Resident Evil: Tangled Web

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Author's Notes: This chapter was meant to be longer and focus on the entirety of the time Claire and Elliott spent on the run. But it hasn't been progressing very quickly for various reasons. I won't bore you all with the details or offer excuses, but I do hate that you've all been waiting so long for an update. I'll try to do better from here on.

On a side note, I've taken a hiatus from work for the next month due to the current pandemic. The state where I live quickly became a hot zone, so I will largely be confined to my house for thirty days. I will spend some of that time focusing on writing, so hopefully the next installment of Tangled Web will be right around the corner. Thanks to all who have stuck with this story.

To my reviewers:

Guest1 – Glad you're enjoying it!

Guest2 – You'll be surprised, I'm sure.

Ultimolu – Yes, that is never a good sign.

Wolfgirl2013 - 😊

TokaKirishima – Glad you love the story and the answer to one of those questions will be presented here.

AngelKings – I wouldn't classify it as cheating since Claire doesn't want to be feeling the way she does about Wesker. And no, she won't be shared.

One other note – This story now officially has an M rating. Sorry if this restricts anyone from reading it. And now, on with the show:

Chapter Thirty-Three

It was uncanny how hypnotic a rainstorm could be. Claire sat just to the left of the cave entrance wrapped in a blanket, her gaze fixed on the outside world. Elliott's words rotated periodically through her head: I asked RogueChild if some protection could be provided. During a conversation you weren't present for. I just—I didn't want you to find out like this.

Elliott came to sit across from her with a sigh, a mix of hope and fear at play in his eyes. "Can we please talk about this?"

She looked down at her hands. "I'm not stopping you," she said flatly.

He hesitated. "I'm sorry my timing sucks so bad. I don't like you being upset with me. Especially not when it's more vital than ever for us to be a team."

She fought to hide the turmoil stirred inside her by that statement. He thankfully didn't notice. After a long silence, she gnawed at her lip and looked at him. "No kidding your timing sucks! We've already lost our transportation and means of communication. What if—"

Elliott shook his head. "I refuse to think that way! Or to give up," he said firmly. "We were lucky enough to make it this far. There's no reason to think we won't make it home. The cards will continue to fall in our favor as long as we carefully plan ahead."

She shivered. "It would have to be a good plan if we're going to outmaneuver Wesker at this point."

He sighed. "As soon as the rain dies down, we start moving. Head east—as far and as fast as we can until nightfall."

"What then?"

"Set up camp for the night. Inside a cave if we can find one. Repeat the next day and keep going until we reach civilization." He scooted over to her side of the cave and looped an arm around her. "In the meantime—would it really be so terrible to think about taking our relationship to the next level?"

Claire paused. "We haven't even been out for a full day yet. Now's hardly the time to discuss this."

"I know. And I'm sorry for laying this on you. But—I'd like to at least explain where I'm coming from."

He took a deep breath when she nodded for him to go on. "Ever since we started talking about escape, I've done nothing but think about what would come next. Once we get picked up by your brother, our lives are no longer going to be our own. It will be a steady stream of interrogations, tests, reunions with our family and friends. Considering everything we've been through, it's going to take an insanely long time for things to get settled. We'd be better off making the most of what freedom we have while we can."

"Makes sense, I suppose," she said hesitantly.

He touched her face and gently tilted her head up until their eyes met. "Do you love me, Redfield?"

Her breath caught in her throat. There it is. He's giving you an out. Take it. The smart thing would be to say no and be honest with him about what had happened with Wesker.

The hopeful unassuming look in his eyes undid her. It's too soon, she thought. I can't hurt him like this. She blinked, steeled herself and lied through her teeth, "You know I do."

He half smiled. "I will never do anything to make myself unworthy of it. I won't even bring up sex after this moment. The only way we talk about it is if you're the one to broach the topic." He cleared his throat, his gaze drifting to the outside world. After a few seconds, he said, "It looks like the rain's letting up. Did you want to get moving again?"

