Chapter25
Around 8.15 they arrived at the Mishima Mansion. They parked the car a few hundred meters from the gate, hidden between the trees.
"Ok. I can see the guard house from here." Lara said lowering her binoculars.
Bryce was unpacking some stuff. He started up Lara's and his notebooks.
"Here Lara, take the headset. Let's see if it's working."
She took it from him and put it over her head. She was wearing a black cat suit and black gloves, her hair was tightly tied back.
"I'm getting a clear signal." Bryce announced.
"No wonder. I'm standing right next to you." Lara joked.
While Bryce was busy with his computers Lara got out her HK USP Match, loaded them to see if everything was in order and then put them in the holsters.
"I hope I won't need those. But better safe than sorry." she said and then took the dart pistol. "You on the other hand might be very useful."
Bryce got out two more pieces of equipment and handed them to Lara.
"Here, Lara, I have a new phone for you, this can help you with the safe later on. And this piece you have to connect to the network adapter of the computer in the guard house. Otherwise I can't get into their system. I have tried, but so far I didn't manage to get into their wireless network."
"Ok, so here is the plan. I will sneak up to the guard house from behind. I will shoot the guard with one of the darts. He will be knocked out for ten minutes, giving me enough time to remove the dart from his neck, to attach your little spy and to get through the gate undetected."
"So far so good." Bryce replied.
"Then let's get started. And remember, don't speak unless I give you the ok, or it's absolutely necessary."
"Of course. Good luck, Lara."
****
And so Lara sneaked along the fence till she reached the guardhouse. She waited for the guard to sit down and then carefully approached the guardhouse from the back. She lurked through the door and shot him in the neck with a clean shot. His head fell forwards at once. She quietly entered the guardhouse and quickly attached the piece Bryce had given her to the computer. Then she pulled the dart from the guards neck, went back outside and quickly sneaked thought the gate, carefully staying down to avoid the camera placed there. She moved along the fence sideways to the right, where she reached an area lined with bushes and trees.
****
"Ok Bryce, I'm in. Please keep an eye on the guard at the gate. If someone catches him 'sleeping' they might trigger an alarm."
"I will."
"So how is the security system?" she then asked.
"They are very good. I haven't had any luck yet. But don't worry, nothing is safe from me."
"I'm counting on it. I'd especially like some help from those cameras. I can see one from where I'm standing. I'm just glad they didn't have one inside the guard house."
"I'm on it... Nearly there... Got it. I'm in. Let's see. Cameras... Here we are. Yes, there is the one you are looking at, but we are lucky you didn't move any further. There is a second one, pointing at the fence, just a few meters to your right."
"So where do I go now?"
"Getting past the gate again is not an option. The drive is lined with cameras and so is the other side. You have to get past this one. Further to the right is an area with pool..."
"Yes, I know, I have seen that before."
"It's also guarded well. I can see human guards there, and there are at least 5 cameras. Then comes the dojo. As far as I can see, there are no cameras there. So this is your entrance."
"So I make my way towards the dojo first?!"
"Yes... Uhm, our security guard seems to be waking up..."
"So?" Lara asked curious.
"Ok. He seems to think he had fallen asleep. He is looking around nervously. Don't worry about him."
"Well then you can guide me past the camera now."
"It seems to be moving from side to side. I need a minute to calculate that."
"Ok, you got it." she said.
A moment went by in silence.
"I think I now know where you can get through. You have to get close to the trees. The camera is in one of them. You definitely have to crawl to get past. And you have to stay very close to the trees so that you stay below the camera's sight."
"Ok. I will try."
Lara moved closer to the trees and lay flat on the ground. Slowly she shifted forwards.
"Camera-guarded-area coming up to your right. So stay as close to the left as you can." Bryce announced.
"Easier said than done." Lara replied."
She crawled further ahead.
"Lara, careful. We had a bit of black, probably your cat suit in the corner of the monitor for a second."
"Oh no. Do you think...?"
"Don't worry. I have only seen it because I was watching closely. It could have been anything. Only it wasn't."
Lara moved further to the left, into the bushes. The branches were scratching her body while she moved. She got a tiny scratch at her chin.
"Ouch. Am I through yet?" she asked.
"Almost. Just a few more inches.... Now you are out."
"Good." she said getting up.
"Lara, we have a car coming down the drive."
"What? What is it?" she asked.
"It's a sports car... a Porsche."
"Damn. What are they still doing here?"
"They are at the gate now... They have stopped. The driver is getting out."
"Have they noticed anything?"
The dream came back to her mind, but this wouldn't happen, it couldn't happen. Bryce was watching her back. She looked around nervously.
"Hard to tell..." Bryce replied.
