"Hey Jack," a voice called out from across the lobby. "Ronny's up in the Ambassador's office waiting for you. Third floor."

Jack nodded to the Delta trooper, clapping him on the shoulder as he passed. "Thanks, Dale," he said as he headed straight up the stairs followed by Terrell and Lara.  

"Good to see you," Major Buckman said to the trio as they entered the ornately paneled office on the third floor. He gave Lara a suspicious look for a moment, not having been notified of her part in this operation. Lara returned his gaze unflinchingly. Her eyes told him, don't worry, I belong here. He seemed to accept the message, looking back toward Jack.

"What's going on, Ronny? Where is this guy?" Jack asked as he looked around the office. "How could he have gotten away? You guys hit this place pretty fast."

"We sure did," Buckman replied. "There was a team in this room within thirty seconds. No way could anyone make it out of this building in time. And look." Buckman pointed toward the far corner of the office. Sprawled on the floor was a body of a well-dressed black man, a pool of blood soaking the carpet around his head.

"This guy had time to do the Ambassador before he left," Buckman observed coldly. He nodded toward Lara. "You seem to know this guy. Who is he?"

Lara stepped into the center of the office, unable to take her eyes off the Ambassador's body. "Jean-Pierre Rimoux," she began, "is a former mercenary and officer in the French Foreign Legion. He turned to treasure hunting several years ago. He's been all over the world stealing priceless artifacts and selling them on the black market. I first ran across him in Burma two years ago. He was raiding a Bhuddist temple of some gold statuary that I was helping catalog for the Ministry of Culture. The local villagers found out and came to the temple to try to stop him. He and his men slaughtered them all. Then he went into the village and burned it to the ground. Two hundred men, women and children murdered for some gold statues."

Lara paused, frowning as the memories came back. "I managed to recover the statues and give them to the government. Killed several of his lads in the process. Rimoux's never forgotten that. He's tried to kill me several times since then. I reckon this is another attempt at revenge aside from pure greed for the Emerald Eye."

Buckman spat on the floor. "In his attempt for revenge, as you put it, one of my guys and a hostage was killed. That makes it personal."

"Two," Jack interrupted. "They got D.C."

Buckman locked eyes with Jack for a long moment. "He took a few with him, didn't he?"

Jack nodded grimly. The room fell silent. Delta was a small community and losses were felt by everyone.

Terrell called from the other room. "Yo, found something."

Buckman, Lara, Jack and several others came into the secure comms room. It contained teletypes, computer terminals and encryption gear that the Embassy depended on for all its important communications. Terrell was standing by a laser printer examining a metal box. Wires extended from it to the phone relay box in the wall. Seeing everyone's puzzled expressions, Terrell explained.

"It's a detonator. Looks like they rigged it through the internal phone system. I'll bet you'll find explosives placed near phone jacks all over this building. Very slick setup."

Lara put her hand to her chin pensively. "Strange, that. It's not like Rimoux to leave everyone alive. He must have exited in a great hurry."

"But how?" Jack asked, exasperated. "There was absolutely no warning. I don't understand it."

Just then Terrell noticed a sheet of paper lying in the printer tray. Picking it up, he read it quickly. The look on his face startled everyone. Terrell handed the sheet to Buckman.

Buckman swore at what he saw. "Standard State Department press release notifying all their embassies of the 'imminent rescue attempt at AMEMB Nairobi'. This came off the printer five minutes before we hit this place."

Everyone was incredulous. "How did that wind up here?" Jack asked.

"Some numbskull back in Washington forgot to remove this embassy from the distribution list. We lost all tactical surprise because of a clerical error." Buckman wadded up the paper and threw it across the room in disgust. "Damned State Department, " he muttered.

Jack rubbed his eyes for a moment. How many lives of U.S. military personnel had been lost because of incompetent bureaucrats and diplomats in the government? This was only the latest example. He let out a long breath of resignation and looked squarely at Lara.

"All right, ma'am," Buckman began.

"Please. It's Lara."

"Lara," Buckman replied. "You know this guy. Where could he have gone? Who does he know in Nairobi? Do you have this information?"

"Not here with me," Lara replied. "But I can get it straightaway."

******************************

"Hello?"

"Jenny, it's Lara."

"My God," Jenny breathed. "Where are you? Are you hurt?"

"I'm okay, I'm -- ah, where you probably think I am. There are some gentlemen with me who need some information. Got a pen?"

Lara quickly told Jenny what was going on and what she needed. Jenny called Niles at Lara's residence and he started checking the database. Quickly finding the data, he faxed it directly to the number Lara gave Jenny.

******************************

Several sheets of paper rolled out of the fax machine. Lara snapped them up and looked them over.

"Right. Here's a list of Rimoux's contacts in Nairobi. My guess is that he would head to one of these places to hide until you lads have left the city. Let's see…"  She read down the list, stopping on the second page. "This is it. Harris' flat. He has a flat here in the city!"

"That has to be it," Jack said. "What are we waiting for? Let's get moving."

