Resident Evil Series Fan Fiction ❯ Irresolute ❯ Trust ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

CH 2: TRUST

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The heat poured onto him, his bruised shoulders and elbows feeling the absolute worst of it. His stomach growled for the third time, a lack of nutrition that was leaving an uncomfortable rumble in his gut. He hadn't eaten nor slept in a long time and…and now, all these little things that death was suppose to cover were spiraling back at him.

Modesty be damned. Billy thought wryly. He placed both hands over the neckline of his civic shirt and ripped the fabric down the center with satisfying ease. Relief was instant but short lived. The forty seconds counted down quick, and it was in no less than a minute that the sun had roamed completely over his exposed chest.

Feeling halfway the same as he did before--with the exception of looking less decent--honestly, he didn't care about the stares once he got to…wherever he was headed.

Right. Destination. With that, the agent immediately came to mind. Billy looked ahead at the man far ahead of him, his steps small yet quick. He studied him from an angle, all the while his mind idly contemplating why the hell he was still alive. ...Another execution route? Hardly, but it was still debatable. His impending death in the eyes of the military was equivalent to the end of a civil war. Billy couldn't help but feel a hard sore in his heart as he made the sickening comparison. His head ached, fueled with anger that could prompt no action from his weak body, rendering him all the more pissed. Betrayal was, for lack of a better word, unbearable.

He thought back to the agent and barely realized that his eyes were still burning into the back of his suit. No pun intended.

--The agent--Wonderboy, was no less then six feet ahead of him, still trooping on like he had a line to guide him though the desert. There were other things among `Wonderboy' Billy would have liked to say to him, but in truth, he was just that. So for the sake of his blundering headache, the heat, and filling in more blank spaces than an empty peg board, he scratched the pile of nicknames and decided to call him Leon.

Leon lingered ahead of him. The so called savior hadn't spoken since their first encounter, which, may have been at some lengths negotiable except Billy wasn't ready to grovel on his knees. Sure, the guy may have spared his life with his bag of government bribes and tricks but in truth, just as he spoke to him when they first met, he did not care anymore if his life went towards a bitter end.

Besides, it was Santos Rodriguez that was being executed. Not Billy Coen.

Yeah, that's right. Billy closed his eyes for a moment and his mind reasoned, softening slightly as he thought of the long and hard process he had underwent to die under another name. Not to mention the reason he had done so..

“Once we reach the jeep I'll fill you in.”

The loud volume of Leons' voice brought him around some and Billy rubbed his eyes blearily. Sand picked up from the winds and the con swallowed an obnoxious comment as a handful breezed past his eyes. In the end, he decided to save his remarks for a better time in the shade.

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No, I'm not talking about that!”

A rising amount of satisfaction doubled in her head the minute she cut into the conversation, and it was about time too. If she had to hear any more of that analysis crap again she'd flip, but that wasn't to say she already had. At some point in the heat, the young woman had launched herself straight from her seat and was now standing tall, hands on her hips in a rather intimidating position towards the doctor.

A good-natured, tolerant doctor, no less.

Blushing, Claire Redfield; who barely could contain the proper attitude for her own age, scooted back to her seat, silently wishing the pins and needles in her arms would quit. It was bad enough she had a temper so why did her body have to react so much to it? She was partially convinced it was because of anxiety. `Thousands of miles away from Racoon City was the first step to a good breakaway and she'd no doubt had admired Chris for making the decision. But now, sitting in a psychiatrist's office and suddenly expected to spill what she'd wasted half a year trying to get out to the public...? Second thoughts on her brother were becoming likely.

A slow wave of realization passed over her and the young brunette frowned. (How could she be so blind? Her own brother no less!) This was planned; Chris probably had a rough idea in his head the moment they reached safety from Rockford island. This whole "breakaway trip" that was supposed to be permanent and for the benefit of them both--like he had oh so promised--was in clear cold reality, a way to keep her out.

Claire sat up in her chair, more uneasy and now in a rush to boot. A slight violent urge to leave the room was uprising in her conscious. Glancing around quickly but carefully-- more towards the door than anything else--her mind racked for something to say but she failed. The room was too disgustingly quiet to think let alone break the silence. Nothing but the wiry ticking of an ugly yellow clock filled in the silence.

