Chapter 10:
The Deck
The trickling of water was omnipotent as she inched slowly across the splintered wood floor. There was a balcony overhead just several feet that stopped and allowed sight to the impossibly high cavern ceiling.
She didn't notice that her mouth was slightly agape as she walked with her head tilted up and her attention off the current task at hand. She finally did look down when her foot slipped on cold, wet marble. It was another pool; this one thankfully turned in the right direction. It was nice at one time, the intricate designs now faded and covered in mold. She brushed off the almost broken ankle and continued around the deteriorated pool-
-and had to jump in lightning speed, thankfully twisting into a successful back flip before being scorched by a jet of fire. Her mind started racing, her eyes following the trail back to a thug clad in fireproof gear and equipped with a high powered flamethrower.
"Those are weapons only Bartoli could finance…"
She drew the pistols and instantly returned fire, causing the man to slightly retreat. From around another corridor to the main deck she spotted a second armed man, this one not geared up but still armed with another flamethrower. She continued to back up, giving each man a stream of hot lead.
The fire came again, this time hotter and closer as each one shot simultaneously. She ducked down, almost going to her side, and shot out both henchmen's legs. The bullets obliterated the bones and punctured the flesh, blood pooling around both of their feet. Lara jumped up, blowing the smoking barrels of her weapons before holstering them.
"You boys take a lot before you surrender, I'm impressed." She was able to smile, stepping cautiously closer. They were struggling, clutching their limbs in pain and ignoring the weapons. She found it amusing that they couldn't even beg; only feebly try to get away. She smiled, and drew one of the pistols. They stopped immediately.
"So, I already know at least one of you is going to tell me why you are down here."
Before any one could answer she fired a single shot into the head of the gearless thug.
"…Because now there only is one of you to tell me."
She aimed the gun at him, and he swallowed loud enough for her to hear the faint echo of it. She suppressed a chuckle, and took several steady strides toward him. She kicked the flamethrower over the edge of the crumpled wooden banister around the deck, the heavy piece of weaponry hitting with a loud clang after several tense seconds.
"Oh don't play dumb Miss Croft. You already know the item down here is the missing piece in retrieving the dagger. The Seraph, it's sacred in opening the monastery where the monks hold the Talion deep within their catacombs."
Feeling no satisfaction, she raised both of her already drawn weapons, replying
"How much are you willing to tell me before you die down here? Is the Talion the handle to that door in China?"
His dedication to the cult allowed him to deliver a cold, heartless cackle.
"I say no more. Your intentions with the dagger are far different from ours. I can see it, in your eyes…"
Without warning he heaved himself over the edge where she had kicked his weapon, and after several seconds she heard him hit with a crack and loud thud. She rushed over and looked down, spying his crumpled corpse way below. He was pressed against the side of the boat, and out away from the piece she was on now she spotted another smaller, rusted piece.
"The hull no doubt, containing the stern room I bet…"
She found a new pack of flares and some nine millimeter rounds the guard had apparently dropped before falling to his doom, and she took them greedily before moving closer again to the edge. She spotted a moderately deep pool of water, and she lowered herself over the edge carefully and shimmied over toward it. After positioning herself she dropped and the boat as well as the cave went rushing upward, the free fall causing her to squeeze her eyes closed.
Stabbing cold was the first sensation that surrounded her body, and she propelled herself up and above the surface of the freezing water. She wiped her eyes and paddled over to the edge of the pool and climbed out, shaking herself of the chilly fluid. Some soaked wooden crates were in front of her and she decided to explore them first, hoisting herself up on the soggy packages.
They were unmarked, but apparently they had been part of the cargo Maria Doria had been carrying when it was sunk decades ago. Which meant that she could possibly be close to the relic she seeked already. While it was apparently only a part of several pieces required to obtain the Dagger of Xian, she would still feel at least one step closer if she could snatch the Seraph before any of Bartoli's men got it first.
She traversed across the top carefully, lowering herself down to a rusted and sealed door almost concealed by shadows. She struck another flare, removing the Stern key, and she inserted it into the corresponding lock before twisting it. The door swung open slowly, and at first she feared that maybe a swift kick or a tug or two would be in order. But it opened enough, and she squeezed on through-
-when a colony of rats exploded from an unseen cubby hole. She jumped back, dropping her flare as she drew the pistols.
"Oh bugger…!"
She squeezed the triggers, most of the shots destroying the frail bodies of the rats in small gore pools. A couple went stray, and ricocheted through the tight metal walls of the corridor.
