Chapter 39

Half an hour later Lara was lying in bed. She stared at the ceiling thinking about everything that had happened, dreading that she had believed Anna, dreading that she had not been careful with Heihachi's men. Lara had this feeling that Heihachi would blame Kazuya for what had happened and he would not be happy with it. Lara closed her eyes, trying to get to sleep but here eyes opened again and she kept on thinking about things.

When he came home Lee found Kazuya sitting in the living room, watching TV. His brother turned around when he entered.
"You are back already? I expected you to last a bit longer against him." he commented.
"I have won." Lee replied.
"What? Very funny!"
"He didn't show up."
"Oh well, how sad. So I will be seeing you on Saturday? You better start your training right now."
"That's all? I expected a bit more from you. Aren't you wondering, where he is?"
"So where is he?"
"How should I know?"
"Well, he is not here. Maybe he did us a favour and got rid of himself? But I think he will be back earlier than we like."
"We could call him on his phone." Lee suggested.
"Have fun." Kazuya simply said.
"What do you mean 'Have fun'?"
"I am not going to call him. I don't care where he is, that's not my problem."
"Ok, then we wait and see what happens." Lee said sitting down. "In the meantime you can tell me what happened between you and Lara."
"No." Kazuya replied firmly.
"Fine, then don't. I have been a gentlemen I have given the girl a lift back to her hotel after you left her standing."
"You did what?" Kazuya yelled, jumping up from the couch.
"Excuse me, I wasn't aware that giving your girl a lift home was a crime."
"No, no, you don't understand... I have to call her."
"What? Why?" Lee asked.
"You stupid idiot. They put a tracer on my car. And when I found it I put it on yours. I thought you would never lead them to Lara and now you drove her home. I might as well have left it on my own..."
"Well, that was a very stupid idea... wasn't it?"
"How can you be so calm?" Kazuya yelled at his brother. "They will try to kill her now they know where she is."
Kazuya grabbed his phone.
"But they don't. Do you think I am stupid? I saw you putting the thing on my car, so I put it on Miyoko's car. They have probably been driving around in circles the whole day." Lee said grinning.
Kazuya put his phone down again.
"I think you should call her anyway." Lee added.
"No. It's far too late."
"She cares about you and she was really sad." Lee tried to convince him.
"That doesn't sound like her..."
"Not everybody is as unemotional as you. Call her!"
"Tomorrow." Kazuya said and left the room without another word.
Lee sat down in front of the TV. He wasn't tired enough to go to bed and he was curious what had kept Heihachi from the fight.

About one hour later Lee met Miyoko in the hall. He asked him if he had seen Heihachi.
"Has he not returned?" Miyoko asked worried.
"No." Lee replied. "Returned from where?"
"I am not to tell you Mr. Lee." he said.
Kazuya came down the stairs. Miyoko looked at him scared and shifted uncomfortably.
"Miyoko, do you know where Heihachi is?" Kazuya asked him.
"He is not allowed to tell us." Lee explained.
Kazuya turned towards Miyoko and glared at him.
"Maybe you want to change your mind and tell me?"
Miyoko tried to avoid Kazuya's gaze.
"Where is he?" Kazuya asked him a bit louder.
"He had a job to do." Miyoko replied still not looking at Kazuya.
"What job?"
"I can't tell you."
"What job?" Kazuya repeated his question.
"I..." Miyoko was about to begin.
"I am losing my patience." the tone of Kazuya's voice left no doubt that he wouldn't accept anything but the truth.
"He ordered us to bring him this Lara Croft... to the old warehouse..."
"And?"
"And so we did..."
Lee's eyes widened in comprehension. Kazuya just continued to stare at Miyoko, hoping to get more information out of him.
"Maybe something went wrong..." Miyoko continued. "We should go looking for him."
"You do that." Kazuya said and turned away from the man.
Miyoko called some of his men and they left in two jeeps.

"You think Lara's responsible for his absence?" Lee asked his brother.
"Yes." Kazuya replied.
"But why didn't she tell us?"
"I wouldn't have told you."
"But she didn't tell you either." Lee continued.
"She was too busy accusing me of having sex with Anna."

