Resident Evil: Tangled Web
By: PhantasmBabeIvory
Author's Notes: Sorry I have yet to update Razor's Edge, but have been more inspired to work on this story. That, and this chapter almost seemed to write itself. I will simply say that I will post a new chapter for the side story once it's available.
My current estimate for Tangled Web would be 30 to 35 chapters, and I will try to get it finished by the end of the year. There is a lot of foreshadowing for what's ahead within this installment alone; have fun guessing what's in store. I will say that Wesker's endgame isn't to develop the Ouroboros virus, even though he has led Excella to believe so. In this version of events, he took something else away from his confrontation with Spencer.
On a side note, this chapter is rated M for some suggestive subtext toward the end. Read at your own discretion.
Chapter Fourteen
Day Three – December 8, 2006
Claire was roused by the smell of coffee the next morning. She didn't think much of it until she saw the bedroom door was open; she was sure she'd shut it last night. Curiosity had her getting dressed quickly and heading out to the main room.
She had her head turned toward the kitchen as she stepped through the doorway. She saw Elliott seated at the table, hand clenched around a mug of black coffee. She was unsure what to make of the irate look on his face. "Hey," she said. "Everything okay?"
Without speaking, Elliott gestured for her to turn around. Claire jumped when she saw Wesker leaned against the wall on the opposite side of the doorway, only a foot away from her. She stumbled back with a strangled cry and may have fallen if Wesker didn't move to catch her. She instinctively tried to shrug him off and was surprised when he let go of her.
"Apologies for once again dropping in unannounced, dearheart, but I promise this will be the last time," Wesker said with a blank expression. "Jessica and Raymond will be down shortly along with a technician I've hired to install an intercom."
Claire didn't so much see as hear Elliott rise from the table where he was seated. She soon spotted her companion in her peripheral vision. "So I suppose we're expected to entertain you for most of the day," Elliott said sarcastically.
Wesker smirked. "Oh, I plan to make it easy for the technician to complete his work in record time." Wesker turned to face the wall behind him. All it took was hitting it once with the heel of his palm to make a hole in the plaster and expose the wiring.
With a shiver, Claire turned to look at Elliott. Her companion looked pale at the realization of how strong Wesker was. Before she could say anything, their captor was speaking again.
"As far as entertaining, Mr. Gregory, I hope you'll find Jessica and Raymond's company pleasant enough," Wesker said, his gaze undoubtedly on Claire. "I haven't had a private moment with Miss Redfield since the two of you arrived here, and I would very much like to." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I imagined our initial meeting going quite differently, dearheart, before your friend got involved. I never wanted the two of us to be at odds. I imagine that you would want to clear the air as much as I do."
Elliott's eyes narrowed. "Won't be much of a fair talk if you're holding my life over Claire's head to keep her in line."
Claire shivered again when she briefly saw a red glow at the edges of Wesker's shades. She knew from experience it was a sign Wesker was angry. She couldn't determine if Elliott had seen it.
Wesker nevertheless seemed calm enough when he spoke. "Exactly why I aim to suspend the terms of our agreement for several hours." He focused back on Claire. "You have my word that no harm will come to Mr. Gregory, no matter what you say during our conversation."
Claire lifted her head a notch, a defiant look in her eyes. "If memory serves, the last time we spoke one-on-one, you left me with more bruises than I could count, Wesker. Why would now be any different?"
"Because those were entirely different circumstances. I am no longer looking to use you to hurt your dear brother. Chris would know exactly where you are and who has you if that were the case."
She hesitated long enough for Elliott to chime in. "Claire, you don't have to do this."
Wesker smirked. "It's perfectly fine if you refuse. But I will not extend the offer again."
Claire sighed heavily. With a nod, she said to Wesker, "I'll go with you."
Elliott put one hand to her arm before she could move. "No! Claire, this isn't a good idea."
Claire maneuvered so she was facing Elliott. "It will be okay," she said softly, doing her best to convey a secret message with her eyes. "If this will make our situation easier, then I have to give it a chance."
Elliott didn't look happy, but he released her nonetheless. "Fine... I hope you know what you're doing."
