December 21, 1999
Lara Croft and Tomb Raider are creations of Adrian Smith for Core Design and Eidos Interactive, and Tomb Raider comics are published by Top Cow Productions, Inc.
Batman and related characters are creations of Bob Kane for Detective Comics, and published by DC Comics Inc.
The characters and incidents featured in this story are entirely fictional. Any similarities to persons living or dead are purely coincidental. To infringe or challenge the copyrights or trademarks of the above is not the intention of this author.
THE EXPOSITION- Part Three
Steven lifted his watch. It was 11:30pm, and Lara was two hours overdue. A baseball game on a monitor behind the bar occupied his time in the lounge area. He drank the final gulps of beer, and placed the bottle next to two others. The burly bartender changed the station to the local news under mild protests from a group of men.
A gentle touch on his shoulder made Steven turn around.
"Sorry I am late. I was detained longer than expected." Lara hugged him.
A voice rose above the noise, "Hey, lady, isn't that you on the TV?"
She turned to see who spoke but the bartender got her attention by pointing to the monitor.
On the screen was an elegant and lovely Lara Croft, smiling and posing for the cameras. The next scene was a man clinging and pulling on her sleeve. Scenes of confusion followed as the cameraman jiggled around for a better shot of policemen and the young man on the ground. Then he brought the camera up to show reporters falling down.
A voice shouted, "Hey, Mike, turn up the volume."
"-- a fan, with a camcorder, videotaped these scenes of Dr. Croft assaulting one of the reporters--."
"WHOA!" exclaimed the small group of men.
One of them said, "Nice hook, lady!"
The bartender nodded and watched the screen.
"What happened there?" Steven asked.
"-- formal charges for assault will be pressed against Dr. Croft on Monday. The reporter was taken to the hospital for x-rays. Meanwhile, unhampered by the incident, the festivities continued as other honored guests arrived."
The screen showed Bruce Wayne accompanied by a beautiful blonde in a white gown.
Lara glanced around and pulled on Steven's sleeve. "Let's go to the room to talk."
* * *
In the room she opened her laptop and scanned the e-mail again. The attachments regarding Gregor, Inc. were highlighted. As she read them her eyes grew wide.
"I think Elias Gregor has made some deal with a foreign general, which involves overtaking a monarchy," Steven said and watched her.
"Do you have any proof of this?" she asked but continued to read.
"Only what I heard and saw. They were video-conferencing through Mr. Gregor's laptop."
She looked at him, "Did you recognize the general?"
"No, I don't know the man." Steven punched his leg. "That information was important, huh?"
Lara pouted and walked into the bedroom. "The proof is somewhere on Elias Gregor's laptop. We will need to examine it. Do you know exactly what was said?"
"They were talking about hardware. The general sounded anxious to get it."
"Is anyone there tonight?"
"I don't think so. Why? Do you want to go there now?" He peered around the bedroom door.
She had on a long-sleeve black body suit and was wiggling into her tan shorts. Her hair was held back into a ponytail by a dark scrungy. She noticed his head in the doorway while reaching for her fingerless gloves on the bed. "Let me lace up my boots and we'll be on our way."
* * *
The three story building, where the location of the offices of Gregor Shipping Company, was in a commercial park area, a block away from an inlet that led to the harbor. A refurbished complex of brick buildings nestled among warehouses not far from the docks.
As soon as the taxi drove away, Lara opened her knapsack and pulled out a leather gunbelt.
"Do you think we will need those?" Steven's tone was fearful.
"Have to expect the unexpected," she replied and fastened the belt.
They approached the building, and Steven unlocked the main door.
"It's on the third floor," he said.
Lara headed for the stairs while he locked the door. She stopped at the third floor and noted the stairs continued up to the rooftop. Through an adjacent window she saw the waving of searchlights in the distant sky. She heard Steven fumbling with the keys and waited.
"Give me a couple of seconds to get the right keys for the locks."
Lara nodded and looked out the window. Immediately she pressed against the glass, cupped her hands around her eyes, and stared. She bolted through the open office door while Steven removed the keys from the locks.
"Someone's on the roof of the next building!"
"How can you tell?" he asked in disbelief.
"Don't turn on the lights." She took a flashlight from her knapsack. "Where are the office rooms?"
Steven led her to Gregor's office. He looked about the room. "Damn! His laptop is not here."
Lara peeked through the blinds. "It looked like a shadow of a gargoyle perched on the corner of the roof. But then it moved."
"Who could it be?" He looked over her shoulder.
She gave him the flashlight. "Look through some of those files and try to find anything you can. Meanwhile, I'm going on the roof to be sure there is no threat."
Steven thumbed through the folders on the desk.
Lara headed for the stairs. At the top of the stairs a collapsible satellite dish leaned next to the door to the roof. A slight push against the door forced a small crack to open. Pausing for a deep breath, and to allow her eyes to adjust to the darkness, she stepped lightly onto the roof with guns drawn up. The tar crunched under her feet as she stalked around various skylights and air-conditioning units. Crouching and creeping to the edge, she looked at the building across the way and surveyed the roof for shadows.
"Some night vision goggles would be helpful," she whispered. Motionless, she stared into the darkness.
Cold breezes from the harbor blew over the rooftops and created a shiver down her arms.
The tar crunched behind her.
She twirled about and aimed her guns in the direction of the sound. Her eyes saw nothing. Carefully she stepped back, crouched, and scanned the rooftop area.
A shadow moved around a cooling tower.
Lara angled to the side for a better view and leveled the guns at the tower's edge. In a slow pan she concentrated on every corner beside the tower, but found nothing. The skin on the back of her neck raised in goosebumps. She brought the guns up and listened.
Faint crunches came from the far side of the roof.
She tiptoed to the tower and backed up against it. Looking side to side she inched to the edge and peered around the corner. Her heart pumped adrenaline in anticipation. She gazed into the shadows, but they were empty. With quiet steps she worked her way to a skylight and stretched her neck above it.
