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Chapter 21: Free Time

Sometimes the only thing getting her through the day was thinking of the reason she was here. She had to do something. People were depending on her. Next time they came for her she would make her move.

It was clear, after all this time that Alice wasn't coming to save them. It was up to Claire.

The lights in their room flicked on, but the redhead was already awake. She looked at the bunk across from her to see K-mart not yet roused by the change of light. They had a window to the outside, but it was often times hard to see outside because of the fog. Still Claire was confident it was morning, and that in approximately ten minutes a soldier would deliver breakfast to them through the slit in the door. A little past that they would get what the soldiers called 'recreation time.' It was an hour where they were free of their cell and allowed to walk, under guard, around the deck of the ship.

The redhead was wrong. Instead of food coming in through the door – it opened to reveal the man that had somehow been controlling Alice. Claire had no idea how that was accomplished, but she knew it was the only reason he was still alive. Alice had a deadly temper – it was one of the things she liked about her, but she was so much more than her rage. The blonde was conceited, selfish, and unusually cruel. Yet she was more than that still. She could be gentle, thoughtful, and loving. Claire wasn't an idiot; she knew that the changes in Alice were being brought about by the time they spent together. Being apart for twenty seven days would certainly have its affect on the blonde.

The man in the lab coat had never visited them before. She wasn't sure what to think. He introduced himself, and Claire found his accent irritated the hell out of her.

"Good morning, ladies."

Claire looked to K-mart; the teen was now awake and moving to sit on her bed like the redhead. She turned back to the man as he continued.

"My name is Dr. Isaacs."

Now she had a name to put with his face, but what she really wanted was a gun to put to it instead.

"I'd say it's a pleasure, but it's not," Claire commented, her words drenched with sarcasm.

The doctor was unfazed, and that pissed the redhead off even more.

"Congratulations. You two get to be the first to try out the new serum I've derived from Project Alice's blood."

Project Alice… Claire remembered the man referring to Alice that way, but she hated the sound of it. It made the blonde seem inhuman, and that was so far from the truth, at least as Claire saw it.

The man stepped out of the doorway to allow four soldiers into the room. She stood quickly; ready to fight, but before she could take swing at one of them they grabbed the fist she was pulling back and twisted her around so that she was in a painful arm lock. Zip tie cuffs found their way around her wrists in no time. Claire was sick of never being able to get the upper hand. The soldiers had come to expect this kind of reaction from her. The redhead needed to be unpredictable.

Truly, she was surprised that they didn't knock her senseless whenever she attacked them. They must have had some order in place not to harm her or K. The teen didn't try to fight as often as she did, but K managed to get a punch in every once in a while.

Still their orders didn't stop the Umbrella soldiers from being a little rougher than necessary. That was how they were now as they pushed Claire into the hallway, and guided her to follow Dr. Isaacs. K-mart and her captors remained behind them.

When they got to the stairwell, Claire was so used to going up that she was surprised to see the doctor go down. They descended into the very bowels of the ship, and finally into a stark white lab. Claire was unaccustomed to so much brightness. Their own cell was a dull shade of grey, yet somehow the contrast between the two was like day and night.

Both her wrists were still behind her back when Dr. Isaacs gave the command to release her. The soldier cut the ties, and Claire brought her arms around to rub where the plastic had dug into her skin.

The next order the doctor gave was for Claire. "On the table. Roll up your sleeve."

The redhead didn't want to follow the instruction, but she didn't have much of a choice. She knew that if she didn't do it her guards would do it for her, and not gently. Claire sat on the closest operation table, and began to fold the sleeve over her right arm upwards. Both she and K had been provided with new clothes; white pants and a long sleeve shirt. Claire didn't mind as much as the teen did. Every piece of her collected jewelry was gone. All Claire missed was her hat because her brother had given it to her. It was the only thing she still had from him after he disappeared off the face of the earth.

When her task was complete the doctor approached her, loaded syringe in a gloved hand. Claire couldn't help the panic she felt at the sight of the dark red liquid. In it was Alice's blood, and she had no idea what a straight injection of it and whatever it was mixed with would do to her. At least she was going first. If something went wrong with her the doctor would surely not inflict that same punishment on the teen. Then again, the doctor did come near her with a sick smile.

