Chapter 9
CIPHER calmly regarded the team leader as he sat at in the chair. It hadn't taken long to get back to their impromptu HQ. They were efficient, CIPHER had to admit. There was no doubt in his mind that they had already talked with the others, especially DOZER. In his injured state, CIPHER believed he would be more susceptible to whatever interrogation methods these men might employ. Even so, he wasn't going to be the one stuck on the receiving end of the rat out.
"Šta želiš da znaš?1"
"No need to speak the native language here pal. I'm not with the local government." CIPHER grunted in acknowledgement, thinking for a moment. He had hoped it was just some local force, but he knew that was hoping too highly for his own good.
"Alright then. What do you want to know? I'm willing to talk."
"What were you doing contacting the BSAA?"
"Ah, so you're with them. Didn't expect you to arrive so quickly, but I didn't expect to get jumped either. In answer to your question, I was hoping to make a deal."
"You mentioned an asset. Something to do with the t-Abyss virus. In addition, we have evidence connecting you to the destruction of a ship full of mercenaries. A ship that happened to be tied to the sunken location of a t-Abyss disaster."
"My partner and I were the ones that blew it up, if that's what you're asking. The original mission was to go down to the ship and retrieve samples of the t-Abyss They told us that it was to try and work on a cure, but you don't hire a ship full of expendable mercenaries to do that. You call the BSAA or someone like that."
"So why did you destroy the ship if you were on the paygrade?"
"Things changed. We went down to the ship. I saw what the t-Abyss can do. I killed the Malacoda-"
"That was you? The only time I've seen one of them killed was with a helicopter."
"This one wasn't in a whale. It had to survive off what it could get, and that made it smaller than normal. Still a hard kill, but not quite up to par with some of the things your agents have done."
"So you know about the Queen Zenobia?"
"Not all the details but yes. If you are in my line of work, you tend to keep up with these things."
"And what line of work is that exactly?"
"Mercenary with a specialty in biological weapon situations."
"How exactly does one get a specialty in that? I don't imagine there's a school for that."
"Actually, there was. Umbrella teaches you well."
"You worked for Umbrella?"
"For a time. After they started sinking, I jumped ship and started working as a mercenary. Turns out that the fall of a biopharmaceutical giant is actually a good time for someone trained in dealing with B.O.W.'s. They started popping up everywhere after Umbrella went down, so I was able to get jobs dealing with them, whether it was eliminating or capturing them."
"So why did you destroy the ship? From the sound of it, you were fine with doing all kinds of shady business before."
"As I said, I saw what was down there. The other viruses were bad, but this one's different. It was practically a living ecosystem down there. It's been months since the ship went down and there's still things down there. Normally the virus dies off and atrophies, but not this one."
"Let's focus back on the situation at hand. What asset were you carrying? It had to be related to the t-Abyss somehow."
CIPHER deliberated for a moment. So far, he'd played his cards flat on the table, knowing it would garner him a measure of security. Some small part of him knew that if he co-operated on by revealing Rachael's existence, he would never be able to get his hands on her again, maybe get a second shot at leveraging her value.
"I had an infected individual in my custody. DOZER and I managed to smuggle it off the ship in an attempt to leverage her for a large amount of money. The way I saw it, we'd hand her off to someone who could cure the disease, but also make us rich. Best of both worlds. Seems someone was keeping ahead of us though and nabbed her before we could arrange the hand-off."
"Her? Could you identify her prior to infection?"
"Yes, but only because I've seen the reports. The infected individual was Rachael Foley, one of the FBC members on the ship."
"Christ…" Parker sat down, the gravitas of the information hitting him. He had thought that Rachael was dead once and for all after the ship went up. "She's alive?"
CIPHER shifted uncomfortably. This was not where he wanted the conversation to go. "Yeah, if you call her being infected alive...though I don't know what will happen now that she's taken."
"How did you get her off the ship? I don't know anyone who's successfully captured a B.O.W. alive before."
