Chapter 4: Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Redfields were known by two distinct traits: Stubbornness and fearlessness. Anybody else would have gave in to Wesker's piercing gaze and dark grin, or died out of fear, if Claire's heart was any indication. But because of her dominant Redfield traits, she defied him almost immediately. She glared up at that smug expression on his face as he patiently waited for her to speak. She refused to answer him. After what she saw, she wouldn't answer a crooked officer. Silent minutes went by, the cold air creeping into her clothes and chilling her skin.
"Well?" Wesker purred. The fact that he was amused by this sickened Claire.
William stepped back from them, anxious. His head swiveled, looking around, as if expecting them to be caught any moment. But there was no one else. Just them. Three souls in a still forest hushed by a single bullet.
Claire remained silent, her eyes unwavering from his, openly challenging him. She didn't try and push away from the tree or fight against his grip, knowing his strength overpowered hers by a mile, despite her being fit and athletic. Her pulse threatened to burst from her veins, the nausea ate at her stomach and panic swam through her nerves. But still, she glared at him. Still, she showed defiance.
Wesker's grin disappeared. Warm metal tingled the flesh of her neck, and her breath hitched in her lungs as she realized the recently fired handgun was now pressed hard into her throat. Her defiance melted away then, eyes instantly watering.
"Do not try my patience, Ms. Redfield. Answer me, if you want to remain alive," Wesker warned.
"I came here to run on the trails! Last I heard, it wasn't against the law! What the hell are you doing out here?"
Frustration laced her voice, and Claire wasn't sure if she was more upset that she gave in or that she was actually scared.
"That is none of your concern."
Claire pushed on him, but Wesker's strength didn't allow her to budge, and the gun remained wedged under her jaw, pressed right against her pulse. "It is my concern seeing as how I'm a fucking witness to you killing an innocent man. Just wait until I call the law on you!"
Her threat earned her another dark smirk from Wesker, but his friend snorted a laugh nearby. Claire then noticed the white lab coat the other man wore beneath his larger coat and the ID that hung on his breast. Was he a doctor of some kind?
"Did you hear that, Al? She's gonna call the law on you!"
Wesker chuckled, a low, venomous sound that rattled her bones. "I'm only one position shy from running the whole police department myself. Do you really think you can use the law against me? I am the law."
"Let me go or I'll-"
"You'll what?" Wesker whispered.
The cool rasp of his voice chilled her as it tingled her ears.
"Looks like you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, little lady," William said, and then sighed. "C'mon, Al. No sense in wasting anymore time. Let's just kill her and get it over with. I've already paged Sergei to send a cleanup crew."
William's words cut her like a knife. Wesker's grip on her didn't loosen, even as she suddenly shoved against him, fighting to break free and get away, panicking. The gun barrel pushed harder into her throat. She whimpered, her fighting spirit succumbing to the deadly steel.
"Come now, Will. Where is your sense of adventure? She can come with us."
His blue eyes grew as big as saucers as he dramatically shook his head and waved his hands. "No, no, no! Hell no! Bad idea! You know Sergei will wring our necks if he finds out we let a witness live! And I don't even want to think about Spencer! What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"
"You worry too much," Wesker replied with a side glance his way. His eyes then found Claire's again and he smirked. "She may be useful to us."
"She's perfectly useful dead just like 'ol Fin here!" William retorted. He gestured to Claire with an apologetic smile. "No offense!"
"There's a pay-phone at the entrance to the hiking trails. Call Anne and tell her to come retrieve your car."
William glared at Wesker. "Why?"
"Because you will be driving Ms. Redfield's vehicle back to her house. Anne can pick your car up while Sergei's men handle the scene here."
William groaned, grabbing his hair in frustration. "Ugh, why must you do this to me? Fine, give me a quarter!"
He held out his hand. Wesker scowled at his partner-in-crime, and then produced the coin. William left them to tramp back to the parking area, complaining the whole way.
