Small italic lines are thoughts, a long block of it is a flashback :)
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The slow rocking of the boat was starting to test her nerves, causing her to try and think of something to occupy her mind, rather than the situation she currently found herself in. The boat they had stowed away on had left Alexandria several hours ago. They were crossing the Mediterranean Sea to enter Port Halil in Gazipaşa, Turkey. From there they planned to steal a ride to Antalya airport in order to head to Brazil.
"I was looking forward to stealing a lifeboat so much," Lara stated wistfully, turning her nose up at the cargo hold they found themselves in. The stench of fish was overpowering, and did not help to improve her mood. Kurtis had snuck up to the higher decks earlier to find out their destination, and finding that it was perfectly compatible with their plans, decided it was wise not to risk being caught stealing a boat and allowing Karel to descend upon them. Sighing as she received no answer, the brunette turned to her own thoughts instead.
Lara agreed with his logic, but she was not particularly happy with their current situation. Her mind was plagued with the various dangers of their mission, and the repercussions should they fail. So many lives depended on the actions of two: a rogue American and a notorious tomb raider.
Kurtis sat silently, toying with the cuffs of his ruined shirt, paying no attention to his companion. Turning her head away from her stoic companion, Lara decided to get some rest. The journey was not that long, but the next opportunity to even relax would be too far away to ensure she was properly alert and rested for the dangers ahead of them.
Her journeys to South America had not been her favourite. The climate was less than desirable. Humid, hot and uncomfortable, her adventures had been less than pleasant, and only redeemed by her finding the treasures she was in pursuit of. Her last visit to the continent had been on her quest to find the Scion, and that had been nearly as life threatening as the one she embarked upon now.
At least you have a partner now, she added mentally, looking over once again to the American across the dingy way. She had always considered herself to be a lone adventurer. Her past experiences had taught her you could only rely on yourself, and then only sometimes. Your senses could be tricked, your mind weakened by need and your will crushed by people you once held close. Lara barely trusted herself, and bringing Kurtis into her life was a mammoth risk for her, one she fully expected to regret.
"Stop thinking, I can almost hear the cogs in your brain turning," Kurtis drawled, breaking her from her reverie.
"Sorry. You are not the most talkative companion, and one does get rather bored when the only things to entertain oneself with are nets, fishing rods and coolers filled with the carcasses of fish."
Kurtis smirked at her rant, his light blue eyes taking on a mischievous countenance (the word 'countenance' is wrong in this context. Perhaps 'his light blue eyes alight with mischief'?).
"Is poor little rich Lara sulking?" he taunted, flicking a stray lock out of his eyes.
"Hello, I'm Lara Croft."
The young woman introduced herself, shaking the hand of a slightly obese man behind an elegant mahogany desk. She took the seat offered to her, and paused briefly to admire the room, eager to devour every book in the long case that adorned one wall and wanting to peruse the various artefacts dotted around the room in cases.
The young woman had dressed in a conservative suit, tailored to her athletic body perfectly, giving a smart appearance appropriate for a potential client.
"The daughter of the late Lord Croft?" The man questioned, leaning back in his leather office chair, reclining his arms back to expose the sweat stains in his light coloured suit. The young woman repressed a grimace.
"Biologically speaking, yes," she answered with caution, unsure of where the conversation was going.
Lara Croft had applied for a job to be the lead archaeologist on a dig to uncover a lost mortuary temple in Egypt. It would hopefully become her third successful expedition.
The man, a Mr. Cornell, gave her a patronising smile. "I think any good man would be insulted to have to work with a pretty little rich girl with no qualifications and little experience. It would be an insult to those who haven't bribed their way into the business."
The finality of the comment persuaded her to leave, not before throwing the disgusting man a look of pure contempt.
Lara ended up beating the very same man to a prized possession three years later, resulting in his trying to repair the damage he had caused. His look of horror as she shot several 'artistic' holes into his brand new car was one of the pleasanter memories she held.
"Don't ever call me that again," she mentioned quietly, not putting quite as much force into it as she had wanted. The brunette was tired of being perceived to be in this business for the money, tired of being accused of only doing the job she loved for the status and recognition she received. She felt frustrated every time an article mentioned her inheritance and wealth. It was something beyond her control, something she wished everyday of her life that she did not have. Yet she had learned over the years that one of the best methods of survival was to exploit what you had, and charm what you could not.
"Look, I'm sorry. I know you aren't like that. It's just hard to understand why someone who has it made wants to live like this," Kurtis replied, gesturing around at the cargo hold they were currently in.
Lara sighed, somewhat flattered that he was trying to understand her, but annoyed she had to explain herself once again, when she considered her answer to be obvious.
"I do this job because I love it. I don't honestly care if my net worth is fifty pence as long as I get to travel and see the world and not have to stay in that overbearing mansion of my father's."
Her words were said with conviction, not arrogance, something her partner appeared to be surprised by.
Clearly he's just one of the many who think being rich means you've got it made, Lara thought, slightly disappointed by his lack of foresight.
No more words were exchanged until a soft bump was heard that signaled their arrival at the dock. Shouted commands were heard from their hiding place in a language neither could understand, causing them to become apprehensive. Instinctively, Lara hid behind one of the larger crates, motioning for Kurtis to join her.
"Wait for the ship to go completely silent, then we shall proceed with caution," Lara instructed.
The ship was currently active with the various sounds of the crew working on the ship, no doubt getting it ready for its next voyage.
Luckily, no one had come down into their hiding place - no doubt too busy with securing and cleaning the rest of the ship - but Lara felt that the crew would be accessing the room very shortly, and would catch them red-handed.
"Let's move out," Lara whispered to Kurtis, who was crouching awkwardly between a crate and a wall, trying to fit his muscular frame into a space far too small to be at all comfortable. He nodded appreciatively in agreement, stretching out silently from the space, offering a hand to Lara. Without thinking she accepted it, and found herself hauled to the side of his body. Looking up in confusion, Lara searched for a reason for her current position in Kurtis' expression. The slightly relaxed smile that pulled on his face gave away nothing. Her conscience was protesting against such an invasion of personal space, yet she allowed it, trying to justify the closeness as best as she could, not ready to admit to herself that she liked it.
The two sneaked out of the room, Lara still plastered to Kurtis' side. Maybe he likes the thought of protecting me for once, she mused, allowing a slight smile to enter her face.
The stark white hallways offered few places to hide if someone was coming, so they progressed speedily, finding the stairway they used when they first stowed aboard. From what they could tell it was not the main one, meaning they were in less danger of being caught. The fresh gusts of the sea air were a relief after having stayed in such a confined space, and Lara had to resist the urge to gulp in the air. The two looked around quickly, ensuring they had not been spotted before walking to the edge of the small boat and diving in the water. They immediately grabbed onto each other, kicking towards the shallow, sandy seabed. They knew that the noise of the splash would have been heard, so they swam under the boat, knowing for sure that they couldn't be seen there.
After a few minutes, and a need for air she could no longer ignore, Lara led Kurtis to the surface carefully, emerging silently by a sandy shore.
"Let's get to that airport," Lara murmured, heaving herself out of the cold water, partner in tow.
………………………
I know it's been ages, and I am truly sorry, things got too out of control and I needed to recollect.
But anyways, I hope you enjoyed it, and I can promise I will update sooner.
Comments/reviews are welcome as always.
M.P.