3- Turning point

The cold was quite bitting outside. He couldn't help but shiver as he felt the penetrating wind. He took one last drag on his cigarette before tossing it into a nearby bin. He turned away and rushed into the large building, hurrying towards the boarding gates like all the other travellers.

For a while he walked down the endless corridor that led to the various terminals. As he queued up to go through the border controls, he glanced quickly at his mobile phone. No message yet.

After some moments, he found himself waiting in a line again. There were people everywhere, and he suddenly felt oppressed, as if being watched from all sides. He turned his head sharply to one side, then the other, watching for the slightest suspicious movement. The airport was crowded, and it was difficult to discern any weird behaviour in the incessant coming and going of the crowd around him. A few people queuing behind looked up at him with questioning eyes, feeling now impatient.

For a split second he thought he had seen something, as if someone had suddenly turned around and walked away, taken by surprise. However, the figure quickly disappeared into the crowd, without Kurtis being able to make out anything more. Under the insistent gazes of the other travellers, he finally passed the controls, grabbed his bag and disappeared into the boarding lanes without looking back.

—

The airport was quite busy and crowded this day, which helped her slip discreetly into the place without any difficulty. She moved quietly between the crowd of travellers, keeping a reasonable distance between herself and the mercenary. Her heart had leapt in her chest when he had suddenly stopped in the middle of the hall to check his boarding gate. She had almost been spotted, but had managed to narrowly dodge the young man, preferring to continue walking without stopping so as not to be noticed. She had closely passed him by.

He was travelling light. He hadn't checked his phone much, nor made any calls since he had left BIOTEKNIKA. He was a discreet man, no doubt secretive, who knew how to protect himself from the outside world. He did not go unnoticed, however, with his black hair and piercing eyes.

The exact kind of American bad boy I like

She caught up with him as he went through the pre-boarding checks. But then again, a surge of stress came over her as the young man suddenly raised his head and looked around suspiciously. He had clearly sensed that someone was following him, he had glanced back several times. Although she was hiding behind a group of people a few feet away from him, she thought for a moment that his azure blue gaze had fallen on her. She held her breath, lowering her gaze. But the young man finally looked away, and did not seem to react.

When she came out of her hiding place to resume her stalking, the young woman realized the mercenary had already disappeared. She could go no further. She had no way of getting past the controls, and would risk being spotted once and for all. She stood in the middle of the crowd for a moment, glancing at the boarding signs, before turning back.

After exiting the airport, she headed straight for one of the waiting sedans parked a little further away. She slid into the passenger seat and immediately grabbed her phone. She quickly dialled a number before putting the device to her ear. She took off the black beret she had put on to hide her face and hair. There was a loud click on the other end of the line.

"He's leaving for England," she simply said.

She heard two voices speaking and exchanging words in a low voice.

"Thank you, Saija, that's all we needed to know."

She cut off the conversation, and put her mobile phone back into her pocket. She gave a head sign to the driver and the car started to move.

—

CROFT MANOR, SURREY, SOME HOURS LATER

The taxi drove into the huge driveway at a steady pace. The journey to Croft Manor had been relatively quick and his flight to England much less hectic than the one that had taken him from Los Angeles to Oslo. It was already late in the evening when he finally arrived at the mansion. Its large windows were illuminated with a soft orange light in the dark and cold English night. Like every time he came back here, Kurtis was struck by the grandeur of the house and the imposing greyish stones, but also by the green vegetation that could only be found here.

The taxi slowed down, before finally stopping a few metres from the large front door. After collecting his belongings, the mercenary climbed the steps in a hurry before presenting himself at the door. He knocked lightly several times, but no one came to open. He waited a few moments, and, still seeing no one coming, decided to enter.

He quietly closed the door behind him. The old house was almost completely in darkness, and a heavy silence reigned inside. After a quick glance around, Kurtis walked into the great hall and finally walked up the stairs. Without a sound, he went up the long mezzanine that ran alongside the rooms, and headed straight for the adventuress' room. He took a quick look around the room, which was just as dark and silent as the rest of the house. No one was there either.

