2004 – Three Years Ago

The blue sky gleamed overhead, seemingly oblivious of the tragedy that befell

Terragrigia just four days ago. Raymond kept his hands shoved in his pockets as he

continued to walk along the sidewalk with a slight limp in his step.

The one thing he was thankful for was the drugs he had been prescribed by the doctor

after he received treatment for his leg, grateful that it didn't make him keel over in

agony as much anymore.

The redhead had chosen to walk instead of calling for a cab, simply because he wanted

some time to himself. It took a great deal of patience to control his temper when the

hospital staff tried fretted over him. It was impossible to stay in that

hospital for a day longer without losing his mind, even worse if he had to listen to that

nurse complain about her boyfriend lacking character.

It was such a relief to finally get outside.

But his enthusiasm was short lived, unfortunately.

Raymond's mind was always plagued with memories, reliving the nightmare whether he

was awake or not. Those monsters, those people…all that screaming…

He felt ashamed for failing his mission, despising himself for not being cunning enough.

Those Hunters were so fast, it was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

No amount of training could ever prepare a man for a BOW, this he knew now.

Those things…were they once people?

Raymond shuddered at the thought of being infected with a man-made virus, his body

throbbing and contorting at unfathomable proportions until the skin broke apart to reveal

a fresh layer. It seemed even more impossible how one's bones could change so

drastically, considering the bulk of the amphibious creatures.

It must have been so painful…

'What could Veltro have possibly gained by doing all this?' Raymond thought bitterly.

Veltro, the bioterrorists that set the virus loose amongst the peaceful aquapolis, had

disappeared shortly after the FBC pulled out. The heartless bastards that gave no second

thought to how their weapon would affect so many lives had just vanished.

All that trouble, and they weren't even going to gloat?

Raymond released an aggravated breath, opting to occupy his mind with something else.

The roads were practically vacant, the occasional car passing by every so often.

It was strange since it was just barely past rush hour. Raymond chalked it up to being in

the more scenic part of the city as opposed to further downtown.

That's if you can even call a few pathetic trees and a less than pristine river 'scenery'.

He was starting to get tired of the city, it only reminded him of Terragrigia.

Watching people go by every day now only reminded him of the people that could've

still lived their lives if the Hunters hadn't ripped into them like tissue paper.

He's always reminded of his failure.

'Enjoy the rest of your stay on The Queen Dido, Norman…'

Raymond paused in mid-stride as he recalled his boss's choice of words in the command

room back in Terragrigia. He hadn't heard very much, but it was enough to rouse

suspicion. Morgan Lansdale, the Commissioner of the FBC, talked to Norman of Veltro?

Why would his own boss talk to the leader of the terrorists?

Raymond didn't like the way Morgan spoke over the phone, let alone the stare he

received once he entered the room. His gut was telling him that Morgan was somehow

involved and the look on his face made him worry even more.

If he wanted to, the man could've shot the young cadet on the spot.

And yet, the elder had chosen not to kill him…why?

He was just thankful that Parker and Jessica had burst into the room when they did.

Raymond doubted the two of them knew anything.

Parker seemed reluctant to believe that Veltro had someone on the inside to make sure

their attack was a success, while Jessica seemed indifferent.

What would happen once he returned to work?

Since he had been staying in the hospital he wasn't aware of what was happening at HQ.

He had no idea how the others were fairing, what they were thinking or discussing.

Being out of the loop like this posed a risk, for a number of reasons.

But his main concern was the possibility that Morgan might believe that

Raymond was a threat to him and his position at the FBC, making him a target.

Part of him wanted to report Lansdale to the authorities while the other part of him

desperately wanted to cut his losses and flee.

Raymond was no coward, and he knew that something had to be done about this.

The sound of a car screeching to a halt brought his attention to a black van.

The side door slid open and two men exited, rushing towards the lone redhead.

Raymond inwardly cursed his sluggish reflexes that had been impaired from the

prescribed painkillers, his pulse quickening when the muscular of the two wrapped his

arms around his body in a tight grasp from behind. Raymond grit his teeth and tried his

best to throw the other man's balance off, even going as far as trying to head butt him.

The one behind him was obviously in no mood for games, roughly grabbing hold of

the redhead's hair in a vice, tugging his head back.

Raymond grunted painfully as his head was tugged back, his neck craned at an

uncomfortable angle. The man with the shaved head moved in closer to Raymond from

his front. Raymond snarled as he used every bit of strength he had to kick his good leg

out to hit him in the stomach, knocking him back.

The arm that was wrapped around Raymond's chest had moved down to grip onto his left

thigh, squeezing the healing wound. Raymond cried out in pain as the man behind him

continued to squeeze, his hands latching onto the one on his leg in a desperate attempt to

pry it off. 'How the fuck does he even know about my leg?!'

Raymond yelped in surprise when he felt a needle jab into his neck.

His mind began to swim, his vision blurring.

A black sack was pulled over his head, obscuring his eyesight.

"Get him in there." A voice ordered.

Raymond felt two arms wrap around his waist as he was dragged along the pavement.

Once he was laid on what he assumed to be the floor of the car, his arms were pulled

back and bound together. "Go, go!" another voice ushered.

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As his eyes fluttered open, Raymond winced as a light glared at him.

"Nice of you to join us, Mr. Vester." A man's voice chuckled.

Raymond looked down and realized that he was sitting in a chair. While trying to sit up

straight, he realized that his hands were bound by a zip tie.

He didn't know where he was since the entire room was engulfed in a blinding, yellow

light from above. The redhead opted to keep his head down, squinting his eyes until they

adjusted. "Who are you?" Raymond grumbled, his mind still in a haze.

"My name isn't important. But you, on the other hand, know someone that has

something that belongs to me." Raymond could just barely make out the figure of a man

that stood from a chair, slowly walking around the room.

"Who would that be?" Raymond closed his eyes again when they became strained.

"Your boss, Morgan Lansdale." He jumped when he felt a hand touch his shoulder.

"What, he owes you money?" Raymond scoffed. "No, he has something much more

valuable." The footsteps along the tiled floor unnerved him as he was unable to watch the

man's movements, feeling even more vulnerable. "Ah, so sorry to hear about your leg, by

the way. If you want, I'd be more than happy to get you something to help with the pain."

"How would you know about that?" Raymond frowned. "I know everything that goes on

in the FBC, my boy." He replied coyly. "What do you want?" Raymond sighed in

annoyance, wanting to get this all over with. "Hmph, impatient, aren't you?" the man

huffed. "Well, as you know, Veltro attacked Terragrigia with the use of a virus. Would

you like to guess who supplied it to them?" Raymond grit his teeth and moved his head

away when the man played with his ear. "We developed it, and we gave it to Morgan

who then handed it over to the terrorists." Raymond whipped his head around in the

direction of the voice, shocked at the revelation. "However, there is another virus that we

developed for military purposes. It hasn't been tested yet. Unfortunately, Morgan took

the last of the samples-and we want them back. Morgan and his 'associates' are the only

ones who know where it is." Raymond kept his head bowed as it sunk in.

"Why don't you ask him where it is, then?" Raymond tested the tightness of the zip tie

around his wrists, trying to see if he can slip out of it. "It's not that simple, I'm afraid. We

have tried to contact him but he denies knowing its whereabouts. Worse yet, if we try to

force it out of him he could report us, and we simply can't afford to be exposed. So, I

need someone like you to get close to him and find it." Raymond heard the telltale sound

of a lighter, hearing the man release a puff of air as he smoked. "Now why would I want

to help you?" Raymond muttered bitterly, giving up on trying to loosen the tie as it cut

into his skin.

"Why would you even choose me to help you anyway?"

"Let's just say that we got a nice recommendation from someone on the inside, they

speak rather highly of you." Raymond frowned at the mirth in the man's voice.

So there is a traitor in the FBC…

"That's debatable, considering that I was almost turned into a pin cushion." Raymond

scoffed as he leaned back in his chair. "I won't do it. I joined the FBC for a reason." He

replied with resolve. "I thought you might say that. You want to be a hero, don't you?"

The man placed his hands on both of Raymond's shoulders, giving a firm squeeze. "You

want to help people, make a difference, right?" Raymond repressed a laugh at the cliché

sentiment, freezing when the other man leaned closely enough that he felt his breath

against the shell of his ear. "Let me tell you something, it's overrated."

Raymond turned his head to look at the other man but was too late to get a good look at

him, frowning at the lack of personal space. "I won't help a terrorist." The redhead

persisted. "Vester, have you forgotten the meaning behind the term 'Terrorist'? We

terrorize people, make their lives as hellish as we see fit. If you refuse to help us get that

virus back, well, just think of what we can do in retaliation."

"I've seen hell. If I can survive Terragrigia, I can handle anything." Raymond retorted.

An uncomfortable silence settled in the room, the only sound being the man's footsteps.

"And what of Parker Luciani? Do you think he would say the same?"

Raymond froze at the mention of his commander's name, puzzled as to why this cocky

bastard would know of him.

"Our friend tells us that you have a certain fondness for him, a sweet spot." Raymond

failed to repress a shiver at the glee in his voice. "He saved you, didn't he? That is very

admirable of him, risking his life to save yours-a rookie." He chuckled, releasing another

puff of smoke from his cigarette. Raymond kept silent, sucking in a calming breath

through his nose, turning his head around to try and find the shadowed figure.

"Do you worship him now? Or perhaps you feel inferior to him…"

"Shut up…" Raymond grumbled as he stared at the floor.

"The hapless cadet with a hero complex is saved by the all merciful Luciani. Yes, he has

gained a reputation for a low casualty rate, much less than you could ever hope to

achieve. That must be a real kick to your ego…"

Raymond knew that this man was only trying to get under his skin, hoping to sway his

resolve in his favor. He wouldn't allow himself to fall for his tricks, craning his head at

an angle with a look of annoyance.

The other man seemed to realize that his strikes to Raymond's pride wasn't going

anywhere, deciding to change his tactic.

"Our friend has told us that he's now at the bottom of the bottle, did you know that?"

Raymond quirked an eyebrow at the remark.

Parker hadn't seemed like the type to drink…

"So you don't know then. I'm sorry to shatter your perfect image of him, but he is only

human, after all. But I'm sure that you'd be more than happy to comfort him."

Raymond straightened up in his seat as he glared at the other presence in the room.

"How would you go about it? Share a drink with him as he tells you his woes, or would

you get on your knees for him?" Raymond clenched his fists as he was beginning to lose

his temper with this pitiful excuse for a terrorist, disgusted and embarrassed for him that

he didn't even have the courage or intent to beat the resolve out of him.

"Shut up." He ground out.

"Oh? You're getting angry now?" the other spoke with mock surprise.

"Hmph, it wouldn't surprise me if you dreamed of having his cock in you.

Is that it, Mr. Vester? You want your superior to fuck you like a woman?"

"FUCK YOU!" Raymond spat as he wriggled in the chair.

It was one thing to antagonize him, but to pass off his…well, whatever it was that he

thought or felt about his commander as a simple flight of fancy was going too far.

The other man had the gall to laugh at him, making Raymond seethe.

"What's the matter, rookie? Am I not allowed to talk about your dear captain?"

"Shut up! Shut the hell up!" Raymond winced as the zip tie dug into his skin more as he

struggled to break free, wanting nothing more than to beat that bastard to a pulp.

A chuckle, followed by a smack to the face, briefly stunned the redhead.

A hand grabbed his chin and forced it upwards, even though he still couldn't see who was

in the room with him. "Now, enough chit chat. You will do as I say or your captain will

be our new guinea pig, and you of all people should know how quickly we go through

our test subjects." The man spoke darkly. Raymond stared up at the outline of the man's

head and shoulders, stunned by the other's coldness.

Parker…

He recalled that fateful day, bringing his gaze down to look at his leg.

Parker had been trying to regroup with other fellow agents to try and save what was left

of the city, but stopped to help the young cadet when he had been overwhelmed by

Hunters. The pain returned in Raymond's leg at the memory of the creature's claw

stabbing into his flesh, his lungs straining as he cried out from the searing agony.

He remembered how helpless he felt as he sat on the blood-stained floor, terrified of

running out of bullets as one after another lunged at him with eagerness.

Just when he was beginning to count all his life's regrets, Parker and Jessica came

running down the hallway to assist him.

Parker could have chosen to leave him behind, but he didn't.

Even when he offered to stay behind as bait to give Parker and Jessica time to escape, his

commander had refused to leave him.

He was almost certain that Parker would leave him behind after losing so much blood,

unable to keep up with his two superiors. But Raymond was promised that they would

find bandages and return to aid him. Left with no other options, he could only sit and wait

for their return, watching the blazing sky outside the window.

Raymond's grim thoughts had switched from the belief that they abandoned him to the

possibility that they had died along the way. His heart sunk when he heard the familiar

screeches of the towering hell spawn, readying his gun for the final fight.

But to his surprise, the door down the hallway opened and gunfire halted the creatures in

their pursuit. He simply couldn't believe that someone could be so unselfish.

Raymond's heart fluttered when Parker wrapped the bandages around his upper thigh,

unable to recall a time when he felt so grateful. 'I get it, you want justice served. But no

more heroics, or you'll get your whole unit killed.' Raymond felt a twinge of guilt of

being reminded of his failure to help others, but took this as advice to keep his ego in

check and keep what truly mattered as top priority.

Ever since that day, he vowed to become a better and stronger agent.

Despite his resolution, he always believed that Parker would always be the most

successful in the FBC, doing so much more good than he ever could.

If something happened to his commander, there would be far more casualties.

Raymond couldn't live with himself if something ever happened to the Italian.

What if they captured Parker and turned him into some kind of monster?

The thought of the man turning into a Hunter terrified him to the core.

As much as it pained Raymond to go against his oath to seek and destroy terrorists, he

simply couldn't afford to risk his superior's life.

He closed his eyes with resignation, his pride shattered.

"I'll…I'll do it, just leave him out of this." Raymond felt nauseous when the other man

chuckled and patted his cheek as if to reward a submissive dog. "Good, you can get

started right away." Raymond heard the footsteps walk away and a loud creak as the door

behind him opened, a stream of light creeping along the floor beneath his feet.

"Our contact will get in touch with you, Vester, they will tell you what to do."

Two sets of footsteps came into the room and pulled a black sack over Raymond's head

before helping him stand up and hauling him away, having difficulty keeping up.

"Easy with him, boys, he's one of us now." A woman's voice chuckled coyly.

Raymond froze in place when he heard the familiar voice, grunting in protest when he

was dragged along the floor.

'Jessica…?'

After what seemed like hours, the car had finally stopped.

Raymond was tugged off the floor and out of the van, stumbling over a step when he was

forced onto the sidewalk. Raymond felt relieved when the zip tie was cut and the sack

was roughly yanked off his head. The van door slammed shut and the car sped off down

the street, abandoning the redhead.

Raymond winced as he rubbed the engraved rings on his wrists, easing the pain.

Looking up at the dark sky, he wondered how long he had been held prisoner.

He was overwhelmed with the possibility that Lansdale was working alongside Veltro

during the attack on Terragrigia. Even worse, his boss could kill him for his suspicions

and this unknown group could have Parker killed if he didn't cooperate with them.

And why did that woman's voice sound so eerily like Jessica's?

Did Jessica play a hand in all this too?

Raymond rubbed at his forehead as a headache formed, sighing in exasperation.

'Why is this happening…?'

He felt ashamed for giving in so easily and going against his reservations to help some

organization retrieve a deadly virus. All this for the sake of protecting his commander?

He couldn't possibly go through with this.

Maybe it wasn't too late to report his capture and interrogation…

Raymond jumped when his cell phone rung in his back pocket, fumbling for it.

Glancing at the screen, he realized that it was an unlisted number.

His intuition told him that this was a call he shouldn't dismiss, opening the flip phone.

"Hello?" he asked, trying his best to keep his tone calm and unwavering.

"Failure is not an option, Mr. Vester. Don't disappoint me." Raymond shivered as the

man's smooth voice echoed in his ear, relieved when he then heard the incessant dial

tone. Closing his phone and slipping it back into his pocket, he looks up to realize that he

had been dropped off in front of his apartment building.

'They know where I live…'

They were serious.

Looking around cautiously, Raymond walked inside of the building, grunting and holding

onto his leg as the pain returned. Once he was safe inside, or so he hoped, he leaned back

against the wall and tried to think of a solution. If he or Parker tried to leave town they

would just get caught and the deal would be cancelled, perhaps ending both of their lives.

He had no choice but to play along until he found a better option.

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After staying in his apartment for two days, Raymond had finally felt strong enough to go

back to work. Despite his doctor telling him to stay at home for another week, he was

tired of being cooped up alone and consumed with paranoia.

He could at least make do with paperwork until his leg had completely healed.

Sitting at his desk, he rubbed at his thigh soothingly.

The hospital only permitted him to take two Vicodin tablets every day to avoid becoming

dependent on the habit-forming drug. It helped curb the pain for most of the day, but the

rest he had to make do when the potency of the dose slowly dwindled.

Being back at FBC headquarters brought bittersweet comfort.

While he was grateful to be alive and back on duty, he quickly noticed that many of the

other agents and the overall atmosphere had become slow and bleak.

Everyone in the entire world knew of what was now being called the Terragrigia Panic,

the label hitting the FBC community hard.

Raymond knew that everyone involved had tried their very best to help the doomed city,

but it would never be considered enough to the public eye. To everyone else they were

simply failures-groomed soldiers that failed to do their jobs.

But the one thing that the general populace would never come to understand was the

sheer number of losses-civilians and officials alike.

More people went in with far less coming out…

That very notion is what diminished the spirits of the majority of the operatives here.

The FBC itself was still rather new, formed only just a few years ago, and their first

major crisis had been a complete failure.

Then again, who could blame an organization for being unprepared for such devastating

creatures? The FBC had some of the best of the best from varying military positions.

No matter the experience, the training or nerves of steel, no one could ever be prepared

for such a hellish situation. That's what Terragrigia was, hell incarnate.

He was thankful for it being an isolated incident, at least preventing it from

spreading to the mainland or further across the continent.

In retrospect, the one good thing that came from all this is the awareness of

bioterrorism and convincing congress that it is a very real and dangerous possibility.

"Hey, Ray." A voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Lou?" Raymond glanced up and acknowledged his fellow cadet, two years younger than

him. "Morgan wants to see you in his office." The raven-haired man nodded his head in

the direction of their superior's office down the hall.

"Alright, thanks." Raymond hissed as he slowly got up from his seat, limping a few steps

before walking an even stride down the hallway.

As he got closer to the wooden door, he felt his heart race from the anxiety of facing his

boss. He had never seen the elder man face to face since that final day in Terragrigia.

Would he be fired? Threatened?

Even grimmer outcomes crossed his mind the closer he got to the door, wrapping his

hand around the cold steel doorknob before knocking and awaiting an answer.

"Come in." Raymond sucked in a breath and pushed the door open.

"Ah, Raymond, come in." Morgan glanced up from his desk and motioned his hand to

grant access into the room. Raymond stepped inside and closed the door and stood

before the other man. "Sit." Raymond complied, albeit nervously.

"I heard about your leg and I wanted to see how much your condition improved." Morgan

folded his hands on his desk as he looked at the red haired cadet. "My leg is healing

rather well, sir, thank you." Raymond replied, masking the surprise he felt at the man's

seemingly sincere concern for him. 'Don't fall for it…' he warned himself.

