Gaiden: Resident Evil SIV

Chapter Seven: Girl Talk

With a soft thud, followed by the click of the cabin's door latch going back into place, Leon was gone, off to begin investigating the lower and restricted areas of the ship, and finally giving Amanda a little time to herself. Her reluctant partner on this mission was certainly good looking, but that was really all the Agent had going for him… not that Leon seemed like a bad person or anything, just… not the sort that the blonde woman would have chosen to work with or socialize.

Oh well, he was gone, and it was time for her to get to work herself, so Amanda got her makeup case and went into the bathroom. Leon's part of the search for illegal Umbrella cargo required being stealthy and going unnoticed, but hers was the exact opposite; mingling with all the other newly married women while checking out all of the passengers and common areas. After all, transporting a virus sample or something didn't require a cargo hold, just a secure case and… literally anywhere big enough to hold it.

Such things could have been hidden in passenger cabins, inside of an air vent, hell, even taped to the underside of a lounge table, although that last one was unlikely. So, in getting ready to mingle with the rest of the passengers, the blonde woman brushed her hair, and put on just enough makeup to enhance her natural beauty without looking like a slut who was out to steal anyone's man… she didn't even want her own, after all… good kisser, though.

Couldn't have been that good in the long run though, Amanda thought, puckering her lips to finish putting on her lipstick. Or else that Claire Redfield girl that Leon kept comparing her to probably wouldn't have ditched him the first chance she got. That one made her giggle a bit, imagining someone as hot as her partner getting dumped by some girl and then spending the rest of his life moping around about her. Yes, Leon was hot, there was no point in denying that, but…

Knock-knock-knock. Suddenly there was a soft, rhythmic tapping on the cabin door, and Amanda wondered who it could have been, since they already had all of their checked baggage. Was it one of the porters checking if the First Class passengers wanted room service? Did cruise ships even offer room service? This was actually her first time on a cruise liner like the Starlight, so the blonde woman had no idea what to expect as she went to the door and opened it… but it was certainly not the smiling face of Gillette Liquid.

"Hello again." The brunette said politely. "I figured that since the boys are off doing their own thing, you wouldn't mind some company. This is my first cruise, and we're less likely to get lost if we go around together."

"Uh, yeah… that actually makes sense." Amanda replied, holding the door open more. "Here, come on in, I just have to finish getting ready."

Tobias's wife was almost overly pleasant and polite, but most people were jackasses these days, so the blonde woman didn't think too much about it as her new friend sat down, crossing her legs as she sat on the cabin's sofa. Gillette was pretty, and enjoyed taking care of herself, judging by her green painted finger and toenails, which matched her expertly applied eyeliner. Amanda hadn't planned on really socializing with anyone, but two women walking around to see what the Starlight had to offer was a lot less suspicious than one… and she was less likely to get hit on as well.

"So, how did you and your husband meet?" She asked while sitting across from her, not quite ruling the brunette out as a possible spy. "Leon and I met through work, and people said we were an odd pair, but everything just fell into place, and here we are."

"I'm pretty sure I fell in love with Tobias the moment I saw him." Gillette said with a partial smile forming on her lips. "He used to be a police detective, and we met when he was, uh… transferred to where I was working. That place wasn't the best environment, but he made me happy, and as soon as we got out of there, he proposed, and well, here we are."

That was actually kind of sweet, although vague as hell… not that Amanda's cover story had been any more specific. Of course, for some reason the blonde woman was having no trouble at all trusting the brunette, when she usually kept everyone she met at arm's length. There was just something about her that seemed so harmless, making Amanda glad that someone as sweet as Gillette had a man like Tobias to take care of her, but… but suddenly she was starting to get nervous after recalling something that the brunette had said a moment ago.

"Um, Gillette." Amanda said, trying to hide the sudden apprehension. "How did you know that Leon wasn't here?"

"Because my cabin is right next to yours." She replied, pointing over to an air duct. "And that vent made it real easy to hear everything you two were saying, you know… about your mission… and investigating the ship. Same way we heard you in the motel."

