Leon leaned back, resting his hand on his knee as he mulled this information over. "This conspiracy has deep roots," he reflected. "This is personal."

"But with Eito dead, what could the terrorist possibly gain by kidnapping Hana?" asked Hunnigan.

"Good question," Leon replied. "We'll try to hash that one out. Here's some more homework for you meanwhile: we've got a name for our DSO mole. See what you can get on a Marcos Queiros."

"Okay; give me a minute," answered Hunnigan.

The line went silent for a while. At last Hunnigan returned.

"Here we are: Marcos Queiros, thirty-eight; born in Curitiba, Brazil; highly skilled in marksmanship, specializing in close-quarters combat; Capoeira master. Hm. Queiros was presumed killed in action after he went missing during a mission in São Paulo, Brazil."

"That translates to 'faked death' to me," said Sara. "He probably dropped off the grid to go freelance."

"Hm. That does sound entirely plausible," Hunnigan answered. "I'm sending you Queiros' records now."

The comm device sounded, and Leon looked at the screen. He studied the photo of Marcos Queiros intently. The rogue agent was a swarthy man with mahogany brown eyes and dark, wavy brown hair. There was something formidable and even sinister in his aspect.

"Definitely getting some real bad vibes from this guy," Leon muttered. "Thanks for the info, Hunnigan."

"Line's open if you need me. Be careful out there," she replied.

"Copy that."

Leon looked up at his friends. Jake was eyeing him and Sara with inquisitive impatience.

"Well, it's official," Leon declared. "Hana Matsuo was Hana Inagaki. She's the girl in the photo I saw at the underground shrine. According to records, Mrs. Inagaki suffered a psychotic breakdown after a 'lab accident', and was institutionalized. Then, after the town fire, Reo Inagaki disappeared with Hana. Two years later, they appeared in the U.S. of A. as the Matsuos."

"So your kidnap victim was born here, shipped to America with Daddy then dragged back here by the bioterrorist. What the hell for?" asked Jake.

Leon shrugged lightly. "Hell if I know," he answered. "In other news, our DSO mole is a 'dead man' who vanished during a mission."

"Pretty lively ghost, then," Jake commented.

"Yup."

Leon glanced at Sara who appeared lost in thought.

"Sara? You okay?" he asked.

She looked up at him, brow knitted. "Hunnigan said that information on Sunako Inagaki was fuzzy. What if… What if Sunako is the one responsible for all this? We don't really know if she's still institutionalized."

Leon considered this.

"Not a bad theory, Wondergirl," Jake said. "Likely scenario: Sunako managed to escape the asylum then found out about her husband's new life and business. She was already pissed at him for committing her to the nuthouse, so she plotted her revenge. Maybe she decided to bring her daughter back to the motherland to protect her and make up for lost time."

"No… I don't think that's it," Leon said pensively. "I mean, it's entirely possible that Sunako got out and that she could be involved; she's definitely got a motive. But even if that's true, I doubt she's the mastermind. In her state, she wouldn't have had the resources or contacts necessary to pull something this elaborate."

He suddenly remembered his encounter with the mysterious masked woman. Her words echoed in his mind. "Forget Hana. She is already dead!" she had said. A thought struck him: could she be the long-lost Sunako, still presumed locked away? The theory was too premature for discussion, but he stowed it away for rumination later.

"Well, we're not gonna find any answers here," said Sara. "I'm ready to move."

"Are you sure?" Leon asked, examining her dubiously.

Sara nodded firmly. "Absolutely. You, Jake?"

"Waiting on you, Wondergirl," Jake answered.

"Let's head out, then," Leon said determinedly.

Upon leaving the boat shed, the trio found a dirt path flanked by sakura trees on either side. The boughs shed their blushing blooms, creating a thick carpet of petals upon which the group trod as their eyes roved about vigilantly.

They came to a great gate bearing a large mosaic image of a wisteria bonsai tree. It rose high over them, its colorful tiles glistening in the light of the overcast day.

"Fancy artwork for a hellhole," Jake remarked.

Leon pushed at the gate. "Locked from the other side. Figures."

