AllLiesEnd; Glad it made ya happy, you're welcome! I like action, don't get me wrong, you'll see it here and there in my stories but I love a narrative, a story, direction, interactions, thoughts and personality being delved into. Linul is such a hard character to write for because of how I've made him. I almost hate him but I love him at the same time haha. Thanks! I had a nice birthday too! :3
Crystalyna du Starrvan; I definitely plan to explore more of the daily life revolving around the two once we get past the bigger fights.
This chapter is when shit starts, quite literally, hitting the fan. I hope ya'll enjoy it! I had particular fun writing this one. Thank you also for the new follows and favorites! I hope you continue to like the story!
I've also been watching a playthrough of Assassin's Creed 3 and I'm super motivated to do a Haytham fanfic so if you guys like that story I'll be doing it in the future.
The starting song lyrics are from Greyskies by Eyes.
There's a wolf in the woods, there's a shark in the water
Baby I know a place we'll be safe
If you let me lead the way, so afraid
Let the demons know your name, they don't wanna talk
Say hello, let them in, walk you by, like you don't even care
And you don't, I know. I've been this place myself
Who's to blame when the demons know your name
They don't wanna talk.
Wesker had left us an hour and a half ago, which I had spent dancing to some Spanish song I didn't know the words to nor could translate.
Sherry had been pulled away by a stunning dark haired young man and I had grabbed a glass of wine offered by a service lady (I refused to call them servants or waitresses because neither fit) before heading out onto a wide balcony.
I had brought my smokes and wanted something to calm my nerves. The people Sherry had introduced me to so far had been actually wonderful. I guess I was expecting bloodthirsty corrupt politicians but most of them were just regular smart people. A few scientists, a few doctors, CEOs, a decorated veteran and more.
I slid a cig out and lit it, taking a deep drag before exhaling. I knew I had to handle myself well because I would be here for several hours as well as being around dozens of people I didn't know in a place I wasn't familiar with. Though I doubted Sherry or Wesker would let some sleazy guy pull me into a crook and have his way.
I heard footsteps and turned to see a much older guy, early 40s maybe, tan skin and a very playful energy that accompanied his gentle smile. His short hair was white like the snow and he had these emerald green eyes flecked with grey. He wore a formal button-up with dark slacks but no tie or noticeable lapel to associate with a company. A freelancer? A friend of someone present?
"Hello, I couldn't help but be entranced by you. Redheads are often not very interesting but you, my dear, most certainly are unexpected." His smooth voice held a faint accent, European? British? I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
"Thanks, are you here for the free wine too?" I made a joke while wiggling my glass with a cheeky grin.
He chuckled and came up beside me to lean against the railing with his back, head turned to peer down at me. He was tall.
"I'm not a wine guy, I prefer something with more.. kick to it. Such as whiskey."
I finished my cig before he took it from me, depositing it into the ashtray close by before returning to his chosen spot against the railing.
"Thanks." I said, meaning it.
"A beauty like you must have a name that matches it?" He inquired, that smile never leaving his face.
"I'm Claire. You are?"
"Isaac."
I heaved a sigh as I sunk into a chair, panting from the most recent dance I had done. I had definitely exerted myself but I was having a blast, could you blame me?!
My dancing companion, Jayvus Elster who preferred 'Jay', had gone to fetch us something refreshing. I wouldn't deny that I had always liked the fellow scientist but Jayvus only really came out for the parties.. much like me.
The meeting had just ended but Wesker wasn't back yet so I had to amuse myself- wait, Claire. I had seen her a bit ago but the last two songs had kept me admittedly preoccupied by my gorgeous companion.
A glass lowered into my face and I gratefully accepted the offered beverage, noting a hint of cinnamon and gauged that it was some kind of alcoholic concoction. "Thanks."
"You are very welcome." Jay sat down across from me, drinking from his own glass with a light smile.
"I need to check on Claire." I said, scanning the dancing crowd with my eyes yet I didn't see that splash of red that fit her dress and hair.
