Chapter Eighteen

"Merry late Christmas!"

Lisa bounced down the empty hall, small packages in her hands. She and Angelica had been moving their personal belongings into the Estate for several days, and helping the last of their coworkers as well. Trent had mysteriously been gone as of late, and his present lay unopened under the dying tree that Angelica had purchased a couple weeks beforehand. Angelica herself was sitting on the sofa she had accidentally fallen asleep on several months beforehand, her head tiredly in her hands. Running her fingers through the long, let down, blonde hair, the woman fluffed out the strands as she smiled with sleeplessness marking about her eyes.

"What's this now, Lisa?" Trevor sat down next to her friend, gently squeezing her shoulders in a hug. A small, blue box was placed into Angelica's palm; the tiny compartment was covered with velvet. Angelica's eyes were wide as she slowly opened the jewelry container, a sparkling gem catching the dimmed light. It was blood red, a garnet of flawless cut. In the very center were etched angel wings that stretched out in flight. Angelica stared back up at her friend, her mouth falling open in surprise. Lisa smiled back sheepishly, a rosy tint crawling into her cheeks. "It was going to be for your birthday…but with all the excitement…do…do you like it?" Her answer was an engulfing hug as Angelica squeaked happily.

Slowly her nimble fingertips opened the clasp, laying the charm about her neck. Finally she stood, walking with Lisa as they talked about the new facility. The latter was excited beyond means, practically tittering with joy at the fact she got to work there… Angelica on the other hand felt hesitant… Finally stopping as they reached the door way, the pair hugged once more. Lisa turned to head downwards, but halted when she realized her friend was not following. Looking over her shoulder, Lisa raised her eyebrows. "You coming? I was going to head into town for some coffee…" Shaking her head, the other woman lingered back. "Go on without me… I have something I want to do first. I'll catch up later." Trevor nodded, understanding the sentiment.

It took what seemed like forever to get there, her own feet dragging heavy with memories and thoughts. Marcus' lab… it was where she had made and lost her pet friend….it was where she had felt useful and wanted… She could almost see Marcus hunched over in the empty desk chair, writing at his various notes and fiddling with his pen. A few articles were left in the empty, white room, but not many. Empty beakers of the leeches were everywhere as a few workers shuffled about the room, disposing of not needed material. Stopping one of them as she saw a hazard bag being filled, the young woman quietly asked a few questions. "Excuse me…what is that you are throwing away? I wasn't aware of any hazardous material being left in the room when Doctor Marcus left." The clean up crewmen looked up, shaking his head. His bushy, grey mustache moved when he talked, almost making Angelica want to smile….well had it not been for what he was just saying. "No, Ma'am. They leech containers were left behind, so Spencer told us to dispose of them. I suppose the old cook didn't want to take them…"

Angelica moved off as the man went back to his job, her brow knit together as her mind ticked. Marcus had always bee attached to those creatures, and as a matter of fact..they were the very basis to his research. Why would he leave them behind if he left the company? Exiting the Marcus laboratory for the last time, Angelica Burrows was now convinced more than ever that James Marcus had not been fired after all….

…

Lisa stood in line, mildly shaking her hips to a Bon Jovi song that was playing in the background of the Raccoon City Beanerama. Nearly half way through the line, she noticed two men sitting in the middle table, sharing coffee and laughing jovially. One of them was Wesker… the other…she hadn't a clue…. At first her instinct was to wave and announce her presence, but after a moment's though, the woman knew better. Wesker was still in her bad side for the way he had manipulated her, and she did not want any further attention from that man than one could warrant. None the less, it seemed his eyes were attracted to her, and for a brief moment…it was like he was staring right at her…

Shaking her head as he slipped on a pair of silver aviator sunglasses to shield the sunlight streaming in from the opposite window, the woman coughed lightly. "Ma'am…Ma'am…are you ready to order?" Lisa nearly jumped from surprise, now turning her attention to the confused cashier before her. Smiling and returning back to her every day habit, Lisa Trevor ignored the eating feeling in the pit of her stomach. It just seemed that now when she looked at Albert Wesker….he was no longer the handsome angel she always dreamed of…he looked like more of a monster in her nightmares.

