Hello again my fellow readers, I have this chapter finally up and running. Work and school have been occupying a lot of my time but I did not forget you all! This chapter is a little bit longer than the others and there is more dialogue, but I dearly hope it isn't boring. Ah and I almost forgot, the next few chapters should get... interesting if you get my drift. Thanks to EmDeSea, HeartBrokenMya, Jackiep13, Angel of Darkness, and NFI for your motivating reviews! They are very much appreciated! Alright, here is "Making Progress"...

Lara had walked several meters in front of Kurtis, only turning around to fold her arm out and hitch-hike a ride home. Kurtis, on the other hand, put no effort whatsoever into catching the eye of a sincere driver. Pathetic? Who does she think she is? 'Pathetic' He imitated her tone with exaggeration while continuing to mutter inaudible nonsense. He glanced up from the pavement and noticed a sign educating the speedy traffic they were crossing a river; Trent. How ironic. He shook his head at the thought and carried on following Laras' path.

Every step she took relinquished a degree of warmth from her worn frame. She shuddered and made one last attempt to stop traffic and seize their attention. Dripping wet and barely dressed, her figure left little to the imagination.

A faint puff of smoke rose from an oncoming delivery truck. Its left turn signal began to flash rhythmically, and the truck came to a halt off the side of the road. Kurtis looked up from the fascinating gravel and watched the passenger door swing open. Lara approached the driver cautiously but full of curiosity.

"Evening." She observed the interior of the truck, finding it littered with beer cans and crumpled plastic containers. "I'm supposed to be heading to Surrey; perhaps you're heading south yourself?" The fat male occupying the drivers' seat raised an eyebrow at her and nodded.

"Sure love." He grunted while chewing on the toothpick that inhabited his filthy mouth.

Lara stared at the being in disgust, feeling her top lip quivering. It was either this, or perhaps trudging a hundred kilometers to the nearest town. And catching hypothermia, she reminded herself.

"Are you getting in toots, or am I just wasting my time?" Evidently, Lara had spaced out holding the cold metal door open. She answered him with a slight bow of her head but then remembered her contemptuous companion.

"I'll be right back." She flashed a fake smile to him and marched back toward Kurtis. "Are you coming?" No answer. "Look, Kurtis, you can either get on this abominable truck with me, or stay here acting like a child having a temper tantrum." Her voice held no patience, and without realizing it, she had begun to tap her foot.

He didn't say anything to her, just stood there with his hands deep in his pockets pondering over the fact that if he'd agree to ride with Lara, it would inevitably end up being on his conscience screaming at himself for giving up so easily. Craning his head back and watching the passing cars, he silently agreed to her request and tagged after her. Ah what the hell. In this case death is inevitable; He could almost picture the balance in his mind, either Lara will proceed to beat the living shit out of me, or I freeze like some ancient caveman found in the Alps…She stood rigid as he neared her, inspecting her of concealed weapons that she might yank out and stab him in the heart with. He strode right up to her and extended his arm out towards the open passengers' door. "Ladies first."

She glared at him, throwing flaming daggers with her eyes. Why do I put up with you? Lara turned her back to him and hoisted herself onto the trucks' elevated step, but Kurtis intercepted her and pushed her aside, taking a seat next to the repulsive driver. She had watched Kurtis shove her out of his way, and she longingly missed the feeling of pulling triggers. Seating herself beside someone she desperately wanted to torture, Lara slammed the door rather harshly. Hurling doors was seemingly becoming more amusing with the thought of Kurtis' head being the object that interrupts the loud banging sound of metal colliding with metal. She smiled villainously, noting her mind to achieve this in her next life.

The driver scoffed seeing the couple in his truck were obviously two not to mess with. The large alloyed eighteen-wheeler fused with the rest of the hypnotized traffic and slowly started its' undoubtedly innocent journey to Surrey. "I suppose I should introduce myself. The name's Felix." He stuck out his hand at Kurtis, who just looked down upon it and snorted.

"Lara" she shook his hand reaching over Kurtis. "This ass-prick right here is Kurtis, don't mind him, he's communicatively challenged."

Felix chuckled, "Good to know. I don't assume your last name would be 'Croft'?"

Smiling she nodded her head. "Yes it is, is there a reason you're asking?"

"Asking, Jesus woman, England's' finest are investigating a murder on your estate! It's all over the news, haven't you heard anything about it?"

"No I have not actually." She shot a venomous look at Kurtis, "Would you care to elaborate?"