She nodded and was silent while they got dressed, gathered up their belongings, and ventured out of the cave. They were a good distance away from their makeshift shelter when she felt a sting on her arm. She reflexively slapped the mosquito that had landed on her and stopped in her tracks once it registered.

Elliott turned to look at her. "You okay?"

Claire gulped. "Please tell me we have some bug spray."

"I think. Why?" He paused. "Mosquito bites should be the least of our problems."

"Ordinarily, I'd agree with you. But the T-Virus causes insects to turn into giant versions of themselves. And the last thing we need is a monster roaming around in our wake."

He sighed and bent down to rummage through his pack. He soon pulled out a can of bug repellent, handed it to her, and turned his back. "Just one more thing to keep track of, I suppose. Good thing RogueChild provided this and that we brought it along," he said lightly as she started spraying him. "Did you want me to douse you or do you got it?"

"Don't know. As far as I know, the G-Virus only affects humans. We should save the insect spray primarily for you."

"Fair enough." He paused. "We'll probably have to consider alternatives in case it runs out."

"Whatever it takes for us to make it." She rubbed her eyes as he put the canister away. "We should get moving again."

"Yeah," he agreed.


It was hard to find a bright side as the day wore on. As she and Raymond wandered back into the facility, Jessica's main concern was that a military team could even now be bearing down on them. On the elevator, she asked her partner, "Do you think we didn't try hard enough? Maybe there's something more we could have done."

"Don't go there, Jess. We didn't do anything wrong."

She shook her head. "Boss might not see it that way." She paused. "Who knows if he'll even continue to shelter us after this."

Raymond turned to look at her, but wasn't able to say anything before the elevator doors opened on the second floor. Her sharp intake of breath – at the sight of Dr. Yamata pointing a gun at them – was enough to alert him.

Before he could react, Dr. Yamata aimed at his upper leg and pulled the trigger. Jessica screamed and took a step back when the shot rang out. Her partner collapsed against the back wall of the shaft with a grunt. She was too scared to look at him to be sure he was alright.

Dr. Yamata stepped forward, a mean expression on her face that was made somehow worse now that the bandage covering her left eye was gone. The thick angry scar running diagonally across her face was painful just to look at. Jessica paled at the sight of the injury – this was her first time actually seeing the extent of the damage.

Jesus! Jessica thought. What the hell happened to her?

Dr. Yamata tossed an elastic band in Raymond's direction. "I'll give you time to cut the blood flow, Mr. Vester. Then we're moving."

Jessica gulped. "What are you going to do to us?"

Dr. Yamata chuckled. "Figures you would ask that, Miss Sherawat. Your fate depends on what Wesker has to say when he checks in. Our spies in the B.S.A.A. are watching for any sign that a rescue operation is in the works. Both of you better pray there isn't."

Jessica looked at Raymond when he grunted again – he had tied the elastic band pretty tightly around his thigh. The sight of the blood that had seeped through his jeans threatened to make her sick. Brings back memories, she thought ironically. Minus the bioterrorist attack we were trying to stop, this kinda mirrors how Raymond and me first met.

She instinctively went to his side when he stumbled and pulled his arm across her shoulders. Dr. Yamata stepped aside to allow them to exit the elevator and walked behind them as they made their way to the conference room. It was slow-going since Raymond was limping pretty badly even with the support.

It was even more unsettling to see Irving gagged and handcuffed to one of the chairs when they entered. Jessica bit back her fear when her partner broke away from her and groaned as he took a seat. Her legs threatened to give out before Dr. Yamata gestured for her to sit down.

The virologist went to the chair at the head of the table, sat, and rested her elbow on the tabletop. "Wesker will be calling at any moment," Dr. Yamata said. "If our location is jeopardized, he'll be holding all of you accountable."

Jessica's heart was pounding so much she was sure her companions could hear it. She gnawed at her lip and her hand snaked out to clasp Raymond's. She was oddly comforted to see he looked just as nervous as she felt. Is the boss really angry enough to order us killed in the worst-case scenario? she wondered.

Raymond shifted and groaned after half a minute, prompting Dr. Yamata to cock the gun. "Relax, doc," he said. "I'm not gonna try anything. Just need to remove the tourniquet for a moment."

