Ah! At last we come to Chapter Sixteen! I think this story will be rounded off at a nice even twenty don't you? Plus an epilogue? Anyway-this is a major labor of love, thanks to all reviewers- critiques-and everybody who might have read it, and decided not to review * twitch *
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I'm going under
drowning in you
I'm falling forever
I've got to break through
I'm going under
blurring and stirring the truth and the lies
so I don't know what's real and what's not
always confusing the thoughts in my head
so I can't trust myself anymore
I'm dying again
-Evanescence "Going Under"
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Spencer mansion-
"I think not."
Wesker frowned, "Are you trying to be playful? Now's not the time. Give me the gun and go down and get Birkin-"
"I'm tired of taking orders from you." Slowly Irene slid the gun beneath his chin, "Although I do love it-more ways then one."
"Irene this is madness!" Annette cried, "What the hell are you doing? If you think you're being funny it's not! If the Virus gets out of the mansion-"
"That's what my father said. "Should the Virus manage an egress, it will do more then anyone predicted. That fool Marcus, his two pups-all of them have no comprehension of the possibilities that Progenitor holds."
The words were spoken in a self-satisfied tone, full of terrible knowledge.
"Irene-what are you talking about?"
"Nobody guessed. Nobody knew my love, and that's what makes it so sweet." Irene pointed Wesker's gun at his face now, "Give me all your weapons, on the floor. Then go stand against the window-hands on the glass."
"Irene what is this? What are you talking about?" Annette tried to move foreward, but paused when the gun turned in her direction."
"What? The scientist doesn't guess? She doesn't know? How odd. She discovered the second little gift I left. What a pity Annette, I thought that you, a woman might have understood-"
"You-you're responsible for all of this!" Irene turned the gun back on Wesker in a whirl.
"Correct! To avenge my father-who gave his life for this company that the two-or should I say the three of you are so intent on profiting from." Irene stared out the window, "Undoubtedly, task forces from the San Diego Branch, the Los Angeles Branch, the New York Branch, and others are assembling. A veritable army from the greatest research faculties in the world-all because of me."
"How-why-" Wesker was flustered. There was no word of this. Who the hell was her father?
Irene looked sad; "My father gave his life for this company. He never spent a single moment with me, with my mother." She continued, heedless of tears that were pouring down her cheeks, "He told us that he loved us, in the pretty mansion prison that he put us in. But my mother couldn't survive." She looked at Wesker sadly, "She needed warmth-just as I do."
"If you're trying to pin this on something I did…" Wesker's voice was higher then normal. My God…he's afraid… Annette froze against the wall. Birkin thrashed tied to his chair-but remained silent.
"You? No. You, in the grand tradition are inhuman, just as my father-Dr. Marcus, and Lord Ashford all were." Irene's eyes narrowed, "My father was a just man, a religious one. He taught me to pray to god for forgiveness, and he taught me the sins." The look in her eyes spoke madness to all concerned, "Then he found a new god, and a new religion."
"You Annette." Annette jumped as Irene once again pointed the weapon at her, "You realize what I'm talking about? These men, who you give your heart to-these gentlemen, simply think in thoughts of carnal pleasure! They don't care, for you-for your thoughts, they only care about their GOD-DAMMNED WORK!"
"All the weapons." Irene pointed the gun back at Wesker, "Now darling, quickly. I want you to untie William then, if he's still human."
Wesker swallowed and began removing his weapons. Kill her. Annette thought, Take her head off. Come on! Where's the charm! Where's the-the-killer instinct-
Wesker looked at his wife solemnly, "I could help you Irene. Please don't do this. It's death for you."
"Death is no less then I deserve." Irene laughed loudly, "But…I thank you."
Why isn't he killing her?
" You…Dr. LeDour…go untie lover boy." Irene gestured with her weapon. And you-Mrs. Medical Examiner-"
Irene had seen the medical examiner go for her weapon when she threatened Annette. The woman looked tired and bedraggled-haggard from her run through the mansion to their current location-
"DIE BITCH!" Sherry had her own weapon pointed at Irene, "THIS IS FOR-"
Thunder in the Desert once again.
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Sherry fell back.
This is death?
Michael's arms were around her. Her last thoughts were of how unfair the world was in the end.
Goodbye.
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Annette watched Sherry fall and let out a choked sob.
She never asked for this, any of this. Wesker-why don't you take Irene out? Why is he staring at her with such…sadness?
Wesker stared again at his wife, "Irene please…we can leave-leave this place-just put the gun down."
