Chapter 54: Connecting the Dots

Rick ended a call with O’Brian to update him on the situation. That he was alive for one and that the outbreak was about to be dealt with by the rangers on site. He learned that the fast acting of the military and not the FBC nor the BSAA had been sanctioned by the President himself.

An interesting piece of information which, to Rick, meant that POTUS wasn’t trusting the FBC much. The prime suspect for the Outbreak, at least in the public’s eyes, was WilPharma Corporation. Rick doubted that was the case, they had no motive for it. They were well funded by private investors and the government and while it was possible it was a political grab by the company to get more resources, the odds were low. It was a risky gamble to start a viral epidemic when already the company’s image was taking a beating from the release of India's clinical tests by Terra Save.

From what O’Brian told him, the word around was that the attack was done by a small terrorist group, led by a man called Curtis Miller. A former member of Terra Save who had been disavowed.

His opinion changed slightly when he saw half frozen trucks belonging to WilPharma drive inside the quarantine camp. Putting in a number he memorized into his phone, he called his ex-partner. To his surprise, she picked up.

“It’s me.”

Rachel’s voice came through and it sounded very annoyed. “I know, I recognize your number. What do you want? I’m busy.”

“You’ll never guess where…”

‘Harvardville airport.” She cut him off.

“...”

His stunned silence made her chuckle. “Come on. Your luck is the shitiest in the whole world when it’s about being at the wrong place and wrong time.”

Rick frowned at the jab mainly because it was true. “What’s happening on your side?”

“Nothing. Landsale is pissed that the president cut him off at the knee but otherwise, nothing. Your side?”

“O’Brian is pretty much the same but since I’m on site he’s sniffing around for information regarding who started the outbreak. So far it’s allegedly a small terrorist group led by a former member of Terra Save, blaming the government for its part in and cover up of the Raccoon City Incident.”

“Well, he’s not wrong.”

He wasn’t, no. From digging up here and there information during their time in the Unit, they had discovered that the president at the time, John Rotkins, had been willingly complicit in helping Umbrella with their illegal activities on US soil. He had been the one to cover everything up before officially resigning from office within months of Racoon City’s destruction and disappeared who knows where.

Rick and Rachel were pretty sure the man had been dealt with permanently by someone else. The list of suspects was long and among the names was the one of his successor in office. It was a low position however as the 43th president of the USA had secretly waged war against bio-terrorism and Umbrella. He has been the one to create the USSTRATCOM Leon was working for and the Unit Rick and Rachel had been part of.

“I think there is more to it. No official claims from the terrorists as of yet and the fact they got their hands on the T-virus… Something smells, Rach. Bad.”

“I know, I can smell it from Washington. The release of India’s clinical trials, the protests and now the terrorist attack. It’s not a coincidence. Someone is trying to stir up trouble.”

“Or multiple people without being aware of the others. Or one mastermind.” Rick pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered to himself. “God, this is a mess.”

Rachel heard him. “Can’t help you with it, sorry.”

Something caught his eye. It was Claire looking around suspiciously at the WilPharma trucks and the Senator speaking with who he recognized as Frederic Downing, the head of WilPharma research division. He had met the man for his investigation of the corporation’s complex and his friendly, polite and kind British demeanor had rubbed him the wrong way at the time.

Seeing him with the Senator, who from his appearance alone screamed ‘corrupt’, Rick knew something was afoot.

“Rach, I’ll call you back. If you can discreetly investigate someone named Frederic Downing, that’d be great.” He began to walk towards Clair who he knew was about to make a scene.

Rachel didn’t even bother to ask why. “Do you have more information on the man? It would make my search faster.”

“British, virologist. Head of the Research Division of the WilPharma’s institute in Harvardville.”

“That’s more than I expected but that will help a lot. It will take time for me to do that under the radar though so don’t expect something soon.”

“I have to go. Keep me updated and thanks for the help. Love you.”

Without waiting for her to reciprocate his goodbyes he ended the call. Claire, Downing and Senator Davis were having a talk and the former was letting her temper show.

He cut in and put a stop to the argument. “Is there a problem over here?”

“Captain Wald, I’m glad to see you’re alive.” Downing immediately greeted Rick with a bit of a warm tone. “I feared the worst when I heard about the epidemic.”