Wesker let Claire go. She inhaled a shaky breath as he stepped back, but the gun remained pointed at her chest. The gun was a STARS issue Samurai Edge M92F, similar to the ones she had seen Chris, Jill, Barry, and other STARS members carry, although his looked more modified. Namely, the stainless steel lower frame, disassembly lever, and skeletonized hammer.
He used the gun to gesture to the path. Claire wanted to run for it, but knew all that would get her was a bullet in the back. Instead, she refused to move, her back still hugged against the tree.
He grabbed her and shoved her towards the trail. Claire stumbled, but gracefully caught herself. She glared over her shoulder at him, but was met with a cold smile and a gun barrel in her lower back. Reluctantly, she followed the trail back to the entrance, far behind William. She was scared, angry, and confused. Her mind raced for a way to escape. She had no idea what Wesker was planning to do with her, and didn't want to find out either.
"You won't get away with this. I will tell Chris and everyone at the police department and have you arrested," she threatened.
Wesker chuckled softly behind her, and she shivered. "You're brave for someone who has a gun to their back. I applaud your fighting spirit, Ms. Redfield. But why waste energy barking empty threats? You won't get away."
"I'll find a way."
"I look forward to you trying."
"Why did you kill that man?"
"Because he knew too much. And if you keep asking questions, you'll meet a similar demise."
Claire glared over her shoulder at him. "And what if someone else comes through here besides me? You gonna kill them too?"
"I actually had these trails closed off. But if there is someone careless enough to disregard the signs like you, then yes, I will kill them. And I won't lose any sleep over it either," Wesker answered.
His tone was colder than the wind as it brushed by, dusting snow around them.
Claire shivered, holding herself. "What're you gonna do with me?"
"You will find out soon enough."
By the time they reached the vehicles in the parking lot, it was snowing again. Claire lost track of time, but knew it hadn't been long enough for Chris to start worrying about her. As much as she wanted him to come find and rescue her, she knew that would only end up getting them both killed.
William finished with his business on the pay-phone and hung up. He walked over to them, looking as though the snow and icy wind bothered him. He rubbed his palms together for warmth.
"Alright, Anne's on the way. She'll take the BMW back to the pharmacy. So let's drop off her truck and you can give me a ride over there. We better hurry. Sergei's men will be here any minute. Hopefully, my darling wife can come up with a convincing reason as to why my vehicle is still here."
Wesker nodded. He grabbed Claire's arms, pulling them behind her back. Claire fought him with a snarl. Metallic braces squeezed shut on her wrists, pinching skin, and with a hollow clack, the handcuffs locked.
"Hey! Take these things off of me!" she demanded.
"If you wish to survive this ordeal, Ms. Redfield, then you better cooperate. Now, where are your keys?"
She stopped fighting, glaring at the two men. She bit her cheek, head lowering. "Front right pocket."
The STARS Captain approached her, their bodies inches apart. With an amused, taunting smirk, he shoved his fingers into her front pocket of her jeans. Claire bit her tongue, her eyes glaring daggers into his. Just as she felt his fingers jingle the keys, she went for it. She kicked her knee up, hoping to nail his groin, certain it would work. But he countered her just as hard, just as fast, and the next thing she knew was that his knee was shoved in between her legs and now they were practically up against each other with him having a strong grip on her arm. Her knee hurt, and she could only gather that he had blocked and countered her.
"Nice try," he sneered, his eyes now burning with something close to delight.
"Damn, she's a feisty one," William said. "Sure hope she's worth the trouble."
Wesker fished the keys out of her pocket and tossed them to William. He caught them with quicker reflexes than Claire thought he'd have and, without another word, unlocked the Dodge truck and climbed in. Wesker pulled Claire over to the passenger side of the Jaguar. The luxury car's lights flashed for a second with a soft chirp, and unlocked. Wesker opened the door and pushed her inside. The interior was clean with leather upholstery, and still smelled like new car. Claire leaned forward a bit to keep from pressing on her cuffed arms. Wesker slipped into the driver's side and started the car. William followed behind them in Chris's truck as they left the Arklay Hiking Trails.
