The Long Dark
X.
A Cabin in the Woods
Just before dawn, Jill stood in the cold, watching the flicker of green and purple over a perfect sky.
It was like nothing she'd ever seen. Like magic tossed across a hungry canvas. The sky devoured the aurora borealis with nature's eager mouth of cloudless wonder. It left you staring while you tried to reconcile yourself to the ethereal beauty of the world.
Something so beautiful, sitting guard over something so thick with horror and fear, you nearly choked on the truth of what became of the snow and the sky when it all fell apart.
A crunch of boots echoed behind her as her breath fogged out prettily beneath her snug cap and thick gray scarf. Jill lifted the cup of coffee to her lips and thought about perfect skies, spies, and secrets. They surrounded her.
She was mired in a world where she didn't know what was real, what was fantasy, and what was nightmares. The only thing she knew for sure was that she was no longer standing in that world alone.
A snowflake fluttered down and landed on her nose as she looked at him in the shimmering darkness. The green flickered over his face. The purple turned those blue eyes the same shade as the Adriatic at sundown. She had so many questions she wanted to ask.
And so many answers she knew she was afraid to hear.
When she met him, he'd been an arrogant boy on that beach. He was a man on the edge now. The edge of what? Greatness, on the one hand, as he was at the top of the ladder for a man who lived life as hard as he did. He was at the right hand of the most powerful man in the Western World and the best in his field. He was in demand, in short supply for anyone of the same caliber, and irreplaceable in the right circles.
And he looked so tired. It struck her that first moment she'd laid eyes on him again. He looked tired.
And she knew, in her guts, she'd trade almost anything to give him a handful of days of peace.
After he'd left the night before, she dug around to find out what she could on him. Most of it was buried under layers of clearance she'd never even begin to tap. He'd gone from one disaster to another, a veritable hammer of righteous wrath, striking down bioterror with an admirable fury. She saw Ada Wong's name pop more than once in her digging, telling her he was in contact with the spy in red the same as he was with the Russian one she'd met the night before. He had contacts in circles where he knew he needed help on both sides of the law.
He was a political animal in a nearly impressive way she hadn't expected. Where Chris used the way of the gun, Leon played the game. He greased palms and rubbed elbows with the people who made the country run. His name was both feared and respected in all the right circles. What was whispered about in dark corners was praised in board rooms—a golden boy in a golden world.
He'd made himself indispensable in their profession. It was noteworthy and respectable. She envied the power he had to cut a swath across the endless landscape of loss and desperation. A boy with a badge had become a man with a mission.
And a bloodhound with the scent of savior in his perfect nose.
Could she really judge how he saved the lives of the people who needed him?
If he was a little more willing to delve into the muck to do it, could she really blame him?
She and Chris had tried like hell to get the B.S.A.A. off the ground and hit wall after wall in the U.S. regarding operational leniency. But Leon had managed to cultivate a task force just by trading his freedom for the leash of indentured service. Once a pawn, he was the most versatile piece on the chessboard now, making moves that ensured the United States stayed on the frontlines of the war on bioterror.
She knew that noble sentiment came at great personal sacrifice.
It was written all over his gorgeous face.
Gruffly, he filled the silence with a softly uttered, "You sleep ok?"
Jill shrugged a shoulder and returned, "You?"
He laughed dryly and smirked under his sock hat, "Like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, sweetheart. Such is my lot in life."
Jill offered him the coffee in her hand, and he accepted it, tipping it back to take a long pull with a heavy sigh of gratitude. When he tried to give it back, she shook her head and encouraged, "Keep it. You look like you need it."
He glanced over her shoulder at the gorgeous sky and sighed, "I could use a whole pot at this point." After a quiet moment of reflection, he added, "It's fucking beautiful here."
Jill quirked her mouth and agreed, "It is."
"I sometimes forget how beautiful shit is when I'm asshole deep in blood."
She tilted her head at him, "This is what you're fighting for, right?"