Another cold breeze created goosebumps down her legs.
A movement made her turn to the side, and a large shadow of a bat's wing disappeared.
She froze and her heart leapt to her throat. With a couple deep breaths she scurried to a corner of another tower and knelt.
Crunches of the tar were heard a few feet from the corner.
Lara took another deep breath, stepped around the corner, and aimed at a dark figure.
"Hold it right there, Mister!"
"Don't shoot! It's me! Steven!"
She brought her guns up. "What are you doing up here?"
"I found a folder that looked interesting. It's a leasing of a freighter, but there is nothing here that says what is to be loaded or unloaded." He waved the papers.
Lara looked around and up into the cold air. "Come on, Steven. Let's get out of here."
They hurried down the stairs and exited. As they ran down the block, Lara looked back at the building.
On the rooftop corner stood a dark figure. It watched them, then backed away and disappeared.
"Friend or foe, I'll find out what you are."
She caught up to Steven, and they waved down a taxi.
* * *
Lara stepped out of the Jacuzzi and walked into the bedroom while wiping the excess water off her body with a towel.
Someone knocked on the door.
The terry robe was donned, the towel wrapped around her hair, and the door opened.
"Did you sleep well last night?" asked Steven.
"Quite well," she replied. "And yourself?"
"I'm a little nervous, and a bit tired," he yawned. "Did you find anything in the folder?"
"Other than the name of the freighter, The Kraken. Nothing else. We should try to locate where it is docked."
Someone knocked.
She asked in a loud voice, "Who is it?"
"Elias Gregor, Lara. May I come in?"
"Just a moment."
She looked at Steven, put a finger to her lips, and pointed at the bedroom. He went inside and closed the bedroom door.
Lara greeted Gregor. "Yes?"
He stepped back and eyed her from head to toe. "You look fabulous."
She sighed. "What is it, Mr. Gregor?"
"I heard what happened last night at the Galleria. Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Not really. I have to stay within the city limits until this all blows over... but if you could make this go away--." Her face turned red after realizing what she said.
He walked past her. "Consider it done."
"That was just a joke! I hope you weren't taking me seriously!" She felt ill at ease.
"Why not? I will do this for you to show how serious I am of wanting you to work exclusively for me."
"I implore you, don't do anything. I can handle my own problems."
"What's it worth to you?"
"What?"
"Let's make a deal! What will you do for me if I don't handle your reporter problem?" he sneered.
Her arms waved in front. "No deal! There is no deal here!"
"Lara, I can show you the benefits in working for me by doing this!" He pointed his finger. "You would be completely protected and taken care of. I would have gotten you the penthouse suite, the best this hotel has to offer! And incidents like last night would never, never happen to you! I'm serious!"
"I don't need anything from you. Do you understand? I can handle my own problems. Now please leave." Her tone was harsh.
A thump came from behind the bedroom door.
Gregor glanced at the door and raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you were entertaining someone. Excuse me for interrupting." He stepped to exit. "This is not over yet, Lara. Eventually you will see it my way."
After he left, she went into the bedroom.
"I'm sorry. I bumped into the bed. Did I ruin anything?" Steven rubbed his knee.
"Actually, what you did was very helpful. Let me get ready and we will have lunch."
* * *
"How was your evening, Master Bruce?" A plate of food and bowl of fruit were placed on the table.
"Almost had a confrontation with Lara Croft and her friend." He picked at the food.
"Really? And what were they doing there?" Alfred brought a glass of juice.
"Apparently the same thing I was doing, but they seem to have found something," Bruce said between the chewing of the food.
"What would that be?" Alfred stood at the corner of the table with hands behind his back.
"Don't know yet. After they left, I looked in the stairwell of the building and found a satellite dish."
"Then the next step is to find out who owns the dish."
"The building's tenants are a couple of technology consultants, an accountants office, and... Gregor Shipping Company." Bruce raised his eyebrows. "I need to know what they retrieved from their offices."
"How do you intend to do that?"
"I may have to visit her tonight and ask." He drank the juice.
"You may want to do something more than that." Alfred opened a newspaper and placed it on the table. "Our lovely Dr. Croft received some bad press today. The article indicates she will be charged with assault."
Bruce grabbed the paper and read.
"Alfred, hand me the phone."
* * *
Lara outpaced reporters to the elevators and leapt into the first open door. As she frantically pressed the button to close the door, two reporters stepped in the door's path. Before they could crowd her with questions, security guards yanked their collars and allowed the door to close. She let out a slow breath of relief.
During lunch, Steven mentioned he would bring back the folder and return later. Afterwards they would search for The Kraken, but the reporters interrupted their conversation and luncheon.
As she strolled to the room, her cell phone rang.
"Lara, its Bruce. I just read what happened last night. Is there anything I can do for you?"
She paused and thought. "No, I can handle my own problems." She opened the door to the room.
"The police kept the reporters away from the entrance after the incident, so I didn't learn about it until today. I feel responsible to what happened to you--."
"Please, Bruce, I don't need your protection." She closed her eyes and rubbed the back of her neck.
There was a moment of silence.
"Well, if you need anything, like a hideaway from the hounding reporters, please don't hesitate to call."
"Right. Thank you, Bruce."
The cell phone was closed and tossed on the couch. After entering the bedroom, her shoes were whipped off. She laid on the bed, glanced at the ceiling and around the room, and cuddled close to a pillow. Her eyes rested for a moment, but she eventually settled for a nap.
* * *
At the offices of Gregor Shipping Company, Steven heard the slam of the roof door. He hurried through the unlocked door, entered Gregor's office, and placed the folder on the desk.
The laptop was on the desk.
Without hesitation, the network wire was connected to the LAN card and the laptop switched on. The network password was bypassed and the contents of the hard drive viewed. The command to copy to the local server was selected. Seconds passed, and a dialog box appeared with a thermometer bar. It slowly changed colors as it traveled from 0% to 100%.
