The Dimitrescu daughters' swarm forms were never really good at long-distance, high-speed flights. As the trio coalesced on an overgrown elevation overlooking the small airfield, the accumulated exhaustion of their flies immediately flowed into their now human shapes. Daniela and Bela panted heavily, while Cassandra looked to be in a better shape, yet sweat still started trickling down her forehead. The girl's current physical discomfort was the furthest thing on their minds at the moment, however. A small, sleek-looking private jet was accelerating on the airfield's runway, probably only moments away from lifting.

The sisters could only gape in horror as the twin-engined aircraft sped away from them, knowing all too well that their tiny wings could never hope to match the vehicle's velocity.

"We are too late…" Mumbled out Bela, despair taking hold of her voice. Daniela was muttering something incoherent under her breath and was looking like she was on the verge of crying.

Cassandra's strong features took on a harsh expression instead, her mouth turning into a thin line and her vicious yellow eyes narrowing. Despite spending months trying to break that particular habit, her fingers were twitching erratically now. Back when the family was still living in Castle Dimitrescu and had the full staff, every maid had known that when Cassandra had that particular look, she was far more dangerous than even Lady of the Castle herself. Gripping her sickle tightly, the brunette was about to descend all the way down and enact unspeakable acts of violence upon anyone who she could get her gloved hands on.

Yet the motion of the younger sister was what finally broke Bela out of her panicked daze. Clutching Cassandra's wrist with her own hand, the blonde tried to calm down her sibling.

"Cass… wait."

The middle daughter roughly pulled her hand away from Bela's grip, before turning her face towards the oldest child and giving her a feral snarl so full of fury that it made the blonde take a step back.

"I know you've always been too soft on humans for your own good, but to actually want to protect them now after what they have done? Despicable…" Hissed out the brunette.

Bela just sighed at that.

Cassandra is far from stupid, but now her rage clouds her mind completely…

She spoke again, now in her elder sister's authoritative tone: "You overestimate my mercy if you'd think I'd have any for these vile men, after what they have done to us. Yet how would their deaths help us save our mother? If you go down there, all you will achieve is endanger our own lives."

Cassandra pointed her still twitching hand accusingly at the tiny speck in the distance that was the jet as she spoke, in an acid tone.

"Save mother? Mother is on that plane! How could we possibly get to her now? All we can do is take vengeance upon this filth still down there!"

"Cassandra Dimitrescu! Pull yourself together already! I know you're better than this! Any departing aircraft also tends to have an arrival point! All we need to do is find out where that is. Then we can contact our own friends to aid us in getting there ourselves and free our mother!"

Finally calming down somewhat, the middle child relaxed her fingers and nodded, her attention fully on Bela now. Daniela also looked attentive at the two now, happy that she didn't interject in their conversation before.

"How do we find where that plane took mama?" Asked the redheaded girl meekly, her amber gaze locked on Bela's own, hope glimmering in them now.

"Perhaps one of the good men down there will be in possession of that information? If so, your persuasion skills will surely convince him to share it with us, Cassandra." The brunette grinned at that. It was not a kind grin. "We should observe the area, instead of blindly rushing forward, however. Pass me that rifle of yours, dear sister."

Grabbing the offered weapon, Bela opened the 9x scope and observed the airfield through it. It had a barbed fence perimeter, a small hangar, a control tower and a tiny service building. A trio of poorly equipped guards patrolled the perimeter - they looked like they wouldn't even slow the sisters down if they went down there in force. She switched her attention to the area near the air traffic control tower next.

It was a whirlwind of activity under it. A military truck as well as a Humvee, both in jungle camouflage pattern and with that same vicious wolf logo were parked near the tower, a number of well-armed men, seemingly agitated, talking to each other around the vehicles. The men were all dressed in similar fashion to the ones who had invaded their home. The blonde woman breathed out a sigh of relief that she stopped Cassandra in time at the sight.

There are twelve of them out in the open, plus whoever is in the vehicles. If these people are as dangerous as the ones who came after us, not even Cass would be able to take them on.

Next to the group of mercenaries, two people - a man and a woman, both in light, weather-appropriate white business attires articulated something wildly to the armed men. It looked like they had some kind of disagreement. It didn't last for long and soon the merc in a beret, possibly a commanding officer, raised his arm and yelled something out. Not missing a beat, all the hired guns quickly jumped into their vehicles and promptly drove off, in the direction of Dimitrescu's isolated manor.

"They are getting away sister!" Hissed out Cassandra, pointing at the speeding vehicles.

The blonde replied calmly, her gaze focused on the people in the suits: "Let them go. I sincerely doubt they even know anything. These two down there look like much more promising subjects to elicit information from."

Before Bela could decide on their next move, the pair of officials rushed into the hangar. Soon after, two black sedans with tinted glass drove out of the hangar, clearly aiming to leave the airfield as well.

Damn it! We need to intercept these, but picking a fight with them here looks like an awfully bad idea, when they can just call these mercenaries right back. And we won't be able to catch up to speeding cars either…

Quickly coming with a different plan, Bela willed the tip of her right index finger to shift into a fly, before making it rush towards the first car, still inside the airfield for the moment. Just as the sedan finally left the perimeter and sped away in the direction of the nearby town, the solitary fly attached itself to its rear bumper.

After recovering from the daze at Mia's departure, Ethan quickly made sure that Rose was still soundly asleep, before starting to pace in the living room, talking to himself quietly.

"I can't believe this… What could possibly force her to abandon us like that? What do I even do now? She told me to just forget her and build a new future with Rose, but how the hell can I do that? Not after everything I already went through to save Mia before… What kind of father would choose to raise a child by himself, without her mother? I'll just call Chris…he has to know what to do. "

Almost pressing the dial button after inputting the emergency number the captain gave to him a couple of months back, the blonde stopped at the last moment, recalling the words spoken to him by the tough man then.

