Chapter 23

Chris Redfield saw the castle in the distance, sitting on the edge of a cliff. They were still at least ten minutes out, so their destination was rather small in the distance. There was a village surrounding the castle from below, and that was where they'd need to set down as there was nowhere closer for them to land.

"I wonder what waits for us in that village," Jill said as she stood beside Chris.

"Hopefully nothing, but with Umbrella involved, I'm not holding my breath," Chris replied.

"I hope the others are getting to Russia safely," Jill stated.

Chris raised an eyebrow. "The others, or Carlos specifically?"

Jill raised an eyebrow right back at Chris. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Maybe you're worried that you're going to end up losing him after what you two have been through," Chris stated, crossing his arms.

"I worry about everyone," Jill told him.

"You like Carlos though," Chris said matter-of-factly.

"That's none of your business, Redfield," Jill said, a hint of anger in her words. She shook her head and moved off.

Barry chuckled as he stood up and moved to Chris, clasping a hand on his shoulder. "Some things never change."

Chris shook his head and sighed. "I'm just worried she isn't going to be focused out there."

"Her father's life is on the line," Claire said as she stood up from nearby, a humored look on her face. "I'm fairly certain getting him back is the only thing that matters to her right now. Same for me getting Sherry and her aunt out of here."

Chris looked back and forth between Claire and Barry. "I really don't stand a chance with Jill, do I?"

Claire and Barry looked at each other and actually laughed.

Jill took a seat beside Rebecca and crossed her legs, clearly fuming as she leaned back and crossed her arms as well.

Rebecca turned away from Billy's dog tags, as she'd been twirling them around in her hands, absentmindedly, and looked Jill up and down.

Jill noticed. "What?"

"You look like you could do a Tyrant punch through the hull of this chopper," Rebecca replied.

Jill shook her head, glancing in Chris' direction for a brief second before turning back to Rebecca. "It's complicated."

Rebecca nodded. "You have feelings for both of them."

Jill's eyes widened for a brief moment before she tried to cover it up. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Rebecca chuckled. "Chris. Carlos. I could tell in the days after the mansion that something was there with Chris, but things cooled off clearly at some point after I left you guys for Caliban Cove. Now there's this hot Latino man that you survived a horrific experience with in the mix."

"You think Carlos is hot?" Jill asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, I know he's hot," Rebecca said. "Any girl would, but he's arrogant. I can smell it on him. That's an instant turn off, and besides, I've gotten pretty close with John."

Jill nodded. "The S.T.A.R.S. Exeter guy. It does look like you two are serious."

Rebecca shrugged. "I love his sense of humor, but there's an issue I have to work through."

Jill nodded to the dog tags that Rebecca was holding. "Billy Coen."

Rebecca nodded right back at her. "Billy Coen." She sighed. "What is it with us and men that we survive horrific experiences with and end up falling for them? I did my best to remain professional with Billy, because I didn't know for sure if he was innocent or guilty, but God was he attractive."

"Must've been hard to stay focused," Jill offered.

Rebecca chuckled. "I was a little scared for my life at the time, so for the most part anything I was feeling was just in the back of my mind, but I couldn't deny that I was attracted. I just couldn't let myself give into it, because part of me thought he was a mass murderer. I don't think he actually was anymore."

Jill nodded. "I understand."

"I have to save him, Jill," Rebecca said.

"We will," Jill promised her. "Just like my dad and those other two."

When the chopper landed, Chris Redfield was the first to step out with Barry and Claire right behind him. Jill and Rebecca took up the rear as they got out as well. Their gun runner friends knew to stay with the chopper but to be ready encase enemies tried to attack.

Another chopper moved into the area, which caused the five of them to stop, raising their weapons toward the chopper.

"Doesn't look like their Umbrella," Barry stated.

"What do we do?" Claire asked.

"Just wait," Chris replied. "But don't lower your weapons."

As the chopper landed nearby, Director Marco Palmieri stepped out, his coat flapping in the breeze as he ducked from the helicopter blades, stepping forward.

"Director Palmieri?" Barry asked.

Chris appeared surprised, clearly never having actually seen the previous director over all of S.T.A.R.S. as a whole. "What?"

Marco nodded to Barry. "Good to see you, Burton. You're not going to shoot me, are you?"

Everyone slowly lowered their weapons.

"I heard you disappeared," Barry said.