Steven leapt to the office door and listened. A distant thump told him whoever was on the roof was coming back.
The laptop beeped and completed the task.
He turned off the laptop, dashed out of the office, and crept into a cubicle.
Gregor's voice was heard. "Let's call the ship and make sure those men have arrived before I contact the General."
A door closed.
Steven tiptoed around the cubicles and jogged to the server room. A tape cartridge was grabbed from a desk drawer and jammed into the server's tape drive. The command to copy was clicked and the tape drive whizzed, while he watched the blinking light on the telephone.
"Come on, come on! Hurry up!" He tapped a finger on the screen.
The light on the phone went off.
Steven moved to the server door and listened.
An office door opened and Gregor mumbled some directives to his assistant.
The tape drive finished and beeped.
Gregor shouted, "Voldo, check the rooms! Somebody else is here!"
The tape cartridge was stuffed in the backpack and Steven ran for the door. At the stairs he jumped from landing to landing and raced out of the main door. While sprinting down the block, he looked behind.
Voldo was half a block away and screwed a silencer to his gun. With his long legs and slender body he looked more like a sprinter then an assistant.
Steven dodged around a corner before a bullet nicked a brick. As he scrambled down the street his head whipped left and right in search for a taxi. He dashed down another street when Voldo appeared at the corner.
Half a block away a bus crossed the street.
He ran up to the corner and chased after the bus. Fortunately the bus had stopped to let out a passenger. He leapt into the bus and hid behind a seat.
The bus closed its doors and moved into the street.
He peeked over the seat and out the window.
Voldo stood at the corner and stuffed the gun inside his jacket.
"Hey mister!"
Steven whirled and looked at the driver.
"Ya gotta pay the fare."
Nervously two bills were fumbled from his pockets.
"Sit down and relax, mister. I'm headin' for the terminal for the shift change. The new driver will continue the route. Okay?"
Steven staggered to a seat and clutched his backpack.
* * *
The cell phone rang.
Lara pawed and patted the bed in search for it, and then remembered it was in the other room. She jumped to the living room and grabbed the phone from the couch.
"Hello?"
No one answered.
She closed the phone and checked the time. It was later than she thought and didn't realize what a long nap she took.
"What happened to Steven?" she wondered aloud.
The glass door to the living room balcony was slid open, and she gazed down.
Although the sun was about to set, the city appeared to have succumbed to its own shadows. Street lamps and car lights dotted the avenue below. The sound of truck engines and car horns bounced off the buildings and echoed down the caverns of the city.
Floodlights illuminated the hotel courtyard. She spotted other rooms and balconies, and surveyed the scenery.
The glass door to her bedroom balcony was open.
She stepped back into the living room, walked into the bedroom, and approached the glass door. "That's odd. When did I open the bedroom balcony door?"
Her eye caught a shadowy figure standing in an obscured corner. She jumped back and grabbed her gunbelt.
The guns were gone.
"Your weapons are on the nightstand."
Lara looked up at the figure.
Concealed in the dark corner was a man. His form covered by a long cloak, and face hidden behind a mask with elongated ears. On the nightstand near him were her guns and clips.
"Who... are you?" she asked while contemplating her next move.
"You were at Gregor Shipping Company last night. What did you find there?" His tone was low and business-like.
"Why do you want to know? What business of it is yours?"
A moment of silence passed.
"Unless you're doing an investigation!" she concluded. "You were on the roof last night. Why were you hiding?"
"Why were you carrying guns?" he replied.
"Who are you?"
He took a deep breath. "Why were you at Gregor Shipping?"
"I was helping a friend." She crossed her arms.
"And getting information," he stated. "Who's your friend?"
"Look, I am not very comfortable in answering any questions without knowing who you are."
He walked slowly towards her.
Lara backpedaled until she bumped against the wall.
"I'm not going to hurt you. I'm asking for information. What do you know about Elias Gregor?"
She noticed the distance between them. He was close enough to hear, but far beyond a well placed kick.
"I know he had purchased Natla Technologies and sold off its divisions for a profit. That's how he made his fortune. Other than that, he is an acquaintance I met at the Galleria."
"I overheard your friend found information about a freighter. What's the name of the ship?"
She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip. "It's called The Kraken. My friend and I were going to see where it was docked."
"I know where it's docked." He came closer.
She looked at the bedroom doorway and sidestepped in that direction.
He raised his hands. "Please, don't move. I have one more question." An emblem of a bat was exposed on his chest.
Her eyes became large. "You're the vigilante, The Batman of Gotham City!"
He paused, and then said, "I saw the communication dish in the stairwell. Who was Gregor talking to?"
"Steven said...," she shook her head and sighed. "He said Gregor spoke with a foreign general but he didn't recognize who it was."
"Did he know what it was about?"
She locked her eyes onto his. "No, he didn't." Her eyes narrowed and stared.
He backtracked into the shadows. "Where is your friend now?"
Lara stepped forward. "I don't know. He should have been here a while ago. He said he was going to Gregor Shipping to return some files."
The cell phone rang.
"That may be him now," he said.
"Don't leave. I have some questions to ask you." With hands raised, she stepped through the doorway. She grabbed the phone from the couch.
"Hello?"
No one answered.
When she returned, the bedroom was empty. She walked to the balcony and tapped the phone on her chin. "Obviously, you work alone."
* * *
In front of the desk in Commissioner Gordon's office, Lara shifted in the seat. For an hour and a half she waited and did not know if charged with assault or not. She read a magazine to pass the time.
Gordon entered the office, walked to his desk, and sat down. "The editor said the reporter, Nathaniel Gray, left an hour ago to come here. He mentioned in exchange for the charges, they would take an exclusive story on your adventure in China. Something about an explosion at the Great Wall." He smiled, "Did you do that, Dr. Croft?"
She chuckled, "No comment, Commissioner."
"I see there are secrets to be kept." He leaned forward. "You could tell me, I can keep a secret."
