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66. Leon

Leon didn't know Rebecca as well as Chris did, but something he didn't take long to notice was that the woman was energetic and easily excitable. She spent half of the early hours of the flight talking endlessly with Claire about scientific subjects that neither Helena nor him understood, that Claire would eloquently give her opinion about,

and, sometimes, he forgot how brilliant Claire was. Around 5 hours into the flight, the young medic snoozed away, filling the air with an eerie silence.

"She sure likes to talk," Helena snorted.

"She's enthusiastic about science," Claire nodded. "I think we all get a little carried away when we talk about stuff we like."

"You're not like that," Helena remarked.

"Me? I did administrative work for so long that I got used to talking less than necessary," Claire snickered. "I can't say it isn't nice to talk about science, though."

Claire rested her chin on her hand and yawned slightly.

"Seems like someone is drowsy," Helena smirked. "Busy night?"

Leon frowned at his partner, and Helena chuckled, winking at him.

"Not really," Claire shrugged. Either she was ignoring the subtle teasing, or she really had not understood it. "Something about planes makes me sleepy. I blame the cabin pressure."

"Take a nap, then," Leon suggested.

"I might take that suggestion," Claire sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder.

It took some minutes for Claire to fall fast asleep. Her breathing was stable and relaxed.

"I guess she needed sleep," Helena muttered. "Have you been keeping her up late at night?"

The playful tone in Helena's voice made Leon roll his eyes.

"No," Leon answered. "Hiwamura said she might be a little sleepy since they had made some changes to her medicine. She's been sleeping better lately."

"Is it that, or is it your influence?"

"Very funny," Leon said, shaking his head. "Don't tease it with that. She gets shy about it."

"I know," Helena chuckled. "That's the fun, but at least she's resting better. So they changed their medicine?"

"Yeah," Leon nodded. "Not sure what they did, but since she'd been having some issues about the frequency of dosages, they did something to the current one. Whatever that was, it worked, and she's been doing well."

"I guess that at the end of the day, that's what matters," Helena sighed. "Ireland. Never thought I'd be visiting the country under this premise."

"Me either," Leon sighed. "Then again. this job has taken me to the less imaginable places."

"If it were under more peaceful conditions, I wouldn't mind," Helena scoffed. "But I guess we can't ask for that."

"You don't say," Leon shrugged.

Claire let out a soft sigh, and Leon looked at her. She seemed calm, but it was getting a little chilly in the cabin, so he took off his jacket and put it over her shoulders.

"Well, now that's cute," Helena snorted. "Good to know you two are getting along well. That's an extra incentive to carry this mission, isn't it?"

"Claire isn't a damsel in distress," Leon said, "I know she can handle it by herself, but you're right. Now I have more reasons to keep her safe."

Leon took Claire's hand and laced his fingers through hers. The woman reacted to the touch, but she did not wake up. Claire continued sleeping as if nothing had happened, curled slightly against him, and Leon had to restrain himself from the impulse to kiss her head.

"I don't know what to expect from that place," Helena said, pulling out her tablet. "Hunnigan passed us some information from the island, but it is so general that I doubt it will be useful at all."

"Yeah, that's why Claire insisted on coming," Leon said.

"She was captive there. Will she really know how to move around the whole island?" Helena asked. "Doesn't captivity usually mean trapped?"

"I don't know," Leon admitted.

There were a lot of things he didn't know. For now, the least he could do was to trust Claire. The rest of the flight was uneventful. Claire and Rebecca woke up a couple of hours before the plane reached Ireland.

"Well, look at that," Helena said, glancing through the window. "Seems we'll get wet."

"It is just a little water," Claire shrugged.

A little water was an understatement. It was a full-blown storm. The raindrops were so cold they felt like needles against your skin. The temperature was freezing, and Leon's first reaction was to draw Claire against himself to protect her from the cold and the rain. The gesture seemed to take Claire by surprise, but she didn't complain.

"God, is the sky falling or what?" Helena said with a shudder.

"I didn't know it could still rain like this in January!" Rebecca said, rubbing her arms. "It's freezing."

"During the winter, sea temperatures are warmer than on land. That often leads to rain around the coasts but snow a few miles inland," Claire shrugged, "this isn't that unusual?"

"Right," Leon nodded. "I'll mark that trivia note for future reference."

"Hey, I'm just informing," Claire giggled.

