Lara felt a sharp stab of anger as she looked at the face of the woman who
attacked her. She stared at the photograph, memorising every feature, so
she would know the woman if she ever saw her again - and she would. Lara
would make sure of that.
Bryce swung the computer back around. His fingers began tapping at the keys once more. As he searched for whatever he was looking for, Lara took a look at the Colonel. He looked slightly tired and a whole lot frustrated. Lara considered this. It seemed whatever the Colonel was investigating, he didn't like it.
At that moment, the sound of several motors echoed from outside the van. Lara was immediately on her feet, her hands reaching for the guns that she no longer carried. "Bloody Hell!" she swore under her breath.
The Colonel, too, was alert. He motioned to his large friend, and the pair silently slipped out of the van. Lara quickly followed them before anyone could object. Lara raised her eyebrows when she saw the sight that greeted her - three dark coloured SUV's had pulled up on the outskirts of the airstrip and several men in dark suits had gotten out. She saw that most of them carried guns.
"What's going on?" the Colonel demanded.
"We have arrived to continue this investigation." One of the suits said. "Thank you for your help, Colonel."
"Now wait a minute!" Jack snapped, before a man caught his eye. "Connelly!"
"Yes, Colonel?" another man asked.
"What is going on?" he ground out angrily.
"We're taking over this investigation." The man named Connelly said.
Connelly turned to a few of the suited men. "I want you to search the plane. Bring me anything of interest!"
At his words, Lara grew angry. "Oh, no you don't!" she snapped. "That plane is my property, and you can't take it."
Connelly looked over at her. "You'll be coming with us for questioning." He said. "Along with anyone who came with you."
"No." Lara said.
"No?" Connelly repeated. "You don't have any choice!"
Lara smiled wickedly. "Think again." She purred.
Before she could do anything - like punch Connelly in the face, like she so badly wanted to - Jack put his hand on her arm, and pulled her out of their earshot. "Be careful what you say." He warned. "They may be arrogant, sleazy, deceitful assholes, but they also work for the U.S. Government."
"Who are they?" Lara asked.
"They call themselves the NID." Jack replied.
"And you're just going to let them take me in for questioning?" Lara snapped.
"No."
At his adamant words, Lara looked at Jack. She could see the anger and stubbornness reflected on his face. "Why?" she asked him softly.
It suddenly occurred to Lara that she needed to know why this soldier was trying to help her, when he had been so distrustful and wary before.
He looked at her with piercing brown eyes. "Because I don't trust the NID to find the stone, and I'll need your help to beat them to it."
Lara could hear the echo of determination beneath the words. There would be no arguing with him now. "You mind if I fetch some stuff from the plane, before they run off with it?" she asked.
Jack raised an eyebrow at her. "What kind of stuff?"
"Things to help me find this stone of yours." Lara replied.
He nodded. Lara didn't wait for anything more. There were already several suits sniffing around the plane. She quickly sprinted over and shoved the nearest man away from the still open cargo doors. "Hey!" he yelled, but Lara ignored him.
She vaulted inside in a fluid movement that spoke of long practice, and looked around for what she was looking for. She found the case at the back and grabbed it. She turned and found the suit in the doorway. "Put that down." He said.
"No." Lara replied.
"Miss . . . " he began, but didn't get to finish, as Lara pushed him back out the door.
Lara watched the man stumble as he hit the ground, and felt disappointed when he didn't fall over. She shrugged, and opened the door that lead to the cockpit. She slid into the pilot's seat and smiled wickedly when Connelly began running over waving his arms. She grabbed a bag from under the seat and was out of the cockpit and running back towards the Colonel before Connelly arrived.
"Got what you need?" he asked as she stopped beside him.
"Yes." Lara replied.
Jack looked at her considering. "I don't suppose you have a car stashed around here somewhere?"
"Of course." Lara said. "I don't trust taxi drivers."
Jack shook his head, and Lara caught the glimpse of an unknown emotion on his face. Resentment? Respect? She didn't know, and now was not the time to find out. "It's parked behind the hanger over there." Lara motioned to the dark building behind them.
"Alright." Jack said thoughtfully. Then he looked at her. "Give me the keys."
"No." Lara said. "I'm driving."
Jack glared at her and opened his mouth to argue, before snapping it shut. "Fine." He growled, knowing full well that this was not the time or place for an argument.
Lara grinned at him, and slid her backpack on her back and slinging the other bag across her shoulder. She turned and slid down the side of the van, keeping out of sight of the NID agents. The bags were heavy, but Lara ignored them, along with the twinges in her muscles from the night's adventure. At least her headache was beginning to lessen.
