Chapter 6: Stretching out
The bar was one that could only be defined as a 'dive', yet her blonde companion couldn't resist the chance to mingle with the singles on her behalf. Drug in by a hand not holding to a steel grey clutch, the comments of this being a 'bad idea' were drowned out by the blare of music, smoke, and voices.
"She just got to the city and has been staying with friends. Poor girl was cooped up for weeks!" Annette practically yelled over the drone of music to a couple younger guys.
"Do a shot with him! Go on!" The blonde ignored any protest, doing what she did best. Best as a friend, anyway.
"Oh! You should take her out for a dance." Jill left the floor after the fourth partner had stepped on her toes one too many times. Met with Annette's pouting expression and a full martini glass, Valentine elected for alcohol over men. She drank away her thoughts. Drank away the pain of losing Dick. Drank away the agony of losing her home and friends.
It wasn't until about three in the morning that he found her. They talked. He smiled and so did she. They danced. It was as easy as before in his arms. They drank. Dear God, did they drink. Shot after shot, she held her own.
"Taking you home."
She didn't refuse.
Sunlight crept through the blinds, icy irises greeting them with a squinted stare as Jill awoke. Stirring, she gripped her head with a grim expression. Hang over, what a thing to wake up to.
"How much did I have last night?" She asked the room around her, quickly realizing she was not in her own bed.
"About ten shots." A graveled voice replied from under the gray blankets.
Jill thought she was going to jump out of her skin. Gaze down, she gasped and quickly clutched to the sheets. "I'm naked…" Dumbfounded or still drunk, the observation was put out there.
The blankets turned down, a very tired looking dark brunette in his late twenties sat and then rose up. "Yes, you are. Great body, though you didn't really know how to use it last night." Coffee was poured and offered to the short haired brunette. "You were this close to letting me tattoo you last night, too." He said with a grin that stood out boldly against his stubble and tanned features.
Handsome, lean and nearly six feet tall, Jill could only visually eat up every inch of his form. Tattoos lined amid the toned flesh of his arms and pectorals. His face retained youth, despite his years and his nose showed signs of once being broken and mended to the best of a physician's ability.
Eyes wide, she took the offered drink and sipped slowly. The heat nipping at her lips caused her to inadvertently roll her tongue over the pouty appendages. "I did? Wow, I must have been really drunk. Are we still in the city?" Concern was growing fast in her gut.
She had thought that Al-… 'I will never drink again.' She would admit to herself that a bit of disappointment was lingering despite that her company looked like he walked out of a romance novel. This man wasn't the Aryan. Aphrodite hissed her displeasure in the back of the woman's psyche.
His green eyes shifted from her to one of the windows. "Uh… yeah, actually we're close to downtown. I work right around the corner from here." Rising once more, he made for the window. "You can see it from here." Wagging a finger to the woman, he smiled a bit wider when she gathered the sheets and joined him.
Jill just stood there with a horrified expression as he pointed out the RPD to her.
"Yeah, that's where I work. I'm a cop… Well, traffic cop right now. Thinking I may make detective if I play my cards right in the next decade."
'This is wrong. This was so wrong! This isn't me!'
His story would have to wait, as the sound of a cup breaking on the floor was followed by the cropped haired brunette woman frantically was dressing. "Where ya goin', sexy? Thought we could actually go do something today."
Jeans zipped, she shook her head and went to snag her jacket from the floor. He caught her quick with a hand on the leather sleeve. "I have to go!" She practically yelled as she jerked the coat away. Slipping it on, she rushed for the door.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Finding some appropriate underwear slowed the dark haired man from following. Regardless, he was down the stairs once they were found. "Stop! Come on, give me a chance."
She did, one floor below him looking up. "What? I don't even know your name!"
He smiled the goofiest little grin she had ever seen. "It's Kevin. Kevin Slade."
Jill just kept walking.
"I know your name is Jill Valentine. I know you're new to Raccoon City and went out with a girlfriend last night. Friend kept saying that you were brooding over some family issues and needed to cut loose." He was skipping stairs to catch up.
"So what?"