Kurtis sighed, as he pulled out his dripping wet cell-phone from his pocket. Wonderful. But it was his drenched cigarettes that made him lose hope for any kind of salvation. Felix, seeing his helpless gesture, opened up the dashboard compartment and acquired two freshly wrapped brand-named cigarettes, all the while still speaking to Lara. "Well apparently, someone had called the police, reporting some sort of incident. I'm surprised you haven't heard of it love, it's being reported everywhere. The highly elite are looking for you, its all over the news darling." Kurtis snatched the offered cigarette and searched for a source of ignition.

"You gotta' light?" He asked.

"It speaks." Felix smiled, then wiped the grin off of his face. "Yeah sure mate, I got one." Felix reached into his pockets, prying out a silver flip-top lighter. The front of it was engraved with a female woman lying down and arching her back. "It's my son's'" he stated proudly.

"That explains so much…" Kurtis covered the flame as he lit the end of the cigarette, taking a long drag of the burning tobacco.

"Are you honestly going to puff that thing in here?" Lara stared at him, astonished by his stupidity.

"Yeah I think I'm 'honestly' going to." He blew a large cloud of smoke in her face, causing Lara to cough slightly. She was furious, her metaphorical stack of hay had just begun to tilt on its' side. Without any notice, she jerked the white roll out from his lips and threw it out into the passing world. "Hey! What the hell was that for?!"

"You know for what. Why would you call the bloody police, you did realize that getting back in would be a pain in the ass with officers swarming my house!"

"Oh I'm sorry if you wanted me to leave Winston in the kitchen with his insides painting the tiled floor like some modern mosaic! What was I supposed to do, wait for you get back, make you a nice cup of tea with those little scones you English love so much? I'm a goddamn cop Lara, it's my job!" He yelled at her trying to defend himself.

That was it, his last remark made her explode with anger. Her left hand had risen so quickly it wouldn't have even been noticed. But Kurtis did notice it and had stopped her hand midway from connecting with his face. He clenched her wrist in a death grip, turning to fully face her, a half-smile forming on his mysterious lips. "You don't want to do that." He replied calmly.

"You would be surprised by the things' I'd love to do to you." She seethed through clenched teeth. Her vexation was steaming off her, evaporating into the tense atmosphere.

"Well perhaps later when we are alone, I don't like an audience when I'm on the job." Making sure he accentuated the preposition, he smirked as an eyebrow arched up, creasing his forehead.

"You're disgusting." Lara twisted her head to face the window, watching the outside scenery blur past her. Kurtis released her wrist, thrusting her bruised hand away.

"Is there something you two blokes want to discuss, I can pull over-" The driver of the truck attempted to ease the tension between all three of them, but failed as he was cut off with the married couple barking at him.

"We're fine!" In unison they growled at Felix, killing any effort in tranquilizing the uncomfortable silence.

The remainder of the expedition home was awkwardly quiet. Lara had been lulled into a light sleep, after an endless argument with Kurtis on whether recent studies on the Spartan civilization were true. She had decided to go against her will and allow Kurtis to have the mental glory of feeling triumphant, though she knew of course his act would come back around and bite him in the ass. Karma had a way of doing that to people.


Lara was having a wondrous dream, just her and the Caribbean white sand between her toes. The vast sapphire ocean in front her gleamed with purity. Seagulls patrolling the coast gave her a sense of protection, although of course she wouldn't have minded taking aim to a few of them, especially the ones that kept lunging at her picnicked grapes in high hopes of success. Her feet submerged under a cool salty wave that had escaped from its' colony of clones. She felt so serene not having to worry about rescuing something from someone or vice versa. That's what her life had been programmed to fulfill, it had always been 'for the greater good' nonsense she knew no one would ever actualize. But she continued doing it, the thing she dreaded the most, compelled by some ancient force to emerge victorious and battle scarred. Many years ago she recognized that unknown force that drove her; it was so simple, instinctive survival.

The indigo waves bobbed out at sea, longing to crash into the ivory coastline only to recede back into a universe of synchronization. Lara slowly melted into the soothing ocean; her fingertips skimming the bouncing waves. It was as though the water absorbed her sins, rendering her soul, sweeping her away into the unbounded realms of forgiveness. She tilted her head back, letting the salty liquid swallow her auburn locks. The blazing sun beat down on her already golden face, forcing Lara to close her eyes and protect them from the harsh rays. The water grew neck deep on her womanly figure; she inhaled a large breath and immersed herself fully into the rehydrating ocean. Once under, she entered a completely different domain.

