20. Helena
"I don't get it," Helena said as she and Leon walked down the campus. Several students turned their heads as they passed by. "How's that someone works here, and nobody knows what he was doing?"
"They know what he was doing," Leon shrugged. "The difference is that they don't know the details. What those professors told us wasn't different from what Claire told me."
"Fungi proteomics?" Helena scoffed. "What does that even mean?"
"I can't say I know, but that lack of info gives us a lead," Leon replied, looking around. "How's that there's nothing left from Dr. Addum's research but a couple of notes?"
"You think someone took them?"
"No, I don't think so. I am sure someone took it. The question is who and why?"
"Isn't that always the question?" Helena sighed. "I don't know. At first sight, Dr. Addum didn't look like a bioterrorist."
"He might not have been one. He could have messed with someone he shouldn't or gotten unwanted attention."
"I hate to admit it, but you might be right," Helena sighed. "Augh, Let's talk about something less irritating. How's Claire doing?"
"That's a radical change of subject."
"No, well, yes. I haven't spoken with her lately, so I was wondering how she's doing."
"Well, her appetite is as good as it could be. She's overcome most of the morning sickness, and the other day she threw a tantrum regarding not fitting into her clothes anymore."
Helena laughed. Their current mission had given Helena fewer chances to talk with Claire, but that didn't mean she hadn't seen the woman regularly. Claire did seem to have gained weight, but since she was already pretty thin, the difference wasn't too noticeable, and the infamous baby bump was easily hidden under loose clothes.
"Oh, come on. That bump is barely visible."
"Well, it does make her trousers a little tighter, I suppose," Leon chuckled. "Other than that, she's doing great."
"Well, that's good. So, now..."
Helena didn't get to finish her words as they stopped in their tracks right in front of a group of WPD officers and two unknown people. The officers gave them their usual irritated look, but one of the black dressed people, a woman with dark brown hair tied in a braid, turned to them and smiled brightly.
"Leon! It's good to see you again."
Helena exchanged a perplexed glance with her partner, Leon. The woman who approached them appeared to know Leon, but he wore a puzzled expression, indicating that he had no recollection of her. Despite the stranger's air of familiarity, Leon's confusion was evident.
"Pardon?"
"Don't tell me you don't remember me?" the woman snorted.
Helena observed the woman's crestfallen expression and then turned her gaze to Leon, who appeared perplexed. He strained to search his memory for any recollection of the woman standing before them, but it was evident that he drew a blank. While Leon struggled to remember, Helena's intuition started piecing the puzzle together. It became apparent to her that this woman must have been someone with whom Leon had flirted in the past, even if he couldn't recall their previous encounters. Claire always mentioned the man's natural flirtatious ways that could often give the wrong impression.
"I'm sorry. You are…?" Leon asked.
"Angela," the woman replied. "Angela Miller. Harvardville, 2003? We went…
Swimming together?"
Helena observed Leon's reaction, and she noticed a flicker of recognition illuminate his features. It took a few moments, but then a look of realization spread across his face.
"Ah. Curtis Miller's sister, right?"
"Well, I guess you do still remember me. It's been a while."
"Uhm… Yeah," Leon shrugged. "What are you doing here?"
"Classified mission."
"What?"
"I became Special Ops for the military forces, more precisely I'm an agent of the Military Special Investigations Unit (MSIU). Let's say that little adventure inspired me to do something about all these bioterrorism situations in my own way. I joined forces a year after our meeting. I came around to investigate and I got informed that DSO agents were on campus,working on this case and well. Since our interests overlap, I'm here to assist you in this investigation."
Bingo! Helena gave Leon a playful look. How was Leon's path often crossing with ladies? Now Helena understood why Claire seemed to feel so insecure at early stages of their relationship. To the agent's merit, the meeting seemed to hold more emotional value for Angela than to him.
"Why are they sending military forces for something as simple as a murder investigation?" Helena asked.
Angela suddenly noted Helena's presence, and her face seemed a little unhappy to see her standing by Leon.
"You are…?" Angela asked.
"Helena Harper. My partner," Leon explained, and Helena gave her a wave.
Partner? There I thought you were a lone wolf, Leon."
Leon shook his head, and Helena gave him a frown.
"Who's this?" Helena said, looking at the blonde man. "One of your many past ladies? Does Claire know about your apparent swimming adventure or should I tell her?"
"It wasn't exactly swimming for pleasure, rather more a survival thing," Leon said, giving her an annoyed look by her implication. "This Angela Miller. I met her during one of my early missions. There was a terrorist attack in Harvardville airport, and some survivors were in need of rescue. And answering your question, Claire would be familiar with this as she was basically whom I rescued."
