Disclaimer: don't own anything…..TT.TT Ranting in the end...
Claire studied the number pad next to the big door, the only exit from the area she was locked in. It didn't look too complicated, but since she didn't have slightest idea what the code for it might be, she had no hope to get the door open.
A day had passed and she had had no contact with Wesker really, she had passed him in the corridor few times but that's it, every time the man had kept his eyes on her, but Claire pretended not to notice.
Once when Claire had returned from the kitchen, she was surprised to see her handbag resting on the table. Could Wesker have retrieved it for her? More likely some of his men found it and gave it to him...All her stuff was in it, except the gun, which she had lost to the mercenary, whose dead body was probably now disposed.
Claire leaned against the cold grey wall and closed her eyes, she didn't like this place at all, it was damp, cold, and no one seemed to exist here, except she and Wesker...
Claire opened her eyes when the door infront of her clicked and opened, and Wesker walked in. He noticed Claire on his right side and stopped giving her a look.
Claire stared the man in front of her coldly, trying to detect some kind of feeling or expression on Wesker´s face, but it had none, and she hated it.
The young Redfield had always been good at noticing if something was wrong in her friend´s life they had something heavy in their minds. But Wesker never shoved any feelings, well maybe hatred and disgust sometimes, but nothing else.
But most of all, Claire hated his sunglasses...They hid Wesker´s eyes making it even more hard to read him. "And I wouldn't believe when Chris said he wears his shades all the time..." Claire groaned in her mind, and absent minded frowned a bit.
Even a small movement on her face didn't go unnoticed...
"You seem to be upset Ms. Redfield, does the accommodation bother you? " Wesker asked lips twitching a bit.
Claire straightened herself, "Why, not at all, I'm perfectly comfortable with it..." She said with sweet tone, sarcasm dripping in her voice.
Wesker was holding a book in his hand, it had blank brown leather cover...Claire noted it but didn't give it much attention.
"Glad to hear it" the blond man answered and walked towards the monitor room, as if he hadn't even heard the sarcasm. He unlocked the door to his working room. He gave Claire a smile and said "Feel free to try to solve the code for the door, Chris after all always boasted how good you were solving the problem if you had forgot your key home...He on the other hand couldn´t even get a Spencer mansion´s wooden doors open unless he had a key..." Wesker said and laughed softly as he moved into the darkness of the room.
Claire felt anger rise in her and she saw red. He was playing with her. Redfield would not go down this easily!
She marched towards the door, but stopped as she noticed that it was pitch black, there was no light source, just darkness.
She hesitated, if she walked in she would be completely in Wesker´s domain.
This was a challenge.
Claire took a deep breath and walked in, showing that she was not scared.
Claire walked few meters past the door, and stopped when she heard the door close behind her, erasing the only light source to the room...
She breathed softly, her senses sharpening when she couldn't see anything.
It took all her mental power not to jump when she felt Wesker´s warm breath in the back of her neck.
"What do you want Claire?" She heard Wesker ask with soft silky voice.
Fuck...he never uses my name unless I'm going to get beaten or something...
Damn it, I wont give in, I wont be a doll.
"What makes you think I want something?" She asked, trying to turn around to face him, but Wesker kept her still by placing his gloved hands on her shoulders.
"Why, you followed me ms. Redfield, so you must want something from me since you decided to company me with your graceful presence" he said , and Claire could feel that the man was smiling, maliciously..."Or did you want to share your interesting opinions of my work or goals?" He continued and touched Claire´s hair softly with his other hand.
Claire shivered when she felt Wesker put his mouth near her ear and whisper "Or maybe, you wanted to show that you are not afraid of me."
God dammit! Claire screamed in her mind, He had read her like an open book! She was totally screwed...
"Maybe I'm just curious." Claire said simply. "what is that you are after? Money?"
Wesker snorted "Now do I look like a person who is after money?"
"Not really" Claire admitted. "Power then? Authority over people?"
Wesker smiled "Quite so."
The man was so close to her that Claire could feel the warmth of his body. She had never been this close to the hated ex S.T.A.R.S captain.
"Didn't get enough power as S.T.A.R.S captain? "Claire asked "wanted to get more people to push around?"
"Dear heart, surely you cant compare that job and the power I'm going to get soon..." Wesker said smirking.
