Chapter Three
"What do you mean, Viral Experimentation?"
An eyebrow was raised in question, plush lips tersing in quieted frustration. "I was under the impression that my transference was dealing with prehistoric botany revival?" Birkin watched Angelica closely, noting her obvious confusion. Spencer had instructed both he and Wesker to keep the woman oblivious to certain details, but not all.. It was now time for William to do what he did best, twist the truth. "Dr. Burrows, that is the primary objective. The floral elements that you have been dealing with for the past few years have rendered and rare viral strain that could be put to a matter of uses… We have the source of the plant, but when moved to a simulated environment, it becomes unstable. Your job is to find out why, and to refine the strain for animal testing." Crossing her legs upon one another at the heel, Angelica leaned forward. Both she and William Birkin had been discussing her new title and what responsibilities it entailed within Birkin's private office for some time. Burrows had been sitting in an padded arm chair, various files strewn across her lap. William reclined in his swivel chair, watching the younger woman looking through the mess of paper, and answered the various questions that were posed to him. After finally being able to speak to the woman on a one on one basis, he had been rather impressed by her intelligence. She was more than just a shut in scientist as he and Albert had joked about during their visits to the Artic labs over the years. No, she was a treasure trove of knowledge waiting to be stimulated. Blue eyes leveled at him sharply, Burrows beginning to gather up the many pages. "Anything beyond animal testing will be my responsibility, William. Ozwell and I have a pre-standing agreement that is contracted as such." Birkin sat up fully, his thick eyebrows in a knot. Spencer had more than failed to mention this at their private meeting. Silenced anger burned behind his smile, but he managed to nod stiffly in agreement. "Understood, Dr. Burrows." Holding the files to her as she stood, Angelica's stiff demeanor finally broke. The woman revealed a dazzling smile. In all honestly, she had expected some rebuttal to the statement, or possibly and argument. "Thank you for your time, William. I'll get to work right away." Birkin chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "You have already gotten acclimated to the facility? You and the rest of the associates are supposed to use today to do so." A mischievous glance met his eyes, her own twinkling. "I had plenty of time to read the blue prints on the plane ride. I probably know this place better than Spencer himself." Birkin stayed silent at this notion, his face not betraying any personal thought to it. She really didn't know how their mutual employer always had surprises in an architectural fashion… William watched as Angelica watched the room with her arms full. As soon as she had disappeared out of sight, the perturbed male lifted the receiver of his desk telephone from its cradle. Hastily, Birkin spat out his words into the speaker. "Get Spencer on the line, immediately."
~~~~~~….
Angelica slowly walked down the hallway, attempting to read the files and not run headlong into the wall at the same time. The former was accomplishable, the latter proving to be the problem. After barely avoiding a few corners, the absorbed woman finally just stopped mid-stride to focus upon a particular page. It had been a case study that had been shelved several years ago by Marcus himself. Something about combining virus strains with the coagulative healing power of leeches…
A sudden jolt sent Angelica and her files to the floor, a gruff grunting curse coming from whatever had collided with her. "Damn…" Scrambling for the papers, she kept repeating the same phrase contritely. "I'm sooo sorry! I didn't mean to just stop in the middle of the walk way like that! I am so sorry…" Flighty, azure eyes turned upwards, wary of who or what they might meet. Leaning over her prone form…was Wesker. His upper lip was curled up in a frustrated sneer, a hand rubbing the right shoulder that had been clipped. He had been reading The Divine Comedy avidly, that was until this woman had decided to stand in the center of the hall. Growling under his breath at the female before him, Wesker offered an aiding hand towards her. Gathering the closest papers messily towards her chest, Angelica took the offered help gingerly. Albert hefted her surprisingly light form easily from the flooring, almost jerking her slim body into his own. The woman's blonde ponytail whipped about her shoulders, tumbling sloppily to the side. The papers slammed between their torsos, crinkling loudly on impact. A crimson tinge painted across Angelica's pale cheeks, forcing Wesker to soften his gaze at the sight. Cocking his head to the side, the man allowed curiosity to override other thoughts. Plucking a few of the files from her loose grasp, he flashed Angelica a questioning glare. "You should be more careful with such important files. Where is your assistant Miss Trevor? Let me assist you if she is unwilling to…" Nodding in agreement, Angelica bent to gather the remainder of the scattered paperwork. "I got overloaded, thank you. As for Lisa, I let her go get acquainted with the place and staff." Wesker narrowed his eyes as he copied her actions, but stacked them within his grasp far more neatly than she. "If you are called in for work, then so is she. It is policy. She should be aware of that by now." Burrows shrugged, smoothing back unruly locks of hair from her eyes. "Eh, I am not too concerned. Let her have fun for once."
