Chapter 8: Contact.

She followed Leon and prayed he remembered where to go. The trek was seamless—they hid, tiptoed, and crawled their way to wherever he was taking her without interruption. Alexandra bit on the inside of her cheek to refrain from asking her questions, as hard as it was. His face told of exhaustion and determination at the same time, though he's putting up a strong persona. She wonders if he's doing it to convince himself or to keep her calm. She's afraid that his sense of justice and survival would die out before they even reached their destination.

"Do you need to take a slight breather?" She finally asked.

"Do you?" He asked in turn, evading her question. "I know you need a T-Stimulant. I'm trying to hurry as fast as I can."

"That's not what I asked you." The silence that followed irritated her. She was angry enough that she was put in a position to rely on him, unstable as he is. Alexandra forced herself to swallow that lump of rage in the back of her throat that was forcing her to contradict her indifference towards him. She's still following him, still trusting him.

What an odd thing to do considering he has one foot in the grave already.

She stopped when Leon stopped. He looked around, then erupted into a coughing fit. Alexandra placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned over to get a look at him. There was blood in his palm, enough to be concerned. His hand shook and he picked up his pace before she could even ask if he was alright. He knew what it meant. He bursts through a door that leads to the library, then stops in front of the door on the other side of the room, behind the librarian's desk.

"H-Here, Alex. Our gear…should be in here."

"…I hope so. We need to hurry and find a way to get that plaga outta you."

Alexandra couldn't bring herself to say that she was worried for him outright. It wasn't a matter of pride or anything of the sort, but the dynamic that they're forced to embrace became more obvious to her. If he didn't make it back like he left Headquarters, she would pay the price. His safety was her job. It was her sole reason for even being here. The reality of that was wrapped up in such lavish packaging that people looking from the outside would say it's a turning point for Bioterrorism. That's what David advertised it as.

It was the opposite. If she messed this up, she would face punishment. Death being the most severe, grounded being the least. If she didn't know any better, Alexandra would think that she was expected to fail this. She reaches into the middle of her breasts, pulling out the red jewel key. The lock had the same motif above it. So far, so good. She inserts it into the lock, and it turns. She turns the knob on the door and opens it to reveal a small storage room. Directly in front of them were their monitors and headsets, along with the taser gun and the cartridges for reloading. On the very top of the shelves, there were the pouches of their T-Suppressants and Stimulants. She sighs in relief.

"You were right, Leon." She rushes forward, grabbing their things and handing Leon's set to him. "We have some of our gear."

"Neither of our guns, though."

"It's better than what we had before."

He couldn't argue with that. They could now reestablish contact with Hunnigan. Without missing a beat, Leon's monitor had beeped. He pressed a button on his headset and began to speak.

"…Hunnigan?"

"Leon!? Oh god, I thought you were dead. It's been four hours since your last transmission was logged, Commander Henderson is showing signs of Suppressant Exhaustion, what is going on!?"

"The mission just got harder than it was supposed to, as it always does." He shrugged, a nonchalant way to act when there's a parasite trying to overtake your nervous system. Then again, he considered this round two with the damn thing. He's expecting the same outcome. "We're currently infiltrating, but we've hit a snag."

"Which is?"

"It's similar to Spain all over again."

Alexandra hears Hunnigan sigh. It was evident she didn't need a synopsis.

"Okay, give me a little bit of time," Hunnigan says, tapping vigorously on her keyboard. "I just got back online a few minutes ago. Something cut me off from you both and I couldn't get a layout of your zone."

"Sounds like someone used an EMF to keep you from mappin' us out." Using an EMF to keep them from radioing would have been sound if they had their equipment to start with, but they didn't. It completed its purpose, though it didn't matter because they ended up reconvening regardless. Whatever Julian or whomever else has a hand in this had up their sleeves, they never implemented it. What a waste of a device. "Not like it mattered. They didn't even bother capitalizin'."

"Nevertheless, stay on your toes. Both of you. For now, try to focus on your objective and find a way to get that parasite out of Leon before it's too late."

