Authors Note: Bit of a short chapter this time I'm afraid. I was in two minds as to whether I should have kept this as a part of the next chapter but given what I've got planned, it might interrupt the mood of this bit.
I'm super grateful for all the kind words I have received in the Reviews. I've responded where I can think of something useful or helpful to you to say but I can assure you all, I've read them all and taken every last one to heart. Thank you.
Part 4: A Special Tactical Rescue Served
July 24. 9:23am, a road to and from the middle of nowhere.
Albert Wesker and William Birkin were rudely awoken by the sound of a car horn. It wasn't the horn of the SUV they had spent the night inside the boot of, wrapped tightly together in a cozy ball like little field mice in a nest, no it was some other cars horn.
Albert sprang up, hair a mess, shades askew and burning with sheer embarrassment that he had been caught in this humiliating situation. He scrambled out of the boot and of William Birkin's snug embrace, falling to the ground in the kafuffle. William, however, sat up, stretched and yawned and showed no sign of being in the same level of distress as his bed-fellow.
"I have had a lovely long sleep." He declared with satisfaction. "It reminds me of our youth back at The Management Training Facility and how we used to bunk together for warmth in our full lab coats whenever the boiler was on the blink in the middle of winter."
"It was never 'on the blink'." Corrected Wesker, fixing his hair and glasses whilst hurriedly climbing to his feet. "I used to sabotage it whenever there was snowfall in order to make everyone's life that much more difficult."
"Tomaeto Tomahto. " Said William, shrugging it off before turning his attention to the car that had bibbed at them.
It was an old Raccoon City P.D squad car, the kind that had been decommissioned decades ago... The paintwork was faded, the bonnet dinged in several places and the R.P.D logo the old, outdated one before Raccoon U had run its contest in the art department to replace it back in goodness knows when.
The winner had been some other woman named Redfield, too, if memory served…
This clapped out old banger had pulled up behind them and their midnight black almost military looking SUV still sitting in the middle of the road. The driver of said squad car now hung his head out of the window eyeing over the rather odd scene.
"Captain Wesker? Is that you?" Said the deceptively young looking man at the wheel. In truth, he was roughly the same age as the man he had identified as his Captain but his big brown doe eyes and chalky white skin that seldom knew of the caress of sun-rays made him appear significantly younger.
"Brilliant." Growled Wesker, still fixing his creased attire. "Oh how absolutely, completely brilliant. A member of my new team pulls up and finds me like this. Of all the people in the world… Of course! Of course…." After his little rant, Wesker cooled off just enough to notice the unusual nature of the thrumming vehicle a little ways ahead of him. "Isn't that one of the old squad cars?" He asked quizzically.
"Uh yeah…" Said the man, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Got it at a police auction a few years back… I didn't really have my own car and what with Raccoon City being so isolated I figured I had to get one, even if it did have a whole life before it met me…"
Wesker humped and folded his arms, seemingly only slightly satisfied with that answer.
"Well… … What are you doing all the way out here, Mister Vickers?" He asked, helping Birkin climb out of the boot.
'Mister Vickers' briefly considered countering with 'why are you and a strange man together in the boot of your SUV' but remembered he lacked the stones to be so bold in the face of his superior officer.
"Just coming back from visiting my folks up in Delucia." He explained. "You know, tell them the good news with that leave you gave me and all…" Vickers hand was up on the back of his neck again. "I was a bit too early to see the flowers this time, though…" He commented. "Maybe I'll get another chance next year…"
"Perhaps you will." Said Wesker, trying not to show any compassion for his new subordinates' sentimental attitude.
"So uh, what's…. what's… going on with all this?" Vickers said, pointing to Wesker's stationary SUV.
"Girl troubles." Commented Birkin, raising a finger and sporting a wickedly mischievous grin.
"It most certainly is not." Corrected Wesker before returning his attention to Vickers. "I was transporting Chris Redfield's younger sister Claire into Raccoon City for a little family reunion when… Well…"
"Girl troubles." Repeated Birkin, this time shrugging with palms wide open.
Wesker sighed angrily and looked involuntarily to the heavens, massaging the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"Have you tried talking to her?" Asked Vickers, climbing out of the vehicle and approaching the two men.
