Darlian, Hey there Darlian. Thank you for the review, here's the next chapter so you can find out what will happen with Lara.
Godavari, Sorry about the grammar, I'm not that good at it. But I do reread the story, looks like there are still some typos after I reread it. But I'm glad you like my story and enjoy the next chappie.
Chain of Memories, Thank you for the review. Wanna know how Lara is doing read the next chappie.
Chapter 5, Disbelieve.
"Croft…" a voice echoed through her head. "Lara luv…wake up…"
Lara felt someone shaking her, gently. She wanted to open her eyes but it was too cold. She couldn't move a muscle.
"Lara…come on wake up, it's Shugrave."
At the sound of John Shugrave's name, Lara did her best to open at least one eye. She peered at the person in front of her and recognized him as Shugrave.
"John…" she said croaky.
"Yes Lara it's me, I'm taking you home."
Another eye opened, only just now Lara realized she wasn't outside in the freezing cold anymore. She was in a helicopter, wrapped around a blanket. Her eyes scanned around the helicopter and except for John Shugrave, there was Freddy his personal doctor and Atto, John's right hand. She did her best to smile at them. Freddy leaned forward and pressed a needle into her skin. Not much later Lara was unable to stay awake and her world was filled with darkness.
"How is she Fred?" John asked.
"I don't know John, she's been there for half a day. Except for the freezing cold she also had a snowstorm to deal with. I know she's a fighter and I know how good I am, so I'm gonna give her a seventy percent chance of survival."
Shugrave placed his hand on Freddy's shoulder.
"You do everything you can to keep her warm, I don't want to take her to a hospital unless there's no other option. I hate doctors who ask questions."
"You can count on me John." The doctor answered.
John knows that Lara had survived a plane crash once and she had spent days in the cold before someone had rescued her, she's a fighter and he knows she will pull herself though this. But when he finds out who did this to her, he or she will be in big trouble.
The next day, Croft manor
"Do you know what happened John?" Hillary asked as he, Bryce and John were standing at the door opening of Lara's room.
"She hasn't spoken yet. But she'll be fine. When she's strong enough to talk you can ask." He walked away from the door. "Look, I have to go now, but I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Thank you John, I really appreciate what you've done."
"When it involves Lara, any time Hillary, any time."
Bryce and Hillary watched Shugrave leave the manor and then they turned to Lara's room again.
"I'm telling you Hillary, that bloody yank betrayed her, he left her there to die."
"Something did happen Bryce, but only Lara knows the truth. So let's wait for her to wake up."
He reached for the doorknob and closed the door. The sound the door made when it closed, caused Lara to wake up from her sleep. The first thing she noticed was the warm blankets around her body. What pleased her even more was the environment she's in. No more snow, she was in her own room.
Without thinking Lara wanted to get out of bed, a burst of pain shot through her body. Especially her shoulder. She looked at it and saw it had been stitched, everything was sore and the worst thing that had been hurt was her pride.
He seemed to be such a nice man, Lara trusted him and she even started to like him. And then he betrays her with this Damien. Anger boiled in her head when she thought back of it. How can a man be capable of doing such things? She had saved his life and this is how he repays her. Her revenge will come and it will be something he'll never forget.
Suddenly the door opened.
"Oh Bryce I forgot the first aid kit, could you go back and get it."
It was Hillary.
"Got it." She heard Bryce say from the other side of the door.
Her eyes landed on Hillary, he was surprised to see her awake.
"Lara, you're awake?"
"Yes I am, how did I get here?"
Hillary smiled, he walked to the bed and seated himself at the edge.
"You'll have to thank John Shugrave for that."
Lara tried to move up, Hillary was kind enough to help her.
"I don't understand, I never managed to activate the chip." Lara sounded very confused.
"You didn't? But John said he received your emergency signal," he rubbed his chin "hmm, this is strange."
"Here's the first aid ki…bloody hell Lara is awake." Bryce said as he walked inside waving around with the first aid kit.
"Yes, I'm aware of that Bryce." Hillary said sarcastic.
The tech hurried over to Lara and gave her a big hug.
"It's good to see you're awake Lara."
"Thank you Bryce."
"It was the yank wasn't it, he betrayed you."
"Bryce." Hillary hissed and jogged him in the side.
"It's okay Hillary." She locked her eyes on Bryce. "Yes, Alex set me up, but he wasn't alone, he works for a man called Damien, he was the one who shot me and left me alone to die."
"So it wasn't Mr West who tied you to the statue?" Hillary asked as he removed a small scissor from the kit.
Lara moved her arm up, Hillary gets hold of her arm and started to remove the stitches.
"No, Hilly. But that doesn't mean I forgive him. Once I'm fit enough I'm going to pay Alex a little visit."
"I guess trying to talk you out of it won't help."
"No." she replied.
The butler sighed, he had removed the stitches and started to wrap a bandage around her shoulder.
"You were very lucky Lara." Bryce said. "A normal person like me and Hillary would never have survived it."
The tomb raider smiled "Am I not normal then?"
"No, you're super natural." He replied. "One of a kind."
They all had to laugh at his words.
"So what exactly happened?" Hillary asked as he finished Lara's shoulder.
"After we found the prayer wheels and left the temple, Damien and his crew arrived. Damien told me he and Alex work together, then they tied me to the statue and he shot me." Lara sighed "Damn it, I even saved his leave a few hours earlier."
Hillary saw Lara was really hurt, not just from the outside but also from the inside. He thought it was best for her to get some rest.
"You should get some rest Lara, I'll wake you tomorrow for breakfast."
"Thank you Hillary."
She watched both men as they exited her room and closed the door.
