Chapter24
When Lara got to the airport Bryce was already waiting for her.
"Lara." he yelled waving. "I'm here."
"Hello Bryce. How was your journey?"
"I slept most of the time."
Lara helped him to pack his stuff into the trunk of the car.
"So have you got everything?" she asked him.
"I got my notebook with the latest program that can get you into any security system. I got a headset for you which will also allow me to see where you are. And I got a dart pistol for you that will knock out your opponents for 5-30 minutes, depending on the darts you use."
"Great, and I guess we will need everything."
"So when do we start?"
"As far as I know they will all go to work early tomorrow. I would say we start around 9."
Lara's phone rang. She had a look at the display.
"Excuse me for a moment, Bryce. This is Downey."
****
"Hello, Professor Downey." Lara said after picking up.
"Hello, Lara. So tomorrow is the big day?"
"So it seems." she replied.
"Are you prepared?"
"I think so. I am at the airport to pick up Bryce, we got everything. I will find a way in and I will get the stone."
"You can bring it to me right away. I will store it away safely. And then you can go home."
"I think I will stay a while longer."
"But why? There is nothing more to do. And besides Heihachi will be after you, when he finds out."
"Oh, don't worry, I can handle him."
"You are starting to sound like his son. Arrogance is never good, Lara."
"Ok, I will call you tomorrow evening, but I really have to go now." she cut the conversation short.
She hung up and turned back to Bryce.
"Downey is behaving strange lately. Now he wants to get rid of me quickly after the job. Something is going on. Did he think I wouldn't notice?"
"Why would he want to get rid of you?"
"I'm not sure, but I will find out. But now let's get to the hotel. We should go to bed early."
****
Lara woke up in the middle of the night. She had had a strange nightmare again. Kazuya had caught her while she was sneaking through a couple of trees at the Mishima Mansion. She had tried to get closer, all the while watching two guards. Kazuya had approached her from behind and taken her down. He had threatened her, asking her what she was doing. He had been angry that she had used him. His eyes were flaming red and he was about to smash his fist into her face, when she woke up.
****
Lara's pyjamas were wet and sweaty. She looked at her watch, it was 6 o'clock.
"Oh, I might as well get up now, before I have another strange dream."
She got into the bathroom to have a shower. All the while she was hoping that the day would already be over. That she would be having dinner with Kazuya and that he didn't knew anything that had happened that day.
****
Lara turned on the water. With her fingers she went through her hair to make sure they were all untangled. She closed her eyes. In her mind she saw Kazuya's face. He wasn't angry, he could never be angry with her. He was smiling at her, approached her and touched her softly. She opened her eyes again. The smile that had been on her face just a moment ago faded quickly. If they found out that the stone was missing, they would assume that it was her who stole it. Nothing would ever be the same between her and Kazuya.
****
Someone knocked at the bathroom door.
"Lara, are you in there?" came Bryce's voice.
"Yes." she replied.
"I came over to see if you are awake."
"Yes, I am. I'm having a shower. But I'll be ready in a minute."
Two minutes later Lara came out of the bathroom, a huge towel wrapped around her body, a second around her head.
"What's the matter, Lara? You seem very sad." Bryce noticed it at once.
"Oh nothing." she replied.
"You love him?!" Bryce said.
"What???"
"Kazuya, or what's his name... Lara, I have seen the sparkle in your eyes when you spoke of him."
She stayed quiet for a moment and looked down to the ground.
"You are afraid, that he finds out that you used him?! You think he will never forgive you."
"I will get over it." she said firmly.
Bryce knew better, than to pick the subject up again.
When Lara got to the airport Bryce was already waiting for her.
"Lara." he yelled waving. "I'm here."
"Hello Bryce. How was your journey?"
"I slept most of the time."
Lara helped him to pack his stuff into the trunk of the car.
"So have you got everything?" she asked him.
"I got my notebook with the latest program that can get you into any security system. I got a headset for you which will also allow me to see where you are. And I got a dart pistol for you that will knock out your opponents for 5-30 minutes, depending on the darts you use."
"Great, and I guess we will need everything."
"So when do we start?"
"As far as I know they will all go to work early tomorrow. I would say we start around 9."
Lara's phone rang. She had a look at the display.
"Excuse me for a moment, Bryce. This is Downey."
****
"Hello, Professor Downey." Lara said after picking up.
"Hello, Lara. So tomorrow is the big day?"
"So it seems." she replied.
"Are you prepared?"
"I think so. I am at the airport to pick up Bryce, we got everything. I will find a way in and I will get the stone."
"You can bring it to me right away. I will store it away safely. And then you can go home."
"I think I will stay a while longer."
"But why? There is nothing more to do. And besides Heihachi will be after you, when he finds out."
"Oh, don't worry, I can handle him."
"You are starting to sound like his son. Arrogance is never good, Lara."
"Ok, I will call you tomorrow evening, but I really have to go now." she cut the conversation short.
She hung up and turned back to Bryce.
"Downey is behaving strange lately. Now he wants to get rid of me quickly after the job. Something is going on. Did he think I wouldn't notice?"
"Why would he want to get rid of you?"
"I'm not sure, but I will find out. But now let's get to the hotel. We should go to bed early."
****
Lara woke up in the middle of the night. She had had a strange nightmare again. Kazuya had caught her while she was sneaking through a couple of trees at the Mishima Mansion. She had tried to get closer, all the while watching two guards. Kazuya had approached her from behind and taken her down. He had threatened her, asking her what she was doing. He had been angry that she had used him. His eyes were flaming red and he was about to smash his fist into her face, when she woke up.
****
Lara's pyjamas were wet and sweaty. She looked at her watch, it was 6 o'clock.
"Oh, I might as well get up now, before I have another strange dream."
She got into the bathroom to have a shower. All the while she was hoping that the day would already be over. That she would be having dinner with Kazuya and that he didn't knew anything that had happened that day.
****
Lara turned on the water. With her fingers she went through her hair to make sure they were all untangled. She closed her eyes. In her mind she saw Kazuya's face. He wasn't angry, he could never be angry with her. He was smiling at her, approached her and touched her softly. She opened her eyes again. The smile that had been on her face just a moment ago faded quickly. If they found out that the stone was missing, they would assume that it was her who stole it. Nothing would ever be the same between her and Kazuya.
****
Someone knocked at the bathroom door.
"Lara, are you in there?" came Bryce's voice.
"Yes." she replied.
"I came over to see if you are awake."
"Yes, I am. I'm having a shower. But I'll be ready in a minute."
Two minutes later Lara came out of the bathroom, a huge towel wrapped around her body, a second around her head.
"What's the matter, Lara? You seem very sad." Bryce noticed it at once.
"Oh nothing." she replied.
"You love him?!" Bryce said.
"What???"
"Kazuya, or what's his name... Lara, I have seen the sparkle in your eyes when you spoke of him."
She stayed quiet for a moment and looked down to the ground.
"You are afraid, that he finds out that you used him?! You think he will never forgive you."
"I will get over it." she said firmly.
Bryce knew better, than to pick the subject up again.
