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1.1

Two Months Later

BSAA New York HQ

“I don’t like him.”

Rebecca Chambers didn’t need to look to know that her friend was frowning. 

Ever since the BSAA higher-ups approved joint operations with Tricell-Umbrella personnel, Jill Valentine had been stuck in a decidedly sour mood. Not that Rebecca could blame her. The incident at the Spencer Mansion was years in the past, but the deadly mark the old Umbrella left on the world was bleeding even still.

The short and slight medic spared Jill a quick glance. Standing at 5’6”, Jill was only slightly taller than Rebecca’s diminutive 5'3”, but the way the older woman carried herself more than made up for her lack of size. With the calm confidence Jill had in the field, to Rebecca she may as well have been a towering Amazon. The sharp, steely look in Jill’s icy blue eyes only hammered that feeling home. Rebecca could tell that Jill Valentine wanted to break some bones.

Rebecca said nothing at first, instead following Jill’s line of sight. It didn’t take long to find the object of her friend’s ire. Jill wasn’t keen on any of the Tricell-Umbrella goons, but there was one in particular that seemed to rub the STARS veteran the wrong way. 

He stood at the other end of the briefing room, gathered with the rest of the corporate mercenaries, the goons brought over from Tricell-Umbrella. But he wasn’t just another rent-a-thug meathead. Just from the way he carried himself, the tension in his stance, the sharpness of his gaze, he stood apart. He was more. And he was big.

Commander John Dalton cut a noted presence just by being. Rebecca had him pegged at a towering 6’6”, easily the tallest of anyone in the room. And geared up as he was, suited and booted, he seemed even bigger. His blond hair was cut short, almost a buzz cut, and his green eyes were cold and hard as steel. Mesmerizing too, in their own way. Rebecca could imagine just staring into them - when they weren’t sending fearful chills down her back, at least. 

Perhaps it would have been better if Dalton was ugly, pig-faced like all the other meatheads she and Jill had the displeasure of running into in years past. But alas, this was not the case. John Dalton was handsome. Most unfortunate.

A sharp, chiseled face, like he was sculpted into the form of the perfect man. Prominent jawline, dimpled chin, kissable lips… even the slight crookedness of his Roman nose gave his face more personality instead of acting as a blemish. And his body…

Wide, firm shoulders. Big arms. Powerful chest. Flat stomach. Tree trunk legs. The man wasn’t just solidly built. He was the definition of solid. 

It was… difficult for Rebecca to keep her eyes off of him. And with the wry smirk that often played on his lips, like he knew something no one else did, he had an air of roguishness that reminded Rebecca of Billy Coen.

But despite the obvious eye candy, it was clear that Dalton reminded Jill of somebody far worse than an escaped convict. And Rebecca had a good idea who.

“Tall, blond, sharp eyes.” Rebecca muttered, nudging Jill with her elbow. “Remind you of anybody?”

Jill gave Rebecca a short nod, her eyes narrowing at Dalton. The former STARS operative deepened her frown, her beautiful Eurasian features twisted by the sheer dislike she held for this man, this intruder. Rebecca knew exactly what her friend was thinking: that the shadow of Albert Wesker lived. And he was standing in this very room.

Rebecca watched as Jill bristled in silent anger. Rebecca herself stewed in dread as memories of the Spencer Mansion came rushing back to the surface of her mind. A very bad night. And still the nightmare continued. Otherwise the BSAA wouldn’t have been formed. And Rebecca and Jill wouldn’t have been standing in this briefing room.

“He even works for Umbrella. The Tricell merger doesn’t mean jack shit. They’re the same damn corporation.” Jill spoke calmly, quietly, but it was clear that she was fuming. She turned to face Rebecca then. “Have you read his file?”

“What little of it I could.” Rebecca sighed, tightening her lips. “I found a lot of black ink. Strange for an Army Ranger.”

“Former Army Ranger.” Jill reminded her. The distaste in her words was almost venomous. “He’s not a serviceman anymore, he’s a mercenary. An Umbrella hired gun. That’s who the BSAA tells us to get in bed with these days…”

This time it was Rebecca’s turn to frown. As much as she admired Jill, it could not be denied that the STARS golden girl had become a bit more jaded in recent years. But it was to be expected. How many zombie outbreaks and bioterror attacks could a woman endure and still be an idealist?

“Most of our team is former military, Jill.” Rebecca reminded Jill in turn.

“And after they mustered out, they joined up with STARS and then with the BSAA. Not with some megacorp.” Jill shot back. “We fight for a cause, Rebecca. Dalton and his Umbrella mercs fight for a paycheck.”

Rebecca let her friend’s words stew in her mind. Even back when they were in STARS, Jill had been the more worldly of the two. Certainly, she was the more experienced. And that gave her position more weight, didn’t it? But Rebecca was reluctant to write off Dalton and the other corporate personnel. Even if he did remind her of Wesker. Judging people based on their appearance was wrong, wasn’t it? That’s what American kids were taught in school right off the bat!