"That's good to hear. I assume you'll be in top shape in no time, correct?" Morgan's

mouth quirked up into a smile, unsettling the redhead.

"Yes, the doctor expects a full recovery within the week." Raymond answered honestly,

trying to figure out what Morgan really called him in for.

"Good, I expect nothing less from you. You may go now." The older of the two smiled

before motioning his hand to the door. "Is that all?" Raymond failed to hide his disbelief.

"That is all." Morgan nodded before going back to his paperwork.

Raymond stared at Morgan before getting up from the chair and walking out of the room.

That was too easy, it unnerved him to no end.

He had half expected to at least be offered a poisoned drink or something.

If it weren't for the mysterious group's confirmation of Morgan's involvement with

Veltro, Raymond was almost certain that the look he had received back in Terragrigia

had been one of concern rather than one of realization of being caught red handed.

It was still a possibility and he was never the type to let his guard down.

Raymond grunted when someone bumped into him roughly, glancing down and freezing

at the sight of Jessica. "Sorry about that, cadet." She apologized with a wink.

Raymond stared at her, the color draining from his face as he realized that her voice was

very similar to the one he had heard during his imprisonment.

'She wouldn't…would she?' Raymond continued to stare at her as she walked in the

opposite direction, glancing over her shoulder at him before entering a room and closing

the door behind her.

Raymond shook his head and continued the trek back to his desk.

The sudden run-in he had with the brunette reminded him of her partner.

Parker.

Where was Parker anyway?

He didn't remember seeing him in the building at all…

"Lou, have you seen Parker?" Raymond paused near the man's desk before settling in his

own. "Parker? He resigned." Lou looked up from a report, eyes saddened.

Raymond froze, hands sitting on top of his desk with his knees bent in preparation of

sitting down. Parker was…gone?

"When did he resign?" Raymond finally asked as he dropped into his seat, grunting

slightly as the movement jostled his leg. "About three days ago, I think. Terragrigia

must've really gotten to him, stopped coming into work shortly afterwards." Lou

continued, turning a page before scribbling something down.

Raymond looked down at his hands in disbelief.

Parker, the man who saved his life…had simply left.

He didn't even get the chance to thank him…

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Raymond continued to lie in bed, staring at the wall silently.

Ever since he heard the news about Parker's resignation he had taken refuge in his

apartment after leaving work, failing to find solace in sleep.

Then again, it wasn't all that surprising that he could not fall asleep on command.

He hadn't had a full night's rest since before the Terragrigia Panic started, inwardly

cursing fate for stripping him of his sense of normalcy.

A knock at his front door made him grumble miserably, reluctantly sitting up in bed

before walking out of his room to answer the door.

Why couldn't he just be left alone?

Raymond blinked in surprise at the sight of Jessica standing in his doorway, smiling

sweetly at him. "Hey there, I was hoping we could have a little chat." The brunette

brushed her hand along his cheek before stepping inside his apartment.

Raymond rolled his eyes as he closed the door, eyeing the woman suspiciously as she

made herself at home on his white couch.

Raymond folded his arms across his chest as he leaned against the wall, eliciting a laugh

from the lush woman. "Come on, Ray, I won't bite." She smiled as she patted the seat

beside her. "I'm in no mood for your games, Jessica." He frowned.

"Oh fine, have it your way." She sighed irritably as she slid her purple pea coat off her

shoulders, adjusting the cuffs of her black sweater.

Raymond scoffed as he instinctively hobbled his way over to the liquor cabinet, pouring

himself a glass of rum before sitting down in an arm chair across from his superior.

He really wished that he could take more than just two Vicodin tablets everyday, but

he had to make do with alcohol when the painkillers wore off.

"What did you need to tell me?" he took a sip from the glass, leaning back in his chair.

"Well, I'm guessing you just want me to cut to the chase, right?" she muttered as she

brushed her hair behind her ear, crossing her legs before swaying her ankle.

'Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not interested in women…' he hid his smile behind

the glass as he took another sip, uncaring that he bluntly shot down her advances.

"I'm a spy that has been planted in the FBC to keep an eye on Morgan." She spoke

calmly, watching for a reaction from the redhead.

There was definitely no mistaking it, it had been Jessica's voice he heard after being led

away by his captors. He had hoped that he imagined it.

"I thought that was your voice I heard." Raymond frowned at the brunette. "I should have

you arrested for treason, given your involvement with Terragrigia."

"Hey, I had nothing to do with Terragrigia!" Jessica leaned forward and glared at him.

"Is that so? I thought your group helped Morgan provide Veltro with the virus."

"I only agreed to find out where the prototype is." She crossed her arms defensively.

"You're still a traitor, Jessica, you're going against your oath to help these bastards."

Raymond straightened up in his seat as he stared accusingly at her.

"Whether you like it or not, we're working together on this." Jessica took a compact from

her purse and examined her face, pouting her lips before touching them up with lipstick.

Raymond opened his mouth to rebuke her shallow and disloyal demeanor.

"Or Parker will be found and terminated." Jessica curtly shut her compact to interrupt

whatever argument Raymond would've imposed on her.

Raymond released an aggravated breath as he closed his eyes in surrender, looking away

from the woman in disgust. "How can you even talk about your partner like that?" he

mumbled, chugging the remaining contents of his glass.

"I was never really close with him to begin with." She scoffed, repositioning her legs.

"In this job, people come and go. You'll get used to it, trust me." She smiled sadly.

Raymond looked at her incredulously, stunned at her lack of empathy.

"Now, if we're going to be working together we'll need a plan." Jessica held her chin in

her hand as she glanced at him thoughtfully.

"….What did you have in mind?" Raymond finally spoke, his eyes flicking to her briefly.

"I can't touch him because he's the only lead we have left to finding out where the virus

is. So, I'm only left with searching his office and bugging his phone calls." She huffed.

"Not the greatest plan." Raymond deadpanned, earning a glare from the

woman. "Can you do better?" she retorted, raising an eyebrow.

Raymond stared at her blankly, at a loss of what to say.

To keep his end of the bargain, to protect Parker, he had to somehow come up with a

way of getting his own boss to divulge the virus' location.

But he couldn't. This was wrong. They were helping a group that intended to make use of

the very thing that destroyed so many innocent lives. He couldn't go through with this…

Realizing his predicament, his gaze drifts to the floor.

"Listen, you're going to need to toughen up if you ever hope to make it in this

business." Jessica sighed as she rummaged in her bag.

"I don't plan on staying." Raymond sneered.

"Such a shame…" she spoke sadly.

"I'm only helping you to-"

"To protect Parker, I know." Jessica rolled her eyes at the cadet.

"To be honest, I think it's really pathetic of you to defend such a broken man."

Raymond was taken aback by the insult, gritting his teeth as every imaginable threat and

curse ran through his mind-his anger coming to a head when the brunette chuckled.

"Well, I'll let you rest now, cadet. Call me if you think of anything."

Jessica promptly stood up from the couch and walked towards the door, glancing back at

Raymond. "It's going to be a real treat to work with you." She winked before closing the

door behind her. With a snarl, Raymond hurled his empty glass against the door, the loud

impact of it shattering satisfying him.

Grunting while trying to stand, he rubs his sore leg as he leans back against the chair.

He despised the situation he had been thrust into, wishing it was just a dream.

Regardless, he had no choice but to do their bidding.

He only hoped that they would keep their end of the deal and leave his former

commander in peace-he owed him that much at least for saving his life.

It was apparent that Jessica and whoever she worked for didn't have much of a plan.

Waiting for Morgan to slip up and reveal the location of this newly developed viral

weapon was a very slim opportunity.

If Morgan wasn't willing to hand it over and there weren't any clues to its whereabouts…

The only other solution he could think of was to possibly try and have him lead them to

it. Fear has always been the best motivator, even Morgan Lansdale must've had

something he was afraid of. 'His position..'

It was true, Morgan valued his high ranking position as Commissioner for the FBC, and

he would do anything to ensure its solidarity.

This was something he could use to his advantage…

The idea he had in mind, however, was far too great for him to put into action alone.

He needed help, and he needed resources to make it believable.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

2005 – One Year Later

"So, how do we go about this anyway?" Raymond's eyes flicked over to Rachael before

switching back to the ocean view far below their helicopter. "We'll split up once we land,

we should be able to cover more ground that way." He answered, repressing a laugh

when he glanced at her cleavage.

It came as a surprise to both agents when they were told to investigate The Queen

Zenobia, leaving them little time to prepare. Preparation wise, Rachael just happened to

grab one of the remaining wetsuits available that couldn't zip up past her bosoms.

In turn, the zipper broke when she attempted to force it up and was left with a gaping

opening for all eyes to see-much to her embarrassment.

'Well, I did offer to give her a bullet proof vest to cover up…'

One whole year, that's how long he had to wait for his plan to be put into effect.

He had contacted Director O'Brien of the BSAA shortly after the Terragrigia Panic and

told him of his suspicions of Morgan's involvement. That on top of O'Brien's own

concerns after the elder man's rash decision to decimate the fallen city only sealed the

hopeful outcome that was to be the end of Morgan's career.

It took him months to finally gain access to his boss' computer, only having enough time

to copy the map of The Queen Zenobia. After that, Lansdale had everything moved

behind a high security door that could only be opened with his handprint.

The mere fact that Morgan had the layout of the cruise ship and kept all the tracking

equipment out of his subordinates' reach only confirmed the man's paranoia of being

discovered. Raymond and O'Brien then set up a fake base in the mountains of Finland

and spread rumors of Veltro's revival to tip off Morgan's mole.

Meanwhile, Raymond had a small team of volunteers sent to occupy the air base to

preserve the illusion of Veltro's existence while also giving them the assignment of

combing the oceans for The Queen Zenobia.

Low and behold, the ship had been discovered and Raymond had been ordered by

Lansdale to investigate. Although he had expected to be sent in with another agent, he

hadn't expected to be working alongside a rookie. Rachael was still very new in the FBC

and didn't have much training beyond knowing how to shoot a gun.

He worried about her safety and wished that he could look out for her, but he still had his

own mission to fulfil. 'I must avenge Terragrigia.'

"Is that it?" Rachael sat up in her seat and leaned in closer to the windshield, pointing at a

black and white structure in the distance. Raymond narrowed his eyes as he peered at the

obscured contraption through the darkness. "Good eye, I'm surprised you can see it with

that hair of yours." He scoffed, the corner of his mouth turning up in a half grin.

Rachael blew out a puff of air, briefly blowing back her bangs.

"Hey, it's not my fault that I didn't have time to pull it back." She huffed briskly.

'You've had these past three hours to screw around with it…' he thought bitterly.

"I'll try to find us a place to land." He spoke as he pushed the steering wheel up, causing

the helicopter to lurch forward as it dived down closer towards the ship.

Rachael yelped as she clung to the sides of her seat, glaring at the redhead.

Sensing his partner's accusing glare, he eased up on the wheel and allowed the helicopter

to gently touch the ground. Once the propellers slowed to a stop, Rachael opened her

door and stepped down onto the helipad, unholstering her handgun.

"You still have your map?" Raymond called over as he stepped down from the pilot seat,

opening the back door to pull out a large duffel bag.

"Yeah!" the blonde called back, having to shout over the roar of the wind. "I'll check out

the back end and you'll cover the front?" she continued as she checked her PDA.

"That's fine, just be sure to check in with me every ten minutes!" he yelled as he

slammed the door shut, slinging the bag's strap across his chest.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Closing the door to the small room, Raymond dropped the duffel bag with a sigh.

He was becoming exhausted already, he hadn't expected to feel so drained after all the

walking he had to do just to get from the roof to this room near the kitchen.

Although, it probably didn't help that he had to carry this bag with him…

Unzipping the dead weight, Raymond lifts out pieces of a mannequin and some rope.

O'Brien knew, from what Raymond had told him, that there was probably a spy in the

BSAA that worked for Morgan and it would've ruined their plan to find

incriminating evidence against him. So, the Director had carefully picked and sent out

two separate teams-one that would go investigate the staged base in Finland while the

other came to investigate The Queen Zenobia. To be on the safe side, O'Brien had a

mannequin made to look almost exactly like Chris Redfield to lure Jill Valentine into

their trap. Once Jill and her companion were caught, they would be forced to search the

ship more thoroughly, hopefully finding the evidence they needed to bring the truth about

Terragrigia to light.

After clicking the pieces of the mannequin together, Raymond hoists the life-sized doll

onto the wooden chair he dragged in from the cafeteria before tying it up with the rope.

The finishing touch was to hang the neon yellow flag, a passage from

Dante's Divine Comedy splashed across the crest in red ink.

Rummaging in the bag some more, Raymond pulled out a Veltro uniform and gas

canisters. To make Veltro's revival believable, Raymond knew that there had to be

operatives that were clad in the uniforms that the terrorists were seen wearing.

Putting aside his bitter resentment, he began to change out of his FBC uniform and into

the green camouflage-complete with a voice changing gas mask.

It would be an understatement to say that he did not appreciate the uniform.

He had to hurry, he called O'Brien two hours ago to inform him that Morgan had heard

about the BSAA's investigation on the beach and sent him to The Queen Zenobia to find

and apprehend any surviving Veltro members. The team the BSAA leader had sent would

arrive shortly, and he had to make himself scarce.

Stuffing the duffel bag under the small table, hoping the pathetic excuse for a light

wouldn't allow the BSAA agents see it, Raymond set the canisters of nerve gas inside

the air ducts.

He had to get special clearance from the higher ups in Tricell to get those canisters, but it

was necessary for this mission.

The sound of gunshots broke the eerie silence, jolting Raymond from his reverie.

'And so it begins…'

Creeping along the hallway towards the kitchen, Raymond overhears bits of the

conversation on the other side. Judging from the soft tone, it was a woman's voice.

But there was a masculine voice accompanying her, it was familiar somehow…

While they were distracted in their conversation with each other, Raymond quickly

unlocked the door from his end before dashing back downstairs.

The only places he could go to hide was either the stairway or inside the room with the

mannequin, and the stairway didn't leave him enough time to put distance between

him and the BSAA agents.

Slamming the door shut behind him, Raymond leaned against the wall and waited.

There were approaching footsteps, followed by the unsettling creak of the peep hole in

the door opening. "Chris! Chris!" Raymond jumped from the sudden shouting, rolling his

eyes at the eager woman. "Come on, say something!" he felt a headache forming when

she persisted to bang on the metal door, the incessant clanging echoing throughout the

hallway. "I found Chris, but he's trapped….No, it's a tough lock, I'll need the key."

Raymond breathed a sigh of relief when the agent finally left, the door to the stairway

closing shut behind her. Opening the door, wincing when he heard it creak, he locked the

door and closed it behind him.

While walking down the hall, making his way to the bottom of the stairway to hide,

his radio beeped to life. Raymond lifted up his gas mask, just enough so his voice could

be heard clearly. "Raymond, here." He spoke softly, hoping Valentine's partner wouldn't

detect him. "This is Rachael." Raymond felt relieved knowing that his partner was still

alive, maybe she wasn't as hopeless as he thought.

"Did you find anything?" he asked as he sat down on a step, noticing the broken handrail.

"Nothing, I haven't found a single trace of Veltro anywhere. I just want to get the hell off

this ship…" the blonde sighed in frustration.

"Hold on, I have to check on something. I'll radio you back…" she whispered.

While he felt relieved that she had radioed him, he felt uneasy at the tone in her voice.

That accompanied with the gunshots in the kitchen only confirmed his suspicions that

they weren't alone, and he wasn't entirely sure that was a good sign.

After waiting for some time, almost twenty minutes exactly, he heard the door upstairs

open and close before a pair of footsteps came running down the steps before exiting

through the side door. Raymond stood up and removed a remote control from his pocket,

waiting two minutes before pressing the button that activated the gas.

Walking back upstairs and opening the door, he heard coughing.

The door to 'Chris' cell was wide open and he could see two figures lying on the floor

through the fog, easily walking through it while wearing his mask.

There was a young woman wearing a blue wetsuit lying on the floor to his right, who he

assumed to be the famous Jill Valentine. "It's time you learned the truth, Ms. Valentine."

The brunette looked up at him helplessly before dropping her head on the floor,

succumbing to the vapors in the air.

This was too easy…

To his left, a muscular man laid unconscious.

Bending down to get a better look, Raymond grabbed on the burly heap and pushed on

his shoulder to move him just enough to identify his features.

Shoulder length hair, evenly kept beard…

'Parker…?' Raymond's eyes widened at the realization.

There was no doubt about it, this was his former commander-Parker Luciani.

He had no idea that Parker had joined the BSAA, let alone show up here of all times.

The redhead had always been a little skeptical about fate, but in this moment, that might

change for him. Unconsciously reaching out to stroke the Italian's hair, he began to

pet it soothingly. Maybe it was his imagination playing tricks on him, but he could've

sworn that the other man had relaxed under his light caresses.

'I never got to thank him…' he thought sadly.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond sighed irritably as he walked along the hallway, frustrated that he still hadn't

found any evidence linking Lansdale's involvement in Terragrigia.

After placing Parker and Jill in their rooms and setting a bomb in their boat, he's been

spending the last hour searching every cabin that wasn't locked.

He was thankful to finally be out of that green camouflage and back in his FBC uniform.

Wearing the terrorist's uniform, even if he wasn't an official member, felt blasphemous

and shameful-but he knew that he would need to don it again to keep up the illusion.

Wandering around on this ship was unnerving, the silence putting him on edge.

Yelping when his foot slipped on something on the floor, he caught himself on the wall.

Lowering the glare of his flashlight down onto the floor he saw that it wasn't water…

Blood?

The crimson color made him think it was blood but it wasn't a puddle, it was a heap.

It was a mixture of blood, flesh and bone-something that he had never seen in all his days

of preventing bioterrorism. Did something eat a human being and regurgitate it?

Raymond's stomach churned at the thought, his nausea worsened when the horrible smell

wafted in the air and caused him to dry heave. 'Pull it together, Vester..' he chastised

himself, standing away from the wall after regaining his composure.

An abrupt rattle shook the air duct above him, the clanging resonating throughout the

immediate area. The loud ruckus was enough to make him jump, his heart skipping a

beat. There was a strange sound coming from the ducts, a mixture of a groan and a

gurgle. It was apparent that there was something up there, taking the initiative to

unholster his gun. But nothing happened, the area engulfed in silence.

Keeping his gun at the ready, Raymond continued to walk down the hall.

The rattling began once more, louder than before.

The lid from the vent above crashed onto the floor, startling the redhead.

A gray heap fell from the ducts, landing on the floor with a sickening wet plop.

Raymond trained his gun on the fleshy mass, backing up when it stood to its feet.

Aside from the creature's stature resembling a human figure, it was unrecognizable.

It was made up of gray, slick skin and there were bones protruding from its arms.

The creature gurgled and began to lumber towards the agent, swiping its arms at him.

Raymond began firing at its head, tightening his grip on the gun when the adrenaline

threatened to deviate his aim. The monstrosity continued to pursue its meal eagerly

despite the bullets lodging into its skull, grunting after each one found its mark.

Raymond changed his tactic and instead shot at one of its legs, releasing a breath when it

collapsed from the assault on its appendage. Despite the fall, it continued to drag its body

along the floor with a snarl. 'Don't these things ever fucking die?!'

Raymond planted another bullet into its skull, freezing when the creature's head dropped.