"So, you went home with me after we had a blast. Stole traffic cones and left them in all the parking spaces at the RPD. I'm sure that'll be hilarious come Monday."
She stopped again, snorting. "That sounds like me."
"We put it to the man." His boyish grin's warmth could have melted ice caps.
Two seconds and she was heading down another flight of stairs.
"I know you're lonely. I am too. I told you all of this last night but you must have been black out drunk. Just came to Raccoon City a month ago from Chicago."
It didn't stop her, though his hand on the door leading outside certainly did. "Are you kidding me?" She barked.
"No, I'm not. I like you. You're rebellious but not the kind that ends up in jail over it."
"Well, that's fabulous. Can I go?"
His expression dropped and so did his hand. "Yeah, you can go."
Jill stared up at him, her expression cracking as much as his ego had been by her rush to go. She couldn't keep herself preoccupied with thoughts of Albert. He may have saved her life but that was it. It had been done due to his friendship with her father, she knew that much. He was cruelly handsome but out of her league, she knew better. He would never want her in reality, they were two moons of Jupiter: as unalike as any could have ever imagined. "Look, let me give you my number. I do need to get home so nobody thinks I died."
Kevin snorted a bit. "I'm not desperate."
Her nose wrinkled at that. "If you don't want it…"
"No! I didn't say that, but not out of charity."
"It's not charity." Her deadpan expression destroyed that theory. "If we had that much fun, I could go for another round of disorderly conduct while not being blackout drunk."
"How about tonight, then?" Kevin winked slyly at her.
Jill's face finally began to crack her usual smile.
Albert stared blankly from across the table at William. His mood was not the warmest this morning. "Where is she, Will?"
"Dunno. She and Annette went out last night. When Annette came home, she attacked me in bed and said nothing about it."
"I don't need the details of your sex life." The blonde growled in icy tones. "You said you'd keep an eye on her."
To that, William threw up his hands. "She's an adult, Nanny Patrol! We can't treat her like a hostage. Well, we could but she'd probably not be very happy with that. Unlikely to help us and all that. Annette will be up soon. We'll find out then. In the meantime… What's our outlook on Dick ending up in a cellblock where we can 'visit'?"
"Not very good if Ms. Valentine cannot be found as her possible testimony could turn the dice in our favor and lower the charges against her father," he sighed deeply. Sunglasses dropped on the table, a hand worked at the skin of his temple. "Give Spencer a call when you have the chance. Tell him that I have Dick on hand in case that new privately funded hospital doesn't hop on board with Umbrella."
William raised a brow. "Why?"
"It's very simple, Will. Umbrella has a monopoly on medical care in Raccoon City. If you don't go to Umbrella, you may as well start digging your own grave. A competing hospital would be expected. This is America and competition keeps prices low. However, in the case of an outbreak in Raccoon City it is the hospitals where the ill and dying end up. Records of blood work and the like are stored there and sent out to the CDC. A private hospital has no need to report its patients to the board of Umbrella Corporation if they don't work for them before contacting the CDC."
"I know all of that. Why are you worried about it?" Will seemed a bit shocked at the mentioning of it.
"I'm not. Spencer, however, is for good reason. Sometimes the pawn wears a king's crown, William. May as well make use of it. Remind him why he needs to keep Valentine a free man."
"But how would Dick be of any use to us in getting rid of competition?"
"Dirty laundry on the front page could be one way. Public opinion turns away, the hospital goes bankrupt and Spencer buys the building for Umbrella." A pause, his face seemed serious. "Or...infect him with something very nasty and let it go wild in a hospital where they cannot handle weaponized small pox or Ebola. Papers speak of inmates being treated at this hospital ending up infected and the place goes under." He looked to Birkin, sighing. "What do you think?"
"You sound like Spencer…" William uttered in a soft tone.
Albert had no reply to that.
Annette sauntered in, bathrobe and fuzzy rabbit slippers. All smiles and red cheeks at William's cheesy grin. She made a b-line straight for the coffee.
"Where is she, Annette?"
Steaming hot brown liquid poured into a cup, her star blue eyes lifted to Wesker. "Well, 'good morning' to you, too."