"What's happening, Bryce?"
"He went to the back of his car... Lara, that's him?? Black hair, too much gel, expensive suit, broad shoulders?"
"Yes." she said quietly.
"How did I know?! He is checking the tires on the right side. Now he is returning to the front. He is getting back in... Starting the car... Now they are gone. They haven't noticed anything."
Lara took a deep breath.
"I thought they were long gone."
"Girl, what have you gotten yourself into?" Bryce commented.
"Shut up, Bryce." Lara said. "Let's not waste any time."
"Ok, the path ahead of you is clear."
Lara made her way along the fence for a while.
"Bryce, I can hear voices..."
"Let's see. Yeah, apparently two guards are patrolling the garden nearby. You are coming closer to the pool..."
"Damn. There are nearly no trees there."
"That's right. So let's hope the guards will go away again."
"Ok, I will go as far as I can."
Another minute later she contacted Bryce again.
"I have reached the end. There are only some tiny bushes here. I can crawl along behind them, but not as long as the guards are around." she whispered.
"Lara, they are coming towards you..."
"Quiet now..." she replied.
****
Lara lay down flat on the ground, crawling into the thicket as much as she could. She could hear the guards coming closer. They were talking loudly.
"You are a lucky bastard." one of them said. "You can be glad that you weren't there yesterday evening."
"Why? What happened?"
"The boss was really angry... the usual... his son wouldn't do what he wanted him to do... So tonight we have a little extra job, watching him, and you know what that means."
They were really close to where Lara was hiding now. She held her breath. The guards turned around and started moving away.
"I am not sure what I should hope. If we lose him, we have Heihachi breathing down our necks. But if we manage to follow him and he discovers us... Then I don't want to be there. You know what happened to the last guard he caught..."
"No, I don't."
"Exactly. No one does."
Lara couldn't understand any more since they were to far away by now.
****
"Bryce, are you there?"
"Yes."
"Have you heard?"
"Yes, but I didn't understand a word, I don't speak Japanese, Lara."
"Oh sorry, I forgot. They know that something is going to happen. They don't know that I am here now though. But Heihachi has ordered some of his guards to watch Kazuya... They know. We have to hurry."
Lara took out her binoculars and watched the garden. The guards were moving back to the house.
"When the path is clear I will crawl over to the other side." Lara said to Bryce.
The guards disappeared inside the house a moment later. Lara got down to the ground again and made her way over to the other side. Ten minutes later she had reached the trees around the dojo.
"I'm there. What now?"
"Now comes the difficult part. You have to get to the house and inside..."
"I will sneak around the back of the dojo. The other side seems to be safer."
"Lara, we have another visitor. A white van, unfortunately I cannot read what's written on the side... Let me check this on the internet."
"You are a genius, Bryce." Lara said grinning.
"Ok, here we go, something with swimming pool..."
"So they are here to check the pool. Excellent, this is my way out." Lara said. "No sneaking past guards. You just have to create a diversion on the road outside, so I can get out of the van. But first things first... I will make my way to the other side now."
"Good idea. Tell me when you are there. Meanwhile I will record a tape for Heihachi's office. You can't get past the cameras there, so we have to create a false image for the guards."
Lara made her way around the dojo. She emerged in a garden lined with trees, statues, tiny walls... this might just make sneaking up to the house easier, she thought.
"Ok, Bryce. I'm there. Anything I need to look out for?"
"Human Guards... I can't see in that area, there are nearly no cameras."
"Ok, then I will try to get to the house now."
Lara moved out from behind the dojo and disappeared behind a tree. She scanned the gardens in both directions, but there was no one there, so she continued. This part proved to be easier than expected and another 5 minutes later, after jumping over walls, ducking behind bushes and trees, she was standing at the house.
"Bryce." she whispered into her headset. "I have reached the house. I cannot believe it was that easy. What now?"
"I'd say find the next entrance, there aren't many cameras inside the house, especially in the area where you are."
"Ok, then I will make my way around the house to the right. If I turn left I will only come back to the pool and that's not where I want to be right now, there will be people now."
Lara carefully made her way around the house, when suddenly a guard stepped outside. Before he could see her she jumped behind a bush. The guard moved past without noticing her.
"That was close."
"What happened?" Bryce asked.
"A guard appeared. He suddenly came out of the house."
Lara got out from behind her bush and continued around the house.
"But he left a door open. Where am I headed?"
"You have to get to the other side."
Lara readied the dart pistol.
"Ok. Guide me." she said stepping inside the house.
She looked around, the sight was breathtaking.
"Wow, very beautiful. Bryce, remind me to buy a Japanese House."
"I will write that down."
