Sacrifices
Chapter 16: Two's Company
"Could you point that thing somewhere else?" Leon asked, staring at the business end of a rather ominous looking Luger. The man he spoke to continued to ignore him.
"When is someone gonna tell us what the hell is going on here?" Carlos raged. "We've been sitting in this fucking room for an hour, already!" He could barely sit still. The only thing keeping him in his seat was the small group of security guards standing over him. He cast an irritated look at his companion. "This is some outfit you work for, Kennedy."
Leon regarded the young Hispanic with a bored expression. "Yeah...but they have a great 401k plan."
Carlos shot him a dark look. "Is that supposed to be funny?"
Leon shrugged. "I guess not." He stretched his long legs and crossed them at the ankle. "Look, Carlos, just try to relax. I'm sure whatever the problem is, we'll find out soon enough."
"Not soon enough for me."
Leon crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the wall, making a mental note to lay off the wisecracks until he and Carlos got out of their predicament. It was obvious the man didn't appreciate his sense of humor. Not too many people did.
Except Claire and Sherry.
Thinking of them brought a smile to Leon's face. He hoped they were both okay. Unfortunately, he and Carlos hadn't gone out alone, and the only chance he had to call Claire was from the lobby of a hotel. Wallace had given him a letter to drop off, so he went in by himself while the rest of the group waited in the car. She hadn't answered her cell phone. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't let that bother him, but things were hardly normal these days.
The assignment Wallace had given him had been pretty straightforward. He and Carlos were supposed to retrieve some computer discs from an Umbrella lab near Arcadia, and then leave a few strategically placed explosive devices to put them out of commission for a while.
He had done similar jobs before, so he knew the routine. One of the employees at the plant was paid a large sum of money to give HCF all the information it needed to gain access. He and Carlos had practically waltzed right in and taken what they came for, then proceeded to level the place with some C4 explosives. Leon was surprised to discover that Carlos had an extensive working knowledge of such devices, and took great pleasure in setting them off, as well.
Of course, that wasn't so surprising, considering it was Umbrella they were trying to maim. He knew Carlos hated them as much as he did. Apparently, Wallace knew it, too. It was obvious the man was trying to recruit Carlos. But, after the way they were treated upon their return, it was unlikely the former mercenary would want to have anything to do with them.
The first sign of trouble was the group of armed security guards they saw swarming the area around the building when they returned. The warehouse appeared to be completely locked down, giving Leon a feeling of unease. He had only seen it this way once before, when an Umbrella spy had been discovered on the grounds. Although the man had been spotted, he managed to get away. At the time, Leon couldn't decide if that had been a good thing or a bad thing. He certainly didn't want Umbrella getting any information about them, but he also knew that HCF was already operating way outside of the law, and he didn't want to add murder to the list of offenses. Despite everything, he still had a conscience.
When the two men approached the building, some armed guards intercepted them and escorted them inside. Of course, Carlos had protested rather loudly. Leon had asked a few questions, but no one would provide an explanation as to what was going on. The two men were instructed to sit quietly until someone had the chance to speak with them. That had been over an hour ago, and Leon had to admit that he was beginning to lose his patience, although not to the degree that Carlos had.
"Fuck this, man! I have had it!" Carlos jumped up from his chair and started toward one of the guards. The man took a step back and pointed his gun at Carlos' chest.
"Sit down," he warned.
"Fuck you, asshole."
Leon jumped up and grabbed Carlos by the arm. "Don't be stupid."
Carlos yanked his arm away and continued to glare at the guard. "If someone doesn't tell me what's going on here, right now, I'm gonna--" The door being pushed open interrupted Carlos as both men turned to see a figure standing in the doorway.
"I'll tell you what's going on here, Mr. Oliveira," Albert Wesker answered, staring at them with a grave expression. "There's been a double murder."
***
"Why didn't she leave a note?"
Jill looked on, wearily, as Chris continued to pace the distance of the small suite. "We probably just missed her...Oww!"
Rebecca glanced up at her. "Sorry."
"It's not like her," Chris insisted, as he stopped and bent down to look over Rebecca's shoulder. "You should stitch that."
The young medic sighed, heavily, as she lifted Jill's foot a little higher. "I am...now, stop hovering, will you?" She looked up at Jill and rolled her eyes. "I never pegged you as a mother hen, Chris."