"The redhead you came with?" He asked, arching a brow.
I nodded, still searching for any sign of my cherished friend.
"I saw her go out onto the balcony earlier, I think a guy had gone out there shortly after."
"A guy?" I furrowed my brows, racking my memory.
"Yeah, he was tall, white hair, dark attire."
That didn't sound familiar at all. Was it one of the party attendees trying to hit it off with my friend?
I quickly got up, setting down the glass onto the table. Jay got up too, a concerned look on his face as he trailed after me. I made a beeline for the balcony and brushed open the doors to feel a warm breeze. Despite it being really pleasant out here the balcony was empty.
I quickly got up, setting down the glass onto the table. Jay got up too, a concerned look on his face as he trailed after me. I made a beeline for the balcony and brushed open the doors to feel a warm breeze. Despite it being really pleasant out here the balcony was empty.
"Sherry?" I turned to see Uncle Albert stepping onto the balcony, an unreadable mask to his face as he peered between me and Jay. I turned, frowning. "Where is Miss Redfield?"
I gripped the railing. "I don't know, I was dancing and she seemed to be enjoying herself. I was about to come find her but now I can't."
He whipped around in a flash, stalking back into the castle to find Claire. I glanced between his retreating back and Jay before giving him an apologetic smile and headed after Wesker.
"I'll help you guys look for her."
"You're amazing Jay, thank you so much."
The meeting had gone well and the various merging had successfully been negotiated. I was actually pleased with the events and so my mood was elevated to a rather pleasant one. So when I came out and went to look for Claire only to discover she was missing my mood tanked. Fast.
Sherry hadn't seen her, too distracted by her male companion.
I could feel Sherry at my back as we made our way around each room, checking all the guests for the redhead that had arrived with us.
"Was she with anyone specific?" I asked, not bothering to glance behind me to Sherry.
"Jay said that shortly after she went out to the balcony a white haired tall man followed h-"
I spun around on her and was visibly furious now. She flinched back, blinking her blue eyes at me. "U-uncle?"
"This is about to be a shit show, Sherry, go and get Krauser. Now."
"R-right!" Sherry scampered off to find my Chief of Security while I stood in a hallway alone, seething.
I resisted the urge to smash a vase or a china cabinet but I didn't want to have to explain that to the castle's owner. I stalked down the hallway, intent on finding our lost companion. I had too much invested in her, I had JUST decided to take the risk of allowing her to be more than just some acquaintance and she had admitted that after the party she would tell me whatever it was she planned to say.
I wouldn't let that chance slide away. I'd find her.
My phone in my inner jacket vibrated and I paused. It wasn't a call so I knew it wasn't Krauser or Sherry, they preferred calling most days and considering the situation they'd call before sending me a text if they located her. I slid my phone out and eyed the text message from an unknown sender.
I almost crushed my phone in my hand.
A picture had been sent and had just loaded and what it was caused a deep growl to slip from me. The picture was of Claire unconscious. She had her hands bound behind her back as she sat in a chair slumped over. Her red hair was still up but the parts that were down had fallen into her face, shrouding it. Her surroundings looked almost like a lab.
She didn't seem to be injured but that could change if that crafty man had her in his clutches.
The attached message read; A lovely gift you've shown me of this beauty. Thought I'd ask her for a dance. What's a party without dancing with such a lovely woman..
I was already shifting to my contacts and hit the call on Krauser's number, listening to it ring before he answered. "Boss?"
"Miss Redfield isn't here, she's been taken by Mr. Isaac Sin. He could be close by. Search every inch of the premises, report anything you find." I snapped into the phone. I heard a sharp 'Sir!' before I put my phone away.
"..as soon as I figure out where the hell you've taken her I will string you up from the chandelier by your guts." I hissed beneath my breath. I couldn't let Claire get hurt under my watch. Finally when she was starting to open up and be more aware of the truth.
