Chapter II
Cancun, Mexico
November, 2018
Lara stared motionless at the news report on the television in a hotel room.
"At least 58 people died in a historically massive earthquake that struck the southern coast of Mexico early Friday, toppling hotels and houses and prompting massive tsunami waves and power outages."
"Briggs, change the channel to something that won't give us a headache. Lara's gonna turn into a zombie."
The United States Geological Survey said that a magnitude 8.0 quake hit about 73 miles off Cozumel, Mexico, along Mexico's southern coast.
Its epicenter was 15 miles east of Cancun in Quintana Roo state and had a depth of about 21 miles. The quake was so powerful, it se..."
Briggs switched the channel to a sports channel. A soccer match. Sam liked soccer.
"Lara, sorry for the way I treated you. You okay there, Little Bird?"
"I'm fine."
"Adela, you got any updates on Trinity's wherabouts?" inquired Sam.
"No. apparently, Immigration got bribed by Dominguez, and they probably let them through."
"Grim, you still have the tracker on Dominguez?"
"Yes. apparently, Adela snuck a burner phone with the help of the tamale kid."
"Wait, what?"
"And the old guy? Army air cavalry veteran. Has access to all military and civilian hangars."
Sam realized that the people he helped were in fact helping him.
"You scratch my, back, I scratch yours."
Charlie then strode in, with bags full of chips and Mountain Dew: Charlie was a teetotaler, and did not share in the team's love for alcohol... Well except for Grim.
"Hey, how you doin' girl?" Charlie flirted with Lara.
"Oh, I didn't notice you there." Lara stood up to face Charlie. "I'm Lara Croft."
"Charlie Cole, IT expert, bachelor, very much available.."
Kobin followed, bringing hot tea for the team.
"My uncle PO'd me this stuff. Russian tea for cold hands."
Sam waited until Kobin sets down the tea. He then ordered Kobin to sit on the bed.
"I know about the deal with Sadiq and Dominguez. I know you didn't do it on purpose. All I wanna know is what are the items you sold to Sadiq."
Kobin thought about it for a while. "Charlie, can you let me use your SMI tablet, please?"
"Sure." Charlie handed the tablet to Kobin.
Kobin then opened a manifest on his weapons deals with Sadiq.
"Good, more than what we need. Grim, track these serial numbers to their exact location."
Grim then opened a map of the world, with red X's marking the locations of the WMDs that Sadiq set up.
"Shit, they even buried one underground near Reza Nouri's estate." Kobin pointed at the country of Paraguay.
"I thought Qods Force took out the mansion already" Charlie inquired.
"Charlie, patch me through to Ali Rohani."
The tablet beeped, and a man spoke through a loudspeaker.
"Haven't you learned your lesson, American?"
"I'm not having that discussion. I want answers."
"What?"
"About Paraguay. I thought Qods Force cleared the estate."
"Reza Nouri slipped from our grasp."
"There is a nuclear bomb beneath the estate. I want to make sure we don't cause another diplomatic oopsie."
"What, we're allies now?"
"A nutjob of a professor, who happens to lead a secret organization, detonated a nuke off the coast of Mexico. I'm not blaming anyone. I just want to make sure your men did the job well. One of the nukes was said to be buried beneath the estate. You tell me, your men and I were dancing on top of a warhead and we were none too bright about it..."
"Yes."
"Well, you did leave the place ripe for the taking. A family bought the estate. How are we going to explain to them that a bomb is ready to explode underneath them?"
"If this is what you're really concerned about, I'll board a flight, right away. No more lies."
"You're the one who wanted me killed."
"I apologize."
Then Rohani hung up.
Retired General Ali Rohani arrived at Cancun International, sporting a floral Hawaiian shirt, shades, an Iranian government pin (He now works as Assistant Secretary of Defence), and a family in tow. He hailed for the waiting taxi, driven by Jonah in disguise.
Rohani arrived at the hotel, with his family, as a cohort of servants were ready to escort him to his accommodations. Lara, disguised as a maidservant, followed Rohani into his rooms.
"Mr. Fisher, I'm following Rohani into their room. I'm placing the bug inside the kid's trolley."
"That maid outfit looks cute on you." Charlie remarked.
