Sacrifices
Chapter 12: …And into the Pool
Leon pushed his way through a group of people standing on the platform as he rushed to reach the open dock door. It was nearly four in the morning when Ellen had come to his room to tell him of Jill's arrival. Although he had been attempting to sleep, he had spent almost the entire night staring at the ceiling.
A hand grabbed him by the arm as he approached the door. He spun around, quickly, ready to knock down the person trying to impede his progress.
"Whoa, Kennedy!" Ellen took a defensive step back while bringing her hands up in front of her. "I come in peace."
"Sorry", Leon muttered, unclenching his fist. "I'm a little edgy."
Ellen relaxed a bit. "A little?"
"Yeah, well, if you hadn't slept in almost three days…" Leon's voice trailed off as he turned to watch the truck back up to the dock. "What's Jill's condition?"
"Severe dehydration. Blood pressure is extremely high, apparently the result of some toxins present in the bloodstream--"
"Toxins?" Leon interrupted. "What kind of toxins?"
"We don't know, yet. The lab will need to run some tests."
"Is she conscious?"
"No." Ellen cast a glance over to the approaching medical team.
Leon followed her gaze. "Who are they?"
"They are the group of doctors who will be taking care of your friend."
"Shouldn't she be in a hospital?" Leon questioned.
"We couldn't take the risk. Besides, she'll get excellent medical care here. If there's any sign of a viral agent at work, our people will be her best chance for survival." Ellen's pager began to beep. She pulled it from her pocket with an annoyed expression and looked at the display. "Excuse me for a moment."
Leon watched Ellen as she walked across the platform and disappeared through the door. He turned his attention back to the truck. The rear doors opened and several people emerged pushing a stretcher onto the dock. He moved closer to get a look as the medical team converged on the unconscious figure.
A flurry of activity erupted as both groups began to exchange information. Leon peered over the shoulder of one of the doctors, trying to get a clearer view. He caught a brief glimpse of the young woman lying so still amidst the chaos.
It was Jill Valentine.
Leon breathed a sigh of relief. At the very least, they had managed to get her away from Umbrella. He hoped it wasn't too late to repair whatever damage had been done to her.
A brief commotion inside the back of the truck suddenly caught Leon's attention.
"Get the hell out of my way!"
A man emerged from the truck, practically knocking over one of the doctors in the process. "I already told you people…where she goes, I go!"
Leon's eyes widened in surprise. "Carlos?"
Carlos looked to his right, immediately catching sight of the other man. "Leon?"
"How the hell did you get here?" Leon asked, incredulously.
"I could ask you the same, but I'm guessing you're the one responsible for this little rescue mission", Carlos responded.
"Sort of…" Leon backed away as the medical team began to push the stretcher through the small crowd. They moved briskly, heading towards an open elevator at the rear of the platform. Leon moved to cut them off.
Carlos was already a few steps ahead of Leon as he reached a hand out to grab one of the medics by his shoulder. "I'm coming with you."
The medic turned to face him. "Sorry, but we're taking her to a quarantined environment. Authorized personnel only." He started pushing the stretcher again.
Leon blocked the elevator entrance and flashed his I.D. card. "What floor are you heading down to?"
Another man spoke up "Level 8…if you'll move."
"Fine. We'll be down shortly." Leon stepped to the side, allowing everyone to get on to the elevator.
"Hey, wait a minute…" Carlos started.
Leon put a hand up to silence him. "Let them do their job, Carlos. Jill's health is the top priority here, right?"
Carlos stared at him for a moment. "Right" he answered, slowly. "But, I still want to stay with her in case she wakes up, you know?"
Leon nodded. "I know." He watched the elevator doors close. "Why don't we head down another way. Follow me."
As they made their way back toward the offices, Leon turned to Carlos. "How did you get here, anyway?"
"Your company hired an old teammate of mine to get into Umbrella", Carlos explained. "I just happened to be there when it all went down."
"Quite a coincidence."
Carlos shrugged. "I suppose so. Speaking of coincidence…"
Leon shot the other man a look. "I've been working for these people for a few months, now. It isn't something I'm supposed to talk about with anyone. I honestly didn't even know if they would be able to help Jill, but the situation was pretty desperate, so I took a chance."
"Looks like they came through", Carlos acknowledged.
The two men reached the elevator. Leon slid his ID card through an electronic reader on the wall. The display light turned green. He reached a hand out to press a button as he turned back to Carlos with a troubled expression.
"Yeah, they did", he agreed. "Still, I can't help--"
"Leon!"
Both men turned at the sound of Ellen's voice.