Lara could hear his keyboards clicking. She shook her head grinning.
****
Bryce led Lara all the way to Heihachi's office. It didn't take her very long to get there. She had to hide around a corner once to avoid a guard, but besides that she met no one. 'Maybe they are all watching the poolboy.' she thought. Lara tried the door handle of Heihachi's office. Luckily she was wearing her gloves so she wouldn't leave any finger prints. The door was closed. This didn't really surprise her. She was prepared. The door lock was electronically so the set of keys Bryce had given her would be useless. She took out her mobile phone. Bryce had worked on it a bit and it was now able to unlock such doors.
"Bryce, are you ready with those cameras?" Lara asked.
"Give me a moment, working on it."
She waited for a moment, looking up and down the hall nervously. This was all too simple, no problems at all so far. Then Bryce spoke again.
"Ok, all is clear. The guards are now watching my little video tape."
Lara pressed some buttons on her phone. Nothing happened.
"Bryce, it's not working." she whispered.
"What do you mean, it's not working? Send me the data please."
Lara pressed a few buttons and sent the information the phone got to Bryce.
"Ok, I see the problem, very clever... This won't be easy." he said.
"Why? What's the matter?" Lara replied.
"They have encrypted the door code. I have to find a way to encode it."
"Hurry please, I don't feel safe here. Damn, I hear voices."
Lara sneaked down the hall, away from the noises, till she came to the next door. She pressed her ear against it to hear if someone was in there. Since it seemed to be empty and the voices were approaching she tried the handle. The door opened and Lara slipped through closing the door behind her quietly. She turned around and nearly yelled. She stood face to face with Heihachi. It took her a moment to realise that it was a statue.
"Damn it, you nearly killed me." she said looking at the statue carefully. "You are small. Kazuya is taller than that."
"What, whom are you talking to?" Bryce asked.
"Oh, I just met an old 'friend'" Lara said. "I nearly bumped into a statue of Heihachi Mishima."
Lara heard steps in the hall outside. They were coming towards her. She looked around quickly, looking for a place where she could hide. She jumped behind a sofa but the steps disappeared down the hall. After a minute of silence Lara came out from behind the sofa. She returned to the door and pressed her ear against it. When she was certain that the hall was clear, she spoke again.
"Any success with the door code, Bryce."
"Not yet." came his reply. "This one is damned tricky."
"Then can you give me an update on the situation at the pool?"
"Moment, please. Yes, it's indeed the pool guy. He is checking the water, at least five guards out there. I guess he will be here at least another hour."
"Good. I fear I will need it. Bryce, hurry. If I have to stay in here much longer I will start drawing on this statue."
"Better leave it. He will kill you."
"That's something he will do anyway. Well, at least he will try. Damn, I can hear footsteps again."
Lara hid behind the sofa again. This time the door opened. She pressed herself against the back of the sofa. Whoever had entered the room was searching a cupboard on the other side. Lara could hear the cupboard door closing. Then the steps came closer. She held her breath. Someone outside called and then the man disappeared again. Again Lara waited till everything was clear.
"Bryce, they are driving me mad..."
"I'm nearly there. Get back to the office!"
Lara sneaked to the door again, then she opened it carefully and looked outside, no guard in sight. She sneaked out and returned to Heihachi's office.
"Now would be a good time, Bryce."
"Got it, I will send the information to you."
Once more Lara pressed some buttons on her phone. With a click the lock opened. She carefully stepped inside the office. On the wall hung a huge poster showing Heihachi's face and the Mishima Business Logo.
"Are you watching me everywhere?" she said to the poster.
Heihachi had a shelf lined with Martial Arts trophies, more than Lara could count. Behind his desk was a shelf which looked as if it was just there to hide something.
"Bryce? Are you getting a picture from those cameras?"
"Yes Lara. I can see what you are doing."
"Do you reckon this is the safe." she said pointing at the spot.
"Could be."
Lara walked behind the desk and touched the shelf carefully. She felt around the edges. Below the shelf she found a trigger. She bent down to see it. A red button was visible.
"Bryce. There is a button down here. But I am not sure if I should use it. It might also trigger an alarm."
"Let me check this." he replied.
For a moment Lara could hear the keyboard clicking. She had a further look around the office. It demonstrated so much power with all the trophies and the huge picture. Lara could just imagine Heihachi sitting behind his desk, with that cold stare on his face, yelling at his employees - or family members. For a moment she let her mind wander and she asked herself what had happened to Kazuya's mother. He never mentioned her, but she didn't dare to ask.
"Lara, you were right." Bryce interrupted her thoughts. "This would indeed have triggered an alert. I have deactivated it for now."
"There is no room for mistakes, Bryce."
