Chapter 30
Kurtis drove the bike forward with a laden sense of guilt and sadness over Lara's situation. The thought of her hadn't left his mind since he'd lost her at the graveyard early that morning. The demon's were cruel, forcing him to wait an entire day without a mere assumption of Lara's condition, whether they had hurt her, possessed her, or more likely and horrifying, killed her. He closed his eyes with self disgust at the thought. He hated himself for losing her, hated himself for leaving her alone.
Despite the agony and anxiety the day's wait had caused, he didn't dare to disobey the orders Mariana had given him. Fear of what the demon may do to her captive if the instructions were violated, kept him from rushing into the fight, rushing to Lara.
He had done as he was told, and now the Sinthium Warehouse appeared in the distance. He looked to his watch, careful to stay steadily on the road. It was 11:07pm. It was time.
The building, turned black from the recesses of night, wavered in the distance as Kurtis stalled his vehicle. He stared at the warehouse as he steadied his breathes, readying himself for what he may find once he entered the vile place. He didn't want to think of Lara's demise, but when dealing with Mariana, anything was a possibility, no matter how horrible that anything was.
He forced himself to continue, knowing that the longer he wavered the less time he would have to negotiate with the demons that awaited him. He crept the bike forward at a slowed pace, not wishing for the sound of combustion within the engine to alert the wraiths to his presence. He needed to be silent, so once inside he could be invisible.
Kurtis studied the side of the large building as he approached it. The warehouse was old, and no doubt abandoned many years prior. The slight remains of the name Sinthium printed with iron letters could be seen upon the building's corrugated aluminum wall, consumed with age and up-grown vines.
He studied the surface of the structure, searching for an entrance of some kind. After circling the building three times, he found one, not a door, but just as good, a hole.
Kurtis quickly parked his bike in the shadows, and left its side, hurriedly pacing himself toward the tall building, and to Lara.
Darkness consumed the space all around as he cautiously entered the battered warehouse through the natural door in its side, created from years of moisture, converting the metal to rust and slowly eating it away. The makeshift entrance led him into an empty corridor, one of the building's side passages. He wasted no unnecessary time being cautious, and quickly made his way through the darkened path, his Boran X being all the caution he could afford. He held the weapon tightly within his hands as he neared the end of the eerie corridor, its evil presence ignored by Kurtis, his mind set on more important things. He had to find Lara and get them both out of this place before the wraiths caught on. He knew that Mariana was using Lara as bait, bait to get him where she wanted him to go. He would be easier to kill when she was expecting him, knowing where he would be, and the conditions in which he would arrive. It all spelled out his end, Mariana luring him here, then killing him, and finishing off Lara in the process. He didn't care, about himself that was. Lara was all that mattered. He would get her out, without giving a shit about himself.
Kurtis stalled his thoughts and movement as the end of the hallway appeared before him. He lowered his gun as he neared it, ready to peer around the dark corner, ready to see the enemy waiting on the other side. He rapidly moved his upper body forward, and peered around the wall's edge. His eyes met no enemy, but another corridor identical to the one in which he stood. The emptiness was not a relief. He had wanted the wraiths to be there, he had wanted their blood, wanted to get back at them for everything wrong that had occurred in his life. He turned the corner in a single movement, and continued his assault through the Sinthium building.
Another corridor came to an end, and was followed by a set of stairs which Kurtis quickly scaled, then another corridor appeared, and another. Kurtis wanted to scream with frustration as he ran through this neverending maze of hallways and inclines, his unknowingness of this building stalling his search. That's when he saw it, and his frustration turned to anxiety. The entrance to the main area of the warehouse stood at the end of the current hallway he presided in. The light from the large open space that awaited him created a faint glow within the smaller space around him, a light caused by the heavy moonlight shining brightly upon the thin panels of the warehouse roof.
Kurtis didn't hesitate. He would find Mariana, and possibly Lara within the warehouse's main storage facility. He was ready for the outcome of his stupidity.
He felt himself gasp for an unknown reason as he opened the door and the large room appeared before him. It was empty, other than the occasional crates that graced the room's corners, creating cryptic darkness and concealed shadows. Nothing was hiding behind the crates he knew, he had a perfect view of the dark spaces the large boxes concealed from his elevated position. His quick sprint up the previous stairs had led him toward the scaffolds of the immense storage room, other than his intended entrance, the main floor. Several vehicles lined the interior as well, all military and painted dark. Even the demon's vehicles held a sense of evil.
Everything seemed normal within the room, tinted slightly blue by moonlight reflected off of cold steel. The distant chills of night plagued his body as the eerie cold of isolation surrounded him.
Kurtis spotted a closed door on the ground floor opposite him, and hurriedly searched the iron-grated balcony for a way to the main floor. He quickly found a set of descending stairs on the far side of the scaffolding. He circled the balcony with haste and made his way toward them.