His jaw locked, teeth aching from the pressure.
The blonde woman tipped her head skyward with a sigh. "She just called me from a payphone. She's taking a cab and on her way here."
"Where was she?" A game of twenty questions was in order.
Two spoonful's of sugar and Annette took her seat with the other two. "She met a guy… He was that really cute cop that let me off with a warning a month ago."
William chuckled a little bit.
"Jealous?" Her light wells of blue met his graying own.
Wesker bit the inside of his cheek bloody to keep from cursing her out.
Her key sliding into the lock was met by the door opening wide. Pacific met the Atlantic in a very even gaze.
"I was wondering when you would show up." Wesker's frosted tones sent a chill down the brunette woman's spine. He shut the door behind him, the light of indoors that blinded her swallowed by the shadows of night. His attire of mostly black aside from the red wine scar that wrapped about his neck seemed fitting of his mood and the weather. Even his cologne smelled crisp with cold. His eyes did wander over the jeans, t-shirt and brown leather jacket she wore. A far cry from the women that normally were in his presence, he couldn't help but find her normal to be abnormal. "Would it be too much to ask that you inform me of your whereabouts?"
"I-…" Startled, Jill stepped back a few feet. "I'm sorry… I met some guy last night."
He lifted a brow to that. "Just met some random man and decided to go home with him?"
"I'm twenty-three… Meeting at a bar is pretty normal for my age." Hands jammed into jeans, she shifted her stare elsewhere.
"So you just gave it up within two or three hours of meeting him?" Gloved hands slipping into his pockets, he shrugged. "I didn't take you for an easy woman." It bothered him a little too much. Somehow his perception of her tarnishing was…upsetting. The white dove molting only to expose a single black feather in its previously pristine plumage.
Her blue eyes dared to glare at him.
He offered her a hint of a smirk. It bothered her to disappoint him. No matter for now. "With the lack of space at my place, Annette and William have offered to give you a place to stay so we can avoid…" His stare lifted as he thought. "…any further complications. Now, I need to see you first thing tomorrow for the hearing against your father's employers. Wear something presentable, will you?" Albert strolled past, his shoulder bumping into hers in the process. His steamed breath rich in mint caught her by surprise. "Have a pleasant day, Miss Valentine."
Anger rising, she glared back at his departing.
"Whatever." She muttered under her breath. Door wretched open, she met the gaze of Will and Annette. She would continue to bury the feelings that tried to grow until they choked from no air. It began with the smile she gave the two. "Hope you two weren't worried!"
Jill Valentine wasn't afraid of needles, but she wasn't ready for a tattoo. Seated in a somewhat uncomfortable chair, she idly browsed an issue of 'Heavy Metal' while Kevin was getting the finishing touches to a piece on his forearm done. The buzz of the shop went unnoticed as she tried to keep herself entertained. 'No luck.' Magazine sat to the side, her stare went to the window.
"Bored, babe? We'll be done in an hour." Kevin didn't seem too worried about his companion's level of entertainment as he went back to talking to the busty red-head tattooing him.
"Right. I'm going to step outside for a smoke." She was gone in a flash. The night air greeted her with its crisp cold. Fumbling with her cigarettes, the sound of a woman's laughter caught her attention. Eyes up, she viewed a couple crossing the street. The woman she didn't recognize, but the man…
"Chris?" She smiled as the brunette man suddenly turned at the mentioning of his name.
"Huh? Oh, hey… Jane right?"
"It's Jill." The short haired woman offered a wave as Redfield and his female companion approached. "Out for the evening?"
"Uh, yeah… Taking Monica to J's for a bit. Didn't expect to see you again, how have you been doing with..?"
"The trial is starting pretty soon. I got moved in with some local friends until I can find a house."
"Ah, I see." He replied, a smile gracing his stubbled features.
"I'm cold." The woman who must have been Monica said between chattering teeth. Chris's arm and laughter offered refuge from the cold.
"We'd best get going. It was good to see you, Jill."
She nodded, lighting up her cigarette and inhaling. In mere moments, they were gone and the only company for Jill to have was the cold. It was only when she swore the tips of her fingers were threatening to fall off did she retreat back indoors to Kevin and the ink.
