Chapter 1
Claire sat alone in her room, it was dark now & she couldn't see anything but that didn't matter to her, she was still in shock from what had happened a few hours ago, when it was still light. Since then, she had sat in shock, cried & tried her hardest to figure out how it had happened. Claire looked at the illuminated digital clock, it was now 2000, she had gotten a call from Leon at 1800, a phone call that had caused all this. Her friend had told her that he was leaving the A.U.O & getting away from Umbrella. He had told her that he couldn't deal with it all anymore & so he was leaving & not keeping in touch with anyone. He refused to explain any further then that & hung up after saying a final goodbye. I just don't understand, why would he do this? Where will he go? Everything was fine after the mission, it's only been a fortnight since then. Oh, Leon, why wouldn't you answer my questions, why are you leaving me? Why are you leaving your friends? Claire sighed heavily & started crying again. She heard the door about fifteen minutes later, Chris was home.
Chris closed the door to his & Claire's apartment. He had been busy all day, trying to uncover more on Umbrella. It was difficult though, Umbrella covered their tracks well & bribed everyone who knew something, or disposed of them by other means. Chris sighed & then realized that he had turned the light on instead of it already being on.
"Claire?" Chris called, worried that something might have happened to his little sister. Chris walked to her room & turned the light on. Claire was sat on her bed near the phone crying.
"Claire? What is it? What's wrong?" Chris asked softly.
"It's Leon. He's leaving." Claire replied, still sobbing.
"What are you talking about? Start from the beginning." Chris said.
"Leon called, a few hours ago now. He said he couldn't handle it & that he was leaving. He's just walking out on everyone! He won't even stay in touch." Claire shouted before starting to cry heavily again. Chris sighed & comforted his sister as best he could & called Jill to get everyone over to discuss the situation. Chris left Claire in Jill's more capable hands when she arrived, comforting people was not a strong point of his & everyone knew it.
"So what's the situation?" Barry asked when he arrived.
"Kennedy is the situation. We'll have to wait for Claire to calm down though, she's the one that spoke to him." Chris replied spitefully. Not only was Kennedy acting weird at that base, he's now just leaving with no explanation & upsetting Claire at the same time. The rookie is damn lucky he isn't around right now. Chris had been dubious of trusting Leon since before the mission had started & now he definitely knew he had been right not to trust him. The way he was acting with that guy as well, could he be a traitor? It's unlikely, this is Leon, goody-two-shoes rookie here. Still, I'd like to know why he was so frantic when I pulled him out of the water, he was terrified about, well, having lost something I guess. This just doesn't make any sense. Damn you Kennedy! Why'd you have to make things so much more difficult then they already were? Chris sighed & looked at Claire. She was finally ready to speak. After Claire relayed her conversation with Leon, everyone sat around, feeling a little shocked, Chris was the first to sober, though he was still shocked by what Claire had told them.
"What do you think Chris?" Jill asked, startling Chris who was deep in thought. Chris looked round & sighed, not sure what to say, Claire was already upset & he didn't want to make it worse.
"I, err, I don't know. All seems odd." Chris said finally.
"Oh, just say it!" Claire snapped.
"...Fine, I think this is linked with the mission. I said I didn't trust him then & I sure as hell don't now. Happy?" Chris shot back.
"What are you implying Chris?" Jill asked calmly.
Chris shook his head & sighed. "I don't know. I thought, maybe he could have turned traitor but then, it just doesn't sound like Kennedy."
"Though everyone has a price." Barry said glumly, having still not forgiven himself for what had happened at the mansion.
"Though I hate to admit it, that is probably the most logical thing any of us can come up with. There isn't a chance that he would just quit." Claire said sadly & hesitantly. Everyone was sullen. No one wanted to think that any one of them could become a traitor after everything they had gone through. Then Chris remembered something that helped everything fit into place, at least in his mind.
"Leon mentioned a woman, before we left, now you said yourself that he was in love with this woman. Leon & Steve also had a deal, I'm betting that Leon was helping Steve because of this woman & that he's decided to go with her." Chris said, holding back the excitement that he felt because he might have solved the puzzle.
"Um, I suppose that is a pretty big possibility. Still, if that woman was working for Wesker, why would he possibly be interested in Leon? That's the part that doesn't add up." Claire said hesitantly.
"I'll agree with you there." Chris said.
"Maybe we should go there, if Leon isn't there still, maybe someone else will know something." Jill suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement & fifteen minutes later, they were once again returning to Creek Lake. This time however, it was not on such good terms. I hope you ain't there rookie, or you'll be answering to my fist. Chris thought as he pulled away from the curb. Leon had upset Claire badly & Chris was very protective of his little sister.
