Tomb Raider: The Ten Thousand Immortals by Dan Abnett, Nik Vincent

quickly had an audience.
    From the fourth floor balcony, Lydia had to swing out to catch the drainpipe and shin up to the overhang of the roof. She hung there, from her elbows for a moment, before, very gracefully, tipping and rolling her body onto the parapet, easily clearing the gutters.
    She glanced down at the street. Darius was still trapped in his car.
    Lydia dashed across the flat roof to get a good view of the block. It was crowded with buildings all backing onto each other with courtyards and narrow spaces between. There was very little space on the ground and few routes that Lara could take, unless she went through the buildings. Then the routes would be endless, and Lydia would not have sight of Lara.
    “No sighting of subject,” Lydia said, scanning constantly and looking for movement in the small gardens that dotted the area.
    “On Rue Chateaubriand,” said Xerxes.
    “Hold your position, Xerxes,” said Hydarnes.
    Lara and her escorts emerged at an exit to the rear of the Ambassade. She stepped up beside the woman and smiled at her.
    “Thank you so much,” she said.
    “We’ll walk you to the street. It’s quite a labyrinth through all these buildings,” said the woman, smiling and putting a gentle hand on Lara’s arm.
    Lara could think of no adequate answer, and the kindness she was being shown was too warm to be ignored.
    Lydia dropped to one knee on the rooftop above.
    “Subject sighted,” she said, “accompanied by a woman and a protection officer.”
    “Stay on her. Do not approach,” said Hydarnes.
    Lydia matched Lara’s progress through the buildings, moving from one roof to another, vaulting, climbing, and even making one almighty leap to bridge the gap between two roofs, to cross the block. She went unseen and unheard.
    Lara emerged a few minutes later on Rue Chateaubriand. She shook hands with the Asian woman and thanked her once more.
    “Are you sure you’re quite well?” she asked.
    “Quite sure, thank you,” said Lara. “I’m so sorry to have put you to so much trouble.”
    “It was the nicest adventure I’ve had for a long time,” said the woman, smiling at Lara for the last time before turning back down the narrow alley between the buildings.
    Lara was on her guard immediately. The street was narrow, and there was no sign of the big BMW. Then, she saw him. There was a man down the street. He turned. There was something… He’d seen her.
    He had an earpiece… He was one of them.
    Lara’s heart beat a little faster.
    Then, she heard the high-pitched rattle of a moped engine firing up. There were several parked on the street. They were a common sight in Paris. She didn’t think twice. She strode up to the moped and climbed on the back. The man on the front was startled. Lara put her hands firmly on his shoulders and said, “Allez!” in his ear, in the most commanding tone she could muster. She didn’t shout. She didn’t want to scare him. She just wanted him to move and to move fast.
    Xerxes was right on top of them. The moped bucked and swerved. The rider was trying to do as he was told, but suddenly there was a man right in front of him.
    “Allez!” said Lara again.
    The rider turned the handlebars of the moped and revved the engine. The bike bucked again just as Lara reached out to shove Earpiece, who was grabbing for her. Lara braced herself with two feet still on the ground. The front wheel spun and turned, tearing into Earpiece’s legs. He went down hard.
    Lara had a fistful of his jacket, which tore away in her hand, scattering something on the ground.
    Earpiece recoiled, grabbing his bleeding leg.
    As the rider righted the moped, Lara scooped up the photos that had fallen from Earpiece’s jacket, and then the two of them were riding along Chateaubriand towards Avenue de Friedland.
    Chapter 13
    T he fire appliance finally skirted past the BMW, and Darius managed to pull out behind it and reverse out of Rue Lord Byron. He spun at the end of the street and