straw man, a resident evil fanfic

Warnings: no beta, OOCness, English is not my first language, inconsistent tenses, i am very bad at prepositions, curse words, mentions of drugs and drug use, some alcohol-drinking, so many plot holes, suggestive themes/scenes

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.

A/N: I was gonna give this a third edit but my time is running out and I really need to mentally prepare for Dawnshard's and Rhythm of War's releases, so here you go ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I liked how this story started, the middle part is just a dumpster on fire, but still, I quite liked how it ended.

Please let me know of any errors so I can fix them!

If you're looking for horror, action, puzzle-solving, monsters, mutations, boss fights, and other standard RE fare, please look elsewhere. This fic isn't it.

November 3, 2020: Minor edits were made
April 21, 2021: Minor edits were made

14:28, October 5, 2013, Saturday
Redwood City, California

It wasn't until three months later that Leon S. Kennedy's path crossed with Ada Wong's again.

The last time he saw her, fire, rubble, and a chasm separated them, and his mind was still rife with confusion. Chris Redfield had told him that Ada Wong had died, yet there was Ada, sending Leon a message about leaving him a parting gift on the rooftop.

Later on, he had learned how exactly did Ada "die"—a bullet to her chest, and then a fall from a building's topmost floor to the ground. The last time Leon thought Ada died, she fell too, although instead of the concrete below, he thought Ada had fallen to the infinite darkness beneath the NEST lab back in Raccoon City.

He had learned the details of her supposed death from a BSAA report Chris had written. It seemed that Helena Harper didn't tell anyone of Ada's "resurrection," because there was no mention of an Ada Wong battling a mutated Derek C. Simmons in Chris's or Helena's report. All that was mentioned was that Ada Wong was responsible for the death of Captain Chris Redfield's squad and the bioterror attacks at Tall Oaks and Lanshiang, and that she was shot and then eventually fell to her death. The identity of the person who shot her or the people or group of people who ordered the hit remained unknown.

Leon didn't know what to make of it. Ada was still alive, that much was certain, but who—or what—was the woman that Chris saw die? Who, or what, was the woman—or creature—that Leon saw emerge out of that cocoon?

Who was Ada Wong? What was Ada Wong?

Leon wished he had answers, but getting straight answers out of Ada was like trying to extract water from a stone.

To the world, Ada Wong, founder of the now-defunct Neo-Umbrella, was dead. But to Leon, Ada Wong, a sought-after spy, was very much alive.

Because she was standing right before him.

Leon concealed his shock well.

"Good afternoon, handsome," Ada said in her usual sultry drawl, pen and notepad in hand. "What can I get for you today?"

Leon looked up from the menu. It was red and gold, much like the place and the uniform she was wearing.

Ada's nametag read Cathy. Her uniform was a red knee-long qipao with gold trimmings, with butterflies embroidered here and there. She had dark eyeshadow and eyeliner and was wearing a pair of red eyeglasses.

So Ada was working undercover. At Yiling Chinese Food caff. The same caff that Leon was told that his target frequented.

Great.

Leon didn't peruse the menu; he was too busy analysing his surroundings. Yiling appeared to be a normal if dingy caff. There was an old man at the table near the entrance, a couple three tables away from Leon's left, and a family of four near the register. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, save for the spy posing as a waitress in front of him.

Leon looked at the menu and picked the first item he saw. He looked Ada in the eyes and said, "A bowl of lotus root and pork ribs soup, please. And a glass of water."

Ada met his eyes while jotting down his order. "Anything else?"

"That would be all, Cathy."

Ada chuckled. "All right, handsome. I'll be back with your drinks."

Leon watched her saunter away in her sheer black stockings and black one-inch heels. Even undercover, Ada still retained her preference for red and dark colours.

A bell chimed as the door opened. Leon saw in his peripheral vision a heavyset man settle at a table near the one occupied by the couple.

The man wore a tweed jacket and a newspaper boy hat, and had a bushy moustache and wire-rimmed glasses. He looked like Uncle Dursley, but his name was Drew Macken, Leon's target.

It was just as the file said—Drew Macken, 48, originally from Pennsylvania, frequented Yiling Chinese Food, and went there at around two-thirty in the afternoon every single day without fail. He was the head of sales at some paper company and also moonlighted as an illegal-drug distributor. They had the evidence to prove his sideline.

Ada returned with a glass of water and a small cup and a pot of green tea. "Your food won't be long."

"Thanks," Leon replied, grabbing the glass of water.

"Cathy!" Leon heard someone say.

It was Macken.

Ada gave Leon a coy smile before approaching Macken. "Mr Macken, good afternoon. The usual, I presume?"

Ada's voice had its usual teasing tone. Leon had heard it thousands of times from her; he was usually on its receiving end. Somehow, he didn't like that this Macken guy was hearing it too.

"Ah, Cathy," Macken said, his booming voice bordering on obnoxious. "When will you start calling me 'Drew'?"

Ada giggled. Giggled. Leon could imagine her fluttering her eyelashes. If she weren't a spy, she would make millions from being an actress. "That would be terribly unprofessional of me, Mr Macken. So, the usual for you, or will you try a new dish?"

"The usual, sweetheart."

"All right. I'll be back in a moment with your drinks."

Ada headed towards the kitchen, and Macken playfully slapped her arse, eliciting another round of giggles from her.

The glass of water in Leon's hand shattered.

A waiter's assistant quickly approached his table with a rag and new glass of water.

"Sorry about that, sir," the waiter's assistant said as he wiped the mess on Leon's table.

"No, it's not your fault," Leon replied, grabbing some napkins to dry his hand. "I'll pay for the broken glass."

"Do you need bandages, sir?" the waiter's assistant asked.

"No need, I'm fine," Leon said with a curt smile.

When Ada returned with a steaming bowl of soup on a tray, she had an amused grin on her lips.

"Your lotus root and pork ribs soup, sir," she said as she put the bowl in front of him. Then she placed a Chinese spoon and a fortune cookie beside the bowl before going back to the kitchen.

Leon stared at her retreating back. From the corner of his eye, he could see Macken looking at him with narrowed eyes.

Leon quickly averted his eyes. His job was to discover who was manufacturing "Lucy," the new recreational drug quickly rising in popularity among California's trust fund kids and yuppies. Drug dealers went to Drew Macken for Lucy. The questions were who was creating Lucy, and where was Macken getting his supply?

Lucy was very much like LSD in terms of its effects—psychedelic experience (also known as "acid trip"), dilated pupils, and visual distortion of one's surroundings, among others. These similarities were the reason why it was called "Lucy," a nod to the rumours that the song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" was about LSD. But unlike LSD, Lucy was addictive, and the user could die from overdose.

Usually, cases like this went to the Drug Enforcement Agency, but here was where the case got turned over to the Division of Security Operations: A bad acid trip, flashback, or withdrawal would always result in the loss of the user's higher brain functions, and they would become intensely hungry to the point of making them consume someone else's flesh.

So far, the infected people, who were subsequently terminated, have totalled to twenty-four. All occurrences weren't made known to the public and were kept confidential.

Leon hoped that he could be on amicable terms with Macken to make his job easier, but as always, Ada Wong's presence complicated things.

He knew Macken was getting the drugs somewhere; the DEA's investigation proved that Macken himself wasn't manufacturing Lucy. That, and discovering that Macken was the sole distributor, was all they had found out before the first user had a bad trip and turned him into the undead. It was still unknown how Macken was obtaining his supplies, and so far, all the dealers who were apprehended were found dead in their holding cells the next morning due to apparent suicide.

The DSO had no leads. It was Leon's job to obtain a lead.

But what was Ada's job? It couldn't be to obtain a sample of Lucy, because she could just buy one from a dealer. But Ada had to go undercover. She probably needed data about Lucy.

Leon's main objective was to destroy Lucy's manufacturer. If his guess was correct, Ada's main objective was to gather all the data related to the manufacturing of Lucy. Their goals were different but close enough that Leon was certain he would be seeing more of Ada.

He wasn't instructed to gather data about Lucy, but that was pretty much an unwritten directive. If his and Ada's goals clashed…well, only time would tell what he was going to do.

Leon sighed. He picked up the Chinese spoon and tasted the brownish soup. It was kinda sweet and smelled somewhat flowery. Not bad at all.

A few minutes later, Ada returned from the kitchen with another tray, this time heading towards Macken's table. She deposited a small cup and pot on his table and poured green tea for him.

Wait. Why didn't she pour green tea for Leon?

Grumbling, Leon ate a slice of lotus root.

The bell chimed and a group of four friends entered, sitting some tables away from Leon's right. To Leon's left, Ada was smiling demurely at something Macken said.

Leon almost bit his tongue in accident.

Another waitress served the group of friends. Ada returned from the kitchen with what appeared to be Macken's order—a large bowl of fried rice and a plate of dumplings.

"Thank you, Cathy dear," Macken said as Ada placed his food in front of him. "Would this finally be the time you'll join me?"

"I'm afraid not, Mr Macken," replied Ada. "You'll have to ask again next time."

Macken chuckled. He held Ada's hands in his and said, "Cathy, I've been coming to Yiling since it first opened five years ago, and while this place's food makes me happy, nothing has ever made me happier than these two months you've spent working here."

Ada shyly and carefully extricated her hands. "I'm glad that I can bring you joy, Mr Macken."

"Think about it carefully," Macken said, grabbing Ada's hands once more. "You can quit this job. You won't have to depend on tips anymore if you marry me."

Leon choked on his water.

The other waitress approached him. "Sir, are you okay?"

Leon swallowed. "I'm fine, thanks."

The waitress nodded. Just before she walked away, he caught her shaking her head at Macken and Ada's direction.

So Macken was a sleazeball. Somehow, Leon wasn't surprised.

Ada giggled. Again. "Oh, Mr Macken. Ask me again next time."

Leon was loath to drag out his meal, but he had to, if he wanted to gather as much information as he could about Macken without gathering suspicion. So far, Macken hasn't said or done anything that wasn't mentioned in the files.

Leon's bowl of soup was almost gone but Macken's food was only half-finished, and he kept ordering for more. Leon couldn't prolong his stay any longer, so he signalled Ada for the bill.

He didn't look at the bill. He just gave Ada a fifty and told her to keep the change (payment for the glass he broke included), excluding the 20% tip he left.

"My, how generous of you," Ada said as Leon stood up to leave. "Don't forget your fortune cookie, handsome."

Leon met her eyes. He grabbed the fortune cookie without breaking eye contact.

"Thanks," he said, then left.

Three months. It had been three months since that disaster in Lanshiang, and Leon wasn't even able to ask for an explanation.

The bell chimed as he exited Yiling. He broke the fortune cookie and unrolled the paper inside.

Blooming Garden Jewellery 6 p.m. was written on the paper in Ada's unmistakable handwriting.

Leon shook his head. He didn't know how Ada managed to get that small roll of paper inside a fortune cookie, but he decided not to question it.

Just as Leon was about to hail for a cab, she saw the other waitress at Yiling leave the caff. She headed in the opposite direction of where Leon was, so he chased after her.

"Hey!" he said. "Excuse me, miss!"

The waitress stopped walking. She looked at him with apprehensive eyes and she held her hands to her chest, as if to protect herself. "Sir? Is there a problem with our food or service?"

"No, everything's fine," Leon said. Her nametag read Emma, if he remembered correctly. "Well, mostly." Leon then noticed that she seemed to be on guard. "I'm not going to attack you or anything…."

Emma looked around and relaxed, though there still was quite a bit of tension in her shoulders. "Right, sorry. I think I might have a stalker, but that's probably just my imagination."

"Have you tried calling the cops?" Leon asked.

"I don't have any evidence, so I doubt they'll do something," she replied. "Anyway, what can I do for you?"

"That guy earlier…"

Emma snorted. "Macken, huh? Sorry about him. I've been working at Yiling for three years, and he has proposed marriage to every good-looking waitress that has worked there."

"That must include you, right?"

Despite the apprehension evident on her face, Emma laughed upon hearing Leon's words. "Yes, sir. Including me. I broke his pinkie when he got handsy."

"And you never thought of reporting him?"

Emma shook her head. "He's a regular. He's been coming since Yiling first opened five years ago, or so the owner told me. He gets handsy sometimes, but he never crosses boundaries. He's harmless for the most part. Most of our income comes from him, especially with how much he spends to flirt with the waitresses."

"It must be rough for you."

"I'm used to it. Cathy, though—your server, if you remember—she's really good at rejecting Macken without physically harming him. I kind of admire her."

"How long has she been working at Yiling?"

Emma raised an eyebrow and gave him a teasing smile. "Why, you interested in her?"

Leon coughed. "No, I just—"

Emma laughed. "Don't worry. You wouldn't be the first."

"I was just thinking about how long she must have been fending Macken off."

"Two months. She's been rejecting Macken for two months. And you know what, I think Macken might actually be serious in wanting to marry her."

Leon's face became unreadable. "Oh?"

"My best friend works at this jewellery store. She knows about Macken because she comes to Yiling often, and even received a marriage proposal from him at one point. Anyway, she told me that last week, Macken came in and bought an engagement ring and asked to have 'Drew & Cathy' engraved on it."

Leon swallowed. "Which jewellery store was it?"

"Blooming Garden."

17:53, October 5, 2013, Saturday
Redwood City, California

Blooming Garden Jewellery was located in the upscale part of the city, near the neighbourhood where Macken lived. Honda and Nissan cars dominated the roads near Yiling, but here, Audi seemed to be the cheapest one around.

Leon was about to enter the store when he felt a hand at the small of his back.

"Sorry, darling. Have you been waiting long?"

Leon didn't have to turn around to see who it was. He would know Ada's voice from anywhere.

"No, Cathy. I just got here. Where are your glasses?"

Ada was wearing a modest pair of black two-inch pumps and a dark red body-con dress. A black trench coat hung from her arm, and she had a black Gucci bag on her shoulder. She looked like a million bucks, a sharp contrast to Leon's simple navy blue button-down, grey jacket, dark trousers, and black boots. She looked like a noblewoman and he looked like a peasant.

"I ditched them," she answered as she opened the door to Blooming Garden.

"Mr and Mrs Bradbury," the salesman greeted. Leon thought that the salesman wouldn't look out of place in a jewellery ad. Objectively speaking, the man would probably be better off as a model than a salesman. He was even doing a good job of modelling the brooch he was wearing. "Good evening. Your items are in the back. I'll go get them."

"Thank you, James," said Ada.

Leon dropped his voice. "Your co-worker Emma's friend might be scandalised to find you here with another guy."

"So you've talked to Emma," Ada answered as she looked around the store. "Don't worry. Emma's friend Janice doesn't work on weekends."

Leon would have loved to ask more—more than her undercover work, more than Macken, more than Lucy—but this was neither the time nor the place.

"Thank you for waiting, Mrs Bradbury," James said when he returned with a black velvet box.

James opened the box. Inside was a ring—silver? White gold? Titanium?—with a black stripe running around its circumference.

"Perfect," Ada said, leaning closer to the ring. "This is just what we wanted. Right, darling?"

Leon blinked. "Yes. Of course. That's right."

Ada picked up the ring and examined it. She held it out against the light, looking at it with a critical eye, before passing it to Leon.

There was an engraving. 011409, it read. Leon snorted. That night, huh?

"Is it to your liking, Mr Bradbury?" James asked.

Leon, who still had no idea what was happening, nodded. "Yes. Just what I wanted."

James nodded. "And here is the box chain necklace you've also ordered. Platinum, just like the ring."

"Marvellous," Ada exclaimed. "Just marvellous, James." She clutched the salesman's arm and squeezed it once, her face full of gratitude.

James seemed to be delighted. "It's our pleasure, Mrs Bradbury. I'm glad that our products are to your liking. Now, shall I pack these, or would you be wearing them immediately?"

"Kindly pack them. Thank you," Ada answered.

Leon watched James pack the jewelleries, all the while wondering what did any of this have to do with Drew Macken.

After they left Blooming Garden, Ada brought him to a fancy restaurant a few blocks away.

"We have a reservation for seven-thirty," Ada said, "under the name Rachel Bradbury."

The receptionist looked at their database. "Right. This way, ma'am."

The seats were all in private booths covered by curtains, and the maître d' led them to a booth that would overlook the entire restaurant had the curtains been left open.