CIPHER once again went quiet for a minute, thinking over his options. Parker noticed his reticence and sat down, leaning forward. "If you have any information at all that will help us recover her without fatality, I assure you the BSAA can make you a deal."
Parker noticed that CIPHER had stopped fidgeting as much, and he felt he was onto something. In his own words, the mercenary had admitted to working mainly for his own benefit, so the fact he wasn't immediately jumping on the deal made Parker suspect something. "Is there anything else? Something happened, didn't it?"
"I've worked with the t-virus before, just so you understand. I was one of the guys they called to put down rogue experiments from time to time. I've seen the gamut of what it can make, and every time it's the same. A mindless killing machine. The t-Abyss is different. Rachael's mind wasn't completely destroyed, just mostly. I'll be honest; I don't know why. I've read every file you have on the virus and by all rights she should have become a Sea Creeper or something like that. Not only did she turn into an Ooze instead, which your own scientists noted only happened to male subjects, but your own reports indicated that she showed signs of intelligence beyond that of the Scagdead. I was...able to talk to her. Just a little. Nothing too meaningful, just enough to find out more. I figured that maybe I could fish out something about the virus, in case I ever had to fight it again, but in between all the screaming and the rage was a small piece of a human left behind."
"So you were able to convince her to get off the ship?" Parker asked breathlessly. CIPHER raised an eyebrow in surprise. He had expected Parker to doubt him, but it seemed the man was open to the info.
"Somewhat. It certainly helped when we crated her up and blew the ship. When we hit land and made it to the shack, I decided it was time to make the exchange. Money for her. We'd walk and I wouldn't have to deal with her. But at the same time, I had an idea."
"What idea was that?" Parker asked, intrigue and concern leaking through his voice.
"When I contacted TerraSave to tip them off about the boat, I found out that they had manufactured an anti-T vaccine. After that, I found out that a nearby hospital had some vials of it. I was able to break in and take one."
"You wouldn't have been able to sell it. TerraSave could just manufacture more-"
"That wasn't the point. I used it," CIPHER interrupted angrily.
"But why? You weren't infected, were you?"
"I didn't use it on me. And I didn't use it on DOZER. I used it on her," CIPHER explained, dropping the knowledge on Parker. The larger man's expression became dumbstruck and he seemed to flail for words, unsure of how to respond.
"Wh...what happened?"
"She wasn't cured if that's what you're asking. But it did give her some of her faculties back. Enough that she was able to talk and think a little. I'm not scientist, so I couldn't tell you how much she got back, but she was certainly more aware then before. That was just before we got whacked. Now she's god knows where with god knows who. Now, listen to me: I can talk her down if you can get me to her. I was able to talk her down even before the injection, so I should be able to do it again."
"If what you're saying is true, then we need to get her back A.S.A.P. Do you have any idea who took her?"
"No idea. If they weren't your guys, then I can only assume it was someone who had knowledge of where we were going and could get there first."
"Alright. Thank you for your co-operation with us. We'll talk again," Parker promised. He waited a moment in case CIPHER had anything more to say, but the thin man just stayed quiet, content to watch Parker leave the room. Once he was in the hall, he paused, looking down the hall towards the other interrogation rooms. It had been very helpful of the local police to acquiesce to their request for use of the rooms while dealing with the mercenaries. And Raymond.
Parker still couldn't quite figure out why Raymond was there. The mercs were the ones who started it, but Raymond was with them. He had jumped ship ages ago, a mole for some other organization. Parker owed him his life, but he never really expected to see the man. "Sitting here isn't going to answer anything," Parker sighed.
Hustling down to the interrogation room where Raymond was being held, he stepped inside the observation room, spotting Raymond sitting alone on the other side. Despite being caught, he was calm and collected. "Has he said anything yet?"
"Not yet sir. He's been refusing to discuss anything about what he was doing there with any of the people we've sent in. You thinking of giving it a try?"
"Yeah. I think I might be able to get him to open up a little. Just enough to give us a lead."
