Chapter Four
Claire awoke to the steady throb of pain in her head, wincing as she tried to gather her bearings. The dimly lit space around her gradually came into focus, revealing the cold steel walls of a large cargo container. She was lying on a plush queen-sized mattress, a battery-powered lantern casting eerie shadows nearby. As she sat up and rubbed her temples, she noticed the faint light filtering through the gaps in the container's doors.
"Morning already?" she mumbled, taking a deep breath. The salty tang of ocean air filled her nostrils, and the gentle sway beneath her feet confirmed her suspicions - they were on a ship, somewhere out in the vast expanse of water. Claire stood up, swaying slightly as she moved towards the doors, only for a voice behind her to make her jump.
"Save your energy. I already checked the doors; they won't budge," Elliott spoke from behind her. Startled, Claire spun around to face him.
"You're here too?" she blurted out before she could stop herself.
Elliott just nodded, his brown eyes narrowing into an accusatory glare. "What the fuck have you gotten me into?" he spat, the warmth of his smile now replaced by cold anger.
"Look, I don't know," Claire insisted, her voice tinged with desperation. "I'd never seen Jessica and Raymond before the fundraiser. I have no idea who they are or what they want."
"Right," Elliott scoffed, disbelief etched across his face. "You expect me to believe that? You took down Jessica like some kind of action hero!"
"Look," Claire snapped, "she was pretending to be drunk, and the whole thing was a setup! I was just trying to protect myself."
"Wow," Elliott mocked, rolling his eyes. "That must mean you're trustworthy. Let's be best pals!" He paused, his gaze shifting to the wall as if trying to will it away. "God, Katherine must be worried sick by now."
The memory of her brother Chris surged through Claire's mind, an image of him in full protective mode, ready to tear through anyone who dared harm his sister. The thought was both comforting and worrisome, knowing the lengths he would go to for her sake. She glanced at Elliott, who was now sitting against the cold metal wall with a despondent expression.
Elliott, sitting opposite her, broke the silence. "You know, Jessica and Raymond probably didn't want to leave any witnesses to your capture. That's why I'm here too." He sighed, running a hand through his disheveled brown hair. "I bet our kidnappers are planning to hold on to us for a while."
Claire nodded, her blue eyes reflecting a haunted sadness. "It wouldn't be the first time I've been imprisoned," she said offhandedly.
Elliott's gaze narrowed, suspicion creeping into his expression. "What's that supposed to mean? You got a criminal past or something?"
"Nothing like that," Claire replied, shaking her head. She could see the wariness in Elliott's eyes and decided to set the record straight. "I was illegally imprisoned by the Umbrella Corporation on Rockfort Island after breaking into one of their facilities."
"Umbrella?" Elliott's suspicion was momentarily replaced by confusion. "I've heard of them... but aren't they just some pharmaceutical company?"
"Pharmaceuticals, bioweapons, illegal human experimentation..." Claire listed off, her voice tinged with bitterness. "Take your pick."
"Jesus," Elliott breathed, his face paling at the revelation. "So how long were you stuck there?"
"Only a few days," Claire replied, sparing him the more complicated details. "My brother found me. But I doubt I'll be as lucky this time."
"Great," Elliott muttered, sinking further into despair. "Just what I needed to hear."
As they sat together in their makeshift prison, the weight of their predicament settled heavily on their shoulders. Claire couldn't help but think back to RogueChild's cryptic message –"Keep track of your phone and nothing bad will happen"– and how spectacularly unhelpful it had turned out to be. If only she'd been more cautious, maybe she could have prevented this nightmare from unfolding.
Claire's heart pounded as the metallic echo of banging filled the cargo container, sending shivers down her spine. Fear gripped her chest, constricting her breaths as she exchanged a panicked glance with Elliott. The noise subsided, replaced by Jessica's voice, sharp and menacing. "We're about to let you out, but try anything and we'll shoot."
Claire and Elliott shared a resigned look before nodding their agreement. As the doors opened, they found themselves face-to-face with Jessica and Raymond, both armed with pistols. Though Claire burned with questions, she knew better than to push her luck. Instead, she followed their captors in silence as they were led through the bowels of the freighter.
"Who do you work for?" Claire couldn't help but ask, her curiosity getting the better of her.
Jessica simply smirked, her playful tone belying the menace in her eyes. "Now, where would be the fun in telling you that?" Beside her, Raymond remained stoic, his lips pressed into an unreadable line.
"Fine then," Claire persisted, frustration mounting. "Where are you taking us?"
"Shouldn't you know that already?" Jessica taunted, her smile mocking and cruel.
Why the hell would I? Claire thought. She sighed and refrained from asking anything else; it was pointless if Jessica was going to be this uncooperative or vague.
Upon reaching the empty cafeteria, Claire and Elliott were treated to a sparse meal. Stale bread, lukewarm soup, and a meager portion of vegetables did little to satiate their hunger. They ate in silence, the weight of their situation pressing down on them like an invisible force. After a brief bathroom break, they found themselves once again locked inside the confining steel walls of the cargo container.
"Could Excella be behind this?" Elliott wondered aloud, his voice strained.
Claire shook her head. "It doesn't make sense. She'd have no reason to go through all this trouble."
Elliott's frustration bubbled over, his anger directed at Claire. "You seem awfully accepting of this nightmare we're in!"