Jill took lead when they arrived at Creek Lake five hours later. Chris had been insistent on handling it but Jill wasn't stupid enough to allow that. She had fought with him for almost an hour before he finally gave in. Jill led the way to the base & knocked on the door.
"Yeah?" A man asked & Jill instantly recognized him as the man that had approached Leon when the A.U.O had offered him a place.
"Rick, isn't it? We were wondering if Leon was here?" Jill asked.
"Nah. Kennedy split an hour ago." Rick replied.
"I don't suppose you might know why?" Jill asked again.
"Nope. He didn't say. Although..." Rick trailed off.
"Although what?" Jill asked, more persistently.
"Well, he made this phone call, sounded a bit weird." Rick replied hesitantly.
"Could you be more specific?" Jill encouraged.
"Let's see, he said that he told the person he'd be in touch & that something was worth it. Or something like that. I don't really remember. I just remember feeling that something was up & then a little later he comes in & tells everyone he's leaving. I'm pretty sure it was to do with the call. I'd hate to think what he's doing is wrong but that's the feeling I got. He seemed a little worried but at the same time happy. It was weird, I've never known him to be like that." Rick said.
"So, you think he's gone off with a bad cause?" Jill asked, not really wanting to push because of the strong friendship the two had.
"Yeah. He's been off since he got that package, distracted & stuff. Then when he got back he was pretty jumpy, like he was hiding something. Then later that night he went outside & he had a disk with him when he came back in, oh & a cell phone. Then wham, he's leaving." Rick replied.
"But neither the disk nor phone are here I suppose?" Jill asked hopefully.
"Afraid not. First thing I checked." Rick replied.
"All right. Thanks a lot for your help." Jill said.
"No problem. Look, you find him, let me know. He's a good friend & I don't want to see him in trouble." Rick said.
"Of course. Thanks again." Jill said before leaving.
Chris started the minute they got back to the car.
"That's it? That's the best you could do?" He said angrily.
"Yes Chris. That's right. If it's any consolation, it sounds like you're right, okay?" Jill spat back.
"There isn't anything we can do about it. Let's just go, it's late." Claire suggested calmly. After a little debate, it was decided that they should stay in the car overnight & drive back in the morning.
Claire sat alone in her room, it was dark now & she couldn't see anything but that didn't matter to her, she was still in shock from what had happened a few hours ago, when it was still light. Since then, she had sat in shock, cried & tried her hardest to figure out how it had happened. Claire looked at the illuminated digital clock, it was now 2000, she had gotten a call from Leon at 1800, a phone call that had caused all this. Her friend had told her that he was leaving the A.U.O & getting away from Umbrella. He had told her that he couldn't deal with it all anymore & so he was leaving & not keeping in touch with anyone. He refused to explain any further then that & hung up after saying a final goodbye. I just don't understand, why would he do this? Where will he go? Everything was fine after the mission, it's only been a fortnight since then. Oh, Leon, why wouldn't you answer my questions, why are you leaving me? Why are you leaving your friends? Claire sighed heavily & started crying again. She heard the door about fifteen minutes later, Chris was home.
Chris closed the door to his & Claire's apartment. He had been busy all day, trying to uncover more on Umbrella. It was difficult though, Umbrella covered their tracks well & bribed everyone who knew something, or disposed of them by other means. Chris sighed & then realized that he had turned the light on instead of it already being on.
"Claire?" Chris called, worried that something might have happened to his little sister. Chris walked to her room & turned the light on. Claire was sat on her bed near the phone crying.
"Claire? What is it? What's wrong?" Chris asked softly.
"It's Leon. He's leaving." Claire replied, still sobbing.
"What are you talking about? Start from the beginning." Chris said.
"Leon called, a few hours ago now. He said he couldn't handle it & that he was leaving. He's just walking out on everyone! He won't even stay in touch." Claire shouted before starting to cry heavily again. Chris sighed & comforted his sister as best he could & called Jill to get everyone over to discuss the situation. Chris left Claire in Jill's more capable hands when she arrived, comforting people was not a strong point of his & everyone knew it.
"So what's the situation?" Barry asked when he arrived.
