The following morning, Jake woke to the others talking quietly. He hadn't slept well and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed beside Sherry, but he knew it wouldn't go over well with Chris or Leon. He imagined that Jill would back them up, typical rank and file.
"Claire spoke with the pilot this morning and got the coordinates of an old farm about a mile from here where he can land. The problem is that once the paramedics are on board, there won't be room for all of us," Chris was explaining.
"Shit," Leon sighed. "Sherry needs to be first out of here, followed by you. Jill and I can stick around until he can double back."
"No need," Jake interrupted from the floor. "I commandeered a car to get here and it should still be on the shoulder within walking distance from here. Whoever can't fit on the 'copter can drive back."
"Morning," Jill smirked. "You must be Jake. I've heard all about you."
Jake bit back a smart retort and forced a smile. "Great."
"Don't be so defensive…I hate your father as much as they do, but I don't hold you accountable."
"Good, 'cause I never even knew him."
Leon handed Jake a cup of coffee, just like he had the night before. Again, Jake was grateful. Chris was like a stone statue, only moving his eyes between Jill and Jake.
"Now that we're all friends, can we get back to the matter at hand? If the helicopter can fit two more, Chris can ride with Sherry. Jill, Jake, and I will drive back and meet you at Claire's house," Leon suggested.
"That's fine. It goes without saying that Sherry's abilities need to be kept private. The BSAA is providing the paramedics, so we don't have to worry about nosy hospital personnel. If I know Claire, Rebecca has already been called and should be waiting for us when we arrive," Chris said.
"Then it's settled. I'll call Claire so she can give the go-ahead to the pilot. We move out in ten," Leon instructed, stepping outside to make the phone call.
Jake got up from the floor and stretched, working the kinks out of his stiff muscles. He felt eyes on him and turned to face Chris.
"What?" he asked impatiently.
"When'd you get in?" Chris inquired. Jill set to putting away the supplies they had borrowed so the two men would have a modicum of privacy.
"Last night; Kennedy let me in."
"The situation was under control. You didn't have to rush out here to save the day."
Jake laughed in disbelief before replying, "I didn't. I rushed out here to…"
Chris looked at him expectantly and Jake saw Jill watching him from a distance, waiting for him to finish his sentence. Thankfully, Leon returned from making his phone call and gave Jake a reason to remain silent. They packed up their gear and tried to rouse Sherry, but she only moaned and clenched her fists.
"The farm is about two miles east of here. Chris, think you can handle carrying Sherry that far?" Leon asked.
"Cake," Chris replied, wearing his backpack of gear on his front before hitching Sherry onto his back. Jill wrapped a blanket around her and tucked it in between her and Chris's body to keep them both warm. The storm had mostly dissipated, but the temperatures were still hovering below freezing.
Chris headed east towards the farm, while Jake, Leon, and Jill headed back towards the road. The wind was howling through the trees, which kept the small talk to a minimum. Jake wasn't looking forward to the ride back, but at least he didn't have Chris to antagonize him.
Maybe he was showboating to impress the woman, Jake theorized, his icy blue eyes flicking towards Jill. She wasn't bad looking and had a killer figure; it wasn't a stretch to think that Chris had a thing for her. Or maybe Redfield was being his typical, jarhead self. He had a chip on his shoulder and always needed to prove how tough he was.
Truth be told, Jake didn't feel very comfortable around these people. If Sherry was around, she would have been a bridge between their two worlds—the survivors of Raccoon City and him, the opportunist. His father had put all their lives in danger, and had undoubtedly taken loved ones from each of them. Thinking about it retrospectively, he couldn't really blame Redfield for his animosity. Kennedy had sort of warmed up to Jake during their exploits in China, but he didn't exactly feel like part of the team.
They reached the road after a mostly silent walk and Jake swept his arm over the car to brush off the snow that had accumulated over night. Once the snow was cleared, Jake turned the engine over and blasted the heat until the interior was toasty warm. Leon offered Jill the front seat and closed the door for her once she was buckled in. Jake waited for the engine to warm up before heading back towards town.
"Damn, I'm starving," Leon muttered once they were on their way. Jill rooted around in the glovebox, but came up empty.
"If I know Claire, she's got a turkey in the oven and pies cooling in the window sill," she said wistfully.
The mere mention of such a treat made Jake's mouth water; he couldn't remember the last homecooked meal he had enjoyed. How presumptuous, he chastised himself. What's the likelihood that he would have a seat at the Redfield table? Claire had been cordial enough on the phone, but Sherry's life was at stake—she needed all hands on deck, even if that meant putting on a friendly face for the son of Albert Wesker.
"So, Jake…I've heard all the stories," Jill started, warming her hands by the AC vents. "You were instrumental in stopping the spread of the C-Virus, and in taking down Simmons. How does it feel?"
"How does what feel?" Jake asked, confused.
"To be one of the good guys?"
"That would insinuate that I was, at one point, a bad guy."
Jill cocked her head to the side in acknowledgement. "True. I suppose it's not really fair to equate you with your father's evil deeds, huh?"
"No."
"You really never met him?"
"No."
Leon leaned forward from the back seat. "That's probably a good thing, kid," he noted, patting Jake on the shoulder.
"Before he went all Umbrella on everyone, he was a good guy. At least he seemed like it," Jill continued. Jake glanced at her.
"You were part of S.T.A.R.S., right?" he questioned.
"Yeah. We did some good work before it all went down."
Jake couldn't bring himself to respond with anything of substance. He didn't like talking about his father, or thinking about him for that matter. He preferred to keep Albert Wesker on the periphery of his life. There was always going to be an enemy in the world, another Wesker or Simmons looking to change the world to fit their ideology. For people like Chris and Leon, it drove them to keep fighting the good fight. Jill would be there with Claire and Sherry, and whomever else felt compelled to don their superhero capes and save the world. Jake didn't know where he fit in.
Mercenary work was never going to go out of style, especially in the aforementioned scenario. Jake had shifted his dedication towards the "good side", though oftentimes it was difficult to tell who was who. The drug lord who utilized child soldiers could also fund a school and provide jobs to his people. The pharmaceutical conglomerate who promised to first do no harm could set in motion a cataclysmic chain of events sparked from greed and gluttony.
"How long are you staying in town?" Jill asked, interrupting Jake's internal musings.
"Uh…I haven't thought about it," Jake replied truthfully. "Depends on Sherry, I guess."
"Ah huh."
"Guess I'll have to figure out a hotel."
"I'm sure someone has a spare bed," Leon noted quietly. Jake's eyes darted up to the rearview mirror where they met Leon's. Leon nodded at him reassuringly and Jake felt an unexpected tightness in his chest. He looked back at the road, grateful when a cell phone began to ring.
It was Leon's, and he picked it up with a gruff, "Hello." He listened to the person on the other end for a while, and Jake assumed it was Claire. "That's good. We're maybe a half hour from your place, and I'm desperate for a hot shower…Jill expected as much. I'll text you when we're nearly there. Okay, thanks. Bye."
Jill grinned and turned back towards him. "She's cooking, isn't she?" she verified.
"Yep. Once she knew Sherry was safe, she went shopping and is cooking up a storm."
Jake couldn't wait.