After waiting a few moments, he finally took a step forward and examined it.

It wasn't moving but he couldn't be certain that it was dead.

The shape of its body was definitely human, but its arms and legs were longer than they

normally would've been. Its face was covered with a gray membrane and had sharp fangs

where the mouth would be. The bones protruding from its arms were impossibly sharp,

making the redhead wonder how a human's bones could morph like this.

Glancing back at the mass of flesh behind him, he wondered

if the infection changed some humans into these type of creatures while others simply

dissolved. It was a despicable creation and he loathed whoever developed it.

It was more obvious now than before that the ship was infected with this new virus, and

he worried for the lives of the BSAA agents and Rachael.

He hadn't heard from his partner ever since that last call when he captured Jill and

Parker. He had attempted to call her numerous times, every ten minutes, just like they

agreed. He only hoped that perhaps their signal had been jammed at some point in time.

Taking his eyes away from the sight he continued onwards, reloading his gun.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Loud clanging filled the room as he continued to hit the butt of his gun against the control

panel, pulling off the lid and began cutting the wires inside.

Raymond knew that Parker and Jill were going to try contacting headquarters but they

haven't found the source of the infection yet, and he just couldn't allow them to call for

back up or evacuation until they discovered the truth.

He was grateful for still wearing his gloves, the wires' sparks dancing wildly.

He smashed the computer screens for good measure, shielding his eyes from the glass.

Satisfied with his handiwork, Raymond walked down a flight of stairs before opening

a door that led to a carpeted hallway.

He chose to try the door to the left first, seeing that there was a peculiar emblem on the

door. 'It could be the captain's room.'

Attempting to turn the knob, he realized that it was locked.

How in the world was anyone able to get around on this ship with so many locked doors?

"Damn it!" Raymond cursed as he slammed his fist against the door.

He quirked an eyebrow when he heard footsteps on the floor above him, turning around

to make his way back upstairs. "I'm at the bridge." He heard Jill call out.

It was time for him to make a grand entrance, making his presence known to the agents.

"The communications console is out." Jill sighed in disappointment.

"This looks recent…The perpetrator can't be far."

He heard an explosion off in the distance, casting an orange glow on the window.

"Don't tell me that was the tugboat…" Jill murmured in an annoyed tone.

"Shit, we'll be stuck here!" Parker shouted before breaking into a run for the door.

'Leaving so soon?' he mused, grabbing onto the woman in a tight hold.

"Jill!" he heard Parker shout, taken by surprise when Jill kicked him in the face.

An elbow to the stomach forced him to release his grip on the brunette, crying out in pain

before dropping to his knees. "Freeze, drop your weapon!" Parker called out to him.

"Drop yours, Parker.." he muttered. "Who the hell are you?" Parker narrowed his eyes at

the other man. Raymond aimed his gun at them, flinching when a shot rang out-missing

him by a yard. 'Missed me…' Raymond looked back at Parker and smiled darkly.

"Raymond…That's you, isn't it?" Parker looked at the cadet in surprise, lowering his

gun. "Hmph, the BSAA, a little too late." He spoke smugly as he stood up, keeping his

gun trained on the agents. "What is the FBC doing here?" Parker narrowed his eyes

suspiciously at the redhead, frowning when Raymond laughed.

'Why are you so surprised to see me? The FBC despises Veltro just as much as the BSAA,

of course I'm going to get involved in this-it's personal now.'

"Answer me, Raymond!" his former commander ordered. "I don't have to answer

anything." The redhead sneered. "You have no authority over this."

"We don't have time to fight, we've got to-" Jill tried to break up the tension between the

two men. "Oh, give it a rest." He interrupted her. "You don't know why you're here or

who you're fighting." Raymond holstered his gun before heading towards the door.

"Raymond, stop right there!" the Italian barked. Raymond froze out of habit of being

ordered by his superior. "Nothing will change unless you get your hands dirty…" he

mumbled before walking out of the room.

Raymond made his way to the elevator, pressing the button and walking inside before

crossing his arms across his chest and leaning back against the wall.

That was the first time he interacted with his former captain since the final day in

Terragrigia, a somewhat bittersweet reunion. 'It's good to see you again, Parker..' he

smiled sadly. When the elevator stopped he walked out with his gun drawn, looking to

his left and right before continuing down the hallway.

Upon hearing footsteps, Raymond stayed close to the wall and slowly moved until he

could peek around the corner.

When he didn't see anything down the hall, he continued on cautiously.

A creature that was unlike the others he had seen began to stumble towards him.

The difference this one had compared to the others was that it was a giant mass of gray

flesh that walked on two legs. There was no head, no arms and it didn't make any noise.

Raymond backed away and began firing at the mass, surprised that the gray tumor-like

mass began to grow in size after he kept hitting it.

It continued to walk towards him, the pressure rapidly building up in its body.

A distinct sound of suction came from the blubber as it swelled before exploding,

splattering the floor and walls with blood. Raymond braced himself behind a display case

as it covered the area with its fluids, thankfully avoiding the explosive impact.

'This one was a suicide bomber…' he mused as he peeked out from behind the case of

antique pottery. A key caught his eye, bending down to pick it up.

It was made of solid steel with an anchor on the hilt, turning it over in his hand idly.

These terrorists despised the world for its greed and frivolity, yet they chose to travel in

such a luxurious ship with all the privileges included-What a bizarre contradiction.

Placing the key in his pocket, Raymond continued down the hallway before opening the

door that lead back to the dining room. The eerie fog in the room unsettled him, even

though he knew that it was normal for ships to get a little foggy during the colder

seasons. Still, it made the cruise liner all the more ominous.

Hearing the door open he hid behind a pillar, listening in on the pair's conversation.

"We can open this now." Jill spoke to Parker as she slipped a key into the gate that

enclosed the elevator door. "How the hell does this thing even work?" Parker stared at the

polished wooden door, his hand touching the surface that was adorned with a compass.

"Ah, there's a switch here." The Italian pressed a button in the middle of the enormous

wheel, the pegs turning in a circular motion before the door opened.

Raymond peered out from behind the pillar to see the elevator doors close behind the

duo, crossing his arms as he gave the two agents time to progress before he followed

after them. He had assumed that they got off once the lights on the door turned green,

pressing the button on the wheel and waiting for the lift to come back up.

The elevator finally arrived, the doors opening for him.

Raymond walked inside the rectangular space and touched the other wheel on the end,

glancing back at the doors as they closed behind him.

Oddly, the clacking sound the machine made as it descended floors was somewhat

comforting. Hearing this instead of creaking as the ship rocked or rattling

air vents was a nice change, rolling his head and popping his neck with a sigh of relief.

Perhaps it was because it was a well-lit area, decorated with

lavish carpeting and cherry wood. It was a nice bonus that there were no ventilation

shafts, preventing monsters from sneaking up on him.

It would be fantastic if he actually got a break from these infected monstrosities…

The lift jerked ever so slightly as it slowed to a stop, its doors opening.

Raymond jumped when he heard another elevator down below close its doors with a

sharp creak, walking over to the railing and peering down to see that it was a lift leading

to the promenade. Looking at the map on his PDA revealed the location of the emergency

communications room, another console to destroy.

Walking along the second floor, he reached a locked gate that prevented entry through

another elevator. Noticing a scribbled note on a piece of paper taped to the wall,

Raymond realized that Parker and Jill probably went through the promenade to find the

key. He knew that he couldn't just sit here and wait for the gate to be unlocked-otherwise

the agents would get to the console before him and contact BSAA headquarters.

Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a small lock picking set.

Bending down to his knees, Raymond attempted to unlock the gate with the various picks

he had brought with him-often cursing whenever he chose the wrong one to use.

After a half-hour, a sharp click sounded inside the brass lock.

Raymond breathed an exasperated sigh as he stood to his feet, pulling the black gate up

until it slid into the crevice above. 'About time…' he thought begrudgingly.

After pressing the button in the wheel, the doors opened and he walked inside.

Raymond crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the lift to

reach its destination. 'Come on, come on!'

The doors opened and he immediately began to tug the plating on the console before

ripping and tearing at the wires, his pace quickening when the doors closed as the lift

ascended back up to the floor above.

He stopped fussing with the wires once the elevator arrived, the doors creaking open.

"Raymond!" Parker called to him.

Raymond glanced at the pair, thinking of an excuse as to why the console was no longer

functioning. "Looks like we're both too late.." he mumbled.

"What are you talking about?" Jill holstered her gun as she quirked an eyebrow.

Raymond raised his hands in the air and shrugged innocently.

A video started playing on one of the screens, displaying a Veltro member quoting

passages from Dante's Divine Comedy.

He must have hit a button that activated the recording.

"Both of you, look." Jill murmured to Parker and Raymond as she walked over to the

console, watching the screen. "Our little masked friend…" Parker murmured sarcastically

as he joined Jill. Raymond crossed his arms as he peered at the large screen, frowning at

the masked man's threats.

"This is the T-Abyss virus, and we are equipped to infect one-fifth of the earth's oceans."

The camouflaged terrorist spoke as he inserted a vial of red substance into a chrome

tube, injecting the fluid into a fish tank. Raymond looked closely at the red vial in the

man's hand. 'That must be the new virus…'

It was apparent that this video was recorded at least a year ago, when the virus had been

completed. But since it was never released into the ocean, it was even more obvious that

something went wrong in their plan.

Jill gasped as the orange fish mutated, jumping back when they smacked

against the tank. Raymond narrowed his eyes at the sight of the warped fish,

astonished that they had mutated at such a fast rate.

If mere fish could turn into such violent monsters in a matter of minutes…

The thought of other sea life, and eventually humans once it reached the coastline, struck

anger and disgust in the redhead's heart.

It all made sense now that these bizarre creatures he had encountered throughout the ship

had been infected with a new strain, and it was also the very thing he had been ordered to

retrieve. But where was it hidden?

"We are Veltro, vengeful messengers from the depths of the inferno."

"Damn terrorists!" Parker snarled as he slammed his fist on the console.

"We killed these bastards already." Raymond spoke as he stared at the screen in disbelief.

"It looks like you missed a few. And they're on this ship." Jill looked back at the red

haired agent, countering his belief that all traces of Veltro had been destroyed.

"And now they want to use the virus to stage another attack?" Parker grit his teeth at the

thought of so many more lives being snuffed out, a far greater loss than Terragrigia.

"They seek the truth about Terragrigia, and vengeance…" Raymond unfolded his arms

before walking into the elevator and leaving the room.

As he waited for the lift to reach the top floor, he slipped his hands into his pockets.

Raymond quirked an eyebrow when his hand made contact with a bizarre object, pulling

it out and remembering that he still had this intricately decorated key.

'They could make better use of this than me…'

Once the doors opened he stepped out, pausing in his stride.

There was no chance of finding the virus at this rate; he would need help in accessing

other parts of the ship. With an irritated sigh, Raymond leaned back against a wall as he

waited for the agents to arrive. Taking this moment to rest allowed him to remember that

he still hadn't heard word from Rachael in hours, and it was beginning to worry him.

Raymond stood up straight when the elevator doors opened, revealing the pair.

"Raymond!" Jill was taken aback by the sight of the redhead, surprised that he had waited

for them. "Take it. You might need it." Raymond held the key out to the brunette.

Jill took the key gratefully, turning it over in her hand as she examined it.

"Go through the casino on the first floor, then you should find a lift that will take you to

the bilge." He directed the woman, crossing his arms as he stood idly.

Parker eyed the cadet suspiciously, huffing when Raymond simply looked away.

"But tell me something first…" he murmured.

"You didn't see any other FBC members here, did you?" Raymond looked up at the

brunette, trying his best to keep a straight face despite the worried tone in his voice.

"I can't reach my partner, Rachael. I haven't heard from her since she went to the bilge."

Jill's features softened as she looked down at the floor, remembering that blonde woman

in the medical room. "If we find her, we'll let you know." Jill nodded before walking up

the steps to make her way down the staircase, Parker following close behind.

"Should we look for this Rachael woman?" he could faintly hear Jill off in the distance.

"We can, after we bring back the ship's power." Raymond winced at Parker's final say in

the matter, regretting the decision to split up from the inexperienced agent.

'If she dies, it's all my fault…'

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond grunted as he swung his legs over the broken window, unsure if he should take

comfort in the silence. After Parker and Jill went through the casino he waited for some

time before entering the gaudy room, finding a key with a trident decoration.

After going through the bilge he had found his way to what he hoped would be the ship's

hidden laboratory. Walking around a row of hard drives, he saw a lone computer on top

of a desk with some bookshelves. The bookshelves were vacant save for a few pages

containing complicated formulas and a notebook. Raymond picked up the white, three-

ringed binder and began to read the aged pages.

A mutagen had been discovered in the depths of the Kermadic trench and it was

combined with the T-virus, creating a new strain.

Closing the book, he realized that a handful of researchers had occupied this ship as well.

They spent over a year developing it, truly believing that it would somehow help

the world. How could they be so ignorant..?

These viruses only caused terror and death, it could never change the world for the better.

Raymond took the notes and begrudgingly stuffed them into his pockets, turning his

attention to the computer monitor.

The screen glowed, its glaring light cutting through the darkness of the room.

Looking at a tower beside the computer, he realized that it was a fingerprint scanner.

Removing his leather gloves, Raymond placed his left index finger in between the cross

hairs on the screen, waiting as the computer registered him as a guest user.

The computer beeped and a small window on the screen confirmed that he was approved.

Finding nothing else of use he hopped back over the broken window.

Raymond stopped in front of an electronic door, a keypad on the wall beside it.

He instantly placed his finger on the scanner, smirking when it beeped and the doors slid

open. This room was full of benches, hazmat suits and containers.

He realized that this must have been a type of changing room for the researchers,

changing out of their clothes and into the suits to prevent the spread of infection.

'A lot of good that did.' He thought bitterly.

It seemed rather useless to wear one of the suits now, hoping that the system would allow

him to pass through without it.

Sucking in a calming breath, Raymond walked into one of the passages and stopped

when the door slid shut behind him. 'Please enter the sterilization room one at a time.'

Raymond placed one hand on his hip as he waited for the process to be completed.

'Now sterilizing. Please wait.'

He lowered his gaze down to the floor and squinted when the bright blue lights circulated

around him. 'Sterilization complete.' Raymond sighed when the doors slid open, walking

out the other end, thankful that he hadn't become trapped.

There was a giant fish tank in the middle of the room, set between two staircases.

The room was illuminated with pale blue light that emanated from the tank, orange fish

swimming innocently in the encased water.

He would've felt more at ease if he hadn't seen the blood that was smeared

along the tank's surface. From the look of it, it was fresh.

One glance around the room revealed the absence of a corpse.

Raymond quickened his stride as he made his way to the elevator, hoping to get what he

came for and leave before whatever left those blood stains came back.

The elevator doors opened up to reveal a long hallway that was covered in tarps.

The hallway looked clean and sterile, he was definitely getting close.

Raymond walked along the white tunnel, noticing a large door on the other end.

Once he reached the door, he pressed a few buttons that made the steel pegs recede from

their places in the wall. The door groaned from the lack of use, slowly swinging open.

Raymond gaped at the sight before him, spouts on the walls and the entire bottom floor

flowing with red liquid. The entire room was engulfed in the virus.

'Oh god…'

Was Veltro planning to sink their ship with this virus?

The whole world would be infected in a matter of days…

This was beyond what he had expected to find on The Queen Zenobia.

There was no way he could just leave this ship with the virus still intact, it was still a

threat. Raymond vowed to lead the BSAA down here and help them destroy it.

But for now, he still had to fulfill his mission.

Finally tearing his eyes away from the sight, Raymond hurried down the walkway and

reached a steel door. Placing his finger on the scanner, he opened the door and walked

inside, finding himself in a lab. 'This must've been where they researched the virus.'

He opened drawers and cabinets, finding nothing but broken test tubes and other supplies.

His orders were to obtain a sample of the T-Abyss virus, the vaccine and the research

notes. Only then would his end of the deal be fulfilled.

Raymond opened the next door that went through a small hall before walking into

another lab. This room seemed different from the last, giving him an eerie feeling.

There was a steel table in the middle of the room that was covered in papers and vials,

but it looked like an examining table. The small doors on the walls didn't strike him as

cabinets. His curiosity getting the better of him, Raymond pushed a button on one of the

small compartments on a wall. The door opened and a long metal tray slid out, containing

a mutated corpse. The body on the tray was exactly like the one he encountered earlier,

except it was frozen in some peculiar position. 'They keep frozen specimens in here!'

Raymond's eyes widened at the sight and he quickly pressed the button

again, the tray sliding back in place with the door closing behind it.

It was apparent now that this lab's sole purpose was to research the performed autopsies.

The redhead now realized that he was surrounded by corpses, some of which may not

entirely be dead. He shivered at the thought, wanting to get what he needed and leave.

He saw a computer in a small corner and walked over to it, scoffing when the screen was

cracked and displaying error messages.

There was a book lying beside the keyboard along with some scattered papers.

Raymond picked up the book and read it, realizing that this was a journal belonging to

one of Veltro's operatives. Morgan had financed all of Veltro's equipment and provided

them with means of producing the virus. 'So he was behind this after all…' he frowned at

the journal in his hands before dropping it back onto the table.

Unfortunately, this wasn't enough proof to prosecute Lansdale, the journal was written by

a Veltro member-it was hearsay.

Turning his attention to the table behind him, Raymond began to sift through the papers.

Some pages were failed experiments while others were littered with even more formulas.

Finally, he came across what looked to be a report.

The document clearly detailed the virus' results and the researchers had theorized if it

was released in the ocean, the effects would be devastating.

The belief that they were possibly planning to sink the ship didn't seem so farfetched

now. Raymond wasn't sure if he had found the formula for the vaccine yet, deciding to

fold up and pocket the majority of the documents that were scattered on the table.

He walked over to the end of the room and opened another door, his breath hitching at the

sight of a giant tube that was filled with the T-Abyss virus.

Raymond walked closer to the center of the room and noticed a console in front of the

contraption, experimenting with a few buttons.

Judging from the options on the screen, it seemed that he could gather a sample of the

virus. Hurrying back into the lab, he grabbed one of the few tubes that weren't broken.

Raymond returned to the center and walked around the side before finding a distributing

mechanism, placing the glass tube into a slot and pressing a few switches before the glass

was filled to the rim with blood-red liquid. He then took out an air tight container and

gently slipped the vial inside to prevent it from breaking.

Once the sample was secured he clicked the container's buckles onto his belt.

The very source of the horrific mutations he had witnessed on this ship were now

attached to his hip, feeling disgusted with himself.

After all that he had been through, after coming so far, it was too late to turn back now.

He didn't expect to be forgiven, all he wanted was for it to be over and done with.

Raymond noticed an elevator on the other end of the platform, wondering just how much

further could he travel on this ship.

Pressing the button and entering the elevator, he waited for whatever was to come.

The doors opened, revealing a room with several steel pillars.

Raymond leaned forward enough to see the corpse of a man, a human.

For once, he was actually happy to see a human body for a change.

Raymond yelped and covered his arm when he stepped further into the room.

Looking down, he saw that the sleeve of his white shirt was torn and stained with blood.

His left forearm had been cut.

Looking around the room, he could see nothing but the pillars, the corpse and a door.

He noticed a wrench and picked it up from the floor before tossing it.