"Before I answer, may I ask you this. Is there really a Batman in Gotham City?" she grinned.
Gordon's smile faded. "Very good, Dr. Croft. You know I can't comment on that."
"I'm not a reporter," she stated.
He stroked his chin. "You didn't hear this from me, and don't repeat this to anyone. Before he arrived, crime in this city was escalating out of control. But now we have another weapon to fight the criminal element. And it's making a difference." He stamped his index finger on the desk.
"Do you know who he is?"
"Don't have any idea."
She leaned forward. "Do you know in England a 'batman' is a servant for an officer in the British military?"
Gordon suppressed a smile.
An officer entered. "Excuse me, sir. The reporter is here. He wants to speak with you."
"Send him in."
Lara straightened up while Gordon walked to the door.
The reporter marched into the room with a dark blotch visible under his scruffy beard. He raised his hands. "I just want to say one thing! I'm dropping the charges!"
Gordon glanced at Lara. Halfway standing from the chair, she stared at the reporter. Her brow was furrowed and mouth opened as if words wanted to come out.
Gordon inquired, "Why the change in heart, Mr. Gray? Wouldn't your editor be upset over this? He expected you to be here to get a story about Dr. Croft's China trip."
"Hey, I don't work for that rag anymore." Gray smirked, "I got myself a better deal."
"And what would that be, Mr. Gray?" Lara asked, a puzzled look on her face.
"I was offered a lucrative position in a progressive company, which was very hard not to accept. Actually the offer was from a mutual acquaintance," he winked at her.
"Who approached you?" she demanded.
"Sorry, can't tell. One of the prerequisites, but, let me say, he was extremely generous." He pulled a business card and tossed it on the desk. "By the way, if you need a ghostwriter to punch up some of your dry books, give me a call... or just call if you're lonely." He blew a kiss to her and exited.
Lara ripped the card and flipped the pieces into the air.
Gordon placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're free to go, Dr. Croft. Sorry about the inconvenience."
She frowned and looked down at the floor. "Thank you for being the gentleman that you are, Commissioner. If you can provide a ride to the hotel, I would appreciate it."
"Well, I know a number of officers would jump at the chance to give you a ride, but someone is already waiting for you at the front desk. He's been there for a half hour." He placed a finger under her chin. "Come on now. Shake it off. Don't let scumbags like Gray get you down."
"It's not the scumbags that worry me. It's their employers."
* * *
At the front desk, an elderly gentleman stood near a bench next to the front door. He was dressed in a business suit and held a derby in his hand. He approached Lara.
"Is everything alright, Miss Lara?"
"Why, Alfred, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, but you didn't have to come to the police station."
"On the contrary, my orders were to post your bail if charged with a crime. A command, which I gladly accepted," he did a slight bow. "In my opinion, jail is not suitable for a young lady like yourself."
"Well, you don't have to bother. The reporter dropped the charges. What I need is a ride to the hotel." She checked the cell phone to be sure it was fully powered.
"And what are your plans for the day, if I may ask?"
She looked up and twisted her lips. "I know I have to be at a book signing session at the Galleria this afternoon. That should take a couple of hours. Other than that, I am just waiting for a friend to contact me, which is long overdue."
"Then, please, indulge the request of an old man. Allow me to be your driver for the day. I could give you a tour of Gotham City, and drive you to your appointments. Afterwards we could share a pot of tea." Alfred put on his best beggar's face.
"What a wonderful offer! That is very kind of you," she grinned. "Please lead the way."
"Certainly, Miss Lara," he held the door open.
"Could we start at the harbor area?" she asked.
"Any particular reason?"
"I want to look at the ships."
* * *
Steven was thrown into a room and bounced off the metal floor. He had a very brief tour of the ship while being forced to walk as directed. The room had a small cot, a table and chair, and a closed cupboard above the table. With a bruised face and cut lip, he crawled to the cot. His teeth clenched from the pain in his ribs. After placing a hand on the cot, the door opened.
Elias Gregor entered with Voldo.
"Steven, we missed you at the office this morning. What's the matter? Don't you want to work for me anymore?"
Steven struggled to get into the cot as he watched Gregor and Voldo.
They stepped closer to him.
"I'm rather disappointed in you, Steven. All the things I have done for you and this is how you pay me back. Stealing my secrets," Gregor sat in the chair.
"Please let me go," Steven begged.
"What were you doing in the offices yesterday?" Gregor crossed his legs and folded his hands.
"Nothing. I didn't do a thing," Steven stammered.
"Nothing?" Gregor sighed. "First you shut down my laptop improperly, and then you jet out of the office as if your pants were on fire. Now, I want to know what you did and why."
"I wanted to do a network upgrade on your laptop, that's all. I swear to God, that's all."
"You expect me to buy that story?" Gregor nodded to Voldo.
Steven's arm was twisted and two of his fingers were gripped.
"One more time, I want to know what you did and why."
"I backed up your hard drive on to the server so I could do the upgrade in case something went wrong! That's the truth, I swear!"
Gregor motioned to Voldo.
Two fingers were wrenched until they popped. Steven screamed loud enough to make the walls vibrate.
"Why did you run?"
"I didn't recognize your assistant! I thought he was a burglar! Honest!" Steven breathed rapidly.
"Why don't I believe you?" Gregor stood. "Excuse the viciousness of my methods, but I am on the edge of an important deal and I don't want a hint of a foul up. I'm going to the office to check out your story and I will be back to ask the same questions. Meanwhile, I will leave you something to think about until I return."
Voldo pulled out a hammer from his back pocket.
"What are you going to do? No! What are you doing?" Steven cried.
"Just a little insurance that you will be here when I get back." Gregor walked to the door.
"Please don't! I told you the truth! I didn't do anything!" Steven kicked at Voldo.
Voldo blocked the kick, immobilized the leg, and cracked the knee with the hammer.
Steven's screams echoed down the hallway as Gregor and Voldo left the room.
