Chapter Seventeen

Despite the fact they were in an armored convoy, the air felt heavy, thick laden with the smell of sawdust and sweat. The debriefing had been short and quick with their supervisor, and now they had one primary mission. Get agent Jill Valentine back. Chris had almost been ordered to stay behind, but one look at him told everyone in authority that he was going, with, or without permission. Sheva eyed the man that sat across from her carefully, hardly daring to breathe as she questioned him. "If Angelica Burrows is still alive, what use is Jill to her?" Redfield shook his head, staring off into space. Alomar had begun to think he hadn't heard her when he finally spoke… "I don't know, but if she is alive, I'm wondering what else Umbrella may have hidden in the shadows. All I know is, I have to get Jill back… We can deal with Angelica later..

But there was one thing about her that was strange." Sheva inclined her head to the side as she loaded her handgun, her eyes narrowing. "What…what was it, Chris?" Redfield sighed, rubbing his temple. The last two days had been nothing but hell on wheels, and no sleep came for the worrying, or if it did, it came in the form of nightmares. "You remember the compound eyes that they have? We made jokes how it was like they stole kitty cat eyes and used them for weeks after. I saw her eyes…they..they were blue like when I knew her in the S.T.A.R.S… I…I think they've made her human again…" Sheva paused, snapping her clip into the chamber. What Chris was saying could be valuable…but.. "Are you sure?" Redfield shook his head as he peered through the bullet proof window. The green Raccoon City limits sign ran by the side of the vehicle, making them aware that they were now within the battle zone. Looking back to his friend, Chris' age lines seemed to deepen. It had been over ten years since he had stepped foot here… "With Umbrella involved….you can never be sure of anything…"

…

The freedom was not what he had imagined, but worth what he had put himself through to get there, and of midnight tonight, he would have all the freedom he wished. Slicking back his blonde locks, Wesker tsked gently as he inspected them. Too long…they were beginning to touch his ears..and…was…that.. grey…

Slamming his fist against the sink, Wesker growled gently. Humanity was so frail and weak…succumbing to age and restlessness that could be avoided by just a few DNA sequences..

"I see you have made yourself comfortable, despite the fact I have a feeling you won't be staying in one place long…" Slinging the towel he was using over his shoulder, Wesker cocked his gaze back. Angelica was leaning against the doorway, her eyes looking hollow and tired. The blue orbs she had revealed two days earlier had been changed once more, and her skin was inhumanly pale once more. The emotion she denied herself still hung about her eyes, betraying her thoughts. The serum was taking a larger effect on her than it was him, but he could not figure out why… "Oh? And what has drawn you to this conclusion, Angelica?" Rubbing the back of his towel across his hair, the man crossed into the bedroom and to the clothing he had placed upon the bed. Angelica's eyes followed him as he did so, her face flawlessly keeping composure. "Your nature. You get an inch, but takes miles… Despite the fact you hate me, I am the only person who truly knows you." Wesker's back stiffened at this comment, his hand pausing mid clench as he had picked up the shirt. His pajamas were sticking to his wet body, and despite the fact he wished to change, the comment had caught him off guard. Inclining his chin to the side, the man gruffly rebutted. "I don't hate you, Miss Burrows.."

Her reaction was not received, merely a hand slipping over his shoulder. Slowly he moved away from her, standing before the desk near the foot of the bed. None the less she followed him, spinning the chair in front for him to sit. His abdomen tensed as she forced him into the chair, her hand moving into her pocket. What was she doing? Was she going to kill him… Give another dose of the serum? No, it was not due for another eight hours… It must be the former… Pushing up as forcefully as he could, Wesker's eyes narrowed. His chest was met by the flat of her palm. Her strength..despite the fact she looked as if she had gone without sleep for those two days, it seemingly had tripled since they had last clashed… His breath was knocked out of him as she forced him down. Slowly she withdrew her hand and revealed a….