--Quiet like the long hallways of the Police Depart--No. She did not want to be here. She had to go. Now.

She was leaning her elbows on her knees to sit up when a soft reserved clearing of the throat came from the other side. With a halfhearted stare, Claire wondered if their previous subject would be dropped.

The `new topic' was any less inviting than the first.

“He sounds like a nice man. You're brother.”

“…Hah.”

Thirty minutes following and Claire emerged from a tall brick building entrance, looking a hundred times more uptight than when she first arrived. She pulled her jacket around her with a tight grip and headed to the stoop. Cars sped by the narrow streets as she made her way down and her bangs waggled above her forehead with each step she took. She stopped for a bit to admire the sky.

The weather had gotten cold and windy; a clear sign that winter was approaching.

On the last step, Claire looked ahead of her, and was not entirely surprised to see a large red four wheel drive parked as closest to the building entrance as possible. She crossed her arms and leaning on one foot she glared at the driver who opened the car door.

Typical over protective brother.

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When he got in the jeep, the first thing Billy noticed was the severe lack of space. For once, he carefully watched where he took a step as he maneuvered or more like crisscrossed his way past three long bumpers and an endless amount of cargo. The labeled boxes and crates all over were obviously of high value and he, despite how clouded his state of mind was, was careful not to be an ass and lazily knock over the secrets of Fort Knox's--for all he knew--in an open vehicle.

He came to a quick stop when he realized everything was piling up like a mountain as he went. Fortunately, he could see a spot of cleared carpet behind all the endless shit.

Sighing, he put his strained muscles to use and hefted himself over the load, He leaned one leg up, then the other, and hopped over in one move. The jeep wobbled slightly as he landed in the small amount of space provided.

Billy looked around a bit before sitting down in the tiny hole he was stuck in. The distance to the driver's seat could rival from the back of a limo.

“Comfy back there?”

The cons jaw set the thin line of a dull smile. He assumed the heavy mop of dirty blonde hair from afar was Leon. His guess was instantly confirmed when the driver threw back the mirror, reflecting his--if not puckish--then careless grin. Billy gave him a weak grunt in response.

“Dunno. If this is government shit like you said then I would have expected the red carpet treatment.”

Leon smirked as he hit the gas, and not like the agent had planned, the thing took its damned time to start. The engine wheezed, puffed and shook, sending the two left and right with slight jerks of its metal body. Leon's smile, lost in the last ten seconds was now replaced with a gritting scowl as he groaned and thrust the keys into the makeshift, digging the metal pick into the system with muffled curses.

Billy couldn't help but chuckle at the piece of shit they were driving in. His thoughts were fully confirmed.

"Government my ass."

Leon was just about to add something when the engine roared with afire and the jeep sped off into the dirt like it was shot out of a cannon. Winded, the agent quickly fumbled for the wheel and took control. Through the maddening struggle, the wind blowing in his face and the hot sun glaring against the head mirror, he could hear Billy shouting something, something most likely offensive. Leon chanced a glance over his shoulder and saw him lying partially on his back, arms and legs sprawled all over disordered boxes. He would have noticed the icy glare in his direction but was too distracted by the open mess that lay around him.

Leon groaned. There was going to be a long lecture after this.

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"And you? Coffee or tea with your meal..?”

The handsome brunette turned up from his drink and shifted towards the waitress. He handed her two menus with a generous smile.

“Neither. Thanks Cindy.”

“My pleasure Chris.” She answered sweetly, and in seconds she was gone and already serving another party.

Chris Redfield watched the young blonde scoot between tables with an awkward stride. His eyes narrowed slightly in concentration. He had been a frequent vaster at Avenue Queue and the first time he saw her walk that way he simply shrugged and passed it off as just another hangover from just another young teenager on the working job. But seeing it three weeks in a row...was she injured or just that reckless?

“ACL.”

“What?”

“Anterior Cruciate Ligament," The younger brunette muttered the explanation. Chris leaned over his shoulder and smugly replied with an "uh huh" and Claire snorted bluntly, but continued. “She has a knee fracture on her right leg,” Her mouth was in a childish pout as she sipped from the straw of her drink but the tone in her voice was serious…and he wondered why.