He left his bag on the bed, quickly unpacked his things and put them away. He then grabbed his phone out of his pocket, and took a quick look at his e-mails. No news from BIOTEKNIKA yet.

"Miss Croft is in the swimming pool for some training."

He jumped violently, and almost dropped his phone. When he looked up, Kurtis came face to face with Winston, who had just appeared in the doorway. The old man was staring at him, his hands clasped behind his back. His figure loomed strangely in the night, and Kurtis felt almost uncomfortable.

"Always where you're not expected to be, Winston..."

"Nice to see you too, Mr. Trent."

Kurtis observed quickly the butler, who had already changed into his elegant pajamas, before stepping out of the room and heading for the corridor and stairs. He felt the old man hobble after him.

"'m sorry I came in like that, I knocked but no one answered," Kurtis explained over his shoulder.

"That is not really smart, Mr. Trent. I could have thought you were a thief. I could have pulled out a gun and shoot to defend myself..."

"Just gotta love your humour, Winston."

"I am quite serious, Mr. Trent."

They heard some kind of whistle behind them. The old man couldn't help but jump a little as the mercenary's chirugai suddenly sped past them, flying straight ahead without hesitation. The flying object remained at his master's level, as if on the lookout. The old man frowned, still resistant to this "magic" and not quite sure he understood exactly how such a weapon worked, nor the extent of the young man's powers. He preferred to keep his distance anyway.

"Easy man, I'd hate to have to lock you up somewhere to keep you away."

"Isn't that what you actually did last time?"

Kurtis couldn't hold back an amused smirk, and was glad the butler couldn't see him from where he was. He couldn't help but think back to the last time this had happened, during their last stay here, when he and Lara had managed to lock poor Winston in the kitchen before sneaking off into the labyrinth for some peace and quiet. The American had noticed that since his arrival in the adventuress' life, and almost every time he came to the manor, the old man had indeed the annoying tendency to surprise them in their most private moments, and this on a regular basis, and sometimes in rather delicate, even compromising positions.

As if he just did that on purpose

"D'you really think I could do that? Come on, I thought you knew me better than that, Winston..."

They both went down the grand staircase.

"...and it wasn't my idea in the first place anyway."

He heard the butler talking under his breath behind him. He didn't hear everything he was saying but he clearly made out something that vaguely sounded like 'childish'. He had no difficulty in imagining the offended look on the butler's face, and the mercenary held back a laugh.

They finally reached the ground floor and turned left before entering the large living room. Except for a small lamp on a large old piece of furniture, the room was completely dark. At the end of the room, the door to the gym and pool area was lit by a soft, subdued light.

As Kurtis approached the transparent door, Winston's voice sounded behind him again.

"Mr. Trent?"

The mercenary turned to him, his eyebrows raised in question.

"It might be nothing, but Miss Croft seems tired, and a little bit depressed to me those days."

Kurtis hung back for a moment, his hand on the door handle. His blue gaze met the old man's sparkling small eyes, hidden behind his thick white eyebrows. He could feel a little concern in the butler's heart, the kind a father might feel for his daughter. He knew he and Lara were very close. After all, he had seen her grow up and had always been part of the family. The mercenary would have liked to reassure him, to find the words to give him a real answer to his question, because that was what it was all about. He sensed that the butler was afraid that something might happen, that she might not be the same anymore. Not exactly sure of the answer he should give, the American merely frowned and shook his head.

"I think the lack of exercise and the fact she doesn't really travel anymore plays a big part," he said finally, not convinced himself by his own answer. "Her lifestyle is not as it used to be. I think the last few years have been difficult for her, a lot of things have changed."

The butler nodded slowly, visibly thinking about the mercenary's words. In this very moment, Kurtis could have sweared the butler was also trying to convince himself with this idea too. A pinched smile formed on his lips.

"I'll leave you here. Good night, Mr. Trent."

"You know you can call me Kurtis, Winston."

The old man gave him another shy smile, halfway between amusement and annoyance. He nodded one last time before turning away with a silent step, and disappeared into the night.