"Wait, how come Claire always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?"
"I prefer to see it the other way around. She is where she needs to be. I'm pretty sure half of those survivors made it only thanks to Claire being there."
"Well, that seems to put her in rather nasty spots."
"Don't remind me," Leon sighed. "I'm glad you seem to be doing well, Miller."
"Oh, I am, and I'm happy that we get to meet again."
"So…support? How exactly does that work?" Helena asked.
"It was a presidential order. One of the victims was collaborating with the military, so their deaths might be of national concern. It was decided that military involvement was a must."
"What? Neither Addum nor Bishop had contact with the military," Leon said.
"No, they didn't but there was a third victim found last night. Dr. Allen Reeves. He was a guest lecturer here at Waterford University and was involved in a Research project with Addum and Bishop."
"Dr. Allen Reeves?"
"Do you know him?" Angela asked.
"No, not me," Leon answered. He turned to Helena, who gave him a quizzical look. "But Claire did. Was he a military researcher?"
"Not full time. He had been acting as a consultant since last year."
"Doing what?" Helena asked.
"Classified."
"Why am I not surprised?" Helena sighed, rolling her eyes.
"How come we didn't get any notification of this beforehand?" Leon asked.
Before Angela could respond, their conversation was abruptly interrupted by the deafening sound of an explosion reverberating through the campus. Leon and Helena exchanged worried glances. Without hesitation, they both sprinted in the direction of the ominous column of black smoke billowing into the sky. The scene that awaited them was all too familiar, a heartbreaking reminder of the devastation they had witnessed so many times before. The once bustling campus now lay in ruins and chaos.
Students and staff members scattered in every direction, their faces etched with terror and panic. The life sciences building stood partially collapsed, its structural integrity compromised. In its wake lay a grim tableau of injured students, teachers, and members of the local police department. Some lay motionless, their fate already sealed, while others cried out for help amid the rubble.
"What the hell happened?"
Leon and Helena looked behind them, only to find Angela and the rest of WPD had followed them and were staring at the scene in shock.
"Question of the century," Helena grunted.
"Hey! what happened here?" Leon asked, stopping a panicking officer that passed by their side.
"I- I don't know. It was sudden. I just heard a bang and then… " the officer replied.
"Leon! You might want to turn your attention to this…"
Helena retrieved her gun from the holster and raised it, pointing to what remained of the building's entrance. A twisted figure moved slowly through the rubble. Its limbs looked twisted at odd angles, leaving clear that it was something remotely human. Leon had his gun out in an instant, and Angela, who had run after them, did as well.
The creature wasn't a zombie, and if it was, it wasn't like the zombies they had met before. The creature was twisted and bent in ways so unnatural,that Helena couldn't comprehend how it could move so swiftly. The skin was pulled back, Its twisted visage was a nightmarish fusion of human and monster, with distorted facial features contorted in an eternal expression of agony. Its skin appeared to peel and crack, revealing raw flesh and patches of decaying muscle beneath.
As the creature turned its head, Helena caught sight of its eyes—glowing orbs of malevolent red that seemed to burn with an insatiable hunger. Its elongated tongue, resembling a serpent's, snaked out from its maw, dripping with a toxic slime that sizzled upon contact with the ground.
"B.O.W," Leon whispered. "Shit…"
Gunfire erupted as bullets flew towards the approaching monstrosity. Helena's eyes widened in horror as they witnessed more of those abominations emerging from the rubble, their twisted forms a grotesque sight that sent a chill down their spines. Chaos and panic engulfed the area as people scattered, desperately seeking safety from the encroaching threat.
Amidst the chaos, the agents coordinated their movements, covering each other's backs, their communication concise and efficient. Their training and experience shone through as they strategically maneuvered through the pandemonium, trying to gain the upper hand against the relentless onslaught.
"What are these?" Angela screeched.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Leon grunted. "First time I see them, too. This must be a new toy."
"Well, there are way too many toys for my liking," Helena gasped. "What are we going to do?"
The monsters kept popping out of the rubble like flowers sprouting from the soil during spring. Their roars and guttural sounds were enough to chill the blood of anyone nearby.
"We need a plan," Leon groaned. "And fast?"
As Helena's eyes darted around, she noticed Leon frantically attempting to establish contact with Hunnigan through their comm, trying to request for support.