Chris felt his face flush a bit as he straightened up and resumed his pacing. He decided to switch back to his original subject. "I tried her phone and there was no answer. With everything going on today it doesn't make sense that she and Sherry would just go out without letting us know."
"Maybe they just went for a walk," Barry suggested.
Dick stood up and stretched his arms over his head. "Jill, you should eat something."
"I'm okay, Dad." Jill flinched again as Rebecca applied pressure to the gash on her foot. She didn't even remember doing it, but assumed it happened during her flight from the warehouse. "Jesus, taping my ribs didn't even hurt this much."
"You cut into a muscle," Rebecca explained as she reached for a needle. "Unfortunately, the pain will get worse when I start to stitch it up." She gave her friend an apologetic look. "I'm a little reluctant to give you any pain medication since we don't know what kind of drugs might still be in your system."
Jill bent over to peer closely at her injury. "That's okay. Truthfully, I'd prefer to stay sharp." She winced as Rebecca dabbed at the wound with a gauze pad.
"Antiseptic," the brunette informed her.
"I could use a drink," Dick announced as he headed toward the kitchenette. He rounded the corner and stepped behind the counter as he reached for a glass from the dish strainer. He leaned down to grab the small whiskey bottle he had left behind the night before when something on the floor caught his eye.
A gun.
Dick froze for a moment. He couldn't recall what type of gun Claire had been carrying. Even so, he knew it must be hers. He picked it up and walked back into the living room.
"Chris."
Chris turned at the sound of his name. He gave Dick a questioning look, until he saw what the man was holding in his hand. His eyes widened as he stepped forward and took it from the other man's grasp.
"Where did you get this?" he asked.
His odd tone made Jill pick her head up. She could see him holding a handgun. From the expression on his face, she knew immediately whose it was.
"I found it on the floor behind the counter," Dick answered softly. "Is it Claire's?"
Chris nodded, slowly, as his chest tightened with a feeling of dread. He stood in complete silence for a moment, trying to fight down the panic that was beginning to rise up from his gut. The voice in his head was already screaming at him.
She's in trouble!
He finally tore his gaze from the object in his hand and looked over at Jill. "Somebody must have been here."
The group exchanged troubled glances as Chris tucked the gun in his belt. "I'll be back."
Barry stepped forward. "Where are you going?"
"Down to the front desk." He opened the door and disappeared down the hall.
Jill cursed as she tried to get up and felt Rebecca's hand pressing down on her leg. "Barry, go with him," she pleaded.
Barry nodded and headed out to follow his friend. He spotted Chris knelt down in the hallway near the door to the stairs. He had something clutched, tightly, in his hand.
"What is it, Chris?"
"This was on the floor," he responded as he got to his feet. He held his hand out to reveal a small piece of paper.
Barry took it from him and read it aloud. "You shouldn't have left Sherry alone." He stared at it intently. "What the hell does this mean?"
Chris pushed the door open and took off down the stairway as fast as he could. He heard Barry shout something, but ignored him. He reached the lobby floor and shoved the door with such force it nearly came off its hinges. Several people waiting by the elevator stared in shock as he bolted passed them and headed toward the main lobby.
The woman at the front desk looked up from her computer when she heard the door slam. She spotted the man coming toward her at a fast pace, recognizing him in an instant, having helped him check in the previous day. He had been traveling with another woman, who she assumed was his wife. But, after noticing the resemblance, she decided they must have been brother and sister. They also had a young girl with them, but both seemed too young to be her parent. She remembered trying to flirt with him. She also remembered being rebuffed...but, in a nice way. As the man approached, she could see the grim expression on his face. Instead of looking handsome as he had yesterday, she thought he suddenly looked dangerous.
"Can I help you?" Renee asked.
"Did anyone leave a message for me...Dan Richards?" Chris asked.
"No, I'm sorry. I don't have anymore messages for you."
Chris started to turn away from her and stopped. "Did you say `anymore'?"
"Yes. I just had the one for your...ah, for Diane Richards."
Chris felt his heartbeat quicken. "When was this?"
"Earlier this afternoon. She came down and picked it up." She could see the worried expression on his face. "Why? Is there a problem?"
