Author's Note: I don't own these characters, they're all CAPCOMs and when some do not seem familiar, they would still not be mine actually(just from various sources…) Well, after that weird bit on the chapter before this one, I'm guessing you're all still going to look at me weirdly. I know. I know. It's a little confusing. But that's how good stories are told, all confusion would turn into clarity by the end of the story. Yeah, I'm also trying to garner some realization in my work pieces too, as you can see, by writing some of these stuff, I'm actually quite learning something about my writings…I know, self-monologue…carried away…I may write my author's note with something that does not have that much emphasis on the 'I' factor. I'll figure that one out sometime later.
Okay, from the last time that'a meaning Chapter 4:
A DSO agent, an international spy, a mercenary turned BSAA agent, oh, and a guest who isn't who he said he is who witnessed an attempted bio terror attack in Rio.
Now, they're in London.
It's a recipe for disaster.
But don't worry; there are some people around who could lend a hand.
Degrading Conscience
4. In the Company of Wolves
THREE DAYS AGO
Leon landed on his knees with a grunt. He could not see past the material over his head. The sawed off barrel of the shotgun was still pressed against his back, and it would be a fatal blow if he was shot. No surprise there. It wasn't as if following any if Savoy's advice had done them any good. That man was a jinx, and Leon could swear by it. From Rio to the streets of London to an empty pub that came with a man prodding them with a shotgun. Bagged on the head, they were led down to some kind of cellar. It made no difference, though; he couldn't see a goddamn thing. Somewhere off there was a scuffle. Probably Jake or Ada, putting up a bit of resistance to show that they won't be backing down easily.
"It's all over the news", someone said, the man who had been part of the welcoming committee.
"Damn, it's going to be a busy night", the woman sighed. By her accent, she might be French. "Hunter's clean".
"Could'da told you", Savoy snorted. "Now, let them go. I've made some new friends and I like them better alive and intact".
"Nuh-uh, they don't look friendly", the other man said disapprovingly.
"Let me go and I'll show you friendly, pal", Jake rumbled somewhere nearby.
"We don't want any trouble. Your man, Savoy, told us that Neo-Umbrella's still around, we just wanted to get even with the company", Leon tried hard to be the one who's still reasonable despite the fact that he was pissed with these people, especially Savoy for getting them in such a situation.
"What is going on in here?" another voice demanded. "Who are these people?"
"Hunter brought them home", the French lady purred.
"Without knowing who they are", the man pointed out.
"Well, they seem like good people", Hunter justified.
"Fine", the newcomer sighed. "But show them a little of our well known hospitality, folks, after all we do need more recruits. What do you say about that?"
The sack on Leon's head was removed, the four people looking at him expectantly. He took a look at them, the French lady and the Mexican, he did not recognize but the other woman, he did. The time he had spent in collaboration with the BSAA a few years ago had introduced him to a bunch of new faces. And he wasn't that surprised that she was standing in front of him, wearing a trench coat and having her hair pulled back in a ponytail.
"Jill", he started. "Don't tell Chris anything".
"Hah, you know what? He did tell me about meeting you in Lanshiang", she said, pulling out a pocket knife and setting out to free him from his duct taped hands behind his back. "Something about you getting crazy over some lady".
"It was nothing", Leon muttered, glancing at Ada who shook her head a little. The things that had happened in China, remains unsaid between them, even Carla's deeds and death.
"Sure, whatever you say. You are aware of Neo-Umbrella still being around", she said seriously.
"Well, some things don't always stay dead", he shrugged. "Or in our case, most things could be inclusive".
"Get yourselves upstairs and we'll compare notes", Jill said, from her tone, it was an order. Leon sighed with relief when he noticed that even easily hot-headed Jake obeyed Jill's command. The bar was still close as Jill led them to a backroom that consisted of a table and a few chairs.
"Take a seat", she motioned to them. "Carlos, get their stuff, will you?"
The man with the shotgun stalked out without saying anything else.
"Coffee?" Jill offered them, pouring herself a cup in the process.
Savoy promptly sat himself down onto a nearby couch as comfortably as he could and began to doze off.
"What is the BSAA doing here?" Jake beat Leon to the questions. "How the hell do you know that we're in London? Are you working with the CIA now?"
"Whoa, slow down a minute there. First things first, we're not the BSAA", Jill grinned.
Ada's sudden intake of breath could be heard. "So, what is the meaning of this?"
Jill held out a hand in a gesture for patience, taking a sip from her coffee mug, "We are after the man that had been practically untouchable for years. And we can't rely on the BSAA to get him, in fact no one can. I think this is the only way we can fix this".
"Let me guess, you're after a man named Fisk?" Ada asked.
"Yes. And if I may ask politely, how do you know him, Miss Wong?" Jill smiled warily.
"Not in a personal way, if you're assuming", Ada shot back.
Jake snickered.
"And once you get to him, how are you going to 'handle' the situation?" Leon asked sarcastically.
By the door, someone loaded a magazine into a rifle, with a very audible click. Everyone turned to the man that was sent to retrieve trio's equipment "Easy, we take him out".
"I couldn't agree any better", Jake remarked. "Hey, what's your name?"
"Carlos", the man said.
"That's all?" Leon prompted.
"He's Carlos Oliveira, helped me escape Raccoon City", Jill explained when the other man wasn't eager to say anything else. "He's good at what he does".
"That's expected since he works with Umbrella", Ada continued.
The reaction was immediate. Jake pulled up his chair from under him and got into a defensive position (chairs raised out towards Carlos legs first). Leon reached for a phantom gun by his holster, but came away with nothing when he recalled that all of their weapons had been taken when they were brought in.