His eyes scanned the horizon; he confessed, "I used to think so."
"And now?"
"Now...I just try to remind myself that every single star matters to someone out there. And if I help one goddamn person see it and appreciate it, I've done my job."
Curious, Jill wondered, "And what's your job?"
"...standing for those who can't. And trying like hell to give them a shot at seeing this fucking sky."
Touched, Jill simply answered, "Something this simple, Leon...it's worth it."
When he just smiled sadly, she added, "It's worth it. Because we take for granted a perfect sky...when we should spend just a few minutes reveling in it."
"If I can stop what's in those caves...these people in this town will have endless nights of perfect skies...it's ok if that means I don't get to share in it."
Softly, she reminded him, "You're here now. Take a minute...and enjoy it."
He watched the sky while she watched him. His eyes danced over the shifting lights and color. The tension on his face relaxed in inches until he was just a handsome man in the rising dawn, seeing the beauty of a flawless bowl of dying night.
Quietly, he avowed, "I've never seen anything like it."
And she simply returned, "...me either."
His eyes shifted down to find her watching him. Not the sky. Him. He gruffed gently, "You're looking at the wrong thing, sweetheart."
To which she just said, "I don't know...I think it looks pretty right to me."
Leon confessed in a tone of something she couldn't quite name, "I've never, ever been afraid I won't get the job done, Jill...except when I'm with you. If I can't do it...if I go down this time...what if you aren't there to drag me to the finish line?"
With a tone of confidence and steel, Jill answered, "I've never, ever met anyone like you. Not ever. You don't understand stop or quit or give up. You won't fail us. You won't run. You won't die."
When he made a slight sound, she nodded with strength that steadied him, "You won't die here, Leon Kennedy. Not today. Not yet. Look at what you've done, what you can do. This is where you rise...and if you start to fall...I will fucking carry you. Whatever else you believe in...believe in that. Because you know I can."
"And if you fall?" The question alone told the story of how far they'd come.
She just held his eyes and urged, "You won't let that happen. You won't let me fall."
"How can you be so damn sure?"
"Because I see you. I've watched you. I know what you can do and what you're willing to do. If it's in your power...you won't let go. Trust in that...and we all get out of this alive."
He held her eyes until he wondered, "How the hell does Redfield get anything done without you?"
Humbled, she felt her smile bloom, "Chris doesn't need me, Leon. He never did."
Seeking something she couldn't name, he answered, "You think I do?"
"...I think you're the best I've ever seen. I don't think you need anyone...but I'm here...you have me...it's up to you if that's what you want."
He knew what it was about her that drew him. There weren't any deep, dark plots in Jill. She was as she appeared to be - a woman trying like hell to help. A woman trying to fight against her own nightmares. She was a breath of fresh air after a lifetime of inhaling poison.
And she wouldn't look at him like this again when she knew the truth of who he was. He needed to stop this, whatever it was, to spare her the moment she knew he was the reason she was fighting so fucking hard for hope.
And he didn't want to. For the first time in a long time, he wanted to take her just for him. Just because he wanted her. Just because being with her made him feel...clean. He'd been wading through the filth for so long he'd forgotten what it felt like to just be...good. And she was good.
He was covering her in shit just by standing close to her. And he wanted to get closer, touch her and taste her, and have her tempt him away from the ugly games he'd have to play to win. Because even if he saved the day here, there was another game waiting for him - another battle - another piece of his soul sacrificed for the greater good.
And he didn't want to care about any of it when she was looking at him with the Aurora Borealis sparkling in her eyes. With a small motion, he dropped his lips to her forehead and kissed - soft and smooth.
Jill's mouth quirked as she teased, "...thanks...Dad."
His mouth twitched in response. "...thank god you spotted me at that fountain, Jill Valentine. I don't entirely know if I'd be standing here without you."
Her eyes twinkled with lights and humor as she answered, "You would...you're a guy who dodges lasers...those guys have a tendency to become legends."