"No." Irene waggled it at him, "Against the window lover. And you-" she pointed the weapon again at Annette, "Go untie William."
Annette took a cautious step foreward.
William had been pushed against one wall, tied to an old oak chair, his head hung low, and his skin deathly pale.
"William?" Annette whispered, "Can you hear me?"
William raised his head feebly. His eyes were slowly filling with dark red.
"A-Ann-Annette?"
Annette nodded, "I need to untie you."
"Quickly please. William feel free to take a bit of her if you wish." Annette stared back at her and looked into his face.
"Annette-I'm sick-infected-stay away-" his eyes were rolled back into his head, his face pasty and far more pallid then normal.
"No way." Annette said softly. She reached her arms around his waist; "I've got to get you out of here."
William laughed weakly, "Irene…insane…Spencer's daughter…"
"Hush…" Annette raised a hand to his face, "Don't worry about that now William-please-save your strength-"
"Annette, I'm-" he coughed, "Sorry. I'm sorry I didn't pay any attention to you-I'm sorry I took you for granted-I-" he fell into a fit of coughing And Annette took him her arms.
"Shush…I'm the one who should be sorry." Wesker and Irene were forgotten, "I don't know what I want." She smiled, or tried to, it was hard to tell, "And look at me! Sherry's dead, so many people dead-all people we worked with-and now-now this-"
Meanwhile, Irene watched them with simpering eyes.
"Isn't love absolutely grand?" she raised the gun in a mock salute to her husband, "Ours of course went a bit astray-but I want you to know that I do care about you."
"Then put down the gun and give yourself up." Wesker said from the window. He stood staring outward into the sunlight, over hills and valleys and the world around them, "Please Irene-"
"I can't-can't do that." Irene stammered, "My father-he died. Died at the hands of researchers. This has to end-Umbrella has to end. They took him from me." Wesker turned slightly, just enough to see her hand clench at her side, "My own father!"
"Irene…who was your father?"
Irene paused for a moment, "You'll be thankful." She said quietly, "Ever so thankful. The man you've been looking for-the hidden piece of the puzzle. Willy-FUCKING-Wonka who's never been seen in his own fucking factory."
"Spencer?" Wesker frowned, "But-nobody-he's not dear he's not-" Wesker's fingers closed on the glass and opened again.
"You little fool." Irene's voice was cold, "You don't think that I'd know the way Umbrella works? I've been living with them and their plans for the past TWENTY ONE years!" Irene cried. In a move of depredation she ran close and pressed the gun to the back of Wesker's neck, giggling hysterically.
Annette looked up from where she was untying William.
She's lost it. At last the ropes gave way and William fell into her arms.
"William!"
He collapsed across her. His body was unusually light, feverish. Annette put a hand to his forehead and winced. The cold tears running down her face were a brutal shock.
"You really love him Dr. LeDour."
Irene was standing over her.
Annette peered upward into the face of the woman who she'd thought of as slightly insane, cool, calm, poised. Her long hair flowing down her back. The gun dropped in her hand.
"You hurt him so badly. He told me, came to me." Irene said. Annette put a hand on William's chest protectively, and wondered if the female Wesker hadn't given comfort to the unknowing boy in his hour of need, "He could always talk to me."
Annette said nothing. She couldn't say anything-somehow all of this was tied into what they'd been dealing with…
"Turn around."
Irene turned around slowly.
Albert Wesker raised the rifle higher, planting it directly between his wife's eyes. He watched for signs of reaction, begging for mercy (That he was all too willing to give) or telling him to go to hell (That he was more then willing to do) or at least apologizing for her crimes…
There is nothing so truly frightening as a just man. And he was a just man. Unnecessary death was a problem. He did not kill people simply because he could…did he?
"Do it." Irene's voice was soft.
On the floor, Annette was scrambling for something that Irene had carelessly left under the table. As a rule, Umbrella carried medical supplies everywhere in the mansion (A fact Annette used to be greatly suspect of) She finally managed to grasp the thin handle beneath the table and drag it towards her.
William was in a world of dreams.
"Ann-Annette-"
Annette's face peered over him. No! It wasn't her, it was a twelve-year-old girl.
William was confused, "Who are you?"
"Just relax darling." The girl picked up the green sprig of herb (Herbs, holy fucking Christ its those damn herbs) he had had a low opinion of those things since he had first come to Raccoon. It made no sense whatsoever that those stupid herbs could possibly stop something as grand, as marvelous as…
The Virus? What Virus?