Just before Claire was about to answer the computer monitors flashed out red with umbrella logo on them. A female voice said "Intruder alert in section 1 and 2...cells in section 3 are opened..."
"What?" Claire asked surprised.
"Damn it. " Wesker muttered, pushing Claire out of his way and moved over to the monitors, he put the book on the table, and started to type the keyboard fast. Claire moved a bit closer to get better look.
Wesker activated the camera feed and Claire could see him frown in the red light.
Claire stared the monitor, a group of people, exactly like mercenaries opened cages in some research area.
Her eyes widened in horror when they suddenly started shoot something. Claire´s mouth went wide open when she saw a big rotting, ape looking animal leaped against one of the people and smashed him.
Then more beasts appeared...Redfield couldn't take her eyes off the sickening scene.
She had never seen these kind of monsters before.
"What are those?" She whispered out the question, fearing that Wesker might lose his patience..."like that's going to happen..."
"Eliminators...Rebecca chambers and Billy Choen met them in the old training facility..." He muttered.
Wesker pulled out a cellphone and selected a number. Not taking his eyes off the monitors.
Someone picked the call.
"Whats the situation?" He demanded.
Claire watched how the apes circled around in the room, finally moving towards the open door...
There were 5 apes in all...4 small and one huge one, like alpha male or something.
"How did they get in? They would have needed the access codes for the lift" Wesker said in angry voice.
Claire was surprised, first time she saw Wesker lose somewhat of the control over his...emotions...if he had any. His voice was cold and calm, but he was frustrated...
"How many groups?" he asked.
Great...I'm going to die here...and I hate monkeys... Claire wailed in her mind. She noticed the book on the table and picked it up, not opening it.
"I want this under control" Blond man finally said in most deadly and cold tone Claire had ever heard and hung up the call. He then turned towards Claire.
For a moment Redfield thought the man would kill her. But he merely grabbed her arm and started to walk towards the door.
"What...where are we going?!" She asked bit in panic.
"To handle this" Wesker growled pulling/ leading Claire towards the exit.
"What do you need me for?" Claire shrieked trying to keep up with the blond man.
Wesker stopped and turned around, giving Claire his full attention, he petted her cheek." I don't for the animals, but if the self destruction system gets activated, I want to save at least one advantage, even if my work here gets finished!" He said.
"Self destruction? Aren't those bit too common with Umbrella?!" She snapped. "It always has to be self destruction system..."
"Quick, easy and most most likely to wipe all information thefts and outbreaks" Wesker said , adding with a smile "Doesn't seem work against your kind though Claire"
He was about to start moving again, but Claire remembered her handbag which she had left in her room, she had put her watch in it...and would not leave without it.
"Wait! I need to get something from my room please" Claire yelped, and Wesker after a murderous glare let her go and moved over to number pad, tapping the code to open the door.
Claire ran to her room and snatched her bag and put the book in her hand to the bag, and rushed back to Wesker who grabbed her arm firmly.
They entered the door and hurried troug the corridor taking turns every once in the while.
Claire noticed a map on the wall, and understood that the place was actually quite large.
Suddenly they stopped.
Wesker pulled out his gun. Claire was silent, she could hear a soft hungry moans emerge from behind one corner. "Zombies..." She thought.
Wesker approached the corner, pulling Claire with him. As they turned, they saw the living dead stagger in the corridor. They seemed to notice her and Wesker, starting to wobble towards them.
There was a door in the end of the the area, apparently the zombies had come trough it.
Claire who had no gun looked really worried.
Suddenly she screamed out loud when Wesker burst into move pulling her with him. Claire could barely keep up with the speed. "What are you doing?!" She yelled.
Wesker didn't pay attention to her when they reached the zombies Wesker only hit them bit with his fist, making them daze, pulling Claire trough them unharmed.
They rushed trough the door and Wesker slammed it shut locking it.
Claire leaned against the wall breathing heavily.
"Don't you have any extra guns!?" She asked angrily." And how many zombies we will probably see?"
Wesker gave her a glance. "You could probably find some from guard section of this facility." He said "and there was about 35 researchers."
He started to move on, now walking fast, Claire hurried after him.