The maître d' gave them menus before closing the curtains and leaving.

Ada took a small device out of her bag—more like a purse, really—and swept the booth for bugs. When she deemed the booth safe, she covered the windows with the curtains before sitting down to open her menu.

"So, Rachel," Leon said, scanning the wine menu first. "Care to finally explain what is happening?"

"Shouldn't you already have an idea, Agent Kennedy?" Ada retorted with a flutter of her eyelashes.

Leon placed the menu on the table and looked Ada in the eyes. "Drew Macken is distributing an LSD-like drug called 'Lucy' that exhibits T-virus-like effects when the user goes on a withdrawal, a bad trip, or a flashback. No one knows where he gets his supplies from or who manufactures them. All the Lucy dealers arrested were found dead in their cells because of 'suicide.' And besides basic details about Macken's life, that's all I have for now."

Ada tutted. "Shoddy work for a highly decorated government agent, if you ask me." She flipped the pages of the menu. "Despite his apparent lecherousness, did you know that Macken is a monogamous man?"

"The file never mentioned him having affairs."

"That is correct. As licentious as he may seem, he only woos one woman at a time. He was extremely loyal to his late wife. They were high school sweethearts, you know? Have you looked into his son?"

"Ryan Macken, 22, fourth-year pre-law student at Stanford. He was a friend of one of the dealers, though he never exhibited signs of partaking in any kind of illegal drug."

"Is that all you know about Ryan?"

"Ryan wasn't a trust fund kid, but his father made enough money to send him to Stanford without a scholarship. His late mother, a Stanford alumnus, was a veteran journalist. Her last work was an unfinished and unpublished news feature. No one knew what it was about; all that was known was it was the reason why Gianne Macken drowned in a sea. Ryan's best friend Stacey Chavez is a fourth-year chemical engineering student, also in Stanford. There are no reports about Ryan's or Stacey's involvement in the drug trade."

Ada nodded. "So you've been doing your homework after all. What do you know about Ryan's boyfriend?"

Before Leon could answer, their server arrived.

"Good evening, Mr and Mrs Bradbury. I'm Calvin, and I'll be your server for tonight."

Ada drew the curtains. "Good evening, Calvin. May we please have a bottle of your finest Bordeaux?"

"Certainly, ma'am," Calvin replied, taking out a notepad and a pen. Leon thought he looked familiar. "And for your meal?"

"Ravioli, roasted duck breast, and creme brulee," Ada said. "And water, please."

"And you, sir?" the waiter asked Leon.

"I'll have what she's having," Leon said.

Ada chuckled as their server wrote down their orders.

"The sommelier will be back with your wine," Calvin said before drawing the curtains to their booth close.

"Calvin Altman, 24," said Leon, "Ryan's boyfriend."

"What else do you know about him?"

Leon frowned. "There wasn't much on the file. It was Macken's file anyway, not Calvin's or Ryan's."

"And I thought you did a good homework."

"I just started my investigation."

Ada smirked. "Let me help you, then. I already gave you a clue."

"A clue?"

"Yes. We got them from Calvin's brother James earlier. Their mother owns Blooming Garden."

Ah. So that was why their server looked familiar. But before he could ask more questions, they heard footsteps approaching them.

Ada drew the curtains.

"Good evening, sir, madam," the person—the sommelier, most likely—said. "Here's a bottle of a 1982 Château Margaux."

"Ooh. A fine bottle indeed. Thank you," Ada said.

"My pleasure, madam," the sommelier said before pouring them a glass each. "Your food will arrive shortly."

Once the sommelier left, Ada drew the curtains back, and Leon resumed questioning her.

Leon took a sip of the wine. "So. 011409. Is that a password? A date? Coordinates?"

Ada swirled the wine in her glass. "It will make sense later."

"We both know what happened on January 14, 2009," said Leon.

"Yes." Ada gave him a flirty smile. "What an unforgettable night."

"What does that night have to do with Lucy?"

"Nothing. But it has something to do with another matter. Use that big brain of yours, Leon. You didn't graduate at the top of your class for nothing."

Leon scoffed. "Was it really necessary to have it engraved on a ring? Why not just leave me a note in, I don't know, a fortune cookie, perhaps?"

Ada drank her wine. She closed her eyes and hummed in appreciation, a small smile forming on her lips. "As I said, it will make sense later." She took a pouch out of her bag. Inside the pouch were the ring and chain necklace she got earlier. "These are yours."

"Am I supposed to not get the wrong idea this time too?" Leon asked, taking the ring and necklace and pocketing them.

"That's right," Ada replied. "Although someone else is supposed to get the wrong idea. Don't put them in your pocket. Wear them. They'll help in your investigation."

It felt more like a command than a statement, and Leon followed out of curiosity. He took the jewelleries out of his pocket and wore the necklace, the ring serving as a pendant.

He still couldn't quite figure out what this has to do with Macken. The dossier on his target hasn't mentioned anything about 011409, but Leon was certain that he would find out sooner rather than later; Ada was just a step or two ahead of him was all. Like usual.

Leon was so lost in his thoughts that he only lately registered Ada drawing the curtains to welcome their server. Calvin placed their appetiser on the table and then promptly left, promising to come back with their entree.

Leon picked at his ravioli. He would have time to investigate Macken later, but Ada might disappear at any moment, so he said, "Chris had reported that you're legally dead."

"And what about your report, Agent Kennedy?" Ada asked, picking up a fork.

"Never officially met her. I was told that she'd be a key witness to Simmons's crimes, but unfortunately, she fell to her death. Or so Chris had written."

Ada smirked.

"Helena promised me that she wasn't going to say anything."

"That's a nice but unnecessary gesture."

"All she wanted was revenge and justice for her sister, and she got both of them. Knowing what exactly happened wouldn't hurt though."

"Some things are better left unknown."

Leon stared at her for a long while. "You 'died' with people believing that you're the mastermind for those bioterror attacks."

She didn't reply; she just ate her appetiser and sipped her wine.

"What was that videotape? What the hell did Chris see? The ongoing investigation remains to be confidential, but the prevailing assumption is that you founded Neo-Umbrella to destroy the world."

"That was what she wanted," Ada replied after having another bite of her food, "for 'this frail shell of a society to collapse.' For nothing to be left of this world. 'Hell will rise and chaos will reign. And I, Ada Wong, will be queen of the new world.' Or so she said."

Leon paused mid-chew. He pushed his food back with a sip of his wine and said, "'She'? Who was this person?"

"The one your friend Chris saw die. I saw her 'die' too, right before my very eyes."

"What, you have an evil twin?"

Ada drank her wine. "Something like that."

"Are you ever going to give me a straight answer?" Leon asked despite knowing better.

At Ada's silence, Leon continued, "You'll be the scapegoat. The press will vilify you, and you will be forever known as the woman who murdered hundreds of thousands of people."

Ada placed her wineglass on the table with a soft thud. "Then so be it. If I'm dead, then the easier it'll be to do my job. It's actually beneficial, if you ask me."

"Do you really not care at all?"

Ada stared at him with unblinking eyes. Then, she spoke in a soft but steely voice, "I'm beyond sympathy at this point, Leon. I'm beyond humanity."

"Dammit, you're not—"

Calvin returned with two plates of roasted duck breast. Sensing the somewhat tense atmosphere, Calvin's eyes shifted between them and asked, "Is everything all right?"

Ada motioned to refill her wineglass, but Calvin beat her to it. "Thank you, Calvin. No worries, my husband is just being a fool."

Leon gritted his teeth, but Calvin didn't see him. Instead, the server chuckled and gave a shy smile. "My boyfriend is an idiot too."

Ada raised an eyebrow. "Oh? How come?"

Calvin laughed awkwardly. "I really shouldn't bother patrons with my personal life."

Ada gave him an indulgent smile. "Come on, humour me. Maybe we can commiserate about having stupid partners."

Leon rolled his eyes, and Calvin's awkward laugh transformed into a soft but genuine one. He shook his head then said, "It's nothing. My boyfriend is about to graduate, but he suddenly wants to switch majors." He clapped his hands once. "Anyway, is there anything else I can get you?"

"We're good for now," Ada answered. "Thank you, Calvin."

"My pleasure, ma'am, sir," Calvin replied, then stepped back and pulled the curtains close.

Once his footfalls faded away, Leon asked, "Why would Ryan want to change majors?"

Ada dug into her entree. "I'm sure you can put two and two together."

Ada was right. Leon would have to eventually put the pieces together himself, but it was…nice, fun, even, to have Ada as a sounding board. "Regarding these rings. You said you wanted someone to get the wrong idea. What was that about?"

Ada winked. "You'll see eventually."

II.

14:31, October 6, 2013, Sunday
Redwood City, California

Leon was about to step out of his hotel room when he remembered the ring-necklace Ada gave him. She said it would aid in his investigation. Maybe it would open a door, just like that Simmons Family ring she gave him. He decided to pocket it, but after remembering Ada's words from last night, he wore it around his neck instead and tucked it under his shirt.

He looked back at his night stand. He grabbed a compact case—the same compact case Ada had left him on a helicopter three months ago—and put it in his pocket.

He went back to Yiling in the hopes of gleaning more information from Macken, but when he got there, Macken was already screaming bloody murder about What do you mean Cathy resigned?! She hasn't even said goodbye to me!

Macken's face was red, his nostrils flared, and his eyes almost bulged out of his sockets. He looked like an angry bull—an angry bull that met Leon's eyes as he charged right towards him.

Leon quickly got out of the way. Furniture, porcelain, and cutlery bore the brunt of Macken's anger as they got overturned or smashed on the floor. Macken reached out his arms to grab him, but again, Leon dodged. Someone like Macken was no match against a trained special agent like Leon.

"Easy, mister," Leon said. "You wanna talk first?"

Leon was only peripherally aware of Yiling's other patrons scrambling out of the place. Emma the waitress and the waiter's assistant from yesterday, along with other staff, restrained a livid Macken.

"You!" Macken screamed. "You're the reason Cathy's not here!"

"Me?" Leon asked, genuinely baffled. What had Ada gotten him into?

"Don't play dumb! I know you're the bastard Cathy left me for!"

"Wait, mister, I—"

Macken's eyes zeroed in on his chest, so Leon brought a hand up to see what was there. It was the ring-necklace Ada gave him, which seemed to have gotten out from under his shirt in the scuffle.

"It's the necklace!" Macken yelled. "That's the exact same necklace, the exact same ring, that Cathy always wears!"

Wait, Ada was wearing a similar necklace? A similar ring pendant? He didn't see her wearing one yesterday, although that might be because of the qipao's high neckline. "Sir, that's—"

Macken was grunting and the staff was struggling to restrain him. More Yiling personnel came to hold Macken back, and Leon inched closer to the door, ready to bolt.

"I knew it! I fucking knew it!" Macken exclaimed. "The way you were staring at her last time, I knew there was something! You bloody cunt!"

Hold up. The way he was staring at her? Leon won't deny that he was very much attracted to Ada—hell, at this point, that barely even qualified as news, considering how much they have hooked up over the last fifteen years—but how exactly was he staring at her?

"Wanker! Cocksuker!" Macken yelled.

The man grabbed a nearby glass of water, but before he could throw it to him, Leon immediately ran for the exit and went as far away from Yiling as possible.

So that was what Ada meant by someone needing to get the wrong idea. Okay. One mystery solved. But what was the engraving for? When he and Ada went to Blooming Garden, Ada was picking up the ring, meaning, she had already ordered it. Did she know Leon was coming? Why did she reportedly have a similar one? Why did she suddenly leave Yiling? Had she already gotten all the information she needed from Macken? Why did it take her two months to leave?

One mystery solved, but more popped up. Oh well. Nothing Leon could do now except move forward.

22:22, October 6, 2013, Sunday
Redwood City, California

Leon wasn't a bad agent. In fact, he was one of the best, especially handpicked to be a part of an elite agency under the president's direct command. Adam Benford's death still stung and he mourned him. He went on a bender and got plastered, and only sobered up when Hunnigan called him for this new job.

Leon wasn't a bad agent, but Ada, well…She was leagues better than he was, as evidenced by various dodgy organisations hiring her to complete missions. And she always delivered.

He would like to think that her making him wear the necklace to anger Macken was her way of saying there was no more he needed to learn from Macken, but considering that this was Ada, what if she just wanted to divert his attention because his presence got in the way of her job? They barely talked about Macken during their dinner. Instead, Ada talked about Ryan and the people around him.

He was sitting on his hotel bed, poring over the dossier on Drew Macken. As such, details about his son, his late wife, and his and his son's social circles weren't as detailed. Granted, there were still things that the dossier couldn't give him, so actual field investigation was needed, but after what happened that afternoon…He could flash his badge and ask the Yiling staff for details, but the nature of his mission required him to be incognito.

Who knew, maybe Ada really was just trying to steer him in a new direction. And it wasn't like he couldn't gather information about Macken anymore; he just couldn't do it directly now.

His work phone rang.

"Hunnigan," he greeted before setting the phone on loudspeaker. He placed the phone down somewhere among the documents scattered around him.

"Leon," Hunnigan said. "How's the investigation going?"

Leon sighed. He looked at a photo of Ryan and recalled Calvin Altman saying that Ryan wanted to switch majors. "I've got a few leads, though still nothing conclusive." He needed to look into Ryan Macken, and figure what the hell the ring and 011409 were for. "Macken's son Ryan seems to be the most promising lead, considering that Lucy users are primarily of Ryan's age."

"That's good, Leon. I'll call you if we discover something new."

"Oh, Hunnigan."

"Yes?"

"Can you get me the class schedules of Ryan Macken and Stacey Chavez?"

Hunnigan chuckled. Leon could hear the smirk in her voice. "Piece of cake."

09:34, October 7, 2013, Monday
Palo Alto, California

Leon found Ryan in the library surrounded by a pile of books.

"Um, excuse me?" Leon said as he approached the table Ryan was occupying.

Ryan took one look at him before saying, "Let me guess, you're Greg, Cathy's boyfriend."

Oh. Well. Leon had thought of an elaborate cover, but it seemed like Ada had already given him one in advance. "How did you know?"

Ryan shoved the books aside, making space for Leon, and then Leon sat across him. "I had a feeling I'd be seeing you."

"She didn't tell me she knew you."

"It was a coincidence," Ryan replied. "I went home to Redwood a month ago for my dad's birthday. He's been celebrating it at Yiling for the past five years, and it was there that I met Cathy. I apologise for my father's actions towards your girlfriend." Ryan sighed. He closed his notebook and placed it aside, then took a sip from his water bottle. "My dad has never been the same since my mum's disappearance. I know that she's legally dead, but her body was never found, you know?"

Leon nodded, then gestured for Ryan to continue. "But then they found her body. We couldn't recognise her. It was only through DNA testing that it was proven to be her. That really fucked my dad up, seeing my mum like that.…" Ryan shook his head. For a moment, he looked pained, as if he was remembering the appearance of his mother's corpse.

He then met Leon's eyes. "My dad isn't perfect, but he's not a bad guy. He's just trying to fill the hole in his heart by flirting with women and proposing marriage. But he never had an engagement ring made until Cathy." Ryan gave a mirthless laughter. "Dad really loved Mum, but I can't stand his current behaviour. He refuses to see a therapist. He throws himself into his work. He goes to Yiling every fucking day because my mum loved Chinese food." Ryan rubbed his face with his hands. "I can understand if you'd want to press charges against my dad."

Leon shook his head. "Cathy's not really bothered. It bothers me, but she told me not to make a big deal out of it. She told me that your dad sometimes talks about your mum, so I think Cathy might have sympathised with him."

Ryan nodded. "Dad called me a week or two ago, said he was gonna propose to this waitress at Yiling. We got into a shouting match, and he revealed that he had ordered an engagement ring from Blooming Garden." Ryan's eyes stared faraway, focusing on nothing. "My parents got their wedding rings from Blooming Garden." He chuckled dryly. "Then he called me this morning. He was crying because apparently Cathy resigned from work. I guess Cathy got fed up with my dad's advances."

It was still unclear to Leon why Ada just up and left Yiling, but the baton was in Leon's hands now. "Has your dad always reacted like this when women rejected him?"

"No," said Ryan, shaking his head. "He never really pushed himself onto any women. Sure, he might be a bit too forward with his advances, and he came close to crossing lines, but he never actually crossed them. But his behaviour got suspicious three months ago."

