Chapter 12: Rescued

Announcements: I have noticed the Chapters where Leon and Chris are the main characters, are much shorter than the others. Anyways, for the last three chapters, the point of view will fluctuation, so that you as the reader, have a well-rounded view of the situation. As always enjoy!

The air was thick with water, as Chris and Leon crossed through the lush rainforest, guns in hand. When it came to Wesker and his men, there was no telling what could happen, especially inside a well canopied jungle. On second thought, they should have hired a guide through the area, but how were they to know that they'd lose communication with their navigational technician?

The ground sloshed underneath their feet, telling them they were too close to the river's flood zone. It was going to rain soon, and they didn't want to get caught in a bad situation. Chris corrected their direction, according to recent communicates, there was a lot of traffic going on around here, which was strange considering it's in the middle of a no build zone of the rainforest.

"Have you been able to reach Hazel?" Chris sighed, taking a large gulp of water from his canteen.

"Not yet," Leon huffed not yet used to the high altitude.

Sweat poured down their faces, as they continued forward. The humidity in New York was nothing compared to with the combined heat of sun and humidity here, and on top of that they were having the hike of their lives. It was understood that they would need to come up with an actual plan, before they invaded the small Umbrella corp. compound here. They couldn't break in guns blazing, and then wander aimlessly through the forest, that would get everyone killed. First, they needed to focus on contacting Hazel again, this way they weren't going in quite as blind, then they'd come up with the next two plans.

"We'll get to higher ground, see if that helps."

Leon rolled his eyes, not particularly happy to continue going up, in the already too thin air. It was logical though, up meant closer to the satellite and above the thick foliage of the canopy, so he didn't complain any farther. Chris grunted, starting to feel the burn of exhaustion through his muscles. Once they were fully up the hill they would take a fifteen-minute break, that's the least he could do.

"How are you doing back there?" Chris asked, once the terrain seemed to level off.

"I'm alive." Leon hummed, feeling beads of sweat rolling down his face.

Chris nodded, settling down onto the roots of a tree, before pulling out a couple water bottles. Hazel was a god send, in Emma's absence, packing their bags with tons of water, food, medical supplies, and anything else she thought they'd need. Most of all, despite knowing that this mission could get everyone involved fired, she'd agreed to play acting nav-tech to keep both men safe. Chris tossed two bottles of water and a handful of protein bars to Leon.

"Drink both of those, before we try to contact Hazel again," Chris directed, popping open his own bottle. "Dehydration can sneak up on you, especially in a place so humid."

They were both on edge, waiting to see Emma, waiting for Hazel, just waiting. Emma was officially declared dead by the B.S.A.A months ago. Her parents were notified, and sent her cubical possessions, soon afterwards, but neither parent was willing to believe it without a body. It was from them, that Chris and Leon were given permission to keep looking, even without the B.S.A.A's permission. Emma's communique had told them two things; that she was alive, and that they now could find her. With Hazels studious help, she'd been able to pinpoint the compound in Africa, and later the compound in the Amazon.

"What's that plan?" Leon asked, crumpling up the plastic bottle, and placing it into his bag.

"I'm hoping Hazel can get us into the compound without notice." Chris hummed. "After that, it's up to us, really, to find Emma and take her back."

"So, go in blind, but armed."

"I'd like to see what brilliant plan you have."

Chris growled, hearing the incredulous tone in Leon's voice. For this, they took a temporary embargo on tormenting the other, just until Emma was safely home. After that, it would depend on how she fairs, if she's broken and bruised, they would continue working together to piece her back to completion. But that didn't necessarily mean, they had things together just yet. They both wanted to play alpha, and as packs go, there can only be one.

"I'd be more comfortable if we had a map of sorts." Leon sighed, rolling his blue-green eyes. "And you think Hazel can get that?"

"If Emma could, so can Hazel…"

"Leon, let me ask you something," Chris eyed his companion. "Was Hazel the one you cheated on Emma with?"

"N-no," Leon grunted, slightly insulted at the question.

He wouldn't have chosen someone they worked closely with, that wouldn't make a good work environment. There was also the fact that he wasn't of sound mind at the time, he'd drunk a lot and needed to unburden himself emotionally, but why in Christ's name did he choose Clair. If anything, Chris would be so much angrier with him, if he were to find out. That's probably why Emma didn't tell him who. Leon sighed, pinching his nose, before looking directly into Chris's angry eyes. Better now than later.