As Lisa exited the coffee shop, Wesker brought his gaze back to the middle aged man before him. The sunglasses had worked well to hide what he actually was staring at, and the over excited man did not even seem to notice. Wesker settled further back into his seat, taking a generous swig of his hot beverage as he listened to the man put out a well thought of budget plan. If Wesker ever thought himself a people person, he thought he could actually…like this man. The individual before him was of stocky build, a well trimmed mustache over his upper lip that made him look wiser beyond his years. He had a brain…and some brawn judging by the enormous biceps the man possessed. He had petitioned the city's committee board for funds of a local task force, one that would ease the crime weight upon the police force. Finally the city had complied, getting their biggest contractor to fund the supplies. The contractor would be…..anonymous to the task force…but it would be Umbrella owned none the less.

Leaning forward in his seat, Wesker clasped his hands together as he straightforwardly looked the other man on the eye. A small smile crept across his face as the other finished his pitch, Wesker's hand extending out to shake the larger man's in agreement. His grin grew wider as the shake signaled their finality of many years to come… "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Burton, and I look forward to building the S.T.A.R.S together…."

…..

"I don't see why he was so unreasonable…but if it's work…it's work.."

Annette lay in her bed, cradling Sherry to her chest. When she had finally been released from the hospital, William had broken the news to her. She hadn't taken it well, but a dish and two vases later, the woman had finally conceded reason. Sherry was un-phased as she drank her formula filled bottle, but her crisp, azure eyes watched every move that her father seemed to make. Crawling into the bed next to her, William Birkin wrapped his arms about his wife lovingly; thanking the heavens that her outburst had not been taken out on his computer of a briefcase…Whispering in her ear, the man nearly felt his throat close with an onslaught of emotion. "Do you remember what you said to me the night our Sherry was born? That you would love me no matter what…" Annette inclined her head to the side, her eyes clouded with confusion as she stared at her spouse. He had been acting so strangely as of late… "Yes, of course I do…I promised it…" William looked his wife dead in the eye with a look that would haunt her forever. It was as if his soul had been ripped away…

"Just don't ever promise something you won't keep…"

….

How long had his body laid there….a day? A week? A century? His mind had long been ripped away, but his body still remained something that would fester and grow into new life…

The corps of James Marcus lay rotting at the bottom of a sewage vent, covered in the bile and hatred of humanity that lived in bliss high above. Umbrella had dumped what was left of his remains and work into the abyss, a problem that they would no longer have to deal with….

But they were wrong…. Very wrong.

As the liquid flushed by the body, a squirming creature forced its way out of the dead cadaver's mouth. The leech could barely be called a leech anymore, its body so engorged and large. Triple the size and mass of the normal animal, it rolled across its master's body. A screeching noise somehow was emitted from its form, the sound echoing down in the catacombs. Slowly the waist deep muck became alive and teeming with its fellow brethren, all heading for the shell that was once their 'father.' As the crawling mass covered the man's form, his face became unrecognizable as the living carpet covered everything. The only thing left untouched were the still open eyes….

Slowly…the lids drew down…..and the eyes blinked… James Marcus had one last gift that would be given to him by the creatures he gave life to…

Those creatures….gave life back.

END

A/N

WHOOOOOOOOOOOT I did enjoy writing this as ever bit as I did Redemption. Also since a few friends on here have talked it over with me (as well as my hubby xD) and it had been decided, I will be doing a sequel to Redemption. It will be coming soon, and it may take Capcom mythos by surprise, but I will try to work it out so that it will be believable? I still have some kinks to iron out of course.

Anyway, Happy Reading!

Angelica Burrows