Resident Evil: Tangled Web

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Author's notes - Thanks to everyone who has been following this story and patiently waiting for an update. I had planned for this installment to be longer, but decided to split it into two chapters. Chapter 25 should be released within the month (fingers crossed).

To the "Guest" who left a review - I will be working on completing Sky Dancer once I finish this story. Stay tuned.

On with the show. Enjoy! :)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Jessica wasn't even aware that she'd fallen asleep before someone was screaming at her to wake up. As if that wasn't enough to rouse her, that same someone kicked her chair hard enough to send it rolling back from the desk. Her feet dropped from the counter and she flailed a moment before she bolted upright, gun in hand.

Raymond caught her by the wrist before she could aim at him. Jessica blinked, her tired mind trying to catch up with what was happening. "What the hell…?" she blurted out.

"That's my question," he said sharply. "I've been trying to raise you over the radio for the past hour!" He nodded toward the monitor. "If anything had happened to our guests while you were sleeping on the job, the boss would have had your head."

She wiped at her eyes. "Why? What would have…?" She stopped when she got a good look at him and the amount of gore staining his clothes. "Jesus, Ray! Are you alright?"

"Did you forget what the boss and I were up to? It's not my blood."

"Lay off," she snapped. "I'm still half asleep!" She stretched and rubbed her eyes again to fully revive her addled brain. That was all it took for her to recall. Relaxing her stance, she said, "I take it the extermination was a success."

He sighed. "Boss and I killed four of them."

"So it's done with? About time."

"Count on you to miss the obvious, Jess," he said derisively. "By last count, there were only three left."

She took a moment to process this, then said, "Maybe a mistake was made on how many escaped."

Raymond looked at the monitor showing Claire and Elliott's quarters. "Let's hope so. But until we know for certain, keeping an eye on our guests is going to remain the number one priority…"

In between the ice pack and the pills he downed with a glass of water, Elliott was eventually well enough to move. But he still remained on the sofa for a while longer and said, "I'm guessing your healing factor is the reason you're not hungover."

Claire nodded. "I wasn't even able to get drunk. Don't know whether or not to call that a perk," she said quietly. "Would have been nice to forget, even for a little while."

He hesitated. "I didn't do anything stupid, did I?"

She chuckled. "At one point, you were determined to call Wesker on the intercom to ask for more booze. Otherwise…" She paused, sighed. "You started talking about how things might be after we get out of this place. You… You said you'd have to introduce me to Katherine, that she'd love me."

He looked toward the ceiling after a moment and rubbed his face. For the longest time, he couldn't think of a good response to that, then said, "Would you want to meet my family, when we make it home?"

"I'm not sure I can even think that far ahead. I'm having enough trouble just figuring out the here and now." She paused again. "Before you passed out… You kissed me."

Elliott looked at her in shock. He touched his lips as though that might somehow bring the memory to the surface. "I'm sorry."

"Don't! There's nothing to apologize for. It… wasn't unwanted." She looked down at her hands. "That doesn't mean I'm not afraid of where this is going. Especially considering where we are… I've been down a road similar to this, and it didn't end well."

"You mean your friend, Steve?"

She nodded. "You know what was the worst part about losing him? Not knowing what could have been. If he and I could have had a future together, if I could have grown to feel the same about him as he did about me… I'm scared that the same thing might happen this time around. And it will be worse because I care about you."

He propped himself up and put one hand to her arm. "I get it. Relationships are scary even under normal circumstances." She was silent for so long that he went on with, "I don't have many answers to ease your mind, but… Would you agree with me if I said Wesker is, at the very least, honest?"

"I don't think he's lied about anything so far."

"There you go. It looks like I'm safe for the duration. Should be nothing but smooth sailing to the end of the line."

"Don't say that! You're going to jinx us!"

He laughed. "You actually believe that?"

She shrugged. "Better safe than sorry." She leaned back with a slight smirk. "You know, I didn't want to say anything, but your breath really stinks. Might be time to think about freshening up."

"You're cute when you're being snarky, Redfield," he said as he got up. He yawned as he made his way to the bathroom. When he started to shut the door, he was surprised to see her right behind him, holding it open. "Claire?"

"There's something else we need to talk about," she said in a hushed tone. "And I didn't want to do so in front of the cameras. Just a few minutes and I'm out."

Feeling bewildered, Elliott let her in. He watched her seat herself on one end of the sink counter with her back to the mirror while he got a bottle of mouthwash from the medicine cabinet. "What's up?" he asked.

"RogueChild contacted me again while you were unconscious."

That got his attention. "Really? What did he… or she want?"

