8748/Hot Cairo Summer

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Hot Cairo Summer
Date of Scene: 11 August 2019
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Synopsis: Lara and Silver travel to Cairo to investigate a mysterious artifact. They're confronted by mysterious men who have a mysterious request. Mystery abound.
Cast of Characters: Lara Croft, Silver Sable
Tinyplot: City of the Dead


Lara Croft has posed:
Its a hot day in Cairo Egypt today. Lara and Silver arrived at the local airport around 1:30 in the afternoon local time and its a scorching 98 degrees outside with a clear sky.

A car from the museum had come to pick them up, but the two women had to get their luggage and then find it. Lara looks back to Silver as they're moving toward the luggage area and she smiles at her. "I'm glad you're here. I thought I'd have to do this one alone, which would be fine... but... I don't know, I've felt like having company more lately. Maybe my therapist wasn't such a quack after all." She jests and shows a light hearted smirk to her own words.

Lara's wearing a light button on up shirt in gray hue and beneath its mostly unbuttoned presence is a steel blue tank top. Brown jeans and leather boots complete her attire aside from accessories like a sport watch and sunglasses, and her necklace of course.

"Are you prepared for some wandering through a musty old museum?" Lara then asks her friend with a warmth to her smile toward Silver.

Silver Sable has posed:
Silver's dressed such that she could take a left turn and disappear into a crowd. The mercenary's clothing is loose fitting and quite conservative, appropriate for Cairo; a men's thawb belted high around her waist and a split dress, both in shades of grey just shy of being properly silver. Her shoulders are covered by an aubergine shawl that she can readily convert to a hijab if needed.

No doubt the outfit conceals a number of weapons. Camoflague comes in all shapes and sizes.

"Museum? Da," Silver agrees, and falls into step with Lara. Her head tilts forward as if she's watching the road twenty feet ahead of her, but Lara would see her eyes flickering alertly behind the cheap-looking sunglasses she wears. Silver doesn't miss much.

"So. Being honest, what are odds this is a normal museum trip?" Silver inquires, and looks sidelong at Lara with a faint grin. "Are we going to get blown up or tossed in dungeon? Nazis going to burst out of woodwork? I haven't punched a Nazi in a long time," she says, wistfully.

Lara Croft has posed:
Cairo is a surprisingly well developed city, something most people in the West might not even realize. There are a number of very 'American things' here in Cairo including familiar hotels and food chains and this airport is very modern and reasonably well kept as well.

Lara laughs lightly at Silver's response and it initially just makes the explorer draw in a breath as she raises a hand up to brush some of her brown locks out of her eyes and off of her forehead and well groomed eyebrows. She glances to the luggage turnaround, and then looks back to Silver as she struggles to admit something.

"Maybe." She says to her close friend. "I'm sure thats partially why I know you know I invited you to begin with. For... help. Not just company, though I like that too." She flashes one of her trademarked distant smiles to Silver then.

When the bags start to roll out of the airport's depths, people start to line up from their long flight here. "There are... oddities, to whats brought me here." Lara pulls her carry-on bag around to her hip between she and Silver and she starts to dig into. "I should've given you this on the plane, I'm sorry. I just got distracted by... well, here." She offers Silver a folder of information, all about why they're here.

Inside it is a rundown on mysterious objects that were sent to New York's Natural History museum that weren't on the original manifest for the shipment. "We need to find out what these are and why they ended up in the United States. It looks like someone attempted to smuggle them out of here... but, who... and why."

Silver Sable has posed:
Silver removes her sunglasses and gives Lara an impish look, though it's subtle enough Lara's the only one who'd catch. "Good save," she advises the heiress, and accepts the envelope from her. "If you only brought me as hired help, I'd start billing you my hourly rate. Would hate to see Croft Manor bankrupted because you hired world's most expensive baggage porter."

She flashes a tight grin at Lara and examines the document in her hands. The smile fades to something thoughtfully pensive. "Hmm. Sloppy work, for smugglers," Silver points out. "Normally you bribe someone on both ends. Otherwise, some overzealous bureaucrat starts making phone calls, wondering if he has to sign for something not on manifest."

She examines the note once more, committing it to memory, and tucks it away inside a satchel on her hip. "Obvious suggestion is drugs," Silver advises Lara. "Heroin, from this part of world. Probably brought down from Turkey. Antiquities are great way to smuggle drugs or launder money."

Lara Croft has posed:
The first of what Silver says gets a rare reaction out of Lara, the normally stoic and reserved Brit leans over to press her shoulder to Silver's and to put and arm around Silver's back near the small of it. She leans her head over to touch the sides of their heads together. "You would bankrupt me?" She asks then in a teasingly quietly and mock tone before she just grins and goes back to her normal posture, though she does give Silver's back a soft pat before doing so.

