Chapter 4

As Lara walked through the museum galleries, her eyes glimmered with excitement and wonder at the vast array of treasures that lay before her. One particular room that caught her attention was the Amazonian exhibit, which housed an impressive collection of paintings, statues, and other artifacts that she and her friend Liz had discovered back in 1999. As she gazed upon the intricate details of each piece, she marveled at how time had passed so quickly since their thrilling discovery.

Of all the paintings in the exhibit, the ones that intrigued her the most were those depicting Lauren, the legendary Amazonian warrior. The stories that were inscribed beneath each portrait revealed a tale of courage and strength, as Lauren battled both angels and demons to prove her worth. However, it was the one painting that gave Lara an eerie sense of deja vu. In the portrait, Lauren stood tall with a spear in one hand and her other hand resting on a bleeding stomach, while a warrior knelt before her and another man stood triumphantly atop them. What made this painting particularly unsettling was the striking resemblance between Lauren and Lara herself.

"It's like I'm looking at myself in the mirror," Lara mused to herself. She then noticed another painting depicting a warrior who bore a striking resemblance to her friend William, albeit with much more muscular features and determination than he possessed.

"William is many things, but a warrior? I don't think so," Lara chuckled to herself.

As Lara checked her watch, she realized with growing concern that it was already past one o'clock, and William was nowhere to be found. She gazed at a painting of four innocent-looking children playing together, but the inscription beneath it hinted at a much darker fate.

"They will grow apart, but the war of good and evil will bring them back," Lara read with a frown.

"What war?" she wondered, lost in thought.

Suddenly, a noise behind her interrupted her reverie, and she turned around to see who it was.

As Lara perused the Amazonian section of the gallery, admiring the intricately detailed paintings that adorned the walls, a familiar voice caught her attention. "These children remind me of our childhood," a man's voice said, causing her to spin around in surprise. To her delight, she saw that it was William, an old friend from her past.

"William!" Lara exclaimed, her face breaking into a smile. "I do not follow."

William hadn't changed a bit, with his piercing blue eyes and hair as brown as hers, hanging over his face and hiding his eyes. He approached her, stopping just inches away, clad in a black shirt with a demon picture upfront, jeans, and boots.

"I guess you really don't remember," he said, glancing up at the painting. "I've been studying it, the painting, and I came across a photo of when I was younger. Around the age of these children."

With a curious look, William handed Lara the photo, and as she studied it, she couldn't help but gasp in amazement. There in the photo were four children, playing together, but what caught Lara's eye was the one girl.

"That's me," Lara whispered, her mind racing. "How did I miss this? How did I forget this even?"

Lara looked up at the painting in wonder, her mind reeling at the similarities between the painting and the photo. It was as if fate was trying to tell her something, but she couldn't quite decipher what. She couldn't believe she had forgotten such a significant moment from her childhood, and now she couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

Lara's mind was racing with questions. How could she have forgotten her childhood friends? Why did the photo William showed her look exactly like the painting in the Amazonian section? Was it just a coincidence or was there something more to it?

As she looked back at the painting, she felt a chill run down her spine. It was as if the fates were trying to warn her of something. She couldn't explain it, but there was a sense of foreboding in the air.

"I should go check my father's journals," Lara thought to herself. "What was he doing in America at that time of my life and why did I forget it?"

She turned back to William, who was still looking at the painting with a furrowed brow.

"My sister was sent away after that day and we never heard from her again, and my brother ran away at the age of nineteen," he said, breaking the silence.

"I'm sorry," Lara said, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "But why would this photo look the same as the painting? The same garden is painted, the same house, and even our clothes look the same. But how and why?"

William shook his head. "I don't know, Lara. It's all so strange. But that's why I asked you to come to this gallery today. You have more experience in finding out puzzles like this one."

Lara nodded, still lost in thought. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this than just a simple coincidence. She needed to find out what it was and fast.

As the conversation continued, William handed Lara the artifact she had been searching for - the golden tiger. The small, heavy object was as valuable to Lara as any treasure she had ever found.

"I can't believe it. You had it the whole time," Lara said as she looked over the tiger with a mix of relief and disbelief.

William explained, "You left in such a hurry when you went to stop Seth that you left it behind." He watched as Lara inspected the artifact with a keen eye, admiring its intricate details and golden shine.

"Lara, there's something else you should know about the tiger," William said, grabbing her attention.

Lara raised her eyebrows in curiosity. "Go on," she urged him to continue.

William revealed, "There's a rumor that this tiger is the key to opening the real Amazonian's tomb and its treasure, the Spear."

Lara's heart skipped a beat as she considered the implications. If the rumor were true, the golden tiger could lead her to one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time.

William walked over to the Amazonian's painting, where Lauren was standing over the depiction of a warrior cradling a dead woman in his arms.

