Chapter 11: Sneak Attack
I don't own anything. Resident Evil belongs to Capcom and Tomb Raider belongs to Core Design, Crystal Dynamics, and I think Square Enix. The only thing I own is the changes made to the stories of the Tomb Raider games/comics and Resident Evil games/comics/CG movies, the Government branch S.P.E.L.L., the person that has taken over Kathrine Warren's life, and Rose Warren. This story also will be bloody, violent, and have cursing. It's rated T for Teen.
Country: Russia, State: Siberia, City: Siberian Wilderness, Place: Near Kitezh, Area: Mountain Meadow, Month: November, Day: Saturday 25th, Year: 2000, Time: 20:15 KRAT…
Lord Croft put some books on his desk then looked up to see a young Lara climbing into his study through the window. He chuckled in amusement at the panting young girl.
"Lara." He greeted as he walked around his desk and over to her. "Refusing to use the door again, I see." He said as he approached the 9-year-old.
"But it's faster this way, Dad." Lara smiled as he picked her up from the windowsill.
She laughed as she hugged him, and he held her.
"Come here, you little monkey." He told her with an amused gentile tone.
He put her down on the floor. In doing so, her dark inquisitive eyes locked on the things her father had put on his desk. The sight was familiar to her. An open map, tape recorder ready for recording, bag part way packed.
"Are you going on another adventure?" She asked as he walked back to his desk, and she followed slowly.
"My greatest one yet." Lord Croft told his daughter.
Lara beamed. "Well, I've decided that I should be your assistant." She said pushing the old medieval book's illustration from her mind.
"Oh, have you?" He asked smiling. "Well, there's no one I'd rather have by my side." He said as Lara turned to look at the open book, reading the words 'The Massacre of the Prophet and his People'. "But this business…" He said as he closed the book, not letting her read or see more. "It's too dangerous."
Lara looked up at her father not understanding. What would be so dangerous?
"Lara, listen to me." He began gravely. "Someday you're going to make such a mark on this world. You're going to make me so proud." He didn't get to say more as a phone rang. "Give me a moment, darling. I need to take this."
Lara gasped back to consciousness. She hissed as she sat up in the snow and pushed herself to her feet. She held her arm then looked to see Kat was sitting beside her with her spear at the ready, guarding her while she was out.
"K-Kat?" Lara asked her as she stumbled over.
Kat hissed a little as she stood up with a hand going to the small of her back. "Hey, you feeling okay now?"
Lara shivered as the cold air bit into her open cut from the bear claw. "Dang. Another scar. How long was I out?"
Kat stood up and took off her pack. "Only a few minutes." She got out the first aid kit and kind of wiggled her eyebrows. "Why do I get the feeling we're gonna be beat up again at the end of this? Glad I packed this but sad we have to get it out again."
Lara took a seat on a rock and pulled her coat off. Kat then came over with bandages and green/red herb mix. It only took a few moments to patch up the wound. With the bandages secure, Lara pulled her coat back on and shook her head.
Lara sighed. "You tell me."
"We're gonna need a week of major TLC after this." Kat said as she put her spear to its holder on her back after she taped a bandage of the mix of herbs that will speed up the healing.
Lara smirked as she held her arm again. "I'm sure Leon could help with the loving care."
Kat's face burned at that and shook her head. "How's your head? Hurt any place else?"
Lara sighed as she did a few stretches and bent at the waist. "A few sore spots. Nothing a good long soak in a hot tub won't cure."
"Oh, that would be so nice. I'm thinking of building an enclosed one in the back yard. One with jets up around the neck and shoulders." Kat nodded.
Lara hummed in agreement as Kat put away the first aid kit. "How much of these herb mixes do we have?" Lara asked.
"Not too much. I mean if it was between the four of us, we have enough for any major injuries. But it's just the two of us." Kat said as Lara stood up. "Why?" She asked as she pulled her pack back on.
"See those plants? The ones with the red berries?" Lara pointed out.
Kat looked. "Yeah…" She nodded as they walked over.
The plant had tear drop shaped leaves that were a pale forest green with bright maraschino red berries that were perfectly round. The berries were shiny mostly, but misty from morning frost. The plant itself seemed like a small bush. It seemed to burst from the snowy ground like spears.
"They are Kaplya krovi. A rare herb native to these mountains." Lara explained as she pulled a knife. "The berries are poisonous like holly, but the leaves are safe. They have a property in them that stops bleeding on cuts. It attracts the plantlets to stimulate clotting and scabbing." She started harvesting some of the leaves. "It's not a miracle healing plant like the Arkley herbs, but they should do in a pinch."