"Kennedy is the situation. We'll have to wait for Claire to calm down though, she's the one that spoke to him." Chris replied spitefully. Not only was Kennedy acting weird at that base, he's now just leaving with no explanation & upsetting Claire at the same time. The rookie is damn lucky he isn't around right now. Chris had been dubious of trusting Leon since before the mission had started & now he definitely knew he had been right not to trust him. The way he was acting with that guy as well, could he be a traitor? It's unlikely, this is Leon, goody-two-shoes rookie here. Still, I'd like to know why he was so frantic when I pulled him out of the water, he was terrified about, well, having lost something I guess. This just doesn't make any sense. Damn you Kennedy! Why'd you have to make things so much more difficult then they already were? Chris sighed & looked at Claire. She was finally ready to speak. After Claire relayed her conversation with Leon, everyone sat around, feeling a little shocked, Chris was the first to sober, though he was still shocked by what Claire had told them.
"What do you think Chris?" Jill asked, startling Chris who was deep in thought. Chris looked round & sighed, not sure what to say, Claire was already upset & he didn't want to make it worse.
"I, err, I don't know. All seems odd." Chris said finally.
"Oh, just say it!" Claire snapped.
"...Fine, I think this is linked with the mission. I said I didn't trust him then & I sure as hell don't now. Happy?" Chris shot back.
"What are you implying Chris?" Jill asked calmly.
Chris shook his head & sighed. "I don't know. I thought, maybe he could have turned traitor but then, it just doesn't sound like Kennedy."
"Though everyone has a price." Barry said glumly, having still not forgiven himself for what had happened at the mansion.
"Though I hate to admit it, that is probably the most logical thing any of us can come up with. There isn't a chance that he would just quit." Claire said sadly & hesitantly. Everyone was sullen. No one wanted to think that any one of them could become a traitor after everything they had gone through. Then Chris remembered something that helped everything fit into place, at least in his mind.
"Leon mentioned a woman, before we left, now you said yourself that he was in love with this woman. Leon & Steve also had a deal, I'm betting that Leon was helping Steve because of this woman & that he's decided to go with her." Chris said, holding back the excitement that he felt because he might have solved the puzzle.
"Um, I suppose that is a pretty big possibility. Still, if that woman was working for Wesker, why would he possibly be interested in Leon? That's the part that doesn't add up." Claire said hesitantly.
"I'll agree with you there." Chris said.
"Maybe we should go there, if Leon isn't there still, maybe someone else will know something." Jill suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement & fifteen minutes later, they were once again returning to Creek Lake. This time however, it was not on such good terms. I hope you ain't there rookie, or you'll be answering to my fist. Chris thought as he pulled away from the curb. Leon had upset Claire badly & Chris was very protective of his little sister.
Jill took lead when they arrived at Creek Lake five hours later. Chris had been insistent on handling it but Jill wasn't stupid enough to allow that. She had fought with him for almost an hour before he finally gave in. Jill led the way to the base & knocked on the door.
"Yeah?" A man asked & Jill instantly recognized him as the man that had approached Leon when the A.U.O had offered him a place.
"Rick, isn't it? We were wondering if Leon was here?" Jill asked.
"Nah. Kennedy split an hour ago." Rick replied.
"I don't suppose you might know why?" Jill asked again.
"Nope. He didn't say. Although..." Rick trailed off.
"Although what?" Jill asked, more persistently.
"Well, he made this phone call, sounded a bit weird." Rick replied hesitantly.
"Could you be more specific?" Jill encouraged.
"Let's see, he said that he told the person he'd be in touch & that something was worth it. Or something like that. I don't really remember. I just remember feeling that something was up & then a little later he comes in & tells everyone he's leaving. I'm pretty sure it was to do with the call. I'd hate to think what he's doing is wrong but that's the feeling I got. He seemed a little worried but at the same time happy. It was weird, I've never known him to be like that." Rick said.
"So, you think he's gone off with a bad cause?" Jill asked, not really wanting to push because of the strong friendship the two had.
"Yeah. He's been off since he got that package, distracted & stuff. Then when he got back he was pretty jumpy, like he was hiding something. Then later that night he went outside & he had a disk with him when he came back in, oh & a cell phone. Then wham, he's leaving." Rick replied.
"But neither the disk nor phone are here I suppose?" Jill asked hopefully.
"Afraid not. First thing I checked." Rick replied.
"All right. Thanks a lot for your help." Jill said.
"No problem. Look, you find him, let me know. He's a good friend & I don't want to see him in trouble." Rick said.
"Of course. Thanks again." Jill said before leaving.
Chris started the minute they got back to the car.
"That's it? That's the best you could do?" He said angrily.
"Yes Chris. That's right. If it's any consolation, it sounds like you're right, okay?" Jill spat back.
"There isn't anything we can do about it. Let's just go, it's late." Claire suggested calmly. After a little debate, it was decided that they should stay in the car overnight & drive back in the morning.