Chapter II
He waits for Jill on the helipad.
She arrives half an hour after he restrained the urge to choke O'Brian to death for handling his sister's disappearance with such nonchalance. But half an hour is a long time and Chris has managed to supress most of the initial shock and clear his mind for the mission outline. Because as long as he keeps thinking of it as just another job, he's fine. As soon as he's thinking of it as his sister's life, he's going crazy.
Jill can't arrive soon enough.
When she steps out of the chopper, he can see on her expression that someone briefed her to a certain degree and he feels a pang of jealousy at the thought that she might know more than him.
"Chris..." she says, breaks off. Can't find the right words. What do you tell someone who just lost their sister? I'm sorry doesn't quite cut it.
He waves her attempts off. He needs her to be his partner now, not his friend. Jill seems to understand, because the sorrow on her face makes place for determination and Chris is glad that they called her. He couldn't imagine doing this with anyone else.
"Come on," he tells her. "O'Brian's waiting."
They're seated in the briefing room five minutes later. Someone organized a beamer, because O'Brian is fighting to connect the thing with his computer. For Chris this is unneeded torture. He keeps glancing at Jill, who sits composed on her chair. He's almost offended by the calmness she displays when it's his sister they're talking about here.
O'Brian finally fixes the electronics, dims the lights and they see a picture of Claire's Terrasave file on the wall. He starts going through her details, age, looks, history. As if they don't know that already.
Chris is about to tell him to shut his mouth and just hand over the coordinates when he feels Jill's fingers on his forearm and his head snaps in her direction.
Her eyes tell him what she can't say out loud.
Wait.
A new image replaces Claire. Todd Coffelt, 26, short chestnut hair, lithe build. Claire's partner. Chris doesn't like him on principle.
"Their assignment revolved around Century Innovations, a fairly new company in the field of bioengeneering. After Raccoon City and the Umbrella fiasco every organization that knows how to spell biohazard is sussed out by the government and, since its creation, by Terrasave."
The beamer changes to a photo of Century Innovations building grounds. Apart from the fancy logo there is nothing distinctive about the place. They can be fabricating the end of the world in there, come up with a new pizza flavor or cure cancer. But by the turn of events Claire's job had taken, he dares to rule out the second.
"The plan was to take a tour of the grounds, do some small talk here and there, stalk a few employees down in the labs for some time. The whole thing was estimated to take up three days. When Ms Redfield and Mr Coffelt did not check back on the fifth day, Terrasave began to place calls.
"Century Innovations faxed them the exact times the two spent in their facilities. Obligingly, they also mailed them copies of the security feeds, showing how they left the grounds on the third day after shaking hands with the CEO.
"After that Terrasave drew a blank. The hotel was not checked out of, the rental car not returned."
Chris clenches his jaw. "They never got back to the hotel."
"No."
"What about the car?" Jill cuts in. "Did they find it?"
O'Brian punches a button and the picture changes to that of a map, showing three red circles. One for Century Innovations, one for the Marriott Claire and Coffelt stayed at and a last one for the place the car was found in.
It doesn't take a genius to see how the third isn't in any way connected to the other two. If they didn't mess up the route completely on the last day, then they weren't headed for the hotel when they finished with business.
This leaves only one explanation for Chris. "They must have been trailed. Someone followed them. Kidnapped them."
O'Brian gives him an unapproving glare. "Don't loose your head, Redfield. Let's not conjure up conspiracy theories before we have anything solid."
Chris exchanges a glance with Jill, but instead of the support he hopes for she keeps bombarding him with her silent messages.
Calm down.
Has he missed something or what side is she on now? Aren't they all here to help Claire? What are they waiting for? It isn't a far fetched guess that Claire has been kidnapped. The girl has always been a magnet for trouble and the Redfield genes only seem to enhance this talent. Which is why Chris was so vehemently against her joining the BSAA. Terrasave seemed the best option still. Greenpeace compared to the U.S. Marines. And she still manages to find the single grossly mutated zombie doberman in a truck full of chihuahua puppies.
"Sir, where they found the car – is there anything of interest near by?" Jill asks.
O'Brian all but claps his hands, as if this is the question of the evening.
"Kelly's Bar. That's where they've last been spotted, according to the barman. He remembers a redhead in company."
"Alright. And does he remember anything else about them?"
"No. A redhead in company. According to the report those were his words, no more, no less. That's where the flow of information stops and you're picking up. If there aren't any more questions, your chopper departs as soon as you're ready. I expect periodic reports." He directs the last part at Chris. "And stay in touch. This is no different than any other mission."
He doesn't give them any time to think of questions, and leaves the room. When he's gone, Chris explodes.
"What the hell was that?"