"Being a legend sucks, gorgeous...I'd rather be a rookie cop without more balls than brains...trying like hell to find the courage to ask out the prettiest girl in the R.P.D."
Without missing a beat, Jill responded, "I'm sure Chris would have said yes."
"I always knew he was a girl under the bulging muscles."
"Not a girl...just...soft beneath the armor...like someone else I know."
They both chuckled. And she added, "...young me would have said yes."
"And old you?"
Her eyes glittered in the flickering sky. "Old me knows it's never that simple. One good fuck might have made this easier...but it probably would have just made it harder to say goodbye."
His eyes flicked over her face. "Are we saying goodbye?"
"Eventually." Jill smiled at him sadly. "Unless you wanna promise me you'll stick around. Can you promise that?"
He held her eyes and simply returned, "I wish I could say yes and mean it."
Sadly, she answered, "Me too. But this is it for us, Leon. This is the path we chose."
"Doesn't mean I have to like it."
"Me either." She smiled lightly now. "So maybe we should stick to a kiss on the forehead for now."
"You sure? We could just climb in that boat for a quick bang...I'd have to pull my dick out of the nest it tried to make climbing back inside my belly from this cold...but I might be able to make it work."
Her eyes twinkled again. "Hmm. As tempting as that sounds, and putting aside the frost bite I'd get on my ass lying on my back in that boat, I don't think it would make either of us very happy right now."
"I'm not that complicated, Jill. The dick currently in hibernation is a simple creature."
She gave him a beautifully soft smile that reminded him they'd both, once, been something sweeter, simpler, and free. The freedom was nearly as shriveled as his balls in the cold.
Jill murmured, "...some other time, I think. We're on duty, Agent Kennedy."
There was a creeping edge of sadness in the teasing on him now as he responded, "Figures...damn...story of my life."
He reluctantly let go of her face and stepped back as the sounds of approach told them their stolen moment was over.
Rebecca came looking pretty and fresh. Behind her, Shenmei and Kevin were looking less enthusiastic. When the pretty cop joined the crew at the waterside, Leon said softly to Jill, "I'm sorry. This is where we test that trust."
She furrowed her brow as he stated, "I have to coordinate with a contact this morning. I can't make the trip to the cabin with you."
Kevin nodded, helping the female cop with the boat. "We got it, boss. Do what you need to do."
Rebecca perked up, "Is it someone I should join you for? Someone with the right intel?"
Leon shook his head, "I don't know yet. I need to do some digging on my end. I trust you to find anything worth its salt in that cabin."
Rebecca gave him a thumbs up. "I'm on it."
As he started to turn to go, Jill commented, "I'm not sure I like you going alone."
He gave her a steady look. "I'll be fine...trust me." He glanced at Shenmei and stated, "I circumvented the blockade, and there will be a contingent of B.S.A.A. arriving this evening."
Her brows flew up as she breathed, "...stupid, Leon. Stupid. You know what happens now."
He nodded, "Yeah. I know. If possible, we'll coordinate at the cave before dark and go from there."
He started up the embankment toward the town, and the female cop called, "You're not coming, Agent Kennedy?"
Jill thought with amusement that they were watching him the same way - like he was something you wanted to fuck and cuddle in the cold morning air. Jill's mouth twitched as she met his eyes, and he returned, "Can't this morning, Uki. But thank you for taking the time to escort them. Team, this is Deputy Uki Nolan. She's been a huge help so far on intel. Let's ensure we appreciate her and Deputy Morgan coming out in the cold and dark this morning to assist us."
He continued up the rise as Uki sighed sadly.
The second cop with her chuckled and mused, "Crash and burn, Nolan."
She slapped the back of his head, and he laughed.
With a look at them, Uki encouraged, "Let's hop on. I want to ensure we're back before the town starts waking up."
They all climbed on the boat. Jill watched Leon pause near the still-smoking remains of the bonfire. A moment later, he was joined by the redheaded spy from the night before.
Jill pursed her lips as Kevin stepped beside her and mused, "...why can't any of my contacts look like that?"