She ducked to the side of the opening, waiting until all the high pitched ding sounds had finally stopped. She peeked around for one more check, making sure bullets nor rats were coming her way, and she continued on down the newly opened passageway. At the end another flare was needed, and she spotted a lever jutting out from the rusted metal.
She propped her heel on the wall and gripped it with both hands, sticking the flare in her mouth beforehand, and she pulled down hard. Several mechanical clicks sounded, and another door down the darkened corridor to her right opened. She had to duck a little, and then the chamber rose up high and narrow.
She lifted the flare, looking around at the desolate remains; flaking pieces of the shattered hull floating down gracefully, only adding to the isolated peacefulness she felt as she finished the corridor. She had to crouch down again, this time just a ladder in front of her.
"And a high one, too."
She placed the flare back in her mouth and ascended the structure as quickly as possible, several groans from the metal persisting her to go ever so faster. At the top, her foot broke a rung, and for a moment she felt like she was falling.
She grabbed the handle, but it too snapped in a single bone chilling crunch! She fell to her stomach, both legs slipping from the top of the platform, and she grabbed with two hands the last remaining handle. It held, thankfully, and she was able to pull herself back up after several seconds of struggling.
Another close call.
There was light at the top, and after ducking another low doorway, she stopped in a transfixed state. Only her eyes moved, scanning the sheer scale of the underwater tomb for Maria Doria. Somehow this second piece of the ship had crashed at just the right angle in the mountainside, the bottom of the ocean hiding caves and caverns that she could now explore thanks to the luxury liners destruction.
As if this part of the underwater mountain was hollow, sunlight was streaming in from the impossibly high top. It wasn't much, but it was a welcome change from the previous dark areas and now her eyes took it in by soaking up all the details.
There was a raft suspended above a giant pond of water, a tunnel extending right below it underneath the murky water. A large portion of the deck was now easily explored from this new vantage point she had found, and now she was worried that goons were floating around.
She crouched down and hopped down from the balcony on to the first floor. She hit with a thud, but eliminated as much of the sound as possible, and then rolled behind a relative thick wooden pillar. She held her breath for a second, listening for the sound of human activity.
There was nothing.
An occasional squeal of a vampire bat. The steady dripping of water somewhere in the distance. Slight moans from the rotted wood of the deck floor. The crumble of rocks breaking from erosion on the cavern walls.
But nothing human…
She stood back up, brushing off her knee-
-and the pillar she was leaning on suddenly collapsed, the base snapping from the rest in splintering cracks. The balcony was soon to follow, and she sprinted away from the death trap. She dived into a roll, more of the pillars breaking and crumbling into heaps.
She felt the air of the force, landing on her stomach and covering her face to avoid the splintering pieces of wood and rock flying at her. She looked back, the damage not as bad as it had felt, and she once again stood. The quiet was more deafening than before, and for the time being she was still convinced that she was alone.
"Back to raiding…"
She maneuvered down the rest of the deck carefully, a swimming pool coming in to view. It was surrounded by what was once a beautiful patio, with overturned white lattice lawn chairs strewn about. One was even floating in the pool, making for some amusement for the resident fish that now lived in the stagnant liquid.
There were some circular white and red colored life preservers hanging from the walls, most now deflated and covered in dirt. There were some doors, but most were ruined beyond opening, probably after the crash; only a small inconvenience for the clever explorer. She went along until the balcony ended, the rock wall coming in close and preventing further progress.
She once again turned to the water, dreading the inevitable dip she would have to take to explore the underwater tunnel. She let out a small sigh, and then tightened the bands on her braid before adjusting the laces of her boots.
"No time like the present…"
She hoisted herself up on the balcony and stood for only a moment, crouching and then launching herself forward into an impressive swan dive. She was already anticipating the cold sting the water would bring, and even the old smell that would cling to her figure, but she dove in headfirst anyway.
Ever alert, she propelled her body down instead of surfacing, gripping slick rock to pull herself along the passageway. For the majority of the time she kept her eyes sealed shut, only opening them to catch a glimpse of the path she needed to take. Some fished guided her, unaware of the help they provided, and she followed the trails left by the tiny fleeing crustaceans. The water began to taper off, and pretty soon she was wading up the steep incline.
Her boots only just gave her the traction needed to make it up, footsteps alerting her once she neared the top. A goon appeared around the corner, barking
"Hey, where did you come from??"
