Family Matters, Part II: Third Act Problems

Family Matters, Part II: Third Act Problems

By C. Mage

(NOTE: I have never actually met Jackie Chan or the other actors and actresses depicted, so what follows is not intended to be a faithful depiction of their personalities, but a FICTIONAL representation of what they are in THIS storyline, not real life. What follows is not meant as derogatory or flattering, but is meant as simply an homage to what they could be under different circumstances.

In short, I don't mean to misrepresent or otherwise incorrectly depict the people shown here in this story. This is an alternate reality, with alternate personalities. If anyone depicted here would like to discuss with me what I've written, the webmaster here can furnish my e-mail address to you.)

Once Lara's satellite guidance/tracking software came online, finding the site was a breeze. She picked up some LandSats moving overhead on oil-shale detection operations, and simply "borrowed" the signal to scan for large amounts of refined metals. With that, they located the site and drove in.

The movie was currently running a scene at an oasis, and the movie crew was obviously hard at work, checking out camera angles and the equipment. Several trailers attached to Hummers stood off to one side, right next to the water storage trailers.

Lara and David stepped out into the hot air and Lara looked around. "My, this place is busy."

"There's an understatement." David turned to their traveling companions. "Hey, who do we talk to about getting jobs?"

"Stunt coordinator's in that trailer there. Good luck!" The two Tuaregs went off to join their brethren, getting some good-natured jabs in about getting lost.

As the two walked to the trailer, Lara said, "I dunno, Dave...isn't this rather high-profile?"

"Best place to hide something is right out in the open. Rarely does it get seen there...everyone's expecting it to be hidden better." He stopped at the door, then raised a hand to knock. Before he could touch the door, however, it opened for him. Out stepped a man with a very recognizable Chinese face.

David couldn't speak. "Uh..."

Luckily, Lara was there to speak for him. "Mr. Chan, I presume?"

"Yes?" he said warily. "And who are you?"

"I am Lara Croft, and this is my friend..."

"Lara Croft?? THE Lara Croft??" Jackie Chan said, quite surprised.

"No, actually MY name is David Connors..." David said, but Jackie ignored him.

"I read some of your books on Ancient China!" Jackie said exuberantly, his accent becoming more pronounced. "It is great stuff!"

"You've read them? I'm so happy you liked them. In fact, I've got another book in the works..." Lara said blithely, fully realizing that she had found a fan.

"Come in! Come in! Tell me all about it!"

"Well, I hate to keep you from your work...show must go on, and all that."

"Ahh, they could use a break. Hey!" he yelled to a man holding a clipboard. "Call it a day!"

"But we've got the next gag to do in forty minutes!"

"It's late! Give them all the night off!"

In spite of the manager's chagrin, the rest of the cast and crew cheered and broke up. Jackie Chan smiled and ushered Lara Croft inside, closing the door behind them. "Now, tell me about the book," he said excitedly, sitting down and relaxing.

"Before I do, however, I'd like to make a request."

"Sure." Jackie smiled.

"Could you let me bring my associate inside the trailer? He's rather 'with me', you understand."

A look of embarrassment clouded Jackie's face. "Oh! I'm so sorry. I thought you normally worked alone." He went to the door and opened it. "Sorry, I thought you were one of the crew," he said apologetically.

"That's alright." David said dryly, "I'm getting used to it." He walked in as Jackie closed the door, going to a chair next to Lara and sitting down.

"Jackie..." Lara said quickly, to change the subject, "we're here because we'd like to ask for your help. We're looking for a particular dig east of here, at the base of the Atlas Mountains. We'd like to ask if we can stay on and travel with you, maybe even take up jobs as stuntpeople, to earn our keep."

"Do you know HOW to do stunts?"

"No, but I'm a private detective in New York. Does that count?" David asked.

Jackie smiled. "Maybe so. Alright, I'll take you on for a trial period, see how you do." Jackie turned to Lara. "I can talk to a couple of people...maybe we can have you work as an understudy for Eva. You might have to wear a wig and..." Jackie hid a smile. "...may also have to bind down your bust. None of the leading ladies are as, uhm..."

"Well-endowed? It's alright, Mr. Chan, I'm used to it."

"Jackie. Call me Jackie."

"Only if you call me Lara and my friend Dave. Deal?"