A spark ignited in the air with a sharp fizzle, cutting the wrench in half.

It was impossible to proceed if he couldn't see where the lasers were, leaving him with

no choice but to turn back. Huffing at the turn of events, Raymond stepped back into the

elevator and waited to return to the upper level.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond made his way towards the lift in the bilge, grateful to be out of the laboratory.

The ship suddenly jerked to the side, knocking him off balance.

He grunted as he stood to his feet, wincing when an alarm sounded. 'The hell…?'

A low rumble soon followed, getting closer and closer.

Various shafts began to burst apart, filling the room with water.

Raymond sucked in a breath of air as the water washed over him, blinking as his eyes

tried to adjust to his murky surroundings. 'Shit! the ship's starting to flood.'

The redhead kicked his feet and swung his arms as he began to swim back up to the

surface, hoping that the bilge wasn't completely flooded.

Once his head broke the surface of the water, he gasped desperately.

Coughing as oxygen rushed to his lungs, he swam to the edge of the platform before

pulling himself out. Raymond grimaced as his clothes clung to his body as he stood up,

walking towards the shaft that led back to the casino, brushing his matted fringe away

from his face. He shivered as he climbed down the ladder, hoping to find a towel and dry

off before he succumbed to hypothermia.

The faint music drifted to his ears as he climbed the ladder back up to the VIP room,

hoping that the flood wouldn't spread. Trembling fingers wrapped around the doorknob

as he opened the door, the flashing lights of the slot machines greeting him.

The last place he remembered seeing a towel was the guestroom, cursing his luck.

Raymond straightened up and quickened his pace towards the stairs leading to the lift,

stepping inside and wiping at his wet hair.

Once the doors opened he took care as he walked along the tiled floor, his leather shoes

squeaking at an irritatingly high pitch.

After making his way through the dining room, he went upstairs and retrieved a few

towels from one of the guestrooms' bathrooms, furiously rubbing a towel on his hair.

As he continued to walk back downstairs to get into the lift, he began to wipe at his face

and arms with a sigh of relief. He would need to change into some fresh clothes…

Raymond jumped when his cell phone rung noisily in his pocket, fumbling for it.

The name O'Brien was printed on the screen, flipping it open before pressing a button.

"O'Brien?" he winced when the elevator doors squeaked open, stepping out.

"Raymond, I've got some bad news." O'Brien sighed.

"What is it, sir?" the redhead walked along the hallway as he spoke on the phone.

"Morgan is onto us, he's found The Queen Zenobia and he's reactivating the Regia

Solis." O'Brien continued. Raymond froze and the memory of Terragrigia being

decimated by the satellite crossed his mind, his eyes narrowing.

"He's allowed access? I thought the satellite was disengaged after what happened to

Terragrigia." Raymond's tone became firm as he walked downstairs, unable to stand still

when the news of a possible death sentence was murmured in his ear.

"He's the Commissioner, he can do whatever he deems necessary." O'Brien sighed in

frustration, causing the redhead to grit his teeth in anger. 'That bastard!'

"Listen closely, one of my agents has discovered a solution to throwing off the satellite's

targeting system. There is a UAV on the foredeck, use it to confuse the satellite."

Raymond felt hope surge through him knowing that there was still a fighting chance.

"I see…I'll do what I can to stop the Regia-" Raymond paused when he heard footsteps

coming down the stairs, turning around to see Parker and Jill approaching. "I have to go."

Raymond hung up his phone and turned to face the approaching agents.

"Do you want to die with Veltro, or do you want to live?" Raymond called out to them in

an authoritative tone, surprise spreading across the duo's faces.

"Head to the foredeck." He then nodded his head in the direction of the door behind him.

Parker frowned and opened his mouth to speak, closing it when Jill moved forward.

"I'll do what I can here." The redhead called after them.

Once the doors of the lift closed, he rubbed his face and released a frustrated breath.

In all honesty, there was nothing he could do to help stop the satellite.

He doubted Jill and Parker found the virus yet and knew that he had to guide them to it.

Picking the towels up from where he dropped them on the floor, he walked upstairs to

return to the casino.

Once the elevator reached the casino and the doors opened, Raymond hurried down the

stairs towards the door near the fountain. Taking the trident key from his pocket, he

unlocked the door and entered the small room.

The room was decorated with expensive furniture and creamy wallpaper, a cash register

sitting haphazardly on a counter. Raymond had assumed that this was probably the casino

manager's room, judging from the fancy décor and containers of cards and chips.

Keeping the towels close at hand, he hurried up the small staircase before tossing them

down on a sofa-eyeing the adjoining balcony that overlooked the casino.

While searching for evidence on Lansdale he came upon this room and used it as a

makeshift base of operations, having hidden his Veltro uniform and supplies here.

Raymond cleaned his pockets of all the random junk that he accumulated over the past

three hours, setting them on a polished wooden table.

The papers he scavenged were soaking wet from the flood, gently unfolding them before

placing them on the table to dry. He was thankful that the sample hadn't broke when he

fell in the bilge, hoping that it would hold out long enough to make it to his employers.

Raymond began taking off his FBC uniform piece by piece, peeling the soaked layers

from his skin with a disgusted grimace. Grabbing a towel, he began to dry his arms and

legs before wrapping it around his waist. Raymond sighed as he stepped into the

camouflage pants, thankful to be warm and dry again.

The ship rocked violently to the side, throwing everything that wasn't nailed down to the

other end. Raymond cried out when he lost his balance and rolled along the floor,

stopping just short in front of a cabinet.

"Damn it…" he grumbled as he stood up from the floor, rubbing a tender spot on his hip.

When the ship stopped rocking, he realized that everything was still intact.

Were Parker and Jill successful in stopping the Regia Solis…?

If that was the case, he now had the perfect opportunity to reveal himself and help them

discover the hidden laboratory in the ship's hull.

Once his boots were laced, he grabbed a medkit and began to bandage the cut on his arm.

He sat down on the sofa and ripped open a packet of disinfecting wipes, hissing as he

gently dabbed at the sliced skin. He hoped that the water he swam in wasn't infected…

Biting down on one end of the gauze, Raymond took the other end in his hand and began

to wrap the layers around his forearm, grunting painfully when he tightened the knots.

Sighing in relief when he was finished, the pain still throbbing in his arm, he grabbed the

green coat and slipped it on. While fastening the belts on the uniform, he glanced down at

the heap of clothes on the floor. The uniform he wore now had taken the place of his FBC

uniform, everything he ever believed in and fought for was now lying in a sopping wet

mess while the symbol of the force he fought against clung to his form fittingly.

This was the path that was bestowed upon him, there was no going back to the past…

After pulling the black ski mask over his head, he placed the gas mask over his face.

Placing the documents and airtight container into his pockets, he checked his gun while

restocking the pouches on his belt before sitting back down on the sofa.

Now, all he had to do was wait for the BSAA agents to arrive.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond perked up at the sound of a door opening inside the casino, standing up to

silently open the balcony door to peer over the ledge.

'They made it…' he smiled under the mask and clapped his hands.

"Do you hear that?" Jill murmured to her partner as she looked around the room.

"There!" the brunette announced before aiming her gun up at him, Parker joining suit.

Raymond stopped clapping, a coy chuckle escaping past his lips.

"Veltro! You almost missed the party." Parker narrowed his eyes at the masked figure.

Raymond raised his arms to show that he was unarmed and meant no harm to them.

"Friendly BSAA patrons. You stopped the Regia Solis. Now I will reveal what I know."

Jill and Parker's aim faltered as they listened to him speak, yet refused to lower their

guns. "Everything about The Queen Zenobia and the secrets she keeps!" he declared.

"What secrets?" Parker cocked his head to the side, keeping his gun trained on the man.

"Consider this: First, why did it take till now to find The Queen Zenobia? How was it

able to float around the Mediterranean undetected? It wasn't magic.

Second, why did all traces of Veltro vanish after the Terragrigia Panic?"

"Why don't you tell us, huh?" Parker called out in an annoyed tone, fed up with the

man's games. Raymond failed to suppress a chuckle at the other agent's annoyance.

"And third…Why is someone trying to use the Regia Solis to destroy the Zenobia? The

answer to those questions will lead you to an inconvenient truth. If you were to have

found it, and that-" A gunshot sounded, a bullet piercing Raymond in the chest.

Crying out from the hit, he doubled over the railing and allowed himself to fall down to

the floor below. Raymond continued to lie on the floor, hearing footsteps rush over.

"Jessica, why did you fire?" he heard a man's voice call out.

"To protect our people, isn't that our job?" Jessica retorted.

'Jessica…? You bitch…' he groaned from the painful impact.

"Don't you dare die." Parker snarled as he rolled the still body over, yanking off the

black ski mask. Parker froze when he saw that the mask revealed his former subordinate.

"Damn…Raymond?" the Italian spoke in disbelief. "Why..? Why play the part of

Veltro?" the brunette stared at the redhead sadly, realizing that a fatal blow had been

dealt to an ally, not a terrorist. Raymond opened his eyes, looking up at his superior and

struggled to form words after the painful drop from the balcony.

Parker quickly leaned in closer to hear what Raymond was trying to say.

"Morgan…is responsible, and Jessica was his mole in the BSAA." The redhead

whispered in the burly man's ear. "What do you mean?" Parker murmured uncertainly as

he eyed the cadet in disbelief. "Find..the truth about…Terragriga." Raymond whispered

before closing his eyes and dropping his head to the side.

He felt Parker touch his chest sympathetically, causing his heart to flutter at the contact.

"What a terrible loss…" the Italian mumbled sadly.

The ship groaned and rumbled, tilting the room and its occupants.

Oddly, Raymond was thankful to be on the floor when the ship rocked this time.

"This ship doesn't have much longer. We can't let this virus contaminate the sea." He

heard Jill speak after the rocking ceased. "We've already searched The Queen Semiramis,

so I think I know where this ship's lab is." That man spoke again, he had assumed this

must've been Redfield. "We're headed there now."

'Well, good, at least I don't need to be the tour guide…' he mused.

"Alright. I'll try to find a way to delay the sinking." Parker spoke.

"Jessica, you with me?" Raymond's heart stopped at the realization that his superior was

purposely pairing himself up with the traitor in the group, fearing for his safety.

"Yeah…" Jessica hesitated in her answer. "Well, a little friendly partner swapping should

keep us on our toes." Parker continued, walking along the carpeted floor.

"Roger that. We'll take care of the virus, you two buy us some time." Chris responded

calmly. "Got it." Parker agreed, causing an anxious knot to form in Raymond's stomach.

His anxiety grew worse when it came time for Chris and Jill to go their separate way.

"He never got the hint, what a drag." Jessica mumbled bitterly.

"Maybe he's already taken, Jessica." Parker retorted coyly.

"Yeah, sure. Can we get started already?" Jessica sighed before walking away.

'Bruised ego? Serves you right for throwing yourself at every little thing that moves…'

"Sure. We've been through hell before, it's nothing new for us." The Italian responded,

albeit hesitantly. It was apparent that Parker knew full well what he was getting himself

into, and he was poorly putting up a front. "Yeah, just like old times. The good old FBC."

Jessica responded passively as she walked upstairs.

Once he heard the elevator doors close behind the pair, Raymond quickly sat up,

regretting the movement as the pain returned in his back.

He was grateful that he thought of wearing his bulletproof vest under the disguise,

should the BSAA ever think to shoot at him. Parker was alone with Jessica, he had to

help him. Raymond grunted as he slowly pushed himself up from the floor, stumbling

when he got to his feet before smoothing the sore spot on his chest.

Even though the bullet never passed through him, the impact still hurt like hell.

Raymond gripped the railing on the stairs and hurried up the steps, pressing the button on

the elevator and stepping inside. Bracing himself on the side wall, he licked his dry lips

as he tried to catch his breath. Finally, the doors opened and released him.

Rushing out of the enclosed space revealed an empty hall, looking in every direction for

the duo. Which way did they go? Where were they?

Raymond bent down and rested his hands on his knees as he tried to think, remembering

that the ship was still flooding and lowering the bulwarks was the best solution in

stalling the sinking. The controls for the bulwarks were on the bridge.

'Then that's where I need to go.' Raymond dashed upstairs and ran along the hallway

until he reached the lift that led to the guest cabins. 'I'm coming Parker, wait for me!'

When the doors opened, Raymond snarled in annoyance when the dining room was filled

with monsters. "Damn it, get the hell out of my way!" he shouted as he began shooting

each one in the head, pushing aside the ones that were stunned until he reached the

door on the other side of the room.

Raymond ran along the maze of hallways until he reached the hall where Parker had been

imprisoned, opening a door that lead to another elevator.

The redhead grunted when he practically threw himself against the wall before pressing

the call button and stepped inside the lift once it arrived.

Raymond reloaded his gun, glancing at the orange digits as it counted floors.

'You're not taking him from me…'

He had agreed to go through all this trouble to acquire the T-Abyss virus, he fulfilled his

end of the bargain. But if Jessica killed Parker, the deal was off.

He would gladly put a bullet in her head for the hell she put him through, controlling him

like an obedient animal.

The doors slid open and he bolted across the hallway and up the stairs leading to the

bridge, swinging open the door just in time to see Jessica's hand hovering over a red

button on the console. 'She's going to destroy the ship, she'll kill us all!'

Without a second thought, he fired a single shot, just missing her hand.

"Parker, subdue that woman." Raymond stepped further into the room with his gun aimed

at the wetsuit clad woman, his eyes never leaving her. "Raymond…how?" Parker spoke

in disbelief as he eyed the redhead. "But, you…You were…" Jessica's eyes widened in

surprise as she turned around to face the two men.

Raymond scoffed with a smug smirk, patting at his chest to reveal his FBC vest.

'Nice try, but you won't get rid of me that easily.'

"She's trying to activate the ship's self-destruct mechanism. To destroy the evidence."

Raymond announced to the Italian, narrowing his eyes at the woman.

"What?!" Parker gaped at the cadet, eyes switching from the redhead to the brunette.

"Guys, this is getting out of hand…Not funny!" Jessica laughed nervously, leaning back

against the console as her eyes flicked from Raymond to Parker.

'Change of plans…'

If Jessica was arrested and ousted as being a mole in the BSAA, the authorities could

force her to tell the truth about everything that has happened.

Best of all, if Morgan and Jessica revealed the identity of those responsible for having a

part in Terragrigia's downfall and providing a new virus to a group of terrorists,

maybe he could be freed from his contract. The virus he retrieved wouldn't need to be

handed over to protect his and Parker's skins, nor would it cause anyone harm if it didn't

fall into the wrong hands.

"Come on, say something. Parker, it's me." Jessica pleaded with the Italian, hoping to

sway his loyalty in her favor. Parker's aim faltered as he struggled with the decision to

trust his partner or his former subordinate.

The fact that Raymond disguised himself as a member of Veltro to rouse Morgan's fear

of being caught just didn't sit right with the burly man. The redhead that lied and hid the

truth until the last minute didn't sway his trust in the slightest, his former partner's pleas

tugging at his heartstrings and guilting him into not apprehending her.

"I can't trust you completely, not yet. Put your gun down, Raymond." Parker lowered his

arms and reached over to force Raymond's hand down.

"You're too soft! Don't be fooled, Parker." Raymond frowned and tried to reason with

his superior, his green eyes focused on the brunette's hazy blues.

'You don't believe me? I thought you had more faith in me…'

He should have known better than to believe that his own superior would take the word

of a pathetic rookie who lied and deceived him over a beautiful woman.

'But I did it all to protect you…' he felt a pang in his heart at the man's utter distrust.

A sharp click of a gun cocking made Raymond freeze, glancing back at the woman.

Taking his eyes off the enemy was the stupidest mistake in the book…

Surprise crossed Raymond's face as he looked at the smug woman, his muscles

tightening defensively as he braced himself for the impact.

This was it. He was going to be killed and Parker was probably going to join him.

'Fuck chivalry…'

Raymond gasped as Parker threw himself at him, shielding him from the gunshot.

Parker's arm draped on the redhead's shoulder uselessly, his body sinking to the floor.

"Parker!" Raymond gasped as he wrapped his arms around the Italian and helped ease

him to the floor, kneeling down to check his breathing.

Relief washed over him as he realized that the gunshot wound wasn't fatal, but his leg

had been impaired from the trauma of the blow.

"Stupid men…" Jessica mumbled before pressing the switch, causing the alarms to blare.

Raymond held onto Parker as he grasped his leg for support, panting in pain.

"I knew O'Brien had a lapdog…I'll tell Morgan it was you." Jessica smiled cruelly as she

slowly backed away from the console and made her way towards the door.

"Jessica!" Parker called out, failing to stop her.

"Don't worry about dinner, now we're even. I'm sorry, Parker." Jessica blew a kiss

before throwing the door open and taking off down the hall.

"Go after her…" Parker grunted as he gently pushed Raymond back.

"But, you-" Raymond hesitated, not wanting to leave the Italian to fend for himself.

"Raymond, go!" the brunette barked at him as he shoved Raymond away, bracing himself

on his hands and knees on the floor.

Raymond grunted when he was pushed, standing in place and looking back at the other

man. 'I can't just leave him here, the ship will explode and take him with it!'

But he couldn't ignore his orders, and it was probably for the best to leave the man alone

to give him some time to calm down. Besides, he had a few choice words of his own to

share with the other woman. Coming to the conclusion to back off for now, Raymond

broke into a run and shut the door behind him as he left the room.

'Don't do anything stupid, Parker, I'm coming back for you.'

He caught sight of her just as she was getting into the elevator.

"Hey!" he shouted after her, slamming his hand on the door and prevented it from

closing. "Oh, decided to leave the old sea dog behind, did you?" she chuckled.

"None of this was part of the deal!" Raymond snarled at her, refusing to remove his hand.

"Raymond, sweetie, anything goes in this business. I thought I told you that already."

Jessica sighed and rolled her eyes at the redhead.

"We had an agreement, I kept my end of the bargain." Raymond narrowed his eyes.

"Parker is still alive, isn't he?" Jessica shrugged innocently.

"If you lay one finger on him I'll-!"

"You'll what? Raymond, I'm on your side. If anything happens to me, I can't deflect

whatever the company decides to throw your way. You need me." She narrowed her

eyes, breaking into a cruel smile when Raymond stayed silent.

"Did you get it?" she brushed back her bangs with a huff, looking down at his utility belt

that held the container for the virus.

"Yeah, I got it." Raymond's gaze lowered to the floor shamefully.

"Good boy, give me a call when things cool down and you can give it to me." Jessica

smiled sweetly as she patted the redhead on the cheek.

Raymond finally let go of the elevator door, separating the two of them as it closed.

'I'll get you back for this one day, just you wait.' His fists tightened as he seethed.

Putting his grudge aside, he hurried back to the bridge to help Parker.

Opening the door, he saw that the Italian was no longer in the room.

"Parker?" Raymond called as he stepped into the room, seeing a small trail of blood

that went downstairs. Parker went off on his own…

'He couldn't have gone far.' Raymond went downstairs and followed the spatters on the

floor until he reached the elevator.

'He must be trying to regroup with Redfield and Valentine.'

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

After attempting to reach the lab, he realized that all entrances to the lower hull had been

destroyed in the fire. But he refused to give up, he would not stop until he had searched

everywhere for the Italian. Raymond realized that there was only one other area left to

check, the emergency passage. It was the safest path to the outside of the ship.