Already donning his leather jacket, the taller brunette man gave the woman his usual grin. "I thought that wouldn't last so long."
"It's okay," she offered. Fingers lacing in his, Jill smiled in return. "You want to go to J's?"
Kevin quirked a brow at her, fumbling for his wallet to pay the busty red-head artist for finishing his ink. "We can… I didn't think you knew much about the city yet."
A gentle shrug offered, Jill leaned a hip against the reception desk while change was offered up to her male companion. "I've… heard of it. Never went…"
The messy brunette haired man chuckled softly. "Not trying to interrogate you, sexy. We'll go." Wallet stowed away, he pecked a kiss against her lips before leading her out of the shop.
J's bar was your typical hole in the wall that took off due to bankruptcy from the competition. A lone neon sign indicated that Jill and Kevin had arrived at the correct place. Sounds of music and fellowship were muted until that wooden door was swung open. Immediately, cigarette smoke and seven types of cologne caught her sense of smell while music and loud conversation met her ears.
"I'll go get us drinks." Kevin shouted to her, giving her shoulder a squeeze before disappearing into the crowd.
Jill could only nod to him before letting her stare fall on the packed dive bar. Standing by the door, it didn't take her too long to recognize Chris Redfield in the crowd along with a few other members of S.T.A.R.S. Just as she was thinking about approaching, her gaze and the gaze of Forest Speyer met. A devilish grin on his part and the long haired man waved her over to them.
"Look who it is kids!" Forest said as Jill approached. "Uncle Wesker know you snuck out of the house to come hang out with the bad kids?" Everyone burst into laughter at the question, Jill included. "I'm kidding, welcome to J's, girly!" He'd already had a few, from the looks of it.
"Thank you… Umm…" She hunted for a name and came up with none.
Chris came to her rescue, shifting closer and pointing everyone out. "Forest Speyer, Joseph…"
Joseph gave a wave. "Hey there, I'm Joseph Frost. Alpha team's token bald man."
"Yeah, until you finally let it grow out and we see that you're a ginger, Joseph." Forest retorted, tongue stuck out before the wild man took a slurp from his beer.
Chris gave a roll of his dark eyes. "Brad's coming back now… He's Alpha Team's pilot."
Brad Vickers finally found his way back to the group, sporting his yellow jacket. Forest gave the man a bonk upside the head. "Hey! Say 'Hi' to Jill, Vickers." A shy nod and the man was staring up at the stage again. To this, Forest snorted. "He's got a thing for the lead singer of 'Criminal Intent'. I think he'll finally get the nerve up to do more than just wheeze when she tries to talk to him."
"Shut up, Forest! If you knew anything about women, you'd know that I respect Joan."
"Okay, that made no sense. You keep trucking, Brad." The long haired brunette man replied with a snort. "Can I get you a beer, Jill?"
Kevin appeared from the crowd, slipping an arm around Jill. "Hey babe…" His eyes shifted up, then widened. "We're partying with S.T.A.R.S.?"
The group began cracking up once again. "You didn't know that you're hanging on our last recruit?" Forest couldn't help snickering up a storm.
The brunette traffic cop paled immediately, peering down at Jill "No shit? Well… I…"
Jill did her best not to smile, pride swelling as she took a sip from the bottle of Budweiser he'd handed to her.
"Oh look, Richard is on stage. RICHARD! YOU SUCK!" Looking to the group, Forest's expression went deadpan. "I need another beer. Be back." With that, he was gone to the bar.
"You'll have to excuse Forest," Brad said meekly, taking a seat at the table close to Jill and Kevin so he could look at the stage while conversing. "He's a bit of a dick but I don't think I would want anyone else to have my back in a bad situation other than him. He doesn't act his age, unfortunately."
Jill nodded, patting Brad on the shoulder. "I've met many of those, Brad. I think guys like you tend to do better in the long run."
Red devouring Vickers' face, he smiled and raised his glass to her. Shortly after, Forest returned with two beers.