"Do you know who left it?" he questioned. Renee hesitated, looking past Chris. He looked over his shoulder to find Barry standing behind him. He turned back to her, seeing the reluctance on her face. "Please. It's very important."
The last thing Renee wanted was to get into the middle of some kind of domestic squabble. "Well...I'm not going to get anyone in trouble here, am I?"
Chris shook his head, emphatically. "No. In fact, you could be getting someone out of trouble."
The woman reached down behind the counter. "The other person working the desk left a note on it for me." Her hand emerged with a yellow post-it note. "It was from an `L. Kennedy." She handed the paper to Chris.
He stared at it for a moment. "Was he the person that dropped it off?"
Renee shrugged. "I assume so."
"Did you see him?" Chris persisted.
"No. I wasn't here at the time."
"Who was?" Barry asked, impatiently.
Renee directed her answer to Chris. "Alice, and before you ask," she interjected, pointing at the concierge desk, "...she's over there." Both men turned and saw the person she pointed to standing behind another counter across the lobby.
"Thanks," Chris offered, as he and Barry headed toward the other woman. She was busy talking to another employee when Chris interrupted. "Are you Alice?"
The older woman glanced at him. "I'll be with you in a moment." She continued her conversation.
"This is an emergency lady!" Barry barked.
She shot him an annoyed look. "What can I do for you?"
Chris stepped forward to get her attention. "There was an envelope dropped off for my sister earlier today and the woman over there said you saw the person who left it."
The woman narrowed her eyes. "What's her name?"
"Diane Richards."
"Mmm...yes, but I don't recall the name of the person who dropped it off," Alice responded, furrowing her brow. "I recall jotting it down on a note, though."
"Can you tell me what he looked like?"
"He was reasonably tall...maybe six feet, brown hair, mid to late twenties, I'd say."
"And the name he gave was Leon Kennedy?" Chris asked, already knowing the answer.
She gave an affirmative nod. "Kennedy. Yes, that was it."
"What did he say when he dropped it off?" Barry inquired.
"Not a lot...just that he wanted to leave it for her." She hesitated, as if trying to recall something else. "Oh, and we were to wait an hour before we notified her."
Chris' expression was grim. "Did he say why?"
"No, and I didn't ask." She made a point of looking at her watch. "Is there anything else?"
"Was there anyone with him?" Barry questioned.
"No. Now if you'll excuse me." She didn't bother waiting for them to respond before she turned her back on them and resumed her discussion.
Barry saw the look on the other man's face. "Chris, you know Leon would never hurt Claire. Or Sherry, for that matter."
"Then, explain this to me."
Barry sighed, loudly. "I can't."
***
The first thing Sherry was aware of was that she had a terrible headache. The second thing was the persistent shaking of her shoulder.
"Quit it, Claire," she mumbled.
"I'm not Claire," came the response.
Sherry opened her eyes. A wave of nausea struck her as she lifted her head. Instinctively, she rolled over before spilling the contents of her stomach onto the floor.
"Aww, gross!"
Sherry wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her shirt and lay back again. She finally noticed an unfamiliar face floating above her.
A little kid?
A memory was beginning to surface as she realized she was no longer in her hotel room. There had been a knock at the door right after Claire headed down to the lobby. Sherry had assumed her friend had forgotten her key, so she opened the door without asking who it was first. Leon had told her a million times not to do such a thing, but she just hadn't been thinking. As she swung the door open, a woman she had never seen before stepped in and grabbed her, putting something over her mouth. That was the last thing she could remember.
"Are you sick?"
Sherry sat up, slowly, putting a hand to her head. "No." Getting up only made her head hurt more. "Where am I?"
"In my room."
"Huh?" She focused her gaze on the other person. The child standing in front of her was at least several years younger than her. "Who are you?"
The girl began twirling a piece of long, black hair between her fingers. "My turn to ask a question." Her green eyes stared at Sherry with a look of mistrust. "Who're you?"
"My name's Sherry." The pounding in her head was beginning to subside as she began to take in her surroundings. It appeared the girl was telling the truth. The room she was in looked just like a little girl's bedroom, right down to the canopy over the bed she now found herself in. "How did I get here?"
The child shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno."
"Well, did you see who brought me in?" Sherry asked with an exasperated tone.