Marco nodded. "I got rescued by some allies. They're on your side, and you need to remain calm and trust me."

Rebecca noticed movement from inside the chopper, behind Marco, and she instantly recognized who it was, pulling up her gun. "Freeze, Trent!"

Trent raised his arms slowly as he stepped out of the chopper. "I'm not here to cause you any issues. I'm here to help you." He noticed Jill standing near Rebecca and nodded in her direction. "Ask Valentine. She knows."

Rebecca moved forward, not lowering her gun as she moved past Marco.

"Stand down, Chambers," Marco said, but she clearly ignored him.

Rebecca cleared the distance to Trent and actually slapped him across the face. "Are you the reason that Billy thinks he's James Marcus?"

Trent rubbed his cheek where he was slapped and sighed. "Indirectly, I'm responsible."

"That's enough," Marco said, moving to stand in front of Trent. "He has been helping everyone from the shadows for months."

"And what?" Barry asked. "You're part of it?"

"He withheld information to Leon!" Rebecca yelled. "He sent her to steal the G-Virus!"

"I was trying to get a sample to create a defense against it," Trent calmly explained. "That is what I've been trying to do with every incident that occurs in order to reduce the number of incidents that happen. As someone in your field of study, I thought you'd understand that, Miss Chambers."

"Then why didn't you tell him that on the plane?" Rebecca asked.

"It wasn't time for him to learn the whole truth," Trent replied. "He wouldn't have understood."

"I don't understand," Rebecca admitted.

Trent nodded. "You have moved up the time table. I wasn't ready for this, and now –"

"I'm sorry we couldn't be obedient dogs for you anymore, Mr. Trent," Jill coldly stated as she stepped past Chris and Barry. "But we don't answer to Umbrella's Board of Executives."

"That's a cover!" a voice exclaimed. A hooded man stepped out of the chopper, his identity concealed. "He rescued me from death, just like how we stopped Tom Kurtz from having Director Palmieri murdered." He then turned toward Trent.

Trent nodded to him. "It's time, my friend."

The hooded man pulled down the hood, revealing the warm face of Joseph Trevor Frost. He smiled in relief to finally be back with his old team and for them to now know the truth. "Hi, Chris."

Chris dropped his gun to the ground. "Joe… Joey?"

Barry was just as shocked as he looked at Chris and then back at Joseph as well.

Rebecca actually teared up. "Joseph?"

Joseph looked to her and nodded. "Hey, Becks."

Rebecca ran into Joseph's arms and hugged him tightly. "Oh, God, it is you."

Jill moved forward. "Joseph?"

Joseph pulled out of the hug with Rebecca and smiled to Jill. "Your voice, Jill, was the last thing I remember before… well, you know…"

Jill could see his eyes. "You're different."

Joseph nodded. "Side effect, I'm afraid. I've got the same thing wrong with me that Captain Wesker does."

Jill sighed. "Wesker. So, you have abilities now? Chris mentioned running into him."

Chris moved to Joseph, giving him a tight hug. "It doesn't matter what you have. I'm sure you're still my friend."

"Always," Joseph replied.

"Albert Wesker is why Joseph is here," Trent told them. "He is the checks and balances against Dr. Wesker. He is the one that has to bring him down. Wesker is on his way here to deal with the Umbrella founders. He needs to be stopped."

"He will be," Chris said, still clearly angry at Trent. "If you aren't going to fall in line though, you can leave. This isn't your mission anymore, Trent. It's ours."

"Tell them the truth, Victor," Joseph said. "It's time they know."

Trent nodded to Joseph and then sighed, looking back to Chris. "My real name is Victor Darius, and my parents were part of the founders of Umbrella: Dr. James Trenton Darius and Dr. Helen Black-Darius. They were murdered by the board of executives in a bid to take over the company, but their plans failed when everyone else went into hiding. I was off at school when my parents were murdered, and they forgot I even existed, so I become a shadow and worked on my plans, gaining every ounce of knowledge I could ever need to get in the company's good graces. I worked my way into the board through my expertise, knowhow, and connections I gained in the business world. This has been my mission since before you were in diapers, Redfield. I will see this through."

"Then fall in line, Victor Darius," Chris ordered. "We're storming that castle now." With that said, Chris moved around the other chopper, going for the village and the castle beyond it, with everyone following suit one at a time. The final battle was about to begin.