A/N: Changed all of the "Larsen"s to "Larson". Thanks for the tip:)
"So how many of them are there?" Lara asked.
"If it's Natla's usual security detail there'll be four - Max, Roy, Pierre and The Kid."
"The Kid? Doesn't he have a name?"
"That's what we all call him."
"What are they armed with?"
"The Kid's got a submachine gun, but he's a lousy shot. Max has a 12- gauge but he's pretty slow, and so big that he's hard to miss. Roy has a pair of 6-shooters and Pierre has his .45 automatic. They both have very good aim and they're fast too. We have to watch out for them."
"We're going to need more firepower," Lara said, and held up the box of shotgun shells. "Show me where you found these."
They cautiously made their way back into the City of Vilcabama. In the room with three doorways they noticed a skeleton half-hidden by ferns. They turned it over and found a shotgun in it's dead arms. Lara picked it up and examined it. "Nice. A Remington pump-action 12-gauge. Looks pretty new, too. This will help a lot." She fed in six shots of ammo, then held it out to Larson. "Can you handle a shotgun?"
"Definitely."
"I'm going to trust you with this. Stay in front of me and don't turn the weapon around."
"Strange definition of 'trust'. Heh!"
They continued forward slowly and quietly, using boulders for cover. Soon they could hear the echos of voices, followed by footsteps. The two tensed and crouched down, listening intently.
"Keep the flashlight on those footprints, Kid."
"Yeah, I know how to use a stupid flashlight, man!"
"Maintenant they are close. I can feel it!"
"Me and Pierre will cover you two. Kid's got the buzz gun so he should go first."
"Then you hold the flashlight!" Kid said testily, and tossed it to Roy.
"I need both of my hands. I'm a two-gun fighter," said Roy, and handed it to Pierre.
"How do you know they're here, anyway?" asked Max.
"Tres simple. The footprints coming out of the doorway. Soon we will pass them."
Max squinted ahead. "Two sets of prints. So Natla was right! Larson didn't have the guts to bump off Lara."
"Bien sur!" said Pierre.
Max took a position behind a boulder, pointing his 12-gauge ahead. Kid continued forward with his Uzi drawn.
"This is bad," Larson whispered to Lara.
"Maybe not. If we can get his Uzi we're in business."
They jumped as the Kid let off an experimental blast from his Uzi. Bullets pinged off of the rocks and bounced behind Lara where she crouched.
"Watch the damned ricochets, Kid! You almost hit me!" Max shouted.
"I think I've got it," Larson whispered. "The Kid's trigger happy, so we'll wait 'til his magazine runs out and then jump 'em. I've got body armor on so I can draw his fire."
"On the count of three, then?"
"One, two-"
"Three!" And the two of them popped up at once. The Kid was caught off guard and hesitated for a split second, unable to choose between his targets. Lara drew a bead on him and fired. Kid dove to the ground while firing wildly. Meanwhile Larson fired his shotgun into Max's position. Max fired back and hit Larson with a few pellets. The armor protected him but the impact caused Larson to fall backwards. Lara continued firing at the Kid, keeping him in retreat and unable to aim his shots. The Kid responded with panic fire as he tried to dodge Lara's bullets.
Soon the Kid's magazine ran out and he ran for cover. Larson got up and fired his shotgun again, this time scoring a hit on Max. As Max fell over, Larson ran over to the Kid and tore the submachinegun from his grasp. Then he drew his Glock and pointed it at the Kid's head. "Gimme the magazines, Kid!"
"Yeah right! You're not gonna kill me!" More shots erupted around them. Max had recovered and fired in their direction, then two more shots from Roy and Pierre who were hidden further back in the darkness.
"I will if those three don't finish us off first. Hurry up!" and he cocked his pistol. Grudgingly the Kid handed over his Uzi clips. Larson thanked him by smashing his fist into the Kid's jaw, knocking him out cold.
"One down!" he shouted to Lara.
"I need that Uzi now!" Lara shouted back. She was being pinned down by the combined firepower of Roy and Pierre. Quickly, Larson shoved a clip into the machine pistol and tossed it to Lara. She fired a long sweep into the darkness where the hidden gunmen's bullets were coming from. The bullets that were raining down on Lara stopped.