"Let me try piggybacking," Sara suggested. "Maybe I can climb over and open it from inside."

"Okay."

Leon crouched down, and Sara climbed over his back onto his shoulders. He held her ankles firmly as she reached up to climb the gate.

"Damn it! It's too… high. I can't… reach the top," Sara called down. She swayed sideways, gasping as she tried to regain her balance. "Whoa!"

Leon quickly pulled her down, catching her against him before she could topple over.

Sara looked up at him, chuckling nervously. "Thanks. That's clearly not gonna work."

"Yo, Hero," Jake called.

Leon turned to see Jake standing beside a gnarled tree growing high over the wall. "Give me a boost," he said, adjusting his gloves.

"Good idea," said Leon. He crouched beside the tree, cupping his hands.

Jake stepped on, and Leon heaved him up to the lowest bough. Jake raised himself up effortlessly, ascending the thick boughs with ease.

"He'll break his neck!" Sara muttered to Leon.

"No; he'll make it," Leon replied, watching Jake swing from limb to limb. "He's good at that kind of thing."

At last Jake reached a bough that was level to the wall. He stood up on it, then jumped up to reach the bough above him like a gymnastic bar. He launched himself forward then released the limb, flinging his body forward to the wall. He gripped the top, and after scrabbling for a moment, he scaled the wall, disappearing over the other side.

There was a rattling noise followed by the sound of something dislodging. Presently, the gate opened, revealing Jake's stolid face. "Open Sesame."

"Pretty impressive," Sara declared.

"Yeah." Jake shrugged arrogantly.

Sara huffed exasperatedly, shaking her head.

"You really gotta work on that inferiority complex of yours," Leon deadpanned.

Jake snorted. "Wait 'til you see what's in here," he said.

He stepped aside, and Leon and Sara entered.

They had reached central Fukushū. As Hunnigan had said, various desolate buildings still stood, their paneless windows staring out forlornly over the land. But standing in stark contrast to the isolated skeletal edifices across from it was a large, white dome surrounded by unlit lamp posts.

Some yards away from the dome was another building which appeared to be a warehouse. The shutters were down, and two tractor-trailers were positioned at loading docks to receive their cargo.

Three ancient shrines could be seen in the distance, and farther away still was the castle of Deddoraito, its shadow looming over the town ominously.

"What the hell is that place?" Sara murmured.

"Hell's hive, I'd say," Leon replied.

"Wonder what those trucks are being loaded up for," said Jake.

"Looks like we've hit the Daily Double," answered Leon. "Only one way to find out: we gotta get into that dome." His features settled into a troubled frown. "I'm betting that's the eye of the storm."

"Do you think Hana's in there?" Sara asked.

"Possibly. Then again, they might be holding her in the castle. It depends on why they took her and what they plan to do with her."

"If she's still alive," interposed Jake.

"Way to stay positive," Sara said peevishly.

"So what's your plan?" asked Jake, dismissing Sara's response. "We knock on the door and say: 'Delivery! Fukushū Sushi House'?"

"No; we check it out and see if we can find an infiltration point," Leon responded. "C'mon."

The group proceeded slowly, surveying the landscape carefully as they approached the mysterious dome. Encountering no threats, they soon stood just a few yards away from it.

The dome looked even more imposing up close. A large red shutter glared out from the white building like a splash of blood on a snowball. As the trio approached, the shutter began to rise.

"Shit! Hide!" Jake hissed.

They rushed behind one of the crumbling buildings just as the shutter opened.

Leon peered around the building's wall to see two forklifts loaded with wooden crates being driven out of the dome. The vehicles then headed to the warehouse.

"They're moving cargo out of the dome," he whispered.

"I shudder to think what it is," Sara answered.

The warehouse's cargo doors opened, and the forklifts drove in. The doors were then shut, and everything went still once more.

Leon stepped out, his friends following suit. He stood in silent contemplation, remembering the virus-laced perfumes. "The point of origin," he murmured.

"Leon?"

He turned to see Sara looking at him inquiringly.

