CHAPTER V
Horrid Truths
There Jamie was, helpless and vulnerable. The sight made something inside of Chris cringe.
"Oh how the courageous fall to their knees when a mere member is taken," said the unknown figure. His tone was haughty, but not quite to the level Ashford's was. No, there was something much darker to this man.
"Where's Kennel?" came Barry's voice from behind him. A wicked grin spread across both the stranger and Alfred's lips. Jamie's face simply fell into a painful frown.
From behind Chris could hear Barry mutter 'you bastards.' Not able to agree more Chris yelled at the smirking stranger.
"Who the hell are you?!"
Pretending to be hurt the stranger spoke incredulously to him. "Mr. Redfield, I'm stunned that you don't know who I am. It is because of me, after all, that the glory of Umbrella has risen as far as it has."
"Glory?!" It was Chris' turn to speak incredulously. "Umbrella is a devilishly company that has caused nothing, but pain and misery."
The stranger sneered. "Obviously, Mr. Redfield, are definitions of the word differ."
"I have a feeling that are definitions differ on a lot of things," Chris snapped back "Now what the hell do you want with us?"
"Well, I suppose we can start with that camera your carrying," the stranger indicated toward his neck. "Then you can hand over the vials, and while your at it the files that you stole."
At first no one moved, but when Ashford thrust his gun further into Jamie's temple, everyone reluctantly obeyed.
Once all their evidence was back in his possession the stranger stared at them triumphantly. "Now, if you all be so kind, let's take a journey to my office. I'm sure there's a lot that we can discuss."
"First tell us your name," Chris demanded; something that the stranger didn't take too well.
"You are in no position Mr. Redfield to be barking out demands," the stranger snarled. He then proceeded to step forward, becoming face to face with him.
"Your group is so pathetic," the stranger whispered viscously. "Fighting for what you think is a patriotic cause. When in actuality you have no idea."
"Why don't you give us one then," Chris replied angrily.
"You wouldn't know what to do with it if I did."
Anger was burning in Chris' veins, he stared at the stranger, not sure how much longer he would be able to control himself; when something a few yards away caught his eye.
With a new shot of confidence Chris glared at the stranger directly in his black, soulless eyes and said to him.
"That's were people like you will always fail. You underestimate the will of someone's heart."
The next thing that anyone knew was the sound of two shrill shouts. Before anyone could catch on, both the stranger and Ashford fell to the ground, each with a narrow tranquilizer dart sticking out from their necks. A short distance away a familiar voice could be heard coming out of the woods.
"Is everyone alright?" It was Williams.
"Yeah," Chris answered "you guys came right on time."
"We do what we can Mr. Redfield," the Assistant Director said heartily as he looked around at their crowd. With his expression forming into a worried frown he asked them "Where's Kennel?"
The only answer Williams received was one of dead silence.
"Very well," the Assistant Director replied dully. "We've wasted enough time here. Take back what you collected and let's go."
Everyone did as told and hurried to the van that was waiting for them. As they did Chris kept staring worriedly at Jamie and her sullen expression.
The ride home was silent, quiet mourning had replaced what should have been a great victory. Chris felt his heart clench every time a glanced over at the agents faces and see them staring emptily out the van's darkened windows.
Pulling out a laptop, Rebecca had decided to take another action towards her grief. Revenge. On the computer she put in one of the disk that they had stolen. Chris watched as her expression went from deadpan to utter horror. With her mouth gaped open she raised her head until her eyes met with his.
"Chris," she said, her voice was shaky. "I think you should take a look at this."
Putting Grace in her crib, Claire carefully wrapped a quilted blanket around her daughter. For an extra moment Claire let her fingers rest against the child's rosy cheeks.
The miracle that was her daughter never ceased to amaze Claire.
Breaking away Claire slipped into the living room for a rare moment of rest and relaxation. Collapsing onto the couch she had only turned on the television when the sound of the door creaking open crashed all hopes for her little R-and-R.
Jumping up from the couch Claire went to great her friends; she was a little taken back by their somber expression as they entered the room.
"Hey," she said apprehensively. Nobody responded. Instantly Claire knew that something was wrong, but nobody seemed willing to speak. They all avoided making contact with her eyes.
Rebecca immediately departed to her room. Watching the chemist storm away Claire looked up at Chris and Jill for some help.
"What going on?" She asked them worriedly "Did something go wrong with the mission?"
"Everything went fine," Leon answered; his voice was flat and tired. "We got exactly what we needed." As he told her this their eyes met for only a second. But Leon was quick to look away."