—

She finally broke through the surface and took a deep breath of air. With the palm of her hand, she pushed back the few strands of hair that had clung to her face and that were bothering her. She slowly swam to the edge of the pool, but just as she was about to get out, she changed her mind, and finally remained motionless in the water, leaning against the edge of the pool, her head resting on her arms. She took several deep breath. Her gaze wandered as she let her thoughts carry her away.

She had come back quite early from Oxford, so she had decided to give herself a big training session. Actually, she often went for a swim in the pool in the evening lately, sometimes even late at night, when the house was all quiet. She liked these moments, which were conducive to reflection and concentration.

Her blood pulsed at high speed, and her heart bounced almost violently against her ribs. As often lately, she felt out of breath and was getting tired much more quickly with every physical effort she made. She took her time as she took several deep breaths, before her breathing slowly went back to normal.

A faint whistle, like a light breeze, interrupted her and brought her back to reality. The sound came closer and something brushed against her ear, before slowing down. She smiled softly as her gaze fell on the metal disc floating before her in a soft golden light.

Glad to see that you are back, stranger

She heard footsteps behind her, slowly coming closer. The chirugai circled in the air before joining his master, who caught it as he took his place in one of the deckchairs.

"Don'tcha think it's a bit late for a freediving training?"

The young woman's eyes fell on Kurtis, who was sprawled out on one of the seats, his hands crossed behind his neck.

"It's never too late for training. How was it in Oslo?"

"Pretty interesting. But a bit weird, frankly. But first I want to know what kind of atrocities Mark found out to try to wheedle you behind my back."

Lara let out a slight laugh.

"He didn't do that, he wasn't really in the mood to hit on me I think."

"Um, really?"

Out of the corner of her eye she intercepted the young man's smirk.

"It's not funny, Kurtis..."

"It's not for me either, you can trust me."

She put her hands on the edge of the pool and pulled herself out of the water. She reached over and grabbed the dressing gown that was on the lounger next to Kurtis. She felt his gaze slide over her body as she wrapped herself in it. She flipped her brown hair back and snuggled into the dressing gown. Kurtis stood up, and they both left the swimming pool and walked back to the huge living room, heading now to the first floor.

"Actually, we mostly talked about the exhibition, if you really want to know," Lara told him as they walked quietly up the main hall and entered the staircase. "There was quite a lot to sort out, but I think it could be interesting for me to work on this."

"I guess he will find any kind of pretext to make you come back and work with him," the mercenary answered cynically.

They walked down the corridor and the young woman suddenly stopped by their bedroom's door. She turned towards him.

"I don't think he'll be bothering me anymore, or at least, not if it's not about work."

She crossed her arms, and her gaze fixed in the American's clear eyes.

"I think I can say I've made things clear to him. I think he got the message."

"That's a good point..."

Kurtis leaned towards her and tenderly placed his lips on hers. They breathed and tasted each other for a moment. An intense rush of warmth came over the young woman, who shared the emotions that the mercenary was feeling himself at the same moment. Kurtis finally broke the connection, resting his forehead against the young woman's.

...'cause I don't like to share

Lara let out a small laugh and looked into his eyes more deeply.

"Neither do I," she said in a low voice, a defiant smile frozen on her lips.

She abruptly turned around, and Kurtis followed her inside the room. The adventuress headed straight for the large bathroom, shedding her thick dressing gown and abandoning it on the floor on the way. The mercenary's gaze could not resist her curves, still trapped in her two-piece swimming suit. He got rid of his jacket and then his shirt, which he dropped on a chair not far. Lara quickly pulled her hair up into a bun as she moved into the shower room with light, silent steps. She went to turn on the water in the shower, before realising that Kurtis was still in the beside room. When she returned, the young man had settled down on the large bed, his computer open in his lap.

She looked at him with the most subdued expression, leaning languidly against the doorframe between the two rooms. The young man ran a hand over his tired face. He looked concentrated, but gave the Englishwoman a warm smile.

"I'll join you later, I'd like to have at look at a few things first."

