Ada had set the bombs in place at the first locale, and that same music floated freely along the tunnels in an effort to distract her from her course; they seem to vibrate through out the underground complex.
Not a moment too soon, she heard the small explosion behind her; it was right on schedule. Having locked up the entire place by barring the metal doors, it was taking all her effort to hurry the hell up, and if she didn't carry with her those herbal remedies which sustained her stamina, she'd surely need more than meager medical attention.
As she casually set her pace at a steady speed along the thickened grating floor, she doubled over, held on to her side, as if in pain. A sharp stab was felt on her side, as if she ate a big meal and ran a lap right afterwards. Cursing inwardly, she gritted her teeth, angry at the slow rate she had to pace down to; her usual quick strides, which made her faster than her superiors or equals, were well known.
Having none to eat for awhile save for those herbs gave her reason to feel the inferiority of her human limitations. When Wesker had called, she was slightly relieved, and found to her disconcertment that there were more keys to retrieve.
She had to find more of those pesticides fast. Really, she scoffed, angry with her pause, it's not like I haven't been in worse situations. The 2nd locale was found as she looked up. Still underground, the entry doors led to another tunnel that reached upward, and from there it looked liked she would either infiltrate through since there were two gates. These gates provided access to a shorter section of the tunnel. Both of them were blocked off by metal wires.
Climbing into the tunnel entrance, she noted the gate to the right – a void of pitch black welcomed her vision.
She could hear the sound of steam from the other end of the tunnel. Taking out one of her flares and noting that there were only two left, she shook her head and thought of the upcoming three more red dots on the map. A flare, she wisely decided wouldn't do in such close corners, and searched vainly in her small attaché case for something else. A pen light. Clicking the tiny piece of haven in the darkness, she didn't even see the large cavity that was descending on her.
--X---
The "Organization", as Ada put it, opened up Miss Wong's sent file. As they scanned it over, the person in question who went over the information tapped a finger over the recorded message. The tracing confirmed her voice and signature of the report:
Report I: Albert Wesker:
As you may all be aware by now, and as far as I can tell, Albert Wesker hadn't caught on as of yet of my close affiliation with 'S'; however, he's not a fool. Previously, our connection with one another extends as far as the incident before the outbreak in Racoon City years ago. As I've already contacted you of Miss Graham's abduction from Jack Krauser a few months ago, and as pre-planned, everything had gone smoothly to the end. Bringing Leon S. Kennedy into it was the best route. I made sure that no harm would come to him, and as long as he could fight on his own - which to my observation, he has vastly improved; he's the man for your job and his survival is crucial. But, I could not help but change a few plans of my own.
I don't regret the decision I had to make by the personal relationship I willingly ventured with Albert Wesker. Unlike the previous boyfriend to acquire vital information by pretending to care for him, Wesker proved to be more worthy as a personal partner, giving more clues and hints to me about his future goals. Yet, unfortunately, those clues leading to his final goal, which are resurrecting the New Umbrella, retrieving all the rare samples connected to the G-virus, and among others, are still in question.
Why? Because as much as we've attempted to spoil his plans, he has within his grasp, many connections to many scientists and viruses that he's acquired and developed relationships with over the years. There is a clue, which I would like to inform you, of a daughter from Dr.O'Neil that could benefit this investigation. My advice? Finding her could be a trace in connection to Dr.O'Neil's condition and to Wesker's past.
Report II: Jack Krauser:
It is no doubt that my future contacts with the former American Soldier will prove more harrowing than our last meeting. I had presumed him dead, as planned, but disappointingly, some cockroaches cannot die.
It should be noted that our future together would be without uncertainty a fight to the death. Since I have studied his moves, I was able to take him down beforehand on our last mission, although not without some serious scratches. If any of you are concerned, not to fret, I feel with the grace of a woman's intuition that he'll pause because Wesker would not allow for me to die….at least not yet.
As for the relationship of Wesker, myself and Krauser, it's pretty much on eggshells. Wesker for some reason trusts me, beyond all others, despite the fact that I've betrayed him. I think this goes to prove that my nature caused him to admire that aspect. But make no mistake; Wesker's trust on me is on thin ice. Krauser has yet to reveal that I was the one who put him out of commission, at least as far as I'm aware.
Wesker will always find Krauser's presence more of an expense, but at least Krauser knows whose side he's on to feed his craving for that arm of his. Conservative minds do have the way to preserve order, unluckily for him, his mind warped years ago.
There's no need to be troubled by the likes of a military grunt like him, he'll prove his worth to Wesker again, just like a good obedient soldier.
Report III: Madre-Falls Research Facility; man-made peninsula for a government sanctioned greenhouse for unusual and rare plant species.
My findings on the Isthmus proved to be satisfactory for now. I have met the good doctor, O'Neil, as he goes by, and by his extended stay on the facility underground, he had acquired a strange and unusual virus. Much is unknown about this at this time, as you may have guessed and that the government itself has not been informed as of yet – the small outbreak among the premises underground. Note that above ground, nothing seemingly is out of the ordinary. You're also aware that the head scientist, O'Neil has been keeping these findings a great secret. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. Perhaps he is using this as a way to experiment and find a cure to reverse the effect.
There have been others too, other former human beings on the premises that have converted into less than human. Nothing like Dr.O"Neil, but more like creatures in plant form ready to defend their territory and much to my disconcertment as well as yours that I have to eliminate them if they attack.
