Chapter 3 "Plane Travel"
Lara put her backpack on before she brought her luggage outside, where she felt midday sun. Although it was October the sun still felt warm on Lara's tan skin.
"Someone will be hear soon." Hillary smiled.
"Thanks" She said to Hillary.
Hillary nodded plainly. Bryce came through the bushes with a few bags and, of course, his laptop He put his luggage near Lara's.
"Well", He started.
Lara looked at him.
"I have the answer to one question. Why Jesse wants us to take a plane and then a boat to New Zealand, Other than the helicopter's dead." Bryce said.
"Why?" Lara asked seriously.
"According to the flight schedule." Bryce said.
Bryce sat on the ground, pulled out his laptop, and typed something on it.
"There aren't meny flights that go to New Zealand that hadn't been filled up already." Bryce explained.
"That's reasonable." Lara said as she pushed her hair out of her eyes.
Bryce closed his computer and put it in its special case. Bryce stood up.
"Why are we waiting here?" He asked.
Lara looked over at Hillary.
Hillary whistled. Lara looked forward, on the other side of the Iron gate she saw a small moving van. Two men came out of the truck; They looked up at the Iron gate, then at the huge brick house.
"I never knew the Croft manor was this big, don't you think Josh?" Lara heard one ask the other in amazement. He had neatly combed dirty blond hair, wore a red shirt, black boots and black jeans.
"Bigger than expected". The other man mumbled dully, he looked about 16, and had spiky blond hair. He was wearing faded blue jeans, black boots, and a white t-shirt.
Hillary went over to the gate and opened it. The two men came through; the older one helped Bryce, while the man with the spiky blond hair helped Lara. The spiky haired man seemed shy; all he did was put Lara's things into the truck he didn't talk to her. The older man chatted a bit with Bryce. Lara looked at the man who helped her.
"Thanks", Lara said.
"Your welcome Lady Croft". The man mumbled as he glanced up at her.
He put Lara's luggage in the back. Lara knew that was all she would get out of him. She walked over, and stood behind Bryce and the other man.
"Alright," Bryce said to the man as he got into the driver's seat.
"Come on they'll give us a ride to the airport." Bryce turned to Lara.
Lara nodded. She looked back to where Hillary was standing. Hillary waved. Lara and Bryce waved back quickly and jumped into the back of the truck. Hillary closed the gate and went inside the large red brick manor.
"Josh, son, come on get in the truck". The older man ordered the younger.
Josh slowly walked over to the truck with slumped shoulders and sat in the passenger seat, which happened to be in front of Lara. Lara didn't bother to start another conversation with him.
The truck started up, and drove from the manor.
"I hate when my father takes me to work with him." Josh grumbled.
"What a shame". Lara said to him as she crossed her arms.
Although her father didn't take her to work with him, being too young at the time, she still loved it when he told her about things he had found and his adventures.
"Josh, do you remember how to unload?" Josh's father said to him.
Josh breathed heavily.
"Yes, father I've been doing that since I was four". Josh complained as he crossed his arms and leaned back on the chair like a punk.
"Good" his father said.
The ride to the airport was a bit boring with Josh complaining his life away most of the ride.
"Dad, You didn't make Emily and Samantha go with you, and they're 18". Josh complained.
"Joshua, Stop it!" His dad commanded as he concentrated on the road.
It wasn't long when they had gotten to the airport. Josh again helped Lara.
"What do you do?" He asked her as he carried one of the heavier cases.
"Tomb raider" Lara said almost plainly, as if she knew he was going to ask that.
"That sounds like a much more brilliant job then my dad's." Josh says.
"I guess you can say that." Lara said.
Lara went to the desk to buy a ticket to board the plane. The two men put their luggage on the conveyor bell.
"Cheerio Lady Croft, Bryce". The older man said plainly as the younger one waved.
They waved back.
After the two men left, Lara and Bryce went through the metal detector. They put their metals on the table, and were fine after going through it. Lara retrieved her watch and cellular. While Bryce retrieved his laptop and cell phone.