"Clair is the one," he hummed, feeling the same flood of disappointment in himself, that he did the morning after. "I feel god awful about all of this. I acknowledge that I fucked things up with my insecurities, but you have to admit your part in this too."

They were quiet, glaring at each other from across the passage way, waiting for the other to say something. Leon was grasping for straws, during the relationship he'd felt that Chris was purposely redirecting Emma's attention, and that's what sparked the feeling that there was more between them. His fingers flexed, anxiously waiting for the meathead to launch across the distance. But nothing, he did nothing. Christ just sat there, glaring at his counterpart.

"You're right," Chris sighed, again. "You were never good enough for her in my eyes. You have to realize, I've known her since she was a teen, I'd watched her grow up. Neither her parents nor I wanted her to fall in love with a person in the job. It would kill her if anything were to happen to you or me, that's why I wanted her to find a good doctor, or butcher. That way she would never blame herself for the death of her loved one. But you had to go and pursue her, despite the multitude of warnings I gave you." Chris growled, leaning against the large tree behind him. "Now, here we are, wading through this shit stain of a forest, looking for her."

The frustration was evident, Chris's trigger fingers wiggled, as if searching for his gun. Hearing the reasoning for the constant battle for her affections, was rather liberating almost. Leon nodded, now understanding what had destroyed their friendship, and maybe now he could take steps to fixing everything, if it turned out.

"Hazel come in." Leon's voice croaked, as he took another sip of water.

"Thank God," Hazel's voice cracked from the radio. "I thought I'd lost you both forever, where are you?"

"About a mile outside of the perimeter, at least that's what it looks like." Chris hummed, glancing down the hill they were perched on.

"Oh, that's a lot closer than I thought you'd be by now." She breathed, pausing for the briefest of the moments. "That's good, I've analyze the security system they had in the Africa compound, and think I can quickly shut down the system. Though I must tell you now, that once I shut it down, you'll have ninety seconds to get in unnoticed."

"That's fine, can you find a map of the compound?" Leon sighed, wishing things went smoothly.

"Give me fifteen minutes."

Her voice danced with excitement, as they sat in silence. Chris sent an unconvinced glance to Leon, almost asking if she sounded this joyous on other mission. They had both been spoiled, having Emma's voice in almost every mission, her calming even voice telling them were to go without their asking. Each Navigational Technician was different, Emma being the oracle type, know what would be needed well before it happened.

"Okay, I've sent you the map. Estimated from where they had her before, I'd say she's being held in the south west portion of the compound."

"Thank you," Chris sighed, knowing that was the farthest corner from where they'd be slipping in. "Have you sent a rescue anything?"

"Um… yeah."

Both men shared a worried glance, Hazel's answer sounding more like a question than a defined answer. They waited in silence for her to keep her thoughts going. Her voice wavered, as what sounded like another woman's voice echoed in the background. Hazel was taking orders from someone else, Leon groaned, knowing they'd been found out. Chris grunted, already used to being at this end of commands stick.

"Gentlemen," General Reed's authoritarian voice echoed over the com. "I've refrained from telling your superiors about this, only because you are saving someone I consider a dear friend, but by no means, do not think you will not be disciplined for this break of conduct."

"Understood," Chris responded, knowing that Reed was a soft punisher. "Now, how about that escape plan?"

"We've paid a local with a bayou glider, to reach you at the northern exit." Hazel responded. "He'll be there ten minutes after you've entered the compound. From there he'll take you to the military airport nearby."

"Good to hear," Leon nodded. "Once inside, we'll contact you again when we are on the boat, or if complications arise."

"Be safe."

The two men nodded to each other, deciding this was the best moment to start descending. Though it seemed impossible going downhill was twice as much work. The slope altered from a minimal to extreme cliff like edges, coupled with the light patting to make sure they weren't going to step on an animal. Chris moved quickly, pausing only for a moment, again to make sure Leon was keeping up. It was amusing watching Leon struggle to keep up, their trainings were different. Chris was used to being dropped off in rough terrain, places where there weren't any defined cities or streets, and Leon, well he was trained for blending into cities. The large man huffed, almost instantly wondering if this was what his mentor felt during training.

"How far away are we?" Leon asked, jumping over a small cavern, and landing roughly onto the ground.