The Englishwoman looked at him suspiciously.

"Is it to do with Oslo?"

The American nodded slowly.

"You still haven't answered my question, by the way."

"We'll talk about it when you're finish."

The adventuress merely nodded, before turning away. The young man heard her slip into the shower. He refocused on his screen and his research.

—

A few minutes later, when Lara came out wrapped in a towel, she realised that Kurtis had not moved. She joined him and sat down next to him on the bed, wringing out her long hair with a small towel at the same time.

When she leaned over a little more, she discovered a whole series of newspaper articles, photos and other files on the Norwegian company with which he had had an appointment earlier in the day. She noticed various photos showing a charismatic couple, a mixed-race woman with frizzy hair, stuck in a very smart suit, with an equally well-dressed man gripping her tightly by the waist. His strange two-tone eyes stared confidently into the lens.

"So these are your employers?"

"I haven't agreed to work with them yet," Kurtis replied softly with a smile.

"They're the ones who specialise in bio-genes and the human genome, I believe?"

"Apparently so. They work on quite a few projects of that kind, their technology is quite modern and developed for what I understood."

"They are quite well placed in the European market. I met the former CEO a few years ago at a charity event, but we didn't talk that much. He was a strange man, very cold and rather unpleasant. I remember he had a slight accent, but not from Norway."

Kurtis opened a new window on the screen, on which the man in question appeared in large size. The photo was from the evening the adventuress was referring to. The old man, quite advanced in age, was smiling machiavellianly and superficially at the camera.

"That's him, yes," confirmed Lara, leaning forward a little more.

She saw Kurtis frown. He went to check another newspaper article and shook his head.

"Otto Svendsen. The founder of BIOTEKNIKA, now deceased, evidently not long after you two met."

Kurtis pointed to the date of the article with his mouse.

"Obviously his descendants have taken over," said Lara, pointing at the two entrepreneurs in the second photo with her chin.

"So it seems, yes. Tobias Svendsen is his grandson, as he confirmed himself during the meeting. Unsurprisingly, he's the main shareholder and CEO of the company."

"And what about her?" Lara asked, pointing to Tobias' wife this time.

"Miranda Takwena, from her maiden name. A Rwandan immigrant. She arrived in Czech Republic with her family in 1977. Graduated from the University of Prague, engineer and doctoral student in human genetics and anthropology. She is a well-known researcher in Norway and the rest of Europe. She has worked on numerous projects in different countries, including England and Austria. She and her teams have received several awards for their work on the human genome. And obviously, she's the company's co-shareholder and director."

"Of course."

The adventuress' gaze quickly went through the various articles displayed in front of them. Both of them came from modest families, and had succeeded thanks to their hard work and determination. They were brilliant in their field, had made it in the scientific world, and were now rich and owners of one of the most powerful companies in Europe. Tobias and Miranda Svendsen were the perfect example of a successful couple.

"Two ambitious people for sure."

Kurtis glanced at Lara.

"No doubt about it. They intend to invest a lot of money in a new project, or at least on the one they've just started. That's why they contacted me."

"To participate in their project?" asked Lara, surprised.

"Not exactly. I'm just supposed to pick up something that will help them continue their research. At least, that's the way they put it."

"Didn't they tell you anything else? I mean, you still don't know what you are suppose to find..."

The American shook his head, his lips slightly pursed. The young man's gaze fell on another image of the couple, which came from an article in the Times. Behind them, slightly hidden in the background, stood the hostess who was present during the meeting. A strange, unpleasant shiver ran through him as he saw her blue eyes.

"They didn't say too much about it. I have to admit it was a bit weird, actually."

"What do you mean?"

Kurtis looked up from his screen. He knew he couldn't hide anything from Lara, or at least not easily, but he also knew he was treading on thin ice if he started talking about his doubts and how he felt during the interview with the two Norwegians.

"I don't know. Tobias Svendsen explained that he wanted to continue the work his grandfather had started many years ago. A project that was probably abandoned, and which he now wants to continue. I had my doubts, but when I see all this..." the mercenary explained as he pointed to the press articles and photos on his computer. "Actually it could all make sense."

