"Making time which has come to a standstill move again. There are so many things I don't want to forget. Tomorrow at this time, surely I'll be crying. I'll probably be thinking of you." Utada Hikaru, First Love
Leon entered the only diner in South Ajo, eager to get to the bathroom. Would the information still even be there, or will it be another dead end? To avoid suspicion, he sat at the counter and ordered some breakfast. Several thoughts were running through his head, mostly about the events of the upcoming day. In the back of his mind, he thought of Claire and how she had been acting lately. When he got home, things would have to be sorted out between them. When the waitress bought his coffee over, Leon asked where the restrooms were. She directed him to a thin hallway at the end of the diner. With excitement building in his gut, Leon made his way to the bathroom.
There was no one else in the small room, so he began searching behind the toilets. "Come on….please…" Leon removed the lid of the tank in the second stall and found a number pencilled into the ceramic coating. "Jackpot." Leon pulled out his cell phone and put the number in. After he finished his breakfast, he'd call and hope that he'd get to Carlos. He washed his hands and went to his breakfast. A warm plate of pancakes, eggs, and bacon were waiting for him. He grabbed a knife and fork and dug in, hoping that it would taste as good as it looked.
Some ways away, as Leon enjoyed his breakfast, Claire was laying awake in her bed. She didn't want to get up and face the world. Adultery is a sin. If Leon ever finds out, he'll be heartbroken. But if he was truly happy with me, then why did he sleep with this other girl?How do I even know that he did sleep with her? Maybe I should talk to someone about this. But who? Jill's half dead. Rebecca is in New York. Chris…I couldn't talk to him about this anyway. He'd probably rip Kaz's head off. Maybe I can talk to Jill…if I just got it off my chest at least, maybe I'd feel a bit better.
Tossing her blanket off, she pulled some warm clothes on. Snow blanketed the neighborhood, making everything shimmer. Leon loves this time of year. He'd probably make me a cup of cocoa and take a walk in the park together…
She scowled at her reflection in the bathroom mirror as she brushed her teeth. She knew she wasn't the most beautiful woman in Washington, but she wasn't a beast either. Leon had supported her when she decided to go into modeling because he believed in her. But lately he had started to become distant. He became so enveloped in his work, talking non-stop about the cases he was working on. Going over gruesome murders at dinner. And he accused me of being obsessed with work…
The air had a winter chill as Claire made her way to her car. She almost regretted going outside at all. It was the perfect day to just lounge around and watch t.v. Claire wasn't being a very good friend to Jill, however, and she was determined to at least spend some time with the poor woman. Snow began to fall as Claire pulled into the hospital's parking lot. Christmas would be coming soon, her and Leon's fourth. Would they even be together by that time? Wiping away warm tears, she hurried to Jill's room. The hospital was surprisingly empty and quiet when she arrived at the I.C.U.
Jill still had a bandage around her head, but it wasn't as thick as it had been the last time Claire had seen her. The freckles on her nose were pale but still a prominent feature. Her beautiful eyes were hiding behind creamy eyelids with long lashes. She was truly beautiful.
"Jill, I have a confession for you. Well, I guess I should apologize for not being here as much as I should. You're my best friend…I guess I just got too caught up in my own buisness to make time for you. Leon's away, down in Nevada or some where. He's chasing after Chris…he really loves you, you know? He'd never get the balls to finally tell you…but I have a feeling that you already know. Anyway…when I was at Leon's house, I heard a message from some woman. I'm not certain but it sounded like the two slept together recently. She was thanking him and all this shit…after I heard that message, I had a shoot to get to."
She took a shaky breath, and turned to make sure no nurses were eavesdropping. "The photographer is this guy from Japan named Kazuya. He acts really weird, but he seemed to have some kind of attraction to me. One night, he starting kissing my neck." Her hand wandered to the area he had kissed many days ago. "It sent shivers down my spine…he actually made me weak in the knees. And he's so cute sometimes…he gets 'l' and 'r' confused. One time he asked if I was 'flee'…" Claire stared at the tile floor and remained silent for awhile. When was the last time I giggled like this about Leon
"I guess I might as well get to the point. Last night…after I heard the message, I went to this shoot with Kaz. I had to wear lingerie. There was a bed set up, and the moonlight was pouring in the room. I stopped feeling nervous, and guilty, and finally stopped thinking about Leon. All I did was stare at Kaz behind that camera. His hair was so silky..his skin was so smooth. He had to fix my makeup at one point, but…he never got to. I kissed him first. I wasn't even thinking about what I was doing…I just yanked his shirt open, ripping the buttons right off. He unbuckled his pants and…it was like…I can't even describe it. I don't know if you've ever felt anything like this. But God…Kaz was just unbelievable. We did it right there on that prop bed with the moonlight and everything." She stared at her fingernails, unable to even look her friend in the face.
"We shared a smoke afterwards and just kind of stared at each other. We didn't say a single word after, not even a goodbye. I scrubbed my skin when I got home…that's when I started feeling guilty. Leon called me soon after, and I could barely talk to him. He sounded so innocent and hopeful and I just started to hate myself. I wondered if he'd ever find out. And a part of me wishes that he would stay in Nevada for a little while longer…so that I could be with Kaz again and not have to worry about him following me." Claire finally looked up at Jill and screamed.