She came up to them and held a hand out to Carlos. "You must be the stowaway."
Carlos eyed her with suspicion, while Leon found himself grinning.
"Ellen Ross, this is--"
"Miguel. Miguel Guerra…at your service", Carlos interrupted, giving Ellen a winning smile. He reached out and shook the young woman's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ellen." He held her hand for a few more seconds before releasing it.
Leon rolled his eyes and hit the elevator button. "Oh, brother" he muttered, softly.
Ellen smiled at Carlos before turning her attention to Leon. "Where are you going?"
"Miguel and I are going to see Jill." Leon responded, casting a glance at Carlos.
"She's being brought to quarantine, Leon."
He looked at her. "So?"
"So, that area is off limits to you", she reminded him.
Carlos spoke up. "I need to see her."
Ellen's expression remained passive. "I'm sorry, Mr. Guerra, but you are not allowed. In fact, you have no authority to even be here."
"He's with me", Leon responded. "I can vouch for him."
The redhead sighed. "You know the rules."
"Ellen…" Leon warned.
"It will have to wait" she stated, firmly. "Right now, you have other business to attend to."
"What other business?" Leon questioned.
"Mr. Wallace would like to see you in his office, right away."
"Doesn't that guy sleep?" Leon complained.
Ellen turned her gaze back to Carlos. "He's looking forward to meeting you, as well."
Carlos could feel his anger rising. "I don't give a shit what this Wallace guy wants. My friend is seriously ill and my priority is to be with her."
"This Wallace guy, as you refer to him, is the one responsible for rescuing your friend, Mr. Guerra." Her tone was cool. "You would do well to remember that."
"I do."
"Then perhaps you should honor his request. Miss Valentine will have to remain isolated for at least twenty-four hours, so you will not be able to see her until then. If her condition changes, I'll notify you immediately."
Carlos remained silent, unsure of what to do.
"We are not the villains here, I assure you."
Leon put a hand on Carlos' shoulder, which the man promptly shrugged off.
"Um…why don't we just go and see him", Leon relented. "He might even be able to give us more details about Jill's condition."
Carlos took a deep breath and released it in a huff. "Fine."
Leon started down the corridor with a reluctant Carlos following close behind.
As Ellen watched them disappear around the corner, the elevator doors opened behind her. She stepped inside and pressed a button, deciding it was time to pay a visit to the increasingly popular Jill Valentine.
***
Claire stepped out onto the patio, quietly sliding the door closed behind her. The morning sky was just beginning to brighten, slowly diminishing the gray, hazy atmosphere. A heavy cloud of moisture still hung in the air, promising another humid day.
She spotted a figure sitting in a chair by the edge of the pool. The person was facing away from her, seemingly unaware of her presence as she came up behind them.
"Chris?" She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder.
Chris covered her hand with his own and bent his head back to look up at her.
"Good Morning, Claire." He smiled at her. "Your up bright and early."
Claire came around from behind and sat down next to him. "I couldn't sleep."
Chris yawned. "Me neither. Barry snores."
Claire answered him with a yawn of her own. "You should try turning him over onto his side. I've heard that works."
"I've tried that," Chris admitted. "But, once, I accidentally rolled him off his bed. He told me if I ever did that again he'd have my guts for garters. Believe me when I tell you, the last thing you ever want to do in this life is piss off Barry Burton at three in the morning."
Claire laughed, softly. "Teddy bear by day, grizzly bear by night, huh?"
"You said it."
The two siblings lapsed into a comfortable silence. As they sat quietly, a hotel worker emerged from a cabana on the opposite side of the pool and began to clean it in preparation for the days' guests.
"Hey, brother?"
"Hmm?"
"What's going on between you and Jill?"
Chris looked over at her. "What's going on between you and Leon?"
"Nothing", she answered. "We haven't really had any time together."
"Ditto."
"You seemed pretty chummy to me", Claire pressed.
"We are."
The brunette sighed, loudly. "You're being evasive."
"You're being nosy."
"Just checking in. You know how you can get…all dark and brooding. I just hope Jill knows what she's in for, that's all."
Chris flashed a look of annoyance. "Claire…"
Claire smiled at him. "Yes, big brother?"
A grin appeared on his face. "I've really missed having you around."
"Ditto."
Chris stood up and held a hand out to her. "How about we try and find some coffee in this joint, little sister?"
Claire swiped his hand away and stood up. "Sounds good to me." She started to edge her way around the pool.
Chris trailed behind, almost knocking her over when she suddenly stopped. He saw a frown on her face. "What's wrong?"
"I thought I saw something…in the water."
Chris followed her gaze as he leaned closer. "Like what?"