Minutes later the pair were walking down the hallway, arms full of mismatched papers and folders. Scanning a few of the paragraphs with his eyes as they walked, Wesker gently chuckled. The unfamiliar noise prompted Angelica to give her companion a sidelong glance, eyebrow cocked. "What is so funny?" The man next to her shook his head, the stream of quieted laughter cut off by a light cough. "Looks like Will dumped his paperwork off with yours .You got to be careful about him at times. He has a wonderful mind, but hates to write anything down. I would hate to be his secretary. He's gone through five this year alone.." Grousing at this information, Angelica moved to one of the tables that populated the foyer area. The facility had the feel of a cabin one would take for a woodland vacation, paneled with light, log like appearances. The surface level even included a mess hall, gym, recreation center, and formal filing offices. But beneath the top level lay the true function of the building; the labs. Sighing as she moved into one of the overstuffed couches, Angelica stared at the gargantuan pile of paperwork. The woman flinched as her colleague added to the stack severely. Wesker sat across from her, his hands clasped before him. "Would you appreciate some help with sorting this…atrocity out, dear heart?" There was a mischievous twinkle in his crystal eyes, glinting evilly from within their pigments. Angelica's silver blues met them, narrowing ruefully at his question. "Yes, but on one condition." Albert's brow rose as he reached for the papers that displayed Marcus' name that were closest to him. This was information Birkin should have not made available to her….
Wesker's offer was not without an ulterior motive. His gaze slid back to the woman before him, lips curving upwards in a coy smirk. He fully well knew many of his female colleagues were physically attracted to him, and he did hope for once that the woman was going to make the first move… "And what would that be, dear heart?"
Angelica snatched the papers out of his grasp, her heart shaped mouth quirked in blatant amusement. "Just one little…thing… Don't call me 'dear heart' ."
…
The day had dragged on, leaving Marcus with plenty of time to play with his 'babies.' It had taken years to splice the active plant virus in the animal's tissue, the common leech becoming the most compatible so far. Over the last few months the professor had become rather reclusive, putting the worm like creatures under secret tests in his personal laboratory. But he was running out of time…money…and the virus that was fueling the entire research. Lifting a small, slimy animal from its water beaker with a pair of tweezers, James Marcus crooned lovingly at the wriggling beast. "That's right, my little darling. Soon enough we will show the world what we are capable of." The shrill ring of a telephone echoed within the laboratory, forcing the absorbed man to cut short his obviously one sided conversation with the leech. Placing the specimen back into the water filled habitat, Marcus plucked the receiver from its place upon the white washed wall. Answering hastily, the scientist snapped at the individual who had dared to interrupt his solace. "I had given explicit instructions to be left alone this evening, William. If you have one more question on the technical assignments, they can wait till morning…" A devious chuckle answered the outburst, one that did not belong to William Birkin. "No cordial hello for me, James?" Marcus passed a hand over his own brow, smoothing back the stress creases that were etched there. "Ah, Spencer. What do I owe the personal phone call? Or have you finally decided to give me an answer on the funding I asked you to push through…six..months ago." Spencer let his breath hiss through the static, causing his colleague to narrow his eyes at the lack of immediate response. Finally the silence broke. "Quite the contrary I am afraid, James. I have called to notify you that once the Arklay laboratories are complete in construction, your services will no longer be …required." Marcus felt his knees buckle out from under him at the words. The older man's thin form slammed against the wall, leaning against it for support. Snarling into the receiver, the protective scientist reached a plaintive hand forward to trace his fingertips against the water beaker that held his living research. "You can't do this to me, Spencer! I own a third of this company!" The man on the other side of the conversation seemed to be inhuman, his voice betraying no emotion on the matter in which he was discussing. "The Ashford family and I have agreed to buy out your existing shares, James. Please do not make your termination any more painful than it has to be…" Slamming his other fist into the wall, Marcus gripped the at the phone in desperate, wild fury. "No..you…Spencer, you can't do this to me…." Large orbs were unblinking at the emotional trauma they had just received. James could barely breathe, the air catching within his throat. The static filled his mind for what seemed like an eternity, the held breath within him turning Marcus' cheeks a dangerous ruby shade. "We will discuss your compensation further over the holiday quarter. Under further notice your funding will be quite limited. Any changes and we will notify you, Dr. Marcus." The burning resonance of a dial tone clicked over, filling the now maddened mind of a scientist shunned.
…..