Quickening his pace, he threw open a door and covered his face when a barrel of oil burst

from the surrounding flames. "Foooound…Yooou…" a soft voice echoed in the hallway.

Raymond froze at the faint sound, wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him.

He heard a distinct, wet thud on the ground off in the distance.

Raymond unholstered his gun and took a few steps forward with the intent of passing by

whatever creature he was about to encounter.

A shrill scream filled the air, causing shivers to run up his spine.

"Raymond…." He froze at the sight of what he hoped was an illusion.

"Rachael…?" the redhead breathed as the woman came closer into view, the raging

flames accentuating her gory features.

The long blonde hair was now wrapped around her neck and looked to be made of

gelatin rather than its former fair strands.

Her skin had turned into a sickly, almost purple hue.

The black and orange wetsuit was ripped to shreds, her arms and legs stretched beyond

unfathomable limits, giving her an inhuman stature.

"Soo thirsty…" the blonde gurgled wantonly, stumbling towards her former partner.

"Rachael…No, this can't be…" Raymond backed away as he kept his gun trained on her.

"You're mine…!" Rachael cried out as her arms reached for the stunned man, wrapping

around his torso. Raymond grunted as he pushed his hands against her chest, holding her

back. Rachael giggled as her head split apart, a pale, fleshy mass with teeth slipping out

of the gaping hole. Raymond dry heaved as the slimy appendage reached out for him,

making gushing sounds as the muscles contracted in anticipation for its next meal.

Raymond kicked at her shin, taking advantage of her loss of footing and shoved her

back. He aimed his gun again and began shooting at her, wincing at the horrible wails she

made before she rushed towards him in desperation. "It huurrts….It hurrts!"

"Tasty!" Rachael cried out and lumbered after the redhead, wailing in frustration

whenever he shot at her. Raymond dodged out of the way and ran to the other end of the

hallway, taking a few more shots. How was this possible?

How could she turn into something like this?

He couldn't afford to waste time like this, he had to find Parker!

But she deserved to be put out of her misery.

Raymond continued to fire at her head, seeming to do more damage when her 'tongue'

hung out from the opening in her skull.

Rachael stumbled back after each shot, grunting at the impact.

Each bullet that lodged in her body, a wet gush sounded, spurting blood.

Why was she sent on this mission with him, why her?

She had no experience in dealing with BOWs, certainly not terrorists.

She wasn't prepared, and he wasn't qualified to train her himself.

He shouldn't have left her alone…

He failed her.

'Forgive me…'

Rachael screeched before crumpling to the floor in a bloody heap, crawling along the

floor towards the redhead. "S-someone…Help me..!" she sobbed in a broken voice.

Raymond fired four consecutive shots into her skull before she finally slumped at his

feet, remaining still. Tears stung Raymond's eyes as his fingers shakily reloaded his gun.

After all the creatures he had fought over the years, he had never expected to fight

something like this-something that mirrored what a human used to be.

In training, he had always been told that the forces he would fight against were nothing

but monsters-eliminating them and protecting innocent lives was top priority.

They were monsters, abominations that were birthed from man's infernal devices.

They spread fear and pain wherever they treaded, leaving chaos in their wake.

They felt no guilt, dealt no mercy.

But he had never realized that they were once human beings.

Rachael wasn't a monster, she didn't deserve to die like this.

He couldn't just leave her exposed like this.

Raymond pulled a sheet out from behind a crate, covering her tattered body.

Before standing up, he caught a glimpse of her outstretched hand that peeked out from

under the tarp. Fitted to her bloody wrist was her FBC issued watch, the glass on the

clock face smashed and the hour hands stopped on 9:40.

9:15 was the last time they made contact.

Raymond bowed his head at the realization that Rachael had fought for her life while he

was running around playing head games with the BSAA.

Twenty-five, long, agonizing minutes, alone.

"I'm so sorry, Rachael…" he whispered.

From this moment on, he vowed that this would never happen to anyone ever again.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond opened the last remaining door that wasn't welded shut from the flames.

Peering into what appeared to be the boiler room, he heard uneven clattering on the metal

flooring. With his gun drawn, he cautiously advanced forward.

The sight of a certain Italian cradling his bum leg, limping along with pained grunts,

filled the redhead with relief. Raymond stepped forward, dropping his arm to his side

idly. Parker paused in his trek, looking up at the other man in disbelief.

"How could you…?" he asked pointedly.

"Jessica escaped." Raymond holstered his gun before walking over to the Italian,

wrapping his right arm around his shoulders and clasping his wrist securely.

"We were so close…" he mumbled in disappointment at his failure to apprehend the

woman. Unfortunately, even if he wanted to, he couldn't have stopped her.

Jessica was the middleman in this mess, and he had no choice but to let her go.

Being close to the brunette made him feel safe, grateful that he was no longer alone.

"Hey, I'm sorry, Raymond." Parker mumbled, gently pulling his arm away from the

redhead and pushing him back. "You were right, all along." He grunted painfully before

dropping onto the floor, grasping his injured leg. "Thank god somebody was on top of

things." He sighed regretfully, bowing his head. Raymond looked at the other man sadly,

hoping that he wasn't planning to let himself die here.

'We've come so far, we can't give up now.'

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Parker." Raymond sympathized with the brunette, bending

down to collect him once more. "Now it's my turn to save you. Come on, we're getting

out of here." He helped the other man stand up, insisting that they escape together.

Parker grunted in surprise as he was lifted off the floor.

"That's the spirit, cadet." He smiled at the redhead's perseverance.

Raymond, taken aback by the Italian's fond nickname, smiled as he recalled Parker

saving him in Terragrigia-happy to finally return the favor.

'You idiot..' he mused.

A pipe dropped from above and clattered to the floor, breaking the men from their

reverie. "We have to go, now." Raymond grit his teeth as he helped Parker walk.

Parker grunted as he tried to walk faster, not wanting to slow the redhead down.

The Italian cried out when a pipe burst, covering his face when a chunk of it blew across

the room before smashing into the other wall.

Flaming pipes and sheet metal clattered on the floor around them, narrowly missing

them. Raymond wiped the sweat off his brow, kicking debris out of their way.

The heat was unbearably stifling, panting as they maneuvered around scraps of the ship.

"I think I remember seeing some lifeboats on the side deck." Parker breathed, licking his

lips free of sweat. "The currents are too strong, we need to get to the helicopter."

Raymond grunted as he pulled the door shut behind them, breathing a sigh of relief.

"We just need to get to the roof." Parker quirked an eyebrow at this. "Helicopter?"

"Rachael and I arrived here in one, it should still be there." He wiped at his forehead.

"Alright then, we can try going there." The brunette nodded, readjusting his grip on the

other man's shoulder.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond pursed his lips and continued to tug Parker along the foredeck, looking at the

other man worriedly when his breathing became labored.

"Raymond…I'm just slowing you down..You should go on without me." Parker

breathed, gritting his teeth as he tried to muster the strength to stand up and walk straight.

Raymond knew that he was losing blood, the gunshot wound tearing open the more they

walked. "I'm not leaving you behind, we can make it." He grunted as he felt himself

losing more energy. Despite the training he received to preserve his stamina, he just

wasn't prepared to stay awake for twenty-four hours and traverse a cruise ship.

It was beginning to take a toll on the both of them.

Raymond spotted an emergency ladder near a window, unholstering his gun to shoot at

the claw that held it up. "Can you climb?" he grabbed hold of the steel ladder, steadying

Parker with his other hand. "I'll try." Parker sighed before grabbing the rungs, lifting his

good leg up first. Raymond began climbing the ladder as soon as the brunette reached the

top, slipping on a rung when he rushed. "Take your time." Parker reassured the cadet.

Raymond huffed and continued his ascent, pausing when he heard a familiar screech.

"God damn it.." Parker snarled, confirming his fear. "Raymond, keep going!"

Raymond chanced a glance behind his shoulder, spotting a Hunter. "Fuck!"

"Keep climbing, I'll take care of it!" Parker shouted as he unholstered his handgun, firing

at the green monstrosity. Raymond continued to climb the ladder, the adrenaline coursing

through his veins. "Shit, I pissed it off." Parker grumbled when the creature crouched

and released a high pitched screech before charging towards the ladder.

Raymond reached the top of the ladder, crying out when the ship dipped.

He quickly climbed up onto the roof to join Parker, rolling towards him as the ship's nose

raised up. The Hunter leapt onto the roof, releasing a roar before charging towards the

men. Raymond fired at the scaly beast, his aim sharper than the anemic Italian.

A bullet between the eyes knocked the Hunter off balance, falling backwards onto the

deck below. "Hurry, before it comes back!" Parker grunted as he tried to stand, Raymond

grabbing onto him and pulled him towards the helicopter.

He opened the back door of the chopper, helping Parker step inside before shutting it

again. Raymond noticed the explosions at the back end of the ship.

Despite the odds that were against them, he refused to surrender now.

Cursing as he jumped into the pilot's seat, he started the engine, the propellers beginning

to spin. Finally, he was able to push the wheel down, allowing the chopper to lift off the

ground. Raymond breathed a sigh of relief as they rose higher in the air, seeing the

explosions beginning to engulf the ship.

"I told you we'd make it." His smirk faded when he received no response.

"Parker?"

He looked behind his seat to see Parker sprawled out on the back seat.

His skin was getting paler, his breathing shallow.

If he didn't hurry, his commander would die.

"Hang on, Parker, I'll get you to a doctor." Raymond checked the map for the closest

hospital, opting to fly to Malta as quickly as possible.

He had to multitask, having to keep an eye on the ocean and the radar for the hospital

while also looking back to make sure the Italian was still alive.

Dawn had come, the golden sun just peeking out from beyond the horizon.

The light shone on the dark blue sea, the beams dancing along the waves.

It all was bittersweet comfort, but he was thankful that the light would help him find land.

His eyes finally caught sight of an islet, a blur of beige and brown far below.

Raymond flew closer, hovering over the buildings until he found the telltale cross.

It took a great deal of patience to gently land the aircraft on the helipad, touching down

before shutting off the engine and throwing his door open.

While opening the back door, a few nurses walked out to see why a helicopter landed on

their building. "Help us!" he called over to them, trying to remember how to translate it

into Italian. Then, remembering a few words that Lou had taught him, he began to call

out to them once more. "Aiuto!" {Help!} he shouted again, grabbing their attention.

Raymond wrapped his arms around Parker, hoisting him up into a sitting position as the

nurses called for backup. When he saw four nurses and a doctor rush over with a cart he

pulled the brunette out of the chopper and laid him down on the mattress.

He grabbed one of the handles of the cart and helped push the burly man into the

building, hitting the elevator button.

"Cosa è successo?" {What happened?}

the doctor asked Raymond, gesturing to the unconscious man.

A few of the nurses looked at Parker, wondering why he was wearing so much gear over

a wetsuit, before looking at Raymond.

It was only natural for the doctor and nurses to be concerned, after all, he and Parker

were armed men and arrived at daybreak. Who wouldn't be suspicious of them?

He knew that there would be a lot of explaining to do, but he didn't want to say

something by mistake and cause a scare-it was best to speak with someone who would

understand him.

"Do you speak English?" Raymond asked the other man, hoping that he understood.

"Yes, I speak English." The doctor nodded, Raymond closed his eyes in relief.

"Now, tell me what happened." He repeated calmly.

"He was shot, in the leg." He pointed to Parker's left thigh, acknowledging his gunshot

wound. "Can you help him?"

"Yes, we'll prep him for surgery and have him all fixed up." He gave an encouraging

smile. "Do you know what his blood type is?" Raymond froze at the question.

"Never mind, we'll run a blood test and find out." The doctor spoke just as the elevator

doors opened, pushing the cart out slowly before heading towards a door.

He followed them into the operating room, helping to lift Parker onto a bed.

A nurse took a pair of scissors and began to cut the wetsuit apart, starting from the neck

to the hip before cutting along the legs. Another nurse cut the sleeves of the suit, tugging

the shredded strands from underneath the dead weight.

"Sir, sit over there, she'll take a sample of your blood." The graying doctor pointed to a

chair near a counter. Raymond hesitated in leaving Parker's side but did as he was told,

taking a seat and rolling up his sleeve.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to have his own blood checked since he just escaped a monster

ridden hellhole. What would he do if he was infected…?

A young nurse with short brown hair smiled shyly as she pulled gloves onto her hands,

unraveling a needle from a packet. Raymond ignored the small jab in his arm, watching

as they worked on his former commander. 'Don't die, Parker, not now…'

"What is your name?" the nurse's question broke his thoughts.

"Raymond Vester. His name is Parker Luciani." He nodded at the unconscious figure on

the bed, never taking his eyes away from him.

"Would you like to wait in the waiting room?" she asked as she scribbled his name on the

vile of his blood, looking up at him when he didn't answer. "I'm not leaving him."

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond sat beside Parker as he slept, resting his elbows on his knees.

Time seemed nonexistent in this place.

He remembered coming in with Parker, watching as they pulled the bullet that was

lodged in his leg. But after that, nothing else seemed to register until the moment they

said he was welcome to sit by his 'friend'. The only conclusion he could draw up was

that he was probably tired, maybe even hungry. Yet, all he wanted to do was sit there.

He didn't think, he didn't feel, and he didn't want to care.

The redhead sighed and rested his head on his folded arms, near Parker's arm.

He just wanted to forget…

"Ah, sorry to bother you, Mr. Vester. But the blood test results are in." the doctor, Marco

as he preferred to be called, whispered to the red haired man.

Raymond sat up and rubbed the back of his neck, eyeing the man expectantly.

"The two of you are in good health, no abnormalities." The aged man smiled warmly.

Well, that was surprising news…

"We're going to have Mr. Luciani prepped for a blood transfusion."

"Do you want mine?" he offered. "Your blood type is AB+, you can only donate blood to

other AB types. But it's alright, we have a good supply that matches his."

Raymond nodded, leaning back in his chair.

"Meanwhile, you should eat and get some rest, you look exhausted." Marco smiled

sympathetically. "I'd rather stay here with him. I want to be here when he wakes up."

"I understand. I'll have a nurse bring you something to eat." Marco scribbled a few notes

before quietly leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

Raymond scooted his chair closer to the bed and laid his head back down, holding

Parker's hand as he drifted off to sleep.

He felt himself slowly begin to wake up, hearing some shuffling in the room.

Raymond lifted his head up, startling a blonde nurse who was about to insert an IV into

Parker's hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." She apologized.

One glance at the plastic bag revealed that it was only a transfusion pack.

"It's alright, I'm glad you did." He stretched with a groan, his muscles popping.

"You two must be really close, hm?" she smiled at the redhead as she inserted the needle,

slipping a piece of tape over it once it was placed.

"We worked together." He mumbled, cupping his chin in his hand.

"If you say so…" she stifled a giggle, Raymond raising an eyebrow in response.

"Hey, there's a sandwich there for you." The blonde pointed to a plate on the table beside

him. The plate contained a sandwich with slices of turkey and cheese and a vanilla soda.

"Oh, thanks…" Raymond grabbed the plate and began to slowly nibble at the sandwich,

taking bigger bites when he realized how hungry he was. "Will he be alright?" he wiped

his mouth and looked up at the nurse worriedly. "Don't worry, it was a simple operation.

A few day's rest is all he'll need, but it will take some time for his wound to heal.." she

checked the brunette's pulse and looked at her watch as she timed his heartbeats.

Raymond smiled at the news, thankful that the Italian was going to be just fine.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

He hadn't realized he fell asleep again until he became vaguely aware that someone was

touching his head. Yet, he didn't feel afraid of this particular touch.

It was calming…

He felt the fingertips massaging his scalp, brushing his hair soothingly.

A smile spread across his lips, feeling the hand stroke the back of his head.

Raymond released a soft sound as he began opening his eyes, surprised to see Parker

awake. "Morning, cadet…" the brunette murmured, a smile spreading across his face.

"Parker…?" Raymond perked up, realizing a blanket was draped over him as he sat in his

chair. Although he felt embarrassed and unprofessional, sitting here and being touched by

his superior like this, he didn't sit up. 'This is….nice.'

"You're okay?" he finally lifted his head to look the brunette in the eye.

"I'm better now, thanks. But are you alright?" Parker lifted his hand away from the mess

of red hair, clasping his hands together on his stomach.

"Fine.." Raymond sat up in his seat, fingering the wool blanket on his shoulders.

"Good." The brunette nodded, brushing his bangs away from his face.

"You probably want to contact-" Parker touched his fingertips to Raymond's lips,

shushing him. "In good time. Let's leave it be, for now."

Raymond felt himself lightly blush at the contact, remaining quiet.

"Then, what do we do?" he raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not going anywhere for awhile, that's for sure." The Italian chuckled.

"You might want to get a change of clothes, though." His fingers lightly tugged on the

black collar of the undershirt Raymond was wearing. "You look like…well, a terrorist."

Raymond snorted at the pun, cupping his cheek in his hand.

"That's not a bad idea." He mused.

He couldn't stop staring at Parker, admiring his tussled hair and bare chest and shoulders

peeking out from under the sheets.

This wasn't the time to dawdle…

"Alright then, I'll go check out some of the stores."

"We should check into a hotel, too. The doctor says that I can leave the hospital as soon

as tomorrow, but I should stay off my feet for awhile." Parker scratched at his stubble.

Raymond sat up from the chair with a pained groan, walking over to a table before he

began to take off his gun and ammo pouches. He then took off the green overcoat,

leaving him in the black undershirt, camouflage pants and combat boots.

"Okay, I'll be back in a little while." He smoothed his hair back as he walked towards the

door. "Be sure to eat something." He looked at Parker before shutting it behind him.

Raymond didn't appreciate the stares he received from people as he walked by, but it was

better than the ones he got earlier when he was dressed in full combat gear.

He missed wearing his FBC uniform, at least when he wore that he knew the stares he

received were out of respect for what he stood for.

He chose the first store that looked somewhat decent, opening the door and ducking in.

He didn't want anything fancy, and he doubted Parker would want anything that drew

attention either. Something simple and comfortable.

Browsing through a few stands, he picked out socks and underwear-it was a start.

Taking in account that Parker still had his injured leg to worry about, he picked out some

sweat pants and shirts. For himself, he chose black slacks and white button up shirts.

To be on the safe side, he also chose some khaki pants and a few button up shirts for

Parker, along with a pair of shoes.

Raymond went into a changing room and put on a pair slacks and a shirt, lacing up a pair

of leather shoes. Breathing a sigh of relief, he felt much better having something different

to wear. It seemed so trivial, but changing ones look really could work miracles on the

psyche. As soon as he got the chance, he was going to trash that Veltro uniform…

Picking up the cart of clothing, he walked up to the registered, thankful that he still

carried his credit card in his wallet.

After leaving the clothing store, he bought a few toiletries before looking at some of the

hotels, picking one that was closest to the hospital.

Walking up to the front desk, Raymond leaned on the counter casually.

"A room for two."

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

It had been two days since they arrived in Malta, Parker enjoyed the nice weather while

Raymond was going a bit stir-crazy, wondering what the next step was.

While he was relieved to be away from The Queen Zenobia and the hell spawn that

occupied it, he also felt somewhat cut off from the rest of the world.

He sat in a chair by the window, one leg crossed over the other.

The few books he bought didn't interest him all that much, finding it hard to let go.