The band finished setting up the sound system and a young woman appeared on stage in a black jacket and French braid. "Good evening J's Bar! Thank you for being here!" The woman was greeted by cheers and a bit of clapping.
"You suck, Joan!" Forest taunted, grinning wildly.
"What was that, Forest?" The girl on the mic said, one hand coming to rest on her hip.
"I mean, I love you Joan. You rock like Led Zeppelin, only you're a chick."
"That'd better be what you said. Anyway, tonight is karaoke night. As usual, I pray the drunkest out of all of you hit the stage and completely embarrass yourselves while my dad films it." The woman said with a grin, pointing to 'J', otherwise known as Jack, in the back who had a video camera set up. "Drink specials are on the chalk board, and I hope you all have a good time at our little hole in the wall."
It only took a few seconds for Forest to cook something up, grabbing Chris and heading for the men's room with two empty beer bottles in his possession. Jill could only shake her head, beginning to make idle conversation with Chris' date and Kevin who couldn't stop straying his stare to her cleavage. This wouldn't last long in Jill's mind. Brad and Joseph joined in the little chat, as well. Kenneth Sullivan made an appearance, shaking hands and kindly greeting Jill with a chivalrous kiss to the back of her hand… until someone told him she was to join S.T.A.R.S.
"Hah! Better be careful, Daddy Bear. S.T.A.R.S. is expanding faster than any of us can keep track." Joseph said.
"I guess so." Kenneth said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Dressed in deep red, the spiced scent of his cologne drowned the stink of the smoke all around. "So, where are the two stooges at?" He asked absently, adjusting the very nice watch on his wrist.
"Went to the bathroom to make out, probably." Brad said in a somewhat bitter tone. To this, Chris' date threw him a deathly glare.
"If looks could kill, Brad… You'd be a dead man." Joseph snickered.
A few people went up to the stage to sing, but it was when Forest and Chris rolled out that everyone began to die laughing. Redfield had what appeared to be a mop top parted to look like a wig on his head, and two beer bottles stuffed in his shirt to look like the biggest misinterpretation of breasts that Jill had ever seen. Once on stage, they began to sing "I've got you babe", which didn't help the situation for Chris' date. She seemed like a rather severe woman, not quite on the same level as Christopher.
"Babe! I got you babe! Dude, read the lyrics and quit playing with your hooters!" Forest said in dismay.
"I'm checking for lumps. Can't be too careful." Chris said with a laugh.
With that said Forest tried to help only to have one of the bottles fall out and smash on the floor. "Aw! Look what you did!" Redfield said with a sigh, leaving the stage. Forest followed after, their usual boyish behavior resuming before Joan presented them with a broom and dust pan. Cleaning up, the taunting and childishness didn't cease.
"How did those two graduate?" Joseph finally asked, wiping a tear from his eye from laughing.
"Teacher passed them just to get them out of her hair, probably." Brad uttered, smiling as Miss Piper approached. "Hi, Joan."
"Hey Brad, I'm surprised you came out tonight. I thought you were flying."
"I flew today in the mountains." He replied, nodding. Everyone else in the group just stared, completely amazed by Vickers' inability to say more than a short sentence to this woman. Kevin couldn't help but snort, tugging his leather jacket off.
Nodding in return, she shrugged a little. "That sounds like fun." Awkward silence ensued and she finally had to depart. "Well, I'll see you around." Striding off, she looked a little disappointed.
Forest's laughter alerted the group to the return of the dynamic duo. "'Oh Brad, I want you. Why can't you say anything that would let me know that you wanted me too?'" Speyer's impression of the woman only made the group laugh more.
"Brad, you just need to get a deeper voice around her. Nothing' gets a lady going like a deep voice. Could tell her that you spent half the day in the john and her panties would still fly off." Ken said with a chuckle.
"Brad's balls haven't dropped. Stop taunting him, Ken." Joseph scoffed, finishing his beer. "You'll get there one day, Vickers."
The taunting was too much apparently, as Brad walked off to the bathroom.
"You're terrible." Jill scolded with a snicker.
"We love Brad, but he needs a thicker skin." Forest said, paying one of the waitresses for another drink. "You good?" His question directed to Jill and Kevin.