"Deal!" Jackie stood up and shook Lara's hand, then David's. "Now, tell me more about the book..."

The conversation soon developed from literature to more worldly events, and Lara and David regaled the action star about some of their adventures. Jackie whistled. "Ever considered selling stories of your experiences to an agent? They'd make great movies. You could even talk to some of these software companies. With actors in some of these games, you could get rich if they were made into movies or screenplays."

"Nahh, lacks verisimilitude." Lara grinned. "Besides, I'd like to retain what little I have in the profile department."

"It's all so incredible. If it was anyone else except Lara Croft, I wouldn't have believed it." Jackie stood up and went to his desk, pulling out a pad. "I know this may sound silly, but...can I have your autograph?"

David restrained himself, keeping his eyes from rolling up in his head. Lara smiled and signed the pad while Jackie stood there with a silly grin on his face.

"Thanks! Hey, before the filming gets underway tomorrow, want to spar a bit? I hear you're pretty good."

"Certainly."

David sat by patiently, but after going a few minutes without having Jackie look in his direction, David began to think that Jackie wasn't completely interested. Of course, Dave, what do you think? Lara's a celebrity to him, and he's a celebrity to a lot of other people...and I'm just a lucky stiff. Go figure. He refused to feel left out and simply said, "Lara, I'm going to go get some sleep. It's been a rough night and if I'm going to be ready to take a part as a stuntman, I'd better get some beauty sleep."

"Sounds like we should all retire for the evening. If you'll excuse us, Jackie?"

"Oh, yes, of course." He was visibly disappointed. "We can talk tomorrow?"

"Certainly. I'd like to hear more about this 'Dagger of Xian'." She left with a smile and yawned as she walked next to David. "Dave, he's been telling me about some interesting Chinese legends, some I'd never heard before. Did you know...?"

"Lara, as much as I'd LOVE to hear about yet ANOTHER artifact, I'd like to get some sleep tonight."

The hint of irritation in his voice made Lara frown. "Is there a problem, Dave?"

"No, not really. I'm just very tired...still a bit lagged from all that traveling, I guess."

"Dave, what's wrong?"

"Look..." David stopped and turned to look at Lara. "I just felt extremely left out. Do you know that, apart from introducing myself and saying goodbye, I barely said a word all night? Oh, sure, I put in a few words here and there, but I felt like a piece of furniture in there. Jackie was gushing all over you..."

"I wouldn't call it 'gushing,' David."

"...and I felt like the Invisible Man."

"Don't tell me that you're jealous," Lara said hotly, tired herself.

"JEALOUS?? Of that high-priced talent? Listen, Lara Croft, don't even go there. Those Hollywood actors are all alike and I'm surprised you even fell for the act."

"Act? He's a real person, David, not just some picture on a movie poster for people to look at. He's got brains, talent, and he's got more on the ball than you think!"

"Look, I just don't like..."

"What? Go ahead, say it! You don't like someone else having my attentions for more than a minute at a time, isn't that right? Well, I have some pressing news for you, David Connors! I am not your personal property and I don't need your permission to talk or not talk to anyone! If you don't like that, feel free to sleep out with the snakes and the sand tonight!" Lara stomped into the truck and slammed the door. David went to open the door and found it locked.

"Dammit, Lara! I was just..." Stung pride and hurt feelings made his voice catch in his throat and he reached up to try and open the door again.

Lara pulled her hand away from the lock. Damn him and his wretched ego! Lara thought, but a part of her began to plead with her to open the door and apologize, but another part of her said, What do you need to apologize for, just because he's jealous?? Let him apologize first, he's the one who can't deal with reality.

David dearly wanted to pick the lock, but he remembered that his lockpicks were inside his jacket...inside the truck. He looked up at the door, then turned and walked away. Feeling the way he did now, that last thing he wanted to do was open his mouth. David had no desire to make things worse...because Lara was right. It wasn't like he'd ever tried actually dating her; they spent almost all their time adventuring or trying to stay out of trouble. Except for a few scant experiences where they actually spent some time together without anyone else around, Lara and David had never really set aside time to get to know each other. Emotions ran high between them, yes...but too high. Things were going incredibly fast, and David wondered if maybe being in love with her was what he really felt.

Maybe he was just in love with the idea of being in love.