Jill looks guilty. "Chris..."
"No. Don't Chris me. What's wrong, Jill? Were where you in there? Where was my partner? This is my sister missing and you two go about it as if we're dealing with some lost puppy."
Jill puts a hand on her hip and her next words cut him like a knife.
"They didn't want to give you the job."
His resolve shatters. "What do you mean?"
"They called me. Before they called you. Laid out the problem. Said they needed to put a hit on the case, but didn't know who to choose."
"What did you say?" He is afraid of her answer. In a matter of minutes Jill Valentine has morphed from ally to... to neutral. The worst of all. He doesn't know where to place her. "They asked you, right? For recommendations?"
"Yeah. They did."
"So?"
"I said you of course. You should go. It's your sister. But they were unsure if you'd make it. Keep a clear head. They feared you'd be 'emotionally compromised'."
"Emotionally compromised?" Chris repeats. "It's Claire."
"I know," Jill says. "That's why I told them that I was sure you could keep it together. Follow the rules. Do it their way. That's why I kept glaring at you throughout this briefing. O'Brian was this close to write you off the mission log."
This hits Chris like a boulder. Jill's behaviour suddenly makes sense and he wants to slap himself for not thinking. That's what Jill's been trying to say all along. Where Claire's involved, Chris' protective instinct takes over. And not always for the better.
"I'm sorry," he says eventually. "Thanks, Jill."
Her expression lightens some. "You got it, partner. Now let's not keep Claire waiting. You heard O'Brian. Our chopper is ready when we are."
–
"Jesus. What could they have done here?"
They stand in front of Kelly's Bar, a ran-down little shag of a business. Even J's back in Raccoon shined in comparison to this place. And Claire has never liked that. Chris can't imagine what has lured her in here. He hopes – for Coffelt's sake – that Coffelt isn't that type of guy.
"Only one way to find out," Jill says and pushes the door open.
They're immediately engulfed in a cloud of smoke that seems to take this place up like a thick fog. Billard, darts, a bar, some tables. Chris counts five people, minus the bartender. For early afternoon the place is pretty busy.
Chris orders them two sodas and they sit down at the bar. The bartender is a big man in his fifties. He surely lifted weights in his youth, but it looks as if he prefers a good meal over a good workout now.
When they're served their drinks, Chris asks him to wait.
"You got a minute?"
The man seizes him up. He nods reluctantly. "It's about that girl?"
"Yeah. Her name's Claire Redfield."
The bartender points to the other guests. "If you wouldn't mind, there's a backroom right across that hallway. Just follow the signs leading to the toilet. I'll be with you in a moment."
Chris and Jill exchange a look, then leave into the appointed direction. There's not a lot of opportunities to get lost. Apart from the toilets, there's only one other door labeled 'staff only'. The room on the other side is small, packed with a table, some chairs and a tiny freezer. Nobody's inside.
They sit down.
"He knows something," Chris says.
"He might. Or he might just not want two inquisitive strangers pelting him with questions in front of the guests."
"Yeah. Or that. But I got a hunch."
The bartender returns as promised, wipes his hand on his pants before extending it in greeting.
"Sorry," he says. "But people round here hate trouble. And you two don't really look like tame kitties. No offense to the lady."
Jill shakes his hand. "None taken. So you know why we're here?"
"Well, I'm guessing you're not here for the drinks. You're from that company? Terra... something?"
"Terrasave," Chris corrects. "Ms Redfield works for them."
"Yeah. Terrasave's a good place to work, eh? Gets its people out of the shit they get themselves into."
Chris tenses. "Clai- Ms Redfield got into trouble?"
"Curiosity killed the cat, right?" The bartender makes a cutting motion across his throat. He laughs uncomfortably when neither Jill or Chris' expressions hint that they understand lighthearted jokes.
"Sorry," he says and lifts his hands, shrugging. "Listen. I don't need trouble. Not from your Terrasave, not from the local authorities, and certainly not from the guys at CI."
"Central Innovations has something to do with this?" Chris probes. One word from the bartender and they have their confirmation. And then boom, they'll storm the place and get Claire out of whatever shit she found to play in. It's already playing out in Chris' head and he likes what easy way the problems take to be solved.
But the man is far from making a confession.
"Hey. Look. All I know is that this girl and her boyfriend have been hanging around conspicuously often when Mr McNeal and company were here."
"McNeal?" Jill echoes. "As in David McNeal, CEO of Central Innovations?"
The bartender rises to his feet.
"That's as much as I know. Gotta get back to my clients." He turns to leave, but decides for some last words instead.
"People around here don't like trouble. They'll do anything to avoid it."
Chris and Jill pay for their drinks at the bar and leave without further questions.
They have a CEO to interview.