The number of monsters was overwhelming. Leon and Helena fought tooth and nail to defend themselves against the relentless onslaught, but their resources were stretched thin. The WPD officers, caught off guard by the ferocity and speed of these abominations, struggled to hold their ground.
Suddenly, a deafening crack split the air, followed by a powerful explosion that reverberated through the surroundings. The sheer force of the impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, hurling both Leon and Helena away.
As the dust settled and the chaos momentarily subsided, Helena's ears rang with the deafening silence that followed the explosion. The once-standing structure around them groaned and creaked, its integrity compromised by the powerful blast.
Helena's instincts kicked in, her training guiding her swift assessment of the crumbling environment. She could feel the vibrations beneath her feet, a foreboding sign that the structure was on the brink of collapse. Panic surged through her veins, urging her to find an escape route before it was too late.
As chunks of debris rained down around them, Helena and Leon moved with urgency, their agile bodies dancing through the falling rubble. They darted and weaved, utilizing their reflexes honed by countless encounters with danger.
With a surge of adrenaline, they managed to slip away from the cascading wreckage just in the nick of time. The weight of the collapsing structure crashed down upon the hordes of BOWs, their monstrous forms crushed beneath the rubble, and left the agents trapped within what was left of the Life Science Faculty building.
Helena and Leon stood there, catching their breath, their bodies trembling from the adrenaline coursing through their veins.
"Well, at least that took care of that," Helena gasped. "The bad news, I don't think we can go out that way anymore."
"We'll figure it out," Leon answered. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Helena nodded. "Where the hell did those things come from?"
"Question of the century," Leon said, looking around. "I've stopped asking myself that every time it happens."
"Ugh.."
"I guess some things never change when you are around, huh, Leon?"
Helena turned around, her expression shifting to a mixture of surprise and mild annoyance. Angela, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, had managed to tag along with them once again. Though Helena couldn't quite put her finger on it, there was an inexplicable irritation tugging at the edges of her thoughts.
"Oh, look at that. Support," Helena said, sarcastically. "You are either skilled or amazingly lucky."
"Well, I wouldn't underestimate my skills," Angela replied sheepishly. "Let Leon tell you."
Leon, engrossed in his attempt to contact Hunnigan, seemed oblivious to the exchange between Helena and Angela. His focus remained fixed on his phone, his brow furrowed in frustration as he tried in vain to establish a connection. The urgency in his actions was palpable, indicating that he was grappling with something significant.
After what felt like an eternity, Leon concluded his call, his troubled gaze finally shifting towards the two women before him. Helena and Angela exchanged a quick glance, a silent acknowledgement that they had momentarily fallen into the background of Leon's priorities.
"So, can we expect Mr. Brother-in-law to come to our aid once again?"
Helena chuckled looking at Angela's reaction. It was clear that Angela harbored lingering feelings for Leon, perhaps even entertaining the notion of reigniting a past crush. However, what Angela failed to realize was that Leon's lack of interest in her was unmistakable.
"If the story repeats itself, probably, as long as he is in Washington, of course," Leon nodded. The agent looked around and grimaced. "We should keep moving. I think more of those things might be coming at any time."
Helena could hear the monsters moving somewhere nearby, perhaps beyond the blocking debris or from under it. One way or another, it was bad news, and she wasn't too keen about fighting them. Both women followed Leon's lead, and moved forward into what was left of the building.
Half of the structure had collapsed with the two explosions, but there were still several sections standing. There was a chance that survivors had taken refuge within the areas that hadn't been compromised. But how long could they hold when monsters like those were roaming the place?
"What do you think happened?" Angela asked.
"I don't know," Leon sighed. "Might be related to the explosion."
"You think those things came from that explosion?" Angela asked in disbelief.
"Well, most explosions I've witnessed end up with BOWs crawling all over the place, so that's my guess. At least they're not rabid rats."
Helena sighed knowing Leon was talking about their recent adventure in the Amazon.
"Well," Helena said. "I'm just glad Claire isn't here this time around, although, if she were, maybe she would have an idea of what the hell those things are. "
"Claire?" Angela said, puzzled.
A crack made the trio raise their weapons, ready to shoot any monster hiding in the rubble.
However, to their surprise, the author of the sound was not one of the monsters but a man. Judging from his appearance, he had struggled to make his way through the rubble. The man wore what was once a suit, which meant he was either a professor or some administrative member.
"Sir, are you alright?" Angela asked, approaching him.
The man looked around. His expression seemed confused and a little dazed. "Sir?" Angela asked again. "Are you hurt?"
While Angela tried to get a reply from the man, Helena and Leon looked around. Helena suddenly sensed an unfamiliar scent lingering in the air.