"Why do you think so?" Lara asked, still fixated on the tiger and its potential connection to the Amazonian tomb.

"What I read about the tiger suggests that it may have some connection to the prophecy of the Amazonian rising again," William explained, his voice full of excitement and intrigue.

Kurtis gazed up at the towering building before him and let out a despondent sigh. Somewhere inside was his brother, but the sheer size of the structure made it difficult to pinpoint his location. Kurtis realized that he needed to use his Farsee, but he couldn't do it in public.

He quickly ascended the stairs and made his way to the restrooms. The marble flooring and six public toilet doors provided a sense of solitude that Kurtis desperately needed. He checked each stall, ensuring no one was present, before locking himself in the last one.

With closed eyes and upturned palms, Kurtis allowed his soul to leave his body. Once he was certain his physical form was safe, he departed the restroom to locate his brother. He navigated through walls as quickly as he could, eventually finding William en route to Room 120. Kurtis committed the name to memory and returned to his body.

Reciting "Amazonian's story" to himself, Kurtis moved with haste, remaining unnoticed by staff and tourists. When he arrived at the designated room, he spotted William and a woman with her back to him. As he approached, William brandished a gun, causing Kurtis to dive for cover.

Peeking up from his hiding spot, Kurtis noticed one of Gunderson's men with a firearm in close proximity. He realized he could have easily been killed had it not been for William's quick reflexes.

As chaos erupted around him, Kurtis surveyed the scene before him. He watched in despair as the woman vanished with William, leaving behind a trail of screaming and panicked bystanders.

Lara was caught off guard when William suddenly pulled out his gun, fired at someone behind her, and seized her hand, yanking her along as he bolted away. She had no other option but to follow him, feeling his grasp tighten around her arm. In response, she readied her own firearm, just in case.

"I have no idea what's going on," Lara thought, "but I'll find out soon enough."

The duo sprinted out of the building alongside a throng of panicked individuals, finally coming to a halt by a red Toyota in the parking lot.

"Get in," William instructed, gesturing to the passenger door.

Lara complied without hesitation.

As William slammed the door shut, he continued firing his weapon in the direction of a man who bore a striking resemblance to him but appeared more muscular and battle-hardened.

"Is that his brother?" Lara pondered, observing as William shot aimlessly to keep the other man at bay.

With the threat seemingly subdued, William hastily climbed into the driver's seat and peeled out of the lot at breakneck speed, intent on putting as much distance between them and their pursuers as possible.

Kurtis scrambled out of the building, darting through the exits in a frantic bid to avoid being caught up in the chaos. The sound of wailing police sirens echoed in the distance as the panicked throngs of people stampeded past him.

"I better move fast," Kurtis thought to himself, acutely aware of his status as a wanted man.

He soon found himself in the parking area, where he immediately spotted his brother William. However, before he could even begin to process the situation, William opened fire on him. Kurtis, however, noticed that his brother was shooting around him, rather than directly at him.

"Perhaps it's best to retreat for now," Kurtis decided, stepping back as William clambered into the car and sped off down the road with his captive.

"Damn it! He got away," Kurtis muttered, mounting his motorcycle and revving the engine. He peeled out of the lot in hot pursuit of William's car, determined to catch up with them.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, causing Kurtis to swivel his head and spot Gunderson and his henchmen closing in on him.

"This just gets better and better," he grumbled to himself, as he kicked the bike into high gear and tore off in the direction of his brother's escape.

As they entered the apartment, Lara couldn't help but notice the mess and disarray. William closed the door behind them and offered her a drink.

"Water and some explanations to what just happened," Lara said, eyeing the mess around her.

William sighed and headed to the kitchen to fetch the drink. When he returned, he sat across from her and started explaining the situation.

"That guy I shot at in the car? That's my brother. We haven't spoken in years since he rebelled at nineteen," he said.

Lara was confused. "But if he's your brother, why did you shoot him?"

"I fired warning shots. I'm in some trouble, and I don't want him involved in it," William replied, rubbing his forehead.

"What kind of trouble?" Lara pressed.

"It's complicated and dangerous," he replied, hesitating.

But Lara wasn't going to back down. "William, whatever trouble you've gotten yourself into, I can help. I've been through worse than you can imagine."

William was torn. He appreciated her offer but couldn't risk getting her involved in his war.

"Lara, thank you for caring, but I can't involve you in this," he said, hoping to end the conversation.

But Lara wouldn't give up. "You can trust me, William," she said, taking his hand.

Before he could reply, a loud knock interrupted them, followed by a man's voice calling out his name.

William grabbed his gun from the coffee table, motioning for Lara to follow him. He peered through the peephole and saw his brother on the other side.

