Lara and Chase arrived back at the manor. Lara, driving at breakneck speed, had refused to let Chase smoke in the car. This had put him in a fairly sulky mood until Lara had calmly said.
"Chase. If I let you light up in here, what would happen to all the dynamite?"
at which he has promptly stopped complaining, and turned the music up as loud as it would go.
Bryce was still asleep in his trailer when, at 8.15, a car had come roaring past with the music blaring. Waking up just enough to pick up his phone, he paged through to Hillary, who, as usual, had found something to clean, that Lara had just arrived back.
"Oh Lara! I've been so worried" he said, enveloping her in a hug. Suddenly, as though he remembered that he was a butler, he drew himself up and said
"Forgive me Lara. I was just so worried that something had happened. The last time you ran away was when your father went missing, and I know that was a very bad time"
"Yes Hilly. Don't worry. I'm back and safe and sound. Where's Bryce, and Alexa?"
"Master Bryce is in his trailer, although I do know that he was woken up by the sound of your car radio, so he should be along any minute. Miss Alexa is in the swimming pool"
"Right. Thanks Hilly? Is there any chance of breakfast?"
"Yes Miss. What would you like?"
"Coffee, and French toast. Although I believe Mr Carver here would like a full English"
"Sir?"
"Yes, Thanks" said Chase. "That would be great"
"OK then. That'll be about 15 minutes"
Bryce walked up behind them.
"What'll be about 15 minutes? Morning Lara. Mr Carver, how are you doing?"
"15 minutes until breakfast Bryce. Do you want some?"
"Oh Yes…smashing..thanks"
"Bryce?"
"Yes Lara"
"Have you worked out anything, or indeed, found anything about the area on the map that we need to visit. I know that Lexa should be able to help you. Its her empire for heavens sake"
"What!" said Chase
"Oh Yes." Said Lara
"I forgot to tell you. Lexa is the guardian and the empress of the Sapphire Empire. Its our job to find the Empire, which we know the location of, and to protect Lexa from that group that you were working for"
"Oh Shit" said Chase. "They're gonna be after me now. You gotta protect me too you know"
"Whatever!" said Lara. "I'm sure a big strong man like you can protect himself"
"Ahem…"
"Yes Bryce?"
"About this location"
"Oh yes…so sorry. Do continue"
"Thanks. Anyway, I tapped in to Langley.."
"You What!!!!. Not again Bryce. They'll kill me. And I don't have time to get all the way out to Washington now…I did some serious Arse-kissing before, but I don't know what I'd have to do if they traced you this time. They didn't trace you did they..please tell me they didn't" Lara said, drawing out a gun.
"No..No Lara. Langley control has no idea. I promise. The new security scrambling system that I installed worked a treat. But anyway, there is a lot of information about that area..I put it on your desk"
"Ahh..OK." Lara breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well done Bryce. Come on Chase..I'll show you to your room. Bryce..start packing your stuff. We are going in search of the Empire
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Chase followed Lara up through the halls and corridors of her house. Everything was tastefully decorated, the halls in Mahogany and Red, various rooms that he looked in that were panelled in varying shades of hardwood and regal colours - blues, greens and reds.
"Very Lara" he thought. "Almost regal!"
They walked in silence, Chase always a few paces behind Lara, admiring the view!, when Lara broke the silence.
"I'd stop looking at my behind if I were you Chase!"
"What! Me! Never…wouldn't dream of such a thing! It is gorgeous though!"
Lara smiled in spite of herself..
"I know you Chase. Whenever you go silent and you're walking behind me you just can't be looking at the antiquities"
Chase shrugged…
"Oh I dunno…I like the deco. Very you!"
"My father decorated much of it…well…my mother too. I grew up with this, and I agree, they are rather like me. Calm…yet something within..don't you think?"
"Yes. Your mother had good taste"
"Thank you Chase. That must be the most sensitive thing that has ever come out of that arrogant mouth of yours. That might have bought you a few extra hours in my protection"
Chase and Lara turned another corner…Chase judged that they were in the south wing. They were walking down a long corridor lined with pictures..
"The family portraits?" Chase asked
"Yes. 13 generations of them"
"Are you the thirteenth, or your father?"
"I am"
"And you still ended up being so lucky!"
"How so, Chase?"
"You met me, of course. Why else?"
Lara smiled, and stopped outside a room.
"This can be yours for a while. We'll be leaving in 2 days. That will give me, Alexa, Bryce, you and Hillary time to figure out a plan of action, and make arrangements. There are towels and things you might need in here. If you need anything, ring the bell, and Hillary will come. If you need to get back to the main hall, turn right from your room, turn left at the end of this hall, walk to the end and down that corridor, and it will bring you out to the main staircase"
"Thanks. Where will you be if I need you?"