Rick gave him a polite smile in return. “Just another Tuesday for me, Director.”

Claire was dumbfounded and sounded appalled. “You know each other?”

“Briefly,” Downing replied. “Captain Wald spent the whole week investigating WilPharma to make sure nothing illegal was happening behind closed doors, despite what Terra Save believes and claims.”

Senator Davis chimed in with distaste. “Oh, so you were the inspector. Should have known.”

“You should have, yes.” Rick was keeping an eye on Claire and from her expression, he knew she was about to blow. “Are those what I think it is?” He pointed at the trucks.

“The vaccine for the T-virus, yes. I was about to explain it to Miss Redfield when you arrived.”

“Well, far from me to disrupt your work, Director,” He turned to Claire. “Miss Redfield, I'd like to have a word with you.”

“What?!” She didn’t not appreciate that. “Why?”

“I got word that the perpetrator of the terrorist attack is a former member of Terra Save. As a member yourself I have a few questions to ask of you.”

Rick forced himself to smile. His eyes were murderous however and was sending a clear message. He grabbed her by the elbow and began to drag her away. When she tried to protest and free her arm he squeezed harder and gave her another look.

“You know I have nothing to do with—”

“Play along,” He hissed very low.

She did but not without a scowl on her face. He dragged her a multiple of dozen feet away and pulled her behind a military truck after checking no one was around.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” She shouted loudly.

Rick’s volume was more controlled and his tone was not only calmer but ice cold. “I’m saving your ass, you meathead! You were interfering with something bigger than you! Terra Save fucked up royally and is about to suffer a huge backlash for the shit they pulled!”

“We did nothing wrong! Miller is not part of Terra Save anymore! The protest is about the illegal trials—”

“They’re not illegal!” He cut her off.

“There is no records—”

“That’s because the pictures you dumbasses got were taken three years ago!”

Claire’s eyes went so wide they were as big as saucer. Rick didn’t stop there.

“Do you get it now? Whoever made those pictures public in Terra Save is either an incompetent retard for not having checked their provenance and the date they were taken or someone who knew perfectly well the shitstorm it would create and how bad your NGO will look when everything is over!”

“I… but the pictures are clear—” Claire didn’t know what to think anymore.

Rick hissed again. “Those clinicals tests were done with the authorization of the US and India during an outbreak of the T-virus in 2002. It was either the prototype vaccine or a bullet to the head for the infected. It was unfortunately a failure.”

Still scowling, she asked for more information. “How do you know about this?”

He gave her the flattest of look. Once she interpreted as ‘Are you that stupid?’ It dawned on her what he was implying.

“You were there. Since the trials were a failure, you…” the rest of her sentence hung in the air, unsaid.

“This is top secret. I shouldn’t even talk to you about it but since you’re putting your nose where you definitely shouldn’t…” He stopped there and chose to take a deep breath to calm down. Claire was the only person that could get so easily under his skin and forced him to take a break to center himself.

With much less heat in her voice, she asked more intelligent questions this time. “What happened?”

“This doesn’t leave your mouth once you hear it. They’ll know you would be the one to talk and then know I was the one who told you. That will start a serious clusterfuck and plenty of very bad people are going to take adva—”

Claire waved her hand to dismiss his warning. “Yeah, yeah, no babbling. Now talk.”

He gave her a scathing look but obliged her. “In 2002, my unit got information about a dictator in India interested in bio-weapons. To see if it was viable as a way to gain military and political power for his nation.”

“Of course he did.” She said flatly.

He ignored her interruption and continued. “When we arrived there it was already too late. There was an outbreak of T-virus in a remote village. More than five hundred people were infected. We were able to contain it thanks to the topography and reported to POTUS.”

“Holy shit, the president?!”

“Will you shut up?!” He snapped and she closed her mouth with a sheepish look on her face. Once he was sure she wouldn’t interrupt anymore he spoke up again. “The dictator, seeing how everything was turning to shit, had contacted the US and asked for help. The president ordered us to guard the members of WilPharma who made the journey to test their new prototype vaccine for the T-virus. Since the people were going to die anyway without it, he gave exceptional permission to conduct those tests.

The pictures you saw weren’t the result of the prototype, they were results of the virus. It failed and we had to clean up. Our country and India agreed to cover up everything to not raise panic. Not when the world was already plunged in fear after 9/11.”

