Chapter 6
Leon: "God damn it, ANSWER ME!" Leon slammed his fists into the table.
Barry: "Jesus, what's gotten into him?"
Ada: "You….." .
This had gone on for almost an hour. Over and over, Leon asks the same question, Ashely gives the same answer, and the doctor cowers in the corner.
Leon: "Do you not know where you are? You are currently nine stor-"
Doctor Farnsworth: "Mr Kennedy…" he said in a sheepish tone .
Leon: "What?!" .
Doctor Farnsworth: "We, make it a policy to not inform detainees of the specifics of this facility".
Leon: "And I make it a policy to ignore the input of people cowering in corners" he barked back.
Leon: "Now, you are 9 stories below ground, in a facility that doesn't exist, in a soundproofed room with 2 people that no real reason to see leave it alive. Now I am going to ask you one more time." He paused for a moment to settle himself.
Leon: "Who did you give this key chain to?" .
Ashley began to weep and she continually wrote the same answer over and over on the small white board…. "I DON'T KNOW".
Leon: "YOU BITCH!" he stood up and threw his chair across the room, it slammed into the wall behind Ashley.
Barry: "If we don't stop him he is going to kill her".
Ada: "He is just trying to scare her".
Leon stood next to Ashley and drew his sidearm. He pressed the barrel against her temple and paused to let the situation sink in. The doctor simply covered his ears and crumbled to the floor. Ashley's weeping turned into a loud whimper.
Barry: "Just to scare her eh?".
Ada: "...".
Leon: "I should have left you on that island" .
Ada: (Over the earpiece) "Leon, hair" Leon looked into the one-way mirror and ran his hand across his bangs.
Leon: "What about it?"
Ada: (over the earpiece) "Not your hair, her's"
Leon looked at Ashley's hair and slowly walked closer and closer to her.
Barry: "What are you on about?".
Ada: "Just watch".
Leon stood, staring at her.
Leon: "Doctor Farnsworth" The doctor uncovered his ears and began to stand, Leon holstered his weapon.
Leon: "This woman, is not Ashley Graham".
Doctor Farnsworth: "But ... but that's simply not possible. She was hand delivered to us by the secret service. Her fingerprints, dental records, and even her DNA all matched her records when she was checked in. Her father (former president Graham) even visited her last Christmas. Wouldn't he have noticed if this wasn't-".
Leon: "Her hair" Leon pointed towards her
Doctor Farnsworth: "...".
Leon: "Look at her roots.".
Doctor Farnsworth: "..." the doctor stared at the top of her head.
Leon: "They're brown"
Doctor Farnsworth: "Oh, yes, our records do indicate she is a natural blonde. But that is just a simple clerical error…." Leon sighed .
Barry: "How does Leon know she is a natural blonde?" .
Ada: "Let's just say she sent Leon several photos before she got locked up in here"
Barry: "Oh ...OOOOH!" Barry blushed .
Leon: "In that case, doctor, I would like to see your salon".
Doctor Farnsworth: "...beg pardon?" .
Leon: "Your salon, where you allow inmates to dye their hair. Or is there some other explanation for an inmate, who has locked here for years, has roots showing from brown hair growing in after being bleached".
Doctor Farnsworth: "We… don't have a salon….. And we don't allow inmates to dye their hair".
Leon: "Well then, in that case, where. Is. ASHLEY. GRAHAM?!"
Leon began pacing around the room, he noticed the inmate was finally writing something new on her whiteboard. It read "I TRIED TO TELL THEM" and then below it "I TOLD THEM I WASN'T ASHLEY". After reading this, it finally struck him.
Leon: "What did that guard look like?".
Doctor Farnsworth: "What guard?" The doctor was once again fidgeting with his glasses.
Ada: "... he's got it".
Barry: "got what?"
Ada: "Shush" .
Leon: "The guard that broke her jaw. Let me guess, female, stands about 5 foot 6, hair DYED blonde?" he now stood directly in front of the doctor, less than an arm's length away.
Doctor Farnsworth: "...".
Leon: "Where is she?!".
Doctor Farnworth: "Well, she hasn't come back to work yet. Her supervisor believes she may not come back. The attack may have shaken her up too badly." Leon leaned closer to the doctor.
