Collide
AidanPryde001: Thanks for the review and I'm glad it's been keeping you interested. Hope you enjoy this chapter.
ShadesOfBlood: Thank-you for the review and hope you enjoy this chapter.
RedLei: Thanks for the review, hope you enjoy this chapter.
KhasKlwn: Thanks for reviewing, I hope you like this chapter.
By the way, when Wesker had called Stark, Nina and Spencer to do this deeds, that was a different time-frame compared to our heroines. And the whole Slit, Rae, Styne scene was on a different time-frame. But all those conspiracy scenes were earlier compared to our Heroine's scenes. Next time I'll add it in the stories. Anyway leave a review and enjoy.
Chapter 15: And Then It s t o p s
(Present time)
"Oh, sorry" He apologized and bent down to pick up a fallen package of six crimson apples. Before handing it to her, Linden Lafayette made sure to make eye contact with her beautiful hues. He shone his famous smile, pearly whites catching her eyes in lust.
"It's all right" Claire Redfield smiled and took the groceries he handed to her. She examined his cart, practically empty save bananas and blueberries, French bread, Chips Ahoy! Cookies, Fruit roll ups and a meaty package of Steak.
They walked away from each other, smiles covering both faces.
Claire rested her head against the window, feeling vibrations; music from the radio, Drive by Funeral for a Friend, floated toward her tired ears. She wore a face of a porcelain doll, a doll lacking expression. Jill observed the girl; sympathetically, Leon shared glances but kept his eyes toward the road. And Ada just remained the same.
"Well, hi again" Linden said and parked his cart beside his old BMW. Claire smiled unpacking groceries into her rusted Honda which embarrassed her a bit compared to Linden's car. A Volkswagen rested between theirs.
She smiled toward him and surprisingly He spoke once more "By the way, I'm Linden Lafayette" Flirting, she smiled.
"Claire Redfield"
"Nice meeting you Claire" He spoke.
And from there, they kept talking. He didn't ask for her phone number though, he handed his to her and both left. To Claire, this was too good? She meets a handsome, charming man at the supermarket. This had to be heaven-sent? He was a gentleman and something about him captivated her. She looked over the phone number….555-8977.
She had been searching for The One since birth, and maybe she had found that One in Steven Burnside and lost him. But here, comes this perfect gentleman ready to sweep her off her feet, or maybe he had.
She could feel tears emerging, and tried her best to keep them under restrain.
After two weeks, she called him because Claire Redfield's mind was doing spins and circles; it was under arrest by that name –Linden Lafayette.
She bit her upper lip and closed tired eyes, hoping maybe even for a second this pain would disappear.
"Toast to Supermarkets, right" he laughed held up a glass of iced Pepsi to her glass of Ice Tea. She laughed as well. It was a casual restaurant but there was a spark in his eyes which weren't as casual.
She though back to every moment, it was so obvious –his deception, his lies.
"Okay mercy, you win" Claire laughed, being pinned down on the floor –tickled. He grinned like a fugitive and lay above her.
"So what's my prize?" He asked. She smiled and pulled him closer, on the floor of her apartment and locked in a kiss.
Years of lies, she thought. A solitary tear came rolling down her cheek. She wasn't renown of crying, weakness.
He bent on one knee and held out a sparkling diamond ring. She appeared like a Goddess in her gown. It was a posh restaurant celebrating their anniversary.
Yes, she rewound the moment. Will you marry me? He asked. Yes, she answered.
Every moment was fast forwarded and rewound –paused and repeated. Then it stops.
0000
The H3 drove on behind a few cars and in front of those few cars was the Jaguar.
"Let's finish them off easy" Linden told his younger brother.
How can you say that Li? You were engaged; she loved you for years "Okay" Irvine answered. Your selfish Li….
------
Ada glanced at the rear-view mirror and caught glance of the hummer driving suspiciously fast. "That them?" She asked Claire.
Claire looked back and nodded, tears rolling down reluctantly.
-------
"Get the sniper" Linden ordered and Irvine followed, unzipping a rather heavy army bag.
-------
"Claire, you okay?" Jill asked.
Claire appeared dazed and gave no response.
"Let's lose them" Leon suggested, fighting was no use when all they had were minor weapons compared to Irvine and Linden.
------
"Use the sniper and hand me the berretta" Linden ordered, spinning the steering wheel right and speeding up. Irvine nodded, pressed the button and the window slid down letting in an onslaught of wind. He rummaged through another army bag and tossed his older brother the fine berretta.
------
Claire's heart beat rapidly; it felt as if it was ballooning up to her throat. Leon turned around in his seat, examining the brunette fighting back tears. This man she trusted, this man she loved had betrayed her –everything was a lie. He reached out and wiped the tears rolling down; Claire took his hand and held onto it weakly.
Ada observed the scene with her smooth façade. It was a strained scene which caused fire to rush throughout her veins. Jealousy? She thought, she was never jealous.
