Chapter twelve:

When Carlos radioed Claire about Chris, the convoy redirected to the coast. Claire came aboard and gladly embraced Chris. That confirmed his identity and story beyond a doubt. The plan was to continue working down the coast, all the way to Mexico, as the convoy followed along the coastal highway. Yet, they didn't get far before they started getting transmissions from survivors across the country.

The survivors were using a nationwide frequency, calling for all remaining survivors to make their way to Washington DC. They were under the command of Albert Wesker, now an independent contractor rather than the chairman of Umbrella. They met in a meeting space on Arcadia to discuss their next move.

"The only way to get to Washington DC from here is to go all the way down and cut through the Panama Canal," Carlos said.

"I say we stay as we are," Jill said. "We can't trust Wesker."

"I agree with Jill," Alice seconded. "He's up to something. There's no point in risking everything to get to Washington DC when he probably has plans for us there."

Claire nodded that. "I don't want to risk my convoy's life because suddenly they want everyone to work together. We've been doing fine on our own."

"Why do they want us to unite now? Where were they before?" Chris asked.

Carlos couldn't deny that. "It's true. Everyone went their separate ways before. But I admit I am concerned that Umbrella will come for this ship soon. It might be good if we increased our numbers."

"Wesker has been nothing but a problem for us. For all we know, he's still with Umbrella, and he's trying to bait us into an attack," Alice said.

"It's a big risk, man. I'm good with how things are," L.J. commented.

Claire looked over at K-Mart and Angie. "What do you two think?"

"We can't trust Wesker. Men like him don't leave Umbrella. Ever," Angie said.

K-Mart shrugged. "I don't know if we should change our plan just because there might be people in DC."

"Then, majority rules. We don't go to DC," Carlos said.

Claire sighed. "We try for Mexico. Let's get moving. I don't like being so close to major cities. Anybody who wants to travel by land, get ready to head back."

L.J. and K-Mart prepared to leave with Claire. Chris wanted to travel with his sister, but he paused in the doorway. Jill had caught his eye in the prison. He wandered up to her with a confident stride. "You're staying on the boat?"

"Of course. I'm the first mate," Jill returned.

He hummed. "I was hoping to get to know you better."

Alice saw the look in his eye, and she didn't like it one bit. She walked over and put her arm around Jill's shoulders. "Hey, baby, what'd you want for dinner? I can get us a few plates from the mess hall."

"Whatever you want," Jill answered, amused. She looked over at Chris. "Chris, you've met Alice."

"Sorry to have interrupted," Alice said.

Chris put his hands in the air. "My bad. Have a nice dinner. I'm sure I'll see you two later."

As Chris left, Jill started laughing. "Now who's jealous?"

"I owe you an apology," Alice muttered with a peck on Jill's cheek. "It is maddening when someone eyes your girlfriend like that."

"Uh-huh. Not so fun to be on the other side of it, is it? But, you know, he is an attractive guy…"

"Don't even start. Do not even."

"Your face is hilarious right now. I needed that laugh." Jill hugged Alice's waist with an anxious breath. "What is Wesker up to? And, if we don't go to him, is he coming to us?"

Alice held Jill in return. "We'll just have to wait and see."

"I don't like it, Alice. Not one bit."

XxXxX

That night, Alice was sleeping in Jill's arms. The nightmare came, starting the way it usually did, and gave way to new visions. She kept seeing The Hive, Dr. Isaacs, and a chamber with what looked like the cure to the T-virus. She saw the sea of corpses and woke with a start. Jill had slept through this nightmare. Alice carefully untangled from Jill's grasp and left their cabin to get a glass of water and clear her head.

She was surprised to see that Angie was also awake and sitting in the mess hall. Alice got a glass of water and joined Angie at the table. "Can't sleep?"

"Nightmares," Angie said. "And you?"

"Same. I've had them every night for years."

"Mine started recently. They don't make much sense. I see flashes of the New York facility, from when you saved me. I hear them talking, and I see my daddy's face. He's talking to me about the T-virus and telling me I have to go back. Back home. He tells me the cure is there."

Alice's blood ran cold. "I've been dreaming about the cure too. Angie, what exactly does your father tell you about the cure in your dream?"

"He tells me that he designed an airborne cure. Something that when it's released would kill anything that's been infected. He tells me it's back home."

"And what about the facility? What did you hear there?"

"I hear them talking about different ways the T-virus can be cured. It's garbled. I can't make it all out. I don't even know if it's a memory or a dream anymore."

Alice thought about it all and bit her lip. "Your father tells you to go home. He means Raccoon City. I've been dreaming about The Hive. Jill and I were just talking about how we think there might still be a facility that's online. Maybe they reactivated The Hive."

Around that time, Jill wandered into the mess hall, looking for Alice. She came up behind her, wrapping her arms across her shoulders and kissing her on the head. "There you are. And with our Angie. What'd I miss?"

"We were comparing nightmares," Alice answered. "Jill, I think The Hive is operational again, and I think there's a cure for the T-virus there."

Jill sat at Alice's side. "How can you be sure?"

"I'm not. It's a feeling. Angie's dreams are similar to mine. We were both infected with the T-virus. I think that allows us to see things others can't. It can't be a coincidence that we're both dreaming about the cure and Raccoon City. Besides, things I've dreamed have come true. I saw the prison. I saw the White House and Wesker, then we got the transmission about DC. I'm telling you. These dreams mean something."

"What do you want us to do? Go back to Raccoon City?" Jill asked.

"It wouldn't hurt to check it out. By now, the Undead must have moved on. We could take one of the aircraft from the ship. We'd only be gone a few days."

"That'd take us close to Washington. We could get nabbed by Wesker," Jill said.

"We can take a wider route to avoid their airspace. Now is the perfect time. Wesker is busy with whatever he's doing in DC. You said it yourself, Jill. That a facility might still be online. What if it's The Hive?"

"If you go, I'm going," Angie declared.

Alice sighed, but she was looking at a young woman now—not a helpless child. "All right. You can come too. But we need to clear this with Carlos and Claire first. I think if they know we might be able to find a cure there, they won't mind if we go."

"If they know that, they might want to come too," Jill pointed out. "If there is a chance we could end this, they'll be with us."

"Then we'll talk to them first thing in the morning," Alice decided.

XxXxX

In the morning, Alice and Jill met with Carlos. They had Claire on the radio. Alice explained the situation and how she wanted to check things out with Jill. Carlos digested all the information. "You really think there could be an airborne cure in The Hive? Something to end the apocalypse?"

"I think it's possible. I also think it's possible that there won't be anything there. It could be a dangerous and pointless trip. But I do think it's worth looking into," Alice answered.

Carlos smirked. "Sounds like my kind of mission. I'm in."

"What about the boat?" Jill asked.

"L.J. can take over for us. He needs to get over his aversion to ships anyway," Carlos replied, grinning.

Claire's voice buzzed on the radio. "If Carlos goes, I go. I can bring Chris with me."

"And the convoy?" Alice asked.

"Mikey can watch things for us. If we can put an end to the end of the world, we want in," Claire's voice answered.

"Then it's decided," Alice said. "We go back to Raccoon City."