Outwardly, Leon looked relaxed but engaged. Inwardly, his muscles tensed. Three months ago—Lucy's first appearance. "How come?"

Ryan snorted. "We message each other regularly. I mean, I have to check up on him, make sure he doesn't fall further into the deep end. We exchange a message or two every day, but then those messages…Well, they didn't stop, but he'd sometimes take three days before replying. Then he told me not to do drugs or whatever, to not attend parties because some people might force drugs onto me."

"Sounds to me like he's just looking out for you."

"I thought so too, but he never has to worry about me when it comes to drugs because they simply aren't my thing. Then I told him that I went to this party and he lost it, screaming into the phone about how uni parties are dangerous because people use recreational drugs all the time. I don't know where he got this sudden hyper-aversion for drugs."

"Maybe corporate made them watch something about an anti-drug workplace?"

"Yeah, maybe." Ryan rolled his eyes. "Are you sure you're not going to sue?"

"Do you want me to sue?"

"God, no. Lawsuits are a bitch. Trust me, I'm in pre-law."

"Cathy doesn't want to sue, so we won't." Then Leon remembered Calvin saying that Ryan wanted to switch majors. "Have you always wanted to be a lawyer?"

Ryan leaned back into his seat and grabbed a nearby book. "My mum was a journalist. She'd get threatening letters in the mail all the time, and even got detained for a night or two. I wanted to be a lawyer so I could protect her. But then, you know, she died." Ryan shrugged and then flipped the book open.

It would be too easy for Leon to look up the circumstances surrounding Gianne Macken's death, especially with Hunnigan just a call away. Still, first-hand accounts are usually better than Internet search results and classified documents. "Do you mind telling me what happened to your mum?"

"She died in the line of duty. No one knew what she was investigating—not me, not Dad—but it cost her her life. Just Google 'Gianne Macken.' That's all you need to know, really." Ryan then added in a low voice, "That's all we know." He slid the book he had just opened towards Leon.

Looking closely, the book seemed to be a journal or a magazine. The opened page showed a photo of a smiling woman in an evening gown. She was wearing a cloak and a crown and was holding a trophy.

"That was my mum in her senior year," Ryan said, looking sadly at the magazine-or-journal. "She won a prestigious award for journalism a year before she died, so the Stanford Alumni Association made a feature about her in one of their newsletters. They included this photo of her when she won the campus beauty pageant when she was an undergrad. I want you to see her first like this—smiling and happy—before you dive into Google and see her grim and professional expression. She was the definition of beauty and brains."

Leon couldn't tell him that he had already seen a photo of Gianne Macken; it was included on Drew Macken's dossier. She looked grim and professional.

"These days I've been thinking of switching my major to journalism so I can continue what my mum started, but my boyfriend thinks it's a dumb idea. I'm graduating after all."

Out of the corner of his eye, Leon saw someone about to approach their table.

"That's my classmate," said Ryan.

"I won't get in your way, then," Leon said. Then he wrote his number on Ryan's notebook. "If there's anything you need, anything at all, just tell me. I've got friends in high places."

Ryan snorted. "Yeah, right."

Before Ryan's classmate reached them, Leon left, this time in search of Stacey Chavez.

19:48, October 7, 2013, Monday
Palo Alto, California

When Leon first saw Stacey that afternoon, she was frantically running away, as if she was going to be late for a class, which was strange, because according to the schedule Hunnigan gave him, Stacey should be free from one-thirty until two-thirty in the afternoon. He followed her discreetly, but she disappeared into a laboratory-looking building, and Leon doubted that he could maintain anonymity if he followed her there, so he waited until her next free time—seven-thirty in the evening.

He saw her exiting the building, and then he followed. Hunnigan's files mentioned that Stacey was living at the on-campus housing, but she didn't go towards her dorm. Instead, she left the campus and went to the fourth convenience store she encountered. Leon followed her inside, where she bought a bottle of soda and a pack of mints that she grabbed from the register.

He followed her when she left the convenience store. She went into an alley and seemed to be exiting to the other side until she turned around, her eyes wild.

Leon hid behind a pillar.

"I know you're in there," Stacey said with a trembling voice. Shit. Maybe Leon needed a refresher in chasing and pursuing subjects. Some federal agent he was. "I'm not going to buy, I'm not going to deal, and I sure as hell am not going to join your crazy cult and research Lucy for you! Leave me alone! Leave Calvin alone!"

"Crazy cult"? Fucking hell. Leon has had enough of crazy cults to last a lifetime.

Leon weighed the pros and cons of revealing himself and his identity. If he did, Stacey would probably be willing to give him information. But what if she was being watched? Her statements heavily implied that this wasn't the first time someone followed her and/or tried to get her involved with Lucy. What if those people watching her learn of Leon's presence? That would compromise his mission.

"Look, James," said Stacey. Wait a minute. Wait a fucking minute. James? Calvin's brother? James from Blooming Garden? "Just…just leave us alone, please. We don't want anything to do with you and your crazy family. Just don't involve us in Lucy. Please."

"We're not going to hurt you," a male voice said. About a metre away in front Leon, someone stepped out from the shadows behind another pillar.

It looked like Leon wasn't going to need that refresher after all.

But did this person know that Leon was also in pursuit of Stacey?

"You're not going to hurt me?" Stacey said disbelievingly as she moved backwards.

The man had fully come into the light. He wore a blue suit, dress shoes, and his back awfully resembled what Leon remembered of James from Blooming Garden's back.

Stacey scoffed. "Sure. You're not going to hurt me like you didn't hurt Ben. Like you didn't hurt Kyle, and Nicole, and Toni, and Marvin."

Ben Warren. Kyle Bennet. Nicole Toscano. Toni Collins. Marvin Takano. Those were five of the twenty-four people who have been terminated because of Lucy.

"I didn't hurt them," James said. "Lucy did that to them."

"And who was creating Lucy, huh? Your crazy family, that's who!"

…And that information fell right into Leon's lap, didn't it? Maybe he really was done with Macken.

"Stacey, your talents—"

"I don't give a shit about my supposed talents! I want you to leave me and my friends alone!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Not with what you know."

"I told you, I don't know anything! And even if I did, I'd never tell you!"

James moved forward and Stacey stepped backwards. When James got near her, she…shook whatever she was holding, and in just a matter of seconds, soda came exploding out of Stacey's hands.

So that was what the soda and mint she bought earlier for.

James was stunned for a second. Stacey used that momentary confusion to escape, leaving through the alley's other side. James looked like he was about to go after her, but he just shook his head and said, "Father will not be pleased."

James said those words softly, but Leon still heard them.

Leon stood unmoving behind the pillar, unsure of whether James knew he was there or not. Fortunately, after a minute, James left, going in the same direction Stacey did. He showed no signs of being aware of Leon's presence, and Leon released the breath he didn't know he was holding.

He moved to follow him, but when he exited the alleyway, James was nowhere in sight.

20:37, October 7, 2013, Monday
Redwood City, California

Back in his hotel room, Leon wasted no time in contacting Hunnigan.

"Bad news, Hunnigan," Leon said in lieu of a greeting. "We're dealing with another crazy cult."

Hunnigan groaned. "Again?"

"Seems like it. Although it's more of a crazy family than a crazy cult, I think." Leon had laid out all the files he had on his bed. As much as he wanted to pin those files and photos on the wall for better visual representation, he had a feeling he wouldn't have time to take them all down should the need arise. "Get me everything you have on James Altman. And Calvin Altman too."

"On it. Are those two members of that cult?"

"Not sure about Calvin, but James, definitely. It seems like this family is the one manufacturing Lucy, though I still don't know why they chose Macken of all people to distribute it."

"I just sent the files, Leon. What else do you need?"

Leon paused and looked at Stacey's photo. "I need you to get Stacey Chavez a security detail, but make sure she won't know about it. She's being tailed by that cult. And send people to monitor Calvin and James."

"Copy that."

III.

09:32, October 8, 2013, Tuesday
Redwood City, California

Last night, he had pored over the files Hunnigan had sent. He learned that while Calvin and James were biological brothers, Calvin had cut ties with his family when he turned eighteen and legally changed his surname from Campbell to Altman.

He stayed up late studying the files on James Campbell and Calvin Altman, then reviewing his case files, and ended up oversleeping. Their father, Vincent Campbell, worked for a pharmaceutical company. Their mother, Mara Campbell, née Altman, was a jeweller, and owned Blooming Garden. James was a gemologist who worked at his mother's store. Calvin recently graduated from uni with a degree in culinary arts and was currently working at a restaurant. There was no mention of a cult or anything that might suggest that the family was connected to or involved in one. They seemed like normal people, nothing out of the ordinary at all, although Leon found it noteworthy that they all looked like magazine or runway models.

Leon was awoken by his phone ringing. He stared at his work phone, thinking it might be Hunnigan calling, but to his confusion, it was an unknown number.

But it was his work phone that rang, not his personal phone. If dodgy characters wanted to call him for some reason, wouldn't they want to call Leon's personal number instead?

He picked up his phone with slight apprehension. "Hello?"

"You've got 'friends in high places,' right?" Ryan Macken's frantic voice said. "Was that just a joke or what?"

Leon blinked the sleepiness out of his eyes, instantly becoming alert. "Ryan?"

"Those friends of yours," Ryan said, voice still frantic, "I need you to contact them right now."

Leon sat up. "Slow down, Ryan. Tell me what happened."

"Those fuckers happened, that's what!"

"Who?"

"She—Just tell me if you can help me or what." Ryan lowered his voice, and then hissed, "I don't think I can trust the cops on this, not with what happened to Jeremy and the others."

Jeremy. Maybe Ryan was talking about Jeremy Saunders, one of the dealers who got caught and "died in a suicide." "Ryan, I can't help you if you don't tell me what happened."

Ryan sighed. He sounded like he was choking back a sob. "I can't tell you over the phone, man. They might be listening."

They. Leon had a huge inkling that Ryan was talking about the cult—Calvin's family. "Can you meet me?"

"Can you help me? You, practically a stranger, are the only one I can think of to help me." Ryan sobbed. When he next spoke, his tone was harsher. "Oh god. You're one of them, aren't you?" He laughed hysterically. "I didn't suspect you because you and Cathy didn't seem to be involved with them, but they sent you, didn't they?"

"Ryan, no." Leon got up from his bed and immediately dressed. He wore his shoulder holster in a hurry, then checked his gun. He wanted to make Ryan trust him, but if the Campbell family really was tapping the call, then Leon couldn't say anything that could make them suspicious. "How about I come to your location? You can choose a public place. That way, you're in a familiar environment, and you can bring someone you trust."

Ryan paused for a while, possibly debating whether to trust a stranger or not. And then, he said, "Fine. I'm gonna throw caution to the wind. I'll meet you at The Rising Sun on campus. Come immediately."

The call ended, and Leon rushed out of his hotel room, weapons hidden on his person, the necklace-ring Ada gave him tucked under his shirt.

10:03, October 8, 2013, Tuesday
Palo Alto, California

He spotted Ryan in the outdoors seating of The Rising Sun cafe. He was nursing a cup of possibly coffee or tea, wild eyes darting around. Beside him was Calvin Altman, his body language signalling vigilance and readiness to fight.

"I see Ryan Macken and Calvin Altman," Leon told Hunnigan through his earpiece. He was hiding behind a huge tree trunk several feet away from Ryan and Calvin.

"And I have eyes on you and them," Hunnigan replied. "Agent Birkin is also nearby."

"You sent Sherry?" Leon asked. He scanned his surroundings, and sure enough, he saw Sherry, her back facing him.

"Hey, Leon," Sherry said through the earpiece. "I was dispatched to monitor Calvin. I'll be keeping an eye on you guys from the distance."

He could see Sherry slurping what appeared to be a sugary drink. "That's gonna require at least an hour on the treadmill to burn."

"Shush, you," Sherry replied. "We get enough foot chases as it is."

"Fair point," said Leon. "Who's watching James?"

"Agent Harper," Hunnigan answered.

"You're not lacking manpower these days, eh?" Leon commented. "I'm going to approach our targets."

"Be careful, Leon," said Hunnigan. "We still don't know if Calvin is affiliated with that cult, and Helena said that James didn't do anything out of the ordinary last night."

"Roger," replied Leon.

He approached the table Ryan and Calvin were occupying. Though Calvin seemed ready to fight, his face showed bewilderment.

"Hey Ryan," Leon greeted, sitting on a chair opposite them.

Ryan gave him a nod. "Calvin, this is—"

"Mr…Bradbury?" Calvin said. "Mr Bradbury, right?"

Ryan knitted his brows. "You know him? Is that his full name? Greg Bradbury?"

"I…I don't know," Calvin replied. "He and his wife were at the restaurant. Two nights ago, I think."

Ryan shot him a disgusted look. "Your wife? You have a wife, but you also have a girlfriend?"

"That's not it," Leon said, "and that's not why we're here. Can you just tell me what happened?"

Ryan and Calvin sat up straight, though Ryan still looked mildly disgusted. Through Leon's earpiece, Hunnigan asked, "What's this thing about a wife and a girlfriend?"

Leon couldn't see Sherry, but he was certain he could feel her eyes on his back.

"How do I know you're not one of them?" Ryan asked, fixing him a stern gaze.

"He's not," Calvin said, laying a hand on Ryan's trembling ones. "He's not one of their men."

"Those men," Leon said. "Is that the cult you and brother James belong to?"

"He's not one of those crazy arseholes!" Ryan hissed.

Calvin gripped one of Ryan's hands. "I don't know how you know about James and our family, but I cut off ties with them when I turned eighteen. I still talk to my mum sometimes, though."

"Those friends you've mentioned," said Ryan, "can they help us?"

Through Leon's earpiece, Hunnigan said, "You can tell them, Leon."

Leon lowered his voice. He took his badge out of pocket and slid it across the table. "I'm Agent Leon S. Kennedy of the Division of Security Operations. We report directly to the president of the United States, and my mission is to take down whoever is manufacturing Lucy and dismantle their operation."

Ryan and Calvin scrutinised Leon's badge before exchanging looks. Ryan then said, "When you said 'high places,' I didn't think that you meant the freaking president."

Leon did mean President Benford, though the current acting president wasn't that bad. "If you need more verification, you can call the president's office." Well. They should call the DSO or Field Operations Support first, but streamlining to the president's office wouldn't hurt. "So, are you finally willing to talk?"

Ryan looked left and right, then said in a low voice, "Stacey. She's gone. They took her, I'm certain of it. We were supposed to have breakfast together. She had something important to tell me, she said, but she didn't show up, which was really weird because she never fails to notify me of things like that, and then she called me last night about James chasing her, and she was freaking out because they're onto us and—"

"Hey," said Calvin, running his hands up and down Ryan's back. "Take a deep breath."

Ryan groaned and buried his head in Calvin's shoulder. He mumbled, "This was a mistake." He then lifted his head from Calvin's shoulder. "I called Stacey's dorm, but the receptionist or manager, I don't know, she wouldn't tell me if Stacey had left or not. Standard practice to protect their tenants, I guess, but it was just so unlike her to not call me. I'm so worried about her, especially with that creep chasing her."

"Creep?" Leon asked. "You mean James?"

Calvin snorted. "Yes, my older brother. Daddy's little soldier, always following our father's commands blindly."

"Your father Vincent, the one working at a pharmaceutical company?" Leon clarified.

"That's his cover, yes. On his days off, he creates Lucy with my other relatives. James is the one responsible for distributing them."

And that was where Drew Macken came in.

"You mentioned 'this' being a mistake," said Leon. "What did you mean by that?"

Ryan and Calvin exchanged glances once more. He explained in the lowest voice he could, "My mum's unfinished work."

Leon narrowed his eyebrows. "Your mum?"

"Stacey's mother used to work with Matthew Campbell, Calvin and James' grandfather," said Ryan. Calvin nodded in affirmation, and Ryan continued, "Her mum was friends with my mum, and told her that Matthew was doing some dodgy shit. This was where Lucy started. Stacey's mum made my mum promise that she wouldn't reveal her as her informant. So my mum started investigating Matthew, found this and that, and suspiciously died later."

"I thought no one knew what your mum was investigating?" Leon questioned.

"Well I can't go on telling a stranger that my mum left behind a flash drive containing all her research, can I?" replied Ryan. "She left it to me the day before she went on that ship. She made me swear not to let anyone know of its existence, not even the police."

