Resident Evil: Tangled Web
By: PhantasmBabeIvory
Chapter Ten
Day 2 – December 7, 2006
It wasn't long after their conversation that Claire's fatigue really began to get the better of her. Nevertheless, she and Elliott made arrangements wherein he would take the couch and she could use the bedroom. It was decided that they'd discuss at a later time whether or not to alternate on a nightly basis.
For a full minute after she awoke, Claire was groggy enough to forget where she was and what had happened. She even sleepily called out Tyrant's name when she failed to feel the cat curled up beside her. She couldn't determine whether it was the lack of an answering meow or seeing the hot pink satin sheets that made her remember.
She turned onto her side on the queen-sized bed. She fiercely told herself not to start crying again. She'd done enough of that already.
The sound of Elliott's voice in the doorway startled her. "Are you decent?"
Claire adjusted the topsheet and blanket covering her. Otherwise, the top part of the two piece pajama set she was wearing was demure enough. "Yeah. You can come in."
The smell of coffee wafted into the room when he opened the door. The scent helped to rouse her. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought I heard you calling out for someone named Tyrant," Elliott said.
Her gaze turned in his direction. "My cat. Someone else I'm missing." She rubbed at her eyes. "Named him after one of Umbrella's prize creatures."
"Why would you do that?" he asked, taking a step closer.
Claire propped herself up on one elbow. "You can thank the first Harry Potter novel for that one. I think the quote was, 'Fear of a name inspires fear of the being itself.' Having a pet called Tyrant was my way of trying to make the namesake less scary. Granted, I had more run-ins with some of Umbrella's other creatures. But I couldn't imagine giving my cat the name Licker or Hunter instead."
"Did it work?"
"If I ever run into another Tyrant-class monster, I'll let you know."
"What kind of creatures were these? All three, I mean."
She sighed. "Tyrants were the most humanoid, though a lot taller. They measure about seven or eight feet tall. They were designed to be Umbrella's super soldiers. Made to take anyone down in one hit. Get ahold of a rocket launcher and they fall too easily though. Hunters are large bi-pedal reptilian creatures. They're hard to shoot because they jump around a lot. Their reflexes are pretty superior. And then, Lickers – I almost don't know how to describe them."
Elliott shifted his weight. "Take your time."
Claire was silent for a moment. "As far as body shape, they're similar to geckos. They have the look of an animal that's been turned inside out, muscles and internal organs on the outside. Roughly the size of a tiger. They can't see and they hunt by sound. They're extremely agile as well. The reason they're called Lickers is due to a twenty-foot long tongue they use to snare their prey. Razor-sharp talons do the rest. What makes them even more dangerous is they can climb walls and hang from the ceiling. In other words, Umbrella's ultimate predator."
He blinked. "How do you survive against something like that?"
"Through sheer luck, or I wouldn't be here right now. I hope I never come across one of them again." She paused. "Speaking of monsters, has there been any more sign of Wesker?"
"Not that I've seen and I've been up almost all night."
"Good. The less I have to deal with him, the better." She yawned and stretched. "How come you couldn't sleep?"
"Too restless. Might be due to the withdrawal. I'll be glad when either the craving passes or when I actually do get a smoke. Whichever comes first."
"I wouldn't hold your breath for a cigarette." She paused. "Would you mind giving me time to get dressed?"
"Of course." Elliott started to turn, then focused back on her. "Anything you'd like for breakfast?"
"Surprise me."
"Any allergies?"
Claire shook her head and watched him leave the room. It didn't take her long to change into a light pink t-shirt and dark blue denim shorts. The scent of eggs and bacon greeted her when she exited the bedroom, making her mouth water. She saw bottles of dill weed and onion powder on the counter as she approached. "Smells delicious," she said, watching Elliott overseeing two separate frying pans.
"Glad to hear it," he said.
Claire soon had a plate and a small glass of tomato juice in front of her at the nearby table. Her eyes widened shortly after she took her first bite of the eggs. "Wow, these are fluffy!" she blurted out before she could stop herself. She blushed and took time to compose herself. "Where'd you learn to cook?"
Elliott grinned. "From my sister, Katherine. She's a professional gourmet chef. Taught me everything except what she does to make her special recipes taste so good."
Claire took a bite of the bacon, surprised when she discerned a nutty as well as smoky flavor. In response to her perplexed look, he said, "I used a tiny bit of almond oil. Hope you like it."
"It's delicious," she assured him. Both of them were silent while they ate. When the plates were nearly empty, Claire said, "Yesterday, you were saying something about not wanting to go back to a bad place."
Elliott sighed, wiping his hands on his napkin. "There's a story I'm not proud of." He pushed his plate out of the way so he could fold his arms on the tabletop. "I'm not sure that now's the time to share. Suffice to say, I did something that I've wished every day since I could take back."
Claire lowered her gaze. "Sounds serious."
He nodded. "It's one of the saddest ones I have. Tell you what. I'll share if, or when, you're ready to talk about Rockfort Island. Sound fair?"
"It does," she said. She pushed back from the table, collecting both plates and the silverware to take to the sink. She gave them a good rinsing. When she turned off the faucet, Claire said, "So, assuming we're not bothered, do you have any ideas of what we could do to kill time?"
"If I weren't in a good mood, I might take offense to that, dearheart." The reply from the vicinity of the doorway made Claire turn around with a start. Elliott looked equally startled. She wouldn't know by looking at Wesker's blank expression that he was cheerful.
"We weren't expecting you," Elliott said when Claire remained silent.
"True," Wesker said, taking a step in their direction. "I suppose it is disrespectful of me to drop in unannounced. I will have to see about setting up a means of communication between us."
Claire gripped the edge of the sink behind her hard enough to make her knuckles turn white. She didn't know what game Wesker was playing by pretending she and Elliott were guests instead of prisoners. But it made her hate him all the more.
Wesker turned his head to look directly at her. "That aside, I never had any intention of keeping you confined 24/7. That extends to both of you. I thought you may like to be given a tour of the facility. In addition, I have some news for you, dearheart, on the results of your blood test."
In spite of herself, Claire was curious on what he'd found out. And learning the layout of this complex might give her and Elliott an edge if an opportunity to escape came about. She let out a deep breath, releasing her hold on the sink and stepping forward. Exchanging a look with Elliott, she said, "Lead the way."