"Can you eat this?" the face was swimming out of focus. It was getting harder to think now, face was bothering, just wanted to sleep. Why couldn't it leave him alone?
"I think so."
Annette whimpered as the garbled words came out of his mouth as she force-fed him the green herbs. The scene above her didn't seem to be playing out very well-
"Do it." Irene said again, "Put me to rest."
Wesker's hand shook, "No. You'll go to trail, Umbrella-they'll kill you anyway-"
"That's why I want you to do it."
Wesker grasped at straws, his mind trying to work out a way to save the woman that he loved, "Irene, who was your father? If he was Spencer that should grant you some clemency-"
"No." Irene laughed harshly, "No! Not Spencer's daughter. Nobody knew that he had a family; he was the recluse, always showing up in the lab earlier then everybody else, conducting experiments without anyone overseeing him, a bit-" she cast her eyes over William, "Like our little friend here-"
"William's not like that." Wesker said automatically. Forgetting conveniently the hours he'd spent killing innocent people that the damn laboratory manager had provided-
And…the woman…
He shook his head, "Irene, its morning now. Someone will have gotten to town, someone will have let umbrella know-you're finished-put down the gun and run away with me." Yes! They could escape Umbrella, Wesker knew how to, there was his other work-the work that he'd kept secret with the HCF-
"Dearest." Irene's eyes grew big and round and sad, "It wouldn't work. I've become consumed."
"No." Wesker's desperation was showing now, "NO! Irene, you can't-"
Irene stepped out of reach of his rifle. Annette was holding William's head now, rocking back and forth. The other medical examiner's body was out of reach-
"Irene-please-" Wesker choked.
With the tenderness of a mother, Irene gently placed the cold barrel against Annette's head.
"There was something I wanted to tell you Albert." Irene looked at him and smiled cheerfully, "But I don't think I will now. I don't want you to hurt yourself."
She choked the weapon.
"Irene-" Wesker raised the rifle, "Please."
Her reflexes were quicker then he'd ever seen as she raised the weapon and shot herself through the throat.
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Raccoon City
"Onward came the meteors!"
-Calvin and Hobbes.
Rose Rita gave the basketball a few tentative bounces.
"Toss it already!" David cried, "While we're young!" other children took up the cry loudly. It was the weekly basketball game in the elementary school-which had the unfortunate problem of being five miles out of town.
Rose gripped the ball tightly and glanced toward Marie, who was filing her nails-or at least trying to.
The dim hills in the distance rumbled.
"What the-"
Rose dropped the ball and stared off at them.
David growled and stomped over. The other children had already begun to complain, their high voices rising in pitch as David-team captain and acknowledged leader, grabbed rose by the shoulder.
"What the hell is the matter with you?" he was 12, an old hand at adult expressions of outrage, "we're in the middle of a game here and you're staring off at the horizon-what's the deal?"
Rose pointed.
A large, unnaturally large, black van was making its way towards them.
"Holy-"
The beast roared as it stopped a few feet away from the fence and turned abruptly. The expression of driver and passenger mirrored that of the children outside for a moment, as the van sped on its way.
Umbrella Logo emblazoned firmly on its side.
"Goddamn reckless drivers." David muttered, "Just who do they think they are?"
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Spencer Mansion
Wesker didn't move.
The rifle dropped from his hand as he stared at his wife's dead body, immobilized by the thick stream of blood and ruined flesh that poured from the gaping hole.
If she'd shot Annette-then-then
"Wesker…Albert I'm so-so-"
Wesker fell to his knees.
Below them, the scientists and commandos who survived were crying out thanks as the large army of Umbrella employees and personnel from New York and Los Angeles were enveloping the mansion like a swarm of locus. He heard them, like hearing a recording of a familiar song far off.
He stared at Irene.
Why? It wasn't fair. He'd had happiness, someone to distract him from what he did for a living. Irene had been a bit of a cold fish, but she'd welcomed him and accepted him, even after he'd slept with another woman. He was more then a wife, she had been the mother figure he'd never really had.
"Irene…"
The blood pooling around Irene grew darker. Her face was peaceful, despite the violent manner of her death; her eyes open wide and her mouth exhaling.
Birkin twitched, leaned over and hurled. Annette held him tighter and looked to Wesker for direction. They had discovered the perpetrator of the crimes, the unthinkable crimes-but now?
"Wesker?"
Albert Wesker could not hear. He was on his knees, staring at his wife's body.
"Albert? Mr. Wesker?"
The door exploded.
