As Cold Blood Runs

As Cold Blood Runs

Chapter Nine: The Root of Pain

Leon:

Mysterious Calling: 10:30 PM, an hour from Albany, NY.

"...and no breaking news on the terrorist attack on the Bio-Port headquarters that occured this morning. There has been no official word on any Federal involvement, but Bio-Port's Security Monitoring Squadrons, the SMS, has been aiding local police with the investigation. This evening, at another press conference held by Bio-Port President and CEO Albert Wesker, the following quotes were taken:

'We have sent in our SMS forces this evening to aid local law enforcement with the investigation, and we will apprehend and see justice delivered to the perpetrators...'

Still no word on any suspects, or if any more of Bio-Port's security forces will be sent in..."

"You hear that, fellas?" Chris shouted, doing his best impression of a redneck. "We's all fu-ge-tives!"

"Knock it off, asshole," Claire snapped. "We're in some deep shit here."

"Jeez, calm down, sis!" Chris said, putting an arm on his sister's shoulder. "It isn't every day that you're a federal fugitive!"

"I think you better take her advice and calm down," Jill said, pulling him back into the seat.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever," he said, sounding like a young kid that had just been called down by his mother. I was too tired to pay attention.

"I think I need some rest," I said. It had taken us at least four hours to get away from the house, and we were still two hours from Albany. I was worn out.

"I'll drive for you, babe," Claire said. "I also think you need to get some rest." I nodded, sleepily, and pulled the Ford Explorer over on the shoulder of the rural highway. Claire and I swapped places, and we were soon on our way, and I was about to take the journey of a lifetime. My eyes closed, and I fell asleep.

(Welcome to my world...)

What is this? It's so...foggy...

(Follow the light, Leon.)

A single light shone through the dense fog.

What's going on here?!

(I told you, Leon. I'd see you tonight. But now we're on my turf.)

I walked closer, and I saw a shadowy figure. It was about my height, my weight, in a heavy tan trenchcoat. As I drew closer, I finally understood. I was looking at myself.

What the hell...

(I told you before, Leon. We're one and the same.)

So...why are you here? What do you want from me?

(In Racoon City...you listened to me. You escaped. You lived. In Lansing...you did the same. Why do you doubt my reasoning?)

I listened to...you?! Oh my God, I've gone crazy.

(No, Leon. I was created by yourself...a necessary element of your survival.)

Survival? I did pretty damn good on my own, thanks.

(Leon, don't doubt me. Don't doubt yourself...trouble is brewing...mother and father are in trouble...)

WHAT?!

(You know, you should have never let them go alone.)

So what are you saying?

(You know what I mean...)

What the hell is going on? What's wrong with my family?

(Wait and see...)

Holy shit...

"Hey, wake up," Claire said as she prodded me. I sat up, and tossled my long bangs out of my eyes. "Bad dream?" she asked. "You kept mumbling something, I couldn't tell what, though."

"How far are we?" I asked. "I think...I think that there is something wrong..."

"Nonsense," Claire said. "You're just worried, but everything will be all right, you'll see." I shook my head.

"I don't know," I said. "Just...just get this damn thing moving."

Claire looked at me, and I saw something in her eyes I had never seen before.

"Oh, shit you did it now, Leon," Chris said. "Buckle up, and hold on, because this mutha is about to move!"

And trust me, it moved.

A promise, sealed in blood: 12:30 AM

"Turn here," Ark motioned to Claire as we pulled into a long gravel drive, heading to a spectacualar ranch home.

"Holy shit, dude!" Chris shouted. "You mean to tell me you live here?!"

"Yep, for a couple years now," Ark said. "Uncle Sam paid for it."

"Daaaaaaammmmmn," Chris said. "I'm sure glad we're working for the government now, we'll walk away millionaires!"

Claire kept up the long drive, but there was something wrong.

"Oh no..." I said. "The door..."

The glass in the door was shattered, and it had been pried open. I unsnapped my seatbelt, kicked open the door, and jumped out. I saw Amy was bursting in tears.

"Leon!!!" I heard Claire shout, but I didn't care. I took off running, which was kind of a chore in blue jeans and work boots, but I kept at it. I ran...

and I ran....

and I ran...

Finally, I reached the doorway, and I pulled the Desert Eagle my father gave to me out of my holster, and entered.

"MOM!!" I shouted. "DAD?!" I chambered a round, and barged into the foyer. Blood...all over the floor. A trail leading up stairs. I didn't care about anything else, I just ran up the stairs. As I took off up them, I heard the cocking of a pump shotgun, and I turned around. My sister stood at the base of the stairs.

"Let's go," she wept, and we ran up the stairs. More blood ran on the white carpeting, and a bedroom door was kicked in. I entered, and what I saw frightened me. My mother, in one of her trademark sundresses, layed dead, on the bed. My father was up against a wall, his khakis stained with blood, his shirt off, wrapped around his arm as a makeshift bandage. But bullet holes were ridden through his body.

