"I'm going to skin him alive!" I growled as I ran down the cobbled street.
"Piece by piece!" I added as I slipped into the main street.
As I noticed the people walking around me, I slowed to a walk and stopped muttering angrily. But it was all I could do. I could feel the slow burn of anger in my stomach, and the faster pulsing of my blood. And I cursed Pierre in every language I knew, in my head, as I made my way back to my apartment.
By the time I had unlocked the door and reached my bedroom, my muscles were cooling down and beginning to hurt like they always did after an adventure. A long hot shower usually helped, but I didn't know if it would help this time. I needed to track down Pierre. So I could cut out his lying, thieving heart.
I dumped my backpack on the middle of the double bed and grabbed the phone. I punched the number in, angrily, and stalked to the glass doors leading out onto the balcony. The phone at the other end rang quietly in my ear, and I gazed out, onto what I had once thought was a beautiful view. But that had been yesterday. Today it just irritated me. I snarled and spun, just as someone picked up the phone on the other end.
"Croft Manor." A familiar voice intoned sleepily.
"Hilary?" I asked irritably.
"Lara?" Hilary sounded wide-awake now. "What's wrong?"
"What do you mean what's wrong?" I snapped.
"Well, you seem to be in a foul mood, and it's five o'clock in the morning. Not to mention that you never usually call home when you're on a trip." Hilary pointed out.
I just grunted into the phone, my eyes catching sight of the books I had been reading about the Philosopher's Stone. I resisted the urge to throw them across the room.
"Lara," Hilary said, when I didn't do more than grunt at him, "are you alright?"
"Fine." I snapped.
"What happened?" Hilary asked soothingly.
"That no-good, slimy piece of bloody scum that calls himself Pierre ran off with my bloody stone!" I yelled. "I'm going to skin that deceitful git alive! Rip out his lying, cheating heart! I'm . . . "
"Would you like me to call anyone for you?" Hilary asked me, his voice as calm and level as always.
It's one of the reasons I find it so easy to confide in Hilary. Even when I'm ready to explode, he never seems to bat an eyelid, and just listens to the important things. I sighed. "I need you to get Bryce up for me." I said in a more reasonable voice.
"What do you need him to do?" Hilary asked.
"I want to know where Pierre is, and where he's going."
"I'll call you back as soon as I have it, then."
Thanks, Hilary." I said, and hung up.
I was feeling calmer now that I was doing something, now that I had vented some steam. I rolled my shoulders and the muscles protest and my left shoulder throb harder. "Alright, first things first." I muttered and went to have a long, hot shower.
* * *
Then phone rang an hour and a half later, just as I was getting out the shower. I briefly talked to Bryce, and he told me he had sent all the information I needed to my laptop. I thanked him and hang up.
After dressing in another pair of shorts and a clean T-shirt, I sat down and accessed it. I grinned at the note Bryce had added above the information. Kick his arse, Lara! Pierre was staying in an apartment only a few blocks from here. 'It should be easy to get to tonight.' I thought.
By midday, I was feeling a lot better. The pains in my muscles had eased thanks to a light workout and I felt calmer than before. When I heard a knock at the door, I was surprised. I didn't think it was Pierre coming to give me back the Philosopher's Stone.
I walked to the door and standing there was one of the last men I wanted to see. His black hair was tied back in its usual ponytail and his green eyes were hidden by a pair of sunglasses. He wore black jeans and a white shirt, with a blood red rose held in one hand. Jonathan.
I growled and slammed the door. Or I would have if he hadn't stuck his foot in the way. "Now, Lara." He said. "Is that any way to treat a guest?"
"Go away!" I snapped.
I shoved at the door, but it didn't move. I growled in frustration and Jonathan shouldered his way inside. "For the Lady." He said, and handed me the rose.
I snatched it from him and stalked to the kitchen. He followed at a more leisurely pace. "I must congratulate you on your wonderful performance last night." He said. "Here on business?"
"That's none of your business." I told him coldly.
Jon smiled and began to walk through my apartment. I slammed the rose down on the bench top and followed him. I found him standing beside the books on the coffee table. "The Philosopher's Stone, Lara?" he said softly. "You wouldn't have it, would you?"