"You won't need me Chase. And don't try and find me. I live in the North wing most the time, but I change around, and you would be hopelessly lost. There are cameras around the building, so don't go trying to pry in anywhere..it wouldn't do you any good. Breakfast in ten, lunch is at 1.00pm..meet us in the front hall. Goodbye"
Lara turned on heel and continued walking down the portrait gallery. Chase watched her as she stopped at one picture at the end, touched it, and carried on walking through an open door, closing it behind her. She had looked so sad and beautiful when looking at the picture…he jogged down to where she had been standing and saw a picture of three people…Lord Croft, little Lara, about aged 7 he guessed, and a woman who looked so much like Lara, it made him do a double take.
"Must be her mother! I know where she gets her looks from"
Chase walked back to his door, and went in.
"Sleep!!"
And he fell on the bed, and slept"
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Lara left chase at his door and continued walking down the portrait gallery. She stopped as she reached the last picture of the family before her mother died. Her father and mother stood in front of the main doors to Croft Manor, with indulgent smiles on their faces. Lara stood in front of them, about 7 years old, smiling happily as her parents hands lay on her shoulders. She reached up, and touched her parents faces.
She continued down the gallery until she reached a door at the end. She went through and closed the door behind her. She waited, and heard Chase jogging down the corridor. From where his footsteps stopped, she guessed he was looking at the picture. She smiled and walked further into the room. It was a large room, very majestic, and one of her favourite places in the house. Her "trophy room" as she called it. Decorated in Red and Green, a fire was burning in the grate, and it the room was lit with a soft illumination. On four pedestals in the room were glass cases, protected with laser force fields. 3 of them were lit, and they contained the Dagger of Xion, the Iris from one of her later adventures and another held a cylinder of silver. She walked over to the third case, and tapped in the code to open it. She reached in and took hold of the engraved silver cylinder. Her reflection stared back out at her. She turned, and walked towards one of the many book cases that lined the walls.
"Perolteos, Ulysses, Sharden and Herllend, P.U.S.H"
She pushed the 4 books together, and the secret mechanism swung the case towards her silently, revealing the steps. She walked through and appeared in the kitchen a few minutes later.
"Breakfast is ready"
"Thanks Hilly. I'll eat in here"
Alexa and Bryce walked through the kitchen door at that moment.
"Morning Alexa"
"Hello Lara. Did you have a good trip?"
"Yes. Thank you. So..are you ready to go and fight for your empire?"
"Yes and No. I am looking forward to going home, but I have enjoyed your hospitality and I shall miss my new friends. I'm sorry I had to deceive you in the beginning"
"No worries. It's not like I haven't done a fair bit of deceiving in my time!"
"Where's Mr Carver" asked Hillary suddenly..
"His breakfast is ready"
"I don't know…nor do I care. He can eat it cold later. How's the research coming now Bryce?"
"All done Lara…I got some satellite pictures of the area and there is an island there..but it's under water…there was a difference in the colours of the sea so I measured the differences in depth, and there is a body of land there"
"Great….in that case…we'll need my yacht. Think you can handle that?"
"Absolutely…when for? Where from? Who's coming? What else?"
"One - Friday morning. Two - Yacht from the Grecian coast…make it Zante. Three - Me, Alexa, You and Chase; Hilly, you'll stay here and man the house. Just in case we need something. Four - I'll need satellite communication devices, Wetsuits, diving equipment, usual weaponry, mini sub, my Yacht!, maps and waterproof containers. Got that?"
"Yes…consider it done. Is that all?"
"Yes"
"Smashing"
"Oh..Alexa! I forgot to give you this. I found it on an expedition about 3 years ago!. I thought you might like it…for luck"
"My God Lara….where did you find this….this is my weapon…"
"What"
"Yes….watch"
She stood up and held it above her head. It began to glow and then stretched and lengthened until it became a staff.
"I missed this so much. It will even the odds a bit for our side"
Lara smiled.
"That's great. Right, after breakfast we'll start getting packed. Bryce…you go and sort out the details of the yacht and equipment. Hillary, plane tickets - Heathrow to Greece. Alexa…pack..and maybe get some practice in the gym with that thing of yours. I'll pack…and Bryce…can I have S.I.M.O.N out please…I need to do some thinking.
"Sure."
"And Hillary….can you go an wake up Mr Carver please. Tell him to join us down here"
"Of course Lara. Leave the washing up"
Lara stood up and went to her room. After a shower, she got dressed in her gym kit, tied her hair in a long braid and grabbed her holsters. She stopped on the way out grab her guns from her bag, and went to meet S.I.M.O.N.
She had a very invigorating morning, and couldn't wait to get started.
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Well, there we go…another chapter done. Sorry about the long wait again….I am still doing these blasted A-levels…I have an exam tomorrow…and then I have some time to do a couple more chapters before the real nasty exams start…but I'll be in NYC at the end of June…with loads of time to finish the story….I promise.
Anyway…hope you enjoyed this one.
Please Read and Review….XxX
Disclaimer - All recognisable characters belong to Eidos Interactive and Core Design..also the movie people…whoever they were.
Alexa Munroe belongs to meeee….hahaha
This fic is still dedicated to Jaina…although I fancy dedicating it to me as well…as a reward..so…here's to me. J
Jaina rules….and so do I…
Till we meet again……….
Lara
XxX
