Disclaimer: Resident Evil and its trademark belong to Capcom.

Chapter 5 – Reasoning

A high beeping noise emitted from Sherry's front coat pocket. Taking out her smartphone, she touched the screen to speak to the incoming caller. A stern looking man in his 50s stared back at her.

"Agent Birkin. I need your report about your current situation."

"Yes, Mr Simmons. I am at the target's current location. However, it seems I've just missed him. I'm still looking for him, though I have a feeling I'm not far away", she replied.

"You need to find him at once. Time is something you do not have a lot of. As you know from your assignment briefing that his specialized blood type is highly valued by the US government. There are other organisations and groups after it as well. You need to reach him before anyone else does." He said his tone strict and tensed. She could tell that he wasn't happy about her not locating her target yet.

"Yes, sir. I am doing the best I can."

"I certainly hope so, Ms Birkin. I would like to remind you that a lot is riding on your solo mission. I will not accept failure, do you understand that? Failure would mean a demotion in your position or even termination of your employment. Is that clear?"

She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. Her boss is never easy to talk to and even harder to please. Given that this is her first field assignment and her boss's strict and demanding orders puts more pressure on her shoulders. "Yes, sir. I understand. However please know that there is progress in my search for him. I will find him."

"Fine. One last thing to remember. You are to avoid all contact with any individual or group regarding your mission. Get to your target now. Check his place of residence or his faction base. I expect better results from you in your next report. I'll be keeping in touch." Just like that, his face disappeared from her screen as he ended his call. She sighed as she stuffed her phone back to her coat pocket. I'm beginning to think I'm way over my head, she thought. She turned and made her way back out of the old building more determined than ever to find Jake Muller.

She decided to check Jake's mercenary base first. She thought with all the chaos and war happening around, his home would be the last place he would go at this moment. The infected are everywhere and the Edonian residents were urged to move out of their houses and find a safer place. Besides, he probably wouldn't want to bring along some unwanted guests at his house if he decides to visit his home, she thought logically.

She knew she reached his base as she saw the flag bearing the symbol of his mercenary faction. A navy blue emblem shaped shield with a black spider in the middle was wrapped with the words La Vita Nouva banner. Yes, this is definitely his organisation, she thought silently. Now all she's got to do is look for the wanted mercenary.

She took a good look around the place. It wasn't a big base. There were a few army tanks parked along the chain linked fence, most of them empty. A few Humvees were also parked at the farther side of the base, a couple of mercenaries taking out and tending to their own fellow wounded soldiers. She noticed a black haw chopper was situated in the helipad just by the entrance of their base. Judging by the propellers still spinning slowly, it was just recently used. She peered inside the base.

A line of stretchers ran along the side of the covered part of the place. A couple of medics ran around tending to the wounded. Dead bodies were draped with white sheets, a few of them bloody. She saw several wounded soldiers, hooked with IVs and oxygen masks over their faces. She saw one soldier all bandaged up, blood soaking through the material and dripping on the floor. Another one with a face badly burnt he is unrecognisable. There are many others with horrifying injuries. One man has a bad slash that ran all the way from his left shoulder down to his torso. The bandage he wore was completed soaked with bright red blood. His right arm in a cast slung around his neck. Another injured soldier has got a broken leg, bone jutting out of the skin. He cried out in pain as a medic tried to give him morphine in order to patch him up. The whole place was filled with anguish cries of the injured. She winced. She hated seeing people suffering. Judging by the extent of the wounds from the majority of the mercenaries they'll either end up dead soon or be living the rest of their lives permanently handicapped. She wondered in fear if Jake is among them.

Her eyes continued to search the area. At the same time she took cover behind some large crates in order not to be seen. She can't afford anyone seeing her. She saw an older man who seemed to hold an important military position by a wooden desk in the middle of the base, piled with a stack of papers and maps. Empty coffee cups lay at the edge of his desk, some had fallen and rolled on the floor. Under a little lamp was a telephone. He was talking in hushed whispers an agitated expression on his face. He hung the phone and shook his head. He turned to the remaining soldiers left in the base and spoke up.