Beer finished, she shook the bottle. "Empty." Kevin made the same gesture.
"Hah, alright." Paying the waitress for the other drinks, the long haired man took long look at the rest of the team. "Am I the only one buying her and her boy toy drinks? She's our rookie!"
"Hey, she's not in yet and the last rookie we had was Brad and we all spent too much money to get him drunk and draw on his face in the bathroom." Ken said, taking a swig from his glass of whiskey. To that remark, Joseph snickered.
"We're not looking to get Jill tanked, Daddy Bear. Chris, buy the next round!" Forest said, giving his partner in crime a nudge.
"Huh? Yeah, sure." Redfield was too busy trying to keep this date hanging around to pay attention, apparently.
Looking at Jill, Forest pointed to Chris and shook his head with a comical expression. The only reply from Miss Valentine was a simple shrug. A few hours later, some more members of the team had shown up. Kevin, Ed, Enrico and everyone's favorite 'DD' – Rebecca Chambers.
"Ugh, you all smell of booze." The girl said with a sigh, giving a few members a hug before introducing herself to Jill. The two clicked, happily chatting while their teammates caught up on whatever else was going on in the world. Eventually, Ed joined their little conversation more so for Kevin's sake of not being arm candy, and it was clear he was the apple of Rebecca's eye.
The night drawing to a close, Joan yelled for 'Last Call', receiving quite a bit of booing from the patrons. "I don't care! You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here!" She said with a smirk, wiping down the bar top.
"You suck, Joan. Your bass player sucks too."
"Forest, I hate you!" She yelled, tossing an empty bottle into the trash can behind the bar. "If you weren't halfway done paying for my four year olds college in alcohol bought, I'd have thrown your ass in the street by now."
"Well, lucky me, eh?" Forest was a card, no doubt in that. A choke hold given, he knew Richard must have finally heard him. "Hey Richard. I didn't know you were here."
"Real funny, Speyer. Where's the rookie to be?" Richard Aiken asked, glancing to the several faces of the group.
Jill gave a wave. "Hi."
A strange look formed on Aiken's face, as though he was trying to recall something. "Have we met before?"
Shaking her head, Jill shrugged. "Maybe, I was drug into the police station not long ago…"
"No… I'm not on day shift and I heard about that. Huh, I guess you just have one of those faces." Shrugging in return, he smiled. "Anyway, good to meet you."
Nodding, Jill polished off the last of her drink. Chris' promise was kept and another was placed before her. Blue eyes peering at the team, she was glad that the urge to not spend the evening alone had pushed her to attend.
"So, Jill. Dating anyone?" Forest suddenly asked, and this caused everyone else to groan. Kevin looked livid.
"I…" She began, looking to Kevin. For a pair of cops, he and Forest looked like a scuffle between them would be as rough as any found in a biker bar.
"Don't answer that!" Rebecca said with a sigh, tugging on Forest's nearest ear. "She is our teammate and she's here with a date, ass! Sorry, Jill. Forest doesn't know where the line is drawn."
"He invented the eraser that gets rid of that line." Chris finally said with a snicker, getting up from his seat to follow his date out. The woman offered no goodbye or even acknowledgement to anyone who tried to bid her such.
"Now where are you going?" Forest asked, hands lifted up. No reply as the two left and the man sighed. "Chris and Miss Wrong. When will it ever work for him?"
"Oh stop, Forest. It isn't like Chris treats women like you do… Otherwise he'd deserve her wanting to leave." Miss Chambers said with a huff, a hand lifting to comb a few short strands behind her pierced left ear.
"True. You are a very wise woman, Rebecca. Thank you for showing me the error in my ways. I will find Jesus and the woman of my dreams now because of you."
A dirty look thrown at the man and she turned back to Jill to chat a bit more until the bar finally closed.
As the entire group stepped outside, more welcoming words were given to Jill by a group of people that she felt would be like family as the years passed. Hugs, handshakes and everyone began to disperse at last to head home.
Kevin sighed softly, arms folding about Jill's waist as he peered down at her through wild green eyes. "S.T.A.R.S. huh? When were you going to let me in on that little secret?"