"Do you smell that?"
"What?" Leon asked, but before she could answer, Angela's shriek made them turn in haste.
The man had pinned Angela to the ground with violent force, and Leon rushed to push him off, releasing her from his strangling grip. Both men rolled over the debris-covered ground. Helena pointed her gun at the struggling men, but she couldn't shoot. The risk of hitting her partner was too high.
After some struggle, Leon managed to kick the man away from him. The man flew against a fallen column and fell to the ground unconscious.
"What the fuck?" Angela grunted
"Are you ok, Leon?" Helena asked.
"Yeah," Leon gasped.
"That wasn't a BOW, was it?" Angela said, looking at the man.
"It looked pretty human to me," Leon said, approaching the unconscious man cautiously. "Yeah, he's human."
"That makes no sense. Why did it attack us?" Angela said in shock
"I don't know," Leon said.
Helena looked at them as another wave of the mysterious scent reached her nostrils.
"Seriously, do you guys smell something?" Helena asked. Was she imagining it? She could swear she was smelling something slightly musky.
"What?" Angela asked.
"There's an odd smell in the air."
"Half of the building was blown into pieces. You might be smelling mold," Angela said.
"I know how molds smell, mind you."
"Well, I don't think it is the time to worry abouts smells. Our guy doesn't seem to be the only one who isn't happy to see us." Leon grunted.
Helena turned around. Several people were approaching them. Like the man from before, aside from looking a little shaken, they seemed normal. There were not zombie or monster-like features. In another situation, Helena wouldn't have thought twice to offer them a helping hand . However, something about their behavior seemed off.
They didn't seem to want any help; instead, they seemed very hostile. They didn't hesitate to attack them, even when they shot the air in a warning. It was as if they were in a trance and couldn't hear a word.
"What the hell?" Helena groaned. "What's wrong with these people?"
"I don't know, but if I have to make a guess," Leon replied. "They are probably infected with something."
"Great, what do we do then?"
"Shoot them non-lethal shots," Leon said. "Maybe they still have a chance to be helped."
Always the optimist. Helena wasn't that sure that there was a chance for that, but hope was the last thing lost. The two agents shot at their attackers, aiming at their legs.
The building shook slightly, and Helena scowled at Leon. Before either agent could say or react to anything, another explosion broke nearby. Actually, it had sounded alarmingly close.
The last thing Helena saw was Leon throwing himself at her, and suddenly everything turned to darkness.
Helena woke up feeling dizzy and in pain. She tried to remember what had happened, but she gave up when she felt the pulsating pain piercing through her skull.
"Hey, look who's up," a familiar voice said.
Hearing the voice made Helena a little confused. The memories of the last minutes were fuzzy, but she knew where she was. She and Leon had been in Waterford University looking into the murdered scientist case, then the explosion happened, and they got attacked. That's right.
There was another explosion. It had happened very close. The roof collapsed, and Leon had pushed her out of the way.
"Leon?"
"No, he's still unconscious, but he is alive."
"H-Hiwamura?"
Helena didn't expect to hear the doctor's voice, so her already blurry thoughts became even more confusing.
"Yes," the doctor replied. "It is me."
Helena suddenly realized that debris no longer surrounded her. Instead, she was lying on a bed in a very innocuous-looking room. The scent of sanitizer and medicines filled the air. But compared to the smell of rubble, it was a welcomed change.
"A hospital?"
"Makeshift hospital," Hiwamura answered.
"Makeshift hospital? What? I don't understand."
"I supposed the hit on the head has messed up your memory, too," Hiwamura said, writing down on her notes. "At least, let's hope it was a hit and nothing else."
"What?" Helena said, trying to get up, but she felt a horrible pain engulf her. "Ah!"
"Easy there," Hiwamura said. "Ok, how many fingers do you see here?"
"Two," Helena replied.
"Ok, pupils look alright.," Saya said, scribbling on her notes.
"What happened to me?"
"Three cracked ribs, a concussion, and possibly an intoxication due to an unknown substance that we are still trying to identify."
"What?" Helena asked, even more confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Stop tormenting her and tell her already, Saya," Wallace said. Helena noticed for the first time that the young engineer was sitting in the corner of her room.
"Wallace"
"Hey, Helena," the man waved at her.
"I am not tormenting her," Saya said, rolling her eyes. "It's protocolary check. Aren't you supposed to be looking through those layouts?"
"I am, can't you see?"
"Don't you have an office for that?"