"Not so fast, Captain," Buckman interjected. "In case you've forgotten, Delta is here to rescue the hostages. That's it. Anything further would be a serious international incident. We can't have U.S. combat troops kicking down doors in a foreign country." 

"All right then," Jack replied. "But I'm still technically on a black mission. Total deniability. I'm going with her."

Buckman shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'm not in your chain of command on this one. But you better get rid of those camo fatigues. That kind of attention you don't want to attract."

"I'm going too," Terrell declared.

Jack touched his friend's arm and shook his head. "Not on this one, bro. You go back home with these guys. You did your part."

Master Sergeant Terrell Givens tried to stare Jack down. It didn't work. Jack was adamant. Terrell let out a breath, glanced at the floor and nodded. He extended his hand to Lara to say goodbye and was surprised when she stepped over to him and hugged him tightly.

"Take care of yourself, Terrell," Lara said. "You're a good man."

Terrell hugged her back for a moment then released her. He smiled shyly and nodded. Looking back at Jack, he whispered.

"Get him. For D.C." 

Jack nodded gravely.

"That's it," Buckman announced. We have to get lost. The local cops will be in here any second. There's a helo waiting. Good luck, you two," he said to Lara and Jack. "We're outta here."

Buckman turned and left with everyone else on his heels, leaving Lara and Jack alone in the office.

"Well, sport," Lara said to Jack. "What do we do now?" 

Jack smiled back at her. Standing there, covered in dirt and sweat, she was more beautiful than any other woman he had ever seen.  It was difficult keeping his mind on the mission, but he had to do it.

"Let me find something to wear. Then we can get going."

******************************

Ten minutes later, the pair exited a rear door of the embassy. They crossed through a small tree-covered park to a back alley, managing to elude the police cordon and reporters. The wail of police and fire sirens could be heard in the distance.

Jack managed to find a pair of khaki slacks and a tweed suit jacket. With his green Army T-shirt he managed to look fashionably casual. Lara found a travel vest that covered her gunbelt reasonably well. She carried a gym bag in which they placed their automatic weapons. Jack stuffed his .45 into his waistband and a Gerber folding knife into the inside pocket of the jacket. They looked like tourists or photographers to the casual observer, and blended in fairly well.

"First order of business is transportation," Jack whispered. "We need to get a car."

"Can’t we just hail a cab?"

"You forget, Lara, we're in this country illegally. If the local police find us, they'll lock us up in a deep dark hole. The less contact with the locals the better."

"Fair enough," Lara responded. Stealing a car didn’t seem that unjustified considering the obscenity their quarry had created this day. "How about that one?" she said, pointing out a dark burgundy Audi sedan.

"That'll work," Jack replied. They walked across the street quickly, checking all around for police or passersby. The area was deserted. Jack reached the car first, checking the lock on the door.

"It's locked. I need some kind of tool to pop this thing. Lara, do you have a --" Before he could finish the sentence, Lara crossed to the opposite door and jimmied the lock open with her camp knife. She slid into the seat and reached to unlock Jack's door.

Jack stood there in complete amazement. "Lara Croft, you are a woman of many talents," he observed.

"And I'm also a great cook," Lara smiled. "Now get in."

Jack got in and immediately noticed something wrong. "Where’s the steering wheel?"

Lara chuckled. "Over here, luv. You're in Kenya, where they drive on the proper side of the road." 

"But I was gonna drive," Jack protested.

"Have you ever driven on the left, Jack?" Lara asked as she fiddled with the ignition wires. "Ever been on the streets of Nairobi before? I have. Now let's get on with it." The car's engine suddenly thrummed to life. Without hesitating, Lara slammed the car in gear and punched the accelerator. The car sped off and made a hard right turn out of the alley, tires squealing.

******************************

Several minutes later, the burgundy Audi turned down a quiet tree-lined lane and slowed to a halt. The occupants sat motionless, observing a two story apartment building half a block down.

"So that's it?"

"Mm hmm. That's the address I have. Apartment 4. We'll have to go see which one that is."

Jack placed a hand on Lara's arm. "Not we. Me. He knows you, but he's never seen my face. I'll recon the building and come back here. Then we'll plan our next move." With that, Jack checked his pistol one more time and hopped out of the car.

"Be careful, Jack," Lara called after him. He turned and winked at her as he walked away. That caused a strange flutter in her that she hadn't felt for anyone in a very long while. Not now, she thought. This isn't the time.

Just as Jack neared the building, a man stepped out to the street. Lara's breath stopped. It was Rimoux, walking toward a gray Mercedes parked along the curb. Suddenly he froze. The hair on the back of Lara's neck stood straight up and her pulse and breathing began to race. Her body already knew what was about to happen before her mind registered it. 

Everything happened in slow motion. Rimoux looked straight at Jack and reached into his jacket. Lara's heart started pumping. Jack seemed to react, crouching and reaching for his pistol. Rimoux produced a gun of his own and began to raise it up to fire. Jack dropped and began to roll into the bushes, drawing his weapon as well. Then Rimoux fired the first shot.

