UNCHARTED: Strange Relic

IX.

"It's been a while, dear." Javier's smile widens as his eyes gaze down Lara's stretched out body. "I mean, I haven't seen you since you were just a child, but wow! Time sure has been good to you!"

He reaches out to touch her but she reluctantly pulls back.

"You sick bastard." Drake snaps. "What is wrong with you?"

Javier gasps dramatically. "What is wrong with me?! Look around, whoever you are. I'm rich. I fund dozens of expeditions, sell thousands of treasures, have my own army, and don't have to lift a finger." He lets out a loud, high-pitched laugh that sounds more like a shriek. "So, I would say nothing is wrong with me."

Drake glares at him, his face turning red either from the frustration building or the blood travelling down from his limp arms.

"My life is set." Javier continues to gloat. "But I can't say the same for you, can I?"

"Where's my pendant?"

Javier turns to Lara, his eyebrows raised high. "Excuse me? Your pendant?" He steps closer to her. "Honey, let me stop you right there. Whatever you confuse as yours, actually belongs to me. Your daddy still owes me money, money that I'll probably never see." His hand gestures in the air. "So consider that little necklace a few cents off this month's bill."

She shakes her head, her eyes gazing over to the weapons on the floor.

He follows her stare and laughs. "What, you want to kill me? Now, is that a way to treat an old family-friend?" He walks over to grab the weapons and tosses them onto the desk, then turns back their direction. "Sorry to disappoint, but that's not going to be an option. But if it's options you want, I'll give you another. Which one would you like me to use on you?"

Drake shakes his head. "You're crazy!"

"Not talking to you." Javier snaps, glaring at him, before turning his focus back to Lara. "I'm giving you the luxury, honey." He glances down at the weapons as he sits on the desk to go through them. "I mean, all of these would take you out pretty fast. You won't feel much pain, if shot in the head of course." His face scrunches as he lifts the bow. "Except for this one. This might sting a bit."

Her eyes narrow as she stares at him, not saying a word.

"Well?" He asks snidely.

Still no response.

Sighing, he steps back onto the floor, still holding the bow. He sets it on the table and swaps it for the revolver. "Well, guess the choice is mine then." He turns to walk over to Lara as Drake continues to pull on his restraints. "Just so you know, I am a gentlemen. I prefer to make it fast when killing a lady."

Her voice is cold. She doesn't care at this point. "Go to hell."

Javier smiles. "Oh, I'm sure I will." His arm extends as he aligns the barrel with Lara's forehead. "And I'll tell your daddy you said 'hi'."

His fingers rest on the trigger and he closes his eyes—just as Drake pulls one last time, the hook tearing from the wall.

Drake lunges forward, knocking the gun out of Javier's hand as he pins him to the wall, using the rope between his tied hands to strangle him.

The two guards quickly run into the room, guns pointed at Drake.

"Drop the guns or I snap his neck." Drake says, his tone dead serious. The guards do so as they stare at their boss' pleading eyes. "Now cut her free."

One guard pulls a knife out of a holster and walks over to Lara. He cuts her free and she snatches the knife, kicking him in his chest and sending him flying into the wall. She quickly cuts at the rope to get her hands free.

She grabs the handgun from the desk and points it at the guards as she approaches Drake and Javier. Still aiming at them with one hand, she uses the other to cut at the rope between Drake's hands until it snaps, the blade grazing Javier's neck. He winces in pain but doesn't say anything.

Lara hands the knife to Drake and he lifts it up to hold the blade against Javier's neck. She slightly lifts his shirt, and he smirks, as she shoves the handgun underneath his belt.

"Here's the deal." Drake says to the guard in front of him, and the one rolling over on the floor. "We're going to walk out of here and you're going to tell your little friends not to shoot or follow us."

Lara walks back over to the desk to grab her bow and pouch of arrows.

"And if they do, I'm going to slit your boss' throat." Drakes digs the blade into Javier's neck.

The two mercenaries nod nervously and, moments later, Drake and Lara are walking through the front doors of the museum with Javier stumbling in front of them. She cautiously aims her bow around, readying just in case one of them decides to open fire.

"Are you going to let me go now?" Javier asks.

Drake applies more pressure against the knife handle. "If I were you, I'd shut up."

Drake leads them to a stolen, unlicensed jeep he has parked about half a mile past the museum's gate. Lara still aims around to make sure no one is in pursuit of them.

"What now?" Lara asks, looking over at the jeep then at Javier.

Digging his keys out of his pocket, Drake pulls the blade away from Javier's neck and shoves him forward. Javier tumbles to the ground. "We could leave him here."

Lara approaches Javier, looking down at him as helplessly crawls backwards. "Yeah. I suppose we could." She smirks as she aims the bow at him. "But here's another option."

She pulls the trigger.