"Yeah, very educational," Helenas said, shuddering again. "How about we get warm?"

A ginger-headed BSAA member that introduced himself as Seamus Broin led them to his office. The room was warm, but their damp clothes still made them cold. Luckily, a soldier entered some minutes later to offer them towels, blankets, and warm drinks. It wouldn't take away the cold entirely, but it helped a little.

"Ah, that's nice," Rebecca said.

"Isn't that a little too much sugar?" Helena said, eyeing the medic's cup.

"Oh, that shocked me quite a bit, too, the first time," Claire laughed. "Rebecca's sugar consumption seems to be a little above the average."

"Well, I need those calories," Rebecca laughed. "Maybe you should follow my example."

"I'm not a sugary person," Claire chuckled. "Sugar is all yours."

"Delighted. What do you think they are discussing over there?" "Probably logistics," Claire shrugged."Chris will want to get there soon and fast."

"For Chris, everything always has to be soon and fast," Rebecca laughed.

"Well, I can't blame him," Leon said, "the sooner we end this, the better."

"I get the feeling that Chris's influence is getting you, Leon," Claire chuckled.

"Your influence is heavier, but maybe..."

"Well. I honestly wouldn't think much about it. It'll just make us worry more than necessary," Rebecca shrugged. "We'll get there when we get there..."

"I never pictured you for such a chill person," Helena said, surprised.

"I'm not," Rebecca replied. "But after all these years, I just resigned to the fact that the more you plan stuff, the more likely it won't work as you want. Why overthink the details then?"

Leon had to admit that Rebecca had a point. Exhaustive plans rarely went as they were supposed to, so maybe overthinking would bear no fruits.

"Don't tell Chris that," Claire sighed. "You might frustrate him."

"I would have expected you to be more into the planner line, too," Helena said.

"Me? Nah, I'm more into the lines of Shit happens. I'll figure it out on the way," Claire replied.

Leon snorted. He couldn't have thought of a phrase that suited Claire so well than that. Claire wasn't impulsive. She didn't do things without thinking, but she was adaptive. Her quick thinking was one of the things that had saved her back in Raccoon City and probably in many of her late adventures.

"I don't say planning isn't a good idea," Claire shrugged, "I mean, it is, but if you stick to a plan and then suddenly things don't turn out as you expected, you can easily get lost."

"Exactly!" Rebecca nodded, "So keep it basic and simple."

"And morph it as things happen," Claire nodded. "I think that has worked for me."

"I guess it has worked for me, too."

Rebecca laughed, and Claire shrugged. She turned back to the window, staring at the falling droplets as Rebecca jumped into a cheerful conversation about failed plans with Helena.

"Something wrong?" Leon asked, brushing the woman's back with his hand.

"No," Claire replied, looking at him. "I just felt a little homesick."

"Homesick?"

"Yeah," Claire replied. "On good days, I would sit in front of a window and watch it fall over the courtyard."

"The good days?"

"The days when I wasn't up to some weird experiment," Claire replied. "They were few, but at least Mobius gave us a little break now and again."

The woman's eyes turned back to the window and the endless darkness of the night beyond it.

She was serene and amazingly calm. Leon, on the other hand, could feel his guts twisting with anger. Each time Claire revealed a little bit of the hell she'd been through, the agent could feel the need of tearing Mobius apart with his own hands.

Leon glanced at Chris's group only to find the man walking in a beeline to them.

"Hey," Chris said, looking at his sister.

Claire turned to look at him, and Leon stepped aside so that the siblings could speak.

"Hey," Claire smiled. "It's raining heavily out there."

"Yeah, it complicates things a little," Chris replied. "It seems the area surrounding the island is more tricky than I anticipated."

"The fog, isn't it?" Claire asked. "Féth fíada. Some of the patients in Blackwell had delusions saying we were in fae land because of it."

"Féth fíada? Fae?" Rebecca asked curiously.

" It is a magical mist or veil in Irish mythology. It enshrouds fairies or fae, rendering their presence invisible to human eyesight."

"Now you turn out to be a folklore knower, too?" Leon asked teasingly. Claire was a little bag of surprises.

"I heard a lot of things when I was on the island," Claire shrugged.

"Well, the fog is only one of the problems. The storm will slow us down, and Broin recommended we use the long route for safety, but that will make the trip longer."

"Safety comes first," Rebecca said.

Chris scoffed.