Lara peered around the edge of the van and saw a group of agents standing near the hanger. She frowned. The agents had their backs turned away from her, and if she was quiet she could sneak past . . . but it was risky. If they turned and saw her, she wouldn't be able to get to the car. Lara shook her head. This headache must be getting to her, because when had she ever been afraid of taking risks? If they saw her, then they would have to catch her before they could do anything else!
Taking a deep breath, Lara sprinted across the tarmac, trying to make her soft footsteps as quiet as possible. Just as she slipped around the side of the metal hanger, one of the agents saw her. "Hey!" he called, but Lara ignored him.
The jeep was waiting for her just where she had left it, and Lara thanked her lucky stars that it could seat seven people. She had thought it too big before, but now it was just right. Grabbing the keys from where she had hidden them on top of the front wheel, she slid them into the lock and opened the doors. Thank goodness for central locking!
Lara slid into the driver's seat and threw her bags onto the floor on the passenger side of the car. She shut the door as quickly as she could and started the motor. At that moment, three NID agents came running around the corner. "Stop!" one of them yelled.
Lara gunned the engine and roared off, speeding around the side of the hanger and screeching to a stop beside a surprised Jack. She leaned across the passenger seat and opened the door. "What are you waiting for?" she snapped at him. "Get in!"
Jack blinked and jumped into the passenger seat, just as Carter, Bryce, Daniel and the 'big guy' threw themselves into the back. Lara took off just as they shut the door, and roared towards the end of the tarmac. Behind her, agents where scrambling to get into their cars. "Do you know where you're going?" Jack asked.
"Of course." Lara replied.
She roared out of the airstrip and onto the road. The sky was beginning to lighten and, as a result, the traffic was getting heavier. Lara turned into the first side street she came across, the NID following close at her heals. She grinned slightly. She felt like she was in the middle of a movie. The more she thought about it, the more she began to think that the idea might not be far from the truth. After all, she had flown into Washington with the purpose to steal an artefact, then proceeded to be attacked, knocked out, questioned by mysterious soldiers who knew more than they were saying, attacked again, and now chased. She shook her head. Hilary was not going to believe this!
Lara continued to roar around corners, duck into alleys and weave in and out of the increasing traffic until the NID finally disappeared. She glanced at the clock on the car's dashboard. 6:30am. No wonder she was tired. Lara had been awake for the past 20 hours - that is if you didn't count the time she spent unconscious, she thought wryly.
"So," she looked at the Colonel beside her. "Where to next?"
Bryce swung the computer back around. His fingers began tapping at the keys once more. As he searched for whatever he was looking for, Lara took a look at the Colonel. He looked slightly tired and a whole lot frustrated. Lara considered this. It seemed whatever the Colonel was investigating, he didn't like it.
At that moment, the sound of several motors echoed from outside the van. Lara was immediately on her feet, her hands reaching for the guns that she no longer carried. "Bloody Hell!" she swore under her breath.
The Colonel, too, was alert. He motioned to his large friend, and the pair silently slipped out of the van. Lara quickly followed them before anyone could object. Lara raised her eyebrows when she saw the sight that greeted her - three dark coloured SUV's had pulled up on the outskirts of the airstrip and several men in dark suits had gotten out. She saw that most of them carried guns.
"What's going on?" the Colonel demanded.
"We have arrived to continue this investigation." One of the suits said. "Thank you for your help, Colonel."
"Now wait a minute!" Jack snapped, before a man caught his eye. "Connelly!"
"Yes, Colonel?" another man asked.
"What is going on?" he ground out angrily.
"We're taking over this investigation." The man named Connelly said.
Connelly turned to a few of the suited men. "I want you to search the plane. Bring me anything of interest!"
At his words, Lara grew angry. "Oh, no you don't!" she snapped. "That plane is my property, and you can't take it."
Connelly looked over at her. "You'll be coming with us for questioning." He said. "Along with anyone who came with you."
"No." Lara said.
"No?" Connelly repeated. "You don't have any choice!"
Lara smiled wickedly. "Think again." She purred.
Before she could do anything - like punch Connelly in the face, like she so badly wanted to - Jack put his hand on her arm, and pulled her out of their earshot. "Be careful what you say." He warned. "They may be arrogant, sleazy, deceitful assholes, but they also work for the U.S. Government."
"Who are they?" Lara asked.
"They call themselves the NID." Jack replied.
"And you're just going to let them take me in for questioning?" Lara snapped.
"No."
At his adamant words, Lara looked at Jack. She could see the anger and stubbornness reflected on his face. "Why?" she asked him softly.
It suddenly occurred to Lara that she needed to know why this soldier was trying to help her, when he had been so distrustful and wary before.