Silence, peaceful and undisturbed silence.

Lara sank down to the ocean bed, crossing her legs and sitting, her lengthy chestnut hair floating and swaying in rhythm with the passing sea surf. With her eyelids closed shut, she began to purge the oxygen from her lungs, gradually unleashing the prolonged pain of her childhood and tormented life. She opened her mouth and began to scream, shrieking at her mother, father and loved ones until her chest could endure no more. Lara quickly pushed her body up to the surface, breaking through and gasping. She spewed out pungent water from her lips and raked her pruned hands through devilish hair. Walking back to shore, Lara felt lighter, as if the weight of some unexplainable burden had been lifted off her shoulders. The cotton beach towel she had used as a blanket lay overturned and sandy. Lara settled down on the baked sand, her arms and legs sprawled out on the beach. She laughed, her first real laugh in years, rolling around in the coarse landscape, living the amazing feeling of freedom.

"Lara" Someone was calling her name, the sound was faint and distant. "Lara wake up…" It grew louder, charging at her with full force. No, no please don't let this be a dream. Her surroundings started to become hazy, the palm trees behind her faded, and soon she saw the ocean disappear into nothingness. Don't wake up, don't wake up... Things began to lose their contrast, the unblemished sand beneath her feet diminished leaving her in the dark. Don't let this be a dream…

Her hazel eyes flew open, readjusting her vision and organizing images in her head. Kurtis was staring at her, the glint of a smirk forming on his lips. "Morning sunshine." As she began to register the setting around her, Lara soon realized she had fallen asleep on Kurtis's shoulder. It would not have been uncomfortable, and although it wasn't, Lara wouldn't allow Kurtis to see her without the thick emotional armor it had taken her years to construct. She lifted her head, glancing around.

"Had to stop for gas, we'll be home within the hour." Kurtis had pulled himself away from her, running his hand across the dashboard. His hair was in a soft frizz; tiny strands poked out from the bushel of dark brown. A large bruise was forming on his forehead; the painful souvenir he had purchased from the car wreck. The doused cellular phone that had previously occupied Kurtis's pocket lay innocently untouched, unwanted and discarded. Bryce. She remembered her dear friend; the threatening situation she had been sucked into and how it may jeopardize his life.

The gas station attendant labeled as Daniel, watched through his grungy Plexiglas window as a tall brunette woman jumped out of the recently parked delivery truck. She had jogged over to a transparent phone booth and contacted someone over the phone.

"Bryce, its Lara." She paused knowing all too well he would lecture her on television headlines.

"Lara! Bloody hell, what has happened? Where are you? The police are looking for you, someone's dead on your grounds an-"

"Bryce, I need you to listen to me, I'll explain all of this later. You need to get out of the country, fly to Italy, Spain, Brazil, wherever. You cannot stay in England, it's too dangerous. I've already lost a good friend and I'm not about to lose another. Book the flight under my bank account, my treat." She smiled warily.

"I don't understand. What happened, is Winston alright?" There was a long silent pause, indistinctive voices from the television informed Lara, Bryce had heard who was killed at Croft Manor. Police have identified the victim as Winston Smith, allegedly Lara Crofts' butler. No other information has been released on the cause of death or the suspect. More on this story as it progresses.

Lara sighed deeply, saddened that her beloved butlers' murder had to be announced so casually. "Bryce, you cannot stay in England, you need to leave the country. I promise I'll explain everything later."

"I'm so sorry Lara."

"Bryce, I'm fine. One last thing, the code to the armory, is it still the same?"

"Yeah, should be, no ones' changed it since Prague. Why? Are you scheming something? Because you know I could use a little extra pay." She heard him chuckle on the other end, and a grin crept across her lips. Leave it to Bryce to liven up any situation.

"No, you need to get out of London. I'll speak to you soon." With that, she hung up and left the claustrophobic booth.


Forty-five minutes later, Croft Manor had come into view. Felix was ordered to park half a mile from the main entrance, hopefully an ample enough distance from the police vehicles that surrounded Laras' home. Lara slipped out through the passengers' door with Kurtis jumping down behind her. His heavy black boots generated a solid thud as they hit the dry earth.

"Thank you Felix." She waved her hand at him, wishing him a safe trip back to London.

