Sacrifices
Chapter 7: Spinning Wheels
Rebecca placed the phone in its cradle and lay back on the bed, putting her forearm over her eyes. She had just finished checking in with her parents, always feeling an enormous amount of relief whenever she spoke to them. The young woman understood how hard it was on them, being cooped up in a strange and unfamiliar place, but it was the only way to ensure their safety.
It had been less than forty-eight hours since Jill's disappearance, but to Rebecca, it felt like a year. Her heart ached with worry as her mind conjured up horrific images of what might be happening to her friend. They had all pinned their hopes on the transmitters, but those hopes were soon dashed when the devices had been discovered. Everyone was doing their part to try and locate Jill, but so far they had come up with nothing. Umbrella had been very careful to cover their tracks.
When Rebecca and the others had arrived at the gas station shortly after receiving Sherry's call, it was immediately apparent that their plan had gone terribly wrong. Chris was in a rage, kicking and throwing a trash barrel across the pavement, while Claire stood nearby, talking to someone Rebecca didn't recognize. She jumped from the van before Barry had even managed to bring it to a complete stop and ran toward the station. It wasn't until after she rounded the gas pumps that she spotted Jill's clothing lying on the ground.
Things quickly went from bad to worse as everyone gathered around, staring at the discarded items in disbelief. Dick reached down and gathered up his daughter's clothes, clutching them tightly to his chest. His eyes smoldered with anger as he whirled on Barry and began to shout at him. Leon stepped between them, advising Dick to calm down, as well as quietly reminding him that he was still a fugitive and was now attracting unwanted attention from the attendant standing next to Claire.
Rebecca stood in silence, watching the scene unfold around her, when Sherry suddenly appeared by her side. The young girl looked up at her and reached a hand out to give her arm a firm squeeze. She placed her hand on Sherry's, quietly acknowledging the show of concern.
Claire had apparently finished giving her excuses to the attendant, who went back inside, and walked over to Rebecca. She suggested that everyone should head to the destination previously agreed upon, then they could discuss their plans privately.
Leon convinced Sherry to go with him in the van, leaving Claire free to deal with Chris, who was standing alone on the other side of the parking lot. His tirade was over, but his pacing indicated that he was far from calm. Claire gave Leon a look of gratitude, before heading over to talk with her brother.
As everyone walked back to the van, Rebecca noticed for the first time that Carlos had not joined the group, but instead, chose to stay beside the van, in case of trouble, she assumed. When their eyes met, she could see that he already knew what had happened. As she opened her mouth to speak, he looked away and climbed into the driver's seat, slamming the door with tremendous force. She got into the van without saying a word.
A soft knocking at the door brought Rebecca out of her reverie, and she stood up to answer it. She grabbed her pistol and took a moment to steady her nerves. A quick look through the peephole confirmed there was no danger. She unlocked the door and pulled it open.
"Can I speak with you for a moment?"
Rebecca tucked the gun into the back of her jeans and motioned for him to enter.
"Sure, Mister Valentine, come on in." Dick's weary eyes regarded the young woman.
"Please, just call me Dick, okay? Being called 'Mister' makes me feel old." Rebecca flashed him a brief smile.
"Sure, sorry." She pulled a chair over for him and sat on the edge of the bed. Her medical training kicked in as she looked at him with a critical eye. It was obvious he had not had much sleep. "How are you holding up?"
"I'm okay. Well, I haven't had much sleep, but other than that, I'm fine", he amended, noticing the brunette's expression. She reached out and patted him on the knee.
"You have to take care of yourself. That's what Jill…" The words died on her lips.
"That's what Jill would want me to do", he finished. Rebecca rested her head in her hand, fighting to bring her emotions under control. He stood up and started to pace around the room. "You're right, it is. After all, isn't that what started this whole thing? My daughter worrying about my well being? I just came here to apologize. I've been blaming all of you for losing her, when the fact is, this whole mess is my fault." Rebecca looked at him, sharply.
"That's not true. This is Umbrella's doing, not yours." Dick ran a hand through his hair and Rebecca was struck by the familiar gesture.
"If I hadn't agreed to go--"
"Then you and Jill would both be dead", she interrupted. "Probably the rest of us, as well. Look, Dick, Umbrella used you to get to Jill. She made the choice to go with them. I'm sure, if the situation were reversed, you would have done the same thing. So, let's lay the blame where it belongs, at Umbrella's doorstep." Dick walked back to the chair and slumped down.
"You're making it difficult for me to feel sorry for myself." Rebecca smiled.