"Don't worry."
Lara held her breath. One mistake and she would have all the guards to deal with, and no chance of getting out. Hesitant she pressed the button. Nothing happened for a moment, then the shelf swung aside, revealing the safe.
"We got it Bryce. Let's hope that what we are looking for is inside."
She got her phone out again. Then she pulled a sensor out of her bag. She attached it to the safe's locking mechanism. Then she plugged the wire into her phone.
"So be a nice telephone. Give me the right numbers."
She began turning the wheel of the safe carefully, all the time counting. After a while the first number appeared on the display.
"This really works." Lara said surprised.
"Of course it does." came Bryce's reply.
Lara continued her work on the safe. It took her twenty minutes to unlock it completely. Then finally she could open it. The door swung aside and there it was, the thing she had been looking for, the crystal of eternity.
"Bryce, we've got it." she exclaimed, cheerfully. "Damn, I cannot believe it."
"So then it's time to worry about your way out." Bryce interrupted her joy.
Lara stretched out her hand and grabbed into the safe. She touched the crystal carefully. It felt great. She took it out slowly and then pulled a cloth out of her bag pack. She wrapped it around the crystal and then stored it away in the bag pack. After that she closed the safe door again and made sure that the wheel was at the exact position where it had been before. She pushed the shelf back into position and told Bryce to switch the alarm back on. Lara made sure that everything else in the room looked exactly like it had before. Then she made her way back to the door. One ear pressed against the door she waited for sounds coming from outside. When she was certain that nobody was around she opened the door and sneaked back out. Then she locked the door again.
"So where do I go now?" she then asked Bryce.
"I'd say you make your way to the front door to pick up your lift. But it's not going to be that simple. You can't just march out through the hall. There are more cameras and there are guards."
"Cameras..." Lara repeated. "Before we forget, get the cameras in the office running again, Bryce."
"Done that already. Don't worry, I have everything under control, you just have to get out of there in one piece. Just find a nearby door that will get you back into the garden, but this time we will pick the south side. You cannot get past the pool."
"Guide me."
"Certainly. You have to follow the passage west... ehm, down to the left and then... Oh well, why don't you sneak out through the room where you hid earlier on?"
"Excellent idea. Far too easy to see that solution."
Lara made her way back to the room where she had previously been to hide from the guards. She went towards the window front and opened a door; she slipped outside and closed the door behind her. Carefully she made her way around the house towards the front door, without encountering anybody. She found the parked van. Lara stopped and watched the area carefully.
"Hey Bryce, do you speak English?" she asked.
"What a silly question." he replied.
"Here is a van and on the side it says... well like you said something in Japanese, but also 'Pool Service'. Bryce, Bryce..." she said laughing.
"I swear it didn't say that an hour ago." he replied.
"Of course. But now let's get back to the task at hand."
When Lara was certain that she was alone she ran to the back of the van and opened the door. Inside she found a complete mess of pool cleaning equipment. She climbed inside and hid behind a huge box containing a metal pool ladder.
"I hope this stays here a while longer." she whispered.
"What was that?" Bryce asked.
"Oh nothing. I was just thinking aloud. Ok Bryce, I'm in the van. I hope they won't find me in here. What you have to do now is: create a diversion a few miles down the road. Pretend your car has broken down or something. Just enough so that I can escape from the van. Remember we have to be far enough from the gate."
"I'll see what I can do."
Lara spent half an hour in the van till something happened. The door at the back was opened and she could hear the pool guy talking to a guard. He threw his stuff into the van and slammed the door shut. A few minutes later the van started to move. When they reached the gate the van stopped again. Lara got nervous, her heart beating fast. If they would catch her now? 'Don't worry girl' she said to herself. 'You are almost out of here. If they find you now you will shoot your way out'. As a precaution she drew her guns. Lara knew she had done it. She would get away with the stone. She had won. Although it didn't feel like it - this job was almost over.
****
Suddenly the van continued through the gate and Lara put her guns away again. A few minutes went by, then the van stopped. Lara could hear Bryce's voice, who was trying hard to explain to the driver of the van that his car was broken. Apparently the guy didn't speak English very well. Lara used her chance and opened the back door quietly and sneaked out. She closed the door carefully. Then she peaked around the corner to see what was going on. She could see the guy helping Bryce with the car. She quickly went over to the other side and ran towards a tree. She sat down behind it and waited. Bryce had emptied the battery so the pool guy helped him to get the engine started again. They needed three tries to get the engine running.
When the van was gone Lara came out from behind the tree.
"Excellent work, Bryce."
"That's what I was going to say. They didn't even notice you were there."
"I think they were too certain that no one would dare to step onto their grounds."
