IMPORTANT MESSAGE: I claim no rights or properties whatsoever to the Resident Evil series, or anything else owned by Capcom.
Prologue
"My fellow Americans. There are some events in a single lifetime you can't put into words; a recent outbreak being one of them. June 30, 2013 was a day of tragedy, a time of immeasurable loss for the people of China. It was a day the world has not seen the meaning of hardship since the T-virus outbreak in Raccoon City back in 1998. Lanshiang has been liberated of Bio-organic Weapons that have been linked to ex-Chief Security Advisor, Derek C. Simmons. Thanks to two F.O.S. Agents, Leon Kennedy and Helena Harper, as well as the men and women of the BSAA, China can start rebuilding with a sense of hope their nightmares will soon be behind them. The C-Virus that plagued China is still spreading like wildfire across the globe. So far we have reason to believe that there are over 80,000 infectees in desperate need of a vaccine in over twenty-six states.
I am pleased to announce that there is a vaccine in the making, and it will be distributed to those in need. Ladies and gentlemen, this goes without saying I do not think this planet can withstand these outbreaks much longer. It is like we are still living under Umbrella's shadow. My mentor and friend, your Commander in Chief, suffered the same fate in what China went through. Now you all knew how he portrayed himself as a leader. I have never seen such devotion in one human being.
Adam Benford focused on the actual problems of our country instead of giving tax cuts to the rich, or making empty promises for the middle class. The time before his death, he and I have prepared a State of the Union address depicting a buried truth: the truth behind Raccoon City. Later today, I will be delivering that speech so I strongly advise those who were affected by the recent tragedy, to tune in with your families as this will be a three hour live event. I am issuing a global wide clean-up of the C-Virus outbreak. TerraSave and other fields of medi-care will be distributing the vaccine to the infectees, and the BSAA will liberate those who are beyond repair.
This is going to be a long clean up from here on out; there is a lot of work to be done. In the meantime, as Vice President I will personally investigate the conspiracy behind Neo-Umbrella, and who has been pulling the strings other than Simmons. Mark my words, I unequivocally promise that there will be no more outbreaks in the foreseeable future. Neo-Umbrella will be disavowed, and this planet will return to normalcy. It has to. I will take any questions at this time."
The conference room was buzzing for questions regarding the cause behind Simmons' betrayal to the agency. As far as the energy fluctuated in the room, people showed signs of physical exhaustion and annoyance.
"Mr. Vice President, can you shed any more light on the citizens of Lanshiang? What's their state of mind right now?"
"A good fraction of those who were in Lanshiang, Waiyip, and Koocheng to name a few were rendered helpless when the C-Virus broke out in secret. Nobody, not even Ambassador Huang Waiyip saw it coming. The evils of Neo-Umbrella didn't show itself until a missile struck the city in a thick, hazing fog. 10,000 citizens were turned into flesh eating monsters while the latter of that 10,000 mutated into something worse. It has only been five days since the outbreak. It will take some time for the Chinese to get their lives back on track. Next question?"
"Edonia has been limping still from the same situation as China. There has been talk of TerraSave sending medical teams to administer vaccines. But my question is, is the threat in Edonia finished as well?"
"The BSAA have been holding against the virus after Captain Chris Redfield and his team were attacked seven months ago. Thanks to his expertise however, B.O.W.s were stretched thin throughout the region. As far as I know, TerraSave has been helping the people of Edonia with readily made vaccines and they should go back to normal soon. On another note, Operatives found remains of an old science lab in the southern part of the country. However, I will not go into further detail on that, but I will say any evil that has taken precedence there will be dealt with as well."
"What about the conspiracy behind Neo-Umbrella? Is the old Umbrella Corporation coming back to haunt us?"
"The Umbrella Corporation had multiple facilities in the states, Russia, and West Africa. The facility in China seemed to be standalone. The two F.O.S. Agents who went after Simmons found evidence on his questionable conduct with National Security and the cloning of a female Chinese Agent. We have reason to believe his involvement with the C-Virus may have been gone deeper; a lot deeper. As I have stated, we got a long two years ahead of us to clean up the mess Simmons left behind. These viruses never seem to end. Eventually, we will have to rely on a more direct approach so this catastrophe does not happen again. I will take one more question."
