Chapter Thirteen: On the Road to Find Out
Time: Three days later, Sunday, December 13.
Claire Redfield woke up suddenly to the abrupt grating sound of the alarm clock going off on the night table next to her. Groaning in disgust, she slammed her hand down on the snooze button and dozed off once again. Ten minutes later, the sharp mechanical repetitive tone sounded off again. Opening her sleep-encrusted eyes, she saw the red digital numbers display 9:10 AM. Pulling the blankets off her naked body, she reached over with one hand and killed the alarm. The cool morning air was a shock to her fair skin, and it showed visibly, her pink nipples quickly becoming erect. Slowly, she sat up in her bed, in the hotel room that Leon had reserved for her. Hanging up on a hook next to the bed was a white night robe, and she put it on as she walked over to the window. She opened the curtains, giving her a view of the outside world. It was an overcast day outside, and she could see a few flurries falling toward the earth. Once again, she could see the New York City skyline in her line of vision--the tops of the Twin Towers, the spire of the Empire State building, and the torch of the Statue of Liberty covered in fog. Looking at the street below, she could see the hustle and bustle of city life, the people walking on the sidewalk, the tops of the yellow taxicabs driving along—it looked like a scene that could easily fit the George Gershwin piece, "Rhapsody in Blue." Christmas wreaths and lights decorated storefront windows and streetlamps, giving the whole place an incredible Christmas feel, a feeling of warm fuzzy.
In these few minutes of peaceful serenity, Claire suddenly realized the fact that she had an appointment at 10:30, and she walked to her duffel bag, grabbed her clothes for the day, a long-sleeved black shirt, a pair of jeans, black panties and a matching bra, and walked into the shower.
His office was easy enough to find. Leon had arranged it so that her hotel room was in walking distance from his office. His office was located in a building a couple of city blocks away, offices that were set aside for the N.Y.P.D. Going up in the elevator to the eighteenth floor, his office was located directly in front of the elevator. As she heard the bright and cheery ping of the elevator bell, she found herself brimming with anticipation. After all, today they—Ark Thompson, the pilot, Leon, and herself—would be talking about the best plan of action to infiltrate the Umbrella headquarters. She glanced down at her watch. She was ten minutes early. Directly in front of her, she saw the door with his name inscribed on a nameplate, and the door was closed. This Ark person wasn't here either.
So I'm ten minutes early. I can wait. Hopefully they're punctual.
She stood in front of his door, her mind spinning with thoughts. A part of her wanted not to do what she was about to do. That part wanted to stay in the safety of her university, and hope that Chris was safe and all right. However, the chances of that happening were slim, since Claire hadn't heard from the older Redfield in a couple of months, since just after the Raccoon City incident. Another part of her really wanted to go, even though it could mean her capture. Umbrella, if in the event of her capture, would probably heavily interrogate her, send her off to some remote prison far beyond the reaches of any civilization, or even worse—send her to some other hidden Umbrella lab at some remote place where they could do their atrocious bio-weapons and mutagenic virus research. Even though she did not want that to happen, that risk was there. It would be a risk she'd have to take, come hell or high water.
Five minutes later, she heard another ping as the elevator slowed to a stop on the eighteenth floor.
Now who could this be?
As the elevator opened, she saw a man, probably in his twenties, wearing brown slacks and a green sweater. He had dark brown eyes, and his hair was neatly combed and slicked back, parted neatly to one side. He wore an unzipped fleece The North Face jacket, and he was carrying several manila folders in his hand. Grinning, he walked over to Leon's door and unlocked it.
"Waiting for Leon?" the man asked. Claire gave a nod of approval. He opened the door. "Name's Ark. Ark Thompson." Ark held out his hand.
"Claire Redfield," Claire said, reciprocating the handshake. "I've heard about you."
"As I you," Ark replied. "Leon can't seem to keep his big mouth shut, can he?" Both of them chuckled. "Leon should be here shortly. But just between you and me, he may be late. If he is, he'll blame it on the traffic."
Claire laughed. "Is he really that predictable?"
"Mostly," Ark answered, a grin playing across his face. "Just you watch. Wait and see." He pulled up two seats in front of Leon's desk. "Here. Sit down. All we can do is wait."