Claire didn't see Jessica or Raymond during the walk to the elevator and ride up to level four. The journey ended in a fancy apartment that, judging by the black and silver tones and stainless steel kitchen, had to be Wesker's. That made Claire even more apprehensive and she asked, "I know you said this would be a private moment, but will Excella be joining us afterward?"
"Still nervous about being alone with me, dearheart?"
Claire's face reddened. "Just answer the question."
"Excella has departed to oversee her company's European headquarters. She will be away for some time."
"And where are we exactly?"
"Off the coast of West Africa. And quite far from the nearest village." Wesker went to the decanter seated in a bucket of ice on the kitchen island and poured himself a drink. Claire couldn't determine if the blush-colored liquid was wine or not. He didn't seem fazed when she refused a glass. "I know that you and Mr. Gregory are entertaining thoughts of escaping. I hope that our talk may change your mind."
Claire recoiled as if he'd slapped her. "You are unbelievable! You took me away from my home and my brother and you expect me to want to stay here?"
With a blank expression, he said, "Did I ever once say that I would be keeping you here indefinitely?" He paused for effect. "I want from you exactly what I've said I did. A cure for the G-Virus. As soon as I'm able to synthesize a vaccine, we can part ways. Assuming that's what you want, of course."
"I don't believe you."
"What you believe is irrelevant. It doesn't change the facts." Wesker took a sip from his glass. "Back on Rockfort Island, I had no idea just how valuable you would become. You are proving to be exactly what I've sought for some time."
She scoffed. "And the fact that I'm related to the one person you hate most of all has nothing to do with it," she said sarcastically.
"Perhaps you don't know me as well as you think," Wesker said with a smug smile. "If this were about your brother, I would have involved him. As a show of good faith for you, I'm willing to bury the hatchet. As long as Chris stays out of my way, he'll be safe."
"Emotional trauma notwithstanding! You must love the idea that he's suffering by not knowing what happened to me! Hurting my brother in any way, shape, or form is not going to earn you any brownie points!"
"You're fully aware of my dislike of Chris, dearheart. Save for our first encounter several days ago, you're the one who keeps bringing him up. If it's such a sore subject, perhaps you should stop adding fuel to the fire."
Claire was struck speechless. Wesker definitely had her there.
He took a step forward, adjusting his shades. "I must, however, say that you will be reunited with your brother in due time. And I do intend to compensate you for the trouble."
Claire badly wanted to hit him. She didn't know how she restrained herself. "I don't want anything from you unless it involves being sent home right now."
"You may change your tune when faced with someone you believed to be dead."
Claire stumbled toward the counter and leaned heavily against it as though she'd been punched in the stomach. She didn't know where she found the breath to speak. "Don't play with me!"
"I've never been more serious, Miss Redfield." When she remained silent, Wesker continued, "Mr. Gregory will be reimbursed for this as well, if he wishes. You can ask him if he'd like to see the person he's wronged the most returned to full health. He'll know what that means." Wesker gestured to the decanter. "Are you sure you don't want that drink?"
"Go to hell, you son of a bitch," Claire said in a near inaudible tone. A ding sounded from Wesker's computer in almost the same instant, so it was unclear if he heard her.
Wesker set the glass down with a slight grimace and stepped over to the monitor. His frown deepened as he viewed whatever was on the screen. "It appears our conversation will have to be put on hold. There is a matter I have to take care of." He focused back on Claire. "Feel free to make yourself at home while I'm gone. And before you get any ideas, do know that I can remotely access the camera feeds for my quarters."
Almost as soon as the door closed behind him, Claire surged toward it. As with her own living quarters, she was sealed in. It figured that Wesker wouldn't allow her to leave in his absence, but she'd had to try. Turning and leaning against the door, she put her hands to her eyes, tears of frustration and grief welling forth.
Claire didn't know how long it took to pull herself together, but the first thing she did was head straight for the computer. She was disappointed when she saw the screen was locked; the password prompt seemed to be mocking her. She would have liked to know what had Wesker running out so fast, if not have the opportunity to send out an email for help. She stepped back with a sigh and murmured to herself, "I hope you're doing better than I am, Elliott."
Elliott's plan to immerse himself in the novel, Great Expectations, and ignore the visitors was cut short when Jessica planted herself in the seat across the table from him. He glanced at her for a second, but she seemed to take it as a cue to speak. "Have you gotten over the cigarette cravings yet?" Jessica teased.