* * *
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Lara Croft and Tomb Raider are creations of Adrian Smith for Core Design and Eidos Interactive, and Tomb Raider comics are published by Top Cow Productions, Inc.
Batman and related characters are creations of Bob Kane for Detective Comics, and published by DC Comics Inc.
The characters and incidents featured in this story are entirely fictional. Any similarities to persons living or dead are purely coincidental. To infringe or challenge the copyrights or trademarks of the above is not the intention of this author.
THE EXPOSITION- Part Three
Steven lifted his watch. It was 11:30pm, and Lara was two hours overdue. A baseball game on a monitor behind the bar occupied his time in the lounge area. He drank the final gulps of beer, and placed the bottle next to two others. The burly bartender changed the station to the local news under mild protests from a group of men.
A gentle touch on his shoulder made Steven turn around.
"Sorry I am late. I was detained longer than expected." Lara hugged him.
A voice rose above the noise, "Hey, lady, isn't that you on the TV?"
She turned to see who spoke but the bartender got her attention by pointing to the monitor.
On the screen was an elegant and lovely Lara Croft, smiling and posing for the cameras. The next scene was a man clinging and pulling on her sleeve. Scenes of confusion followed as the cameraman jiggled around for a better shot of policemen and the young man on the ground. Then he brought the camera up to show reporters falling down.
A voice shouted, "Hey, Mike, turn up the volume."
"-- a fan, with a camcorder, videotaped these scenes of Dr. Croft assaulting one of the reporters--."
"WHOA!" exclaimed the small group of men.
One of them said, "Nice hook, lady!"
The bartender nodded and watched the screen.
"What happened there?" Steven asked.
"-- formal charges for assault will be pressed against Dr. Croft on Monday. The reporter was taken to the hospital for x-rays. Meanwhile, unhampered by the incident, the festivities continued as other honored guests arrived."
The screen showed Bruce Wayne accompanied by a beautiful blonde in a white gown.
Lara glanced around and pulled on Steven's sleeve. "Let's go to the room to talk."
* * *
In the room she opened her laptop and scanned the e-mail again. The attachments regarding Gregor, Inc. were highlighted. As she read them her eyes grew wide.
"I think Elias Gregor has made some deal with a foreign general, which involves overtaking a monarchy," Steven said and watched her.
"Do you have any proof of this?" she asked but continued to read.
"Only what I heard and saw. They were video-conferencing through Mr. Gregor's laptop."
She looked at him, "Did you recognize the general?"
"No, I don't know the man." Steven punched his leg. "That information was important, huh?"
Lara pouted and walked into the bedroom. "The proof is somewhere on Elias Gregor's laptop. We will need to examine it. Do you know exactly what was said?"
"They were talking about hardware. The general sounded anxious to get it."
"Is anyone there tonight?"
"I don't think so. Why? Do you want to go there now?" He peered around the bedroom door.
She had on a long-sleeve black body suit and was wiggling into her tan shorts. Her hair was held back into a ponytail by a dark scrungy. She noticed his head in the doorway while reaching for her fingerless gloves on the bed. "Let me lace up my boots and we'll be on our way."
* * *
The three story building, where the location of the offices of Gregor Shipping Company, was in a commercial park area, a block away from an inlet that led to the harbor. A refurbished complex of brick buildings nestled among warehouses not far from the docks.
As soon as the taxi drove away, Lara opened her knapsack and pulled out a leather gunbelt.
"Do you think we will need those?" Steven's tone was fearful.
"Have to expect the unexpected," she replied and fastened the belt.
They approached the building, and Steven unlocked the main door.
"It's on the third floor," he said.
Lara headed for the stairs while he locked the door. She stopped at the third floor and noted the stairs continued up to the rooftop. Through an adjacent window she saw the waving of searchlights in the distant sky. She heard Steven fumbling with the keys and waited.
"Give me a couple of seconds to get the right keys for the locks."
Lara nodded and looked out the window. Immediately she pressed against the glass, cupped her hands around her eyes, and stared. She bolted through the open office door while Steven removed the keys from the locks.
"Someone's on the roof of the next building!"
"How can you tell?" he asked in disbelief.
"Don't turn on the lights." She took a flashlight from her knapsack. "Where are the office rooms?"
Steven led her to Gregor's office. He looked about the room. "Damn! His laptop is not here."
Lara peeked through the blinds. "It looked like a shadow of a gargoyle perched on the corner of the roof. But then it moved."
"Who could it be?" He looked over her shoulder.
She gave him the flashlight. "Look through some of those files and try to find anything you can. Meanwhile, I'm going on the roof to be sure there is no threat."
Steven thumbed through the folders on the desk.
Lara headed for the stairs. At the top of the stairs a collapsible satellite dish leaned next to the door to the roof. A slight push against the door forced a small crack to open. Pausing for a deep breath, and to allow her eyes to adjust to the darkness, she stepped lightly onto the roof with guns drawn up. The tar crunched under her feet as she stalked around various skylights and air-conditioning units. Crouching and creeping to the edge, she looked at the building across the way and surveyed the roof for shadows.
"Some night vision goggles would be helpful," she whispered. Motionless, she stared into the darkness.
Cold breezes from the harbor blew over the rooftops and created a shiver down her arms.
The tar crunched behind her.
She twirled about and aimed her guns in the direction of the sound. Her eyes saw nothing. Carefully she stepped back, crouched, and scanned the rooftop area.
A shadow moved around a cooling tower.
Lara angled to the side for a better view and leveled the guns at the tower's edge. In a slow pan she concentrated on every corner beside the tower, but found nothing. The skin on the back of her neck raised in goosebumps. She brought the guns up and listened.
Faint crunches came from the far side of the roof.
She tiptoed to the tower and backed up against it. Looking side to side she inched to the edge and peered around the corner. Her heart pumped adrenaline in anticipation. She gazed into the shadows, but they were empty. With quiet steps she worked her way to a skylight and stretched her neck above it.
