She was asleep; a self-satisfied grin on her loveley face.

Carter sat at the foot of their bed, his face bathed in the warm glow of the tablet. His father was once again talking to him as he typed back in response to allow Lara to sleeep... he should have known better.

The glow of the tablet was soon eclipsed by the almost white pink of the ruby. He smiled as he felt the soft fullness of her breasts and the warmth of her sex against his back as she rubbed her naked body against his.

He blushed and turned his eyes to hers as she kissed his mouth eagerly, indifferent to the eyes now staring at them.

She slid over to his side, baring her left breast to the screen. Carter cupped it gently, covering the nipple wit his palm as he tried to move the screen away, and pull his lips from Lara's to let her know they had an audience.

The earpiece plug came out.

"OH GROW UP ALBERT! SO SHE LIKES BEING NAKED! I THINK SHE'S PERFECT! THE DAFT LITTLE SHITE REALLY FOUND A KEEPER THIS TIME!" His mother was heard to scream, then almost whispered as the sound of her screaming looped, "Let them have their fun before we tell her... poor girl."

Lara turned to the screen, moving behind Evan again, "Tell her what?"

"Mum and dad have a new friend," Evan said softly, "Perfect companion for these two, really; he's both blind and deaf."

"Very funny," his father said without emotion, "Lady Croft," he said softly, "Did you know a boy named Derek Alan Johnson?"

Lara turned white, "DID?" The ruby suddenly turned vermillian.

Evan stared at his lover as her gaze went as stern as wrath, "What happened?"

"We received a parcel. Hand delivered by a man I can only describe as... evil. I have no other word. We opened it when our new friend here told us it was ok. There was a note, a recording disk, and..."

"Derek's eyes," she hissed. "He cut out his eyes... for knowing me."

"How...?" Evan asked as his father went silent in disbelief.

Lara pressed her fingers to her lovers lips, "Later." was all she said, "The note."

"Greeetings... from Hell," Albert began, "How I have admired your progress in finding me. Oh yes... you have been searching for me for a while little Countess. 'Answers', answers, answers... well - here I am. I am the one who has been the well-spring of your very existence, your cause, your relentless NEED to know WHY. So hell bent on pursuing the why behind the events of your life... your fathers life... you missed out on others lives - like Derek here. How he watched you from afar, unseen by you. WELL. Here you are, a gift from me to you, to remind you to keep an eye out for opportunities. I'll keep sending you reminders as you ponder this HERO. OR - COME AND GET ME. Sincerely -. There was no name."

She was about to speak.

"Don't," the seer's voice sighed softly off camera, "You need more than your rage to beat them. You need to make them feel terror. Make HIM know it. Just listen to the recording. Listen..."

They played the disk: the Ripper threatening the police officer who shot him.

"Who is he?," Lara asked, tears welling in her eyes.

"Five... four... three... two... ."

Lara's cellphone came to life. At the same instant lightening struck the ziggurat - three times in rapid succcession.

"Why do I get the feeling that's not a wrong number?" Evan all but whispered to his lover.

"Hello?" Lara sighed as her tears flowed. The ruby nearly burned her.

"KARE WA WATASHI NI KORE OSHIMISENDESHITA!" Sam's voice screamed over the phone.

Lara closed her eyes as the tears flowed, "She said, 'He did this to me.'"