“He volunteered for this mission, same as us.” Rebecca said without thinking. Jill may have given her a pointed look, but there was no one more surprised than Rebecca herself. She couldn’t believe she was defending a corporate mercenary.

“I’m just saying…” Jill huffed, unwilling to get into it with the short medic right before the briefing. The taller woman leaned over then, nudging Rebecca’s arm. Jill’s next words came low and quiet. “We need to be careful around these Umbrella guys, Rebecca. We need to watch each other’s backs.”

“Always.” Rebecca said, nodding. And Jill gave a nod in turn.

The chatter in the briefing room suddenly died down. Rebecca was curious as to why, but only for the briefest moment. Beyond the now-hushed voices of the strike team personnel, Rebecca could hear the sound of high heels clicking against the tile floor. And those footfalls, steps taken with purpose and pride, they thundered louder than a giant’s.

She was here, Rebecca realized.

Tricell-Umbrella’s very own ice queen strode into the room then. The tall, the beautiful, the immaculate Excella Gionne. With her lustrous brown hair wrapped in a tight bun and her lush, ample body poured into a very low cut dress of shimmering silver, the new Director of Anti-Bioterror Operations looked like a goddess in the flesh. The woman was radiant… And in Rebecca’s opinion, dressed completely inappropriately for the situation at hand.

Director Gionne was another reason why Jill was displeased, Rebecca knew. Even aside from the absurdity of strutting around BSAA HQ like she was on the runway at a fashion show, Excella was a cold, ruthless woman. Supposedly, at least. Neither Rebecca nor Jill had heard particular good things about the woman. And they hadn’t heard good things about her company, Tricell, either. Rumors, scandals, controversies, Excella had been the subject of many. But there was nothing concrete, nothing confirmed. 

Excella Gionne may have looked like an angel, but there wasn’t a virtuous bone in her body. Just from looking at her, Rebecca had alarm bells going off in her head. Even worse than what she felt from Dalton.

And now she’s running the show…

It wasn’t right, Rebecca knew, to have someone so closely connected to Umbrella overseeing BSAA operations. But reality had a funny way of ending up twisted, didn’t it?

Rebecca’s eyes followed Excella as she strode to the front of the room. All eyes were on her, in fact. 

No doubt because of her heels, Rebecca thought dryly. If nothing else, the woman can command attention.

Director Gionne stood before the strike team personnel, her flawless, pale face sporting a cold serenity. It was the calm arrogance that came with knowing that no one could touch you. The corporate queen looked out over her subjects from the podium, her gemstone earrings and golden necklace gleaming under the light. She really did look like a goddess, Rebecca reluctantly conceded. Every last bit of her appearance was calculated perfection. She was beauty made flesh, a stunning vision. And commanding, much to Rebecca’s shock.

“Be seated.” Excella ordered in her silky smooth voice. A faint Italian accent colored her words. The strike team, both BSAA and T-U operatives, took their seats. The Director of Operations continued. “I’m assuming you’ve all done your homework so I’ll keep this brief. Thirty hours ago, the city of Toronto was struck by an act of bioterrorism. Though the Canadian government has contained the worst of it, local forces have yet to extinguish the BOW threat.”

Behind her, the operations screen flickered on. Live footage from the city was on display. It did not look good. The echoes of Raccoon City rang out even today. Beside her, Rebecca could practically sense Jill fuming at the footage.

“Who does the BSAA believe is responsible?” Jill blurted the question out, but Rebecca was not shocked. Though calm in the field, Jill Valentine was as hot-headed as they came. And nothing made her more furious than bioterrorists.

Rebecca’s eyes darted towards Director Gionne, just in time to see the ice queen lift her chin some, somehow adopting an even prouder aura. The self-regard of the disgustingly wealthy knew no limit, it seemed.

“All the information you needed to know came in the mission dossier, Agent Valentine.” Excella answered curtly. 

Rebecca frowned, irked by the woman’s blatant disdain for them. And if Rebecca was irked, that meant Jill was pissed.

“We’re putting our asses on the line and you’re keeping us in the dark?” Jill was standing then, drawing some amused chuckles from the T-U mercs. 

Rebecca shot the meatheads a hard look, though that just seemed to delight them more. Even Dalton, normally the most composed of his bunch, wore a pleased grin. The shine in his eyes told Rebecca that neither she nor Jill registered as anything close to a threat. And that realization made her cheeks burn hot with anger.

“This is a sensitive operation.” Excella answered coldly, flicking a speck of nothing from the podium with disinterest. She didn’t even bother looking in Jill’s direction then. “One that your superiors believe requires discretion. If that’s too much for any of you to handle, feel free to resign.”

Jill stood, her heated eyes lasering in on Director Gionne. The tension was palpable. All awaited what the hot-head and the ice queen would do next. A moment passed… And Jill Valentine sat back down.