"Just reaffirmed what we already know. Plan's in place to help us escape. Will still take a year. Refused to tell who he or she is." She sighed. "All things considered, I'm not sure I trust RogueChild. On top of letting us down once already, our would-be savior isn't promising anything other than an escape route… I don't know, should I have asked more about what the game plan is?"

Elliott crossed his arms. "I'm going to repeat something I've said already. If we don't wait for Wesker to let us go, if we escape with RogueChild's help… It means abandoning the opportunities that Wesker's presented to us. My little sister would still be mentally challenged, you'd still be infected with the G-Virus, and you'd miss the chance to be reunited with someone you care about."

She nodded thoughtfully. "I guess it's settled then. I'm good staying here for the long haul if you are."

"I am… But damned if I wouldn't also like to see Wesker get taken down a peg or two."

She chuckled as she pushed herself off the counter. "One step at a time, Elliott," she said as she walked back into the main room…

Day Fifty-Four – January 28th 2007

If there was one thing that Excella Gionne hated most about West Africa, it was the seemingly endless terrain of marshlands and savanna. "There should be a rule against places that are this filthy," she muttered as she carefully stepped from the helicopter that had transported her from the main airport to the shipping yard outside Albert's hidden facility. She shuddered to think how much dirt had settled on her in the time since her plane had landed.

The helicopter's African pilot was either too daft or too uninformed to care about her discomfort. She wondered how good his English was when he said in a thick accent, "Mr. Wesker expecting you. Must not keep waiting."

Excella huffed. "He's been waiting on me for almost two months. What's another couple hours?" she said sarcastically. The pilot looked confused, but she stepped away before he could say anything.

If Albert was displeased with her tardiness when she stepped into the main research lab after a nice, long shower and change of clothes, Excella wouldn't know from his blank expression. Since he didn't turn his gaze from the microscope he was peering into, she wondered if he even knew she was present.

She was ready with a sarcastic comment when he beat her to the punch. "Since we've been out of contact since your departure in early December, your silence comes as a surprise, my dear," Albert said without looking up. "You must have at least half a dozen topics you wish to discuss."

She cleared her throat. "I've kept tabs on Miss Redfield's brother like you asked. He's completely in the dark on what's happened to her." Excella waited for a response that never came, then said, "He hasn't taken her disappearance well. His superiors at the B.S.A.A. have suspended him until further notice for insubordination."

A smirk came to Albert's lips; it was gone just as quickly as it appeared. "How like Chris. Always too hotheaded and obsessive for his own good. But he'll live when all's said and done." He leaned back and put his sunglasses on before he looked at her. "He may even thank me once his dear sister is returned to him."

She raised an eyebrow. "That's an interesting thing to say. What have I missed?"

He paused to write something in a notebook next to the microscope. "Miss Redfield desires to be normal again. I've told her I could make that happen."

"And will you?"

"Those are the terms she and I have agreed upon for her cooperation."

Excella frowned. "That's not an answer, Albert."

"It is the only one I have for you."

She was tempted to press the issue, but her experience with him told her he never answered anything he didn't choose to. She sighed and said, "I don't get why you feel the need to make her comfortable. It would save time if we just take a blood sample from her when we need it."

"There is nothing to be gained by antagonizing her. And I have no pressing desire to do so. After all, dear Excella, you've just confirmed her brother will not be coming to look for her. We have all the time in the world." He paused. "A lot has happened in your absence. Perhaps you'd like to be brought up to speed."

"Before we get started on getting me caught up, there's something else I'd like to do first, Albert."

"Name it…"

From the moment that Wesker had contacted them over the intercom and demanded an audience on Excella's behalf, Claire was in a foul mood. After watching her try on one accessory after another only to discard them, Elliott said, "You know if you keep stalling, our 'friends' are only going to come down here to talk."

"Ugh, don't remind me!" She picked up a sapphire teardrop necklace that she'd already tried on, her eyes slightly glazed as she looked at it. "Either way, I probably won't be able to last a minute before I'd want to bash her head in… Do you think he'd allow that?"

"I'd have to say no," he said in a deadpan tone. He sighed and stepped forward to take the necklace from her. "But it might help for you to relax before we head up… Come on and sit down."

"Why?"

"Just humor me, Redfield."

She looked at him dubiously, but still seated herself on the nearby barstool. He positioned himself behind her, firmly gripped her shoulders, and began gently massaging her upper back.

She tensed for an instant, then let out a breath and chuckled. After a few seconds, she said, "That feels good… You're just full of surprises, aren't you? Talented writer, cooking expert, and now a masseuse?"

"I did tell you early on I'm a man of many talents," he responded. It was hard to ignore the fact that she was arching into his hands; he had to force himself to focus. "One of the perks of having a big family is that you get to learn some skills from them you wouldn't otherwise think of pursuing."

