Chapter 19
"Okay Hunnigan," Fischer said tiredly, rubbing at the circles under his eyes. "I need to hear it from the top. What happened?"
Leon, Fischer, and Hunnigan sat in the GSA's infirmary after the physician had given her a once over. She was visibly shaken up, but other than a few bumps and bruises, a headache, and a sore nose, she was fine. She sat on the edge of a hospital bed sipping at some old coffee, Leon and Fischer in front of her on either side, still dressed in her pajamas.
She winced as she shifted an ice pack against her temple. "Well, between when I clocked out and said good-night sir, then went home, not much happened. I didn't pick up on anyone following me or anything suspicious when I got home. I accessed a copy of some of the information the BSAA pulled from Romania, then went to put on a second pot of coffee. That's when they jumped me."
Leon felt a cold wave run down his spine. He could almost see it: Hunnigan, dressed for bed, getting ready for a long night and walking back to her room when the men with guns kicked down her door. It was almost chilling when he thought how much she reminded him of a civilian, and not a government agent. All of them went through basic training, but she always seemed small and frail, more fit behind a desk than active service.
She shook her head slowly, almost like she was amazed at what she was saying. "I didn't even hear them get in. The next thing I know, I'm staring at one of them in my front hall, and he pulls a gun on me."
"What did you do?" Leon asked.
"Instinct kind of took over, I guess," she said with a shrug. "It was dark, and I don't think he expected me to go at him. I managed to knock him over, then got to my room and shut my computer. That logged me off, so they couldn't access the data without knowing my password. At least for the time being, that was. If they had a few hours, they'd be able to crack it."
"What did they do after they subdued you?" Fischer asked patiently. "Did they get a look at any of the information before you locked them out?"
Leon thought it was a little crass of him to ask her that instead of questioning her about her safety or state of mind, but at the same time, he understood his approach. There was a lot of useful information from Spencer that terrorists didn't need to see, let alone ones working for Wesker and Crow. His stomach did a turn when she continued.
"No sir. They tried to get back on, but by then it was too late, so they...started to interrogate me." She pursed her lips together as she stared straight ahead, between the two of them. "One of them said he was going to break my fingers one by one if I didn't cooperate. I knew he was going to kill me anyway, so I didn't say anything. The longer I held out, the longer I'd stay alive. I just hoped…well, then she showed up."
Leon's heart sank. He knew exactly who she was talking about…only he left Ada in his apartment. Not only had she gone out, but she saved Hunnigan, killing three assassins in the process, conveniently knowing they were going to attack her. Something wasn't right. There was no way that it had all worked out like that by chance, and after what they shared, that doubt began to creep back into his feelings. All the same, he kept his expression stoic in front of Fischer.
"Wong," Fischer clarified, and Hunnigan nodded. "How did she know you had access to the data?"
She shrugged. "I'm a data officer, so anyone who knows my position here could make an educated guess. There's no way she could know for certain, because I didn't tell anyone else I'd be reviewing it tonight. But the fact is she saved my life. She took down all three of them, then went for the computer. Someone in the neighborhood must have heard the shots though, because she had high-tailed it out just before the police showed up. She never got past the lock on my computer."
Leon thought it was odd that she blushed a little before taking another sip of coffee, avoiding both of their looks, especially Fischer. She stole a glance at him, then looked away quickly. She looked…nervous?
I'd be nervous if I were her too. Probably worried that more people would ambush her.
"Well, then I guess we're fortunate she didn't get a hold of it either," Fischer said, getting up and putting his suit coat back on. "But it does seem to confirm that Wong has her own agenda in this. Either that, or she's looking for compensation, maybe something to barter with. I'm putting a lock on that information; it's not going to leave the GSA until this is over." He placed a comforting hand on Hunnigan's shoulder. "I'm glad you're okay, Agent Hunnigan. You did well tonight."
She turned a deeper shade of pink despite her misery and at least smiled. "Thank you sir. I'm just glad I was that lucky."
Fischer left, bidding both of them goodbye. Leon stood to stretch. The sun had since come up, and he was starting to feel the lack of sleep, but it looked like he'd be drinking coffee and pulling another long day, maybe spaced with a nap.
"You know, I don't make it a habit to lie to one of my bosses," Hunnigan suddenly said after the sound of Fischer's footsteps faded. "Especially when I get tied up and beat up beforehand."
He pursed his lips together as he faced her, unsure of what to say. So he just didn't imagine that look on her face earlier. "I thought you might be hiding something. You've got a pretty noticeable tell."
"Well, that makes two of us," she replied crossly, then looked at him. "Ada never tried to access my computer. She didn't press me for information, and she didn't offer to even help me. She had it all in front of her to take, but she didn't. Instead, she told me to warn you."
"Warn me?" he repeated.
"They're targeting you too, Leon!" she said exasperatedly. "They're trying to get that data, and kill anyone that's already seen it. Christ, you have no idea how long I've been needing to tell you that and worried you'd take a bullet before I could."
His brow furrowed as he took that in. Ada wanted to warn him that he was being targeted, and all because of the data. He wasn't the only one. Fischer had seen it, and so had a dozen people in the GSA and BSAA.
"We need to tell Fischer," he said, starting for the door. "He's at risk too, and—"
"I already told him," Hunnigan said, waving her hand dismissively. "Before you joined us just now. He's got a tighter security detail, and so do the techs that were archiving the data. As long as we have the only copy, they should be safe. But that's not the point. She said they were waiting at your place."
Leon froze. If they were waiting at his apartment…then Ada was in danger! But his rational mind kicked in. If Ada told Hunnigan to warn him, then that meant she had escaped, or dealt with them.
But at what cost? She was already injured. And why had she gone to Hunnigan's?