"What of Ada Wong? Will she be brought to justice for the crimes she has committed?"
"We are still looking into her involvement in both countries. BSAA operatives confirm she was acting like two people; possibly from Simmons' secret project to clone Ada. As far as I'm concerned, in this day and age we cannot take any threat lightly anymore. Until proven otherwise she is still an international criminal. Thank you for your time."
This live broadcast was shown worldwide five days after the China incident, set up by Vice President of the United States, Matthew Keyes. It has been a year and a half since the China catastrophe. The C-Virus Derek Simmons unleashed upon its people was spreading everywhere, leaving almost half of the general population with no chance of survival. Things have been changing in the National Security department as well. Simmons was dead, a few employees left to avoid the fallout and a tarnished reputation he left behind, but a young woman named Agent Sherry Birkin stayed on board. She thought she would still do some good in keeping potential threats to a minimum in their backyard. On one afternoon, Sherry was doing some research on a top classified story that was never to be revealed to the public. For a certain mercenary's sake, she kept the information to herself.
However, it's been three months since Jake Muller contacted her about anything, but she already knew he was a survivor and mercenaries never stayed in one place. On her home lap top, she was looking through some old files that were obtained at the Ozwell E. Spencer estate by B.S.A.A. agents, Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine. The ones in particular were documented copies of Spencer's journal. Going through passages of his personal thoughts, Sherry came across the name "Wesker", Alex Wesker; one of the thirteen manufactured children under the name "Project W". She only knew Jake and his father Albert Wesker, but not Alex aside from a senator named Alexander Rothstein from Pennsylvania.
Passages explained he has been more of a mysterious sort than Spencer cared to admit. He had research and experimental data that was going to immortalize him and bring upon a new rule of dictatorship. It went on about him slowly reaching death but never feared its cold embrace. Then, out of the blue, his work disappeared without a trace. With all the world has gone through with Raccoon City, Europe, Edonia, China, the slew of viruses that have come and gone due to vaccines and Jake Muller's antibodies, there was one missing link that could bring the world into absolute chaos permanently.
Management has been stingy in bringing up past outbreaks. She felt explaining what she found to her superiors would be a waste of time, or worse, get fired from her position in National Security. Then one hidden file grabbed her attention; it spoke of an infiltration mission in a temple outside the Provinces of Norway, led by a "freelance" soldier named Damien Walsh. The mission was dated March 18, 2005: a small military base off the Venezuelan coast was given Intel on a huge disturbance, saying Norwegian inhabitants kept hearing voices and tourists seeing mysterious deaths outside the temple grounds. To Sherry it didn't sound like a big deal, until the name "Wesker" showed up again. For the rest of the afternoon she read the report by this Walsh character, and went up to the newly appointed Chief Advisor early the next day.
Since Simmons demise, National Security was scurrying around to look for a potential replacement. That replacement was Adrien Grey. He was Simmons' successor in becoming the next Chief Security Advisor. He's been in his new position for over seven months and has vowed to get National Security back on track to protecting people from actual human threats. Around 10:13 in the morning, Sherry requested a sit down with the new director to talk to him what she found. After what has happened to the world over the years, it was the noble way to bring the research to light.
"Ah Agent Birkin, good morning." Adrien addressed. "How are you?"
"I'm doing well thank you." Sherry replied.
"Please sit down."
"Sir, I understand the world is still trying to breathe after what happened in China."
"Cut to the chase." He demanded.
"Ok." She sighed, putting printed copies of both Spencer's journal and the article on his desk. "I was looking through some old reports in the BSAA's database and I came across an event that took place at a mansion owned by Ozwell E. Spencer. Take a look."
Adrien analyzed the printed copies with fixed eyes and concern on his face. The report based on Spencer's notes spoke about his Progenitor Virus. She explained that a Wesker child may still be out in the world somewhere. Due to what Spencer said in his journals Alex Wesker stole his research and fled the estate before he was found. He put the files down and confronted Sherry on her findings.
"So, you went into the BSAA's encrypted files and read old reports that were tied up in hopes of never opening again?"