"A sucker!" she shouted, pushing him into the pool.
Chris hit the water with a huge splash. He twisted around to get his bearings, breaking the surface in a fit of coughs and gags. He looked up to find his sister sitting on the ground, laughing hysterically.
"Oh…you… think that's…funny?" he sputtered in between coughs.
Claire just waved a hand at him, unable to respond as she continued to laugh.
Chris put his hands on the cement ledge and began to hoist himself out of the water. "You are in big trouble."
Claire jumped up and ran across the patio. "Gotta catch me first, gramps!" she called back.
He could hear the slider open as Claire went inside, the sound of her laughter fading as she disappeared into the hotel. He climbed out of the water and lay on his back with his eyes closed.
A shadow loomed over him. Chris looked up to see the hotel worker grinning down at him.
"I can't believe you fell for that."
"Don't you have some work to do?" Chris shot back. The man continued to chuckle to himself as he walked away. Chris sat up and started unlacing his boots. "I can't believe I fell for that", he muttered to himself.
As he sat there wringing out his socks, he began to laugh.
***
"How could this have happened!"
A set of weary eyes looked up at the man as he continued to pace.
"I have no idea." The doctor winced as she reapplied the ice pack to the back of her head. "They forced their way in at gunpoint. There was nothing I could do."
"I planned this right down to the smallest detail. There should have been more than enough security people on duty." The blonde man slammed his fist down onto the empty gurney.
"Perhaps you should be discussing this with the head of security", the doctor suggested.
The man regarded her with a look of contempt. "Well, perhaps if you had been more effective, we would have gotten the information we needed and Valentine would now be dead."
"She still might be" the doctor replied, cryptically.
"What do you mean?"
"I may have, inadvertently, given her an overdose of medication." The doctor seemed pleased with herself. "Unless those thugs were able to get her immediate medical attention, I doubt she would have lasted very long."
The man began to straighten his tie. "I wish I could be certain of that, Doctor. Unfortunately, this little group of troublemakers always seem to land on their feet." He put his suit coat on and buttoned it.
"Are you going to see the president, now?" the doctor asked.
"Yes…and I'm sure she'll be less than pleased." He started toward the door.
"Mr. Lewis?"
Gabriel Lewis turned in the doorway to look back at Doctor Louise Purcell. For the first time since they had met, he could see genuine fear in her eyes.
"Yes?" he responded.
The woman's face was deathly pale. "You will be sure to tell her I did my best, won't you?"
"Of course, Doctor." Gabriel turned and walked out of the room.
***
The woman leaned back in her chair, stretching her long legs across the corner of her desk. She held the phone to her ear as she stared at her computer screen.
"My plane leaves in two hours" she spoke, softly.
"Wonderful…just in time for lunch", the caller replied.
The voice drifting through the phone caused a slight shiver to run down her spine. It had been too long since they had seen each other. She was looking forward to making up for lost time.
"What did you have in mind?" she asked.
"I thought we might order in."
She smiled. "You have an insatiable appetite, Albert."
"Thanks to you, my dear" Wesker replied. "Did you see the photo?"
The woman leaned forward in her chair and focused her ice blue eyes on the computer screen. "Yes. I can hardly believe it. I never thought she would turn up so quickly."
"Well, I suppose we have Leon Kennedy to thank for that", Wesker commented. "They appear to be connected through the Berkin's daughter, although I don't know how that came to be. But, it doesn't really matter now, does it?"
"No, it doesn't", she agreed. "So long as I can get my hands on Claire Redfield, I don't care who else might be in the way. She will be held accountable for what she did."
"I love it when you're ruthless."
"I want her to pay."
"Don't worry, love. We'll make them all pay."
There was a knock at the door.
"I have to go, Albert" she said.
"I'll see you soon", he replied.
She said a quick goodbye and hung up the phone. "Come in", she called out.
The door opened to reveal Gabriel Lewis.
"May I have a word with you?" he asked.
The woman nodded. "Certainly. Although I gather from the expression on your face that this isn't good news."
"No, it isn't" he admitted. "In fact, it's very bad."
The woman's gaze was like stone. "Close the door."
"Yes, Miss Ashford."
***
I know what you're thinking. You'll just have to wait for the explanation until the next chapter…or the chapter after that. Anyway, I know this one was a bit disjointed, but I needed to bring a few more people into the mix. And, hey, can't Claire and Chris have a little fun? Well, Claire anyway. Sorry this chapter took so long. Life has been very hectic, lately. Someone suggested that I should get a beta reader. I'm willing to try anything once so if anyone is interested, please send me an email. Later, folks.