August 13, 1998

Alex sat at her desk, busy adding a new technician to the database. Normally, she'd have had Davis do this, but he was unavailable at the moment. He was currently assigned to cleanup duty, escorting the truck that would haul the failed experiments to the factory out of town for incineration. Not a pretty job, hence the reason she'd given it to him. Insubordination was something Alex could not and would not tolerate.

She was just finishing up, when Keith Alexander came through the door. He was a well built man, in his late twenties, with just the right amount of thick black hair. When they'd first been introduced, Alex thought he'd have a problem taking orders from a women six years his junior. She'd been wrong. Keith was a professional and recognized that Alex was as well.

"What do you need Keith?" She didn't even bother to look up from the computer as she asked. "It had better not have anything to do with Bates."

"As a matter of fact, Bates wants to see you in his office. I'm not going to repeat the order verbatim, but the basic idea was that you drop what you're doing and head there immediately.".

"Oh goody, just what I needed today." Alex hit the final keystroke and pushed away from the desk, giving Keith a rare smile. "So what were his exact words?"

"Oh something like Tell that sunglass wearing boss of yours to get her ass down here, before she finds herself running cleanup duty on zombies. Something like that."

"Like he has the balls to do that, not to mention the authority." She sighed, climbing to her feet. "Take that new technician down to lab three, while I go see what our esteemed leader wants."

Alex walked down the corridor, slowly. She had every intention of drawing out the walk to Bates' office, as much as possible. She nodded at a few security personnel as she walked. Three were stationed in front of Birkin's lab, one was inside the anteroom…her orders. Birkin allowed no on inside the main lab except Annette and herself. Much to the chagrin of Bates.

Officially Bates ran the labs here under Raccoon, at least on paper anyway. In reality, he was nothing more than a glorified babysitter, who wrote a lot of reports. He had no authority over any decisions regarding experiments, that was Birkin's domain. He had no say in security shifts or placement of personnel, that was her job. Basically he was left with authority over his personal secretary and little else. Which made him a major asshole, who quite enjoyed bothering her with useless and trivial matters. He didn't dare bother Birkin, stupid as he was…he wasn't that stupid.

Ales looked over the door to his office, an old technician's office by the machine elevator, with an irate expression on her face. Sighing again, she adjusted her glasses and opened the door…not even bothering to knock. Melanie, Bates' personal assistant, was shoving a few files into a nearby cabinet. The man himself was ignoring the papers on his desk, because he was busy staring at the poor woman's ass. Alex cleared her throat, crossing her arms. Bates snapped his head up to glare at her, as Melanie scuttled out of the office and down the hallway. No doubt the woman was grateful for Alex and her timing. Alex smiled and sat down in a nearby chair, not bothering to remove her sunglasses.

"Keith said you wanted to see me."

"Yes though I sent Keith after you twenty minutes ago. Where have you been?"

Bates puffed himself out like an old laying hen. Alex almost burst into laughter. If he though he looked intimidation, he was sorely mistaken.

"I was busy. Some of us around here, have actual work to do."

Alex cracked a smile, as Bates' face turned a bright shade of scarlet. He recovered quickly, shuffling several papers together while clearing his throat.

"I wanted to speak to you about Davis."

"What about him?"

Alex's mood darkened considerably. Davis was a major kiss ass, leading her to believe that he'd gone crying to Bates after being reassigned. Not that it would do him much good.

"I would like to know why he was assigned to escort the disposal truck."

"Not that it is really any of your business, but …"

Alex was cut short, as Bates suddenly slammed a hand down on his desk.

"It is my concern Miss Wesker, I am in charge of this base and I demand to know why Davis was reassigned!"

"He was reassigned for insubordination." Alex said calmly, as she adjusted her sunglasses. "I do not take kindly to those under me, making trouble."

"Oh really, and here I thought is was for comments he made about your treacherous brother."

Bates smiled like a shark. Alex merely stared back at him, her face betraying nothing. Bate's smile slipped, as he realized the brother remark was having the impact he'd hoped for.

"Davis has been giving me problems for months now, he was warned. He crossed the line, and I shipped him to the disposal plant for a month or two."

