Lara Croft: Origins

Chapter XI: Interrogation

Chapter XI:

I spun on the heels of my well worn Converse and sprinted into the temple. The hall of the ancient building became enlightened with the dancing flames of the arrows being fired into the wooden floor behind me. Murals and statues could be seen in the hallway with branching rooms containing candles and altars to whom I recognized as the sun queen, Himiko. I automatically grabbed for my bow and readied an arrow. Mathias' faint voice could be heard barking orders, "Surround the monastery, and find her"!

The monastery was made up almost entirely of wood and it was catching fire. I hid behind a pillar opposite the monastery entrance. I didn't want to think what would happen if one of Mathias's men found me. I looked over my left shoulder; Mathias's men were nowhere to...

Suddenly, someone was grabbing me from behind and picking me up. My martial arts training kicked in. I wrapped my right leg to the back of his leg to adjust my body to the side. After that I drove my hand to the man's crotch area. I didn't miss and he instantly let go of me. I turned around to look at my assailant and my heart dropped. He had a gun and was recovering from my retaliation. In turn, I ran at the man and tackled him to the floor. We both were on the floor. I reached for the pistol, just inches away from my grasp. The man was now over me, his hands around my neck. My vision was getting blurry, darker... BANG!

     The man's lifeless body tumbled to my side. My vision returned but I didn't need it to know what had just happened. I felt panic swell up inside me, fear, guilt.... Everything in the room was highlighted, defined, as if my vision had improved. And yet ironically everything seemed farther away and detached as if everything, the fire the flying arrows, the soldiers yelling and the dead man were all on another continent, planet even.

     There was no mistaking that I'd just killed this man, in self defense, sure but if it wasn't for me he'd be alive and now his life has just winked out of existence like a lightbulb forever. No Lara it's not your fault, if you hadn't killed the, you'd be dead right now. I got up off the ground quickly with sudden determination. With reluctance I reached for the Desert Eagle still in the man's lifeless hands. I checked the magazine, 9 round capacity, 8 left. The missing bullet embedded in the mans brain. Probably only about 25. I blinked hard to get the thought away. I cocked the gun and holstered it.

     After checking the man for any possessions I found only a leather backpack. I didn't give it a second look since now the heat was becoming unbearable. And now the support beams for the temple were giving out. I ran down the hall, deeper into the temple and up 2 flights of stairs before coming to a balcony overviewing the opposite side of the temple were none of Mathias's men were yet. In the distance there were cliffs and mountains and more temples with braziers burning bright on and around them. I assessed the immediate environment for a way down. It was high. I looked back for another option. The loud crackling of the fire reaching closer and closer up the building and toward me told there wasn't.

     Coming around the corner of the temple was a single armed man. I ducked behind the fencing the balcony. I heard his loud footsteps come closer and stop at the back exit of the balcony. Without a second thought I vaulted straight over the balcony. With only a second chance to find my target I landed on the guy and I heard a yelp of surprise and an apparent crack under me. He was about to get up but I gave him a hard jab to the jaw and he was out. Recovering from the jump, I scan for any more men. None.

     I couldn't do anything for Sam now. There were too many men and I couldn't take them head on. I would have I follow them to there base, wherever that may be, while also looking for the Endurance crew. Easy, right?

• • • • •

     The sizable distance between the temple and the surrounding forests had isolated the fire to the building. A part me felt a pang for the collection of an ancient unknown part of history that was just destroyed. I scolded myself for distracting myself. My crew was counting on me, they could be anywhere.

     I was on the outskirt of the forest, ducking by a tree only about 20 meters from the nearest soldier. He was drunk. Really drunk. He was straggling away from the rest of the departing group of armed soldiers. While they were marching off, being led by Mathias, this guy was tripping over his feet and enjoying his booze. This could be an opportunity...

     As the uneven footsteps and the groans of drunken man approached I hid behind a tree nearby him. Three... Two... One. As he walked right past me I reached over him with my climbing axe around his neck and pulled him down to the ground and gave him a blow to the head. His head hung at an awkward angle. I scanned for any nearby soldiers. The last of them were on the opposite side of the temple almost out of sight.

     I pulled the middle aged man up and dragged him by the arms to the camp Sam and I were set up at earlier. It took me a while, probably due to his 180 pounds give or take.

• • • • •

     As I approached the embers of the fire in the crevice of the mountain I set the man down against the wall. I kicked his unconscious body tentatively at first, and when he didn't wake I hit him full force in the ribs. I'm not anxious to admit I felt a little guilty. This time he came awake drowsily, faintly surprised of his location, position and capturer. "Who are yo...".

     "Shut up", I said with authority. I walked, no prowled closer to him before kneeling on one knee close to him. He seemed more alert, sober now that he'd just been silenced by a girl. Now recovering from the blatant disrespect he exploded into boisterous, maniacal laughter. I dashed forward and pulled out an arrow and pushed it to his neck. This silenced him quite quickly.

     "I ask a question and you answer it, got it?", I said with as much aggression as I could muster. He nodded slightly. "Okay, where are we, what is this place?"

"I don't know I landed here just over a month ago, I think". He seemed desperate. "We were on a fishing ship, then out of no where this storm came out of no where. One second it was there and one second it was. It seemed almost like witchcraft or some shit". Only about 8 or so of us made it to shore out of almost 40. It was mighty scary. This old man, Mathias, I think's his name, he tried to initiate us into some sort of cult. Two or three of us resisted. He cut their throats with his spear thing. We had no choice, we joined him. He brainwashes them. One by one. Throws them in..."

"Mathias is in charge of all these men"?

" Yeah, he rules by fear whenever someone steps out of line he punishes them severely or kills them. I'm telling you he's freaking crazy"!

" I'm looking for my shipmates we landed two nights ago. About six of us. Do you know where they may be.

"I heard from a friend that they'd seen some people but they got away. We have orders to kill anyone who doesn't join this cult for the Sun Queen Himiko. Your friends may not be alive. But if they're being held  captive they might be in the geothermal caverns. Sorry, that's all I can say. They don't tell the new guys much. Probably so they don't do stuff like tell outsiders their secrets.

     I thought about all of the information. Could Mathias really be so powerful? I couldn't underestimate him. As I ran through everything the man just said I realized I'd cut him off at one point. "What do you mean he brainwashes them? Where does he put the new recruits?"

     "In the geothermal caverns, near where they keep the prisoners. The new recruits are placed in the caverns with no food, water and with other savages. These other things... It's better you don't know or ever meet them. But, they leave these people in there for days and those who survive are accepted into our group with open arms. These people don't come out the same. Their minds come out a little different, a little crooked, you know? There are at least a hundred or two hundred of us, stationed throughout the island, searching, scouting for other new arrivals and watching to make sure everyone stays in line.  Look, I'm trying to cooperate just don't kill me, please. I may like my beer but I'm not a bad person. I only killed that man cause I had to survive, we would have both died. I had to eat!"

     This guy had eaten someone?! This is insane, I had to cut this interrogation short. I was sure this was all he could tell me. I stood up and looked down at him calmly, "Of course, you did what you had to do to survive". Little did I know I would be telling myself this for the rest of my life after my experience here on this hell as I slammed my foot into his head and against the rock wall behind him followed by a sickening crack.