Another cold breeze created goosebumps down her legs.
A movement made her turn to the side, and a large shadow of a bat's wing disappeared.
She froze and her heart leapt to her throat. With a couple deep breaths she scurried to a corner of another tower and knelt.
Crunches of the tar were heard a few feet from the corner.
Lara took another deep breath, stepped around the corner, and aimed at a dark figure.
"Hold it right there, Mister!"
"Don't shoot! It's me! Steven!"
She brought her guns up. "What are you doing up here?"
"I found a folder that looked interesting. It's a leasing of a freighter, but there is nothing here that says what is to be loaded or unloaded." He waved the papers.
Lara looked around and up into the cold air. "Come on, Steven. Let's get out of here."
They hurried down the stairs and exited. As they ran down the block, Lara looked back at the building.
On the rooftop corner stood a dark figure. It watched them, then backed away and disappeared.
"Friend or foe, I'll find out what you are."
She caught up to Steven, and they waved down a taxi.
* * *
Lara stepped out of the Jacuzzi and walked into the bedroom while wiping the excess water off her body with a towel.
Someone knocked on the door.
The terry robe was donned, the towel wrapped around her hair, and the door opened.
"Did you sleep well last night?" asked Steven.
"Quite well," she replied. "And yourself?"
"I'm a little nervous, and a bit tired," he yawned. "Did you find anything in the folder?"
"Other than the name of the freighter, The Kraken. Nothing else. We should try to locate where it is docked."
Someone knocked.
She asked in a loud voice, "Who is it?"
"Elias Gregor, Lara. May I come in?"
"Just a moment."
She looked at Steven, put a finger to her lips, and pointed at the bedroom. He went inside and closed the bedroom door.
Lara greeted Gregor. "Yes?"
He stepped back and eyed her from head to toe. "You look fabulous."
She sighed. "What is it, Mr. Gregor?"
"I heard what happened last night at the Galleria. Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Not really. I have to stay within the city limits until this all blows over... but if you could make this go away--." Her face turned red after realizing what she said.
He walked past her. "Consider it done."
"That was just a joke! I hope you weren't taking me seriously!" She felt ill at ease.
"Why not? I will do this for you to show how serious I am of wanting you to work exclusively for me."
"I implore you, don't do anything. I can handle my own problems."
"What's it worth to you?"
"What?"
"Let's make a deal! What will you do for me if I don't handle your reporter problem?" he sneered.
Her arms waved in front. "No deal! There is no deal here!"
"Lara, I can show you the benefits in working for me by doing this!" He pointed his finger. "You would be completely protected and taken care of. I would have gotten you the penthouse suite, the best this hotel has to offer! And incidents like last night would never, never happen to you! I'm serious!"
"I don't need anything from you. Do you understand? I can handle my own problems. Now please leave." Her tone was harsh.
A thump came from behind the bedroom door.
Gregor glanced at the door and raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you were entertaining someone. Excuse me for interrupting." He stepped to exit. "This is not over yet, Lara. Eventually you will see it my way."
After he left, she went into the bedroom.
"I'm sorry. I bumped into the bed. Did I ruin anything?" Steven rubbed his knee.
"Actually, what you did was very helpful. Let me get ready and we will have lunch."
* * *
"How was your evening, Master Bruce?" A plate of food and bowl of fruit were placed on the table.
"Almost had a confrontation with Lara Croft and her friend." He picked at the food.
"Really? And what were they doing there?" Alfred brought a glass of juice.
"Apparently the same thing I was doing, but they seem to have found something," Bruce said between the chewing of the food.
"What would that be?" Alfred stood at the corner of the table with hands behind his back.
"Don't know yet. After they left, I looked in the stairwell of the building and found a satellite dish."
"Then the next step is to find out who owns the dish."
"The building's tenants are a couple of technology consultants, an accountants office, and... Gregor Shipping Company." Bruce raised his eyebrows. "I need to know what they retrieved from their offices."
"How do you intend to do that?"
"I may have to visit her tonight and ask." He drank the juice.
"You may want to do something more than that." Alfred opened a newspaper and placed it on the table. "Our lovely Dr. Croft received some bad press today. The article indicates she will be charged with assault."
Bruce grabbed the paper and read.
"Alfred, hand me the phone."
* * *
Lara outpaced reporters to the elevators and leapt into the first open door. As she frantically pressed the button to close the door, two reporters stepped in the door's path. Before they could crowd her with questions, security guards yanked their collars and allowed the door to close. She let out a slow breath of relief.
During lunch, Steven mentioned he would bring back the folder and return later. Afterwards they would search for The Kraken, but the reporters interrupted their conversation and luncheon.
As she strolled to the room, her cell phone rang.
"Lara, its Bruce. I just read what happened last night. Is there anything I can do for you?"
She paused and thought. "No, I can handle my own problems." She opened the door to the room.
"The police kept the reporters away from the entrance after the incident, so I didn't learn about it until today. I feel responsible to what happened to you--."
"Please, Bruce, I don't need your protection." She closed her eyes and rubbed the back of her neck.
There was a moment of silence.
"Well, if you need anything, like a hideaway from the hounding reporters, please don't hesitate to call."
"Right. Thank you, Bruce."
The cell phone was closed and tossed on the couch. After entering the bedroom, her shoes were whipped off. She laid on the bed, glanced at the ceiling and around the room, and cuddled close to a pillow. Her eyes rested for a moment, but she eventually settled for a nap.
* * *
At the offices of Gregor Shipping Company, Steven heard the slam of the roof door. He hurried through the unlocked door, entered Gregor's office, and placed the folder on the desk.
The laptop was on the desk.
Without hesitation, the network wire was connected to the LAN card and the laptop switched on. The network password was bypassed and the contents of the hard drive viewed. The command to copy to the local server was selected. Seconds passed, and a dialog box appeared with a thermometer bar. It slowly changed colors as it traveled from 0% to 100%.