"It was wrong of me. The files popped up as I had some downtime on my lap top. However, I do have a close contact in the organization who gave me access to old files in case if they missed anything."
"This contact wouldn't be Captain Chris Redfield would it? Poor guy's never been the same since his partner died in an underwater oil field last year."
"His sister Claire from TerraSave told me that as well. Now among those files I found a hidden one stuck to the back end of Spencer's notes." She said giving Adrien another file. "It contains images and barred details of what went down in Norway. It was written by a Damien Walsh."
Adrien was familiar with the name. He had only met Damien once through an internet web chat during a Presidential ceremony in 2005. It was three weeks after Damien came back from Norway. They didn't have a full conversation, but after nine years since he first met him he personally had his doubts about his well being. The President at that time, Henry Graham was very particular in keeping the event under wraps because of a dangerous discovery Damien found in the temple. Adrien was only an employee for National Security, working in the Logistics Division. He too was curious as to what was found, but he developed a phobia about the unknown after the Raccoon City incident and decided to leave it alone. If it was any other agent, Adrien would have sent them out the door and none would be the wiser. Sherry was different. He gave her his humble opinion in how to proceed beyond graphic paperwork.
"Ok, the "chief advisor" in me would tell you to put this file back where you found it before one of your other superiors catches you snooping on secret files. The uh..."realist" in me, would be curious about Mr. Walsh's health."
"Is he okay?" She asked.
"Can't say for sure, and I'm not saying that because it's classified information. The hidden file about Norway was a week-long mission that some participants deemed it to be ten years of sleepless nights. The one you found is a fabricated copy."
"I see. Figures..."
"I'll make you a deal, but only because you've had experience with horrors like the ones Damien went through. You have top level clearance to research deeper into what the BSAA has on the Norway mission; find out if he's alive. But on one condition: you're on a very short leash. If you find out he's alive you come to me with that information so we can set up a meet. From there, I want the sit down audio recorded and report back to me after. Do we have a deal?"
Sherry accepted the terms with great enthusiasm. She left his office to go about her business for the rest of the day. By the time she got back to her apartment it was already past midnight. Looking on her cellphone, she had gotten two messages on her voicemail. One was from Jake.
"Hey Sherry, its me. Listen, I know we haven't been keeping in touch as much as I wanted, but you wouldn't believe the B.O.W.s I messed up today. You remember those lizard creatures I told you about from that Middle Eastern town? Turns out their skin is made of granite; nothing but a little forceful ingenuity couldn't solve. Guess the amount of blood I gave you won't solve the world's problems overnight. Hey, give me a shout when you're free and I uh…will talk to you soon. Bye."
Relief flushed into her rosy red cheeks to know he was doing well and kicking some B.O.W. ass. It has been awhile since they've seen each other. On the books, they were both partners caught in a much unexpected situation, like she played as the walking plastic container and Jake was the acrobatic blood bag, waiting to cure all viruses. The second message came from Director Adrien Grey, reminding her of the conversation they had earlier. She settled in and made herself a pot of coffee before jumping into some overnight research.
She logged on to her account and searched through old military logs dated back into the early 2000's. It took her from midnight to almost 2:30 in the morning. With four cups of grounded caffeine rushing in her veins she was able to find the official story about a temple called "Kurinthian". It spoke of five, highly capable young men and women infiltrating the temple, and investigating the mysterious murders. Then it shifted over to details based on interviews from the citizens of Norway, complaining about the eerie noises and how their town was haunted by forces unknown. Later on the next day, she called up Director Grey about the article she found and sent it as an attachment to his email.
So far, she was introduced to a grave spectacle of fear, disbelief, and mental frailness that put a toll on those who survived the mission. However, in the article it didn't say whether Damien lived or died. Adrien did some cross reference checking on the names of the survivors as well as their current lives in full view. Soon after, she showered and got dressed she got an text from Grey, saying to report to his office as soon as she got in. From what she knew so far, there was a Wesker child within the temple, a series of puzzles that led to even more mystery, and an overwhelming case of claustrophobia amongst the "highly capable" participants. The only thing she cared about was the Wesker link, not to mention whether or not Damien survived the mission nine years prior. By the time she got to Adrien's office, he was able to find him.