"Don't gotta tell me twice." The call ends and both are left with bated silence. Contact was made and now all that was left was to complete the mission. That should be their focus. Alexandra examines Leon again, noting his pallor. He's afraid and she's worried about how long he's been carrying the plaga within him. It couldn't have been long, but even an hour of exposure was dangerous. The sooner it was removed, the better. "…We should make findin' a plaga removal machine our priority."

"What about the mission?" He asks.

"There's no mission without you, Leon." Alexandra grabs the pouch of stimulants and straps it around her right leg, and hands Leon the pouch of suppressants. It's counterproductive to carry both with her. If he were to switch up on her again, she'll have what she needs to negate the suppressants at the least. The Plagas couldn't adapt that fast…she hoped. "Like it or not, I'm stuck with you 'til this shit's over. 'Sides, Julian and whatever horrible company he keeps will be chompin' at the bit soon enough. C'mon."

Leon hoped that she was correct.

The rain continued to pour outside of the mansion, and a car halted just outside of the broken gate. Ada exits the car, umbrella open and in hand, and examines the now-smoldering wreckage of the car and tanker to her left. There wasn't much left of either and there were no remains to be seen. Not that she cared. Her objective was within. The front door was unguarded, though she was no fool. She goes into the garden in the front of the house and cuts to the side. Ada found it almost unsettling how quiet the house was despite its size. Either everyone was dead, or she was expected to come.

She hopes for the former. Ada pulls out her grapple gun, pulls the trigger, and pulls herself up onto a window ledge where a tiny crack had been left open. With a little effort, she opens the window wide enough for her to slip through and closes it behind her. She observes her surroundings, noting the silence. It was never a good thing.

"Now…where could you be, Windsor?" Not that he was the primary objective. He was only the unfortunate catalyst in this mess. Ada pulls out a small monitor that displays a map of the mansion in different floors. She would have to work her way down to the basement if she wanted this job finished. She starts her trek while keeping her ears open, listening for other sounds besides her own heeled footsteps on carpet. She walks down a long staircase, ignoring the knocked over armchair and broken glass that littered the rug underneath of it all in the main hall. She examines her monitor so she can understand where exactly the basement was located once more, sighing in annoyance as she realizes that the maps of each floor overlapped in a way that was almost nauseating.

Ada had entered the east side of the mansion and made her way to the main floor. On the first floor on the east side, there were two secret passageways that would lead to the basement: the first being in the kitchen, and the other in one of the hallways behind a painting. To her, the painting entrance seemed the easier option. She didn't hear any footsteps besides her own, so it was now or never. She wasted enough time already by staring at the damn monitor.

"Let's see if the secrets under this house are worth keeping…I can't wait to find out."

The layout of the mansion was familiar in looks, but in functionality…it was different. Hunnigan had forwarded the layout of Julian's mansion to them, and Alexandra began dissecting what she could from it while still paying attention to Leon's prognosis. He hasn't tried to start another chase montage, so it's a modicum of good news for now. The bad news was that her memory hadn't failed her.

"We're currently on the west side of the mansion." She moves closer to Leon so he can follow along as she explains their plan. "If I'm readin' this right, there's two ways to quickly get to the basement levels on this end: one in the garden outside, and the other somewhere on the third floor in another study. I wouldn't be surprised if a little effort was needed. Which one you feelin' like tacklin'?"

"Whichever one we stumble upon first." Leon now had his hand on the entrance's doorknob, ready to go. "Either way, I think I'm in good company for the trek."

"…Come on, 'fore you start chasin' after my dress again or somethin'." He was beginning to think that there wasn't a single funny bone in Alexandra's body. Her being mission minded is fine, but she seemed so systematic with everything, and he felt like he was more of a chore to her rather than a partner. Leon opened the door, and they began their search for one of the quick routes to the basement. The closest one was the garden. In the rain. Great. "Garden's the closest."

"In the rain, huh? It'd be a nice setting if we weren't working right now."

