Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters! But of course, you guys already know that. X)

Also, many thanks to all that reviewed! You guys are wonderful!


Chapter Two

The sun was just shedding its first rays of light onto the humid, African terrain when Sheva stepped out of her apartment, clad in a simple tank top, shorts, and running shoes. The dark circles underneath her eyes that she had tried to mask with a touch of concealer were only partially hidden away from the world: a careful look at her would give away the fact that she had spent hours of the night wide-awake. In truth, she was tired, but she also felt quite restless, and after a few hours of attempting to fall back into slumber, she had gotten out of bed and decided to go for a run.

The streets of the bustling city were no place for a jogger. The main road was lined with vendors assembling their merchandise, and the smell of crackling meat and fried bananas wafted in the smoggy, morning air. As Sheva weaved through the streets, which, even in the early morning, were already becoming crowded, vendors beckoned to her enticingly, waving small paper plates topped with all manner of tasty morsels.

Giving in finally, the young woman bought a freshly baked roll with a crispy, brown outer layer, and she gnawed on this absentmindedly as she made her way to the headquarters of BSAA West Africa Branch. It was not a far walk, and in about fifteen minutes she had presented her identification to the guards and was walking towards the BSAA workout facility.

"Sheva!"

Sheva turned around to see a gangly soldier trotting up to her, a big smile fixed on his boyish face. She smiled also and allowed David a hug. She had trained with David under Josh Stone for eight months, and was incredibly glad that David had not been a part of the doomed Alpha and Delta teams during the Kijuju mission.

"What are you doing back here already?" teased David, giving her a nudge. "Go back home and sleep like lazy Captain Stone is probably doing."

Sheva feigned a grimace. "I'm not old like Josh is. I'd rather go for a run then sleep."

David winked. "I'm sure the men around here wouldn't mind if you slept around more often."

"Hey, you know what I meant," retorted Sheva, swatting at David's arm playfully.

"But on that note," cut in David quickly, "Are you free to go out tonight? There are some guys from the East Africa Branch here today, just having a look-over at facilities here and stuff. Me and Amir went to talk to them, and they said the bitches here weren't as hot as they ones they got over at their branch. Pardon the bitch thing," he added apologetically. "Just getting it word-for-word is all."

Sheva raised an eyebrow. "So you want me to go out tonight just to prove to some random guys that you do know a few good-looking girls?"

"Sounds about right. It's a party-type thing. One of those East-African guys is really rich, and the booze'll be free," said David, grinning. "Hana is coming too, and she's pretty friendly on the eyes, but I think you're prettier," he said cajolingly.

"How flattering," said Sheva sarcastically, but she shrugged also. "I don't mind coming. I've got nothing better to do. This leave isn't nearly as fun as I thought it'd be."

"Excellent!" said David. "Wear something slutty, alright?"

Sheva gave her friend a withering look, and he laughed cheekily.

"Classy," he amended. "Yeah, I meant to say classy."

"Right," said Sheva, laughing. "Sure you did."

After noticing the disapproving glare of his supervisor, David returned to his post reluctantly, and Sheva, glad to be distracted from thoughts of Wesker and nightmares, began her morning jog in high spirits.

In about an hour, the young woman had slowed to a walk, and her legs were aching and her shirt clung to her sweaty body uncomfortably. Regardless, she felt quite exhilarated and was greatly looking forward to hitting the showers when three unfamiliar men dressed in the typical BSAA uniforms intercepted her. Two of the men were flanking the third, who was both incredibly tall, muscled, and, Sheva noticed, quite handsome. She suddenly felt quite conscious of the sweat that glistened on her skin, but she pushed the thought from her mind and offered the men a curt smile. "Excuse me," she began, ready to bypass them, but the tall man grabbed her arm and stopped her, his expression curious.

"Is this the legendary Sheva Alomar?" he asked, his eyebrows raised.