"How did you find Damien so quickly? I thought you said you were going to check on known affiliates."
"I did." He implied as he showed her the name of a new organization that was put together three years after Norway. "His name didn't show up for known affiliates. No other names either. Which is it; anyone survived or is it all bullshit?"
"If I may, maybe you can give the article to one of your analysts or."
"Strictly speaking we're not supposed to have these files. The world is on its' last legs, and the last thing it needs is another tyrant with a god complex."
"So, where do we go from here?" Sherry asked. "The M.F.S. is not really in our wheel house."
"Which brings me to this man." He replied showing her a picture.
"I recognize this guy from the old reports. He was in Raccoon City."
The man from the picture was Carlos Oliveira: a Brazilian Merc and an accomplice to ex-S.T.A.R.S. member Jill Valentine during the T-Virus outbreak. Although Sherry never met the guy before, Adrien thought it would be best to talk to him about Damien's fate since Norway was his last mission before he retired from the Mercenary life. He let Sherry know he was going to talk it over with the board of Security Advisors about a leave of absence. Bags were forming smaller bags under her eyes over the past year. She hasn't really taken a vacation since her involvement in protecting Jake. He thought it would be best to use the opportunity with Brazil as a vacation/assignment.
"Sir, with all due respect if the board gets wind that I'm in Brazil for any other reason."
"Ms. Birkin relax. You'll be fine. I can't have my staff tumbling all over the place because they didn't get an ounce of sleep. Besides, if he is alive, he can be a valuable asset to the Wesker link. But for now, let's focus on doing our jobs and worry about this assignment later."
For a Chief Advisor, he was very lenient on Sherry's persistence in looking for things that were not in her pay grade, regardless of her shadowed history as a child. National Security as well as any military party would be more than relieved to go back to fighting the good fight against human targets. Sherry went back to work that day as if it was another normal work week. Later on Adrien set up an online conference with the other figure heads about giving Sherry a company retreat. When he explained the situation in his own way, the board was very skeptic in his case. Some felt the conference in the first place was a waste of time, especially if it's asking for an employee's time off. He kept rearranging details the best he could as to why Sherry wanted to go to Brazil. That's when the board called him out on it…in a manner of speaking.
"Mind telling us what this is about, Grey?" One of the members asked suspiciously. "If Agent Birkin is asking for some time off, it is in your power to authorize that request."
"It's just that she's been through a lot over the past year. I don't want her to feel like she's being watched." Adrien replied.
"Advisor, we understand you are more compassionate about your employees' well-being, but there are still repairs that need doing across the southern region. You know as well as we do B.O.W.s are still a major threat in some parts of the world."
"I thought Jake Muller's antibodies counteracted the C-Virus victims. Listen, over the past seven months since I took this job, I have been doing nothing but cleaning up the carnage Simmons left behind. I apologize for my hasty sentimentality; everyone is under a lot of pressure in getting the world back on track."
"And that is perfectly understandable. That is what we all want now: a normal society. It is still going to take some time for that to happen, especially for the public. They need to be reassured that viral outbreaks will no longer come to light. There have been too many to count since the Raccoon City incident. This one time, we will grant Agent Birkin precisely two days of company retreat; give her a chance to recuperate before sending her back to work."
"Thank you gentlemen."
One of the members gave him a word of caution though, that if he didn't get his act together before the year was out, he would be fully removed as Chief Security Advisor. You know what they say: "compassion is the enemy." He understood their warning and thanked them again.
A few days later on August 12, 2014, Sherry received a call from Adrien, confirming a ticket he got for Brazil. She was reminded again about getting in contact with Carlos and ask for Damien's whereabouts. Afterwards she texted Jake about whether or not he was going to be in Brazil or somewhere around the Latin countries.
It was a long shot in her mind, but she wanted an opportunity to spend some time with him since she was finally out of the office. When she was at the airport ready to board, she finally got a text from Jake. "I think I can squeeze in some R&R with you, super girl." On the flight to Rio de Janeiro, she went on her lap top to look further into the file depicting the events in Norway. By then most of the info was covered in black ink, and there was no search database for a "Damien Walsh" either. When she activated her clearance code, most of Spencer's files went missing from the BSAA's database. Whoever he was serving under she thought, they were very thorough in not making him a known figure connected to the Wesker mystery. 16 hours later, the plane landed in Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport. She got off and didn't see Jake anywhere.
