Death Raids A Heart

Pt. XI

Early the next morning, Lara awoke to find herself the only one up. Stretching, the brunette groaned as she stared down at David who remained in slumber on the couch which caused her to giggle at how adorable she found him as he slept. Instantly, David snorted awake, his gaze already set on Lara as he looked flirtatiously at her, mainly at her breasts and the lower part of her body to which she giggled more and planted her hands on his chest. 

"Good morning." Lara purred. 

"Hey, beautiful." David replied with a wink. "How are you feeling?" 

Lara shrugged her shoulders. "Sore." 

"Want a massage? I could do a good job on your back if you like--" 

"N-No! I, I mean... no thank you." 

Sceptically, he stared at her before tapping her thigh so she could let him sit up and stretch himself before going to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Begging for comfort, Lara walked up behind David and wrapped her arms around his stomach as she pushed herself against him and left kisses along the exposed part of his neck. David turned around so that he was now facing the brunette who fancied kissing him on his lips. 

David glanced at her left arm and gently spoke. "Your arm okay?" 

Lara nodded quickly and pressed herself against his chest, her hands cupped his cheeks. While the yolk of the eggs he cracked sizzled, the young couple whispered flirty comments to one another until someone clearing their throat ruined the moment, only to find Jonah sitting up and staring at the couple. 

"Good morning big fella." David said with a louder voice. 

"Hey. What's cooking?" Jonah groaned as he sat up. 

"Scrambled eggs." 

"Smells good." 

"For food you're not cooking." 

"Hey, c'mon. After everything I've taught you, you still think you're gonna screw up scrambling some eggs?" 

David tipped his head to the side and smirked. "Fair point. You two ready to head out? Abby told me to tell you guys that she wants to get going soon 'cause there'll be deliveries coming in and it'll take an hour before they get out of the way - it's a one-way road, mind you." 

"Then we'd better get ready," said Lara. 

After breakfast, everyone got prepared before they moved out by having Abby drive them to the Mission of San Juan. Once at the Mission, the four heard church bells ring as they all climbed out of Abby's Jeep and made their way into a courtyard where they'd split up in search for Abby's archaeologist of a friend, Sara - in hopes that she'd assist in solving the riddle. For an hour, the group wandered the Mission asking about the riddle Lara was stuck on. It didn't take long for Lara to discover a crypt that would point her in the right direction where she wanted to go with David in her company. 

"So there's a crypt around here somewhere? Sisters, how are you?" David inquired as they walked past two nuns who regarded them with a formal bow. 

"A secret crypt." Lara asked as she hooked her arm around his when she noticed some of the local women stare at David and giggle and laugh secretively. 

"Why secret? If Lopez is involved, there's bound to be a trick." 

"That's a solid theory. What about you? Did you find anything?" 

"I got a pamphlet. Seven Steps Closer to God." 

Lara laughed. "Who knows, maybe it'll help?" 

To a library, Lara and David were greeted by dust that made them cough upon entering the room where they searched for anything that felt like a crypt was nearby. Spreading out, the two pulled open weak walls to find murals. Despite the racket of tearing open the walls, David whistled a well known song when back downstairs, they made another discovery. Upon lifting a cross, a secret trap floor was opened. Like the Stations of the Cross, David and Lara explored new areas when they climbed down into the pit where they made more and more discoveries; more and more clues throughout the crypt. 

"Well, this looks inviting," commented David upon entering the Sixth Station filled with mummies and such. 

Working a light mechanism, Lara wound a wheel that enabled them to trigger devices until a door opened, to where they finally came to discover the location of the Box, inscribed in black read, 'Only the hands of the Righteous One may seize destiny from mine.' Nervously, Lara took the Box into her hands before sighing in relief that nothing happened that instant until a rumbling caused the floor beneath them to break, submerging them underwater. 

Lara swam as she held the Box in her arm as the ceiling of the underwater cave broke apart down on her. Lara swam in desperation for air knowing that she had to reach the surface immediately, only by the time Lara had resurfaced, she found that David was captured and held at gunpoint by Trinity, Dominguez and Rourke. While Lara had the element of surprise, she contemplated her next move while Dominguez interrogated the younger man. 

"Where is she?" Dominguez questioned. 

"Where's who?" David pestered. 

"Don't you dare play dumb with me, boy. Not only I, but the whole of Trinity - the world, even - know of you and Lara Croft. I just need the Box. Tell me where she is, and you two can live happily ever after." 

"Oh yeah? Screw you! I ain't telling you shit!" 

"I guess we're done here, then." 

The man pointing his rifle at David kept his weapon steady as Rourke approached David and knelt on one knee, a knife produced as the man placed one hand on his shoulder, the other clenched tightly around the hilt of the blade. 

"I'm gonna enjoy this very much, asshole," said Rourke. "You know... I was disappointed I didn't get the chance to kill you before, but now... I'm going to savour this moment as I take your life while your girlfriend hears you call her name. And you know what? She's not gonna save you. She will suffer, then, she will also die." 

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! I, I think I remember!" David cried suddenly. 

As Lara hid in silence, her heart dropped in her chest as she anxiously awaited to hear what David had to say. Staying his hand, Rourke gave him a chance to speak until the sound of David headbutting Rourke and the soldier yelping entertained Dominguez as he gestured for his men to not do anything brash. 

Dominguez chuckled and crossed his arms while Rourke recovered from being headbutted. "I like you, David Gardner. But it is a shame your father could not live to see what you've become. You have my respect, boy. My only regret is that your father could not see that you could not accomplish this great opportunity. Pray to your God now while you can, David Gardner. You will be meeting him soon enough." 

"AMARU!!" A woman yelled. 

Emerging from her hiding, Lara stared at her enemies with the Box in her hands. 

"Let him go!" Lara demanded. 

"Don't do it, Lara." David yelled back when the man behind him hit him with the butt of his gun. "You little bitch!" 

Slowly, Lara approached Dominguez and offered the Box to him if he spared David's life. Dominguez took the Box, where he and the brunette argued over loss which lead to him revealing that her father's death was orchestrated by Dominguez himself in fear of the threat of the world to Paititi. David became upset with how Dominguez spoke down to Lara, which lead to him acting in retribution by spinning around to punch the man behind him before charging into Dominguez who knocked over Rourke before grabbing the Box and ran. 

"Stop him!" Dominguez cried as he and Rourke pursued David. 

As soon as the other man was knocked out, Lara was left to deal with Dominguez' forces. Running like he never ran before, David Gardner evaded armed soldiers as he did his best to outmanoeuvre Rourke and Dominguez until he was eventually caught by Rourke when help  came along to fight off the two Trinity members. Unfortunately, both David and Jonah were overpowered as a helicopter landed and the Box was delivered into Dominguez' care. 

It was there that Lara stumbled upon David and Jonah lying on the ground, sore from the beating they received as a helicopter flew off when Abby came to their assistance. Groaning in pain, Jonah took Lara's offered hand and got pulled up to his feet while David got up on his own. There, they told of what happened before Jonah was taken to Abby's Jeep while David remained headstrong and kept Lara company when a tremor rocked the area. Landslide.