Pair of scissors…

Moving behind him, Angelica forced his head down, combing her fingers through the back of his hair to straighten it better. Eying the comb he had on the dresser, she snatched up the item and moved it through his golden strands. "Your normal barber was left back at the Artic facility. Until we procure one that you will not kill, it looks like I'll be taking care of your…cosmetic needs. Unless you wish to grow it out into a ponytail…" Wesker's eyes slid upwards, the look exuding from them letting her know on any uncertain terms that he would never have long hair if he had a choice in the matter. A small smile slipped upon her lips as she set to work, the small snipping noises filling the silence between the two. Slowly she stopped to comb the loose hair, but her wrist was caught by his hand. Leaning her over his shoulder, Wesker looked up. She was still beautiful, compassionate after all these years of torture that both he and Umbrella had inflicted in her life. And yet…she was here…cutting his hair …almost like a dutiful wife… Slowly he brought her closer; his head inclining back to meet with hers in a most particular place… Her lips were soft like rose petals as they surrendered to him, the smell of her, his freshly washed self, and cologne beginning to cloud. She was an enemy and a lover all the same…

The blaring sound of an intercom ring sliced through the moment, breaking it in twain. A soft snarl came from her throat, making Wesker pause. Was the anger she showed because of him, or the interruption…

Pulling herself free of the situation and him, Angelica nearly lept towards the wall. Pushing the button, she whispered into the device. "Doctor Burrows…" Frederick's voice sounded scared when he spoke through the speaker. And if anyone knew that man….he never showed fear except when it came to one thing. "Doctor, we need to discuss the serum enhancement for the flow distributor. Your dau…"

"Frederick, do not discuss matters further. I will be there within the half hour. Please do not divulge any details to anyone but myself.." A soft noise was made, sounding almost similar to a sigh. The fuzzy static crackled slowly before the man answered back. "Please make it sooner than that…it's a code ten matter that is needing immediate attention." Angelica's brow furrowed as she swallowed. He had been trying to regulate her daughter as soon as they had arrived, but the options had been running out… Something had been found, or another problem had surface… "I'll be there soon…Doctor Burrows out." Casting a glance back to Wesker, the woman felt her stomach clench…

Throwing the scissors over to him, Angelica watched as he caught them deftly with one hand. "I am needed elsewhere. Have..Ada finnish the job." As the words left her mouth, Angelica saw the shock and horror move into the man's face. She had to admit… it was satisfying. "Angelica… how do you…know.." The woman moved to the door, lingering only for a second in the doorway. Her eyes sparkled like deadly gems, their garnet pigments catching with amusement. "I know everything about you….

Remember?"

…

Leon moved into the room, his hands clenching the handgun like a lifeline. He had gone ahead, not having to go through the BSAA protocol or mission updates. He had tailed his target for long enough, and now with Sheva and Chris infiltrating tonight, he was going to have to take out one of the key hindrances in the whole mission. She had nearly disappeared out of his sights, but she had gotten far too comfortable. Ada had gone out to the outskirts of town, to a bar that had been haphazardly rebuilt for the construction crews t enjoy after a hard days work. The joint had quickly gone down hill, turning more into a strip club than a regular bar. It was within those crowds he had nearly lost her…nearly.

The VIP back room had been more than what had seemed, as always with places like these. A money printing area had been found. Umbrella was even cheating their workers… paying them with illegal funds… A shadow… a noise from the corner room… Slowly Leon moved towards the darkest area in the room, his clear eyes narrowed with purpose. Despite this… he still got hit… The backhand came out of nowhere, nearly sending him sprawling to the floor. Well, he would have gone to the floor had he not been grabbed by the collar and slammed face forwards into the opposite wall. Roughly he was dragged across it, the burning pain in his cheek letting the man know that he had lost a layer of skin or two. Recovering quickly enough to catch the kick to the side of the head, Leon forced the blow away with his wrist. The gunshots rang out, only to have the shining piece of metal skidding to the other side of the room. A flurry of punches were barely deflected, the only thing he could see was crimson and fiery eyes, the plump lips he had enjoyed once before now grinning sadistically as the woman began to show him how much she had trained. It had been years since they had seen each other… but time had done nothing but enhance the natural beauty the Asian possessed. His boots barely stopped him from being thrown back, his arms crisscrossed to prevent further attacks.

Ada flipped backwards, her slim form now fully in the dim light that illuminated the backroom. The workers had fled the room, many hiding underneath their desks. Standing proud in the center was the raven beauty, her eyes flashing with angry frustration. "Whenever I have something good going, you always show up Kennedy…" Leon chuckled as he rubbed his cheek, withdrawing his secondary weapon. She backed up, her hands slowly rising above her head. He carried two now…he had grown smarter… The old, boyish smirk came across Leon's lips, making the woman before him wish she could break it right off of him…

A blue eye winked as he took on, cocky step forward. "What?

It's no fun when daddy comes home?"