Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil, Capcom does. The only thing I do own is this story.
Cause Be the Carrier(Book one of the Redemption series)
Chapter One- Sea SwellBy: Striker
Barry sat at the controls of a pontoon boat, a white Captain's hat on his head. He scratched his thick, red beard and surveyed the Florida coastline. He took a deep breath, inhaling the salty sea air. Everything was quiet except for the sound of the waves gently lapping at the sides of the boat and the occasional squawk of seagulls. He felt almost at home on the high sea. Suddenly a familiar voice snapped him out of his daze.
"Yo Popeye, turn on the radio." Leon said. He was sitting in the seat across from Barry wearing a pair of dark green swim trunks.
"I'm not going to turn on the radio." Barry replied.
"Why not." Leon said. "It's too quiet."
Barry turned to Leon. "I'm not going to turn it on because the same thing will happen that happens every time. All of you are going to argue over what station to listen to until I turn it off."
Leon groaned and sat back in his seat. "Damn I'm bored."
"You know you didn't have to come out here with us." Jill said. She was laying on her back at the back of the boat. She had on a black bikini and dark shades over her eyes. "You could have gone with the others."
Rebecca lay on her stomach next to Jill in a red bikini. She was reading one of her romance books. "I wish I could be one of the women in these books."
"What, so you can have some guy with blond hair and a waxed chest appear at your window with the sole intent of ripping off your clothes so he can have sex with you in a field and leave?" Jill asked.
"No." Rebecca said. "So I can be wooed by some dashing hunk with a sexy accent."
"Same thing." Jill said.
"Hey, at least you have a boyfriend." Rebecca shot back.
Leon looked around. "Speaking of which, where are Chris and Claire? They said they were going boating with us."
His question was answered by the sounds of engines approaching the boat. Two green and blue wave runners shot pasted the boat and zoomed off before circling around and coming back. One of the riders was a young man in a dark blue life vest. The other rider was a young woman in a red life vest with a ponytail that bounced as she cut through the waves.
"Can't those two stay still for one second." Barry grumbled.
"You know Chris and his sister." Jill said. "They always have to be moving. The faster the better."
The wave runners stopped alongside the boat. "Hey guys." Chris said. "Having fun?"
"We should be asking you that Chris." Leon said.
"Boy Leon, you look bored." Claire said. "What to go for a ride? I have room for one more."
Leon politely refused the offer. "I'm bored but not that bored."
"How about you Jill." Chris said. "You want to take a little ride with me?"
Jill sat up and lowered her shades. "No thanks. I don't consider hanging on to you for dear life fun."
"Then why don't we go for a swim?" Chris asked. "The water's not that bad."
"Yeah." Claire added. "We can have a diving contest off the back of the boat."
"Sorry guys." Barry said. "None of us are in a mood. We came to relax."
Leon pointed off into the distance. "If I want to go swimming I'll go to the beach."
Rebecca rolled over on her back. "Jill and I need to work on our tans. We don't feel like getting wet now." Jill nodded in agreement.
"Suite yourself." Claire said. She nodded to her brother and the two took off. They got a few feet from the boat when they stopped and began to talk and point back at the boat.
"What the hell are they doing?" Barry asked.
"Do you really want to know the answer?" Leon replied.
Jill got up and walked to the bow. "What are you two talking about?" She saw Chris and Claire look back at the boat grinning. "This isn't good."
The Redfields took off at full speed. When they got far enough away they turned in opposite directions and circled back to the boat, approaching at an angle.
Leon watched the wave runners barrel down on the boat. "They're not going to?"
"Going to do what?" Rebecca asked. She got up and saw Chris and Claire zooming at them. "What are they doing?"
"I think we better get covered up." Barry said. Just as the wave runners neared the boat Chris and Claire banked sharply, sending up a wave of water on either side of the boat. The waves crashed over the boat at the same time, soaking Barry, Jill, Leon, and Rebecca. Barry turned around to see the Redfields pull up to each other and give a high-five before zooming off. "That's it." Barry said. "I'm going to kill them."