"There." Lara says then as her hand comes around and she points at the small bronze box pictured on a pager in the folder. Its about the size of a harmonica box or a jewelry box. "That item in particular. Its a container, of some variety, but I wasn't able to open it. Its missing a piece." She points at the end. "I'm wondering if said piece is still here... So... here we are."

Lara doesn't mention that she has the box on her, she's not sure who's listening after all.

When their bags come around, Lara steps forward and leans over to grab hold of them both and she hoists them up and sets them down before them. "Ready?" She asks with a big smile. "Lets hope its not drugs... I'm not interested in ending up on the hit list of a drug lord... Thats trouble even a Croft doesn't want to get involved in..."

Silver Sable has posed:
Silver accepts her bag from Lara and slings it over one shoulder without much visible effort. The lean Symkarian's stronger than she looks, and the heavy canvas bag looks like the sort of thing a sailor would haul around on shore leave.

"First time you cross a drug lord, a little scary," Silver reassures Lara. "Fortunately, not something we are unequipped to handle, either."

Silver walks straight past the taxi stands and towards the private car pickup, ignoring the cabbies whistling for her attention-- or just whistling for her. She heads directly to a worn-down looking SUV at the end of the line, something close to a decade old and visibly worn down by sun and time. The windows are quite darkly tinted, and a woman leans against the driver side wheel well. She's dressed in worn old fatigues and a dirty, long-sleeved blouse that's seen better days. Her short-cropped hair and alert demeanour betray her as more than just a cabbie; when Silver approaches and lifts her sunglasses, the woman hops to and starts throwing the bags in the back of the vehicle. Silver beckons Lara and climbs into the van.

Once inside, it becomes apparent that Silver called ahead. The interior is surprisingly posh, like a luxury vehicle. And when the SUV pulls into traffic, it's obvious that the suspension's been modified to accomodate some invisible armor plating.

Silver taps an intercom. "Melissa, take us to the Cairo Royal Museum," she tells the driver.

Lara Croft has posed:
"I'll hopefully never experience such a thing, though I wouldn't rule it out." Lara responds on the subject of drug lords. Her own own luggage is on wheels and she rolls it behind her. They had rooms setup for their stay here at a local hotel, and Silver had arranged their ride.

As they near to the driver, Lara too has her sunglasses on over her eyes as its quite hot and scorching out today in the fine city. She smiles to the driver and moves to let her take her luggage. "Thank you." She hands over the suitcase and her backpack but keeps her satchel on her hip, slung across her torso by a leather strap.

As they get inside the vehicle, Lara now lifts her own shades up again to rest them on her hairline. She looks over to Silver then and there. "Have you been here before?" She then asks, noting Silver seeming a bit more comfortable than she'd expected but then again... Silver always seems quite comfortable.

When they arrive at the Museum eventually, they'll be greeted by a Doctor Groomberg out of London, another archaeologist. He's waiting in a lovely little seating area at the front of the Museum.

Silver Sable has posed:
"Cairo's a good base of operations for Silver International," Silver explains. "Lots of activity in the Middle East. Egypt's more tractable than Saudi Arabia is when it comes to private military companies. Also, I don't have to wear a burka in Cairo," she says with a disdainful sniff.

While the car's rolling up to the Museum, Silver opens a box and starts concealng a few weapons on her person. Knives, handguns, and a wicked looking PDW that collapses into a few parts and disappears into her satchel.

Her disguise is back in place once they approach Dr. Groomberg, and she shakes his hand when the polite introductions are made. "Is good of you to meet us, Doctor," she tells the fellow, and takes her seat when invited. "Do not mind me, you two-- talk," she says, wiggling fingers at Lara and Groomberg. "Am just here as baggage handler." She picks up a cracker off the serviette and nibbles on it, flickering a wink at Lara.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara only has her single handgun on her and its currently in that satchel on her hip, being that she is a SHIELD agent she'd been cleared to have it on the commercial flight that they'd taken, first class of course.

She watches Silver arm up for a moment and it just makes her grin before her eyes turn away and look out of the vehicle...

When they're out of said vehicle and finding their way to where the good Doctor is located, Lara is first to shakes his offered hand. He's a shorter man, 5'5" or so, and bald headed, older in his early 50s or late 40s. He smiles to both of them. "My word, you two are quite the sight. Truly, even after such a long flight you both look like heaven sent angels." Lara glances over to Silver after smiling to him, she'd forgotten to tell Silver that he's a bit of a flirt, even in e-mails!

