Hello everyone,

despite all the madness getting the upper hand in the world lately, the 27th chapter is finally here. I hope that you all are safe and healthy. Hopefully this chapter will improve your mood at least a little bit. ;) Enjoy! :)

Chapter 27: Good Boy, Bad Girl

A loud thunder had disturbed her half-asleep state. And no matter how hard Lara tried, she could not get to sleep. The well-known insomnia. She was aware that it was important to get enough rest to have as much energy as possible for the upcoming tasks. However, her body had clearly decided otherwise. Already being fed up with starring onto the dark ceiling, Lara got up, tossing the blanket aside. She lit up the closest lamp and went over to the window. The surroundings outside was as expected. Several illuminated silhouettes of buildings, cars and trees in the closest view. The mountains far in the background - she had been admiring right after their arrival - could be only guessed because of the mantle of darkness. There was no one outside, only a calm, black night. With a sigh, the adventurer poured some mineral water from a plastic bottle into a glass placed on the table. As she had picked the drink up and put it closer to her lips to taste the refreshing liquid, she sneaked a look into the direction of her roommate's part of the suite. The retractable door was partly open, so it was enough just to take a few steps to have an extensive view through the created crack. Lara hesitated. Then she noticed the dim light coming from the adjusted room. She put the glass back, got into the dressing gown, and moved closer. Now registering a low fluttering noise, eventually she dared to peek inside in the vicinity.

Obviously, the British woman was not the only one having trouble with falling sleep. Kurtis was sitting on the bed, letting the Chirugai levitating and spinning a few inches above his hand. He was wearing a singlet, the lower part of his body covered in a blanket. The soft golden shine emitting from the floating weapon was enlightening his face from below, giving the blue eyes a slightly different shade. The picture made Kurtis Trent's look even more mysterious in Lara's eyes. And - she had to admit - also more appealing. She assumed that the American seemed to be unaware of her presence, most likely too deep in thought and concentration. Lara knocked lightly and drew the door wide, not wanting him to catch her starring. "Kurtis?"

As soon as he had lifted up his gaze to meet hers, the blades retracted and he let the disk fall, catching it between his fingers with ease. Her roommate didn't look surprised at all. Just a little bit apologetic right now. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

"No." She shook her head. "The storm has wrenched me out sleep. It's very persistent. And loud... What are you doing?" Lara asked at last.

"Just... Thinking. Planning. And keeping one of my fighting abilities in shape since the occasion. Care to join? I don't wanna rob you of your sleep, though. Ain't gonna listen to the complaints about me stealing your stuff afterwards," Kurtis added with a smirk.

Lara entered the room fully. She watched her roommate reaching and lighting up another bedside lamp, doing her best not to focus on his toned upper body. "I'm just missing another round of nightmares." She smiled and sat on the chair beside his bed. "Feel free to take those."

"Can I get you anything?" he asked in joke. "Though I'm afraid the offer is quite limited right now. Unlike in your vast residence in Surrey."

She smiled. "A talk would be ample. If you don't mind."

"Let's see if I can oblige, then."

"It won't be anything difficult. I've just been wondering... How does it feel to be able to do all these extraordinary things? I mean, like to make the disk move." She gestured to the enigmatic weapon. "The Chirugai, right? Are your abilities based purely on concentration? Or is it simple for you like lifting a finger?" Lara definitely hadn't planned to inquire Kurtis at the late hour. However, thanks to the circumstances, she didn't want to let the opportunity pass to no avail. There were still way too many things she had wanted to find out about the last of the Lux Veritatis.

"Hmm... It's kind of hard to explain," he said and shrugged. "Using none of them is an easy task by any means. Definitely not. But I would say it's kind of a mix of both. Of course, the level of difficulty and exhaustion connected to using my powers also depends on if I'm lifting a coin or a car. And for how long. The distance is also a vital key fact."

"Now you mean the telekinesis, right?"

"Yeah, it's one of them. The concept is still the same with all these abilities." Kurtis himself was surprised how casual it was to talk about his personal history connected to the life in the Lux Veritatis order - and share it with Lara. Even though he partly attributed his expansive mood to the night sleepy atmosphere. Kurtis Trent's guard was weakened, and he had no intention to fix the momentarily broken defence. But it had been always like that around certain Miss Croft. This fact had never felt like a bad thing for him, though. "Y'know, it took lot of effort to learn all that. Especially with the Chirugai, an extreme level of concentration and many years of training to gain the perfect control. Also a ton of patience and discipline I admit I used to lack. But once I've got a grip on it... I'm not even aware of doing it sometimes. It's a part of me. An instinct. That means that handling it is not nearly as much demanding as it used to be at the beginning."