Around 8.15 they arrived at the Mishima Mansion. They parked the car a few hundred meters from the gate, hidden between the trees.
"Ok. I can see the guard house from here." Lara said lowering her binoculars.
Bryce was unpacking some stuff. He started up Lara's and his notebooks.
"Here Lara, take the headset. Let's see if it's working."
She took it from him and put it over her head. She was wearing a black cat suit and black gloves, her hair was tightly tied back.
"I'm getting a clear signal." Bryce announced.
"No wonder. I'm standing right next to you." Lara joked.
While Bryce was busy with his computers Lara got out her HK USP Match, loaded them to see if everything was in order and then put them in the holsters.
"I hope I won't need those. But better safe than sorry." she said and then took the dart pistol. "You on the other hand might be very useful."
Bryce got out two more pieces of equipment and handed them to Lara.
"Here, Lara, I have a new phone for you, this can help you with the safe later on. And this piece you have to connect to the network adapter of the computer in the guard house. Otherwise I can't get into their system. I have tried, but so far I didn't manage to get into their wireless network."
"Ok, so here is the plan. I will sneak up to the guard house from behind. I will shoot the guard with one of the darts. He will be knocked out for ten minutes, giving me enough time to remove the dart from his neck, to attach your little spy and to get through the gate undetected."
"So far so good." Bryce replied.
"Then let's get started. And remember, don't speak unless I give you the ok, or it's absolutely necessary."
"Of course. Good luck, Lara."
****
And so Lara sneaked along the fence till she reached the guardhouse. She waited for the guard to sit down and then carefully approached the guardhouse from the back. She lurked through the door and shot him in the neck with a clean shot. His head fell forwards at once. She quietly entered the guardhouse and quickly attached the piece Bryce had given her to the computer. Then she pulled the dart from the guards neck, went back outside and quickly sneaked thought the gate, carefully staying down to avoid the camera placed there. She moved along the fence sideways to the right, where she reached an area lined with bushes and trees.
****
"Ok Bryce, I'm in. Please keep an eye on the guard at the gate. If someone catches him 'sleeping' they might trigger an alarm."
"I will."
"So how is the security system?" she then asked.
"They are very good. I haven't had any luck yet. But don't worry, nothing is safe from me."
"I'm counting on it. I'd especially like some help from those cameras. I can see one from where I'm standing. I'm just glad they didn't have one inside the guard house."
"I'm on it... Nearly there... Got it. I'm in. Let's see. Cameras... Here we are. Yes, there is the one you are looking at, but we are lucky you didn't move any further. There is a second one, pointing at the fence, just a few meters to your right."
"So where do I go now?"
"Getting past the gate again is not an option. The drive is lined with cameras and so is the other side. You have to get past this one. Further to the right is an area with pool..."
"Yes, I know, I have seen that before."
"It's also guarded well. I can see human guards there, and there are at least 5 cameras. Then comes the dojo. As far as I can see, there are no cameras there. So this is your entrance."
"So I make my way towards the dojo first?!"
"Yes... Uhm, our security guard seems to be waking up..."
"So?" Lara asked curious.
"Ok. He seems to think he had fallen asleep. He is looking around nervously. Don't worry about him."
"Well then you can guide me past the camera now."
"It seems to be moving from side to side. I need a minute to calculate that."
"Ok, you got it." she said.
A moment went by in silence.
"I think I now know where you can get through. You have to get close to the trees. The camera is in one of them. You definitely have to crawl to get past. And you have to stay very close to the trees so that you stay below the camera's sight."
"Ok. I will try."
Lara moved closer to the trees and lay flat on the ground. Slowly she shifted forwards.
"Camera-guarded-area coming up to your right. So stay as close to the left as you can." Bryce announced.
"Easier said than done." Lara replied."
She crawled further ahead.
"Lara, careful. We had a bit of black, probably your cat suit in the corner of the monitor for a second."
"Oh no. Do you think...?"
"Don't worry. I have only seen it because I was watching closely. It could have been anything. Only it wasn't."
Lara moved further to the left, into the bushes. The branches were scratching her body while she moved. She got a tiny scratch at her chin.
"Ouch. Am I through yet?" she asked.
"Almost. Just a few more inches.... Now you are out."
"Good." she said getting up.
"Lara, we have a car coming down the drive."
"What? What is it?" she asked.
"It's a sports car... a Porsche."
"Damn. What are they still doing here?"
"They are at the gate now... They have stopped. The driver is getting out."
"Have they noticed anything?"
The dream came back to her mind, but this wouldn't happen, it couldn't happen. Bryce was watching her back. She looked around nervously.
"Hard to tell..." Bryce replied.