"I'm going to go home," he told the group weakly. Without another word Leon left the apartment, he was shortly followed by Carlos and Barry.
When the three of them left Claire immediately turned back to her brother. "What the hell is going on Chris? Leon said the mission went fine, but you are all acting as if something terribly happened."
"The mission did go fine," Chris at last replied. "We have all the weapons we need to finally nail Umbrella.'
"Then why the hell are you guys acting like death?"
To this Chris didn't reply, he just stared at her with sullen eyes and then proceeded to his room. After a sympathetic glance from Jill the short haired brunette followed him.
For the remainder of the day Claire was boggled by the mystery that nobody seemed to want to explain. She stayed in her room and pondered what the hell could have happened. She knew it must have been something terribly, but what was beyond her imagination?
During the course of the afternoon Claire was plagued with that one question, and with it the 'what happened?' answer that seemed to never come. It wasn't until late that night that she even saw anyone's face again.
Just as Claire was going to bed she heard a quiet knock on her door. Quickly putting a t-shirt over her nightgown, Claire told the knocker to come in.
It was Chris, the same somber expression rested on his face, but at least now he was looking at her.
"Can we talk?" He asked stepping into the room.
"I don't know," she replied stubbornly "can we?"
Nodding Chris shut the door, making a space for him Chris sat next to her on the bed.
He was staring at her with a mixture of feelings. Sympathy, anger, hurt, confusion, love...it was all there in one emotional melting pot. Now all Claire needed was a reason.
"I understand that you must be frustrated and confused."
"Gee, I wonder why?" Claire couldn't hold back her sarcasm.
"Listen Claire, there's a couple things that you have to understand. First, the mission...though we were successful there was a causality from the F.B.I. The loss cut us."
Nodding sympathetically Claire said to him "I'm sorry to hear that, but I think that I could have handled the news. I don't mean to be callous, but I don't think that's a big enough reason for you guys to all avoid me."
At first Chris didn't say anything to this; his gaze simply drifted away from hers and became absorbed within his own thoughts.
Waiting, Claire let her brother sort through his thoughts. Soon, however, the suspense became too much for her. She was on the verge of blurting something out when at last Chris spoke.
"Do you remember that Christmas before mom and dad died?"
"Sure," Claire said confused "they had given you a be-be gun and me a Barbie doll. I was so jealous."
Chris smiled. "You remember that night then, when we were having our Christmas dinner?"
Staring at her brother Claire could feel her heart sadden. "Yeah, mom received a phone call that grandpa had died. He and Grandma were vacationing in Florida that Christmas."
With a saddened expression Chris asked her. "Do you recall what mom said to us that night, after she told us that Grandpa had died?"
Claire shook her head, all she could remember was that was the beginning of her year of grief.
"Mom had told us that all souls are yearning for somewhere, though when were alive we don't know it, but when we die our souls finally go to that place. Now I'm not exactly a religious person, but I want to believe that."
"Chris..." She knew he was trying to get somewhere, but for the life of her she had no idea where that was."
"Claire, we recovered information from Umbrella files. We discovered a program for advanced G-viruses; I guess it's something close to the Veronica Virus. Anyway Rebecca uncovered a list of names that have undergone this program. Adam was one of those names; there was also a Billy Coen, who had helped Rebecca back in Raccoon."
All she could do was stare stupidly at Chris as he relayed her this information. It was really all too terrible to conceive, though she might carry great distain for Adam she'd never wish...and this Billy. When would the pain ever stop?
"There's more," Chris continued reluctantly. "Another name that I recognized...." Pausing for merely a moment Chris took a deep breath before continuing what he was trying so hard to say "Claire, I found the name Steve Burnside."
Claire knew that her jaw had dropped and her stomach grew into a giant knot, but she hardly noticed. The news was too damn overwhelming.
"What did it say?" She asked, surprised that she could find her voice.
"Claire...Steve, he's...his soul has gone to that place."
"No," she uttered. It was all she could say, it was all she could think.
For so many nights she thought about Steve. Rockford and Antarctica had been so long ago, but the pain and nightmares, they had left her with so many sleepless nights.
"Claire, I am so sorry. I know...I know what this news must be doing to you."
"Chris," her voice was so completely emotionless that it almost frightened her. "Could you just leave me alone?"
"Are you sure?" Chris asked concerned.
To this she didn't even reply. All she could do was turn her back, she was through facing ordeals.
Without a word Chris left the room and Claire, who by herself, dealt with the emotional void that was attempting to once again take over her heart.
AUTHORS NOTES: That's it for that chapter. I just want to thank all who are out there taking the time to read my story.
Always,
Leah
