Chapter 34
One hour later Kazuya and Lara were in the car on their way to Lara's hotel. Lara looked out through the window when she noticed a car following them in her mirror. She turned around and looked out.
"We have been..." she began.
"... followed. Yes, I know. Dad's guys have been following me everywhere during the last days."
Kazuya slowed the car down. Lara looked at him in confusion.
"Why are we slowing down? Do you want to hand me over?" she joked.
When they were slow enough Kazuya pressed a button to open the roof.
"Can't do that at full speed." he said.
Lara looked at him, again with confusion showing on her face.
"Are you hot?"
"Give me one of your guns." he said holding out his hand.
"Why?"
"Just do so." he said impatiently.
Lara rummaged in her bag and got out her weapons.
"Here."
Kazuya grabbed the gun, loaded it and turned around.
"What the hell..."
Before Lara could react he had shot a hole into one of the tires of the car following them. The driver hit the brake causing the jeep to skid and then tip over.
"You are far more reckless than I thought." Lara commented.
"I have warned them."
He grabbed his phone and called a number.
"Hey, Miyoko, listen. I told you and your guys not to follow me, right? You can pick up Nakazo and his team in a trench south of the city. Stay out of my way." he hung up.
"I can see - stepping in your path is not the best idea one can have."
"Don't tell me you found that out just now?!" He was quiet for a moment, before he spoke again. "Now we didn't get anything to eat. Are you hungry?" Kazuya asked.
"A little bit. Some things just make you hungry." she grinned.
"I am glad you agree."
"But it's very late already."
"How about a little snack? I know a very nice bistro."
"Is there any place in this town you don't know?"
"No. Just some places I wouldn't recommend."
"How comes you always have the fitting restaurant for any occasion."
"When you have as many business meetings as I have, you just know them."
Shortly after they entered the bistro. Lara realised at once that the place was not only about food and drinks but also about showing others how much money you got. This was one of the posh places in town. Lara didn't go to these kinds of places often. Mainly because she never had the right man to accompany her. A tomb raider would be hardly seen in places like this. But Lara Croft was a Lady, she felt at home here.
"I hope you are not feeling uncomfortable here." Kazuya said to her. "If you do we can go somewhere else."
"No, no. This is alright. I am just glad that I chose my wardrobe carefully and am not wearing jeans."
"Right, I forgot. I am here with Lady Croft."
A waitress approached them.
"What can I do for you?"
"A table for two." Kazuya said to her.
"Let me see what I can do for you, Mr. Mishima." she said and walked to the bar.
"Oh, I see. You are known here." Lara commented.
"I am here quite often." he replied.
The waitress returned.
"It's pretty busy at the moment, but I can squeeze you in, if you don't mind taking another table than usual."
"Not at all." he replied.
She led them to a small table in a quiet corner and handed them the menu.
"I will return in a moment to take your orders." she said and left them for a moment.
"That's perfect here. So what is your usual table?"
"The big one in the corner over there. Not very romantic for two."
They looked at the menus for a moment. The waitress returned.
"Have you decided on the drinks yet?"
"Would you like a vine, Lara?"
"What about you?"
"I have a fight in under 24 hours." he reminded her. "I should drink water."
"Then I will do the same."
"You don't have to ..."
"But I want to."
"Two waters." the waitress repeated. "Do you need another moment with the food?"
"I have decided." Kazuya said looking at Lara expectantly.
"So have I." Lara replied. "I will have a baguette with mushrooms and tomatoes."
"And I will have a salad."
"Certainly." the waitress said taking notes.
She then collected the menus and walked away. When she was gone Lara stretched her legs and leaned back her head.
"I am feeling really safe here. Earlier in your office I thought that your father would catch me, that it was all over."
"But I was there with you..."
"So much has happened during the last week. Can you imagine? One week ago we didn't even know each other. I am pretty sure I still don't know you very well, but I am feeling good around you."
"Oh, thank you."
"I mean, you are supposed to be my biggest enemy. But you are not."