"What's happening, Bryce?"
"He went to the back of his car... Lara, that's him?? Black hair, too much gel, expensive suit, broad shoulders?"
"Yes." she said quietly.
"How did I know?! He is checking the tires on the right side. Now he is returning to the front. He is getting back in... Starting the car... Now they are gone. They haven't noticed anything."
Lara took a deep breath.
"I thought they were long gone."
"Girl, what have you gotten yourself into?" Bryce commented.
"Shut up, Bryce." Lara said. "Let's not waste any time."
"Ok, the path ahead of you is clear."
Lara made her way along the fence for a while.
"Bryce, I can hear voices..."
"Let's see. Yeah, apparently two guards are patrolling the garden nearby. You are coming closer to the pool..."
"Damn. There are nearly no trees there."
"That's right. So let's hope the guards will go away again."
"Ok, I will go as far as I can."
Another minute later she contacted Bryce again.
"I have reached the end. There are only some tiny bushes here. I can crawl along behind them, but not as long as the guards are around." she whispered.
"Lara, they are coming towards you..."
"Quiet now..." she replied.
****
Lara lay down flat on the ground, crawling into the thicket as much as she could. She could hear the guards coming closer. They were talking loudly.
"You are a lucky bastard." one of them said. "You can be glad that you weren't there yesterday evening."
"Why? What happened?"
"The boss was really angry... the usual... his son wouldn't do what he wanted him to do... So tonight we have a little extra job, watching him, and you know what that means."
They were really close to where Lara was hiding now. She held her breath. The guards turned around and started moving away.
"I am not sure what I should hope. If we lose him, we have Heihachi breathing down our necks. But if we manage to follow him and he discovers us... Then I don't want to be there. You know what happened to the last guard he caught..."
"No, I don't."
"Exactly. No one does."
Lara couldn't understand any more since they were to far away by now.
****
"Bryce, are you there?"
"Yes."
"Have you heard?"
"Yes, but I didn't understand a word, I don't speak Japanese, Lara."
"Oh sorry, I forgot. They know that something is going to happen. They don't know that I am here now though. But Heihachi has ordered some of his guards to watch Kazuya... They know. We have to hurry."
Lara took out her binoculars and watched the garden. The guards were moving back to the house.
"When the path is clear I will crawl over to the other side." Lara said to Bryce.
The guards disappeared inside the house a moment later. Lara got down to the ground again and made her way over to the other side. Ten minutes later she had reached the trees around the dojo.
"I'm there. What now?"
"Now comes the difficult part. You have to get to the house and inside..."
"I will sneak around the back of the dojo. The other side seems to be safer."
"Lara, we have another visitor. A white van, unfortunately I cannot read what's written on the side... Let me check this on the internet."
"You are a genius, Bryce." Lara said grinning.
"Ok, here we go, something with swimming pool..."
"So they are here to check the pool. Excellent, this is my way out." Lara said. "No sneaking past guards. You just have to create a diversion on the road outside, so I can get out of the van. But first things first... I will make my way to the other side now."
"Good idea. Tell me when you are there. Meanwhile I will record a tape for Heihachi's office. You can't get past the cameras there, so we have to create a false image for the guards."
Lara made her way around the dojo. She emerged in a garden lined with trees, statues, tiny walls... this might just make sneaking up to the house easier, she thought.
"Ok, Bryce. I'm there. Anything I need to look out for?"
"Human Guards... I can't see in that area, there are nearly no cameras."
"Ok, then I will try to get to the house now."
Lara moved out from behind the dojo and disappeared behind a tree. She scanned the gardens in both directions, but there was no one there, so she continued. This part proved to be easier than expected and another 5 minutes later, after jumping over walls, ducking behind bushes and trees, she was standing at the house.
"Bryce." she whispered into her headset. "I have reached the house. I cannot believe it was that easy. What now?"
"I'd say find the next entrance, there aren't many cameras inside the house, especially in the area where you are."
"Ok, then I will make my way around the house to the right. If I turn left I will only come back to the pool and that's not where I want to be right now, there will be people now."
Lara carefully made her way around the house, when suddenly a guard stepped outside. Before he could see her she jumped behind a bush. The guard moved past without noticing her.
"That was close."
"What happened?" Bryce asked.
"A guard appeared. He suddenly came out of the house."
Lara got out from behind her bush and continued around the house.
"But he left a door open. Where am I headed?"
"You have to get to the other side."
Lara readied the dart pistol.
"Ok. Guide me." she said stepping inside the house.
She looked around, the sight was breathtaking.
"Wow, very beautiful. Bryce, remind me to buy a Japanese House."
"I will write that down."
