CHAPTER FOUR:
Lara and Jack spent a few more minutes catching their breath, before continuing down the passageway. But this time they were extra cautious in case of more booby traps.
And it was just as well, because Lara narrowly missed being sliced in two by a large metal blade. Only diving forward into a roll had saved her.
Looking down the passageway, Lara could see three more blades, swinging like pendulums and blocking the way.
"Croft?" Jack called. "You all right?" He stood on the other side of the first swinging blade.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She called back, raising her voice slightly over the loud swishing noises.
"Any idea on how to get through?" Jack asked.
Lara glanced around, looking for a way past the blade. The walls were all made of even stones, and she the blade was swinging very fast. Then she spotted a slight crevice running along the left wall. And it was just high enough so that you would pass harmlessly above the blade, when you traversed along it hand over hand.
"You think you could manage that?" Lara asked. "The crevice along the left wall?"
"You've got to be kidding!" Jack said.
"Well, I'm open to suggestions!" Lara retorted back.
Jack looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he sighed. "There's no other way, is there?" he asked.
"Not that I can tell." Lara replied.
So Jack moved to the left wall and jumped up to grab the crevice. Then, carefully, he traversed by hand along the passage. He passed Lara and continued passed two more blades. Lara followed.
Just past the third blade, the crevice stopped. Lara dropped and dusted off her hands. She found Jack staring morosely at the final blade. "Any way past it?" she asked.
"Can't see any." He replied.
They stood there for a minute, watching the blade swing back and forth. "We'll have to run past it." Lara said, finally.
"Can we do that?" Jack asked.
"Probably." Lara answered.
"Probably?"
She turned to him. "You got a better idea?"
Jack frowned and continued looking at the blade. "No." he said sulkily.
Lara began counting as the blade swung past her. "Ready?" she asked. "You'll have about three seconds to get past that thing."
Jack nodded.
Lara watched the blade, still counting. "Now!" she ordered, and Jack threw himself past the blade.
She watched the blade swing back towards her and tensed. As soon as it changed direction, she dived forward and past it. She landed on her shoulder blades and fell flat of her back.
Jack offered her a hand to her feet. She took it and let him help her up. "Thanks," she said.
Jack just nodded. "I wonder what we have to face next?" he muttered. "Walking statues? Pits of snakes?" Lara hid a smile as she walked forward after the colonel.
When they reached another paved area, Jack and Lara shared a look. 'Not again,' she thought.
Shrugging, Jack sighed and grabbed Lara's arm, as they began sprinting forward once more. And once again, the stones behind them fell away to reveal large metal spikes. They didn't stop until they reached the next room.
Jack stopped just inside the doorway. "I can't take much more of this." He complained panting.
Just then, they heard a burst of crackle from Jack's radio. "Sir?" they heard Sam's voice say faintly.
But before he could answer, Jack heard a grinding sound and Lara mutter, "Not again!"
"Sir?" Carter's voice came again. "Are you there?"
"Not right now Carter!" Jack barked, as he watched the spiked wall in front of him move forward.
Lara spun around and looked for a way out, but there seemed to be nothing there but a blank stone wall. She ran towards it, but the ground gave way beneath her and she fell.
"Croft!" Jack yelled, as he saw her fall.
Then he turned back to the hole in the floor. 'Here goes!' he thought and jumped into the darkness.
Lara and Jack spent a few more minutes catching their breath, before continuing down the passageway. But this time they were extra cautious in case of more booby traps.
And it was just as well, because Lara narrowly missed being sliced in two by a large metal blade. Only diving forward into a roll had saved her.
Looking down the passageway, Lara could see three more blades, swinging like pendulums and blocking the way.
"Croft?" Jack called. "You all right?" He stood on the other side of the first swinging blade.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She called back, raising her voice slightly over the loud swishing noises.
"Any idea on how to get through?" Jack asked.
Lara glanced around, looking for a way past the blade. The walls were all made of even stones, and she the blade was swinging very fast. Then she spotted a slight crevice running along the left wall. And it was just high enough so that you would pass harmlessly above the blade, when you traversed along it hand over hand.
"You think you could manage that?" Lara asked. "The crevice along the left wall?"
"You've got to be kidding!" Jack said.
"Well, I'm open to suggestions!" Lara retorted back.
Jack looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he sighed. "There's no other way, is there?" he asked.
"Not that I can tell." Lara replied.
So Jack moved to the left wall and jumped up to grab the crevice. Then, carefully, he traversed by hand along the passage. He passed Lara and continued passed two more blades. Lara followed.
Just past the third blade, the crevice stopped. Lara dropped and dusted off her hands. She found Jack staring morosely at the final blade. "Any way past it?" she asked.
"Can't see any." He replied.
They stood there for a minute, watching the blade swing back and forth. "We'll have to run past it." Lara said, finally.
"Can we do that?" Jack asked.
"Probably." Lara answered.
"Probably?"
She turned to him. "You got a better idea?"
Jack frowned and continued looking at the blade. "No." he said sulkily.
Lara began counting as the blade swung past her. "Ready?" she asked. "You'll have about three seconds to get past that thing."
Jack nodded.
Lara watched the blade, still counting. "Now!" she ordered, and Jack threw himself past the blade.
She watched the blade swing back towards her and tensed. As soon as it changed direction, she dived forward and past it. She landed on her shoulder blades and fell flat of her back.
Jack offered her a hand to her feet. She took it and let him help her up. "Thanks," she said.
Jack just nodded. "I wonder what we have to face next?" he muttered. "Walking statues? Pits of snakes?" Lara hid a smile as she walked forward after the colonel.
When they reached another paved area, Jack and Lara shared a look. 'Not again,' she thought.
Shrugging, Jack sighed and grabbed Lara's arm, as they began sprinting forward once more. And once again, the stones behind them fell away to reveal large metal spikes. They didn't stop until they reached the next room.
Jack stopped just inside the doorway. "I can't take much more of this." He complained panting.
Just then, they heard a burst of crackle from Jack's radio. "Sir?" they heard Sam's voice say faintly.
But before he could answer, Jack heard a grinding sound and Lara mutter, "Not again!"
"Sir?" Carter's voice came again. "Are you there?"
"Not right now Carter!" Jack barked, as he watched the spiked wall in front of him move forward.
Lara spun around and looked for a way out, but there seemed to be nothing there but a blank stone wall. She ran towards it, but the ground gave way beneath her and she fell.
"Croft!" Jack yelled, as he saw her fall.
Then he turned back to the hole in the floor. 'Here goes!' he thought and jumped into the darkness.