I am SO blessed that almost a dozen people are already following my story. Like what ?! How is this possible ?? So thank you for that, I'm so happy. On a different note, I think I've finally got soooome direction of where I want this story to go, but even that is still vague...bear with me lol. Or not, it's up to you ;)
Chapter 3. Monster
Another week had passed, and Ashley was wondering how long these tests were going to last. The D.S.O doctors assured her that it was just a precaution, but it was awfully suspicious how many times they had to do 'health-checkups' on her – and she'd noticed Leon had stopped having his a long time ago, while hers were still ongoing more than a month after their return from Spain. So when D.S.O men showed up at her doorstep with guns hanging at their hips, Ashley knew it couldn't mean anything good. "What's the meaning of this ?" She heard her mother's raised voice from afar, and looked up from her homework.
"Wait !" Said Leon – reaching out to grab her, but Ashley ran past him, out of her room and to the front door.
Two men in black suits and sunglasses stood there, guns sheathed at their sides. How cliché, Ashley thought – distracted for a second, as she remembered the Men in Black movies. Still, the sight of their firearms made her uneasy.
"What's going on ?" She didn't bother asking who they were – they had obviously come from D.S.O, seeing as the gate security had allowed them to pass.
Instead of answering her, the first man said, "Mr. Kennedy." Leon had walked up behind her. He must have deemed them relatively safe, or he would've taken a protective stance in front of Ashley.
Regardless, Ashley was irritated that she was being ignored. "Hey, I'm talking to you ! I said, what's going on ?"
"We've been ordered to take you in. I suggest you cooperate for everyone's benefit." He replied in a monotone, robotic voice, and it made Ashley's body grow cold with dread.
Joanne flew off the handle at this, nearly shrieking, "What ? You can't just take my daughter away like she's some…some criminal !" Is that what was happening ? "Don't you know she's the president's daughter – does my husband even know of this ?!"
Leon stepped forward, placing a calming hand on Mrs. Graham's shoulder. "Why do you need to take her in – is Ashley in some kind of trouble ? Is she in danger ?"
Ashley began to feel uncomfortable in her own skin. It felt like she was slowly falling into a nightmare that hadn't yet passed.
The man shook his head. "Ms. Graham isn't in any danger…but she might be a danger to those around her. I can't say any more, but it's of the utmost importance that she's brought to the medical facility at once."
"A danger to those around her ?" Joanne repeated, now more fearful than angry. She inched closer to Ashley, wrapping a protective arm around her daughter's shoulders. "What's that supposed to mean ?"
Whatever the man was saying, Ashley wasn't listening – her ears were ringing. Am I still asleep ? She wondered. That was the only logical reason this was happening, right ?
"Ashley ?" Leon said, bursting her bubble. He began extending his arm towards her, but she quickly sidestepped – away from him and her mother.
"Don't touch me ! Either of you…" Ashley warned, stepping around them to the two men. "I don't know if I can…I don't know what…" She panted, panic rising like a tidal wave; this was her worst fear come alive.
"Oh, my baby…" Joanne sobbed, tears already glistening in her blue eyes – the one thing Ashley hadn't gotten from her mother. She made sure to memorize their color, just in case.
"Ashley, calm down. I'll–"
"No ! Just…just check on me later, okay ?" I'm scared. I'm so scared.
"Wait ! You." Leon turned to the man. "Who's giving the order ?"
"That's none of your concern, Agent Kennedy. Your job here is done."
Leon tightened his fists as he watched Ashley walk away with the two strangers at her back, head lowered to the ground. Something is very, very wrong, Leon thought as he watched the black car drive away. And he intended to find out what. But first…
"Leon ! What's going on – why have they taken my daughter away ?!" Said Mrs. Graham as tears rolled down her face – ruining her makeup, grasping his arm like it was her only lifeline.
"I don't know, but it's going to be okay, Mrs. Graham. I'm going after her."
"Oh, bless you, young man…bless you…" The woman sobbed in relief. "I'll contact my husband, see if I can reach him."
"Thank you – that would save me the trouble of doing it myself. In the meantime, I'll see if I can find out anything on my end."
With that said, Mrs. Graham rushed back into the house to call the president, while Leon dialed Hunnigan's number; she'd been the one assigned to guide Leon on the Los Illuminados mission, so maybe she knew something about what was currently happening.
Either way, he didn't sit around and wait for her to answer – no, he had to pursue the car Ashley had left in. And for him to do that…
Leon got out his trusty motorbike, which he always kept nearby in case of an emergency requiring a quick escape; this seemed to be one of those occasions. Phone still ringing in his ear, he hopped on it and followed after Ashley's trail.
Leaving through the estate's discreet backdoor, Hunnigan answered just as Leon got on the road. "Hello ?"
"Hunnigan ! Sorry to bother you on a Saturday, but have you heard anything about Ashley ?"
Quick to catch on, she responded, "What do you mean, have I heard anything ? Has something happened ?"