Jill gave a short laugh in answer. "Maybe you're hunting in the wrong circles."
The boat chugged away from the shore as he tilted his head and glanced down at her. "I don't know...I'm here on a boat filled with beautiful women...he's on the shore with a spy. Not sure why it looks like the losing side to you."
Jill glanced up at him and felt her mouth twitch. "You're as bad as he is."
She turned around to check her pack and be sure she had what she needed to record data. Kevin leaned on the boat's edge as it zipped across the water and mused, "Am I? I flirt with everything and never let it matter. That guy? He flirts with everything and never closes the deal."
Jill lifted her eyes to him as Kevin added, "Yeah. Big difference there, Jill. He flirts; he doesn't come across. Why do you think that is?"
When she said nothing, he finished, "Exactly. It matters to him. Closing the deal matters. So, he doesn't. I'd never even heard him laugh until you showed up. What does that say about you?"
Jill shook her head lightly. "It doesn't matter. It's messy. We've set it aside for now."
"Ok." Kevin flicked his head at Rebecca and returned, "We didn't. She put it on my face last night, and guess what?"
When her eyes sparkled with good humor, Kevin told her, "It's just as easy-going today as last night. Sex, attraction...it doesn't have to mean anything more than your body wants a good hard fuck, Jill. The only people making that complicated are you and him. Let the feelings go and just get the sex out of the way. You'd be surprised how relaxed you feel afterward."
Jill shook her head with a laugh. "You bang my partner on this mission, Kevin?"
"Sure." He shrugged a little. "I'd bang you too if you asked."
She couldn't stop the chuckle. "What a hero."
"Yup. Clearing out the cobwebs with my cock, one beautiful woman at a time."
As he rose to join Deputy Nolan at the front of the boat, he added, "Don't make it harder than it needs to be. Find him, fuck him, and set it aside. Trust me; you'll both be better for it."
To her amusement, the other Deputy on the boat added, "I'm available for completely generic, unfulfilling sexual encounters as well...just sayin."
Nolan slapped the back of his head and made him laugh.
Jill chuckled.
At least she could still laugh, she thought. She could. She just had to put aside what was making it feel like she was staring down the barrel of a gun, waiting for the pull of a trigger.
As he wandered away, Rebecca joined her to inform her, "I think we might luck out at this cabin. If I'm right, this guy was in touch with more than just Los Illuminados. If we can find a correlation between him and the Russians, we might have enough to go after the RSC."
The RSC stood for the Rasputin Security Consortium, aka RASPS. It was easy enough to peg Leon's contact as one of them. They were what the B.S.A.A. had tried to be in America- the front line against bioterror in Russia. They were backed by oligarchs and Russian money to handle anything pertaining to immediate supernatural, preternatural, parasitic, or viral threats. If "Kat" was worth her weight in battle, they'd find out what she could do for them here.
If Jill was right and Kat was working outside the bonds of the RSC, she was risking herself to help them. The idea of that self-important bitch being noble annoyed Jill until she sighed, "Leon's contact is RSC."
Rebecca arched her brows, "Interesting. And clever. He bring her in?"
"I get the feeling she brought herself in."
"Either way, it's smart. If anyone has archives on the Russian's experimentation here pre-sale to the States, it'll be the RSC."
Jill held her eyes and mused, "Wanna bet Opie's cabin is filled with proof he was a RASP?"
"I'd triple my bet in a minute on that bet." Rebecca declared and studied the water as it rushed around them. "A shame this place is a mecca for evil, huh? It's kinda beautiful."
And so, it was. The landscape was icy and touched by light and fluffy snow. The water was calm and clear; casting eyes to the depths was so easy it was almost eerie. As the boat rolled to the dock and they alighted, Jill glanced up the rise at the cabin in question.
Here was hoping they found something to tie the threads together. But even if they did, fighting what was in those caves would still be the trial of their lives. How did they combat what they couldn't explode? If they used explosives, they freed everything in the ice.
