4. Carlos
Macaé, Brazil. -June 27th, 2019.
The day was hot, even for the city's usually warm weather. Carlos leaned out the window and saw a group of children playing ball in the alley and laughed.
The blessing of innocent ignorance of childhood was such a treasure. After surviving the Raccoon City incident, Carlos decided to go on the run. The last thing he needed was for the remnants of Umbrella or one of its sister companies to approach him. Initially, the ex-guerrilla thought about assuming a quiet life, but soldiers can rarely stay away from battles. Eventually, he ended up crossing paths with conflict and became a mercenary. It was on one of these occasions that he had met Claire Redfield, a lively and ruthless nerd with a big heart. The woman earned his respect and friendship almost instantly.
It had been years since he had last talked to her, so it was a nice surprise when he got her call. He naturally accepted her request since he had a long-time debt with the young woman. And that's how he agreed to pick her at the Modoura airport.
Carlos never expected to receive another call the next day. This time it wasn't Claire, but a man he didn't know.
"Mr. Oliveira, I presume?"
"Ah, yes? Who's this?" Carlos asked with a frown. Not many people had his number, so the call took him by surprise.
"My name is Renard Hopkins," the man replied. "I am the chief coordinator of the Division of Security Operations of the United States."
The DSO? Carlos thought with a frown. He had heard about the DSO, both good and bad things, but he had never had anything to do with the organization. He had no idea of why the chief, no less, would have called him.
"I apologize for bothering you," Hopkins said. "I know I introduced myself with my title, but this call is more personal than professional."
That made it even weirder.
"Claire has told me you will be supporting her during her stay in Caraçari."
"Yes," Carlos replied suspiciously.
"I know this will come out very odd, but I need to ask you never to leave her side at any time. Can you do that?"
"I can do that, but why? Claire isn't the type of lady who likes men hovering over her all the time."
"I don't suppose you know," Hopkins replied. "And I can't reveal much due to the nature of the information, but Claire is the target of a dangerous terrorist group. The group has not been active in the last two years, but I have received intel that they might be on the move recently, and they seem to have branches in the region."
"Is that intel trustworthy?"
"It is. It comes from Claire's husband, who, naturally, prioritizes her safety at all costs."
So Claire was married? That was new. The woman had not mentioned a wedding in their call.
"If it is so dangerous, how come the husband is letting her come to South America alone?"
If Claire's husband was so concerned about her safety, why wasn't he accompanying her?
"Unfortunately, Leon is one of our best agents, and he's currently on a mission, trying to catch the group. The mission has taken longer than we had hoped, but there's no way we can call him back."
So Claire's husband was a secret service agent. Claire sure had her taste for dangerous men.
"Then why is she coming, in the first place? She should stay over there, where she is safer, no?"
"That's not how it works," Hopkins sighed. "The command came from high above, and also, Claire's nature would never allow her to reject this project only to protect herself."
The man had a point there. Claire would never abandon people with a potentially lethal disease when she had a chance of saving them. There was a reason why she'd become TerraSave's most prominent figure.
"I promised her husband that I'd watch over her while he wasn't here," Hopkins explained.
"Oh, I see what's going on here," Carlos snorted. "You're trying to clean up your conscience. You made him a promise that you can't keep, so now you're coming to me so that you feel you tried."
Hopkins didn't answer, but Carlos knew he had hit the nail on the head.
"Look," Carlos said. "I know nothing about you or her husband, but Claire is a good friend of mine, so if you tell me that a damn terrorist group wants her out, then be sure I won't stay arms crossed."
"That's all I need to hear," Hopkins replied. "You can count on the DSO support if anything happens."
"Right..." Carlos sighed. "Don't get me wrong, friend, but I've learned to trust in myself."
"Understandable, but the option is there. If you ever need it..."
Claire must have married someone important if a high-ranking official was calling him for a favor. If he was so concerned, why didn't he send one of his agents? On second thought, though, Claire probably wouldn't have accepted it. There was a reason why the woman had contacted him and why the DSO director had bothered to call him personally.