"I'd say we're about a quarter of a mile away."

Chris shrugged, unable to see the compound from the brush, but he did know how many steps he takes in a mile. Leon sighed, pulling his gun from its holster.

"Are there any guards on the perimeter?"

"Yes, if you wait just a little longer, I'll tell you when there is a clearing." Hazel chuckled.

A cool breeze tore silently through the thick foliage, as the guys waited nearly patiently for Hazel's go ahead. Through the dense leaves, they could see two sets of men converging. Both men reached for their guns, suddenly feeling the tenseness of the situation. They were going into the lion's den, a laughable situation that neither men were particularly comfortable with. If things didn't go as planned, there was a chance they wouldn't make it, and a bigger chance that they would be experimented on. They peeked at each other, momentarily reminding themselves of why they were doing this.

"Okay guys, the guards are changing shifts, you'll have ten minutes before the next shift pops out." Hazel breathed. "I'd suggest giving them five or so, to meander away."

The two men slowly crept into the forest, their guns still drawn. As beautiful as rainforests are, everything posed a danger, and with Wesker around, that danger was amplified. Umbrella's network for the past year or so had been nearly impossible to keep a tight hold on. They had no idea if there were new strands of the T-virus or not, posing even more of an issue. With the animals that prowled around the Amazon, there was no telling what was an enemy or not. Making it best to always be on guard. Chris was the first through the doors, quickly followed by Leon. They'd lucked out with the alarm having a ninety second reboot time, instead of the sixty seconds Hazel originally estimated.

"Should we split up?" Leon questioned, eyeing a suspicious fork in the halls.

It wasn't in the blueprints Hazel gave them, giving more reason for Chris to be cranky with the young woman. Chris shook his head in the negative, there was no reason to add more confusion to a situation like this. With that questioned they continued to through the silent halls. There should be bouts of people rushing through the hallways, that's at least what it felt like. At least guards, but everything was silent, giving both men doubt. Muffled moans echoed through the halls, bringing the question of what was going on. In any other situation moaning would be something to avoid, but it could be one of two things. Either it's an injured person -namely Emma, or it's a freakish experiment of the corporation. It was best to narrow the possibilities.

"Leon wai-" Chris's nearly shouted, just before an alarm went off.

Along the wall there was what looked like a retinal scanner, which was strange, considering there was no door. It was that oddity that alerted Chris to the possibility of it being booby trapped. While Leon was looking at the ground, Chris was paying attention to the walls, after all, it wouldn't be efficient to have both men looking down. Both men groaned, now having every person in the compound aware of their presence, things were about to get interesting. Still the decided to look for the cause of the moans, which magically stopped. The muffled noise, was near enough, that they knew it was within a six-room distance. They each took a side, opening doors as they found them.

"Emma," Chris breathed, watching as Wesker spun her into his body.

In a way, Chris thanked whatever celestial beings there maybe, Emma was alive and looked to be well, but in the arms of Wesker. His fingers drew up his gun on instinct, wanting more than anything to shoot the man, but knowing he'd put Emma in the way. Leon glanced at the shocked mask on the brunette, she hadn't expected them there, that was very much evident, but he watched the way her body settled into Wesker's. They didn't have time to break down the situation, with the alarm going off they had seconds to get her before other guards would come flooding in. From the looks of it, the room had only one real exit, and they were in the way of Wesker's escape.

"We just want Emma," Leon breathed, stepping around Chris's body.

The large man grunted, his gun still trained, watching as Leon tried reasoning with Wesker. Either way, Chris was going to be ready to shoot, when given an opportunity. Leon sighed, taking another step towards the blond and Emma.

"Oh really?" Wesker chuckled, pulling Emma forward. "Where would you like to stay, with me? Or with them?"

Emma's face said it all, she was at a loss at what to say or do. Chris took a step forward, his gun sill trained on the blond assassin, as he offered his left hand to her. Leon saw the panicked response, the way her body leaned into Wesker's more, when she was pushed forward. This wasn't the Emma they knew and loved, instead, what was left an empty shell. Her eyes darted from their position to slightly over her shoulder. It was fully possible she was assessing the situation, seeing where and how they'd get away.

"Chris, Leon…." Her sentence died off. "You need to leave, as long as I'm here you're safe."

"Good girl."