Leon looked at Calvin. "Am I correct in assuming that Calvin and Stacey know about this flash drive?"

"Not until recently," said Calvin.

"I only told them three months ago," Ryan said, "when Matthew died."

"With my grandfather dead, there was no one to helm the Lucy research but my father," said Calvin. "There were still a lot of things that my father couldn't understand; he's a pharmacist, while my grandfather was a chemist. He needed someone who had in-depth knowledge of Lucy. No one in my family had this knowledge—certainly not his jeweller wife, gemologist son, or chef son—but they know someone who did."

"Stacey's mum?" Leon guessed.

Calvin nodded. "But she's in Spain and my father didn't want to risk it, so he went after Stacey instead."

"But what's her guarantee that Stacey knew how to manufacture Lucy?" asked Leon.

"Nothing," Ryan said. "They probably took her to force Stacey's mum's hand. They believe Stacey knows how to make Lucy, but she really doesn't. Her mum made sure to keep her away from that business."

"That flash drive," Leon said. "Would you be willing to lend it to me? It could contain evidence and vital information needed to create an antidote."

Calvin and Ryan looked at each other, seemingly conferring with one another. Finally, Ryan nodded. "I'll give it to you after we get Stacey back." He was calm one second, and then freaking out the next. "Oh my god, what if they injected her with Lucy?"

Leon reached out to clasp Ryan's arm. "Hey. It's going to be fine. Trust me."

Hunnigan's voice sounded in his earpiece. "Leon, we found the location of Stacey and the security detail assigned to her."

"Where?" Leon asked, ignoring the confused faces of Ryan and Calvin; they must have thought he was talking to them.

"I'll send you the coordinates. There's—Wait a second. Yes, that does look like him. Leon, Helena just told me that she saw someone who looked like Drew Macken approach James."

"And where is this?"

"…The same place where Stacey and her security detail should be.…"

Leon immediately looked at his work phone.

The coordinates Hunnigan had sent him pointed to Blooming Garden Jewellery.

"Hunnigan, I need a security detail for Ryan Macken and Calvin Altman," Leon said, standing up.

"What's going on?" Ryan asked.

"I'll guard them for now," Sherry said, not from his earpiece but from behind him.

"What's going on?" Ryan repeated.

"Thanks, Sherry," Leon said. "It's really good to see you, although I wish the circumstances were better."

"Likewise," Sherry replied. She turned to Ryan and Calvin, then flashed her badge. "I'm Agent Sherry Birkin of the Division of Security Operations. We've located your friend Stacey, and Agent Kennedy will be on his way to rescue her." She turned to Leon. "Go on, I'll tell them about Drew Macken and everything else. Helena's waiting for you."

Leon nodded. "Stay safe, Sherry."

"You too."

The last thing Leon heard before leaving was Ryan asking, "What about my dad?"

10:48, October 8, 2013, Tuesday
Redwood City, California

Leon and Helena looked at the shutters in front of Blooming Garden Jewellery from across the opposite pavement.

"Right there," Helena said, pointing to the closed doors of Blooming Garden. "The store was still open when Macken got out of a cab. He was approached by James, the two went inside, and about ten minutes later, the shutters closed. There's no back entrance so we don't have a choice but to open that shutter."

"In broad daylight?" Leon asked.

Helena shrugged. "We have a warrant."

"Then I guess we have no choice." Leon sighed. "Do you have a bolt cutter or a crowbar?"

Helena shook her head. "There's a hardware store nearby, though. But I don't think we can open the shutters that easily. This is a jewellery store, after all. Those are probably security roller shutters."

They crossed the street, dodging vehicles, pedestrians, and dogs, until they reached the store.

They stared at the shutters again.

"And Hunnigan can't open it?" Leon said,

"We won't be standing here if she could open it."

"Okay. I'll go to that hardware store, and you go find the remote—" Leon said just as the shutters automatically opened on their own, "—somewhere…."

Helena looked around and spotted a CCTV camera near the store's door. "They're watching us."

Leon looked at the CCTV camera. "Well we better drop in and say hello."

He pushed the door open and was surprised that it actually opened.

"Guess they've been expecting us," commented Leon.

They entered the store, guns at the ready.

The store was dark. All the windows were shuttered, and the only light came from the glass door and storefront. They surveyed the room and noted nothing out of the ordinary.

The shutters suddenly dropped, engulfing the room in darkness.

They turned their torches on. They inched deeper into the store, eventually coming to a door that would presumably lead them to where Stacey and the others were.

"Hunnigan," Leon said. "Are the subjects moving?"

"No," she replied through the earpiece. "They're definitely in that store."

Helena and Leon stood on the door's either side. Leon tried to open the door, and the knob turned.

"There's a door that's been left unlocked," Leon said. "We're going in."

"Be careful, you two," Hunnigan said. "I don't have eyes on you anymore."

Leon and Helena exchanged a quick glance. They both nodded, and on the count of three, Leon opened the door, their torches illuminating what appeared to be a storage room.

Helena felt the wall for a power switch.

"Found it," she said. She flicked the switch on but the room was still bathed in darkness. "Do they want to lead us somewhere?"

"Sounds like it," Leon said, shining his torch onto a heavy-looking steel door. "Guess that's where we need to go."

The steel door was, like the other doors, open. It was heavy, so Leon and Helena teamed up to pull it open.

It led to another dark room that their torchlight revealed to be a break room. Helena once again looked for a switch. She found one and flipped it open, and to their surprise, light flooded the room.

There were two rows of lockers on each side, benches and tables around the room, a door that must lead to the bathroom, and another door with a keypad next to it.

"I'll check the bathroom," Helena said.

Leon nodded and walked towards the other door. He stared at the keypad, thinking if this was where the ring Ada gave him came in.

He pressed 011409. The light remained red; the door was still locked.

If that wasn't the ring's purpose, then what was?

"Bathroom's clear," said Helena. "Do we have to hotwire this keypad or look for a key card or something?"

"Hunnigan," Leon said. "There's a keypad. We don't know the password, but we'll look around for a key card."

"Hold on, let me ask Sherry to see if Calvin knows the password," Hunnigan answered. A minute later, she said, "Try 131842."

Leon pressed the corresponding keys. The light remained red.

"No dice, Hunnigan," Leon said.

"Leon, I'm going to connect you two to Calvin," replied Hunnigan.

"Um, agents?" said Calvin. "My brother changes the passcode regularly, but he tends to use combinations of meaningful dates and numbers."

"And how many meaningful dates and numbers does he use?" asked Leon.

"Ah…quite a lot.…"

"That's gonna be a lot of permutation," Helena commented. "People have been abducted. We don't have time to waste."

"Let me see if I can—" Hunnigan said.

The light suddenly turned green.

"Hunnigan," Helena said, "I think the door just…opened."

"What? How?"

"We think someone's watching us," Leon said.

"Be careful," Calvin said. "My father and brother, they can be quite cruel."

"Noted. We're going in," Leon said as he pushed the door open.

There was a light switch near the door, and Helena flicked it open. The room looked to be the store's workroom-slash-backroom. Various tools and machines for creating jewellery were in there, as well as safes and benches and other furniture. It looked normal, and the steel door and keypad were to be expected if this was where they kept precious metals and gems.

All the safes were locked. Like the rest of the store, nothing looked suspicious, so Helena and Leon checked every shelf, every corner, every drawer—everything they could think of—for signs of anything unusual.

There was nothing.

"The floor," Leon suddenly said, as if a light bulb sprang to life in his head. "There's gotta be an entrance that will lead us down. It's always underground with these bastards."

"Right," Helena muttered. "It's always underground."

Leon looked at her. She seemed to be thinking of her own experience with underground facilities, like the laboratory beneath the Tall Oaks Cathedral where her sister was kept, or the catacomb they traversed to get above ground. Leon was no stranger to sinister places beneath the ground, but so was Helena.

They looked at the storage spaces and furniture. They first tried moving the shelves but they were all bolted to the floor.

"It's impossible to move these," said Helena. "Let me go find a screwdriver or something."

While Helena was rummaging the drawers for a screwdriver or anything that could help, Leon pushed every bench and desk he could. The hardwood flooring was seamless; there was no sign of a secret entrance anywhere.

Leon contacted Hunnigan once more. "Hunnigan, can you ask Calvin if he knows where the secret entrance is?"

"Secret entrance?" Hunnigan asked.

"This room's a dead end," Helen said. "We think there might be an underground place or something."

"It's always underground," Hunnigan commented.

A minute later, Calvin's voice sounded in their earpieces. "Sorry agents, I don't know if there's a secret room or secret entrance or anything. I left the family when I turned eighteen. They purchased that property after I left, so I'm not privy to any details."

"All right. Thanks, Calvin," Leon said.

It looked like he and Helena were on their own, unless the person watching them decided to "help."

"Leon," Helena said. Leon turned to look back at her and saw her holding a small toolbox. "These were all I could find. Think we could use one of these?"

Leon rummaged through the toolbox. "There's nothing in here that would fit those screws, but let me see if we could use the smaller-sized screwdriver."

He crouched to unscrew the bolts. They didn't budge.

"Dammit," Leon cursed. "If it's not an underground lab, then it must be a secret room. Let's look for hidden switches."

"It might not be a secret room," Helena said, but still looked around for a possible hidden switch. "I checked the blueprint earlier. Everything seems to match."

The only lead they had were the shelves—the shelves that wouldn't move. Those shelves contained well-organised storage boxes and several jewellery-making tools. There was a desktop computer on one table, a floor-length mirror hung on one wall, and more tools hung on another wall. Some machines were in a corner and charts and posters were on another wall, and—

"Helena," Leon said, coming closer to a particular poster. "Come take a look at this."

The poster featured the anatomy of various jewelleries and seemed innocuous enough, but one detail caught Leon's eye.

"This," Leon said, pointing towards the illustration of the anatomy of a necklace. "This pendant, it looked like the brooch James was wearing. It's the store's logo."

The drawing of the pendant looked just a teensy little bit off. Leon reached out to trace the ink of the illustration and pushed.

They heard something click, like something had been unlocked, something that came from the direction of the floor-length mirror.

They exchanged glances.

"Looks like it's a secret room after all," Helena said.

"Some 'elite' government agents we are," Leon said. "We didn't even think to check behind the posters and this mirror."

"We should get a refresher course," Helena said as she moved towards the mirror. She took it off the wall, but there was nothing—it was just a wall.

"The hell?" Leon said. "But the sound came here!"

"…Not exactly." Helena was looking down. "You're right. It's probably an underground lab."

Leon followed the direction of her gaze.

There was nothing strange when he checked the floor earlier. The hardwood flooring was just hardwood flooring, but after pushing the secret button, a section of the flooring beneath the mirror rose.

There was no indentation, so Leon grabbed a nearby slotted screwdriver to lift it, and sure enough, it revealed a step ladder that led downwards. It could only fit one person at a time, but before Leon could offer to go down first, Helena said, "Ladies first," and then descended the ladder.

Leon tapped his earpiece. "Hunnigan, we found the secret entrance. We're going down now."

"Okay," Hunnigan replied. "But we might lose signal. We'll have no way of communicating, though I still have your location."

"What about Stacey and her security?"

"Still there."

"All right. I'm going down."

"Watch out for yourselves."

Their conversation ended, and Leon followed Helena.

The hallway was surprisingly clean and well lit. It was old and musty, but it wasn't as dirty as sewers or catacombs, so Leon considered that a big plus.

At the end of the hallway was another heavy-duty steel door, something that might look like the entrance to a panic room, and Helena and Leon crept towards it, guns ready.

The door, Helena discovered, wasn't locked.

"They can leave doors unlocked but can't tell us where the secret entrance is?" Leon said as they slowly opened the door.

"I'm more concerned about who built this underground facility and why wasn't it included in the blueprint," Helena said, following Leon. "Can't believe there's a whole underground…area right beneath a shopping district in an affluent city in California."

"Well, that's a crazy cult for you."

The door led them to another hallway, but whereas the previous one was old and musty, this hallway looked modern. With clean white walls and white light coming from fixtures, this hallway gave Leon the impression of Umbrella's NEST lab.

There was another door at the end, one that required a passcode.

"You don't suppose our 'friend' will just unlock this door, do you?" Helena asked.

As if on cue, the door unlocked. Helena looked around and saw a CCTV camera in one corner.

She gave the camera a sardonic smile, while Leon gave a mock-salute.

Leon swung the door open, and when he and Helena were inside the next room, the door closed and the lock clicked.

Helena tried to reopen the door but it didn't budge. "Guess we're gonna be in here for a while."

They were in some sort of lobby. There was an electronic door ahead of them, a laboratory with glass windows to their left, and another room to their right with the door ajar. Leon and Helena went inside it.

It was an ordinary break room of sorts. Nothing stood out after a careful search, so they went to the lab.

"I'll search around the room and you search the computers," Helena said.

"Hunnigan," said Leon. "Hunnigan? Hunnigan, come in." There was still no response. "Damn it. I guess we're out of coverage."

There were four computer units in the lab; the Campbell family's research team must not have been big. There was no indicator as to whom the units belonged to, so Leon booted the one nearest to him.

Leon messed around with the computer but he couldn't hack it open. While he was an extremely skilled field agent proficient in a lot of things, his knowledge of computers was average at best. He could hack into them if he had the right tools, but he didn't, so he needed to figure out the username and password if he wanted to obtain whatever data was stored in that computer.

"Helena," Leon called, "you don't happen to see any login ID and password lying around, do you?"

"As a matter of fact, I have," Helena said, brandishing a piece of paper. "Found it in a drawer."

"Lucky us," Leon said when Helena handed him the paper.

He typed in the username and password. They granted Leon access to the computer and all the data stored in its hard drive and shared network.

"Anything?" Helena asked.

"I can't see anything about Lucy," Leon answered, "but I'm gonna copy everything just to be safe. I'm guessing Vincent keeps the data elsewhere."

Leon took out a small flash drive from his pocket while Helena looked around once more. She flicked through clipboards, memos stuck in the corkboard, journals, notepads, and stacks of papers, but found nothing that might interest them besides a key card that might belong to one of the researchers.

"I hope you don't mind if I take this," Helena muttered to herself as she took the key card.

"There's nothing on those papers?" Leon asked.

Helena shook his head. "I still want to take them with us, but it'd be too cumbersome to carry them around."

"Let's hope we'll have time to go back for those," Leon said. "Hey, transfer's done. Guess our only choice now is to head towards that door we saw earlier."

Leon pocketed the flash drive, then they proceeded towards that other door. Helena swiped the key card across the reader, unlocking the door, and revealing to them a room in such a stark contrast to the clean and professional white of the rooms before.

It was the dank and musty hallway Leon had expected. While still well lit, no effort had been expended to make the place look pleasing to the eye. There was no door that beckoned them; instead, there was a hole in the ground, with a rusty step ladder leading to the darkness below.

"Just how deep does this go?" Helena said, looking at the bottomless pit.

"Well," said Leon, readying his torch, "let's find out."

The climb down was interminable, though near the bottom, lights illuminated the passageway. Leon and Helena turned their torches off and readied their guns as they moved forward.

"This looks like a dungeon," Helena commented.

She wasn't far off the mark. The lights affixed to the walls looked like actual fire torches, casting a wan orange glow to the brick walls that showed signs of age. The air smelled of mould, the ground was slightly damp, and a steady drip-drop echoed in the dank hallway.

"If this is a dungeon, then this must be where they keep the hostages," Leon answered.

They reached a wooden door with lamps hanging on either side of it. The door bore the same symbol as the one on James's brooch and the hidden button disguised as an illustrated pendant—the logo of Blooming Garden.

"Is this locked, or…?" asked Leon.

"The door is open," came a man's muffled voice from the other side of the door.

"Thanks," Leon said in a deadpan tone, "appreciate it."

Leon pulled the door open, Helena following.

They stepped into a, well, a dungeon. They were in a literal dungeon. There were rows of cells on both of their sides, though the one in the farthest corner seemed to have been transformed into a room.

"Who had this built?" Helena asked no one in particular.

"This property had always belonged to the Campbells." The voice—a man—came from the shadows. "My great-grandfather sold it several decades ago. It was only until a few years back that we were able to reclaim it."