"Come on, Jake. Where are you hiding?" She asked checking her phone.
With the unbearable heat and the jet lag, it didn't do her any favors from a stuffy office on a rainy day. Luckily, she understood a few Brazilian words to help get around the country; even brought a dictionary for extra help. She went to a car rental place and got herself a dune buggy with plenty of air conditioning. As she drove out on the road, she searched in her database for Carlos Oliveira's whereabouts. He was located in a 2 bedroom apartment just outside of Natal, along the Rio Grande. Sherry parked her car and walked amongst Natal's inhabitants. There was still no sign of Jake until she finally got a call from him.
"Thought I forget?"
"Where are you, mister?" She asked rolling her eyes.
"On a bounty mission. A fat ass loan shark's been scamming scholarship money from soccer interns."
"Forget I asked. Um, do you know where I can find 2 bedroom apartments in Natal? I'm in the area now but I can't find any."
"Nah, I'm not familiar with that part of the country. Got flown here last night myself. Wait, I'll call you back."
Sherry sighed and got out her dictionary. She was walking around town, asking people for directions or if anyone was familiar with Carlos' name. Eventually she was pointed to a five mile ride north towards the beach bays, leading into an ocean scape with apartments overlooking the sea. It was beautiful this time of year; as if no viral outbreaks scathed its' sands or historical establishments. Sherry got out of her car with notebook in hand to search for Carlos' place, but then was distracted by the clear water in the distance. She breathed in the sea air, imagining what would have been like if she was on an actual vacation with Jake. One mysterious fella with a semi-heavy accent stood next to her, complimenting on what a beautiful place Brazil was. It was like paradise compared to the struggles he endured in the states.
"A dark past huh? You're not the only one." Sherry said.
"I have lived here for most of my later life. Working in the states wasn't all it's cracked up to be."
"Sadly, I'm not on vacation. I am looking for this guy named Carlos Oliveira. You wouldn't know him by any chance right?"
"Aye, I know the name." The man replied looking straight into the distance. "Some say he's a funny guy. Others say…he loves to look at the ocean."
Being the jokester he was, he was none other than Carlos himself. He introduced himself to Sherry as he was somewhat familiar with the name "Birkin." He hasn't seen a Raccoon City survivor or a S.T.A.R.S. member since fleeing with Barry Burton and Jill Valentine on a helicopter from the infected city. Sherry wanted to talk elsewhere like his house or something where things were not as distracting like the water. He accompanied her back to his apartment home just down the beach. The inside of his apartment had a very Brazilian feel to it, and appropriately so since it represented his birth place. Before She flew to Brazil she researched known affiliates connected to Raccoon City. Carlos was ex-Umbrella, a part of the UBCS task force under the command of a Russian Sergeant named Nicholai Genovaef, but despite his checkered past he seemed like a really down to earth guy with a fresh start he made for himself. Both sat in his small living room covered in mess.
"I know it ain't much. I'm more of a recluse in my own home so I don't always have time to clean up."
"It's okay." Sherry told him. "I actually came here under the request of National Security."
"Segurança Nacional. Lady, if this is an interrogation."
"Mr. Oliveira, I can assure you this isn't." She stopped him mid-sentence. "Do you remember a temple in Norway?"
"I know some Norwegian piadas, but I don't understand."
"There was a file I found based on an infiltration mission back on March 18, 2005. It said there was a temple called "Kurinthian" and a connection to Wesker."
"Didn't that bastard die four years ago in a volcano or something? Look, ever since Raccoon City I was out of a job. I was lucky to get mercenary work to put pão on my table."
"But do you remember "Kurinthian"? Mysterious deaths not done by humans? Damien Walsh?"
"What is this about? You flew all this way to ask me of a mission I hardly remember? No offense, but I don't owe your department anything. I work on the client's dime, not the government's." He said out of frustration. "Thanks for stopping by."