The virologist nodded. "Go right ahead."

Jessica regarded her partner with wide eyes as he undid the elastic band. "Is that a good idea? You're still bleeding."

Raymond quietly answered, "If the blood flow's cut off too long, I could lose the leg. I'd prefer otherwise if we survive this."

Jessica nodded and bit her tongue to keep quiet. It seemed to take forever for the phone to ring. She tensed when it finally did.

"What have you found out?" Dr. Yamata asked right away upon answering. After a short pause, she said flatly, "How would you like to proceed? Yes, they're all here. Understood. I'll take care of it."

Much to Jessica's surprise, Dr. Yamata lowered the gun along with the phone when she hung up. "Miss Redfield, for whatever reason, has failed to get in touch with her loved ones. Meaning there's a chance to fix this."

"Fix how?" Jessica blurted out before she could stop herself. "We lost them. It's over."

Dr. Yamata's eyes narrowed. "Containment is possible if we move quickly, gamble and hope it pays off." She looked at Raymond. "To that end, let's see about getting you patched up."


December 25, 2007

As elated as he was that they'd broken out and had eluded capture, Elliott worried about Claire. After a couple miles spent walking, they'd settled in beneath a natural bridge by the riverbank—and only after she spent some time protesting that it was a too-exposed area. He was certain that the only reason she gave in was that arguing wore her out.

He awoke before she did, shifting slightly and groaning when he realized the pillow he'd lodged behind his head was no longer there. A glance at his fiancée kept him from moving too much—she looked so peaceful with her head resting on his chest.

His concern reignited when Claire twitched in her sleep. She tossed and turned several times before a moan and a soft murmured "No!" escaped her lips.

Elliott gently shook her. "Hey. Wake up."

Something like a yell escaped her lips when she opened her eyes. She looked positively wild when she focused on him. After a couple seconds, she took a deep breath and said, "Thank God. I thought…"

He cupped a hand behind her head. "It's okay. You're safe. Just a bad dream."

She nodded, an odd light in her eyes. "Nightmare, yeah. About Wesker."

"Want to talk about it? Might help."

Claire shook her head. "I just want to forget about him. Talking's not going to cut it."

There was an edge to her voice that almost made him frown, but he shook it off. "Fair enough." He paused and tried to think of a good topic. "Did you want fresh fruit or green beans for breakfast?"

"Green beans? Really?!"

"We're limited on choices. Unless you want to go hunt something."

"I'll pass." She sat up and stretched. "What time is it?"

He checked his watch. "A little after 5am. Speaking of which—Merry Christmas."

She blinked. "I completely forgot that was today."

"Then you'll forgive me for not giving you a gift?" he teased.

Claire chuckled. "I think I can let it slide," she joked.

Elliott smiled warmly as he ruffled her hair. After a couple seconds, he leaned closer with the intention of kissing her, only to be disappointed when she turned her head. She soon got to her feet by using him as a crutch and he let her. Hiding his frown, he thought, Be patient. She'll come around.


Even though she'd spent the night drinking and woke up with a hangover, Jessica couldn't resist opening another bottle in the morning hours. She had just poured herself a glass when Raymond spoke up from his spot on her couch.

"Getting plastered is hardly going to help, Jess."

"Don't care," she said as she lifted the glass to her lips. "Live like there's no tomorrow, right?"

He was up and at her side surprisingly quick considering he was injured. "Neither Dr. Yamata nor the boss are going to be happy if you're intoxicated," he said once he'd firmly gripped her wrist to stop her. "Like it or not, we're in this together. You die, I die. So you don't get to jeopardize our chances."

She jerked free but only to throw her glass against the wall. "Which shouldn't even be an issue! I didn't sign up for this shit, Ray!" She paused and let out a frustrated sigh. "Maybe we shouldn't have come back here after we called the boss."

He scoffed. "Great choice! Then the options would have been either getting hunted down and killed by Wesker or getting arrested by the B.S.A.A."

