Chapter Twenty Three
Chris felt his entire body ache. It was as if the anger in him had gone stale, leaving only pain and frustration behind. Sheva and he had pressed on, moving into the upper levels of the complex. Strangely enough, there had been no security.. none what so ever. Out of the corner of his eye, Chris saw Sheva look at him on occasion. The news had been received with an ashen look, and she had not been able to say a word since. Plodding on in the increasing silence, Chris wondered when the woman was going to explode.. Focusing on the surroundings, Redfield faced forwards and did not look back to his partner. The first thing that had been different from most of the facilities was the levels… Each one was stretching downwards, like a large bee hive. God only knew how many sections there were, including ones that had not been fully constructed yet…
The light was what they saw first. Red flashed through the white hall suddenly as an automated voice made the pair aware that there had been a security breech. Sheva strained her ears, her almond eyes wide as they dove for cover in an adjacent hallway. A troop of the familiar teams that had cleaned up the streets of Raccoon during the first incident, tramped through; intent on their mission and not seeing the concealed pair that secretly spied upon them as they jogged by. Sheva finally broke her silence as she whispered to her partner, her lips trembling as she watched the never ending assault on whatever was in the upper level. Shouting and radio static whistled down the hallway, making Redfield feel uneasy despite their anonymity remaining intact. "What's happened,Chris.."
Chris shook his head, his green eyes narrowed and focused ahead as the last of Umbrella's troops disappeared into a shaft lift. Motioning for Alomar to move back with him, the male stayed low and withdrew his side arm. "Something is not right, whatever triggered the alarm was not us.. God help us if they found Jill…keep moving.." Slowly they moved away from the main hallway, keeping a low crouch as they ran. They had to move away from the direct path of where ever those guards were heading. The spidering corridors seemed to last forever as they made their way around the complex, the path they were taking moving past various unoccupied offices and filing rooms. Sheva motioned for her partner to stop as she whirled, a sound coming from one of the half constructed offices. Flicking on her hand light, Sheva stalked forwards, Chris covering her back with his own weapon. "I heard something…"
A shuffle had come at the door; a shadow moving away from it was what had caught her eye. If there was anyone who had spotted them…they had to stop them from reporting back, and quickly. Chris swept his gaze over the area, the dust filtering through the beam like tiny sparks of glitter. "Please… Don't shoot.." The voice revealed itself before they caught sight of her, and a sight it was. Angelica was propped against the far side wall, barely shielding her from view with a piece of plywood. Blood streams had left drying pathways down her arms, and her eyes sparked with hatred and sorrow as she looked into the light. Wincing, she flung an arm up. Chris moved past his partner, shoving himself down onto one knee as he took hold of Angelica's arm. "What happened…where's Jill.. You promised me she would be safe.." Angelica's eyes watered, her lips slowly turning downwards as her body began to tremble. "I'm sorry, Chris… the whole key was my daughter, it has been all along. Jill's antibodies were going to stabilize her, and I in turn would stop it from harming your own child…" Redfield stumbled back at this, his eyes wide. Their own child? What was she… "Jill…Jill's pregnant?"
Slowly the other woman nodded, her hair falling across her face. "Her antibodies are attacking the fetus, but if I use th majority and send the rest into a dormant form.. your child and mine would be unharmed… but Chris.. Oh god Chris…
They took my baby…
And I need your help to get her back before you're my child and yours…
Dies.."
…
"Frederick, tell me what you have told Doctor Burrows on the situation of the child's condition.."
The room remained dark, not enough light to barely illuminate the people who were in it. Wesker was calmly staring at the opposite man, his eyes now cleared of their inhumanity due to another dose of the serum. Despite the fact that he had taken Angelica down as asked, Trent still felt the need for control to be his. Despite the fact he was temporarily human, Larson looked genuinely terrified of him. And for good reason… Running a hand down his goatee, Larson took a deep breath. "We are trying to put her secondary DNA structure into a dormant state that would result in your condition now..But on a much more permanent level." Wesker's brows rose at this, his thin lips flattening. "So you mean she would remain human… Her cellular structure is far too immature to vacillate the way her parents have?" Frederick nodded as he leaned against the opposite wall, keeping from without arms reach from the man before him. The stories had all turned out to be true when he had first met the infamous Albert Wesker, and he did not wish to be on the receiving end of some of the famed rage.
