Chapter 11- Cold Hands

Ada winced inwardly as the cols stethoscope touched her bare skin. It gave her goosebumps with every careful placement along her back and chest.

"Does it have to be cold every time or is that just an added perk?"

Doctor Christian Connors smirked at her as she slid her shirt back over her head. As soon as she felt the black silk slip over her freezing skin, she felt the goose bumps tingle warmly before evaporating into thin air.

"Sorry, I can't help it being cold, although I wouldn't expect the Ice Queen herself to shiver at something like a stethoscope."

"Have you ever met somebody that hasn't, Ice Queen or not?"

"Come to think of it, no. Point taken."

"Don't worry about it, I just hate examinations. At least you have cold instruments and not cold hands."

"That's because I have a warm heart Miss Wong, which is why I'm a doctor for this company and not a cold-blooded killer. I honestly don't know how you do your job."

"You get used to it."

Ada partly lied to herself then. A part of her enjoyed being the highly skilled spy and secret agent she was known and respected as, and couldn't imagine herself doing anything else. But honestly, the other part of her hated that her job involved killing perfect strangers. Yet it almost worried her that it got harder and harder for her to kill lately. She never resorted to unnecessary violence - some situations need to be handled a little more delicately, but when the situation called for it, conscience was something she couldn't afford to develop.

"Make yourself comfortable Miss Wong; I'll be with you in a moment."

Ada sat on the comfy padded chair in front of his desk as he began typing the results of his examinations into his computer. He seemed to be examining her medical history. Ada smiled nervously as all of her recent viral screenings flashed up on the screen, most of them for killer zombie viruses and parasites. He simply smiled back at her and continued typing. Doctor Connors had a roguish grin when he smiled, a lot like somebody else she knew. He was pretty handsome for an older guy, and Ada wondered why he was still single at his age. After all, he had the whole tall dark and handsome thing going on. He reminded her of George Clooney, only George Clooney suited his stubble.

"So… what's up Doc?"

"Nothing as far as I can tell. Physically you're in great shape – in fact, your stamina and reflex systems are above normal. Your vitals and stress levels are all normal, although your blood pressure was a little high. But that alone shouldn't be causing your migraines and blackouts.

"I feel absolutely fine, I haven't made any dramatic changes to my lifestyle, I'm still eating well and exercising regularly. I have no idea what could be causing these attacks."

"Hmm, I've taken a blood sample, so I'll do some tests and let you know if I find anything. You do know that I can't clear you for a mission unless I get a Veto from the higher-ups in The Corporation. I suggest you don't let Albert Wesker know about this; it's vital that you stay in full contact with him as long as necessary."

"Yeah, don't remind me. Well, thanks for your time Doctor. I hope I won't be back here anytime soon. Oh and if you don't mind me saying… lose the stubble, it makes you look older than you are."

He smiled at her and tilted his head in a respectful nod as she exited his office without looking back. Ada sighed. She hated doctors, and she hated physicals. What she hated more was having to suffer the process only for there to be nothing beneficial for her whatsoever. Luckily for Ada, the physical examiners who worked for the Corporation were the best that money could buy. If there was something wrong with her, they would find it, and they wouldn't stick her with a couple of antibiotics either.

Ada walked through the busy halls of the medical sector and took a right towards the elevators. She shuddered inwardly as her finger passed over the button for the laboratory floor. She hit the ground floor button and felt the warmth of the working technology as it scanned her fingerprint.

"Good morning Agent Wong"

The automated female voice greeted her as it accepted the command and guided the elevator to the ground floor. She was 21 floors underground, so she decided to fix her lipstick while the elevator worked its way up. When the doors finally opened and the female voice told her she was on the ground floor, she stepped out and made her way down the empty corridor that led to the hotel reception. She scanned her fingerprint and entered the code that opened the door to the civilized world. She smiled at the girl behind the desk as she brushed past all the unsuspecting members of the public that thought she was a member of staff.

"See you tomorrow Kim." The girl smiled at her.

"Have a good shift hun."

The two didn't know each other, but for the sake of The Corporation (and herself) she thought it was best to keep up pretenses. She reached the elevator and pushed the button that took her up to the Executive suites on the top two floors.

To think I used to be scared of these things.

A small beep in her bag caught her attention. She was alone, so Ada took out her PDA and pressed the answer button. Sure enough, Albert Wesker's face greeted her, cold and unnerving as ever. His sinister voice glided through her earpiece with its usual over annunciating tone.

"Good morning Ada"

"Wesker"

"I see your PDA signal was unattainable yet again. Perhaps you have something to hide? Or is it that you do not want my face to be the first one you see on such an early morning?"

"A little bit of both. Girls gotta have some secrets, and I've had warmer greetings from a self destruct system."

"Indeed. Still, even you aren't as ignorant not to realise that your PDA signal being out of range will keep me from knowing certain secrets."

"Of course, even I'm not that cocky. But don't worry, I'm not doing anything you wouldn't get up to on such a lovely morning. Just taking care of business."

"As I intend you to Miss Wong. I have a birthday gift for you. It is waiting in your suite when you arrive."