"Like this is any better?!" She ran a hand through her hair. "Yesterday made it perfectly clear how screwed we are. And how expendable. We might as well be prisoners here ourselves."

Raymond clenched his jaw. "Then we'd better make sure we stay in Wesker's good graces and make this right." He hesitated. "By the way, my leg hurts like hell! Thanks for asking!"

Jessica gnawed at her lip. "I'm sorry."

His gaze narrowed. "You can make it up by helping me out to the helicopter. The sooner we implement phase two of Operation Recapture, the better."

"An operation that'd be easier to pull off if the bitch hadn't shot you," she grumbled as she moved to his side.

He chuckled dryly. "Precautionary measure on her part. If I'd been in her shoes, I'd also have wanted to eliminate the possibility of being overpowered." He paused, then added, "Now let's get moving."


It was equally as difficult to cover much ground on a good day as a bad one. The sun beating down on them and the minimal shade was just as much a deterrent as the heavy rainstorm the day before. Claire wasn't sure how much distance they'd traveled before her fiancé insisted on seeking shelter in the shadow of an arroyo.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to try and relax. "How far away do you think we've gotten?"

"Between the boat and walking—has to be at least twenty-five miles."

"Not nearly the distance I'd prefer." Though she was determined not to think about Wesker, he still crept into her thoughts. "I wonder if he's come back from wherever he went."

"Maybe," Elliott said. "Assuming he was able to book a flight on Christmas Eve."

"I wouldn't put it past him. For all we know, he could have chartered a private plane—maybe even piloted it himself." She sighed. "Which scares me. He could already be after us."

He firmly grasped her hand. "Don't go there, Redfield. Even if he is back, there's no trail for him to follow. And Africa's a big place with lots of hiding spots."

She laughed ironically. "Maybe hiding's what we should do."

Elliott nodded thoughtfully. "That's not a bad idea."

She blinked. "Elliott, be serious."

"I am," he insisted. "It'd be like how we eluded Jessica and Raymond—we found something that couldn't be identified as a hiding spot from a distance. I'm sure if we really searched, we could find a place to hole up for a while. A cave, if we're lucky."

"And then what?"

"We lay low for a couple days. Make him sweat when he can't locate us. He'll have to pack up and leave his base of operations after so long. Even he won't take the risk of being there if he suspects the military will be coming."

Claire hesitated while she mulled this over. "That could work, I guess."

He chuckled. "Have a little faith, Redfield. It could very well be our best move under the circumstances." He paused. "I have enough serum to last three weeks. So it won't hurt us to stop for a short time."

She resisted the urge to flinch when Wesker's voice sounded in her head: He's quite the fool if he thinks this plan will actually work. Both you and I know better, dearheart.

She lightly shook her head to clear it and wondered how long it would take for her innermost thoughts to stop sounding like him. She locked eyes with Elliott and said, "Wesker's a very determined and crafty person. And given how fast he can move—hiding might not work."

He shrugged. "Has to better than traveling out in the open and praying we don't cross paths with him or his associates." He cupped her face in his hands. "I don't want to go back any more than you do, Claire. You know that, right?"

"I do." She sighed. "But it's hard to be confident with the setbacks we've already endured. RogueCh—Irving could have at least arranged for a backup plan for us."

"He couldn't have anticipated that we'd break the phone. In which case he did what he could," Elliott said. "So our options are either to keep running or wait out Wesker for a short while by hiding. What's it going to be?"

She remained silent while she weighed the choices. Both made her uneasy, but she opted for the one that felt safer. "We hide."


The most nerve-wracking part about searching for a decent hiding spot was being out in the open. But at least viewing the landscape through the binoculars RogueChild\Irving had provided helped them determine that the mountains in the distance were their best bet.

It took the remainder of the day to make their way to the base of the mountain. While Claire would have preferred to have the sun lighting their search, there was a greater benefit to the darkness – it made them harder to detect.

But then, she didn't know just how good Wesker's nighttime vision was.

As soon as that thought crossed her mind, it made her tense. Why would you even think that? She chided herself as she turned to survey the horizon.