"No, I don't!" I snapped angrily.
"It's a national treasure of Italy, Lara. You can't just take it!"
My eyes narrowed at his words. "So we're back to this, are we?" I asked. "You just can't accept what I do, can you Jon! I am a Tomb Raider, and will always be a Tomb Raider. And part of that is finding artifacts." I paused, trying to get my anger under control.
"And despite what you think," I continued. "Not all artifacts are meant to let loose. Some of them are powerful and inspire greed amongst all those who know of them."
"Just like you, Lara?" he asked.
"No, dammit!" I yelled. "I do this because it makes me feel alive! I do it because it is the only thing that gives me comfort in this world! I do it because it is what my father did. Greed has nothing to do with it, and if you truly knew me, Jon, you would know that!"
I was seething, and I could see the anger flashing in Jon's eyes when he yanked off his sunglasses. "You can be cold bitch, you know that Lara?" he said. "Where is the stone?"
"You think I'm just going to tell you?" I asked. "I don't think so."
"Where is it, Lara?"
I looked at Jon with a cold glint in my eye, and said sweetly. "I don't have it, Jon."
"Oh, how that must hurt!" Jon snapped cruelly.
It did indeed hurt, but not the way he thought. I was upset I had lost, I won't deny it. I am not a woman who likes to loose. But what really made my blood run cold, was the fact that Pierre, who had the Philosopher's Stone, would sell it to the highest bidder without a second glance. And I can only imagine who that would be.
"The only thing that hurts right now, Jon, is your constant belief that I am evil, and the fact that the bloody piece of scum called Pierre is about to sell the Stone to the highest bidder!"
"So Pierre has it?" Jon said quietly. "Well, then. It seems I have someone else to visit."
"Good." I said. "Piss off! And if I ever see your face again, I will take great pleasure in breaking it."
Something flashed in Jon's eyes then. Whether it was regret or sorrow, I don't know. But it was probably neither. I just can't believe Jon could have such a low opinion of me, I guess. As soon as Jon had gone, I slammed the door and ran to my bedroom. I had to get ready quickly, because I was going to get that stone before either Pierre or Jon could do something to it.
As I noticed the people walking around me, I slowed to a walk and stopped muttering angrily. But it was all I could do. I could feel the slow burn of anger in my stomach, and the faster pulsing of my blood. And I cursed Pierre in every language I knew, in my head, as I made my way back to my apartment.
By the time I had unlocked the door and reached my bedroom, my muscles were cooling down and beginning to hurt like they always did after an adventure. A long hot shower usually helped, but I didn't know if it would help this time. I needed to track down Pierre. So I could cut out his lying, thieving heart.
I dumped my backpack on the middle of the double bed and grabbed the phone. I punched the number in, angrily, and stalked to the glass doors leading out onto the balcony. The phone at the other end rang quietly in my ear, and I gazed out, onto what I had once thought was a beautiful view. But that had been yesterday. Today it just irritated me. I snarled and spun, just as someone picked up the phone on the other end.
"Croft Manor." A familiar voice intoned sleepily.
"Hilary?" I asked irritably.
"Lara?" Hilary sounded wide-awake now. "What's wrong?"
"What do you mean what's wrong?" I snapped.
"Well, you seem to be in a foul mood, and it's five o'clock in the morning. Not to mention that you never usually call home when you're on a trip." Hilary pointed out.
I just grunted into the phone, my eyes catching sight of the books I had been reading about the Philosopher's Stone. I resisted the urge to throw them across the room.
"Lara," Hilary said, when I didn't do more than grunt at him, "are you alright?"
"Fine." I snapped.
"What happened?" Hilary asked soothingly.
"That no-good, slimy piece of bloody scum that calls himself Pierre ran off with my bloody stone!" I yelled. "I'm going to skin that deceitful git alive! Rip out his lying, cheating heart! I'm . . . "
"Would you like me to call anyone for you?" Hilary asked me, his voice as calm and level as always.
It's one of the reasons I find it so easy to confide in Hilary. Even when I'm ready to explode, he never seems to bat an eyelid, and just listens to the important things. I sighed. "I need you to get Bryce up for me." I said in a more reasonable voice.