Sheva pulled away from his grip, slightly annoyed that he had grabbed her instead of requesting her to stop politely. "Yes, that's right," she said coolly. "Though where you get the legendary bit is beyond me, sir."

The handsome man grinned at her, though the smile did not reach his dark brown, hawk-like eyes. "Why, of course we all know you. You're the poster child of both the Africa Branches," he said. "We were all made to read that report that you and Chris Redfield detailed. Lucky girl," he added wistfully. "You're probably due for a promotion soon, I bet."

"I was just doing my job," said Sheva shortly, irritated with the man's mannerisms, but the he interrupted her again, his face more apologetic this time.

"Sorry I didn't introduce myself. I'm Captain Derek Pierce of the East Africa Branch. Pleased to meet you, of course," he said charmingly, offering Sheva a hand.

Sheva wiped her sweaty palm on her shirt unobtrusively before taking his hand. "Pleasure's all mine," she returned politely.

"My father owns Pierce Telecommunications," added Derek suddenly. "The headquarters is near here, and he requested I be closer to him, and as such I'm considering a relocation here if I'm permitted. I suppose the facilities are up to par, so it'll have to do," he said with a shrug.

"Lacking in good-looking women though?" jibed Sheva, remembering the words that David had imparted on her, and Derek laughed.

"I suppose my reputation would be tarnished already. Keep in mind that I hadn't met you before making such a comment," he said, offering her a sly smile. "I will say I was surprised to see how pretty you were after reading your profile. I thought you'd be some massive, Amazon-type woman, but you do suit me just right," he said, and Derek's friends snickered.

Sheva's faced reddened with embarrassment, but she was more offended than flattered. What a pig this man was! And so presumptuous! "Not at all sexist, are you?" she retorted.

Derek grinned. "Don't act so affronted, agent. I was just joking with you. Please forgive me if I offended you, and come down to the party I'm having tonight for a lot of the BSAA agents and battalions here. I'll make it up to you," he promised.

Sheva smirked. "So it was your party that I was invited to earlier. Just trying to round up more females to attend, is it?"

"Oh, they'll be plenty of females there," assured Derek. "But they may be of a stripper variety, and your presence would be much appreciated."

"I'll think about it," said Sheva, blushing slightly again. Being in a male-dominated work environment, she was used to thoroughly male conversations about sex, strippers, and other unwholesome topics, and while she took them all lightly, she still felt rather uncomfortable discussing such things with strangers.

"Be there," encouraged Derek. "And," he added as an afterthought, "Invite Josh Stone, won't you? I read that you trained under him, and you two seem to be close."

"Josh," repeated Sheva, taken aback. "Do you know him, too?"

"We trained together," said Derek, shrugging. "We had a bit of a falling out, but we once were on friendly terms. I'd like to make it up to him. You two are very good friends, yes?"

"Yes, we are," said Sheva carefully. "I'll see what I can do."

Derek nodded. "Thank you. It was nice meeting you, Agent Alomar."

"It was nice meeting you too," said Sheva, almost mechanically. She did not particularly like Derek, for all that he was handsome and wealthy, and yet there was a raw, almost carnal attraction to him that she couldn't really shake off. She did not like this feeling, though, and she pushed it to the back of her mind as she walked to the showers finally. She was no longer sweaty, but she felt somehow dirty, and she relished as the hot water scoured her body, washing away any feelings of shame and filth that she was feeling along with it.


After mere seconds from stepping out of the showers, now damp-haired and smelling of perfumey soap, Sheva was accosted by a blonde, middle-aged man who seemed both surprised and relieved to see her.

"Agent Alomar! You're exactly the person who I wanted to see. I was just going to kip into my office to call you, but here you are! Training, were you?"

"Went for a jog, Director," said Sheva with a nod. "I don't want to be out of shape for when I get back on active duty."

"Good girl," said Director Matthews approvingly. "Could be sooner than you think, actually."