As I paced the length of the hallway Sherry had rejoined me, keeping quiet lest she draw my wrath upon her incidentally. I wouldn't bite her head off but I knew if she pressed I'd give her a tongue lashing. As we waited for news the party had died down a bit as they became aware the young redhead was missing.
We made our way downstairs to rejoin the mass who had gathered between the three lower big rooms of the foyer, the dining hall and the ballroom. People came forth to Sherry and told them various little tidbits about the white haired man. One doctor said that he had noticed a wire peeking out from the man's collar just barely but hadn't initially paid it much mind.
Krauser came up to me and looked irritated but he would never direct his emotions at me, not his employer. "Sir, one of the servants claims they saw the white haired man with Claire leaving out through the gardens. She was walking so they assumed everything was alright and went back to what they were doing."
I let out another deep growl. "Krauser if he hurts her it will be your head that I tear off. Find out where he took her." He was immediately calling HUNK to trace the text.
"Of course, sir!" He snapped to attention before turning to jog towards the security guards the castle had that were huddled together in a group.
I spun to see Jasper coming over to me with a deep frown. "I will take the blame for this, had I tightened security he would not have been able to slip away."
"Hardly. Increasing security would have done nothing. The man has been eluding us for some time and left HUNK and his colleagues some presents two days ago." I did not need the man trying to soothe over the issue in regards to Sin's capabilities. The man was dangerous and had wasted enough of my time.. but now he had something I considered precious and I would treat him as the dangerous creature he was.
Jasper made a clicking noise with a tongue, nodding his head. "So this Sin character h-" He did not get to finish the sentence as my phone began to ring.
All eyes turned to me as I took out my phone and answered it, already knowing what to expect. It had to be the man in question.
"My, my, what a pretty sight." The man's cool voice intoned, a small chuckle slipping free. "I've been looking for a weakness in your company for some time. My employer finds your lot an annoyance, I find you entertaining. Thus I extend to you a little game. I've taken the girl that has been around you lately and I'll give you the coordinates. Well, not the whole coordinates at once. That would be too easy."
I didn't dare speak just yet because I knew if I did I would be spilling every curse I could think of under the sun.
"Now! I'm sure you're wondering what the hell my plan is or motivation, who knows exactly what you're thinking but I shall tell you. I find you fascinating though my employer just wants you dead, out of the picture. I'm not after your power, I don't give a shit that you're superhuman, infected, whatever you call it. I don't like losing."
"What are you after?" I demanded finally, having contained the rolling rage I felt coiled like a serpent ready to strike.
"At first I was playing with your men, they were so much fun. I must admit.. I'm a little sad you didn't get to see what I did to your regular men. I didn't stop to take pictures. Strung them up like puppets once they were all dead." He gave an almost insane bark of laughter. "And your little henchmen? I don't know their names but they were fun to watch as they discovered everything in the warehouses. Sad that the one got infected and put down before he could devour his mates. Would have been amusing."
I grit my teeth, every ounce of willpower exuding to control my demonic rage. Everyone in the room was taking a step back, even Sherry who had been at my side. Sherry was close enough to catch most of the conversation as was Krauser and both had paled considerably.
"I am intrigued by.. what was his name.. ah, Linul. I had to throw in something special for him. It was interesting to find out that my employer had actually managed to get his hands on his little sister." I could almost hear the wide smirk the man must have been wearing, satisfaction dripping off of him.. as well as overconfidence. The man was pleased he had evaded my reach for as long as he had but that would soon end.
He would end.
"You seem to have this misplaced belief that in this little game.. you'll be the victor." I said, not allowing any emotion to leak into my voice. "My, what confidence. One might even say that the cockiest are merely compensating."
The man began to laugh at my words and that caused my own smirk to split my face. Krauser was ushering everyone away as I walked towards one of the hallways to put some distance between myself and the crowd of acquaintances and allies.
"I'm curious, are you going to send the injured Grim Reaper and his implicated little fou to try to do what they failed the first time, mm?" The usage of the French word for 'crazy' drew much interest from me. Ahh, now I understand something I had previously missed.