Lara looked at him, ready to fight, but William shook his head. "Go, Lara. Get out of here."

"Why? I don't run away from a fight," she protested.

"There's no time for that. Please, the window. There's a fire escape. I'll call you when it's safe," William said urgently, gesturing to the window.

Lara hesitated for a moment but saw the determination in his eyes. She nodded and made her way to the window, climbing out and down the fire escape. As she made her way to safety, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the situation than William was letting on.

Kurtis had managed to shake off Gunderson and his soldiers by weaving through traffic and taking the highway to town. He finally arrived at his brother's apartment block, a tall building in desperate need of a paint job. Two children sat playing at the entrance, but their smiles were unwelcoming, betraying their fear.

Kurtis smiled kindly at them before entering the building, glancing to his right to see an office. He guessed it belonged to the landlord, but it was empty. Kurtis needed to find his brother's room, number 70, and he knew it was on the fifth floor. Despite the elevator's presence, Kurtis opted for the stairs, as he had never been a fan of them.

As he climbed the stairs, weird noises emanated from the rooms he passed, but Kurtis tried not to dwell on them. Finally, he reached his brother's apartment and knocked on the door as hard as he could, calling out to William to let him know he was there.

"William, I know you're in there, open up. Now!" Kurtis shouted.

After a brief pause, the door opened, and Kurtis found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.

"William, is this how you treat your only brother?" Kurtis asked, raising his hands.

"Kurtis, you shouldn't have come," William's voice quavered. "You don't belong here."

Confused and concerned, Kurtis asked, "What's going on?"

"I want you to turn around and walk away," William said, still pointing the gun at Kurtis. "I'm serious."

But Kurtis refused to leave his little brother alone, not after losing their father. He pleaded with William, and eventually, the gun lowered, and William retreated to the living room, tears in his eyes.

As Kurtis took in the surroundings, he saw an old sofa with a rigid and coarse frame, two chairs on the opposite side, and a small coffee table in the middle. The kitchen sat on the left, with a few counters, a stove, a small fridge, and a sink. Kurtis closed the door behind him and sat on one of the chairs while William looked out the window.

Suddenly, Kurtis broke the silence. "Father was murdered."

William turned to him, disbelief written all over his face. "No... why didn't anyone tell me?"

"I came to find you because I didn't see you at the funeral. I wanted to make sure you were fine," Kurtis explained.

William was grateful but still shaken. "Who killed him? Was it Eckhardt?"

Kurtis nodded. "Yes, Eckhardt and his Cabal members."

William then asked what the plan was, and Kurtis explained it to him.

Lara checked into a small, old hotel close to William's apartment building. She preferred staying somewhere where there weren't many tourists. After booking her room, she made her way up to the last floor in the elevator. Her room was tiny, with just a single bed and a bedside table. She threw her backpack on the floor and collapsed onto the bed, ready to unwind, but her phone rang, interrupting her peace.

She answered the phone, hoping it was William, but it was an unknown number.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Lara. Please, before you hang up, let me speak," the person on the other end pleaded.

Lara recognized the voice. "What do you want, Werner?" she asked.

"I'm in trouble and need to talk to you. In person," he said.

Lara was hesitant. "Is this why you've been calling me non-stop? Because you need my help? Why should I even help you?"

Werner's voice sounded desperate. "Please, Lara. There's something dark going on, and I'm in trouble."

Lara sighed. "Fine. Where are you?"

"I'm in Paris. I'll send the address to your phone," he said.

"Okay, I'll see you in two days in Paris."

"Thank you, Lara," Werner said, and the call ended.

Lara stepped out onto the balcony and watched as the sun began to set. She couldn't help but think that her past was catching up with her once again.

William and Kurtis sat huddled over the scattered papers, trying to piece together their next move to find Eckhardt and the Cabal. William shared his findings on Eckhardt since their mother disappeared two years ago, but his father had taken over the investigation last year without any explanation.

Kurtis's phone beeped, and he read aloud a message from Steph revealing that the Cabal was heading to Prague in two weeks, but Eckhardt had hired someone to track down all five paintings. They would meet the tracker, Werner von Croy, in Paris in two days, and Eckhardt planned to kill him once he got what he wanted.

William wasted no time and called his friend, Larry, to arrange a flight to Paris as soon as possible. He explained to Kurtis that he knew Werner from a dig they did together two years ago. William's expression darkened as he shared that the woman Kurtis saw at the gallery was the same woman who had been buried alive two years ago. She had survived but didn't want anyone to know how.

Kurtis urged William to focus on their mission and reminded him that the less Werner knew about their involvement, the better. They discussed their plan to protect Werner and how they would get into the Strahov to confront Eckhardt and the Cabal. It was going to be a long night, but they needed to prepare for the worst.