"That was back in the day, lady, their healthcare was good. I recall you did have some dealing with them, too", Carlos said, aiming his rifle's sights at Jake. "Kid, don't let me remind you who has the upper hand here".
"Bring it on", Jake challenged.
"Enough", Jill raised her voice. "Stop it, both of you".
"Ah, boys and their toys", the French woman strolled in, tossing a lumpy pillow at the dozing Savoy, who scrambled awake when it landed on his face. "Carlos isn't always this uninteresting; give him some time to warm-up".
"That's Emilie Dominique, a trusted friend of mine", Jill introduced. "Now that we're all well acquainted, let's get back to business".
The table glowed and a holographic image of a man appeared.
"Next week, Mister Fisk is hosting an auction. Except he won't be selling off any of his antiques", Jill started. The man disappeared to show records and photographs of different types of BOWs. "These are his merchandise".
"Shit", Leon grunted. "He deals with bio-weapons?"
"A collector, some may say. I think he knows somebody's on his tail and he just wants to rid himself of his collection", Jill nodded. "If we managed to stop him before he pumps more of these stuff into the market, we could end this".
"Or get ourselves killed in the process", Jake drawled.
All of them glanced at him, giving him mixed reactions ranging to confusion, to anger to a look that meant 'You got any better ideas?' He didn't seem to mind as long as they didn't lead him to a death trap. Nobody would be able to find Sherry then.
"The young man is right", Emilie pursed her lips. "If we are unsuccessful, Fisk would give no rest until he has seen our corpses with his own eyes".
"That and the event itself sounds like a trap", Ada pointed out.
"I can assure you that it isn't. The cover's pretty well made, even right down to its guest list", Jill said. "The expo hall has plenty of blind spots if anything does get hairy".
"Wait, how the hell can they be trading BOWs in the open like this?" Leon growled, glancing at the list of 'weapons' on the table.
"Easy, cher, because they're not. For anyone else, it's just old vases and other things you might find in my grandmama's attic", Emilie smiled pleasantly. "Oh, I do love elegant events like these, makes it all the better when we cause a stir".
"A week you say?" Leon grunted, looking at Jill.
She gave him a curt nod.
"Give us more time to be prepared", he remarked.
THE PRESENT
Leon couldn't help but stare at the dark streets. It beat looking at the empty ceiling if the apartment's bedroom. For him, it had been a long wait. They were lucky that Emilie owned the lease to the apartment building above the bar or else hunting for a place to hunker down would be a pain. Watching the news would just be downright depressing, most of it would just involve more reports on the investigation on who dunnit in Brazil (so, far no one had claimed responsibility for the bioterror act yet). Besides, he didn't want to wake Ada. She hadn't been sleeping too soundly for the past few nights, not that he has. It still amazed him that she was careful enough to keep a gun by her side while she slept.
"I can't promise that", a voice said softly somewhere behind him.
That was enough to snap Leon back into reality. He waited just in case he had heard something else entirely.
"Trust them? Of course, I don't", the voice said again, not too soft this time-just a hint louder.
Padding lightly barefoot to the front door, he checked it, making sure that it was secured. There were more words spoken in the dark, some inaudible from where he stood. Following the sound, he made his way to Jake's room.
"-barely could stay alive-we can't be like this, Sherry, we have to fight it", Leon heard Jake speaking, louder this time. The younger man must have assumed that the other occupants were asleep at this hour.
"I know, I know", Leon caught the last few words before it went quiet.
He glanced worriedly form Jake's door to the bedroom he shared with Ada. Maybe Ada was right, the kid had faced too much, maybe he was cracking. Jake's condition saddened him, it reminded him of Sherry – of him not be able to protect that bright young girl. Now she was gone and it had an impact deep on him but it seems he wasn't the only one that deeply affected.
On the floor below them, Carlos watched over some recorded audio feed he had gotten from their new visitors from bugs hidden around the apartment above them.
"They won't be doing anything, Carlos, you'll be tiring yourself", Emilie murmured from beside him as he concentrated on what seems to be a one sided conversation.
"Precautions", he rumbled. After all, he hadn't survived this long just to go off by someone sneaking behind him with a gun. He needed a good ease of his paranoia, and to know more about their new friend other than the words coming from Jill Valentine's mouth (no matter how much he'd trusted that woman).
Emilie wasn't dissuaded by his words.
"If that woman finds out what you're doing, mark my words, love, you're dead", she murmured.
He looked at her with amusement, scoffing, "Jill? She wouldn't".
"I wasn't talking about her", Emilie shook her head. "I'm talking about the lady with the Asian descent. Miss Wong? She's dangerous".
"What?" he frowned, taking off his headset and setting it aside to focus on where their conversation was heading. Emilie looked serious, which was a rare occasion unless it was a really dour matter in their hands.
In a sort of reply, she handed him a pile of reports and sightings of the woman. Carlos flipped through them, skimming each page. He noted that Emilie was right, this was serious. Serious enough that they would have to probably tell Jill, though he was considering the fact whether it would be a good idea to do so if she would just overreact along with the rest of them. He set the bunch of papers aside, looking at Emilie who was awaiting his response.
"Well, this is gonna hurt, chica", he mumbled under his breath.
Author's Note: I'm so sorry it took this long to actually write one crappy chapter. Truth is, I was having a bunch of exams and I had to postpone most of my story writing. Anyway, I'm back online and I'll be posting more often to make up for that during my holidays. I hope, I've kept the suspense rolling. Oh, and reviews would be much appreciated! :D