Leon finished his breakfast and stared at his cell phone, wondering what he should say to whomever picks up. Finally, he pressed the call button and put the phone to his ear. The phone rang a few times, before a person on the other end picked up. "Ten minutes." They barked, before hanging up. Leon sighed and returned the phone to his pocket. "I hate playing the waiting game…" He mumbled to himself, sticking a toothpick in his mouth. He thought about calling Claire, but quickly decided against it. He felt like he had bothered her enough lately.
"You want your check, doll?" The waitress asked, stopping in front of Leon.
"Sure, that'd be great. Thanks." He replied, pulling his wallet out. She sent a piece of paper sliding down the bar in his direction.
"Four ninety-five, not bad at all." Leon put seven bucks on the table and turned to head outside. He pressed his arm to his side to reassure himself that his gun was still there.
He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach like this whole thing could be a set up. Then again, he'd won many tough battles, and he was prepared. After waiting outside for a few minutes, Leon noticed a car heading in his direction. He took a breath as the car slowed to a stop. Leon reached for the back door and slid into the car. It smelled like air freshener and fried food. "Fast but safe." Leon said, catching the driver's eyes in the rear view mirror.
"You got it." The man replied before speeding off.
Leon was silent during the ride. The driver took many turns and circled around blocks, an old trick so that Leon wouldn't know exactly where they were heading. He wanted to ask the driver questions, but knew that wouldn't be too wise. He said all he was supposed to say, and that was it. After about fifteen minutes of driving, the driver stopped in front of a house down a long dirt road. "Out." He instructed. Leon obeyed, and before he had even stepped out of the car, it started to speed away.
He watched the car disappear into the hazy distance before unholstering his gun. The house wasn't all that big. One floor, maybe two or three rooms deep. He circled the house, but couldn't reach any of the high windows. I'm kind of heading into this thing blind. No one knows where I am, and if this is a set up, then I'm royally fucked. He climbed the steps to the front door and slowly knocked on the old wooden door. He aimed at the floor, ready to raise his gun and fire if an unfamiliar face appeared. After a moment, he heard footsteps. Slowly, he raised his gun to chest level and was ready to fire. The door opened slowly and Leon's gun tightened around the trigger.
"Hold your fire." A voice said.
"Holy shit!" Leon holstered his gun and grinned. "You son of a bitch!" He charged into none other than Chris Redfield and gave him a big bear hug.
"Woah, Leon…let me breathe." Chris gasped, slapping Leon's back.
"I ought to punch you for the ulcers you've given me and your sister." Leon sighed, as Chris stepped out of the way to let him into the house.
"Yeah…I'm sorry about that. Things are a bit crazy right now." Chris replied, heading towards the kitchen.
"So, can you tell me what the hell's been going on?" Leon requested, taking a seat at an old wooden table.
"Well…after Jill got shot, I just went into panic mode. I didn't know what to do, but there was a paper in her pocket with a location. I just went there, which was here." Chris began. "I'll assume that you already went to the Ranchero Grill and found out about the number in the diner, right?" Leon nodded. "Well, I just followed the directions, and they led me here."
"So what'd you find?" Leon asked.
"Carlos. Half dead, barely able to walk…" Chris took a pause. "He…apparantly, there's some kind of mirrored Umbrella company. They abducted him and did all these kinds of tests. They injected him with some kind of virus and it's slowly killing him. It's like a cancer or something…he called Jill for help. But someone didn't want him to get help…so they killed Jill." He stopped talking and lowered his head. His body shook as he desperately tried to hold back tears. "She was the only person I could see myself with…the only woman I've ever loved…and she's dead." Leon put a hand on Chris' shoulder.
"That's the thing though, Chris. She's not dead. She's alive…in a coma, but alive none the less." He said.
Chris looked up, his eyes teary. "Don't fuck with me, Leon. I felt her die in my arms. I held her as she slowly stopped breathing and her body…just became lifeless. She died in my arms…but not before I told her I loved her." He smiled slightly. "At least I did that."
"Chris…Jill is laying in a hospital right now unconscious. Her heart is beating…she's alive. I swear to God." Leon said slowly.
"I don't get it…she had a bullet in her skull…how could she possibly survive?"
"You know Jill. I bet she heard you say you loved her and she wanted to reciprocate the affection."
Chris chuckled and wiped his face. "This is unbelievable." He said, still in disbelief.
"Yeah, I know. It must be a shock to you." Leon leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Your sister is probably going to kill you."
"I bet…but I couldn't just stay there, I had to do something."
"But you didn't have to ignore all of our calls! You could have been dead for all we knew!"
"You're right, I should have called, I should have answered the phone. But for all I knew, they could have tapped the line somehow and figured out where you guys were. I mean, we've managed to stay hidden from these people for this long, and I wasn't about to screw that up."