She didn't like this at all, but she had to work with Wesker since he knew the place well, and she had no slightest idea about the building. All she could do was to stay with Wesker if she wanted to stay alive.
"What about the mercenaries?" She asked.
Wesker snorted and gave Claire a sideways glance "Most likely all dead. But if I happen to come across a living one, I want some answers."
They came across another door and Wesker opened it. Claire noticed that hey had arrived into a big hall, and that they were on a 2 meter wide metal level circling the hall. There were a lot of large windows probably for monitoring the progress in the hall. Wesker and Claire carefully approached the area, their footsteps against the metal echoed in the hall.
Claire peeked over the railing and saw the gore scene down below. She pulled back, this was the area she had seen...
Wesker stopped walking and Claire almost crashed into his back.
She was suddenly violently knocked back when huge monkey crashed trough the window next to them, hitting Wesker and knocking him over the railing to the area underneath.
"Wesker!" Claire yelled and moved over to railing. She saw the man get on his feet unharmed, the ape circling around him hungrily.
Claire turned her attention to the left side as fast as it could when she heard the zombified moan...the undead had apparently smashed their way past the door somehow. Few of the zombies had sharp wood chips in their hands...
She looked around and noticed a door on the right. She ran to it swinging it open and entering it.
Claire shut the door and looked around the room, no zombies. She saw a somewhat heavy looking table against the wall and pushed it in front of the door.
"Ok Claire, think! What will you do!?" She muttered and scanned the room once more with her blue eyes, there was nothing she could use. Redfield noticed a map on the wall and decided to check it out fast.
She was lucky. She was near the guard office! Guns! Her slight moment of joy turned into horror when she heard the zombies "knock" the door behind her, and hit the bullet proof class...
"Wait...bullet proof? How the hell had the ape made it trough the class?" Well, she didn't have the time to solve out that problem, eventually the zombies would probably break the window and doors down anyway.
Claire entered the door in the end of the room, entering a bright lighted corridor. She paralyzed when she heard heard footsteps. "No no no no... She cursed. "Not zombies, not in area this narrow!" She wished, but lady luck was not on her side. A zombie dragged its rotting corpse from behind the corner, turning its head towards Claire, whose warm blood and flesh smelled irresistible to it.
Claire bit her lip, she had no other choice but to press on! She truly wished that Wesker was with her, but the man was occupied with the eliminators.
Redfield noticed a metal pipe next to her, it would have to do.
She picked it up fast since the zomb had started to approach.
Claire glared her opponent with determined blue eyes. "I will not die in here!"
She lunged towards the corpse and swung the pipe hitting the zombie into head. It let out a moan as beast hit the floor, Claire hit it one more time, finishing it off. She hurried onwards, past the corner and saw 1 more zombie in the hall way standing there like a goal keeper. Claire picked up speed and dodged the undead who tried to grab her. Claire made it trough the door.
Claire dropped the pipe, her clothes were bloodied but not badly.
The room had lots of water tanks with orange liquid inside them, but Claire had no time to dawdle and hurried over to last door which should have straight corridor behind it, no turns...
As soon as Claire had opened the metal door she slammed it shut with wide blue yes.
"oh god..." She muttered. The way was blocked...completely. There was at least 10 zombies in there! And a monkey...a monkey for heaven´s sake. "is there any species they haven't tested the T-virus on?" she thought.
Apparently 10 other people had had the same idea to get guns, and one monkey had infected them all.
Claire was getting troubled, there was a bunch of dead people on the other side and other bunch on the other.
She would get cornered if she stayed still too long, the zombies ahead had already noticed her.
She studied the room carefully. And then it hit her, the air vent! It was large enough for her to crawl in. She could reach the guard office without facing the zombies.
She pulled a table underneath the vent in the wall and took of the grate and crawled in. It was dusty and dark in there. "Come on Claire, you can do it!" She told herself and started to crawl. After a time that seemed like ages, she made it over the area of the guard office. She erased the grate and snaked herself into the room, dropping on the floor painfully.
Claire looked up and saw a man leaned on the floor against the wall with bloodied clothes. She got on her feet, waiting for the man rise up.
Claire held her breath, nothing happened, the virus hadn't started to work yet? She noticed the bullet wound in the man´s head and a handgun in his hand. Had the man killed himself? Claire saw a key chain lying on the floor and a paper note which read "Sorry, I wouldn't open the door"
Claire stared the man with sad eyes, looked like that the man had locked himself into room, not letting people in and they got killed by the monkey.