"Do what you want with me, but when I get the chance, I will tell Chris," Claire threatened. She pushed back against the door of the car, trying to put as much distance between them as possible, baring teeth like a cornered animal.
Wesker pressed the clutch and shifted up a gear as the car gained speed on the highway. He barely glanced over at her. "It would be a poor decision on your part. You wouldn't want Chris to end up dead, would you?"
"You're bluffing. You wouldn't risk getting caught."
"I assure you, I'm quite serious. You misunderstand me, Ms. Redfield. I control most of the city. Telling anyone…Chris, Jill, the law, your friends, will result in your death as well as your brother's. What happened to Mr. Finley back there will never be brought to light. He died in a car crash, you see. Committed suicide, or simply disappeared. His fate is whatever I decide to make it. You and your brother are no different, same with all the others who thought they could expose me."
"You're crazy if you think I'm just gonna stay quiet! I'll fight you every second. I will find a way to expose you."
Wesker's cruel smile and amused, purr-like chuckle boiled Claire's blood. "I admire your tenacity, Ms. Redfield. I expect you to fight, and I will enjoy every minute of it. However, depending on how far you're willing to go to save your brother's life, you might just be able to buy your freedom back from me."
"Why should I believe anything you say, you bastard?"
"It isn't as though you have a choice now, is there?"
Claire fell silent, looking out the window to the surrounding snowy wilderness that zipped by on the highway. Her situation seemed hopeless, she was trapped. Wesker laid down the terms already. If she wanted to stay alive, and keep Chris and her friends alive, she would have to do as he said. But that wouldn't stop her from fighting. She would find a way to expose him to the public, to the right side of the law. She would have to plan her moves carefully to make it out of this alive. She didn't realize it now, but this was going to be a game of cat and mouse, and she was the mouse...
Claire couldn't believe it. She was shocked, speechless. William parked Chris's truck in the driveway while Wesker unlocked the handcuffs and freed her. Wesker's Jaguar idled behind the truck, its black body sticking out amongst all the white of the snow in the neighborhood. William walked over to the steps of the porch, peering up at Wesker and Claire, fidgety and eager to leave.
They were just going to drop her off and leave.
Claire rubbed her sore wrists, freshly freed from metal braces. "That's it? You're just gonna drop me off and go? Not a very bright way to keep me from talking."
Wesker snapped his fingers at William. The other blond grumbled and tossed Claire's keys to him. "I told you what to expect in the car. That's just it, Ms. Redfield. I'm giving you complete freedom right now. You can tell anyone in the world what you saw out there. Doing so, however, will result in dire consequences that you are well aware of. The choice is up to you. Either protect your family by keeping quiet or destroy it by talking."
She wanted to believe that he was bluffing. That he was just trying to intimidate her into keeping her mouth shut. It was working, but it still made her believe that she could find a way to expose him.
"And believe me, sweetheart, he ain't bluffing," William said. "He's done this before. You're not the first, and certainly won't be the last. So just be a good girl, alright?"
Wesker handed Claire her keys, their fingers brushing. An electric charge rippled through her flesh from the touch. "This is far from over. So, if you want your life to remain as it is, then you'll keep quiet. It would be such a waste to have to make it look as though you and Chris got into an accident."
She narrowed her eyes at him, her stomach flopping from nausea. "I get it. Now leave."
Wesker slid his sunglasses back on, a ghostly smile forming. He turned and followed William to the idling Jaguar. "It's your call, Ms. Redfield. Tread carefully."
Claire watched them get into the black car and drive off, heading for the heart of Raccoon City. The sickness that flooded her hit her like a freight train. She ran inside the house straight to the bathroom, feeling as though she was going to vomit. Her head spun, and her blood was icy cold despite her skin being hot.
