"Welcome my dear!" – the fat man started to talk in a far too sweet voice. "I'm really glad you joined this little gathering."

"What do you want from me?" – Lara growled, not even caring about the gun held against her head. Her voice was not more than a low grunt.

"You don't even want to know who I am?" – he wondered with a huge smile on his face. "I'm very disappointed at your manners." – he slowly shook his head, but did not stand up from the chair that was painfully squeaking under his weight.

"If you tell me your name, all the best. It will take me less time to find you afterwards." – Lara kept her eyes on him. The guy kneeling next to her stirred a bit, but gave up when the gun was pushed harder against the back of his neck.

"I'm Aldrich Archer Wellington" – he said proudly, but his smile weakened a bit when Lara showed no sign of recognition.

"I still have no idea what you want from me. Don't waste my time!" – Lara suddenly felt angry, forgetting about her despair for a while. Why did this man drag her here and keep a gun against her head?

"As you wish." – he nodded and at his signal the men standing behind Lara grabbed her and the guy, pulling them forcefully to their feet and tossing them towards the backside of the tent. Her eyes narrowed at Wellington, who obviously felt in charge. It was hard to walk in the sand while someone was tossing her from behind, but Lara said nothing. Pride and negligence were fighting in her, and the latter found its way through. So she let them toss her once again. Though curiosity slowly appeared and made her wonder what she was seeing. There was a dark hole in front of them, maybe two meters bright.

When Wellington walked over to them, his men forced Lara and the stranger to their knees again. Now he was wearing a wide hat against the sun that was rising ever higher in the clear blue sky.

"What is this?" – Lara wanted to know, looking curiously at the gap.

"This, my dear, is what I brought you here for." – he walked a bit closer, but kept some distance. The man in the mask was standing right behind him. For no certain reason Lara kept her gaze on his hidden face. "I found the tomb of Imhotep and I want the golden book of Egypt." – he said casually.

"Oh… I think you are watching too many movies." – Lara laughed out, her voice suddenly light and easy. This guy could not be serious, she thought to herself. Only the tight ropes around her wrist kept her aware that she was not dreaming. A few hours ago she was still ambling around in her manor and now she was kneeling in Egyptian sand, looking at the tomb of Imhotep? What an incredible irony of life.

"I'm glad you find the situation so entertaining. Then I guess it won't be a problem for you to get it for me." – he continued easily, cleaning his sweating forehead with a tissue.

"Why don't you get it yourself?" – Lara asked, but she was more and more curiously measuring the hole in front of her. Could it be true? The tomb of Imhotep? Would this man be able to find what archaeologists were looking for in vain for decades?

"I think that's enough talking." – Wellington's voice suddenly got deeper, the sweet smile disappeared from his face. "You'll get the book for me, and I let you go after that."

"What if I don't?" – Lara felt that the situation was getting more serious. This man looked like a lunatic and she was more and more certain that he believed what he had said.

"I think my friend here" – he nodded towards the masked man – "told you about your options. I don't want to hurt anyone. It would be a shame if you forced me to." – he fixed his gaze on her, some kind of silent madness appeared in his greenish eyes. "About the rules." – he continued after deciding Lara understood her situation. "You have fifteen hours to get the book and bring it to me. If you don't comply, a phone call to England is enough and you know what would happen."

Anger glinted in Lara's eyes when she looked up at him again. She pulled her shoulder, trying to get rid of the man holding her, but did not manage.

"So that you don't feel alone, I organized some company for you." – they tossed the stranger forward, he stumbled to the opening. When he tried to resist, he was hit on the head and he fell into the hole. Lara opened her mouth to oppose, but it was too late.

"You've lost your mind." – she groaned under her breath.

"Please don't say such things. I might take it as an offense." – he smiled again, though his smile was anything but friendly. "I give you the choice. You go by yourself or we'll help you."

There was silence for a while, no one said a word. Lara moved her stare from Wellington to the opening and then back to the man. She lowered her head in surrender.

"I need a gun." – she said in a low voice.

"I don't think so." – Wellington shook his head, seemingly amused. "You'll do fine as you are." – he nodded. The masked man walked over to Lara. He gently pulled her up from the ground, standing behind her. While he freed her hands, he leaned closer.

"Just do as he tells you and it'll be alright." – he whispered in her ears so that no one else could hear it. Lara looked down into the opening, the stranger was lying at the bottom. It was only about two meters deep, so he most probably did not get hurt.

"The countdown starts now." – Wellington said, waited till Lara jumped down and walked back to the tent.

"Was this really necessary?" – the masked man asked while he removed the plastic from his face. A deep scar was running from his forehead down to the corner of his lips. "You could have hired her without threatening her."

"That's not your business. Just do what I pay you for. Lara Croft is strong, she will get me what I want." – he sat back into the chair and drank from the bottle standing on the table next to him. The scar-faced man waited for a moment, then left without saying a word.

Lara landed safely on the floor and hurried over to the guy lying motionless. She had no idea who he was or why he was there. Wonderful, she thought while trying to check if he was injured. She couldn't just leave him there. Her hand moved, grabbed the edge of the sack, pulling it off his head.

"What the hell?" – she stumbled back in shock when she saw his face.