Claire hadn't been able to see it before, but now that the man was cleaning her arm with antiseptic he was no longer blocking a set of screens on the far wall. The images there were set up like some kind of surveillance system. The top right section showed an all white room, and Claire's mouth nearly fell open at what she saw inside.

Alice was lying on a cot, her eyes were closed as if in sleep, but Claire couldn't tell. Then in an instant the redhead knew she wasn't sleeping. Alice turned her head, and seemed to look straight into the camera, right at her. Before Claire could get a better look at the woman she hadn't seen in almost a month, Dr. Isaacs noticed her stare and turned back to hit a button. The image was cut from the screen to reveal another. A hallway marked 4D,and in it was a collection of doors.

The doctor picked up the syringe, and expelled some of the liquid to make sure there were no air bubbles. Claire was tempted to swallow nervously. She held it back determined not to show this man her fear, especially considering he seemed to thrive on it. He took hold of her arm, and pierced the needle past her skin. In little more than a second he pushed down the plunger. All the fluid was forced from the barrel and into her flesh.

Claire was certain that whatever affects the serum was supposed to have that it would at least hurt. She felt nothing except the sting of the needle. The doctor studied her for a moment, and then gave an inquiry.

"How do you feel – be specific."

Claire paused before she answered, waiting for some indication that would give her the answer they both sought. Still there was no difference.

"I don't feel anything."

"So nothing has changed?"

She shook her head, and the doctor seemed off put by her response.

Claire watched him turn to face K-mart. "Your turn."

The redhead wondered if now was her time to act while the doctor's back was turned, but the soldiers were expecting that. They already moved in to intercept her before she could move. The two men pulled her down from the table, and sat her on the floor against a wall.

She could do nothing as K-mart was put through the same procedure as she was. When Dr. Isaacs asked her how she felt, Claire was unsure if he would get a reply. K had been talking to her though every day. Since their capture it was all the teen did. She'd even worked through her stutter.

K-mart did answer. "I don't feel any different."

Claire was relieved to hear that, but again the doctor was not.

He gave a heavy sigh, and followed it with an order for the soldiers. "Take them both to the chamber in 4A. I'll follow you down momentarily."

They were walked through the hall to a four way intersection. Claire saw that each was marked 4A through 4D, they'd come from 4B so they turned right and continued on. The room they were escorted to was guarded by two soldiers, but it wasn't a room at all. When the door was opened she saw another long hallway that led to a second door defended by more men in combat suits.

The solider swiped his ID in a panel on the side of the door, and then entered a four digit code. Claire watched him, sure to catalogue the numbers in her head. 7-6-1-3. The door swung inwards of its own accord. If Claire didn't know they were in trouble before – she did when they were ushered inside.

Behind a shield of reinforced glass was an undead restrained to the wall by a set of manacles. He was a large specimen dressed in a grey jumpsuit; his hands were gloved but his mouth opened hungrily at the sight of them. The creature had yellowing teeth, and his skin was nearly the same ailing shade as his clothes.

She couldn't hear the sounds the infected prisoner made, but she was certain his moaning echoed inside the sealed space. The doctor's previous words entered her mind, and now she understood. He meant to test the serum by letting the creature have its way with her – with them both.

Dr. Isaacs and three other men suddenly appeared behind her. Everyone but the doctor was dressed like they were about to be attacked by a dog from a K9 unit. They were padded head to toe, and the full body suit would protect them well from the jaws of the undead. Claire needed to get free, but by now the room was full of eight armed Umbrella soldiers, three bite-protection suited men, two scientists, and Dr. Isaacs.

We are so fucking screwed. It was the same thought that ran through her mind when she'd been trying to outrun the undead back in Colorado. Alice had saved them then, but she wasn't coming now.

The doctor had a glint in his eyes when he saw her reaction to what awaited them.

With sarcastic glee he asked a question. "So, who would like to go down in history as being the first to test out my serum?"

Claire felt sick, and it was made a million times worse with the word that was next out of K-mart's mouth.

"Me."

The redhead was suddenly manic. She fought the grip of the soldier to get to the teen behind her. Dr. Isaacs was laughing, but she broke loose. Claire rushed to K-mart but was stopped midstride when the butt of a soldier's gun was jammed into her ribs. The air was knocked out of her, and she fell hard to her knees. She was hauled back to her feet and restrained again.