Hunnigan was peering at him through squinted eyes, and he realized he'd gone silent while trying to imagine what happened to Ada. She looked so much older and more mature without her wireframes, but he could see the gears turning in her head. She knew that something wasn't quite adding up. No, she already knew, otherwise she wouldn't have remarked about him being easy to read.
"So are you saying that I'm going to be walking home to an assassin's corpse?" he asked, trying to think of a way to lead her away from the subject.
"Wouldn't be surprised if the DC police call in the next few minutes, judging by how urgently she told me to warn you," she replied cynically, "but it still doesn't make sense. Why was she at your place?"
Leon sighed hard, then rubbed his face. He was glad that Fischer had left. If his boss heard this, he was done. "Because that's where she was hiding this whole time," he said quietly. He couldn't think of way to lie around it, at least not with anything that Hunnigan would buy.
Hunnigan's jaw dropped, and for a while, she just gaped at him. "What?" Clearly, she didn't his answer.
"Ever since I met her in Atlantic City, she's been hiding out there," he explained quickly. "I couldn't bring her in because we were ambushed at the club. Someone was tracking her through the GSA. She told me herself, and the last time we had her in custody, they tried to kill her. So I lied about her getting away and kept quiet."
"Even after the operation in Romania went to hell?" she almost yelled, then winced, and lowered her voice when she realized it. "Even after Agent Valentine is still missing? She could have been playing you from the start! I know you have feelings for her, but that makes you easier to use!"
"Ada wouldn't do that!" Leon snapped. "Besides, Wesker's presence in Romania caught her off guard too, and she has nothing to gain by betraying us."
"Maybe not her, but maybe whoever's paying her does," Hunnigan retorted. "Leon…this is grounds for treason if Fischer gets wind of this. As in, you go to federal prison for the rest of your life."
"I know," he growled through his teeth, running his hands through his bangs in frustration with a clawed hand. "I'm the one who's taking the risk here, but we need Ada for this, and she needs us. We have a common enemy, and we have a better chance of taking them down with her help than without it, and no one but me will admit it!"
Silence fell between the two of them, then stretched. Hunnigan stared into her half empty cup. Leon opted to not even face her. His face felt hot, and there was a pit in his stomach. If she had any shred of common sense, she would tell Fischer what he'd been doing behind his back. His career was as good as over. It wasn't the same as when she picked up on his feelings for her. He was actively helping someone who was wanted by the government.
A terrorist.
"You going to turn me in?" he asked softly. At first, he wondered if she was hesitating in fear of retaliation from him, but he would never hurt Hunnigan, even if she landed him in prison.
She snorted. "I told you before, when it comes to you and her, it's not my place. It goes against my better judgment, but my trust in you is stronger. And besides…"
She trailed off, and Leon turned around to face her, barely able to believe what she just said. "Besides…?"
"The reason I'm alive right now is because of her," she finished, "and after what you told me, I know that she didn't show up out of malice, or some hidden agenda. She knew that they were going to go for the data, and knew to come for me. Whether she came to deliberately protect me, or the data…well, that's something you'll have to ask her yourself. Either way, she helped us. Just like you said she would."
Leon nodded and smiled softly. For as much as he underestimated her, he always admired her mind. It worked on the same level as his, and while there was always that official mask that never wavered against his flirtation, she always saw the reason behind emotions and feelings, especially his with Ada.
He extended his hand. "Thanks Hunnigan."
She took it and smiled back. "No problem. I promised that I wouldn't tell Fischer anything about your feelings for her, and I intend to keep it that way. Besides, now that I'm withholding information from him too, I'm guilty of treason too."
He laughed tiredly. The last twelve hours had been an absolute rollercoaster. He thought he'd been betrayed, struck out against the woman he loved, and then had sex with her minutes later. He had gotten no sleep, one of his best friends was nearly killed, and now they were effectively co-conspirators behind the GSA's back. Life was never easy.
On top of it all, Ada was missing, possibly injured further, and Leon genuinely feared for her. Would she try to contact him again? Wesker and Crow were still watching the GSA closely. Her one safe port in the storm had been ravaged, so where else could she go? The thought of her being on the run, possibly being trailed by assassins made him sick. There was no way of knowing what she met with after fleeing Hunnigan's house.
Remember who you're talking about, he reminded himself. She's not a scared little girl. She knows how to look after herself.
Knowing that didn't make it any easier.
"What did Ada do after?" he asked. "After she saved you and before the cops showed up? Anything that might have indicated where she went or what she was going to do?"
"She checked them for something, but I didn't see her take anything…" she paused for a minute. "Wait, no, she did. It was dark, but I saw her take one of their cell phones…"
"So?" Leon shrugged.
Hunnigan brought a finger to her lip and chewed on the nail, thinking hard for a second, and then her face lit up. "If you have spies waiting for orders, you have to be able to contact them somehow. Especially if they have a kill order standing by. Ugh, of course! With a phone…she pulled the SIM card!"
"Hunnigan, what—" he began, but she interrupted him.
"Leon, she's going after whoever sent those men to grab the data and kill you," she said quickly. "If she has a SIM card that that person called, she has the number, and knowing Ada Wong, it probably won't take her long to trace it."
"But," he stammered, "What about us, or the BSAA? We could back her up if she has a location. She wouldn't just run off on a suicide mission!"
Hunnigan spread her arms and shrugged. "I don't know, Leon. If she contacts us, she could risk tipping off Wesker if he still has a presence in here. At least, that's what I would worry about if I were her. And that means we have to keep this between us until…or if, she does."
Leon slumped. If Hunnigan was right, then Ada wasn't on the run; she was diving headfirst into battle and going straight for the throat. He knew she wasn't reckless, but she was independent, and extremely careful. If there was a chance that contacting him would compromise her, she wouldn't.
Being careful in this case was almost being stupid.