Elliott sounded concerned when he spoke, "Claire. What's wrong?"

She cleared her throat. "Nothing. Just being paranoid."

It was slow going while they searched high and low for a decent place to hole up. After surveying several possibilities that were deemed unsuitable—either because of insufficient cover or because the cave in question was already occupied by the local wildlife—Claire got very frustrated. She was unsure what it time it was when they stopped to get some rest and she vented her feelings.

"This is hopeless. We're never going to find anything," she said after taking a sip of water. "What was the point of escaping if we're just going to get caught again?"

"Easy, Claire. And stop thinking the worst. There's no reason to believe—"

His positivity irritated her. "Shut it, Elliott! Stop pitching a bright side to all this!"

He recoiled and was silent for half a minute. He crossed his arms and said bitterly, "Fine. Then tell me what's the right way to cheer you up. Because I seem to be failing miserably at it."

"You want to make me happy? Then leave me the fuck alone!" she shot back.

He made a frustrated gesture with his hand. "Jesus, what the hell is wrong with you, Redfield? And don't tell me it's nothing. I'm getting tired of hearing that!"

"Back off, Elliott!"

"No. Not until you tell me what's going on. I deserve that much."

Claire wasn't sure why that statement pissed her off, but it did. "You seriously think you're deserving of anything?! You've barely done anything pertaining to getting us home!"

His hands curled into fists. "Are you kidding me right now?" He paused, turned red, and added, "We're out here because you wanted it! I didn't have to go along with this!"

She scoffed. For once, she echoed Wesker's viewpoint on the issue when it sounded in her head. "Which proves what a pathetic pushover you are."

Elliott flew at her with a cry of rage so suddenly she wasn't prepared for it. She was even more caught off guard when he roughly gripped her shoulders and shoved her against a nearby tree.

Claire bucked under his hands in an attempt to free herself. But he'd put on some muscle in the year they'd been held captive; she wasn't able to break his hold. And he had made sure that his stance prevented her from kneeing him in the groin. She narrowed her eyes and said, "Get off of me."

"Not until you apologize," he said heatedly. "I'm not putting up with your shit, Redfield. Especially not now!"

She struggled once more, but all that did was hike up her shirt. She grimaced when the tree bark scraped against her lower back. The smart thing to do would be to say sorry, but she was too pissed off to even consider it. "Or what? You'll run off on me again?" she challenged. "Go right ahead."

Elliott blinked in surprise, but didn't loosen his grip. He stepped closer, perhaps to better limit her movement, before he touched her face. "Claire," he said softly. "I would never leave you. I can't believe you think—"

"Yes, you will! Sooner or later, you will!" She writhed beneath him once more in a half-hearted attempt to free herself. Not only did the tree painfully scrape her bare skin, but her shifting and the way it melded them together was unintentionally provocative. Her breath caught in her throat when she felt him getting hard.

He shook his head and appeared at a loss for what to say. He opened and closed his mouth several times before he abruptly cupped her face in his hands and leaned down to catch her lips with his. The angle of the kiss made it both awkward and rough. But Claire didn't protest, only put one hand to the nape of his neck to pull him closer.

Once initiated, it became impossible for either of them to stop. She tilted her head back and moaned when his hands found their way under her shirt and he began to painfully knead her breasts. Even still, she didn't object—the roughness of it actually turned her on.

Her hands eventually snaked down and fumbled with the zipper of his jeans. Elliott came up for air at the motion, regarded her with a huge amount of desire and maybe a tinge of astonishment. He didn't say anything while she partially undressed him, but spoke up when she started to remove her own clothes.

"Wait," he said breathlessly, breaking away from her before she could say a word. She ached at his absence, her breath coming out in short, heated puffs as she watched him digging hurriedly through his pack until he produced one of the condom packets.

Her palms reached out to rub his chest when he returned to her, though he did take the time to tear open the packet with his teeth and put on the latex shield. "Please," she begged as though those few seconds of waiting might kill her. Lord, when did I become so wanton? she thought in some distant part of her mind.

