Do Not Own Resident Evil
After reading Harperwong AU: Resident Evil 4 Reboot, it inspired me to write this.
The Threat of Los Iluminados (RE4 AU)
Chapter 1: The Kidnapping of Ashley Graham
It had been six years since the 1998 Raccoon City Incident and Sherry Birkin was on her first assignment. Now she was old enough, her carer Derek C Simmons had pulled some strings to allow her to join his agency and even found her a partner in form of the slightly younger and attractive not that Sherry noticed or anything, Helena Harper. He had taken over her care not long after the whole Raccoon City Incident, so he had been looking after her for all these years. Which meant that he obviously was concerned about her wellbeing and that people will discover the abilities that trace amounts of the G-Virus remaining gave her. So, he entrusted her to Helena. He had said that he knew she was trustworthy since he had kept a very close eye on Helena and her sister over the years. If he trusted her then Sherry had no reason not to. Alongside two local Spanish cops, She and Helena were heading to some village in Spain following a possible lead on the missing Ashley Graham. Simmons had told them that she was the President's daughter so was a priority target. Not that Simmons put much stock in this lead which was why it was two inexperienced agents instead of a more experience ones like Leon, the man who helped save her from Raccoon City. He, she heard, was following a possible lead on Jack Krauser. The suspected kidnapper. They did not expect much to happen and so far, this had been true. In fact, Helena had dozed off during the long trip to the village that they were heading to. She was drawn from her thoughts by the Spanish cop that could speak English asking, "So, why we are heading out here Agent Birkin?" Meaning the rural location as Sherry had noticed that this village was so out of the way to everything else. So, if anything went down then there will be no help for miles. On the flip side, it meant any foes shouldn't have reinforcements.
Sherry replied with, "We are here searching for the American president's daughter who went missing."
This cop said sure of himself, "I doubt that we will find her out here. There is nothing of note all the way out here." The other cop who spoke only Spanish said something that Sherry did not understand since she did not speak Spanish. "I mean apart from the reclusive Ramon Salazar living nearby but he hasn't left his castle for many years." The English-speaking Cop said in response to his partner's statement. The car drove over a rickety old wooden bridge. It barely held the car's weight. However not long after the bridge, the car broke down. The Spanish speaking Cop who was driving seemed like he swore in Spanish. The Spanish speaking Cop then said something to his partner. The English-speaking Cop said "Agent Birkin, my partner Officer López has said his cousin Lorenzo should not far from here and would help us move the car" as the both Cops climbed out of the car. "We be right back in a few minutes and then we be off again soon enough." Officer López and The English-speaking Cop walked forward into the distance towards a vague shape resembling a house leaving Sherry and Helena alone.
Sherry is startled by a female voice saying, "Agent Birkin. Agent Harper. I hope you can hear me." She pulled out her communicator to see a woman wearing glasses. Sherry nudged Helena awake. "Hello, I'm Ingrid Hannigan, Director Simmons has assigned me to be your support for this mission." Hannigan introduced herself.
Sherry said, "Hello Ingrid. I'm Sherry and this is Helena." Helena just nodded in response.
"Just Hannigan please." Hannigan said professionally, "I have gathered some new evidence that has come to light from Agent Kennedy's investigation. Apparently, Jack Krauser has been tied to a group known as Los Iluminados that are said to operate in the area"
Helena spoke for the first time since her introduction to Sherry, "Whoever this group is, they should hope they hadn't got Ashley. If they do, then they won't stop us from getting her."
Hannigan said to calm down Helena, "Nothing is has determined that Ashley is there, so I will advise caution. I will try to find more information at my end. I will let you know as I find out."
Sherry said, "Speak to you soon." Hannigan then cut the communication. Sherry frowned as the two policemen were taking longer than expected to return with Lorenzo. "I'm going to check on what's keeping them so long."
"I'm coming with you as Simmons wanted me to protect you and I can't do it if I am not with you." Helena stated briskly. They make their way in the direction of where the two Spanish officers had been heading in. They soon closed in onto the house which made Sherry even more worried about the two Spanish officers since it wasn't far to the house. The door was open. Sherry pulled out her pistol, the Triple Shot while Helena pulled out her Hydra shotgun. They stepped into the house. Sherry moved up the stairs to the second-floor while Helena continued to search the ground floor. Sherry was creeping through the upper floor when a man that could only be Lorenzo was just standing at the end of the hallway staring out of his window.
"Excuse me...Sir?" Sherry stated. "Do you know where your cousin or his partner is? They came here a few minutes ago" The man slowly turned around. He said something angrily in Spanish. He advanced threatening, so Sherry stepped back. Sherry continue to step back. "Stop or I have to use force. I said stop or I have to use force." Lorenzo did not listen and continued advancing forcing Sherry to shot him in the leg. This did nothing to slow him down. Sherry tripped over something on the floor as she backed up allowing Lorenzo to reach her. He started throttling her. This gave Sherry the chance to see that his eyes were blank. As Lorenzo pressed on her throat, Sherry instinctively fired her Triple Shot. Lorenzo dropped Sherry to the ground. He slumped to the ground. Sherry checked his pulse, but he was dead. "Damm it" Sherry said in frustration as she did not want to kill him. Thinking about made Sherry slumped to the ground herself. It was the first time she had killed someone, and it wasn't a nice feeling. A rather shocked Helena soon appeared. She saw Lorenzo on the ground. Her naturally stoic face softened.
She said with regret in her voice, "I'm sorry that you had to do it" as she pulled Sherry into a warm comforting embrace. Sherry noticed Helena contracting Hannigan on her communicator.
Hannigan asked seeing the state of Sherry, "Is everything okay?"
Helena reported "There was a hostile local and Sherry was forced to neutralize him."
Hannigan started to speak but a voice that both Sherry and Helena recognized as Simmons said, "Let me speak to Agent Birkin."
"Yes, Director Simmons." Hannigan said before she was replaced with Simmons. He briefly frowned at them when he saw them embracing.
Simmons greeted Helena formally with "Agent Harper" before asking with concern, "Sherry, what happened?"
"I had to kill a man." Sherry said in a shaky voice.
Simmons asked in a slightly warmer voice, "Was the man you killed unarmed or non-threatening?"
"No…He was in trance or something." Sherry said. "And a shot to leg did not slow him down."
Simmons said, "Then you did what you have to. The man must be inflected with something. You won't feel guilty for killing a Zombie would you then you shouldn't feel guilty for defending yourself form whatever this is." His words and Helena's embrace eased Sherry's guilt and shock at taking a life, but she did not want to kill anyone else. He then said back to being formal "Agent Harper and Agent Birkin, I am authorising lethal force if you encounter anyone else like our dead friend here. Hannigan will see if we can find any information regarding this."
Hannigan said, "Yes Director Simmons."
Simmons continued with, "Do me proud Agent Birkin" and to Helena, "Look after her Agent Harper as she is important to me." He signed off.
Hannigan said before she too signed off, "The village is not far from your location. Be careful you two." Helena and Sherry climbed their feet. They left Lorenzo's house as there had been no sign of the two Spanish Cops. The only thing in the house was a note Helena had found from a Doctor Salvador to Lorenzo stating Keep watch of the road for any intruders. Lord Saddler commands it. Doctor Salvador. They headed to the village and hoped they weren't anything like Lorenzo nor encounter whoever Doctor Salvador or Lord Saddler were.