"What do you need him to do?" Hilary asked.
"I want to know where Pierre is, and where he's going."
"I'll call you back as soon as I have it, then."
Thanks, Hilary." I said, and hung up.
I was feeling calmer now that I was doing something, now that I had vented some steam. I rolled my shoulders and the muscles protest and my left shoulder throb harder. "Alright, first things first." I muttered and went to have a long, hot shower.
* * *
Then phone rang an hour and a half later, just as I was getting out the shower. I briefly talked to Bryce, and he told me he had sent all the information I needed to my laptop. I thanked him and hang up.
After dressing in another pair of shorts and a clean T-shirt, I sat down and accessed it. I grinned at the note Bryce had added above the information. Kick his arse, Lara! Pierre was staying in an apartment only a few blocks from here. 'It should be easy to get to tonight.' I thought.
By midday, I was feeling a lot better. The pains in my muscles had eased thanks to a light workout and I felt calmer than before. When I heard a knock at the door, I was surprised. I didn't think it was Pierre coming to give me back the Philosopher's Stone.
I walked to the door and standing there was one of the last men I wanted to see. His black hair was tied back in its usual ponytail and his green eyes were hidden by a pair of sunglasses. He wore black jeans and a white shirt, with a blood red rose held in one hand. Jonathan.
I growled and slammed the door. Or I would have if he hadn't stuck his foot in the way. "Now, Lara." He said. "Is that any way to treat a guest?"
"Go away!" I snapped.
I shoved at the door, but it didn't move. I growled in frustration and Jonathan shouldered his way inside. "For the Lady." He said, and handed me the rose.
I snatched it from him and stalked to the kitchen. He followed at a more leisurely pace. "I must congratulate you on your wonderful performance last night." He said. "Here on business?"
"That's none of your business." I told him coldly.
Jon smiled and began to walk through my apartment. I slammed the rose down on the bench top and followed him. I found him standing beside the books on the coffee table. "The Philosopher's Stone, Lara?" he said softly. "You wouldn't have it, would you?"
"No, I don't!" I snapped angrily.
"It's a national treasure of Italy, Lara. You can't just take it!"
My eyes narrowed at his words. "So we're back to this, are we?" I asked. "You just can't accept what I do, can you Jon! I am a Tomb Raider, and will always be a Tomb Raider. And part of that is finding artifacts." I paused, trying to get my anger under control.
"And despite what you think," I continued. "Not all artifacts are meant to let loose. Some of them are powerful and inspire greed amongst all those who know of them."
"Just like you, Lara?" he asked.
"No, dammit!" I yelled. "I do this because it makes me feel alive! I do it because it is the only thing that gives me comfort in this world! I do it because it is what my father did. Greed has nothing to do with it, and if you truly knew me, Jon, you would know that!"
I was seething, and I could see the anger flashing in Jon's eyes when he yanked off his sunglasses. "You can be cold bitch, you know that Lara?" he said. "Where is the stone?"
"You think I'm just going to tell you?" I asked. "I don't think so."
"Where is it, Lara?"
I looked at Jon with a cold glint in my eye, and said sweetly. "I don't have it, Jon."
"Oh, how that must hurt!" Jon snapped cruelly.
It did indeed hurt, but not the way he thought. I was upset I had lost, I won't deny it. I am not a woman who likes to loose. But what really made my blood run cold, was the fact that Pierre, who had the Philosopher's Stone, would sell it to the highest bidder without a second glance. And I can only imagine who that would be.
"The only thing that hurts right now, Jon, is your constant belief that I am evil, and the fact that the bloody piece of scum called Pierre is about to sell the Stone to the highest bidder!"
"So Pierre has it?" Jon said quietly. "Well, then. It seems I have someone else to visit."
"Good." I said. "Piss off! And if I ever see your face again, I will take great pleasure in breaking it."
Something flashed in Jon's eyes then. Whether it was regret or sorrow, I don't know. But it was probably neither. I just can't believe Jon could have such a low opinion of me, I guess. As soon as Jon had gone, I slammed the door and ran to my bedroom. I had to get ready quickly, because I was going to get that stone before either Pierre or Jon could do something to it.