-------
Irvine eyed through the scope while leaning out the window steadily, Linden held out his gun on the side hoping to shoot the rubber tires. The H3 sped up, close to the Jaguar.
------
A bullet cracked the back window, causing all the passengers to jolt forward .Claire let go of Leon's hand and Leon moved grasping the dashboard. Jill examined the bullet burned deep into the glass, as Ada kept driving steadily.
-----
Irvine cocked the sniper rifle while Linden pulled the trigger, missing the wheels but hitting the bumper as Ada made a few intricate turns into a different lane.
"Goddammit" He cursed, driving the H3 in the Jaguar's lane missing other cars in the road.
He shot again, while Irvine clipped the rear-view mirror and it shattered.
Leon and Jill were shooting back –Leon with Ada's TMP and Handgun; Jill with her STI eagle and Handgun. Claire was immobilized, wanting to help but her mind, body and soul had given up understandably. Anyway there were no weapons remaining for the brunette.
Ada drove on, trying not to be distracted. But after a while the hummer's tough exterior was dented, its windows were cracked and shattered but all their weapons were worn out without any ammunition left. A few grenades were left but those would harm other vehicles and cause a heap of dead strangers and burning vehicles. It would bring too much attention, attention the two racing vehicles already had.
A hissing noise sounded and the Jaguar abruptly skidded, sending the group –without seatbelts- crashing into cushions and seats.
This time, Linden hadn't missed and knocked off both back tires. Irvine kept shooting and now, the back window was shattered.
Styne had taken Leon's artillery case containing his weapons and ammo. It was a lost cause as they came skidding towards a hill, roaring down as sparks flew underneath the tires.
Ada tried to press the brakes –a canal laid ahead- but her tries were futile. As the Hummer followed the trail, it collided into several other smaller vehicles but wasn't faltered.
The jaguar collided with the ocean water and sunk down terribly. The four hurried out of the sinking car underwater and escaped through the shattered back window. Leon aided Claire.
Water meeting tired lungs.
--------
The hummer braked successfully. Sirens could be heard in the background.
The four, still submerged, bubbled up. Tides of blue ocean meeting their gaze. Dizziness corrupted their minds.
"C'mon" Linden ordered, cocking his berretta though something inside him was screaming S T O P. Irvine followed, grabbing a handgun on the floor of the hummer.
Then from the distance a bullet came rushing by and soaring toward Irvine, which left a bullet in the middle of his forehead. "Ir…"Linden paused and shifted around. His younger brother, blood coming from his mouth rapidly, was flat on the ground –spitting out the blood threatening to drown the model.
The plastic surgeon was an amateur at this; Wesker gave him instructions, instructions which would keep him alive and he followed. He was no expert had killing, he didn't want to be but from the get-go he was never in love with Claire and from the get-go he promised himself he'd never let himself love. But she was something else…
Yet he kept his promises, despite that wailing echoing in the pit of his stomach.
Linden observed his brother, bent down and closed his eye lids shut –blood staining his dry hands. A tear rolled down and landed on his lips. He licked it away and turned around, the four had emerged breathless grasping onto ground as it if were gold.
The surgeon pointed the berretta at his fiancé –shivering and his grip slipping as if it were ice. He gripped onto it carelessly, a fear distinct in those eyes; fear so familiar to Claire.
His fingers closed onto the trigger and he held it down. But before the bullet could exit, another shot from the distance roared toward Linden and like his ill-fated brother left an indent in his forehead.
The berretta was on safety. Claire hung onto Leon with such fragility. Accompanied with the faint engines from a speed boat and the wailing sounds sirens, it all stopped –everything Claire wanted…just to s t o p.
0000
Before long the speedboat parked by the ground tired down from Hummers and Jaguars. Everything felt so quiet but cars on the freeway had stopped and watched -cops cars were in view. Everything was on alert, everyone was watching like the movies. It was all like the movies.
Ada rose, followed by Jill. Claire still hung onto the cop, afraid by the sight of her dead fiancé which tried to kill her and his dead brother drowning in a pool of blood.
"Get in…"The owner of the boat yelled, standing at the steering wheel beside the driver, which was a woman.
"Kento" Jill whispered, tired and still dizzy.
0000
"What kind of trouble have you gotten into?" Kento scolded. Jill, legs crossed sat in a sofa, Kento's desk in front of it; the boat, which was much larger than a speedboat was more of a medium-sized cabin-boat. It had three rooms (Kento's office, kitchen and another spare room).
"I mean I give you one primary objective, getting information by using Kennedy and you get me practically killed" Kento blurted.
"Killed?" Jill furrowed his brows.
"Some guy named Dr. Spencer comes after me with a knife" Kento tossed her Spencer's ID. "And asks for your location. Now why would he need that?"
"Why would he ask you?" Jill asked. "How would you know where I am, anyway?"
