Chapter 7: Possession

December 10, 2010

I said I could be patient, but how long will I be forced to wait? All week I didn't do a thing to hint at my feelings for her, but all she does is grow more distant. She's acting like a stranger, and it can't continue. I can't let her drive us apart. I won't.

When Alice awoke the next morning there was a piece of paper and a small box tied with a scarlet ribbon on Spence's pillow. It took her a minute to remember that it was her birthday and that Spence had left very early for his flight to Chicago. Her first impulse was to be excited, but then she remembered the ambiguity of the roses on her desk and grabbed for the note with caution. It was a simple greeting from her husband wishing her a good birthday. Alice sighed a little and picked up the jewelry box. Spence was horrible at picking out presents, but she always acted surprised and grateful for whatever she received. This time it was no performance.

Inside the box was a beautiful diamond necklace; gorgeous in its simplicity and uniqueness. Alice had no doubt in her mind that it cost a small fortune. She only hoped she had fine enough clothes to wear with it tonight at her party. Eventually the blonde settled on a black, strapless dress.

Alice was 25 today, and not one of her friends would let her forget it. When she arrived Carlos, Jill, Chris and about a dozen other of her friends were already at the Deck, but one face was noticeably absent. She walked up to Jill and the two hugged in greeting.

"I see you still haven't lost that baby-bump," Alice joked.

"I see you're still two years older than me," Jill scoffed back and the blonde chuckled. "Don't worry, when this kid pops out you'll be the first to know."

"Well, I knew we were close, but isn't that something you should share with your husband?" The comment got Alice a light punch on the arm from Jill and a laugh from Chris.

"You are such a smartass!" Jill responded. "Happy birthday, Alice." Suddenly the blonde was hounded by birthday greetings from her friends and she smiled or said thank you to them all. Alice did a celebratory shot with everyone, except for Jill who was drinking water.

A half hour later, Jill pulled Alice aside claiming that they urgently needed some time for girl talk. The two walked into the cold and stood outside of the Arcadia, and the black-harried woman's demeanor became serious.

"What do you know about progress on the Progenitor virus?"

"Jill," Alice scolded. "You know we can't talk about that – especially here."

"I don't think you understand what's going on. I didn't want to include you in this and neither did Chris, but I think I have to." Jill took a steadying breath and Alice became anxious. "Umbrella doesn't just experiment on animals. They have people; adults and…children."

"What? No," Alice denied. "If there were people entering the Hive and not leaving – I would know about it." Jill just shook her head.

"I promise you it's the truth. Wesker wants to use the virus to stop death. He's been pulling people off the streets. Hell, even from inside the company and injecting them with strands of the virus. Most just die, but some mutate. It's disgusting." Jill shook her head and continued her rant, "but imagine the power that would give him. Rich men would bleed through the nose for a shot of immortality. Wesker wants it for himself, but he also plans to create the perfect soldier; one immortal man trained to kill and who could wipe out entire fucking armies." Jill sighed with pessimism, "so far – he's been unsuccessful."

"What are you saying?" Alice questioned, fearful of the mutiny she was certain she was about to hear.

"People weren't meant to live forever, and I'm saying that no one should have that kind of power."

"And what are you going to do about it?"

"I have some contacts. If I can get them the virus we can expose Umbrella."

"We?" Alice raised an uncertain eyebrow.

"I need your help," Jill pleaded.

The blonde shook her head in disbelief, but Jill continued. "If Chris's sperm hadn't been such a damn-good swimmer, I would have stolen the virus already."

The comment had the desired effect on Alice and she laughed.

"I don't know, Jill. You realize what you're asking me right? Hell, now that you told me – I have no choice but to get involved."

"So I guess the question is – where do your loyalties lie?"

Alice nodded. She'd already decided what she was going to do, but now she was thinking about the consequences. When she was ready, the blonde spoke solemnly.

"I'll do what I can to take this corporation down."

Jill pulled Alice into a tight hug, unconcerned that her pregnant belly had made the move quite awkward. When the black-haired woman released her, Alice asked, "is Claire involved in this?"

"God no. Chris wouldn't even speak of it. He'd let his prego-wife take the risk, but heaven forbid something should happen to his sister." Jill chuckled and Alice laughed alongside her falsely. "Come on," Jill entwined their arms and kept talking. "It's still your birthday, let's get you inside."

It was close to 10 p.m. when Chris and Jill left, but before they did so the assistant and her new accomplice decided to meet tomorrow at noon. The party was still going strong; Alice drank only enough to feel buzzed while the rest of her friends drank enough to practically clean out the bar. Carlos brought her a rum and coke from his latest alcohol trip, and then left her on the guise that a very attractive woman had been eyeing him from across the dance floor and he was going to go check it out.

The blonde took a drink and set the glass down on the bar behind her. She watched with delight as Carlos made a fool of himself.

"Happy birthday, Alice." The blonde nearly jumped out of her skin at the appearance of the redhead she'd not seen all evening, but still managed a polite reply.