"The perfumes. They must've been synthesized here. I'm guessing that from here they were sent out to Tokyo where they were shipped out under Seishin Cosmetics' name to the victims," he explained.

"So they've been cooking up something else in there. And by the looks of things, the damage is gonna be even worse," Jake mused.

"Not if we can help it," Sara said staunchly.

The group set out again, running across the concrete field toward the dome. They rounded its ample side, careful to remain vigilant.

They looked over the immediate area for a hidden entry point, but there was nothing in sight.

"Damn it!" Leon growled.

"Hey, check it out," Jake said suddenly.

He pointed up to a fixed extension ladder perched high above them, leading to a catwalk curving around the dome.

"Great. How do we reach it?" Sara asked.

"I got this," Jake replied. He jogged off toward a scaffold tower that stood beside the dome, Leon and Sara at his heels.

Jake glanced up at the tower then at a lamp post across from it in silent calculation. After a moment's pause, he proceeded to climb the tower beams.

Leon understood his intentions immediately.

"Is he crazy?" Sara whispered to him.

"Yup. But who am I to judge?"

Leon and Sara watched as Jake ascended the scaffold tower to its platform. Taking a short running start, he leaped from the platform to the lamp post. With a hard forward swing, he launched himself onto the catwalk, landing expertly.

"Well, he's a blowhard, but he can back it up," Sara remarked.

"Kid knows what he's doing," Leon agreed.

He led the way back to the ladder which Jake was just kicking down. He motioned to Sara to proceed. She ascended quickly, Leon following close behind.

"Almost too easy," Jake declared.

"Maybe there's a maintenance hatch or something," Sara suggested, ignoring his boast.

They began working their way around the dome's catwalk, searching for an access door or hatch. As they rounded another curve, a steel grate was flung across the walkway ahead of them.

Everyone balked, guns trained. A woman darted out from an unseen opening.

Leon recognized her immediately. "Ada!"

Ada paused in her headlong rush to the railing by another extension ladder. Resting her foot on the top rung, she turned to face the group, her ruby-red lips curving wryly.

"Well, well. Still in the game, I see," she said silkily.

Leon narrowed his eyes. He felt his companions tense on either side of him.

"Found what you came for?" he asked gravely.

"Not exactly. But it is very interesting in there―in a Little Shop of Horrors sort of way," Ada answered. "Very… educational. It's the half of the puzzle you're interested in."

"Why are you doing this?" Sara demanded. "Don't you realize what will happen if that virus gets out?"

"Hm," Ada responded, smiling smugly at her.

"Lady, the virus isn't a collectible. You should be trying to destroy that shit," Jake said.

"That's not what I get paid for," Ada replied airily. "As much as I'd like to shoot the breeze with you Musketeers, I've got work to do."

Ada drew something from her pack and tossed it to Leon who caught it easily.

He looked down to see an electronic ID wristband. He glanced up at Ada again. "What's this?"

"A little fashion accessory," she answered.

With that, she quickly kicked down the ladder and leaped onto it, descending swiftly.

Leon rushed over to the railing, watching Ada slide down the length of the ladder to the ground. Upon landing, she glanced up at him and blew him a kiss before drawing her grapple gun and taking off for the warehouse. She fired the grapple at a low beam and propelled herself into the air and onto a ledge. She then disappeared around a corner.

Leon shook his head. "After all that's happened," he whispered. "It's still just a game to you."

The bitter recollection of the years he'd wasted desiring Ada bit at him. She hadn't changed at all, and she never would. The world was her chessboard; those in her path were just pawns to be shifted about as she saw fit.

"You think she figured out where the virus is?" asked Sara, coming up beside him.

"I dunno," he sighed wearily. "I hope not."

"That bitch needs a serious reality check," Jake remarked.

Leon turned away from the railing to face his friends. There was no time to waste on Ada. He raised the ID wristband for them to see. "Let's go see what this little toy is for. We've got a bioterrorist to stop."

Sara jerked her thumb at the opening behind them from which Ada had emerged. "At least she left us our entry point," she said with a tiny smile.

