Stranded

It has been a hell of a adventure for poor Lara, she had hoped to be back to her hotel suite by midnight last night but unfortunately that was not be. Still exhausted from all that has happened, her eyes getting heavier by the minute but she had to push on onward.

She was almost back at the hotel which she was staying in, besides this was not the place nor time for anyone to wander around. The jungles were notorious for housing some of the most dangerous predators known to men and who knows what else. The talk of there being different kind of tribes which will use you as a sacrificial lamb wasn’t that comforting either.

Alone with hardly any gas left, armed with nothing but the relic and no way of protecting herself. Although a very skilled in martial arts, little good would that do her if she were to be surrounded by countless men with spears or some wild animals.

The sky got darker all of a sudden, she felt her eyes getting heavier, struggling to keep the jeep straight she managed to stop just a bit off the road as she tried to keep herself awake.

It didn’t help much, the more she struggled the more tired she felt, her body weaker by the minute as her heart was racing like mad. She felt an eerie feeling through her body, cold chills up and down her spine as she slowly felt herself drifting away and

Finally her head fell on the steering wheel.When she came by it was dark and chilly, thick fog had engulfed the area and that feeling of uneasiness was still present. Taking a moment to grasp what’s going on she reached for the key, no matter how many times she tried, the engine just wouldn’t budge.

Cold sweat came all over her as she started panicking, desperately trying to calm herself down, she was always relying on logic and able to get out of any situation but this was different. She had no way of protecting herself and her head hurt like hell, her body felt like a train just hit her and her heart was yet again racing like mad.

She opened the door and stepped out of the jeep, holding her robe tight around herself as the wind furiously tried to blow it off. Her braided tail swayed around, she looked around but she couldn’t see anything more then a few feet from her. She felt something touching her body underneath her robes, it felt soft and yet cold. It couldn’t have been the wind, she thought to herself.

Taking a look under she couldn’t see anything at all but the feeling was still there, as real as ever .But as soon as she tried to touch the spot where she felt the presence, she was launched back with mighty ****. Falling down about a few feet from her jeep, hitting her head against the ground.

Fortunately it was soft soil as this would be one too many bump in her head today, the blow and the wind made sure by now that her robe was lifted well above her waist. Try as she may she couldn’t move an inch, the fierce wind made it very hard to breathe.

She helplessly gasped for air but then it happened, much to her delightful surprise the wind stopped and the foggy atmosphere started to withdraw. However the night still remained, now a clear starry sky with the moon shining ever so brightly as it illuminated her soft feminine skin.

She heard footsteps accompanied by chatter in the distance, the voices belonged to some men. They were talking in loud voices, it seemed that they were searching for something judging by the few words she could make out.

Could it be that whatever attacked her just moments ago, was actually scared off by those men or was it simply still here, laying low in the shadows and waiting for the opportune moment!?
Only time could tell but she knew one thing, if it was up to her then she would leave this place this instant but unfortunately that was not to be at the moment.

Things didn’t look too well and who knows whether those men were friend or foe, she didn’t want to end up in the same situation as before.
Just as she was about to get up, she heard someone cocking the shotgun behind her, an unmistakeable sound confirmed by the cold steel of the barrel laid against her neck.

A tall man stood behind her dressed in military attire, his gaze could almost burn through her. Not a single sign of a smile on his face, he took a quick look at her and then his shotgun dug even deeper in her neck.

The man spoke in a native tongue, she knew enough to make out he was asking her who she was. She shook her head looking confused at the man as she tried to explain to him to the best of her knowledge.

• American? The grunt asked.

• No, British. Lara answered in a weak posh voice.

• Who are you, a grave robber!? He asked in a very serious tone.

• L..Lara Croft sir and I’m not who you think I am. She swallowed and whispered.

• Then explain yourself, how did you get that robe, it’s not something one finds lying around, especially this close the temple, I find that very odd miss Croft ? He replied, not changing his tone even for a second.

  She had to think quickly but nothing came to mind at the moment, she knew others were nearby and she sure didn’t want them to be alarmed or anywhere near her at that. A girl alone in the forest with nothing but a robe on and surrounded by couple of guys, you didn’t need to be a genius to put two and two together.

  These guys were definitely military, well trained for any kind of situation. There was no way she could handle all of them, it was a sheer luck she managed to escape the mercenary before but with this guys it would probably turn out very differently. They weren’t going to fall for a trick like seeing her bare ass or getting distracted easily.

  She was sweating all over with the shotgun pressing against her skin, she knew he wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. If she could reach the embassy, she could definitely save her skin by using her diplomatic influence and immunity.

  A British citizen of her caliber could surely stir some commotion if they refused to let her go but unfortunately she was far away from the civilization and stuck with a soldier who’s probably been out in the wilderness for way too long.

  He had a full beard, thick eyebrows, his arms were very muscular with thick veins running through, his clothes smelled like sweat. She knew for a fact that this soldiers served their country blindly but there was not much in it for them, they were most definitely underpaid with very little social contact.

  Playing her cards right there was a slim chance she could use her charms to distract him but if it failed then there was no way of knowing what would happen.

  If she could only distract him then she could get the gun from his holster or the knife he was hiding strapped to his boots.

  She was quick to observe every inch of him but the real question was how to efficiently get a hold of either of those without him pulling the trigger. She thought for a moment if there was any other way then what she had on her mind, there had to be one but none she could think of that was safe and efficient at the same time.

• I got it from a man for a little favor I did for him, I thought it was probably a fake. She said, hoping that her little lie and playing dumb could somewhat remove his suspicion.

• A man huh, who was that man? The man asked in a deep calm yet demanding voice.

  • I am sorry, I never met him before, I don’t know his name, honestly. She said starting to suspect he was onto her.

• Hmm, what kind of favour? He asked pushing the shotgun against her throat.

  • I…I’ll show you, trust me, just put away the shotgun, please. She replied now really scared as he had shown no emotion at all, looking at her with ice cold eyes as he held the shotgun firmly.