She steadied herself, drawing and raising a pistol, and then replied
"Your worst nightmare and today is your unlucky day-"
Before she could follow the one liner with a barrage of bullets, the cave erupted into gunfire as he fired first. She slipped, her knee cracking the ground hard, and she too open fired. His bullets missed, thankfully because of the slip, and hers slammed into his shins. He cried out in pain and fell, sliding into the murky water below. He dropped the machine gun he possessed, cursing darkly as he struggled to regain some composure.
"Just kill me…please! Kill me now!"
Lara reached the top, spun around, and drew the second weapon.
She aimed at the rocks above, most of them already looking unstable. She stated coldly
"…My pleasure."
She destroyed the remaining rock holding up the boulders, and they all fell in one easy, swift motion. The short scream that followed was only abruptly ended, which was a little unsettling. She continued on. There was a control box wired to the side of the wall, presenting a small red button.
"Electrical wiring? How long has Bartoli been sending people down here?"
She pressed it, seeing machinery to her left shift in position. There was a jagged square opening on the ground, ropes bring suspended by pulleys disappeared through the manmade opening. She inched over to it, seeing that it was the contraption suspending the inflatable yellow raft. There was too much rust, however, and the button hadn't fully lowered the floatation device enough.
"Great, I get to test gravity again. Fun…"
She lowered herself down, dangling, and then dropped. She almost didn't stick the landing, and the tattered ropes tore instantly. She rode the raft the rest of the way down, her body jerking around from the treacherous plummet. After bobbing precariously on the water's surface, all was silent and unmoving again. A crate, which was broken when she landed on it, contained a single silver key. Etched on it was the word Cabin.
Satisfied with the find, she pocketed the key and swan her way back over to the remains of the ship. She scanned the rows of doors again lining the pool, this time seeing one that wasn't too damaged. She inserted the cabin key, the lock clicking accordingly, and it turned with ease.
The real trouble was when she went to open it, which refused to budge no matter how much stress she put on it. Even the strength concealed in her muscular physique was unable to force the door open.
She grunted after a final push, looking around for some available tool that she could makeshift. Among the remains, nothing popped out.
Frustrated, she kicked the wooden frame of the apparently broken door. She regretted it instantly, pain going up her calf. Now aggravated with herself, she strolled briskly away from the door and toward another branch down a hallway covered with gondolas.
The doors here had also been ruined in the crash, the pale blue glow the wood gave off setting an ominous repression in her lower gut. For the first time since she started the adventure, she didn't want to be here.
The drive to reveal the truth and punish the baddies was usually always enough to fill her drive but now was not one of those times. But after making it this far, there was no turning back.
"One of life's little ironies…"
She stopped, turned and returned back to the deck, and then made her way over to the ruined portion of the balcony. A long piece of the dry rotted wood was lying amongst the rubble, and she snatched it up. Swinging it like a bat, she smiled with satisfaction.
"This should do the trick…"
She made her way back to the stuck cabin door and leveled herself, bringing the homemade bat back. In one quick thrust, she connected the board for wood on wood splintering. The door cracked, as well as a piece of her tool. She swung once more, this time breaking the door from the frame.
She sighed out, tossed the wood behind her, and made her way forward. It was like an office, only covered in ankle high water and smothered with mildew and mold. She pinched her nose, looking around the dilapidated desk and chairs in disgust. Nothing of use. She scanned the perimeter of the room, seeing a safe open and sideways on an end table.
The contents were mostly junk now, aside from a small rusted key. A tag was attached, just barely showing her it was the Storage Room key. She pocketed it greedily, nothing else catching her eye aside from another door. This one was hard to open as well, much to her dismay, but she was able to finally force it open.
"If it isn't one of Bartoli's crew halting me its rotted wood…"
This led back out to the deck, only now she was in a completely new area of the wreckage. A glass skylight, covered in gnarled vines and vegetation, was directly in from of her. Numerous cracks decorated the discolored glass, and for a moment it already looked broken.
She stepped down off the platform she was on and moved toward the glass, poking her head forward to peer down inside. It was dark, with lanterns from Bartoli's crew hanging on some ruined packages. She stomped it once, only enlarging some of the cracks, and she drew a pistol.
"Now you see it," she whispered, and then fired. The glass exploded, shattering into thousands of tiny, dirty shards. She finished smoothly
"…Now you don't…"
She tied some of the coiled vines together, and then used it like rope to descend into the loading bay of Maria Doria. She struck another flare, her eyes alert for anything shiny or anything out of place as she detached and dropped to the floor. There was some corridors to choose from, each one leading into a darkened hallway. She chose the closest and widest of the three, and instantly saw a door with a large pad lock.