"Thanks," Claire replied before taking a seat. A minute of silence passed between the two of them. Ark was sifting through papers in his folders, and Claire looked around the office. It was mostly empty, probably due to the fact that Leon hadn't been here long. Behind his desk stood a file cabinet. His desk was quite disorganized, what with loose sheets of paper lying in disarray and what have you. Yellow Post-It notes lined his computer monitor, decorating the outside of it in the wonderful sticky paper. Boxes of personal belongings were stacked on the floor in various places. Apparently, neat and tidy wasn't on his mind. Ark began to whistle a tune to himself, an upbeat little song.
After a few minutes of this, Claire glanced at her watch again. 10:35. Ark was right. He was late. No sooner did Claire think that when she heard once again the ping of the elevator's arrival. Ark didn't even look up. "That would be Leon."
Turning around in her seat, she saw the familiar figure of Leon step out and hurriedly walk into the office. "Good morning, Ark. Claire," he said, acknowledging the punctual two. "Sorry I'm late, you guys."
"Wait for it…" Ark whispered to Claire, his hand covering his mouth so that Leon couldn't see.
Not looking around to see that, Leon hung up his coat. "Traffic this morning was horrible." Claire laughed. "You were right, Ark!" Ark laughed along with her.
Leon lifted his head up. "Thanks, Ark. You blew my cover," he said, chuckling.
"Whoopsies," Ark replied. "Just getting her acquainted with your routine, that's all."
"Hey," Leon said, pointing a finger at Ark. "No comments from the peanut gallery," he said with mock anger.
Ark looked around with sarcasm. "No peanuts here."
"I'm looking at one right now," Leon shot back.
"Are you two always like this?" Claire asked, amused by the whole comic routine.
"Usually," Leon replied. "But for this little briefing, we will can the malarkey." He glared in mock anger at Ark. "Right?"
"Yes, master," he answered in an Igor-like voice. "Whatever you say, master." He cleared his voice. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today—"
Claire broke out in laughter. "Wrong situation."
"We'll have our fun time later," Leon said, with the mannerisms of an elementary school teacher. "For now, let's get to the matter at hand."
"Right," Ark agreed. "Shall we?"
"Let's," Claire replied.
Ark opened up one of his folders, pulled out several sheets of paper and laid them down on the desk. Claire glanced at them and saw that they were a series of maps, floor plans of the Umbrella facility.
"Big complex," Claire said.
"Yeah, you'd be right on that," Leon replied, a look of seriousness playing across his face.
"So, what is going to happen?" She asked, curious. Ark pulled out a map, labeled "Umbrella 1F."
Leon cleared his throat. "A chopper will be waiting in Central Park. We already have clearance to make use of it. On December 15th, you and Ark will leave from Central Park promptly at 12 PM. There is a 6-hour time difference between here and Paris. It will be 6 PM there when you leave.
"This is where we're going to land," Ark said, pointing to a large square on the left side of the map marked "heliport." "Before we do, we shall manage to throw a chaff grenade to the ground in order to jam the surveillance camera signals, so our presence will go mostly unnoticed. Claire nodded in agreement.
"And how do we get these chaff grenades?" She asked.
Leon grinned. "I have connections."
Claire chuckled. "Well, good for you. Now, Ark, a question. Will we have enough fuel to make the trip?"
"Just enough," Ark said. "As soon as you enter the facility, I will leave and refuel at the closest heliport. Then I will make my exit, leaving you there to do whatever you will, as per your request. I will lend you a radio in the event something drastic happens. Claire looked at the 1F map, and began to form a mental picture of what her path would be. From the heliport, there was one door from it, leading into what appeared to be a large warehouse, about double the size of the heliport. From there, it led out into a front passageway, which led to the main entrance. No doubt there would be some sort of security there.
"You're most likely gonna have to enter through the main entrance, Claire," Ark continued. "If we get to the heliport at just the right time, there is gonna be a change of shift—a five minute window where there are no guards. You have to enter through that entrance and get past the security in that time. If you do see them, do not hesitate to shoot them—"
"Won't shooting them alert the guards?" Claire cut in.
"I was getting to that," Ark said, slightly perturbed. "You have a pistol on you?"
"I do—a Beretta that Leon gave me in Raccoon City," Claire said, shooting a look at Leon.
"I can equip a silencer to that gun to make it so the guards won't hear the shot." Claire seemed satisfied by that response. "Anyway, once you get inside the main entrance, then you are on your own. So you don't get lost, Leon will give you a small device, a Palm, that has the maps of the facility. Lugging these paper maps around just wouldn't do."