"Makeshift hospital," Wallace said with a frown. "there's barely room for all the injured, even less a space where I can work comfortably. I had to choose between this room or the lovebirds. You know Claire is switching between moody hormonal, worried wife, and mad scientist."
"Hard to choose, huh?"
"Obvious election, indeed."
"Wait, did you say Claire? She's in here?"
"Yeah, we all are here. We were called in for support when explosions began."
"Do you know what happened?"
"Ok, I'll give you a quick review, Helena," Saya sighed. "You and Kennedy were in Waterford University during a potential terrorist attack. Do you remember that?"
"I think so," Helena answered. "Leon and I got trapped by the debris. We were looking for an exit, and we stumbled with monsters and..."
"Crazy psychopathic people?" Wallace suggested.
"Now that you mentioned it, yes. We got attacked by survivors. It was crazy."
"Yeah, well. Claire already has her theories," Hiwamura shrugged. "But we won't know until we have the test results. She is working on it. However, right now, she's a little preoccupied with her fallen husband."
Suddenly, it dawned on Helena. The third bomb had exploded on their spot, and the building had fallen apart. Leon had pushed her away from the falling rumbles and even protected her from the impact.
"Oh, god. Now that I remember, that idiot protected me from the debris!"
"Honorable and heroic, but a little idiotic. That was what Claire said, at least," Saya replied. "However it is thanks to him that you are mostly unharmed."
"That stupid gentleman. Is he ok?"
"More or less," Hiwamura shrugged, "Don't worry. Claire will take care of him, and he will be up and running soon. A couple broken bones, but those will heal."
"So TerraSave jumped in to help?"
"Emergency support," Wallace replied.
"Yes, I get that, and I get why Hiwamura is here," Helena replied. "But you don't work for TerraSave anymore, Wallace, and neither does Claire."
"Hunnigan called Claire," Hiwamura replied. "We met BSAA here, found out about the BOWs, and naturally, Claire had to jump in."
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me at all," Helena grunted. "Leon will freak out when he finds out. She shouldn't be here."
"You're asking for a miracle. How do you feel?"
"Uhg, everything hurts."
"Yeah, painkillers must be wearing off by now. I won't lie to you. You'll be in pain, but you are in one piece at least."
"What's new about that?" Helena sighed, pushing herself into a sitting position, a bad decision, she thought, as she felt her ribs complain at the movement. "Any idea of who did this?"
"Nope," Wallace replied. "BSAA boys are looking into it. Their guess is terrorisms with chemical bombs or bio-bombs."
"You sound skeptical," Helena said. "Why?"
"No reason," Wallace shrugged. "But BSAA has been wrong a lot lately."
Helena had to admit Wallace was right about the organization. BSAA has been handling things a little inefficiently lately.
"Leave them be, Wallace. Didn't Claire ask you to finish those layouts for yesterday?"
"I'm almost done. It's not my fault the connection is so slow here."
"What layouts?" Helena asked, confused.
"Claire asked me to check the city and the University's blueprints. She's up to something, but she's not telling us what."
"Yet," Saya said, rolling her eyes.
Helena sighed, making her chest ache, but the woman ignored the pain as best she could.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Hopkins entered the room with a worried look, but his expression seemed to relax when he saw Helena awake.
"Thank goodness," Hopkins sighed. "I am glad you seem more or less ok, Harper."
"Hopkins?" Helena said, surprised.
"I heard you and Leon had gotten hurt, so I came to check."
"That's...nice from you," Helena said.
"Dr. Hiwamura. It's great to see you," Hopkins said, shaking the doctor's hand. "So, what's the diagnosis?"
"Helena is ok. She will recover in a few weeks with some rest," Hiwamura replied. "Kennedy is a little trickier. He had severe injuries and had to undergo surgery. He is stable, but he will need time to re
"You told me he was ok," Helena said.
Surgery? Time? Just how badly had Leon gotten hurt?
"He is," Hiwamura replied. "But I never said he came in top shape. He got quite a beating, so I don't think you will have him in full active duty for a while."
"I understand," Hopkins sighed. "I'll take that into consideration."
"You better do, or you'll have to deal with the wrath of his wife," Wallace scoffed. "Even better, his brother-in-law might put in his two cents, too."
"Is Claire here?" Hopkins asked.
"Her husband is hurt," Hiwamura replied. "Of course, she is here."
Hopkins nodded. The man spent the next few minutes1 asking about Helena's condition and making sure the woman was comfortable. It was a personal gesture. It went beyond a traditional relationship between a boss and his employees, but Helena appreciated it.
Right now, all she wanted was rest.