29.- Vasil Borisov
The Prague mafia has come to the Sofia mafia to pay a visit. The meeting point, the Kremikovtzi Steel Company. The two leaders face each other. "You," Vasil Borisov says. "Your people are killing our monks. What business do you have here?" The bearded mafia leader is facing someone akin to a bald Austrian general. "Do you engage in antiquities trade?" Gunderson asks. "I would like you to find the Cross of St. John. Whether it is here in Sofia or somewhere else."
"Are you playing games with me?" Vasil asks. "Or your blindness has made you stupid. That thing was stolen by a German girl. You won't find anything here. Go bark somewhere else." But Gunderson has no patience, and grabs and crushes Vasil's arm with a single squeeze. "You have one month," Gunderson says. "Hurry up, or your other arm will be next."
And so, the raiding of churches and monasteries in Sofia starts. Nothing to be found but old texts. The next target: Kremikovtzi Monastery. Is one of the oldest in the city, so it might have something. But the raid has been stopped by a rather strong force. One who doesn't care about hostages: Lara Croft.
She proposes a deal, and Vasil accepts. No one will talk about the mutri raiding churches, and the Cross will fall to their hands. "Why did you make that deal, boss?" A mafia man asks. "Our contractor, Gunderson, he used to have companions…" Vasil says. "And that woman, she killed them all. I will not let Gunderson do to our men what he did to Louis Bouchard." Vasil's henchman bows his head. Of course, dealing with Prague always means death.
A week later, and Vasil's waiting impatiently for a call. And so he receives it. "Ms. Croft?" he asks. "I'm in Prague, at the Strahov monastery," Lara Croft says. "Is your contractor linked to the Prague mafia?" "Yes," he answers. "Good," Lara says. "Arrange a meeting, and tell them you found a Sanglyph. They'll pay you double."
Vasil doesn't like it one inch, as there is much on the line for him. Nevertheless, he tries to make the offer suggested by Ms. Croft. "Gunderson," Vasil says. "In the search for your Cross, I found something that might interest you. Have you ever heard about the Sanglyph? My associates say they found one." Gunderson thinks for a while. "Arrange a meeting," Gunderson says. "You will receive a payment in advance."