She smirked, giving him a little kiss. "Eventually," the woman uttered, breaking away and grasping for his hand as the pair began to walk towards his car.
"So, does this mean you want to see me again?" His pearly smile all but made her melt as she looked up to him.
"Possibly, though we should take things slow. Getting to know one another that is."
"Little late for that." Kevin chuckled, unlocking the car.
"I'm meaning on a mental level." Jill said with an eye roll, opening her car door and getting in. Kevin's 'Ooooh' made her laugh, his devilish grin absolutely delicious. Leaning, Jill pressed her lips to his in a gentle show of affection. "Take me home, Kev."
"Yes ma'am…" The car's engine purring into life, they were gone in a matter of moments.
Two in the morning, coffee brewing in the corner on its squatting table, Albert quietly peered down at the testimony that was to be given later that morning. His mercy of not killing the two thugs may have cost him more than he realized. The questions were pouring in now as to why he'd taken such risk, broken so many rules. This would lead them back to Spencer and Umbrella if he didn't play his cards right. A reckless move on his part…
'She could have died.'
File dropped on his desk, he took a seat. Staring out through the windows of the RPD, the star littered sky offered no answers to him. Cell phone ringing, he lifted it to inspect the number. Monica… again. Muting it, he ran a palm over his face.
"Burning the candle at both ends?" A very aged and familiar voice swallowed the silence. Spencer.
Head tipping, Wesker peered over to the older man. "Mister Spencer, what do I owe this visit?"
Door shut, the old man stepped into the room. Finding a chair, he took a seat across from Albert. Every time the two met, Wesker swore Spencer looked a million years older. Despite his age, he was dressed well in a black suit. A single gold ring bearing the emblem of Umbrella glinted in the dim light of the room. "Where is she?"
"Safe." Wesker replied. "She's being escorted by an officer this evening while I get some work done."
"I'm glad you remembered how much I need her alive. William spent ten minutes explaining to me who she was before I finally remembered. Leverage is hard to find at times, even harder to remember at my age." The old man reached into his coat for his pack of cigars.
Unreadable in expression, Albert's eyes shifted to the file on his desk. "She'll be here in a few hours to go over her testimony against Arvada."
"That still will not explain away you, Albert. You showed your hand too fast in this game. Arvada is the last of my competition for weapons in South America… We should have used more caution."
"She would have been gone before your precious 'Hunk' would have gotten to her… or dead." Silver blued hues stared evenly at Spencer, golden pen rotated between surgeon's fingers absently.
Ozwell's expression radiated a smug air of knowing more than just what he appeared to. Typical. "She's a special little lady… As long as she's alive, everything will be fine. Dick is still useful even if he has to be on the run." He lit up his cigar with a wooden match. "Arrangements need to be made to get rid of Arvada, he may jump bail and slip out of my reach temporarily. I'm assigning this little task to you and Hunk, so I need you to just keep up the charade of going to trial."
Light brows raised, Wesker peered away. "I will." Defeated, he was still Spencer's errand boy even after all these years.
"Thank you for looking after the Valentine girl."
"Of course." The blonde uttered softly.
"I'm leaving for London. Keep in touch." Not long after, Spencer was gone and Albert was left alone with his thoughts once more.
'Special little lady… Something is not adding up.'
'Perhaps allowing William to play a role was a mistake. He has his own agendas…'
A deep sigh and he took a swig from his coffee. Blue eyes peered into the depths of the cup as the taste of stale drink touched his senses. The decision had been made for his own comfort, of course. He wasn't up to changing his lifestyle for a game of blood and broken hearts. Not yet, anyway. He was getting too old for that.
'It isn't as though I hadn't thought about it… Christ, if she bent over in front of me again it may have just happened.'
"Who the fuck is putting traffic cones in my parking lot? WHY ARE ALL OF THE CAR ALARMS GOING OFF?!" Brian Irons screamed from the other side of the aged building.
Albert could only allow himself a little smirk as he leaned back in his chair. He had a good idea of who was the little mongoose that was making mischief in the land of serpents that was Raccoon City.