Sherry felt he was deflecting on the sore details of his last mission. His spooked expression as soon as he heard of the temple said it all. His experience changed him in some way. Her time back in Raccoon City was one of frightening images when she was a little girl. Like many lost souls who survived the T-Virus outbreak, it scarred them for life, made them think twice about the world and how can any monster of higher power do such a thing to the human race. She spoke of how she was infected with the G-Virus and her newfound powers of accelerated healing. Carlos didn't want to listen about his involvement as an Umbrella Operative; hence one of the reasons why he went back to his home in Brazil to live in seclusion. Since Sherry was desperate in finding out where Damien was, she showed Carlos an example of her healing ability. She noticed a machete hanging above the kitchen walkway; a trinket gained to remind him where he came from. No one was in their right state of mind; Sherry had developed a bit of a reckless nature since China. She stared at him for two quick seconds before running into the kitchen and taking the machete off its hinges.
"What the hell you think you're doing?!" Carlos demanded to know.
"Look, we don't know each other and I'm sorry for barging in like this. But you're going to give me cooperation one way or the other."
"Little girl, just take it easy." He tried reasoning with her. "You seem stressed. Put down the machete so we can talk."
"I don't know what the hell I'm doing. You familiar with the G-Virus?"
"Never faced it, why?"
Suddenly, the long horizontal slit on her right arm demonstrated blood streaming down from it, but before it made a mess Carlos noticed her skin closing up the wound in a blink of an eye.
"Oh meu deus. I've seen deformed bastardos in my employment but nothing like this." Carlos said in astonishment.
"Raccoon City changed us. We had small parts to play back then. It made us who we are today." She said putting the machete on his coffee table. "I'm sorry Carlos... I don't know why I had to show you that."
"How did you?"
"My body, it adapted to the virus and no mutation came along with it."
"You can't get hurt?"
"Besides my pride right now, I'm still breathing. I took too much of your time. I'll wash your machete and be on my way."
As Sherry made her way into the kitchen to look for a wash cloth, Carlos stepped in with some reawakened knowledge about the temple; his words when he brought it up. She wiped the blood off the machete and gave it back to him. That was when he told her about Damien; they met under extreme circumstances. There was an inside earthquake happening within the temple itself. He was chasing a lead onto something big though his past drinking was barely helping him remember what that mission was. Part of the temple nearly collapsed onto some small caves that housed creatures unknown to the rest of the world. Carlos managed to knife one, but didn't take the time to examine its' origins because of Damien and two other people at his side.
Before realizing both Damien and co. were friendlies, he mistook them for B.O.W.s covered in shadow. He had already developed a perfectionist attitude over the years, and letting his prey go was the farthest thing from his mind. He also recalled solving a big puzzle with Damien to reach a trophy room of sorts that was another clue as to who was running things in the temple. From that point on he went his separate ways he thought, didn't join him for the rest of the mission. Then one source popped into his head and told Sherry to wait in the living room. When he came back out he had an old paper clipping about the events in Norway. It was similar to the online article she found.
"Do you think he died in the temple." Sherry asked? "On a police record I found, it talked of a robbery he and some his friends did a few weeks before his jail sentence was carried out off the Venezuelan border."
"Venezuela huh; must've stolen something valuable to be sent out of the country like that. Ok, he said in confusion, an out of the blue place to send a delinquent to. I don't think he shared his personal life when I met him."
"He was there because one of the patients at the hospital he raided in Denver was an ex-marine discharged from severe injuries. My guess is this guy still had strong connections to the corp. and wanted to give him another chance."
"Beats jail I suppose. Apart from what I told you I don't know where he would be now."
"So you don't think he's dead?"
"Does it matter? It was a dark time. So dark, Raccoon City felt like a vacation spot than a nightmare. You want the whole story; I suggest looking for Damien himself. If he lived in Colorado have your boss put an APB or something to track him down."
"I'll be sure to give my boss a call. You've been a big help, Mr. Oliveira." She said putting her hand out for a handshake.
"Call me Carlos." He replied shaking her hand. "Always a pleasure to meet a survivor from Raccoon City. Take care now."
