Chapter 4
Surrey, England
Croft Manor.
11:20, 23rd June 1994.
Inside Bryce's lab he sat behind his computer, running searches for anything concerning a group called the Watcher's Council, on the internet and the Society of Watcher's database. The society of Watchers, had existed for over 4,000 years, and were mortal men and women watching immortals and recording their lives so future generations knew what they had done, Bryce was the watcher assigned to watching Hilary, as Hilary knew.
Bryce never could figure out when Hilary learned of the society, or how he had spotted Bryce as his watcher, within a week of him living at the manor, but that wasn't what mattered. Hilary had warned and threatened Bryce's life, if anything should happen to the girls because of his or the society actions, claiming they were too important to the future.
"What do you have Bryce?" Hilary asked entering the lab.
"Not much more than you do." Bryce answered. "The only solid information on the Council itself, is that information listed in your own chronicles."
"Yes that was what I fear." Hilary answered. "So no other immortals have had contact with the Council, that you know of then?"
"A couple in the past, but nothing at all recent and even they could only supply what you gave us." Bryce answered. "I take it you will teach Lara?"
"The basics yes, I may contact one of my friends to teach her the more advanced techniques." Hilary answered and Bryce nodded. "How is the situation with Horton?"
"Dealt with he is dead." Bryce answered.
"Good, the bastard deserved it for taking out Darius." Hilary replied then sensing the use of the magic in the manor, the cocking of a gun. "Ah it seems my guest has arrived and caught Lara off guard."
In the meantime in the study Lara was pacing, trying to think who else she could call to help, when a man dressed in mage robes appeared behind her, and she instantly drew one of USP 45.
"Who the hell are you?" Lara demanded.
"My name is Nathaniel, Hilary asked me to come." Nathaniel replied generating a magic ball of protection.
"Don't do that." Lara said cocking her gun.
At that moment Hilary walked in examining the scene.
"You can stand down Lara, Nathaniel is here at my call." Hilary stated, but not seeing Lara totally relax. "He is a mage Lara, he can help us with rescuing Hailey."
"Fine." Lara said lowering her gun and holstering it. "Just don't pop into a room next time ok."
"Sure." Nathaniel answered extinguishing the magic ball.
"Hilary what is with this headache I get around you?" Lara asked. "At first I figured it was just the results the near death experience I had last night, but there is no way I should have survived that alive."
"You didn't Lara, you did die when you were shot 5 times." Hilary answered sitting in a chair opposite her. "You Lara are what is called an immortal, someone after they have died the first time who never die permanently heal all wounds within minutes of receiving them, and you will never age another day."
"Oh right like that is real." Lara exclaimed.
"It is my dear." Nathaniel commented.
"How would you know?" Lara demanded.
"Because I have known many immortals in my years." Nathaniel answered.
"There is no such thing as immortality." Lara demanded.
"Then how do you explain you being alive after being shot in the chest 5 times Lara?" Hilary asked.
"I don't know, I just don't know." Lara exclaimed collapsing her in chair.
"Lara being an immortal can be a gift but it can also be a curse." Hilary said looking into the girl's eyes he had watched growing up. "There is only one way for one of us to die Lara, and that is for us to lose our heads. There are immortals out there who only live to take the heads of other immortals, but there are also some immortals who would rather never take another's head."
"Why would someone want my head?" Lara asked confused.
"For your power and knowledge, what we call your quickening." Hilary answered. "It is all part of the 'Game', there are rules combat may only be one on one, with a bladed weapons mostly swords these days, no fighting on holy ground, and in the end there can only be one."
"Are the rules broken?" Lara asked.
"Only by those without honour, and even those will never fight on holy ground." Hilary answered.
"Ok so I have to go around chopping people's head off to survive?" Lara asked.
Surrey, England
Croft Manor.
15:00, 23rd June 1994.
Lara sat in the kitchen sipping coffee, trying to stay waiting for her cavalry to arrive, before they could rush off and rescue her little sister from the bastards that had taken her from them. Hearing several cars pulling the driveway, knowing that Nathaniel, Hilary and Bryce were busy trying to find out where the Council had Hailey.
Lara slipped off her stool placing her coffee mug on the top she made her way through the hallway, where she first felt the buzz of an immortal, grasping her head she managed to calm herself. Reaching the door, she picked out the broadsword, from the umbrella stand knowing this was holy ground she didn't want to be caught off guard but was wondering who of her friends was immortal.
She opened the door keeping the sword out of sight, to find Alex O'Connell, his son Jason and uncle Jonathan standing there, Jonathan nodding to Lara and giving her a flash of sword.
"Thank you for coming so quickly." Lara said stepping out of the way, placing her sword away in the umbrella stand and moving to shut the door after Jonathan to have the door blocked by a foot, looking out she saw her old favourite professor standing there. "Indy, what are you doing here?"
"I was with the O'Connells paying my respects, when Alex got the call so we grabbed what we needed and came right over." Indy said stepping inside allowing Evy O'Connell to be seen.
"Evy…" Lara said seeing her father's old friend, and had been like a mother to her and Hailey.