"Not before the rest of us." Jill said, wiping the wet hair from her face.
Carlos, Ark, Sherry, Lott, and Lily stood on the dock waiting for the others to get back. Sherry soon saw the boat heading into the dock. As the boat pulled into its spot Carlos saw the state of the passengers. "What happened to you guys?" He asked his friends.
"Yeah, you're dripping wet." Ark said. "And so is the boat."
"The Redfields, that's what happened." Barry said.
Leon stepped off the boat and looked around. "Where are those idiots?"
Ark held up his hands. "I haven't seen them."
"I thought they were with you?" Lott asked.
"There they are." Rebecca said, pointing to the siblings as they arrived.
Chris and Claire walked up to the end of the dock laughing uncontrollably. Chris had on a pair of navy blue swim trunks while Claire was wearing a red and white-stripped bikini. As they saw their friends they laughed even harder.
"I have only one question." Barry said. "Why?"
Chris managed to stop laughing long enough to answer. "You looked hot so we thought we might cool you off." Chris exploded into laughter again.
"You should have seen the looks on your faces." Claire blurted out.
Jill began to walk towards Chris, her hands balled up into fists. "I'm going to kick you ass right here, right now." She hissed.
Chris saw the angry look on her face and began to back up. "Shit. Look Jill, we were only fooling around. Can't you take a joke?" Chris began backing into the water.
"If I was you I'd start swimming." Jill said, following him into the water.
"Would it help if I said I was sorry?" Chris asked.
"Nothing you do can save your ass now." Jill replied. She lunged at Chris. Chris in turn turned and tried to get away. Jill pounced on his back and knocked him forward. She then proceeded to duck his head under the water. "You're going to pay for doing that."
Suddenly Chris shot his arms up and locked them around Jill's upper back. Before she could react Chris heaved up and flipped her forward over his shoulder. Jill surfaced and felt Chris wrap his arms tightly around her waist. "Never mess with me in the water." Chris said into her ear.
"Let go of me you jerk." Jill said, trying to break Chris' hold. "What you did was not funny."
"It's just a little water." Chris said. "A little water never hurt anyone."
Jill dropped her head. "But I wanted to work on my tan. You ruined it."
"You can always work on it later." Chris nuzzled closer to Jill. "Besides, Claire made me do it. If I didn't do it she said she would hurt me."
Jill knew what act Chris was pulling. Try as she might, she could never resist his charm. "That wasn't nice. You shouldn't have done it."
Chris sighed. "I know. I'm sorry I splashed you. I'll make it up to you later."
"Why can't I stay mad at you?" Jill asked.
"Does that mean you forgive me?" Chris asked.
Jill nodded. "I forgive you."
Claire watched from the dock. "That's so sweet." Suddenly Leon grabbed her from behind with a bear hug. "What the⦠Hey!"
"Now it's time for you to pay for what you did." Leon said. He pulled her towards Barry and Rebecca.
"Hey Leon, have I told you how much I love you?" Claire asked.
"You're not talking yourself out of this one Claire." Leon said. "That sweet talk won't work on us. Becky, get her legs."
Rebecca grabbed Claire's legs while Barry and Leon each took an arm. They carried her screaming towards the side of the dock and tossed her into the water. Claire surfaced coughing and splashing.
"That ought to teach you." Barry said.
"HEY, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? NO FOOLING AROUND IN THE WATER!" One of marina employees angrily approached the group. "You can't play in the water around here. If you want to do that go to the beach."
"Sorry sir." Ark said. "We'll be going now." The group quickly left the dock as Claire, Chris, and Jill got out of the water. As they left they could hear the man complain to himself.
"Why do these assholes come here during my shift?" The man grumbled to himself. "I swear they all wait until I'm here."