Leon continued. "Try to stay out of heavily guarded areas—top officials' offices, control rooms, etc." Ark pulled out the floor plans for the B1, B2, and B3 levels. "If your brother is investigating the facility, chances are he's in the basement labs, where they most likely do their T- or G- or whatever virus research they're doing down there. But, as probably expected, those lower levels will be crawling with scientists, researchers, and guards. You'd do best to hang low at all times. Shoot only when absolutely necessary. If you miss your target, the bullet might ricochet of the wall, thus alerting them that an intruder is present. If that happens, the whole complex goes into a state of alert, and then all I have to say is good luck."
Claire's face grew serious. "I don't intend on capture."
"No one intends capture," Ark said. "Unfortunately, if you decide to do this, it is a possible risk."
"And I do intend on doing this," Claire said firmly. "I have to. I have to find him. There is no question about it. I must find him."
"Then it's settled," Leon chimed in. "You understand the risks involved. So be it. However, you can decide to back out at any time before you and Ark leave in two days. I don't think you'll want to, but that option is there, just in case you need or want to."
"Thank you," Claire said, bowing her head. "Now how do we acquire weaponry?"
"When we arrive at the launch site in two days, the weapons will be loaded already," Leon said.
"Well, that's a help," Claire added.
"I'll also give you several clips for your Beretta," Leon added.
"Remember to dress accordingly," Ark said. "Dress for ease of movement, no loose clothing. Tight clothes, but comfortable enough for you. The fact of the matter is that you don't want any loose clothing or anything to slow you down."
"I understand," Claire said, smiling. "I have clothing to accommodate. I know the mental imagery of me in tight-fitting clothing is doing a pleasurable service in your minds right now."
"Shh!" Ark whispered, bringing a finger to his lips. "Don't ruin the moment!" Leon chuckled.
"Sad. Very sad. Get a woman," Leon said, grinning.
"I can dream, can't I?" Ark asked, a look of fake annoyance playing across his face.
"Back to reality," Leon said, pointing to the maps. "Now, there is one character you have to worry about."
"I'm all ears," Claire said. Leon reached into one of his desk drawers and pulled out a manila folder. Opening the folder, Claire saw what was probably a profile, some sort of biographical information. Paper-clipped on the page was a profile face shot of a man, somewhat Hispanic, his dark complexion matching his dark brown eyes.
"This is Rodrigo Juan Raval," Leon started. "He is the commander of the security, guard, and task forces for the facility. Raval is ex-military, and he is an excellent marksman. He is a very stealthy fellow. If he finds you, he will not stop until he captures you."
Ark looked grim. "Be very careful."
"That is my intention," Claire said, determined. A few seconds of silence passed between the three until Leon spoke up once more.
"I will pick you up outside your hotel on Tuesday. We'll probably leave here around 10 or so, so we can have breakfast and try to beat the traffic to Central Park."
"Here you go with the traffic again," Ark said, smiling. "This time, don't be late," he continued, placing deliberate accent on the last three words.
"I won't, so there," Leon said childishly, sticking his tongue out at Ark.
Claire smiled. "Wow. And how old are you guys?"
"We're teens at heart," Ark said, laughing.
"Come on, let's go," Leon said, rising to his feet. He grabbed his coat off the coat hanger. Ark and Claire stood up simultaneously.
"Where to?" Claire asked.
"A good breakfast joint," Leon said in an overdone New York accent.
* * *
Time: Tuesday, December 15th
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep—
Claire slammed her hand on the snooze button of the alarm clock. It was 9 AM, and Claire couldn't have the joy of sleeping in today—she had an appointment to keep. She would search for her brother today. Many, many things would happen today. She threw the blankets to one side, letting the warm sunlight wash over her bare creamy white skin, cresting over her supple breasts and onto her face. Claire slowly dragged herself out of her bed, much to her disdain. She took the white bathrobe that was hanging next to her and put it on, while she looked out at the wintry scene below. It was a bright sunny December morning, and she noticed the same hustle, bustle, and assorted commotion of city life, a little busier than normal. Weekday mornings tend to be so. Knowing that she was on a tight schedule, she reached into her duffel bag and pulled out her tightest clothing, yet comfortable for her. She pulled out a pair of dark jeans, a tight black shirt and her red vest, the one that she wore when she went to Raccoon City that first time. With an hour left before Leon's arrival, she walked into the shower and made herself ready for the day to come.