The older sibling leaned on his elbows, mildly amused for the moment.

“Says what, Doctor Redfield?”

Claire scowled at her brother's still smug face and sipped loudly from her iced coffee, ignoring the bitter coldness as it stung her teeth when she replied.

“Just a tidbit I learned from Rebecca." She cleared her voice loudly, fist raised when Chris hastily waved her down with a flick of his wrist, weary her sister was going to spill info that might lose someone a job. It was Claire's turn to smile smugly as she explained the details in a voice just above a whisper. "...Symptoms include bruises --which, she has a few on the back of her knee… ”

“So I see... Good work doctor.” Chris leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Was she beyond wrong? If Rebecca had been there with them she would have been the very first to notice. His grin grew as he compared Claire to the realm of science. Their family line was athletic and nothing of the smarts. If she was right then he'd eat his hat.

“Stop it Chris you look like an idiot.” Claire scolded and then reluctantly broke into a shy smile. “No wait. Never mind. It can't be helped I guess...”

“Ooh harsh.” Chris said and whistled absentmindedly as he dropped a straw impishly into his glass of water and began to stir it. Claire immediately released her smile and glared at her brother.

“Chris…”

“How was your visit?”

She watched him for a moment and dropped her gaze, a little less tense.

“Good.” Her voice was dry as she removed the straw from the older brunettes' drink, wincing at the heat that ran up her skin. “I found out something interesting.”

“Shouldn't that be Mellissa's' job?” The young brunette titled her head at the wry observation.

“Well see, she's a little slow…”

“Claire--“

“Where are you going every night, Chris? Are you really down at the construction site working on that complex building?”

“Of course.” He managed through barely gritted teeth.

“Liar.” She whispered with slight annoyance, she watched her brother sigh exasperatedly before looking out the window to his left.

“Quit staring.” Claire shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She cornered him easily but it took eight months in the making. The pressure he must have gone through alone… Maintaining composure was becoming an issue and she began to think they should have switched places the first time they arrived in Europe. There was no such thing as success under a one man army, only a leading and slow suicide.

“Chris I…”

“No I should have told you. I was wrong.”

“Chris if you've been going on it alone…”

“Alone?” The older Redfield choked down a chuckle and Claire felt a bit disturbed at the sudden change of mood as her brother broke into a quiet fit of laughter. “What? Are you crazy, Claire?" He asked breathlessly. "That's suicide; you know I'm out of that reckless phase...”

“Yeah, and I'm still in it.”

Chris chuckled deeply and Claire slowly joined him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Cindy enter from the kitchen, two steaming hot plates in her hands with a small smile. She scooted past the other clerks and busboys and reached their table with a hearty hello.

“No kidding.” He said quickly to his sister and smiled as Cindy placed their breakfast on the table. He saw Claire glance up from her coffee and share the same grin. The blonde waitress smiled sweetly in return, let them know she was running their check and sped off before neither of them gained a steady breath to ask her about her knee. Claire blinked before setting a look at her meal and Chris watched her as he stabbed a piece of egg from his plate, but couldn't bring himself to eat.

His sister... She was so young, lively, and pretty. He wished she could be off in another country now, studying safely in another college, far away from the organization he worked for that was just sixty miles from where they both sat… but the separation would be horrible to cope with and he knew she would never ever agree to it.

"Yeah..." He breathed. "No kidding."

TO BE CONTINUED

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Okay. Beware the authors rant…

I got my act together and was able to come up with a few good ideas...it's just...putting them together. I know, what author doesn't have this sort of problem? xD Anyway, I bumped a bit of comedy (dry comedy) into this chapter. (Thought the situation could use a little light seeing as it isn't always going to be sunshine and rainbows from here on out.) I also should add that at the moment, there is going to be no...how should I say...no action in the story..? I feel that at the moment, I'm not that fluid in describing tense moments like "punch" "kick" "bang" "bang" between the RE cast and those nasty zombies... But alas, if any action were to start it would be in the much later chapters...So I guess, you can say I have plenty of time to practice.. xD (But action isn't my thing...romance is...and yes, there will be small doses of that later on. Hehe.)

So please don't forget to review!