"Precisely. It would be the only way we could stop the degeneration of her DNA.." Wesker interrupted at this time, his voice sounding almost threatening. "You have only focused upon what possible with the Mother's DNA. Have you thought of staving off the conflux by refreshing the DNA with infusion of my own? I am fully aware the abnormality comes from my genetics, but it would in turn make it renew itself, and set back the biological clock.." Larson paused as he watched the man before him grasp at straws, and realized one thing. Wesker did not want his child to be human, any more than Angelica wanted her to be empowered… His voice almost failed as he answered the question, the repercussions if he did not possibly far more than it would be if he did so in a wrong manner. "It's a possibility..but I am not quite positive that Trent would approve such a thing…"
Wesker moved down to plant his hands upon his sedated child's head. Stroking her hair over her shoulder, her tucked the covers about her closer. Looking back over his shoulder at Larson, a slight smirk curved up at the corners of his lips. "I do not remember discussing anything about Charles Trent…"
…
Ada moved into the office, her eyes watching for the one man she was almost afraid to see. He sat there in his office chair, twirling a pen between his fingertips as if she were the one who had kept her waiting, instead of the other way around. Wong had looked for him for a near hour earlier, but for once, she had been turned down for a meeting with a doctor.. Now she stared at her with those crystal blue eyes, his face a mask of emotionless stone. Standing opposite with her arms behind her back, Ada cocked her head to the side. "Are you ready for tonight.." Wesker stood at this question, placing the pen down on desk flat. His own arms went behind his back, his back rigid. The body language was telling her one thing… Something had changed..
"Actually, my dear..plans have changed. I will not be taking my leave this evening, but we will be taking a new passenger with us come the week's end.." At this Ada tightened her jaw, an angered look flashing across her lovely eyes. "May I inquire as to whom this individual may be…" Wesker hissed between his clenched teeth gently, but the action did not make her waver in her fury. "My daughter…" The statement hit her like a ton of bricks , actually making the woman take a step back. When had he found out about Angelica's child…and why was he saying it was his own.. Then it all fell into place. He had disappeared around the same time Burrows had, and Trent had kept the two close the entire time.. It had been the plan the entire time, to play on their emotions and create the perfect child.. the child of two perfect monsters..
Taking a step forwards, Ada laid a hand upon Wesker arm, a pleading expression crossing into what was once furious features. "I don't think that's the best idea… They could track her, and us.." Wesker shrugged off the gesture, a warning look passing over his face. Stalking to the far corner of the office, he slammed down a button revealing an inner chamber that withdrew from the shining wall. A bacta tank was hidden within it, a familiar form of a woman of the past safely hidden in the murky depths. Stepping up to the tank, Ada pressed a hand to the cold glass. Wiping away the condescension, she affirmed what she had thought… Jill Valentine's body lay lifeless in the murk, the mask feeding oxygen the only keeping the woman from drowning in her sedated state. "How…" Wesker stepped up next to her, his critical eyes scanning over his prize.
"Angelica's last gift to me… Jill will be the key to buying our freedom.. but we cannot squander our chances." Ada shot her employer a side long glance, her former emotion now replacing her wonder. "If we do not take our opportunity, I cannot guarantee that we'll have another chance, Albert.. We must act now.." Whirling within a flash, his hand clasped about her throat, forcing the woman to back up against the glass. "I am the one giving you the orders, Miss Wong. Remember that… I will NOT leave behind my child…" Croaking against the pressure of his hand, Ada coughingly laughed bitter amusement. "I would think you are getting attached to it, Albert… you never were once for a family man type…don't let this make you weak.." Even as the pain made her wish she had not said what she had, the growl of his voice over took her senses as he flung her towards the door. "I am keeping my legacy intact, do not confuse the two with love of family with your imbecile mind. It would behoove you to leave me.." Rubbing the dark marks about her neck, Ada stumbled to the doorway. Her chest felt like it was breaking in two.. Leon.. he had been right all along. Wesker was not going to leave… he was going to betray her just like he had everyone else…
Well she was going to beat him to the punch…