The elevator pinged for the top floor and Ada stepped out into the corridor. Her real birthday wasn't for months yet, which meant good old Albert had a fun little assignment for her. A smile spread over her lips as she realised what her 'present' most probably was.

"I can't wait to see what you got me."

The muffled steps of her heels hitting the soft carpet quickened as she neared her room.

"I trust it will be to your liking."

"It usually is. I expect nothing less from you, Wesker."

"Many happy returns."

The screen faded to black instantly, ending the transmission. Ada unlocked her door and stepped into her apartment, eyeing the package immediately. The tag had only one word in looped writing:

Kimberly

Ada opened the parcel to reveal what she had expected; a sniper rifle. The H&K PSG1 rifle used 7.62 x 51mm NATO rounds and held up to 20 rounds with the removable box. Ada was quite impressed with the standard; the PSG1 is considered the most accurate semi-auto in the field and is only used by the most elite forces. Even the scope had a zoom of up to 600m, which would make any target hard to miss. However, Wesker had only provided the standard 5 round magazine, which meant there was a pair of targets or one target, and he didn't want her to miss.

Ada assembled the rifle and turned on her PDA, selecting the current briefing file. Her eyes flicked over the screen but stopped when they reached the name of her target and understood the need for the heavy artillery.

Leon Scott Kennedy.

Leon sighed and turned over, taking half his quilt with him. He shivered slightly to the exposure of cold morning air. It was just after 9 am and he had barely gotten a wink of sleep all night. He had wandered off to bed soon after discovering Ada's little parting gift from last night, which now rested on his nightstand. It had been roughly 3 am when he finally hit the hay, yet as tired and exhausted as he was from the nights' events, Leon just couldn't manage to drift off. He knew exactly why of course.

Better the Devil you know I suppose.

Well over 24 hours without sleep wasn't doing his brain any good; he tried counting backward from ten, he tried counting the patterns on his ceiling – he'd even tried counting sheep for Christ's sake, but till he managed to relate it back to Raccoon, Spain, and her. Figuring he could use a little less inspiration, Leon hid the lipstick-marked napkin under his pillow so no matter where he looked, he couldn't see it. Just thinking about the night they spent together here a few nights ago – on this very bed and then comparing it to that heart-aching night he lost everything back in Raccoon. It was more than any man could take. The only reason he kept relating back to those two occasions, in particular, was that they were the only times he had seen the real Ada Wong. And there was no mistake; she was defiantly worth dreaming about.

Leon yearned to know the real her more often, he longed to know her past, her present, her future, her mind, her personality, her body, her life. Of all the things people could possibly want in life; whether it be money, power, fame, world domination, a career, a family, love… Leon wanted none of it. He'd give it all to know the real Ada. Why was it that she only showed him the slightest of glimpses when she was at her weakest? Or sometimes, when she had no idea he was listening.

There was a slight shudder of cold as Leon's memory transported him back to the sewers of Racoon. The smell was suddenly stuck to his clothes and hair, that overpowering smell that invaded his senses. It smelt of death, of blood and sweat and other bodily fluids, of grime, dirt and raw sewage. He smelt the gunpowder and sulfur on his hands and uniform from the hundreds of bullets he had fired. It was so overpowering he could almost taste it as he lowered himself into the murky green water. Yet all he could see was her. That strange and mysterious woman.

She stood on the opposite platform, maybe 15 feet away. Yet it seemed like 10 miles as he trudged through the think grimy waters, his heart seemed to be throbbing in his shoulder and he felt the monster of a hole on his shoulder siphon the blood away from his body… and she just stood there watching him. Something in her face – the slightly shocked yet flattered expression she wore seemed to draw him closer as if he was hypnotised. He struggled to keep himself and his gun above water, yet with every second he held her gaze he had reason to stay surfaced. He finally felt the cold surface as his hand slapped against the concrete, and with all his strength, he pulled his entire body weight out of the water, the added weight of his soaking uniform weighing him down like a ton of bricks.

The woman, Ada, still stood perfectly still, refusing to even help him up as he struggled to rise to her level. It was as if she wanted him to make the effort to come to her. He found her incredibly selfish, stubborn and arrogant, yet still found the need to impress her, protect her, even please her. The strain of the crocodile battle beforehand had taken its toll, along with his bullet wound, and his strength finally gave. He felt a rush of blood from his head and his knees buckled at their own will.

"Leon…"

"Ah… this bullet wound isn't making things any easier…"

"Shhh, quiet Leon, I'll patch you up."

That voice, soft and purring, almost like a lullaby, soothing him and sending him to sleep. His vision went to black yet his senses remained awake. He could feel her gentle touch as she carefully took his shirt off. Her hands worked delicately yet deliberately as she removed his white cotton undershirt tearing it into strips by the sounds. The cold hit him like a rush of wind, chilling him to his very core. He must have stirred somewhat, as Ada's warm hands pushed gently on his chest, making him lean against the wall. They lingered slightly longer than necessary; he felt a slight tingle when she took them away, the essence leaving him almost teasingly slow. She was muttering something to herself; Leon couldn't make it out properly as his hearing came and went.