Rebecca was shocked, but her friend had indeed backed down. Jill said nothing, crossing her arms. The anger, though… that was still there. Rebecca could see it in Jill’s eyes. Furious blue burning bright. But somehow, Jill remained calm, composed. It was an eerie sight. One that sent a chill down Rebecca’s back.

Back up on the podium, Director Gionne continued the briefing.

“The authorities have managed to cordon off a section of the downtown metropolitan area, containing the BOWs. This is the red zone. That is where you will be heading.”

On the screen, an overhead view of the zone in question flickered on beside the live footage of Toronto. Rebecca could see that it encompassed several city blocks. She herself hadn’t had much experience with urban disaster areas, but Jill had gotten a lifetime’s worth at Raccoon City.

“I know that for some of you, your first instinct will be to jump into action and fight this.” Excella continued, pointedly not eyeing Jill. “But I will tell you now: American heroics are not the purpose of this mission.”

Rebecca glanced at her friend, fearing a shouting match might break out in the briefing room. Indeed, from her eyes alone it was clear that Jill was positively steamed. But Rebecca saw that her friend was keeping herself level. The STARS veteran bit her tongue. When Rebecca turned her eyes back towards Excella, she caught sight of the faintest grin tugging at the woman’s full, perfect lips.

Director Gionne, so smugly satisfied, raised her hand and gave a sharp snap of her fingers. 

An image of an Asian woman appeared on the screen. Just like Excella, this woman possessed a model’s beauty. She had a regal, sculpted face and flawless pale skin. One of the mercs gave a wolf whistle, earning him a dark look from Excella.

“This is Ladybug.” Director Gionne announced, gesturing towards the mystery woman’s image. “She is your VIP. And she’s currently trapped in the Toronto red zone. Alpha Team’s objective - your only objective - is her safe return to BSAA custody. Her last recorded communication with her BSAA contact was traced to a Tricell research facility located under the corporation’s Toronto HQ.”

“I can’t be the only one getting deja vu.” Rebecca heard Jill mutter under her breath.

Up on the podium, the Director continued on.

“Alpha Team will insert into the red zone, access the research facility, locate Ladybug, and extract her. This should not be difficult. I expect no mistakes.” 

The woman’s words came cold and severe. No softness, no sympathy. Ruthless. As expected from the Tricell Ice Queen.

A deep voice followed, rough and booming. A man’s voice. And somehow Rebecca knew exactly who it belonged to.

“Rescuing a princess from the castle, huh? I guess some things never change.”

Dalton’s crude joke got some hearty laughs, mostly from his fellow Umbrella mercs. But some of the BSAA guys chuckled as well. Even Excella, who had put Jill’s back-talking on ice, seemed merely dismissive of the man’s wisecrack rather than overtly scornful. Rebecca and Jill though - especially Jill - didn’t particularly appreciate the man’s chauvinistic sense of humor. Both of them shot a glare his way. Not that he noticed or even cared, but it was the solidarity with their fellow woman that counted.

“I can assure you, Commander Dalton, that Ladybug and the data in her possession are worth far more than royalty.” Director Gionne spoke flatly. Excella looked out over her operatives, her cold, blue eyes scanning them like one would inspect a tool or a weapon. Rebecca didn’t like the feeling. “You’ve all faced BOWs before. You know the mission. You know the objective. Failure is inexcusable. The helo departs in one hour. Dismissed.”

This was it, the start of their wild ride. Rebecca took a deep breath.

The men and women of Alpha Team began to rise from their seats… And Director Gionne had already vacated the podium, taking long, purposeful strides towards the door. A corporate empress like her had better places to be, after all, and more important things to do. Rebecca watched her leave with a scowl. 

“I don’t like her, either.” Jill bit out. This time, Rebecca couldn’t disagree.

The operatives began to file out of the briefing room. But for a moment, Rebecca locked eyes with the walking slab of muscle called John Dalton. 

He looked right at her, his sharp green eyes skewering right into her soul. It was like being struck by lightning, her whole body going tense. 

Dalton didn’t just stare, he drank her in. She felt his eyes raking down her short, slender body. She was dressed in urban combat fatigues, boots, tactical pants, and kevlar. And somehow Dalton was making her feel naked. 

Deep down, in the pit of her belly, Rebecca knew that the man liked what he saw. There was hunger there, swirling in those predatory eyes. It sent a deep shiver down the medic’s back.

The feeling was clear as day, apparent as any feeling could be. But Rebecca ignored it all the same. It was pre-mission jitters, she told herself. But in the back, the far back of her mind, the debate still raged: Rebecca couldn’t tell if Dalton was making her feel wary… or excited.

Then Dalton flashed a friendly grin and winked.

Rebecca Chambers swallowed. Perhaps the debate in her mind would be settled. But she dreaded to know the answer.