Half an hour later Miyoko returned. They had found Heihachi. He had finally managed to break the door in when they showed up. Heihachi looked as if he had been through a tough fight, his clothes were torn. He had constantly been yelling at Miyoko on the whole journey back. When they had returned home he marched right into the living room where he found his two sons.
"Lee must have put up a hell of a fight." Kazuya commented Heihachi's appearance.
Lee nudged him in the side.
"Shut up!" Heihachi barked. "I don't know whose ass I should kick first."
"So you started with your own?"
"Your bitch locked me in..." he yelled ignoring Kazuya's comment.
"I don't know what you are talking about." Kazuya replied innocently which made Heihachi even angrier.
"You know pretty well!"
"Do I?" Kazuya said getting up.
He now stood directly opposite his father. Heihachi glared at him.
"Oh now I remember." Kazuya continued. "I have paid her, so she lets Miyoko catch her and bring her to you. Then she was supposed to lock you in, and all this just because I have been wanting to fight Lee so badly? I think not!"
Heihachi raised his fist and punched Kazuya. He held his chin for a second, then he narrowed his eyes which were flashing in anger. He raised his fists. Lee and Miyoko reacted quickly and stepped between the two.
"So what happened to the rule that you are not allowed to attack people who are still in the tournament before it's over? I did expect you to honour that... But this only applies as long as you are in it, does it?" Kazuya shouted at his father.
"And I didn't expect you to be such a coward and hide behind this silly rule..." Heihachi shot back.
Lee struggled to hold his brother back.
"I have no problem killing you right now! I don't have to hide behind anything."
"I will see you Saturday, after your fight." Heihachi challenged his son.
"Certainly." Kazuya replied. "And now I will go to bed before I change my mind and fight you now."
Kazuya marched past his father without looking at him again and stepped out into the hall. He walked towards the main door.
"That's not where your bed is." Heihachi called after him.
"I didn't say I was going to my bed." Kazuya answered without turning around.
"Follow him." Heihachi yelled at Miyoko.

Miyoko hurried out through the front door, but Kazuya had been waiting for him. He grabbed the man by the throat.
"If you dare to follow me, I will kill you." Kazuya threatened him.
Miyoko went pale. He felt that he couldn't breathe any more. The grip on his throat was too tight. He was struggling for air but Kazuya wouldn't release him just yet.
"You will stay away from me, do you understand." he added.
Miyoko managed to nod. Kazuya let him go. Miyoko was breathing heavily, life coming back to his lungs slowly. Kazuya turned away from him and walked towards his car. Miyoko looked after him. A moment later Kazuya returned with a knife in his hand. Miyoko froze in fear when the blade snapped out, but was relieved when he saw Kazuya walking up to the jeep instead. He slammed the knife into the tire to flatten it.
"Gives you an excuse not to follow me." Kazuya said turning towards Miyoko.
Then he got into his car and was gone.

At 2.30 Lara woke up. Someone had knocked on her door. She leaned over and turned on the bedside lamp. Then she climbed out of bed grabbing one of her pistols. She loaded it and made her way to the door. She opened it carefully, hoping to see Bryce. She was surprised to see Kazuya standing in the bright lit passage.
"You?" Lara asked, here eyes were narrowed to keep out the light.
"Yes, it's me. I am here to protect you."
"Thanks, but I can take care of myself." Lara said angry.
"I can see that." Kazuya replied pointing at Lara's bandaged arm which was visible, since she wore short sleeved pyjamas. "Can I come in?"
Lara hesitated.
"You can put down the gun you are hiding behind the door. I am alone, I made sure nobody followed me."
Lara moved out of the door letting him in. However she continued watching him carefully, trying to figure out if he was still mad at her.
"So you kept Heihachi from the fight?"
"How do you know?" Lara asked carefully. "Is there anything you don't find out right away?"
"Heihachi returned 2 hours ago. It wasn't hard to find out what happened, besides he is not the only one who can make people talk. He was stuck in this warehouse for a long time."
"I am sorry I have ruined your chance to fight against him on Saturday..."
"I will fight him anyway." he replied determined.
Now Lara noticed his swollen lip for the first time.
"What happened to your lip? I don't remember Baek hitting you there." she asked.
"Nothing happened." he replied.
"Ok, obviously you won't tell me." she said.
"So what happened to your arm?" Kazuya asked in return.
"Nothing happened." Lara replied exactly like he had done just a moment ago.
"That doesn't look like nothing." he said angry.
"Neither does your lip. But if you don't tell me what happened there I won't tell you what happened to my arm."
"Fine." he said.
It wasn't fine for Lara. He could guess that she got her wound from her encounter with his father, but what did he do? Did he pick a fight with Paul, with Law, both of them, or was it Heihachi's doing as well? But Lara could see that he wouldn't tell her so she accepted it. She had to yawn.
"I am going to bed if you don't mind." she then said to him.