Masked

V.

A day later

„I- I still don't get it. You saw what?"

Jonah let his gaze wander from his cup of tea to Lara, who was frantically jumping around documents, books and her laptop. She looked up with an annoyed expression.

"For the hundredth time, on the way back from the Bennet mansion I had this... this kind of vision – no, not vision, more like a dream."

"Yeah, a dream about your father, but that isn't something that's never happened before."

Lara groaned as her friend shrugged.

"Jonah, I saw my father and he was searching for a kind of Maya relict. Maybe the same Mr. Bennet wants me to search for! There must be a linking..."

Lara averted her gaze back into copies of paperwork Lord Croft had worked on before his death.

"Come on, there simply must be something about those artefacts..."

Jonah gave a sigh and went over to his friend.

"Lara, don't you think you're interpreting way too much into this again? There are thousands of undiscovered Maya artefacts. What makes you so sure that we are talking about the exact same relict?"

The brunette exhaled.

"We can't. Unless Isabelle comes over and gives me a few insights on what we are working on exactly."

"But you still have the feeling that the task of Mr. Bennet has to do something with your fathers research, huh?", Jonah replied sceptically.

"It's the Croft instinct. You wouldn't understand", Lara said sarcastically before she turned to another old book that was once one of her father's most prized possessions.

"Hey." Jonah playfully gave Lara a nudge on the arm.

"You know that I don't mean it like that. It's just... I don't like seeing you get worked up like this again. Relax, okay? Once that Bennet girl comes over we'll see if your intention has proved you right."

Lara sighed and stayed silent for a few seconds.

"Thanks, Jonah."

"For what?" The bulky man blinked a few times, seemingly confused.

"For putting up with me even if I can be a nerve-wracking person sometimes."

Jonah just smiled.

"What are friends for? ... So, about that girl... Isabelle you said? You two seem to get along well now. Last time I checked you freaked out about her possibly being involved with Trinity as well."

"Yeah we... Made up yesterday when I was at their manor. I got lost and she led me outside."

"You did what?" Jonah snorted.

"I mean, I know your sense of orientation is awful but that is high-key embarrassing."

"Ugh, stop, she told me the same thing already, no need to shove it down my throat again."

Jonah looked at Lara with an undefined expression before both of them started chuckling.

Lara sighed.

"You know", she started and averted her gaze, "I just hope that joining RE-Search was the right thing to do."

"Well, you're not an official member yet... But maybe your father would've made that choice too if it meant that he could be a step ahead of Trinity."

"You're probably right."

--

The day before