Resident Evil: Tangled Web
By: PhantasmBabeIvory
Chapter Twenty-One
Day Twenty-Nine – January 3, 2007
The two weeks that Jessica and Raymond were away proved to be very peaceful as far as Claire and Elliott were concerned. They were left alone almost the entire time. Wesker only interacted with them twice – once to ask what their pretend snowball fight was about and once on New Year's Day saying that he needed to collect another blood sample from Claire. Claire and Elliott spent their free time exploring each floor of the facility and used trial and error to figure out which rooms they could access. It felt so nice not having Wesker's lackeys, particularly Jessica, around that Claire wished they'd never come back.
She awoke early on the day that Jessica and Raymond were to return. As she stretched, a smile formed on Claire's face at the scent of coffee wafting into the room. She was trying to get motivated to move when Elliott stepped through the door with a full mug for her. "Thanks for not making me get up," she purred, shifting lazily on the mattress.
He grinned, setting the cup on the nightstand. "Just trying to brighten your day as much as possible before we have to face Queen Bitch again." He sat down on the side of the bed with his back to her, gazing at her over his shoulder. "Hope you're ready for that."
Claire yawned and rubbed her eyes. "I'll behave as long as she doesn't try to break my nose again."
"Wouldn't worry about a repeat occurrence, even if you would heal instantaneously," Elliott said. "I'm sure Wesker will keep Jessica in line."
"He'd better." Claire scooted into a seated position and reached for the coffee mug. She gingerly took a sip and smiled. "Mmm. Perfection."
When Elliott didn't say anything, Claire focused on him. "Uh oh, you're looking serious. What's up?"
Elliott gestured to a folded piece of paper clutched in his hand. "Wesker left a note inviting us to a meeting in his boardroom this afternoon. Says he's looking to smooth things over going forward. That Jessica and Raymond will be there along with his lead scientists. A Dr. Christine Yamata… I'm not sure he's giving us an option to decline."
She grimaced. "He's not wasting time in forcing us back into a routine."
Elliott nodded absently. "Out of curiosity, is Dr. Yamata someone you know?"
"Don't recognize the name. And until the actual meeting, I'd rather not think about any of them more than I have … So, what do you have planned for breakfast today?"
"How does waffles with toffee chips strike you?" he asked.
"Sounds yummy…"
In spite of Elliott's efforts to cheer her up, Claire was feeling an increasing amount of dread in the minutes leading up to the meeting. Seeing Wesker casually leaning against the wall outside the boardroom with his arms crossed did nothing to put her at ease.
"Glad you both could make it," Wesker said.
"Did we have a choice?" Elliott asked.
"I wouldn't have held it against you if neither of you had showed, Mr. Gregory. I hope you'll accept that in time… If you like, I would be willing to reschedule this little get-together, or cancel it altogether."
Claire was tempted to walk away, but wondered how beneficial that would be in the long run. "How much will we have to interact with Jessica and Raymond after today?"
"At least once a month, or more if something unexpected comes up," Wesker answered. "They will be bringing provisions every four weeks to keep your supply up."
Claire sighed; she didn't relish the fact of seeing Jessica again without some mediation. She stole a look at Elliott to see if he agreed, then said, "As long as you keep your helpers on a tight leash, we're good to go."
Wesker smirked. "Miss Sherawat has already been reminded of her place, Miss Redfield. You needn't worry about that… And should she cross the line again, there will be hell to pay."
Claire only focused on Jessica for two seconds upon entering the room; it was satisfying to see that Jessica looked pale and on edge. Claire's gaze glossed over Raymond before it settled on a middle-aged Asian woman in a lab coat seated at one end of the table. Though she was sure she didn't know this woman, Claire was struck by a sense of familiarity.
Wesker went to sit on the other end of the table and gestured to the chairs opposite Jessica and Raymond. "Make yourselves comfortable," Wesker said to Claire and Elliott.
As she settled into her seat, Claire cast another look at Dr. Yamata. "I feel like I know you from somewhere," Claire said, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Have we met?"
Dr. Yamata shook her head. "I've never had the pleasure until now, Miss Redfield. Perhaps I just have one of those faces." She leaned forward. "It is nice to meet you at long last. I'd almost believed that William Birkin's work would never yield positive results until you unwittingly showed me otherwise."
Claire crossed her arms. "I wasn't exactly aiming to please."
"And yet here we are," Wesker said. "Rather than go around in circles about matters that have already been discussed, we should focus on the current issues. I believe you have something to say, Miss Sherawat."
"I… I'm sorry for attacking and hu… hurting you," Jessica said to Claire. "It wo… won't happen again."
Claire wasn't in a forgiving mood. "And if I don't accept the apology?"
Wesker grinned in amusement. "I wouldn't force you to, Miss Redfield. You're not the one who did something wrong."
Jessica's mouth was open as though she were about to protest when Dr. Yamata leaned forward with a stern expression. In an instant, Jessica slumped in her seat and looked too nervous to speak.
Claire's curiosity was piqued by the fact that Jessica seemed more scared of Dr. Yamata than Wesker, but she chose not to comment on it. "So where do we go from here?"
"That's up to you, dear, and how far you're willing to go as part of the team," Dr. Yamata said.