He partially hoisted her against the tree and she angled herself to help guide him. Desire fully took hold the moment he was inside her. Though she suspected that Elliott was taking care not to hurt her, Claire had other ideas. She reached up to grasp a low hanging branch, simultaneously wrapping one leg around his waist. She matched his motion with her own to ensure that each thrust went as deep as it possibly could. And oh, the pain was so exquisite and drove her absolutely wild.

After so long, she tightened around him, her mouth open in a silent scream. She wasn't sure if he came at the same time, but that scarcely mattered with the name that crashed through her head as she orgasmed.

Wesker!


Elliott had been with several women before, but his first time with Claire was nothing short of mind-blowing. If anything, the intensity of their lovemaking exhausted them both. Seconds after they'd climaxed, they collapsed into a heap on the ground, just staring at each other while their respective panting slowed.

"Don't suppose you want to go again?" he said.

She shifted to rest her head on his chest. Several seconds passed before she said, "We still need to find a place to hide. I'd like to get moving as soon as we recover."

He bit back his disappointment and rubbed her shoulder. "Fair point. But until then, maybe we could talk."

Claire groaned. "Elliott, please—"

"Can we agree not to fight anymore, Redfield? Not saying I didn't enjoy the outcome this time, but—" He sighed. "I don't even know what I did that led to us arguing so much. And frankly, I don't care. It only needs to stop in light of our current situation."

He waited for several seconds and was poised to say something before she finally responded. "I can't promise there won't be any more fights," she said quietly.

Elliott sighed again. "Will you try for it at least? I don't see how we're going to make it home scot-free otherwise."

She didn't turn back to look at him. Though she sounded tired when she spoke, it was still reassuring to hear her say, "We have ourselves a deal."


Before they got dressed and started moving again, Claire made sure to administer another dose of serum to Elliott. They spent what felt like hours walking in spite of their weariness. She looked at her fiancé several times to acknowledge how fatigued he was. She commended him for not complaining or asking for a break.

Their ultimate lucky break presented itself when they'd ventured partway around the mountain. As they were passing by an alcove, Claire spotted a decent-sized white shack positioned by the mountainside on a flat stretch of land. She called for Elliott to stop before she started for the darkened structure.

She hesitantly knocked once she was at the door. No answer. Not even the sound of stirring inside. A second louder knock didn't change that.

Claire grasped the knob and turned it. A musty smell greeted her as the door creaked open. She eyed the cobwebs as she stepped in and said, "What are the odds we keep coming across abandoned structures?"

"Pretty consistent for Africa," Elliott said.

"How would you know?"

He chuckled. "Guess you forgot my dad used to bring me and my brothers here for hunting expeditions. I came to learn that Africa's a pretty volatile place in general." He shone his flashlight across the interior. "It is also possible that Wesker could have eliminated anyone he didn't want in the vicinity of his headquarters."

"I suppose." She glanced back outside and wondered if they might have found a good place to hide. "How well concealed do you think this place is?"

"Hard to say, but it's better than nothing." He paused. "Could easily be homey for several days if we clean it out. What do you say, Redfield?"

She shrugged. "Could work."

He was silent for a moment before he stepped close to touch her shoulder. "Forget I said homey. That was stupid… Safe's probably a better term. And maybe a decent place for another sexscapade," he said suggestively.

Claire looked at him, her eyes wide. She sighed after a couple seconds and said, "Too soon, Elliott."

He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "As long as you don't tear me a new one, we're all good." He looked ready to say more when a rumble of thunder reached them from the open door. At the sound, he grinned. "Another rainstorm. Guess some higher power is looking out for us."

She smirked. "Feel free to ask that higher power for a working phone."

"Don't have to. Either way, we're going home, Claire."

She shut her eyes, letting the words flow through her and imbue her with a sense of hope. With a sigh, she focused back on her companion as he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her.

"Merry Christmas," he said with a big smile.

Claire blinked. "Is that still today?"

Elliott chuckled. "Five minutes to midnight, so yeah." He gave her a squeeze and added, "Hope today was a good day."

With faked enthusiasm, she said, "One of the best."