Leon: "So you're telling me that a guard, at one of the most secretive facilities on earth, stops coming into work… and nobody is sent to check on her? To sign an NDA? To inform her that telling anyone about a black site is the fastest way to end up IN a black site?".
The doctor scrambled to get his phone out of the lab coat pocket.
Doctor Farnsworth: (into the phone) "We have a problem".
While the doctor spoke, Leon turned back to the inmate shackled at the table.
Leon: "Who are you?" .
The inmate began frantically scribbling on the whiteboard, when she was done she turned it towards leon. It read "MY NAME IS NIKKI. I AM THE GUARD. ASHLEY TOOK MY CLOTHES AND ID.".
Leon: "That is what I thought, Doctor, unshackle her, now!" .
Doctor Farnsworth: "I don't have the keys".
Leon: "Well then get them! In the meantime…." He turned back to Nikki
Leon: "We need your home address? Ashley would have gotten it off of your driver's license." . Nikki wiped the board with her sleeve and began writing again.
Ada: (over the ear piece) "Looks like we are going to be making a little house call" .
Note
For the sake of simplicity, statements intended as radio traffic will now be italicized.
Ada sped along the winding road away from the black site. Leon's phone rang, it was the office.
Leon: "Now is not the best time" he growled.
Hunnigan: "Leon!".
Leon: "Hunnigan? Been a while, I haven't seen you since the ESR (Eastern Slav Republic) incident" .
Hunnigan: "We can catch up later, the test results are back on the explosives used at the school. It was chinese made plastic explosive, part of a stolen shipment. It was trafficked through an arms dealer in Kijuju Africa".
Leon: "That is great, send me the full report, but right now I have some doors to kick down".
Hunnigan: "What? I thought you were talking to Ashley at the black site".
Leon: "Change of plans, it looks like Ashley beat a guard unconscious and assumed their identity. We are enroute to the guards home.".
Hunnigan: "She escaped!?".
Leon: "Right, I'll keep you posted" Leon hung up the phone without waiting for a response.
Ada shot Leon a sideways glare from the driver's seat.
Leon: "What?".
Ada: "You haven't seen her since the ESR incident eh?".
Leon: "...".
Ada: "How did she like that honey soap you brought back for her?" .
Leon: "...she was pissed, I said I was bringing her the soap and a ruby necklace…" Before Ada could continue the conversation, she slammed on the brakes bringing the car to a quick halt, they had arrived.
Ada slowly pulled into the driveway and parked in front of the garage. They dismounted and walked to the rear of the car. Ada popped the trunk to reveal several attache cases. Leon took the case labeled "Best Girl" and set it on the roof. Ada followed suit with another case.
Leon: "I assume you will be on point for this?".
Ada: "Heels are not ideal for kicking in doors, I'll cover the rear exit" she pulled her sawed off shotgun from the case and began walking towards the rear of the house.
Leon: "Women" Barry closed the trunk, the lid was blocking him from Leon's view.
Barry: "Ready".
Leon: "Barry…NO" .
Barry: "But-".
Leon: "No buts, you are NOT going into that house with a Grenade Launcher!".
Barry: "Come on!" He reluctantly stowed the Grenade Launcher and selected a more sensible shotgun.
They stacked up in front of the door, Barry in front, prepared to breach.
Leon: "Comms check, GO".
Ada: "Rear entrance, 5 by 5".
Barry: "Breacher, 5 by 5" .
Leon: "Front stack, 5 by 5. Alright, we are go, breaching in 5...4...3...2 ..." .
Barry put a round into the dead bolt and one into each of the hinges. He kicked the door in and walked into the house with Leon following.
Barry: "Clear right".
Leon: "Clear left" he keyed his mic .
Leon: "Ada, we're in, standfast".
Ada: "Roger" .
Barry and Leon methodically cleared the first floor before heading upstairs. But room after room, they found nothing. They reached the end of the hallway, the final room, but it was locked.
Leon: "I don't like this" he whispered.
Barry: "Well there is only one thing to do" he whispered back.
Barry reared back for a hefty kick, and then brought his full body weight forward against the door. But when he made contact with the hollow core interior door, his foot penetrated and barry fell through the door.
Leon: "Shit! Barry!" Leon pressed through the hole Barry left in the door.