Sherry left his apartment and called Adrien to check into Denver for affiliated addresses linked to Damien. She was then ordered to linger there for a while until he had his people find a fixed location. There was still no reply from Jake, and no reply from her making Adrien think something got her tongue. She looked at the water one last time and finally got a call from Jake.
"Saved by the bad ass." She said in relief.
"Aw, you makin me blush. Where're you at?"
"I'm in Natal. The beaches here look amazing."
"Maybe we could go for a midnight dip when our fucking jobs give us a break."
"Got that right. What's wrong; another contract?"
"Yeah but the pay is shit. I already got my 30k from the job I just finished here."
"How about a bite to eat; as soon as I find a good restaurant I'll text you."
"No need. I already found us a perfect spot. There's a forest with a helluva view we can eat together. I'll send ya the coordinates."
After a few seconds, her phone popped up directions to a vast landscape called the Atlantic Forest. She followed the directions and came to a clearing that was not made for driving distance. As she got out she was introduced to another beautiful location.
Despite being in Brazil on assignment, she was kind of enjoying herself in taking in some of the sights. Jake texted her knowing he was close by and she went into the forest. The Atlantic inhabitants around the area were friendly and kept to themselves. Suddenly, she saw something moving in the trees; Sherry thought it was another animal so she kept going. Then suddenly, her eyes were covered by human hands. She put on a smirk.
"Guess who?"
"Jake!" She shouted in excitement and hugged him and soon kissed him after that.
"Whoa, this past year has been long."
"Still wearing black I see." Sherry said with a smile.
"Hey, my father may be a psycho, but at least he had style. I changed into something casual after my last job."
"You look a lot like him though, with the shades and all." Se spoke with concern.
"Hey, he tried to assure her, I'm still here because you're the one who kept me alive. See, he said taking the shades off, I'm still me."
"I know. So what's for dinner? I'm starving!"
Both went to a spot he picked out to set up camp. It brought them to a cliff overlooking old trees and bright blue skies to shed light on their reunion. It's been a year and a half since they've seen each other; life of a merc and National Security employee had alot of global cleaning from the C-Virus outbreak. Neither one has gotten a vacation or a breather the entire time. However, with the remnants of the virus gone into hiding from energy deprivation, things have settled down in their professions and were able to enjoy each other's company over some empadinhas de palmito: pastry pies that were filled with shrimp, onions, and other delicious ingredients.
Back when he was a merc in South America for a while, he would use to get a plate of empadinhas with a glass of batidas; a refreshing beverage of passion fruit and sugar for energy. On the down times between contracts he would have a meal of that, and it felt like he wasn't living off a feeding hand. It reminded him of the days where he can take a contract and not go hungry because the pay was more than adequate. Then again, food was cheaper back when he started out and at this point in his life he had enough money for five star status meals. However, he appreciated comfort food just the same, especially when being in the comfort of Sherry. They were taking in the nature of the Atlantic Forest; she kept going over in her mind whether or not to tell him what she found about the other Wesker. He found out about his father the hard way when both were captured in China so it didn't really make much of a difference. She put down her drink and told him about the file.
"There's something I have to tell you. You may not like it."
"What's up?" He asked as he was finishing up his plate?
"I was looking through some old files and came across something about a mission in Norway. It…has a connection to another Wesker."
"Ah great; the plot thickens on my family tree. Who is he my lost brother?"
"I don't know. It said he was a child progeny of Ozwell E. Spencer: one of the only Wesker children besides your father who became a superior human being. A lot of the article was removed after I gave it a second glance. One of the survivors was Damien Walsh; only other things I could find was a temple in Norway called "Kurinthian" and a series of murders that happened there."
"Sounds like another fucked up relative." Jake sighed.
"Jake, if he's still alive he needs to be stopped. I read alot about this Spencer guy. He had been working on a virus that's supposed to make B.O.W.s immortal. It screams "bullshit" I know, but there were other files from Chris's mission at Spencer's estate that say otherwise."
"Heh, Redfield. Did you know he went bat shit crazy when he got back from China? His boy scout partner was killed in the oil field we were held in."
"He's just going through a tough time. It's a curse for him to lose people he respected. Piers seemed like a good guy."
"More like a pain in the ass when I first met him." He said finishing his drink.