Claire frowned, thinking about what Rick had just revealed. Something didn’t make sense to her. “But if the trials are three years old, why didn’t WilPharma say anything?”

“Because they can’t. Not without the US government’s permission which… well… Admitting the US had a part in this will lit a fire that may not be quelled.”

“Why?”

Rick closed his eyes and muttered something unintelligible. “I can’t tell you that.” He finally said after thinking about revealing the involvement of a previous administration into Umbrella’s illegal activities. Previous or not, the United States were responsible. “And for your own good. Don’t ask. You have more important things to worry about anyway.”

“Such as?”

“Oh my god, it’s like speaking with Chris but worse.”

He was about to facepalm when Claire punched his arm with a frown on her face and shouted in protest. “Hey!”

“Shut it. It’s true and you know it.” For the third time, he took a deep breath to calm himself. “The pictures? Someone from WilPharma leaked them to Terra Save. Right at the time when Curtis Miller is arrested. That’s not a coincidence, Claire, that’s purpose. That’s manipulation. Then an outbreak of T-virus starting today? When the Senator is visiting the complex and the state of the vaccine’s production?”

“I saw him.”

Rick blinked, then gave her a blank look. “Yeah, I’m well aware, I saw the Senator too.”

“Not him! Curtis Miller!” She snapped. “He was here in the airport right before the outbreak started.”

“... Are you sure?”

This time it was her who gave him a blank look as if doubting her was a great offence. “A hundred percent.”

Rick began to pace around behind the truck under Claire’s watchful eyes. The presence of Curtis Miller puzzled him.

‘The man possibly risked his own life to start a viral outbreak of the T-virus but for what reasons? He blames the government’s involvement and cover up of Raccoon City so why not attack the government directly? Why attack Harvardville Airport instead and WilPharma when they’re producing a vaccine? That makes no sense. Something isn’t right here.’

“Rick?”

He ignored Claire and continued his thinking. ‘Where did he get the virus in the first place? And why the focus on WilPharma?’

“Rick!” Claired grabbed his forearm to make him stop pacing and turned him towards her.

“Wha—” He was interrupted by his phone ringing. Looking her right in her blue eyes, he picked it up. “Captain Wald.”

“Wald, it’s me.” The voice of O’Brian came through. “I got more information on Miller.”

“I’m listening, sir.” Rick raised a finger in front of Claire to indicate to hold on for a minute.”

“We may have a motive. He lost his wife and daughter in Raccoon City. When Wilpharma and the government presented the plans to build the institute of Harvardville back in 2002, he was one of the leaders of the protesters against the lack of transparency from the company. He’s quickly been ostracized for his extreme views and actions but that you already knew. What you didn’t, is that he was born and raised in Harvardville."

“Well that explains why he’s so violent toward WilPharma. He must see them as another Umbrella and in his own town. First Raccoon and now Harvardville… he clearly lost it.” He batted Claire’s hand when she tried to poked him to let her hear the conversation.

“Yeah, I think so too. He has a sister in the City. Angela Miller, she’s part of the police’s Strategic Response Team. Maybe she knows something.”

“I’ll search for her. Anything on WilPharma, sir?”

“No more than what you reported, why?”

Rick moved away and glared at Claire when she got to the ball of her feet to try to put her ear near the phone. “I got a hunch that not all is clean with them. No proof, just a hunch. Miller couldn’t possibly have gotten a T-virus sample on his own. Someone must have given it to him as he doesn’t have connections and he’s relatively unknown in the usual circles.”

O’Brian’s tone was thoughtful. “Hmm, you think someone at WilPharma gave it to him? That’s possible but for what purpose? What does WilPharma have to gain by pushing him to attack them?”

“That’s what I’m about to—”

Loud explosions, almost detonating at the same time, echoed throughout the quarantine camp. Rick and Claire immediately got out from their little corner to have a look.

“Wald? What’s happening? I heard—”

“Calling you back, sir.”

Rick ended the call and made his way towards the flames he saw from behind the medical tents. When he arrived at his destination he found Leon, the two officers who were with him in the airport, Downing and Senator Davis.

Claire exchanged a look with him and they just knew everything became even more complicated.