"Some guy," she answered, vaguely. "I've seen him in the lab before, but I don't know his name."
Sherry paled. "Lab?"
The girl nodded. "Yeah. I don't think he's a doctor, though." She walked over to a desk in the corner and sat down.
Hearing the words `lab' and `doctor' was all the motivation Sherry needed to get moving. Ignoring her pounding headache, she stood up on wobbly legs and walked over to the only door she could see. She grabbed the knob and turned.
It was locked.
She examined it closely. There was no keyhole, which meant that it was locked from the outside. What kind of place was this? A child being kept locked up in a cozy little bedroom, complete with dolls and books, while outside lurked labs and doctors? Where the hell was she? Then, the thought struck her like a thunderbolt.
Umbrella.
Sherry could feel the terror swelling within her. She began shouting frantically as she pulled on the doorknob. "Let me out! Do you hear me? Let me out of here!" Another thought hit her. "Claire? Claire, where are you?" She began pounding the door with her fist as she continued to yell as loud as she could. After several minutes, her voice grew hoarse and the tears began to fall. She finally turned and slumped against the door, sliding to the floor with a sob.
She sat there crying, softly, as she wondered what would happen to her. Would she become some kind of lab experiment? Maybe they already did something to her and she would turn into some kind of monster at any minute. Did anyone know where she was? What about Claire? She had only gone down to the lobby for a minute. Had she been taken before Claire had a chance to return? Or, maybe Claire walked in while it was happening. What if Umbrella had them both? What if Claire was...?
Stop it, Sherry!
No. There was no way she would allow herself to believe that Claire was dead, not after everything they had been through together. Claire was too smart. Even when she was captured in Paris, it had taken a swarm of Umbrella's goons to get her. And that was smack dab in the middle of their own headquarters. Although she had no idea who the woman was that had grabbed her, Sherry was certain that Claire could outsmart her, no matter how many people she brought with her.
Just thinking about Claire gave her a sense of hope. She knew her friend would come for her. She just had to wait. She could do that. She had done it before.
`Sweetie, I think it would be safest if I went and looked around first, and you stayed here-`
`But, you said we should stay together! You said we could find a car and leave! What if the monster comes back and you're not here, or you get killed?'
`I don't blame you for being scared. I'm scared, too. This is a bad situation--and, honestly, I don't know what's going to happen. But, I want to do the right thing by you, and that means that I'm not going to take you into a situation where you could get hurt, not if I can help it.'
`But I want to come with you...what if you don't come back?'
`I'm going to come back. I promise.'*
Claire had made good on her promise in that darkened hallway. Sherry would never forget that moment when she looked down the elevator shaft, only to see Claire looking up at her with a smile on her face. Many people had made promises to her in her life. None of them had kept them.
Except Claire.
Right now, she needed to hold onto that memory. Thinking of her friend made her feel stronger, somehow. During their time in Raccoon, she had promised Claire that she would be strong. Now, it was time for her to keep a promise.
"Are you done?"
Sherry picked her head up, having all but forgotten she wasn't alone. She wiped her face with her sleeve and stood up. "Yeah, I'm done."
"It doesn't make them come, ya know." The girl didn't look at Sherry as she spoke. Her eyes were focused on a coloring book, while her hands fumbled with a box of crayons. "They only come when they need to do tests."
Sherry could feel the knot in her stomach begin to tighten. "Who's `they'?"
The girl finally looked up at Sherry. "The doctors, silly."
"Doesn't anyone else ever come to see you?" Sherry questioned.
The girl frowned. "My mom...but, she didn't come today." She turned her attention back to the coloring book.
Sherry felt a surge of compassion for the child. She knew what it was like to have a mother who didn't have time for you. "Maybe she just got busy, or something."
"Maybe..."
Sherry suddenly had a thought. "Hey, what's your name?"
The child lifted her head and smiled for the first time.
"Christina."
***
Oh, come on! We all knew Wesker was still kickin', right? Anyway, the next chapter should be up soon. So, Christina, it's official. You are now a literary character. Well, sort of...Later, folks.
* I `quoted' this dialogue from the S.D. Perry novel, Resident Evil: City of the Dead. Please don't sue me. I don't have anything of value other than my computer (and trust me, you wouldn't want it...it's very temperamental. Just like its owner).
