Betrayal
L.A. Sway
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
2Corinthians 5:10
The room was plunged into darkness, the pitch black swallowing Lara. Screams rang out into the room, but Lara saw no one. She called out to them, but no reply came. "I can help you!" She continuously screamed, "I've come to help you!" But the screams continued, calls for help. Lara stumbled through the dark, searching. She felt a dizzying sensation, eyes watching her, judging her. She continued to walk, unsure of what direction she was headed.
"Where are you going Lara?" She heard a voice call out.
Lara twirled around, her eyes probing into what seemed complete emptiness. Then all at once, the screams halted and Lara found herself falling. It was as if time had slowed and she was now gliding through the air. Artifacts floated past her, most she recognized immediately. They were all artifacts she had discovered. She reached out for them, only for the objects to disappear at her grasp. It strangely reminded her of Alice In Wonder Land when Alice had fallen down the rabbit hole. Where did this rabbit hole lead?
Lara closed her eyes, trying to think.
She opened her eyes to a brilliant whiteness. A clear, angelic whiteness that she could not comprehend, nor possibly describe. Was this heaven? She was on her knees, her body numb. She lifted her chin to look around. A brilliant white spirit floated in front of her, its head was bowed, whispers escaping its lips.
"Lara Croft," She heard a voice say, a voice in her head.
It was a whisper, a gentle voice calling out to her. The softness of the voice brought an incredible calm to Lara, an emotion she had never experienced so strong. The spirit reached out to her face, its eyes closed.
"Judgment day is here," she heard a voice echo out into her mind.
The spirit opened its eyelids to reveal the most brilliant green eyes she had ever seen.
Green Eyes.
Lara's brown eyes snapped open, her mind struggling to make sense of where she was. Slowly she made out the surroundings of her hotel room, the dresser across from her bed, the sofa next to the French balcony doors. Lara took in a deep breath, closing her eyes, trying to savor her dream before it faded away like dreams usually do.
The sky outside had become a soft lavender, the stars still visible even as the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon. A soft chill crawled into the room, and Lara pulled her covers farther over her. She groaned in frustration, realizing the balcony doors were open, and then she froze. She had shut and locked the doors the night before. Lara immediately reached for her pistol she had left taped to the side of the coffee table.
Her hand grasped air.
Lara swore under her breath, and squinted her eyes, trying to make out something in the dark room. The pale beige draperies blew back and worth, as if performing some kind of exotic dance and the dresser across from her bed seemed to resemble something human. She began to pull the silk sheets off of her when a hand suddenly clamped over her mouth. A strong fume filled her nostrils and she reflexively swung her arm out to her right, her fist making contact with something or someone.
She sprang out of bed, stumbling forward. She slammed into her dresser, pain shooting into her hip. She struggled forward, the room suddenly becoming hazy. Lara reached out in front of her, trying to steady herself, but her head swam. Drugs! She struggled to think, feeling her body go numb. Don't give up Lara! She fell towards the door, trying to grasp the handle, when something hard was slammed into the back of her skull. A searing pain shot through her and she fell to the floor, the carpet burning beneath her face. And then, Lara slipped slowly back into her dreams.
****
The sky had faded to darkness by the time Dominique Becker left work. The France air had turned to a bitter cold in the early night, and Dom pulled his leather jacket on. He had never really enjoyed the cold, but having grown up in Boston he had gotten used to it. He glanced up at the sky, the stars scattered along the long stretch of complete black. He sighed to himself, his mind wandering.
"You're the best out there Dom, you supply your customers with whatever they need, and you can keep your mouth shut." Customers had told him time and time again.
How many times had he heard that?
"You supply your customers with whatever they need, and you can keep your mouth shut," he repeated out loud to himself. You can keep your mouth shut.
That is, until Lara Croft came into town.
He crossed the street, heading towards his apartment building, barely a block from his store. The events of the long day called for a few deserved beers when he made it back home. He rounded the corner, only to be halted by the familiar click of a pistol being cocked. Dominique froze, and held his breath.
A stranger cloaked by the shadows of the nearby alleyway stood holding a Desert Eagle MK19 44 Magnum (After working in weaponry for 11 years, Dom knew his guns) in Dom's direction. Dominique's breathes came out in small white puffs of air as he studied the stranger across from him. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the stranger stepped out from the shadows, only to reveal he really wasn't a stranger at all. Dominique stared back at the angry eyes of Daniel Lane.
Dominique knew why he was here. Daniel moved closer to him, the grip on his gun still tight.
"Where the hell is she?" he hissed.
Dominique sighed, a cloud of white mist appearing in front of him. "This is over your head, you don't want this."
Daniel suddenly rushed towards Dominique shoving his 6'2 frame against the alley way wall.
"You heard me Dominique, I know that you betrayed Lara. Don't make it a habit. Where the hell is she?"
Dom glared back at Daniel, "I've known Lara a long time, but business is business. You don't wanna mess with this guy, he'll get what he wants, no matter what."
"Not if I can help it." Daniel growled back, his deep green eyes producing an intimidating glare.
Dominique gritted his teeth, "A warehouse off of 7. A club, Le Tunnel."
Daniel shoved Dominique back into the wall, and then without another word, disappeared into the flow of traffic on the main road. Dominique watched him go, cursing to himself. After a few minutes he pulled out a cell phone and punched in a few numbers. "It's Done. He just left."