Claire felt bad when she picked up the gun form man´s hand, she needed it more now.
Claire searched the room for other weapons and found shotguns, pistols and even a automatic pistol and extra magazines for all weapons. Claire decided fast what she would take, the shotgun and handgun would do.
She pushed the shotgun into air vent and put the handgun into her bag. She then used the table to reach the vent. Claire started to crawl back to the tank room pushing the shotgun in front of her onwards as well. She finally reached her destination and got out of the tight vent, thanking Umbrella for good architect who had build so big vents...
"Well done Claire, you got guns, but now what? " Claire started to wonder, should she go and find Wesker? Like hell! She finaly got away from him! This was her change for escape! Started to make her way back to the hall. But on her way she would have to deal with the zombies ahead, starting with the one in next hallway.
Claire opened the door, and as expected the wobbling zombie stood in the corridor. Claire aimed with the handgun and pulled the trigger, few shots and the zombie was down. Claire moved closer to make sure it was dead for good. She saw the name tag which read "Bob"
"Sorry Bob" she muttered and moved on.
The room with the bulletproof glass was filled with at least 5 zombies, they had smashed their way trough the door. Claire took a good hold of the shotgun and opened fire. It was a riot-gun, with capacity of 6 slugs. Claire breathed hard, the stunning feeling of the adrenaline rush in her body felt awesome.
She was alive. She felt alive.
Wesker had talked about a lift while on phone, the only way out of this place. She studied the map the exit out of the area was only one ladder and 2 halls away. She wasn't far away!
Redfield girl saw a ladder to the area down below trough the window. She moved to the hall and looked over the railing. No sign of Wesker, only a corpse of an one small monkey.
Could it be possible to get out alive? And free.
She climbed the ladder down. But on the halfway down, she heard a female voice call
"Attention, the self destruction system has been activated, all staff members, please move over to nearest exit points, she extermination of the area will take place after 10 minutes"
Claire held to the ladder tight. "No way..." She cursed and dropped rest of the way down and ran to a large metal door, and tried to find a way to open it. She cursed when she understood that it could only be opened trough security codes, which she didn't have! And where the hell was Wesker!?
She hated to admit, but she would not get out without him...
A fear filled her eyes when a bestial roar echoed from the level over her. She turned her head slowly to look up and saw 3 undead monkeys on the railing looking towards her, roaring.
Claire pulled out the hand gun and started to shoot, but monkeys were too fast for her, they jumped down and started to approach her, from 3 different directions.
The panic was taking over her, she was cornered and soon dead .
She let out a scream when one monkey charged towards her leaping into air. But then something grabbed her, with human hands, not monkey ones, and tossed Claire out of the way. Claire kept her eyes tight shut when she hit the cold metal ground. She opened them as soon as she had stopped and saw Wesker on the ground, a huge monkey over his body, trying to keep the beast´s fangs off him.
Rest 2 monkeys were circling around him but starting to turn their attention back Claire who got up.
She lunged towards the handgun few meters away form her and caught it. She took aim of the monkey which was on Wesker and shot it 3 times, the monkey howled in pain and Wesker kicked it off.
He got up and shot other of the smaller monkeys few times with his gun with silencer. He moved over to the number pad and punched the code. But the door did not open.
"Ms Redfield, on the next level there is a switch which opens the door in the control room, I suggest you get it before the self destruction gets in action" He said to her and Claire looked up into room where she had only few moments ago been.
She ran to the ladder and started to climb it up. She saw how the leader monkey got up and roared in rage, charging towards Wesker. Claire still had her handgun and handbag with her.
5 minutes to the self destruction...
Just before she reached the end, a large hand grabbed her ankle,pulling her down.
Claire looked down in horror and saw rotten monkey having hold of her leg, its mouth getting dangerously close, Claire kicked the monkey into face and tried to shoot it but only scratched the arm bit, and the magazine was empty now.
She reached the platform and pulled herself up, she started to reload but the mokney´s head popped up and it roared trying to get Claire into it´s hands.
Redfield saw the edge of the book that Wesker had brought and grabbed it.