Chapter 16: Two's Company
"Could you point that thing somewhere else?" Leon asked, staring at the business end of a rather ominous looking Luger. The man he spoke to continued to ignore him.
"When is someone gonna tell us what the hell is going on here?" Carlos raged. "We've been sitting in this fucking room for an hour, already!" He could barely sit still. The only thing keeping him in his seat was the small group of security guards standing over him. He cast an irritated look at his companion. "This is some outfit you work for, Kennedy."
Leon regarded the young Hispanic with a bored expression. "Yeah...but they have a great 401k plan."
Carlos shot him a dark look. "Is that supposed to be funny?"
Leon shrugged. "I guess not." He stretched his long legs and crossed them at the ankle. "Look, Carlos, just try to relax. I'm sure whatever the problem is, we'll find out soon enough."
"Not soon enough for me."
Leon crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the wall, making a mental note to lay off the wisecracks until he and Carlos got out of their predicament. It was obvious the man didn't appreciate his sense of humor. Not too many people did.
Except Claire and Sherry.
Thinking of them brought a smile to Leon's face. He hoped they were both okay. Unfortunately, he and Carlos hadn't gone out alone, and the only chance he had to call Claire was from the lobby of a hotel. Wallace had given him a letter to drop off, so he went in by himself while the rest of the group waited in the car. She hadn't answered her cell phone. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't let that bother him, but things were hardly normal these days.
The assignment Wallace had given him had been pretty straightforward. He and Carlos were supposed to retrieve some computer discs from an Umbrella lab near Arcadia, and then leave a few strategically placed explosive devices to put them out of commission for a while.
He had done similar jobs before, so he knew the routine. One of the employees at the plant was paid a large sum of money to give HCF all the information it needed to gain access. He and Carlos had practically waltzed right in and taken what they came for, then proceeded to level the place with some C4 explosives. Leon was surprised to discover that Carlos had an extensive working knowledge of such devices, and took great pleasure in setting them off, as well.
Of course, that wasn't so surprising, considering it was Umbrella they were trying to maim. He knew Carlos hated them as much as he did. Apparently, Wallace knew it, too. It was obvious the man was trying to recruit Carlos. But, after the way they were treated upon their return, it was unlikely the former mercenary would want to have anything to do with them.
The first sign of trouble was the group of armed security guards they saw swarming the area around the building when they returned. The warehouse appeared to be completely locked down, giving Leon a feeling of unease. He had only seen it this way once before, when an Umbrella spy had been discovered on the grounds. Although the man had been spotted, he managed to get away. At the time, Leon couldn't decide if that had been a good thing or a bad thing. He certainly didn't want Umbrella getting any information about them, but he also knew that HCF was already operating way outside of the law, and he didn't want to add murder to the list of offenses. Despite everything, he still had a conscience.
When the two men approached the building, some armed guards intercepted them and escorted them inside. Of course, Carlos had protested rather loudly. Leon had asked a few questions, but no one would provide an explanation as to what was going on. The two men were instructed to sit quietly until someone had the chance to speak with them. That had been over an hour ago, and Leon had to admit that he was beginning to lose his patience, although not to the degree that Carlos had.
"Fuck this, man! I have had it!" Carlos jumped up from his chair and started toward one of the guards. The man took a step back and pointed his gun at Carlos' chest.
"Sit down," he warned.
"Fuck you, asshole."
Leon jumped up and grabbed Carlos by the arm. "Don't be stupid."
Carlos yanked his arm away and continued to glare at the guard. "If someone doesn't tell me what's going on here, right now, I'm gonna--" The door being pushed open interrupted Carlos as both men turned to see a figure standing in the doorway.
"I'll tell you what's going on here, Mr. Oliveira," Albert Wesker answered, staring at them with a grave expression. "There's been a double murder."
***
"Why didn't she leave a note?"
Jill looked on, wearily, as Chris continued to pace the distance of the small suite. "We probably just missed her...Oww!"
Rebecca glanced up at her. "Sorry."
"It's not like her," Chris insisted, as he stopped and bent down to look over Rebecca's shoulder. "You should stitch that."
The young medic sighed, heavily, as she lifted Jill's foot a little higher. "I am...now, stop hovering, will you?" She looked up at Jill and rolled her eyes. "I never pegged you as a mother hen, Chris."