Lara could hear his keyboards clicking. She shook her head grinning.
****
Bryce led Lara all the way to Heihachi's office. It didn't take her very long to get there. She had to hide around a corner once to avoid a guard, but besides that she met no one. 'Maybe they are all watching the poolboy.' she thought. Lara tried the door handle of Heihachi's office. Luckily she was wearing her gloves so she wouldn't leave any finger prints. The door was closed. This didn't really surprise her. She was prepared. The door lock was electronically so the set of keys Bryce had given her would be useless. She took out her mobile phone. Bryce had worked on it a bit and it was now able to unlock such doors.
"Bryce, are you ready with those cameras?" Lara asked.
"Give me a moment, working on it."
She waited for a moment, looking up and down the hall nervously. This was all too simple, no problems at all so far. Then Bryce spoke again.
"Ok, all is clear. The guards are now watching my little video tape."
Lara pressed some buttons on her phone. Nothing happened.
"Bryce, it's not working." she whispered.
"What do you mean, it's not working? Send me the data please."
Lara pressed a few buttons and sent the information the phone got to Bryce.
"Ok, I see the problem, very clever... This won't be easy." he said.
"Why? What's the matter?" Lara replied.
"They have encrypted the door code. I have to find a way to encode it."
"Hurry please, I don't feel safe here. Damn, I hear voices."
Lara sneaked down the hall, away from the noises, till she came to the next door. She pressed her ear against it to hear if someone was in there. Since it seemed to be empty and the voices were approaching she tried the handle. The door opened and Lara slipped through closing the door behind her quietly. She turned around and nearly yelled. She stood face to face with Heihachi. It took her a moment to realise that it was a statue.
"Damn it, you nearly killed me." she said looking at the statue carefully. "You are small. Kazuya is taller than that."
"What, whom are you talking to?" Bryce asked.
"Oh, I just met an old 'friend'" Lara said. "I nearly bumped into a statue of Heihachi Mishima."
Lara heard steps in the hall outside. They were coming towards her. She looked around quickly, looking for a place where she could hide. She jumped behind a sofa but the steps disappeared down the hall. After a minute of silence Lara came out from behind the sofa. She returned to the door and pressed her ear against it. When she was certain that the hall was clear, she spoke again.
"Any success with the door code, Bryce."
"Not yet." came his reply. "This one is damned tricky."
"Then can you give me an update on the situation at the pool?"
"Moment, please. Yes, it's indeed the pool guy. He is checking the water, at least five guards out there. I guess he will be here at least another hour."
"Good. I fear I will need it. Bryce, hurry. If I have to stay in here much longer I will start drawing on this statue."
"Better leave it. He will kill you."
"That's something he will do anyway. Well, at least he will try. Damn, I can hear footsteps again."
Lara hid behind the sofa again. This time the door opened. She pressed herself against the back of the sofa. Whoever had entered the room was searching a cupboard on the other side. Lara could hear the cupboard door closing. Then the steps came closer. She held her breath. Someone outside called and then the man disappeared again. Again Lara waited till everything was clear.
"Bryce, they are driving me mad..."
"I'm nearly there. Get back to the office!"
Lara sneaked to the door again, then she opened it carefully and looked outside, no guard in sight. She sneaked out and returned to Heihachi's office.
"Now would be a good time, Bryce."
"Got it, I will send the information to you."
Once more Lara pressed some buttons on her phone. With a click the lock opened. She carefully stepped inside the office. On the wall hung a huge poster showing Heihachi's face and the Mishima Business Logo.
"Are you watching me everywhere?" she said to the poster.
Heihachi had a shelf lined with Martial Arts trophies, more than Lara could count. Behind his desk was a shelf which looked as if it was just there to hide something.
"Bryce? Are you getting a picture from those cameras?"
"Yes Lara. I can see what you are doing."
"Do you reckon this is the safe." she said pointing at the spot.
"Could be."
Lara walked behind the desk and touched the shelf carefully. She felt around the edges. Below the shelf she found a trigger. She bent down to see it. A red button was visible.
"Bryce. There is a button down here. But I am not sure if I should use it. It might also trigger an alarm."
"Let me check this." he replied.
For a moment Lara could hear the keyboard clicking. She had a further look around the office. It demonstrated so much power with all the trophies and the huge picture. Lara could just imagine Heihachi sitting behind his desk, with that cold stare on his face, yelling at his employees - or family members. For a moment she let her mind wander and she asked herself what had happened to Kazuya's mother. He never mentioned her, but she didn't dare to ask.
"Lara, you were right." Bryce interrupted her thoughts. "This would indeed have triggered an alert. I have deactivated it for now."
"There is no room for mistakes, Bryce."