She grit her teeth as she stuck it into monkey´s mouth, muffling some of the roaring, then she kicked the monkey down with all her force. It flew neatly and hit the floor hard. Claire ran to the control room and pushed the red switch. A loud clicking sound was heard and she saw that the doors had started to open. Claire ran out of the room. She saw Wesker battle with 2 of the beasts, the alpha ape was giving him some hard time.
Claire ran to the ladder and got down.
She saw the shotgun lay on the ground next to her and picked it up, and just in time, since the monkey which she had kicked down charged towards her, Claire pulled the trigger and the beast hit the ground dead.
Wesker shot the alpha one few times, but his magazine ran out of bullets, when the smaller monkey jumped towards him Wesker just hit it with a fist.
Claire snatched her gun and reloaded it fast "Wesker! Here!" She yelled and tossed the gun to the man who grabbed it and shot the small monkey to death.
Claire ran towards the door .Wesker lunged towards the alpha eliminator punching it hard. Then he and Claire pulled back, trough the metal door.
3 minutes...
Wesker pressed the switch on the other side and the doors started to close, but not as fast as needed..
The giant eliminator ran towards the doors. Wesker cursed and pulled out a grenade and tossed it. The eliminators roared when the full force of the grenade hit it. Claire screamed as a fragment pierced her leg. She fell on the floor pressing her hand on the wound.
Wesker wasnt hurt, atleast he didnt seem to be...
Claire bit her lip. Wesker turned around and noticed Claire on the floor with bloodied leg.
"He is going to leave me to die..." Claire thought as she grit her teeth in pain, the blood pured from the wound.
But Wesker marched over to her picking Claire up and ran to the lift, hitting the switch and it started to move up.
2 minutes...
Claire felt the blood flow from the wound. She heard the explosions thunder down below...would they make it in time? The lift arrived and Wesker hurried out with Claire in his arms. Claire looked around...a ...mansion!? Umbrella surely liked to use same pattern...
Wesker kicked the door open and ran trough the woods. He moved so fast that the wind against Claire´s face felt like knives.
Claire was counting seconds in her mind.
5...4...3...2...1...0...
The explosion thundered and Claire felt the ground shake, she held tight to Wesker who had her firmly in his arms. Then after a time that felt like years, the fiery storm and thundering died down.
Claire opened her eyes and saw a pillar or smoke rise.
Wesker had stopped, they were in front of the shack. Wesker kicked the door open and placed Claire down on the worn wooden floor. The pain in her leg was terrible. She was losing blood fast, and without attending she might die.
Claire saw Wesker pull her jean´s leg up a bit to see the wound. Claire noticed that Wesker´s sunglasses missed the other frame. Apparently a fragment had taken it.
"The fragment pierced your leg completely." Wesker stated. Claire stared Wesker, she didn't know if she should blame him or thank him...he had saved her from the monkey, he had also thrown the grenade, and carried her to safety.
Wesker took out his cellphone and called someone, Claire didn't care...she didn't really even listen to Wesker She wanted so bad to see Chris now, she missed him.
"Get a car...got the accescodes...Call him..."
Wesker knelt down. "Claire, I will be back shortly..." He said to the red haired girl who was shivering, it was evening and it was getting cold. Claire didn't look at Wesker she just stared the empty shack, she was going to be left in the cold woods, she might die with this wound, she was tired, but most of all she felt lonely.
Claire was surprised when she felt something warm around her. Wesker had taken off his jacket and given it to her. She looked up but as usual, she couldnt read his face at all.
She gave Wesker a small smile, a real one,
When she didn't say anything, Wesker got up and disappeared into woods.
Claire stared into the dusk.
"Thanks"
She whispered.
Hey! Hope Wesker wasn't too OOC...Talked about this with a friend and when I told her I have some problems with Wesker in this story she said to me that If I want to keep him completely in character he would just shoot Claire and everyone else...including me...heh (gets shot) ouch...
I started to hate the stupid research place so much that I decided to blow it up! Sorry if there are spelling mistakes or something, since I was too lazy to study the text really closely.
Oh well, sorry that it took ages to update, I am really occupied with the Umbrella Chronicles right now... And in next chapter: We will see a nice car ride to destination...unknown, and everyone´s favorite mercenary!
...should I change the rating to M?