That man's head bursting, the deafening gunshot that didn't quite cover the sound of shattering bone and tissue, replayed in her mind. She threw up the breakfast she had earlier that morning, groaning. The telephone rang in the kitchen. Claire spat and rose slowly to her feet, head pounding. She answered the phone, hoping it was Chris.
"Hello?"
"Hey, there ya are! Thought I'd call in since I haven't heard from you yet. Was starting to worry. How were the hiking trails?"
She swallowed hard, feeling a sense of guilt and pain. "Oh, it was…fine. Lots of snow out there."
"Are you alright? You sound upset."
She forced a fake smile, even though her brother couldn't see it. "I'm fine. Just saw a dead deer out there. Kinda freaked me out. That and I think I was out in the cold for a bit too long. I feel sick."
"I tried talking you out of it, didn't I? Who goes running in the woods with snow everywhere in twenty degree weather? You do apparently! Make yourself some soup and rest. I should be home a bit early tonight."
"Alright, take care, Bro. Love ya."
"Love ya too, bye."
She hung up, soon lost in thought. She went to the living room and slumped down on the couch. Her mind raced with so many things. She had to find a way to expose Wesker, but she just didn't know where to start. She couldn't risk Chris's safety, or her friends' safety, not even her own safety. But she couldn't allow the STARS Captain to get away with this, to control her or continue to hurt innocent lives. She was at a complete loss.
She couldn't call the law. Wesker controlled the law. And she saw first hand how he could manipulate and deceive the truth. Whatever conspiracy he was caught up in also gave him more room for control. She would have to do some investigating to see what kind of shadows Wesker was involved with. If she couldn't call on the law for help, then she just might have to do it alone. The only man above Wesker at the police department was the Chief of Police…Brian Irons. Claire wondered if she could go talk to him. Sure, Irons was a total asshole, but he knew how to keep a city in line. Claire heard stories of how he had arrested crooked cops before.
Then again, she didn't want to risk Wesker finding out and killing her brother. She remained lost in thought until she heard a car pull up in the driveway. Shaking out of her trance, Claire realized she had been in deep thought, confused and worried, for several hours. Peeking out the window, she saw Chris get out of Jill's car, and then Jill pulled out to go home herself. It was dark outside, and it was lightly snowing still.
Chris entered with a smile on his face, brushing snowflakes from his hair and uniform. "Hey Sis, feeling better?"
"A little," she replied, trying to sound calm. "How was work?"
Chris took his coat off and hung it up, and the siblings moved into the kitchen to talk. Claire leaned restlessly on the counter, watching her brother as he took of his utility belt and weapons.
"Very hectic! Tomorrow should be much more laid-back. We plan on catching up on some paperwork. But with Barry in charge, I highly doubt we get much done."
Claire perked up. "Barry? What happened to Wesker?"
"Day off. He was late today, but I'm sure for a good reason. I'm just glad he put Barry in charge. Usually, he has Enrico come in to cover him, but I guess Enrico has a lot of work with Bravo Team."
She did not like the fact that Wesker would be off of work tomorrow. That meant she wasn't safe, because Chris had to work. She swallowed softly, playing with a nearby pen she found on the counter.
"Anyone else off tomorrow?" The question served no purpose other than to make everything seem normal.
"Yeah, Brad is." Chris then peered at her curiously, as if catching the strange tension coming from his younger sister. "Claire? You alright?"
He sounded worried, and so Claire quickly thought of an excuse. She smiled faintly, nodding. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about college. I have so much going on this coming semester."
Chris looked as though he didn't fully believe her. "Don't fret it, Sis. You got this."
"Oh, by the way. I'm gonna go out with some friends tomorrow. I'm tired of hanging around the house waiting for my oaf of a brother to get home," Claire replied, forcing a playful smile.
Chris worked on untying his boots. "Good. Just be careful. This might come as a surprise to you, but it's supposed to snow some more tomorrow."