"Thanks." Lara giggled.
"My children want to cool down. Could you direct them to the pool?"
"Yes, sir." Lara then ushered the kids to the hotel pool.
Sam and Ali went to the bar. Being a devout Muslim, Ali ordered a chocolate milkshake for himself, but ordered a whiskey and cola for his 'kindred enemy'.
"So, how are we going to break it to the family gently?"
"I may have to persuade the local government to ask permission to excavate." Ali looked down on his drink.
"The family loved the tennis court, the reason why they purchased the property in the first place."
"There was an underground passageway leading to the warhead. It was near the docks where you evacuated Reza Nouri."
"Nice. Arrange for your men to remove the warhead. Our relations are still dodgy. If that nuke goes off.."
"I understand." Ali fished out money from his wallet. "I'll tell my men. Have a good night."
"I heard the conversation, Sam." Grim went. "Lara and Jonah are gonna head for Peru in three days. We might wanna deploy to Paraguay, for a head start."
"Tracker is online. Just like in Philly." Charlie quipped. "Too bad I can't spend time with Lara."
"Charlie, you'll be with Briggs to Peru." Sam tersely ordered. "Kobin, you'll go with them too. Grim, prep the plane for take-off."
"We're good to go, Sam."
Ciudad del Este, Paraguay
A car approached the gate to what was once Reza Nouri's estate, now owned by an American diplomat.
"Mr. Fisher, you may enter. Welcome to Nishimura Estate." the guard ushered them with a salute.
Lara then called Sam's phone.
"Tell Samantha I said hi." Lara cheerfully said.
"Okay, kid."
Waiting in the front door was Hisao Nishimura, now the assistant envoy to the US Ambassador to Paraguay.
Samantha, his daughter, was with her.
Sam Fisher, Ali Rohani and Anna Grimsdottir went out the car, as Sam tossed the keys to the valet.
"Good morning, Mr. Fisher, Grim, and, uhh..." Hisao shook their hands.
"Ali Rohani." Ali finished his sentence. "I am the Assistant Secretary of Defence of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
"Oh, wonderful." Hisao nodded. "Antonia, please get them something to refresh.."
Meanwhile over Peruvian airspace...
"Hey, Briggs. Check this out." Charlie opened a video with a dancing llama. Briggs let out a chuckle.
"Uhh, guys, we shouldn't be flying at this weather." Andriy opined cautiously.
"What's wrong, afraid we might crash?" Charlie joked.
"Haha, just so you know, I saved your assess when Paladin was attacked by a virus."
"Cut it out guys." Jonah joined in.
"I think, we're looking for a volcanic mountain, the crown of silver is probably a band of clouds."
Jonah couldn't bear to see all the suffering of the people of Cozumel. Staring at the horizon did't help.
Lara then related the riddle she read from the dig site. "Chase the heart of the serpent, to the silver-crowned mountain, where the Twins confer."
"The storm looks like bad news." Jonah muttered.
"Uh, yeah I noticed..." Andriy remarked sarcastically.
"We'll concentrate on the cloudy mountain." Lara assured the team.
"How do we know it's the right one?" Jonah inquired.
"Gut feeling? It's our only clue."
"Oh, sure, gut feeling... It helped me out with Sadiq just fine..." Kobin sarcastically remarked.
"Can it." Briggs chided.
Lara then reminded that there'll be more disasters, and the only way they can help is to stop it and Trinity.
The plane then passed by the silver-crowned mountain. A majestic sight to behold, Briggs thought.
"Guys? Is the plane supposed to shake like this?" Charlie asked fearfully.
The plane jerked everyone, except Kobin, who buckled up.
"I don't like this storm." Jonah sat up.
"Is anyone even listening?" Kobin said with a grimace.
"Should we come back in the morning?" Jonah continued.
"We're so close." Lara shook her head.
"I guess a little turbulence won't stop Trinity either." Jonah gave in to Lara.
"We have more things to worry about than a little turbulence." Briggs grumbled.
Lara lurched forward to the pilot, Miguel.
"Miguel, is there anywhere to land?"
"Yeah, I can put you down near Kuwaq Yaku."
"Let's go." Lara responded.
Lara then buckled her seatbelt.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Charlie cautiously opined.
