12 HOURS LATER, CROFT MANOR, SURREY:

"Well, what about the sunken Spanish galleon?" Hilary asked, as he handed Lara her matching automatics.

"Dull." Lara said as she took them.

"Professor Madison has asked for your help in excavating a missing Greek temple."

"Boring." Lara said.

"Then there is the offer to lecture at the University of California from Dr, Barrett." Hilary suggested.

"Oh, Hilary." Lara said, holstering her guns. "I want adventure, not terminal boredom."

She sighed and then grabbed her black leather gloves from a nearby table. "I'm going out for a ride, Hilary."

Hilary nodded. "I'm sorry I can't offer you more." He said.

Lara smiled at him. "It's not your fault."

She was dressed in black leather boots that ended at her knees, beige breeches, a white shirt tucked in and belted at the waist and a black ankle length leather jacket. Her hair was pulled tightly into its usual long braid. Lara looked every inch the English Lady - except, of course, for the twin .45 modified automatic pistols holstered at her thighs. Those were pure Lara.

Half an hour later, Lara was mounted on her favourite black thoroughbred, Charna - which meant dark in Slavic. She was riding side saddle - something that always surprised those who knew her. Lara held the reins negligently in one hand, while the other rested on her right thigh. She was lost in thought for a minute, before whirling her horse and racing off towards her shooting range. Maybe some target practice would help.

Meanwhile, back inside the manor, Hilary was in the kitchen preparing lunch when he was surprised to hear the intercom from the main gate crackle. He walked over to the monitor that showed the picture from the security camera. A man stood waiting at the gate, dressed in jeans and a leather jacket. Sunglasses covered his eyes, and he had short silver hair, despite that fact he didn't look that old.

"Can I help you?" Hilary asked.

"My name is Jack O'Neill." The man said in an American accent. "I'd like to see Lady Croft."

Something about the man's name nagged at Hilary. It seemed familiar, but Hilary was sure he had never seen the man before. Although, whoever he was, this man might just be something to distract Lara from the boredom she had been feeling recently.

Hilary buzzed the gate, letting him in. The man got into his dark sedan and drove up the drive. Five minutes later there was a knock at the door. Hilary opened it, and saw Jack on the other side. "Please, come in," he said, and stepped aside for Jack to enter.

"If you'll follow me to the Library, I will tell Lay Croft you are here." He added, and shut the door.

Once Jack was waiting in the upstairs Library, Hilary went off in search of Bryce. He found the younger man in his trailer parked on the north patio. He knocked on the door and entered. "Bryce, do you know where Lara is?"

Then he sighed and tapped Bryce on the shoulder. Bryce spun on his chair.

"Oh, hey Hilary." Bryce said, taking the earphones out of his ears. "What is it?"

"I said: do you know where Lara is?"

Bryce turned back to his computer. Quickly checking the net of surveillance cameras that dotted the estate, he turned back to Hilary. "She's in the shooting range. Do you want me to page her?"

"Yes. Tell her a Mr. Jack O'Neill is here to see her." Hilary answered.

"Sure thing." Bryce tapped a few keys on his keyboard and picked up a headset. "Lara?" he said.

On the computer screen the men saw Lara holster her guns and walk to the wall. "Yes, Bryce?" she asked.

"Hilary said to tell you that a Jack O'Neill is here to see you." Bryce answered. "Oh, I say! Is that Colonel Jack O'Neill, Hilary?"

"He didn't say." Hilary answered.

They saw Lara grin quickly on the screen. "I'll be right there." She said, and was gone.

* * *

Back in the upstairs library, Jack was impressed with the obvious wealth that surrounded him. Lara was not a poor woman. He wandered to the window and looked out over the large lawn in front of him leading into a small wood.

As he watched, a dark horse surged out of the trees, a woman bent low on his back, the wind whipping at her long brown braid. Lara.

Jack felt as if some of the weight from his shoulders had gone, and he sighed in relief. Thank God Lara had been home and not off in some forgotten corner of the world. Jack saw the butler walk out and meet her, and she dismounted with a fluid grace, before disappearing in to the house.

A few minutes later, Lara burst into the library. She grinned when she saw him. "Jack!" Jack looked her over. She looked good in her riding clothes, with the cold making her cheeks flush slightly. He gave a faint smile when he saw the guns holstered at her thighs. "Lara." He said.

"How are you?" she said, taking off her gloves. "And how long are you here for?"

"Well, that's the thing, Lara." Jack said and took off his sunglasses.

"What's wrong Jack?" Lara asked, just noticing the tired look on his face and his slightly bedraggled appearance.

"I need you help." He said.

"What for?" Lara asked.

Jack took a deep breath. "I'm on the run, Lara. I'm wanted for murder."