"Still clean…almost hit bone… blood loss… tissue… pulse high but thready… delirious… money… need a raise…stupid cop… heroic… maybe I was wrong…"

She worked quickly and professionally, wrapping the strips of fabric around his shoulder and chest. She lifted him ever so slowly away from the wall to wrap the makeshift bandages around his back, placing him softly back against the wall and slipping his still wet shirt over his head. Leon tried to open his eyes, yet couldn't so much as manage that as mutter her name. After a few minutes, he felt his strength return; he could feel his hearing returning and his mind clearing. He now understood that he had passed out and was starting to come around.

"Aaaa… Aaaddd"

"Leon? Leon, I don't know if you can hear me… you were bleeding a lot and you blacked out, I had to use your shirt to… you can't hear me. Well, I owe you a new t-shirt anyhow. God… why did you do that? You really are stupid you know that? Saving my life twice… you don't even know me. Any normal cop would have let me run off on my own a long time ago. But you…Then again, none of the other cops I've met survived anywhere near as long as you. Maybe you do have brains… sorry. It's not every day I meet a heroic cop that's as stubborn as I am."

Leon tried to sit up properly, but couldn't manage more than a pathetic flail of his good arm. Ada didn't notice.

"I suppose I'm just trying to figure out if you're more of a gift or a curse. The truth is I'm scared I'm not gonna make it out of this one. I've been on some suicidal missions in my time but this one… well, I've never actually thought about death before, even in my line of work. I thought I was going to die for sure when that bitch fired at me, but the way you threw yourself in front of that bullet, without a moment's thought, no-one has ever done anything like that for me before. I guess you're not just some headstrong cop trying to impress me after all. "

Leon opened his eyes; she was facing away from him, cuddling her legs into her chest and staring into the murky sewer water. She seemed to be shivering slightly. He felt his speech return to him but decided to remain quiet for now.

"God knows I could use a knight in shining armor right about now. In fact, you might do a decent job. If only I didn't have to… the truth is I'd like nothing more than to escape here with you. Maybe you could even whisk me away to some tropic beach where nobody would ever find us and you could protect me, and I'd protect you in turn. It's a shame we can't really, and I was just getting to know you."

Leon decided he'd heard enough. He began to sit up slowly, making as much noise as possible to let her know he was back with her. She stood up and spun to face him in one fluid motion, rather gracefully Leon noticed. She immediately began inspecting his bandages, but he noticed she was really just playing with the frayed edges of the cotton.

"That's two I owe you."

Leon could swear he saw a tint of pink in her cheeks. He thought about giving her a piece of his mind like he did at the sewer entrance, telling her she was reckless to run after a strange lady with a gun, that it was disrespectful and cold-hearted of her to leave him on his own when he'd been shot, and then got herself into trouble yet again. He thought about it but realised she was in the same boat as him, and despite her cold exterior, she was only looking for a way out, just like he was.

"Don't mention it."

"I had to tear your shirt up to make those bandages, I didn't want it getting infected and you were losing a lot of blood. I hope that's comfortable enough, I've never really done this before."

"No. it's fine, they're tight but not restrictive. You did a good job. Thanks."

There was a long silence as they both looked at each other, filling the space between them with everything they wanted to say to each other. Ada broke the gaze first, staring at the floor.

"I just found out…John's dead."

"What?"

She said nothing, she merely sighed and turned her back on him.

"Never mind. Let's just get out of here, the sooner the better."

It's weird… she doesn't even seem sad, more like it was expected in the first place. But if she knew he was dead, why would she come here to look for him? Surely the news of her boyfriend's death would have upset her a little more than that though?

Ada stepped up the ladder in front of Leon and proceeded to climb. Leon paused on the bottom rung, his hands resting on the cold steel. She didn't even stop to check if he was okay, she just assumed he would follow in his own time. All this mystery surrounding her and her reasons for being here; he had no reason whatsoever to believe she was who she said she was. Yet Leon still had every urge to find out just who she really was. Ada was now near the top of the ladder, and as Leon laid a hand on the next rung, he had no objections to following her to the top without looking down.

Leon snapped his eyes open. He was sweating and felt disorientated from his sudden awakening.

What an odd part in a dream to be shocked out of…

He had a strange feeling that said his instinct was trying to tell him something. Sure enough, a second later his cell phone began ringing. He reached in his pants pocket, that lay on the floor and answered the phone before the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Leon, I don't have much time to explain, so just listen and don't ask questions."

"Ada?"

"You need to get out of your apartment as soon as humanly possible. I'm being watched, I'm coming over and when I get there you had better be gone. I'll meet you at the Washington monument in around 40 minutes, take a weapon with you and I'll explain everything when we meet."

"Ada, what…"

There was a click as Ada hung up.

Great! Just my fricking luck!

Reluctantly, Leon began loading his 9mm handgun and VP70, harnessing them along with his combat knife and throwing on some old pants and a jacket. Cursing under his breath, he left his apartment, climbed into his Jeep and started the engine, hoping that whatever shit she had gotten him into didn't involve him staring down the barrel of a gun or running for his life.