"Thank you, Claire."

"I see you're wearing the necklace I got you."

Alice looked down at the jewelry around her neck and swallowed with uncertainty as she said, "my husband got this for me."

"You think Spence picked that out for you?" Claire said amused. "Sure, he may have bought it, but it was my idea. If I hadn't suggested it to him, you wouldn't be wearing it right now."

"I don't know what's wrong with you, but I want you to understand something." Alice said each word with careful pronunciation and growing anger, "there is nothing going on between us. I am not a lesbian, and I would never jeopardize my job with a co-worker." For some reason Alice left out that she didn't want to jeopardize her marriage either.

"Relax, Janus."

"What did you just say?" The blonde's heart pounded in her chest.

The redhead reached for Alice's drink on the bar and took a sip.

"How do you know my name?" Alice asked. She hadn't heard her birth name spoken in a long time. Janus Prospero, according to a death certificate and a headstone, had died when she was 17.

"I know a lot of things about you."

In order for Claire to have been of any use to Alice, she would of course need some experience with how security systems worked, but Alice had underestimated the redhead's knowledge and skills, and it frightened her. The Head of Security racked her brain for any excuse to fire the temp, but she had no evidence of misdeeds and she wasn't even sure that would get rid of her. Not to mention Jill and Chris would want to know why.

"For example," Claire continued, "I know for a fact that you are gay." The redhead turned her back to Alice appearing to look at Carlos. "And that right now- you've got a hand on your gun."

Alice's breathing hitched. She hadn't moved until the redhead looked away, yet her comment was spot on. Sure that she was going to regret it, the blonde removed her hand from the weapon on her thigh and Claire turned back to her.

"One of us has to take control, and I guess it's me." Claire smiled seductively and placed Alice's drink back on the bar. "Say goodnight to Carlos and the others, and I'll be waiting in my room. 610."

"I'm not going to your room," the blonde stated. "You're crazy…sick." Her next words were filled with a surprising amount of concern. "You need help."

"I know," Claire looked down almost ashamed. "I need help," she moved in closer. "Help me, Alice," she said, her voice dripping with allure as she pressed herself against the blonde.

"Stay away from me," Alice commanded as Carlos made his way back over with the woman he'd been talking to. The redhead backed off and let out a little, musical laugh.

"You play your games, Janus…" Claire glanced at the approaching soldier and then turned her eyes back to Alice, "and I'll play mine."

The blonde swallowed involuntarily, and the redhead walked away. Carlos and his companion were beside her a couple seconds later.

"Where's she off to?" Carlos asked with a slur, and as was typical of a drunk immediately forgot that he was waiting for an answer. "Alice, I want you to meet…what's your name again?"

The blonde shook her head to try and clear it. Her throat was completely dry so she picked up her rum and coke and took a long swallow without seeing the effervescing substance on the bottom of the glass. The cold liquid seemed to calm her a little so she turned her attention back to the solider. She'd completely missed the beginning of the conversation but it was the woman who was speaking now and as Alice looked at her she was sure the girl could be no older than 17.

"So there I was, in fucking K-mart of all places-"

Alice tried to pay attention to the girl, but she simply couldn't. Her throat was so dry. She kept drinking from the glass until it was empty and by the end of it she was feeling good. Alice, Carlos, and the other girl; the blonde had missed her name so she simply referred to her as K-mart, continued to chat the rest of the evening. K-mart had left around midnight claiming that she had a school project to work on, and after that Alice teased Carlos without end.

"How was I supposed to know she was only 16?" Carlos questioned with drunk amusement.

"Uh – how about by looking at her!" Alice laughed wholeheartedly and would've fallen off her bar stool if not for the soldier's steadying arm.

"You are absolutely gone."

"That last drink kicked my ass!"

"Let's get us some rooms, cause ain't no fucking way we're getting home tonight!" Carlos was struggling to contain his laughter as the pair stumbled to the hotel front desk. The soldier walked Alice to her room and then went to his own.

The blonde didn't turn on the lights. She just collapsed onto her back on the soft bed without bothering to get under the covers or even take off her shoes. Her disorientation was getting even worse though she wasn't moving. She heard a noise but the room was spinning too much for her to know where it was coming from. Alice closed her eyes to see if she could place the sound with her ears. She heard it again but her senses were erratic; they came and went like ocean waves.

"Who's there?" Alice reached unsteadily for the gun strapped under her dress to her thigh, but a hand was placed over hers and it gently removed hers from the weapon. She opened her eyes as she felt the bed shift around her. The blonde saw Claire completely naked and straddling her midsection. The redhead smiled seductively and placed a finger on her captive's lips.

"Shh."

"No…" Alice said groggily and could speak no more.

"Hush, baby. I'm going to take real good care of you."

The blonde tried to resist but she no longer commanded her actions. The last thing she felt was Claire's soft lips on her own before everything faded into blackness.