"Can't argue with that… Guess I'll have to thank my brother for teaching me hand to hand combat and how to use firearms when I see him again."

He hesitated. "I've been meaning to ask if maybe you could teach me some of what you know. I don't know if I'll ever need to use any of it, but it wouldn't hurt to know how to fight."

She turned her head slightly to look at him. "Yeah… I can educate you on everything except guns. I could ask nicely, but I don't think Wesker would loan us anything for practice."

"He might as long as it's not loaded," Elliott said after some thought.

"Dare to dream." She paused, then offhandedly said, "My back's feeling knotted. Would you mind going a bit lower?"

His breath caught in his throat at the suggestion. It was all he could do to stay composed when his hands slid from her shoulders. Judging by the way she writhed in pleasure beneath his kneading palms, she must be pretty tense. "I don't think you've told me what your brother does nowadays," he said in an effort to distract himself. "I know you said he's in the military, but you never mentioned what branch or what his rank is."

"Chris works for an organization called the Bioterroism Security Assessment Alliance. B.S.A.A for short. After Umbrella went under, their research spilled out into the world, made it into the hands of the worst kinds of people. It was eventually determined that a sizable military task force needed to be established to stop any outbreak from getting too bad."

"I take it your brother was first in line to sign up."

"More than that. Chris was one of eleven people who helped found the B.S.A.A. He's more or less been leading the charge ever since as a Special Operations Agent. Often takes on the more clandestine missions alongside his partner, Jill." Claire paused. "The organization's grown exponentially ever since it was established, far beyond what Chris or I could have dreamed. They have branches on almost every continent now."

"If that's the case, then maybe even Wesker won't be able to hide forever," he said lightly. He noted that she was no longer squirming and moved his hands back to her shoulders. "Feeling better?"

Claire stretched, a contented sigh escaping her lips. "Definitely. You should think about doing this for a living, Elliott."

He chuckled. "I'll consider it… Are you ready to head up before you-know-who gets tired of waiting for us?"

She smiled at him as she got to her feet. "As long as you don't mind giving me another massage later on, if needed."

"Anything for you, Redfield." He wrapped an arm around her, escorting her toward the door.

All went smoothly up until he and Claire turned the corner on sub-level one and found Excella and Wesker standing outside the former's office. After everything he'd experienced over the past two months, Elliott believed there was nothing that would catch him off guard. Excella's first words when she caught sight of him blasted this theory out of the water.

"Perhaps I should have made it clear that I wished to speak to Miss Redfield alone," Excella said with a pout. "Sorry you had to waste your time by accompanying her, Mr. Gregory."

Claire's face was ashen when he looked at her. "No," she stated as she shook her head. "Forget it! I'm not going in that room with you unless Elliott's with me!"

Excella looked amused. "Come now, dear. Surely you can survive fifteen minutes without a friend."

"Not when it's sprung on me out of nowhere."

"I did try to warn you that Miss Redfield wouldn't react well to surprises," Wesker said flatly to Excella. "Perhaps you could give her and Mr. Gregory a little time to get accustomed to the idea."

Excella looked agreeable if not agitated, so Elliott took a step back, tugging at Claire's arm to get her to turn and look at him. He nodded to a spot further down the corridor to indicate they should walk away for some privacy.

"I don't like this," Claire said in a hushed tone once they'd gotten some distance.

"Not to play devil's advocate, but maybe it won't be as terrible as you imagine," he murmured. "Whatever she wants to say, it won't take long. And I'll be waiting for you when you come out... Just try not to let her get to you."

She threw a glance over her shoulder. "As long as you don't mind being stuck with Wesker for however long it takes."

He hesitated. "Good point… Did you want to meet in the greenhouse afterward?"

"I'll be counting the minutes until then." She drew away, holding onto his hand as long as she could.

Elliott waited until the door closed behind the two women before he looked down with a sigh. After a moment of gathering his courage, he asked, "Any chance you'd loan us an empty handgun for instructional use?"

Wesker didn't move except to turn his head in Elliott's direction, his expression blank as usual. "Didn't think so," Elliott said when Wesker didn't say anything. With his mind on overdrive with what Claire and Excella could be discussing, he turned and made his way back to the elevator.

"Penny for your thoughts," Excella said as she settled into a plush armchair across from Claire.

"For once, I'd like to meet a high ranking official of a pharmaceutical company who hasn't been corrupted. It's taking everything I have not to attack you."

"Sorry to see your opinion of me hasn't changed. I was hoping we'd be on friendlier terms when I came back."