Leon and Helena immediately turned to the direction of the voice. The man slowly emerged from the darkness, his footsteps echoing in the cavernous hall.

"James Campbell," Leon said, pointing his gun at the man.

"Ah," James said. "Forgive me, but my family does not have ready access to information. As such, I only know you by the pseudonym you gave me—Mr Bradbury."

Leon could feel Helena's questioning gaze. They didn't have much time to discuss what Leon had been up to, but they would have time later once they complete the mission.

"You know my name, and possibly my family's complete history," said James. "Isn't it just common courtesy to know yours and your friend's?"

Leon and Helena stayed silent.

"No?" James said. "All right, then. I suppose I'll just have to use, ah, extreme measures to interrogate your…wife."

"Wife?" Helena questioned, looking at Leon.

"Once she wakes up, of course," said James. "Or rather, if she wakes up."

"What did you do to her?" Leon asked, keeping the anger out of his voice.

"Oh, we just put her to sleep. Though I may have accidentally upped the dosage.…"

"What about the other hostages?" Helena said. "You 'put them to sleep' too?"

"I had to. They were being noisy."

"Where are they?" Leon said in his most authoritative tone. "Take us to them. Now."

James tutted. "That's not why I led you two here."

That was the last thing Leon heard before he felt a prick in his neck and lost consciousness.

13:21, October 8, 2013, Tuesday
Redwood City, California

Leon woke up, and it took him a couple of minutes to regain his faculties. The nausea slowly ebbed and he could feel the blood circulating through his limbs again, but he was still disoriented and couldn't make out where he was.

It took him another couple of minutes to register his surroundings.

His hands were tied behind his back. He could see that he was in a room with beige walls, the hardwood flooring was light brown in colour, and Helena was next to him, unconscious and slumped on the floor, hands tied behind her back.

"Interesting," he heard someone murmur.

Leon slowly turned his head to the direction of the voice and saw a man in a white lab coat. He wanted to speak but his tongue felt heavy. He wanted to stand but his legs wouldn't cooperate. His vision was a bit blurry, so he squinted and saw the man's greying temples and critical eyes boring into him.

The man scribbled something into his clipboard.

"You wouldn't tell my son your name," the man said, "so we searched through your possessions. Agents Kennedy and Harper of the DSO, same as those two individuals who came with Ms Chavez. My, we must have been doing something extraordinary to attract the attention of an elite government agency. Oh, by the way, we confiscated all your weapons. Don't even try to escape."

Leon's brain was slowly clearing up.

His son. So this man must be Vincent Campbell, manufacturer of Lucy. He looked, if Leon was being honest, an elderly aristocrat who must have been a model in his younger days. Both his sons looked like models too. Leon wondered if that was a family trait.

Leon could see the man sitting on a swivel chair before a desk. There were two monitors on the desk, while the CPU was on the floor.

A sharp pang of a pain bolted through his head. Leon winced, and the pain dissipated as quickly as it came.

Vincent wrote something on his clipboard.

"I see that you're wearing my wife's creation," Vincent said. "And your wife does too—if she's actually your wife and not an agent like you. Thank you for your patronage. Such simple yet elegant matching rings. Your wife has taste."

It took Leon a few seconds to understand what the man meant.

He looked down at his chest. He was still wearing the necklace-ring Ada gave him.

Ada.

The anger he had suppressed before came bubbling up the surface. "W-Where is she? What did you d-do to her?"

Vincent narrowed his eyebrows and nodded appreciatively. He once again wrote something on his clipboard, mumbling words to himself that Leon couldn't hear.

"Your wife is somewhere around here," said Vincent as he turned to his computer.

"What a-about Stacey and the others?" Leon asked, his tongue still heavy. "Are they here too in your c-creepy dungeon?"

Vincent typed away on his keyboard. "Yes. Somewhere around here. Though I highly doubt that you'd be able to meet them."

Leon tried to stand but he fell; he still didn't have full control of his limbs.

"It's no use, Agent Kennedy." Vincent turned towards him. "You'll never see the light of the day again. But I suppose I could let you see your wife before we take her."

"T-Take her?" Leon tried to stand again, but he fell again. "Take her w-where?"

"Don't worry, she'll be in good hands."

"I asked you w-where is s-she."

Vincent didn't have time to respond; the door opened, revealing James.

"Father," James said as he strode into the room, "the preparations are complete."

Vincent clapped his hands. "Very well. Please send some people to watch over our guests."

James gave the struggling Leon and the unconscious Helena a once-over before responding to his father. "Understood."

James and Vincent left the room, and Leon's head finally started clearing.

The room looked like a study. Besides the computer Vincent had been using, there were bookshelves filled with, well, books, but Leon wasn't concerned about those for the moment; what he was concerned about was his unconscious partner, cutting the ropes binding him, and accessing Vincent's computer. He was the big cheese in this family, and he most likely kept all the data in his personal unit.

Two men entered the room, probably the ones James sent to watch them. Leon's brain was no longer addled, but he could swear that those two men looked more like poster boys than goons. Seriously, what was it with this family all looking like models and actors?

"I don't suppose you could untie me?" Leon said, his speech slowly returning to normal.

One of the men, whom Leon called Man 1 in his head, snorted.

"My partner," Leon said, "could you at least check on her?"

"Don't worry, we didn't give you and your partner a lethal dose," the other man, whom Leon called Man 2, replied.

Leon glanced at his partner, but Helena didn't stir. "Where are you keeping the others?"

As he had expected, he received no answer.

Leon couldn't stay there forever. He had hostages to rescue, Helena was still unconscious, and where were they taking Ada? But he couldn't do anything, not with his hands bound, not without a weapon, not with two men watching him, and certainly not with legs that still wouldn't cooperate.

The two men were just literally standing over on one side and watching them.

"I noticed that your lab had four computer units," said Leon as he tried to furtively struggle out of the ropes. "Where are the rest of your researchers?"

"On a holiday," Man 1 said.

Just then, Helena began to stir, and Leon did not like the sounds she was making.

She sounded like she was turning.

"Helena?" Leon tried and almost failed to keep the panic out of his voice. "Helena?"

Helena continued making those guttural moans. Physically, she still looked normal, but her body was twitching in a way that was very much like someone infected with the T-virus did.

"What did you give her?" Leon didn't bother masking the fury in his voice.

The two men inched closer to the door, apprehension evident on their faces.

"Better get Vincent here," Man 1 said. "I'll go, you stay and watch them."

"Why do I have to be the one to stay?" Man 2 asked. "You stay!"

"No, you!"

"It was your idea! You should be the one to stay!"

The two continued fighting, and Helena continued moaning and twitching. Leon's legs were finally cooperating, and he scrambled away from her, looking for a weapon that he could use to…terminate her.

Just like he terminated Adam Benford.

Bile rose up in his throat but he pushed it down.

Leon found a letter opener on Vincent's desk.

Man 1 and Man 2 were still fighting, so Leon was able to get closer to the letter opener, but before he could take it, Man 2 spotted him.

"Hey!" said Man 2. "What do you think you're doing?"

Man 1 used that moment to escape.

"Son of bitch!" Man 2 exclaimed.

Helena, with her hands still tied, crawled closer to Man 2, making the latter squeak. His back slammed against the door, and with his attention on Helena, Leon was able to grab the letter opener and free himself.

Leon brandished the letter opener.

"Don't kill her!" Man 2 said. "Vincent needs her data!"

Leon didn't want to kill Helena, but, loath he was to admit, he might have to. He hoped he wouldn't.

Helena's inhuman moans pierced through Leon. Just how many friends and comrades would he lose in this war against bioterrorism? There was only so much he could take before losing his mind.

Helena's mouth clamped over Man 2's leg. Man 2 shrieked and fell on the floor, and in that instant, Helena pounced him and knocked her head against his, rendering Man 2 unconscious.

It was definitely not the move Leon expected from someone infected with Lucy or the T-virus, but new strains of the virus appeared more often that he liked to admit. Who knew what capabilities those newly engineered viruses would give to the infected people.

Helena stood up, and when she turned to Leon, she looked…human.

"I deserve an Academy Award for that," Helena said, smirking at Leon.

Leon lowered his hands, his heart slowing back to its normal rate. "Jesus H Christ, Helena," Leon said through gritted teeth. "Do you know how scared I was?"

"Scared of me?" Helena asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No! I was scared that I'd have to terminate you!"

Helena knitted her brows. "I'm sorry, Leon, but I really couldn't think of any other solution."

Leon sighed. He cut the ropes tying her hands and shook his head. "How long have you been conscious, anyway?"

Helena rubbed her wrists. "A bit longer than you. I wanted to see what Vincent was up to so I pretended to be unconscious. But it worked, didn't it?"

"Thank fuck it did," said Leon. He sat on Vincent's swivel chair and searched the desk for Vincent's login credentials; maybe he had written them down somewhere. He briefly turned back to her to say, "Don't do that again."

Helena nodded. "All right. I'm sorry for making you worry." She dragged Man 2 into a corner and then searched the bookshelves, then said in a teasing voice, "I didn't know you were married."

Leon rolled his eyes. "You know I'm not. It was a cover story."

"Matching rings, huh?" Helena commented. And then, a pause. "Is it Ada?"

Leon's hands stilled for a moment. He felt his pockets for the compact case he kept there, but it wasn't there; they took even Ada's compact case away.

Leon said in a voice barely above a whisper, "Yeah, it's Ada."

"What's she doing here?

"Who knows? Things are never straightforward with her."

Helena chuckled. "You know, you never got the chance to confirm nor deny when I said you had feelings for her."

Leon could remember that moment. They were in a lift at the Quad Tower, where the glass panes enabled them to see the chaos and inferno outside. Helena talked about Ada, stated that she was more than just Leon's friend and that he had feelings for her. And then the lift exploded, and that was the end of that conversation.

Apparently not.

"It's complicated," Leon said. And if that ain't the cold hard truth.

That conversation was, however, interrupted again when they heard footsteps approaching.

Helena quickly grabbed a thick, heavy book and positioned herself beside the door, ready to take out whoever would swing it open, while Leon remained on the chair to serve as a distraction.

It was James who opened the door, Man 1 from earlier behind him. James's eyes zeroed in on Leon, but before he could get a word out, Helena kneed him in his stomach then smacked Man 1's head with the book.

James keeled over and Leon quickly tied James's hands behind him with some cable ties he found in Vincent's desk. Helena dragged the unconscious Man 1 towards an equally unconscious Man 2, restraining their hands with the cable ties Leon gave her.

Leon crouched so he could get to James's eye level. He held the letter opener against James's throat and said, "We're gonna ask you a couple of questions, and you're gonna answer all of them."

James met Leon's eyes, then gave him a smirk. "Will I?"

Leon pressed the blade closer, close enough that it broke skin and drew a bit of blood. "We're gonna make you."

Leon gave no warning. He swung his arm, intending to give James a black eye, but James foresaw his move and rolled away. However, this brought him closer to Helena, who then gifted him a nice punch to his face.

A crunch followed; James's nose was broken.

"Fucking bitch," James spat at her. "Next time, kick me in the stomach instead."

Leon found James's statement odd. He exchanged questioning glances with Helena before shrugging and landing a kick to James's abdomen. "As you wish."

James groaned as he bent over the ground.

"First question," Leon said. "Where are the hostages?"

James snorted. "Somewhere around here."

Helena gave him a smack to the face.

"Jesus Christ, woman!" James exclaimed. "Stop hitting my face!"

Leon and Helena exchanged another one of those glances.

Leon held the letter opener to James's cheek. "Where are the hostages?"

James moved his face away from the blade, but Leon pressed it right back to his cheek. "I'll never tell you."

Leon raked the letter opener on James's cheek, then pressed it a tiny bit deeper into the other's skin. "Oh I'll make you tell me."

James snarled. He angled his face away from the letter opener and from Helena, shielding it from them.

"Seems like our friend here is a little bit too concerned about his face," Helena commented. "If you don't wanna get any more bruises, scratches, or scars, then you better start talking."

And talk James Campbell did.

The Campbell family wasn't really a cult; it was an extended family with, ah, obsessive tendencies. Which was basically a cult, depending on the person one asked. They weren't really into expanding their…social circle; they wanted to keep it in the family. A family business, if you will. A family business that had a pharmacist-turned-illegal-drug-creator as its head.

James had said through split lips that the hostages were being held prisoner a few cells from the room they were in. Two black eyes later, he had revealed that only his father had access to data concerning Lucy. Vincent was the only one capable of manufacturing it; the lab Leon and Helena had seen earlier was being used by their relatives to research the T-virus.

They only had the T-virus. They didn't have the G-virus, or C-virus, or A-virus, or the Plaga, or whatever abomination mankind had managed to create.

Considering everything that had been—and was—going on, Leon considered that a win.

Vincent was in the laboratory where he was manufacturing Lucy. The preparations that James had spoken of earlier referred to a room being arranged for something—something that, no matter how many bruises and cuts Leon and Helena had given him, James had never divulged.

James, however, let it slip that Vincent had been developing more Lucy variations. The hostages had already been injected with them, as well as Leon and Helena; it was the "tranquiliser" that had immobilised them earlier. However, they were given two different variations—that's why Helena recovered faster than Leon did, and Vincent had been gathering data on these variations.

James had sent Drew Macken a message that morning, commanding him to double the amount of Lucy that he was distributing. Stacey Chavez refused to help them further their research on the drug, so the Campbells wanted more test subjects to expand their data. Macken refused James's demands, saying it was more than he could handle, but after a few well-placed threats, Macken complied. However, Macken threw a hissy fit later, so they knocked him out.

Janice Banner worked at Blooming Garden. She had witnessed James and Macken's confrontation. She had witnessed James open the secret entrance to the Campbell underground lab, so she messaged her best friend Emma Hawthorne about what she had seen. However, James caught her, and since they were pressed for test subjects, he decided to take her to their lab.

Emma worked at Yiling Chinese Food. After receiving her best friend's message, and knowing that their regular customer Drew Macken was caught up in whatever mess that was, she headed to Blooming Garden in search of her best friend, only to be caught later.

Stacey had been abducted because Vincent was desperate for results, and whether she was willing or not, she would help them achieve whatever it was they wanted to achieve. James didn't expound on this, and no amount of bodily harm to James made him spill whatever their goal was.

"You two are highly trained agents, aren't you?" James had said in a derisive tone. "Figure that out by yourselves."

James had injected their hostages with Lucy variations. That included Ada, whom James had discovered snooping around the night before. He discovered her snooping—not caught. Only the Campbell family—with Calvin's exception, who distanced himself from his family several years ago—knew of the existence of this underground facility, so James had wondered how in the world did Ada know about it, let alone infiltrate it. So he had let her do as she pleased, and when the opportunity presented itself, he, from the shadows, struck her with a tranquiliser dart. And on account of her being not an "ordinary person," James had given her more than the usual dosage recommended—even more than the amount the people who took Lucy did.

That was when the Campbells knew that they were attracting much more unwanted attention.

"Maybe you shouldn't have silenced your dealers," Helena had said.

"They were dispensable anyway," James had answered.

Another punch to the face and three broken fingers later, James had said that Ada was in Vincent's lab. They had managed to extricate directions out of him, and after Helena knocked him unconscious with an uppercut, she and Leon made haste towards the lab.

Not surprisingly, they were deterred by other Campbell family members. These Campbells were far cries from Man 1 and Man 2; they knew how to fight and they knew their guns and knives. Still, they were no match for two trained government agents, because Leon and Helena quickly disarmed them and stole their weapons.

There was one strange thing, though—Leon felt like he and Helena battled models straight out of the catwalk.

"Let's hope Vincent gives us some answers," Leon muttered as they stepped away from the pile of unconscious, dead, or dying bodies.

Helena gave him a quick glance. "You okay?"

Leon looked questioningly at her. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be? You?"

"I'm all right." Helena shrugged and continued walking. "Ada. I figured you'd be worried about her."

Leon let out a dry chuckle. "She's a big girl. She can handle herself."

Leon had to believe she could, because the alternative would destroy him.

15:16, October 8, 2013, Tuesday
Redwood City, California

Vincent wasn't surprised to see them.

"Lower your guns, agents," said Vincent as he busied himself with a syringe, "and don't do anything funny. You wouldn't want your friends hurt, do you?"