"Don't worry about it; it was my good deed for the day anyways." He smiled and leaned over the unoccupied seat to pull the door back and shut it. "You just make sure things work out, love." Felix held up his hand signaling a goodbye and continued on his initial route.

As soon as the truck had gotten out of viewing range, Lara quickly turned around searching for something on the ground. They were on a desolate dirt road; Lara had never really appreciated townsfolk disturbing her peace with their SUV's and fuel consuming monsters.

"Alright, so how are we getting back into the house without you being questioned like some contestant from 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire'?" Kurtis had crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one leg.

"You should have thought of that before you called the police, genius." Lara crouched down beside a group of various shrubs. A rusted circular handle was hidden beneath the tall grass. "Luckily, there is another way." She yanked on the handle and revealed an opening in the ground, similar to the look of a tornado cellar with two doors swinging on decaying hinges. "Wonderful, I would have never thought this thing could have come to better use." She flung the decomposing doors open and peeked inside. The cave-like tunnel was lit only by the daylight cast from the entryway. Lara glanced at Kurtis and her lips curved into an optimistic smirk. "We English people always have a plan B." Then, she informally stepped down into the black passageway.

Kurtis stood in the same spot as Lara had seen him before she disappeared into the ground. A few seconds had passed since she had vanished, when Lara poked her head out from the opening. "Coming?" With her question, an eyebrow joined in, arching itself in conjunction with her tone. He scoffed and walked up to the entry, observing it with curiosity.

"Why not. Pitch black tunnels that lead to hell are my favorite." He placed his foot on the first step, cautiously letting his eyes adjust to the dark.

Lara had gone ahead several meters, using her palms to guide her. The cold stone underneath her hands was granular and damp. "Sarcasm?"

"Just a little." Kurtis timidly touched the walls of the passage with his index finger, lifting it to inspect it of foul odor. Lara turned around talking to the illuminated silhouette near the entrance.

"Afraid of the dark Trent?" The corners of her mouth curled, forming into a vicious grin.

It had taken him a spilt second too long to answer, and he knew it was a mistake on his part. "Nope, you?"

"I'm considered a 'Tomb Raider' Kurtis; it would defy the point of such a title if I had come to fear darkness." Lara herself was actually taken aback by her quick response. "To answer your meaningless question, no I am most certainly not."

"That's good, because you know if there's some boogeyman or something creeping around in this cave I wouldn't want you to scream and jump into my arms for protection."

"You see, that is where you are wrong. You would be the one screaming like a little girl and jumping into my arms." She sighed, already annoyed by the slow progress of the situation. "There should be some spare flares around here; my father had purposely left three or four at both ends of the tunnel, another one or two in the center." She spotted a tiny niche in the wall near the bottom step. There you are. Passing Kurtis, she stuck her hand into the rectangular alcove and pulled out a small box, dust covering the top like a thick blanket. Lara sparked a flare to life, its' glow filling the tunnel with bright crimson light.

Both of them slowly began to traverse the passage, quiet stillness engulfing them and the darkness ahead. "Where does this thing lead to?" Kurtis asked.

"My pool room. In the 19th century, when the house was rebuilt, my great-great grandfather built this tunnel in case anything had happened. My father showed it to me when I was young and I had spent the majority of my childhood here, digging further into the passageway day by day until I had come to the end, the dirt road we entered from."

"Ah, so you were an early adventurer. How cute."

Lara threw him a venomous look. "Anyway, this tunnel hasn't been used since my fathers' death, I intended on it staying that way until two nights ago when Vasiliev barged into my home. This was the only way he could have gotten in without my security censors detecting him." The flare began to faint, its' smoke creating rosettes in the thin air. "We're getting close."

"And I suppose once you have your equipment, you're going after him." Kurtis glanced back behind them.

"What else would I do, sit at home answering pointless questions while that bastard gets his way, manipulating and using people like pawns in his grotesque game? The moment he crossed my threshold, he became a dead man. His life expectancy lasts only until the second he sees the barrel of my gun."

Several muted minutes later, the outline of a door emerged in front of them. "Alright listen, I need to get to the armory and my bedroom. I need you to distract the officers while I slip in and out, give me ten minutes." He nodded in agreement, and turned his head to the illuminated outline.

"And this giant cinder block? How the hell are we moving it out of the way?"