Oh MAN... He sat down on a rock near the water of the oasis, next to some camels watering a few feet away from him. I care about Lara, that's for sure...but is it really the kind of love I'm looking for? And if it is... He sighed. ...and if it is, are we moving too fast? I could lose her in the worst way if things get to a head and we suddenly find out that what we had was little more than infatuation. And do I love Lara, or some image I've let slip into my head of what I think she should be?

With a shock, David realized that there was a great deal that he really didn't know about Lara. He just assumed a lot about her. Oh, man...what have I done?

Lara lay in the foldout bed, but sleep was not coming easy to her. It wasn't the first time she'd slept alone since she'd met David; they'd only shared the same bed on four or five occasions, and even then, no sex was involved. Most of the time, she slept in her own room with David sleeping in his, right down the hall from her, at her home in England. But this time, she felt very alone. It was their first real fight, and for once, Lara was having her doubts about David.

It felt very odd, being by herself, and that scared her. By her very nature, she was independent and self-assured. But being abruptly alone, especially after the heated argument with David, made her afraid that she'd made a big mistake getting as close as she had to him. Am I so desperate for love that I grab the first man that came along after Michael? Do I really love David...or am I just afraid to go on without someone?

THAT thought was not encouraging.

Lara couldn't deny that she felt strongly about David, trusted him with her life (and had on more than one occasion) and thought he was a better man than many she had met. But was it love, the kind of love she wanted with another man?

Or was it something else...something more fragile that could be broken if mishandled?

Lara regretted being so angry with David. She realized that she and Jackie had excluded him from the conversation to some degree, but Lara couldn't help it if David knew so little about Chinese history, and she wasn't about to "dumb down" for his benefit. After all, Lara respected David's knowledge about things she knew little to nothing about. She didn't expect him to treat her like an ignorant child and she wasn't about to do the same for him. But it didn't make her feel better and she wondered if maybe she should've steered the conversation towards matters that David felt he could've contributed to the conversation.

Lara sighed again. I have more luck with death traps in tombs...they're easier to figure out and don't hurt nearly as much. Maybe things will have settled down by the morning.

With that thought to console her, Lara finally got some sleep.

David was not having quite as much luck.

He had underestimated just how COLD the desert became at night. With no appreciable atmosphere to hold in the heat, the sandbox became an icebox in a few hours. He wandered over to one of the other trailers and knocked on the door. He didn't expect an answer, considering the lateness of the hour, but it was either wake someone up or freeze to death.

The door opened and a blond woman, strikingly attractive with Nordic features, looked down at him. She was wearing a robe around her nightdress, and her skin visibly prickled with goosebumps when she felt the cold hit her. "Yes, what is it?"

"Uh...I got locked out of my trailer...could I borrow a few blankets?"

"For sleeping outside? Are you nuts? I thought everyone attended the desert awareness meeting..."

"Look, if you're going to browbeat me, can you at least do it someplace warm?"

"Oh for heaven's...come in," Eva Cobo De Garcia said, backing up as David moved in quickly. One the door was closed, Eva added, "And make sure you wipe your feet on the mat...the sand gets into everything around here."

Chagrined, David did so.

"Now, then, why would you..." She backed up a pace, her eyes narrowing. "I don't recognize you as any of the crew. Who are you?"

"David Connors. I'm kind of new around here."

"Obviously. You don't know much about desert survival, do you?"

"Geez, rub it in, wouldja?" He looked around. "Where are the blankets?"

"I know I'm going to regret this, but...look, here's a sofa. You can sleep here tonight, bathroom's down that way, water and food is in the fridge over there. Try entering my bedroom and you'll find out how it feels to take a dump and find splinters in the bowl when you're done, because I've got a Louisville Slugger right by my bed," she added sweetly.

"What, no kiss good night?" David said sourly and climbed onto the sofa.

Eva watched him lie down and smiled softly. Maybe when he's awake he's more fun to be with. She shrugged and went back to her bedroom, making sure to close the door securely.

The next morning, David awoke to find himself alone in the trailer. He sat up and blinked, suddenly finding himself sweating instead of freezing. He remembered the events of last night and groaned. "Just what I need, the morning after without getting drunk the night before..." He came to his feet and got up, feeling cramped muscles complain. "Gee," he muttered, "I wonder how Lara and Jackie are doing this morning?"

Lara got up from her resting-place on the ground.