Claire moaned in delight as the jet of the hot tub massaged her body. Night had fallen and the events of the afternoon were behind her. After weeks of running and shooting she found this vacation a nice change of pace. It was early August, only several months after the team had come together. Just a week ago the team had successfully destroyed a major Umbrella facility in Nevada. Now they were in Fort Lauderdale, Florida taking an all-too needed vacation. Claire reached up her arms and stretched. "Things can't get any better than this."
"They're just about to." Leon said. He slid in next to Claire and pulled her to him. "Anyone ever tell you how hot you look it that outfit?"
"Jesus Leon, what happened to you?" Claire asked. "Before you were ready to kill me, now you look like you want to make out."
A smirk spread over Leon's face. "I already got you back for what you did. Now we're even."
Claire pushed away. "And now you want have sex? Well I'm still pissed that you threw me into the water."
"Let me make it up to you." Leon replied. He moved closer to Claire and tried to kiss her.
"Leon, please." Claire pleaded. "Someone's going to see us."
"Relax Claire, there's no one around." Leon motioned to the entire pool area. There wasn't a soul in sight. "No one is going to see us. Plus I bet we're not the first ones to make out in this tub."
"You're right." Claire said, moving closer to Leon. "It has been a couple of hours since we've been alone. And we shouldn't waste an opportunity like this."
"My thoughts exactly." Leon said. The two lovers began to softly kiss. Claire felt Leon's hands move up to the tie of her bikini top.
"Hey you two, didn't you read the signs? No making out in the pool area."
Leon looked up to see Ark, Carlos, Rebecca, and Barry smiling down at him. "Great, the peanut gallery has arrived." He muttered.
"What do you guys want?" Claire asked, a little annoyed at the intrusion.
"Just thought we'd join you guys." Carlos said. He dropped into the tub in his Hawaiian swim trunks. The others followed. Ark was in a pair of gray trunks. Rebecca had on the same bikini from before and Barry was wearing a pair of white trunks. Carlos moved beside Claire. "Damn, this sure is relaxing."
"It would be more relaxing without you guys." Claire said under her breath.
Leon threw up his hands. "With all the things you guys could possibly be doing in this city you have to come here."
"Someone has to make sure you two behave yourself." Barry said.
"So where are the little darlings?" Claire asked. "Shouldn't they be down here?"
Rebecca pointed to one of the hotel windows. "They're up in your room watching TV."
"Yeah." Ark said. "They're probably tired from all the fun they had in Miami Beach. I'll tell you this; it sure was good to spend some time with Lott and his sister. The last few weeks have been hectic."
Leon nodded. "After the last place we visited we needed this break."
"One Tyrant is bad enough, but three is too much." Claire said.
"Good thing there was that tank of liquid nitrogen nearby." Carlos said. "We put those bastards on ice."
Barry chuckled. "I can still remember what Chris said before we shot them."
Rebecca giggled. "Hasta la vista baby. That guy has seen T2 too many times."
"At least those Tyrants weren't going to get up from that." Ark said. "We sure have been through hell, haven't we?"
"Remember when we got together?" Carlos asked. "That was awkward."
"I wasn't sure if I could trust any of you guys." Leon said. "Those first couple of days was rough."
Ark smacked Leon in the arm. "What about me? I didn't know anyone. I felt like the odd man out."
Rebecca giggled. "Well Claire and Leon sure were happy to see each other."
Claire gave Rebecca a funny look. "Of coarse we were. We went through a lot together. And I was also happy to see Sherry again. I missed her so much."
"She missed you." Leon said. "You were the only person she talked about."
"You two sure got really close really fast." Barry said. "How many weeks was it before you two were involved?"
"We both went through some tough times and we supported each other." Leon said. "From there our relationship got deeper."
"We're not the only two who got together." Claire said. "What about Jill and my brother?"
Carlos grinned and nodded. "I remember when they saw each other. It was like watching two people who haven't have seen each other since high school. They were laughing and crying and hugging. Kind of scene that made you all warm and fuzzy inside."