Lara walked up to the outline, looked back at Kurtis and smiled. "You don't actually think I'd put a giant eight hundred pound statue in front of an escape hatch. It's interior is plaster, I had a painter coat the outside with granite paint, and voila Michelangelo's unheard of masterpiece. At most it's four hundred kilos." She carefully pushed against the large fish shaped statue, hearing the bottom of it grind above the tiled floors. She paused, listening intently, hoping she had not attracted unneeded attention from the loud scraping noise.

Kurtis soon joined in, helping her force the plaster further into the main building. Lara had held her breath, as a reflex, while straining at the statue. She suddenly gasped as the unbearable pain in her ribs rushed back, her hand rising to her midsection. Bloody hell. Lara screwed her eyes and took long heavy breaths until her body calmed down and was able to continue.

"You alright?" Kurtis wasn't able to visually see her, but had sensed something was wrong by her rapid breathing.

"I'm fine, just a bruise." She lied.

Numerous efforts later, they were finally able to break through and infiltrate the pool room. The gap between the corner of the statue and the wall was just barely wide enough for Kurtis to slide through and enter the spacious chamber.

Lara was keen on packing her things quickly; leaving this forsaken building before any more damage could be done. She turned to Kurtis, whispering. "Ten minutes, clear the main stairwell, and meet me in the garage in fifteen." A smirk overthrew his lips and he pivoted his head towards the door.

"This should be interesting." Then he left the well lit room, his boot making obnoxious thumps on the solid stone ground as he marched down the hallway stopping feet away from the doorway to the main hall. He straightened his body, thrust his shoulders back, and rubbed his hands together as though he were about to step on stage and act out the biggest and most meaningful scene of his career. Kurtis stepped out into the limelight, spotting the group of agents discussing the evidence from the murder. "Evening gentlemen."

"Kurtis, you bastard, what the hell are you doing here?" One of the men responded to his greeting.

"Well hello to you too."

The head officer, Jack Collins, grinned upon Kurtis, chuckling and shaking his head in amusement. "Ray is around here somewhere. I'm sure he'd be able to fill you in on the investigation. Forgive my men; they're not earnest to newbie's."

"Oh, earnest is bit of an understatement don't you think? And anyways maybe I don't want to talk to Ray, perhaps I'd like to check out the scene, give you a real opinion on the killing…" Kurtis circled the group, scrutinizing them with his glare, watching them squirm like ants under a sunlit microscope.

"Jack, he is completely unnecessary here. Get him back to base for a debriefing" A man from the group called to Jack, hoping his commander would comply.

"No, I think it would be rather refreshing to hear from someone other than the men I write checks to." His pupils glimmered against the stained windows reflecting magical light in his eyes. "From your American 'CSI' shows I'll be expecting something extraordinary." Kurtis and Jack were in a different world, they understood each others actions and the reactions that proceeded after. But then again, Jack was the one who suggested him to the CIA.

The two men rounded up the group of investigators, forming a horseshoe around Kurtis. He faced the massive stained glass window, which sat looming above the split master staircase. The manor did not hold the same comforting feel that Kurtis had been welcomed to days before; instead it reeked with death, murder and the soft clicking of cameras taking snap shots of the area. He told them what they had wanted to hear; tidbits of background information on Lara and her family matters. Kurtis wasn't lying, just holding back information that he didn't think was essential to his monologue.

It was in the middle of explaining Lara's situation in Paris and Prague, when his eyes caught the attention of a moving shadow.

Lara was discreetly maneuvering away from the same doorway he had come out of just moments ago. She stared at him and the men while cautiously taking each step towards the staircase. Her eyes met with Kurtis's for a fraction of a second and suddenly she felt this strange feeling come over her, tingling her senses, goose bumps cascading on her skin. The way his hair fell across his eyes and blocked certain fragments of his vision caught her attention. She couldn't control her eyesight from lingering downward watching his toned chest rise and fall with the insignificant words that flowed from his mouth. And then she saw it. A curious eyebrow perched atop his right eye, secretly interrogating her with its bend. Blood rushed to her cheeks, and Lara quickly looked away, feeling ultimately humiliated in front of him.

She hurriedly rushed up the steps, turning the corner that lead to her bedroom. The narrow sentimental rug that ran down the hallway comforted her bare feet, but she was forced to drop down on her hands and knees to avoid being caught by one of the unsuspecting officers Kurtis was talking to. What are you doing Lara, don't be stupid, don't get involved. She reached the oak door that would unveil her terminal.


