A/N: 48 hours, and now a new installment for the world to see. I have a lot of material to work with at the moment given S.D. Perry's work, but I make sure that I add a lot of my own ideas and thoughts into it before making the postings. And let me tell you, she really made the RE world come to life in her books while keeping them close to Capcom's creation, they're definitely worth a chance if any of you are interested.

Sadly, there won't be a lot of action for another chapter or two after this one. I'm building things up along the way and there are more than a few places that need explanations or even a bit of background details. So trust me, it's all worth it so that those new to RE can understand a few things.

Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil

Chapter 38:

"Only a fool will not change his plans when circumstances change." - Glen Rambharack

'This...definitely wasn't expected...' Ethan thought as they all stood tense, eyes locked on the calm man in the trench coat that introduced himself as Trent.

The same Trent who had given maps and clues to Jill back in Raccoon before Alpha team arrived at the Spencer estate. The Trent who had given a similar package to David about Umbrella's Caliban Cove facility a month later.

The Trent who had data on the traveler that he himself didn't even know about.

Ethan read Trent's profile extensively, looking for any signs of a threat as he stood there still smiling, still holding his hands up. His sharp eyes noticed a black ring made out of stone on one slender finger, the only affectation that the man seemed to have; it looked heavy and expensive.

"So what the hell do you want?" John growled. He didn't like secrets or surprises, and he didn't like the fact that Trent seemed totally unimpressed by his formidable size. Most people backed down when he got in their face; Trent seemed amused.

"Mr. Andrews, if you please...?" came the reply, like a parent easing a child down from a tantrum.

John didn't move, glaring into Trent's dark, intelligent eyes. Trent gazed back impassively, and John could see cool self-assurance in that bright gaze, a look that was almost but not quite patronizing. As big and buff as John was, he wasn't a violent man, but that confident, mirthful look made John think that Mr. Trent could use a good beating.

Not by him, necessarily, but by someone.

"It's alright, John," David said quietly. "I'm sure that if Mr. Trent meant us harm, he wouldn't be standing here introducing himself."

David was right, whether John liked it or not. He sighed inwardly and stepped aside, but decided that he definitely didn't like it; from what little he knew about the man, he didn't like it at all.

Ethan also relaxed his stance, slipping the combat knife into the sheath he had on his belt along his lower back. But refusing to take his eyes off the man for an instant. Trent gave off strange vibes, ones that couldn't be ignored, but he hadn't proven himself to be an enemy to any of them...at least not yet.

Trent nodded as though there had never been any question and walked past John and Leon, smiling at all of them. He motioned for them to sit in the seats on one side of the cabin while he took off his trench coat and put it aside, moving slowly and carefully, obviously aware that any sudden moves could be detrimental to his health.

Beneath the coat he wore a black suit, black tie, and shoes; Ethan didn't know clothes but he knew the shoes were Asante. Trent had taste, anyway, and a shitload of money if he could afford to blow a couple grand on footwear.

"This may take a few moments," he said addressing the group. "Please, get comfortable." He pushed himself up to sit atop one of the chairs opposite their group, moving with a smooth grace that made some of them feel even less comfortable. He moved like someone with training, martial arts maybe...

The others sat or leaned against the chairs, each of them studying the uninvited guest, each looking as unhappy about his appearance. Trent studied them in turn.

"Mr. Andrews, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Trapp, and I have already met..." Trent looked back and forth between Rebecca, Ethan and Claire, his sparkling gaze finally settling on Claire first.

"Claire Redfield, yes?" He seemed a little more hesitant, which wasn't a surprise. Rebecca and Claire could have been sisters, both brunettes, same height, only a few months difference in age.

"Yes," Claire said. "Does the pilot know you're on board?"

John frowned, irritated with himself for not having asked first. It was a fairly important question, and it hadn't occurred to him. If the pilot had let Mr. Trent aboard...

Trent nodded, running one pale hand through his tousled black hair. "Yes, he does. In fact, Captain Evans is an acquaintance of mine, so when I realized that you were going...traveling, I arranged for him to be in the right place at the right time. Much easier than it sounds, really."

"Why?" David asked, an edge coming into his voice that some of them had only ever heard in combat situations. The Captain was right on the verge of being seriously pissed. "Why would you do that, Mr. Trent?"