Steven leapt to the office door and listened. A distant thump told him whoever was on the roof was coming back.
The laptop beeped and completed the task.
He turned off the laptop, dashed out of the office, and crept into a cubicle.
Gregor's voice was heard. "Let's call the ship and make sure those men have arrived before I contact the General."
A door closed.
Steven tiptoed around the cubicles and jogged to the server room. A tape cartridge was grabbed from a desk drawer and jammed into the server's tape drive. The command to copy was clicked and the tape drive whizzed, while he watched the blinking light on the telephone.
"Come on, come on! Hurry up!" He tapped a finger on the screen.
The light on the phone went off.
Steven moved to the server door and listened.
An office door opened and Gregor mumbled some directives to his assistant.
The tape drive finished and beeped.
Gregor shouted, "Voldo, check the rooms! Somebody else is here!"
The tape cartridge was stuffed in the backpack and Steven ran for the door. At the stairs he jumped from landing to landing and raced out of the main door. While sprinting down the block, he looked behind.
Voldo was half a block away and screwed a silencer to his gun. With his long legs and slender body he looked more like a sprinter then an assistant.
Steven dodged around a corner before a bullet nicked a brick. As he scrambled down the street his head whipped left and right in search for a taxi. He dashed down another street when Voldo appeared at the corner.
Half a block away a bus crossed the street.
He ran up to the corner and chased after the bus. Fortunately the bus had stopped to let out a passenger. He leapt into the bus and hid behind a seat.
The bus closed its doors and moved into the street.
He peeked over the seat and out the window.
Voldo stood at the corner and stuffed the gun inside his jacket.
"Hey mister!"
Steven whirled and looked at the driver.
"Ya gotta pay the fare."
Nervously two bills were fumbled from his pockets.
"Sit down and relax, mister. I'm headin' for the terminal for the shift change. The new driver will continue the route. Okay?"
Steven staggered to a seat and clutched his backpack.
* * *
The cell phone rang.
Lara pawed and patted the bed in search for it, and then remembered it was in the other room. She jumped to the living room and grabbed the phone from the couch.
"Hello?"
No one answered.
She closed the phone and checked the time. It was later than she thought and didn't realize what a long nap she took.
"What happened to Steven?" she wondered aloud.
The glass door to the living room balcony was slid open, and she gazed down.
Although the sun was about to set, the city appeared to have succumbed to its own shadows. Street lamps and car lights dotted the avenue below. The sound of truck engines and car horns bounced off the buildings and echoed down the caverns of the city.
Floodlights illuminated the hotel courtyard. She spotted other rooms and balconies, and surveyed the scenery.
The glass door to her bedroom balcony was open.
She stepped back into the living room, walked into the bedroom, and approached the glass door. "That's odd. When did I open the bedroom balcony door?"
Her eye caught a shadowy figure standing in an obscured corner. She jumped back and grabbed her gunbelt.
The guns were gone.
"Your weapons are on the nightstand."
Lara looked up at the figure.
Concealed in the dark corner was a man. His form covered by a long cloak, and face hidden behind a mask with elongated ears. On the nightstand near him were her guns and clips.
"Who... are you?" she asked while contemplating her next move.
"You were at Gregor Shipping Company last night. What did you find there?" His tone was low and business-like.
"Why do you want to know? What business of it is yours?"
A moment of silence passed.
"Unless you're doing an investigation!" she concluded. "You were on the roof last night. Why were you hiding?"
"Why were you carrying guns?" he replied.
"Who are you?"
He took a deep breath. "Why were you at Gregor Shipping?"
"I was helping a friend." She crossed her arms.
"And getting information," he stated. "Who's your friend?"
"Look, I am not very comfortable in answering any questions without knowing who you are."
He walked slowly towards her.
Lara backpedaled until she bumped against the wall.
"I'm not going to hurt you. I'm asking for information. What do you know about Elias Gregor?"
She noticed the distance between them. He was close enough to hear, but far beyond a well placed kick.
"I know he had purchased Natla Technologies and sold off its divisions for a profit. That's how he made his fortune. Other than that, he is an acquaintance I met at the Galleria."
"I overheard your friend found information about a freighter. What's the name of the ship?"
She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip. "It's called The Kraken. My friend and I were going to see where it was docked."
"I know where it's docked." He came closer.
She looked at the bedroom doorway and sidestepped in that direction.
He raised his hands. "Please, don't move. I have one more question." An emblem of a bat was exposed on his chest.
Her eyes became large. "You're the vigilante, The Batman of Gotham City!"
He paused, and then said, "I saw the communication dish in the stairwell. Who was Gregor talking to?"
"Steven said...," she shook her head and sighed. "He said Gregor spoke with a foreign general but he didn't recognize who it was."
"Did he know what it was about?"
She locked her eyes onto his. "No, he didn't." Her eyes narrowed and stared.
He backtracked into the shadows. "Where is your friend now?"
Lara stepped forward. "I don't know. He should have been here a while ago. He said he was going to Gregor Shipping to return some files."
The cell phone rang.
"That may be him now," he said.
"Don't leave. I have some questions to ask you." With hands raised, she stepped through the doorway. She grabbed the phone from the couch.
"Hello?"
No one answered.
When she returned, the bedroom was empty. She walked to the balcony and tapped the phone on her chin. "Obviously, you work alone."
* * *
In front of the desk in Commissioner Gordon's office, Lara shifted in the seat. For an hour and a half she waited and did not know if charged with assault or not. She read a magazine to pass the time.
Gordon entered the office, walked to his desk, and sat down. "The editor said the reporter, Nathaniel Gray, left an hour ago to come here. He mentioned in exchange for the charges, they would take an exclusive story on your adventure in China. Something about an explosion at the Great Wall." He smiled, "Did you do that, Dr. Croft?"
She chuckled, "No comment, Commissioner."
"I see there are secrets to be kept." He leaned forward. "You could tell me, I can keep a secret."
