Chapter 4." Rebecca's secret."

The car went through the street, as the sky began to rain again. Rebecca sat up straight next to Hunnigan inside the car and listened. Leon calmly stared at Rebecca as he leaned back in defeat. He rubbed the back of his head with his left hand.

Though she can see it in his eyes, he is troubled and afraid.

The mood was thick filled of shadow, as the grey and clouded sky, this encounter wasn't a happy visit from old friends.

This wasn't a training exercise, or a trip to do a little research on a strange infection. Hunnigan let the information flow as Leon paid attention to Rebecca's behavior. His phone rang as he looked away to answer it and talked in a low tone.

Hunnigan spoke with an assertive posture in respect for answering Rebecca's questions.

'That's it then.' she thought to herself after Hunnigan finished her explanation. 'Whoever is in charge on this doesn't like my work. My research and the notes of the previous viruses and vaccine trials… So what's all these abductions then? It doesn't make any sense.'

What bothered her the most, Hope, her sister, she doesn't know anything about all of this—it is not fair to drag her in the middle of the fire no matter how much she wanted to help, not that unusual for her—but still Hope had to go, before those people whoever they are, decide to make her another target.

"Can the DSO guarantee my sister's safety?" she broke the silence. "What if they tracked her down to the new place?"

"Don't worry. She'll be safe until you return to her." Hunnigan answered. "You don't need to feel guilty Rebecca, your research can change the tide of Bioterrorism."

And gave her a picture of what appeared to be from the country side.

"Excuse me, you are going to charge me of someone else's doing." Leon retorted at his phone. "Instead of saying; 'oh thank god you two are unharmed,'… Jerk. "

"Whatever Kennedy, I'm glad you two are alive. But who is going to help me rebuild the house huh? The fire happened after you rented it mister, that was a hefty investment I put forth into that house, Mr. Kennedy." the man in the other line shouted.

"I will help you, but no way in hell I'm paying for it in full." Leon fired back with the phone really close to his mouth and he slammed it shut without even saying goodbye.

Rebecca rested her back on the leathery seat, her arms crossed. "The house's owner is a real pain in the neck." Hunnigan said with a soft chuckle, which helped cheered Rebecca up, considering the situation.

An awkward smile appeared in her soft face. A smile that says, 'I'm not comfortable please let me leave.' "How are you holding up?" Hunnigan asked.

"I'll be fine" Rebecca responded in a low tone and put her hand on her forehead, feeling dizzy.

"You're home." Leon said.

Rebecca opened her eyes and glanced out the window, the lilies in the side walk of her house are the first thing will caught their attention. They waved in different directions as the droplets trickled down the flower peddles.

The car stopped at last in front of the house, Rebecca left without any hesitation, though Hunnigan offered an umbrella.

"I'll take it." Leon said and made his out in the cold weather.

Hope was in the living room watching T.V. when she heard the sound of the car. She checked her hand watch and it read at 6:21 P.M. "That's weird."

Hope made her way to the front door and unlocked the latches. Though Rebecca kicked the door open and ran inside, the rain soaked her clothes. "Jesus, Rebecca don't do that again." she said and frowned in her direction. "You scared me."

"Evening Miss Chambers?" Leon came forward.

Hope was silent for a moment as she turned to him. "Hello…" she answered at last. He noticed at Hope had a rather puzzled look on her face.

"I'm an associate to Rebecca. Can I come in?" Leon asked.

"Come in please." she said and led him to the living room. It was small and welcoming. Once Leon passed her, she noticed a golden ring on his left hand. Large window covered with curtains was the first thing he saw, then a large golden couch in front of it, small ones in both sides.

Rebecca laid in the big sofa and covered her eyes with her left arm

"With you like something to drink sir?" Hope asked with a smile.

"Just water will be fine, thank you."

He made his way inside and took a seat on the couch in front of Rebecca. "How long you have been working as a researcher?" he asked.

He heard her sigh heavily, before she spoke at last. "Since Sherry Birkin was brought to me eight years ago. I stayed by her side and helped find a cure for her, it gave me a chance to have a report about the G virus. All I could have really done for Sherry back then was halt the mutations and for the virus to bond with her cellular structures so she wouldn't become like her father… ironically… I was asked to construct a report and it would be mailed to the government."