Modoura local airport, Northern Amazon Region - July, 14th, 2019.
"You bet," Wallace said grumpily, "It's making my hair all frizzy!"
"The last thing you should be worried about is your hair," Julie groaned, waving her hand in front of her face. "Have you seen all the bugs?"
Carlos chuckled, hearing the group talk as they walked out of the airport. Claire looked different from what he remembered of her. Then again, the woman was older and wiser, so he shouldn't have been surprised.
"You people aren't quite the outdoorsy kind, huh?" Carlos smirked.
His comment made the group look at him with surprise. Claire smiled and waved at him enthusiastically.
"Carlos!" Claire said, approaching him with her wide grin. "It's been so long!"
"Oh, you don't say!" the man grinned at her, opening his arms. "Do I get a hug, or will your husband get angry about it?"
"You get your hug, fool," Claire laughed, hugging him. " And he wouldn't get mad for that, just for the record."
Carlos laughed loudly and crossed his arms.
"Guess I'll have to meet him to be sure. How come you ge}ot married and didn't invite me to the wedding?"
"There wasn't a party, to begin with," Saya said, slapping the man's arm. " Besides, you're not exactly the easiest man to page,casanova."
"No, joke," Wallace said, bumping fist with Carlos. "Do you know how many databases I had to hack to get a hold of you?"
"Sorry. I've been moving around a lot," Carlos snickered. "I am surprised you came along this time. You are more of a desk job person."
"They begged me to come, naturally I had to agree."
"Nobody begged him," Dhriti smiled. "It's good to see you again, Carlos."
"Likewise, and this is...?"
"Julianne Kirkland," Julie said, shaking Carlos's hand. "You may call me Julie. I'll be working with you with security."
"Ah, yeah. Claire did mention that," Carlos nodded. "Carlos Oliveira, a pleasure to meet you. We should get going. There's a long ride ahead, and the road isn't safe after dark, so I'll prefer to arrive before that happens."
"Reasonable," Claire nodded. "Alright, Caraçari, here we go."
Caraçari was one of the main cities of the Amazon region, but it was still a small city and in the middle of nowhere. The roads to the site were not easy to maneuver and presented dangers that went beyond geographic problems. Carlos's companions were very enthusiastic, commenting on the landscape as the man drove through the jungle. All except for one, who seemed to be fighting the urge to sleep.
"If you're tired, you should nap," Carlos said, looking at Claire. "There's at least a good four-hour drive ahead."
"I slept through most of the flight," Claire answered, yawning. "I can't believe I am still sleepy."
"Lack of sleep, maybe?" Carlos suggested. "Jetlag?"
"There's barely a 4-hour difference between Washington and here. How can I be jet lagged?"
"Just suggesting," Carlos laughed. "Since you look so drowsy."
"I am tired," Claire sighed. "It's been some busy months, and maybe my body is taking the bill."
"Doesn't your husband put a brake on your overwork?"
"He hasn't been around lately," Claire shrugged. "He's been away for almost three months now."
"Three? Damn, when that guy said he had been on a mission, I thought it was a week or two..."
"Wait," Claire said, looking at him with a frown. "Who?"
"That guy from the DSO. What was his name? He said he was the chief coordinator or something?"
"Renard?" Claire said, shocked. "You talked to Hopkins?"
"Well, he called me."
"What? Why?"
"To tell me, I should look after you or I'd regret it."
"What? God, they need to stop with the whole overprotective drama," Claire sighed, sounding a little frustrated. "I am not a porcelain doll."
"So that's a regular thing?"
"Yeah, between my brother and Leon," Claire sighed. "They drive me crazy sometimes. I think that's the only thing that those two agree to."
"Well, they have their reasons, I suppose. Men always want to take care of their ladies."
Claire grimaced and yawned again.
"Seriously, go on, sleep. There's nothing you can do on the road, so you might as well catch up with sleep while you can. I don't suppose you're planning to sleep a lot in the next few days."
"Probably not," Claire replied. "Especially if the situation is as bad as the WHO paints it. The region is poor, and now, almost 60% of the cattle die daily from unknown causes. The impact on the economy and food security is significant, and, add to that, the probability of zoonosis is high."