Two Campbells—whom Leon dubbed as Man 3 and Man 4—confiscated their weapons. They looked like they could be high-profile actors, although that observation wasn't surprising anymore at this point.

The hostages were on the other side of the room—Stacey, Janice, Emma…

"We'll get you out of here," Helena told the hostages, "I promise."

Vincent scoffed.

"Where's Macken?" Leon asked as Man 3 restrained him. Man 4, meanwhile, was tying Helena's hands together. "Where's Stacey's security detail, and where's my wife?" He didn't know if the Campbells had discovered that the name she was using was Ada Wong and not Cathy or Rachel Bradbury, so Leon had to be careful.

"Oh, so she really is your wife," Vincent said as he prepared another syringe. "She caused quite a ruckus, that pretty little thing. First, she comes in my private property attempting to steal my data, and then she confuses Emma and Janice, who know her as Cathy and Mrs Bradbury, respectively. Even my son James knew her as Mrs Bradbury." He shook his head. "Speaking of sons, I heard you've been in touch with my prodigal son?"

"You won't be able to get to him," Leon said. He could feel a gun's nozzle pressed to his side.

"You've got your people watching him, and I've got my people watching him." Vincent placed the two syringes on a tray, which already had four syringes on it. "Do you really think I wouldn't keep tabs on my own son? I always worry about that kid. Shame, that he didn't share our ideals."

The sight of the syringes was unsettling, especially with a surgical table nearby. This must be what James had prepared earlier.

"Where are the other hostages?" Helena prompted.

Vincent spared her a look before fiddling with his computer. "Ms Chavez's security detail are in a room with Macken. As for your wife, Agent Kennedy…" The door opened. "Oh, here they are."

In walked Ada, her hands bound behind her. She was escorted by a meek-looking woman who pointed a gun to Ada's back—a woman who, despite looking meek, looked like a benevolent deity who could calm raging seas and turbulent hearts.

Ada met Leon's eyes. She smirked and said, "Hey, handsome."

Leon almost called out her name until he remembered that the Campbells still didn't know her name. But did it matter? "Ada Wong" wasn't even her real name.

She didn't seem fazed or bothered, but then again, that was just Ada.

"Mara, bring her over here," Vincent called.

Mara. So the woman escorting Ada was Vincent's wife.

Mara looked…apologetic as she brought Ada over to Vincent.

"Thank you, darling," Vincent said, giving her a nod. "Now, if you could keep our visitors company," he jerked his head towards Stacey, Emma, and Janice, "and make sure they don't stay out of line."

Mara did as she was told. Strangely enough, the three women didn't seem to be intimidated. If anything, they seemed relieved.

It must be her soft features, Leon thought, which made people feel at ease.

"Ah, Mrs Bradbury," said Vincent. "Or should I say, Mrs Kennedy?"

Ada directed an amused glance at Leon. She then turned to Vincent and said, "Ah, you've found out. I'm Mrs Kennedy."

Leon could feel Helena's gaze on him. He gave her an I'll tell you later look and hoped that his partner understood.

"Please lie here, Mrs Kennedy," Vincent said, gesturing to the surgical table.

"Mr Campbell," Ada replied in a faux-scandalised tone, "my husband is right here."

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind, would you, Agent Kennedy?"

Oh, Leon very much minded.

Ada sat on the surgical table. Leon heard Emma call out, "Cathy, don't!"

Ada gave Emma a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Emma."

"She's right, Ms Hawthorne," said Vincent as he strapped Ada to the table. "It's gonna be okay."

"Don't touch her," Leon growled. He struggled against the ropes binding him, but Man 3 pressed the gun harder to his side.

Ada lay on the table. Leon could only guess that the syringe contained Lucy or whatever variation of it. Best case scenario would be the syringe containing Lucy, because at least he already had knowledge as to what happened when someone took the drug. Worse case scenario would be the syringe containing a Lucy variation, because he wouldn't know how to deal with it. Worst case scenario? The syringe contained T-virus.

Leon didn't even want to think about the last one.

Vincent took a syringe from the tray. He uncapped it, and while Leon's face was a maelstrom of emotions, Ada's expression was as calm and serene as bubbling brook in an enchanted forest.

"After Mrs Kennedy here, I'm going to give Lucy to all of you," said Vincent. "Ms Chavez, Ms Banner, Ms Hawthorne, and Agent Kennedy and Agent Harper. All my valuable test subjects. Ms Chavez wouldn't help me so I'm taking matter into my own hands."

Vincent's hand took hold of Ada's arm while his other hand held the syringe—

"I said don't fucking touch her!" Leon roared—

—and then a gunshot echoed in the room, followed by Vincent's screams of pain and Man 3 and Man 4 falling with a thud.

Leon saw Mara pointing her gun to Vincent's head.

"Darling," Vincent said, his tone laced with agony. He was clutching his bloody right hand to his chest.

"No more, Vincent," Mara, looking every bit like a furious deity, said, "no more."

Vincent sobbed. Leon couldn't figure out if it was from the pain of the gunshot wound or his wife's words. "You said you wanted this."

"That wasn't what I said. You twisted my words!"

"I did this for you!" Vincent, bleeding hand still to his chest, strode towards his wife. "This was all for you, all because of my love for you!"

"What a twisted kind of love it was, huh." Without warning, Mara shot Vincent's shoulder. Her husband howled in pain as he dropped to the floor, and then she quickly unstrapped Ada from the table.

Leon hurriedly went to Ada's side. "You okay?"

"If I didn't know any better," said Ada as she got off the surgical table, "I'd say you were scared."

Leon looked her straight in the eyes. He wasn't ashamed to say, "I was."

Ada looked away, her face not revealing any emotion. She took a nearby scalpel and cut Leon's ties as well as Helena's. Helena then grabbed another scalpel, and then she cut the hostages' ties.

Meanwhile, Mara rifled through the drawers for medicinal supplies. She patched up Vincent's wounds, telling her husband that she wouldn't let him die just yet because he had to answer to the authorities—authorities who happened to be right in the same room where she was.

"Agents," Mara said. She stayed by her husband's side, keeping a watch on him.

She tossed a flash drive to Leon. "That's everything you need to know about Lucy." She then tossed another flash drive to Helena. "And that's everything you need to know about the Campbells and their crimes. Your weapons are in the next room, and you'll find Drew and the others at the farthest room in the hallway."

Leon and Helena retrieved their weapons. Leon securely tucked Ada's compact case in his pocket, earning a raised eyebrow from his partner. Thankfully, she didn't say anything about it.

Once they were all loaded with gear and ammo, they headed towards the room where the other hostages were being kept. They've come across other Campbell goons, but other than warily and fearfully staring at them, they didn't hinder them.

Leon thought that he might have walked into a magazine photoshoot with a dungeon theme, but that was beside the point. For now.

Before they could get any farther, Leon heard an all too familiar voice.

"Leon," said Ada a few metres behind them.

They turned to face her.

She held up a hand that clutched a flash drive, possibly containing data about Lucy. "I've accomplished my mission, so I came to say goodbye."

Leon narrowed his eyes. "You're saying goodbye instead of just disappearing like you always do?"

Ada dropped her hand. She smiled at him, and Leon thought it looked sort of…bitter. "Yeah, I am."

Something unnamed welled up inside Leon. Whenever he and Ada parted, she always said, "See you around, Leon," or some variation of it, but this time, it was just a straight-up farewell.

She strode towards them. She stopped right in front of Leon and raised a hand to his cheek, her thumb stroking the five o'clock shadow on Leon's jaw. "Look at you now, so different from the rookie cop I met back in '98…."

Leon leaned in to her touch. "Ada…." There was something amiss, and Leon didn't like it, not one bit.

Her hand drifted to his chest to where the ring she gave him hung, and then she stepped back. She said, "Goodbye, Leon," before scampering away; there wasn't much use for a grapple gun in a dungeon.

Somehow, her words had an odd sense of finality to it.

"Ada, wait!" he called, but he could only stare at her retreating back, his entire body unmoving.

"What are you waiting for?" Helena said. "Go after her."

Those words took him right back to Lanshiang three months ago where he let Ada go.

He could no longer see her. Somehow, he knew down to his bones that if he didn't chase her, he would never see her again.

"I'll rescue the hostages and tie up loose ends. I'll take care of everything," Helena said.

Did he want to go after her? Absolutely. But did he want to see his mission to the end? He had to. That was his job. He always placed his job first, but when it came to Ada, suddenly, there were personal feelings involved.

Leon was frozen on the spot. He couldn't move. His instincts told him to move, but his brain urged him to complete his mission. They still had hostages to rescue and persons of interest to apprehend and question, and—Well, wasn't Ada a person of interest? Her being caught up in this whole Lucy thing—and a million other B.O.W.-related things—made her more than a person of interest.

Helena shrugged and voiced Leon's thoughts. "We could just say you went after a person of interest."

Leon stared at his partner. Helena knew of his feelings for Ada only after knowing him for, like, three days. She asked him if he was okay after he received news of Ada's "death." She covered for him when he protected Ada against a heavily mutated Simmons. She urged him to follow Ada after she said goodbye. More than that, she always had his back. He wouldn't have survived Tall Oaks, Lanshiang, and the other missions they had if she didn't.

After China, she got transferred to the DSO as an agent on probation, but Leon was certain that she would achieve regular status soon. True, she did have a tendency to let her emotions rule her—as was evidenced by her urging of Leon to go after Ada instead of seeing their mission to completion—but in all the ways that mattered, Helena was an exemplary government agent and human being.

"We don't have to say it was Ada. Just say the target was wearing a mask or something."

Leon stood rooted to his spot.

"Just go, Leon," Helena said with a sigh. "I am sick and tired of you pining away like a lovesick puppy."

"I don't—"

"Yes you do. I've known you for three months now and that's all you ever did—pine. Now go before she gets farther way."

"Helena, I—"

"You can buy my lunch for the next six months."

Leon took a deep breath. "Thank you, Helena."

Helena shook her head. "Just go, Leon."

With another nod of gratitude, Leon went after the woman who always haunted his dreams and nightmares.

17:20, October 8, 2013, Tuesday
Redwood City, California

There was only one way in and out of the Campbell dungeon—the way he and Helena came from, which was through Blooming Garden.

At least, that was what Leon thought.

Leon was about to return to that dank and musty hallway when he heard footsteps behind him.

"Agent Kennedy," Mara Campbell said. "There is another way out. That was how Agent Bradbury got in."

Agent Bradbury?

Leon didn't know which federal agency agent Ada posed as, but now that he was chasing her, he would have time to ask. He would make sure of it. "The blueprints didn't show any other entrance or exit."

Mara gave an amused laugh. "That was how it was intended to be, Agent Kennedy—a secret."

"Agent Bradbury, she—"

"When I was making those rings," she said, eyeing the ring hanging on Leon's neck, "I didn't expect that I was making rings for a DEA agent and a DSO agent who will take down my husband's burgeoning criminal empire."

Ah. So that was Ada's cover this time.

She approached Leon and held his hands, as if in supplication. "Please understand, we aren't a wicked bunch; there are just certain circumstances that have led us here. And James…" She shook her head, sighing. "This isn't what I wanted, and I never wanted this to happen.

"Now go. Your partner and I will clean up this mess. I understand that you and your wife have work matters to discuss."

Leon nodded.

"Just one more thing, Agent."

Leon inclined his head.

"My son, Calvin…is he doing well?"

Leon smiled. "He's worried for Stacey, but he's doing great."

Mara let his hands go and stepped back. "Thank you, Agent."

She gave Leon directions to the other way out—another ladder that led to a manhole—and then sped away.

IV.

17:57, October 8, 2013, Tuesday
Redwood City, California

Leon couldn't find Ada anywhere.

The moment he emerged from the manhole—a manhole near Yiling, of all places—Hunnigan's voice came through his earpiece.

"Leon!" said Hunnigan. "Thank God I finally got to you! Are you all right?"

"Yes," he said, his looking around him. "How are things on Helena's end?"

"All the hostages—that include Stacey's security detail and Drew Macken—have been rescued. James, Vincent, and their relatives are being escorted to the hospital, while Mara had been taken in for questioning. Sherry had also been tasked with officially questioning Ryan and Calvin."

"Good, good," Leon replied. He walked to a random direction in search of a woman wearing a red button-down and fitted black cargo pants, but he couldn't see one.

"Gianne Macken…she's alive, Leon."

Leon paused in his tracks. "She's what?"

"I know, things are pretty convoluted right now, but maybe we can talk about it later? Helena said you're pursuing a person of interest, and right now, we need to capture them. Can you describe their appearance?"

Leon recalled Helena's words—"Just say the target was wearing a mask or something." He didn't want the US government on Ada's tails so he decided to lie. Why wouldn't he? The government he served has lied to him and millions of other people. "A bit shorter than I am, slight built, couldn't tell if they were male or female because they never spoke and they wore a ski mask."

Hunnigan groaned. "Their clothing?"

"Black. All black. But they could have changed clothes by now."

Hunnigan sighed. "That really isn't much to go on. Let's check the CCTVs nearby."

In Leon's aimless walking, he somehow ended up near the manhole he came from, and that was when he saw a small white paper fluttering in the wind, one of its sides stuck to the manhole.

Leon bent down to pick it up, and then read what was written on it:

Room 301
Holiday Inn Express Redwood City-Central
1836 El Camino Real Redwood City, California

It was his room number and the address of the hotel he was staying at written in a handwriting he knew all too well, and at the bottom of the paper was lipstick mark.

Leon shook his head in fond exasperation. "Women."

18:11, October 8, 2013, Tuesday
Redwood City, California

He found Ada sitting on his king-sized bed while watching the television. From the looks of it, she had already showered, and she was wearing nothing but one of Leon's clean T-shirts—navy blue, with KENNEDY written in small white block letters on the upper left side—despite Leon seeing what appeared to Ada's duffel bag in the room, which most likely contained her own clothes.

(Leon didn't want to think about whether she was wearing anything underneath the shirt—his shirt—or not.)

"Nothing on the news yet about today's activities," said Ada, her eyes glued to the television. "Though to be fair, the evening news has just started." She looked at him. "I'm hungry. I haven't eaten anything since breakfast."

"Well I haven't eaten anything since last night," Leon replied. "It's nice that Vincent fed his hostages, eh?"

"How about you shower and I order room service?" Ada suggested. "It's always better to talk on a full stomach."

"And what, find that you're gone after my shower?"

"Would I really go through all the trouble of leading you here after saying goodbye? I could have just walked out of your life as easy as that."

See, this was one of the things that had always been consistent with Ada—one moment she was there, and the next she wasn't. Even if Leon kept his eyes on her, she would still come and go as she pleased. She was like a wisp of smoke—intangible, amorphous, elusive. The more Leon wanted to contain her, the more she scattered away.

"So you're really walking out of my life."

Ada turned to him, and Leon saw that she was wearing her necklace-ring. He still couldn't figure out if that had something to do with the Lucy case or not.

"Take a shower, Leon, and we'll talk."

Leon had no doubt that Ada would talk, but he also knew that she would prevaricate as if her life depended on it.

And maybe it did.

Fifteen minutes later, a freshly showered Leon stepped out of the bathroom wearing a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. He sat on the bed, a pizza box separating him and Ada.

"There's probably going to be a media blackout about this," said Ada. She sipped a can of soda and then continued. "Considering who your employer is, I won't be surprised."

Leon grabbed a slice of pizza. "That's what they always do when it comes to B.O.W.-related things."

"But there were no B.O.W.s this time, weren't there? No rocket launchers, no self-destruct buttons, no helicopters, and no explosions. They got the underground lab, though."

Leon snorted. He took a bite out of his pizza then said, "How'd you get in there? Mara said you didn't use the Blooming Garden entrance."

"The hard part wasn't getting in—it was finding out where James was getting in. Do you remember when we got these rings? I stuck a tracker on James and found out that he went inside a manhole. It was easy after that."

He could vaguely recall Ada clutching James's arm. "Ada Wong, always one step ahead of me."

"I had a two-month lead on you," Ada replied as she grabbed another slice.

Leon tore his eyes away from the television and looked at Ada. "Was it really necessary to go undercover at Yiling for two months? With your skills, you could have gotten what you needed in three days max."

"Is that a compliment?" Ada asked with a teasing drawl.

Leon didn't respond. He just ate his pizza.