Trent seemed to ignore him. "I realize that you're concerned about your friends on the Continent, but let me assure you that they're in the best of health. Really, there's no reason for you to worry yourselves-"

"Why?" David interrupted, his voice hard as steel.

Trent stared at him, then sighed. "Because I don't want you to go to Europe, and making it so that Captain Evans is your pilot means that you won't. You can't. In fact, we should be turning back any moment now."

There was a pause of tense silence that stretched on for what felt like an hour, but when it faded a haze of fury settled over the team. Ethan slowly itching toward his knife again when John pushed away from the seat he'd been leaning on and grabbed Trent's arm before any of them had time to respond to his statement.

"Tell your 'acquaintance' to keep right on goin' the way we're goin'," John spat, glowering at Trent. From the way John's hands were shaking, Ethan thought there was a good chance that he would break Trent's arm

Trent wore an expression of mild discomfort, nothing more. "I'm sorry to interrupt your plans," he said, keeping his voice level and calm, "But if you'll hear me out, I think you'll agree that it's for the best, if you really want to stop Umbrella, that is."

They were all silent again, looking at one another and at Trent with shock, anger, and interest, guarded but interest nonetheless. John loosened his grip, glancing at David for direction.

"This had better be a good story, Mr. Trent," David said coolly. "I'm aware that you' ve 'helped' us in the past, but this kind of interference isn't the kind of help we want or need."

He tipped his head at John, who reluctantly let go of Trent and stepped back, but not very far back

If Trent had been worried at all, there was no sign of it. He nodded at David, and in his low, musical voice, started to speak.

"As I'm sure you're all aware, Umbrella, Inc. has facilities in locations all around the world, factories and plants that employ thousands of people and generate hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Most of them are legitimate pharmaceutical or chemical companies, and have no relevance to this discussion, except that they're quite profitable; the money generated by Umbrella's legal enterprises allows them to finance their lesser-known operations...operations that you and yours have recently had the misfortune to come across.

"These operations fall into a division known as White Umbrella, and most have to do with bioweapons research. There are very few who know all of the ins and outs of White Umbrella's business, but the ones who do are extremely powerful. Powerful, and committed to creating all sorts of unpleasantness. Chemical weapons, fatal diseases...the T and G series viruses that have been so troublesome as of late."

"Why?" Leon asked. "Chemical warfare isn't all that profitable, anyone with a centrifuge and some gardening supplies can come up with a bioweapon."

Rebecca was nodding. "And the kind of work they're doing, applying rapid fuse virions to genetic redistribution, it's incredibly expensive, and as hazardous to work with as nuclear waste. Worse even."

Trent shook his head. "They're doing it because they can. Because they want to." He smiled faintly. "Because when you're richer and more powerful than anyone else on the planet, you get bored."

"Who gets bored?" David asked.

"Umbrella higher ups." everyone looked at Ethan who had his arms crossed over his chest. "Money and power mean nothing if your not able to use it to make your rivals look inferior. Umbrella was already beyond the norm with what they were already making, but being able to create viruses like T and G, with the effects they produce, they open a whole new market."

He looked to each of them before settling on Trent, "Basically, they're able to make themselves the new head of bio-warefare. Selling their creations to various governments and factions around the world, then sitting back and reaping the benefits while watching other nations get torn apart."

Trent gazed at him for a moment before picking up where he had left off. "White Umbrella's current focus is on bio-organic soldiers, if you will, individual specimens, most genetically altered, all injected with some variation of virus intended to make them violent and strong and oblivious to pain. The manner in which these viruses amplify in humans, the 'zombie' reaction, is nothing more than an unexpected side effect; the viruses Umbrella creates are designed for nonhuman use, at least at this point."

Claire was interested, but she was also getting impatient. "So when do we get to the part about why you're here, why you don't want us going to Europe?" she asked, not bothering to keep the anger out of her voice.

Trent looked at her, his dark eyes suddenly sympathetic, and she realized that he knew why she was angry, that he knew all about her reasons for wanting to go to Europe. She could see it in the way he gazed at her, his eyes telling her that he understood...and she suddenly felt deeply uneasy.

"Not all of the White Umbrella facilities are the same," he continued. "There are some that deal strictly with data, some only with the chemistry, some where specimens are grown or surgically pieced together, and a very few where these specimens are tested. And that brings us to why I'm here, and why I'd rather you postponed your plans.