"That bad?"
"If it jumps species, it could become pandemic," Claire sighed. "Right now, no one knows what it is."
"Well, aren't you here to solve that?"
"If it was that easy. I am not a miracle woman," Claire sighed. "If it infects humans, many could die before I actually got a hint of what it is. It won't be easy..."
Carlos quickly learned that figuring out a disease was no small feat. The following days were filled with visits to various villages, conversations with locals, and the grim task of examining piles of cow carcasses. Despite the challenging work, Claire impressed Carlos with her tireless work ethic. However, it didn't take long for him to notice that something was off. Claire appeared increasingly unsteady on her feet, as if she were struggling to maintain her balance. On the first day, it was barely noticeable, but with each passing day, her instability grew worse. Today, she had nearly fallen, causing Carlos to worry about her well-being.
The woman had attributed her instability to the heat, a reasonable explanation given the humid and sweltering conditions of the Amazon region. Donning a hazmat suit only exacerbated the situation, as the outfit quickly turned into a personal sauna, making it challenging to carry out the work.
"Lady doesn't look too good," Gerardo, one of Carlos handpicked team members, said, pointing at Claire with his head. "Shouldn't we check on her?"
Carlos gazed over at Claire. She had removed her mask and was seated in the shade, massaging her temple. She looked tired and a little sick.
"Yeah, pass me one of those water bottles, will you?" Carlos said.
"Carlos on the attack," Andre, another of his men, laughed. "Going to chat her up using water as an excuse?"
"We are not like that. She is more like a cute little sister..."
"Well, if she's a cute sister," Gerardo smirked. "Can I have her?"
There was a general laugh in the group, but Carlos was quick to shut them.
"You can keep dreaming, idiots, but you stand no chance. She's happily married."
"If she's so happily married, how come she's here alone, huh?" Gerardo said. "If I were her husband, I wouldn't let her come to such a place..."
"That's none of your business," Carlos snapped, smacking the man's back. He snatched the water bottle and headed over to where Claire was sitting. She looked unwell, perhaps even more than he had anticipated from someone suffering from heatstroke.
The woman's complexion improved slightly as they returned to the cooler temperature of the laboratory, which gave Carlos some relief. However, her color faded almost instantly when she heard the news that Dhriti had brought. In the following hours, her condition showed no signs of improvement, yet she continued to work tirelessly. Watching her made Carlos feel a sense of guilt. There he stood, idle, while the woman had to multitask to keep up with her numerous responsibilities.
"It seems Saya brought the woman to the center. Is that safe?" Carlos asked, checking his phone. "Moving her around, I mean."
"If we follow the biosafety protocols," Claire answered, putting some liquid in a petri-dish. "It should be fine. If Saya decided to bring her here, she must have been in really bad shape."
"That doesn't sound encouraging," Carlos grimaced. "What are you doing?"
"Saya found cysts in the cow's brain," Claire replied. "It might relate to the disease. I'm going to see if I can identify the parasite. With some luck, it might be something normal."
"If not?"
"We got ourselves something new...uh..."
Carlos turned to the woman and saw her wince. Claire closed her eyes, visibly uncomfortable and in pain.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Carlos asked with worry.
"Nothing..." Claire answered. "Just a mild stomach cramp. Maybe lunch fell wrong on my stomach."
"That can't be good," Carlos said. "Don't tell me you are getting sick."
"I'm probably immune to this disease," Claire scoffed. "Like I seem to have become ever since Mobius toyed with my genetics. I am alright."
"Don't scare me like that, will you?"
"Sorry?"
Just as Carlos was about to respond, his comm started beeping urgently, forcing him to answer it.
"Yeah?"
"Carlos," Saya's voice said. "We have a problem..."
" Don't we always? What is it?"
"The patient just died. I need Claire in the morgue asap."
"Now?"
"Yes, now..."
Carlos turned to Claire, who looked at him with a furrowed brow, but he could see the understanding in her gaze.
"She died, didn't she?" Claire said.