Which was the truth, despite the fact he had indeed made some rather rude comment about Albert. In actuality, the man didn't like taking orders from a woman, especially a woman ten years his junior.

"I want him back here…today."

Bates then waved a hand toward her, dismissively. To say Alex was angry, was an understatement. She slowly stood up and approached the desk, placing both hands on it's shiny surface.

"How does it feel to want?"

"You have your orders Wesker, I suggest you follow them."

Bates glared up at her…she glared back, the sunglasses still firmly in place. Nothing aggravated Bates more than those sunglasses.

"I don't take orders from you. You are not my boss or have you forgotten?"

Alex smiled slyly as Bates turned red and stood up slamming his hands on his desk. Their poses were perfectly mirrored, especially since Alex could match his 5'8" frame.

"Listen to me you little blonde bitc…"

"If you wanna walk out of here, don't finish that sentence."

Alex stared him down, one had fluttering over the Desert Eagle in her shoulder holster. Bates, unfortunately, didn't back down.

"Don't threaten me girl. You're walking on eggshells as it is. So I suggest you take yourself back to your office, be a good little girl, and follow my orders." Bates' voice was unusually quiet. Alex was seething. "And take off those damn sunglasses!"

He reached for the glasses, but Alex was faster. She grabbed his wrist, her face turning into a perfect imitation of her brother's. Bates paled at this sudden change. Anyone would pale under that smug sneer, tinged with just the right amount of dark humor.

"I repeat…I don't take orders from you."

Her voice was ice as she tightened her grip, twisting Bates wrist enough to make him yelp.

"Am I interrupting?"

Alex turned, her left hand already going for the berretta she kept in a thigh holster, her right still held Bates in a steely grip. The man at the door, was dressed in an expensive three piece suit. He was tall, around 6'1" 6'2", with dark brown hair combed to perfection. Michael Kent smiled, as if the notion that his top Security officer breaking the wrist of the man in charge of the Raccoon labs was no big deal. Alex moved her hand away from the berretta, but didn't release Bates. Kent moved across the floor and took a seat in one of the empty chairs.

"Would someone mind explaining?"

Kent's voice was cool and calm. Alex may hate Bates, but she had the up most respect for Kent. He was, after all, the man in charge of every installation in Raccoon City and the only man she took orders from.

"A minor disagreement about my current fashions." Alex said, giving a slight smile.

She released Bates and took the seat opposite Kent. Bates fell into his own chair, rubbing his wrist.

"I'm not dealing with her anymore!" Bates seemed to find a backbone with Kent there. "I want her out of my lab!"

"Your lab?" Bates lost whatever backbone he'd had only moments ago, under Kent's piercing green eyes. "The last time I checked these were Umbrella's labs."

"I'm…I'm sorry Mr. Kent, but she's a loose cannon, I can't deal with her anymore!"

"If you would quite trying to do her job, then maybe you wouldn't have these problems. Now, I will speak to you later."

Kent turned his attention to Alex, effectively dismissing Bates. He scurried out of the room, casting a glare in her direction as he slipped out the door. Alex ignored him.

"Now Alex. I have some business to discuss with you."

"I assumed this wasn't a social call."

"You get more like your brother every day. Let us hope you do not make his mistakes."

"I have no intention of betraying Umbrella."

"Very good. Now you are being reassigned. We want you to keep an eye on the remaining S.T.A.R.S. members, especially Redfield. He's been poking around."

"Alright. Whose going to run security around here, certainly not Bates."

The thought of that pompous ass running security, made her sick.

"No, Keith Alexander will be in charge, until you assignment is over."

"Very well, is there anything else?", she asked, getting to her feet.

"Not even a question as to why you were selected for this assignment?"

Kent looked her over as she stopped, her hand resting on the doorknob. She turned, absently adjusting her glasses. The fact that the small gesture very much resembled something Albert Wesker would do, did not escape Kent's attention.

"I would assume it's because I was closer to the S.T.A.R.S. team, more than any other person in Umbrella."

"Sharp mind you have Alex. Mind it doesn't get you in trouble."

And with those parting words, Alex left the office.