The sound of gunfire snapped Lara into action. She gunned the engine and the Audi screamed in response. As she sped toward the fight, Rimoux ducked into the Mercedes, shooting as he moved. Jack fired back from his partially concealed position, shattering the early morning quiet.  As Lara pulled up next to Jack, the Mercedes bolted from its parking space into the street. That's when Lara first noticed a man behind the wheel. Rimoux wasn't alone.

"Jack, get in!" Lara screamed. She threw the door open and he jumped into the car. The Mercedes sped back up the street and Lara executed a perfect bootlegger turn and took off in pursuit.

"Jack, are you hurt?" Lara shouted over the squealing of the tires.

"No! Drive, drive!" Jack said as he attempted to sit upright. "We gotta catch those guys!"

The cars careened wildly through residential streets, barely missing parked cars, trashcans and the occasional pedestrian. Jack reached to put Lara's seatbelt on, then leaned over to the back seat. He fished around in the gym bag until he came out with an MP-5 and a couple of full magazines.

"Good Lord, Jack," Lara exclaimed. "You're not going to shoot the driver are you? They could lose control and kill someone!"

"Not the driver," Jack replied coolly as he slapped a magazine into the weapon and racked the charging lever back. "The tires. Shoot out the tires and they lose their speed."

Just then the windshield convulsed from the impact of bullets. Three spider webs appeared in the glass right between Jack and Lara. They instinctively ducked and Lara swerved the car in an attempt to foul the shooter's aim. Jack rolled down his window and jammed the barrel of his weapon between the sideview mirror and the door to stabilize his aim.

"Get more to the right," he shouted. "I need a clear shot."

Lara swerved over and suddenly jerked the car back, barely avoiding a huge truck that shot past them less than three feet away. The sudden violent maneuver threw Jack back into the seat. Just then, another bullet shattered the sideview mirror.

"That was close," Jack muttered.

The Mercedes ran through a traffic light and turned left onto a major highway. Lara pushed the Audi through the intersection, weaving through several cars as she jockeyed for position behind her quarry. She expertly shifted all the way up to fifth gear with her foot pressing the gas pedal nearly into the floor. The traffic was mercifully light on the highway. The Mercedes dramatically increased speed, as did Lara, and they both flew down the highway at nearly 100 miles an hour.

"Where's he going?" Jack wondered aloud.

"This motorway goes to the airport," Lara replied. "My guess is he has a plane waiting."

"He's not gonna make it," Jack declared flatly. "Not while I'm still breathing." Jack stuck his MP-5 out the window again, and this time he had a clear shot. Setting the weapon to semiauto, he fired several times. His bullets struck the pavement and the taillight, shattering it. Fighting the powerful slipstream around the car, he aimed again and fired one more shot. The bullet struck the left rear tire of the Mercedes, blowing it completely off the wheel. A two foot long shard of rubber sailed into the air and smacked the Audi's windshield, causing Lara and Jack to flinch.

A shower of sparks obscured the left rear area of the Mercedes. Their speed lagged a little, which allowed Lara to close the distance. Just as Jack started to warn her not to do that, the windshield shuddered under the impact of several more bullets.

"Whoa," Lara said to herself as she tapped the brakes. She fell back a little and maintained a distance of about fifty feet. Cars whizzed past them on both sides as Lara maneuvered to keep her position behind the Mercedes. Jack tried to aim at another tire but couldn't get a shot, cursing in frustration.

Just then, Lara noticed a road sign. "Here's the turnoff to the airport," she observed. As if responding to her statement, the Mercedes abruptly veered to the offramp. The Audi followed. The turnoff fed into a side road that wound around some airport outbuildings and smaller hangars. Their speed continued even on this small road.  Lara recognized this as the general aviation area. Rimoux was probably heading for a private plane to make his escape.

The two figures in the Mercedes were hunching down now, opting not to shoot at the Audi. Lara and Jack both knew what that meant. They're making their final run for home.  Jack checked his weapon, making sure there was a fresh magazine. He reached back into the gym bag and retrieved another MP-5 for Lara, slamming a magazine in place and racking the charging handle. Lara took one hand from the wheel to put the weapon in her lap. Her face was impassive behind her sunglasses.

This was it. They had crossed the point of no return without hesitation. Both had blood to avenge. Jack's mind flooded with images of D.C. lying dead in that smoking cave, his rage building. This creep was going to pay with his life even if it cost Jack his own.

Lara thought of the villagers in Burma. She remembered seeing them lying dead, hacked to pieces by Rimoux's men. Women, children… She shuddered. Her stomach turned at the thought. To Lara, Rimoux was a cockroach that needed exterminating.

Suddenly, the Mercedes darted to the right and disappeared between two buildings. The Audi followed. They shot down an alley of corrugated tin buildings and came out into an open area. Lara and Jack could see that this was a hangar and they were on the tarmac. A Learjet sat nearby surrounded by a fuel truck and several cars. There were at least a dozen armed men standing around.

The Audi screamed to a halt as the Mercedes veered around and behind the screen of cars and gunmen. 

Then all hell broke loose. 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN