Chapter 2 - The Site
As Lara walked ahead of him towards the site Alex couldn't help but admire the way her slender figure was shown off by a pair of tan hotpants and a tight blue vest. Her braided hair hung almost to her waist and watched it swing hypnotically in time with her steps. Alex shook his head to clear it of such inappropriate thoughts and jogged to catch the girl up. "So, tell me about this book," he said, grinning at her mainly with the pleasure of having an attractive young woman to talk to for the first time in three weeks. The only other female working at the site was over fifty and a bit of a dragon. "Well I haven't done much yet, but it's basically going to be a travel book describing some of the more remote parts of world." "Like here," Alex suggested and Lara nodded at him. "Not your average holiday guide then?" "I hope not," she said with a smile. He looked out across area which had been surrounded by twine strung between wooden posts. It was a rough square shape and it must have been at least half a mile to the far side. Various sections of dilapidated wall stood in a vaguely organised fashion and in some places trenches had been dug out. Lara was adjusting the lens on the large camera she wore about her neck. "I'm afraid this isn't very picturesque," he said apologetically "you may as well save your film for when we get inside." "How do you know there is an inside?" Alex crouched down beside the nearest section of crumbling stone and began searching around in the rubble. Lara stood watching him with her hands on her hips. Eventually he held up a fragment that was darker in colour to the rest of the stone and smoother in texture. "Roof," he said simply, standing up and handing the piece to Lara, who regarded it with interest. She thought for a few seconds. "Ok, so what makes you think that there's." she couldn't think of how to describe what she meant. The tomb raider gave a lop sided smile "a hollow bit?" he finished for her. Lara nodded. "Easy. Seismic readings. There's about twelve foot of earth in some places, then nothing." Lara looked confused "why doesn't it all collapse?" she asked him. "Most of the structure must still be complete, it's just been buried deeper and deeper over the years." Lara's jaw dropped. "And how old is it?" Alex shrugged. "You'd have to ask your friend about that, like he said I'm just the tomb raider." He noticed the girl looking at him with interest. "That means that when we find a way in, I'm the one who gets to go in first, in case of." "Of what?" she asked eagerly. "Who knows? That's why none of those geeks want to go in until they know it's safe," Alex replied, gesturing at the group of archeologists bent over the ground like clucking hens. Lara looked at him in admiration as he brushed matted hair off his face with an equally dirty hand. They held each others gaze for a few seconds, Lara looked away first. "So, er.are you stopping here for a while?" Alex asked. She nodded slowly "although the facilities seem rather basic." Alex laughed "yeah, you won't stay clean for long around here." "That's fine by me." He nodded at her with new respect, "come on then, Lady Croft, let's find you somewhere to sleep."
After a lunch consisting largely of rice, Lara decided to make herself useful and help with the excavations. She was quickly soaked with sweat and covered in as much dirt as the others as she helped expose a growing expanse of wall, covered in the roots from a wizened old tree which grew at the edge of the site. After three hours of work many of the men had removed their shirts because of the heat and Lara stopped to wipe her brow. Alex was sitting on the wall, drinking thirstily from a canteen of water and she was disappointed to notice that he still had his shirt on, although it was clinging to him damply. Noticing her looking, the tomb raider offered her a drink and Lara sat down next to him, gratefully accepting. "Why don't we just blast a hole in that wall?" she asked, already frustrated with the slow progress made by their cautious digging. Alex laughed at her suggestion. "Sure, we could do that if we want the whole thing to collapse." Lara looked down, feeling foolish for not realising that it was a supporting wall. Alex relented and leant in towards her, "I thought that at first too," he confided. Much to her delight he stood up and began unbuttoning his shirt. Lara watched with unashamed interest, making Alex feel uncomfortable as he balled up the damp shirt and threw it to land next to his pack, which was leant up against the tree. Trying to suppress a smile, Lara picked up her shovel and resumed digging.
As Lara walked ahead of him towards the site Alex couldn't help but admire the way her slender figure was shown off by a pair of tan hotpants and a tight blue vest. Her braided hair hung almost to her waist and watched it swing hypnotically in time with her steps. Alex shook his head to clear it of such inappropriate thoughts and jogged to catch the girl up. "So, tell me about this book," he said, grinning at her mainly with the pleasure of having an attractive young woman to talk to for the first time in three weeks. The only other female working at the site was over fifty and a bit of a dragon. "Well I haven't done much yet, but it's basically going to be a travel book describing some of the more remote parts of world." "Like here," Alex suggested and Lara nodded at him. "Not your average holiday guide then?" "I hope not," she said with a smile. He looked out across area which had been surrounded by twine strung between wooden posts. It was a rough square shape and it must have been at least half a mile to the far side. Various sections of dilapidated wall stood in a vaguely organised fashion and in some places trenches had been dug out. Lara was adjusting the lens on the large camera she wore about her neck. "I'm afraid this isn't very picturesque," he said apologetically "you may as well save your film for when we get inside." "How do you know there is an inside?" Alex crouched down beside the nearest section of crumbling stone and began searching around in the rubble. Lara stood watching him with her hands on her hips. Eventually he held up a fragment that was darker in colour to the rest of the stone and smoother in texture. "Roof," he said simply, standing up and handing the piece to Lara, who regarded it with interest. She thought for a few seconds. "Ok, so what makes you think that there's." she couldn't think of how to describe what she meant. The tomb raider gave a lop sided smile "a hollow bit?" he finished for her. Lara nodded. "Easy. Seismic readings. There's about twelve foot of earth in some places, then nothing." Lara looked confused "why doesn't it all collapse?" she asked him. "Most of the structure must still be complete, it's just been buried deeper and deeper over the years." Lara's jaw dropped. "And how old is it?" Alex shrugged. "You'd have to ask your friend about that, like he said I'm just the tomb raider." He noticed the girl looking at him with interest. "That means that when we find a way in, I'm the one who gets to go in first, in case of." "Of what?" she asked eagerly. "Who knows? That's why none of those geeks want to go in until they know it's safe," Alex replied, gesturing at the group of archeologists bent over the ground like clucking hens. Lara looked at him in admiration as he brushed matted hair off his face with an equally dirty hand. They held each others gaze for a few seconds, Lara looked away first. "So, er.are you stopping here for a while?" Alex asked. She nodded slowly "although the facilities seem rather basic." Alex laughed "yeah, you won't stay clean for long around here." "That's fine by me." He nodded at her with new respect, "come on then, Lady Croft, let's find you somewhere to sleep."
After a lunch consisting largely of rice, Lara decided to make herself useful and help with the excavations. She was quickly soaked with sweat and covered in as much dirt as the others as she helped expose a growing expanse of wall, covered in the roots from a wizened old tree which grew at the edge of the site. After three hours of work many of the men had removed their shirts because of the heat and Lara stopped to wipe her brow. Alex was sitting on the wall, drinking thirstily from a canteen of water and she was disappointed to notice that he still had his shirt on, although it was clinging to him damply. Noticing her looking, the tomb raider offered her a drink and Lara sat down next to him, gratefully accepting. "Why don't we just blast a hole in that wall?" she asked, already frustrated with the slow progress made by their cautious digging. Alex laughed at her suggestion. "Sure, we could do that if we want the whole thing to collapse." Lara looked down, feeling foolish for not realising that it was a supporting wall. Alex relented and leant in towards her, "I thought that at first too," he confided. Much to her delight he stood up and began unbuttoning his shirt. Lara watched with unashamed interest, making Alex feel uncomfortable as he balled up the damp shirt and threw it to land next to his pack, which was leant up against the tree. Trying to suppress a smile, Lara picked up her shovel and resumed digging.