Chapter 40
At 7.30 the next morning Kazuya arrived at the office. He parked his car in the garage and went towards the lift. His arrival didn't stay unnoticed. As soon as the lift doors had closed behind him Miyoko got out from his hiding place. He continued watching the lift carefully. Then he looked around in the garage, when he was sure that no one was watching he approached the Porsche. He stretched his arm out underneath the car and applied the tracer to it again. He had found out that someone - probably Kazuya himself - had attached the tracer to his car the day before. But now it was back where it belonged and hopefully not as easy to find as last time.
When Lara woke up at 8 o'clock Kazuya was gone. She was somehow relieved that he had showed up in the middle of the night. This way she knew that he wasn't angry any more and that Anna was no longer an issue. She got out of bed and got dressed, then she went over to wake up Bryce. Together they went down to breakfast. Lara told him that she was going to meet Downey at 11.
"When have you called him and told him so?" Bryce asked curious.
"I didn't." Lara replied. "I came up with this idea while getting dressed. I will surprise him."
"Shall I come with you?" Bryce asked.
"I think you should better stay out of this. Enjoy your day at the pool." Lara replied.
At half past ten Lara swung onto the motorbike she had rented. She was wearing leather trousers, a grey shirt and a leather jacket. She put on a helmet and then started the bike. She drove fast, her ponytail trailing behind her. It didn't take her long to reach the museum. She got off the bike and put the helmet on the handlebar. Then she marched into the museum and straight towards Downey's office. A guard tried to stop her, but she shoved him away. "I have an appointment with him." Lara said to the guy and continued.
A moment later she knocked at Downey's door.
"Come in." came Downey's voice which sounded as if he had been disturbed.
Lara stepped inside and froze. She had expected Downey to be surprised to see her. But instead she was surprise to see Kazuya in Downey's office. Although he had his back turned on her she was certain it was him. He was wearing a long black coat and the hair style was definitely his. He turned around. He was also wearing sunglasses. Lara looked at him shocked.
"Lara." Downey said surprised.
Lara was not able to answer; she just looked at Kazuya disbelieving.
He took off his sunglasses and Lara noticed the difference at once. His eyes were not only glowing, they were burning bright red, like hellfire. She had seen them flashing red before, but not like this. And she was also sure that his skin had a slightly different colour than usual.
"Ah, Miss Croft." he said with a menacing hollow voice. "You didn't expect to see me here, did you?"
"So it is true?" she replied. Somehow she was certain it wasn't the Kazuya she knew she was talking to right now.
"I warned you, I told you to stay away from him." Downey said.
Lara ignored Downey. Instead she addressed Kazuya: "What are you doing here?"
"Since I am going to kill you anyway later on I might as well tell you." he replied in this hollow voice. "I am here to get the stone... the real stone."
"But this is only the fake." Lara said holding out the stone.
"I know." he replied angry. "Of course the idiot has told you. And Mr. Downey didn't want to hand over the original till the stupid fake was back here."
"I needed the fake to get out the real thing unnoticed." Downey defended himself.
Kazuya rolled his fiery eyes.
"I still don't see what this has to do with Heihachi." Lara said.
"The fool stole the stone for his own purposes. That wasn't part of my plans. And stupid as he is he took the replica. It would have been easy for me to take the original from him, but no, he had to take the copy."
"And since we needed it back..." Downey began.
"You needed it back!" Kazuya yelled at Downey.
"I hired you to get the stone from him. Fake or not Heihachi would guard it well and we had to get it out unnoticed, we needed someone to blame to take his eyes off us." Downey continued.
"Damn fine plan you had there." Lara replied. "Did you think I wouldn't notice?"
"You nearly hadn't noticed." Kazuya said.
"Excuse me... I would have noticed. But you - ehm Kazuya... pointed it out to me before I found out myself."
"Very silly of him. But when I have this stone in my grasp, I will get rid of him... and his stupid father. All will be mine."
Lara turned to Downey. "And you? What's in it for you? Why do you betray all your beliefs?"
"Money, Lara, money." he replied.
"How much?" she asked angry.
"Two million dollars." he replied.