He looked at her with piercing brown eyes. "Because I don't trust the NID to find the stone, and I'll need your help to beat them to it."
Lara could hear the echo of determination beneath the words. There would be no arguing with him now. "You mind if I fetch some stuff from the plane, before they run off with it?" she asked.
Jack raised an eyebrow at her. "What kind of stuff?"
"Things to help me find this stone of yours." Lara replied.
He nodded. Lara didn't wait for anything more. There were already several suits sniffing around the plane. She quickly sprinted over and shoved the nearest man away from the still open cargo doors. "Hey!" he yelled, but Lara ignored him.
She vaulted inside in a fluid movement that spoke of long practice, and looked around for what she was looking for. She found the case at the back and grabbed it. She turned and found the suit in the doorway. "Put that down." He said.
"No." Lara replied.
"Miss . . . " he began, but didn't get to finish, as Lara pushed him back out the door.
Lara watched the man stumble as he hit the ground, and felt disappointed when he didn't fall over. She shrugged, and opened the door that lead to the cockpit. She slid into the pilot's seat and smiled wickedly when Connelly began running over waving his arms. She grabbed a bag from under the seat and was out of the cockpit and running back towards the Colonel before Connelly arrived.
"Got what you need?" he asked as she stopped beside him.
"Yes." Lara replied.
Jack looked at her considering. "I don't suppose you have a car stashed around here somewhere?"
"Of course." Lara said. "I don't trust taxi drivers."
Jack shook his head, and Lara caught the glimpse of an unknown emotion on his face. Resentment? Respect? She didn't know, and now was not the time to find out. "It's parked behind the hanger over there." Lara motioned to the dark building behind them.
"Alright." Jack said thoughtfully. Then he looked at her. "Give me the keys."
"No." Lara said. "I'm driving."
Jack glared at her and opened his mouth to argue, before snapping it shut. "Fine." He growled, knowing full well that this was not the time or place for an argument.
Lara grinned at him, and slid her backpack on her back and slinging the other bag across her shoulder. She turned and slid down the side of the van, keeping out of sight of the NID agents. The bags were heavy, but Lara ignored them, along with the twinges in her muscles from the night's adventure. At least her headache was beginning to lessen.
Lara peered around the edge of the van and saw a group of agents standing near the hanger. She frowned. The agents had their backs turned away from her, and if she was quiet she could sneak past . . . but it was risky. If they turned and saw her, she wouldn't be able to get to the car. Lara shook her head. This headache must be getting to her, because when had she ever been afraid of taking risks? If they saw her, then they would have to catch her before they could do anything else!
Taking a deep breath, Lara sprinted across the tarmac, trying to make her soft footsteps as quiet as possible. Just as she slipped around the side of the metal hanger, one of the agents saw her. "Hey!" he called, but Lara ignored him.
The jeep was waiting for her just where she had left it, and Lara thanked her lucky stars that it could seat seven people. She had thought it too big before, but now it was just right. Grabbing the keys from where she had hidden them on top of the front wheel, she slid them into the lock and opened the doors. Thank goodness for central locking!
Lara slid into the driver's seat and threw her bags onto the floor on the passenger side of the car. She shut the door as quickly as she could and started the motor. At that moment, three NID agents came running around the corner. "Stop!" one of them yelled.
Lara gunned the engine and roared off, speeding around the side of the hanger and screeching to a stop beside a surprised Jack. She leaned across the passenger seat and opened the door. "What are you waiting for?" she snapped at him. "Get in!"
Jack blinked and jumped into the passenger seat, just as Carter, Bryce, Daniel and the 'big guy' threw themselves into the back. Lara took off just as they shut the door, and roared towards the end of the tarmac. Behind her, agents where scrambling to get into their cars. "Do you know where you're going?" Jack asked.
"Of course." Lara replied.
She roared out of the airstrip and onto the road. The sky was beginning to lighten and, as a result, the traffic was getting heavier. Lara turned into the first side street she came across, the NID following close at her heals. She grinned slightly. She felt like she was in the middle of a movie. The more she thought about it, the more she began to think that the idea might not be far from the truth. After all, she had flown into Washington with the purpose to steal an artefact, then proceeded to be attacked, knocked out, questioned by mysterious soldiers who knew more than they were saying, attacked again, and now chased. She shook her head. Hilary was not going to believe this!
Lara continued to roar around corners, duck into alleys and weave in and out of the increasing traffic until the NID finally disappeared. She glanced at the clock on the car's dashboard. 6:30am. No wonder she was tired. Lara had been awake for the past 20 hours - that is if you didn't count the time she spent unconscious, she thought wryly.
"So," she looked at the Colonel beside her. "Where to next?"