"Hm." Alexandra started scouting ahead, watching for potential threats. She disregarded that last quip. She was taking this new arrangement seriously, considering her neck was on the line. Her hair was disheveled, but it didn't take away from her natural beauty. Her hands were balled into fists and her shoulders are squared, signifying that she is in a guarded state. Leon quickly caught up with her as she approached a door that led to the outside. A patio of wet concrete that led down to a maze of large plant partitions and the general unknown. This door had a red jewel motif above the lock, so she took the key out of the valley between her breasts and unlocked the door. As she turns the knob, she stops midway and snaps back around.

Someone's here.

"Mistress…?" It was a woman's voice, soft and innocent. Neither Leon nor Alexandra relaxed their postures. She was dressed in a classic maid's outfit, the white frills and blouse appearing stained. With what was anyone's guess. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her eyes were half open, but…red. Dammit. A servant of the plaga.

There was, unfortunately, no saving her.

"The master is looking for you. Please, follow me if you would. Your husband as well."

Leon glanced towards Alexandra, who was chewing on her plump bottom lip in contemplation. She was right on the money when it came to the sequence of events so far. The woman turned on her heel and began leading them back into the center of the mansion. Refusal wasn't an option since she occasionally turned around to make sure they were following. And if one person lagged, she would stop walking until they caught up.

They weren't even sure where she was leading them to. Both Alexandra and remained vigilant as the woman leads them through a door they've never taken. It looked to be a large ballroom. Empty, yet decorated. Enormous vases were dotted mostly near the windows and on small tables. The curtains were a shade of dark red that were closed on one side, and open on the other. The garden was right outside where they were. There was a large strip of red carpet down the very middle of the dark red tiled floor, stopping just at the base of the half circle staircase with a balcony at the top. Someone was standing at the very peak, their hands raised to applaud. For what? The woman stopped at the end of the carpet, bowing her head politely.

"Ah, the lovely guests are here. For a moment there, I almost panicked when you both left your rooms. Had us searching for a while."

Both Leon and Alexandra gave looks of annoyance, but it was Leon who spoke up first. "If we're such lovely guests, work on your hospitality. A tanker rear ending us isn't a good start, you know?"

"I thought it was a perfect way to welcome you. An explosive entrance suits you both."

"Julian." Alexandra scowled; her hand propped on her hip. She examined Julian and noticed that their intel was flawed almost immediately. Julian is described as a tall, lanky, and youthful man with brunet hair. This man had the same striking looks, but heavily grayed and strained with age marks and a beard. "…Senior."

"Senior?" Leon glanced at her momentarily before fixing his gaze back on Julian. If he had his gun, he'd be pointing it at him right now. "Seems like we were after the wrong Windsor…which begs the question: where is your son?"

"Nowhere of consequence." A sly smile makes his appearance much more cunning and unsettling. Something was off, clearly. "I see you still have your faculties, Mister Reid, for someone who's infected."

Julian's hand was rising up and Leon immediately erupted into a cry of pain, clutching at his chest as if something were there. He could feel the plaga wriggling within him, trying to move and tear nerves. It was such an unsettling feeling. Leon fell to his knees from the agony, his eyes flashing between their natural baby blue shade and to a sickening red as he tried to keep himself in control of his body. Alexandra went to clutch him in her arms even as he thrashed.

"Maven, hold on!"

"Such love for your husband, my lady!" Julian was clapping his hands and Alexandra's temper was at its breaking point already. Fuck this guy. A tyrant, capable of love? What a ridiculous notion. She was feeling anger more than any other emotion right now. "In the world we're laboring to create, there are rulers, and there are servants. Your husband falls into the latter category, I'm afraid. Sacrifices must be made, after all."

"…Is that what you did to your son?" Her grip on Leon was tight, but his was akin to a vice. He had curled into her embrace as he continued to yell out in pain. "Forcibly converted him into a monster…you spineless bitch of a man."

Julian didn't seem phased by her words, and the woman in front of them did not move from her position. She must not have an order yet, but Alexandra wasn't discrediting her as a threat. "It's the way of things I'm afraid, Ava. He was awfully specific with his orders to leave you untouched and unharmed."