Two weeks later, Alex' apartment, midnight.
Alex was standing on the balcony. He couldn't sleep, nightmares kept hunting him. Nightmares about Lara and how she died. He couldn't help but feel responsible for it and he knew she blamed him because the look in her eyes was so heartless so cold, he had never seen her like that before.
Off course he never meant this for her to happen, he started to get feelings for her, maybe he even loved her. And then Damien showed up, Alex never knew that. It seemed Damien didn't trust Lara, but why did she have to die. He knew the answer to that question, Lara had to die because of the amount of money he could have missed if she would have taken the prayer wheels away from him. Damien is even greedier then Alex is. And from the money you get for the wheels you can buy a complete tropical island.
"Greed, what a sin." Alex mumbled.
He sighed and went back to bed, at least that's what he intended to do, but when he turned he felt the cold blade of a knife connect with his throat and before he knew it someone grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him to the balcony door. His eyes widened in shock when they landed on his assailant. It was Lara Croft, the woman he thought to be dead.
"L…Lara…you"
"Shut up Alex." Lara didn't allow him to finish. "Let's go inside and then you'll tell me the true story behind you wanting the prayer wheels."
She opened the door and pushed him inside. Lara forced him on the couch while she leaned back against the balcony door, she tugged the knife back behind her belt and folded her arms.
"I'm waiting." She said.
Alex immediately jumped from the couch.
"Lara I had nothing to do with it…"
Once again Lara interrupted him. Lightning fast she reached for one of her guns, aimed it at Alex and removed the safety.
"Sit…down…Alex." She said threatening.
He didn't have to think twice about that and immediately seated himself on the couch again.
"I'm sorry Lara, for what happened to you, please believe me, I had no idea he would show up."
The tomb raider smirked and put the gun back in the holster.
"I don't have time for your lies Alex…"
She scared him, the Lara that was standing in front of him was completely different from the Lara he was with in Tibet. From a kind and gentle young woman she had changed into an evil heartless woman.
"Alright, alright take it easy, what happened to the nice Lara I was with in Tibet."
"She died, now tell me why you betrayed me."
"I did not betray you, I work for Damien, I find relics and he pays me for it." Alex wanted to get up but then remembered that Lara would probably not approve it so he stayed on the couch. "He asked me to find the prayer wheels, I couldn't find them and then John told me about you. What I didn't expect was that you wanted to come along."
Alex watched Lara as she moved away from the balcony door and walked towards him. Nerves increased when she took a seat next to him.
"Go on." She said.
Alex didn't hesitate.
"I asked him what he thought about it and he said it was no problem, two tomb raiders might increase the odds of finding the wheels. I called you the next morning and then we met at the airport. I had no idea he would follow us and tried to kill you."
"Hmm." Lara said in disbelieve. "It doesn't sound convincing enough Alex, but that doesn't matter now, where can I find Damien?"
Suddenly Alex started laughing.
"What? You're going after Damien?"
Lara stood from the couch and walked to the kitchen where she started to search through his refrigerator to find something to drink. All the time she didn't answer his question, until she found a can of soda. She opened it and walked back to the balcony door.
"Alex, I have been tied against a statue in the freezing cold for half a day. I had to cope with a snow storm, I could have died…wouldn't you get revenge for that?"
Alex took the risk of getting from the couch and walked over to Lara.
"If it was anyone else then Damien, yes, then I would have. But this man is dangerous Lara, if you go after him you'll end up dead after all."
"That's a risk I'm willing to take, now where can I find him?"
The yank folded his arms and refused to tell Lara where Damien lives.
"Forget it, I'm not putting you in danger."
The tomb raider narrowed her eyes at Alex and did not approve his ignorance.
"If you really had no idea that Damien wanted me dead and if you really didn't mean all of this to happen, the least you can do is help me, you owe me Alex."
He knew she was right, but deep in his heart he couldn't tell her. He would put her in danger once again, he will feel even guiltier then he already is. But the determination in her eyes and simply the fact that Lara has all the right in the world to get her revenge made him decide to help her. And not to forget that if she manages to get her revenge he will be free of Damien and he no longer has to work for him anymore. Freedom for the rest of his life.
"Alright Lara, I owe you one." He said but the tone of his voice still didn't agree with the tomb raider. "You remember the old metal factory just outside London?"
Lara leaned back against the window and raised her eyebrow.
"Yes, it was shutdown short after my father disappeared."
"Damien does his business there. He hides his artifacts and his money in that old place."
"You know how I can get in unnoticed?"
"One of his men told me once that there is a tunnel at the south end that leads to the engine room. That's all I know, once your inside you're on your own Lara."
"Oh don't worry about that Alex, I've done fine on my own so far."
Lara walked to the front door and opened it. Before she left she turned to Alex one more time.
"You still owe me one Alex." She said and then exited his apartment.
Instead of using the elevator, Lara used the stairs to go down. Alex could hear the tapping sound of her boots echo through the hallway. It stopped when he heard the door of the building close, not much later the sound of a motor cycle roamed through the streets.
Alex sighed and closed the door behind him, well the good thing was that Lara is still alive, God knows how, but she's still alive. Maybe his nightmares will end now, the nightmares had been hunting him for months, but Lara is among the living so there is nothing to feel guilty about anymore, or is there. After all, she's still angry with him, she doesn't believe he had no intensions to hurt her.
Suddenly he felt something connecting with the back of his neck. He moved his hand to it and removed a small dart. Alex turned and saw masked men entering his apartment. It was all he saw, the world around him started spinning and then he collapsed to the floor.
Hello, hello how are you today? Was this chappie okay? Please continue reviewing!