"Thank you, Doctor." Lara says as they're then invited to where he was seated in the little park. There is a welcomed shade from the sun. Lara will then introduce Silver and vice versa, the Doctor responds with a bit of blubbering and a decent amount of Charisma for a man of his stature and age. He seems to be a good talker at least!

"Well, Ladies. I could not be happier to have you here." He starts then. "We'll head inside in a moment to get out of this blasted heat, but I've been in there all morning and I'll admit that the a.c. has chilled me to my core. It can be a bit refreshing to step outside for a spell."

He pauses then and looks to Lara.

"So the item in question, you have it with you?" He asks. Lara then sits up a little straight across from the stone table that they're seated at. "I do." She tells him.

"Splendid, splendid..." He trails off in thought for a moment before he jumps again. "Oh! I believe I've found the missing piece that you say belongs to it. But..." The man glances around then and he rocks on the stone bench forward and back. His eyes dart to Silver and then back to Lara. He leans forward and then looks down at a napkin beside his cold drink. "We're being watched." He mutters.

Silver Sable has posed:
Silver flashes a smile that's equally charming and professional, and Lara would recognize as quite insincere. It's a good bluff, though. Silver's polite enough to accept the flirting as a compliment, or at least cynical enough to let him think she appreciates it. Maybe a bit of both. The stoic professional in her keeps it quite low key and she spends more time carefully observing their surroundings than focusing on the chatter between the two ner-- archaologists.

"Da. I see them," Silver remarks, without turning to look over her shoulder. "Been staring at us since we sat down." She betrays not one iota of surprise or alarm, and looks at Lara next to her. "How do you want to handle it? I do not think they're government, at least, not here officially. Might be thugs planning a strongarm robbery. I could have them removed from here-- my backup team is parked not far away."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara doesn't give away that information when its shared between Groomberg and Silver. She listens and just softly nods her head, and even cracks a smile to suggest that they're still having a pleasantly casual conversation in fact.

"We should go inside." Lara then softly says as she raises a hand up to drop her sunglasses back down over her eyes and then folds her hands together so they're touching palms together.

"Right, yes, of course." Groomberg says then, his sweat levels have increased now that he can tell the situation is more awkward. He glances to Silver, she seems more capable than he'd first thought but... still.

The portly archaeologist moves to stand and leave the table. Lara rises up to follow after him and she gives a glance toward Silver.

The three of them are allowed to walk up to the Museum's side entry way, not the main hall entry that the public utilizes. But before they can reach it, a pair of men step out from behind one of the statues, both are dressed in fine suits of black and burgandy, both wearing sunglasses. The stand between the three and the door to the Museum.

"Miss Croft." One speaks. "Miss Sablinova." He then says, swapping his gaze between the two women. "It is so good of you to come to our city. We are happy to have you here..." He is clearly local based on his appearance and accented English.

Silver Sable has posed:
Silver seems to react so fast she must have been anticipating this precise scenario. She takes two swift lateral steps away from Lara. It's a tactical move, making of them two separate targets and harder to track at once. She makes no effort to hide a hand disappearing into her satchel. "Seems we are new friends, da? And you have advantage of me. I don't like being surprised by strangers. Who are you and what do you want?" she demands, with a premptory tone of utter command authority.

Lara Croft has posed:
The man in the burgundy suit is the one doing the talking. He reaches up to remove his own slick shades from his eyes and he folds the limbs together as he watches Silver. He shows her a smile. "Miss Sablinova. I assure you that we mean you no aggressions." He speaks to Silver. "We represent a very wealthy and powerful investor into Cairo's future, and he has a distinct interest in what Miss Croft is in possession of." the man states as he motions toward Lara, his eyes going toward her now.

"Miss Croft." He says, he's smooth and charismatic way of speaking is sort've alluring in a way, he's confident and extremely comfortable in this setting. "The box that you have. I have already purchased the other piece from Doctor Groomberg. I am interested in acquiring your half, and then... we shall be on our way, separate paths."

Dr. Groomberg is sweating bullets now, shuffling from one foot to the other. He looks over to Lara, then to the men, then to Silver, then back to Lara. He grumbles quietly.

Lara glares at Groomberg, then looks back to the two men. "I can't sell you this item. Its an artifact of the city of Cairo, it belongs to the city itself. It does not get sold to private interests..."

There's a growing stand-off now, Silver's going to take note of that obviously.

The man in the burgundy suit just smiles to Lara. He smiles and waits a moment. "Miss Croft." He says. "My employer is working to better Cairo through the acquisition of that artifact. His possessing it, leads to a Cairo with a brighter future. Surely even you can respect that." His friend, the one in the black suit, is unbottoning the two buttons on the front of his suit jacket.