Jack Krauser was given the task to send over the doctor to a private facility. That facility you probably know is connected to one of Wesker's connections, albeit as well as yours. Do let me know if there is any trouble with Krauser on his way there? Or if I have to find myself confronting the American again, and if in case of the latter, I'll just have to take care of it.
I don't like to do extra paperwork.
-End message-
--X--
Ada swore inelegantly, pushed her body back violently as the plant's mouth grazed her shoulder and arms, nearly taking them off. With the TMP in her hand, she fired round after round, as like a machine gun – splattering bits and pieces of the plant debris away from her. The creature screeched a human sound, and popped like a balloon, with surprising force. What she didn't expect was the onslaught of feathery shards from within its gut.
It tried to fall over on her but Ada swung around and did a heavy kick into the dead plant with the heel of her combat boots, shoving it deep. The remains left soaked her boots with sap and plant goo, and that familiar disgusting smell of moldy cheese and gym socks weeks old and never washed filled the air.
"Ugh, I just don't get paid enough for this."
She then felt intense razor sharpness where the creature had stunned her. Along her shoulders and arms, the thick black material of her suit had ripped open, exposing her skin and the blood started flowing. Reaching up to stop the blood, she groaned, feeling quite dizzy. This feeling brought her mind to attention, realizing too late that the infection was through a contact by certain species. This type of plant with the gaping mouth possessed needles along its body; most particularly, the feathery shards inside the gut caused an explosion of pain so intense she nearly blacked out.
Paradoxically, as her body was on the verge of falling and her mind started to shut down, the chemicals the thing had injected in her bloodstream must have brought her back. Ada could feel something foul entering her body, like a tiny piece of germ that is detectable; it pushed her consciousness down and back even as it tried to claim most of her cerebral cortex.
Her first thought: contact Wesker. Tell him that something is inside the plant and by contact with an open wound, it would infiltrate the host. Not one to panic, she grabbed hold of herself, forced her mind to adjust to the pain.
Get a hold of yourself, Ada, you've died before, on the brink and Wesker gave you something to help you heal, renewed your body better than any normal human being. Now get the hell up and fight to live.
Ada sighed deeply, reached up with a shaky hand to wipe the light perspiration from her brow. The intense steam coming from the direction she was going made her aware that one of the pipes had broken or there was a leak. Bending forward from the pain, she checked quickly for any more remedial medicines that Wesker had packed for her. She was down to one.
This would tide her over, but she'd have to keep a much heightened sense of her next attacker if she is going to be seeing the next light out of this hellish complex. Time is not a luxury, Wesker would tell her, but she took the moment to lean exhaustingly back against the wall, taking the herb into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully.
Sometimes, she wished she were another person. She wonders in front of mirrors when no one is around who that person is, and sometimes she would by some stupid notion to feel sensation, force her dead emotions to come out.
She would then remember her childhood. It would be, from another viewpoint, considered as a terrible past. Perhaps. It is always different from person to person. She was privileged, always had been, with a mother she hardly knew and a father who was hard as brass. Affectionate but never soft. He felt that working hard, being ambitious, and driving to achieve to be the best were the things that are the vial of life.
But from her distant family's account of her mother, they would say that Ada's mother's was one of the wisest women they've the opportunity to know. She's classy, and that Ada herself took after that trait. They've never seen her slouch. Ada would smile faintly; the businessman her tough father was came from Asian descent, and was one of the smartest people she knew.
Her mother on the other hand, she could not say that she had more than just class as a common trait. Ada could never reach out to people and the light in her mother's eyes, the laughter she remembered as a child belonged to a woman that she herself didn't feel. The laughter was soothing, like wind chimes on a soft breezy summer day, while hers, were low keyed and sweetly sardonic. Her mother was humble, and like countless other women, she's had heartaches. Some of her emotional bruises come from mistakes she's made, and others have come just because she's lived. She's human.
Wesker was not human anymore at least not in the emotional department; nevertheless, he had acquired many of the human residual traits. He was undeniably strong, and she felt that strength when she was beneath him, taking him into her; she had felt the restraints he had to manage just so she would feel the wave of desire mixed with pain.
She was unattached, and so was he. Working together, and he having this 'odd affection' if one would call it that, proved to be in more ways than one, beneficial; he used her, taking every advantage necessary to prove to her that she needed him to survive.
He did save her life, even if that life served him.
Now her thoughts went to John…..poor John. A wave of pity washed over her, but she shoved them away. She knew what John was doing. He was just as corrupt as the others, just like Wesker, but one thing John had over Wesker, was that her previous boyfriend had made a final redemptive act. He tried to warn Ada of the seriousness of Umbrella's unethical experiments, wrote his last letter addressed to her: Expose Umbrella for what they were doing.
John was so serious in his final note, so full of bitter redemption, and why not? He had been turned into a zombie. He knew it was running into his blood stream, infecting him and he had seen first hand what the walking dead had done to him. John looked a bit like Wesker too, without the hard lines around his mouth.
Life was indeed full of ironies.
Did she even care? With that, she scoffed, a smirk on her lips, and pushed away from the wall. She was feeling loads better from the herbal remedy and started towards the 2nd locale, crept along the tunnel and turned off the steam engines that seem to be pumping with conduit electricity. Checking her map and files on the 2nd locale, she was glad that Wesker didn't want this area to be blown up. That would cause a major dent. Not to mention, she only had one other bomb in her case.
This locale was easier to infiltrate and to find the key. It was hanging off one smaller pipe above the utility tunnel's main steam room.