He felt restless, that much he knew.

For the first time today, he was able to enjoy the view of the beach far off in the distance.

A sigh broke him away from his thoughts. "Do you want to order dinner, Raymond?"

Parker, on the other hand, was more at ease.

The painkillers the doctors gave the Italian along with the recommendation to not move

around much only left him with options of napping, showering and watching tv.

He didn't seem to mind it all that much, a long overdue vacation, perhaps?

"Order whatever you want." He replied absentmindedly.

"I can have you?" Parker drawled, laughing when Raymond was snapped from his

thoughts and gaped at him. "I'm joking. I'll order us a pizza, it's been a long time since

I've had real pizza." The brunette chuckled as he picked up the phone, dialing for take

out. Raymond wasn't sure if it was the drugs or being cooped up in the hotel room, but

Parker had become rather frisky since he left the hospital.

Once the pizza arrived, Parker set it down on the table in front of the dazed redhead.

"Are you alright, Raymond? You've been sitting here for a long time." Parker quirked an

eyebrow as he lifted the lid of the box, smiling at the cheese ridden pie.

"Yeah…I'm fine." Raymond shook his head and got up to wash his hands.

Raymond sat back down at the small round table by the window, gratefully accepting a

bottle of water. "How is it?" Parker looked up at the redhead expectantly. "It's good, it

has a lot more spices than American." Raymond took another bite, chewing thoughtfully.

With Raymond's lack of responses, Parker had assumed that the other man preferred to

eat in silence. Every so often, however, Raymond would steal a glance at the Italian and

would quickly look away when their eyes met.

After dinner, Parker went into the bathroom to take a shower while Raymond cleaned up

the mess before lying down on his bed.

The white noise in the room was nice, the sound of water pattering in the bathroom, the

faint sound of cars outside, all of it was a welcomed change.

His ears picked up on Parker stepping out of the shower, his feet patting on the tiles.

The brunette stepped out of the bathroom in nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs and

the bandages on his leg-the steam pouring out from the shower and warming the room.

Raymond rushed to Parker's side when he stumbled, wrapping his arms around his torso.

"You okay?" he did a once over to see if the other man was hurt, helping him to bed.

"I'm fine, the heat just got to my head." Parker grinned sheepishly for his clumsiness.

"Stay here, I'll change the bandages." Raymond scoffed with a half grin.

He grabbed a roll of gauze, some padding and tape.

Parker was told to shower on a regular basis but he had to keep the stitches dry.

Raymond cut through the sopping wet bandages and tossed them in the trash, pausing as

he looked at the light stitches that marred that spot on the brunette's leg.

Without thinking, he placed his hand on Parker's thigh, thinking back to that night.

Jessica…How could she shoot him? How could she shoot either of them?

They were a team at one time, and not very long ago.

But another question came to mind, why did Parker save him?

All along, Raymond had tricked Parker into believing Veltro had been revived and

posed a threat-when in reality, it had only been a ruse.

When the time came for the two of them to apprehend Jessica, Parker had been hesitant

to even give Raymond the benefit of a doubt-yet he took the bullet.

If Parker didn't even trust Raymond, then why did he put himself at risk to save him?

"Why did you do it?" he murmured.

Raymond felt Parker's hand lift up his chin to look him in the eye, feeling heat rise to his

cheeks. "You have so much to offer this world, Raymond." He whispered.

Parker slowly leaned in closer to Raymond's face, pressing their lips together.

Raymond's mind blanked at the unexpected affection, his eyes closing and reaches his

hand up to touch Parker's cheek. Encouraged by the redhead's reaction, the Italian

deepened the kiss, licking the redhead's lips.

Raymond opened his mouth to grant access, moaning when Parker's tongue delved

inside. The brunette tangled his fingers in the cadet's hair, kissing him feverishly.

Raymond stood up from the floor, looking down as Parker unfastened the buttons on his

shirt. He shivered when Parker ran his hands along his chest, kissing his belly.

He struggled to unfasten his belt, his fingers trembling.

"Let me help you." Parker smiled as he undid the redhead's belt, unzipping and

unbuttoning the slacks before tugging them down along with Raymond's underwear.

Raymond kicked his pants off before slipping his fingers beneath the band of Parker's

boxer briefs, looking him in the eye for permission. The Italian grunted slightly as he

lifted his hips off the bed, allowing the cadet to pull the shorts off.

Raymond took this opportunity to let his hands explore the other man, tracing his carved

features from his face, along his shoulder blades to his hips.

He had never expected to be given such a rare blessing, having his commander all to

himself. It was so much more than he could ever ask for…

For a moment, he had wondered if this was a dream.

What if he never made if off that cursed ship?

That theory was proven wrong when the brunette gave a few gentle strokes on his cock.

"Parker..!" Raymond moaned, bracing his hands on the other man's shoulders.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Parker chuckled with a wink as he continued to tease him.

"Lie down.." he murmured as he sucked on Raymond's neck.

The cadet obliged and laid down on the bed, watching the Italian grab something from

inside the nightstand. Parker got in between Raymond's legs, resting his elbows on the

bed as he uncapped a bottle of lube.

"This might sting a little, but it'll get better, I promise." Parker stroked the cadet's leg

reassuringly before squirting a clear gel onto his fingers.

Raymond laid still as the brunette slowly slid a finger inside him, his body trembling in

anticipation. He locked eyes with the Italian, only ever breaking eye contact when he

blinked as the third finger was introduced. It was a sharp pinch, hissing and biting his

lip. "It's alright, relax." Parker cooed, taking the redhead's cock into his mouth.

"Ohhh!" Raymond moaned shamelessly, becoming louder the more the brunette sucked

on him. He couldn't believe that his commander was actually pleasuring him like this,

feeling unworthy of the other man's lips.

But, he was never one to pass up such an opportunity.

Parker released the stiffened member from his mouth, his fingers continuing to

explore the inside of the redhead, grinning when he found that certain spot that forced

Raymond to throw his head back and moan.

Raymond continued to moan and whimper as he felt the digits slide along his heated

insides, his fingers gripping the sheets as his legs trembled.

The brunette grunted as he tried to sit back up on his hands and knees, hissing when his

leg was bent, disturbing the stitches on his thigh.

Raymond took notice of the Italian's pain, sitting up from the bed and holding onto his

shoulders. "You shouldn't, not with your leg in this condition."

The pleading look in Parker's eyes pained him, feeling his own need for release.

"Lie down, let your leg rest." Raymond switched places with the brunette, caressing

his chest lovingly. "Get on." Parker purred as he motioned with his hands for Raymond

to sit down on his lap. Raymond sat up on his knees before crawling until he hovered

over the Italian's hips, slowly sinking down on his cock.

"That's it, you're doing great. A little more.." Parker encouraged Raymond, allowing him

to take his time. Raymond paused as he adjusted to Parker's size, squeezing around him

experimentally. Parker placed his hands on the redhead's hips, brushing his thumb on the

soft skin teasingly.

Raymond wrapped his arms around Parker's neck when he sat up, keeping him close.

Parker kissed the redhead, sucking on his lower lip.

Raymond breathed heavily as Parker slipped his tongue into his mouth once more,

shivering when his left nipple was pinched and tugged playfully.

Hesitantly pulling away from the kiss, Raymond lifted his hips up from Parker's lap

before pushing himself down again, building up momentum. The Italian groaned as the

cadet continued to bounce in his lap, hugging him closely and nibbling on his neck.

"Ray…" he moaned before sinking his teeth into the soft flesh greedily.

Raymond grunted as he tried to stay at an even tempo, biting his lip in concentration.

"You're trying too hard, just relax." Parker instructed before stroking his cock.

"Ah-!" Raymond cried, biting his lip to silence his moans.

"Let go, Raymond, I want to hear you." Parker insisted, sucking on one of the redhead's

nipples, grinning when the cadet began to openly groan.

Raymond gasped when the tip of Parker's cock pressed against a specific spot within

him, driving his hips harder into the brunette's lap at a faster rate, moaning louder and

louder. He desperately wanted to keep experiencing that feeling, slamming his hips down

in an attempt to have the other's member hit that nerve again.

Losing all control and being rid of his reservations, Raymond bit into Parker's shoulder

possessively and relished the primal growls that were roused from the Italian.

"Yes." Parker hissed before stroking the cadet's firm cock, licking his lips and grinned

victoriously as the redhead's demeanor rapidly turned from beastly into desperation.

Raymond clung to Parker as he came close to reaching climax, closing his eyes as his

vision turned white from his body overheating.

Parker's hands gripped Raymond's hips to the point where he left bruises, using the

remainder of his strength to ram up into the redhead.

Raymond's voice caught in his throat as he finally received his release, breathing a sigh

of relief as he went limp against the burly man.

Parker laid down on the bed, bringing the cadet down with him and nuzzled his face in

the crook of his neck. "Ray…" he spoke softly, at a loss of what more to say.

Raymond lifted his head up to gaze into the brunette's blue eyes, joining their lips once

more. Briefly sitting up from the embrace, he grabbed the blankets and pulled them up

before lying back down beside his lover. "Say it again." He asked, earning a quirked

eyebrow from the other man. "Say what?"

"Ray. I like it." The redhead answered, draping an arm over the Italian's hip.

"Ray." Parker chuckled as he cuddled closer to Raymond, kissing his forehead.

Raymond's eyes lulled as Parker ran his fingers in his hair before caressing his hip.

For the first time in over a year, he felt so safe and at ease.

He didn't have to remember what occurred in the past, it had been wiped from his mind.

He could actually sleep, something he had been deprived of for so long.

And for once, he didn't feel the need to worry about nightmares.

Closing his eyes, Raymond brought his face closer to Parker's chest and smelled his

unique scent, hoping that he would never forget it.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond snuggled closer to Parker's warmth, his eyes opening slowly to see daylight's

golden rays peek out from under the curtains. Aside from the slight pain in his rear end,

he felt relaxed. Reaching up to cup Parker's cheek, he brushed his thumb along his

weathered features, smiling when the Italian remained asleep.

His hand caressed Parker's smooth hip, placing a kiss on his shoulder.

He honestly couldn't remember a time when he felt this peaceful, maybe he never did.

Just when his eyes were growing heavy once more, he heard a strange rumbling sound.

Craning his head around, Raymond saw that his cell phone was buzzing in the

nightstand's drawer. He didn't want to answer it, he just wanted to be alone with Parker.

Was that really too much to ask…?

With a frustrated huff, Raymond dug his hand in the drawer and pulled out the black and

silver device, glaring at the named Sherawat that was displayed on the screen.

Opening up the phone, he began to read her text message.

'Still alive?'

Raymond frowned at the message, regretting the decision to keep the phone.

But if he didn't answer…

'Yes.' He answered, waiting for a reply.

'Oh good.' Raymond rolled his eyes at her attempt to sound caring.

'Do you still have it?'

'Yeah.'

'Great, we can meet up later and I'll hand it over.'

Raymond looked at Parker's slumbering face after reading the reply, biting his lip before

writing another message.

'What happens after you give it to them?'

'What do you think they're going to do?'

'Jessica, don't toy with me.'

'They're probably going to use it for some experiments, obviously.'

'You saw what happened on that ship. They can't have it.'

'You don't have a choice. Who are you going to turn to for help? The BSAA?'

Raymond cringed at the accusing message on the screen, his fist gripping the sheets.

'You played the part of a terrorist, they won't believe you. You'll be arrested on sight.'

'Parker trusts me.'

'He's a biased drunk, they won't listen to him.'

'I'll get rid of it.'

'Can you honestly think of a safe way of disposing it? Really, Raymond, you know

better. Whatever hole in the wall you're staying in, the whole area would be screwed.'

'Besides, we had a deal.'

Raymond's grip on the phone faltered as his emotions got the better of him, resting his

arm on the bed as he rubbed his face.

A buzz in his hand brought his attention back to a single line. 'I'm waiting.'

'Fine. I'll bring it to you, but then that's it! I don't want to see you or those bastards

again. And you better stay the hell away from Parker, or you'll be answering to me.'

'Aww did I make you angry?' Raymond seethed at the reply and resisted the urge to

smash the phone against the wall, uncaring if it woke Parker up.

'Go to hell.'

'Just get your grumpy ass out of bed and meet me.'

'Where are you now?'

'I'm in Florence, the hotel is next to a train station.'

Raymond looked at the clock and knew that he would need to catch a plane and fly to the

mainland of Italy, probably would need to take a few taxis as well.

'I'm too far off from you, it'll take me at least a day to meet with you.'

'Fine, let me know when you're close.'

Deciding that that was the end of the conversation, he closed the flip phone and quietly

placed it down on the nightstand. He didn't want to leave Parker…

Raymond wrapped his arms around the Italian in a gentle embrace, closing his eyes

before breathing in his scent to calm his nerves.

But it didn't matter.

He had made a deal with Tricell just to protect Parker, yet endangered others.

Part of him really just wanted to give the virus and research over to the BSAA, take

Parker and run far away. So why did he agree to meet with Jessica?

He was afraid, afraid of what the consequences were if he broke the agreement.

This was a powerful pharmaceutical company he was up against.

They had the power and resources to do whatever they please and cover it up.

Even the BSAA, the government even, may not be able to stop them…

Feeling his face, Raymond slowly got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom.

While in the shower, he hesitantly scrubbed himself clean, wishing that he could've kept

Parker's scent with him. Knowing that if he stayed too long, he would probably back out

on the deal. He had to pack up and leave, he didn't have a choice.

He could imagine Parker yelling at him that he was a traitor, a coward.

Raymond swallowed the lump that formed in his throat, biting his lip to keep the sobs

from escaping. He failed to repress the shivers that wracked his body, sinking to the tiled

floor. The shower's spray brought little comfort to the turmoil that stirred within him.

He had no choice, he had to be brave and follow through.

Taking a breath, he pulled himself back up and turned the water off.

After drying off, he left the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, surprised to

see that Parker hadn't woken up yet.

Walking over to the dresser, he pulled out a set of clothes and began to dress.

He wore a pair of black slacks, a gray vest with a black undershirt, some black dress

shoes and a gray tie. He now wondered why exactly he bought this outfit, maybe his

subconscious already foretold his departure and he hadn't realized his depression yet.

Black was the color for grief. And he was grieving, he was losing Parker.

He was losing his lover, his career and everything that was familiar to him.

His world was gone.

After fixing the tie, Raymond sat down at the round table by the window and felt the urge

to write a note. He didn't want Parker to wake up and think that he was being used for a

one-night stand, it was so much more special than some sort of fling.

He had always held Parker in the highest regard, close to his heart, without even realizing

it. But now, he had the opportunity to at least try to convey his inner feelings for him.

The words came to him faster now than they did before, surprisingly.

'Parker, I'm so sorry, but I can't stay. There have been quite a few changes this past

year, things that I cannot tell you. But there is one thing I can tell you…

I love you. I'll always love you, and I'll always been watching over you. So, please, take

care of yourself-for me. I don't know what the future holds, I don't know what will be

asked of me, but just know that I have good reasons for doing all this.

I hope one day I can be rid of it all and spend my life with you.

I want that for us someday, I really do.

Don't worry about me, I'll be just fine.

Be sure to take your medication, focus on getting better!

I'll miss you…

Love always, Ray.'

Raymond placed the pen down and reread the letter over and over, feeling that it would

never be good enough to embody his soul, but it would have to do.

At least now he would know the truth, that was all that mattered, so long as he knew.

Getting up from his seat, he crept up to the bed and placed the scrap of paper on the

nightstand. Remembering that Parker probably didn't have any money to pay for the

hotel, let alone food or for a plane ticket home, Raymond took out a few hefty bills from

his wallet and placed them under the letter.

Leaning over the mattress, Raymond caressed Parker's soft hair and kissed his forehead,

hesitantly pulling away before he changed his mind about leaving.

'Please, forgive me.'

Without another thought, he put on his jacket and picked up his suitcase before leaving

the room, quickening his steps as he felt his resolve beginning to wane.

'I'm sorry, I'm sorry…'

The lump formed in his throat again and he wiped away a few stray tears before the

elevator doors opened, taking out a pair of sunglasses to cover up his red, puffy eyes.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond pushed open the finely polished wooden door to the café, pausing in his stride

as he got his bearings before proceeding to the woman clad in purple.

The smell of rich coffee wafted in the air, reminding him that he hadn't eaten.

The repetitive clacking of the trains coming and going grated on his shot nerves, but he

was too tired to care.

It had taken him a day and a half to fly from Malta to Florence, and he took several taxis

to get to this particular restaurant that was nestled closely to a train station.

He had neither slept or ate during his journey.

He just wanted to get this over with and disappear.

Stopping just a few steps short of the table, he reached his hand into his pocket and set

the glass vial down in front of the brunette.

Jessica smiled as her eyes briefly caught sight of the vial.

"Almost too easy, wasn't it?" she looked up from her book, watching the redhead

intently. "The company let them take Morgan out with the trash."

"Tough world…" Raymond muttered bitterly.

"You file the report on this." The brunette sighed passively.

Raymond repressed the urge to frown and backhand the woman, keeping calm before

turning around curtly to make his way to the door.

"By the way…" Jessica called after him, Raymond paused in his step.

"Why save Parker?" she asked simply.

I love him…

Raymond's heart nearly fell out of his chest at the sudden realization.

Regaining his composure, he turned around to face her, removing his sunglasses to prove

his sincerity. Although, none of it was her business anyway.

"I have my reasons." He replied softly.

"The BSAA isn't as useless as I thought." Jessica looked down at the table thoughtfully.

"Things could really heat up." She continued to muse.

Raymond placed his glasses back on his face before turning to walk away, waving his

arm passively at her. "Indeed. The fun's just getting started." He mumbled.

Raymond closed the door behind him before delving his hands into his coat pockets.

Was that all?

Was it over now, could he live his life?

Before he could take a step, his cell phone began to ring.

Raymond sighed as he pulled it out of his pocket, surprised that it wasn't Jessica.

He began to read the text message, his eyes scanning it over and over in disbelief.

'Mr. Vester, we congratulate you on your first successful mission. We have wired your

reward to your account, it is yours to do with as you please. We will honor our part of the

bargain and refrain from disturbing Mr. Luciani as per your request.

With that said, we do hope to hear from you again.

If you ever change your mind of refusing the position as agent #0067589, feel free to

contact us and we will set you up with more objectives in the near future.'

Raymond frowned at the screen, his grip on the phone tightening until his knuckles

turned white. It was never going to end, they're never going to stop developing these

viruses. More and more people will suffer and die because of their twisted curiosity.

To them, he was just another body to use for their cause.

To them, Rachael and everyone on board The Queen Zenobia were just test subjects.

To them, Parker was just a bargaining chip to make him bend to their will.

He hated them, he wished that they felt the same fear and pain he did.

They deserved to know just how horrible their creations were, how heartbreaking and

unfair it was to lose the people they knew and love, to destroy someone's life.

Parker's life had been spared, Raymond was freed of his obligation.

He received money, close to a million dollars, as a reward for his 'hard work.'

Thirty-five hundred people died.

Raymond didn't blink when his hand crushed the flip phone, the top and bottom half

breaking apart. The screen snapped off and clattered to the ground, a trail of blood

ran down his wrist from being cut on the plastic and screws.

It ends now.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

2007 – Two Years Later

"Put the gun down, we can talk about this." A middle-aged man in a gray suit pleaded,

reaching his hand forward as if that alone would stop a bullet.