"DADDY?!" Amy screamed. I ran over with her to my father, and could hear his labored breathing.

"Amy...oh, I thought I'd never see you again," he moaned. I knelt down by my father, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Dad, come on, hang in there," I said. "Please, don't die."

"Leon, nothing can stop that now," he replied. "At least...I took a few of the bastards out with me," he laughed, as he pointed at some of the black-armored troops scattered around him.

"Who did this..." I breathed. "Who did this to you?"

"It was those Bio.....AARRRRRRGGGGGH," he shouted as he grabbed his chest. "Bio-Port. Wesker, I think."

"Where are they?" I asked as Claire, Chris, Barry, and Becky ran up.

"Son," he told me. "Hunt them down...every last one of them..."

"I will, Dad, I will," I said, feeling fresh tears flowing down my face. I looked up, and saw Amy had her face buried in Claire's side, crying her heart out.

"Lee, take care of your sister," he said. "Make sure you always look out for her."

"Yes, Dad, I will," I said, feeling even more tears fall.

"I was going to wait, until you were older, but, I think you need it now," he said as he reached in his pants pocket, and pulled out a set of dogtags, my father's from Vietnam.

"Give 'em hell, kid," he said as he punched my arm, and sank down into the eternal rest of death. I buried my face in my hands, and rocked back on my knees. I felt Claire's arms wrap around me, but I did nothing to return the show of emotion. My parents...killed...by that bastard Wesker.

"I'll kill him...with my BARE HANDS!" I shouted as I stood up. I put the dog tags around my neck, and went over to my sister, and wrapped my arms around her. I looked up at Chris, Barry, and Seth, who had recently arrived.

"Guys," I said. "Help me bury them, please." They nodded in agreement. And just as I was going to leave, I saw movement...a flash of black. One of them was still alive. I felt a new wave of hatred flush over me as I ran towards him. I picked him up by the neck, and slammed him hard against the wall. I unholstered my magnum, and held it to his temple.

"Give me one reason..." I growled. "Not to blow your god-forsaken head off right...now."

"Please," he cried. "Don't shoot me!"

"HOW MANY TIMES?" I shouted. "HOW MANY TIMES DID MY PARENTS BEG THE SAME PLEA YOU CRY RIGHT NOW?"

"Wesker ordered it," he choked out. "He said he was doing this as a lesson..."

"I'm about to teach you a lesson," I said as I put my finger on the trigger.

"Leon, don't!" Clare shouted.

"Why not..." I growled. "Why not when he did the exact same thing to my father and mother?"

"Because then you would be no better than Wesker!" she shouted, and I realized she was right.

"You're lucky..." I said, as I threw him down to the floor. He stood up, grabbed his injured arm, and took off. I would never see him again. But then, I fell to my knees and broke down, crying. They would pay. They all would pay.

7:30 AM

I stood in front of the makeshift gravestones we had built for my parents out of old two-by-fours. Tears flowed down my face.

"I promise you..." I cried. "You will be avenged."

"Leon?" I turned around, and I saw Claire.

"Hi," I muttered as I turned back around to face my parents' final resting places.

"I know this is so hard for you," she said as she wrapped her arms around my waist. "But, Leon, you still have Amy to think about, you have Sherry to think about, and you have me."

"Claire?" I asked.

"What, baby?" she replied.

"Whatever happens, I want you to know that I'll be there. No matter what," I said.

"Well, I know that," she said. "You haven't failed me yet."

"And I never will." With that, I turned around, and kissed her, praying that the world would just melt away and Claire and I would be the only ones left. For a while, it did. But right now, we had bigger fish to fry. And I wouldn't stop until my parents' murderers were met with swift justice...my type of justice. We released each other, and for a moment, I stood there, looking in her eyes, and I saw hope. Hope, that someday this would all be over, and that we could be together. I put an arm around her shoulders, and we began the walk back to the driveway. We were met by Ark, who had just got off the phone with our newest employer.

"Well, we got a plan now," he said as he turned to walk with us. "Bio-Port has let it slip that Wesker will be appearing at a dinner tomorrow night to celebrate the new merger of the two. They say the new company will be called Umbrella-NEO."

"I get it," I said, somberly. "We're up for party-crashing duty."

"Yep," he said. "With some government help, of course. Stevens is putting a team of 25 men with us...under your command."

"Well," I said. "Let's hope we don't disappoint the poor captain when we invite ourselves." Shit had hit the fan, now. And the war was just beginning.

Well, looks like they plan to cut the snake off at the head, huh? What will happen at the party? Does Wesker have a clue? Will Umbrella-NEO fall before it is even risen? To see the answers to these questions and more, stay tuned for chapter ten of As Cold Blood Runs.