The young man stopped talking, replaying in his head the images of his meeting with the two Norwegian entrepreneurs. Everything was getting confused. He sighed.

But what?

His gaze met Lara's, who was watching him intently.

"They were extremely well informed about me. I don't know what to think."

"You're a skillful mercenary and quite well known in the business for what you've told me, so I'm not that surprised. They must have done some research before contacting you, obviously."

"They know my real identity."

Lara shrugged, she didn't seem more worried than that.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it's quite common for mercenaries to operate under a false names, but I guess it's not necessarily difficult to find their real identity if you know where to look for information. And I quite understand this is not that difficult for people such like the Svendsen. Well-placed people like them often have the means to get any kind of information if they have well placed contacts."

"That's what I think too, and that's exactly what they told me themselves. But this information was relatively difficult to find. My family did everything to keep this secret, and I managed to cover my tracks. It was a question of security."

"They may have asked the légion étrangère, but I thought your identities were protected and not revealed in any way."

"Not this one. Not even the Legion knew my real name."

The young woman's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"My grandfather was of German origin. His usual name was Heissturm. My father's exact name was Konstantin Heissturm, and so is mine."

"You never told me about that before."

"I'm a secret man... sorry," the American replied with a smile.

Lara smiled back softly and soothingly, but her eyes betrayed her apprehension.

"Do you think they're watching us?"

Kurtis shook his head sharply in denial.

"I don't know. I'm just suspicious."

He paused for a moment, thinking about the awkwardness he'd felt around Miranda, and her particular interest in his physical abilities. Again, they had no way of knowing about his powers, and no way of knowing his story or about the Lux Veritatis. Maybe he was just seeing Evil all around since his return from Turkey. He saw Lara setting up on the bed.

"Other than that," Kurtis continued, staring at the computer screen, "there's nothing on them. No track record, no falling stock, no offshore shenanigans, no scandals of any kind. No legal action with their competitors. Nothing, they seem to be clean and almost beyond reproach."

"Does this mean you intend to accept?" asked the young woman a little abruptly.

The American turned his eyes towards her, a little confused by her attitude and her outburst once again.

"I dunno. I'd like to have a look at the mission order. Why do I get the feeling you have a problem with all that? You don't even know what it's about."

"I don't think you do either," Lara replied in an icy voice.

A bright gleam suddenly flashed across the English woman's hazel eyes. Kurtis felt her gradually close in on herself, and felt the anger suddenly overwhelm her. She stood up and got away from the bed. The mercenary let out a slight cynical laugh and rolled his eyes. He could feel the annoyance creeping up on him too.

"I'm a big boy, I think I can make this decision on my own, actually."

"Alright, sorry to give you my opinion, then," Lara retorted, turning her back on him.

The mercenary closed the computer with a thud, and threw it further onto the bed.

"Why the hell d'you get so upset every time?"

"I'm not upset, I just think it's stupid of you to get involved in something so dubious," Lara retorted, turning back to him.

"If we were to count all the times you've done stupid things yourself during your missions..."

"Don't you dare lecturing me..."

"Okay, you know what? Just forget about it, Lara. 'm having a shower," he cut her off sharply as he got up from the bed as well.

Before she could reply, the mercenary strode briskly to the bathroom without even glancing at her. If there had been a door there, the adventuress imagined the young man would have slammed it violently behind him for sure. She just watched him disappear into the shower.

Lara stood for a moment in the middle of the room, unable to move, her gaze simply turned towards the distance that separated her from the American. She grabbed the towel she was still holding in her hands and threw it on the floor in an disappointed gesture. She then lowered her head and sighed.

—

The hot water felt good on him. His confused thoughts and doubts gradually dissipated, giving way to a certain state of calm. He was still angry, but he didn't have the strength to think or fight anymore tonight.

He pushed back his hair and tilted his head back. His eyes were closed. He stood there for a moment, completely still, just enjoying the water falling on his face and body. He felt the fatigue of the jet lag gradually take hold of his limbs and body.