"Wow, you're actually worse than Jessica. As much as I hate her, at least she's not asking to be pals." Claire leaned forward. "I can't wait for the day where Wesker isn't nearby to protect you."

Excella chuckled. "You're very naïve, Miss Redfield, if you think that day will ever come."

"I'm not in the mood for idle chitchat! Whatever you have to say, just say it!"

Excella leaned back and folded her hands together in her lap. "Very well. To be blunt, I asked for this meeting to give you a chance to see things in a new light. You've had some time to get over the shock of learning the G-Virus is a part of you, so I trust you're ready to look at the positive aspects."

"You're insane. And conveniently forgetting what happened to the two other people exposed to this virus."

"Hardly. The fact that both William Birkin and Curtis Miller became monsters is unfortunate. But they're not you. And there has been nothing to suggest you're doomed to follow the same path… I wonder if you've even realized what a medical marvel you've become. Of course, we may have to wait and see if your healing factor has any impact on the aging process. But consider the ramifications. What you have, most people would kill for. The chance to be exceptional…"

Claire interrupted, her eyes blazing. "I don't want to be exceptional! I don't want to live forever if that's even a possibility. I just want to be me!"

"Even if it means losing the opportunity to lead this world into a new age?"

"If that's anyone's dream, it's yours. Not mine… Do you even know or care about who I was before you brought me here?"

"You were someone doing her part to help heal a damaged planet. The work you did for Terra Save is to be commended. But you are capable of so much more now, Miss Redfield… Being what you are, you're in a much better position to help those who need it. Have you even considered that cures for the terminally ill could be synthesized from your blood?" Excella paused. "Why you'd want to go back to what you were before is beyond me."

Claire crossed her arms. "So you're what? Suggesting I think about granting immortality? That sounds a bit too much like playing God."

"There's a poor excuse if I ever heard one. What is the study of medicine if not a means of prolonging someone's life? 'Playing God', as you put it. By granting such a gift to someone, it might mean you'd never have to fear losing them. You can't tell me you don't want that. Wouldn't you have loved such a thing around the time of your parents' unfortunate car accident?"

Claire froze, then leapt to her feet and slammed her hands onto the desk hard enough to cause a vibration. "Don't you dare bring my family into this, you bitch! You have no right to use that for such an argument."

Excella didn't even flinch. "Sit down, Miss Redfield, or I will be forced to call Albert in here."

Making herself comply was one of the most difficult things she'd ever had to do. Biting back tears and screams, she said, "I've come to terms with what happened to my mom and dad. Do I miss them? Yes, every day. But that doesn't mean I get the right to arbitrarily decide who lives or dies."

"And your brother? Wouldn't it be nice to have some assurance that he'll never fail to come home?" Excella paused again. "Or perhaps I should ask about Mr. Gregory. I understand the two of you have become quite close over the past several months."

Claire looked down, fighting to keep it together. She hated that Excella, though mad in her beliefs, was still presenting a view that was oh-so-tempting. "Stop," she said in a meek, sorrowful tone.

Excella nodded after a short silence. "If you ever change your mind about wanting to go back to being mediocre, you know where to find me or Albert… You may go, Miss Redfield."

Claire was so numb that she didn't know how she managed to walk from the room and down to the elevator, let alone press the button for the desired floor. Walking into the greenhouse and lifting her head to look at Elliott's anxious face when she heard her name was what snapped her out of it.

She collapsed against him and wrapped her arms around him so suddenly that it had to startle him. After a few seconds, his hands softly settled onto her back. His touch elicited a loud sob from her.

"Easy," Elliott said softly. "Are you alright? What'd she say to you?"

Claire gnawed at her lip, too upset to even talk about it. "I… I can't," she stammered. "I…"

Apart from gently shushing her, he didn't say anything. He pulled her close and quietly rocked her. She was appreciative of the fact that he just held her until she felt better.

"It feels like you've stopped crying… Are you going to be okay?" she heard him murmur against her hair.

"Depends. Do you think we'll ever get one day with Wesker or his cronies where they don't push our buttons?"

"There's a scary thought. I know we're in trouble if they ever stop getting under our skin." He started stroking the back of her head. "Excella must have really done a number on you."

"Understatement. Some of the things she said… I feel like I can't tell what's right or wrong anymore."

He sounded hesitant when he said, "This might not be the best advice, but maybe it would help if you focus on what still makes sense."

She closed her eyes, trying to think of Chris and imagine what he might say if he were with her. Such musings fell by the wayside when she suddenly became acutely aware of Elliott's warmth and the way he was caressing her hair. She pulled back and her eyes lifted to meet his.

In that moment, something just clicked.

Cupping his face in her hands, she leaned closer and kissed him.

To be continued.