Masked

XIX.

"... Lopez?!"

He quickly put his hand on my mouth, I could instantly feel the sensation of a wet cloth against my lips and nose.

'Chloroform?', I panicked.

As if the man could read my mind, he instantly answered.

"It's only water. Press it on your nose, we need to get you out."

"For what?", I spat.

"So that you can surrender me to Dominguez?"

I was interrupted by another fit of coughing.

"How could you?!"

I never expected the kind man from the social gathering to be one of Trinity's mercenaries. The shock was still present when he suddenly lifted me up and threw me over his shoulder.

"Let go!", I screamed, trying to free myself, but it was impossible. I was already too weak from all the smoke I inhaled, and I still felt like I was on the edge of getting unconscious.

"Would you shut up?", he suddenly blurted out.

"Make me and kill me already, I have no reason to go on anyways!", I cried, tears in my eyes.

"You can't leave Lara alone on her quest", Lopez replied with a sudden calm in his voice.

"... Huh?"

He didn't speak further, instead, he continued to hurry down the hallways with my numb body on his shoulder.

Meanwhile, my mind was racing. Why the hell did he do this? What was his purpose?

When I finally remembered what he had said to me the evening we met, I had the urge to give myself a palm in the face.

'He works for a Mexican business that had specialised itself on restoring Mayan and Incan culture! How could I be- '

I couldn't think further when I felt my feet impact with the ground again. Lopez had set me down, though held me secure with a tight grip around my shoulders, as if he feared I would collapse the second he put me down. I still couldn't see very well, the smoke stung my eyes and I hurriedly pressed the wet cloth on my lips and nose again. It seemed like we were in one of the guest rooms.

"Would you please tell me what's going o- "

The mercenary put a finger on my mouth to keep me from talking. We heard voices again.

"Nobody here, either she's escaped or she died in the flames like her parents. Now let's get the hell out of here, I don't wanna die because of smoke poisoning."

'What?!'

A whimper escaped my lips before an ugly sob followed suit. Lopez pressed his hand on my mouth, trying to keep me quiet, while I struggled to get his hands off of me. I tried winding myself free, but his grip on my shoulder only tightened.

"Shut up, will you?", he hissed, "They're not dead!"

I widened my eyes, still trying to free myself.

"If you can't keep quiet they'll find us both and your parents, now shut it!"

Tears were rolling over my cheeks when I nodded weakly. Lopez turned away from me and motioned towards one of the windows.

"There is a growth support underneath. We'll wait until all mercenaries have left the house, then we'll climb them down."

I swallowed down.