She crept up upon them slowly, eyebrows knit together in wariness. Angelica was sprawled across one end of a plush lounge couch, seemingly asleep on a stack of random paperwork. Albert Wesker was sitting up however, calmly sorting through the remaining pile. His frigid eyes diverted upwards to acknowledge the intruder's presence. Lisa Trevor peeked over the back of the couch, staring at her obviously unconscious friend. "When..uhm when did she konk out?" Lisa quietly moved to the arm of the sofa, sitting upon its thick material. She didn't look her superior in the eye, too embarrassed by the rising blush that was within her round cheeks. Trevor was an attractive young female, soft green eyes, brown hair, petite form, but she lacked the confidence to gain the attention of both supervisors and Wesker's male side. It layman's terms….she was nobody. Albert's jaw tightened at her squeaky question. He was tired…irritated, and decided that alittle antagonism would do his heart some good. Quirking a brow over a page, the man frowned deeply. "Do tell me why you have just now decided to look for your colleague at three in the morning? Or, perhaps, you are here to finally relieve me of doing your job?" A sullen look washed over the female's face. Many piles of papers had been sorted and filed accordingly, well all except the ones Burrows had fallen asleep on. Keeping her eyes on the floor, Lisa mumbled apologetically. "I'm sorry, sir. I was under the impression that today was designated for familiarizing ourselves with the facilities. It won't happen again…" Leaning forward from his seat, Wesker sat down the file folder he had been studying, and stood. Brushing the folds of his ebony suit free of stray paperclips, he moved beside the front of the sofa on which Angelica was reposing. Shaking her shoulder gently, his prod was met by the woman shifting but refusing to wake. Wrapping a warm hand about her waist, he pulled the still sleeping woman up cradle style to his chest. She was surprisingly light in weight, but an extremely heavy sleeper. A soft groan filtered through Angelica's parted lips as the warmth of the couch was replaced with something far more comfortable. She snuggled herself closer unconsciously, whilst Wesker was wide eyed at the action. Lisa had scurried out of the way as quickly as possible. Her eyes were as large as eggs at the spectacle, watching in dumbstruck awe as the man she secretly idolized now held her employer like a cover of a bad romance novel. Well, minus the flowing blonde hair….Wesker would never have dared to even have his hair touching his ears.
Albert turned an icy glare back in Trevor's direction, motioning with his chin towards the opposite hall. "Surely you are not going to make me carry Miss Burrows and our work to her personal quarters?" Scrambling to gather the folders in a neat stack, Lisa could feel the moment dragging like a needle to the spine. He was just…watching her…
Seconds later, she stumbled forward with the bundle, attempting a sheepish smile. Wesker merely stood, his eyes following her silently. He stared….and she stared back obliviously. Finally rolling his eyes, he hissed sharply in a forced whisper. "Miss Trevor, I may be the head of security, but I do no memorize everyone's personal living area…" Head bowed in realization, Lisa gave her superior a hurried nod. As she moved silently forward, the heart shaped face burned with shame. Trevor knew her infatuation with the blonde man behind her was not real, but either way, every time she was around him, she turned into a blithering idiot. Chiding herself inwardly until finally stopping in front of the door she had dragged her friend through earlier that day, she bit her lip. Twisting the door knob gingerly, Trevor prayed that is was unlocked. The door creaked happily, giving way, and swung open easily. The room itself had been left in the shambles of interrupted unpacking, articles of clothing and personal items still spread upon the bed and floor. Timidly, Lisa stepped aside, attempting to keep her normally chirpy voice at a low key. "Uhm, this..this is it." Without further conversation, Wesker stepped into the untidy room, and over to the mussed bed. Using his forearm to wipe the clothing to the other side of the wide mattress, he eased the unconscious woman into the wrinkled covers. Angelica clung to the unknown warmth of his arms, forcing Wesker to shake them to try to detach her. If Lisa had not been so bashful within the man's presence, she would have burst into laughter. Her voice quavered amusedly as the woman attempted to justify her employer's behavior. " She hasn't slept more than three hours for the last few days… She's been preparing for this and pulled all nighters for about a week." Silently grousing at the woman who held onto his arm, Wesker looked at Angelica's sleeping face. She had been so quiet during the sorting they had done earlier, which had surprised him. He had expected her to be chatty, or at least sarcastic, but her business demeanor was completely different then the one she used to put on for Birkin and his quarterly visits. Now, her face was serene, calm within its rest. Blonde strands fell across her cheek, moving ever so little with each puff of breath she took. Brushing them gently behind her ear, Wesker found himself lingering…watching…
Reaching over to an unused pillow, Wesker shoved the object within the loop of Angelica's arms. She took the bait. Curling around the feather stuffed object, she released her hold and settled into the bed with a sigh. Albert gently smirked, his blue eyes sparking as they glittered in the lamplight. As he turned to leave, the curve if a smile immediately disappeared from his lips. Brushing his sleeves off as if he had just been carrying an animal, Wesker glared at Trevor. "I suggest that you do your job and make sure that incident does not repeat itself. Otherwise, I will be discussing with Spencer about your transfer to the unemployment department." Stalking past the now trembling woman, the stony male left their presence. An evil, satisfied smile began to creep back upon his face. He retrieved a folder that he had hidden within his coat. Within the dim lights of the hallway, the letters of the confidential T virus report gleamed in the flickering lights of the stride steps. Lisa Trevor had desperately tried explaining Angelica's lack of endurance, tried to find her in the middle of the night….
Wesker always found a person's weakness in order to exploit and control them. He had just found Burrows' and Trevor's weakness. Their weakness…..was friendship.