"There's an Umbrella testing facility about to go on line in Utah, just north of the salt flats. Right now, it's staffed by a very small crew of technicians and...specimen handlers, and is scheduled to become fully operational in about three weeks. The man overseeing the final preparations is one of White Umbrella's key players, a man named Reston. The job was supposed to have been handled by another fellow, a despicable little man by the name of Lewis, but Mr. Lewis had an unfortunate and not entirely unplanned accident...and now Reston is in charge. And because he is one of the very important men behind White Umbrella, he has, in his possession, a little black book. There are only three of these books in existence, and the other two would be nearly impossible to get hold of..."

"So what's in it that's so important?" John snapped. "Get to the point."

Trent smiled at John as if he had asked politely. "Each book is a kind of master key; each has a complete directory of codes used to program every mainframe in every White Umbrella facility. With that book, one could conceivably break into any lab or test site and access everything from personnel files to financial statements. They'll change the codes once the book is stolen, of course, but unless they want to lose everything they've stored, it will take them months."

No one spoke for a moment, the only sound that of the plane's insistent hum. Ethan's mind wrapping tightly about the importance of such a document could prove.

A master key...able to get them in anywhere and download anything from Umbrella's mainframes. They'd have one hell of an advantage, and such an opprotunity would most likely never show itself again.

The traveler looked at everyone else and saw the thoughtful expressions, saw that they were seriously considering Trent's implied proposal. And realized that it had just become highly unlikely that they would be going to Europe after all.

"But what about Chris, and Jill and Barry? You said they were okay, how do you know that?" Claire asked, and everyone could just hear the barely hidden desperation.

"It would take a very long time to explain how I come by my information," Trent said smoothly. "And while I'm certain you don't want to hear this, I'm afraid you'll just have to trust me. Your brother and his companions are in no immediate danger, they don't need you at the moment, but the opportunity to get Reston's book, to get into that lab, will be gone in less than a week. There's no security detail right now, half the systems aren't even running, and as long as you stay away from the test program, there are no creatures to contend with."

David wasn't sure what to think. It sounded good, it sounded like exactly the opportunity they'd been hoping for...but then, so had Caliban Cove. So had a lot of things.

And as for trusting Mr. Trent...

"What's your stake in this?" the Captain asked. "Why do you want to hurt Umbrella?"

Trent shrugged. "Call it a hobby."

"I'm serious," David said.

"So am I." Trent smiled, his eyes still dancing with that twinkling humor. David had only seen him once before, hadn't exchanged more than a dozen words, but Trent seemed just as strangely happy now as he had then; whatever it was that made him tick, it was certainly bringing him a lot of pleasure.

"Why have you been so cryptic?" Rebecca asked, "The stuff you gave to Jill, and to David, before, all riddles and clues. Why not just tell us what we need to know?" She sent a subtle look at Ethan, remembering the medical reports and genetic research that had been about him that had been given to Jill as well.

"Because you needed to figure it out," Trent said. "Or, rather, it was necessary that you appeared to figure it out, all by yourselves. As I said before, there are very few people who know what White Umbrella is doing; if you seemed to know too much, it might come back to me."

Ethan watched the exchange and started to understand the man's methods. He obviously had it out for Umbrella like they did, and he was working on the inside and had access to classified intel. Intel that only a select few could possibly get their hands on without raising red flags...

"You're an Umbrella higher up..." he said making Trent look his way, everyone else sending him stunned looks. "Or, at least one that has become a wolf in sheep's clothing. You give us intel that is damning against the corporation, while giving us a fighting chance against what they could have waiting for us. On top of that, you're able to get people on your beck and call, like our pilot, when you need it at the drop of a hat, meaning you have power, a lot of money...or both."

"Put two and two together, it all makes sense. Though I have yet to understand your reasoning as to why you want to bury Umbrella...but my gut tells me that it's personal.

The two men stood there looking at one another, eyes locked as though in a battle of wills while the others looked back and forth between them wondering what was going to happen between them. Seconds ticking by in silence until Trent smiled.

"Your intelligence and powers of deduction are quite a gift, Mr. Mercer. I'm impressed."