Only use this number from a burner phone.

Just scoffing at the larger man's paranoia before, Ethan had to give it another thought now. Not having any at hand, the blonde grabbed some cash and left his modest apartment, making sure to lock it.

Sorry, Rosie, I'll be back in a couple of minutes.

Quickly locating a still-working small convenience store that had exactly what he needed, Ethan purchased a cheap phone with some pre-paid credit already on it. On his way back home, he suddenly remembered the latest spy TV series he had watched, and how the spooks could monitor any call from an area they had under observation. Jumping from every shadow himself now, Ethan stopped dead in his tracks.

Jesus Christ… What if people who Mia left to also monitor our home now?

Cursing himself for leaving Rose alone for yet more time, the man, nevertheless, changed his direction and headed to a large 24/7 pub nearby. Entering the still crowded establishment, he found himself a quiet corner before setting up the phone and finally calling Chris Redfield, the one man he trusted.

"Chris? This is Ethan, I am in big trouble."

"Ettthan? What's wrong, buddy?"

Is he drunk!? Now… out of all times?

"It's Mia! She's gone!"

"Again? Really?"

"Yes… she was afraid of everything after meeting some man in a park two weeks ago. Now she is gone, leaving just a letter saying she has to go so me and Rose won't come to harm. To forget her and not to look for her. But I can't do that, Chris! It's my goddamn wife and the mother of my three-year old child! You have to help us."

After a few moments of tense silence, Chris spoke up, sounding much more sober:

"Are you calling this number from a burner phone?"

"Yes."

"Good. Listen, Ethan. I have a pretty good guess about which people have Mia now. I have no idea why they would be interested in her, or how they possibly could have found you. I also cannot help you myself right now."

"You what Chris!? You promised to keep us safe! You couldn't do that two years ago, you have to at least do it now!"

"I am back in the States and I am too busy with my own shit right now... I can't drop what I am doing, it's just too important."

"Too important? What about my family, Chris? Is it not important to you? ...What about your men?"

"You know it is Ethan… But I just can't go to you right now and all my trusted men are with me here. Listen, if Mia went to them voluntarily, she is likely safe for now. You should consider focusing on yourself and Rose for the moment. Once I am done here, I'll make my way to you ASAP."

"Fuck off, Chris. No way in hell am I going to just pretend my wife didn't exist, after everything we've gone through."

Several more tense moments of silence passed, the captain clearly thinking on the predicament. Finally he spoke, his normally composed voice now somewhat unsure-sounding.

"I have a proposal for you then, though I am not sure you will like it."

"I am sure it will be better than the big fat nothing you've given me so far!"

"There are very few people that still have my trust nowadays. There is one... contact, who I think can both help you and keep Rosemary safe for some time. A mutual acquaintance of ours. I know him for a fact to be in strong opposition to the people who have Mia. And he also happens to be one of the most elusive people on the planet. Perhaps…he will be willing to aid you now, for a price."

"Sounds good. Who is that mysterious mutual acquaintance of ours? And how much does he want?"

"He helped you quite a bit two years ago. Literally saved your life. You should remember him well. As for how much, that is for him to say."

Ethan's face took a shocked expression at that.

He couldn't be meaning…

"The Duke."

Sitting in the backseat of a moving car with its glass tinted both ways and the driver being separated from her with yet more tinted glass, Mia felt scared and isolated. It's been almost ten hours since she left her husband and child. Ten hours in this damn car, moving god knows where, by herself. The two men in the front seats would stop and let her relieve herself when prompted, but that was their only courtesy to the woman. Not that it was one. She would never wish to experience humiliation and terror that was peeing off the side of the road with a gun pointed to the back of her head ever again.

But I suppose it's only fair… I wanted to run away from the sins of my past without ever confronting them… How stupid I was. But what else could I have done? If ever told the truth… My life would've been taken away from me, regardless… I took a gamble… and lost.

Suddenly, the accursed car finally stopped. A moment later, the door to her right opened and the man from the park from two weeks ago sat next to her. He closed the door again, and the car instantly lurched forward once more. Taking a look at him, Mia involuntarily shook from hate and disgust. He was a tall, cleanly shaved man with a muscled, but not overly-so built. Some would find his face handsome, with a chiseled jawline, deep green eyes with a small mole under the left one; his short black hair was trimmed neatly. Yet all Mia's eyes saw was his horrifying deeds that lay beneath his pleasant appearance. The brunette man spoke in his suave voice, that sounded like poison to Mia's ears.

"You have to forgive me for the rough ride, Mrs. Winters. Your tedious indecision for the last two weeks ruffled some feathers up top. I hope you understand your situation a bit more clearly now. Comfort is a privilege you have to earn."

At that, Mia exploded, the normally calm and pleasant woman speaking with such venom in her voice that even the self-assured man next to her raised a brow in surprise at her vicious tone.

"You bastard! I left my family because of you! I left my husband, who did more than you could possibly know for me! I left my only child, who I would die for! And you scum dare to blame me for my indecision?"

Just shrugging his wide shoulders, the man offered her a bottle of water he held in his right hand, before grinning at her.

"I see you haven't lost your spark, Mia. That's good. You'll need it."

Knowing it was not poisoned, she grabbed the bottle wordlessly and drank it greedily, her parched throat desperate for the life-giving liquid. Finishing the drink, she threw the empty bottle back at the man, who caught it easily, before glaring at him with her own brown eyes, narrowed in anger.

"What the hell do you want from me, Sebastian?"