"Ready to go again?" Jackie said, holding out a hand gently. Lara took it, letting Jackie pull her to a standing position.

"Can we stop for just a bit...I'm getting a little winded. I stand in awe of your expertise," she said breathlessly.

"Hard work and discipline. You're quite good...when was your first time?"

"Just after my plane crashed into some mountains in the Himalayas. I was more interested in being a free spirit, anxious to get out from under the Croft family shadow." She dusted herself off. "It felt spectacular."

"Well, then...you think you're up to doing it again now?"

Lara took a deep breath. "Alright, but go easy on me. I'm still a little tender from the last five rounds. I must say, before we go at it again, that you're quite a specimen. Most of the men I do this to don't get up after the first round. They're far too tired."

"Ready when you are," Jackie smiled, moving into a defensive fighting stance.

Lara readied herself again, then launched into a flurry of attacks. Jackie seemed to counter them easily, then pushed back her attacks until she was forced to go defensive. She moved away and they circled each other. As she moved, she asked, "I certainly hope Dave is alright."

"I'm sure he's just fine. Believe me, we would've heard if he went to sleep somewhere on the oasis. He probably camped out with some of the crew."

"Maybe...I'm just worried."

Jackie relaxed a little. "Want to talk about it?"

"We had our first fight. Our first REAL fight, not just a little squabble like we usually have."

"What was it about?"

"Well...to be honest, it was partially about you."

Jackie left Combat Mode. "Me?"

"Dave was feeling rather jealous...after all, you and I were doing the only talking, and I think he was feeling left out." Lara didn't feel as angry about it as he did the night before...in fact, she felt ashamed. "I don't know, I guess I was tired and I lost my temper."

"Oh. I was sort of enthusiastic, wasn't I?" Jackie nodded, a little sheepish. "Now I know how one of my fans feels. Will he get over it?"

"I don't know...I think so." I hope so. "I just wish I knew where he was..."

"There he is."

Lara turned to see him stepping out of a trailer, looking disheveled. "Oh, good."

"Maybe not."

Lara turned to him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, that's Eva's trailer, the blonde actress playing Elsa. There's been a lot of rumors about her, saying that she's very active....sexually." Jackie turned to Lara and saw an armory's worth of daggers flying from her eyes to the trailer. "Now hold on, Lara, those are just rumors. Hollywood's full of them."

I swear, if she took advantage of David...!!! "I'm not angry, Jackie...I just wish to talk to her. That's all," she added with an unconvinced tone in her voice.

Jackie heard thunder and decided to head it off before it struck. "Well, she's right over there at the site, right next to Carol Cheng." He turned back to Lara, but she was already striding towards the pair of women going through their lines. Jackie ran to catch up with Lara.

Eva finished the scene off and sighed. "Right the first time!"

"Listen, Eva, I saw that guy who left your trailer this morning. I thought you were going to get some sleep."

Lara showed up just as Eva said, "Yeah, I know, he's hot, but I had the scene to do and I wasn't up to trying anything with him last night. Now, if he'd come by a few hours EARLIER..." Eva shook her hand as if she'd touch red hot metal. "WHOOO!! I would've..."

"EXCUSE ME."

Eva and Carol turned to see Lara standing there, tapping her foot on the sand. "Yes, what is it?" Eva asked irritably, unaware of how chilly the desert air had suddenly become. "We've got a scene in just a few minutes. Is there some change in the script or something?" She narrowed her eyes. "For that matter, who are YOU?"

"I'm the one telling you to lay OFF that particular man, Eva," Lara said coldly. "He's spoken for."

"Really? I saw no ring on his finger. If he wants to spend some time with me, that's really none of your business." Lara opened her mouth just in time to realize what was going on. She was acting precisely the way David had last night. The revelation struck her into speechlessness. "And another thing, lady, I hope you've got a good reason for barging in like this, but we're trying to shoot a picture here. You know, a MOVIE? So unless you're part of the crew, get off the set."

"Ladies, please!" said Jackie as he finally found a place where he could interject. "Eva, this is..."

"Laura. I'm the understudy for your stuntwoman," Lara said quickly. "Listen, I'm sorry if I snapped at you, but I've been eyeing that particular gent for some time. Are you meaning to be any competition?"