"Lara." Evy said pulling Lara into a hug. "We will get her back safely child I promise you, and whoever had the never to think about kidnapping her will pay the ultimate price I promise you that."
"I know Evy I know, but she is barely 16, she shouldn't have to deal with this and the rest why her why her?" Lara asked.
"I don't know but when I do they will pay." Evy O'Connell swore and Lara nodded.
"Ahmm." James said from the doorway.
"Uncle James." Lara said stepping away from Evy and allowing James to enter. "Thank you for coming so quickly all of you."
"Think nothing of it, it is what a family does." Indiana stated and the others nodded.
Liverpool,
Watcher's Safe House 5,
16:30.
Quentin sat in a secluded room, watching the computer monitor showing Rupert and the mages trying to break the girl's will, she had lasted longer than even he had expected her too, and longer than any slayer had in the past. Moments later a servenant, knocked and entered.
"Yes?" Quentin asked.
"Sir our agent has just reported the eldest Croft lady is alive." The servenant replied smartly.
"What how?" Quentin demanded.
"We don't know sir, but it is possible she may know something and is gathering friends to try and rescue her sister." The servenant answered.
"They can know nothing of us." Quentin stated but then had a thought. "But her butler's ancestor worked for the Council, he may have left information concerning us and our operations, this is very disturbing. Do we know anything of the gathering group?"
"Only that 007 is involved sir." The servenant reported.
"Then they may know of this location, damn British intelligence don't know when to keep their noses out of things that don't concern them." Quentin snapped and began pacing.
Minutes later. "Prepare to evacuate this facility and destroy everything here, then have the place burned down to the ground." The servenant nodded rushing out and he went over to the intercom. "We are leaving we may have been compromised, we leave for headquarters bring the girl with us."
"Yes sir." Giles answered tazering Hailey unconscious.
Surrey, England
Croft Manor.
19:00
Gathered in the study the group where trying to figure out where the Watcher's Council, would have taken Hailey, thanks to the information provide by James, Nathaniel & Hilary, they pretty much had it down to six locations.
"What about a scrying spell?" Evy asked.
"Could work." Nathaniel comment. "But it wouldn't give us a precise location, & several of these locations are close together, so it may just give us an area."
"But then we could use a local map to get a precise location." Bryce suggested.
"Very good idea." Nathaniel answered.
Minutes later they knew they were looking at the safe house in Liverpool by the docks.
"Ok people arm up." Lara replied activating a switch & the shelves full of books disappeared displaying weapons, taking her shotgun, & set of throwing knives along with plenty of ammo. "Bryce you'll be driving ok, we need someone to remain in the van to aid our escape."
"& I'll be staying here." Evy replied "Waiting for your return."
"Thanks Evy." Lara said smiling. "Ok people lets move out."
Liverpool,
Watcher's Safe House 5,
00:00
A van pulled up just down the street, where they could see the fire service dealing with the remains of the house.
"It's gone." Lara stated and the others in the van nodded.
Having spent most of the afternoon discussing and planning, they had discovered thanks to information provide by Nathaniel and James respectively that this was the most likely location where Hailey was, and Nathaniel had performed a scrying spell and confirmed Hailey had been there.
"Ok so what do we now?" Jason asked.
"We go back to the beginning and start again." James answered.
"Do we even know if they were here?" Jonathan asked.
"She was here I can assure you of that." Nathaniel answered.
"So where is she now?" Jonathan asked.
"I don't know, where ever she is, they are protecting her with high level magic, beyond my skills to break here at this location." Nathaniel answered. "If I had to guess I would believe Watcher's Council headquarter, but not even I know where that is."
"I do." Hilary volunteered. "But we will need more help to get in though."
"Back to the manor to start planning again then." Lara replied as Bryce turned the van back around and they left.
Location Unknown,
Dreamscape,
Stonehenge,
Hailey found herself on the Stonehenge surrounded by white, no remembering what Cal'endranen told, it was a dreamscape created to this form to make it easier for her for the moment. Looking around she couldn't see her teacher for the moment, so she decided to sit on the altar and mediate until her teacher arrived.
Moments after she entered her mediation Cal'endranen appeared floating in front of her, watching as her student developed her mental training, she wished with all her heart that this task was someone else, and not forced upon a child, even a child engineered for the role.
"But we have no choice Cal'en." Michael said appearing besides her. "You know what happened because she wasn't here, we cannot let the demons regain control of the Earth, as it is the darkness is spreading through the galaxy, if demons control Earth there will be nothing we can do."
"I now but why does she have to suffer before she even begins her quest?" Cal'endranen asked.
"It is not of us to say even I don't see everything, but there are those planning on her rescue." Michael answered.
"Who, her family is dead." Cal'endranen answered.
"But they are not, Lara is now an immortal." Michael answered
"So what do I do?" Cal'endranen asked.
"Keep helping her prepare and what until she is rescued." Michael answered vanishing.
"It is time to begin your training apprentice." Cal'endranen said awakening Hailey from her trance.
"Wouldn't it be more important to help me escape my captors?" Hailey asked worried.