"Really!?" he said, surprised by the mention of Sherry.

"One step at a time Leon." Rebecca waved her right arm to keep Leon from bombarding her with questions. "It started with a promise I made to Richard." she murmured as a vision of the forgotten S.T.A.R.S. members came into her mind...

She quickly went through the next door, her breath hitched in her throat. She kicked the door to close behind her and stood there holding the handle, afraid the things might follow her. "R...Rebecca?" a broken voice called her.

She looked behind, searching for the source. There she saw him on the ground with his back to a wall. Just from the sight of all the crimson that stained the carpet, Rebecca knew it will happen soon. "…Oh Richard." She whispered as she approached him.

She knelt down and checked his wounds, "Lay still, just keep talking to me."

"Thank god you're alright." Richard whispered, barely able to take his breath... He coughed up more crimson at his lips...

"I tried to save him," Rebecca continued and allowed a tear to string along her right cheek. "It was a fruitless effort since I couldn't stop the bleeding. So I promised him, that I will do full investigation and research on those viruses. To make his life mean something. I do not wish for someone to lose his life like that. We weren't trained to handle anything like those mansions. Richard was a good friend of mine back in S.T.A.R.S. days."

Hope had a bottle of water in her hand. She didn't enter the room as Rebecca talked about the past. Hope didn't feel like she needed to interrupt their conversation.

Rebecca felt a hand on hers, "I understand what you mean." She lifted her arm away from her eyes to look back at him when suddenly she saw a red dot, on his forehead.

"Watch it." she screamed and rolled over from the couch. Leon followed her example.

The bullet touched a part of his leg and went through to the wall. She looked around to see if there were more red dots in the room. From the rapid movements of the red line. It appeared that there was only one shooter.

"What the hell." he whispered as he saw the bullet hole in the wall.

He ran to the window and opened the curtains. The front yard seems empty and peaceful enough. "Your leg! Are you alright?" Rebecca frantically asked.

Leon looked down at himself, the bullet has left a wound along his left leg, a small wound that didn't worry him. "I'm fine, it just grazed me, little lady."

The worry on her face was replaced with anger, "Do not call me little lady," she retorted. "I want to help you find Jill, trust me I can be useful in the field, and I want to find some answers too. No way in hell I'm staying behind."

Leon could see the determination that burned in her eyes. "Okay," he said with a grin. "First we got to get a look outside, track the one who tried to shot me. They'll probably adjust their line of sight." with that he left to the front door.

"I do not think this is a good idea," she shouted after him.

"Are you guys okay?" Hope was on the ground and crawled into the room with bottle of water in her hand.

"Yes, miss Chambers do not worry." Leon answered her.

Leon passed his spare Wing Shooter to Rebecca. "Are you ready?"

Rebecca laid on her back and pulled the chamber back of the Wing Shooter to hear a familiar CLICK sound. "I'm more than ready."

...

The members of the D.S.O. are wary people, Chris learned. Not hostile, but guarded—like they're bred on superstition from the cradle and raised almost as near to enemies as to their families. They don't talk much, they are often sent all over the place with varying sets of skill.

Chris Redfield entered their building after he returned from a meeting in the north of the city, he was bearing the pain of Claire his sister, how he couldn't do anything much to find her, and it's been days since the abduction. His ears catch murmurs of many things, like.

'The BSAA are here, this is growing.'

'I wonder if one of them is taken, like the TerraSave members.'

'I want to ask them if they have any leads.'

He saw a young D.S.O. agent walk by him, it was his chance to ask. "Excuse me," Chris stopped him. "I want to speak with Agent Leon Kennedy, can you please take me to him?"

"I'm sorry sir," the young man answered quietly. "He's out on an assignment, he is not coming back anytime soon."

Chris mentally cursed his bad luck, just when he needed him the most.

He took his cellphone out, and dialed Jill's number. "Please be there." he whispered.

.

..

"The phone you're trying to reach, cannot answer your call at this time. Please leave a message." he heard in the other line. He sighed angrily. "Where the hell are they!?"

"Mister Redfield?" he heard a familiar voice call him. He rotated his head only to meet an old male ginger."You?" Chris said.

"We need to talk, about what is happening now, about your lady-partner Jill." he said with a smile."Please follow me."

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