With a contented smile, she rested her chin on her hand in thought. "So, something like riding a bicycle?"

"A flying one you mean?" He grimaced. "Yeah. Well expressed. Almost exactly the same thing."

Lara's smile widened. "Can I?" She extended her hand towards the disk.

"Here," Kurtis handed the Chirugai to his companion, watching her. "You seem to be very attracted to the items I own."

"I'm interested in weapons, artefacts and history. Things around you cover that." Her hand ran over the weapon's features. "It's fascinating. It looks only like a piece of an usual metal, but—"

"But it's not," he finished her thought.

She nodded in agreement. "Not at all..." She raised her gaze. "It's the same with you. The first impression presented is quite misleading."

"We have that one in common, don't we? It's a part of the game I guess." He took the offered weapon back from her. "I bet you were eager to keep the Chirugai back in Prague."

"I was, definitely," Lara admitted. "I couldn't just... toss it away. There's too much history connected to it," she said, even though there were some concrete and more personal reasons on her mind.

"I hope you're not disappointed it's still in my possession."

"Not at all. I'm glad. It belongs into the Lux Veritatis' hands."

Kurtis put on a sarcastic expression. "Let's see if it's gonna be a long term use... Concerning the history, it seems we are turning these chatty night shifts into a tradition," he noted, now with a grin filled with positivity.

"I suppose." She shrugged. "I quite enjoy these late meetings, though."

"So do I."

"I'm glad to hear that. It's way easier to talk to someone who understands all of this..." She shook her head. "All the dark stuff and everything around it."

"And handles it quite well, right?"

"At least you know it's all true. You've been facing this kind of life for a while..." Lara hesitated, but eventually spoke again. "For some time I've wanted to ask you something... You don't need to answer, of course," she reassured him.

The curiosity appeared in the American's face. "Go ahead."

"What made you to leave the Order eventually?" she said after a short while of silence.

Kurtis was not happy with the put question, but he had expected it coming from Lara's side sooner or later.

Alright then... Go ahead, Trent. Spill out.

He took a deep breath. "There were several reasons behind the decision, but..." Trent was in thought for a few seconds. "It was still the same all over again. Training, training and training. Basically for my whole life. Everyone in the Order kept talking about the Lux Veritatis and its related history, Eckhardt, the Cabal and all that stuff. Nothing else. Just like nothing else existed in the whole world." The leftovers of rage could be still heard in his voice. "Also losing the people you know all the time... The overall pressure was always too intense, and consequently I got sick of it all. Of the whole Order, my family, the way I used to live... I wanted to control my life. To make my own decisions, walk my path. But I admit there couldn't be a worse way of implementing it. Running away was a completely selfish act. I was unable to perceive it at the time. Now I realize that."

"But you chose to get back on trail," she said in a counselling tone. "That surely counts."

"Yeah. Unfortunately too late. Damn late."

"The timing wasn't that bad in the end."

"Just with some delay," Kurtis uttered, clearly not persuaded by her words.

"We have won over Eckhardt. And... you just wanted your own life, right? Actually I relate to that easily. It's understandable. On top of it, forcing someone into anything against their will usually doesn't bring anything good," she said and shifted in her seat, recalling her own past and some of the acts she used to be pushed into by her parents. Like marrying the Earl of Farrington. The memory had always left a bitter taste in her mouth. Lara had always been glad she didn't listen to her family. Or anyone else but herself on that matter. She would have always done the same thing. On the other hand, she had already known that Kurtis was still regretting some of his bygone decisions concerning his family. Even a hypothetical chance to alter his approach in the exact opposite way - if it would had been possible to change the past - was a certain choice in his case. Because he didn't seem to want to elaborate on what had been said anymore, Lara determined not to dig further into the issue at the moment. She had got her answer already, more or less. "Would you tell me more about the Order?"

"There's not much to say, really. You already know the most important historical points."

"Yes, of course, but I would like to know something else. What does it mean to be a part of the Lux Veritatis? I mean, have you been pretending being just average people? Did other people outside the Order knew? What about all those families involved? Their friends, neighbours? What was that kind of life like?"

