soon find out." - Lara said more to herself, when in that moment the woman lifted her head and looked up at them as if she had felt being watched. Her eyes met with Lara's, and then they moved over to Nate, smiling confidently. When the woman marched up the stairs, another man appeared in the lobby, being warmly welcomed by the butler. Lara narrowed her eyes for a moment. Somehow that face seemed familiar to her, but she did not know where from. "Come on!" - she said, and turned away before the man could have glimpsed them. She could not risk it being recognised by someone. Although for some reason she was sure that Mr and Mrs Johnson did not use their real names either.
As they turned right on the corridor, suddenly a closed door appeared in front of them. Lara cautiously turned the handle, but the door was locked.
"Maybe now we'll find something here." – she stated enthusiastically, and then knelt on the floor to take a closer look at the lock. It did not seem too complicated. Nate almost did not even grasp it when he already heard the faint click, and Lara opened the door a crack.
"Well, you're not wasting time." – he looked at her grinning.
"I like to get to the point quickly." - Lara replied softly, and then sneaked in to the next corridor. Nate cast a glance behind him, to make sure no one saw them, but then immediately followed her.
Amazed, he discovered that this part of the castle made a considerably different impression. It was furnished much more modern, instinctively he walked more cautiously. Lara flattened to the wall at the corner, and looked out.
"Now it's getting a bit more complicated." - she whispered softly, pointing to the wall, where cameras were placed in every corner.
"I think we found it. The map must be somewhere in here." - Nate stuck his head out from behind the wall a bit, but quickly pulled it back again, when an armed guard walked through the hallway, where they saw the cameras. "The only question is how we get in there."
"We'll see, yet it would not be smart to draw attention to us." - Lara whispered. "We'll come back later." - she added, and they sneaked back the same way they came from.
...
As they returned to their room, Lara immediately grabbed her headset and dialled.
"Bryce! I need your help." - she said hastily.
"Tell me, what do you want me to do?"
"Get us the layout of the castle and send it through to my PDA. In addition, I need you to find out all about the security system very quickly. Without you we won't be able to get in."
"It's easier said than done, but I'll try." – Bryce said.
"Don't just try, Bryce, do it!" - Lara said very clearly, and then she cut the line. Nate stretched over the bed, and watched Lara walking up and down the room, while she arranged two more calls, and then she looked at him with satisfaction.
"I think we are done." - she said enthusiastically. "Now it's the time to get prepared." - Lara watched smiling as a gloomy look passed over his face to this statement. "Relax, Nate. You'll survive."
"If you say so." – he said, but he still didn't seem much more content.
"I'll be in the bathroom. The tuxedo is in the bag, get dressed." - Lara said while she picked up another piece of luggage and walked out of the room.
"You always have a tuxedo with you just in case?" - Nate wondered, as he pulled the clothes from the holder. "And not just any." - he looked astonished.
"I'm glad I hit your taste." - Lara smiled, and then slammed the door behind her.
Nate resignedly yanked himself out of his jeans and T-shirt he had been wearing, and was eyeing the suit with discretion for a while. He could not remember when he had something like this on for the last time. However, as his hand ran over the fine material, he was not even sure if he had ever worn something like this before. He picked up the shirt, and slowly fastened the little buttons. Surprised he noticed that the trousers fit him perfectly, as if they were made for him. He lifted his head and glanced towards the bathroom. With some difficulty he buttoned the cuff-links, and finally stepped into the polished shoes. It was an interesting sensation, but he would not have said that he felt bad in them. Somehow he felt stylish as he looked into the mirror with satisfaction.
As the bathroom door opened, Nate looked up absently, but suddenly he even forgot to breathe. As if another woman had stepped out of it, yet it was very much her. If previously he had no idea what elegance was, now he knew it exactly. Lara looked simply stunning in the black evening dress. She stopped for a moment, seeing his wondering glance, and looked at him asking.
"Is something wrong?" - her hands stroked over the fine material at her hips, and then dubiously looked at herself, as if not understanding what he was staring at so much.
"Wow." - Nate mumbled under his breath, as he stood there like a stone statue. A single thought ran through his mind: how could a piece of material induce such an effect on a man?
"I'll take this as a compliment" – she smiled watching him star at her. "You're really looking good, too." - she walked over to him and stood directly in front of him. Nate was still taller than her, but the difference between them decreased due to the high heels. "Come on, I'll help you." - she said quietly, her hands began to fiddle with the bowtie, and after a couple of clever moves she stepped back pleased to look at the result. "Now it's perfect." - she said smoothing out the shirt on his chest.
"Shall we go, Mrs. Johnson?" - he smiled and held out his hand towards her.
"Seems you'll get your date after all." - Lara smiled back and took his hand.
"Oh no." - Nate shook his head. "This is work. I wouldn't say that it's unpleasant, but still it is work. If we go on a date, you'll notice it." - he was grinning confidently.
"Now that we're talking about work, don't forget why we are here. Focus on snapping some information. We aren't here to have fun." – she said as they were standing, facing each other.
"Don't worry, honey. I know what I'm doing. I don't think it will be me anyway who will have trouble to get rid of the admirers." - Nate was ready with the answer what made Lara grip his hand in revenge, so that he playfully hissed.
"In your own strange ways you know how to make compliments." - Lara's eyes sparkled for a moment, which was not left unnoticed.
"If I had known that you go for guys in suits, I would have put on one long ago." – he immediately retorted with a laugh, whereupon Lara nudged his shoulder with feigned annoyance.
"Just don't become too overweening, Nate!" - then Lara turned around, and pulling him with her she left the room.