Somehow I had made it into a world of clouds. A voice lingered through it, but I couldn't understand it. "Where am I?" I asked the strange world I was in. Everything was white.

"Quickly girl…" I spun around.

"Von Croy?" I questioned.

"I couldn't leave you…"

"Where are you? Where am I?"

"Sanctum of the Ancients…"

"What? I can't hear you!"

"Cambodia…" Suddenly Von Croy appeared in the distance. I ran out to him. He disappeared as some rocks fell down.

"AHHHHHHH!" I was falling, falling forever. The clouds in the sky faded, as darkness surrounded me.

"You have unique strengths Lara. Learn to use them." Putai's voice came.

"But how will I remember Putai?"

"Whenever your needs are strong, remember the amulet." She said.

"But…but the past still troubles me…" I turned my head sideways, as I landed on ashes. Ashes of my home…

"You will learn…"

"Ugh…ah." I sat up in the bus that I'd made my way to the night before. I checked my watch. The time was 6:00 a.m. I stepped outside. I went to talk to some homeless people when I saw a light.

"Damnit! More police!" I whispered. He turned around, I tackled him to the ground, and shot him.

"What did Werner get himself into? Maybe his notebook will help." I flicked through Werner's notebook, and stopped at a page that said

'Bouchard- useful contact. Purchased handgun – discretion assured.'

I ignored the homeless, and climbed on top of the bus. I jumped up onto a pipe, and made my way into the streets. A prostitute stood next to me, smoking a cigarette.

"Not a lot of passing trade at this hour?" I asked her.

"It's early yet. Move along Ma cher. You make the place look crowded."

"I wouldn't worry. We're not in the same class." I countered.

"That attitude won't get you far round here sweet thing."

"I just want to find someone. Name of Bouchard."

"You won't find him here Ma cher. He did run the club across the road, but had to move premises. There was a lot of trouble I heard. "

"Oh. I'm trying to track down a friend's movements."

"Lost is he?"

"Dead. But he made contact with Bouchard before he…checked out."

"Tell you what. There's two guys who used to work at Le Serpent Rouge. Pierre, the barman who works at Café Metro. Bernard, the miserable old devil cleaner, who hangs around in the park sometimes."

"Thanks. I didn't catch your name."

"Janice. Everyone knows me around here." I walked off. "I'll need some cash. " I thought.

A newspaper seller was sitting at a fence. I walked over, and talked to him.

"Do you know someone called Bouchard?" I asked
"I've been on this spot for five years. I know everyone."
"Do you know how he can be contacted?"
"Directly? No. And I hope I never have to."
"To save time how could I avoid having to talk to every inhabitant in this side of the river?"
"Without the right connections – my guess, no one would talk to you. And a lot depends on how you ask your questions, not who you ask."
"I've found that already. Well, let's say I offered to 'buy' something from someone…"
"They might remember something helpful. But what do I know. I only sell papers and magazines M'moiselle."
"Do you have any foreign newspapers? The London Times?"
"As chance would have it I do." I pulled out some cash I'd picked up on the streets, and gave it to me. He gave me The London Times, and I read it.

'NEWSFLASH - The Monstrum has struck again. This time the victim was a professor Margot Carvier of the department of Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the Louvre. Her body was discovered yesterday and police want to interview a woman seen leaving the premises around the time of the murder. She is described as Caucasian, brunette, about 1.8m and slim build. When last seen she was wearing jeans, dark jacket and a pony tail. This follows the similar murder of Prof Werner Von Croy a world renowned archaeologist murdered two days ago in his apartment…'

Carvier! Great, I'm now known as a murderer in England as well! Perfect! I put the newspaper in the bin. Someone ran past, and I stopped them.

"Does Louis Bouchard live round here?" I asked them.

"Stop hasslin' me!" He ran off.

I entered Café Metro and glanced at the corner. Someone sat there.

"Have you met someone called Bouchard?"

"I'm a stranger round here."

"Ok. Thanks anyway." I walked over to Pierre and talked to him. He gave me a key to the Serpent Rouge Night Club and asked me to claim his trinket box. I exited Café Metro, and was confronted by Police. I jumped into a manhole.

Okay. Sorry about Pierre not speaking. It's just I was bored of making them speak and it would take up too much room. Hope you enjoyed! Oh by the way, next chapter will have Kurtis speaking as well.