Elliott tried to ignore her, but she wasn't having it. "If not, I'm sure you will in a few weeks, sweetie," she said. "Maybe you could thank us for doing you a favor."
"I'll pass."
Jessica reclined in her seat so she could put her feet up on the table. "I would think you'd jump at the chance to chat with someone other than Claire Redfield."
"Not with you," Elliott said tersely. He nodded toward Raymond. "How about you take a page from him and keep quiet?"
Raymond chuckled, drawing attention to himself. "Man's got a point, Jess."
In an exaggerated tone, Elliott said, "My God, you actually speak!"
Raymond tilted his head to one side. "Only when I have something to say, so don't get excited. And for the record, I don't want to hear you psychoanalyzing me like you've done with everyone else."
Elliott blinked, looking from Raymond to Jessica. "You're the ones manning the surveillance videos, I take it?"
Jessica looked at her partner. "Way to spill the beans, doofus." Raymond gave her a look, but didn't say anything.
Elliott sighed and looked toward the technician. The man was still focused on his work, wearing headphones and presumably listening to some loud music. Elliott wondered how long it would take for the intercom to be installed. He hoped it would be soon; the quicker Jessica and Raymond left, the better.
Elliott returned his gaze to the book, but decided it wasn't worth it to try to continue reading while his "guests" were present. He dog-eared the page he was on, set the book down, and closed his eyes. He leaned back in his chair with a sigh and wondered if Claire was doing okay.
Jessica's chipper voice grated at Elliott when she said, "Whatcha thinking about?"
Elliott silently groaned, shooting an irritated look her way. It's going to be a long day, he thought.
The periodic glances that Claire threw at the clock told her that Wesker was gone for over an hour. More than once, she thought about breaking something of his, but ultimately couldn't bring herself to be that petty. Odds were he'd just replace whatever object she destroyed. She was pacing back and forth when the door clicked open. Claire turned to face Wesker as he stepped inside, her arms crossed. "Took you long enough," she said derisively.
Wesker adjusted the leather gloves he was wearing. Claire couldn't be sure, but they looked like a different pair from what he had on earlier. "Apologies, but that matter I had to see to took longer than expected." He stepped past her to retrieve his drink. She caught a whiff of something that smelled suspiciously like blood when he reached for the glass. A flash of panic crossed her face as she stumbled back. Though Wesker had to see she was unsettled, he didn't comment on it. "Now, where were we?"
Claire shook her head, infuriated by his cavalier attitude. She wanted to demand answers, but realized on second thought that she couldn't be sure of what that scent was. If she was wrong, she'd look and feel like a fool for questioning what he'd done. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how bothered she was. "I would think you'd remember," she said scornfully. When he responded only by tilting his head down a notch, Claire sighed. Whether he recalled or not, he clearly wanted her to refresh his memory.
Shifting her stance, Claire wearily said, "You offered to reimburse Elliott and me at the end of our imprisonment. Speaking of which, how long are you planning to hold on to us?"
"As long as is needed for me to reap the rewards."
She sighed again. "I get that you need me, but why here? You said at the start that you had a sample of my blood. It would have been easy for you to obtain a second sample if you needed to without kidnapping me. So why am I here?"
"How long do you think I would have been able to operate that way?" Wesker asked. "If I were unable to manufacture a cure with any one sample, I would have to take steps to secretly acquire more of your blood. And there was always the risk that someone in the outside world would have discovered you'd been infected with a virus. Had that happened, you would have been moved to a government facility and I would have lost all access to you, Miss Redfield."
Claire hesitated. Much as she hated to admit it, Wesker was right. Whether she had been uprooted by him or by the U.S. government, her life would have irrevocably changed. She bowed her head and thought of her younger friend, Sherry Birkin, and how restless or depressed Sherry sometimes got at her limited freedom. Claire wondered how she would have dealt with the same situation.
Wesker stepped closer. "As I said earlier, I did not wish for the two of us to be at odds. I'll admit to getting carried away when you proposed the deal to spare your friend. I do desire your cooperation, but I'd rather not have to coerce you into it." He finished the last of his drink and set the glass down. "This whole matter doesn't have to be unpleasant for either of us. And I'm sure you'd prefer to be treated like royalty instead of a slave."