Eva opened her mouth to say something, then smiled. "Ah, well...just between you and us girls," she said, ignoring Jackie for the time being, who decided that he was unable to combat the concept of girl-talk and went to find David, "I think he'd be quite the roll in the hay...but he IS a little intimidating. He'd probably break me in half."

"Yeah..." Carol said in a faraway voice, then shook herself. "I mean..."

Lara smiled. "Well, he IS a handful."

"Handful??" Eva asked, shocked. "A woman could have ten hands and still not have enough hands to hold on to THAT one!"

The conversation continued as the ladies continued to discuss David at length (not to mention discussing David's "length") and Lara began to relax. It turned out that Eva wasn't after David so much as she had reacted to Lara's claim to David. Lara was abruptly reminded that she wasn't the only strong-willed woman on Earth, and found herself liking Eva despite herself.

Jackie found David working out in the exercise area set up for Jackie as well as the other martial artists working for the movie. Jackie watched David punish the large bag at the far end, throwing lefts and rights at it with his bare fists, and Jackie didn't find it hard to imagine whose face David had overlaid on the bag. David was obviously working up a sweat. Jackie considered the pros and cons of letting him get the stress out of his system over going down there and clearing up the misunderstanding before David got too far with wrong ideas about Lara and Jackie. Jackie wasn't the type who went looking for fights and he was sure that David was going to try to force one if Jackie went down to talk with David.

While the actor was puzzling this out, David began a series of one-two punches that jangled the chains holding the bag stationary, then proceeded with harder and harder punches. Sweat was running down his body now, plastering his T-shirt to his body and causing his jeans to attain a marginally darker hue. Suddenly, David came up with three powerful punches in rapid succession. The first caused a seam on the bag to pop, the second stretched one of the links and the third caused the bag to pop even more stitches.

David stood there, air hissing through his teeth, as he saw a small trickle of sand leak from the bag and begin a small pile on the mat. Jackie watched him stand there for a few moments longer as David watched the growing mound of sand with a strange fascination, then go to one of the water dispensers and take a cup, filling it and emptying it three times. David then went to a shelf on one of the pre-fab walls and picked up a jumprope.

"Excuse me, David."

David turned his head, seeing Jackie walk into the area, his shoes at the edge of the mat. "What?" David asked flatly.

"Before you start pushing yourself any further, keep in mind that we have a limited supply of water here. Any more of that and we'll have to start rationing again."

"You come all the way down here to tell me that??" David growled.

"No, I came down to ask what was bothering you."

"Nothing that won't be fixed once Lara and I bail this hot-dog stand."

"I don't think that's the true reason."

"Think whatever the hell you like, Mr. Movie Star."

"Look, David." The tone in Jackie's voice made David turn his body to face the celebrity. "I don't have to prove anything to you and I don't think you have anything to prove to me. We are what we are."

"So? What's your point?"

"The point is, David, that you're reading too much into what happened last night and you're down here sulking while Lara is having to deal with it, and that's not fair to her or you." Jackie saw David tense up and added, "I know what you're thinking, David. That impulse to try to beat me up, I can see it in your eyes. But while you have a lot of skill, I think I'm better, and deep down, you think so, too. But you don't want to see who the better man is, really, do you? You just want to beat something up. Well, we're going to have to tape up that bag over there, thanks to you. Is that going to be enough?"

David didn't say anything, but his face told novels.

"Look, David, just get over it. We've got a lot to do today and it'll be better for everyone if you just realize that you don't need to be jealous of anything. Lara may like talking to me, but that's all it is and that's all it will ever be. The sooner you realize that nothing has changed between the two of you, the better off you'll be."

David opened his mouth to say something, but didn't. He seemed to deflate as he sat down on the mat. "You're wrong about one thing, Mr. Chan..."

"Jackie." Jackie sat down across from David. "Call me Jackie."

"Alright...Jackie...things have changed between me and Lara, I could tell. Things were going so perfectly, we were in love, we'd even showed our devotion to each other, and now, this. What the hell do I do now?"

"Nothing bad is going to come out of this, David."

"So you say. But I can't shake the feeling that...well..."

"What?"

"...it's like the innocence is gone." David shook his head. "Does that make any sense?"

Jackie smiled. "More than you think. You can't expect everything to be all wine and roses forever, David. Sooner or later, reality sets in and you realize that it isn't some fairy-tale where the hero and heroine live happily ever after. Things get tough."