"Alright sir," the man confirmed, setting up the recording for a new session. Parker hurried his way between rooms, collecting himself before entering. Stepping in, he did his best to stand straight and imposingly. Raymond looked up with mild surprise, and nodded. Parker nodded back, taking a seat.
"You already know I'm going to ask why you were there. I can only assume it was on account of who you work for?" Parker asked, trying to get a response. Raymond just shrugged neither confirming nor denying. Parker repressed a sigh; this wasn't going to be easy.
"Going under the assumption that you were there on request of whoever ordered you to, that would mean that you knew what would be on the end of the deployment. How did you know?"
"No one's immune to information leaks-"
"But not that fast. We only figured out where the location of our contact was a short while ago. You would have had to have known not only the location the second it was released but that it was going to be found. That means resources, Raymond. You're working for someone with resources."
Raymond didn't respond, just watching Parker with a flat expression. Parker shook his hand a little in thought. "Someone with resources enough to get the information, but not enough to intercede with the mission, or not enough clout to cover if something went wrong. They sent you because they couldn't outright sabotage the mission."
Raymond didn't say anything in response, but Parker could tell that he was on to something. He would have said something by now if he were completely wrong. "Talk with me Raymond. We were both there in Terragrigia. You know as well as I do what it can do. So help me here. You saved me back on the Zenobia. Give us something to work with, and I will do everything I can to help you."
Raymond cocked his head, sighing slowly. He seemed conflicted, measuring his options. Parker remained silent, knowing that speaking could possibly sway Raymond away from the deal. Finally, the man nodded once, looking down at the table, before nodding again and meeting Parker's eyes. "Alright, let's talk."
"Alright," Parker agreed, leaning back. "So, did you know what was being transferred?"
"Yes. My contact told me exactly what it was."
"So you knew it was Rachael?"
"...yes, yes I did."
"What were the plans for when you arrived?"
"Secure her body."
"You were going to kill her?"
"I think that much was evident from "secure her body." It'd be preferable to get a live body, but she's such a unique case that they couldn't pass it up, even if it meant killing her."
"It's not secret that organizations like the one that employed you have captured B.O.W.'s alive. What made this so different? Why did you have to kill her if you found her?"
"I didn't have to kill her. I wanted to," Raymond insisted, pointedly emphasizing his words with his hands. Parker was at a loss for words; the way Raymond spoke didn't seem venomous or hateful. It sounded more...regretful. Despite his better sense, he found himself sympathizing with Raymond. He sighed, leaning forward with a calm expression.
"I understand. You don't have to explain why. Do you have any idea who could have taken her?"
Raymond leaned back, thinking deeply for a minute. He hummed in thought, pressing hand to his forehead in an attempt to focus.
"My employers did mention that there might be another group interested in seeking the target out, but that I most likely wouldn't have to deal with them," Raymond offered, rolling his hand to wave off his own unsurety. "I guess whoever was running interference must have messed up if they managed to get a bead before I did."
"Who were they Raymond? We need to find her quickly."
"Around here, they're called Тхе Гунс. It means 'The Guns,' simply enough. They sell their services to whoever needs it."
"So they're mercenaries?"
"Mostly, but remember, this is the Baltics. Most of them were former military. Which military doesn't matter, but every one of them is highly trained. That's what makes them so good. They know the area and they've fought battles of every stripe."
"Why would mercenaries like them want a B.O.W.?"
"They don't want her, they want to sell her. Of course, it wasn't their idea. They're trained, not smart. Someone else is using them. Problem is that whoever employed them is as good at covering their tracks as my employers. We're not going to find any trace of whoever did it."
"But we can take them out and retake Rachael," Parker countered.
"Not without upsetting a lot of people. Any public response would not only be too slow, but it would cause the countries that employ them to be...annoyed, to say the least. These guys are good at what they do."
"So you suggest we take a more subtle approach?"
"Yes, but further than that, I want you to take me."
