4. Stephanie

Stephanie Speyer set down her phone on the bedside table in her small apartment. He would be disappointed that she didn't get Claire into her custody. Stephanie was so careful about not giving away her employer's name that she didn't even think his name. It was part of her job, never to give away her employer's name. If she did, she would be 'neutralized' for compromising the mission. Her mission? To capture Claire Redfield and use her as bait for her older brother, Chris. Why? Well, that's the mystery…

Her employer, who she knew Albert was his first name- Oops. I just thought his name… Darn it. -worked and lived in Africa, though he was an American man. They talked to each other through an online video chat (her employer made a 'deal' with the owners of the video chat site to make it only for the two of them, to which the owner happily agreed to due to the hefty amount of money involved). So to start her mission, she rented a room in a hotel that she knew Claire would go to. She was in the room right next to the one which Claire rented (she tipped the receptionist off that she needed to give a Ms. Claire Redfield the room next to hers or something might just 'happen').

~.~

"Oh my gosh!!" Claire exclaimed loudly at the airport while she and Chris were sitting down. They were waiting for the plane to touch down so they could board and go to Leon and Claire's house in Providence, Rhode Island.

"What?" Chris replied groggily, still tired despite his escapade earlier this morning. Claire looked at Chris with a shocked expression.

"I left my wallet at the hotel!!" Claire shook her brother's shoulders as though it were the end of the world.

"Okay, okay. Calm down, alright? I'll take a taxi and go get it real quick."

"Geez, Chris. You're a life saver," Claire breathed as Chris got up and exited the airport. He called a taxi and hopped in the back seat, handing the driver a twenty automatically; he told the driver to go to the hotel.

~*~

Chris got to the hotel and walked up to the receptionist, she looked as bored as ever.

"Welcome back. Need something?" The receptionist asked rudely.

"Uh, actually yeah. Can I get the room key to room… 407 again?"

The receptionist looked up and saw Chris's face for the very first time. As if caught off guard, she just sat there, staring at him, frozen in her seat. Chris cleared his throat.

"Oh. Uh, yeah; here it is," she stammered as she handed him the key.

"Thanks. So, I'm going to go get my sister's wallet that she forgot here, that's why I needed the key."

"Okay. Need anything else while you're… around?" The receptionist purred.

"Nope, that'll be it," Chris replied with no change in tone. He pressed the up button on the elevator and waited there for a couple of minutes, thinking about why Claire had to pick now to leave her wallet somewhere.

"The elevator's out," the receptionist (whose name we now know is Cynthia) announced in Chris's direction.

"Oh, uh… thanks. I guess I'll just use the stairs."

"You're welcome," Cynthia responded softly, batting her eyelashes rapidly to look… cute? Anyways… At that, Chris shook his head and headed for the stairs. The rhythmic sound of his steps against the solid oak stairs was a comforting sound; one that somehow lessened Chris's stress for the time being. When he got to the door for room 407, he heard talking in the next room. It sounded like a girl was talking on her phone…

Chris wasn't eavesdropping… he was just overhearing 'accidentally'. He went over to the door and pressed his ear to it.

"…Well, yes. Yes… I already– no. She left early. I didn't get to her in time. Yes. He was here. He left with her. Yes. They're gone. No. You're making this more difficult than it needs to be, Albert."

Chris's hand immediately flicked to where his holster would be. Albert…No, no… it can't be. Wesker died that night. He can't be…Wait! What am I thinking?! There are bound to be more than one Albert on Earth… Geez, Chris, you're ridiculous.

Chris stood up straight, shook himself out of that pretentious insecurity and went into the hotel room he was in just hours before.