"I've been through tough with Lara before."

"I don't mean tough as in run-for-your-life-or-get-shot-by-the-killers tough. I mean tough as in the initial infatuation wears off as things change. Life is not the way it was when you first met, is it?"

"No."

"You have to accept change in a relationship, David, that's how you stay in love. Love takes effort. It's not just a feeling when you see someone in the perfect light...you have to feel the same way when you see her wake up in the morning after a bad night and she looks a great deal less than perfect." Jackie sat back.

David considered for a while, then grudgingly said, "I guess I see your point."

"Good, because it's not easy for me to be this profound this early in the day." Jackie grinned and rose fluidly to his feet. "Now come on. We've got a movie to do and we're behind schedule enough as it is. Are you going to be okay?"

David nodded. "I'm not looking forward to facing Lara right now, though, I gotta be honest with you."

"That's alright, for now. But don't take too long." Jackie held out a hand to help David to his feet. "Or she's going to wonder a few things that she shouldn't."

David nodded again.

Jackie checked his watch. "Got just enough time. Hope it works out, David!" Jackie tossed him a thumbs-up and David smiled a little. Then Jackie took off and sprinted back up the dune towards the set.

David sighed and started the walk back to Lara's truck. As he walked back, he realized that he'd been acting like an immature child and it pained him to think that he'd acted like that in front of Lara, of all people. Well, David, next time you see her, you'd better do some high apologizing...

Something made him stop. He looked up, then towards the west. Even though it was a clear day, David swore that he heard thunder. He ran the rest of the way to the truck and climbed into the back, turning on the satlink. Now, how did she work this again...??? he thought, fiddling with buttons and dials until he believed he found what he was looking for. There was a satellite moving over the same general area as the truck, according to the screen, but he couldn't pick up anything. One of these days, I've got to take a computer course! Wait a sec...what's this?

David's eyes had found a section of the display marked, "SEISMOMETRY LINKAGE."

He flicked the switch on and moved the dials around until the flashing light indicating the location of the truck was dead center. In the upper right corner read the legend, "RANGE: 10 M."

David pushed a button marked, "RANGE" and he saw the display change to "RANGE: 20 M." He pushed the button until the radius was fifty miles away. That's when he saw them: five large blips moving fast towards the truck at high speed. "This can't possibly be good..." David said worriedly, then bolted out of the truck towards the set.

Jackie Chan ran through the ruins, moving into a cleared area and stopping. He and his companions were cornered.

He turned towards the oncoming nomads and assessed the situation carefully and that's when David burst onto the scene, yelling, "JACKIE! JACKIE!"

The expression on Jackie Chan's face changed from worry to exasperation and the female co-stars threw up their hands. "CUT!!" he yelled, then turned to David. "What's going on, David?? This isn't the best time to talk!"

"Just tell me one thing. Are you getting in any supply trucks today??"

Now anger touched Jackie's face. "There'd better be a BRILLIANT explanation for this."

"Just answer the damned question!"

"No. Why?"

"Because I think we're in serious trouble." David explained the readings from the seismographs. "Locals?"

"David, don't panic. I'm sure it's just a caravan of some kind."

"They're heading right for us at just over seventy miles an hour. Unless they're running in the Baja Sahara 1000 using souped-up cargo trucks...!"

Jackie suddenly remembered what kind of adventures that David and Lara were used to having. "Did you know about this? Did you know they were coming?"

"Jackie, what's going on?" Carol asked.

"No, I didn't know! I thought Lara and I had shaken off any tails we might've had back in Casablanca. Where's Lara?"

"She's in the makeup tent," Eva said, alarm creeping into her voice. "What's going on?"

"Trouble, maybe." Jackie turned to David, who had a thoughtful look on his face. "What are you thinking?"

"Do me a favor, Jackie."

"What?"

"Get your people out of here. I'm going to see if I can draw them away; I won't let anyone else get pulled into my troubles and I'm sure they're after me and Lara. And one more thing."

"What??"

"Tell Lara I'm sorry." David turned and ran for the truck.

"David!! Damn!!" Jackie turned to the others. "Alright, strike the stage, pack everything up! We've got incoming! Carol!"

"What?"

"Find Laura and tell her to get to her truck. Tell her that David will explain."