Kat nodded. "I think I remember this plant. It was…" She rubbed at the leaves thinking, feeling the waxy soft texture. "There was something similar in Norway?" She asked and shook her head. "I can't remember but the leaves on that version could be used in a tea to help with Asthma and sooth sore throats."
Lara nodded. "Well, let's not test that. This plant can give bad stomach aches if ingested."
Kat nodded as they packed the leaves away, just in case. They followed an open path to a cliff top and their eyes widened at the sight. Below them and in the distance. Grouped together were several small steel structures. They were old and rusty but still standing and judging by the buildings, the small water towers, and long low building, this was from the cold war, the 70's and 80's. They were also of Russian design, of the Soviet days.
"An abandoned Cold War installation…" Lara breathed as she and Kat pulled glow sticks, cracking them and hooking them on their belts.
"Not very abandoned anymore…" Kat voiced as she looked at all the modern blue toned lights and the two helicopters that flew to the base.
"What the hell is Trinity doing down there?" Lara asked.
Kat shook her head. "They needed a base of operations. They…" Kat closed her eyes a moment, trying to call her notes into her mind. "I believe they are going to use the old tools they've found…" Kat remembered then, her eyes widening for a moment then closing. "Fuck."
"What?" Lara asked.
"Ana…she's…she's part of Trinity." Kat said looking at Lara worriedly.
Lara stared at her. She then shook her head. "No."
"Lara…"
"No. Kat, she…" Lara took a breath. "She loved my dad. She has been there for me since he died. She was there for our graduation! For when we got back from Yamatai! She's the one who got me my therapist."
Kat nodded holding up her hands in surrender. "Lara, I'm sorry, but it's what I remember."
"But your memories are faded, Kathrine." Lara pointed out, trying to not think about the possibilities or implications. "They aren't clear anymore. You said so yourself, you need your notes to remember."
Kat swallowed. Lara using her full name like that made her think back to when they were on Yamatai. "Look, if I'm wrong, great. But if I'm right, I don't want you blindsided or surprised."
Lara shook her head. "You'll be wrong." She then looked to the left of the path and spotted some old ruins. "More Mongol ruins…" She said getting Kat to look. "It looks like the path goes all the way through…"
Kat jolted as she spotted the bear from before, lumbering toward the path and the cave right there. "We'll have to get past that bear."
Country: Russia, State: Siberia, City: Siberian Wilderness, Place: Near Kitezh, Area: Mountain Meadow Cave, Month: November, Day: Saturday 25th, Year: 2000, Time: 20:18 KRAT…
Kat and Lara entered the cave and spotted something bright red.
"Those mushrooms…" Lara breathed walking to them and kneeling to examine them. "They're Deathcaps!" She gasped and pulled her knife.
"We could make a poison with those. Thinking what I am?" Kat asked picking up a small rock.
Lara nodded. "Make some poison tipped arrows for that bear."
They walked farther into the cave, collecting mushrooms as they went. Kat stopped when she spotted a body. An old skeleton in robes of some sort. She also spotted a tube for a scroll just a few feet from it. She grabbed it and opened it, finding a scroll inside. It was in old Italian.
"Lara, I'm not that great with old Italian." Kat called to her as she held out the scroll.
Lara looked up from the mushrooms and walked over. "Yeah, this is old Italian…like the ones in Syria."
I have learned all I can from the carnage inside the Prophet's Tomb. My brothers were slain, to the last man, sometime within the last few days. The false Prophet's followers died here by the hundreds, but in the end, they were victorious.
I have sealed the Tomb as best I can, and told men of nearby village that the Prophet is at last dead. I left them with subtle threat that this place should remain hidden. I do not know if the Prophet survived, but I will follow their trail.
No one escapes the Order of Trinity.
"The Order of Trinity sent a Tracker to follow the Prophet..." Lara said as she read it to Kat.
"They sound like assholes that use "God" for justifying bullshit." Kat gritted.
Lara cringed. "They do…"
Country: Russia, State: Siberia, City: Siberian Wilderness, Place: Near Kitezh, Area: Mountain Meadow Camp, Month: November, Day: Saturday 25th, Year: 2000, Time: 20:21 KRAT…
Lara yawned as they finished making the poison tipped arrows. "We…we should rest properly."
Kat sighed. "I'll take first watch."
"No—"
"Lara, you're the one between us that got hurt. I'll keep watch for a few hours, then I'll wake you up and you keep watch for a few hours." Kat said as she pulled her spear as a ready weapon. "Get some sleep, let the herbs do their job."
Lara sighed but nodded, crawling into the small shelter. The moment she had fully laid down, she was out from exhaustion.