It literally blew off its hinges. Annette shrieked as white suited personnel flooded the room and raised their guns threateningly. Voices shouted back and forth as the three inhabitants were surrounded in an instant by Umbrella Countermeasure and Rescue Team members.
The Leader waved his weapon between the three of them, Where's Doctor Birkin? Who's in charge here?
"You have to go get help!" Annette cried, "Dr. Birkin-he's here-he's hurt-"
Sir!
The leader turned away for a moment as another creature in white appeared beside him.
The townspeople are getting restless! They're asking for an Umbrella Representative to handle the case!
Let the PR departments handle it, have you found our little mole?
Albert Wesker looked up at him with dead fish eyes, "She's dead." He said quietly, "Dr. Woods is dead."
Jesus!
Annette raised a hand tentatively to William's face. His eyes were closed tightly, but his body twisted under her touch.
I got so attached Grandma Cass. Annette thought dully, So attached to everything, and now this. What is this? Why am I doing this?
She was tired.
Ma'am? Just hold on ma'am-everything will be all right.
What? What's going on? William? Albert? Sherry? In a last act of desperation she called for the medical examiner she'd known so briefly, Grandma Cass? Kate? Someone? Anyone-please!
The world faded to black around her.
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-Chicago-
A typical boardroom.
The twelve board members filed in one after another. The chief, chairman and all around supreme boss, sat at the very head and folded his hands beneath his chin.
"What is being done," His voice was slimy, "To correct the situation?"
"We've managed to contain the situation with the bodies." An elderly man said, "Un total, two hundred and thirty three bodies have been discovered by our scouts." He held up a manila folder and flipped it open with an old hand, "Their personal affects have been removed and taken to a secure location along with the corpses themselves."
"Customs?"
"Customs let us through." Another man said. His voice was tinged with an English accent; "Same bloody price as always, not including the four FBI agents who we had to bribe when the came across the package on the plane-and the Sky marshal."
Recent Terrorist attacks, particularly the attack on the Israeli Olympic team, had made people suspicious in general of flying.
"What about personnel?"
"I handled that." A young black woman raised a hand and ignored the swiveling eyes that suddenly stared at her, "Total, we lost two city employees-the medical examiner who was married to the ITS specialist for Arklay, and the chief of the fire department."
"Chief of the Fucking Fire Department? How is he on our payroll?"
"It just says he is." The black woman shrugged, "How the hell am I supposed to know what Wesker's thinking over there?"
"Enough." The chairman said, "Do we have any idea who's behind this attack?"
"Irene Spencer."
"What?" The black woman balked, "I thought Spencer was a loner!"
"So did the rest of us." The English man said, "Apparently the man found some time to get himself a wife and his get-is responsible for this entire mess."
"Fuck." A man towards the end of the table away from the chairman tilted his cowboy hat away from his face, "Spencer had a kid?"
"Even worse, Wesker married her." The black woman flipped quickly through another couple of files, "Irene Wesker."
"Current Intelligence maintains that she was pregnant." The black woman's eyes widened in surprise, "We might want to have personnel health send him a guidance councilor."
"Loosing a wife would drive you crazy." Cowboy hat said, "Loosing a kid would be worse."
"What about the rest of our personnel?" a man in a lab coat with harried hair spoke quietly, "Dr. Birkin and the rest of them?"
"Intelligence estimates that we have a 78% loss of personnel, scientific and combat."
The table echoed with disbelief.
"What about the international situation?" the Englishman said, "Harry?"
"Company HQ is demanding to know what the fuck is going on." Harry was a larger man with a great red head, "Paris doesn't give a shit-those people scare me-"
"We are not here for your opinion." The chairman said quietly, "Who came to Arklay's aid?"
"Frank Marston at the LA branch, and Celia Diego sent air-transport personnel from New York." Harry said, reading over his files, "Frank believes that he can supply Arklay with maybe a third of the personnel we've lost. Celia can't spare anybody-they're working on Cerberus development and our "front" work. Looks like we're going to have to push up the latest class of students-maybe pick a few from the University-"
"Which University-"
"Med Schools-"
"Harvard-"
The chairman at the table let them debate while he analyzed the real issue. They had failed. There had been an outbreak that must not be allowed to occur again under any circumstances. Raccoon was apparently a nest of adders-
He'd have to keep a closer eye on them.
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There's Chapter Sixteen! I think I nixed the idea of doing trilogy (For reasons that will become apparent in the next four chapters) and just decided to go with a sequel. There is ways that this can fit in with everything else that's going on in the RE Universe-just wait and see…
Note: The UCRT is the predecessor to the UBCS.