"I think we've all been doing too much of that, don't you?" She stood up and held her hand out to him. "Come on. Let's go see if anyone's come up with a lead." Dick looked up at her, trying to return the smile, with little success.
"I'm sure they would have told us." Rebecca shrugged, still holding her hand out to him.
"It sure beats sitting around here, waiting." This time Dick managed to smile. He reached out and took her hand, pulling himself to his feet.
***
Chris threw his cell phone onto the bed. Another dead-end. He had exhausted every resource he had, called in every favor owed to him, and still he had found out nothing. Before he headed off to find Claire, he could occasionally get information about Umbrella's activities from various leaks in their company. Now, Umbrella was shut down tight.
For the first time in his life, Chris was unsure of what to do. He had faced many difficult situations before, and always managed to find a solution, or take some course of action. Now, it seemed like his hands were tied. After trying everything he could think of there were still no leads on Jill's whereabouts. He also knew that the more time went by, the less likely they were to ever find her.
He couldn't stand looking at the four walls of his hotel room another minute, so he snatched his phone off the bed and headed out the door. On his way down the corridor, he spotted Carlos waiting for the elevator. The first thing that caught his eye was the backpack slung over the mercenary's shoulder.
"Going somewhere?" Carlos turned to Chris with a look of surprise.
"Ah…yeah, actually. I'm taking off." Chris was stunned.
"Taking off? What the hell are you talking about?" The elevator doors opened and Carlos stepped in, with Chris right behind him.
"Look, Redfield. I can't just sit around here and do nothing. I still know a few people in Umbrella and I'm gonna go see them. Maybe I'll be able to find out something." Chris eyed him with suspicion.
"I thought you were done with them. Why can't you just call them from here?" Carlos sighed.
"These people don't have offices, man, or carry cell phones. If I want information, I have to go find them. Talk to them, face to face."
"Who knows how long that could take? We're running out of time."
"Don't you think I know that? But, there's nothing I can do here. Unless, you've come up with a solution?" The question hung there between them for a moment. Chris remained silent as the doors opened. "Well?"
Chris just shook his head. Carlos stepped out into the hallway.
"I didn't think so."
***
"I'll be arriving back in LA tonight."
"Understood. Then we can meet as soon as you get here."
"Fine."
"I must tell you, Leon, I'm not very fond of being kept in the dark. This woman you're asking about is obviously very important to our friends at Umbrella. The security has been almost impenetrable."
"I know. I'll explain it all when I get there. Just keep looking and let me know the minute you find out where they're keeping her."
"Very well. Goodbye, Leon."
Leon ended the call and stuffed his cell phone into his pocket, taking a quick look around to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He snatched his suitcase off the bed and stated toward the door.
When he arrived in the lobby, he stopped at the front desk.
"Could you please make sure that Miss Ames in room 526 gets this?" The clerk took the small envelope from Leon's hand and swiftly tucked away the twenty-dollar bill that was beneath it.
"Certainly, sir. Will there be anything else?" Leon's expression was grim.
"Do you believe in God?" The clerk looked taken aback.
"I suppose I do." Leon smiled, sadly.
"Good. Say a prayer for me, because I could use all the help I can get." He turned and walked through the lobby, disappearing through the front doors.
***
"So, Kennedy is on his way back?" The man leaned across the table as he spoke, presenting a towering figure over the person seated across from him.
"Yes, sir."
"Any idea where he's been?" The other person shifted, uncomfortably.
"No, sir. He lost our tail days ago. By the time we got back to his apartment, he and the kid had already gone. We do know that he received a phone call just before he left, but the tap was unsuccessful, which would mean the person calling had used some type of scrambling device."
"What about his interest in Valentine?" There was something in the man's voice as he spoke the name that made the other person shiver.
"We don't know the connection yet, sir. There's nothing in either of their records indicating that they even know each other."
"Interesting. Sounds like our young friend is considering a rescue attempt." The man walked away from the table and moved over to a window. Several minutes passed before he spoke again. His voice dropped to a low rumble. "I have to admit, I wouldn't mind seeing her again myself. We do still have some unfinished business, after all."
"Should I make the arrangements, sir?" The other person wanted any excuse to get out of the room. The man turned around and removed his dark glasses. His red eyes cast an unholy light into the darkened room.
"Absolutely."
***
Finally, I had a chance to finish this chapter. Sorry for the delay, but who among us can resist the call of vacation. I think the story is starting to heat up. Stay tuned. Thanks for all the feedback. Later, folks.