"Well they were close while they were in the S.T.A.R.S. and after the Spencer mess they got a hell of a lot closer." Barry said.
Rebecca looked around. "Speaking of those two, where are they?"
"Probably making out under the pier." Carlos replied.
"I wouldn't put it past them." Claire said.
The group continued to talk about what they had done and what they were planning on doing the next day.
Chris and Jill strolled along the boardwalk overlooking the beach. The sky was clear with the stairs sparkling like diamonds and the moon casting its light over the calm water. The waves gently crashed into the sand, making a rhythmic sound. The couple stopped at the beginning of the pier and looked into each other's eyes. The warm summer breeze blew Jill's long, auburn hair behind her. She looked dazzling in her light pink short-sleeve shirt and kaki pants. Chris himself looked dashing in his beige cargo shorts and gray short-sleeve shirt. The continued to stare at each other until Chris broke the silence.
"You look so beautiful tonight." He said.
Jill blushed. "You saw that every night."
Chris took her hands in his. "I especially mean it tonight. It's been so long since we had time like this to ourselves. We should try to make it count."
"After Umbrella's gone we can have all the time to ourselves that we want." Jill said. She leaned in and kissed him.
"I can tell you really are a good thief." Chris said.
"What do you say that?" Jill asked skeptically.
"Because you stole my heart." Chris replied, kissing Jill.
Jill wrapped her arms around Chris. "Where did you learn so to sweet-talk so well?"
"I've done my homework." Chris said. "First day I met you I knew you were the one. No matter how much I tried I could help but fall in love with you."
"I couldn't resist either." Jill said. "Whenever anyone brought us up I tried to deny that I was in love with you. I guess I was just lying to myself."
"I never knew how much I really cared about you until we were separated." Chris said. "You were the only person I thought of."
Jill smiled and laid her head on Chris' shoulder. "I remember how happy I was when I saw you again. After all that searching I finally found you again. I hope we never have to be apart again."
"We won't." Chris replied. "It sure is a perfect night. What do you feel like doing?"
Jill looked at Chris with a mischievous grin on her face. "What don't we do it?"
"Do what?" Chris asked.
"You know." Jill said. "It."
Chris shook his head. "No I don't."
"Make out under the pier." Jill said. "There's no one around. It'll be fun."
"I'm not sure we should do that." Chris said. "We may get caught. Besides, it's a little weird."
"Oh come on. Haven't you ever dreamed of making love under the pier one a moonlit night like this?" Jill asked.
Chris gave her a funny look. "You've been reading Becky's books, haven't you?"
Jill cast her eyes down at the pier. "Maybe one or two of them."
"Tell you what." Chris said. "How about we finish our walk and when we get back to the hotel if no one is up we can take a swim together."
Jill turned her gaze back to Chris' face. "Sounds good." She kissed him again. "Let's get going."
"Excuse me." A man said, emerging from the shadows. "Are you Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine?"
"Get behind me Jill." Chris said, stepping in front of his girlfriend. "Who are you, how do you know us, and what do you want?" Chris felt uneasy talking to this man without his gun.
The man stepped into the light. He was well built with cropped, brown hair and a faint beard. He was dressed in dark clothing, probably for the purpose of stealth. His brown eyes regarded the people in front of him with a sense of purpose. "First, I've been following your movements. Second, my name is Hunk. And third, I have some information about Umbrella. I want to help you."
Author's Comments: Looks like our heroes' vacation is going to be cut a little short. Well, I'm at it again. This time things are going to be very interesting. Well, we know what two relationships are. Chris and Jill are together, as are Claire and Leon. The kids are also with the group. While this story started out with a little humor and some romance, the mood will soon change. By the way, I got the idea for the opening scene while I was boating with my one friend. Funny huh? Well, on with the show.
In the next chapter we find out what Hunk as to say. What important information does he have? What are his reasons for wanting to help the team? And most important of all, can the group trust him? Find out in Cause Be the Carrier: Chapter Two- My Name Is Hunk.