"Mostly in hiding. Everyone close to any of us... would be in danger. Just like you right now." He clenched his fist. "Some things don't change. With Eckhardt around or not."

"Oh, please," Lara grimaced in annoyance. "We've been there before. I've told you I make my own way. And that I can take care of myself."

"I know that."

"So you'd rather keep on talking."

With a sigh, he continued: "Anyway, of course we all were trying to pose as ordinary people, but with the Cabal behind your back, it's never been easy. In my case, it meant to move often. From one country to another... Disappearing. You don't get to create many strong bonds like that. No matter the fact that the training takes a lot of time. And I'm not even mentioning how extremely exhausting it can get. But in the end, the less people you threaten the better. At least the Cabal didn't have any lever on you then."

"I see... I wish you and your family had it easier."

"It's the past. The Order is gone. And so are my naive young hopes for a different kind of life." An ironical smile appeared in his face.

"How about now? Do the regrets still remain?" Lara asked gently.

"Nah," he replied without any hesitation this time, shaking his head in disapproval. "In fact, not at all. I guess I've got used to this life. I've changed since then. And now, I'm glad I can do something about it. About the Cabal. To do what the Order was supposed to do since the very beginning. And as cheesy as it sounds, it also feels like a little bit of redemption."

"And seeking justice, right?" she filled in.

"Yeah..." Then he gave her a mischievous side-glance. "Apart from all that, I try to search for some nice moments lately as well. As a reward. I've got lucky with these during the last days, actually."

Lara couldn't help and returned his smile, thinking about what to retort.

"And now what's your skeleton in the closet, Miss Croft?"

"Mine?" she returned his gaze in surprise. "I've told you how I got involved in this disarray."

"Yes, you've told me about your reason for fighting Eckhardt and now Karel, but not 'bout your lost motivation. The murder of your friend is not the whole story, is it? What happened to you? What's up with all the melancholy around you? Your friends seem to be really worried about you. And kind of overprotective. And from what I've gathered, they've known you for a long time and should be used to your lifestyle full of adrenalin by now."

Lara sighed, considering if to continue. She saw no point in hiding the part of her personal history, and eventually decided to return her companion's sincerity. "Well, I used to have a great time exploring and travelling. I would enjoy it very much. It used to be a highlight of my life. The feeling of adventure together with looking for the unknown and lost..." she stated with a distant face. "Something of that still remains within me. Even after all those days with regrets, sadness, blame and mourning," she said vaguely.

"What happened? What has changed so badly that it took the enjoyment of exploration away from you? Zip suggested that you went missing for some time. Is that it?"

"What? When?" Lara looked up with a question and confusion written in her face.

"Before we left, your friend came to say bye and told me to make sure that we'd both return back alive. He briefly mentioned some bad luck concerning your past trip whilst saving the world the last time, and was reluctant to talk about it afterwards. I've figured out it was kind of unusual for the chitchatter not to be willing to elaborate on somethin'."

"That's not very often, indeed." She didn't blame Zip for his talkativeness . At this very time and place, somehow it made the situation easier for her. At least, the intro had been already presented in advance.

Let's go on with this, Lara thought.

"An accident almost got me killed. It was a near miss... Earlier I guess I would be okay with it," she said with a shrug, "the danger has always been out there, after all. It was a part of the thrill. But that time, my close friend was involved directly and left me. To die. Slowly. Seriously injured and helpless. I was fighting for every breath and waiting for the end... And then, the people who saved me eventually, and were taking care of me, day by day... A local tribe..." She paused and took a deep breath. "They all were slaughtered. I was away at the time and therefore didn't manage to save any of them." She lowered her head. "There were too many bad happenings in a rather short time. Several black chapters, closely followed by Von Croy's death." She finished with a sigh.

"I understand." Kurtis could sense that Lara wasn't ready to talk more about any of the traumatic events in more detail now. But he was sure that whatever had happened, left several deep scars on her soul. Trent unconsciously touched the area of his former wound left by Boaz. He knew the feeling of having the Death Reaper close by very well. It had always been one of his constant struggles. And he was aware that the danger accompanying this never-ending game of tag had a wide reach. And often with casualties.

