Lara awoke to a dimly lit room, the pale flickering of candles casting
small obscure shadows across the carpeting. She heard the familiar
instrumentals of the London symphony being played from a nearby record
player, each haunting note whispering to her ears as though she had never
heard music before.
Her head throbbed, and she struggled to piece together the events that had
led her to the unconscious. Her vision was groggy and the contents of the
unfamiliar room were indistinct.
The strong effects of whatever drugs they had given her had left her body
feeling numb, and her hands trembling.
She opened and closed her eyes slowly; expensive artwork and furniture
lined the deep red walls of the room. Balcony doors had been opened across
from where she lay; the chilly France air invading the room like an
unwanted guest. She attempted to sit up, but her thoughts and body would
not cooperate and she fell back against the sofa.
"Do not strain yourself Miss Croft." A male voice, scented with a French accent said suddenly from behind her. "You'll need your strength." Lara squeezed her eyes shut, "Whurr am I?" Her words came out slurred, and she repeated herself, hoping for her words to arrive with more fluency. "Why, you are in Paris Miss Croft." The voice responded matter of factly.
She heard him move away from his position behind her and move towards the large oak desk across the room. He picked up a glass of liquor off the edge of the desk and turned back towards her. In the pale lighting Lara could only make out faint characteristics. He had solid features, tanned skin, dark hair, and deep brown eyes. He starred past her for a moment and took a sip from his glass. She eyed him; but the room began to swim, and she closed her eyes. The drugs had yet to wear off. "I'm sorry to have brought you in with such force," he said, "but I was afraid you wouldn't agree to meeting with me otherwise." "Who are you!?" She demanded suddenly, proud for her words to come out slightly less slurred then before. He pursed his lips as though it were a question that required much thinking. "Amir Bello. But my name is of no worth to you Miss Croft. You see, I am going to need your help." He reached for a velvet box that lay upon his desk and opened it for her to see. The two halves of the key of saints had been gently laid inside, each half glowing a bright gold. The symbols on each piece appeared brilliantly for a moment in black, and then faded back into the gold. Lara's eyes were drawn to them, the pieces flooding the entire room with light. He suddenly shut the box, and the light was extinguished. Wind from the opened doors blew in and then candles flickered for a moment. Lara shivered as he came close to her. He knelt next to her and smiled. "They're beautiful, no? Your friend, Lawrence, he made an incredible find. It's a pity he is not alive to see what the pieces will lead us to." Lara's face boiled with anger. "Do not look so angry Miss Croft. I am sharing something wonderful with you." He paused and set the case back on his desk. He stared at it thoughtfully for a moment and then returned his gaze to her. "I am having a small setback though. The two halves will not combine, and I have a feeling you will know just what to do." Lara's head throbbed and his words sounded far away. He stoked a stray hair away from her face. Lara pulled back from him in disgust, and then suddenly spat in his face. "Go to hell." She growled. A look of surprise passed over his features, and then he resumed his casual exterior. He removed a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her saliva away from his face. "If that's how you prefer to conduct business Miss Croft, I will oblige. Cal!" He flicked his hand in the air and a large man stepped forwards. He held a black box with three thin silver needles inside. At the point of each needle there was a different color. Amir looked at her and removed the first needle from the box. "These were shipped from China. They use venom from dangerous insects mixed with dosages of drugs like we used on you today. Shall we test them out?"
***** Daniels breaths came out in small white clouds in front of him. He pulled his jacket tighter around him, and ran his finger along the desert eagle within his jacket. The warehouse loomed before him, the dirty window panes concealing a throng of club goers. And Lara. He paced back and forth a moment; taking in the sounds and scents of the city. It was nearly midnight, and the full moon reflected with a white glare against the ground.
The sound of honking and traffic was distant; the only sound in the still night was the skittering of trash along the road and the lapping of the waves along the river Seine. The wind blew a little harder and Daniel shuddered. There was something strangely eerie about the city; the pale moonlight, the absolute stillness. He glanced around and after a moment began to move towards to entrance into the building. He was only a few steps from the door way when he felt his body rammed from the side. He reflexively pushed away from his attacker and went for his gun, but by the time he had removed the desert eagle from his jacket, he was face to face with Dominique Becker. "What the hell are you doing here?!" He said, his breaths heavy, and his gun still aimed at Becker's chest. Dominique looked from the side for a moment, and then sighed. "They know you're coming." Daniel glared at him, "What did you do?!" His voice was strained with frustration. Dominique shook his head, "I didn't have a choice! It was part of the deal.