"…She just wouldn't have a motive to kill her own butler and close friend." Kurtis had made his final statement, hopeful that his jury would find him believable. He cleared his throat and turned back to Jack. "I'll speak to Ray now."

Jack lifted the walkie in his hand and spoke into the microphone. "Ray Griffin, come down to the main hall, Kurtis is here. He'd like a word."

"Copy that." A British voice replied.

The remaining agents blurted out at each other, agreeing and disagreeing in unity until a tall man walked into the room. He was nearly 6'5, thin and pale. He had the eyes of a kind man, full of cheer and joyfulness.

Ray Griffin strode into the chamber, a wide grin smeared on his boney face. "Kurtis Trent! It's been months since I've seen you, Jesus."

"Ray, yeah mate, how long? I think it was Julia's wedding… back in February." They greeted each other with a sincere hug. Kurtis pulled Ray aside from the large group of men and continued. "Has there been any news on Vasiliev?"

"Right down to business, eh? Well actually he's holding another conference in Moscow this weekend, Intel informed us to keep an eye on him while he displays the famous Jade Key." Kurtis ran a hand through his hair and sighed, deep in thought. But quickly, an idea occurred to him.

"Listen, the apartment in Namur, is it still being leased?" He questioned his loyal companion.

"In Belgium? No I'm pretty sure it's empty for the next few months. Buyers don't really come around during the cold seasons. Why do you ask?"

"Because I need to take a little trip to Moscow." A glint of mystery flared in his hypnotizing blue eyes. The men he had been recently "lecturing" dispersed, most likely searching for evidence around the house that would prove their own theory on the murder. Ray just stared at Kurtis, that blank 'what the hell are you up to' expression on his face.

"Kurtis, don't you bloody hell run off after him. The man is a nutcase; you've seen the things he's done to his men. Chopping off their heads and sawing off their fingertips, it's like something from a Hannibal Lector movie. We've got him under surveillance; if he wipes his ass, we know about it."

"And that is exactly what I want you to continue doing. Pull some strings, I know you've got resources, just make sure the agency doesn't know where I'm going."

Ray Griffin slumped his shoulders just slightly, causing Kurtis to seem taller then he previously was next to him. He knew that Kurtis would not take no for an answer; he'd just keep on pushing until he got his way and Ray himself would have to admit defeat. "Sophie still lives next door you know." He stated, wishing the mention of Kurtis' ex would somehow pull back on his reigns and make him not go to Moscow.

"Is she now… well then I guess I'll keep in mind to double lock all the windows and doors." Kurtis knew exactly where Ray was heading with his choice of words. He hadn't seen Sophie in at least ten years, nor has he exactly wanted to either. She had cheated on him, blamed him for making her cheat and left for Barcelona; all in the timeframe of one working business day. Kurtis could admit that it was partially his own fault for making her leave, but he felt absolutely nothing when she did. He actually felt better when she had gone. But he had closed that chapter of his life when he moved back to the States, starting out fresh; beginning with the theft of luxury cars.

"From the things I've heard, she's still the annoying little slut she was when she left you."

"Don't call her that. I'm sure there are plenty of ways to ignore her. I mean, hell the apartment is above a bar…" Kurtis felt the minutes ticking away as this small-talk with Ray was extending further into his own personal life; and frankly, Kurtis was not in the mood to talk about his past. "Did you see the scene? Jack was telling me they might have a lead on the suspect."

"You know Kurtis, you're just as likely to of done it as Vasiliev… Fleeing from the victim like that…" His lips curled just a little, but Kurtis could see the full-fledged smile. Obviously, Ray knew a lot more on what happened then he pretended to know.

"Yeah…" Kurtis paused, thinking of ways he could get to the garage without anyone perceiving him. "Alright, well I'm gonna be heading back to town, I need to get some rest…" He began to back away still speaking with Ray. "If anything more comes up, give me a call at the apartment."


A freshly dressed Lara strode into her spacey garage; a room packed with brand new Aston Martin's, Audi's, Mustangs and other various vehicles. "Hello darlings." She sported a pair of comfortable black pants that were tucked into her usual worn-down boots. Her holsters were strapped securely to her thighs but were lacking her complementary dual pistols. A navy-blue cashmere sweater covered her torso, which was peeking out from under her ebony leather jacket. She had everything prepared and ready to go; the only thing left to do was to arm herself with her trusty gadgets.