"If we leave before the sunrise, we will be there with plenty of light," Leon said. Claire wasn't on good terms with the dark. Even if her reaction to it had seemed to get better since they started sharing their bed, it still had a heavy influence on her.

He didn't want to expose her to that if they could avoid it.

"Just in case," Leon added, looking at Claire.

"That's the plan, but it will depend on how bad the rain is," Chris sighed. "Are you guys good?"

"Why wouldn't we," Claire sighed. "It's not like we have done much aside from sitting and, in my case, napping."

"You can keep napping then," Chris said, crossing his arms. "We will be preparing the ship and some provisions for the trip."

"Do you need help?" Leon asked.

"Nah, but feel free to have a look around. You guys will need to stock up, too."

"Grocery shopping for war," Helena chuckled. "Delightful."

"I don't know you, guys, but I might need a snack," Rebecca said. "I am hungry."

"I'm sure there's a canteen somewhere around here," Chris chuckled. "I'll ask Broin."

"Sweet," Rebecca said excitedly.

"Yes, I guess I could use a cuppa, myself," Claire chuckled.

"Oh, so the brit came out at last?" Leon teased.

"Well, last time I checked, I am Welsh, ain't I?"

"You are now?"

Leon gave the woman a playful look. The joke went back to a few days earlier when he had casually commented that Claire's welsh accent was sexy. Claire slapped his arm, laughing, and Chirs stared at her thoughtfully.

"Chris?"

"Yeah?"

"You spaced out," she said, tilting her head. "I'm going to the canteen with Rebecca. Do you want something?"

"No, no. I'm fine. Go ahead," Chris answered. "I'll see you in a bit."

Maybe it was his idea, but Leon thought he saw Chris look at them strangely as they passed him, following Broin to the canteen. The Irish man was friendly, and he was delighted to tell them about the place. Helena and Rebecca listened to him attentively, but Claire and Leon trailed behind.

"Are you ok?" Leon asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied. "A little cold, maybe."

"I can fix that," he said, putting his arm around her.

"I thought you wanted to be discreet with Chris around?"

"I do, but those BSAA men around here are eyeing you too much."

"What BSAA men?"

Leon had noticed it as soon as they had left Broin's office. As the group walked down the corridor, he saw some of the BSAA members turn their heads and stare at Claire with interest. Leon had never seen himself as a jealous man, but that interest did bother him.

"Oh, don't tell me you're jealous," Claire laughed.

"I get the right, don't I? Who would like to see other men staring at their wife?"

"Well, you know, I'm not..."

"You are," Leon interrupted. "As far as I am concerned, you are."

Technicality or not, Leon saw Claire as his wife. Leon wasn't really sure when it started, but the marriage charade had long since become authentic to him. Surprisingly, the idea was appealing to the agent.

"What are you trying to say?" Claire asked with a frown.

"We'll talk about it once this is over," Leon replied.

Claire opened her mouth to retort, but before she could say anything, Broin and the others called them, and so the pair rushed to catch up with the rest.

"Well, are you missing me that much, or do you have a reasonable reason to be here?"

Leon smirked. He had a reason to be standing in front of Claire's temporary bedroom, but he wouldn't deny that he also missed her. In recent weeks, Leon had grown used to sleeping with Claire's warmth by his side. Her sudden absence had made the agent have trouble sleeping. It was a liability and a luxury that Leon was aware that he would have to get rid of, but he would worry about it later.

"I won't deny I miss you," Leon said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. "But that's not why I am here."

"Ah, too bad," Claire shrugged, "and I was going to kiss you."

Leon smirked and kissed before she could evade him.

"Cheater!" Claire rolled her eyes, "Did you get any sleep at all, or do you want me to lull you?"

"As tempting as that is, we don't have the time," Leon replied. "Chris came to see me some minutes ago. The storm subsided, so he thinks it is a good time to leave."

"He might be right," Claire nodded. "I'm right behind you."

"Is that coat enough?" Leon asked, eyeing the jacket she was wearing. "I came from outside, and it is pretty cold."

"It should do," she answered, walking out of the room. "Look at it like this. There's an excuse for me to cuddle with you."

"Lovely idea," Leon answered. "But I doubt Chris would like it."

"Yeah, he wouldn't."

Everyone was ready to sail by the time Claire and Leon reached the dock. The rain had stopped, but the wind was blowing hard, and the surf was quite strong. From the way the ship was rocking, it was clear that the voyage would not be smooth.