The director was in his early-fifties, with grey streaks in his golden hair, and steely-blue eyes. He had been a field agent for twenty years before landing a much more comfortable job at the BSAA's West Africa branch, where he oversaw agents' missions and other BSAA duties. He was a strict man, and had an unfortunately tendency to play favorites with his agents, but he did his job well, and no one really complained. Certainly not to his face, at least.

"What did you want to see me for?" asked Sheva curiously, and the director nodded his head toward the elevator.

"To my office, then. I don't want to discuss important matters out here."

The director's office was opulent, to say the least. The lamps were plated in shining gold, and on the ground was an authentic Persian rug that must have cost a pretty penny. It was rumored that Damien Matthews had invested well in numerous business-type escapades, and that had paved his way to an impressive fortune. Why he continued working instead of settling down comfortably in the United States, his homeland, was a mystery, but it was generally surmised that life as an agent had made the thought of a soft retirement unappealing and boring.

At the director's motion, Sheva took a seat in one of the sleek, oak chairs, and waited for Matthews to speak. The man straightened the papers on his desk and glanced at his cell phone before turning to Sheva. She thought he looked a little uneasy, but she couldn't decide why and shrugged the thought away.

"Agent Alomar," said Matthews finally. "You've been offered another assignment. A long-term mission. You would take at least a year's leave from here, maybe longer, depending on how you handle things."

"Where?" asked Sheva inquisitively.

"The United States – Atlanta, Georgia, to be precise. BSAA requirements for the assignment include previous experience in the field and anonymity in the United States. The applicant for the mission must be an American citizen and female, with a college degree in the sciences. You fit the bill, and headquarters was really impressed with how you worked with Redfield in Kijuju, so they requested you. They know you're technically on leave, so they'll look for someone else if necessary, but they want you."

"Female, with a degree in the sciences?" asked Sheva, incredulous. "What will this entail? What sort of assignment is this? A year….I mean, that is a long time…"

"You'll be undercover, working at a large pharmaceuticals company – Biochort. I'm sure you've heard of them? The CEO there is a shady character, so you'll be tailing him. There has been suspicion that he is working with a foreign government to create bioterrorist weapons to use against the United States. However, there is little evidence so far. That being said, there's a job opening at his company, and you'll have to apply. You see, you're one of the few agents who are actually qualified for this job."

Sheva raised her eyebrows. "And the female part? And…the actual job description?"

Matthews grinned. "The job opening is a research position. The applicant needs a general knowledge in either biology, chemistry, or both. You'll be working with a research team, and the head researcher will be directing you, for the most part. As for the female aspect…well, Biochort is known to be heavily male-dominated. Of course that never bodes well for a company, since rumors of sexism start to arise, and then the law suits start pouring in. To combat this, pretty much all of the job openings they have now will strongly prefer female applicants, though naturally they can't officially bar males from applying. A woman will get the job though."

Sheva frowned. "How do you even know they'll hire me? This is a very prestigious company, sir. There will probably be dozens of applicants."

Matthews waved her concern away with a careless hand. "You'll get the job. You forget that the BSAA and the American government are behind this mission, Alomar. If you agree to this, you'll be the one who gets the job."

"I'll have to think about this," said Sheva, after a pregnant pause. "This isn't something I could really quit halfway, is it?"

"Probably not," admitted Matthews. "Not unless it became much too hazardous for your safety. We would send in a team then, in that case, but I do think this is pretty low-key at the moment. You probably won't even have to touch a weapon."

"That's nice at least," admitted the young woman. "And one last thing," she hesitated before plowing forward, "You're certain my identity hasn't been compromised? I know all the papers gave me a pseudonym, but if this guy works at a pharmaceutical facility and is messing around with bioterrorist weaponry, I can only suspect he's done his research on the BSAA…"

"I wouldn't order you into the field if I wasn't sure you would be safe," promised Matthews. "Please let me know of your decision as soon as possible. We need to know whether to continue looking for someone else."