Barry: "I'm fine, I'm fine!" Barry yelled from the floor, he scrambled to his feet to find Leon staring at the bed, awestruck..
Barry: "Ada, ops check".
Ada: "Rear entrance, ops normal, I heard yelling, are you two having a little fun?".
Leon: "You're gonna want to see this" .
The last room was the master bedroom. It was largely unremarkable, boring drapes, en suite bathroom, generic bed set. But on the bed, there was a makeshift mannequin. Made from a button up shirt and a pair of pants stuffed with other clothing. The head was made from a pillowcase with a crude face drawn on. Across the would be fore head, written in black permanent marker, it read "LEON".
Ada: "Awwww, look at that, she still thinks about you" .
Leon: "Very funny".
Barry: "Guys, look what I found" They turned to see him holding a camcorder .
Barry: "It was on the dresser, and it has 'Watch me' written on it".
They took it downstairs to the living room, Barry had suggested that they watch it on the TV in the bedroom, but Leon wanted to get away from the mannequin. Or should they call it the "Mannehim"?
Barry connected it to the TV and pressed play. The video started with a view of the bed from the dresser, Ashley walked into frame.
Ashley: "Leon, I'm glad you found this.".
Leon: "No black eyes" he remarked.
Ada: "That means she waited here for a few days before she made this".
The video continued.
Ashley: "It seems like so long ago, when we spent that time together in Spain. We may have been running from cultists and giant bugs, but it was still the best experience of my life. Because….." she paused for a moment
Ashley: "I got to meet you. From the moment you threw us through that church window, I knew you were the one. After that, all you had to do was whistle and I would come running. You even locked me in a wardrobe to protect me from that disgusting man that commented on my 'ballistics', eeewwww" she visibly cringed with that ew.
Barry: *crunch*
Ashley: "Even when I pushed you away in the castle, you killed dozens of people to get me back."
Leon: "I should've 'accidentally' shot her instead of the restraints"
Barry: *Crunch*.
Ashley: "I had to run past suits of armor, and spend hours solving that, but knowing that it would get me back to you, is what kept me going through the darkness."
Barry: *CRUNCH* .
Leon: "BARRY!... Where did you get popcorn anyways?".
Barry: "Ada made it while I was hooking up the camera…" Leon glared at her .
Leon: "Really?" Ada just smiled.
Ashley: "When you pulled me down the garbage chute, you showed me that I could survive any adversity. Just like our love is capable of lasting through anything. And when you strapped me into that machine, on the island" a chill ran through her body.
Ashley: "No man had ever made me feel like that before".
Ada: "And what machine was this Leon?".
Leon: "It was supposed to remove the parasite, but as you can see, it is still alive and well" he gestured towards Ashley's image on the screen.
Ashley paused again, her demeanor shifted, it seemed she was recalling particularly painful memories.
Ashley: "But then, it all ended. You blew up the island, we rode off into the sunset on the jet sky…. And you acted like nothing happened between us. All you talked about for the entire transatlantic jet sky ride was some guy named 'Mike' who was like, your barber or something,
I wasn't listening." His name alone sent shivers down Leon's spine.
Leon: "Mike" he stared off into space for a moment and had a mini flashback.
He was instantly transported back in time, to that island. The smell of death and despair hung thick in the air. He down at his hand, his earpiece lie in his palm. He brought the earpiece up to his ear, the voice on the other end shouted
Chopper Mike: "Hey, get out of the way!" Leon was then snapped back to reality by a loud
Barry: *CRUNCH*
Ashley: "After you handed me off to the authorities, they questioned me for days on end. They wanted to know where I was, what I heard while I was a prisoner, where I learned to drive a bulldozer. I kept asking about you, but all they told me was 'He's been furloughed'. The only thing that kept me sane during the interrogation, was my undying love, for you."
Ada: "Awwww, how cu-"
Leon: "Shut up."