Her head lowered in defeat as the doctor stopped his laughing to speak to the teen.

"So little one, you are as curios as I?"

K-mart said nothing as she was guided to the reinforced glass door, but as she passed Claire she reached out to give the woman a hug. Thinking the move innocent, the soldiers allowed her to do it. Claire felt K's arms wrap around her tightly. She could only return the embrace with one arm; her other hand was still being held behind her back. As the teen pulled away she slipped something into her free hand.

Claire didn't have to look to see that it was K's bear claw removed from its throng. The redhead was amazed; somehow the teen had managed to keep it hidden all this time. She could've used it a lot sooner, and K was going to hear about it sooner still.

The redhead had to do something the soldiers wouldn't expect if she was going to get the upper hand. So she didn't do anything. She didn't fight; she just played the act of the conquered. The glass door was opened, and the three suited men followed K inside.

The hold on Claire was still too strong. She couldn't turn out of it yet, but then the soldier started to lose focus when the teen was put in front of the struggling creature.

One of the men took hold of K-mart's hand as another grabbed her shoulder and moved her slowly towards the undead. The infected brute fought against his restraints and did everything he could to get close to the living meat he was offered. Everyone but Claire gave their complete attention to what was about to happen as K-mart's forearm was forced into the reach of the creature.

Dr. Isaacs smirked. "You know what they say about curiosity, don't you?"

The soldier holding the redhead was distracted enough by the scene before him – that just as K was bitten – Claire twisted out of his grip and stabbed him in his unprotected neck with the claw. She'd cut through his jugular, and when she pulled the sharp nail back his throat gushed mass amounts of blood. The soldier released her arm to grasp at his bleeding flesh; a quiet, gurgling cry came from his lips. Before he could collapse to the ground she took his submachine gun, and turned on Dr. Isaacs.

"She doesn't talk much-" Claire fully extended her arm, gun in hand, as the doctor began to rotate around certainly sensing his death was near. "But I can answer that for you."

Claire squeezed the trigger on the automatic carbine and let the bullets fly. The nine-millimeter cartridges were expelled so quickly that Dr. Isaacs was shot three times before she moved to kill the other Umbrella employees. They were all down in seconds because Claire didn't have to take the time to line up headshots – just punch holes in their torsos with lead. At the close distance their armor was useless.

The only people remaining were the three men in suits hiding behind the reinforced glass, and K-mart who was as far away from the undead as she could be; holding her arm in pain. With a snarl Claire walked into the space and killed the men as well as the undead still chained to the wall.

Claire let the gun fall to the floor as K-mart ran to her. She hugged the girl fiercely, but kept it short. The redhead was certain that reinforcements would soon arrive, either from hearing the shots or because they were probably being watched by a security camera. She took new weapons off the dead soldiers, and Dr. Isaacs's ID badge; then set out with one goal in mind.

Time to find Alice, and get the fuck off this ship…

The pair ran for hallway 4D. It was the only idea Claire had for where Alice could be, but there were easily twenty doors to try. The redhead tried to remember the one the camera had been focused on then got the idea to look for the camera itself, surely it was still pointed at the right door. At the far end of the hall was the black device, a bright red dot emanated from it signaling that it was in use. She sprinted for it with K on her heels.

When she was close enough to see what the camera was focused on she followed its direction, and found herself face to face with a door that looked like all the rest. She sent a silent prayer that she was at the correct one and that her pass and code would work. She swiped the ID. Then had to enter the code, but her mind stumbled over the memory of the numbers.

7-1…6…3…

She tried it, but the keypad beeped failure. She grunted in frustration as K-mart called out to her.

"Hurry up – I can hear people coming!"

What is it? 7…3-1-6?

She tried again – another failure.

"Fuck!" she cursed, and attempted to remember a third time.

7…6-1-3. That's it!

She ran the ID through, and punched the code. This time the door opened.

Claire ran inside to find the blonde, but Alice was no longer blonde. Her hair was turning colors, her skin was pale, and she looked…defeated. Claire had prepared herself to face a wrathful Alice; this damaged, shell of a person before her – lying in bed and staring blankly at the ceiling – was not the woman she remembered. Never in her wildest dreams did the redhead think she could be broken. They tortured her, she realized. In an instant she was furious and heartbroken.

That's right – Claire knows what they say about curiosity! Take THAT Isaacs!