"Tell me where the remaining supply of T-Abyss is. Now." Raymond kept his magnum

pointed at the pitiful man's forehead, sneering at his attempts to sway his resolve.

"That's classified information, I'm not allowed to know where every single sample is

being held. I swear, I'm telling you the truth!" the balding man's voice raised a pitch.

"Then tell me what you do know." Raymond walked over to his computer chair, shoving

the gun's cold nozzle against the manager's head.

Without another word, the other man began to type, his fingers trembling in fear.

Raymond's gaze turned to the screen, watching as the pages of contact information

scrolled down the monitor as the passwords were entered.

"Print them out." He demanded coldly.

The elderly man did as he was told and clicked on the computer mouse to print out the

sheets, the printer whining as it spat out the pages.

He noticed movement out the corner of his eye, realizing that the bastard had the audacity

to attempt to reach over and press a button-the alarm he had assumed.

Raymond kicked the seat of the computer chair with such force, it sped across the room

until it crashed onto the floor. He stood over the groaning man as he held onto his head

from the impact, his cries growing louder when Raymond's foot pressed against his chest

painfully. "I have a friend up there. If you see her, tell her I said hello."

Raymond frowned as he watched the man writhe underneath his boot, aiming his gun at

his head and firing a single shot. He didn't bother looking down at the other man, moving

back to the computer and picking up the various papers.

Folding them up, he placed the papers into one of his pockets before checking the

drawers. Aside from finding a set of keys and a wad of cash, it was all junk.

Raymond stuffed both items into his pockets and strode out of the lavish office.

Walking through the hallway, he stepped over the body of a guard who had the

unfortunate fate of having his neck broken.

Unlocking the door with a plate that read #204, Raymond opened it enough to see that it

was a lab. Taking the last bundle of C4 he had with him, he threw it in the middle of the

room before shutting the door and continuing down the hall.

He barely flinched when the door blew off its hinges and slammed into the opposite wall.

This had been the fourth building he had infiltrated, Vermont having the honor of being

the first to be sought out and destroyed since Montpellier had founded the T-Abyss

research.

Two years he had been running this operation, and he didn't regret a thing.

These bastards were no longer human, they gave up the right to thrive in this world the

moment they agreed to research BOWs with Tricell.

Now, it had become his destiny to correct the mistake he made all those years ago.

"Hey, you, you're trespassing on private property!" a guard shouted from down the hall,

advancing toward Raymond with nothing but a flashlight.

When he was close enough, Raymond closed the distance between them and kicked one

of the guard's legs out before he wrapped his arm around his neck in a chock hold.

'Should've taken the day shift…' he mused as he swung the uniformed man into a wall

with a sickening crack, blood marring the wall from where his teeth had made contact.

With the guard lying on the floor, Raymond continued down the hallway.

He got the information he needed to find where the virus had been sold via the black

market, and he destroyed what he had hoped had been the last lab that contained it-at

least on the east coast, anyway.

Walking downstairs he then pushed past an emergency exit before making his way across

the road, removing a remote from his pocket and pressing a button to activate the bombs

he had set in the boiler room.

As expected, a huge explosion engulfed the building in a blazing inferno and destroyed

everything inside and anything that was at least five yards in the perimeter.

Sirens started to blare in the distance, people either fled the scene or walked closer to

watch the flames. Tossing the remote in a trashcan, Raymond quickened his step as he

reached the parking lot, getting inside his car and began to pull away.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

After coming back to his hotel room, Raymond removed his gloves, black skin-tight shirt,

his boots and cargo pants. Running his hand through his hair with a sigh, he walked into

the bathroom for a shower. He craned his neck back and relished the warm water as it

cascaded down his skin, washing away the soot and ash that had seeped through his

clothes. He could always rely on a hot shower to make everything better…

He had to keep reminding himself that what he was doing was for the good of humanity,

no one else would have as much experience dealing with BOWs and humans like he did.

For once, he was thankful for his training in the FBC, finally putting it to better use.

He grabbed the bar of soap and began to rub the lather on his chest, letting the water rinse

it off gradually. For a moment, he stared at the drain as he scrubbed at his stomach,

watching as the suds swirled down the drain with ease-never to return.

He wished that memories could disappear like that, but no matter how much he scrubbed

himself in the sometimes scalding hot water, his psyche remained intact.

When his fingers made contact with the faint scar on his left thigh, he paused.

Despite it having been three years since the Terragrigia Panic, there was still a noticeable

mark on his leg. But then again, he couldn't be certain if he had actually seen it or merely

remembered it being there. Regardless, he still had the reminder from back then.

Shaking his head of such grim thoughts, Raymond quickly washed his legs so his fingers

wouldn't fawn over the scar any longer.

After washing his hair, he turned off the water and stepped out of the shower to grab a

towel. Walking out of the bathroom, he placed a frozen dinner into the microwave before

slipping on a pair of boxer briefs. He still felt cold in the lonesome room, opting to grab

his pair of flannel pants and a shirt to keep warm.

Raymond winced as the microwave beeped incessantly, pulling out the tray of mashed

potatoes and steak before sitting in bed to eat.

Turning on the tv, he watched the news.

Apparently he had been losing track of just how many laboratories and warehouses he

had broken into, now chalking it up to seven.

The police were never told anything about the suspicious chain of arsons, the reporters

were no better in their investigation. Which was just fine with him, it was probably for

the best that they didn't know what their world was turning into.

There was only so much the mind could handle, and the regular slew of conspiracy

theories were racy enough.

Finished with his meal, he set the tray aside to pick up the bundle of folded papers.

Taking a red pen from the nightstand, he began crossing off the places he had already

'visited'. As far as that poor bastard knew, there were only seven laboratories listed in

these papers. But Raymond knew better than to believe that only seven had contained

T-Abyss research. Then again, he had only been going after the areas that had held this

particular virus, he hadn't paid much mind to all the others that had been produced.

In his opinion, it was best to destroy the locations that were supplied with T-Abyss since

it was a viral weapon that was best suited for water. If he at least got rid of the chemical

agent that faired in water, the coasts would be that much safer.

He would never forget Veltro's plan to sink their cruise ships to infect the world with

the virus, and it was a smart plan at that. Once he got rid of the T-Abyss virus, he could

get started with all the others.

However, this plan was flawed, he needed money to travel.

Raymond only ever used the 'blood money' that was given to him by Tricell, using it to

destroy the very company that had given it to him.

With what he had left, he might be able to last another two or three years.

He made a point to travel lightly, having all his belongings from his old apartment put

into storage as he continued to move around the country.

He stayed in hotels, leaving right after demolishing a branch belonging to Tricell.

Furthermore, he made do with the two suitcases of clothing and weapons and a handful of

frozen dinners. Ever since that time he left the café in Florence, he vowed that he would

never stop until Tricell was destroyed.

Having scratched off the majority of the addresses, he set aside those pages and began

thumbing through what remained.

The most recent dealing of T-Abyss had taken place somewhere in England, also being

the last known dealing-at least from what these pages told him.

He now assumed that he would be taking a trip across the pond to eliminate some clients.

With them out of the way, a crisis would be averted and he might learn some new

information about Tricell and what they've been up to.

What he found next had surprised him.

There was a contact page that was to be used as a reference in case there were any

inquiries about T-Abyss and the collected combat data.

Jessica Sherawat.

That was a name he thought he would never hear of again.

It was apparent that she still worked alongside the company, and she actively helped in

guiding their so-called 'clients' buy the necessary product.

If Jessica was still involved with Tricell like the papers implied, then she might know

something useful that could help him put an end to bioterrorism.

But after all these years, he still wondered why Jessica even got involved in the first

place. What was so important?

"-Morgan Lansdale."

Raymond's attention turned back to the tv when a new report was announced.

"The former Commissioner of the FBC is still behind bars after his involvement with

Veltro's devastating attack on Terragrigia. However, we have heard rumors that Lansdale

could very well walk free if he passes a psychological examination. There has been no

confirmation on whether or not he is up for parole as of yet, but we will continue to wait

as more news comes in. Susan Cain, the 10 o'clock news."

Raymond blinked as it sunk in that his former boss, the mastermind behind Terragrigia's

demise, could be freed from federal prison.

Federal prison was mostly for criminals that had committed crimes on a national or

global scale. And they're actually going to consider his release?

He now questioned the government's judgement, wondering just what possessed them to

think that this monster had changed sufficiently enough to be released back into society.

Regardless, with a dealer in England selling samples of T-Abyss, Jessica living rather

comfortably with a seemingly clean conscience and Morgan's possible parole, he had

decided that this was going to be a huge leap from what he was accustomed to.

He hadn't realized that a reunion would be in order so soon.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Three Weeks Ago…

Raymond walked along the sidewalk briskly, ignoring the stares he received from the

French natives. He wasn't entirely sure why he chose to wear some of his nicer clothes

during this visit, figuring that it was probably so that he would appear less threatening to

his former superior. Jessica had devoted nearly four years of her life to the FBC, she

knew what the bioterrorists were capable of-yet she chose to work with them.

He needed to see her, but it was not going to be a friendly catch-up session.

He wanted answers, and he wouldn't settle for anything less.

Opening the glass door of the apartment complex, he strode inside and began the trek

upstairs. His eyes were fixed to the brass nameplates on the walls as he walked past each

door before finally reaching the one that had Jessica Sherawat engraved on it.

His fist remained in the air, stopping just short of the white washed door.

She tried to kill him, twice.

She had shot Parker, by mistake, then left the both of them after setting off the alarm.

How could she betray her own fellow agents?

Raymond shook his head, now wasn't the time to reminisce.

Finally mustering his resolve, he knocked on the door.

After waiting a few moments, he already became impatient and knocked once more.

"Hang on, I'm coming!" he heard Jessica's voice call from the other side, slipping his

hands into his pockets. Jessica's voice caught in her throat as her smile faltered at the

sight of him. "Raymond?" Her eyes scanned over his appearance.

"Long time, no see." She smiled before stepping aside and letting him in.

"Come in, I could use the company."

Raymond stepped inside the apartment, removing his sunglasses and placed them in his

pocket as he made his way towards the living room.

The apartment was decorated with warm and inviting colors, the floors covered with

clean white carpets and the walls a deep shade of maroon with the black wooden

furniture being a stark contrast to the rest of the décor.

It would've been a nice place to live in if it weren't for Jessica's gaudy taste in artwork.

"You want something to drink?" she nodded her head in the direction of the kitchen.

"No, thanks." He shook his head.

"Hmph, suit yourself." The brunette shrugged before walking into the kitchen to retrieve

what appeared to be a glass of iced tea. Raymond leaned back against the mantle on the

fireplace, crossing his arms as he waited for her to sit down.

"Why don't you sit down? You're starting to make me feel tired just from watching you."

Jessica chuckled as she sat down on the beige colored couch, sipping at her drink.

"I don't plan on staying for very long." Raymond replied as he shifted his weight.

"Why are you still working for Tricell, Jessica?" he looked up at her, staring into her

hazel eyes. The brunette paused in sipping her drink before bringing her eyes up to meet

his sharp green ones. "How would you know about that?" she licked her lips nervously.

"One of your friends back in the states had your contact information, you're working for

Tricell-and you're providing them with information from The Queen Zenobia?"

His eyes narrowed accusingly at her.

"Yeah, I gave them the virus and wrote the report on the findings-since you disappeared."

She replied as she swirled the ice in her glass. "This…friend of mine, I doubt they just

gave it to you since you don't have clearance." She scoffed, taking another sip.

"I have a way with words." Raymond scoffed, a grin disappearing just as quickly as it

had formed across his face. Jessica's eyes flicked over him once more, noting the calm

and relaxed position he held-the coldness in his eyes.

"Why are you here, anyway?" she eyed him suspiciously, tapping her fingernail on the

glass. "I want answers." Raymond straightened up, standing away from the mantle.

"Who doesn't?" she scoffed.

"Why did you give them the virus?" his fists tightened in his coat pockets, his fingers

brushing against a cold, metal object.

"I finished what you started. They wanted it, so I gave it to them. No questions asked."

Jessica crossed her legs as she leaned back into the couch.

"It was really that easy for you, wasn't it?" he scowled indignantly.

"It puts food on the table." She shrugged.

"You know what it's capable of, you know what it does to people." He leaned forward as

he eyed her incredulously, quickly beginning to lose his temper as the brunette took

another sip of her drink. "How do you sleep at night?"

"I have some damn good pills." She smiled sadly.

"So, you just don't care?" Raymond ran a hand in his hair, releasing a breath.

"I stopped caring, a long time ago. We all do eventually."

Raymond froze at that answer, looking at her with a mixture of shock and disgust.

"Raymond, it's never going to stop. As long as there are bastards with the mentality of

Umbrella running around, these viruses are never going to go away." Jessica leaned

forward to pour herself another glass of tea, sipping it slowly.

"Believe me, I've tried. I've tried everything I could to stop them, but it never ends.

Heh, if you can't beat them, join them-right?" Jessica brushed a lock of hair behind her

ear, avoiding eye contact with the redhead.

"That is the stupidest excuse I've ever heard." Raymond spat, taking the woman by

surprise. "Oh? And you think you're better than me? This coming from the foolish rookie

who retrieved a virus to save his captain?" she retorted.

"That was different, I was saving someone's life." The redhead ground out.

"Stop kidding yourself, you were just trying make yourself look good in front of him."

"No, I was protecting him because I knew that he would do much more good than I ever

could-I saved lives by saving his." Raymond began pacing, gritting his teeth.

"You're pathetic, just like him." Jessica scoffed, adjusting the necklace around her neck

idly. "I knew that you were the perfect choice to retrieve T-Abyss. You were so smitten

with Parker, you would do anything for him if it meant you could find a way to repay him

for saving your ass." Raymond stopped pacing and stared at the brunette, his blood

boiling at the sight of her smug smile.

"Well, it doesn't matter now. It's all in the past…" Jessica sighed as she rubbed her

forehead. "Are you satisfied now?" she cocked her head to the side in annoyance.

Wordlessly, Raymond pulled out his custom .50 Desert Eagle and aimed at his former

superior, his eyes locking with hers. "I came here to correct a mistake." He spoke darkly.

Jessica froze as her eyes met his, unsure if he was being serious.

"Is this because I tried to shoot you? Come on, that was a long time ago." Jessica

chuckled nervously, her gaze unable to break from Raymond's icy stare.

"Raymond, stop joking around."

"I never joke, you know that better than anyone." He mumbled, his grip tightening on the

magnum. Jessica had given the virus to those who would take full advantage of it, and

she continued to work for them as an advisor. Greedy, selfish and shallow as ever.

She was never going to change.

The world would be much safer, much better off without her.

As it sunk in that Raymond had the intent to shoot her, her grip on the glass loosened

until it fell from her fingers, landing onto the carpeted floor.

Raymond, the bright-eyed cadet with so much promise, was going to kill her.

Time slowed to a crawl, the reality she knew had crumbled into something foreign.

She could hear her heartbeat in her ears, her breath escaping past her lips in a shaky

tempo. She wondered if anyone else could hear what she was hearing.

"Don't do this…" her voice came out in an unrecognizable squeak.

To say that he enjoyed watching her squirm would be an understatement.

Raymond watched as Jessica's hands gripped the ends of the cushion she sat on, her

mouth opening and closing as she tried to find the words to make him reconsider.

"No-!" her cry was cut short as his finger squeezed the trigger, a bullet lodging into the

middle of her forehead. The scream caught in the brunette's throat as the bullet's impact

caused her frontal lobe to implode, her head falling to rest onto the back of the couch.

Raymond released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, lowering his gun.

Tucking the magnum back into his coat pocket, he looked up and the realization hit him

that he had just killed Jessica. It felt unreal, standing there before her body like this.

He had assumed that over the years he had grown numb to murder, having killed

hundreds of people that worked under the pharmaceutical company in the name of peace.

Oddly, he felt a twinge of relief, knowing that he had gotten his revenge and had

prevented Jessica from continuing to provide Tricell with guidance.

It was a small dent in this operation, but it felt like a milestone.

Snapping back to reality, Raymond began to wander around the apartment, overturning

chairs and small tables. He moved into the bedroom and began opening random drawers,

taking a few necklaces and stuffing them into his pocket.

He knew that if he made it look like the apartment had been broken into, the police would

be thrown off his trail and it would give him time to leave the country.

Walking out the door, leaving it unlocked, he quickened his step as he went downstairs.

A surge of relief coursed through him as he pushed open the glass door and continued his

trek along the sidewalk, waiting until he was at least four blocks away from the complex

before taking the necklaces from his pocket and dropping them into a trashcan.

He knew that he could've traded the jewelry for money, but he would've taken a huge

risk being seen at a pawnshop. Besides, he wasn't that desperate, not yet.

With Jessica out of the picture, he was that much closer to weeding out those that were

responsible for T-Abyss' production.

But there was still one last old friend to visit.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

10 Days Later…

After waiting more than a week for things to cool down after Jessica's murder,

Raymond was now ready to put his next plan into action.

Even though the possibility for Morgan to be released on parole was very slim, it still

posed a risk. The bastard had his way with Terragrigia and The Queen Zenobia, he

wasn't about to let him walk free and cause more chaos.

He was taking a huge gamble by breaking into a maximum security facility, knowing that

if he were ever caught the operation would be a failure.

But if all went well, it would've been worth the risk.

Pulling into the parking lot across the road, Raymond stepped out of his rental car and

shut the door before calmly walking towards the front gate.

His feet crunched on the white gravel as he made his way down the path, the sharp smell

of freshly cut grass invading his senses.

A few guards glanced at him out of curiosity but didn't pay too much attention since they

probably had assumed he was a visitor. In a way, it was partially true.

Raymond walked up to the visitor's station when he saw that the security guard had

fallen asleep in his chair, leaning over the counter just enough to get a look at the list of

prisoners until he found Morgan's cell number.

The door that led to the cellblocks was locked, and even if he was let through he

wouldn't have been able to get as close to Morgan as he needed.

Checking some of the doors in the hallway, he found a supply closet.

Unfortunately, there weren't any spare uniforms inside.

The door leading to the front courtyard opened, an officer walked into the room and went

towards the door leading to the cellblocks.

It now occurred to him that his best bet of getting further in was to wait until a guard

came by, wearing a uniform that was closest to his size as possible.

Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, Raymond watched as a guard passed

down the hall every so often-most of them having too much muscle or a bigger

midsection, all of them had a uniform that would just sag on his lean frame.

Finally, he had been graced with an opportunity.

A young man with dark curly hair walked through the hall that the redhead had haunted

for the past half-hour. The guard looked young and fresh, probably hadn't been working

in the facility for that long. His stature was a bit shorter than Raymond's, but he had the

right body type-just barely. He couldn't afford to wait much longer, he knew that people

would begin to get suspicious of him if he remained in the visitor's lounge for too long.

Raymond noticed that the boy was wearing headphones, his eyes focused on the floor.

Unfortunately for the younger man, he was distracted; he wouldn't even see him coming.

When the brunette got close, Raymond lunged forward from behind, wrapping an arm

around the young officer's neck.

The shorter man grunted, his hands reaching up to attempt to pry Raymond's arm away.

Acting quickly, Raymond swung open the door of the supply closet and dragged the

guard inside with him. When the door closed, the brunette began to panic when he

realized he was away from the public eye, squirming in the redhead's grasp.