Ethan shrugged, "I won't pry, your reasons for hating Umbrella are your own, and you have yet to make a threatening motion toward any of us even though you seem to hold the high ground. That's enough to earn some trust, so long as you're not planning a hostile take over of the corporation when we finally take it down."

Trent continued to smile, "I assure you, that is not the case. And my intention is to ensure that your endeavors are successful.

"If what Ethan says is true, then why take the risk now?" David asked. "For that matter, why do you need us at all if you have connections to White Umbrella? Why not go public, or sabotage them from the inside?"

"I'm taking the risk because it's time to take a risk. And as to the rest...all I can say is that I have my reasons." Trent said sending a look to Ethan proving a good portion of his observations.

The man then pushed himself off of the seat and picked up his coat, turning to look at David.

"I realize you'll want to discuss this before you make your decision," he said. "If you'll excuse me, I'll take this opportunity to visit our captain. If you decide against collecting Reston's book, I'll step aside. I said before that you had no choice, but that was my dramatic side showing, I suppose; there's always a choice."

On that, Trent turned and walked to the front of the cabin and slipped behind the curtain without a backward glance. Leaving the team of rogues to their own thoughts, and a lot to talk about.

X

John broke the silence about two seconds after Trent left the cabin.

"To hell with this," he said, looking as pissed off as any had ever seen him. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm not all that happy about being played like this, I'm not here to be Mr. Trent's fucking errand-boy, and I don't trust him. I say we get him to talk about Umbrella, tell us what he knows about our team in Europe, and if he gives us one more say-nothing answer, we should drop-kick his evasive ass out the damned door."

Rebecca knew he was royally pissed off, but she couldn't help herself. "Yeah, John, but how do you really feel?"

He glared in her direction, and then grinned, and somehow, that broke the tension for all of them. It was as though they all remembered how to breathe again at the same time; the unexpected visit from the mysterious benefactor had made it hard for a few moments to remember much of anything.

"We've got John's vote," David said. "Claire? I know you were worried about Chris..."

Claire nodded slowly. "Yeah. And I want to see him again, as soon as possible..." she trailed off meaning that she had more on her mind.

"But," David said, coaxing the rest of it out.

"But, I think he's telling the truth. About them being okay, I mean."

Leon was nodding. "I do, too. John's right about him being slick, but I don't think he was lying, about anything. He didn't tell us a lot, but I didn't get the impression that he was bullshitting us with what he would say."

David turned toward the medic next. "Rebecca?"

She sighed, shaking her head. "Sorry, John, but I agree. I think he's got some credibility; he's helped us before, in his own weird way, and the fact that he's here, unarmed, says something-"

"It says he's a dumbass," John muttered darkly, and Rebecca punched him lightly on the arm, realizing suddenly, intuitively, why John was so reluctant to accept Trent's word.

Trent wasn't intimidated by him

She was sure of it; she knew John well enough to know that Trent's indifference would absolutely push his buttons.

Choosing her words carefully, keeping her tone light, Rebecca grinned at him. "I think you just hate the fact that he's not scared of your big scary self, John. Most people would've wet their pants with you towering over them."

It was the right thing to say. John frowned thoughtfully, then shrugged. "Yeah, well, maybe. I still don't trust him, though."

"I don't think any of us should," David said. "He's keeping an awful lot to himself for someone who wants our help. The question is, do we seek out this Reston, or do we continue with our original plans?" The Captain turned his attention to the one that had yet to cast their vote.

Ethan stood with his back to them, chin in his hand, index finger tapping his cheek as he stared sightlessly at the back of the plane. Deep in thought about the current state of things.

"Ethan? Thoughts?" asked David, wanting to know what was going through he younger man's head. While at the same time still overcoming the shock of him uncovering a small piece of Trent right infront of them when they didn't have a clue.

The traveler turned to face them and took a deep breath, "The opprotunity's too good to pass up. We may have the recon data from what the other's sent us, but no way of infiltrating Umbrella's HQ. If this book has all the access codes we need to get in, then getting our hands on it will help in the long run."

He looked toward David. "If there's one thing we know, it's how to break into Umbrella's playgrounds. We get in, get the book, then get our asses to Europe. Jill, Chris and Barry will understand, even more so when we show up with a master code log."

"And Trent?" asked John.

