Silence still filled the library until Lexa slumped down in a faint, and Bryce rushed to her side, along with Hilly, who promptly brought a bottle of smelling salts out of one of his many pockets.
Lara meanwhile, had walked towards the map where a single spot smoked and smouldered on the centuries old map. Right in the middle of…..
"How can it be in the ocean?"
"Lara?" said Hillary
"I don't think Lexa can answer right now"
"Oh!" said Lara as she turned around.
She picked up Lexa as though she was a mere rag doll, and carried her to the sofa in one of the downstairs lounges.
"Just keep an eye on her. I have to go think" said Lara, and wandered off in the direction of her bedroom, where she emerged ten minutes later wearing her customary training outfit - tight black leggings, tight tank top, holsters at her sides, hair in a long braid, gun gloves and trainers.
"That kind of thinking" said Bryce. "Do you want S.I.M.O.N out?"
"No thanks Bryce.. although I might need him later if I do what I'm thinking of doing"
Lara walked down the stairs, and through the house to the kitchen door. She walked out of it, and went straight for the floor under her room balcony to pick up the bag she had thrown out of the window just minutes earlier.
She walked to the garage, got changed into her dark khaki trouser, black boots, kept the tank top but slammed her aviation jacket over the top, walked to the gun cupboard, grabbed the desert eagles and some ammo, got the keys to the Porsche, and she was off…heading for.
"Chase Carver - you better be in for what I'm about to do."
Chase was half asleep, sprawled across his sofa. He wasn't expecting any phone calls, or visitors that night, so he was only in his boxers. The television was on, some pirated cable channel across the screen, fuzzed out by the static but still legible…He opened one eye sleepily, and wondered what had disturbed him..
He turned over, and felt for his watch under the table in front of the sofa.
"I didn't know you were into receiving pirate cable channels Chase…something else interesting about you"
Chase turned around, where Lara was, of course, sitting in her usual fashion, with a Desert Eagle pointed straight at Chase.
"Do you always have to point guns at me Lara? I'm not exactly armed with any lethal weapons at the moment!"
"Hmm…I wouldn't say that exactly…" Lara smiled wickedly, clicked the safety catch back on the gun and holstered it.
"I'm here to talk business Chase" She threw him a pair of trousers.
"Get dressed, and then come into the kitchen….oh, and Chase. Get rid of that crap on the screen"
Chase turned to the TV, where some porno channel was still full in action! He blushed and kicked the TV off, but Lara had already walked into the kitchen.
"Hey Lara. Do you mind if I grab a shower first. I haven't had one in ages!"
"Chase – that's disgusting. The least you could do is keep yourself clean, if not this pit of a flat. Sure – be my guest, have a shower, and use the soap"
"I didn't mean days Lara…just 2!"
"Chase!"
"I'm going, I'm going. .What are you gonna do?"
"You'll see…now get going"
Chase had a shower, and for the fact that Lara was there, he found a razor and shaved too.
"Looking like a Lady-Killer!" he said to himself, looking in the mirror.
He had chosen a pair of jeans (clean) and a checked shirt (also clean). His boots finished the look…
As he walked into the lounge, he realised something was wrong….
"What the hell??"
The room was tidier than it had ever been. Cushions up on the sofa, beer cans and magazines thrown away, mess wiped up, and there was something else, it didn't smell like smoke, and musty anymore….it smelled like…
"BACON!!!"
He walked into the kitchen….
"Holy Shit Lara!"
Lara had made bacon sandwiches, and they were on plated, dozens of them, waiting to be eaten.
"I didn't know you could cook!"
"I don't usually..but I was hungry, and I figured you'd be in the slum with no food in the house so I stopped on my way here and picked up a couple of packs of bacon and some bread. My treat for once seeing as I have to talk business with you."
Chase sat down, picked up a cigarette and
"Chase…don't you dare smoke at the table. I hate it!"
He put it down….
"Can I eat?"
"No Chase – I just put them there so that they could go mouldy like everything else in this apartment"
"Oh Lara, I love it when you talk dirty!"
"I wasn't talking dirty at all, I was talking about the dirt that lies in your apartment, and I'm also not talking about the filth that you watch on that television!"
"I don't know how that got there, honest!"
"Oh just shut up and eat honey, I really can't be bothered to argue with you
anymore, it's wasting the energy that I'm gonna need to hold my temper with you
when we talk business"
"Did you call me honey?"
"Shut up!"
Chase finally finished eating. It was now 6pm. And Lara wanted to get started.
"Ok..Chase. I know that you are on the same trail as I am, and I also know that you have been hired by a certain group of people, to try and find what I'm looking for. Now it just so happens, that I got linked with the one that you are looking for…"
"Alexa" Chase interrupted
"Yes..Alexa. Now, what exactly have you been told, and what are you looking for?"
"I know that she has some artefacts that this "group" as you call them want, and I know that there is an Empire, or City or something like that, and they told me that I had to find 4 little pieces of something silvery, and they would lead me to a door, and then I'd find a key, and I would the be able to find the way to the Empire. They wanted the girl after all that too"
"Well, they haven't told you a lot of things about what is going on. Have you found any of the pieces?"
"I know she has 2, and I think you have another, but I still have no idea where the last fucking piece is"
"Now Chase, I have a big question for you. But first I am going to tell you the story that I know"
And so Lara related to Chase all the information that she knew, omitting the important things that would cause a security hazard if Chase leaked them to the enemy.
