Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Lara and Sam
Author's Note: A pretty short chapter, but we're getting closer to the end now! I do, however, promise we're going to go out with a bang so please stay until the end. Please enjoy
Content Warning: Please note this chapter contains mild blasphemy.
When Lara woke up she was outside. It was day time and very bright, so it took her a few moments to get her bearings and realise what had happened. By the time she could open her eyes and look at the sky without squinting, she had remembered how she became unconscious. By the time she could sit up, she had noticed she was by the entrance to the old slaughterhouse, a few short metres away from her car. By the time she found The Bag sitting next to her, she had remembered why she came here. By the time she stood up, she remembered Sam.
"Jesus Christ," Lara muttered, grabbing the bag and rubbing her right temple.
Her head was banging and her wrist was sore, but she had reached the final straw. This was going to end now.
Getting in the car, Lara opened The Bag in the hopes of finding a clue; she was not disappointed.
Don't worry Lara, you're nearing the end. The final note. If only you hadn't chosen the cowards way out with Mariokart, perhaps then I wouldn't have been so stubborn. I did try to warn you. Don't you remember? The grenades? Anyway, what is done is done, so they say. It's time for the final showdown. We've taken Sam and this time we're going to let her die. We won't torture her or beat her; we shall only let nature take its course. Sam won't be provided with food or water, she will be left alone until you find her. My advice to you would be to take a moment to look back and consider what you've been through. The clues, the notes, the people. It won't be so simple though! If you want your girlfriend it is up to you to win her back. And I tell you now, if you go down to the woods today, you better not go alone.
Lara cried as she drove. She didn't stop crying until she reached her home. Pulling herself together as she exited the car, she made a quick dash into the house, ensuring the neighbours wouldn't see her in such a bloody mess. She hopped upstairs and looked at herself in the mirror.
God. I look like I was in the last 15 minutes of Carrie.
She took off her clothes, depositing them on the floor- they weren't her top priority right now. After a quick shower to rinse the blood from her hair and skin, Lara dried off and put on fresh clothes before making for the living room. The clock told her it was only 8:48am. She checked the day too, making sure it was only a day later than when she was previously conscious- she wouldn't fall for that one again.
Instead of finding resources on the internet or various books, Lara sat back and thought. For once, she thought it wise to take Cow Blood's advice and backtrack on the happenings.
The first incident was outside Dale Meadows, thought Lara. That was when it all started. Then there was the chase with the man with glasses. Perhaps that was significant?
It was hard to piece it together. So much had happened that it seemed to merge into a big blur. She decided that the best thing to do would be go back to where it all started and go from there. So Lara grabbed her laptop and put it in its satchel before driving to Dale Meadows.
As she was only steps away from exiting her house, the front door less than a couple of metres away, the doorbell rang. Lara could see the silhouette of the person who had rang it. At first she was cautious- Cow Blood did say the 'final showdown', it would make sense for someone to be coming to her. However, once Lara realised the silhouette was that of a woman, she let her guard down. Cow Blood wouldn't send a woman; he knew Lara would beat a fight in regards to strength.
Lara opened the door and was surprised at who stood at the doorstep. It was Kat from Hop Up, the obnoxiously desperate safety instructor.
"What are you doing here?" Lara snapped, glaring at her angrily.
She opened the door wider, despite herself. She wasn't in the mood for a public display this morning. She wasn't in the mood for anything.
Kat stepped inside, her hands shoved in her pockets nervously. Lara closed the door behind her and stood opposite Kat.
Lara shrugged and raised her brows as if to say 'what?'.
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry," Kat said. Her voice sounded different. Guilty.
"You should be," Lara growled. "It was gross."
Kat frowned. "Okay, yeah, I agree. No need to sound so hostile."
"Hostile?! There's no need to act like it wasn't your fault. You forced me to kiss you."
"What?" Kat exclaimed, clearly confused.