To his credit, Barry turned out to be a good sailor. Not everyone could take on the gigantic waves that were hitting the ship. Leon was surprised that only one person had gotten seasick so far.

"Why are you doing here on deck instead of hovering over your wife?"

Leon turned to Helena with a frown. His partner walked to him with her hands tucked in her pockets and a mocking face. The wind was blowing her hair all over her face, but she'd given up trying to keep it in place.

"She's helping Rebecca with her seasickness," Leon answered.

"Ah, poor Chambers," Helena chuckled. "Well, I can't blame her. I think I don't like sailing."

"Sailing isn't my thing, either," Leon sighed, looking at the black sea. The sun had yet to come out, so everything seemed like a mass of darkness.

"Scary," Helena said. "I mean, it is so dark out here. It's unsettling..."

"Yeah," Leon admitted. "Things are scarier when you can't see them clearly."

It suddenly occurred to Leon that perhaps that was part of what terrified Claire about the darkness.

"Deborah loved the sea," Helena commented. "Our grandfather used to take us fishing in his little boat every summer."

Leon looked at her in confusion. Helena rarely spoke about Deborah, so he was surprised that she was doing it now.

"Claire knew her, did you know?"

"What?"

"Claire told me," Helena said casually. "She gave a talk at Deborah's university and met her there. I knew Deborah had met someone who had inspired her to volunteer, helping bioterrorism victims, but I didn't know she was volunteering with TerraSave."

The revelation surprised Leon. He hadn't expected Claire to have met Helena's sister even before Leon had even met his current partner. That added another link to Claire to the list. Somehow, she seemed to be the common ground for everyone.

"Maybe I would have known about Claire earlier if I had listened to Deborah more often," Helena sighed. "Maybe she would still be here..."

"It wasn't your fault, Helena."

"Claire said the same thing," Helena chuckled. "I know. It was Simmons who killed Deborah, but that doesn't change the fact that I failed her. It's too late to fix that, but I will do my best to make up for it."

"You don't usually talk about Deborah," Leon said. "What prompted you today?"

"Frankly, I don't know, maybe it was something Claire said, or maybe it was the sea."

Leon turned to his partner with a questioning look. Suddenly, the first sun rays of the morning came out from the horizon, cutting through the darkness and revealing forms that had been invisible earlier.

A thick fog surrounded them: white and ominous fog, lingering over the crashing waves.

"This is..." Helena said with wide eyes.

"Féth fíada."

Both Leon and Helena turned around only to find Claire walking to them and staring blankly at the approaching fog.

"Blackwell is right beyond this fog," Claire said in a whisper.

Just like Claire had said, it wasn't many minutes before a dark figure began to emerge from the mist. A rocky island loomed before them, looking intimidating. Steep rocky cliffs surrounded it, contributing to give it such a menacing look.

"Ok, I didn't expect this..." Helena whispered.

"Shit," Chris grunted from behind them. "I guess we'll have to do some climbing..."

"No need," Claire said, turning to Barry. " Sail to the east. We'll find a rock pierced with a tunnel. There's a docking area hidden within the cave."

"Are you sure?" Jill asked.

"Yeah," Claire nodded.

"Was that what you used to escape?" Chris asked.

Claire derided.

"If only," Claire replied. She pointed at the rocky cliffs. "I had to jump. I don't know how I didn't die or how I even made it to where BSAA found me. I guess that's something I have to thank for the virus, too."

"You fell from that high?" Rebecca asked with wide eyes.

Claire grimaced. Her expression turned dark.

"The asylum rests on the top of the cliff. There's a plateau, and the manor rests there, but that's only a facade. The research facility is underneath it, long and endless tunnels of stone going deep within the island. That's where they sent us for their tests. There is where the monsters lurk."

"Holy shit," Barry grunted.

Barry's reaction was an understatement. Leon couldn't help but imagine the horrible things that could have happened inside those walls, and worse still, the things that Claire had had to suffer through.

Just as Claire had indicated, they found a rock that formed an arch, with a tunnel that led into a small cave. Within the cave, there was a modest wooden pier where Barry docked the ship.

From the dock, they went through a narrow tunnel with some worn-out rock steps. The climb took almost 20 minutes, and even for those who were in good physical condition, it was a challenging ride. The plateau was a beautiful place at first sight. There was a small forest, hills, grass fields, and even a small lake. As they walked through the island, led by Claire, they reached a path.