Leon tucked the wristband in his pack. "Okay. Let's do this."

A few seconds later, the trio was crawling through an air duct, making their way through the winding duct as quietly as they could.

At last they came to a grille. Sara, who had been leading the group, tried it carefully.

"It's loose," she announced in a hushed voice. She took hold of the grille and shook it slowly until it came free.

Sara passed it behind her to Leon who set it aside gently. She then leaned out, checking the area. "Clear," she reported, before leaping down into the facility.

Leon and Jake dropped carefully behind Sara.

They stood in a dimly-lit corridor with brushed metal walls and gray linoleum floors. Empty crates and carts stacked with various items lined the walls.

In the distance, voices chattering angrily in Japanese could be heard.

"What are they saying?" Leon asked Jake.

"Huh. Ms. Super Spy's been made. They're going after her," he answered.

"A decoy. Nice," Sara said approvingly.

Leon nodded. "But it could be equally dangerous for us. Better use the break wisely."

The group proceeded down the corridor, careful to head away from the sound of the voices. After traversing a long, empty stretch of hallway, they came upon a row of clear windows, brilliantly lit.

Leon went on ahead cautiously and peered into the first window. His eyes widened in surprise at what he beheld.

Behind the crystalline glass was a vast greenhouse laboratory. Rows and rows of plants were being cultivated, sectioned off to create the proper climatic environment. Just outside the lab was

a control room equipped with a large computer console featuring various controls and three computer stations.

Satisfied that the greenhouse was currently vacant, Leon motioned to the others to advance. Jake and Sara came up beside him.

"Didn't expect to find The Secret Garden," Jake muttered dryly, scanning the plants.

"Plants?" Sara hissed. She looked up at Leon in realization. "Remember the files we found in the R lab about the poisonous plants?"

Leon's mind flashed back to the photos of the plants discovered in the secret passage then back farther to the discussion back at the DSO office. "Plant DNA was also found in the viruses' composition," Olmire had said.

"The viruses in the perfumes were fused with plant DNA," Leon reflected. "We may have just found the source. C'mon; let's see if we can get in."

A few feet farther on they located the entrance to the greenhouse. It was sealed by sliding glass doors. An electronic reader was beside it.

Leon stared at the reader for a moment. He then drew the ID wristband Ada had given him and passed it over the reader. A small green light flashed, and the doors slid open.

"And we're in," he said, storing the wristband again.

They entered the control room and looked about. Jake headed straight for the console.

"Let's see what these bastards are growing in this oversized paperweight," he said.

"What do you think Ada meant about Little Shop of Horrors?" asked Sara, glancing at Leon uncomfortably.

"I don't know," he replied. "But I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."

Taking a position on either side of Jake, Leon and Sara watched as he pulled up various files. Leon recognized photos of belladonna, lily-of-the-valley, wisteria and the manchineel, among others.

Jake paused on one particular file. "Shit…"

"What'd you find?" Sara asked.

"They're breeding a new kind of plant," Jake answered. "They've taken genes from all these plants to create a totally new one. They call it the kyōki no hana: the crazy flower."

Leon looked up at the plants somberly. "Combining all these poisonous plant genes… It's a garden of death. Just one of those is as fatal as a viper."

Jake stood erect. "When Sara got gassed by the centipede thing, she went bats; when I got hit by that blob, I did, too. In both cases, the effects were psychotropic. They must've used the kyōki no hana's genes in the creation of those monsters."

"Jesus… These people play with viruses and genetics as casually as kids play with finger paints," Sara said, horrified.

Leon approached the door to the greenhouse where another electronic reader awaited identification. "Let's take a look at those sweet little blooms."

He passed the band over the reader. The lock disengaged, admitting the group into the greenhouse. They stepped inside, gazing at the rows of deadly flora.

The hybrid kyōki no hana stood two feet high with broad, serrated leaves and thorny stems. Aubergine blossoms speckled with sickly yellow splotches bloomed in clusters of three.

"Some damn ugly plants," Jake commented, lifting a leaf with the barrel of his gun.