"Two million? That's all?"
"That's a lot of money for someone like me." Downey replied.
"Two million of what? A few billions?" Lara yelled. "I didn't expect you to be that cheap. You could at least have demanded half of the share. But I guess you didn't have a look at the numbers you sent me? I still wouldn't have understood though."
"Could we have the stone now, Miss Croft?" Kazuya then said to her impatiently.
Lara hesitated, then she held out her hand holding the stone reluctantly. Kazuya grabbed it and handed it to Downey.
"Now get me the original." he commanded. "You have kept it from me long enough."
Downey took the stone and left his office. Lara began to think of a plan that would get her out of this situation. She had her guns in her bag, but he knew. She couldn't get them out unnoticed. Lara moved around the room watching Kazuya carefully, he ignored her.
"So you are what they call Devil?" she finally asked.
He turned his eyes on her but didn't speak. The door opened again and Downey returned. In his hand he held a cloth, it was covering something. He pushed it back to reveal another crystal. The real stone of eternity. Kazuya took it at once. Lara used this moment of inattention to get her bag off her back. She was just grabbing inside, pulling out one of the pistols, when she suddenly felt a strong hand around her neck.
"That was not very clever, Miss Croft."
Lara grasped for air. She looked him directly in the eyes, she couldn't believe what was happening. She knew her fate lay in his hands and whatever Kazuya had become was able to kill her without blinking. She began to struggle. Suddenly he released her and Lara could have sworn that for a moment his eyes were brown again. He grabbed the pistol Lara had gotten out of her bag. First he aimed it at Lara and then turned towards Downey pointing the gun at him. Downey went pale.
"You have been very helpful." Kazuya said to Downey. "But now I have no use for you any more."
He turned to Lara again.
"Whom shall I kill first?"
"Don't kill me." Downey begged. "I helped you. You promised me..."
A nasty laugh escaped his lips. "I promised you? You know too much."
"Please..."
Again Lara used her chance, she knew she had to do something, risky or not. So she lunged at Kazuya with all her strength. He tumbled and the crystal fell to the ground. Lara went down as well, landing right next to the crystal. Kazuya caught himself and turned towards her. He shot her an angry look. Lara got up to her feet slowly watching Kazuya.
"I've had enough of you." he said and pointed the gun at her.
Lara froze. She concentrated, she had to be ready to duck when the shot came. Kazuya loaded the gun. Lara could see how he was about to pull the trigger and wanted to duck when suddenly Kazuya seemed to be struggling with himself. His eyes closed. A moment later they opened again, they were brown once more. The gun was still aimed at Lara. She closed her eyes. When the click came she ducked. The bullet missed her. Instead she heard a sound like breaking glass. She opened her eyes again. Kazuya dropped the gun. Lara looked around and found why he had missed her. He had aimed at the crystal. White energy was pouring from it and sizzling in the air, a moment later it died down and left on the floor were only the tiny red splinters.
"Do you know how much this thing was worth?" Downey yelled.
"It was far too dangerous." Kazuya replied calmly.
Downey had a mad expression on his face, but he didn't say anything.
"He is right." Lara said slowly. "This is probably for the best."
Kazuya turned towards Lara. For a moment it seemed like he wanted to say something, but then he put on his sunglasses, turned around and walked towards the door.
"We had a deal." Downey called after him.
"Not with me." Kazuya replied and walked out, his long dark coat trailing behind him.
Lara looked at Downey and shook her head.
"I don't understand you. Let's forget this has happened." she said to him. "What you tell the museum is your problem; you don't have to pay me. I will be going then." she added and went to the door as well.
"Lara..." Downey called after her, but she ignored him and left his office.
She looked around the museum; everything seemed to be normal out here. Nobody seemed to have noticed what had been going on in Downey's office just a few moments ago. She let her eyes wander. There was no sign of Kazuya. He had left. Her feelings towards him were mixed up. She knew he had saved her life back there, but the thing that had wanted to kill her was part of him. She took a deep breath to clear her mind. Then she walked through the exhibition hall, casting a last glance at the fake stone sitting in the cabinet and then walked out through the main door.