"I might have allowed HUNK and Linul the opportunity to dish back their preferred methods of revenge upon you but I have a much more interest in this myself. I'm sure my methods will be more accurate to the punishment you deserve for interfering as much as you have of late. It would also be good enough to put Mr. Shepherd Glastin in his respective place."
I held my phone away and gave a smirk as it had vibrated with Intel I had requested from HUNK.
"Fear not, Mr. Sin, I have very special plans for you, perhaps I should start with the Escaro Facility?"
I could almost see the smirk fall and the amused edge to him had shifted to a more appropriate understanding to my capabilities. "Ah, so, I see your little tinker-toy has found my location. Perfect. Send your toys in, let me play with them a bit."
"You mistake my words. If you touch even one hair on Miss Redfield I will make sure your suffering is extended. I shall see you shortly, Mr. Sin." I didn't give him time to answer before I disconnected the call and immediately called HUNK.
"I'm going too." I heard Sherry grumble as she had come up beside me, her face stern. I quickly informed HUNK to send me any relevant information he had on the location such as layout before ending the call. I turned to study Sherry before turning to Krauser who was nearby snapping out orders to the security guards of Jasper's castle to make sure no one else dangerous was present.
"Krauser." He turned at my voice saying his name and he jogged over. "Gun." I held out a hand as he retrieved his hidden pistol tucked into the back of his pants. He dropped it into my hand. I examined it, checking the magazine of the M1911 before turning and holding it out to Sherry.
"Thank you." Sherry took the gun and quickly secured it to her waist using her dress sash. "Krauser, do you have a knife I can borrow real fast?" He nodded and passed her a pocket knife. She opened it with a quick flick before getting to work on the ends of her dress. She cut around the knees to shorten the length to make it easier to walk around with. She then passed him back the knife and looked at me to say she was ready.
"Stay out of my way Sherry-"
"I won't get in your way. I want to make this bastard pay for taking Claire."
Krauser pulled out several magazines before passing them to Sherry. She accepted them, tucking into various places around her bra since she didn't have pockets.
"Krauser I expect you to gather the paperwork and other items of interest and have Gunter pick you up. You'll return to the island and assist HUNK with his work while he recovers."
Krauser made a look as if to argue but then snapped his mouth shut and nodded, turning to stalk off to comply with his orders. Good. I didn't need him demanding to go with me.
I turned back to Sherry. "The Escaro Facility is only a thirty minute drive north, we'll take the heli-"
"Take my car." Jasper's voice behind me caused me to glance at him, studying the man. "I know how much you like efficiency. It's a 2009 Nissan GT-R R35, black with blue trim. It's got the speed to get you there much quicker than a helicopter, which would be over the top. Plus she purrs like a kitten so you won't have that loud noise factor to worry about." He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket before tossing them to Wesker.
"Thank you, Mr. Jasper, as always you prove yourself highly reliable." I said before turning to peer down at Sherry. She was ready to go.
So the two of us headed to the back garage in which we found the GT-R at the end waiting. We slid inside the car and were on our way. I passed Sherry my phone with it's GPS open and the location already pulled up and so she directed me towards the location with relative ease. This gave me the means to fully focus on putting the car to the test in terms of speed. I slid around corners with the practiced grace of someone very familiar with fast cars and Sherry, from my peripheral, was clutching the handle of her door to keep herself from sliding around.
"Fuck." I heard Sherry whisper under her breath as she grit her teeth to keep from making any further noises of surprise.
I was already mentally going through everything I wanted to do to the man-
Wait. When had I allowed myself to become like this? I had decided to allow Claire into my life in ways I hadn't let others and yet somehow I found myself hating the idea of someone hurting her. Was I protective of her? That would explain why I was behaving so rashly. No, not rashly. I was fully aware of myself and wasn't just merely responding to what was happening. I was very much prepared to do what I needed to do to secure a future investment.
Investment. No. That was wrong to use in reference to Claire.
She wasn't a company or a product.
She was Dear Heart.