"Yes, sir," said Sheva, rising from her seat. "Thank you for the opportunity."

"You're the best person for the job," replied Matthews. "You should take it."

Sheva did not respond, but smiled and retreated from the room. Damien Matthews watched the young agent leave the room, his expression difficult to decipher.


Sheva met up with Josh Stone at a local café for lunch. She had invited her friend out on short notice, but he agreed readily and the two had soon decided on a fashionable, new place to dine. The wait was not too lengthy, and soon the pair was seated by a trendy young woman who offered them a large, fake smile and menus.

"Do you know Captain Pierce?" mentioned Sheva offhandedly, her eyes sweeping over the menu.

"Pierce? Derek Pierce?" said Josh, his voice rather flat. "Yes, I know him. How do you know him?"

"I met him today," replied Sheva, shrugging. "He's a bit of a jackass."

"An understatement," said Josh, rather aggressively. "He's not a good man, Sheva."

"How do you mean?" asked Sheva, looking up from her menu to lock eyes with Josh. "He mentioned you. He said he'd like to make things up to you. He invited both of us to this party he's having tonight."

Josh snorted. "I'm not going to any party of his. Trust me, he's not trying to make things up to me. He probably just wants to rub in the fact that he's a millionaire, while I'm nothing close."

"So you were friends with him, then?" said Sheva, furrowing her brow. "What happened between you two to make you distrust him so much?"

"He's screwed me over too many times to count, while feigning friendship. I'd rather not go into the details," said Josh shortly.

"So you won't go to his party?"

"No, I don't think so. He hates me as much as I hate him. I don't even know why he invited me."

"Should…I go then?" asked Sheva tentatively. "I mean, if you say he's such a jerk…"

Josh hesitated. "He throws excellent parties, it's true. I don't want to deprive you of fun, and I think with so many other friends around you, you have nothing to worry about. Just be careful around him. He's a womanizer and a sneaky, backstabbing son-of-a-bitch."

"Right," said Sheva. "Right…"

There was a lull in the conversation. Sheva toyed with the idea of telling Josh about her proffered mission, but decided against it. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to take the job, and she wanted to decide for herself before notifying anyone else about it. Besides, the café was such a public place, hardly somewhere to discuss something so private…

Finally, Josh changed the subject, and in a few minutes the conversation began to possess a much lighter, enjoyable tone. Lunch passed quickly and amiably, and all too soon they were parting. Sheva felt an unusual closeness to Josh, and her thoughts returned to the previous night, when he had rejected her advances. The thought made her physically pained.

What was wrong with her? When did she become so needy? Walking out of the restaurant, she looked up at the clouds, frustrated. The Kijuju incident had not made her stronger. Despite the horrors she had faced and endured, she felt more insecure. It had all been so real, and it had made her feel so insignificant. Since her scarred childhood, she had forced herself to become the best she could be, and she had been top of her class in both college and in her BSAA training. She had been familiar with death since a young age, but the horrors out there were now so real. She wanted someone there to protect her, to love her, to make life worth living…

And perhaps…perhaps it was jealousy too. The thought of Chris Redfield drifted into her mind a little too often, and she hated it. Though she had not worked with him for very long, the experiences that they had shared had driven them close. He called her at times, and she knew that Kijuju had scarred him just as badly. Yet, while he called her to vent his frustrations and fears, she was not the one who he wanted in his arms. Jill Valentine ruled his heart, and it killed Sheva to think on this for too long. She liked Jill and admired her greatly, but the thought of her kissing Chris, making love to him…the thought made her nauseous. She wanted someone of her own to take her mind off Chris, however selfish that might be.

Sheva sighed as she fumbled in her purse for the keys to her apartment. Maybe she'd find someone who would sweep her off her feet at Derek Pierce's soiree. At the very least it was a comforting idea, and with that goal in mind, she set off to prepare herself for the evening's festivities.