Chris felt his face flush a bit as he straightened up and resumed his pacing. He decided to switch back to his original subject. "I tried her phone and there was no answer. With everything going on today it doesn't make sense that she and Sherry would just go out without letting us know."
"Maybe they just went for a walk," Barry suggested.
Dick stood up and stretched his arms over his head. "Jill, you should eat something."
"I'm okay, Dad." Jill flinched again as Rebecca applied pressure to the gash on her foot. She didn't even remember doing it, but assumed it happened during her flight from the warehouse. "Jesus, taping my ribs didn't even hurt this much."
"You cut into a muscle," Rebecca explained as she reached for a needle. "Unfortunately, the pain will get worse when I start to stitch it up." She gave her friend an apologetic look. "I'm a little reluctant to give you any pain medication since we don't know what kind of drugs might still be in your system."
Jill bent over to peer closely at her injury. "That's okay. Truthfully, I'd prefer to stay sharp." She winced as Rebecca dabbed at the wound with a gauze pad.
"Antiseptic," the brunette informed her.
"I could use a drink," Dick announced as he headed toward the kitchenette. He rounded the corner and stepped behind the counter as he reached for a glass from the dish strainer. He leaned down to grab the small whiskey bottle he had left behind the night before when something on the floor caught his eye.
A gun.
Dick froze for a moment. He couldn't recall what type of gun Claire had been carrying. Even so, he knew it must be hers. He picked it up and walked back into the living room.
"Chris."
Chris turned at the sound of his name. He gave Dick a questioning look, until he saw what the man was holding in his hand. His eyes widened as he stepped forward and took it from the other man's grasp.
"Where did you get this?" he asked.
His odd tone made Jill pick her head up. She could see him holding a handgun. From the expression on his face, she knew immediately whose it was.
"I found it on the floor behind the counter," Dick answered softly. "Is it Claire's?"
Chris nodded, slowly, as his chest tightened with a feeling of dread. He stood in complete silence for a moment, trying to fight down the panic that was beginning to rise up from his gut. The voice in his head was already screaming at him.
She's in trouble!
He finally tore his gaze from the object in his hand and looked over at Jill. "Somebody must have been here."
The group exchanged troubled glances as Chris tucked the gun in his belt. "I'll be back."
Barry stepped forward. "Where are you going?"
"Down to the front desk." He opened the door and disappeared down the hall.
Jill cursed as she tried to get up and felt Rebecca's hand pressing down on her leg. "Barry, go with him," she pleaded.
Barry nodded and headed out to follow his friend. He spotted Chris knelt down in the hallway near the door to the stairs. He had something clutched, tightly, in his hand.
"What is it, Chris?"
"This was on the floor," he responded as he got to his feet. He held his hand out to reveal a small piece of paper.
Barry took it from him and read it aloud. "You shouldn't have left Sherry alone." He stared at it intently. "What the hell does this mean?"
Chris pushed the door open and took off down the stairway as fast as he could. He heard Barry shout something, but ignored him. He reached the lobby floor and shoved the door with such force it nearly came off its hinges. Several people waiting by the elevator stared in shock as he bolted passed them and headed toward the main lobby.
The woman at the front desk looked up from her computer when she heard the door slam. She spotted the man coming toward her at a fast pace, recognizing him in an instant, having helped him check in the previous day. He had been traveling with another woman, who she assumed was his wife. But, after noticing the resemblance, she decided they must have been brother and sister. They also had a young girl with them, but both seemed too young to be her parent. She remembered trying to flirt with him. She also remembered being rebuffed...but, in a nice way. As the man approached, she could see the grim expression on his face. Instead of looking handsome as he had yesterday, she thought he suddenly looked dangerous.
"Can I help you?" Renee asked.
"Did anyone leave a message for me...Dan Richards?" Chris asked.
"No, I'm sorry. I don't have anymore messages for you."
Chris started to turn away from her and stopped. "Did you say `anymore'?"
"Yes. I just had the one for your...ah, for Diane Richards."
Chris felt his heartbeat quicken. "When was this?"
"Earlier this afternoon. She came down and picked it up." She could see the worried expression on his face. "Why? Is there a problem?"