"Look," she snapped, "even if we manage to get out of this container, we have no way off this freighter. What do you want me to do?"
"Maybe show a little more concern?" he retorted, his voice raw with emotion. "Jessica called me 'collateral damage.' My days might be numbered because of you! I wish I'd never met you."
Claire's chest tightened as she tried to push away the sting of his words. She knew they needed to work together if they had any hope of survival, but the odds seemed insurmountable. She couldn't help but wonder what the future held for them—if they even had a future at all.
The days blurred together in a monotonous haze, their daily routine becoming a series of dreary rituals that only served to heighten the tension between Claire and Elliott. The confinement was suffocating, and with each passing day, Elliott's mistrust of Claire deepened, his resentment simmering just below the surface.
A now-familiar series of metallic clangs echoed through the container as Jessica and Raymond approached. The two captives had learned to anticipate these moments of brief reprieve from confinement, but they brought little comfort. As the doors creaked open, Claire braced herself for another round of taunts from Jessica, who seemed to take pleasure in tormenting her prisoners.
"Guess what, lovebirds?" Jessica announced with a cruel grin. "We're about to reach port, so you'll get to enjoy a shower and some fresh clothes."
Claire's eyes narrowed, her body tensing at the mention of their impending arrival. She knew better than to trust any good news from their captors, but the thought of a shower was undeniably tempting. However, she couldn't resist a defiant response. "I'll stick with what I have on, thanks."
Jessica's laughter rang out like an icy wind. "Not an option, sweetie." Her smirk suggested that she relished the prospect of exerting this small power over Claire.
Silently seething, Claire exchanged a glance with Elliott, whose own distrustful gaze mirrored her feelings. They followed their captors down the ship's corridor, Raymond's silence as eerie as ever.
Claire gritted her teeth, swallowing back her anger as she and Elliott were led to separate state rooms. The warmth of the shower felt heavenly against her skin, washing away days of grime and fear. But when she stepped out, wrapped in a towel, her old clothes were gone.
A neatly folded pile of garments lay on the bed: a blue and white floral print dress, denim shorts, sandals, and undergarments in her size. Reluctantly, she dressed, feeling exposed and vulnerable in the unfamiliar outfit.
Elliott, now clean-shaven, looked equally discontent in his camo shirt, black denim shorts, and sandals. They exchanged a glance that spoke volumes about their mutual distaste for their captors' imposed wardrobe change.
"Let's just get this over with," he muttered, his voice low and bitter. Claire nodded in agreement.
As they disembarked the freighter with Raymond and Jessica following closely behind, guns in hand, they found themselves on a secluded harbor surrounded by imposing cliffs on three sides. The salty air stung their nostrils as they climbed staircases carved into the rock face, leading to a small cavern near the cliff's summit. An elevator shaft had been built into the mountainside, its doors a stark contrast to the natural surroundings.
The elevator hummed to life, its mechanical gears whirring as it descended. Claire glanced at the panel, her eyes widening as she noticed buttons for ten floors – six of them ominously labeled as sub-levels. It was clear that whatever awaited them went far deeper than mere appearances.
"Ground level," announced Jessica as she pressed the corresponding button, her voice dripping with disinterest. Raymond remained silent, his stoic presence ever-looming.
After what seemed like forever, the elevator eased to a stop, and the rear doors slid open to reveal an unexpected sight: they were on the upper level of an ancient stone temple, two curved staircases dominating the space. Floodlights connected to a generator cast eerie shadows across the walls, lending an unsettling atmosphere to their new surroundings.
Jessica smirked, leaning against the elevator wall as she regarded Claire and Elliott. "This is where we part ways. Have fun exploring until the boss arrives." With that, the elevator doors closed, leaving the pair alone in the temple.
Elliott wasted no time, his anxiety manifesting in frenetic energy as he darted around the chamber, trying door after door in a desperate search for an escape route. Claire followed him at a slower pace, descending one of the staircases while watching him with a mixture of sympathy and resignation.
"None of these doors will open," she called out calmly, trying to soothe his panic. "They wouldn't have left us here if it were that easy."
Her words seemed to ignite something within Elliott; he charged at her, anger flashing in his eyes. Claire quickly retreated a few steps, halting in the center of the staircase as he stopped at the base and glared up at her.
"Tell me, Claire, do you even care if you live or die?" Elliott snapped, his voice thick with emotion.
"Of course I care," Claire replied sarcastically. "I'm sorry I haven't been freaking out as much as you, but that doesn't make me heartless."
Elliott opened his mouth to respond, but his gaze suddenly shifted upward, his eyes wide with shock. Before Claire could react, a chilling voice echoed from behind her, sending shivers down her spine. "Miss Redfield's assessment of her character is correct."
Her blood ran cold, and an icy shiver raced down her spine. Not him! Anyone but him! She turned slowly, already knowing who she would find.
There he stood, Albert Wesker, his slicked-back blonde hair and sunglasses betraying no hint of emotion. His predatory smile sent shivers down her spine, unchanged from their last encounter eight years prior. What frightened her even more was that she hadn't heard the elevator doors open or his approach; he seemed to appear out of nowhere like a ghost.
"Welcome, dearheart," he greeted her, his voice dripping with sinister charm. "Our reunion is long overdue."