"He? Who the fuck're you talkin' about?" Julian's deep laughter made her tense up more than before. Leon's pain was still ongoing. "Answer me!"

"All in due time, my lady. I wish you luck on reaching the basement. It's not the friendliest place in my humble abode, but you're a woman who likes a good challenge. I look forward to the entertainment you will provide."

Julian walks away and Alexandra had lost him in her field of view. She snarls, but she maintains her focus on Leon. The pain seemed to be ceasing and his breathing labored, but he was in control. She lets him go and watches him stand up, then gives him a once over. Everything still in place…for what it's worth.

"…You okay?" She asks.

"Yeah…I'm fine." Leon coughs a few times, clearing his throat. His eyes kept flickering to the woman who has yet to move since she escorted them here. He didn't like that. "Come on, let's go back to that door to the garden."

Alexandra gives him a hum of approval, turning on her heel with him in tow. She was deep in thought putting what they knew together. Julian's father is the one behind this, and he's working for someone. But who? And why did they want her untouched? Why not remove the most dangerous person in play instead of leaving her to operate undisturbed? The logic wasn't making sense to her. Either way, they had two objectives. Apprehend Julian and save Leon. That's all she cares about. She'll think on the rest when she can. She opens the door to the garden and proceeds down into the oncoming maze.

Shit. It's even worse up close. She would vault over it, but there wasn't any grating for her to perch on to get a view. Hunnigan didn't have a map to forward for this anyway, so their only choice was to go through it like a tourist.

"Nothin's ever fuckin' clear cut," Alexandra mused outwardly, ignoring the large droplets of rain pelting her relentlessly. "C'mon, let's hurry through this shit. And no splittin' up."

"…You don't trust me alone?" He questioned. Alexandra gave him a pointed look that was a warning if he was going to make a joke. He wasn't. "I'm a big boy and handled worse missions than this. You know that. I'm fine, Alex. You can relax."

Here we fuckin' go.

How did he not grasp the severity of the situation? Did he legitimately not understand or is his pride blinding his logic here? Alexandra furrowed her brows and stepped closer to him, their gazes locking in slight animosity. From a bystander's point of view, this looked like the most disproportionate stare down ever with Alexandra fully looking down at Leon.

"No, I can't relax." She paused, listening for anything out of the ordinary as she corrected him. "…You can't lead effectively while the plaga's inside you. I dunno if you have any type of leadership experience, and I honestly don't care right now. I don't know when you're gonna switch, so I gotta cover as much ground as possible while I can. The odds ain't stacked against you, they're stacked against me. All for Brennan's stupid fuckin' project. I gotta make sure the golden boy's back in tip top shape or I get a railgun in my mouth. And you signed on the dotted line for this. For what, I don't fuckin' know. But you did, and now you're my responsibility. But if you're gonna complain that my assertiveness is crampin' your style, feel free to play in traffic and save me the trouble."

Leon's pride took somewhat of a hit with those words. His own brows furrowed as he returned fire. "You've been nothing but cold and callous since we've started working together! Like I'm in your way! So, were you blowing hot air when you said that you considered me a partner when he sparred? Just to appease me? You know just how good I am, so why question it? I wanted to know more about you, considering you are my partner! Now, I'm not so sure it's worth the effort."

"You're not supposed to get to know a B.O.W, so why are you tryin'? I'm your weapon of mass destruction, not a person. But if you're that desperate to get to know me, that's what the reward card is for. I'm not openin' up to you simply because that's what you want. That's what you've gotten used to, but you ain't gettin' it with me and my boys. I refuse."

The rain was ruthlessly beating around them, but Alexandra's words were worse. It was like the thorny rose had come alive on her chest and the vines started cracking at him in retaliation. He was still mad of course, but more so at himself than at what she said. Alexandra finally relented, backing away to a respectable distance, brows unfurrowing as she turned around to navigate the garden maze. Leon begrudgingly followed behind her.

"Learnin' about me is a privilege, just like learnin' about you is one, too. Earn it."