"The Campbells are paranoid. They were watching Emma because Janice tells her a lot about her workplace, and Janice might have seen something about James and Macken."

"That's why you were searching for bugs at the restaurant."

"It wouldn't hurt to be careful."

Leon took a swig of his soda. "Why was Macken furious when you resigned?"

"Because of love."

Leon gave her a look, asking her to expound.

"The Campbells were keeping tabs on Emma, someone who wasn't directly involved in their business. Of course they'll keep tabs on Macken. They keep tabs on everyone working at Yiling, and as Macken told me during our time of captivity, the Campbells asked him very nicely to make sure I wasn't going anywhere."

"Why? Why you?"

Ada took a bite out of her pizza before replying. "Have you noticed that all the Campbells looked extremely good-looking?"

Leon scoffed. "That was pretty hard not to notice."

"The Campbells, even from their ancestors, were obsessed with youth and beauty. That's why they only sold Lucy to young people; they wanted to see if they could mitigate or completely stop the effects of ageing at a young age. Moreover, they only sold to the rich ones; Vincent didn't have unlimited funding.

"Mara told me that Matthew Campbell started the research for a fountain of youth. He met dead ends every time until he obtained a sample of the T-virus. He did sketchy things, and after a while, Gianne Macken, with the help of Stacey's mother, sniffed his foul odour and started digging into him. But before she could go deeper, she died."

"I've been told that Gianne Macken is in fact alive."

"She is. Mara told me that Matthew kept her imprisoned as a form of revenge, but he also thought that it'd be a waste to kill her, considering her good looks and intelligence. They could use her to develop that fountain of youth. So they grabbed one of their failed human test subjects, injected a Lucy prototype into the subject, and combined it with Gianne's DNA. That was the disfigured cadaver Ryan and his father saw."

Leon ate another slice of pizza and didn't speak until he finished it. "And then Matthew died."

"And then Matthew died. He injected himself with Lucy, thinking that it would restore his youth. Instead it killed him, so Vincent took up the mantle. However, unlike his chemist father, Vincent was a pharmacist; he could only do so much. Stacey was uncooperative and his research was going nowhere. It was his idea to sell Lucy so they wouldn't lack test subjects."

"Then Vincent started developing these Lucy variations."

"Yes. He tested those on us—me, Stacey, Emma, and Janice. I believe he also tested it on you and your partner."

"That wasn't a nice experience."

"It was a nice experience for me."

Leon gave her a stern look.

"Don't worry; it wasn't the addictive kind. Besides, Mara took care of us."

Leon grunted. "Let me guess. Macken, still distraught about his wife's 'death,' gets contacted by the Campbells—James, maybe. Macken was shown proof that Gianne was still alive. In order to get her back, Macken was forced to distribute Lucy to rich kids. He then hires street dealers and instructs them to sell to rich young people only."

Ada raised her can of soda to him. "Very impressive, Agent Kennedy."

Leon took a long swig of his soda. He could really use some bourbon or whisky right now. "Since the Campbells were monitoring Macken, naturally you would be on their radar, and for some reason, Vincent was really hell-bent on having you as a test subject. Otherwise why would Macken be that livid? He even went as far as wanting to propose to you."

Ada gave an amused laugh. "What exactly did Macken do?"

"Almost threw a glass of water on me."

"Oh, you poor thing." Ada gave him a look that a mother might give to her aggrieved toddler. Her face then shifted into something dangerous. "Apparently, I was going to be a 'prime sample.' Vincent wanted a piece of me because I looked 'exotic.'"

If Leon could name the look in Ada's face, he would call it "righteous fury." It wasn't just plain "fury"; Ada looked like Vincent had offended her on a personal level. And that bothered Leon, because when did Ada let personal grudges bother her?

"Matthew tested his prototypes on people of different races and ethnicities. He wanted to achieve eternal youth for him and his family at the expense of other peoples. Vincent followed suit." Ada's voice took on a dangerous edge. "Mara said they wanted to 'obtain the best-looking individuals from each race.'"

Leon put his soda can down on the floor, then pushed the pizza box aside and scooted closer to Ada. He took her clenched fists and slowly and gently unfolded them. "Easy, tiger," he said, a small smile making its way to his lips.

Ada scoffed. She shifted her position until her back was pressed against Leon's chest, his arms winding around her waist.

Leon hooked his chin on Ada's shoulder. "You're oddly incensed about this."

"Oh, it's nothing." Ada's hands covered his. "I believe no one would appreciate being used as a test subject."

He remembered a distant but still vivid memory of a parasite that briefly lived in his body. "I certainly don't." He nosed Ada's hair and placed a light kiss behind her ear. Were this the Leon from more than fifteen years ago, he surely wouldn't be so forward, but he was no longer that naïve and sweet-looking rookie cop. He had grown a lot since then, and he and Ada had shared a lot more kisses since then. "Tell me about Mara. Why did she betray her husband?"

"She, like a lot of women, wanted to look young for her age, so she asked her husband if he could develop anti-aging products. Vincent took her way too seriously."

Leon hugged her tighter and dragged her closer to him. "Understatement of the century." He stroked Ada's hand with his thumb. "Why didn't they go after Calvin?"

Ada melted into him. "He's still family. Besides, they knew he wouldn't do anything that might jeopardise his mother's safety."

"And your mission was to gather data about Lucy?"

"Not quite."

"Yeah?"

"My client was Mara Campbell."

Leon stilled.

"A university friend of hers was once a client of mine. She expressed her woes to her friend, and her friend referred me to her. My mission was to dismantle his husband's entire operation. The thing is, they both believe that I'm a DEA agent."

"Didn't realise you also worked in drug trafficking."

"I work in a lot of places, and I have worked for a lot of different clients."

"Why did you wait for two months to end your mission?"

Ada sighed. She pushed herself out of Leon's arms, and Leon wanted nothing but to have her back. "I needed to gather enough evidence to make sure that Vincent doesn't get out of jail. That was one of Mara's conditions, but the Campbells were very careful. I only got a lead when James used that manhole; he always used the entrance at Blooming Garden until that one time. I compiled all the evidence and put them in the flash drives Mara gave you and your partner. Besides…" She turned to face him and gave him a small but soft smile. "I was hoping I could see you one last time."

There was it again—the goodbye.

Ada stood up from the bed but Leon grabbed her hand. He wouldn't let her go, not this time.

"You're not going to explain China to me?" he said. "You're not going to explain that videotape, or whatever or whoever Chris saw die, or these rings? You're just gonna disappear again and leave me in the dark?"

And leave me, Leon wanted to say, but he had never been certain about Ada's affections for him. She occupied the biggest space in his heart, but Leon couldn't say if he even was in Ada's heart.

"Oh, Leon," Ada said, pressing her forehead against his. "The moment I learned the T-virus was involved, I kept hoping that the DSO would send you. I wanted to see you again." She straddled Leon and placed a kiss on his forehead, his nose, his cheeks. "It took me two months to gather all the evidence I needed, and fortunately, you appeared right before I handed my findings to Mara."

Leon snaked his arms around her waist, locking her in place, her hands running through his hair. He looked up at her. "So it was just a coincidence that I ran into you."

She placed a kiss at the corner of his mouth. "Maybe, maybe not. I had two rings made on the off chance that I'll encounter you on this assignment. And you showed up, like I hoped."

"Why does this feel like this is the first time you purposely wanted to cross paths with me?"

"Because it is. I lied. The rings weren't clues to anything. It was just a little gift for you to remember me by. One last gift from the deceased Ada Wong." She kissed him on the mouth and let her lips linger over his for a few seconds before pulling away and standing up.

"I still have your compact case."

"It was a gift. Keep it. It's yours." She strode to where her duffel bag was and grabbed a pair of black jeans from it. "Do you mind if I keep this shirt? I'd like to have a memento of you besides this ring."

Leon grabbed her wrist.

"I left Yiling because I had all that I needed," Ada said, not struggling to get away from Leon's hold. "Your presence there meant that I could no longer operate there. I had to leave and end my mission. I am legally dead. I have been Ada Wong for far too long. It's time to assume a new identity. This mission, Leon, this mission where I wasn't even sure you'd show up…" She gave him a bitter smile. "This was meant be our last 'date.'"

"Why, Ada? Why don't you want to clear your name? You're not beyond sympathy. You're not beyond humanity. You wouldn't be angered about those people being used as test subjects if you're beyond redemption."

Ada looked away from him. "Mara wasn't my only client this time. I was also working for someone else—someone who wanted Lucy."

Somehow, Leon wasn't surprised.

Ada continued. "I'm going to give a sample to my other employer, who will most likely develop another kind of abomination from it. It's the very thing you're trying to prevent, the very thing you swore to protect people from. The very thing that made Ada Wong sick to her stomach. But not me." She tugged her wrist back but Leon refused to let her go. "Not this new person I must become."

"Ada, look at me."

She didn't.

"Hey, look at me." His voice was sounded like an adult coaxing a child. He then gently turned Ada's head towards his. "You may not have been born as Ada Wong, but you're Ada Wong to me. You're Ada Wong in all the things that matter. You could disobey your employer and come back with me, be a key witness, give information in exchange of protection. I'll make sure they won't hurt you." He brushed the hair away from her face.

Ada tried to pry Leon's fingers from her wrist, but to no avail. "Who is 'they' referring to? My previous and current employers? Your employer?"

Leon let go of Ada's wrist, only to draw her closer to him by her waist. "Both."

Ada scoffed. "Easier said than done. You know what these people are capable of."

"And you know what I'm capable of."

Ada met his eyes. Her unblinking eyes looked bright, as if illuminated by unshed tears. She fisted the front of Leon's shirt with both her hands, her face morphing into a look of anger. "They'll hurt you, Leon. In order to get back to me for my betrayal, they'll hurt you." She unclenched her fists and gently pushed him away, but Leon's hands on her waist kept her in place. "And I can't let that happen."

"Then protect me, like you always do. And I'll protect you, like I always do." An image suddenly came into his mind—a grimy rookie cop tending to the wound of a woman pretending to be an FBI agent. Despite their jaunt in the sewer, she still looked like a goddess who stepped out of a painting. "You're not getting rid of me that easy. You protected me. Now it's my turn."

Her eyes twinkled as if she just remembered something, but she didn't say anything. She just looked at him, their eyes never leaving each other's. Leon hoped that she could feel the sincerity in his voice and expression.

"Come back with me, Ada." Come back with me and leave the life you know. Come back with me and stop being a mercenary. Come back with me and fight alongside me. Come back with me and be with me.

Ada shook her head. "I've already endangered you too much. This is goodbye, Leon."

The only reason why Ada hasn't left yet—why she was unable to extricate herself from Leon—was because she wasn't trying. Leon, however, preferred to believe that it was because Ada didn't want to go. But this was Ada Wong, a living legend in the espionage world, a survivor of multiple virus outbreaks and B.O.W. attacks; she could have left any time she wanted, but she didn't. She could have chosen not to meet Leon in his hotel room, and yet she did. These things gave Leon hope. Maybe deep inside her, Ada wanted to stay with him.

Ada kissed him—a farewell kiss, he supposed—before she tried to knee him in the stomach. But he knew what was coming. He released his hold on her and quickly jumped back, dodging Ada's attempt.

He tried to grab her arm but she pointed a gun at him.

"Don't do this, Leon," she warned. "I want us to part in good terms."

Leon spread out his hands; he was unarmed, and Ada had him at her mercy. "I'd rather we not part at all."

"Dammit, Leon." She lowered her gun, and for a second, she looked like she was about to cry, so Leon seized that opportunity to kiss her and savour her mouth.

Ada didn't protest; she kissed him back.

Leon broke away first. He murmured against her lips, "Ada Wong might be dead, but I see no reason why she can't be reborn."

Ada's mouth slightly opened—preparing for a rebuttal, most likely—but as Ada had taught him, kisses could be used to silence people, so he surged forward and reclaimed her mouth.

"Come back with me, Ada," he repeated. He was a mere mortal praying to the divine. "Come back and stay with me." He pulled back a little—far enough to stare at her face unabashedly, but near enough to still secure her. "We've been playing this game for nine years. I'm tired of getting to see you only in hotel rooms and battlefields. I'm tired of being unable to kiss and touch you in public. I'm tired of waking up with you gone when morning comes." Leon gave a dry laugh, his eyes a bit teary. "I don't even know how you like your eggs or how you take your coffee."

Ada lowered her head. "I'm tired too. That's why I'm ending this." She looked up and met his eyes. "I'm doing this to protect you, Leon. Sever whatever affections and attachments you have for Ada Wong." She touched the ring hanging on Leon's neck—the ring she gave him. "Let her exist only in your memories."

"You've always existed only in my memories. Seeing you in person feels like a dream every time."

There was no response—just her dark eyes boring into him.

"Do you really doubt my capabilities that much?"

Ada shook her head. She touched his cheek and caressed it softly, much like what she had done when she said goodbye to him in the Campbell dungeon. "I have always believed in you."

"Then believe me this time too."

Leon could sense a slight hesitation from her.

"Let's end this, Ada. Let's end this game and be serious this time."

Still no response.

"I'm sure that whatever's making you act this way happened because of China. It's all right if you can't tell me about it now; you can always tell me later. But whatever the consequences are, you won't have to fight them alone anymore. I'm here. I'll be your backup. I did say we make a good team, remember?"

Ada smiled. "That was fifteen years ago."

"Fifteen years since we've met. And fifteen years since you've become a part of me I can't let go."

Ada stepped forward. She tucked her gun away and wrapped her arms around Leon's neck, resting her chin on his shoulder. Her breath was warm against his ear when she spoke, her voice the softest he has ever heard her use. "Something about meeting you in Raccoon changed me."

Leon's arms encircled her waist, pulling her flush against him. "And what did it change?"

She pulled back a little to look at him. "I've become a tad more optimistic."

"Just a tad?" Leon asked in a teasing tone.

"I also had someone become a part of me I can't let go."

Leon laughed lightly. "So you're coming back with me?"

Ada sighed—fondly, if Leon let his imagination run wild. "For the meantime."

"Then I just have to make sure you stay."

She gave him a soft smile, something he had never seen on her face before.

It wouldn't be easy. Ada's employers were among the most dangerous people in the planet, but Leon's employer was also one of the most influential governments in the world.

Ada was one of the most dangerous spies in the world and Leon was one of the most skilled government operatives of the United States. They have survived multiple B.O.W. outbreaks and have outrun multiple monsters chasing them. Whatever challenges they faced now, Leon believed that it was nothing that they couldn't face and defeat together. He knew they could both pull through this.

"Now kiss me before I change my mind," Ada said.

"Yes ma'am," Leon replied before doing as he was told.

It wasn't until three months later that Leon S. Kennedy's path crossed with Ada Wong's again. The last time he saw her, fire, rubble, and a chasm separated them, and his mind was still rife with confusion. This time, however, nothing separated them anymore, and he has never been surer of anything in his life until now.

19:58, October 8, 2013, Tuesday
Redwood City, California

His left hand was holding Ada's right, his right hand carried a bag of burger and fries, and Ada's left hand carried two cups of soda. They had just eaten pizza and drank soda earlier, but Ada assured him that they would hit the gym the next morning.

"If I decide to let you out of the room, that is," she had said.

Leon wished she wouldn't.

Trees and bushes lined the pavement. Above, the streetlights, moon, and stars shone. To their right, vehicles drove past, and to their left, pedestrians walked by. They walked hand-in-hand, their intertwined fingers swinging lightly in the evening breeze. Ada wore Leon's shirt under her coat, while Leon tried too hard not to stare at the woman beside her.

He had never held her hand in public before.

Suddenly he felt like a teenager on his first date.

"What are you staring at, Mr Kennedy?" Ada asked with a mischievous smile.

Leon didn't even notice that he had given in to his urge to stare at her.

As cheesy as it was, the first thing that entered Leon's mind was I'm staring at my future, but instead, he said, "Nothing. Just thinking."

"Thinking about what?"

He tore his eyes away from her; he couldn't bear to tell her his next statement face-to-face. "I get to have you for more than one night—more than one day."

Ada let go of his hand, but then instantly hooked her arm with his. "And I get to have you as an arm piece."

"Is that all I am to you—an arm piece?"

"If you behave, I might let you be my arm piece indefinitely."

Leon chuckled. "I like the sound of that."

