A/N- Sorry, guys, but this is a short one....*hugs* Thanks for your support!

Chapter Six: Vasiley, Tasiley, Nasiley, Casiley...

The drive to Prague was hard, since she had to follow speed limit, being a wanted woman and all. But, after hearing about Vasi...um, Ta....well, that art dealer dude's death, on the radio, she'd been sure of her next move: reach a bathroom.

And -then- it was: get the next engraving so that she could find the next Inaspicious Painting.

She parked the black hummer in an archway next to the courtyard where Vasiley's place was, and cringed as most of the traffic trying to get to and from the area smashed into the vehicle. She whistled nonchalantly and hurried away.

Across the way, a man was leaning on his car, staring at a naughty magazine. When Lara approached, he quickly threw it into his car and pretended to be focusing on some photo's of a few people. "Are you a reporter?"

"Yes."

"What's your name?"

"Rennick. No, wait! It's Luddick. No, it's-"

"Okay, I'll just call you Rennick. What are you doing?"

"Gathering information for the story about Vasiley's death."

"How did he die?"

Rennick put out a hand and cleared his throat. Sighing, Lara shoved some cash into his palm. "There, that enough?"

"Thank you. As I was saying, Vasiliey caught a really bad cold-"

"No, the real story," Lara said angrily.

"Fine. He was taken out by the mafia."

"Mafia?"

"Yeah! I've got dossiers on all the main players!"

Her face brightened. "Lets see them."

"It'll cost you."

She palmed some more money, then leaned forward to look at his file. "Yuck, you call these dossiers? Do you know who this is?"

"No, all I know is that he arrived from Paris a few days ago."

"That's Louis Leotard, Parisian mafia." She spotted a picture of the pigtail man. "Who's this?"

"That's 'Eckheart'. He's the one I know the least about, but all I know is that where ever he goes, hordes of women are following at his beck and call. I don't know why...maybe it's because he's evil..." Rennick trailed off, a forlorn look on his face. Lara rolled her eyes, then flipped the page.

"Who's this?"

"Joachim Corral. He's a lawyer here in Prague, but he's involved with the rest of these men too. As far as I can tell, he is the right hand man to Eckheart, and heads up all the big fighting operations. Lot's of people spot him at disco clubs, though."

"And this?"

"Kristina Boeing. Scary looking woman. She was in a plane crash, that's where the scars come from. Used to be a swimsuit model, now no one wants her. Just another player, as far as I can tell, working with Eckheart."

"And...who is this portly one?"

"That's Dr. Grant Mule. He works for the pharmaceutical's company, he's botanical expert. Another associate of Eckheart's. Tends to run in the races alot, very disturbing sight."

"And this one? I've seen him before..."

"That's Marten Blunderson. He runs a thing called the 'Agency'. Mercenary's for hire. They also do bodyguard and freelance security, and by rumor, birthday parties."

"Right. Well, I need to find these people. Where did you say they were?"

"The Strahov."

"Can you get me there?"

He put out a hand and pretended to think. "It'll take about a week to get access codes." She shoved some more money into his hand. He grinned. "But if I hurry...half and hour."

"I'll be back then."

Lara ran towards Vasiley's house, but instead of going through the front door, she hopped into the sewer and shut the grate. Just as the lock clicked she realized her mistake. "Damn, stupid force of habit!"

She continued down the sewer until she came to a locked door, but solved the problem by kicking it in. She was surprised to see Leotard, rummaging through a jewelry box. Smiling, she pressed a gun to his neck, then smacked him over the head with it.

When he woke up, she had handcuffed him to a radiator, and was sitting on a shelf. "So, Leotard, what brings you to Prague?"

"N-nothing."

"Why did you try to kill me in Paris?"

"You were a loose end! Eckheart wanted you dead...uh...I shouldn't have said that."

"Why are you working with Eckheart?"

"He's the one that's been killing my men and injured Ahnald with the Hershey's chocolate makers! Not only that, he's the Mockscrub!"

"The Mockscrub! Well...none of that really answers my question. Why did you work with him?"

"He was threatening my family. What was I supposed to do? Dance like a chicken and kick him in the mommy-daddy button?"

"Well, it couldn't have hurt...I have no time for this! I have to go find...er...that 'thing' I wanted."

"You leaving me here?"

"Yes."

"But...but...what about...the rats?"

She shrugged. "They won't be getting much of a meal if they decide to chew on you."

*~*~*

When Lara returned from Vasiley's office with the engraving, she was surprised to find Leotard gone. Angrily, she scoured the place, until she came to a door that read 'Don't Look In Here'. Needless to say, she opened it anyway.

Leotard tumbled out, a tinfoil cap embedded in his back. He fell to the ground, dead. "What the hell is going on here?" she yelled in frustration. An echo replied, "I don't know..."

Grabbing the keys off his body, she exited through the backdoor of Vasiley's, and saw Rennick over by a streetlight. He was grinning widely.

"I've got the passcodes and this for you," he said, handing her a pistol. "Now, lets get going. I drive you."