"Don't worry."
Lara held her breath. One mistake and she would have all the guards to deal with, and no chance of getting out. Hesitant she pressed the button. Nothing happened for a moment, then the shelf swung aside, revealing the safe.
"We got it Bryce. Let's hope that what we are looking for is inside."
She got her phone out again. Then she pulled a sensor out of her bag. She attached it to the safe's locking mechanism. Then she plugged the wire into her phone.
"So be a nice telephone. Give me the right numbers."
She began turning the wheel of the safe carefully, all the time counting. After a while the first number appeared on the display.
"This really works." Lara said surprised.
"Of course it does." came Bryce's reply.
Lara continued her work on the safe. It took her twenty minutes to unlock it completely. Then finally she could open it. The door swung aside and there it was, the thing she had been looking for, the crystal of eternity.
"Bryce, we've got it." she exclaimed, cheerfully. "Damn, I cannot believe it."
"So then it's time to worry about your way out." Bryce interrupted her joy.
Lara stretched out her hand and grabbed into the safe. She touched the crystal carefully. It felt great. She took it out slowly and then pulled a cloth out of her bag pack. She wrapped it around the crystal and then stored it away in the bag pack. After that she closed the safe door again and made sure that the wheel was at the exact position where it had been before. She pushed the shelf back into position and told Bryce to switch the alarm back on. Lara made sure that everything else in the room looked exactly like it had before. Then she made her way back to the door. One ear pressed against the door she waited for sounds coming from outside. When she was certain that nobody was around she opened the door and sneaked back out. Then she locked the door again.
"So where do I go now?" she then asked Bryce.
"I'd say you make your way to the front door to pick up your lift. But it's not going to be that simple. You can't just march out through the hall. There are more cameras and there are guards."
"Cameras..." Lara repeated. "Before we forget, get the cameras in the office running again, Bryce."
"Done that already. Don't worry, I have everything under control, you just have to get out of there in one piece. Just find a nearby door that will get you back into the garden, but this time we will pick the south side. You cannot get past the pool."
"Guide me."
"Certainly. You have to follow the passage west... ehm, down to the left and then... Oh well, why don't you sneak out through the room where you hid earlier on?"
"Excellent idea. Far too easy to see that solution."
Lara made her way back to the room where she had previously been to hide from the guards. She went towards the window front and opened a door; she slipped outside and closed the door behind her. Carefully she made her way around the house towards the front door, without encountering anybody. She found the parked van. Lara stopped and watched the area carefully.
"Hey Bryce, do you speak English?" she asked.
"What a silly question." he replied.
"Here is a van and on the side it says... well like you said something in Japanese, but also 'Pool Service'. Bryce, Bryce..." she said laughing.
"I swear it didn't say that an hour ago." he replied.
"Of course. But now let's get back to the task at hand."
When Lara was certain that she was alone she ran to the back of the van and opened the door. Inside she found a complete mess of pool cleaning equipment. She climbed inside and hid behind a huge box containing a metal pool ladder.
"I hope this stays here a while longer." she whispered.
"What was that?" Bryce asked.
"Oh nothing. I was just thinking aloud. Ok Bryce, I'm in the van. I hope they won't find me in here. What you have to do now is: create a diversion a few miles down the road. Pretend your car has broken down or something. Just enough so that I can escape from the van. Remember we have to be far enough from the gate."
"I'll see what I can do."
Lara spent half an hour in the van till something happened. The door at the back was opened and she could hear the pool guy talking to a guard. He threw his stuff into the van and slammed the door shut. A few minutes later the van started to move. When they reached the gate the van stopped again. Lara got nervous, her heart beating fast. If they would catch her now? 'Don't worry girl' she said to herself. 'You are almost out of here. If they find you now you will shoot your way out'. As a precaution she drew her guns. Lara knew she had done it. She would get away with the stone. She had won. Although it didn't feel like it - this job was almost over.
****
Suddenly the van continued through the gate and Lara put her guns away again. A few minutes went by, then the van stopped. Lara could hear Bryce's voice, who was trying hard to explain to the driver of the van that his car was broken. Apparently the guy didn't speak English very well. Lara used her chance and opened the back door quietly and sneaked out. She closed the door carefully. Then she peaked around the corner to see what was going on. She could see the guy helping Bryce with the car. She quickly went over to the other side and ran towards a tree. She sat down behind it and waited. Bryce had emptied the battery so the pool guy helped him to get the engine started again. They needed three tries to get the engine running.
When the van was gone Lara came out from behind the tree.
"Excellent work, Bryce."
"That's what I was going to say. They didn't even notice you were there."
"I think they were too certain that no one would dare to step onto their grounds."