Leon stood outside the hotel entrance promptly at 10, and Claire smiled when she saw him. She looked at her watch and gave him mock applause.
"You're on time for once," she said.
"See? See? I told you," Leon said, pointing to himself, making himself looking big and proud.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Showoff." Claire said, brushing him aside with feigned boredom.
"You're no fun," Leon said, giving Claire a mock pout.
"Aww, muffin," Claire replied playfully. The two walked toward the waiting vehicle.
"Let's go," he said, sighing. "Your ride awaits. But first—food. You don't want to ride a long journey across the ocean on an empty stomach."
"You'd be right, buddy boy. Let's eat. Your call," Claire agreed.
After a nice-sized breakfast, Leon had managed to guide his car safely through the traffic and crazy streets of the city to the large expanse known as Central Park. In a matter of minutes, the black car pulled up to a large open grassy field, and in the center of it was a helicopter, the side cockpit door adorning the N.Y.P.D. logo. Claire could make out the figure of Ark standing in front of the cockpit door. The two quickly crept out of the car, and Ark glanced at his watch.
"WOW! You guys are five minutes early!" He beamed.
"Why, I oughta—" Leon said, raising a fist in jest. Ark raised his hands in theatrical defense.
"Now, now, children," Claire said, sounding motherly. "Don't we have some important business to attend to?"
"Oh, shit! That's right! I have to drive you somewhere! Forgive me, mother!" Ark yelled jokingly. "But first…" Ark slid open the cockpit door to reveal a cache of weapons.
"Huh? Huh? How about that," Ark said, grinning and pointing at the weapons cache.
"You done good," Leon complimented. Sighing, he looked at Claire. "It looks like we have to part ways. Do you have your Beretta?"
Claire patted her jacket pocket. "It's here, along with the clips you gave me."
"Remember," Leon said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You only have a limited amount of those bullets. Use them only when you have to. Now, I have one more question."
They could hear the helicopter begin to roar to life as Ark was making himself ready.
"Are you absolutely, positively certain you want to do this?"
Claire did not take her gaze off him. "I'm positive."
"Then I wish you the best of luck," Leon said. He leaned his face in to hers and the two quickly kissed on the lips.
"Godspeed, Claire."
"I will return safely," Claire said. Leon opened the passenger door for Claire and helped her climb in, admiring her tight butt, noticing the panty lines as he did. He shut her door and quickly ran around to Ark's side.
"Fly safely, man. Good luck to you."
"Thanks. I'll be back before you know it," Ark said, flashing a thumbs-up before putting his radio headset on.
"See ya later." Leon closed Ark's door and backed away from the chopper, the spiraling winds created from the blades blowing all over him. He raised his hand above his eyes to block out the spinning leaves that flew up around him. Claire kept her gaze on the handsome officer and smiled at him. He waved to her, and she did the same in return. Seconds later, she felt the helicopter lift off the ground, slowly picking up speed as it gained altitude. Claire looked down, her gaze remained locked on him as he looked up, shielding his eyes from the blinding early afternoon sun. With a pull of a lever, the chopper moved forward, heading out toward the Statue of Liberty, after which would be nothing but blue ocean. She looked out toward the sky blue horizon and sighed. A feeling of nervousness slowly began to creep into her stomach, which would stay with her until she arrived halfway around the globe. A premonition flashed into her mind, a nagging feeling that something bad was going to happen. In her mind, she envisioned herself screwing up somewhere along the line. She tried to push the thought out of her head with more positive thoughts.
Chris, I'm on my way. Soon I will know you're alive and safe and we can flee this nightmare together. We can bring about the downfall of Umbrella.
Claire sighed. As the chopper sailed past the beacon of hope, the Statue of Liberty, she came to the realization that there was no turning back. In her mind's eye, she knew that whatever was about to happen in the not-so-distant future was inevitable. Would she have success? Whatever the case, she was on the road on the find out.
A/N: Ahh…I've done it! I have broke the 50,000-word mark, woot! Now I can relax a little. I have some bad news…I have maybe two more chapters left before the novel ends. So it goes. Anyway, thanks for the feedback thus far. Keep the reviews coming! Soon I will have up Chapter Fourteen. This will begin the first part of Claire's infiltration of Umbrella HQ.