Claire rolled her eyes. "Smartass. If it keeps snowing like it is, then we'll be trapped inside."
Chris laughed. "It's Colorado. What do you expect?"
And though Raccoon City was located to the far east of the state, near the border of Kansas, there was still plenty of snow to go around.
"Why are you still wearing your clothes from earlier? I thought by now you'd be in your PJ's on the couch with a blanket and watching old horror films," Chris asked.
"Oh, just in case I needed to go somewhere," Claire defended. "Well, I'm gonna jump in the shower. It's time for PJ's now!"
Chris vaguely nodded at her, setting his boots aside. "Alright, I'll cook some dinner."
The next morning after Chris left for work with Jill, Claire was quick to get ready and get out of the house. She didn't want to stick around in case Wesker came after her on his day off. Though she really didn't have any friends here in town to hang out with, she was determined to stay in the public and away from any chances that Wesker could nab her.
She regretted being bull-headed and going jogging on the trails. If she hadn't of gone, she would be safe and out of Wesker's grasp. William was right. She had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Damn her luck.
She wondered about William's involvement. She had no idea who the man was or what he did. She could tell he was a researcher or doctor of some kind. And though his behavior was odd, she could tell he was quite intelligent and perhaps just as dangerous as Wesker. It was obvious he and Wesker knew each other very well. Without a last name though, Claire wouldn't know where to start with him.
That's it …I'm going to see Chief Irons. He's the only person who can stop Wesker…
Claire jumped into the Dodge, driving straight for the police station with a speeding heart. Traffic was slow because of morning rush and the weather, but she was prepared to deal with it. When she arrived, she parked the truck in the public area, and entered the grand building. She soon regretted her decision when the vast main hall engulfed her. Police officers, investigators, civilians, the press, and police dogs were busy everywhere. Phones rang near constantly, and voices echoed across the vast hall.
She got directions for the Chief's office. She was relieved she didn't have to sneak past the STARS office to get to it. Located on the second floor near some old art exhibit rooms, she was able to find the door easily. The emblem on the door read: Chief of Police: Brian J. Irons.
She shook, her nerves getting the best of her. Her heart thumped quickly in her throat. Her nerves of steel had been rattled somehow by the STARS Captain. She took a moment to gather herself and think this over, taking in a deep breath. Did she dare talk to the Chief and risk her life and Chris's life? Or did she stay quiet and let Wesker intimidate and manipulate her like a puppet until he finally killed her and Chris?
Grinding her jaw, and stomping her foot, she huffed. She had to do this. She wasn't about to let anyone subdue her!
She knocked on the door, ignoring her nerves. She listened, hearing only faint movement. "Come in!"
Claire slowly entered, closing the door behind her. There the Chief was in his large office, sitting at his desk. Brian Irons was in his fifties, plump, with gray hair and a graying brown mustache. He wore dark gray slacks with a white button up long sleeve shirt and a blue tie. She could see the jacket that went with his outfit hanging on the nearby coat rack. Irons smoked a cigar, typing away on his computer. The smoke from his cigar lofted around in the air like a fog.
He paused once noticing her, as if surprised to see a stranger in his office. Claire glanced around the room for a moment; dark chills coming over her. There were taxidermy animals on display all over. She saw several native wildlife mounted each way she looked. There was a cougar, a black bear, a fox, a coyote, a wolf, and a bobcat. There were smaller animals like raptors, owls, raccoons, and even the bleached skull of what was once a large alligator. Mounted on the walls were several heads of bucks, bears, and even a bison and elk. All of the animals seemed to stare with lifelike intensity, and it made her all the more uncomfortable.
Irons raised an eyebrow, guarded. "Can I help you?"
"Uh, yes. I came to report a crime that one of your officers covered up."
Irons' eyes flashed and he motioned her to take a seat in front of his desk. She slowly sat down, not liking at all how Irons stared at her. She felt like one of the taxidermy rabbits stuffed on the edge of a table nearby.