"And what of Elliott? He'll never agree to this."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Wesker said with the ghost of a smile. "I have a feeling he'll come around when he hears what I'm offering."
Claire rubbed her eyes, infuriated that Wesker knew more of Elliott's background than she did. "There is nothing that you can give us that will justify everything you've done!"
"Keep telling yourself that, dearheart." Wesker paused, then said, "But do you honestly think I'm much different from those in power in this world? I have no illusions that, should any military find a way to capture and hold me, I would become as much of a lab rat as anyone else who's been genetically altered, including yourself. Something to be studied to better understand the mutagens Umbrella unleashed upon the world. I doubt that even you, Miss Redfield, would want to be subjected to such a thing."
She laughed bitterly. "I would take that over being in your company any day! Who died and gave you the right to play God?"
"If you must know, a leading Umbrella researcher named Dr. James Marcus," Wesker said. "His assassination at Spencer's orders opened my eyes to how corrupt Umbrella's founder had become. After that incident, I saw more and more evidence that Spencer preferred to resort to criminal activity to avoid losing control of a situation. Ironically, it was this very trait of the old fool that insured his undoing."
Claire scoffed. "You may as well be describing yourself! What makes you any different than Spencer?"
"Unlike him, I have no qualms about sharing power with someone worthy." Wesker removed his sunglasses and Claire shivered at the sight of those reptilian eyes of his. "And I already have my sights set on who I want that someone to be."
Claire turned her gaze away toward the floor. It was easier to ignore how intimidated she felt if she wasn't looking at him. "Go fuck yourself," she said boldly.
Wesker went from standing by the table ten feet away to invading her personal space in under a second. She gasped as his hand snaked around the back of her neck and he forced her to look at him. It didn't help when she caught another whiff of blood coming off him; she hadn't been mistaken about that after all. She tried to keep the shakiness out of her voice when she spoke, but failed. "Let go of me!"
Wesker cocked his head to one side. "I will not be denied, Miss Redfield, no matter what your answer is. Keep that in mind when you make your decision on how you want your stay here to be." His gaze tilted downward when a ringtone sounded from his pocket. Without releasing her, Wesker dug out the cellphone and put it to his ear. "Yes?"
She couldn't hear a reply, but there must have been one. After a short silence, Wesker ended the call without saying another word and focused back on Claire. "It appears the intercom for your apartment has been successfully installed. The technician completed his work quicker than I anticipated. Jessica and Raymond have already cleared out." He released her and stepped away. "Is there anything else you'd like to discuss before I take you back?" he said in an infuriatingly calm tone.
Claire rubbed the back of her neck, shooting daggers at him with her eyes. "I have nothing more to say to you."
Wesker nodded. "Very well. You'll now be able to reach me with the push of a button if anything ever comes up." He retrieved his shades before moving to the door. It took Claire everything she had not to vent her rage to see him acting like nothing had happened.
Claire was surprised to find her living quarters empty when she stepped inside. She called out for Elliott and got even more unsettled when there was no answer. She turned toward the door with the intent to demand where her companion was, but she wasn't quick enough. The entryway was already sealed; she didn't dare yell for Wesker to come back. Claire stood still for a moment, intently listening for any indication that she wasn't alone. The silence got to her like nothing else. She had been counting on having Elliott to use as a sounding board after the torment of the last couple hours.
After a few seconds of debating what she could do to calm her nerves, Claire stepped toward the bathroom. She hoped that soaking in the tub would do the trick. Her head was tilted at a downward angle as she opened the door and stepped in. After a split second, she stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening and a loud "Oh" of surprise escaping her lips.
Elliott lowered the towel he'd been using to vigorously dry his hair at her cry of alarm. He stared at her in shock for a moment before he looked down at himself. He half turned away, hurriedly securing the towel around his hips. Claire's hands flew to her eyes as her face reddened considerably. The circumstances weren't ideal, but at least the conversation with Wesker was now the last thing on her mind.
Author's Notes: Hope you all enjoyed this segment. Will have the next one up as soon as I can. In the meantime, be sure to check out the new poll on my profile page. RogueChild is one of the people listed there.
Next up:
Chapter Fifteen - Claire and Elliott set some ground rules to make their confinement more manageable.
Chapter Sixteen - RogueChild contacts the two prisoners once more.