My foot pressed down on the pedal as we slid around a corner, my hand adjusting the steering wheel in accordance to the sharp drift.
Everything hurt and I couldn't expressly remember why it did or to what degree. My body almost felt numb like I was on the verge of drifting and having an out of body experience. But I didn't. I was acutely aware and so I forced myself to consciousness.
My eyes carefully opened and they fluttered, the bright light that greeted me causing me to wince. I had been hit on the back of my head judging by the deep throbbing that originated from there. It also explained why I had a head-splitting headache.
"Mm.." I turned my head, blinking as I tried to shift around. No, something felt heavy on my hands. Cold? Metal? I must have been either handcuffed or bound, I couldn't determine which but I knew it was some type of metal judging by that stark coldness that pressed against my wrists.
I heard a voice from another room, rather loudly, and it drew me more to awareness. I remembered.. the party.. arriving.. dancing a bit.. then going out to get some fresh air and smoke.. I met Isaac.. no, wait, that man. He had asked me to go out back to the gardens and I agreed, wanting to see the beautiful roses that had adorned the elegant garden. We were talking, casually, like.. small talk. About the beautiful weather, the castle.. then something hit me and the sensation of being dragged. Then I woke up here.
Had Isaac kidnapped me? Why? I lifted my head to peer around the sterile white room. At first I thought it was some kind of showering room by the tile flooring, walls and the sink pressed behind me. There were also a few little tables of random items such as bottles and syringes- wait syringes?
The voice was silent for a few seconds and I knew it was Isaac in the other room, the door closed to separate us for the moment. Then his voice spoke up and there was this amused anger to it. "Ah, so, I see your little tinker-toy has found my location. Perfect. Send your toys in, let me play with them a bit."
There was the sound of something breaking, had he thrown his phone? I couldn't tell. I blinked my eyes, still struggling to focus. Had he hit me that hard that I would be this disoriented? Damn. That was troublesome.
The door opened and in sauntered the man himself. Unlike earlier he didn't seem so innocently playful. He had this annoyed twitch to his lips and he was tossing a small metal ball. When he caught it he rolled it between his thumb and middle finger for a moment before tossing it up again. He did this several times as he walked over to me, aware that I was awake.
I glared up at him, blowing some of my fallen hair out of my face.
"Who the fuck are you?" I demanded. "Is Isaac even your real name?"
The man gave a small Cheshire smile that couldn't disguise the anger built up behind it. "Yes, Isaac is my first name, I chose to stay true to it." He stopped and crouched in front of me, canting his head to the left a little as his eyes flicked around, studying me. "What are you to the tyrant, mm?" He grabbed my chin, turning my head left then right as if he couldn't quite see whatever he was searching for. "You're not really all that special."
"Special my ass. I'm just a survivor."
His eyes twinkled at my words. "A survivor? What the hell has a broad like you survived?" He asked with some interest.
"Raccoon City."
At my words his eyes widened before he gave a genuine smile. "Ah, so you faced the undead and you think because you got lucky that makes you special?" He snorted and lifted his nose as if this new angle of looking down on me gave me the proper insight into my life that he had been searching for. "That's adorable. This is why I hate people. You think luck and fortune on your side during an event makes you a survivor. No, surviving, sweetheart, isn't just merely getting out of a bad situation. It's overcoming it. I get the impression by looking into your eyes that if I let a zombie out in here that you would panic."
"Give me a gun and I'll show you who will be panicking." I growled, resisting the urge to try to bite his arm.
"You know when I met you I was expecting just a pretty face. But you've got quite the sass and that indeed confirms my earlier assessment of you. You are unexpected. Is this why dear Wesker keeps you around? Does he like his women wild to tame them?"
The way he spoke of me like an animal made my skin crawl. "Shut the hell up. You're just a dick with an ego."
"An ego?" He paused before he started to really laugh. "Hahaha! You know I really like you, Claire-" My name sounded so wrong coming from him. "-maybe you should dye your hair and stick around. You'd be the only redhead I could tolerate haha!" He was holding his stomach as he laughed. "Maybe I shouldn't kill you. You're actually amusing. Such an attitude!"