At 7.30 the next morning Kazuya arrived at the office. He parked his car in the garage and went towards the lift. His arrival didn't stay unnoticed. As soon as the lift doors had closed behind him Miyoko got out from his hiding place. He continued watching the lift carefully. Then he looked around in the garage, when he was sure that no one was watching he approached the Porsche. He stretched his arm out underneath the car and applied the tracer to it again. He had found out that someone - probably Kazuya himself - had attached the tracer to his car the day before. But now it was back where it belonged and hopefully not as easy to find as last time.
When Lara woke up at 8 o'clock Kazuya was gone. She was somehow relieved that he had showed up in the middle of the night. This way she knew that he wasn't angry any more and that Anna was no longer an issue. She got out of bed and got dressed, then she went over to wake up Bryce. Together they went down to breakfast. Lara told him that she was going to meet Downey at 11.
"When have you called him and told him so?" Bryce asked curious.
"I didn't." Lara replied. "I came up with this idea while getting dressed. I will surprise him."
"Shall I come with you?" Bryce asked.
"I think you should better stay out of this. Enjoy your day at the pool." Lara replied.
At half past ten Lara swung onto the motorbike she had rented. She was wearing leather trousers, a grey shirt and a leather jacket. She put on a helmet and then started the bike. She drove fast, her ponytail trailing behind her. It didn't take her long to reach the museum. She got off the bike and put the helmet on the handlebar. Then she marched into the museum and straight towards Downey's office. A guard tried to stop her, but she shoved him away. "I have an appointment with him." Lara said to the guy and continued.
A moment later she knocked at Downey's door.
"Come in." came Downey's voice which sounded as if he had been disturbed.
Lara stepped inside and froze. She had expected Downey to be surprised to see her. But instead she was surprise to see Kazuya in Downey's office. Although he had his back turned on her she was certain it was him. He was wearing a long black coat and the hair style was definitely his. He turned around. He was also wearing sunglasses. Lara looked at him shocked.
"Lara." Downey said surprised.
Lara was not able to answer; she just looked at Kazuya disbelieving.
He took off his sunglasses and Lara noticed the difference at once. His eyes were not only glowing, they were burning bright red, like hellfire. She had seen them flashing red before, but not like this. And she was also sure that his skin had a slightly different colour than usual.
"Ah, Miss Croft." he said with a menacing hollow voice. "You didn't expect to see me here, did you?"
"So it is true?" she replied. Somehow she was certain it wasn't the Kazuya she knew she was talking to right now.
"I warned you, I told you to stay away from him." Downey said.
Lara ignored Downey. Instead she addressed Kazuya: "What are you doing here?"
"Since I am going to kill you anyway later on I might as well tell you." he replied in this hollow voice. "I am here to get the stone... the real stone."
"But this is only the fake." Lara said holding out the stone.
"I know." he replied angry. "Of course the idiot has told you. And Mr. Downey didn't want to hand over the original till the stupid fake was back here."
"I needed the fake to get out the real thing unnoticed." Downey defended himself.
Kazuya rolled his fiery eyes.
"I still don't see what this has to do with Heihachi." Lara said.
"The fool stole the stone for his own purposes. That wasn't part of my plans. And stupid as he is he took the replica. It would have been easy for me to take the original from him, but no, he had to take the copy."
"And since we needed it back..." Downey began.
"You needed it back!" Kazuya yelled at Downey.
"I hired you to get the stone from him. Fake or not Heihachi would guard it well and we had to get it out unnoticed, we needed someone to blame to take his eyes off us." Downey continued.
"Damn fine plan you had there." Lara replied. "Did you think I wouldn't notice?"
"You nearly hadn't noticed." Kazuya said.
"Excuse me... I would have noticed. But you - ehm Kazuya... pointed it out to me before I found out myself."
"Very silly of him. But when I have this stone in my grasp, I will get rid of him... and his stupid father. All will be mine."
Lara turned to Downey. "And you? What's in it for you? Why do you betray all your beliefs?"
"Money, Lara, money." he replied.
"How much?" she asked angry.
"Two million dollars." he replied.
