The taxi pulls up in front of the anthropology building at the university, and Seanna and Nicole get out of the vehicle. There is a small gathering of young men outside the front door, glancing at the door and chatting.
Seanna and Nicole collect their packs and begin to move through the crowd.
"Excuse me," Seanna calls politely. As she makes it through the crowd, she feels a sharp smack on her ass.
"Ah, more white women!" a man calls. "What have we done to deserve this?"
Seanna tries valiently to push past a maze of hands and finally gets through the door. She looks down and is surprised to see her light cotton blouse had been torn open, leaving her breasts covered only by a silk bra. She pulls off her pack and notices it's much lighter now... someone has opened up the zippers and pouches and pulled out much of the contacts.
She glances out the door. Where is Nicole? Then she sees a white hand waving for help. With all her might, the Irishwoman pulls open the door and hauls Nicole through the crowd. The blonde Canadian has been nearly completely stripped, left only in bra and panties.
"What happened?! Where's your pack?" the redhead demands to know.
Nicole smiled bashfully. "Well, a guy was pulling on it and saying something, so I thought he wanted to help. So I was taking it off, but it was kind of caught on my shirt, and he pulled them both off. Then he took off. I was trying to decide if I should chase after him or follow you, but all these hands were grabbing at me, and..." Nicole stopped, lip quivering, as though she now realizes the enormity of the situation. "Oh gawd, I had my lip balm in that pack!"
Seanna looks at Nicole disbelievingly, then turns when she hears a sharp laugh.
A tall brunette stands down the hallway, hands on her hips. She wears an immaculate white blazer and skirt, and high heels. Her long hair is worn in a braid. Her eyes are obscured behind sunglasses. "The Lumumban males are quite partial to white women. This is your first lesson. If you don't deal with them harshly, be prepared for more of the same treatment."
"Wow," Nicole gasps at the confident woman. "Who are you?"
"Lorna Cross," Seanna answers. "The infamous tomb raider."
"Treasure hunter," the woman corrects. "What brings two western women to this god-forsaken land?"
"We're anthropologists," Seanna begins. "Here from a university in..."
But Lorna cuts her off with a smile and a careful look. "You girls may be just what I need. How would you like to assist me?"
"Oh, that would be wonderful, working with Lara Croft..." Nicole enthuses.
"Lorna Cross," Seanna corrects. But it would be a wonderful opportunity for fame. She smiles and nods.
"Fantastic, you both are going to need more appropriate apparel," she says. "And a taste for peril..."
|