All the goddamn men in the world wouldn't stop what came out of those walls.
They needed to test UV radiation against a sample size of what was inside without alerting what waited deeper. It was tricky. It was dangerous. It was likely their only choice.
As they topped the rise toward the cabin, something shivered in the trees.
Jill paused. Kevin echoed the move. Shenmei went stone still. Rebecca and Deputy Nolan, with her partner Craig Morgan kept walking and whispering toward the cabin.
Jill whistled once, and Rebecca spun around as she gestured with her head.
Rebecca murmured, "This way. Quietly."
Nolan and Morgan looked concerned as the scientist took them into the shadows beside the cabin, and Jill, Kevin, and Shenmei split up with weapons ready as they lowered their helmets and gave themselves thermal imaging.
The trees shivered emptily, tousled by wind and cold. The branches trembled in the bitter breeze shaking snow and dead needles down from pine-scented bark. Into Jill's ear, Shenmei advised, "There's something due west. Heat signatures - two. Could be humanoid. Might be nothing more than moose or bison."
Kevin returned quietly, "Got a pack of something on the Eastern rise. Early guess is wolves and a good size pack of them. I think getting to the cabin would be smart."
Jill returned softly, "How far?"
"Less than half a kilometer."
"Get to the cabin."
They moved quickly, climbing the rise as Deputy Morgan mused, "What is it?"
Kevin told him, "Might be nothing. Might be trouble. You got the key?"
Nolan stepped forward to unlock the cabin door. Kevin eased her aside to clear into the cabin and neutralize any threats. When he signaled for them to follow, Shenmei told them, "Go. I'll stay out here and keep watch."
She hefted her M4 and nodded. "I won't engage unless it's a direct threat."
The bad news was, they wouldn't know a direct threat until it was barreling down atop them. And by then, it would probably be too late.
Jill nodded to Shenmei and ducked into the cabin. It was surprisingly warm. A fire crackled faintly in the back right corner. She glanced at Nolan, who shrugged, "I don't know who laid it."
Great. She arched a brow, and Morgan added, "Probably Opie. He was gone when we came to bring him in, but he could have come back at any time."
Jill nodded, "Any idea if he had a hidey-hole, a lookout point, or something close by? In case he's watching us."
Morgan shrugged. Nolan offered, "There's an old fishing village down the Eastern rise. Hasn't been used since the early days of trappers and traders. He might go there to decompress from the trappings of man, as he called it."
Jill gave her a head bob and instructed, "Rebecca - start digging in here. Kevin and the deputies will stand guard on you. I'll take Shenmei and head down to the village to get the layout and look around."
Kevin gave her a cool look. "That wise?"
"You wanna leave it uncleared and wait for something to come get us?"
He nodded in response, and Jill told the deputies looking at her, "What we're facing isn't anything you ever fought before. Do not attempt to tell anything hostile to freeze or offer a chance for surrender. You shoot it in the chest and the head; you don't try to reason with it or get confused about what it's here for. It's no longer a friend or a former lover or anything else - it's a parasite. It will kill and infect you, and it won't care that you took it to the eighth-grade sock hop."
Morgan murmured, "You saying my junior high girlfriend might show up to kill me?"
She gave him a cool look and returned, "I'm saying anyone who shows up is probably here to turn you. So, don't let them. They won't look like us. They'll be clearly infected. Red eyes. Mutation. Twitching appendages and extra pieces. If Shenmei and I don't return, you take the boat back to the mainland without us."
Nolan looked like she'd protest as Jill commanded, "We know what we're doing; you don't. If there is something on this island, we don't want it getting the boat. Are we clear?"
Kevin nodded. Rebecca nodded. Nolan and Morgan looked afraid but nodded like brave soldiers.
Jill exited the cabin, and Shenmei joined her as they eased into the dirty dark that comes before dawn, accompanied by the eerie howl of wolves and the whisper of wind in bare branches with only the cold to comfort them.