He felt Ada's eyes on his so he turned to face her. She said in a tone that Leon would hazard to say was wondrous, "Mine indefinitely, huh?"

Leon smiled. "Yours indefinitely."

DIVISION OF SECURITY OPERATIONS

Case number: xxxxxxxxxxx
Filing date: 10 October 2013
Reporting officer: Agent Helena Harper, Badge No. xxxxx
Date of incident: 08 October 2013
Type of incident: Hostage rescue
Place of incident: Blooming Garden Jewellery, Redwood City, California

Victims:
Janice Banner, female, 25, Caucasian/American
Stacey Chavez, female, 22, Latina
Harvey Dermott, male, 37, Caucasian/American
Emma Hawthorne, female, 24, Caucasian/American
Gianne Macken, female, 48, Caucasian/American
Alex Thatcher, female, 34, African-American

Known suspects:
James Campbell, male, 27, Caucasian/American
Vincent Campbell, male, 53, Caucasian/American

Persons of interest:
Calvin Altman, male, 24, Caucasian/American
Mara Campbell, female, 51, Caucasian/American
Drew Macken, male, 49, Caucasian/American
Ryan Macken, male, 22, Caucasian/American
████████████████████████████

Narrative of the incident:
At October 7, 2013, around 20:50, I received a call from Agent INGRID HUNNIGAN of the Field Operations Support, telling me that I was going to be deployed immediately to Redwood City, California to monitor JAMES CAMPBELL. I arrived at arrived at Redwood on October 8, 2013, 02:42, where I was immediately sent JAMES CAMPBELL's location. I followed him to his workplace, Blooming Garden Jewellery, and noticed nothing out of the ordinary. At 10:25, DREW MACKEN got out of a cab (California licence plate xxxxxxx). JAMES CAMPBELL greeted him and took him inside the store, and through the glass windows, I saw the two seemingly get into an argument; DREW MACKEN was gesticulating wildly and looked angry, while JAMES CAMPBELL, although seemingly irritated, was calm. At 10:36, the shutters of the store closed. I looked around for another entrance but found none. I immediately asked Agent HUNNIGAN for the store's floor plan. However, there was no other entrance and/or exit to the store besides the main door.

At 10:48, Agent LEON S. KENNEDY arrived at Blooming Garden, and we quickly investigated the premises.

…

At 15:47, Agent KENNEDY and I parted ways. He went after ████, while I stayed in the dungeon to find DREW MACKEN and Agent DERMOTT and Agent THATCHER. In the room where they were being kept, I discovered that GIANNE MACKEN, who had been reported dead five years ago, was actually alive. MATTHEW CAMPBELL had kept her hostage all these years and used her as a test subject. When MATTHEW CAMPBELL died, VINCENT CAMPBELL decided to use her to coerce DREW MACKEN into procuring more test subjects for him.

I freed Agent DERMOTT, Agent THATCHER, DREW MACKEN, and GIANNE MACKEN. I then met up with MARA CAMPBELL and the rest of the hostages. MARA CAMPBELL then told me of another entrance/exit to the dungeon—a manhole that led us to xxx Street. I have already sent word to have Blooming Garden's blueprint updated.

I exited the dungeon via the Blooming Garden Jewellery main door and asked Agent HUNNIGAN to send a medical team. At 16:01, paramedics arrived to tend to JAMES CAMPBELL, VINCENT CAMPBELL, and the rest of the Campbell family who were caught in the melee. They, and the hostages, were taken to Redwood City Medical Centre and will be questioned at a later date. Other officers of the law also arrived to investigate the scene and to keep out onlookers. A media blackout for this case has already been enforced.

Agent BIRKIN arrived on the scene with RYAN MACKEN and CALVIN ALTMAN. They, along with MARA CAMPBELL and DREW MACKEN, were taken in for questioning. RYAN MACKEN then gave me a flash drive containing his mother's research on MATTHEW CAMPBELL and Lucy.

The flash drives MARA CAMPBELL and RYAN MACKEN have given me have been already surrendered. A follow-up report would be submitted once JAMES CAMPBELL and VINCENT CAMPBELL have made full recoveries.

DIVISION OF SECURITY OPERATIONS

Case number: xxxxxxxxxxx
Filing date: 10 October 2013
Reporting officer: Agent Leon S. Kennedy, Badge No. xxxxx

…

At around 18:10, I managed to get a hold of ████. I convinced them to cut ties with their employer and work with the DSO. I have already sent a formal request to the acting president to grant ████ amnesty for their past actions in exchange for information regarding their former employers and clients. Furthermore, I have also sent an official recommendation to the DSO Recruiting Office to recognise ████ as a candidate for DSO recruitment. I am also going to put in a request for accommodations to secure government housing in order to protect ████, given how dangerous their past employers are.

I have already turned over the flash drive MARA CAMPBELL had given me. Agent HARPER would be making a follow-up report for this case, while I'm tasked with all matters concerning ████, especially regarding their welfare and future US government employment.

VI.

19:30, January 14, 2021, Thursday
Washington, D.C.

Ada stepped out of the cab and climbed the short flight of steps that led to this fancy restaurant. Cloud Recesses had been recently awarded its third Michelin star, and Ada and her companion have been expressly invited by the owner to a celebration party. They, however, couldn't make it; they were on a mission during that time, so they decided to come at a later date instead.

Snow fell on her black coat, and her black heels fell with a soft clack clack on the steps. She took a compact case out of her clutch—the very same compact case she had given her companion years ago—and checked her appearance.

She looked fine, she thought. Men—and women—had often showered her with appreciative and lustful glances all throughout the years, but there was really only one man who caught her eye.

She thought she looked presentable enough for him.

She put her compact case back in her clutch and rushed to the restaurant's door before the snowfall got heavier.

Once she reached the restaurant's door, she was greeted by a smiling doorman, and once inside, a restaurant staff asked for her coat. She slid the coat off her shoulders, revealing a red dress underneath. She wore a simple dress with square neckline that emphasised the ring hanging from her neck and exposed the bullet wound scar on her right shoulder. Still, this did nothing to retract from her beauty; if anything, it added to her allure and enigmatic air. She gave the coat to the staff and then strode towards the reception area.

The maître d' approached her. "Good evening, Ms Wong. Mr Kennedy is already waiting for you."

"Thank you, Janice," Ada replied. It still amused her that several years ago, Janice only knew her as Mrs Rachel Bradbury.

After Blooming Garden Jewellery was closed down by the authorities, Janice Banner and her best friend Emma Hawthorne left California and moved to D.C. They started a restaurant called Cloud Recesses, and in just eight years, earned three Michelin stars. It wasn't surprising. Janice worked for a long time in customer service, and Emma had been working as a waitress since she was a teenager. It also didn't hurt that their head chef Calvin Altman was well praised worldwide.

"This way, Ms Wong."

She followed Janice. On their way to her table, she spotted Drew Macken, Gianne Macken, and Ryan Macken having dinner.

Ryan earned his law degree from Stanford. After he passed the bar exam, he and his family moved to D.C. His mother got a job at The Washington Post while Ryan worked for a nearby law firm and acted as Cloud Recesses's legal counsel. His father served a commuted sentence in exchange for information and on account of his being coerced to deal illegal drugs, and became the chief financial officer of Cloud Recesses after his release.

Ada exchanged smiles with the Mackens. After getting back the love of his life, Drew Macken no longer made overtures to pretty waitresses and saleswomen.

They finally arrived at their seat, where Janice left her and her companion with menus.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Ada said. "You know how it is."

"You know I'll always wait for you," Leon said, standing up from his seat to pull the chair for Ada. She thought she looked absolutely dashing in his coat and tie, but Ada chose not to tell him; Leon's smug smiles can be insufferable.

"So chivalry's not dead," replied Ada as she took her seat. "You haven't ordered yet?"

Leon picked up the menu. "I was waiting for you."

He was. He was always waiting for her. She couldn't count the number of times she heard him say Ada, wait! as she disappeared with her grappling gun, but that was before she finally stayed with him.

While waiting for their orders to arrive, Emma, the restaurant owner, greeted them.

"On the house," she said as she poured them each a glass of pinot noir, leaving the bottle on their table.

"Thank you, Emma," Ada said. She smelled her wine glass and gave an appreciative hum. "Our apologies for being unable to come to the party."

"Oh, never mind that," Emma replied. "You agents, always all over the world preventing virus outbreaks and hostage situations." They chuckled. "How's Stacey?"

"She's doing well," Ada replied. "She said she might come to D.C. this spring with her mother and visit your restaurant."

Emma shook her head. "Those two are always so busy. Anyway, I won't interrupt you two any longer. I have to get back to work. Enjoy your meal, agents."

They bid her goodbye. Some minutes later, a waiter took their orders, and a few more minutes later, their food arrived.

During their meal, the head chef Calvin came to their table.

"Agents," he said, his face lit by a sunny smile, "how's the food?"

"Fantastic as always, Calvin," Leon replied.

"I'm glad to hear that. Emma told me Stacey's been doing well."

"She is," Ada answered. "She wants to visit this spring."

Calvin sighed. "Ryan and I made plans to visit her and her mum, but we're just so busy…."

"I'm sure you'll get the time," Ada said.

"I hope so. Ryan really misses her. And a tour of Barcelona wouldn't hurt."

"Barcelona is lovely," Ada replied. She and Leon had visited the city for both pleasure and business, sometimes for both. "How's your mother?"

"She's doing great. She visited my brother and father a week ago. They're both doing as well as they could in their situation."

After the events at Blooming Garden in 2013, James and Vincent Campbell were incarcerated. The charges against them were stacked so high they had no chances of getting out.

"Anyway," said Calvin, "my mum's new collection is launching soon."

"I heard about that from Sherry," said Leon.

"Yes. The reception is gonna be held here. Mum says she's planning on inviting you two."

"That's lovely of her," Ada replied.

"She's having a sale on engagement rings," said Calvin with a suggestive raise of his eyebrow.

Ada and Leon laughed. She thought Leon might have been blushing.

Calvin looked into the distance where the Mackens were having dinner. "Well, holler if you need anything."

"Will do. Thanks, Calvin," said Leon.

Calvin gave them a smile before he left. They saw him going to the Mackens' table.

"I'm glad to see they're doing well after everything," Ada said in between bites of her meal.

"Hmm," mumbled Leon. "I'm glad to see we are doing well."

Ada nudged Leon's foot with her own under the table. No one was too old to play footsie. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Leon sipped his wine. "Ah, nothing. You, me, good food, good wine."

Ada chuckled. "When did you learn to be so forward?"

Leon raised an eyebrow and gave her a teasing smirk. "Is that your definition of 'forward'?"

Ada fluttered her lashes. "We're in public, Mr Kennedy."

"Like that stopped you before."

Ada huffed lightly. "You didn't stop me back then, as I so vividly recall."

Their eyes met. Ada wasn't sure what would have happened if Leon's work phone didn't ring.

"Aw, shit," said Leon as he looked at his phone. "It's Hunnigan."

Ada sighed. "Guess our nice evening's coming to an end."

Leon reached for her hand across the table. With his free hand, he fiddled with his phone and said, "Hunnigan?"

"Leon," Hunnigan replied. "Is Ada with you?"

"Yeah, she's here."

"Good. There's an emergency and the president requires your presence immediately. But don't alert anyone; we don't want civilians panicking."

Leon gave her an apologetic look, then told Hunnigan, "We're on our way."

Leon put his phone away and called for their server, asking for their unfinished meal to be packed.

Once they had their food in the bag, they said goodbye to their acquaintances, telling them that they had work to do; it was a vague enough excuse to keep civilians in the dark. They retrieved their coats and exited the restaurant, the matching rings hanging from their necklaces glinting in the overhead lights.

They stood under Cloud Recesses's awning, watching the snow fall while waiting for the valet to bring Leon's car. She felt Leon's hand in her waist.

"Sorry our night got cut short," said Leon.

Ada leaned into him, snuggling for warmth. "It's not your fault." She placed a kiss on his cheek. "I knew what I was getting into."

He turned to her and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "I have an idea for our next date."

"Already?"

"Yeah. We should go ring shopping."

Ah, there it was. Leon had given her another taste of her own medicine. She loved teasing him, but when it was Leon who teased her…

She buried her head on Leon's shoulder, her voice and laughter muffled by the soft fabric of Leon's coat. "Too forward, Mr Kennedy."

Leon kissed her forehead and looked her in the eyes. "Let's go on a holiday after this next mission."

"I thought we were going ring shopping."

"I didn't realise you were so eager to called 'Mrs Kennedy.'"

It took Ada a moment to process Leon's statement. She removed her head from Leon's shoulder, her laughter tinkling like bells. She smirked, and sometimes she smiled, but only Leon could make her laugh like this. Only Leon could make her feel emotions she had long forgotten, emotions she never knew she was capable of feeling.

"I was thinking of tax breaks and benefits," Ada said, which Leon answered with a smile.

Leon's car arrived. He took the keys from the valet and they slipped inside. They buckled their seatbelts and Leon drove the car, driving as legally fast as possible to the White House.

"You're going to wear red, aren't you?" Leon said like there was no national emergency going on.

"It's red in China, not white," she replied.

They stopped at a red light, and Leon turned to her. "Then let's look for something red after this mission."

"You haven't even gotten down on one knee yet."

"I'll surprise you, just you wait. You gave me a ring. Now it's my turn."

The light turned green, and Ada almost choked on her emotions. There was no word in any of the languages she knew to properly express the gamut of emotions she felt for this man. "What's with you tonight? Why are you being so bold?"

"Oh I had a good teacher."

"This is so unlike you."

"Now you know what it feels like," said Leon smugly.

When they arrived at the White House, Ada thought that they'd be sprinting to the Oval Office, but instead, Leon brought her to the garden.

Everything was blanketed in snow. The trees were bare, the ground was hard, and Ada still couldn't figure out what was going on. Leon led her by the hand, the soft leather of their gloves sliding against each other.

"Is this where the national emergency is?" Ada asked. She was getting suspicious. She hated playing other people's games, but Leon wasn't other people.

Leon brought her under a leafless tree near a lamplight. "You know, Ada," he said, rubbing their gloved hands together, "I'm a wreck when I'm not with you."

"Oh I know," she said, remembering that time several years back when Leon's entire squad got infected with the A-virus. He had to execute them himself, and he drank himself into a stupor in an idyllic Colorado town. Ada had been on a mission in another country during that time, and she regretted not being there for him.

"And I once told Chris that I never make plans far ahead, but when I'm with you…" Leon ducked his head, looking as shy as a high school student about to ask his crush to be his prom date. "Twenty-three years since Raccoon City, seventeen years since Spain, and in all that time, you're the one constant thing at the back of my mind, the one part of me I can't let go." He stopped rubbing her hands. He just held them and bashfully looked at her straight in the eyes. "I plan to keep you in my life indefinitely."

Indefinitely. There was that word again.

There was a flutter in her stomach and she involuntarily gave a small smile. Amidst the snow, the moonlight, and the lamplight, Leon gave her a shy, boyish smile, reminiscent of the rookie cop he once had been.

It wasn't sudden—rather, it was years and years of carefully controlled emotions and desires finally coming up to the surface. Ada was almost overwhelmed by her desire to keep Leon hers indefinitely.

"So?" Leon said, biting his lip. "What say you?"

Leon once told her in the sewers of Raccoon City that they made a good team, that she wasn't getting rid of him that easy. And he repeated these words to her several times over the past few years.

He was right all along.

"Ask me nicely and I might say yes." She kept fighting the smile threatening to overtake her face.

Leon, while still holding her hand, dropped down on one knee and pulled a velvet box out of his coat pocket. It looked very much like the packaging Mara Campbell used for her products.

Leon opened the box and held it up to her. He looked up at her, grinning. "Does this count as nice?"

Leon was right. He really did surprise her.

Ada stopped fighting and let the smile overtake her face.

"Yes," she said, answering two questions at once.

A/N: Hunnigan and the president were totally in on Leon's shtick. They were probably filming the whole thing from behind the bushes or something.

(By the time I finished writing this fic, I thought the last scene kind of looked like a specific scene from Downton Abbey…)

"Yiling," "Blooming Garden," "lotus root and pork ribs soup," and "Cloud Recesses" were all references to Mo Dao Zu Shi. "The Rising Sun" was a reference to BBC's Merlin.