"Do you know who left it?" he questioned. Renee hesitated, looking past Chris. He looked over his shoulder to find Barry standing behind him. He turned back to her, seeing the reluctance on her face. "Please. It's very important."
The last thing Renee wanted was to get into the middle of some kind of domestic squabble. "Well...I'm not going to get anyone in trouble here, am I?"
Chris shook his head, emphatically. "No. In fact, you could be getting someone out of trouble."
The woman reached down behind the counter. "The other person working the desk left a note on it for me." Her hand emerged with a yellow post-it note. "It was from an `L. Kennedy." She handed the paper to Chris.
He stared at it for a moment. "Was he the person that dropped it off?"
Renee shrugged. "I assume so."
"Did you see him?" Chris persisted.
"No. I wasn't here at the time."
"Who was?" Barry asked, impatiently.
Renee directed her answer to Chris. "Alice, and before you ask," she interjected, pointing at the concierge desk, "...she's over there." Both men turned and saw the person she pointed to standing behind another counter across the lobby.
"Thanks," Chris offered, as he and Barry headed toward the other woman. She was busy talking to another employee when Chris interrupted. "Are you Alice?"
The older woman glanced at him. "I'll be with you in a moment." She continued her conversation.
"This is an emergency lady!" Barry barked.
She shot him an annoyed look. "What can I do for you?"
Chris stepped forward to get her attention. "There was an envelope dropped off for my sister earlier today and the woman over there said you saw the person who left it."
The woman narrowed her eyes. "What's her name?"
"Diane Richards."
"Mmm...yes, but I don't recall the name of the person who dropped it off," Alice responded, furrowing her brow. "I recall jotting it down on a note, though."
"Can you tell me what he looked like?"
"He was reasonably tall...maybe six feet, brown hair, mid to late twenties, I'd say."
"And the name he gave was Leon Kennedy?" Chris asked, already knowing the answer.
She gave an affirmative nod. "Kennedy. Yes, that was it."
"What did he say when he dropped it off?" Barry inquired.
"Not a lot...just that he wanted to leave it for her." She hesitated, as if trying to recall something else. "Oh, and we were to wait an hour before we notified her."
Chris' expression was grim. "Did he say why?"
"No, and I didn't ask." She made a point of looking at her watch. "Is there anything else?"
"Was there anyone with him?" Barry questioned.
"No. Now if you'll excuse me." She didn't bother waiting for them to respond before she turned her back on them and resumed her discussion.
Barry saw the look on the other man's face. "Chris, you know Leon would never hurt Claire. Or Sherry, for that matter."
"Then, explain this to me."
Barry sighed, loudly. "I can't."
***
The first thing Sherry was aware of was that she had a terrible headache. The second thing was the persistent shaking of her shoulder.
"Quit it, Claire," she mumbled.
"I'm not Claire," came the response.
Sherry opened her eyes. A wave of nausea struck her as she lifted her head. Instinctively, she rolled over before spilling the contents of her stomach onto the floor.
"Aww, gross!"
Sherry wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her shirt and lay back again. She finally noticed an unfamiliar face floating above her.
A little kid?
A memory was beginning to surface as she realized she was no longer in her hotel room. There had been a knock at the door right after Claire headed down to the lobby. Sherry had assumed her friend had forgotten her key, so she opened the door without asking who it was first. Leon had told her a million times not to do such a thing, but she just hadn't been thinking. As she swung the door open, a woman she had never seen before stepped in and grabbed her, putting something over her mouth. That was the last thing she could remember.
"Are you sick?"
Sherry sat up, slowly, putting a hand to her head. "No." Getting up only made her head hurt more. "Where am I?"
"In my room."
"Huh?" She focused her gaze on the other person. The child standing in front of her was at least several years younger than her. "Who are you?"
The girl began twirling a piece of long, black hair between her fingers. "My turn to ask a question." Her green eyes stared at Sherry with a look of mistrust. "Who're you?"
"My name's Sherry." The pounding in her head was beginning to subside as she began to take in her surroundings. It appeared the girl was telling the truth. The room she was in looked just like a little girl's bedroom, right down to the canopy over the bed she now found herself in. "How did I get here?"
The child shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno."
"Well, did you see who brought me in?" Sherry asked with an exasperated tone.