"Somehow I lost the direction in this whirlwind of tragic news. But the truth to be told, lately I feel like it's easier to breathe again. Also thanks to you, somehow these journeys of exploration feel right. At least more than before."

"My credit for that is highly questionable. But in every way, good you made it back then. And got well. I'm really glad."

"Well, I'm also grateful that Boaz didn't... make what she was anticipating." Lara's expression softened and she decided to let the words flow freely without restrains this time. "I was really worried about you. Generally I wasn't able to think of anything else but your fate back in Prague. Mostly I wanted to keep the Chirugai in case it would had been active again. To lead me to you. In the worst case scenario, as a memory."

"I hope it would be a pleasant memory. Besides, nice to know someone cares. That's quite a change for me," he stated with a light expression.

She smiled in return. "To me personally, it's still unusual to cooperate closely with someone. Mainly because I've been used to be on my own for most of the time. And carry the world's fate on my shoulders if needed... But you were right. It's not that bad to have someone to cover your back."

"I guess we both know that a real partnership is not just about the support in the field. It's way more than that."

"That's true..."

For a minute, they were lost in each other's eyes. Realizing it was not appropriate to stare like that - and even more being afraid where it could lead eventually - Lara cleared her throat and stood up somewhat hastily. "Okay. Thank you for the conversation," she blurted out, breaking the moment. "Enjoy your few more hours of sleep. And sorry for the interruption."

"Just a pleasant distraction for me," he said with a gracious expression. "G'Night... Till the next time, all right?"

Being grateful that Kurtis wasn't making the situation complicated, she tilted her head as her smile widened. "Right. The next time."

The morning welcomed the Inspector with some unpleasant news. Bonnet hit the table with his clenched fist with such force that all things placed on the desk jumped. He had expected the turn of events - somehow -, yet the situation had irritated him terribly. He pinched the bridge of the nose with two fingers. It was here again. Another migraine was starting. By several past experiences, he had already known that the pain would come. And strong. It was no surprise to him, though. The headache was a logical consequence to the disturbing information he had just obtained. "Are you trying to say that Croft has escaped again?" he inquired the person on the other end. "Yes, I understand that she has been proclaimed innocent, but there are several things— Listen to me! We need to know of her whereabouts exactly and check—" Bonnet clenched his fist even tighter. "I definitely don't need a holiday! And stop interrupting me, please! But—" He closed his eyes tight and sighed eventually, returning to his calm professional tone. "I understand. Okay," he said, seemingly giving in. "Will do. Yes." He put the telephone receiver down. His peaceful approach was only a fake one, though.

Damn... What the hell...

The call with his superior made the Inspector feel unsure of the honesty and incorruptibility of his closest colleagues. How could they want from him to leave Croft alone? And not 'overdoing' it with his investigations? His boss had allowed him to go to England originally - more or less -, and now he was backing off and sending him away? There was certainly something going on. He was sure of it. The feeling and suspicion made him even more determined to uncover Lara Croft's spurious facade on his own. And naturally, make her pay for all those lost lives. And also for the British woman and her accomplice's boldness.

He moved over to the notice board attached to the wall. Except several papers stuck with various data, handwritten notes, clippings from news papers and photos, there were also two close face portraits. Kurtis Trent and Lara's. "where did you fly, my little black dove? I will find out and then cut your wings for once and all. And burn them into the dust," he muttered. Then his gaze felt on the other photo. "And you, our dear devotee of hers, will be dragged down onto the rough ground with her. And it won't be a safe landing by any means. I'll take care of that."

By a hired jeep - with Kurtis behind the wheel - the duo strode through the large plain. After a previous short exchange, Lara had given in and now was only enjoying the view, letting her fringe and loose hair from the braid flowing in the wind. Their relaxed faces would suggest a happy adventurous couple on a holiday, though the truth could not be farther. Nevertheless, the British woman was amused by the thought, as well as pleased. Yes. She could definitely imagine such use of some of her free days. And with someone like Kurtis Trent by her side. Only minus the Nephilim, Cabal and ever present danger of dying. And the possibility of destruction of the world towering above their heads.

"What's so funny?" Kurtis shouted to drown out the sound of the powerful engine.

"Just that face of the attendant in the car hire. It was kind of cute of him to wish us a peaceful and pretty holiday. I know that we are probably not the usual kind of his customers, but still." She shook her head and laughed aloud.

"I was more amused by his worries of us getting lost."

