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Chapter Nine: Heading to Cambodia
I woke up to the sound of my laptop alert, showing the camera feed outside the Croft house. I quickly looked at the screen.
The mailman had just delivered a letter for Lara Croft.
From her expression, I could tell she was emotional. I wished I could understand what was written. Straining to read her lips, I caught only one word: Father. Was the letter from her father?
I spoke to Merlin. He said it was probably timed for this moment, the date synchronized with the planetary alignment of the solar system.
On the video, Lara pulled a book from the shelf. She tore it open along with the letter and retrieved a paper hidden inside. She read it, then went downstairs to talk with Bryan and Hillary.
With great effort, I caught a few words. One, from Bryan, was Cambodia. It seemed Lara was planning to travel there.
I informed Merlin.
The organization's stealth private jet was ready to take me an hour later. I left the hotel, took a taxi, and entered the organization through a hidden passage while keeping an eye on my laptop.
I realized Lara would be flown to Cambodia by one of her military friends.
Cambodia is a tropical country in Southeast Asia with about 15 million people—a relatively populous nation. Its official language is Khmer, and most people practice Buddhism. Less than 30 years ago, it gained independence from French colonization.
One of Cambodia's main attractions is the ancient Hindu temple complex Angkor Wat, located in Siem Reap province.
A few hours later, I arrived in Cambodia. Calculating Lara's trajectory, I parachuted near the coast and found a hiding spot. Merlin's backup wasn't available.
Hours later, Lara descended with her parachute. Seeing her safe, I began preparing. Using the information about her movements and Merlin's intel on a man named Alex West—a tomb raider with a complicated history with Lara—and the nearby ancient temples, I moved forward.
I ran through the jungle at high speed. I removed my mask to breathe the fresh air, sprinting through the humid forest with my gear.
Given my unusual physical strength, carrying that weight at a constant speed was effortless.
Meanwhile, Lara moved through the jungle at varying speeds. She saw no pursuers, but her feminine intuition told her a strong man was protecting her from the shadows. Remembering her father's words, she knew a secret organization in Britain guarded the country and the royal family from the darkness.
She was one of the elite, her father Richard Croft a titled noble with immense wealth. So, it wasn't impossible.
Knowing she was being secretly protected gave her confidence. She continued down the jungle path toward her destination, a small smile on her lips.
But she had no idea that the strong man watching over her was a rookie—and this was his very first mission. Well, ignorance can be a kind of bliss.
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