CHAPTER 5
Riley stood by a large set of glass double doors; he was scanning the shadows cast by the large trees surrounding his home. Something was bugging him about this attack. He had heard something that didn't quite fit.
He had been hot and bothered all day and had decided to go for a quiet walk in the cool night air to refresh himself. But his walk had been anything but quiet. He had been about a mile from his house when he had heard a thrashing noise down the embankment. At first he had put it down to the local wild life, and continued walking. He had stopped in his tracks when he had heard a deep voice growl "Such a waste, you're quite a looker, too bad you got into this" followed by the sickening gargle sound of someone being choked.
Riley had automatically slipped into his stealth approach he had been trained so thoroughly to achieve. As he crept slowly closer, not making a single noise, even though the ground was covered with dry leaves and twigs, he was able to make out the figure of a large man, hunched over a smaller form on the ground. As he grew closer still, Riley saw that the man was pinning down a woman with a large wooden object pressed hard against her throat as she attempted to fight him off. Her mouth was opening and shutting, trying desperately to suck in what little air she could get. Just then the man pulled hard at the woman's top, tearing it wide open.
Riley gritted his teeth and felt the anger boil inside him. He wasn't going to let something like this happen again. He hadn't been able to save Joanne but he knew that he was more than able to help this woman. His years of training for the SAS had equipped him well. He closed in on the man as the woman's arms fell limply to her sides. Quickly he struck her attacker at the base of the neck, rendering him unconscious. He slumped on top of his victim. Riley kicked the large limp form unkindly in the ribs, sending him rolling to one side, revealing the woman.
Riley's breath caught in his throat as his eyes landed on her, she was incredibly beautiful. She wasn't moving, he knelt besides her, preying he hadn't been too late. Her eyes were closed, her full lips parted, they were a deep blue as a result of the attack. Riley shot a harsh look at the man behind him. How could anyone want to hurt her? He strode over to the brute and punched him hard in the face. "Asshole" he hissed. Riley was angry at both the attacker and himself for not getting there in time. "Why?" he hissed "why didn't I move sooner? I killed her as much as you did!" just then there was a gasping noise behind him. His heart jumped, she was alive! He dashed to her side in time to see her eyes open slightly; they didn't seem to focus on anything as he leaned closer and scooped her up into his arms. As he began to walk quickly up the embankment in the direction of his house, her eyes landed on his for a second before she slipped back into unconsciousness.
The thing that made this attack seem strange was what he had heard the man say as he had her pinned. He had said it was too bad she had gotten involved. Involved in what? There was definitely something odd surrounding this. Someone had tried to kill the woman who was now bathing in his tub. The attack hadn't been random, Riley suspected that someone had been following her, waiting for the right time to jump. If Riley hadn't have taken a walk, Lara would now have been Raped and killed, he was thankful that he had been able to stop that, but something told him that she wasn't out of danger yet. He made his mind up then not to let her leave his home without him. If she was attacked again then she would have even less of a chance than she had the first time. She was injured and needed his protection.
He had read some amazing things about Lady Lara Croft, the adventurer. But as long as she was here, in his company, she was Lara Croft, the woman. She needed him, weather she liked it or not.
Riley stood by a large set of glass double doors; he was scanning the shadows cast by the large trees surrounding his home. Something was bugging him about this attack. He had heard something that didn't quite fit.
He had been hot and bothered all day and had decided to go for a quiet walk in the cool night air to refresh himself. But his walk had been anything but quiet. He had been about a mile from his house when he had heard a thrashing noise down the embankment. At first he had put it down to the local wild life, and continued walking. He had stopped in his tracks when he had heard a deep voice growl "Such a waste, you're quite a looker, too bad you got into this" followed by the sickening gargle sound of someone being choked.
Riley had automatically slipped into his stealth approach he had been trained so thoroughly to achieve. As he crept slowly closer, not making a single noise, even though the ground was covered with dry leaves and twigs, he was able to make out the figure of a large man, hunched over a smaller form on the ground. As he grew closer still, Riley saw that the man was pinning down a woman with a large wooden object pressed hard against her throat as she attempted to fight him off. Her mouth was opening and shutting, trying desperately to suck in what little air she could get. Just then the man pulled hard at the woman's top, tearing it wide open.
Riley gritted his teeth and felt the anger boil inside him. He wasn't going to let something like this happen again. He hadn't been able to save Joanne but he knew that he was more than able to help this woman. His years of training for the SAS had equipped him well. He closed in on the man as the woman's arms fell limply to her sides. Quickly he struck her attacker at the base of the neck, rendering him unconscious. He slumped on top of his victim. Riley kicked the large limp form unkindly in the ribs, sending him rolling to one side, revealing the woman.
Riley's breath caught in his throat as his eyes landed on her, she was incredibly beautiful. She wasn't moving, he knelt besides her, preying he hadn't been too late. Her eyes were closed, her full lips parted, they were a deep blue as a result of the attack. Riley shot a harsh look at the man behind him. How could anyone want to hurt her? He strode over to the brute and punched him hard in the face. "Asshole" he hissed. Riley was angry at both the attacker and himself for not getting there in time. "Why?" he hissed "why didn't I move sooner? I killed her as much as you did!" just then there was a gasping noise behind him. His heart jumped, she was alive! He dashed to her side in time to see her eyes open slightly; they didn't seem to focus on anything as he leaned closer and scooped her up into his arms. As he began to walk quickly up the embankment in the direction of his house, her eyes landed on his for a second before she slipped back into unconsciousness.
The thing that made this attack seem strange was what he had heard the man say as he had her pinned. He had said it was too bad she had gotten involved. Involved in what? There was definitely something odd surrounding this. Someone had tried to kill the woman who was now bathing in his tub. The attack hadn't been random, Riley suspected that someone had been following her, waiting for the right time to jump. If Riley hadn't have taken a walk, Lara would now have been Raped and killed, he was thankful that he had been able to stop that, but something told him that she wasn't out of danger yet. He made his mind up then not to let her leave his home without him. If she was attacked again then she would have even less of a chance than she had the first time. She was injured and needed his protection.
He had read some amazing things about Lady Lara Croft, the adventurer. But as long as she was here, in his company, she was Lara Croft, the woman. She needed him, weather she liked it or not.