"Before I answer, may I ask you this. Is there really a Batman in Gotham City?" she grinned.
Gordon's smile faded. "Very good, Dr. Croft. You know I can't comment on that."
"I'm not a reporter," she stated.
He stroked his chin. "You didn't hear this from me, and don't repeat this to anyone. Before he arrived, crime in this city was escalating out of control. But now we have another weapon to fight the criminal element. And it's making a difference." He stamped his index finger on the desk.
"Do you know who he is?"
"Don't have any idea."
She leaned forward. "Do you know in England a 'batman' is a servant for an officer in the British military?"
Gordon suppressed a smile.
An officer entered. "Excuse me, sir. The reporter is here. He wants to speak with you."
"Send him in."
Lara straightened up while Gordon walked to the door.
The reporter marched into the room with a dark blotch visible under his scruffy beard. He raised his hands. "I just want to say one thing! I'm dropping the charges!"
Gordon glanced at Lara. Halfway standing from the chair, she stared at the reporter. Her brow was furrowed and mouth opened as if words wanted to come out.
Gordon inquired, "Why the change in heart, Mr. Gray? Wouldn't your editor be upset over this? He expected you to be here to get a story about Dr. Croft's China trip."
"Hey, I don't work for that rag anymore." Gray smirked, "I got myself a better deal."
"And what would that be, Mr. Gray?" Lara asked, a puzzled look on her face.
"I was offered a lucrative position in a progressive company, which was very hard not to accept. Actually the offer was from a mutual acquaintance," he winked at her.
"Who approached you?" she demanded.
"Sorry, can't tell. One of the prerequisites, but, let me say, he was extremely generous." He pulled a business card and tossed it on the desk. "By the way, if you need a ghostwriter to punch up some of your dry books, give me a call... or just call if you're lonely." He blew a kiss to her and exited.
Lara ripped the card and flipped the pieces into the air.
Gordon placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're free to go, Dr. Croft. Sorry about the inconvenience."
She frowned and looked down at the floor. "Thank you for being the gentleman that you are, Commissioner. If you can provide a ride to the hotel, I would appreciate it."
"Well, I know a number of officers would jump at the chance to give you a ride, but someone is already waiting for you at the front desk. He's been there for a half hour." He placed a finger under her chin. "Come on now. Shake it off. Don't let scumbags like Gray get you down."
"It's not the scumbags that worry me. It's their employers."
* * *
At the front desk, an elderly gentleman stood near a bench next to the front door. He was dressed in a business suit and held a derby in his hand. He approached Lara.
"Is everything alright, Miss Lara?"
"Why, Alfred, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, but you didn't have to come to the police station."
"On the contrary, my orders were to post your bail if charged with a crime. A command, which I gladly accepted," he did a slight bow. "In my opinion, jail is not suitable for a young lady like yourself."
"Well, you don't have to bother. The reporter dropped the charges. What I need is a ride to the hotel." She checked the cell phone to be sure it was fully powered.
"And what are your plans for the day, if I may ask?"
She looked up and twisted her lips. "I know I have to be at a book signing session at the Galleria this afternoon. That should take a couple of hours. Other than that, I am just waiting for a friend to contact me, which is long overdue."
"Then, please, indulge the request of an old man. Allow me to be your driver for the day. I could give you a tour of Gotham City, and drive you to your appointments. Afterwards we could share a pot of tea." Alfred put on his best beggar's face.
"What a wonderful offer! That is very kind of you," she grinned. "Please lead the way."
"Certainly, Miss Lara," he held the door open.
"Could we start at the harbor area?" she asked.
"Any particular reason?"
"I want to look at the ships."
* * *
Steven was thrown into a room and bounced off the metal floor. He had a very brief tour of the ship while being forced to walk as directed. The room had a small cot, a table and chair, and a closed cupboard above the table. With a bruised face and cut lip, he crawled to the cot. His teeth clenched from the pain in his ribs. After placing a hand on the cot, the door opened.
Elias Gregor entered with Voldo.
"Steven, we missed you at the office this morning. What's the matter? Don't you want to work for me anymore?"
Steven struggled to get into the cot as he watched Gregor and Voldo.
They stepped closer to him.
"I'm rather disappointed in you, Steven. All the things I have done for you and this is how you pay me back. Stealing my secrets," Gregor sat in the chair.
"Please let me go," Steven begged.
"What were you doing in the offices yesterday?" Gregor crossed his legs and folded his hands.
"Nothing. I didn't do a thing," Steven stammered.
"Nothing?" Gregor sighed. "First you shut down my laptop improperly, and then you jet out of the office as if your pants were on fire. Now, I want to know what you did and why."
"I wanted to do a network upgrade on your laptop, that's all. I swear to God, that's all."
"You expect me to buy that story?" Gregor nodded to Voldo.
Steven's arm was twisted and two of his fingers were gripped.
"One more time, I want to know what you did and why."
"I backed up your hard drive on to the server so I could do the upgrade in case something went wrong! That's the truth, I swear!"
Gregor motioned to Voldo.
Two fingers were wrenched until they popped. Steven screamed loud enough to make the walls vibrate.
"Why did you run?"
"I didn't recognize your assistant! I thought he was a burglar! Honest!" Steven breathed rapidly.
"Why don't I believe you?" Gregor stood. "Excuse the viciousness of my methods, but I am on the edge of an important deal and I don't want a hint of a foul up. I'm going to the office to check out your story and I will be back to ask the same questions. Meanwhile, I will leave you something to think about until I return."
Voldo pulled out a hammer from his back pocket.
"What are you going to do? No! What are you doing?" Steven cried.
"Just a little insurance that you will be here when I get back." Gregor walked to the door.
"Please don't! I told you the truth! I didn't do anything!" Steven kicked at Voldo.
Voldo blocked the kick, immobilized the leg, and cracked the knee with the hammer.
Steven's screams echoed down the hallway as Gregor and Voldo left the room.
* * *
(TO BE CONTINUED)