Behind her 1964 Aston Martin stood a normal looking utility closet. Lara approached the vehicle, glancing back towards the door to check if anyone had realized the lady of the house was home. An opening on the closet door poked out, and all Lara had to do was type in the pass-code on the keypad. The doors hissed at their master and slid apart, disclosing a long room that lit up with florescent lights at Lara's sudden appearance.

The small enclosure held some of the most powerful weapons seen to man. Ranging from rocket launchers and sniper rifles to grenades, Kalashnikovs and of course Lara's personal favorites; her two twin Desert Eagle pistols. She surveyed her toys and picked through them, selecting only a few she would take on her journey.

Kurtis crept into the garage unobtrusively, closing the large oak door behind him silently. Immediately the first thing he distinguished were the beautiful cars that surrounded him. "Holy mother-"

Lara popped out from the ammunitions hold, "Ah, Kurtis, just in time. Come here, I want to show you something." He walked towards her voice, not even realizing he was gaping at the brand new silver Aston Martin.

"My god, Lara. How the hell did you get all these?" Kurtis was finally able to look away from the shiny vehicle and ask Lara.

"I stole them." She grinned and placed both silver Desert Eagles into her holsters.

"Ouch." He shook his head in disbelief that Lara would bring up the subject of carjacking. She threw him his Boran X and he caught it one handed, running his fingers over the cold metal shaft.

Lara walked out of the hold and came back seconds later, carrying a black duffle bag in one hand. "Your little Frisbee thing is on the shelf." As soon as she finished, the bladed disk flew at her as the orange glow enflamed it. Kurtis reached out his hand and the circular airborne object darted into his palm and became dormant.

"It's called a Chirugai, and it is not a Frisbee." His tone had gotten sharp and his voice sliced through the stillness around them. Lara stood up, brushing her hair back with her hands and glared at him, enraged that he could, after everything she had been through, still mock her with his telekinetic powers. "So which one are we taking?"

"We? Kurtis, there is no we. I am going alone, meaning by myself, making it impossible for it to be a 'we'."

"Right… and you're going to find Vasiliev how again? Seems like you'll need my assistance in tracking him, and since I already know where he is, don't you think it would save you tons of time by simply asking me?" The gratification in his American accent made Lara want to launch one of the rockets in the room straight into his head and laugh as little pieces of Kurtis would fly everywhere.

"Hah! No thank you, I'm really quite sure I don't want to drag you to another hospital when you're bleeding to death. Doesn't that sound familiar? Oh yes, yes it does. But hey, if you want to be skewered by another giant wasp, then please, be my guest come along. Just know that I will be standing in the doorway watching you bleed with pure satisfaction." She had neared him so close that their chests met and he stared down at her in enjoyment.

"Well that's alright by me, I'd prefer to be stabbed by a bitch then befriend one." That signature smirk of his spread across his face, as he whispered into her ear. "Either way, I'm going with you."

Lara's senses flared and she felt completely betrayed by her body's reactions as it took pleasure in being this close to Kurtis. His breaths absorbed into her skin and intoxicated her with his unique sensual scent. She quickly pulled away from him, knowing she, herself, had gotten into the situation. Forcefully shoving weapons into the bag, she paused as she came to the hunting knifes. Lara held a knife in her hand, flipped it in between her fingers and tested the blade. Sharp enough… But she set it down on the counter. "The Audi." For the first time in her life she had admitted defeat without an actual threatening scenario.

Not seeing him watch her, instead she felt his eyes on her figure, and she could picture the fulfilling look on his face. Lara could feel the silent air between them nearing ignition, and therefore chose to walk away from the situation instead of beginning another argument. She shouldered past him and snatched the car keys from a nearby barred safety box. I cannot believe he's coming with me. Wonderful Lara, job well done, congratulations on trying to keep things simple and failing miserably.

Kurtis opened the passengers' door and took a seat in the luxurious Audi R8. He patted the leather seat underneath him and yanked on the seatbelt, clicking it into place and waiting patiently for Lara to stop glaring at him and get in the car. Folding his arms, he shifted in the seat finding a pleasing position and fixed his gaze on Lara.

She looked up into the heavens asking herself why she had to be acquainted with this godforsaken prick. Then, Lara shut the entrance of the armory, opened the garages' gate, placed the heavy bag into the trunk, slammed the door and only then got into the vehicle. With deadly precision she backed out into her driveway and swerved around; punching the gas she sped away.

"Alright, I have reason not to kill you. So tell me Trent, where is it that we are going?"

"We're going to visit a close friend in Moscow."

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