Chapter Nine
Chris started towards a composed Jill, awaiting him in front of the office door.
"Anything worthwhile?" Jill asked, crossing her arms.
"Well, the proof is in the pudding, but guess we'll find out." Chris started walking down the hall, Jill at his side, "she told me about a malefactor behind this. What happened there?"
"Springford, two pm on the dot, be alert." She patted Chris on the back.
"Roger," Chris said with relief, feeling he was getting one step closer to solving the puzzle. Thirty minutes were left to their departure.
"Hey Chris, "Jill's palm landed on his shoulder, "I just wanted to go get back one of my possessions, wanna come?" she motioned with her chin.
"Let's go see what you're up to." Chris tapped her shoulder a in a soldierly fashion. She just smirked, the two agents walking their way towards the gun chamber.
"Hey john, where's my darling?" Jill asked humorously, coming down to a counter. Chris's stomach fully melted into that one word like caramel.
Her darling.
"Here is Jill Valentine's Px4, exclusive." John smiled proudly as he passed the silver gray weapon to her on the dark wooden surface," No one can follow in Barry Burton's footsteps, but I'll do my best to manage this."
"You seem to be doing well." Her fingers brushed against the barrel, coming down to the trigger. Picking it up, the weapon sagged on her palm with its familiar weight, as her fingers wrapped around it, her rosy lips stretching to a content smile.
"The Beretta," Chris waved his forearm towards the weapon kept in the locked shelf.
"Okay, good luck with it," John said laughing. His bald head glowed with cheers when his big teeth stuck out of his mouth. He was used to laughing for no real reason.
"John, would you please hand me the rifle too? It might come in handy." Jill's eyes traced the closely placed rifles, gleaming behind the glass barrier.
"As you wish," he quickly placed them on the cherry wood counter, all high quality, all deadly accurate.
Her eyes skimmed the light brown war tools, her hand resting on one,
"All right, this is coming with me." Jill said assertively.
Leaving the chamber, they picked outfits suitable to their assignment. Chris changed into an outfit similar to that in the S.T. A. R s , albeit much more casual. Jill wore a military dark grey jacket and tight dark jeans with black holsters. Vintage was her favorite theme.
After testing the weapons' accuracy, they quickly arranged a rendezvous at the helipad.
The rotor blades was a lullaby to their ears, and the announcer of horrible consequences in equal measure, like a police siren bringing comfort and danger at the same time; depending on your side of the coin . Chris would perpetually reflect on the very nature of their missions, realizing they weren't just some gambles to selflessly throw their lives away. It had brought out the cautious side of him. Those who worked in the office had a better condition, even if their work had morphed them into full clock-watchers. Their blood wouldn't be spilled for anything, but maybe it would if there was a bioterrorist outbreak that BSAA didn't stop.
Chris and Jill laughed at their senseless jokes in the chopper, teasing each other, bragging about trivial matters. It brought back the scent of the old days, no matter what kinds of agents they were, no matter which organization they worked for, and no matter how many years had elapsed.
The warm sun glowed like a symmetrical orange, fading into the horizon, giving its place to a reddish purple sky. A yellow round moon glowed in the distance, its light smearing over the edge of their faces, leaving faint shades here and there.
Chris was sitting near her, as the pilot flew the helicopter over warm spring air, one narrow river or two running through the ever-green forest trees. Soon residential buildings came into sight, and then small wooden cottages, villages, black flocks of birds scraping the sky.
His eyes shifted to Jill, lost amidst a sea of deviant thoughts, her eyes were sewed to somewhere outside the window. It was a normal habit of the BSAA agents; when anticipation mingled with their blood hard; when they were wondering if their mission would be accomplished or turn into another failure; when they reflected on thousands of other things that set them off. Contrary to that, Jill always had a clear mind before missions, always prioritizing, steadfast, ready, deadly resilient and she neatly put everything into perspective. She was a high-ranking operative who could never be replaced, ever.
Jill's face was still a bit pale, and despite all his attempts to discourage her from going on a mission in this state, she had strongly resisted.
Chris felt his heart beat madly, harder than any of the dangerous circumstances he had gone through. He gulped hard to calm his tightening throat, but Chris knew now was the right time. He had been in a mental battle with himself for an eternity, all these years struggling to tell her. He had never mustered up the courage, fearing getting slapped in the face with her rejection. Lying to himself was easier. He would tell himself that Jill felt the same; how could she not? Just each time something popped out of the blue, screwing everything.
Chris didn't want the Europe mission to happen again in his timeline. Losing her to near death had just proved him how stupid he was for never letting out his bottled emotions; just like when you climbed all the steps on a very tall ladder, only to fall off the last one. If this gamble went wrong and something happened to him or to Jill, god forbid, he still had to tell her. Even if he would have to watch over his sweetheart from Eden in the high blue sky, if the light was ever lost from his eyes.
Chris had once asked one of his friends the signs that you had fallen in love with your best friend. Then he had realized he was in love with her one way or another. Christopher Redfield was in love with Jillian Valentine. No possible method of reasoning in the universe could deny that.