Country: Russia, State: Siberia, City: Siberian Wilderness, Place: Near Kitezh, Area: Mountain Meadow Camp, Month: November, Day: Sunday 26th, Year: 2000, Time: 05:32 KRAT…
"No, you listen to me!" Lord Croft yelled into a phone. "This discovery is too important." He said as young Lara peered around a corner of the study to see her father pacing. "I don't give a damn about my reputation! Don't you dare threaten me!" He yelled leaning on his desk aggressively. "After everything I've done! Hello?" He asked annoyed. "Hello!?" He yelled but found he'd been hung up on.
He slammed the old phone down in anger. Lara had gulped and walked into the study more and saw him just leaning there over his desk. He was so tense.
"Dad, what's happening?" She asked, her voice and this memory told her this was when she was 11.
"They're fools!" Her father yelled making her startle and frown.
She swallowed as she stopped in front of his desk. "You're scaring me." She told him as her eyes flicked to a newspaper that had the title 'DISGRACED! Renowned Historian's Wild Claims Debunked!'.
"I'm close, Lara…" Lord Croft said with a lighter voice. "Close to something important." He looked to Lara getting her to look at him. "Someday…You'll understand."
Lara shook her head as she backed up. "I don't want to understand!" She yelled at him, the anger, confusion, and sadness rushing out of her in that moment. "I want you to stop." She begged, wanting her fun relaxed father back. The father he had been when she was five. "Be my dad again!" She then ran out of the room.
A gunshot echoed around the meadow. Lara jolted awake. They had alternated watches, this was Kat's second watch. They gasped wide eyed as they got up and got weapons ready, both had their bows out.
"Sofia! Keep moving!" Yelled a male voice in the distance.
"Come on! We've got 'em!" Called another male voice, but it sounded much more out of breath.
Another gunshot went off. Then they heard yells of pain. After a moment of quiet they heard the voice from before.
"Go!"
Another gunshot.
"Run her down!" Another voice called.
"Ready?" Kat asked as her Valkyrie voice came out at the thought of the men hunting a woman or girl from the sound of it.
Lara nodded. She could feel how much Kat had been waiting for some form of action. She thought for a moment. "No. We need to move and hide. They have to have seen the light and smoke."
Kat sighed but nodded. "Yes. Good idea." Her speech becoming formal as she stayed alert with the Valkyrie so close to the surface.
They ducked into a better hiding spot, putting their glow sticks in the pocket to douse the light. Then they watched and waited. A man in whiteout winter clothing and gray face scarf walked into the small clearing. He was only focused on their campfire and shelter. He got close then raised his rifle. He pulled the trigger and fired at their shelter, clearly expecting there to be someone inside it.
Kat's nose twitched. He didn't know who was in there. What if there had been an injured member of his own team? She shook her head. She couldn't understand that reaction. The man rushed to it then pulled the branches away from the shelter's entrance, shining the light of his gun around it. He seemed confused that no one was inside the rounded branch and twig shelter.
He walked to some bushes were Kat and Lara had once been hidden but had moved to the trees using the sounds of him digging in their camp to cover their movements.
"All teams report in. What's the situation? Over." A voice from the radios the men carried could be heard.
The man stopped and grabbed his radio. "We found another camp up here." He voiced as Kat pulled her spear putting her bow away. "Fire's going out, but still going." He looked around, never looking up. They never look up. "They can't be far. Over."
"Comms are still spotty. So, stay in close." Said the voice on the radio. "We need to find them before they can organize another raid."
"Rodger that. We'll make a full sweep." He said as Kat looked at Lara in the opposite tree.
Lara nodded at Kat. Letting her make the move. Kat smiled the smallest bit.
'Finely.' She thought as she switched how she held her spear, so the head point was pointed at the ground and the man below.
She jumped from the branch, raising her spear up. Her body curled a bit as she fell, gripping her spear with both hands, she thrust it downward as she fell. The momentum, and downward stabbing movement was all it took for her spear to sink with a crunching shuck into the man's neck. He gasped on his own blood for a few seconds as Kat rode him to the snowy ground.
Kat stood over him in a crouch and yanked her spear from him. As Lara jumped down and joined her in the bushes, Kat quickly checked his body. She took his rifle. It was a sniper rifle like hers, but it held a clip of rounds, unlike hers that she had to load in one round at a time. She just had to pull the slide to pop the spent brass and it simultaneously readied the next bullet.
"Command, we're fanning out to pick up the trail." Said one of the other men in the group that was in the area.
"Rodger that, but it looks like they've retreated." Said the other man that had entered their camp. "Primary objective is to find the missing survey team."