"The thing I gave you, it's called a VIA.Staple, the one where I can text and you can text back, even though you never do -is a tracker. They probably found out, how? I don't know so don't ask" Kento appeared as if he'd explode at any minute, but Jill was too tired to defend herself.
"First off, you snuck it into my pants" She yawned good-heartedly. "And second, you just killed two guys, one being Claire's fiancé…ex...Well whatever..." She crossed her arms tiredly.
"Okay look Neveah –the driver, not I was playing sniper, I sit around and give orders" he laughed.
"I know you were never fit for manual labor" Jill laughed and he placed a stern look upon his face.
He gave her a cold look. "So I decide to find you as fast and as soon as I can, since after all –not only was this deranged Spencer trying to kill me so was his little…friends" Kento breathed heavily. "So I just escaped, giving them a different VIA.Staple…but I knew as soon as they'd find out, they'd be after me"
"Friends?" Jill asked.
"It was three of them: one with red hair, another which always wore sun-glasses and a girl" Kento had calmed down a bit.
"Slit…." Jill groaned. "And why didn't you tell them where I was?" she showed more interest in this subject.
Kento offered a callous smile, contradicting his emotions. "Because I can't stand you, Valentine"
"Good." She rose, stalked over to her boss leaning against his desk –palms held onto the fine mahogany and laid a kiss in his cheek before leaving.
"It's on the other side of the boat" Kento said, examining the keys to the spare room in her hands.
"I know" She smirked.
0000
(Afternoon, around 6:00 pm)
Neveah scanned the distance.
Ada climbed up the ladder, carefully laying stilettos on each rung. They clicked monotonously. The breeze smelled of sea and salt.
When she had reached the top, the Asian woman found a spot beside Neveah. She comfortable leaned on the railing, examining the raven-haired 23 year-old steering.
"Her fiancé and soon-to-be-brother-in-law" Ada stated, the sea breeze meeting her face.
"I know" Neveah spoke.
"Don't feel guilty, but show sympathy" Ada suggested. Neveah nodded.
"Still with Wesker?" Ada asked.
"I'm supposedly dead" Neveah answered. "You?"
"I'm his target" They shared a smile. "It's good to see you again, Nev"
"Good to see you too" She smiled. Her hair was curled in beautiful spirals and loosely tied with a white bandana, keeping it out of her face because of the gust. Ada and her were partnered in missions thrice before, but then Neveah disappeared. Ada just thought, Wesker had re-assigned her; partners disappear here and there in Wesker's business, doesn't always mean it's for the worst.
-----
A black leather sofa was set beside the wall made of cheap wood. A bunk-bed was on the opposite wall, and on the wall beside the white door was another identical black sofa. There was a cheap Italian rug in the middle, small tables and paintingshere and there with a hanging lamp above shining a fluid orange. Outside there was another door for the only bathroom and shower.
Claire rested on the sofa beside the door, snug in a cotton blanket. Ada was still outside, feeling the breeze with Neveah though they exchanged no words –both preferred it that way. Jill was in the bathroom taking a hot shower. They were all introduced to Kento and Neveah; Claire refused to speak to anyone. Even her own teammates.
"You okay?" Leon spoke, closing the white door behind him and finding her thinking, on the couch. She nodded.
"You said your brother might know who the next B.O.W. patient is, how?" Leon asked, getting finished with business first.
"He works for a special organization" She answered weakly. "One which works by discovering and eliminating Umbrella-like operations. I bet he knows who you're looking for"
"Do you know where he is, that'll be our next destination?"
"California, he's heading back home after the Arizona Campsites"
Leon nodded, ready to leave but something compelled him to stay. "I'm sorry Claire"
"Me too"
"You know I live in New York too, but I never got to show the girls my home –we were in a tight schedule. So instead we rented a hotel near by. I don't think I ever told them I lived there, I think I forgot…" he tried to take her mind away from it all. She smiled.
"It'll always be my home" Claire stated.
He nodded, walked over to her and kissed her forehead –holding his lips for a while and enveloping her in a small embrace.
Then the door creaked open and waltzed in Ada. Her smooth façade and was now overrun by one of an angry and confused disposition. Leon let go of Claire and offered a tedious face. "Where are we going?" She choked out.
"California" Claire said.
0000
(At the time the trio reached Claire's home)
"She's not getting better" Billy whispered to himself. Now Rebecca lay in a hospital bed. Billy had taken her there when her temperature had risen drastically (over 105 degrees) overnight.
0000
"Nina, look at this" Stark gestured with his hand, growling the words even. On the wooden table laid a very important, bleeding and dead CEO of a renowned company which this Shaunte made many visits with. And now Stark was behind the computer, searching through files and had hit the jackpot with these bits of information.
Wesker provided the information to Nina and Stark about Shaunte's visits with this underground corporation after another one of his agents (which is also working on this mission) told him.
Nina smiled and clicked print.
0000
A/n: Review please...