Whenever Jill talked to him, he felt that colossal garden of butterflies writhe in the pit of his stomach. She was in his daydreams, whenever he had free time, his mind would inadvertently switch to her, wondering what she was doing, hungry to meet up. Hell, even all these five years his mind would tell him what Jill might have done if she hadn't freely given her life for him. No man-made power nor fate could take her again, he would not allow it to happen.
Chris slowly scooted closer, his knee brushing up against hers. Her thigh nerves shot electricity at the contact, but she quickly decided it was just a friendly gesture for whatever reason she didn't know. She was so adrift in a world of her own.
Must be accidental. No way, it can't be.
Her heart suddenly froze as if placed in a minus fifty degrees freezer when she felt the weight of a strong warm hand on her thigh. This was so close, a deliberate tactical move. It couldn't be denied. It was meant to be close and blow her away.
Her breath was caught in the middle of her throat as she felt Chris cutting the distance completely, his frame brushing against her curves. The smell of leather sandalwood was enough to make her drunk without drinking a brimming bottle of whiskey. Flames of heat went up her thighs, straight to the nerve endings around her heart, releasing all the adrenaline and noradrenalin she was planning to keep at bay, sweat gathering on her forehead. If her heart continued to race like that, her blood vessels would explode in minutes. It was not exactly logical to start a fire, if Chris was really planning to do it before a mission, but God, she had waited too long. They were both tired of wearing the dual personality mask they had held for ten years.
Could it happen? Finally…
"Chris," Jill exhaled quietly, her eyes still piercing through the chopper window, refusing to turn. Chris loved the way she called his name. It was like caressing his neck with a long soft feather.
"Jill," he whispered near her ear, her fruity milk and jasmine scent spiraling around his throat, turning him to a full drunk. The huge rotor blades in the background slapped the wind.
"If anything happens tonight," Chris whispered sincerely, "I just wanted you to know…"
"No, we'll make it," Jill interrupted him critically, his breaths on the nape of her neck as she was disintegrating.
"We'll get out of this alive." Jill said with certainty, trying to convince the two of them that everything would turn out as expected. But maybe it didn't. How could she guarantee that Chris wouldn't sacrifice himself this time? How could Jill be positive that she would see his warm erudite face again? Not lose him to wrong people? How could she complete her daydreams? How could Jill even tolerate this life without him?
No, I'll make the first move. I'll be the first to go for good.
Jill turned her face to look at him, her hands meeting his shoulders.
"But if anything happens to me Redfield, you have no right to make a mess of yourself," her voice quivered, taking a deep breath with difficulty. The acidic snake stung her throat. Burning like a crisp plane leaf in the intense heart of scorching fire, the corners of her eyes began to crystallize harshly.
Damn you Chris, for making me such a sap.
Moved by her, his eyes started to water. Jill averted her fiery gaze from Chris, quickly turning towards the window.
If the helicopter crashed right now, it'd suit this situation better.
His tender fingers caressed the smooth side of her jaw, turning the soft pale flesh to himself with affection. He leaned forward and his lips met hers, a white lightning shattering through him. Her full fresh lips brushing against his crusty ones injected his heart with an aching sweetness, the silky blonde hair gliding across his throat in the salty humid air of the chopper. Chris snatched her to his hot muscular arms, cradling her in his lap as Jill's warm hands draped around his neck. Intoxicating, reverent, sensual. They just existed together in an S-61R helicopter. Nothing else was real, nothing else mattered. This was an uncharted territory where blood roared over reason.
Her delicate fingers ran through his hair, as the kiss became passionate, slow, long and satisfying as a sumptuous meal.
"Prepare for landing you two," David the pilot called, jerking the couple away. Rapidly, the two sat straight in ample distance.
"Five minutes until touchdown." He added quickly.
They both nodded, Jill's entire body still totally numb from the contact. She inhaled and exhaled deeply a few times to efface the memory and stabilize her thoughts, to make herself invisible in those bright eyes of Chris. Chris was an idiot for having made them this sentimental before a mission. Nonetheless, part of her was aflame with rapture and ecstasy on the fact that they had finally broken down the high concrete wall between them.
A faint smile stretched on their lips.
This was a new lease on life, a new beginning.
A/N: Hey there, I hope you enjoyed the new chapter. Things are gradually progressing! Now the answer to your precious reviews. A big thanks to readers, followers, reviewers and anyone involved in this.
Dear Redfield Claire:
Trust your feelings dear! Jade could be totally good or totally bad! Thanks.
Dear guest:
Thanks!
Dear Leavy:
Hehe, yeah. I wanted to write a sexy character, lol. Thanks for reading.
Dear lowken29:
To be honest, I totally agree with you. The first chapters were bland because I hadn't created an act chart in advance. From now on things will progress. Jill will be possessive for sure! Thanks again.
Dear abcacb1221:
Cute moment, eh? Thanks.
Dear Aj101010:
You have a very beautiful imagination my friend. Yeah, she does seem sly! Thanks again.
