Chapter 56: Modern Design, Ancient Evil

When they arrived at the outer gate of the institute, Downing used his access card to lift the barrier blocking the way. An issue arose then. A loud beep, the kind that sounded when there was an error, rang.

“Now that is curious,” the British man said with a frown and tried the card again for the same results.

“Something’s wrong?” Claire was trying to see what was happening from the passenger seat.

Drowning gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s just my access card which isn’t working for some reason that escapes me. I’ll use my own code.”

As he got his arm outside the vehicle through the window to do just that Rick let out his thoughts. “Who has the authority to override your access?"

“At the institute? No one. There is of course the president, vice president and the board members but they need to be on site to order the change.” Drowning replied as he sat back down in his seat and drove forward once the barrier was completely up and the way clear.

“Then someone may have hacked your card. Your personal code worked after all.”

Claired turned her head to look at the back seat where Rick was. “You think they’re already here?”

Downing wasn’t of the same mind. “Security would have spotted them.”

“Not if they’re not inside yet.”

Rick’s reply brought up a heavy silence in the car. It was the whole point as he wanted to see how the director of the research division of WilPharma would react. From the rear mirror the man didn’t seem overly worried. The temptation to let his guts and bias put this lack of worry on the fact he was the culprit was tempting but he could also have absolute faith in security.

‘It’s also possible he sabotaged his own card himself to create proof he isn’t responsible and put focus on the alleged guilty party.’

The car was parked the closest possible from the entrance of the complex. Rick almost thought that as British, Downing would have parked in his own spot for ‘manners’ and made them lose even more time.

The man quickly led them through the door yet took his time to charm Claire with how special the building was. Recycle air inside, cut off from the exterior for not only comfort of the employees but most of all for security in case of an accident happening and a viral agent being released. That way it stays confined in the building.

It pissed Rick off greatly that with how dire the situation was, the man was subtly flirting with his ex by showing off the technology and security measures and protocols in place. It was obvious that he was making himself look good for the one member of the NGO that had been shitting on his company for a few months now.

It pissed Rick off even more to see Claire genuinely be amazed and responding to Downing’s charm. He kept his cool however. There was no clenching of jaw, no squeezing of his shotgun in hand, no scowl or frown on his face. He was the perfect rendition of a stone cold slab of ice, unbothered by anything.

“You’re started with level 1,” Claire spoke while looking at the display for visitor Drowning was showing her. “And each increase in level is an increase in the dangerousness of what’s being worked on at that level, then what’s happening in level Zero?”

“Level zero is where the laboratories and offices are. It’s actually where we’re going.”

Inviting Claire to go forward with an extended arm, Downing led them to an elevator. She kept asking questions with an interested tone while the man simply answered politely with a smile. Rick felt like a third wheel. The thought that Claire had moved on saddened him. He spent the last seven years in love with her, and from what he could see, she had moved on long ago. He was also furious. Not at her but at himself for not being able to do it. For wanting to grab her, pin her against the nearest wall and kiss her with everything he had while thrusting into her like his life depended on it.

‘Fuck! I better find a bitch to fuck once all this is over. I should ask Rachel if she’s… Probably busy as always. God, we were like two peas in a pod for five years and we saw each other once in the last two years. That needs to change. And I need to re-focus.’

The elevator stopped at the intended floor and everyone got out. Left and right were either offices, conference rooms or small labs. Opaque walls were optionals, everything was just transparent windows giving a perfect view of what was happening behind closed doors. Right until they arrived at the management’s offices. Downing’s was very private. No glass window but concrete walls, making sure that whatever was done or said inside it would stay confidential.

The office itself wasn’t really impressive. Not very very spacious nor luxurious. There wasn't a long coffee table with couches, or expensive paintings hanging on the wales or antiquated furniture. It was very sober, minimalistic and looked brand new. It was the kind of office design to look modern. Rick thought it looked sterile. Everything looked perfect but without a soul.

Claire went to the window to see the huge central garden at the center of the institute. It was quite the marvel and the tone of her voice let it be known that she was a bit awed by it. She hadn’t expected something that beautiful to be in a complex focused on creating vaccines and other medical drugs.

The last time she had been in such a place had been the Nest under Raccoon City and it wasn’t nearly as glamorous. Back then the greenhouse had been full of zombies, Ivies, lickers and very hostile giant plants. Nothing like what she had under her eyes.

Downing offered them tea, to which Rick declined. He wasn’t about to drink anything from a man he suspected was behind all the shit currently going on. His body may prey and feast on foreign pathogens; it wasn't immune to drugs or poisons. He internally cursed Claire when she took the cup and drank its content.

‘God dammnit… Why did she have to be so trusting? Oh, who am I kidding,” Rick inwardly sighed. ‘It’s because she’s always believing in people being good that I fell in love with her.’

While he was wondering if he could rip his heart out and keep on living like this, something that wouldn’t be possible as his heart would just regrow, Rick listened to the conversation his ex and the head of the research division were having. Downing was checking some data on his computer, talking with Claire about how great what WilPharma did for the people was.

It stopped when the man received a call that made his demeanor less flirty and charming and more subdued. From his position in the office, Rick could hear who was on the other end of the call thanks to his enhanced hearing.

“Yes, Senator.”

“I think you must be there right now.”

Downing replied in clear annoyance. “What do you want?”

“What do you want with that woman? And what about this BSAA agent? You’re not getting scared are you? Or feeling sorry for her? Did that young woman turn your head?”

Rick made a mental note to put a bullet in the Senator’s head before leaving on principle. Discreetly of course. The public murder of a Senator couldn’t be covered up. He had no doubt he wouldn’t say the inside of a jail, but he would be on a very tight leash held by the government for the rest of his life.

“This is absurd.”

“I hope so because this is our chance! We can’t miss the opportunity!”

“Yes, I know.” Downing replied with a frown yet his voice seemed unperturbed and detached.

The call ended there and Claire started asking questions. Blunt questions. Rick almost smiled at how simple minded she could be sometimes. Subtly was probably just a word in the dictionary for her at this point. It usually never got you the answers you wanted, not when you were dealing with a master manipulator but in this case it put pressure on Downing. Rick was ready to see how far the man was going to play this little game.

He wasn’t disappointed.

The British man deflected at first by being evasive and typing on his keyboard, eyes focused on the screen in front of him. Claire being Claire, she insisted with all the grace and meticulousness of a battering ram.

‘Ah, yes the hesitation, the guilty conscience speaking to him,’ Rick noticed when Downing fidgeted in his seat which suddenly appeared to be very uncomfortable.

Calming himself down, the man pulled up something on his monitor and Claire got closer to have a better look. Rick walked up to the desk for the same reason. What he saw made him frown. It was a video clip of what he could tell was a cellular organism.

Still with a contrite look, Downing made a revelation that sent both Raccoon City survivors into a barely masked panic and into a trip down memory lane. The nightmarish one.

“This is the G-Virus.”