Lara went quiet when the waitress returned with their drinks. They thanked her and she walked away again. Lara's thoughts wandered and they came back to a topic that still gave her a headache.
"I wonder why Bryce didn't call me yet." she said.
"Why? What are you waiting for?"
"Oh. The guy who gave me the assignment was behaving strange lately. So we are trying to watch him. To find out what he has planned. I don't want to return the stone without knowing more about it."
"I guess he would have called you, if he had made any progress. So why don't you just lean back and wait? I will drop you off at your hotel right after dinner, then you can find out."
Just a moment later the waitress served their meals.
Kazuya dropped Lara off at her hotel. Since she had hinted where she was staying anyway, there was no use in keeping it secret. Besides he swore that his father wouldn't find out through him. They entered Lara's room and found Bryce still working at the computer. He looked up.
"Well. I can't get in, so we have to wait for Mr. Bojangles to do his job. If we don't get any response till 10 o'clock tomorrow, we will switch to plan C."
"Ok." Lara replied.
"Anyway, I'll go to bed now. Goodnight." Bryce said and left them alone.
Heihachi was sitting in his study, waiting for his men to report. Someone knocked at the door.
"Come in." Heihachi's voice boomed.
The man entered the office, his face hinting that he was scared to death. He had a fresh cut at his chin. His clothes were torn and dirty.
"You dare to come in here like this, Nakazo?" Heihachi yelled at him.
The man looked down in fear.
"I am sorry, sir. We had a car accident."
"A car accident?" Heihachi repeated. "You are too stupid to stay on the road?"
"He shot our tires."
"And I should accept that as an apology? Do you at least know where he is now?"
"We have attached a tracer to his car. When he left the office, he went straight to a bistro in town. The girl was with him."
"Where did he pick her up?" Heihachi enquired.
"She was with him the whole time. She was in the office with him."
"WHAT????" Heihachi yelled angry. "Where are they now?"
"Garden Hotel."
"Garden Hotel. Perfect." Heihachi said smiling evil. "Send me Miyoko."
One hour later Kazuya and Lara were in the car on their way to Lara's hotel. Lara looked out through the window when she noticed a car following them in her mirror. She turned around and looked out.
"We have been..." she began.
"... followed. Yes, I know. Dad's guys have been following me everywhere during the last days."
Kazuya slowed the car down. Lara looked at him in confusion.
"Why are we slowing down? Do you want to hand me over?" she joked.
When they were slow enough Kazuya pressed a button to open the roof.
"Can't do that at full speed." he said.
Lara looked at him, again with confusion showing on her face.
"Are you hot?"
"Give me one of your guns." he said holding out his hand.
"Why?"
"Just do so." he said impatiently.
Lara rummaged in her bag and got out her weapons.
"Here."
Kazuya grabbed the gun, loaded it and turned around.
"What the hell..."
Before Lara could react he had shot a hole into one of the tires of the car following them. The driver hit the brake causing the jeep to skid and then tip over.
"You are far more reckless than I thought." Lara commented.
"I have warned them."
He grabbed his phone and called a number.
"Hey, Miyoko, listen. I told you and your guys not to follow me, right? You can pick up Nakazo and his team in a trench south of the city. Stay out of my way." he hung up.
"I can see - stepping in your path is not the best idea one can have."
"Don't tell me you found that out just now?!" He was quiet for a moment, before he spoke again. "Now we didn't get anything to eat. Are you hungry?" Kazuya asked.
"A little bit. Some things just make you hungry." she grinned.
"I am glad you agree."
"But it's very late already."
"How about a little snack? I know a very nice bistro."
"Is there any place in this town you don't know?"
"No. Just some places I wouldn't recommend."
"How comes you always have the fitting restaurant for any occasion."
"When you have as many business meetings as I have, you just know them."
Shortly after they entered the bistro. Lara realised at once that the place was not only about food and drinks but also about showing others how much money you got. This was one of the posh places in town. Lara didn't go to these kinds of places often. Mainly because she never had the right man to accompany her. A tomb raider would be hardly seen in places like this. But Lara Croft was a Lady, she felt at home here.