"True. Also hilarious."

"In every case, the easy part of the trip ends here." With that, he pulled off. Lara looked around the deserted place and then back at him. "But the coordinates you gave me..."

"We will continue by foot. These rental vehicles have a tracking device installed. I could remove it from service as a piece of cake, but that could bring attention to us. Unwanted attention, I may add. No matter that it's not an easy terrain for all the way."

Lara jumped out of the car, her moves full of elegance. "Fine with me. Even better, actually. More similar to the majority of my previous travels." She adjusted her backpack.

He watched her with interest and certain kind of admiration. "Still, you'd better watch your steps. This is not gonna be a walk in the park."

Lara returned his look with a proud and confident smile. "I've never been a fan of those. No worries."

"Really?" Kurtis' lips twitched. "Too rough terrain for you, your majesty?"

"Only too boring. Just like some people's silly remarks," she proclaimed with a sweet smile.

"Just trying to warn you and... Yeah. That's what a man gets for trying to be a gentleman."

Lara ignored his last comment. "I don't mind going by foot, but we are still pretty far. I realize it's important to get there unnoticed, but it will take ages just to reach the area. How about taking a stop?"

"Good luck with that," he said and started walking.

Lara looked around the deserted surroundings, not seeing a single soul. She sighed and went after her partner. "Let's have a walk, then."

XXX

Lara put on her sunglasses as the sun had started feeling unpleasant to her eyes. The emptiness of the large plain in the view remotely reminded her of Egypt and its deserts. Except the mountains substituting pyramids in the background. However, to her own surprise, she wasn't feeling uncomfortable or anxious at all. She realized that Kurtis' presence had always had that effect on her somehow. Could have he sensed her discomfort? Now he was definitely more talkative than before. Lara wondered if he was trying to distract her. Either way, it was working.

"So you collect artifacts," Kurtis declared. "On a whim in most cases."

"Hey! You well know it's not the case. Not everyone plays as nicely with powerful relics like us," Lara said in defence. "And you are the one to talk. The one who creates weapons for fun."

"I didn't start with it out of boredom," he objected. "It's been a necessity. I've needed to make a bigger impact. Or use special ammo in some cases. Man can't get that in a supermarket."

Lara frowned. "Against what? Any ammunition would be useless against Eckhardt."

He dedicated her long glance.

"You can tell me," she assured him, trying to make her partner overcome his hesitation.

"I know I can. It's just..."

"Too personal, or weird?..." Lara guessed.

His grimace grew wider, considering his answer." More precisely it sounds crazy."

"Crazier than Prague?" Lara asked with an unconvinced smug.

"A little bit. Yeah. Although..."

"I can deal with that, whatever it is."

"I know that. But don't call a madhouse on me then, okay?"

"Deal."

"Demons, mainly," he said, studying her reaction.

To his primary dismay, she shrugged only. "Not as a big deal as you think. I've met some in the past.

"Of course you have," he stated, realizing that it was not surprising at all. In his eyes, Lara Croft had always attracted such situations like a magnet. "Why shouldn't you, right?" Kurtis muttered.

The corner of her lips twitched. "The event took place a long time ago. I was a teen. And I happened to be present there be an accident, more or less."

"I have no doubts."

She grinned this time. "Concerning this specific one I'm talking about, the key was to find out the demon's real name in the Bestiary. It sounds easy, but it wasn't. I had to obtain the book first. A priest, a good friend of mine, was helping and guiding me. His advice were priceless. It was a close call but we both made it."

"You were lucky then. There are far worse ones out there. And they wouldn't be chased away and defeated so easily."

"I suppose."

"The worst part is how some demons can look completely innocent. Or posses someone else's body. I met one who controlled a small boy for example. Bastard..." Kurtis clenched his fists. "I'll be never looking at the black cats in the same way," then he muttered under his breath. The American tried to chase away the thought about his former enemy and ignore Lara's questioning and a little bit confused glance. "Never mind. He's gone... Let's leave this. Wanna hear another one?"

"Sure. Go ahead."

"You'll be very interested in this fact. The Great Fire of London was also the Cabal's act. Another struggle between them and the Lux Veritatis, to be more precise."

"You've told me that one earlier." She stopped.

He frowned and paused as well. "I'm pretty sure I didn't."

"No, sorry. It was Karel." She shook her head and kept on walking.

