For the Thrill of It | Nathan Drake

[ 006 ] don't be a spain in the butt

Chloe leads her to a ginormous fountain that splits the plaza in two. Tate, moving on autopilot, doesn't stop to think before jumping in after her and clomping awkwardly through the calf-deep water like a newborn horse.

"These - boots - were - a - hundred - and - fifty - dollars!" she exclaims between every step.

The water splashes up her calves and drenches the legs of her pants, causing them to stick to her skin once she clambers out of the fountain and back onto the street. Then she's running again, her wet shoes squelching in time with them striking the pavement, making her movements much less graceful as she fights gravity. The last thing she needs is to eat shit when she's this close.

Her target slides over the hood of a car and sprints toward a small parking area. Tate makes a wide turn and approaches the black SUV that Chloe is running toward from the opposite side, her arms pumping wildly and her heartbeat thundering in her ears.

She times it just right. Chloe unlocks the car and Tate flings herself into the passenger side. When Chloe climbs in and starts the vehicle, it's obvious she hadn't heard Tate, so she jumps at the sight of her.

"What the fuck?" she demands.

"Hey." Tate smiles at her before lunging.

She isn't sure what she's aiming for - the face, the bag, or even the start button to cut the engine - but Chloe fights her hands away like a bat out of hell. She slams her foot on the gas, causing an unbuckled Tate to fall forward into the dashboard. She releases a pained grunt when her abdomen barrels into the center console and her side connects with the glove compartment.

Something smacks against the hood and Chloe breaks hard. Tate jerks her head up to see Nathan - soaking wet, probably having fallen into the fountain - shaking a finger at Chloe like an angry old man.

"Listen!" he shouts. "You don't know where you're going with them keys! Look, you're looking for a tree, right?"

"Piss off!" Chloe yells back through the window.

She lurches the car forward again, and Tate is about to swing her elbow back and smash it into Chloe's face before she runs Nathan over when he speaks, causing her to pause.

"Whoa! Listen to me! The eighteen were willing to wait years to go back for the gold. They wouldn't have picked a tree as a marker. They would've picked something more permanent."

His eyes briefly meet Tate's, showing that he'd understood what she'd hypothesized on the plane.

Chloe, however, doesn't seem to care. "You're full of shit."

Tate's gaze flickers between her and Nathan, unsure if she should keep attacking her or stop for the moment.

Luckily, Sully appears and chooses for her. "Hey. Let her go. Tate, get out of the car."

Tate levels Chloe with a threatening 'I don't care what Sully says, I will grab onto the back of this car while you're driving if I have to' look before exiting the vehicle. She slams the door shut and walks toward the two men, crossing her arms over her chest.

"She knows where to use the keys, then she doesn't need us, right?" Sully continues.

Tate fights a smirk off her face when she realizes their plan. This is the exact tactic that would work on her- get her to admit that she needs them. Maybe she and Chloe are more alike than she'd initially realized.

"Okay," Nathan says, raising his arms in surrender as he moves out of the way. "Be my guest. Get out of here."

"Thank you."