"Yes, not too long ago. Saya wants you at the morgue asap."
"Naturally," Claire sighed. "Let's go."
"Are you sure? I thought you were feeling indisposed."
"In this job," Claire replied, putting the plates in the incubator and walking to the sanitation station. "Indisposition is not an excuse."
Despite having seen many corpses before, Carlos was still deeply affected by what he saw in the morgue. The woman lying on the table was covered in bruises, her skin sickly pale and almost green in color, and blood was oozing from her eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. It wasn't something that Carlos had ever seen before, but despite looking a little indisposed, it didn't seem like Claire was affected by the sight.
"Multiorganic failure," Saya sighed. "Her condition was already very serious when I got to see her. I tried to stabilize her until she could get better attention, but she entered cardiorespiratory shock almost as soon as we got her into her quarantine room. Same physical symptoms as the cows."
"So most likely the same pathogen," Claire said, putting on her gloves.
"That would be most likely the case and..."
Saya's words never got out. A sudden screech and cracking caused both women to turn around, as Carlos automatically retrieved his weapon from his holster.
The dead woman's body was twitching and convulsing in a perturbing sight. Carlos knew from experience that this was not a good sign. The muscles and limbs seemed to be trembling and cracking, adding to the unsettling nature of the scene. As Carlos surveyed the room, he noticed that the two women present had both taken a step back, but their eyes remained fixed on the table.
"What the fuck?" Carlos groaned. "I thought you said she was dead."
"She is dead," Saya said, looking pale. "Until now."
The lifeless body suddenly convulsed violently, blood and foam spewing from its mouth and nose, causing Carlos to instinctively aim his gun. Memories of Racoon City flooded his mind, and he knew that this was never a good sign. With a mix of horror and fascination, the trio watched as the body thrashed about before finally coming to a sudden stop. The silence was brief, and without warning, the corpse lurched upward, letting out a deafening roar as it charged towards Claire and Saya. Saya screamed and cowered behind the table while Claire valiantly grabbed a steel tray to shield herself from the attacker. The corpse seemed fixated on Claire, muttering incomprehensible words in a guttural growl as it relentlessly advanced towards her. Despite her courage, Claire's strength was waning, and Carlos feared for her safety. It was clear that the woman was in no shape to fend off the corpse's aggressive assault for much longer.
Carlos's hand shook as he tried to steady his aim, sweat dripping down his forehead. He knew he had to act fast, but he didn't want to harm Claire. His mind raced as he assessed the situation. The corpse was getting closer, and Claire's shield was beginning to bend under the force of the attack. He could hear Saya's terrified sobs from behind the table. He couldn't let this go on any longer.
The woman had pushed Claire against the table, her only defense against the relentless creature was the small steel tray that she stubbornly pushed against it. Carlos knew he had to act fast, and his hand trembled as he aimed the gun. He hesitated for a moment, afraid of hitting Claire, but he knew there was no other choice. With a deep breath, he fired, landing two clean shots to the woman's head. The body staggered, knocking the utensils on the table to the floor, and jerked before falling motionless to the floor. Claire stared at the body, gasping for air, her hands shaking with shock.
Carlos approached cautiously, his gun still pointed at the corpse. He knelt down to examine it and let out a sigh of relief when he saw that she was indeed dead. Not even zombies could stand two well-placed headshots. He turned to look at Claire, who was still trembling and pale, but thankfully unharmed.
"What the hell? Did she just get up? She's been dead for more than 15 minutes." Saya said in shock.
"I don't know why you're surprised after all these years in the business," Carlos groaned, kicking the body to see the damage. "I was expecting it to happen since day one. Everyone, ok?"
"I am," Saya replied, but he heard no answer from Claire.
"Claire?" Carlos asked.
Carlos saw Claire standing by the table, one hand holding the steel tray and the other resting on the table for support. Her sickly pale complexion and gasping breath concerned him, but before he could reach her, her body suddenly gave out. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Claire's body went rigid, the steel tray clattering loudly as it hit the ground, before she collapsed onto the floor unconscious.