"This shouldn't be here…"
She touched it gingerly, and then removed the storage room key. Much to her surprise it fit, and even turned to unlock the door. She heard muffled voices, and raised both nine millimeters before kicking open the door-
-and she was showered with bullets, machine gun fire slicing through the dead silence. She ducked to the side, hearing orders being barked in Italian. Once she could make out her own name being screamed, and the urgency in the way it was pronounced.
She stuck her hand around the corner and fired several blind shots at the thugs. Their fire was temporarily halted and she jumped back into the doorway, using both pistols to lay waste to all but one of the guards. After his friends had fallen, he quickly surrendered.
"Don't kill me…I have kids…"
His hands were raised and his voice quivered, making her feel more in control than ever.
She straightened the leg of her wetsuit, holstering her own weapons.
"Where's the Seraph?" She asked, knowing the storage room was its resting place.
His jaw clenched, and she saw his lips flatten into a thin line. He said through gritted teeth
"Anything but that…" His voice was now pleading.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not leaving Maria Doria without that artifact."
She slipped a hand closer to one of her guns, leaning against the door frame. She raised her eyebrows, her tone changing more serious now.
"Where is it?"
For the first time his eyes left her face, quickly glancing to the left, then back at her. It was a moved he hoped she wouldn't catch.
"I don't know. Bartoli only ordered us to watch this room, he didn't tell us why. You could ask someone else…if you hadn't killed them."
She had tuned him out however, searching the wall he had snuck a peek at.
There were several shelves, with an empty crate on the floor and many cardboard boxes soaked and ruined, among loads of more junk.
He continued to ramble, trying to regain her attention
"Listen, if you want I'll take one of my comrade's radio and ask Bartoli where this Seraph thing is and-"
"No, don't move a single hair on your body."
She drew a gun and pointed it at him, moving close enough to actually tap his forehead with the barrel.
"Where is it at, over there?" She asked, pointing to where he had looked.
"I don't know…" He stammered.
"I think you do…" She cooed, cracking a smile.
"Your crazy lady…" His expression turned angry.
She elbowed his chin, hard, knocking him out cold.
"You can thank your kids later…"
She moved back to the wall, swiping all of the boxes off the shelf. The contents spilled out, soaking in the puddles of water covering the hardwood floor. She kicked them around, not spotting the Seraph. The lowest shelf was now empty, and she tore it from the wall. The rust chain snapped with little effort, and it took a section of the wall with it.
Enough to reach an arm in, she crouched and looked through. It was totally dark inside, producing nothing but a rancid smell. She lit a flare and dropped it inside, seeing only a small closet-sized room. She gripped the broken section of wall and began tearing it, piece by piece, until there was enough room to squeeze through. A steady stream of water was pouring overhead, making her wary and once again reminded that she still was underneath the ocean.
Very deep, underneath the ocean.
And in here she saw it, lying on a small outcrop jutting from the wall. It was more beautiful in person, the winged goddess standing proudly with her arms crossed over her chest. The expression was defiant, and the solid weight of gold only added more charm to the priceless relic.
And instantly it was in her backpack, stashed in safety.
"I got it. The monks and the mafia have both been after this for decades. And I beat them to it… The monastery, the place where the monks guard this 'Talion'...
I need the location.
I must know where these catacombs are at…"
She stopped by the unconscious guards body and checked his pockets, coming up with an accurate blueprint of the sunken ship and more nine millimeter rounds. In his knapsack was a radio, which she made sure to keep switched off. The last thing she needed was more attention here now that she owned the Seraph. Also here was a note, handwritten from Marco Bartoli himself.
You must make sure I'm present when the Seraph is claimed. Now that you are stationed in that storage room, I will begin to send down the troops who will protect the rest of Maria Doria's remains. We already know after Venice that Lady Croft will be after the Seraph, and no doubt she will be swift and precise in finding the location of the ship's remains. After I claim the Seraph we will quickly proceed to Tibet where we will combat the monks once again and take the Talion to fulfill the destiny of the Fiama Nera. Only then will the cult posses the power to total domination.
Marco Bartoli
Along with this useful piece of information was an Emergency Inflatable Balloon deploy, enabling her a quick and smooth trip back to civilization.
"Thank you…" She muttered, patting his head as she stood up. With the map, balloon, and Seraph, Lara Croft began the journey back to the surface.
