TOMB RAIDER: The Money Pit

Chapter 4: Treasure Hunters' Paradise

Nova Scotia, Canada

1

Halifax.

The technology inside Marcellus' private jet, a Citation VII, wasn't so advanced that it could counter turbulence. The seats were deep and soft, the surround sound system on the sixty-inch television almost making Lara feel as if the zombies in the Resident Evil video game were actually right behind her, but the rising warm air smacking the light aircraft from below jolted the plane about enough to cause discomfort to a degree that she was glad when they landed at Halifax International Airport.

She thanked the pilot, who apologised for the turbulence, and exited the plane, which taxied in a semi-circle and flew off into the sunny sky. She knew she would never again see the man who had flown her here and felt a strange sensation. Funny how people can come into your life for the briefest moments and then go. She shrugged the feeling away and made for the terminal.

As she strolled across the tarmac, she looked up at the windows of the airport terminal, seeing faces pressed against the glass, staring out. They were watching the departure or arrival of planes taking or bringing loved ones, but suddenly she felt like an insect under scrutiny, sure they were all wondering who she was, certain she must be rich and famous to own her own jet.

The car was waiting, as promised. A sleek black BMW.

The young man who stuck his head out of the sunroof was pale with black hair swept back into a tiny pony-tail, just enough of it to capture in the elastic band. Lara's first thought was that he was a vampire on a day off, if vampires wore jeans and T-shirts on their days off.

"Lara, of course. I shall burn the photos, they don't do you justice." His accent was Irish, just like Marcellus'.

Lara sighed inwardly. Another hot-blooded young man who fancied himself almost as much as he did women. "And you must be Leo. Strange name." If he said it was due to his lion-like libido, she promised herself, she was going to turn and leave right now, even if it meant swimming back to England.

Instead of that, he simply blushed. "My starsign. Perhaps mum couldn't think of anything else. Anyhows, in ye jump, and we'll get you to a hotel."

Satisfied with this response, Lara climbed into the back seat.

"Sit up front, babe. Less distance to fly if we crash."

Lara suppressed a smirk. "No thanks. I'll have more time to adopt crash position flying from here."

"Ah, a scientist. Okay, Dr. Lara. Seatbelt on and we're away. I'll give you a brief tour guide while we're driving. Been here only two days but seen it all already. Cool joint. If you get bored of the guide anytime, just kiss the back of my neck and silence will descend. 'Kay?"

Perhaps that swim would have been better, Lara thought as the car pulled away.

2

Lunenburg County

Seventy minutes later, minutes filled with incessant flirting from Leo, he brought the car to a rough, sudden halt outside the Cavalier Hotel, causing a few other drivers to honk their horns at him. He stuck his head out the sunroof and bellowed at them: "Yes, I do own this road, and a little side-street in Copenhagen, too!" He sat back down. "Guy must be taking road rage at college or something. Look, I'll give you an hour to get in, get ready, food, lipstick, whatever, then I'll be back and you can decide where you wanna go first. I recommend the candlelit dinners at a little restaurant down -"