The plane was ready for boarding. Lara flashed her passport out of her backpack. The guard looked at it; she also asked her a few questions. Lara answered them and was allowed to board the plane. The same was done to Bryce and he followed Lara after his passport check.
They sat in their seats on the plane and waited for lift off.
"How are you feeling?" Bryce asked Lara as he typed on his computer.
"Fine". Lara smiled at him. She was happy that it wasn't morning.
After all the passengers had boarded the plane, the flight attendant took out the speaker.
"Please put away all electronic and two-way devices, buckle your safety belts, secure trays, and in case we have to land over water your seat covers are floatation devices." The flight attendant said over the intercom.
"Here could you shut this off for me?" Bryce said as he handed his cell phone to Lara.
"Sure" Lara said.
Lara shut off her cell phone and Bryce's, as he fiddled with his laptop. Lara tossed Bryce his cell phone.
"Thanks" Bryce said.
"Bugger!" He whispered.
Lara put her cell phone away and looked over at him.
"Bryce, Try this", Lara said.
Lara pushed a few buttons on his laptop and it had shut off.
"That might work." Bryce said.
Lara laughed. Bryce put it away. The flight attendants came around to check that everyone's electronics were shut off. Bryce and Lara buckled up and secured their trays.
"Mummy, I don't want to buckle up." A little girl said from behind.
"Camy, don't you want to be safe?" The little girl's mother said.
"Yes" The little girl, said.
"Then you'd better buckle up here I'll help you." The woman said to the little girl.
"Alright". Camy said.
"Camy, that's a pretty name". Lara thought.
"But I'm not pregnant so when will I need it, well it could happen."
The plane was on the taxiway, to the runway, it was ready for lift off. Once in the air the flight attendant took the intercom speaker out again.
"You may unbuckle all your safety belts if you choose." The flight attendant said.
Bryce took his laptop out again and turned it on.
"It will take about four hours to get to Egypt, then we will stop for two hours then go to South Africa which should take another four hours." Bryce explained looking at a flight schedule.
"Ten hours'" Lara calculated in her mind. "Eight hours on the plane"
"Right" Bryce, said.
Lara turned on her cell phone. She added an hour to the clock beforehand and to her watch.
There was along plane ride to Cairo, Bryce was usually on the laptop doing whatever Lara stared out the window.
They had passed Athens when the flight attendant told the passengers to add an hour to their clocks and watches. Bryce changed his computer and phone clocks. Lara didn't touch her watch because she had already changed it.
After landing in Cairo, Lara and Bryce decided to stop at the food court for a bite to eat. After two hours, they boarded the next plane to Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.
They were just over Khartoum, Sudan when Lara's cell phone rang.
"Hello" Lara said.
"Hello Lady Croft," Hillary said on the other line.
"What is it Hillary?" Lara asked plainly.
"Well I where is the plane?" Hillary asked.
"Over Sudan". Lara answered as she glanced out the window.
"Alright, Jesse told me to tell you that once you're in South Africa, take a Taxi cab to Port Elizabeth. There should be a hotel nearby. The ship should be at that port within the next few days." Hillary explained.
"Alright" Lara nodded and she hung up.
"What was that about?" Bryce asked as he looked up from his laptop.
"Well Hillary said Jesse told him that we should, after we land, take a taxi to a hotel near Port Elizabeth. The ship should be there within a few days." Lara recited.
"Oh" Bryce said then looked back down at his computer.
Lara sat back in the seat.
When they had landed in South Africa, it was late. Lara hailed a Taxi, The driver helped Lara, and Bryce put their things into the trunk.
"Can you take us to the hotel near Port Elizabeth?" Lara said in Afrikaans.
"Certainly". The driver answered in Afrikaans.
Lara and Bryce got into the back of the Taxi. The driver brought them to the hotel in a short amount of time.
"Thank You" Lara said to the driver as he helped them unload.
"Your welcome" the driver said as he hopped back into the car.
Lara and Bryce found rooms and stayed for the night.