"You know I can't do that. Even if I trusted you, if the BSAA trusted you, you just admitted to wanting to kill Rachael. We're trying to take her alive, and we believe we can."
Raymond went silent at that, his mouth hanging slightly open as a retort died. "How...how do you intend to do that?"
"Our contact believes that he can take her passively. If he fails, then we have to take her by force, but it's worth the risk."
"And how does he intend to do that?"
"I'm not at liberty to share that, Raymond." Raymond nodded, understanding that even Parker had limits.
"If you're willing to risk working with your contact to take her peacefully, why am I not allowed to come? My knowledge of The Guns is more than anyone on your team, I can assure you. Not to mention that I'm my practical training in infiltration. Bringing me along could help, no, will help reduce risk to the team. Hell, you could send me in unarmed."
"Because you want to kill Rachael. I can't allow that to happen. If you were just wanting to help, I'd have to agree with your point, but we can't risk-"
"If what you're hinting at is true, then I don't want to kill her anymore. Level with me Parker," Raymond demanded firmly, his voice even. "Is she still in there? Did something happen to bring Rachael back?"
A long moment passed as Raymond stood menacingly, glaring down at Parker, who met Raymond's gaze with a thoughtful expression. Parker looked to the side briefly before nodding. "Yes, Raymond. According to our contact, she's still in there somewhere. If we can get her back, we might even be able to get her back fully, we hope."
Raymond nodded, slowly sitting down. As he began to sit, Parker could see the news setting in, his knees shaking and his expression turning to a certain type of confusion that Parker couldn't put a name to. All the while, Raymond was slowly nodding his head, trying to accept the information. He spoke quietly and slowly, as if organizing his thoughts. "All the experiments showed that the t-abyss was different somehow, but they couldn't figure out why...the subjects were all smarter and deadlier but I never thought...jesus...were they all aware?"
Parker could see the guilt settling on Raymond's shoulders. "You never meant for Rachael to die, did you?"
"Of course not. I didn't even expect her to even encounter a B.O.W. She really didn't want to be on that ship...She died because I left her alone. I never wanted anyone to die, not really."
"Do you still think of Terragrigia?"
"Yeah...yeah. How many people died that day? Do you remember?"
"The official count was upwards of a million people. Almost two, and that was just the citizens. Both the BSAA and the FBC lost a lot of good people."
"All because of Lansdale," Raymond said with disgust. "And then he killed even more in order to protect his secret. He's was disgusting."
"So then why do you work for someone who deals in bio-terrorism yourself? You've seen what it does-"
"BECAUSE I'M AFRAID PARKER!" Raymond yelled, standing up and slamming his hands on the table. "And don't try and tell me that you weren't either. Jessica told me herself. You nearly drank yourself to death after Terragrigia. Why do you keep fighting?"
"Because I was afraid too. But I also thought that if I was afraid, then what about those people who perished in Terragrigia? How many people died with fear in their minds? I didn't allow fear to rule me Raymond. I used it to motivate me. If I could allow even one person to sleep easy at night knowing that nothing like that would happen to them, then why wouldn't I?"
Raymond once again fell silent, sitting back down in his chair. He mulled over Parker's words, and he could see that it was not sitting well with him. Finally, he spoke. "I took this mission thinking that if I could just kill her myself it would help. It seems I was wrong. Parker…"
"Yes Raymond?"
"I want to help you guys, and not just because it would help my employers. I want to settle this, and without killing Rachael. Please, let me help you."
"I trust you Raymond, I really do. I'll try and see what I can manage. But you have to understand that this won't excuse collusion with terrorists."
"I know. I'll do time, like anyone else. Once I've served my sentence though, I want to help you. It could just be as a consultant, but I still want to help. Please, Parker."
"Alright Raymond. I'll try and get you on the mission. But understand that if you turn on us, I won't have a choice. Capire?2"
"Crystal."
1: Roughly translated as "what do you want to know?". Serbian.
2: "Understand?" Italian.