All right, that was enough, the blonde woman thought as she took the pistol from her thigh-holster, and aimed it at the brunette… although for some reason she didn't seem bothered by this in the slightest. In fact, Gillette just remained where she was, letting out a long sigh before leaning back into an even more relaxed position. Oh crap, Amanda suddenly thought, if she was there with her, then where was Tobias? Was he moving to confront Leon in the same way?

"Don't feel bad, it's pretty hard to keep secrets form my husband." The brunette continued. "I believe his words were 'if they're a married couple, then I'm a Ninja Turtle'. I hope he doesn't hurt Leon too bad, he's kind of cute… but Tobias gets kind of sensitive about anything to do with Raccoon City."

"Okay, this doesn't have to end badly." Amanda said, trying to keep calm. "I just want to talk, so keep your hands where I can see them."

Gillette held up her hands for a second to show that she wasn't armed, before setting them back down at her sides, and then just… looking at the blonde woman like she was waiting for her to do a trick or something. Here was the thing, though: Were Gillette and Tobias Umbrella spies? Or were they simply curious civilians who noticed the odd behavior displayed mostly by Leon, and were concerned?

"He might not look like it, but Leon is a very capable person." Amanda lied, having absolutely no idea about how skilled or talented her partner was… if at all. "He can handle your husband just fine, so… so why don't you start by telling me exactly who you are, and what you're doing on this ship?"

"Sure, this is actually kind of fun… like watching NYPD Blue." Gillette replied, sitting forward again like she was getting excited. "But nervous people shouldn't have guns, so give me your pistol, and then come sit over here."

For a second Amanda thought she was going to burst out laughing when she heard that demand, like there was any chance of her giving the brunette her pistol, especially after the possibility of her and Tobias being Umbrella spies was raised… but something was wrong. The blonde woman knew that giving up her weapon was about the dumbest thing she could do… so then why did she find herself doing just that?

Without an instant of hesitation, Amanda stood up and walked over to Gillette, handing the brunette her pistol, and then sitting down exactly where she had been told. No, that wasn't what she meant to do… she had to get the weapon back and take control of the situation… but she couldn't. No matter how badly she wanted to, the blonde woman could only sit there helplessly while the brunette took the magazine out of the pistol and set it down on the coffee table, before turning so that they were facing each other.

"My spores work pretty fast, don't they?" Gillette asked as her sweet smile returned. "You're lucky, you know; the A Series caused instant death, and the B Series made everyone lose their minds, but I'm part of the C Series, so you've got a couple hours before you turn into a mindless cannibal but there's no point in worrying about things you can't change, right?"

Amanda began to feel a sensation of heat throughout her whole body while the brunette talked, and soon she started to get a little dizzy, swaying slightly back and forth, while it became harder to keep her thoughts in focus. It was kind of like being severely hung over while having a bad flu at the same time; the blonde woman unable to decide whether she was going to throw up or pass out… but neither of these sensations actually happened.

"The good news is that now we can be completely honest with each other." Gillette continued, taking Amanda's slightly shaking hands. "I am a C Series Tyrant Class B.O.W. created by Umbrella, and my husband is some kind of prototype countermeasure against things like me, or something like that. Now tell me about you and Leon."

"We're… we're government agents, here assisting the BSAA." The blonde woman replied, slurring a little as she drooled on herself. "The mission was to… our mission… find proof that Umbrella is using civilian ships to… to move illegal cargo."

Amanda was fighting whatever the brunette was using to control her, but this was a battle that was being quickly lost as the heat flowing up through her body only intensified. She became so dizzy that she would have fallen over if Gillette hadn't caught her, and then the brunette did another surprising thing; helping her to lay down on the sofa, and even fluffing the small pillow so that she would be even more comfortable.

"So Tobias was right about you being spies, just not from Umbrella." Gillette continued, helping her further by bringing Amanda's feet up onto the cushion. "I'm sorry, but once someone is infected with my spores, there's no way to stop it, even for me. You've got a couple hours before you degrade completely, but… but I think I know the best way for you to spend them."