"Some guy," she answered, vaguely. "I've seen him in the lab before, but I don't know his name."
Sherry paled. "Lab?"
The girl nodded. "Yeah. I don't think he's a doctor, though." She walked over to a desk in the corner and sat down.
Hearing the words `lab' and `doctor' was all the motivation Sherry needed to get moving. Ignoring her pounding headache, she stood up on wobbly legs and walked over to the only door she could see. She grabbed the knob and turned.
It was locked.
She examined it closely. There was no keyhole, which meant that it was locked from the outside. What kind of place was this? A child being kept locked up in a cozy little bedroom, complete with dolls and books, while outside lurked labs and doctors? Where the hell was she? Then, the thought struck her like a thunderbolt.
Umbrella.
Sherry could feel the terror swelling within her. She began shouting frantically as she pulled on the doorknob. "Let me out! Do you hear me? Let me out of here!" Another thought hit her. "Claire? Claire, where are you?" She began pounding the door with her fist as she continued to yell as loud as she could. After several minutes, her voice grew hoarse and the tears began to fall. She finally turned and slumped against the door, sliding to the floor with a sob.
She sat there crying, softly, as she wondered what would happen to her. Would she become some kind of lab experiment? Maybe they already did something to her and she would turn into some kind of monster at any minute. Did anyone know where she was? What about Claire? She had only gone down to the lobby for a minute. Had she been taken before Claire had a chance to return? Or, maybe Claire walked in while it was happening. What if Umbrella had them both? What if Claire was...?
Stop it, Sherry!
No. There was no way she would allow herself to believe that Claire was dead, not after everything they had been through together. Claire was too smart. Even when she was captured in Paris, it had taken a swarm of Umbrella's goons to get her. And that was smack dab in the middle of their own headquarters. Although she had no idea who the woman was that had grabbed her, Sherry was certain that Claire could outsmart her, no matter how many people she brought with her.
Just thinking about Claire gave her a sense of hope. She knew her friend would come for her. She just had to wait. She could do that. She had done it before.
`Sweetie, I think it would be safest if I went and looked around first, and you stayed here-`
`But, you said we should stay together! You said we could find a car and leave! What if the monster comes back and you're not here, or you get killed?'
`I don't blame you for being scared. I'm scared, too. This is a bad situation--and, honestly, I don't know what's going to happen. But, I want to do the right thing by you, and that means that I'm not going to take you into a situation where you could get hurt, not if I can help it.'
`But I want to come with you...what if you don't come back?'
`I'm going to come back. I promise.'*
Claire had made good on her promise in that darkened hallway. Sherry would never forget that moment when she looked down the elevator shaft, only to see Claire looking up at her with a smile on her face. Many people had made promises to her in her life. None of them had kept them.
Except Claire.
Right now, she needed to hold onto that memory. Thinking of her friend made her feel stronger, somehow. During their time in Raccoon, she had promised Claire that she would be strong. Now, it was time for her to keep a promise.
"Are you done?"
Sherry picked her head up, having all but forgotten she wasn't alone. She wiped her face with her sleeve and stood up. "Yeah, I'm done."
"It doesn't make them come, ya know." The girl didn't look at Sherry as she spoke. Her eyes were focused on a coloring book, while her hands fumbled with a box of crayons. "They only come when they need to do tests."
Sherry could feel the knot in her stomach begin to tighten. "Who's `they'?"
The girl finally looked up at Sherry. "The doctors, silly."
"Doesn't anyone else ever come to see you?" Sherry questioned.
The girl frowned. "My mom...but, she didn't come today." She turned her attention back to the coloring book.
Sherry felt a surge of compassion for the child. She knew what it was like to have a mother who didn't have time for you. "Maybe she just got busy, or something."
"Maybe..."
Sherry suddenly had a thought. "Hey, what's your name?"
The child lifted her head and smiled for the first time.
"Christina."
***
Oh, come on! We all knew Wesker was still kickin', right? Anyway, the next chapter should be up soon. So, Christina, it's official. You are now a literary character. Well, sort of...Later, folks.
* I `quoted' this dialogue from the S.D. Perry novel, Resident Evil: City of the Dead. Please don't sue me. I don't have anything of value other than my computer (and trust me, you wouldn't want it...it's very temperamental. Just like its owner).