"I couldn't read him," said the traveler. "What I was able to get that little tid bit I spoke about given what we already knew, and what little he gave me from how he said certain things. Other than that, he's a blank slate. Only someone with serious mental and emotional conditioning could pull something like that off, whatever secrets he's keeping, he's keeping them close to the chest.

Ethan shot a look to John, "And I doubt he'd give any of them up. He'd probably just smile at you while you smack the crap out of him. As for trusting him...we have too many enemies and not enough allies, throwing away a so far reliable resource would do more harm than good."

He watched the others think over his words and weigh them. He may have had Oracle on his side, but the traveler's personal benefactor hadn't spoken to him since Raccoon City, and all attempts to contact him had failed. Which made the teen wonder where he was.

So in the end, Trent was their only reliable source. Even better that he was on the inside.

Rebecca was the first to speak up. "If this place is as easy as he says...when would we ever have another chance like this?"

Claire was biting at her lip, looking unhappy. Looking torn. "If we found that book of codes, it really could make a difference."

"If we find the book," John said, but everyone could see that the idea was growing on him.

"It could be a turning point," David said softly. "Ethan's right, it would knock the odds against us down from a million to one to perhaps only a few thousand."

"I have to admit, it would be fine to turn over Umbrella's private files to the press," Leon said. "Download all of their secrets and pass them out to every paper in the country."

They were all nodding, and although it might take a little more time to get used to the idea, the decision had been made.

It seemed that they were going to Utah.

If anyone had expected Trent to be overjoyed at the news, they would have been deeply disappointed. When David called him back to the cabin and told him that they would go to the new testing facility, Trent only nodded, that same enigmatic smile on his lined and weathered face.

"Here are the coordinates for the site," Trent said, pulling a slip of paper from his front pocket. "There are also several numerical codes listed, one of which will provide entry, although the keypad may be hard to find. I'm sorry I wasn't able to narrow it down any further."

David took the paper from Trent, as Trent walked back out to tell the pilot their new location, Leon headed up and spoke to him in hushed tones while the rest of the team sat in their seats.

Ethan leaned back against the headrest and closed his eyes, starting to feel tired now. So much happening in the last day, coupled with no sleep for the last two finally catching up with him. The hum of the plane's engines lulling him into slumber...

X

He was back in Raccoon City, the cool air permeated with the smell or rot and decay as he ran down one of the many empty ruined streets. Samurai Edge held tightly in one hand while the other was clamped over the bleeding gash in his side.

Vision losing focus every so often with each drop of crimson that hit the street. But he had to keep moving, had to get to where he needed to, had to find the others...had to get out before it was too late.

Rounding the corner ahead, stumbling when pain rippled through his side, he looked up and felt what hope was left in him die...

Bodies laid in the streets...familiar bodies...

Jill and Chris laid in a mangled heap a few feet away, limbs torn from their sockets while laying facedown in a pool of dark blood.

His feet moved on their own accord as he saw more, Barry laid slumped against a boarded up gunshop, empty magnum laying in his limp hand with his torso torn open with his insides splayed out before him.

On the other side of the street, Leon's body was laid out on the hood of a police cruiser. His lower half missing with intestines dangling over the front of the vehicle causing the lights to cast a red glow on to the street where Claire's still form could be seen laying prone. Her eyes glassy and unseeing and throat torn open with her body wrapped around a dead Sherry.

Past them laid John's body on the sidewalk, the large man without his head which made it hard to tell that it was even him. David's form not too far away, face partly torn away by razor sharp claws.

It...It wasn't real...it couldn't be real...the others...they couldn't be-

A loud scream pierced the air, nearly making his heart stop.

REBECCA! His feet moved faster, going farther up the street until he reached the next corner and rounded it...

...Freezing in place when he found his lover at the mercy of Nemesis. The Tyrant having its massive hand wrapped around her slender neck and holding her off the ground as though she were a doll.

True terror filled his very soul as he watched Rebecca being choked by the BOW. Yet he managed to to raise his weapon, ready to do whatever it took to save her from it-

Click...empty...

He barely had a chance to register this as Nemesis looked his way snapping its free hand out and sending a sharp tentacle through the air. The pointed tip piercing through his chest and exploding out his back.

