Escape
Lara walked into the darkness, her aching muscles still not cooperating. The last days had been merciless on her, but she'd been through worse. The further into the dark she went, the colder it seemed to get. A shiver tingled up her spine and she had to wonder if Kurtis was actually in here. There had been a lot of blood back in that arena – perhaps he used his last ounce of strength to try and find an exit. Was this his final resting place? Lara couldn't help but think so. She reached into her pack and brought out several glow sticks. She cracked the sticks and threw them out ahead of her.
"Ah!" a voice quietly groaned.
Lara knew at once who it was. One of the sticks had hit Kurtis and Lara could see his limp body lying next to where it had landed. He looked so helpless lying there in the soft green glow. Lara walked over to him at once and pulled out a med kit from her bag.
"Where are you hurt?" Lara asked, realizing that Kurtis was conscious.
"So nice of you to drop by..." he said weakly.
He removed the hand that tightly gripped his stomach. Lara saw the severity of the wound and realized that it went straight through him.
"Good Lord...I suppose your natural charisma didn't go over well with Boaz..." Lara told him as she tended to the wound, "We can't keep you here, you'll bleed to death. I guess even the Lux Veritatis are still only human." -Kurtis smirked at her but it faded as he winced in pain.- "Fighting pain is a battle that requires all your strength, so don't waste it on being a smart ass," Lara explained to him, "You know a way out of here that doesn't involve deadly traps?"
Kurtis nodded slightly and swallowed. His throat and mouth felt like sand paper. "Got any water?" he asked Lara. She reached into her bag, pulled out a canteen and poured some in his mouth.
"The exit..." she asked impatiently.
"We have to go on through here, there's a manhole that will get us into the sewers," Kurtis explained.
Lara put her things back and surveyed Kurtis' damage. "We have to get you outdoors quickly. The cold will help clot your blood and keep you alive until we reach a hospital," Lara said.
"Well, we had better...get...moving then," Kurtis replied, with a bit of strain.
Lara helped him to his feet and she could feel that he couldn't walk alone – he was putting most of his weight onto her. They moved further into blackness and Lara pulled out a flare for light. They came across the manhole that Kurtis had told Lara about and she propped him up against a wall. She worked with all her might to lift up the metal disk and moved it to the side. Then, the thought struck her at that moment.
"How do you propose we get you down there when you can't even support yourself?" she asked, mainly of herself.
And just as quickly as she had proposed the problem, she found the solution. She went into her bag and retrieved some rope. Kurtis looked at her strangely.
"You never know what you're going to need," she said lightly. "Lucky for you, I've come armed with more than a pistol."
Lara fashioned a harness and helped Kurtis into it, fastening it tightly. She then handed him a flare.
"What are you doing exactly?" Kurtis asked looking pale.
"Don't be a fool - I'm using you as bait to see if there are any surprises down there. They won't have to work much to finish you off..." Lara told him with a wink.
She brought him over to the hole and kept her grip firm on the extra rope. Kurtis fired up his flare and Lara slowly began to lower him down. Her hands were covered in sores and she winced as the rope slipped in her fingers. She had lowered him maybe fifteen feet when she felt the weight of his body being supported by something other than her - Lara let out a sigh of relief.
"I'm alright." Kurtis called up.
Lara cut another long piece of rope and looked around for something to tie it to. She found a metal railing and tied it tight. She gathered the rest of her belongings and strapped herself onto the rope leading down to Kurtis. She slid down and nearly fell on top of him. She looked into his face and he was sweating profusely.
"Kurtis, we have to hurry..." Lara whispered as if her breath had been taken from her.
"I know, but we have a problem," Kurtis said and used what little strength he had mustered to point at something behind Lara.
Lara walked into the darkness, her aching muscles still not cooperating. The last days had been merciless on her, but she'd been through worse. The further into the dark she went, the colder it seemed to get. A shiver tingled up her spine and she had to wonder if Kurtis was actually in here. There had been a lot of blood back in that arena – perhaps he used his last ounce of strength to try and find an exit. Was this his final resting place? Lara couldn't help but think so. She reached into her pack and brought out several glow sticks. She cracked the sticks and threw them out ahead of her.
"Ah!" a voice quietly groaned.
Lara knew at once who it was. One of the sticks had hit Kurtis and Lara could see his limp body lying next to where it had landed. He looked so helpless lying there in the soft green glow. Lara walked over to him at once and pulled out a med kit from her bag.
"Where are you hurt?" Lara asked, realizing that Kurtis was conscious.
"So nice of you to drop by..." he said weakly.
He removed the hand that tightly gripped his stomach. Lara saw the severity of the wound and realized that it went straight through him.
"Good Lord...I suppose your natural charisma didn't go over well with Boaz..." Lara told him as she tended to the wound, "We can't keep you here, you'll bleed to death. I guess even the Lux Veritatis are still only human." -Kurtis smirked at her but it faded as he winced in pain.- "Fighting pain is a battle that requires all your strength, so don't waste it on being a smart ass," Lara explained to him, "You know a way out of here that doesn't involve deadly traps?"
Kurtis nodded slightly and swallowed. His throat and mouth felt like sand paper. "Got any water?" he asked Lara. She reached into her bag, pulled out a canteen and poured some in his mouth.
"The exit..." she asked impatiently.
"We have to go on through here, there's a manhole that will get us into the sewers," Kurtis explained.
Lara put her things back and surveyed Kurtis' damage. "We have to get you outdoors quickly. The cold will help clot your blood and keep you alive until we reach a hospital," Lara said.
"Well, we had better...get...moving then," Kurtis replied, with a bit of strain.
Lara helped him to his feet and she could feel that he couldn't walk alone – he was putting most of his weight onto her. They moved further into blackness and Lara pulled out a flare for light. They came across the manhole that Kurtis had told Lara about and she propped him up against a wall. She worked with all her might to lift up the metal disk and moved it to the side. Then, the thought struck her at that moment.
"How do you propose we get you down there when you can't even support yourself?" she asked, mainly of herself.
And just as quickly as she had proposed the problem, she found the solution. She went into her bag and retrieved some rope. Kurtis looked at her strangely.
"You never know what you're going to need," she said lightly. "Lucky for you, I've come armed with more than a pistol."
Lara fashioned a harness and helped Kurtis into it, fastening it tightly. She then handed him a flare.
"What are you doing exactly?" Kurtis asked looking pale.
"Don't be a fool - I'm using you as bait to see if there are any surprises down there. They won't have to work much to finish you off..." Lara told him with a wink.
She brought him over to the hole and kept her grip firm on the extra rope. Kurtis fired up his flare and Lara slowly began to lower him down. Her hands were covered in sores and she winced as the rope slipped in her fingers. She had lowered him maybe fifteen feet when she felt the weight of his body being supported by something other than her - Lara let out a sigh of relief.
"I'm alright." Kurtis called up.
Lara cut another long piece of rope and looked around for something to tie it to. She found a metal railing and tied it tight. She gathered the rest of her belongings and strapped herself onto the rope leading down to Kurtis. She slid down and nearly fell on top of him. She looked into his face and he was sweating profusely.
"Kurtis, we have to hurry..." Lara whispered as if her breath had been taken from her.
"I know, but we have a problem," Kurtis said and used what little strength he had mustered to point at something behind Lara.
