Chapter 16: Unanswered Questions

This uniform, Daniel thought sourly as he glanced at his ACU, not BDU, pants. BDUs, or battle dress uniform, had been its way out the door when Daniel had enlisted in 2006. It had come in two patterns: the darker green-and-black forest pattern and the tan-and-white desert pattern.

The ACU, the Army combat uniform, had become the new standard outfit when Daniel had taken the bus trip to Basic training. In an attempt to adapt to a new age of digital warfare, the ACU mixed the colors of both the BDU forest and desert, while replacing the curves with a blocky design meant to confuse digital imaging.

The two uniform styles could masquerade in the darkness of night. Here, in this well-lit hallway, Daniel should have known Chris, a veteran, would have seen through the distinction. The absolute worst part, Daniel thought to himself as he met Chris' suspicious glare, is that I have no explanation for it. It was hard to explain a uniform which wouldn't be seen for twelve more years. Still, he had to try.

"They're not," he admitted. "New design, experimental. I lucked out and got one."

"You?" Chris repeated. "Not your unit?"

I suck at lying. Daniel shrugged. "Same thing. You know how weird logistics can be."

Chris did know how ridiculous military supplies could be. It wouldn't be the first time in history the quartermasters had been responsible for a unit to receive something strange. But this was not the night for such things. Things were already wrong enough without adding in a mysterious new uniform with a soldier who didn't look old enough to be out of high school yet. The same night zombies had declared themselves to be a part of reality. "I don't buy it."

Daniel's green eyes met Chris' suspicious brown irises. After a moment, Daniel turned away, "Well, that's what it is."

"First, you try to get me to believe that you happened to end up in an off-limits forest on a 'Family Day' picnic which would not have involved any travel near this location. Now, you want me to swallow this BS story about experimental uniforms? The colors are wrong, but that's still a PFC rank. You're telling me the Army felt like giving a Private First Class, an E-3, an experimental uniform? Oh, wait, you changed that story to your unit. And what unit would that be?"

Daniel couldn't remember if he had stated his unit's designation to Rebecca. If he had, he'd probably had used his real unit's designation. That was fine; he doubted Rebecca would have grasped anything significant as a new cop. Chris, though? For all Daniel knew, the ace cop had been on the local base.

Which meant deflection was the course of action.

Daniel turned around and checked the body strewn next to the doorway. He did so without fear. This was one of the few bodies that wouldn't reanimate. "This argument is pointless." He had meant for the words to come out firm and persuasive. They just sort of fell out of his mouth. The ever-present weariness was taking a larger bite out of him than he thought. Or, he was reverting to his more shy self.

"The hell it is." Chris grabbed one of Daniel's shoulders and forced the younger man to look at him. "I want to know why you're lying to me. I want to know why you and your friends were out here." A thought struck the STARS officer. "I want to know why you were accusing Captain Wesker."

You have one emotional breakdown, Daniel thought bitterly. He tried to summon the anger which had briefly served him against Wesker. A few embers briefly flared, but that was it. He had trouble being angry at Chris. It wasn't his fault he was in this situation, and he was doing his job, unlike mass murderer Wesker.

Daniel forced himself to meet Chris' angry and suspicious gaze. It wasn't easy. A part of Daniel just wanted to surrender inevitability. He had already exposed his foreknowledge to the entire Alpha Team in one moment. He had failed to hide his knowledge from Rebecca the night before. What was the point?

But then, it had taken Rebecca awhile to get around to the idea of people from the future. The fact she had come to that conclusion at all was a minor miracle in of itself. Could Chris even consider the possibility?

Daniel took a deep breath, and the first helpful thought since this argument began arrived. "Is it more important for you to interrogate me or find the rest of Bravo Team?"

Chris twitched, and Daniel knew he had scored a hit. For all of his emotional frustration, Chris Redfield was incapable of two things. One was surrendering to the odds. Two was forsaking his comrades. With a palpable reluctance, Chris released his hold on Daniel's shoulder. "Once we've found everyone," Chris said as he stepped back. "We're going to have a long conversation about you and how you came here."

"I welcome it," Daniel replied. No snark or bite to it. By the time Chris and Jill had found the rest of Bravo Team, they would be close to the end. They'd be that much closer to survival. And, maybe, by that point Daniel would have proved himself trustworthy.

Or dead. Both possibilities felt all too real at the moment.

Without another word, the two military men resumed their search. Now that he could focus on what he was doing, surprise ambushed Daniel as he found a handgun and a clip on the fallen body. He glanced behind him where a birdcage sat on a nightstand. The 9 mm clip was supposed to be on the nightstand next to the cage, not on the body.

The mystery agitated him. It was a minor thing in of itself, but it was another case where the game didn't quite line up with this reality he was in. Did that mean he and his friends hadn't made it to the 'true' Resident Evil universe? If not, how different was this one?

The worrisome thoughts flittered about in his mind as he offered the weapon to Chris. Chris paused as he glanced at it then at Daniel. "I don't need it, but I will take any spare rounds."

Daniel tossed the spare clip before he slid the current one out of the handgun. It felt lighter in his hands than it should have. A quick inspection revealed only two bullets remained. This man, whoever he had been, had done his best to fight off what had killed him. Daniel pulled the bullets out while trying not to look at the birdcage.

Chris stared at the manacles bolted into the wall. "What the hell are these?"

Daniel frowned as he stepped up next to Chris, offering the rounds. "I don't know," Daniel admitted. If this were a game, he'd have said a prop to go with the spooky mansion motif. Here? He had no idea. Experiments happened elsewhere. Did Umbrella seriously use these as a punishment on the staff?

Stepping back, the STARS officer flickered his eyes to the stairway going up and the way they had come in.

"We going up?" Daniel suggested, his memory warning no door would be open behind them.

After a moment, Chris shook his head. "No, we need to stay on the first floor in case we come across anyone from Bravo."

Daniel could protest. Time may have favored them, but yesterday's premature explosion of the training facility meant no guarantees were on the table. The problem was simple. Chris now suspected Daniel which meant he had no means to persuade the older man. At least, not without further exposing Daniel's true nature. "Yes, sir."

The annoyed glance was all the signal Daniel needed that he was overdoing it. The pair marched back the way they came. It might have been a waste of time. Yet, Daniel found it as a kind of reprieve of sorts. Sure, running into locked door after locked door as your feet echoed on the wooden floor did little to improve Chris' mood. But Daniel knew they were safe. The zombies in their way had been eliminated, and the locked doors served as guardians against the monsters in the rest of the mansion.

Too relaxed, as it turned out. Daniel had to stifle a yawn in the hallway's dim light. He shuffled behind Chris as they tried the last door in the hallway. Down a flight of stairs was the kitchen door. Another locked door pulled a swear word out of Chris, but Daniel couldn't help but wonder if there was any food to be had.

Taking a deep breath, Chris shot Daniel another suspicious stare before he said. "We go up."

Daniel nodded and continued to follow. His ease bled out of him as they returned to the stairway. It wasn't the knowledge more zombies awaited them as they reached the second floor.

It was the knowledge that more than zombies occupied the second floor…