He pulled out a knife and gently pressed the blade against my throat, using it to lift it up so that he could smile down at me.
"You're a sick fuck if you think that after kidnapping me I'd consider sticking around." After saying the words however I paused, considering the stark similarity to Wesker. But in Wesker's defense he never bragged about planning to kill me. He had just used me as bait for a moment and given me some shoulder pain before vanishing from my life.
"Ah, ah, the tongue will get old after a while.. perhaps I should remove it. Then I'd be remiss! The tongue is the best part of a woman."
I made a look of disgust as I turned my head away, not giving him the satisfaction of seeing the way I was feeling.
"But isn't that what the mighty Albert Wesker did?"
My head snapped around so fast to see him putting away the pocketknife he had. His gaze flicked up from his hand to peer deeply into my own.
"I did my research, I already knew you had survived Raccoon City.. Rockfort Island.. I'm curious, if I set up your death to look like Wesker killed you.." He was musing out loud on purpose, stroking his chin to add to the effect. "I wonder how dear old Christopher Redfield would respond to his dear sweet younger sister being killed.. I mean.. He's already off the deep end over the Valentine girl's supposed death."
He eyed me skeptically as if the possibility could go wrong.
"I might have fed dear Chris a list of Umbrella locations along the west coast to hit." He gave a sinister smile as he crouched back down to stare at me. "Your brother has a massive hardon for Wesker, let me just say. He overlooked how shady I am at the prospect of getting his hands into Wesker's business."
I felt anger boiling into my system now. At first I was just cautious and irritated but now I felt the anger creeping in. "Stay the fuck away from Chris!" I snapped forward in my seat, the metal bindings yanking me back. Only then did I realize my ankles were secured to the front two legs of the chair as well. I snarled at him.
He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair, eyeing me now with more interest. "If I knew stealing a woman could ruffle the feathers of Albert Wesker I'd have waited rather than doing everything I have done prior. But that still doesn't answer my question.. what are you to the tyrant.. a lover? A friend? A business partner? Sexual favors being exchanged? I can't fathom how someone could try to get close to that iceberg, the man's frosty nature even turns off the wilder ones."
He sounded genuinely confused by his questions and I merely scowled at him. I wasn't about to divulge anything that could in turn be used against me.
He poked my closer cheek at my silence, frowning at me. "Silent treatment? I thought we were past that. Bring back the spunk, Claire, it makes this game far more enjoyable."
"Like I'd give you that." I grumbled. Something sharp bloomed in my cheek and it took me a second to realize he had struck me.
"Such a dull girl, you're an idiot to think I can't just take whatever I seek to gain from an encounter. I'm not going to sexually assault you but I'm not above hitting a woman."
He pulled out his phone and glanced at his phone.
"So we have roughly 15 minutes before the tyrant gets here. But I want to leave him with a present even if I die from this." He put his phone away and took back out his knife from his pocket, tossing it between his hands. He then cupped my face with one hand, gripping my cheeks between his fingers as he made me look at him.
I felt a sharp pain in my right side as he stepped back, letting go of my face. I tilted my head down to see he had stabbed his knife to the hilt into my side and blood was starting to darken my already red dress. He reached down and yanked out his knife, wiping it across the fabric covering my right knee before pocketing it.
"This is goodbye, Claire. It's been interesting. Perhaps you'll bleed out, perhaps you'll get saved in time. We'll see if the survivor in you can make it through this." He spun and walked out of the room, closing the door with a loud clunk.
I grit my teeth as the pain kicked in full force. At least the sick bastard hadn't twisted the blade or made more wounds beside the one.
But now I have an issue. I needed to get out of here, I needed to get to some kind of phone, anything I can use to get help.
I began to squirm in the chair, struggling against my restraints.
I was getting the fuck out of here.
The first perspective is Claire, then Sherry, then Wesker, back to Claire.