"Well, we figured that Umbrella was gone for good. They haven't popped up for years…I guess it was foolish for us to think that they could ever really be destroyed." Leon said with a sigh. Chris shook his head. "Hey, you really should give Claire a call. She has been worried to death about you." Leon added. Chris exhaled deeply.
"I guess you're right. There's no reason I should make her worry." He said finally. Leon slid his cell phone over the old, wooden table.
"I'm gonna take a leak. Don't talk too long, my battery's getting low." He said, before heading off to find the bathroom.
The house was rustic and old. Almost all of the furniture was made out of wood. With a shudder, Leon was reminded of the village he was sent to all those years ago. A tingle went up the length of his spine and stopped at his neck, making all of the tiny hairs stand on end. He spun around and drew his gun. He half expected to see a zombie, ganado, or whatever you'd like to classify them as. Instead, he saw an old friend barely able to stand.
"Carlos..?" Leon questioned, putting his gun away. Carlos' empty eyes slowly wandered up to meet with his.
"Hey." He breathed, leaning against the door frame.
"Chris told me…about what happened to you. I….I'm sorry.." Leon really didn't know what to say.
"Me too. I don't know what's worse…" He had to pause to breathe. "Being let go…or left to die in one of their lab cells." He started to sink to the floor, so Leon ran over to hold him up.
"God…I had no idea. Isn't there anything we can do? I mean…a cure?" Leon questioned as he helped Carlos over to his bed.
"They made it a point to tell me…before they tossed me out into the road….that they didn't bother making a cure. They basically created a cancer…and have no intention of helping anyone…"
Leon grit his teeth. "You tried to contact Jill as soon as you got out?" He questioned. Carlos nodded, his thin arms moving up to cover his face.
"I barely managed to get around town to leave the information for her. I was afraid to get her involved…but then…I didn't want to die." Carlos breathed slowly. "But now…death would be like sweet release…"
"Hey, don't talk like that! Don't give up now, not when we're finally here to help you."
"You can't do anything to help me…you mean well, Leon. I appreciate it but…I'm ready to die. I've made my peace with this. You have to, too."
"I didn't come all this way and give myself a fucking ulcer just to have you accept what fate's dealt you. Jill wouldn't let you give up, and I sure as hell won't either."
Carlos smiled tiredly. "You're so passionate…Claire's a lucky girl." He mumbled, before losing consciousness.
"Hey…hey, wake up." Leon went to shake Carlos' limp body, but Chris stopped him.
"Don't bother. He loses consciousness all the time. There's no point trying to wake him…he should rest anyway." He said.
"Is there really no hope in saving him?" Leon asked. He never was really all that close to Carlos, but they did share a common bond after all. Jill was the only one who really knew the man well, so it was no surprise that Carlos had called her first.
Chris ran his hand through his hair with a sigh. "Follow me." He said, heading towards the back door. He led Leon to the back yard, which had nothing but wooden boxes and an old tire swing hanging from a dead tree. "Look…I've been here a few days, and each day Carlos gets a little bit worse. I can't see him surviving for much longer. There's no way in hell that we could organize and coordinate a plan of attack in that short amount of time." He said finally.
"You're rather give up, than try? You'd be letting them win. Do you really want them to think that they can get away with this?" Leon questioned angrilly. "What if it was me? Or Claire? Or Jill? Would you give up so easily?"
"What's that supposed to mean? I'm looking out for his best interests. He's accepted his fate, and I'm not eager to screw it up." Chris retorted.
"By giving the guy a chance? What if someone examines him and sees that he could be treated? That he could survive?"
"Oh yeah? And what if they can't? What if he goes through the trouble of staying conscious long enough to answer questions, and then finds out it was all for nothing? You think he'd rather die in a hospital bed than in his own?" Chris questioned.
"At least we wouldn't be giving up." Leon spat, sitting on one of the wooden crates.
"Well right now, it's about what he wants. If you want to go after these Umbrella Imposters, then fine. Call everyone up, make some plans, but don't go in there and tell Carlos he might live."
"I wasn't planning on lying to him. I just wanted to give him a little bit of hope. He'd do the same for all of us, don't you think?"
Chris nodded firmly. "Here's the plan: Rebecca's in New York, studying to be a doctor, right? She's going to get some kind of PhD. You call her up and arrange for her to fly back to Washington. We bring Carlos there so he can get checked out. Even if she can't come up with a cure, at least she can get him some morphine." He began. "In the mean time, we started getting everyone together to come up with a plan of attack. Carlos knows where they operate from. It's actually not that far from here. He has all the information….I guess they didn't think he'd be alive long enough to leak it. Someone will have to stay behind to help Rebecca keep an eye on Carlos and Jill…we go in there, and kill everyone. No survivors, no acceptions."
Leon raised an eyebrow. "We have to assume that everyone there is guilty and deserves death." Chris continued.
"And what about the innocent, like Carlos?" Leon questioned.
"Then we put them out of their misery. So, are you in or not?"
With a hesitant nod, Leon stood up and gripped Chris' hand in his. They were in it for the long haul, but if they were successful, then they would defeat Umbrella once and for all. They would finally end the years of suffering .
To be continued in "A World without Mercy"