Suddenly he felt a movement in his back. When he turned around, he came face to face with Lara, who was standing at the entrance to the large Italian shower. He looked at her in surprise.

"Is there any room for me?"

"I thought you'd already taken your shower," he replied bitterly.

Lara shrugged her eyebrows and shoulders slightly.

"I guess I just like taking showers."

Despite the tension between them, the mercenary couldn't help but smile at this obvious remark. He nodded slightly, as if considering what the young woman had just said, hands on hips. He then shook off the drops of water that were blurring his vision and that continued to fall on him. With a falsely serious look, he glanced around him, and scanned the space of the huge shower, before returning to the adventuress.

"We're a little short on space here, but if we squeeze in a little, I guess it should be ok," he replied ironically.

The Englishwoman took a step forward. With a skilful gesture, she untied the towel that was wrapped around her and let it fall at her feet.

"That's a compromise I'm willing to accept," Lara replied defiantly.

She took another step forward. Kurtis saw the goosebumps creeping on up on her body as the water began to splash her.

"I guess two idiots like us can surely find a stupid compromise on which they can both agree," he said softly.

She came dangerously close to him, until their bodies were only a few inches from each other. In an almost unbearable provocation, the young man's gaze plunged into Lara's large eyes, which seemed to burn from within, before descending to her greedy lips, which he suddenly longed to catch.

"Or maybe they can find something stupid to do together," she replied as she watched his lips insistently, though she didn't dare come any closer.

They watched each other in silence for a moment, before a smile slowly appeared on the young man's face. Lara took one last step forward, and let Kurtis grab her by the waist and pull her under the water. She let him play with his mouth and devour hers hungrily. And she let him do the rest when he caught her against the shower wall.

—

The sound of the rain outside lulled him gently, but he couldn't sleep. He was just standing there, watching and tracing every detail of the adventuress' face, who had fallen asleep against him and was now fast asleep. He laid his head against hers and took a deep breath to breath up her scent. He closed his eyes and savoured the warmth of her body against his. He felt soothed. He hugged her a little tighter, his warm hand naturally resting on her belly in a protective way.

The mobile phone on the bedside table suddenly began to vibrate. Surprised, Kurtis straightened up and turned to pick it up. After unlocking the phone, he realised that he had received an e-mail. His thumb hung in suspense for a moment before clicking to open it.

The sender's address was encrypted. There was no text, and almost no content, except for a simple file attachment. The mercenary clicked again to open it. A series of documents appeared on the small screen.

He read the various documents in a few minutes, then put the laptop back in its place on the bedside table. He let himself go backwards, on his back, with his hands crossed under his neck. His gaze was fixed on the high ceiling above him. He let out a loud sigh.

He was no further ahead with what he had just read. The file contained a lot of information, starting with a salary slip, the equipment he would be given, the name of a hotel where a reservation had already been made in his name, and a one-way ticket from London Gatwick. But there was still no information about the exact destination he was supposed to go to, nor about what he was supposed to pick up.

The mobile phone vibrated again. When the mercenary picked it up, he discovered that he had also received a text message.

Unknown number

The young man couldn't help but open it as well, as he felt now more and more intrigued. He discovered a simple phone number. He straightened up, pushing back the sheets to sit on the edge of the bed, his gaze fixed on the obviously foreign number. He glanced quickly at Lara, still asleep beside him, before standing up. He moved away from the bed and went straight to the bathroom. When he was a little way from the room and the bed, he finally dialled the number.

The line, redirected to international signals, rang for a few seconds, before a click was heard.

—

Tobias had gone to bed a while ago, leaving her alone in the silence of the big modern house they lived in. Settled in the office downstairs, she had been working on one of her report for several hours now, unable to get any sleep. The big retro lamp hanging on her desk was giving off a soft light and warming up the whole room seriously.

A sudden noise sounded somewhere in a drawer of her desk. She almost jumped, distracted in her thinking. She opened the first drawer on her right, and took out the tiny second-hand mobile phone that had started ringing.

She couldn't hold back a smile when she discovered the caller's number.