The truck took off across the desert, the trailer unhooked and discarded. As it headed to the east, its pursuers saw its movement on a scope in the lead truck. The operator turned to the radio and thumbed a switch. "Tyson, this is Morton. They're on the move."

"Think they made us?"

"Likely. They're moving fast directly away from us, heading due east-northeast."

"Damn. How fast?"

"It's going to take a while..."

"Don't GIVE me 'a while,' Morton, give me some numbers!"

"Yes, sir." He tapped a keyboard and looked at the screen to his right. "We can overtake them in two hours, but we'll have to keep the hammer down the whole time."

"Then do it. I'm not going back to Jacob and telling him that we lost them. Do it."

"Blast him!!"

Jackie turned to Lara as she looked out the rear window. "He must have had his reasons..."

"That's not the bloody point! We've got to go back!"

"Lara, please. I have a lot of people here who aren't like you or David. They're not able to handle what you and David have become used to."

"Jackie...just stop the vehicle."

Jackie stopped and radioed to the rest of the cast and crew's vehicles, "Hold on. We're stopping here." He turned back to see Lara open the door and sprint back to the trailer hitched to the truck. "Lara, what's on your mind?"

"I'm going back for him."

"By yourself??"

"Jackie, please understand." She ripped off the tarp covering the two dirt bikes and dropped the tailgate. "The last words I said to him were in anger. If something happens to him...Jackie, I'll go out of my mind, I swear to Harry I will."

"Wait!"

"Jackie," Lara said, getting on the seat of the quad-runner, "give me one good reason why I should wait."

Jackie did.

"Right this way, Mr. Croft."

"Thank you, Jacob. How did it go?" The two men walked through the halls of the mansion in Tangier, a grand place surrounded by armed guards and an extensive security system. It had once belonged to a Nazi commandant who had grown rich off the German occupation of Northern Africa during World War II, but had fallen into the current owner's hands when the commandant's son had a bad boating accident in the Mediterranean sea three years before...one that the current owner had engineered, simply because he liked the way the mansion looked.

"Once we tracked their route according to the map you furnished them with, the homing device placed in their satellite dish led us right to them, sir. However, they must have detected our vehicles and we had to pursue them. However, they were unprepared for a full assault and their vehicle was a total loss."

"How was my dear cousin faring? Uninjured, I hope."

"Sadly, sir, we were only able to recover one body from the wreckage, that of David Connors. The body of your cousin, however, was lost when the vehicle blew up. No one could've lived through the explosion, and if she had, she wouldn't have survived the desert."

"Never underestimate a Croft, Jacob. If you dropped her in the middle of the Arctic wearing nothing at all and carrying a butter knife, she'd show up the very next day on your doorstep wearing a thousand-dollar evening gown, carrying an Uzi in her right hand and a bag of diamonds in her left. Guess what she'd be there to do? Hint: it involves the Uzi." Jacob's employer smiled slightly. "But I think if the Sahara didn't stop her, the trail would. You took the precautions I specified?"

"Yes, sir. Right down to the last letter."

"Good. She'll have no choice to head home, which I doubt she'll do, or to follow the clues you left for her and head off to take her revenge against my rival in Egypt." The man smiled widely, showing perfect teeth. "If she kills him, I'll get his resources, and if she doesn't, I'll arrange to buy her from him, if she's still alive after Kassim gets through with her. Either way, I win." He sighed. "I can't tell you just how exhausting this all is. It is no easy task to thwart Lara Croft, Jacob. And what about dear David? Is he enjoying my hospitality?"

"Not really."

"Good. I think I'll go see him. A familiar face might cheer him up."

David awoke with a start, the pain in his leg waking him again. He sat up on the floor and rubbed the area of his right leg around the manacle, a wide band of iron obviously made with crude smithing tools, but the band and chain connecting the leg to the floor was as effective as it was primitive.

The door to the jail opened and light pierced the room, revealing the four other cells. David squeezed his eyes shut to protect his light-starved eyes from pain, then squinted to let his eyes adjust. He saw two shadows enter the room, one tall and muscular, the other shorter and thinner, but not by too much. As David opened his eyes wider, recognition made his face go slack. "JOHNATHAN??"

"Yes, David," said the smaller man, looking down at David through the bars. "It's me. And, just so you won't forget again, that's BARRISTER, not BANISTER."