The plane then jerked a second time.
"Hold tight. It might get bumpy." Miguel advised, before a hailstone broke the cockpit glass and hit him.
"Ah, hell... Briggs! What should we do?" Jonah screamed.
"Shit!" exclaimed Lara.
"Only Kobin and I have parachutes. Charlie, you, Jonah and Kobin share. Kobin, you got a harness. Jerry rig them, okay?"
"Okay!" Kobin nodded.
"Lara, Miguel and I will share."
Lara unbuckled her seat.
"Lara what are you doing?" said Jonah.
"I'm gonna level it." Lara replied.
"You're nuts!" Kobin remarked.
Lara then replaced Miguel, who was seriously injured, in the pilot's seat.
"There are no parachutes."
"I know." Lara replied.
The plane fuselage started to disintegrate.
"We have two" Briggs handed the only other parachute to Kobin. Charlie ran to Briggs's side, certain that Miguel is dead, and Jonah was as heavy as two of him.
"Get ready to jump!" Lara ordered.
"Lara, Charlie, strap on! Miguel's dead, we can't help him now!
"No fucking way!" Jonah screamed.
"Rig secured!" Kobin screamed back.
"Jonah, we have to!" Lara yelled back, pulling the stick as hard as she could.
"Are you out of your fucking mind, Lara?"
"We have no choice!"
"I'm not jumping out of this plane!"
"Yes you are!" Kobin dragged him towards himself.
The plane broke, and the nose, along with Charlie, Lara, Briggs and Miguel's body, snagged into the forest canopy.
Welcome to the jungle.
Meanwhile, at the Nishimura Estate...
"Mr. Nishimura, it is for your your safety and your family's..." Grim suggested.
"...and the good interests of both Iran and America..." Ali added.
"...that you should evacuate the house until further notice." Grim continued.
"Did you remove the security system of this house?" Sam inquired.
"Only the lasers, the noise gave Samantha a headache." Antonia replied. "Sammy's having a bit of an insomnia problem lately.
"But the cameras are okay."
"Sim, as a good housewife I must make sure no burglars would enter the domicile. The cameras were never turned off since we bought the estate."
"Nice. Mr. Nishimura, let's go to the security office, shall we?" Grim smiled at the envoy.
"Why do I have to put up with Westerners..." Ali grumbled under his breath.
Mr. Nishimura then ushered the three, sans Antonia, to the security office.
Grim then opened files from the security feed, then played back the footage of Sam Fisher's attack on the estate, and the previous owner, Reza Nouri.
"Oh, my. No wonder Sammy's room needed a new roof." Mr. Nishimura's eyes grew wide.
"Sorry for the damage. Won't happen again." Sam apologized.
"Morons." grumbled Ali.
Everyone stared at the footage for a while, until Ali caught something.
"There, the black vehicles. I ordered Mustafa Javadi to take him alive. He disobeyed orders though. He then cut off our communication." Ali explained.
"Any more secrets of this house?" Mr. Nishimura stared at Ali quizzically.
They proceeded to the catwalk leading to a cave entrance. There was a big metal gate blocking the entrance. Thanks to Sam's good photographic memory, and Grim's analytic skills, they cracked the code easily, and the gate groaned as it opened its maw.
A large crate stood in front of them, marked in Cyrillic. Ali then took out the Geiger counter from his tote bag and handed it to Mr. Nishimura, who trembled in horror from what the crate held.
Luckily, the radiaton from the crate wasn't enough to barely even harm them.
"Proceed with the removal." Ali ordered through the radio.
"Yes sir." Just as he pocketed his radio, trucks full of Iranian elite soldiers, US Navy Seals, French engineers, Paraguayan workers, and Israeli scientists arrived at the Nishimura estate.
"Make sure the house stays untouched." Sam instructed the Seals.
"Yes, sir." The team leader nodded.
The estate now resembled a construction site, with water diversion systems, hauling cranes, and helicopters.
"You better pack up, sir. Van is waiting." Grim yelled over the din of men and machines.
The Nishimuras started packing essentials, while Antonia finished clearing the refrigerator of food. The stocks from the cupboards she kept locked, as Sam assured the house itself will not be touched.