"I hope you are not feeling uncomfortable here." Kazuya said to her. "If you do we can go somewhere else."
"No, no. This is alright. I am just glad that I chose my wardrobe carefully and am not wearing jeans."
"Right, I forgot. I am here with Lady Croft."
A waitress approached them.
"What can I do for you?"
"A table for two." Kazuya said to her.
"Let me see what I can do for you, Mr. Mishima." she said and walked to the bar.
"Oh, I see. You are known here." Lara commented.
"I am here quite often." he replied.
The waitress returned.
"It's pretty busy at the moment, but I can squeeze you in, if you don't mind taking another table than usual."
"Not at all." he replied.
She led them to a small table in a quiet corner and handed them the menu.
"I will return in a moment to take your orders." she said and left them for a moment.
"That's perfect here. So what is your usual table?"
"The big one in the corner over there. Not very romantic for two."
They looked at the menus for a moment. The waitress returned.
"Have you decided on the drinks yet?"
"Would you like a vine, Lara?"
"What about you?"
"I have a fight in under 24 hours." he reminded her. "I should drink water."
"Then I will do the same."
"You don't have to ..."
"But I want to."
"Two waters." the waitress repeated. "Do you need another moment with the food?"
"I have decided." Kazuya said looking at Lara expectantly.
"So have I." Lara replied. "I will have a baguette with mushrooms and tomatoes."
"And I will have a salad."
"Certainly." the waitress said taking notes.
She then collected the menus and walked away. When she was gone Lara stretched her legs and leaned back her head.
"I am feeling really safe here. Earlier in your office I thought that your father would catch me, that it was all over."
"But I was there with you..."
"So much has happened during the last week. Can you imagine? One week ago we didn't even know each other. I am pretty sure I still don't know you very well, but I am feeling good around you."
"Oh, thank you."
"I mean, you are supposed to be my biggest enemy. But you are not."
Lara went quiet when the waitress returned with their drinks. They thanked her and she walked away again. Lara's thoughts wandered and they came back to a topic that still gave her a headache.
"I wonder why Bryce didn't call me yet." she said.
"Why? What are you waiting for?"
"Oh. The guy who gave me the assignment was behaving strange lately. So we are trying to watch him. To find out what he has planned. I don't want to return the stone without knowing more about it."
"I guess he would have called you, if he had made any progress. So why don't you just lean back and wait? I will drop you off at your hotel right after dinner, then you can find out."
Just a moment later the waitress served their meals.
Kazuya dropped Lara off at her hotel. Since she had hinted where she was staying anyway, there was no use in keeping it secret. Besides he swore that his father wouldn't find out through him. They entered Lara's room and found Bryce still working at the computer. He looked up.
"Well. I can't get in, so we have to wait for Mr. Bojangles to do his job. If we don't get any response till 10 o'clock tomorrow, we will switch to plan C."
"Ok." Lara replied.
"Anyway, I'll go to bed now. Goodnight." Bryce said and left them alone.
Heihachi was sitting in his study, waiting for his men to report. Someone knocked at the door.
"Come in." Heihachi's voice boomed.
The man entered the office, his face hinting that he was scared to death. He had a fresh cut at his chin. His clothes were torn and dirty.
"You dare to come in here like this, Nakazo?" Heihachi yelled at him.
The man looked down in fear.
"I am sorry, sir. We had a car accident."
"A car accident?" Heihachi repeated. "You are too stupid to stay on the road?"
"He shot our tires."
"And I should accept that as an apology? Do you at least know where he is now?"
"We have attached a tracer to his car. When he left the office, he went straight to a bistro in town. The girl was with him."
"Where did he pick her up?" Heihachi enquired.
"She was with him the whole time. She was in the office with him."
"WHAT????" Heihachi yelled angry. "Where are they now?"
"Garden Hotel."
"Garden Hotel. Perfect." Heihachi said smiling evil. "Send me Miyoko."