They would have killed me if I hadn't followed through. My only concern now is helping Lara." Daniel let out a short laugh, and backed away from him, gun still aimed at Dominique. "How could I possibly trust you? You've set us up all along!" Dominique stared back at him, "Lara is one of my oldest friends. I don't expect you to trust me. And I don't care if you do. I've come to help her." Daniel stared at him for a long moment, and shook his head. Dominique smirked, "I'm sorry I have to do this." He then revealed a gun of his own.
****
Lara gasped in pain as he removed the needle. She gritted her teeth as she felt the drugs travel into her bloodstream. Her body felt on fire, and yet completely numb at the same time. She felt the room sway, and the all the sounds fade in and out. The cold she had felt earlier from the opened doors faded, and now she merely felt the throbbing of her veins. She stared at her wrist as if waiting for the vain to just explode from whatever had been given to her. She took slow shallow breaths, each one becoming more difficult then the one before. "Strong isn't it Miss Croft? Do not worry. It's merely slowing down your heart, but not stopping it. Not yet, at least." He laughed a little, and Lara cringed. "Now perhaps you can share with us what we're doing wrong, before another of these little needles is needed." His words sounded far away, and she stared at him in confusion. Her world had become a terrifying one of darkness, her body trembled uncontrollably, and her breathing came out in shallow gasps. "Mr. Bello?" Cal said from the doorway. "Becker's here. He's got Daniel Lane with him."
Suddenly the office door was pushed open and Daniel was shoved inwards. His face was bloodied and bruised, and Dominique Becker followed closely behind him a gun pressed against the back of Daniel's head. Amir stood, "It's good to see you Mr. Becker. And likewise Mr. Lane."
Daniel looked up at him from the ground, "Pleasures all mine." He looked at Lara. She stared at him, her eyes opening and closing slowly. "What did you do to her!?" He yelled, struggling to pick himself off of the ground, but Dominique kicked him in the ribs and he fell back towards the ground. Lara winced and fixed a cold glare on Dominique. She had been aware that he had conspired against her. She was no longer surprised by betrayal; it was unfortunately something she had grown accustomed to. Amir knelt next to Daniel on the floor, and squinted his eyes. He returned his gaze to Lara. "Now, Lara. Tell me what I need to know or your friend here will become much more intimate with a bullet then he had imagined." Lara looked at Daniel in horror, and then back at Amir. "Times a' wastin Lara. Tick Tock. Tick Tock."
"Do not strain yourself Miss Croft." A male voice, scented with a French accent said suddenly from behind her. "You'll need your strength." Lara squeezed her eyes shut, "Whurr am I?" Her words came out slurred, and she repeated herself, hoping for her words to arrive with more fluency. "Why, you are in Paris Miss Croft." The voice responded matter of factly.
She heard him move away from his position behind her and move towards the large oak desk across the room. He picked up a glass of liquor off the edge of the desk and turned back towards her. In the pale lighting Lara could only make out faint characteristics. He had solid features, tanned skin, dark hair, and deep brown eyes. He starred past her for a moment and took a sip from his glass. She eyed him; but the room began to swim, and she closed her eyes. The drugs had yet to wear off. "I'm sorry to have brought you in with such force," he said, "but I was afraid you wouldn't agree to meeting with me otherwise." "Who are you!?" She demanded suddenly, proud for her words to come out slightly less slurred then before. He pursed his lips as though it were a question that required much thinking. "Amir Bello. But my name is of no worth to you Miss Croft. You see, I am going to need your help." He reached for a velvet box that lay upon his desk and opened it for her to see. The two halves of the key of saints had been gently laid inside, each half glowing a bright gold. The symbols on each piece appeared brilliantly for a moment in black, and then faded back into the gold. Lara's eyes were drawn to them, the pieces flooding the entire room with light. He suddenly shut the box, and the light was extinguished. Wind from the opened doors blew in and then candles flickered for a moment. Lara shivered as he came close to her. He knelt next to her and smiled. "They're beautiful, no? Your friend, Lawrence, he made an incredible find. It's a pity he is not alive to see what the pieces will lead us to." Lara's face boiled with anger. "Do not look so angry Miss Croft. I am sharing something wonderful with you." He paused and set the case back on his desk. He stared at it thoughtfully for a moment and then returned his gaze to her. "I am having a small setback though. The two halves will not combine, and I have a feeling you will know just what to do." Lara's head throbbed and his words sounded far away. He stoked a stray hair away from her face. Lara pulled back from him in disgust, and then suddenly spat in his face. "Go to hell." She growled. A look of surprise passed over his features, and then he resumed his casual exterior. He removed a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her saliva away from his face. "If that's how you prefer to conduct business Miss Croft, I will oblige. Cal!" He flicked his hand in the air and a large man stepped forwards. He held a black box with three thin silver needles inside. At the point of each needle there was a different color. Amir looked at her and removed the first needle from the box. "These were shipped from China. They use venom from dangerous insects mixed with dosages of drugs like we used on you today. Shall we test them out?"