The man was right in front of the bushes. Lara's turn. She rushed him, swinging her axe across his face. He was stunned and spun a bit with the force of the blow. Lara switched her axe for her bow and got up behind him. She slung the front of her bow around his neck and pulled tight. He gurgled as he tried to breath, but Lara pulled him back into the cover of the bushes. She twisted her bow to drive him down face first into the snow, his feet kicking the leaves and branches as he fought to get free. She knelt on his back to keep him pinned down. With a sharp twist of the bow, Lara snapped his neck.
The crack made Kat the smallest bit jealous, but she also like the fight, watching it as much as doing it. Lara checked his body for anything useful then they moved to a new spot. They split up to take on the men in the meadow. Lara staying low in a bush, Kat in a tree.
"Ah…shit!" Growled one of the men as Kat readied her spear. "Spread the word: the natives set snares in the clearing…" He said into the radio, being so loud that Lara and Kat both knew he had to be American. "They must have planned for us to peruse them…God damnit."
Kat and Lara moved toward him to get a better look at what he was talking about. They saw what it was he was upset about. One of his own men hung upside down from a tree with several arrows in his chest. He was defiantly dead and dripping blood. The snow beneath him turning red like a demonic snow cone.
"They weren't retreating." The man said as Kat looked to Lara. "This was a faint. They're still out here. Brinker's KIA."
Lara looked up at Kat and nodded. Kat smiled again and crouched more on her branch. She then jumped from it with her spear at the ready like before. She fell onto the man, knocking the wind from him with her double foot kick. She was on his back as she slammed her spear into the back of his neck, stopping any scream and killing him. Kat then yanked her spear from him and with Lara's help, dragged him into the bushes.
After looting him of ammo, they both climbed up and into the trees, splitting up to cover more ground. Lara jumped from a tree to a drop off and gripped the edge. She waited for her target to come close. She peered over the edge and saw him walk to a different edge, his back to her. Good enough. She pulled herself up and scurried in a crouch toward him.
"All teams, keep your eyes open." The voice on the radio warned as Lara got behind the man. "The natives have booby-trapped the woods." He informed as Lara drew her bow. "Get on the radio, see if you can raise the facility."
She looped her bow around the man's neck, pulling tight and backing up. He choked and struggled to breath. Lara turned and with a sharp twist of her bow, snapped his neck. Quietly she lowered him to the ground with a huff. Kat meanwhile was above the last two men. She pulled her axe out with on hand and tightened her hold on her spear with the other.
"Last signal we got said they were under attack, then nothing. It was just a few minutes after the natives hit us outside the ruins." One of the men said.
"Then they retreated, away from the facility…" The other said. "This was a coordinated faint. They're trying to spread us out." He stated as Kat fought hard to wait for him to finish up, he might say something useful. "Intel crew fucked this up. These aren't peasants."
"Yeah…these are guerrilla tactics." The other said nodding, making Kat feel like Batman listening to goons in the Arkham games. "They knew to go straight for the comms array as soon as we showed up."
"Shit." The other said. "We're gonna need counterinsurgency protocols. It'll blow out the timetable. Konstantin's not going to like this." He huffed once. "But it's better than being picked off in the dark."
Lara in that moment jumped at a guy that would've spotted Kat. She sank her axe point into his head before he even made a sound. Just as they sank into the snow, another radio buzzed.
"Head's up, we haven't restored the uplink, expect interference on all transmissions." The radios said as Lara stood and looked at the two-man Kat had her eyes on.
Lara drew her bow and aimed at one of the last men patrolling and waited for the right moment. At Kat's leap Lara loosed her arrow. It sank into the man's skull. Just as the two men turned at the sound of body falling, Kat let out a yell and sank her climbing axe it one guy's skull and stabbed her spear into the chest of the other.
She rode them both to the snowy floor and shook her head. That was a good rush. She stood and yanked her spear from the chest and kicked the head from her axe. Lara came over.
"You seemed to enjoy that." Lara pointed out as Kat flicked her weapons free of blood, bone, and brain matter.
"I hate to say it, but I did." Kat admitted. "It's the battle lust."
Lara nodded as they looked at the bodies. Lara found a tape recorder. More modern than her father's and smaller. She hit the play button and they both listened.
"We're gearing up. I was on the first flight to Siberia to secure the old Soviet installation. Now more are arriving every minute. Konstantin gave a speech to the new boots, and I stayed in the back to watch. Love hearing him speak, never gets old. I was never much for believing, it was just words before. This is something more. It's truth.
I was broken once, but Trinity is making us whole again, giving us a purpose. A new world awaits. Even those who don't believe will have a part to play."
"Some sort of private journal...One of Trinity's soldiers..." Lara voiced getting Kat to look over from putting her axe and spear away on her hip and back.
"That guy sounded like he's part of a cult. Won't be the last one any of us face." Kat groaned. "I hate cults."