"My God," Sara whispered. "This is the botanical version of the ultimate psychedelic venom cocktail."

Leon nodded grimly. "Fused with an existing virus, it'll destroy the victim's brain function, causing immediate psychological damage before turning them into God knows what. We gotta stop this fast!"

Suddenly, the lights went out, plunging the group into utter darkness.

"What the f―" Jake began.

They all turned on their flashlights, searching through the blackness anxiously. Leon could hear Sara's tremulous breathing close beside him.

He drew his guns instantly, every nerve taut as he turned to look out into the control room. The room was steeped in shadow; his paltry lightbeam doing little to illuminate it.

A low click sounded, cutting through the tense silence, and then the entire greenhouse glowed dimly with violet LED grow lights.

"Let's clear out of here," Jake said tightly.

Everyone turned and darted past the rows of kyōki no hana. A loud buzz sounded as they reached the control room.

"That can't be good," Sara said ominously.

Inhaling sharply, Leon tugged at the door. It was locked from the outside. A feminine computerized voice made an announcement in Japanese.

Jake swore foully. "System's on lockdown!"

The control room lights suddenly shot up to full brightness, dazzling the trio.

Shielding his eyes, Leon looked up to see the black-clad figure of Kuroki standing at the console. Fury shot through him.

"You really are something, Kennedy. Your record doesn't quite do you justice." Kuroki's voice filled the room via recessed ceiling speakers. "And the son of Albert Wesker himself…well, no surprise there. I'm pretty impressed with the rookie, though. She definitely shows raw talent. I honestly didn't expect her to make it this far."

"Eat this!" Jake fired at the glass pane, but the bullet only left a spiderweb crack. He tried again, unsuccessfully.

"Don't waste your ammo!" Sara shouted. "It's shatterproof glass."

Kuroki laughed. "It's time to exterminate the pests."

Leon slammed his palm against the pane. "Damn you. I'm personally gonna exorcise you and send you straight to hell, Black Demon!" he vowed.

Kuroki chuckled malevolently. "Good luck. Lady Osakabe sends her regards." He turned and retreated.

"Damn it! Ada must've set us up!" Sara exclaimed.

"No; she wouldn't deliberately try to get us killed," Leon replied, turning around and scanning the dim room tensely.

"You sure about that?" Jake asked, raising a brow.

"It's not really her style. I doubt she'd lose sleep over it if we bit the dust, though."

A low grating sound made everyone freeze. Every gun went up instantly, all eyes searching through the pink obscurity.

Two panels opened on either side of the room, releasing four figures resembling ninjas. It was impossible to tell whether they were male or female; the only visible features were eyes that glowed yellow from the shadows. They advanced on the group slowly.

The trio opened fire without hesitation. The muzzle flashes temporarily emblazoned the room as they executed headshots.

The dark beings fell to the floor, convulsing briefly before going still.

Jake scoffed. "That's it? That's all they've got?"

"Don't get comfortable," Leon warned, discharging the expended magazines and reloading his guns

"Or cocky," Sara added somewhat sharply.

Jake began to reply, but Leon cut him off abruptly as movement on the floor caught his attention. "They're alive! Stay alert!"

No sooner had he spoken than the black figures began to rise awkwardly, writhing and twisting until they stood erect. The creatures hissed loudly then bent backward in impossible angles until the snap of their spines could be heard.

The monsters' ribcages burst open in a shower of blood and bone shards. They spasmed as plant-like life forms began tearing through the gaping thoraces, thrusting out thick appendages resembling vines.

The living vines shot forth, latching onto tables and water pipes as they shed their prisons of dead flesh to emerge into the open air. Four new, terrifying B.O.W.s stood before the group: humanoid plants with elongated torsos and spindly legs. Their bulbous heads extended into wide proboscises shaped like pitcher plants. They blinked their red, perpendicular eyes, the vertical eyelids squelching.

Slick with blood, the creatures lurched forward, extending thick, vine-like fingers out toward the group.

Leon shot Jake a sideways glance. "You were saying?"

Clicking loudly, the plant monsters continued their advance even as the fighters opened fire yet again.