5
Three weeks had passed since the pair had landed in Russia and made their way out to the area where the signal was last detected, unfortunately it had disappeared somewhere over the vast country of Siberia and they could find no more leads. Chris Redfield was in a foul mood as his resources had now become limited and his team had had it's permission denied to join him.
The BSAA refused aid, stating the disappearance of Claire was 'low priority' although they also stated that they understood his predicament and granted him leave to continue. All the faithful years of service Chris had given them, and this was the best they could do?...perhaps Leon's actions weren't as bad as he had first thought.
No.
Chris quickly shook the thoughts from his head. Perhaps the BSAA were right. If he were in charge, then would he throw everything at a seemingly everyday kidnapping of an unknown woman? No, he wouldn't. He would leave it to the local authorities. He had no evidence to offer to the BSAA of the abnormal strength of Claire's kidnappers, only the word of a 'local man' by the name of James Scott, who the BSAA decided was a traumatised victim, so he had probably exaggerated what he'd witnessed.
Chris tutted.
If they knew it was the word of Leon Kennedy then they would have believed it, but then Chris would have to deal with the issue that his superiors at the BSAA would be more interested in apprehending Kennedy than anything he had to say. Some fool had started rumours that Leon had not only deserted but had defected, so the BSAA had been put on alert when it came to the ex agents whereabouts.
Chris had argued with those in charge about the absurdity of the claim, but they were having none of it, stating Chris' friendship with the wayward agent could be clouding his judgements. Chris sighed as he watched his friend from across the room. Leon had been on the laptop for hours, scanning maps, files, rumours... scanning every detail and then some. Chris scowled Inwardly at the thought that those in charge could so easily label him a traitor. Kennedy was brilliant at his job, and loyal to his allies.
Chris considered that perhaps the lack of his team wasn't as bad as he had originally thought, he still had the chance of finding Claire as long as he had the skilled ex agent in his corner. Chris decided he'd been brooding enough and he stood up from his chair
"I'm heading into town to grab some more supplies, we're running low on coffee" he stated, stretching the cramp from his muscles.
"That's my bad" Leon waved not taking his eyes from the small screen.
Chris watched the ex agent a moment
"Give that thing a break before it fries what's left of your brain" Chris smirked, patting Leon on the shoulder as he passed.
A loud vibrating from his pocket caught Chris's attention as he approached the doorway and he quickly answered the phone
"Redfield"
Chris?!
"CLAIRE?!" Chris shouted down the speaker, causing Leon to start and jump up from his chair.
Chris hit the loudspeaker button and placed the phone onto the desk, lest his shaking hands drop the device. Leon Immediately got back onto the laptop and started typing urgently. The sound of static was heard and then, a feminine voice
Mr. Redfield, I presume ?
"You've got him" Chris growled back
Good, we have business to discuss - the feminine voice purred- my employer would like a meeting, if you agree to meet me at the coordinates I send then your sister here shall be released, of course if you want to ensure her safety then there are conditions...
"Naturally!" Chris seethed "what do you want?"
One. You come alone. Two. You come unarmed. And Three. Under no circumstances are you to inform the BSAA or any other of the authorities you work closely with about this meeting...do we understand each other Mr. Redfield?
"Yes" Chris replied
There's a good boy, now remember those conditions, and believe me when I say that we WILL know if you break them, and then of course, Claire will have to pay the price
"If you hurt her, I swear to..."
Goodbye Mr. Redfield
The line went dead and Chris looked urgently at Leon who slammed his hand onto the desk
"Goddamn it !"
Chris didn't have to ask how well tracking the call had gone, Leon's frustrated outburst was enough to give him an answer. His phoned vibrated again and Chris noticed a text message flash across the screen
"here's the coords...and a time" he commented as he flashed Leon the message. The ex agent typed them into the laptop and the men watched the screen
"Kirillov - the town square. That's conveniently close" Leon said out loud as he turned to Chris
"so, a trap?"
"A trap" Chris agreed with a nod
Chris approached the square and pulled his coat against the cold as the great clock tower struck midnight. He looked around, glad the place was void of people. This meeting was not going to go down well.
A black van pulled up slowly and a woman and an armed man exited
"Mr. Redfield" the woman started "I do hope we understood each other clearly enough the last time we spoke?"
"I got the point" Chris replied "where's Claire?"
"All in good time Mr. Redfield, now, if you'll get in the back?"
Chris approached the van when the woman suddenly put her arm up
"One second Mr. Redfield. John, frisk him"
The big man approached Chris when suddenly a loud shot echoed around the square and an armour piercing round exploded through John's eye socket, the big man fell backwards to the floor like a sack of potatoes
"BASTARD!" Janet screeched as she wiped John's blood from her face. Chris pulled a gun from under his coat and trained it on the woman
"Now, you're going to take me to Claire, or, I'm going to have to show you how much of a bastard I can be!"