"At the skydiving place, you made me kiss you! Isn't that what you were apologising for?" Lara asked, equally confused.
"Oh! No, actually, I was talking about Harvey. I was saying I'm sorry about what's happened to him."
"Harvey?" Lara asked, alarmed. "Why, what has happened to him?"
Kat looked anxious and stepped from one foot to the other.
"You haven't heard?"
Lara shook her head.
"He got beat up, apparently. Like, in the middle of the night. Quentin called me and told me he wouldn't be in work today because he was going to visit Harvey in the hospital."
"Holy shit," Lara whispered.
"I know. I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you. It's gonna be okay," Kat murmured.
She took a step closer to Lara and took hold of her hand.
"Seriously?" asked Lara, smiling from anger. "You're still going to try and get off with me after telling me one of my best friends is in hospital?"
"Lara, please. Don't be so dramatic. He's gonna be fine and I'm just comforting you."
Lara scoffed. "I might as well just give you what you want. You're not going to leave me alone without it, are you?"
"What do you-"
Kat was cut off by the crash of Lara's lips against her own. Lara used her own lips to force Kat's open, letting their tongues clash messily. After getting over the initial shock, Kat leaned in to the kiss further and let her hands ride up Lara's torso. But Lara wouldn't let her enjoy it. She grabbed Kat's wrists and slammed them against the wall behind the latter's head. She finished the kiss and stepped back.
"Fuck you," growled Lara before leaving.
Kat followed her soon after.
"Where are you going?" Kat asked.
"Don't you understand the meaning of 'fuck you'?" Lara asked back.
"You just snogged me!" objected Kat.
"It was a 'fuck off' kiss. I'm surprised nobody has given you one before," Lara replied, getting into her car which was parked on the driveway.
Kat frowned and shook her head.
"Move your car," Lara ordered, nodding her head at Kat's car, parked so it blocked the driveway.
Kat rolled her eyes but did so. Lara pulled out of the driveway and drove away. She didn't want to spend any time stewing over what she just did. It wasn't right, but she was angry. With everyone. She was even angry at Harvey for getting beat up. That's why she was still going to Dale Meadows rather than the hospital.
Kat hadn't been lying. Harvey was nowhere to be seen inside the cafe. Lara continued to her booth before sitting down and turning on her laptop. As she did so, a brief noise sounded to tell her she had a new Skype message. It was from SM.
Even this is a clue! -SM
Lara frowned and sighed. "How the fuck is that a clue?"
She sat back and thought again. She thought back to Harvey and wondered in what circumstances he had been beaten up. As far as she knew, there was nobody with any kind of motive to hurt him. However, as Lara delved further into her memories about her recent visits to Dale Meadows, a certain man's face popped into her mind. One time when she had come into the cafe, there had been a man shouting at Harvey, seemingly telling him off for something. Despite her concern, Lara had only got as far as recognising the man but not being able to place him. But now, she knew exactly who he was, yet it didn't seem to make much sense: he was the blind man that she had come across when she had chased a man wearing sunglasses.
"Austin and Brandon," Lara muttered to herself, the names of the twins whose dad was blind.
Only he wasn't blind. When he was there with Harvey, he wasn't wearing dark glasses, nor did he bear a stick of any kind. That's why Lara had found it so hard to place him.
So the man I chased could have been him. He just pretended to be blind once I'd caught up with him. And those boys... they must have been in on it too. That means that guy is something to do with Cow Blood. Are they after Harvey too? Or...
Lara barely dared to consider it.
Or is Harvey in league with Cow Blood too?
Lara hated herself for thinking it, but all possibilities had to be covered.
After taking a moment or two to comprehend this, she went back to her laptop. The only thing she could consider as a clue was the name: SM. But it meant nothing to Lara.
As she thought this, another message came through from SM.
Go to Harvey's office.
"Oh fucking hell," Lara whispered to herself.
So she did.