"You look familiar," he stated, beady eyes glaring.
"Chris Redfield's sister. I'm Claire."
"Oh, I see," Irons replied smoothly, puffing on his cigar and leaning back. "So, this sounds serious, Ms. Redfield. Please do explain. I cannot have any crooked cops running around in my city."
"I was out jogging on one of the Arklay trails yesterday morning. I came across Albert Wesker. He was with a man named William. I saw them kill a man before they caught me. Wesker is blackmailing me to stay quiet or he'll kill Chris and me. He needs to be stopped!"
Irons froze, becoming pale, those beady eyes turning into saucers. He blew out smoke from his cigar, snuffing it out in the ashtray nearby. He sat up straighter in his chair, much more rigid than he had been when she first entered his office. Claire saw him press a button on his nearby telephone. The smooth motion confused her, and she grew nervous of his quiet reserve.
"That…is a lot to take in," he finally said, tapping his fingers on the desk.
"What are you going to do about it? Our lives are in danger!"
The Chief held up his hand to silence her. "I assure you, Ms. Redfield, you came to the right person. You're very lucky that you did not go to anyone else with this. We can't let this dangerous situation be handled by the wrong people."
She didn't like how he was talking. She gripped the arms of the chair, knuckles turning white. Irons casually laced his fingers on his desk, studying her closely, a dark aura coming over him.
He slowly shook his head. "I hate to say this, but it sounds as though you were in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"W-What?"
She started to get up, but the Chief suddenly aimed a handgun at her. She froze in place, fingers clenched to her chair as she was halfway to her feet. She slowly lowered herself back into the seat as Irons got up. The horror of yesterday replayed as she was yet again held at gunpoint by an officer of the law, tainted and cruel. Irons gave a dark smile, walking slowly around his desk.
The Chief of Police was in on it too. He was crooked just like Wesker was.
"You should've stayed quiet. I'm not gonna let some college girl ruin all of my hard work."
Before she could challenge him, temper rising, her heart crushed, he whipped the pistol into her head and everything went black.
Claire groaned, slowly blinking opening her eyes. Her eyesight was fuzzy at first, and she blinked the tears away. Her head pounded, and it hurt to move her neck. She looked around, but as she tried to move, she felt her hands catch on something. They were handcuffed to a metal desk. She was in a different room, full of old museum artifacts and paintings. She saw a small section blocked off by a metal fence and electronic door. Voices reached her ears, and she instantly awoke, turning her sore neck to look. She saw the Chief talking to a familiar man.
"I want an explanation, William! Right now!"
"You want an explanation, you take that up with Al," William answered, crossing his arms with a scowl. He wore khaki slacks and a white lab coat this time. "I'm not here to talk in circles with you, Irons."
"That's Chief Irons to you, you lab monkey! I'm the one that gives you security down there in NEST! I'm the one who covers up everything in this goddamn city!"
Despite Irons' temper, William didn't look at all intimidated and rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Chief. I'll take the girl from here."
Irons grabbed William by the lab coat, nearly picking the smaller man up off the ground. "You listen to me, you little-"
"And you listen to me," William snapped. "You might be in a higher position than him in the public's eyes, but Albert has control over you. He holds your contract. You do as I say, and what he says. You wouldn't want me to make a complaint to my best friend or dear 'ol Spencer, would you?"
Irons shoved the other man away, red-faced, as if William's threat was an overused one. "Sergei specifically told me that the trails were closed for you two to take care of Finley. Now I have one of the STARS members' sister here as a fucking witness? What the hell is Albert thinking?"
"Hell if I know," William casually joked as he straightened his coat. "At any rate, that's none of your concern."
Claire tugged at the handcuffs, but they wouldn't budge on the metal desk. She couldn't believe this. She made a mistake. Irons was in on all of this. She wanted to throw up. She fleetingly wondered how long she was knocked out. She hoped Chris was alright.