Ashley: "Eventually they let me go home, but the first thing I did was go to your office. They told me you weren't there, but I knew that was a lie. I could feel your presence in my heart, the bond of true love that has always connected us. Before long, I was served with a restraining order, but I knew it was all a lie. You would never sign something that would keep us apart. It was then that I knew, your wife and kids were keeping us apart. That was the only reason you would refuse a visit from your soulmate. I started making connections with people that could help me 'deal' with your children, but before I could make any real plans, men in black suits showed up at my home. Daddy had recently finished his second term in office, and he decided that it was the perfect time for me to 'go on a vacation' for a while." The sadness in her eyes turned to anger
Ashley: "They drugged me, and when I woke up, I was in a windowless cell. I stood by the door for days yelling 'Leon, HEEEEELP' but you never came. I turned to writing it on the walls. I started with the crayons (can't be made into weapons like pens and pencils) they had given me to write in my journal. When I ran out of crayons I switched to scratching it into the paint with plastic utensils I kept when my meals were delivered. Eventually they stopped giving me utensils, so would bite my finger tip, and write it in blood"
Leon: "Jesus Christ"
Ada: "What's wrong Leon? I thought you liked your women a little crazy" She flashed a creepy, wide eyed stare at Leon.
Ashley: "I filled every inch of those walls with that one phrase, but you never came. I knew the only way I would ever see you again would be to get myself out of the facility. So when that blonde guard came into my cell, alone, I saw my opportunity. I would tell you what happened after that, but if you found this video then you have already figured it out. I made contact with the same people I was talking too before my incarceration, and set my plan into motion. By now, your children are dead" Leon's fists clenched and he began to shake, Ada reached out and held his hand.
Ashley: "I am sorry, but they had to die. I knew you would never leave your wife with your children in the picture. But look on the bright side, we can start over. Now we can have babies of our own, we can even give them the same names if you want!" she looked down at a box that was next to her on the bed and reached inside it.
Ashley: "Above all else, there is one thing you need to know." She produced a large syringe from the box
Barry: "That can't be"
Leon: "Oh no….."
She jabbed the needle directly into her neck and pressed the following the injection, her body began to shake violently, as if she was having a seizure. Her eyes closed as she struggled to stay upright. After a moment she stopped shaking, but when she opened her eyes, they had changed. Her corneas were now a golden amber, and her pupils were blood red.
Ashley: "Leon, you will be mine, or you will be dead" the screen cut to static.
Without saying a single word, Leon stood up, and walked to the car. Barry and Ada stayed seated for a moment, surprised by Leon's sudden exit. By the time they caught up with Len he was already waiting in the passenger seat of the M5.
Barry: "Leon, are you gonna be okay".
Leon: "Get in".
Barry: "Where are we going now?" .
Leon: "Ashley said she had contacted someone who was helping her, if we want to find them, we need to start by finding whoever sold them the explosive.".
Ada climbed into the driver's seat
Ada: "So we are going to the airport? I hope Hunnigan remembers that I only fly first class".
Leon: "Not yet, first we are going to the address I put into the GPS".
Ada: "And that is…..?".
Leon: "Just drive, you'll know when we get there".
The drive was largely silent, Barry didn't even ask to listen to the radio. About an hour into the drive, Ada called her mother to check on the twins, Ashley had her spooked. It was eerie knowing that a pink eye outbreak had saved their lives.
By the time they arrived it was nearly ten o'clock
Ada: "Really Leon? Our secret destination was a bar?".
Barry: "Yeah, if you needed a drink, we passed like ten bars on the way here".
Leon: "It's not about the bar, it is about someone inside.".
They walked into the smoke filled bar, a jukebox played a hard rock song that was older than most of the patrons. Few people took notice of them walking in in full tac gear. The bartender briefly made eye contact before returning to the glass he was drying. Two men were arguing over the outcome of a game of pool. One man was silently playing darts, alone with his bourbon and cigar. In the farthest corner from the door, sat a lonely table. The man sat at the table was hidden by the shadows of the poorly lit corner, but the red glow from his cybernetic eye cut through the darkness. He did not look up as the group approached him, his gaze remained transfixed on the glass of beer in his hand. Much like his eye, the glint off of the gun metal frame revealed that his right arm was also prosthetic.
Leon: "Punch any boulder's lately?"
Man in the shadows: "Heh" as he spoke his glass exploded as he clenched his robotic hand into a fist, sending glass shards in all directions.
The man stood up and took a step forward, revealing his grizzled face.
Chris Redfield: "That's funny, are you still touring with that NSYNC tribute band?" .