His footfalls were impossible to quiet as his boots hit hard against the iron stairs. The horrid noise the action created sounded loudly throughout the empty room, despite Kurtis's effort to mute it.
He felt his steps change as his feet finally met the concrete surface of the room's main floor. He cautiously maneuvered through the vehicles and crates that fell in his path, making sure that his assumption of the room being deserted had been correct.
He stared at the closed door that beckoned him toward it, the faint glow of its frosted window creating the urge to reveal what waited on the other side.
Kurtis slowly walked toward it, a nervous feeling he hadn't expected entering his stomach, creating fear of what was waiting for him through the doorway. He reached his hand forward, his fingertips touching the cold metal of the door handle. He breathed deeply, preparing himself.
No sooner than he had touched the rusted grip, it began to turn. But not by his doing. Someone was on the other side, someone turning the door handle, entering the storage room, coming closer to him.
Kurtis quickly flung himself away from the door. It slowly creased open, the person beggining to enter. He forced his body across the cold floor, hiding it behind one of the wavering crates that the room held.
He stared at the door as it slowly turned away from its hinges, waiting for its opener to enter the storage room and confront him. The person-or thing for a better description-casually stepped through the frame of the door.
Kurtis clenched his teeth as he stared at the demon, her appearance pushing him over the edge; she was smiling.
He held on to the little patience he could, and forced himself to remain in the shadows, not wanting Mariana to know he was there. Not yet anyhow.
He watched her as she walked to a crate on the far side of the room, its upper panel removed, revealing its contents to all who cared to look. Mariana's hands rummaged through the wooden container before leaving it with a dagger of some sort in her grasp. The design of the blade was familiar to him.
The Lux Veritatis! The wraiths must have been studying the clan, gathering their ancient belongings, searching for a way to destroy them permanently, or figure out one of their ancient secrets.
He calmed himself. It didn't matter. The wraiths would all be dead soon anyhow.
Kurtis gripped his pistol tighter as he quietly left his cover behind the crates. He moved quickly across the room, navigating through the objects that surrounded him, a sound never occurring from under his boots. He stared forward with anxiety and impatience as the form before him grew closer, continuing to near him with every step. Twenty feet...ten...one.
He was their, standing tall behind the demon form of Mariana, smelling the evil essence that she gave off with every movement. She was studying the dagger, reading the inscription that graced its side, searching for an answer to a question he didn't know. He heard her speak a quiet "Yes." before she leant toward the crate, dropping the blade back into the wooden container.
Her form became straight once again, but then turned stiff as the barrel of a gun was pressed firmly into the back of her neck.
The demon froze as the barrel pushed harder. She smiled, knowing who was behind her. "Hello Kurtis."
Kurtis's jaw conformed with anger at the voice. He wasn't here to listen to her sarcastic inquiries, he was here for Lara. "Where is she?" he simply asked.
Mariana grinned as she slightly turned her body, the side features of her face becoming apparent to Kurtis, her smile becoming apparent.
"I've been expecting you." Mariana spoke in a playful tone. "I must say I'm impressed that you've actually shown up on time."
"Shutup!" Kurtis spoke through clenched teeth as he forced the pistol forward even more. "I know Lara's here somewhere, and I swear to god if you've done anything to her..." his words waned with a pause, leaving their outcome to the imagination.
"You'll what?" Mariana asked, her playful tone completely gone, replaced with annoyance and anger. "Threaten to kill me again?" she paused as the laugh returned and her mind decided upon a plan. "I'd better go get her then!" She sarcastically mocked him.
Kurtis had no time to react as the demon quickly spun toward him, lifting her arm and deflecting away the gun. She then lifted her foot, and powerfully brought it to his chest. The force slung him from the ground and carried his body across the room, connecting it hard with the concrete floor.
Kurtis forced the pain aside and quickly recovered himself, anger and fear driving him forward. He quickly stood to his feet, ready to return the demon's attack. He was met however, with a large crate rushing toward him, its movements being controlled by the enemy. He quickly slung his arms up, trying to shield himself from the oncoming structure.
Wind left his lungs as the crate connected hard with his chest, so hard that he was forced to the wall, the wooden box against his waist, holding him there as Mariana casually walked toward him and smiled.
"Where is she?" he asked again with hatred, not caring about his current position, only caring about the answer to his question.
"This is a really stupid thing you've done." Mariana spoke softly as she watched him desperately try to force the crate away. "Coming here, and giving me the opportunity to kill you over a girl? It doesn't suit the Kurtis Trent I used to know," she walked toward him, and gently placed her hand upon is cheek, "the heartless, crazed maniac who would do anything for his revenge, and his wallet. I liked that Kurtis Trent. But now," she looked him over, shaking her head, "he's pathetic."
"Then why haven't you killed me yet?" Kurtis asked as the weight against his stomach increased.