Frozen from shock and pain, he was powerless as the Tyrant dragged him forward until he stood before it. The Monster's lone eye leering at him while it's lip-less mouth seemed to stretch into a grin before turning back to Rebecca's helpless form.

The medic's painfilled green eyes turned to him, her voice strained but loud and clear as she spoke;

"Ethan...why didn't you save me?" A loud crunch filled the air as her head snapped back at an odd angle in Nemesis' graps. Her body going still as it dangled in the air.

He couldn't scream, couldn't breath as she was tossed away like garbage as Nemesis turned to him...

"Ethan, wake up!"

...raising its massive fist and bringing it down on his head.

"Ethan!"

X

Ethan bolted upright, his eyes wide and his heart thumping, feeling disoriented and afraid. The cool hand on his arm was Rebecca's, the touch gentle and soothing, and he realized that he was awake, that he'd been dreaming and nothing more.

"Shit," he mumbled, and sagged back against his seat, closing his eyes. They were still on the plane, the soft drone of the engine and the hiss of canned air putting to rest the last of his confusion.

"You okay?" Rebecca asked, still holding his arm gently. The traveler nodded, taking a few deep breaths before he opened his eyes again.

"Did I...did I yell or anything?"

Rebecca smiled at him, watching him closely. "No. I was on my way back from the bathroom and saw you twitching like a rabbit. It didn't look like you were having much fun...hope I didn't interrupt anything good."

The last was almost a question, Ethan glanced out at the passing darkness instead. "We almost there?" he asked in avoidance

His lover nodded. "We're just starting the descent. Fifteen, twenty minutes, David says." she replied

She was still scrutinizing him, still wearing an expression of warmth and concern that she was known for, and realized he was being an idiot. Keeping that shit to oneself was a sure ticket to losing one's mind.

"I was in Raccoon City, during the infection." Ethan said rubbing his eyes. "The others...they were all dead around me. Torn apart...eaten. I heard you screaming and ran to find you, the Nemesis had you...I couldn't stop it and..." he trailed off not even wanting to think about it.

Rebecca's hold on him tightened a bit more, her other hand coming up to cup his face and turning him to face her. "It was just a dream," she said soothingly. "The others are alive, I'm alive."

The traveler relaxed a bit, leaning over and pulling her into his arms and simply holding her. The warmth of her smaller body and the smell of her hair easing him even more. "I don't ever want to lose you." he whispered into her ear. Her arms tightened on him in response.

"You won't." she leaned back and kissed him softly, resting her forehead on his.

A moment of comfortable silence rested between them, the last dregs of the nightmare fading as the cabin pressure fluctuated, the plane on its way down. In a few minutes, they'd be in Utah, of all places. David had already suggested that they get to a hotel and start making plans, that they would go in tomorrow night.

The small plane touched down easily and for the first time a while later, the pilot used the intercom system and told them to remain seated until the plane had stopped and then clicked off, not bothering with the usual crap about how he hoped they'd enjoyed their flight or what the current temperature was.

The small craft rolled across the tarmac, finally coming to a gentle stop, the team standing and stretching and putting on their coats.

As soon as he heard the outer door pop, John was up and headed to the front of the cabin, determined not to let Trent get off before they'd had a chance to chat. He pushed through the curtain, a cold wind blowing into the small passage behind the cockpit, and saw that he was too late.

The pilot, Evans, was standing in the doorway to the cockpit by himself.

Somehow, Trent had managed to slip away in the few seconds it took John to walk through the tiny plane. The metal stairs that had been pushed to the outside of the craft were empty, and even though John took the steps two at a time, hitting the ground in less than a heartbeat, there was still nothing to see in the endless stretch of tarmac, and no one at all except for the man who'd brought the stairs out. When asked about Trent, the airport worker insisted that the first person off the plane had been John himself.

"Son of a bitch," the large man spat in frusteration.

However, it didn't matter, because they were in Utah now. Trent or no Trent, they had arrived, and because it was after midnight, they had less than a day to get ready.

'No rest for the wicked.' Ethan thought as they gathered their gear and stepped out into the cool night air.

A/N: It would seem that the fates have thrown another curve at our heroes, and now they're going after yet another Umbrella facility hidden from the public. But the main question one should be asking would be, what is waiting for them beneath the salt flats?

Till next time folks!