"You could say that. These two guys from D.S.O suddenly showed up and said they had to take her to the medical facility – claiming she might be dangerous. Do you know anything about that ?"
"Shit…" Hunnigan cursed. "Sorry Leon, but no. I haven't heard anything. However, by what it sounds like, my guess is that they're not actually taking her to the medical facility – but the underground lab, where they…you know."
This time it was Leon's moment to curse, his anxiety spiking at the news. It was all starting to make sense – that guy's words, this abrupt 'urgent' order…Ashley and the Lost Illuminados were still connected, somehow. "Thanks Hunnigan." He replied, voice tight.
"Of course. Call me if there's anything else I can do, and good luck."
He hung up. Leon had wasted a bit of time talking to Ms. Graham, but even so he caught up with Ashley's car soon enough. He had a mind to go all James Bond on them and jump onto the roof of it, but he knew better than to start an altercation with people from his workplace – still, he was going to follow them from a safe distance, see if they were really taking Ashely to the underground lab as Hunnigan suspected…but if they did, what then ? He didn't have clearance to follow them in.
Just…just check on me later, okay ? He'd find a way, no matter what.
…
Ashley was trying to breathe. It seemed like she wasn't doing a very good job at it – hyperventilating, causing the two men to watch her apprehensively, almost as if…as if she was a monster. Was she becoming one ? "Oh fuck," She whimpered, bending down to clutch at her short hair. "Oh fuck, fuck, fuck ! Please, no…"
"Miss ?" Said one of the men, more out of wariness than concern for her wellbeing.
She was losing it – she could feel it ! "Do you…do you have a sedative, or something ?" Ashley asked between gasps. Neither of them replied, just continued to stare at her impassively. "Please ! If I'm dangerous, you must've brought something with you." Please end this.
This time the men looked at one another, then nodded in silence. One of them took out a rectangular box, in which a syringe was safely tucked. "Stay still, and it'll hurt less." He said as he took Ashley's arm, testing the needle.
Honestly, she didn't even care about the pain. It was nothing compared to what she felt now – pure terror, turning too fast into insanity, her worst nightmare coming true. Relief settled over Ashley like a soothing blanket as the sedative did its work, sending her into a dreamless sleep.
But it didn't last. She woke up in a white room, which was empty except for the bed, herself, and…a toilet and basin, surrounded by a plain curtain for privacy. This didn't look like a hospital, and it certainly wasn't the D.S.O's medical facility – she'd been there enough times with Leon for their checkups. So where was she ?
"Hello ?" Ashley called out, standing up. "Is anyone there ?" No response.
Had she been brought to a psychiatric hospital ? No, that didn't make sense – the toilet wouldn't be in the same room as the bed, otherwise. This…this was more like a cell. She walked to the door, but there was no doorknob to it, just a smooth surface.
Ashley had been locked up. "What's going on ?" She shouted, pounding at the door. "Help, somebody ! Can anyone hear me ? What's happening ?!"
She kept this up for about ten minutes before giving up, sliding down the nearest wall. She wasn't sure this was even a bad thing – but at the very least, she deserved to know what was happening. She took a shuddering breath. Leon…where are you ?
…
"Boss, what's going on – why was Ashley taken to the lab ?"
"Leon, stay out of this."
"The fucking president asked me to protect his daughter – I'm not staying out of it !" Leon was shouting before he realized what he was doing. Calm down, he told himself.
"It's unlike you to lose your cool. Don't you think you're getting a little too involved with your charge ?"
He gritted his teeth, Leon's frustration building like a volcano. The worst part – he knew his superior was right, but now was not the right time to start reflecting. "Like I said, the president asked me to –"
"– protect his daughter, I heard you the first time. But this goes beyond all of us, Leon."
"What do you mean ?"
The older man sighed into the phone. "Our doctors said they found some…remnant of the parasite inside Ms. Graham's body.
Leon who had been pacing in anger and uncharacteristic anxiety, now stopped dead in his tracks. "…that's not possible. I saw that thing die !"
"They didn't say it was still alive. But somehow, some part of it's genome managed to survive. We don't know to what extent, but that's why we need to find out."
"What about me ? Why am I not affected ?"
"Because the probability of that happening to either of you was zero to impossible – but here we are. You're better off talking to the doctors, they'll be able to tell you more about this than I can."
He blinked in surprise. "I thought I was supposed to stay out of this ?"
"You are, but it's not like that's going to stop you, is it ?" He asked, and Leon wondered the same thing. When had he become so…impertinent ?
Ashley's smiling face flashed into his mind.
"No, it's not." I'm coming, Ashley.
To be continued…
Okay so...I don't know who Leon's boss is, even less his nearest superior. It's embarrassing, but that's why I pretty much wrote a faceless, nameless character. I do know his employer is the Division of Security Operations (D.S.O) thanks to Fandom, but that's as far as my knowledge goes. So if anyone clarify or give me any info on the Resident Evil world at all, that'd be great !