Raymond grabbed a plastic bag from his coat pocket, tearing it open with his teeth before

pressing the soaked cloth to the brunette's face.

The young officer soon went limp and was carefully lowered onto the floor, the rag

tossed aside. He was relieved that he didn't have to use brutal force.

After all, the kid was just doing his job.

He was innocent, protecting society by keeping criminals locked in their cages.

Raymond unfastened the black tie and brown belt from the brunette's

unconscious form, tugging the accessories away before unbuttoning the blue shirt and

unzipping the black slacks.

The uniform had fit him surprisingly well, but the shoes were too small so he wore his

own pair of dark brown dress shoes. Placing the navy blue hat on his head, he then

adjusted the tie before smoothing out the wrinkles on the shirt, readjusting the brass

nameplate that read J. Krudup.

Raymond glanced down at the slumbering guard, having handcuffed him to a support

beam and gagged him with some duct tape he found on a shelf.

Turning off the lights, he stepped out from the closet and quietly shut the door.

Grabbing the set of keys from his pants pocket, he continued down the hallway and was

finally granted access to the cellblocks on the other side.

The hallway was quiet save for the sound of jingling keys and metal doors creaking open

or slamming shut. The walls were painted with a clean white wash, a bold orange line

painted on the floor. Raymond tried his best to keep calm and wore a stoic face, nodding

in acknowledgement whenever an officer greeted him.

So long as he played his part well, no one would suspect a thing.

He followed the orange line and looked at each sign that was tacked to the wall, looking

for the kitchen. The smell of food cooking wafted in the air, signaling him that it wasn't

far. As he got closer to the mess hall, the distinct sound of pots and pans clattering on

counters echoed in the eerily empty room.

Raymond casually walked into the back of the room, moving aside when a cook sped past

him with a dish of what looked to be some kind of casserole.

Steam from various boiling pots engulfed the kitchen, causing him to perspire.

Finding a wall that was littered with various menus and diet charts, Raymond adjusted his

black tie as the heat began to become unbearable, looking for Morgan's meal plan.

M. Lansdale was listed among the other prisoners, his weekly regimen demanded a

strictly high-protein diet. It was sandwich Tuesday; he was going to have turkey.

Even in a cage, Morgan still received special treatment.

Raymond scoffed at the menu, turning around to look for available trays.

"Krudup, right?" a cook called over to him from a stove, stirring a pot.

"Yeah." Raymond took a moment to respond, bringing the brim of his cap lower to hide

the top part of his face. "His highness' meal is right there, by the tuna surprise." The

blonde scoffed, pointing the ladle she held towards the far left counter.

Raymond quirked an eyebrow at the sarcastic remark, quickly realizing that Morgan

wasn't too keen on making many friends during his stay here.

"I'll bring it to him, then." He responded as he picked up the off-white tray, turning to

leave. "The bastard had the balls to tell me that the chicken was too dry last Thursday;

Feel free to give it a nice seasoning, if you know what I mean." She cackled after him.

A seasoning was in order, indeed, but it wasn't of the organic variety.

When he was a good distance away from the doorway leading to the kitchen, he sat the

tray down on a table before pulling out a small vial.

Lifting up the top half of the sandwich, Raymond poured the white powder onto the

condiments before setting it back in place, pouring the rest of the contents into the mug of

coffee. He went through all the trouble to get this far, and he wasn't going to leave

anything to chance. Putting the bottle back into his pocket, Raymond picked the tray up

once more and carried it out of the cafeteria, making his way up a flight of stairs.

Finally reaching the third floor, Raymond walked along the silent hallway, his eyes

scanning the line of white doors. Having found the door with the bold 312 printed

across, he slid the small slot door aside before holding the tray out through the opening.

A creak from the cot on the other side was soon followed by footsteps, a wrinkled hand

taking the tray from the redhead's waiting grasp.

"You're late again, boy, don't they teach punctuality in the academy anymore?"

Morgan's voice spoke quietly with an air of arrogance, causing shivers to run up

Raymond's spine. He slid the small door shut without another word, walking away a few

paces before crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

After all these years, the former Commissioner's voice still made his skin crawl.

The elder man had held much authority, yet he still felt the need to assert his dominance

over the less empowered. Although, no one in the FBC had been certain if it was his

eerily eloquent voice or the hard features that were carved in his face; but they knew that

there was something off about him that always made everyone uneasy.

Raymond had never liked his boss to begin with, finding the other man both

unsettling and insufferable when it came to his ego and the way he carried himself.

The man's cold blue eyes always seemed to tear into his soul rather than make

simple eye contact. However, there was a time when Raymond appreciated the one

inspiring quality that made him look up to Morgan like a mentor-wisdom.

Morgan had been a general in the military at one time; he knew first hand what true

animosity and carnage imposed on the world.

He had seen what deprivation, loss, and self-destruction did to people.

Raymond, as well as others in the FBC and in congress, had believed that his experiences

would have driven him to find more effective solutions to prevent more suffering.

In a bizarre, almost surreal twist, he had dispelled his morals and replaced

them with brash strategies and selfish goals.

For whatever reason Morgan had that made him believe his actions were justifiable did

not excuse the crime, far too many people had died under his command.

And now, karmic justice was being served.

An onslaught of gruff coughs broke the silence, just barely muffled by the steel door.

Raymond was startled from his reverie by the sudden noise, glancing at the wall that

divided the two men. Curiosity got the better of him, the need to be certain enveloping

him, opening the small slot and looked inside the cell.

Morgan was curled up in the fetal position on his bed, trembling as the poison coursed

through his veins and began shutting down his vital organs.

Consuming arsenic was a long, painful death.

Regardless, it still wouldn't mount up to the fear and agony that his fellow men felt.

His conscience whispered that he should shoot him, put him out of his misery.

Morgan Lansdale deserved just as much sympathy as he gave-None.

It had taken ten minutes, but it felt as though it dragged on forever only for it to end in

mere seconds. Morgan became still, a raspy breath passing his lips.

All was quiet, too quiet.

Justice had been done; the closure was hollow and bittersweet.

Raymond closed the small slot; the squeak it made as it scraped on rusted metal echoed

throughout the lonely hallway.

He finally gave himself permission to turn and leave, walking back downstairs.

Now, more than anything, he just wanted to leave.

He felt watched, eyes boring into his flesh as he made a calm retreat back to the visitor's

lounge. Once he was past the border that divided the caged and the free, he all but leapt

into the supply closet to retrieve his bag of clothes, closing the door and making his way

outside to the courtyard.

Raymond continued his steady pace towards the parking lot to avoid raising suspicion,

feeling as if he couldn't have gotten out of there fast enough.

At long last, he made it to his car and tossed the trash bag into the passenger's seat,

shutting his car door and tossing the officer's cap onto the floor before starting the

engine and pulled out of the parking lot, picking up speed once he was out of range.

As far as he knew, his mission had been a success.

However, there was still one more thing he had to take care of.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Five Days Later…

After some thorough investigating, Raymond had managed to pinpoint the location of the

remaining samples of T-Abyss, as well as the foolish idiots who bought them.

He hadn't expected them to be as far as England, his worst fear of the viruses already

being sold globally coming true. If there were some in Britain, he wondered where else

they were being sold.

If it ever managed to somehow spread into the ocean, the world would be finished.

That was why he was conducting this operation, to put a stop to the production of

viruses-starting with T-Abyss-and ultimately obliterate Tricell.

He drove in the darkest of night, thankful that as he got closer to the beach the traffic

became more scarce-fewer witnesses.

There was a strict protocol that he followed and it had taken time to perfect,

now able to reap more and more beneficial results.

If he kept this steady pace, he may be able to weed them all out way before

his hair starts to gray.

A lone factory came into view as he pulled into the parking lot, shutting off the engine.

Raymond took out his magnum and slowly walked down the slope leading to the beach,

his feet sinking in the sand up to his ankles. He knew that this particular terrain could

both work for and against him-if someone were to attempt to escape it would be that

much more difficult with the sand sucking on their shoes, and vice versa.

Unfortunately for the buyers, he wasn't planning on running away.

As he approached the building, he could see that there were some lights on.

But that wasn't what alerted him to people being inside.

There was screaming.

There were gunshots, and from the sounds of it, they weren't hitting their mark.

He was too late, the virus had broken out.

Raymond broke into a run for the main door, throwing it open and slamming it behind

him to prevent the creatures from getting outside.

'Amateurs…'

"Shoot, damn it!" he heard a male voice cry, followed by another string of curses.

"Why the hell didn't Richard get us the good guns?" another grumbled bitterly.

Raymond kept close to the wall, sliding along the smooth surface until he peeked out

around the corner, spotting three young men.

He was shocked that the buyers of T-Abyss were so young, barely his age when he had

joined the FBC. It was obvious they were inexperienced, their handguns doing little

damage. What caught his eye next was a type of BOW, one he had been familiar with.

A giant chunk of flesh on two legs slowly lumbered closer to the men, swelling up as

their bullets pierced its body. He had been too late to warn them, the grotesque

monstrosity blowing up to twice its size before exploding, covering the trio in crimson

liquid. "Oh, great…" the redhead muttered, watching as they doubled over in pain.

He couldn't be certain if they were suffering because of the impact of the explosion or if

they had been infected and were beginning to mutate.

Either way, he didn't have a vaccine with him and he had no choice but to put them

down. Making this as painless as possible, he took aim at each of their foreheads and shot

a single bullet into their skulls. Stepping over the corpses, he continued down the narrow

hallway. He walked into a room that was full of stacked crates and groups of oil

drums, a long table set in the middle that was littered with papers.

Upon closer examination, there were broken glasses and vials, possibly the virus itself.

The papers were a mess of ink and a red mixture that was impossible to tell apart from

blood. Raymond could only assume that this must've been where they made their plans.

The entire building smelled of fish, now mixing with copper as he got further inside.

A cry caught his attention and he quickened his step, jumping back in surprise as

something was shot at him. Peering around the corner, he saw a new type, one that

appeared to have the ability to shoot bones from its arm.

'They can shoot now?'

This gray skinned creature sported horns and a single eye in the middle of its face, its

right arm a mass of bones protruding from a thin layer of skin.

As he waited for the right opportunity to take a shot, the creature took notice of its prey

from a moment ago. A boy laid groaning on the ground, holding on to his chest as it bled

profusely. The towering figure raised its right arm above its head before swinging it

down to crush the boy's head, its spikes spearing through his skull.

Raymond blinked in shock at the gory sight, his gun aiming right for the eye just as the

creature pulled out its appendage and gurgled in victory.

It released a muffled groan as it collapsed from the impact of the bullet, its body

beginning to resemble a bag of water as the bullet hole released pressure.

Raymond grimaced at the sight and continued further into the building, stepping over

another victim that had a sharp bone protruding from his chest-another target shot down

by that bizarre mutant. Hearing more gunshots in the distance, he ran through the hall

until he reached an open door. Inside, he saw two young men, one with black hair and

wore camouflage while the other had brown hair and wore a leather jacket.

The pair were trapped between two pursuing creatures and a wall.

If he didn't hurry, he would lose vital information on who sold them the virus.

One of the towering creatures with spiked riddled arms got to the raven-haired man first,

its mess of teeth pulling apart until a tube like appendage sprung from its mouth.

The camouflaged boy cried out as the 'tongue' latched onto his neck, beginning to suck

blood out of him. "Aghh! Get off me, you bloody bastard!" he yelled as he attempted to

push it off, knocking it back enough before breaking into a run and dashed out of the

room. "Tori! Tori, don't leave me here!" the brunette yelled after him desperately,

continuing to fire at both figures until his gun clicked empty.

The boy's fingers trembled as he struggled to pull a spare clip from his pocket, dropping

it on the floor. Raymond shot both creatures in the head, walking into the room

fearlessly after they collapsed onto the floor in a tangled heap.

"Ah, thanks mate, you-" the sentiment was cut short as Raymond grabbed the shorter

man's shirt, forcefully shoving him back into the wall and held him in place.

"Who sold you the virus?" he spoke sternly, his eyes narrowing.

"What?" the brunette's eyes widened in shock at his savior's sudden change in attitude.

"Those red vials. Who gave them to you?" he asked again, bringing their faces closer.

"Uh-, R-Richard found this guy…I never saw him-" he winced as Raymond pulled him

away from the wall only to slam him against it again. "Give me a name." He ground out.

"Okay, okay!" the brunette held his hands up defensively.

"I think Richie said his name was Thomas Phillips. Yeah, that's it." He nodded, gulping

at Raymond's intense stare. "How did he get it?" the redhead loosened his grip a bit.

"I don't know. All I know is his name and that Richard somehow met him through a

phone call. I never knew the bloke, alright?" he answered, his hands attempting to pull

Raymond's hand off his shirt completely.

"I didn't even know what this shit was until those bollocks dropped the glasses. It got

everywhere, then they started changing…If I had known this would happen, I would've

talked them out of it." The brunette spoke softly, his eyes drifting downwards.

Raymond's gaze softened, his resolve faltering at the pitiful youngster's face.

The brunette was so young; he could've been Raymond's younger brother.

He had no idea what this virus was, how much damage it could cause.

The revelation of an entire cruise ship being overwhelmed with the hell spawn probably

would've destroyed such a blissfully ignorant mind.

He so desperately wanted to deem him as innocent and release him.

Looking down at the brunette's left arm, he saw teeth marks and blood stains.

It was no longer his choice.

If he was infected, there was no cure on hand to treat him; he couldn't allow the infection

to spread to the rest of the population.

"I'm sorry…" Raymond sighed regretfully before taking the butt of his gun and

slammed it into the side of the brunette's head, knocking him unconscious.

He fired a shot into the shorter man's head, killing him painlessly.

Turning around, refusing to look down at the body, he left the room.

"Braaaaad…Soooorry…" a distorted voice gurgled, a door rattled as something on the

other side bumped into it. Judging from the fragments that resembled a human voice,

Raymond realized that it was Tori. The coward must've ran into a closet to hide before he

turned into one of those creatures. The doorknob remained undisturbed, regardless of

Tori's attempts to exit. Looking around the room, he noticed that there were gasoline

tanks that he could use to set the place on fire, having run out of explosives.

Grabbing one tank, Raymond took off the cap and began pouring the clear liquid onto the

floor, starting with the bodies and the front of the closet door.

Uncapping two more tanks, he walked through the hallways as he dumped the accelerant.

With one canister left, he poured a trail that went from the main door to a few feet away.

Taking a lighter he found inside, he flicked the wheel and touched the flame to the

soaked ground, turning around to leave as the trail ignited.

The trail of flames ate up the accelerant and made its way into the building, slowly eating

away at the corpses and walls. Within a few minutes, chunks of the building caught fire

and crackled as the flames ate away at wood and stained metal.

Raymond wasted no time in hurrying back to his car, sand kicking up as he ran up the

slope. Getting inside, he started the engine and sped away.

The inferno grew, becoming a beacon in the darkness.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

One Week Later - Present Day

Raymond sipped at his glass of gin, his fingers massaging his scalp as his face rested in

his hand. He couldn't remember how long he had occupied this bar, or how many drinks

he's had, and he didn't care. After having that heated argument with his lover, he had

decided it would be best to give the both of them some space to calm down.

But he realized some time ago that it had been a mistake to flee, being left alone to his

thoughts. Parker had confronted him with the belief that Raymond was the one behind the

recent murders of Jessica, Morgan and those college students at the factory.

The Italian was right, he was responsible.

Now that the brunette had learned the truth, it was very possible that he would disown

him. It would be a cruel, ironic twist to this whole scheme.

All along he had fought so hard to protect Parker, only to lose him.

In the beginning, it had been so easy to commit those murders, ridding the world of the

sub-humans that dared to create terrible monsters right under their noses.

However, he did feel a twinge of guilt for killing that one boy in the factory.

He was just a kid, he didn't know what he had gotten himself into.

Despite the emotional turmoil he experienced, he stuck to his plan and exterminated

anything and everything in what was now the empty shell of a building.

It had been the last straw, he hadn't realized it until a few days later as he remained in his

hotel room. Part of him wanted to find this Thomas Phillips and destroy him, continuing

with his vendetta. While the other part of him was appalled and in shock after what

happened in the course of two years-the monster he had become.

But then, a stroke of luck graced him in the form of Parker Luciani.

The man he adored, admired, and had believed he had lost forever, was sighted at a

restaurant. Two long, empty years, and the Italian suddenly came back into his life.

Although, he would be the one to point out that he had made the first move.

Raymond had followed Parker whenever he managed to find him on the street, never

certain where he worked or lived. Then, he finally gathered the courage to approach the

other man in a bar. It had been painfully awkward the first day, of course.

He hadn't expected to be offered to stay at his apartment, not even expecting to share a

drink with the brunette. He was almost sure that Parker would've socked him in the face,

given that they had parted ways in Malta.

But surprisingly, Parker had all but scooped him up and carried him home.

The day after had truly been a blessing, he treasured that moment in the park.

He had taken Parker by the hand, physically reconnecting their relationship.

When Parker reciprocated, going above his own expectations and made love, he was

filled with life once again. His soul had been whisked away when he met with Jessica in

Florence, but was restored when he bonded with the Italian.

In turn, the past two years had been erased, he could feel unrelenting happiness.

There was so much more openness between the two of them, nothing went unsaid.

For awhile, he had truly believed that he was going to start over with Parker.

Unfortunately, for as long as he can remember, he had never really been destined for

happiness. But just this once, he desperately wished that fate would work in his favor.

Then, his piece of heaven was crushed and he was slammed back down into reality.

He was a criminal, a murderer.

He couldn't remember a time when he despised himself more than right now.

Without Parker in his life, it held no meaning.

What was the purpose of life if he had no one to share it with?

Raymond chugged the remainder of his glass, getting up from his seat before stumbling

towards the door. Ignoring the protests to wait until he was sober to leave, he walked out

onto the streets with a sway in his step.

A swim sounded really nice right now…

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

If I could, I would cry tears of joy right now, but I'm too exhausted.

I worked on this chapter for two months, mostly all due to struggling with Raymond's

time spent on The Queen Zenobia. I hadn't meant to work on this chapter for so long, I

certainly didn't mean for it to take up 109 pages. Originally, this chapter was going to

feature Raymond after the Terragrigia Panic and what might've caused him to work with

Jessica, and then it was going to skip ahead to the murders.

But then, I thought that it would've been too short and it wouldn't have added any depth

to Raymond's character, so I decided to add more to the plot.

This was a really important chapter to the series, that's why it's so long.

But hopefully, the last five chapters will be no more than twenty pages or so.

I'm really proud of this chapter, I worked night and day in a freezing cold room-buying a

space heater definitely helped!

I'll admit, this chapter also killed a part of me because of how hard Raymond is

struggling with himself.

What I really enjoy about this story is that it asks one of life's biggest questions:

How is murder justified? Is it ever justified?

Also, the importance of this chapter's title (and Raymond's inner demons) is the much

argued origins of Lucifer. From what I understand, Lucifer was an angel who didn't share

the same beliefs as the other angels in heaven, and was cast out.

For Raymond, I do believe (at least in Revelations, anyway) he dirtied his hands to

correct a wrong. He's not necessarily evil, but not entirely good either.

I enjoyed writing this chapter, but I'll definitely need a break for awhile.

I hope you enjoyed it, I'm curious to hear what your opinions are.

Lin