Wesker's fingers danced down her cheek, before falling back to his side. A cruel smile touching his features, as he watched panic dance through their eyes. The sound of it made them sick, as if he were the master of her, and she a dog to be rewarded. Leon glanced over to Chris, almost instantly locking eyes with him, both knowing what needed to be done. Leon jolted forward, capturing Emma's body in his arms, before he pulled backwards. Now with a proper opening, Chris shot round after round at the blond male. Wesker of coarse, dodged each bullet, with a grace most ballerinas lacked. A horrifying scream erupted from Emma, her body flailing forwards, to stop the shots fired at Wesker. Tears brimming her eyes, as Leon's grip tightened around her.

"No, please stop." Emma cried, just as she was dragged from the room.

One last shot was heard from down the hall, before Chris rounded the corner in a straight jog. The alarm had alerted all those inside the building of their presence, and now they heard the gentle marching of those armed men. Emma pulled, her words coming out in a flurry, the only thing truly understandable was the fear in her voice, and her begging to stay.

"How'd you get away?" Leon asked, once Chris caught up. "Hazel, where's an exit?"

"Wesker whizzed by," Chris shrugged. "Totally thought he was going after you, but he went down another hallway."

"T-virus!" Emma shouted, finally acting their attention. "Wesker has a brand-new strain of T-virus, he promised he'd keep you safe If I stayed."

Her words came out in a gasp, because up until how she'd been dragged all this way. Emma's arms ached from being elongated and tugged, now that they've come down to the wire, her old work habits coming in. There were many disadvantages to this rescue, for one, she didn't know this compound at all. It was only a guess that he was going to release those infected with the virus, but it fit the profile. Her drive to keep both Leon and Chris safe, forced her to talk about what she'd seen and heard during her captivity.

"Ok, so be careful of needles…" Chris smiled, turning left down the hall. "Do you know anything about this place?"

"N-no, I hadn't been aloud out of my room…." She sighed.

"Go straight, there should be a small emergency exit at your next right." Hazel hummed in their earpieces. "Tell Emma, I say hi."

Sure, as rain, there was an emergency exit down the halls. The alarm was already on, so they didn't think first about pushing the door open. Chris paused, telling Leon to get Emma to the docks, before turning back to the door. Now alone, Chris moved the heaviest object in front of the door. There was no sense in making everything easy for Umbrella. Soon after he gave chase once again. They came out on the other side of the compound, giving them more space between where they needed to be.

"I'll stay here," Emma sighed, finally able to catch her breath. "You guys go."

Chris chuckled, feeling the twinges of stress starting to bubble up. Though he knew it wasn't fair to Hazel, but he couldn't help but comparing her to Emma. He was sure that if he'd started off with Hazel instead, they would function relatively well together. Com-techs and their people, it was chemistry. You either mesh or you don't, and he didn't by any means mesh with Hazel.

"God damnit Hazel," Chris roared, seeing that the swamp glider wasn't anywhere in sight.

"I-I'm sorry," she whimpered, frantic typing dancing in the background. "He should be there."

"We are cornered here, with a flood of Wesker's men coming!"

Leon cringed, watching Chris pace, mimicking a caged animal. Emma checked out a long time ago, her eyes glazed and locked onto the flowing water. Leon sighed, setting the dark-haired woman on to the ground, she was in no condition to escape… He hated himself for thinking that, but her behavior told him there was something wrong with her. They could hear the echoes of the men's shouts, shocks of panic shot through them, the need to get away suddenly became dire. Chris cursed again, sending the com-tech into panicked apologies as she worked. One person rounded the corner, drawing both Leon's and Chris's aim.

"You guys chose a horrible place to get caught." Erin hummed, his hands slowly going up and his gaze going to Emma. "H-how's she doing?"

"Broke and bruised… who are you?" Leon asked, dropping his aim a bit.

"Erin," he paused, the sound of the glider coming close. "Well, that's going to draw everyone's attention." he paused, "I'll distract the guys, just make sure she stays safe."

Erin's eyes soften, just before he goes running back to the compound. The men glanced at each other, almost questioning the sincerity of the young man they just men. They may not trust him completely, but their ride was nearly there. Leon picked Emma up again, when the glider stopped before them. It was nice gliding over the water, wind whipping through their hair, cool air soothing their heated flesh.

"Everything's going to be ok, you're going to ok." Leon hummed, drawing Emma into his breast armor. "You're safe now."