***** Daniels breaths came out in small white clouds in front of him. He pulled his jacket tighter around him, and ran his finger along the desert eagle within his jacket. The warehouse loomed before him, the dirty window panes concealing a throng of club goers. And Lara. He paced back and forth a moment; taking in the sounds and scents of the city. It was nearly midnight, and the full moon reflected with a white glare against the ground.
The sound of honking and traffic was distant; the only sound in the still night was the skittering of trash along the road and the lapping of the waves along the river Seine. The wind blew a little harder and Daniel shuddered. There was something strangely eerie about the city; the pale moonlight, the absolute stillness. He glanced around and after a moment began to move towards to entrance into the building. He was only a few steps from the door way when he felt his body rammed from the side. He reflexively pushed away from his attacker and went for his gun, but by the time he had removed the desert eagle from his jacket, he was face to face with Dominique Becker. "What the hell are you doing here?!" He said, his breaths heavy, and his gun still aimed at Becker's chest. Dominique looked from the side for a moment, and then sighed. "They know you're coming." Daniel glared at him, "What did you do?!" His voice was strained with frustration. Dominique shook his head, "I didn't have a choice! It was part of the deal.
They would have killed me if I hadn't followed through. My only concern now is helping Lara." Daniel let out a short laugh, and backed away from him, gun still aimed at Dominique. "How could I possibly trust you? You've set us up all along!" Dominique stared back at him, "Lara is one of my oldest friends. I don't expect you to trust me. And I don't care if you do. I've come to help her." Daniel stared at him for a long moment, and shook his head. Dominique smirked, "I'm sorry I have to do this." He then revealed a gun of his own.
****
Lara gasped in pain as he removed the needle. She gritted her teeth as she felt the drugs travel into her bloodstream. Her body felt on fire, and yet completely numb at the same time. She felt the room sway, and the all the sounds fade in and out. The cold she had felt earlier from the opened doors faded, and now she merely felt the throbbing of her veins. She stared at her wrist as if waiting for the vain to just explode from whatever had been given to her. She took slow shallow breaths, each one becoming more difficult then the one before. "Strong isn't it Miss Croft? Do not worry. It's merely slowing down your heart, but not stopping it. Not yet, at least." He laughed a little, and Lara cringed. "Now perhaps you can share with us what we're doing wrong, before another of these little needles is needed." His words sounded far away, and she stared at him in confusion. Her world had become a terrifying one of darkness, her body trembled uncontrollably, and her breathing came out in shallow gasps. "Mr. Bello?" Cal said from the doorway. "Becker's here. He's got Daniel Lane with him."
Suddenly the office door was pushed open and Daniel was shoved inwards. His face was bloodied and bruised, and Dominique Becker followed closely behind him a gun pressed against the back of Daniel's head. Amir stood, "It's good to see you Mr. Becker. And likewise Mr. Lane."
Daniel looked up at him from the ground, "Pleasures all mine." He looked at Lara. She stared at him, her eyes opening and closing slowly. "What did you do to her!?" He yelled, struggling to pick himself off of the ground, but Dominique kicked him in the ribs and he fell back towards the ground. Lara winced and fixed a cold glare on Dominique. She had been aware that he had conspired against her. She was no longer surprised by betrayal; it was unfortunately something she had grown accustomed to. Amir knelt next to Daniel on the floor, and squinted his eyes. He returned his gaze to Lara. "Now, Lara. Tell me what I need to know or your friend here will become much more intimate with a bullet then he had imagined." Lara looked at Daniel in horror, and then back at Amir. "Times a' wastin Lara. Tick Tock. Tick Tock."