"And so, you know who is the bad side, and who are the good side. What do you choose – join us and live, and learn all of the secrets and probably get something good out of it, or continue to be in the pay of the Xao-tul-ca, die in the fight, or die at the end anyway when they have not more use of you?"
"I don't know Lara. I mean, wouldn't it be a good idea if I stayed with them to prevent any suspicion, or, oh, I don't know. Fuck all this shit. I don't know why I ever got into any of this!"
"Because I was in the business, perhaps?"
Chase looked up and smiled. Lara was sitting only a few inches away, and he could feel the heat. Her head was down, and she was looking at something that she had on the table. He auburn plaited hair, shiny, smelt so good, he just wanted to see it loose and run his fingers through it.
Lara glanced up, aware of the scrutiny that she was under, and started Chase full back in the eyes. And Chase made is decision.
He grabbed Lara and kissed her, full on the lips. And he was surprised, because he was expecting a gun to be thrust at him any minute, but death was worth this kiss. But instead, Lara responded to the kiss, and before they knew what was happening, they were ripping each others clothing off, and trying, as best they could to get towards the bedroom. Chase had never known such ecstasy, and was sure that Lara would kill him after, but anything was worth this. The feel of her skin against his, the feel of her hair, pure silk, brushing over his skin, and those lips, sweet as honey.
"Oh Lara!"
"Yes Chase"
" I love you"
In the morning after, Chase woke up with the sun streaming over his room, and he thought he must have been dreaming, because Lara was in his bed, naked, next to him. Usually, the dream ended when he tried to touch her, and he thought twice about doing so, just in case the dream ended. But he couldn't resist. And this time, the dream didn't end: instead it turned over and smiled at him.
"Good morning Chase"
"Good morning Lara"
"Have you decided yet? Which side you're on?"
"Yes – I think I have" he said, and bent down to kiss her forehead. And then – the phone rang. Chase jumped, and looked panic stricken.
"What if it's them – what am I going to say? I could lie, and say everything is fine!"
"No point!" said Lara
"What do you mean?"
"You're apartment is bugged!"
"What!"
" I checked when I cleaned yesterday – but don't worry about it…I'll be here"
Chase picked up the phone, and Lara slipped out the bed to get dressed. She picked up her bag, and started rummaging around.
"Chase – pick up the phone!"
He was too enchanted by the sight of her and almost didn't hear her, but he snapped out of his trance and answered the phone.
"Carver."
"Oh..Thank Goodness you're in Master Carver" came Hillary's voice down the phone.
"I'm so sorry to disturb you, but Lara's missing. She said she was training yesterday afternoon, and we all saw her go out in her training gear, but her favourite outfits missing, and her favourite guns, and the Porsche is missing. I have rung around her normal haunts, and after all the other recent episodes, I thought you just might have seen her. She's not answering her phone either"
Chase looked at Lara, and shrugged his shoulders..
"Stall him" mouthed Lara.
"Hello? Hello? Who is it please?? I can't hear you…my phone is busted….if you can hear me. please stay on the line, I'm going to get my other phone"
Lara snorted, and covered her mouth with her hand, and Chase put his hand over the mouthpiece. Lara was now dressed in her training gear – the leggings and tank top with trainers. She brushed her hair and left it loose, where is hung like auburn gold.
"Answer the phone again, and recognise him, and then hand him over to me…I can handle him"
Chase took his hand off the mouthpiece.
"That's better…now. Who is it please?"
"Its Hillary – Lara's butler"
"Oh hello Hillary, did you want to speak to Lara?"
"Is she there?? Oh thank goodness. We've been so worried!"
Chase handed the phone over to Lara, and got out of bed to get dressed.
"Hello Hilly. Listen, I'm so sorry about yesterday, but I had to think and I had to talk business to Mr Carver, so I drove here and talked business. I tried to ring you from my mobile but there was just no signal"
"Where did you stay Lara? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine Hilly. Mr Carver kindly let me stay at his apartment"
"Ohhhh" said Hilly
"Hilly – stop thinking right now" said Lara
"I didn't say anything"
"Yes – but you were thinking it!" said Lara. "How's Lexa?"
"Oh she's fine. She wasn't worried about you – said you were fine, but you probably had your hands full!"
Lara smiled.
"Well, don't worry Hilly. I'm on my way home. And can you make up another of the guest rooms. I'm bringing home a friend"
Lara put the phone down, and turned to Chase.
"Come on. Pack your things"
"But I haven't had breakfast yet!" Chase protested.
"We'll stop on the way"
"But I want a nibble now!! said Chase.
"Later Tiger!" laughed Lara
"I want to drive!"
"Not this time, and not in this car!. But if you're a good boy, I'll let you drive the Masserati when we get home"
"Ok, lets go then…You drive, I eat"
And Chase proceeded to pack his things.
There we go people, 2 chapters in 2 days, and an extra long one here, just to keep you going for a while.
I am studying for my A-Levels right now, and I have loads of exams coming up, so the next one might not be for another little while But in the meantime, I hope that you enjoyed this one.
Please continue to R+R
Disclaimer – All recognisable characters belong to Core, and Eidos, and any movie people.
Lexa Munroe belongs to meeee…..
This fic is dedicated to my best friend Jaina
And this chapter is dedicated also, to my other best friend Rhianna, who is 18 on the 15th. Happy Birthday Rhianna!
My love to you both
XxX
