บท 10: Chapter 10

After some time, Lara finally arrived at the prison camp within the gulag. Moving stealthily, she checked each window to locate the cells. After inspecting several and knocking out a few patrolling soldiers along the way, she finally found what she was looking for.

"Jacob? You in there, mate?" Lara asked, her voice low but firm.

Jacob glanced through the damaged wall of his cell. Part of the structure had crumbled, leaving only steel bars separating it from the adjacent cell. Through the ceiling-level barred window of the other cell, he caught sight of Lara. "Yes. Who are you?" he asked, his tone cautious.

Lara pulled out one of her ice picks, its blade was saw-toothed, and began sawing at the steel bars. "A friend," she replied nonchalantly.

As Jacob observed the sparks flying from the bars under the pressure of her ice pick, he couldn't help but ask, "What kind of metal are those ice picks made of?"

"Secondary adamantium," Lara said between gritted teeth as she continued sawing. "Expensive as hell, but worth every penny."

With her peak human strength and the sheer durability of the secondary adamantium blades, the steel bars began to give way at a surprisingly decent pace. "Hang tight," Lara added. "I'll have you out of here in no time."

After Lara sawed through enough of the bars to make an opening, she jumped inside with a backflip, landing gracefully. "Tada!" she said, spreading her arms theatrically.

Jacob gave her a puzzled look and pointed toward a desk outside the cells. "There are some keys on the desk," he said flatly.

Lara blinked, then nodded. Spotting a plank resting atop the prison cell bars, blocking an opening, she climbed up, balancing easily. With two solid punches, she knocked the plank loose, sending it crashing out of its holdings. Lara climbed through the opening, jumped down to the desk, grabbed the keys, and unlocked Jacob's cell.

As Jacob stepped out, he gestured toward the exit. "Follow me."

Lara smirked and said, "Dum-dum, we can use the opening I made through the bars."

Jacob froze, clearly embarrassed. "Oh," he muttered, turning back toward the opening.

Lara, noticing his hesitation, teased, "If you can't make the jump, I can boost you."

Jacob sighed, his face slightly flushed. "This is embarrassing," he admitted.

Lara unlocked the cell, crouched, and put her hands together. "Run to momma," she said with a mischievous grin.

Jacob groaned but complied. He ran forward, stepped onto Lara's hands, and with her boost, grabbed the remaining bars and pulled himself out through the opening.

"Good job!" Lara called, tossing her rope to Jacob. "Keep it tight."

A few seconds later, with Jacob holding the rope steady, Lara climbed out as well. Once they were outside, Jacob turned to her and asked, "Who are you, really?"

"The most awesome tomb raider in the world," Lara replied confidently.

Jacob just nodded, a faint smirk on his face. "Let's head toward the train tracks. We need to get out of this place. And… thank you."

Lara gave him a wink. "You're welcome, big guy."

As they walked, Lara broke the silence. "So, you're not going to ask why I'm here?"

Jacob, stepping over a Trinity soldier that Lara had knocked out earlier, replied, "I already know. You're after the Divine Source, right?"

Lara nodded. "Yep. I'm here for that fancy blue stone—to grind it down and cook up some blue meth."

Jacob stopped in his tracks and turned to her, confused. "What?"

"You heard me, thousand-year-old grandpa. Your soul-stealing giving immortality stone has to go. It's not just Trinity looking for it—Soviets and Hydra are after it too. If it falls into the hands of any of those three, they'll do some serious damage to the world."

"Hydra," Jacob muttered, his face darkening. As a thousand-year-old relic, Jacob had encountered Hydra before. Long ago, he had even been a member of the Brotherhood of the Shield, an organization dedicated to protecting the world. But when Isaac Newton murdered Galileo and bought the loyalty of the remaining members with the Elixir of Life—granting them immortality—and twisted the Brotherhood's purpose from preventing the end of the world to hastening it, Jacob had left in disgust.

"So, you know about Hydra," Lara said, her tone sharper. "Then you also know what will happen if the Divine Source falls into their hands."

Jacob nodded solemnly. "It can't fall into the hands of the successors of the Brotherhood of the Spear."

The Brotherhood of the Spear was the Eastern counterpart to the Brotherhood of the Shield. Its origins traced back to ancient Egypt, where Imhotep led a coalition of warriors to annihilate the Brood, a race of insectoid beings that traveled through space to infest hosts with their spawn. After their victory, Imhotep founded an organization to protect the world. Over time, it split into two factions: the Shield in the West the precedesor of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Spear in the East, which eventually evolved into Hydra.

"The Divine Source in their hands would be catastrophic," Jacob continued. "You're right—it must be destroyed even though it would also kill me."

Lara glanced at him "Good. Then we're on the same page, grandpa."

Suddenly, a loud crack shattered the silence. Lara and Jacob turned to see Trinity soldiers aiming rifles at them. Without hesitation, the gunfire erupted.

"Bloody hell!" Lara cursed, realizing there was no cover nearby. Her eyes darted around until she looked at Jacob. Gripping his shoulder, she shoved him in front of her, using him as a shield against the bullets.

"Really?" Jacob asked, his voice incredulous.

"You're the immortal prophet, better said immortal meat shield. You won't die," Lara snapped as she pulled out one of her Beretta pistol and began firing back with precision.

"Fu—" one soldier began, but his words were cut short as two of his comrades dropped, each with a bullet hole clean through their heads. A moment later, he too was taken down by Lara's sharp aim.

As the remaining soldiers regrouped, Lara and Jacob retreated, sprinting toward an abandoned train convoy. Using the derailed train cars for cover, Lara slung Jacob onto her back. "Hold on, grandpa!" she said, ignoring his protests, and broke into a full sprint.

Reaching a rickety old train bridge, Jacob finally managed to get a word in. "Put me down. My injuries have healed!"

"Fine," Lara said, unceremoniously dropping him on his butt. Jacob groaned but quickly stood.

Before either could say more, a deafening roar filled the air. Turning, they saw a gunship emerging from the horizon, its spotlight piercing through the icy fog.

"It's a gunship," Lara shouted. "Run!"

The two barely managed a few steps before the old bridge began to groan ominously. With each passing second, the structure gave way beneath their feet. "No, no, no!" Lara yelled as chunks of wood and metal fell into the icy river below. As the bridge trembled violently, she threw her hands up to the sky in frustration. "Screw you, TOAA!"

From the opposite end of the collapsing bridge, more Trinity soldiers appeared, guns drawn.

Jacob, realizing their only chance, grabbed Lara's hand. "Hold your breath!" he shouted, and without waiting for her reply, he leapt off the bridge, pulling her with him.