"I don't know if I hit them, but it got their attention." In the seconds she bought for herself she pulled the Scion from her pack. She gripped it and closed her eyes. "One wounded, just a little though. If I hang onto this I can home in on their position."
"We've got to deal with this guy first!" Larson said as he fired another shotgun blast at Max. Max reeled backwards, but was able to fire an answering blast back at Larson. This one hit Larson solidly in the vest and knocked him flat on his back.
"I've got my armor on too, Larson!" Max taunted. "Isn't this fun?"
"Lara! Do you have any of what we used on the Rex?" Larson asked, referring to the dynamite indirectly.
"One more. But I've got to keep those other two pinned down." She tossed him the last stick of dynamite. Larson lit the fuse, gritted his teeth until it burned down to the last few seconds, then threw it at Max. Max scrambled to throw it back but he was too late. BLAM!
"Two down," Larson mumbled.
Lara fired her Uzi into the darkness just as two more shots came her way. "Aagh!" she screamed as she toppled backwards from a hit.
"Lara!" Larson yelled. He ran over to her and lifted her to a sitting position. She gasped for breath as she spoke. "Roy's dead. . . but I didn't get Pierre. Help me."
"Time for some magic." Larson took out one of the two remaining medpacks and applied it to Lara's bullet wound. In a few seconds Lara was able to get shakily to her feet. "That one wasn't as strong, but I can walk." She picked up the Scion and closed her eyes. "He's leaving. Pierre's heading back to the chopper."
Larson looked admiringly at the Scion. "That is some handy gadget!"
"That's an understatement!"
"So what do you say we get out of here?"
"What about him?" Lara pointed to the Kid who was slowly coming around.
"Let's ask him. Want to come with us, Kid?"
"Where's everybody else?"
"We took care of 'em," said Larson.
The Kid shrugged. "'Kay, then."
Lara helped the Kid to his feet. Then, with the ancient Scion as their guide, the three adventurers made their way back up to the surface.
***
Well, that's my story so far. I may continue it at a later date or write a sequel, but only if I get a favorable response. I hope you enjoyed it!
"So how many of them are there?" Lara asked.
"If it's Natla's usual security detail there'll be four - Max, Roy, Pierre and The Kid."
"The Kid? Doesn't he have a name?"
"That's what we all call him."
"What are they armed with?"
"The Kid's got a submachine gun, but he's a lousy shot. Max has a 12- gauge but he's pretty slow, and so big that he's hard to miss. Roy has a pair of 6-shooters and Pierre has his .45 automatic. They both have very good aim and they're fast too. We have to watch out for them."
"We're going to need more firepower," Lara said, and held up the box of shotgun shells. "Show me where you found these."
They cautiously made their way back into the City of Vilcabama. In the room with three doorways they noticed a skeleton half-hidden by ferns. They turned it over and found a shotgun in it's dead arms. Lara picked it up and examined it. "Nice. A Remington pump-action 12-gauge. Looks pretty new, too. This will help a lot." She fed in six shots of ammo, then held it out to Larson. "Can you handle a shotgun?"
"Definitely."
"I'm going to trust you with this. Stay in front of me and don't turn the weapon around."
"Strange definition of 'trust'. Heh!"
They continued forward slowly and quietly, using boulders for cover. Soon they could hear the echos of voices, followed by footsteps. The two tensed and crouched down, listening intently.
"Keep the flashlight on those footprints, Kid."
"Yeah, I know how to use a stupid flashlight, man!"
"Maintenant they are close. I can feel it!"
"Me and Pierre will cover you two. Kid's got the buzz gun so he should go first."
"Then you hold the flashlight!" Kid said testily, and tossed it to Roy.
"I need both of my hands. I'm a two-gun fighter," said Roy, and handed it to Pierre.
"How do you know they're here, anyway?" asked Max.
"Tres simple. The footprints coming out of the doorway. Soon we will pass them."
Max squinted ahead. "Two sets of prints. So Natla was right! Larson didn't have the guts to bump off Lara."
"Bien sur!" said Pierre.
Max took a position behind a boulder, pointing his 12-gauge ahead. Kid continued forward with his Uzi drawn.
"This is bad," Larson whispered to Lara.
"Maybe not. If we can get his Uzi we're in business."
They jumped as the Kid let off an experimental blast from his Uzi. Bullets pinged off of the rocks and bounced behind Lara where she crouched.
"Watch the damned ricochets, Kid! You almost hit me!" Max shouted.
"I think I've got it," Larson whispered. "The Kid's trigger happy, so we'll wait 'til his magazine runs out and then jump 'em. I've got body armor on so I can draw his fire."
"On the count of three, then?"
"One, two-"
"Three!" And the two of them popped up at once. The Kid was caught off guard and hesitated for a split second, unable to choose between his targets. Lara drew a bead on him and fired. Kid dove to the ground while firing wildly. Meanwhile Larson fired his shotgun into Max's position. Max fired back and hit Larson with a few pellets. The armor protected him but the impact caused Larson to fall backwards. Lara continued firing at the Kid, keeping him in retreat and unable to aim his shots. The Kid responded with panic fire as he tried to dodge Lara's bullets.
Soon the Kid's magazine ran out and he ran for cover. Larson got up and fired his shotgun again, this time scoring a hit on Max. As Max fell over, Larson ran over to the Kid and tore the submachinegun from his grasp. Then he drew his Glock and pointed it at the Kid's head. "Gimme the magazines, Kid!"
"Yeah right! You're not gonna kill me!" More shots erupted around them. Max had recovered and fired in their direction, then two more shots from Roy and Pierre who were hidden further back in the darkness.
"I will if those three don't finish us off first. Hurry up!" and he cocked his pistol. Grudgingly the Kid handed over his Uzi clips. Larson thanked him by smashing his fist into the Kid's jaw, knocking him out cold.
"One down!" he shouted to Lara.
"I need that Uzi now!" Lara shouted back. She was being pinned down by the combined firepower of Roy and Pierre. Quickly, Larson shoved a clip into the machine pistol and tossed it to Lara. She fired a long sweep into the darkness where the hidden gunmen's bullets were coming from. The bullets that were raining down on Lara stopped.
"I don't know if I hit them, but it got their attention." In the seconds she bought for herself she pulled the Scion from her pack. She gripped it and closed her eyes. "One wounded, just a little though. If I hang onto this I can home in on their position."
"We've got to deal with this guy first!" Larson said as he fired another shotgun blast at Max. Max reeled backwards, but was able to fire an answering blast back at Larson. This one hit Larson solidly in the vest and knocked him flat on his back.
"I've got my armor on too, Larson!" Max taunted. "Isn't this fun?"
"Lara! Do you have any of what we used on the Rex?" Larson asked, referring to the dynamite indirectly.
"One more. But I've got to keep those other two pinned down." She tossed him the last stick of dynamite. Larson lit the fuse, gritted his teeth until it burned down to the last few seconds, then threw it at Max. Max scrambled to throw it back but he was too late. BLAM!
"Two down," Larson mumbled.
Lara fired her Uzi into the darkness just as two more shots came her way. "Aagh!" she screamed as she toppled backwards from a hit.
"Lara!" Larson yelled. He ran over to her and lifted her to a sitting position. She gasped for breath as she spoke. "Roy's dead. . . but I didn't get Pierre. Help me."
"Time for some magic." Larson took out one of the two remaining medpacks and applied it to Lara's bullet wound. In a few seconds Lara was able to get shakily to her feet. "That one wasn't as strong, but I can walk." She picked up the Scion and closed her eyes. "He's leaving. Pierre's heading back to the chopper."
Larson looked admiringly at the Scion. "That is some handy gadget!"
"That's an understatement!"
"So what do you say we get out of here?"
"What about him?" Lara pointed to the Kid who was slowly coming around.
"Let's ask him. Want to come with us, Kid?"
"Where's everybody else?"
"We took care of 'em," said Larson.
The Kid shrugged. "'Kay, then."
Lara helped the Kid to his feet. Then, with the ancient Scion as their guide, the three adventurers made their way back up to the surface.
***
Well, that's my story so far. I may continue it at a later date or write a sequel, but only if I get a favorable response. I hope you enjoyed it!