"I have to look out for my friends." she playfully spoke, brushing his bangs away from his face with her hand.
"Like you looked after my father?" Kurtis asked with a sarcastic and painful smile.
"Kurtis, your father wasn't near as attractive as you are." She answered. Her eyes than shifted down, and she rubbed her hands down the tone of his chest. "If I was a human" she said with a smile. "Well I'd-"
"Shut the fuck up!" He yelled as the pain increased. He rested his head against the wall behind him, trying to ease it.
"Now Kurtis, be a good boy." she spoke again with sarcasm, and shoved the crate harder against his waist. "Besides, you should be happy." she paused as her features changed to hatred. "You've got that pretty little whore to keep you company."
As Mariana began to move away, Kurtis pushed himself forward, trying his hardest to get free before she could leave. She was no doubt going to get Lara, dead or alive he didn't know. The fear of what Mariana would do, or had already done, pushed him harder, but he failed to move.
"Don't you fuckin touch her!" he shouted, trying to stall the demon's actions.
He watched as Mariana slowly turned around. Her eyes glared slightly red from some angered emotion which he had provoked, jealousy.
"And why not?" She hid her anger with playfulness. "I could kill her easily right now." The demon's eyes never wavered from his own, raising fear within Kurtis for himself and Lara. Mariana smiled as she looked away. "But why spoil the fun?"
"She's got nothing to do with this." Kurtis desperately spoke. "You can kill me," he said before his voice rose." but if you touch her, I swear to God I will end your life, in this world or the next!"
"God?" Mariana asked with a laugh. "You think he cares about you? You've never been a believing man, so why should he help." Her face angered with realization of his words. "And you kill me? Now Kurtis you know that is impossible."
"I'll find a way."
"Oh?" She sarcastically added. "Let's pray you live long enough to find it. And as for Miss Croft, she would've been spared, except for her little acts at the museum, and on the train, and most recently at the graveyard this morning."
Kurtis smiled as he stared at the demon's throat, a newly formed bullet hole in its side that hadn't been there the previous time he'd seen her.
"I've never liked guns," Mariana continued, "using one is like cheating, it takes no real skill."
Kurtis watched, a new fear rising inside, as she took an ancient sword from her sheath, the same one that had nearly impaled his body on the way to Lyon. The black blade was decorated with another color now, crimson, the color of blood. He clenched his teeth once again, terrified that the lucid stains belonged to Lara.
"Now with a blade," the demon continued, bringing the tip of the sword to Kurtis's throat. "That takes real talent."
"And pinning a man to a wall isn't cheating?"
"I got you pinned up." she spoke with a smile. "I'd call that winning fairly, but then again I'm not gonna kill you, not yet anyway."
Kurtis saw her return the weapon to the belt at her waist.
"I need you to find something first."
"The Vial." he stated with a confused expression. "Why do you want it?"
She stared at him before looking upward, as though seeing another world, one created from her own thoughts and ideas. "Imagine what would happen if the Lux Veritatis blood was fed into the Nephilim, how amazing that would be."
"All the Nephilim are dead."
"Really?" she sarcastically stated. "That's what you think."
Kurtis flinched as the demon leaned down and moved toward him. She met her lips against his, and kissed him.
Kurtis's mouth stayed still throughout her act, and she finally backed away and left his side.
"Where is she!"
"Oh yes." the demon laughed under her breath. "Miss Croft is well enough. See, I know you Kurtis, and I know that you aren't quite good enough to retrieve this little artifact on your own, so..." she took a small card from a pocket within her boot, "despite the immense effort it took..."
Kurtis stared at her, more nervous than ever at the outcome of her words.
"I spared her life."
Kurtis exhaled with relief.
"Unlike you, she is very good at what she does, and I know that she can get the Vial with no problem whatsoever."
Kurtis felt an immense weight lift from his body, and he fell to the floor as the crate was taken away. His eyes were instantly greeted with the card held in Mariana's hand, a business card for a hotel called The Vivec Inn.
"She's here." Mariana spoke as Kurtis gradually stood. "It's just across the street about a block down, she-"
"No." Kurtis cut her off, shaking his head at the words. "Lara would never go where you told her to-"
"It's amazing what people will do when they're unconscious." Mariana smiled as she handed him the card.
Kurtis stared at it, unsure of the demon's words, but too eager to reject them.
"I'll be seeing you," Mariana spoke as she turned from him and walked away, "and your pretty little whore." The demon opened a door on the far side of the abandoned building, before disappearing into darkness.
Kurtis breathed deeply as he eagerly began toward a large garage entrance to his left. He quickly focused his mind to lift the placement on its tracks. The coldness of night consumed him as he left the warehouse, and stared at the city block before him. The green neon sign of The Vivec Inn shown brightly against the dark sky. He smiled.