Wesker growled and folder his arms. "No, Brad I haven't because I am a complete and utter moron." This made Brad chuckle, oddly enough considering his notoriety amongst the men and women of the R.P.D as an abject coward, and he approached the driver side of Wesker's SUV.
He tapped timidly on the window.
"Excuse me, miss?" He said. Birkin and Wesker exchanged conceited glances with each other. If the great Albert Wesker could get this bratty little girl to come around th-
-"What do you want?" Came Claire's voice from the other side of the black-tinted glass of the window.
"My name's Brad Vickers." He explained in a calming and gentle tone. "What's yours?"
"…." Brad waited patiently. When Wesker and Birkin moved like they were going to push him out of the way and resume their row with the girl, Brad glared in annoyance and flapped one arm exasperatedly at them. Then, finally; "Claire. Claire Redfield…"
"Look, Claire. You need to let these two nice men"-
-"Wesker isn't nice." She Barked.
-"These…. Two men" Brad continued, omitting the offending adjective and refusing to noticed Wesker stiffen in stance with teeth so clenched they looked like they might shatter like carelessly dropped porcelain. "…back in their car."
"Why should I?"
Brad smiled at the black window.
"Because if you don't I'll give these men a lift back to Raccoon, fetch your brother and then come back here. You'll be stranded for hours, Claire."
"I can ride a motorcycle." She answered. "I think I can handle this stupid thing."
"How can an inanimate object be stupid?" Wesker muttered to Birkin, who proceeded to chuckle ever so slightly at his friends' observation.
"Shut up!" Yelled Claire.
"Driving a car is a bit different to driving a motorbike." Explained Brad. "And besides, if you go on like this, we'll have to get your brother involved to fix this mess and he'd probably be a little upset with you, wouldn't he, Claire?"
Silence.
Then…
Brad smiled and straightened up as the SUV door popped its locks. Claire peeked sheepishly around the door.
"You're not going to put me in the boot for this, are you Wesker?" Claire asked, scowling as frighteningly as she could muster but her voice betraying an ever so slight amount of fear.
"…I will consider it…"
The door was slammed closed and the locks re-engaged.
"Wesker!" Yelled Brad and William.
"Fine…" He huffed, before folding his arms and saying. "I won't lock you in the boot of my car for this offence at least, Claire Redfield."
"Not good enough." Came Claire's voice. "I want you to promise to stop locking up people like that altogether."
Wesker widened his eyes in indignation. "You are overstepping your bounds already, Claire Redfield." He threatened. "Do not make the mistake of forcing me to come up with other ways to punish you. I can assure you I can be rather imaginative…"
There was a strange tearing noise from inside the SUV.
"What was that?" Asked Birkin.
"That was the noise that car keys apparently make when they rip into expensive looking leather seats." Said Claire.
Wesker rushed forward. "You little"-
-Brad caught him by both shoulders before he reached the door. "Just give her what she wants Wesker. This is getting out of hand."
Wesker positively bristled, fists clenched, teeth gritted and a scowl that could crush a walnut if you put it between his brows…. But - and much to the chagrin of his better judgment- he chose to take Brad's advice.
"I feel that we have gotten off on the wrong foot, Miss Redfield…." Wesker conceded to say.
"No shit Sherlock." Of course she had to get a snarky comment in. She was a Redfield after all…
Wesker was close to breaking point. Again.
"…What a witty comeback…" He chose to say instead of doing what he wanted to do, which involved jamming his fist straight through the car door like a terminator and strangling the girl. He straightened up ever so slightly. "I propose that we all forget this ever happened and reset our relationship to square one. And no more adventures in the boot of my car. Does that appeal to you, Miss Redfield?"
A lengthy silence ensued.
Brad noticed that Wesker's lips were getting thinner and tighter and decided to interrupt;
"Why don't we all go grab breakfast at the drive-in nearby? My treat! We can all get to re-know each other over pancakes!"
"That sounds delightful!" Exclaimed William, patting Albert on the back, trying his very best to close the peace talks with the finest possible outcome.
"Fine." Said Claire and Wesker almost simultaneously.