Irons pointed back at her, fuming. "Get her outta here. Take one of the secret passages down to the sewers and away from the public eye. I'm going to have a talk with Albert right now."
Wesker's partner-in-crime snorted as he pushed by the larger man. "You always make such idiotic decisions this early in the morning, Chief?"
"You and Albert are treading on mighty thin ice, William. Spencer and Sergei will hear about this! You're lucky I didn't kill the girl myself!"
William unlocked Claire's cuffs from the desk. He stood her up, but reattached the handcuffs together, keeping her arms bound in front of her. He gripped her arm and started pulling her towards the exit behind the Chief of Police.
"Big bark for a little dog, Irons. You should reevaluate your logic. Or perhaps actually have the balls to say that to Al's face! But, yeah, have a little chat with him, let me know how it goes, alright? Ciao."
Irons mumbled curses at their backs. Claire was too shocked to really do anything as William led her into a narrow corridor that led them right by a huge stuffed Bengal Tiger. The next door led them back into the Chief's office, but instead of taking the door that Claire came through earlier back into the police department, William tugged her to a hallway behind Iron's desk that led outside. When they reached an elevator, William let her go long enough to push a button.
Claire bolted for it. William snagged her arm and yanked her back into the elevator just as the rusty cage moaned shut, trapping her inside. She fought his hold, needing to get out of there. It was time to escape, find Chris, and get the hell out of the city.
"Let me go, asshole!"
"What the hell were you thinking?" William hissed, shoving her into the wall as the elevator descended. "He told you to keep quiet!"
"I'm not just going to stand by and let you guys get away with it!"
"And how well did that work for you just now? He's not bluffing, ya know! Albert controls most of the city. He controls Irons for crying out loud! If you want to live you better start listening to him. You're lucky he didn't just kill you on that trail and make it look as though you disappeared forever."
Tears stung her eyes as the realization dawned on her, glaring up at the doctor, or whatever he was. He was taller than her, blocking her way to the elevator doors. Claire hadn't really fought him only because she didn't know what he was capable of. Despite his words though, she decided to go for it.
Clasping her cuffed hands together, Claire whipped them upward, batting William in the face.
He yelped as she broke free from him, racing for the elevator's control panel.
"You go back, and Irons will kill you," William warned.
She halted at the control panel, the button pad glowing as the old gears faintly grumbled as they turned to lower the elevator. 1F, Chief's room; B1, Underground Parking Garage; and a third unmarked option that was currently highlighted just below B1. Where the hell were they going?
Claire clenched her fists in front of her, tugging on the handcuffs. "Then he will be found out."
William covered his eye, glaring at her, one hand ready in his lab coat pocket as if he had a hidden weapon ready to use on her. "You want to take that chance?"
No. She couldn't take that chance. She was trapped. She got herself into this mess, and may have just cost Chris his life. She slowly walked over to William, emotions flooding over her as she realized there was no escape now.
"Ugh, that freaking hurt," William groaned. "Now, if you want to live, please follow me and no fighting! I'd hate to have to inject you with an anesthetic and drag your body down there."
"Where are we going?" she demanded.
The small, rusty elevator shook as it landed in place, dinging before the metal doors moved open with some complaint.
William sighed, rubbing his eye. A drop of blood leaked from his nose. "You'll find out soon enough. Which means you'll be in even more trouble. Al's not gonna be happy about this…at all."
A/N: Chapter 4 has been updated/revised. Again, I took the setup from the RE2 Remake in this chapter! Oh Claire, you just keep digging your grave deeper and deeper...She's in trouble now! What could happen next? :3 There's plenty in store for Claire, don't you guys worry! Thanks everyone! I appreciate you all!
As of 10/12/21 this chapter, as well as Chapters 1-3, have been updated/revised once more. Fixed minor grammar mistakes and added more content to the chapter. Enjoy! :)