𝘈 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 (𝘍𝘢𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘺 3 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯)

Chapter 23: Choices

When Jason Brody stabs Vaas Montenegro and leaves him for dead, Lara Lightfoot is hiding in an underground room with Vaas' right hand man Carlos guarding her.

They've been in there for about three hours now, since the beginning of the pirates' celebratory party, the one that celebrates Jason Brody's death. Except Jason isn't dead, of course, and he's just won his duel with Vaas.

Carlos and Lara are both silent. He is standing near the door, and she is sitting against the wall, thinking back to the last time she saw Vaas, a few hours before. He said bye to her, told Carlos to wait four hours, and if nothing happened, to come out and send Lara back to England. Then Lara surprised herself by running to him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him one last time. For the first time, she'd genuinely felt like telling him she loved him. She'd said "take care", instead, and Vaas had kissed her forehead before waking away. He'd given her the passport.

Sitting there, alone with Carlos, Lara tells herself it's the growing insanity in her which pushed her to feel like saying the dreaded three words. She needs to see her family. She's had nothing but Vaas for months now, probably nearly a year. It would drive anyone crazy.

Sitting there, holding the passport, Lara is calm, because as mad as Vaas is he is an excellent fighter, and he will win. He'll live. There's no way she'd get home this easy. It would feel wrong, too, although she is unable to figure out why.

Lara is tired of sitting there.

She stands, walks around. Why is Carlos so still? Vaas would be pacing like a madman in this concrete cage.

"How long has it been?"

"Three hours."

"Right."

She paces the room, listens to the annoying buzz of the neon lamp.

"He's going to win, isn't he?" She asks. No response. This is pissing her off.

"Where are you from, Carlos? Hey?" She presses, growing angry.

"None of your business" replies the pirate.

"How old are you?"

"Older than you."

"I doubt it."

He remains silent, doesn't look at her.

"Vaas is going to win, isn't he? He's a good fighter. That Jason Brody is just a regular guy, isn't he? Vaas is stronger."

"Why the fuck do you care?" Snaps Carlos. "Wouldn't it be better for you if he died?"

Lara has nothing to say to that. Yes, it would be better for her if Vaas died.

"Yes." She says, finally. "But it doesn't mean I actually do want him dead."

Carlos smirks, turning to her. He's leaning against the wall with his foot lazily resting against the concrete. Even his pose is getting on Lara's nerves. She's been in there too long. She needs to know.

"So you finally got that Stockholm shit going, yeah?"

"You know, it's actually possible to be a decent person and not wish others dead without having some sort of terrible phychological condition!" She snaps back.