"Alright, soldiers. I've got some bad news. It seems that there's not many left of us. Those of us still alive are either too badly injured or immobilised to fight on. We have a lot of wounded to tend to right now. I just got off with my superior. We are considering disbanding our unit. Those of you still capable to fight, it's your choice to do so from here on out. For those who are injured will be taken to our medical facility for treatments. The dead will be taken back for their families to identify them. Those who are still standing, come see me to find the next course of action," he reported to his men. One by one, medics and soldiers began to wheel their wounded to choppers and military trucks. The dead were also arranged together to be taken to the morgue for their families for notification. The very few who were not injured began gathering their belongings, tired and weary of battle. She noticed a lone figure against the wall in the corner. She squinted but he's too far to be seen properly. Taking out a single lens binocular, she took a closer look.

Like all the other mercenaries in his group, he's dressed the same with a navy blue camouflaged coat and pants. The spider emblem was etched on his left shoulder. He wore a long sleeved olive green shirt underneath his coat with matching finger cut gloves. He was the only soldier not moving to the trucks or chopper. Damn it, turn around so I can see your face, she thought anxious to find him. He has his arms crossed around his chest, head turned around in the opposite direction. She saw him rub the back of his neck stretching the kinks out before looking towards the other members of his faction. Adjusting her binocular to zoom in closer, she focused on his face. A long diagonal scar ran down his left cheek. Bingo, I've found you, she thought smiling to herself a little. Putting away her binocular, she quietly made her way closer to him making sure not to be seen as she hid behind the parked army tanks as she inched closer to his spot. He was only a few feet away from her. Checking to make sure no one was looking, she swiftly made her way to his corner behind him.

"You must be Jake Muller."

He was surprised to hear a female voice behind him. After all, all the members of his faction are men. He turned around and saw a blonde woman around his age. She wore a white zipped down coat with a furred lined hood, tight black pants and brown leather knee high boots that matched her gloves. He looked at her sceptically. "That depends on who's asking," he replied.

She took out a brown leather case wallet and flipped it open. Inside were a photo ID and her details written by the front. He noticed the emblem of the US government in the background of her ID card. "My name is Sherry Birkin and I work for the US government."

He motioned to his superior with his head. "My supervisor is over there." The second in command officer was busy talking with the other medics loading the wounded soldiers to their transportation.

She shook her head. "Actually, I'm here to see you."

He looked at her in regard to both curiosity and suspicion. "Me? What the hell for? And how did you know my name?" he questioned as he studied her. What on earth would the US government want with him in the first place?

"It's complicated to explain. Can we go somewhere a little more private to discuss this?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Sorry, no can do, missy. Can't leave my post and I have more important things to do." With that, he turned back towards his comrades and began walking away.

"Hold on! Please wait. This is very important. I need your help and I need you to come with me," she called out to him. Damn it, she just found him and now he's getting away. She needed him to listen to her.

"So? Ask someone else," he called over his shoulder.

"You're needed, Jake. You can save the world. Your blood may hold the cure to the C-virus spreading around the world. I've been sent here to retrieve you because of that," she blurted out. There's no easier way to explain this so she figured out to just get straight to the point. Unfortunately, sometimes the truth is hard to grasp.

He stopped and turned around. He looked at her incredulously. "What are you talking about? You're not making any sense. I think you're confusing me with somebody else. I'm a soldier for hire, nothing more and nothing less. I'm just here to fight and earn some dough. I'm not here to save the world." Quite frankly, he has no idea what this woman is talking about. Her crazy story about him being able to save the world sounds like your typical comic book hero. Well, this is not a comic book story, this is real life. He's no hero, never was and never will be and he's not here to save anyone.

"Just hear me out. You are immune to the C-virus, that's why you don't get infected. Your blood is special, it's resistant to the virus's effects. Listen, you can help people. You can help prevent the spread of infection around the world. Use your blood in order to develop a treatment. Please come with me," she continued hoping to knock some reason and sense into him. She searched his eyes but found his steel gaze, unemotional that seemed to pierce into her own.

"Not interested," he replied coldly. With that he turned back and walked away.