CHAPTER 1
The night air was cool against her hot skin as she ran. Her lungs burned, her legs felt like led but still she kept pushing, she knew that stopping meant certain death. She could hear the dog's behind her as they crashed through the darkness, followed closely by their handlers. She stole a quick glance over her shoulder as she hurtled forward, the beams from enemy flashlights bounced through the trees, voices called out to each other in Russian.
She skidded slightly as she turned back into the darkness, pushing harder. The ground fell away from her feet; instinctively she turned and reached, grabbing the ledge she had just occupied.
Her body crashed against the harsh roughness of the cliff face. She heard paws skid to a halt above her; one of the dogs sniffed her fingers and then began barking.
She cursed under her breath and began searching for a quick escape as her heart nearly beat its way out of her chest. Just as the dog stopped barking, her ears picked up a familiar sound, Water. She couldn't see more than three feet below her. Just then she heard the Russian guards joins their search dogs above her, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and let go of the ledge. Eventually she was swallowed but the cold darkness of the rushing river. It had been a close call, but she had escaped. this time.
* * *
The office smelled like oak, the same as it had the first time she had been there three weeks ago. This time the older man was crouched over his laptop, so consumed by his work that he didn't see her enter the room. He had dark brown hair, sprayed with splashes of grey; his small round glasses reflected the glow from the screen of his laptop as he continued to type.
He was startled when she slammed her palm onto the surface of his desk, staring coldly at him as he began to fidget before her.
"Lara!" "Surprised to see me Mr. Vanderbelt?" "I will be honest with you Lara I didn't expect you to be back so soon!" "Well, I'm a fast worker" she sat on the edge of his antique oak desk and gave him an empty smile. She wasn't going to make an effort to conceal the fact she didn't like him much.
"You have it then?" the man leaned forward and placed his hand on her thigh. "If you don't take your hand off me, I will shove it down your own throat!"
Gerrard Vanderbelt quickly removed his hand and smiled slightly. "Please Ms Croft, accept my apologies,"
Lara sighed and rolled her eyes, her leather trousers creaked slightly as she leaned forward to grab her backpack. Vanderbelt's eyes landed on the exposed flesh of her lower back. Although at 55 he was 28 years older than Lara, he had always found her extremely attractive.
"Here's what you asked for" she said shortly as she tossed a small box into his lap Vanderbelt smiled as he lifted the box and opened it slowly. Inside was what resembled an oversized coin. Roughly 5 inches in diameter 5mm thick, made of solid gold with detailed engravings filled out with silver, leaving a smooth surface.
Lara watched as her commissioner stroked the surface of the artefact with a small hungry looking smile on his face. He noticed then that Lara was studying his reaction to the item and snapped himself back to reality "yes.yes. well done Lara, I will have the agreed amount transferred to your account right now."
He grabbed the phone and called his bank. Instructing them to start the transaction. "I shall be sure to contact you again if there is anything else I need you to acquire for me."
"Right" Lara said as she stood up, reaching out to shake his hand "I'll be off then" "Yes, Yes" he stood and shook her hand "thank you my dear" Lara left the room and jogged back to her motorbike waiting for her outside. Vanderbelt stood watching her from the window of his second floor office. As she sped away, he smiled and reached for the phone. After a few seconds the phone was answered.
"It's Gerrard, let me speak to him!" he waited again, then smiled as another voice came on the line "yes sir, I have the piece....she just left...is that really necessary?....no, no sir, of course...as you wish." Vanderbelt put down the phone a sighed deeply, already regretting the next call. He picked up the phone again and dialled another number "I have work for you! Yes that's right, another loose end..Lady Lara Croft!"
The night air was cool against her hot skin as she ran. Her lungs burned, her legs felt like led but still she kept pushing, she knew that stopping meant certain death. She could hear the dog's behind her as they crashed through the darkness, followed closely by their handlers. She stole a quick glance over her shoulder as she hurtled forward, the beams from enemy flashlights bounced through the trees, voices called out to each other in Russian.
She skidded slightly as she turned back into the darkness, pushing harder. The ground fell away from her feet; instinctively she turned and reached, grabbing the ledge she had just occupied.
Her body crashed against the harsh roughness of the cliff face. She heard paws skid to a halt above her; one of the dogs sniffed her fingers and then began barking.
She cursed under her breath and began searching for a quick escape as her heart nearly beat its way out of her chest. Just as the dog stopped barking, her ears picked up a familiar sound, Water. She couldn't see more than three feet below her. Just then she heard the Russian guards joins their search dogs above her, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and let go of the ledge. Eventually she was swallowed but the cold darkness of the rushing river. It had been a close call, but she had escaped. this time.
* * *
The office smelled like oak, the same as it had the first time she had been there three weeks ago. This time the older man was crouched over his laptop, so consumed by his work that he didn't see her enter the room. He had dark brown hair, sprayed with splashes of grey; his small round glasses reflected the glow from the screen of his laptop as he continued to type.
He was startled when she slammed her palm onto the surface of his desk, staring coldly at him as he began to fidget before her.
"Lara!" "Surprised to see me Mr. Vanderbelt?" "I will be honest with you Lara I didn't expect you to be back so soon!" "Well, I'm a fast worker" she sat on the edge of his antique oak desk and gave him an empty smile. She wasn't going to make an effort to conceal the fact she didn't like him much.
"You have it then?" the man leaned forward and placed his hand on her thigh. "If you don't take your hand off me, I will shove it down your own throat!"
Gerrard Vanderbelt quickly removed his hand and smiled slightly. "Please Ms Croft, accept my apologies,"
Lara sighed and rolled her eyes, her leather trousers creaked slightly as she leaned forward to grab her backpack. Vanderbelt's eyes landed on the exposed flesh of her lower back. Although at 55 he was 28 years older than Lara, he had always found her extremely attractive.
"Here's what you asked for" she said shortly as she tossed a small box into his lap Vanderbelt smiled as he lifted the box and opened it slowly. Inside was what resembled an oversized coin. Roughly 5 inches in diameter 5mm thick, made of solid gold with detailed engravings filled out with silver, leaving a smooth surface.
Lara watched as her commissioner stroked the surface of the artefact with a small hungry looking smile on his face. He noticed then that Lara was studying his reaction to the item and snapped himself back to reality "yes.yes. well done Lara, I will have the agreed amount transferred to your account right now."
He grabbed the phone and called his bank. Instructing them to start the transaction. "I shall be sure to contact you again if there is anything else I need you to acquire for me."
"Right" Lara said as she stood up, reaching out to shake his hand "I'll be off then" "Yes, Yes" he stood and shook her hand "thank you my dear" Lara left the room and jogged back to her motorbike waiting for her outside. Vanderbelt stood watching her from the window of his second floor office. As she sped away, he smiled and reached for the phone. After a few seconds the phone was answered.
"It's Gerrard, let me speak to him!" he waited again, then smiled as another voice came on the line "yes sir, I have the piece....she just left...is that really necessary?....no, no sir, of course...as you wish." Vanderbelt put down the phone a sighed deeply, already regretting the next call. He picked up the phone again and dialled another number "I have work for you! Yes that's right, another loose end..Lady Lara Croft!"