"Two million? That's all?"
"That's a lot of money for someone like me." Downey replied.
"Two million of what? A few billions?" Lara yelled. "I didn't expect you to be that cheap. You could at least have demanded half of the share. But I guess you didn't have a look at the numbers you sent me? I still wouldn't have understood though."
"Could we have the stone now, Miss Croft?" Kazuya then said to her impatiently.
Lara hesitated, then she held out her hand holding the stone reluctantly. Kazuya grabbed it and handed it to Downey.
"Now get me the original." he commanded. "You have kept it from me long enough."
Downey took the stone and left his office. Lara began to think of a plan that would get her out of this situation. She had her guns in her bag, but he knew. She couldn't get them out unnoticed. Lara moved around the room watching Kazuya carefully, he ignored her.
"So you are what they call Devil?" she finally asked.
He turned his eyes on her but didn't speak. The door opened again and Downey returned. In his hand he held a cloth, it was covering something. He pushed it back to reveal another crystal. The real stone of eternity. Kazuya took it at once. Lara used this moment of inattention to get her bag off her back. She was just grabbing inside, pulling out one of the pistols, when she suddenly felt a strong hand around her neck.
"That was not very clever, Miss Croft."
Lara grasped for air. She looked him directly in the eyes, she couldn't believe what was happening. She knew her fate lay in his hands and whatever Kazuya had become was able to kill her without blinking. She began to struggle. Suddenly he released her and Lara could have sworn that for a moment his eyes were brown again. He grabbed the pistol Lara had gotten out of her bag. First he aimed it at Lara and then turned towards Downey pointing the gun at him. Downey went pale.
"You have been very helpful." Kazuya said to Downey. "But now I have no use for you any more."
He turned to Lara again.
"Whom shall I kill first?"
"Don't kill me." Downey begged. "I helped you. You promised me..."
A nasty laugh escaped his lips. "I promised you? You know too much."
"Please..."
Again Lara used her chance, she knew she had to do something, risky or not. So she lunged at Kazuya with all her strength. He tumbled and the crystal fell to the ground. Lara went down as well, landing right next to the crystal. Kazuya caught himself and turned towards her. He shot her an angry look. Lara got up to her feet slowly watching Kazuya.
"I've had enough of you." he said and pointed the gun at her.
Lara froze. She concentrated, she had to be ready to duck when the shot came. Kazuya loaded the gun. Lara could see how he was about to pull the trigger and wanted to duck when suddenly Kazuya seemed to be struggling with himself. His eyes closed. A moment later they opened again, they were brown once more. The gun was still aimed at Lara. She closed her eyes. When the click came she ducked. The bullet missed her. Instead she heard a sound like breaking glass. She opened her eyes again. Kazuya dropped the gun. Lara looked around and found why he had missed her. He had aimed at the crystal. White energy was pouring from it and sizzling in the air, a moment later it died down and left on the floor were only the tiny red splinters.
"Do you know how much this thing was worth?" Downey yelled.
"It was far too dangerous." Kazuya replied calmly.
Downey had a mad expression on his face, but he didn't say anything.
"He is right." Lara said slowly. "This is probably for the best."
Kazuya turned towards Lara. For a moment it seemed like he wanted to say something, but then he put on his sunglasses, turned around and walked towards the door.
"We had a deal." Downey called after him.
"Not with me." Kazuya replied and walked out, his long dark coat trailing behind him.
Lara looked at Downey and shook her head.
"I don't understand you. Let's forget this has happened." she said to him. "What you tell the museum is your problem; you don't have to pay me. I will be going then." she added and went to the door as well.
"Lara..." Downey called after her, but she ignored him and left his office.
She looked around the museum; everything seemed to be normal out here. Nobody seemed to have noticed what had been going on in Downey's office just a few moments ago. She let her eyes wander. There was no sign of Kazuya. He had left. Her feelings towards him were mixed up. She knew he had saved her life back there, but the thing that had wanted to kill her was part of him. She took a deep breath to clear her mind. Then she walked through the exhibition hall, casting a last glance at the fake stone sitting in the cabinet and then walked out through the main door.