Wesker turned in Jessica and Raymond's direction. "Thank you for your contribution, Miss Sherawat. You and your partner are free to leave." He waited for his helpers to depart before he continued. "What Dr. Yamata means is you'll be given full control for the duration of your stay here, Miss Redfield. I would have brought this up sooner, but I thought it better to give you time to get settled in… My terms remain the same; I will allow you and Mr. Gregory to go free once a vaccine is manufactured. The timeframe will be at your discretion. The more you cooperate and provide samples for us to work with, the quicker you'll be able to go home."
"What's the catch?" Elliott asked warily.
"There is none, Mr. Gregory. My goals are simple. I wish for Miss Redfield to be as happy and at ease as possible while she's here. Your presence, though unplanned, is beneficial towards this end. And my promise to give you both what you want most should more than make up for disrupting your lives."
"So, threatening to make Elliott one of your test subjects on day one was meant to make me happy?" Claire asked in disbelief.
Wesker smirked. "Looking for holes where there are none, are we?" He leaned forward, adjusting his sunglasses. "As I recall, you and Mr. Gregory were at each other's throats when I entered the room. I had no reason to think you would care what happened to him, Miss Redfield."
At a loss for words, Claire looked at Elliott; her friend looked equally bewildered.
"Well, he's not wrong," Elliott said in response to her stare. After a short silence, he focused on Wesker. "I have to ask... What happens when you get this vaccine? What do you get out of it?"
"It has always bothered me that Birkin's work never reached its full potential. I will not pass up an opportunity to make that right," Wesker said. He gestured to the woman opposite him. "Dr. Yamata is a gifted virologist who will be assisting greatly in this regards. Aside from myself, you won't find a better expert on the G-Virus and how it works."
"And with any luck, both of you will be reunited with your families and friends in very little time," Dr. Yamata said.
When neither Claire nor Elliott said anything, Wesker said, "Any questions?"
Once she and her partner were on the elevator, Jessica was downright bitter. "Thank you so much for backing me up in there."
Raymond idly looked at her. "Do I look crazy or suicidal to you?" he said in a deadpan tone. "I was only invited along to help keep you on your best behavior."
Jessica snorted. "Like Dr. Yamata couldn't do that on her own? Insane, sadistic bitch."
Raymond roughly gripped his partner by the arm. "Keep that shit to yourself unless you want to wind up dead! And learn to control yourself. That's the only way to earn back the points you lost for assaulting the boss' golden girl."
"Oh, my God! You're defending her too?"
He sneered. "I'm defending you! And myself! I'm the one who vouched for you to Excella and Wesker, dummy!" He released her and took a step back. "You keep this up, Jess, and we're both in trouble… Face it. For as long as she's here, Claire Redfield is going to hold far more power than you or me. There's nothing either of us can do about that."
Jessica tilted her head up in defiance. We'll see about that, she thought furiously.
Raymond eyed her warily when she said nothing. "Are we cool?"
Jessica pasted on a smile and nodded. "Yes," she said in what she hoped was a convincing tone…
"How long before Claire and I get to go home? What kind of timeframe are we looking at?" Elliott asked.
"That largely depends on two things," Dr. Yamata said. "If the breakthroughs I am hoping for are achieved, it may be as little as eight months. But I also understand that you want to be returned to normal, Miss Redfield. Making that happen would require more time."
Claire hesitated. "Can you do it?"
Dr. Yamata nodded. "Of course. But I must warn you not to expect instant results. Genetic alteration is something that can't be rushed."
"No matter how long it might take, I imagine your dear brother Chris would be ecstatic to get you back exactly the way he remembers you. If it's any consolation, Miss Redfield, at least he'll be spared the distress of knowing you'd been contaminated by one of the viruses he's fought so hard to protect the world from."
Claire was getting tired of Wesker's knack for being correct. "That's a plus," she said with a hint of sarcasm. She paused, reluctant to address something that was gnawing at her; she decided to get it out there. "What about Steve? Is he here in this facility?"
Wesker half smiled. "I was beginning to think you might not care about Mr. Burnside. You continue to surprise me, Miss Redfield."
"Is he alive or not?" she snapped.
"You tell me… I did promise to reunite you with someone you believed to be dead, did I not?"
"Y… You did."
"Then there's your answer," Wesker said. "You should know by now that I'm nothing if not honest."
Claire exchanged a look with Elliott; he looked as dubious as she felt. "Can I see him?"
"In time, yes… Call it a quid pro quo, if you will. A G-Virus vaccine in exchange for your dear Mr. Burnside."
Bastard! Claire thought. She sighed, but resigned herself to play by Wesker's rules. She just hoped the end result proved to be worth the trouble. "Fine," she said, extending her left arm over the table. To Dr. Yamata, she said, "I don't know if you'll be needing another blood sample after three days, but while we're here…"
Dr. Yamata rose to her feet when Claire didn't finish the sentence and kneeled to pick up a metal attaché case that had seemingly been resting next to her chair. "Thank you for your cooperation, dear," Dr. Yamata said as she began to move around the table…
(Author's Notes - Sorry it took so long to post this installment. I hope you all found it worth the wait. Kudos if you spotted an inside joke to Operation Raccoon City.
To those of you who may be wondering how the story gets to the events in the Prologue from this point, I will say that a lot goes in the two years that Claire is held captive. There is a long, twisty road ahead, and nothing is quite what it seems to be on the surface. Will try to update quicker from here on in. Get ready for a wild ride ahead.)