"Hmm," Kurtis uttered only with a deep frown.

"Never mind..." She snorted out of the sudden.

"I don't think the experience with the damned Nephilim pretending to be me is that funny."

"No, not at all... Just thinking about all of this, the historians would get insane after talking to us."

"Or get us imprisoned. That's nothing new in my case, though."

"Well, we're on the same boat, then," Lara said without realizing that Kurtis had been talking about his specific previous experience. "For example, I'm sure you've heard about the Spear of Destiny, haven't you?"

He gave her a doubting look. "Of course. The Lux Veritatis is a Christian order, you know? Even though not very strict. With the 'love your enemies' it wouldn't have lasted till now," he stated matter-of-factly. "And I'm not from Mars. Even though it might look that way sometimes."

Lara only smiled at his words. "I found this relic years ago. And its power was... really intimidating. Terrifying. And way too dangerous, of course." A short memory of Admiral Yarofev crossed her mind. She also remembered her promise. "Several brave and honourable men died because of it. It's a longer story I'll tell you about some other time."

"Have you kept the Spear? Or hid it? Or did it get destroyed?"

Lara could hear the mischievous undertone in his last guess. "It ended up buried at the bottom of the sea. Its own terrific power maybe even destroyed itself completely. I don't know. But definitely no regrets here. It was a good thing that it happened. No one can misuse it anymore."

"I guess you're right." Kurtis offered her a hand as they were rising up the steep rocky terrain.

"I'm okay," she declined his help politely, but with surprising gratitude. "Wait, look." She stopped abruptly with a disturbed expression in her face. There is someone in the distance. She moved over to the thick bushes and put out her binoculars. "Just don't tell me we have an unwanted company already," she muttered.

Kurtis - already standing beside her in the plants' shadows - focused on the spot. "I can see them. A couple. The Agency knows well how to blend in. Doesn't look like the case. These two likely pose no danger."

Lara offered him the tool. "No Cabal goons? Now that's an improvement."

He shook his head. "I don't need it... It looks like their car has broken down. According to their desperate expressions, it seems they don't know much about vehicles."

She glanced at Kurtis, now with a relaxed face. "Do you think you'd be able to repair the car?"

He shrugged. "Possibly. If it's fixable and they have the right tools with them."

Lara admired her partner's confidence. On the other hand, he had already proved to have a very detailed understanding and knowledge of weapons, as well as motor vehicles. Lara's enhanced Norton Streetfighter motorcycle was a clear evidence of this skill of his. "Come with me. Let's help them. They might drive us for a part of the way." She turned back at him. "Come on! What's up with that unhappy face?"

"I'm not protesting," Kurtis stated drily.

"We can save some time. And what's so bad about making a good deed from time to time?" she teased him.

"Nothing. I just think we have enough of our own problems. But I don't mind. That's why I'm following you without a single negative word."

"Good boy."

"Bad girl," he muttered.

Lara smiled at him in exchange. "In case you don't make it work, I've heard someone bragging that certain people could just... push the car in front of them by their minds. What do you think about that?" She put a question in a pretended naive way as if it was the most easy and casual thing in the world. "Just a B plan?"

He returned her look with a grimace. "Actually I could do that. But it would take way too much energy, your Highness. And it's not the only reason. I'd prefer not to use any of my Lux Veritatis powers when it's not needed. It's not always completely safe doing that."

"Let's see your repairing skills in action, then," Lara said with a carefree shrug.

"At your command."

She grinned. "Good."

"The right word is 'Thanks'," he said in an unamused tone. "At least for that tuned up bike of yours."

"Yes, I owe you for that one too." She paused suddenly and put a hand on his arm. "Wait..." Her tone made him also stop. "You are right." She dedicated him a deep look, all her playfulness gone now. "Thank you for everything. I'm very grateful for all your help. For all that you've done so far. And everything you do."

Kurtis had still not really got used to the rare moments of Lara expressing her gratitude and maybe even... affection? "You're very welcome, lady," he said with a sincere, maybe even a little bit touched smile, and saluted her with his fingers. "And now try to chin up again so these two poor souls wouldn't run away in fear immediately. It case your plan wasn't stealing the car all along. I that case, I'm in and feel free to keep that tragic frown on."

Lara did not need to force herself as her face lit up spontaneously and she started laughing at her partner's last remark.