"Jake!" She shouted.
"What; why are we talking about him? Redfield already gave me "the talk" about my father from the time he knew him, to when he shot a rocket in his face, and flew away in a chopper as my father was melting in a fucking volcano. Only thing I regret was not being there to see it."
"I'm sorry for bringing him up." Sherry said.
"Don't worry about it. Like I said, he gave me the cold truth. I moved on from there."
The mood simmered back to the way it was between them as they finished up their meals.
As sun down was drew closer to setting, the exhaustion from Sherry's flight suddenly caught up with her and passed out on Jake's lap. It was about a three sleep until Jake got a call about a job in Nicaragua. Sherry woke up in the early hours of the evening to find him packing his stuff for his new contract. She understood to an extent; despite the awkward moment they had she felt good seeing him again. As they were packing up their stuff she noticed two missed calls from Adrien. She needed a ride back to a clearing outside the forest so he offered to take her back via motorcycle. When they reached the clearing, Sherry got off and said their goodbyes from a short lived vacation.
"We should really do this more often. It's a nice change from killing for ass holes."
"I had fun too." She said. "Be safe."
"Always have super girl." Jake said giving her a wink and driving off to his destination.
Sherry got in the rental car and called Adrien. He wasn't too happy from the missed calls but he found a fixed location on Damien. It turned out he didn't travel very far after Norway. Adrien also found out where he lived in Lakewood. He had a part time job as a pastry maker in Wild Flours Confections. After that, he worked in a car wash for five months, and after that he drifted off the grid. But for the most part, he didn't get into any trouble. At least there was one thing Sherry ruled out from the article; Damien did not die in the temple. Adrien also brought up some medical records about his mental stasis. It was one of the requirements from the chosen delinquents to send them to the hospital for a full physical and psychiatric work-up, both before and after the mission it seemed.
The recent entry came from March 25, 2005. Damien was declared traumatized by the events in the Norway mission but was by no means insane or a threat to others. He was kept under a 24 hour observation as a precaution, and he remained motionless for the entire time in bed. Here was the real kicker; mentally he was just exhausted from what he had to endure to clear his record. Physically, for a time anyway, he was slowly dying from a huge scratch that extended from his lower stomach to the middle of his left breast. Three claw like scratches, made diagonal from a hospital picture attached to a counselor's report by the name of Julissa Hemsworth. Those were the few details he was able to pull up on his end. He then wanted to know about her talk with Carlos.
"He claimed he didn't remember much about the mission; just that they met in extreme circumstances and he helped him solve a puzzle to reach a trophy room."
"Anything else?"
"Aside from Denver, he wasn't much of a help. Although he did have a gut feeling Damien wasn't dead either. Guess I'll find out soon."
"When's your next flight back here?"
"Tomorrow morning, around 5:15 I think." She replied. "I'll let you know when I board the plane."
"Fair enough," he agreed, "and Agent Birkin, when I call you, I expect you to answer your phone. I took a big leap of faith on this hunch of yours. If this lost story has a connection to the Wesker child, we must remain on top of whatever information we can find. I don't think the world can enter into another catastrophe after just scraping out of the one we're in now."
"I understand sir. My phone was low on power so I was charging it. I'll see you back at the office."
After hanging up she stretched herself, and gave a huge sigh about what was to become of this story. As she drove to back to her hotel she kept going over how Wesker can have any siblings after Albert died in Africa. She has only heard the name Alex on one other occasion from a news report about the downfall of China's Neo-Umbrella facility. The guy talking about it was a senator from Chicago named Alexander Rothstein. At the time she only caught a glimpse of the news stream at National Security, said something about a recovery plan of Neo-Umbrella's resources and use them as test subjects for a legit science experiment in Pennsylvania.
There were a few possibilities in her head, save for the Chicago senator. Back at the hotel, she researched Rothstein's name to see if there was a picture of what he looked like. Alexander didn't look anything like Jake or Albert Wesker, but someone who might be suitable for a position of power. She took a picture of him on her phone and kept it in case Damien recognized him. It would rule out the mystery of what he looked like. Afterwards, she went to bed and got an early head start in the morning so she wouldn't miss her flight.
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