The path eventually ended up in front of a tall stone arch with an old-looking metal gate. On the stone surface, there was a plaque, barely visible under weeds.

"Blackwell Asylum," Jill read. "Deos fortioribus adesse."

"The gods are on the side of the stronger," Claire said. "That was their favorite phrase."

"Tacitus, right?" Jill asked, and Claire nodded.

There was a brief pause. Everyone stared at the door with certain repulsion.

"Alright, this is it," Chris said, turning to his men. Three young soldiers named Connor, Duke, and Harris. "You already know the premise. We take point. Leon and the rest, you stay at the rear."

Once in position, Chris pushed the gate open. The door opened with a screech, and the group moved in with their weapons ready. Helena stood near Rebecca, and Leon automatically reached out for Claire.

He eyed her carefully and noted she was trembling slightly. They were at the back of the group, so Chris wouldn't see him if he reached out for Claire's hand, so that was what he did. Claire was cold, so he wasn't sure if she was trembling due to the cold or the stress.

"Are you ok?" Leon whispered to her.

Claire squeezed his hand and nodded. She was turning pale, and her clear eyes seemed troubled. The woman wasn't looking at him. Instead, her eyes remained stuck in front of them, so Leon looked ahead as well.

The building was tall, and its architecture was typical of a European manor. The façade was sculptural, with ionic plaster, heavy entablature, and balustrade. The walls were of ashlar; the roof was of black slates. There were several chimneys and countless windows. In another situation, Leon would have thought the place was beautiful. The building seemed refined, and the gardens were beautiful, even with the light snow covering the space. The distraction of the architecture had prevented Leon from noticing at first, but once he recovered, he saw the main door was open. That couldn't be a good sign.

The silence was sepulchral. Chris's men entered first, with their guns raised and ready to shoot at anything that came across their way. The rest of the group followed once Chris had given them the sign. It was something new for Leon to stay out of the action. Usually, he was one of those in the line of fight.

The inside of the building looked more like a mansion than a hospital. The walls had very colorful, elegant, and old wallpaper. However, something had torn it to pieces. In addition to that, there were other clear signs of violence: broken furniture, paintings that had fallen from the walls, broken glass on the floor, and stains that appeared to be dried blood.

The scenario was ominously similar to the one they had found in Germany so many months earlier. The Deja vú made Leon instantly pull Claire closer to him. The woman barely acknowledged his action, and when Leon looked at her, he noted that her face had turned white as chalk.

"It's clear, sir," Duke said, lowering his gun.

"Damn it," Chris said, looking. "They're gone..."

"Gone or dead," Jill observed. "God knows what happened here."

"It looks like hell broke free if you ask me," Barry commented. "I don't think there are survivors..."

"Well, the picture doesn't look too positive, does it?" Jill sighed.

Jill and Barry were right. Whatever had happened, it wasn't good. Suddenly, Leon felt Claire tense up, and when he turned to check on her, he saw that the woman was upset.

It was then that the agent realized. Claire had been in this place for eight months, and knowing her, she wouldn't have taken long to make friends. Friends who - by the looks of things- were probably dead. Leon put his arm around her, and he felt her give a slight jump.

"Sir," Connor said, examining the floor. "These blood stains seem recent."

"Yeah, I don't think this mess happened too long ago. We might fight some useful intel," Chris said. "The manor is large. If we are hoping to cover it, we need to split."

"Even if we split, where do we even start?" Jill asked. "I mean we don't know what we are looking for."

"Medical records," Claire said. "The patients were test subjects, whatever they have done, it should be in the records."

"Yeah," Chris said, "Yeah, that might work."

"Well, we could use a map of this place," Barry groaned, "surprise, surprise. There's never one when you need it."

"The first floor is common ground. There's a dining hall, a salon, and a library. There's also a chapel, but that's on the other side, down this hallway."

"Ok, that works, too," Barry said, shocked.

"The second floor is treatment rooms, or torture chambers if you prefer. The third and fourth were patient wings. Medical records should be on the administration. That's on the fourth, too."

"Ok, that's where we are going then."

Leon looked at Claire with worry. He knew she was upset. But once again, Claire had pushed away her feelings to focus on the task at hand. Leon made a mental note to talk to her as soon as they had a little more privacy, but for now, they had no other choice but to move forward.