Janet's eyes shifted at the movement coming from the shadows of the archway leading into the square
"So, Kennedy's alive" she sneered as Leon approached the pair and Chris started to tie her hands behind her back "John will be disappointed..."
As if hearing his name triggered a response, John suddenly sat upright and not caring to aim with his limited sight, started shooting a barrage of bullets wildly. Leon dove behind the large fountain at the square's centre whilst Chris grabbed Janet and pulled her behind a parked car, but not before one of the bullets had grazed her upper arm.
John quickly got to his feet and clambered haphazardly into the front of the van, he started the engine and pulled the vehicle away quickly. Janet pushed away from Chris, escaping her half tied bonds and ran into the road
"JOHN! Get back here !!" She cried angrily, fearing she'd been abandoned. The van suddenly swerved at the top of the road and faced the trio whilst revving it's engine menacingly.
"CHRIS!" Leon shouted as he pointed his sniper rifle at the van "get her out of here...we need one of them alive and as indestructible as this big bastard is, I don't think he's going to play ball"
"I can't leave you to take on that freak alone" Chris shouted back as another angry roar of the engine came from the van
"She knows where Claire is!" Leon stated, pointing at Janet "Which means she's more valuable than anything else...GO!" Leon trained his rifle back on the threat and started to open fire as the wheels of the van screeched forward loudly. Chris realised the truth of Leon's words when John looked like he didn't seem to care at all about his partner with the amount of speed he was throwing at all three.
Chris grabbed the scruff of Janet's coat and he pulled her away from the oncoming chaos, heading for his vehicle. Chris chanced a glance over his shoulder at the deadly game of chicken his friend was playing as he shoved Janet roughly into the car, then he jumped into the drivers seat and sped away quickly.
John dodged a bullet that flew inches past his head and laughed maniacally as he pushed his foot down to try and gather more speed, after all, the fool in front of him wasn't moving an inch...John couldn't miss...and he would be damned if he was going to let Kennedy walk away alive a second time. Suddenly, Leon dropped to a knee and opened fire on the front tire of the van, the shot hit the front wheel and the explosion of force caused the van to tip over itself with incredible speed. Leon barely managed to get clear as he took a dive to his right. The upside down van brought itself to a stop and Leon stood upright, coughing from the smoke, and, as he swept the dirt and dust from his cargo jeans, Leon then turned his head to the sound of incoming sirens
Time to get scarce... he thought to himself when the sound of creaking metal caused the ex agent to turn back to the burning van.
He saw John rip through the door and cast it aside as if weightless. The ex agent looked around quickly for his rifle but, to Leon's dismay, it lay at John's feet
"Just great!" Leon sighed, drawing a pistol from his winter coat.
John approached menacingly and pulled a long knife from his torn coat
"I've had enough of you boy!" John growled as melted skin started to drip from his unrecognizable face, then suddenly, the big man drove forward with surprising speed.
Leon was faster, and dodged the vicious swipe of the knife John had taken at him, Leon then spun back quickly, aiming his pistol and firing urgently, but whatever was fuelling John's power was also rendering the bullets as pretty much useless.
"Damn it!" Leon seethed, then he quickly turned for the alleyways
"I'm going to tear you APART!" John spat as he took up the chase
"Come and get me then, you big ugly BASTARD!" Leon called back as the sound of a train caught his ears.
"You do realise Kennedy is a dead man" Janet sneered at Chris from the back seat of the speeding vehicle "John's completely invincible whilst he's jacked up...perhaps you should turn around and help your friend ?"
Chris wrestled with the urge to turn back, but instead responded by turning the car sharply into a corner, which made Janet smack up against the side of the passenger door
Leon ran with as much speed as he could muster down the road as it sloped towards the railway crossing. John was close behind, much closer than Leon liked. The ex agent quickly glanced to his right without slowing, confirming once again that it was a freight train that was quickly approaching.
If that didn't stop John then nothing would.
Leon knew this was a stupid risk as he flew forward towards the tracks, but if John caught him, then he was a dead man anyway. Leon heard the deafening sound of the train horn as he vaulted the barriers, praying to whoever was listening that his death would be quick when he felt the ground beneath his feet rumble as the train thundered upon him. John smashed through the barriers just behind then Leon heard a sickening thud, a screeching of wheels, and then felt a blast of air as it pushed him sideways, causing the ex agent to lose his footing and stumble onto the ground.
Leon quickly pushed himself up and watched as the train screeched to a halt. He jogged, winded, along side of the train, looking under the wheels every few yards. There were pieces of what was once John everywhere.
"Rest in pieces, you son of a bitch.." Leon stated as he turned away