Chapter 57: Echoes of G

Memories of a monstrosity with a giant on its shoulder came to Rick’s mind on the spot at Downing’s declaration. The unrelenting chase, the hit, the defilement of his body then last but not least his impalement on giant claws. Everything that happened the very night he met Claire in Raccoon City had come back full force at the front of his mind. The terror. The horror. Everything.

And he wasn’t the only one. Rick didn’t need to look to the side, at Claire, to know she had just experienced the same thing. He could sense how her body tensed without sparing a glance.

“How you got a sample of the G-virus aside…” Rick started with, his voice steeled. “If people, the wrong kind of people, learn that you have it… It will be a shitstorm. They would stop at nothing to get their hands on it.”

Downing shook his head. “The company doesn’t know. Nor do the government affiliates. We… Obtained it through unsavory people and means that neither the Senator nor I can be known to be associated with.”

“The black market?” Claire finally found her voice, still dumbfounded by what she had just heard.” You found it on the black market?”

Cold sweat dripped along Rick’s spine. “Are you saying… That the G-virus is available to purchase to any bio-terrorists wannabe in the world?”

It was bad. Really, really bad. The G-Virus was the worst virus he had encountered so far. Anyone infected with it directly was a calamity wanting only to spread and mutate. The people infected through patient zero ended like Irons, with a G-worm sprouting from their chest like a chestbuster in Alien. That worm then quickly grew up and made a nest to proliferate, becoming one of the abominations that he and Claire had to fight in the sewers all those years ago.

Unchecked the whole of the United States could be infected in less than six months. It wasn’t the fastest virus to proliferate, the award went to the T-Veronica, but it was the most dangerous ever recorded so far.

“Yes.” Downing confirmed. “I’ve been discreetly keeping an eye on the Black Market for such reasons. Not just the G-Virus but any new virus.

Claire didn’t understand his motives. “Why? What do you intend to do with it? The G-virus alone… The T-virus is a bad joke compared to it.”

With conviction and a plea of understanding in his voice Downing gave her an answer. “To make a vaccine! Whether we want it or not, the authorities can’t control the creation and sale of viral agents. Terragrigia is the perfect evidence of that.”

She was taken aback. “What does Terragrigia have to do with this?”

Rick explained it to her.” The virus used for the outbreak is still unknown. Mainly because the FBC destroyed all evidence when they nuked the city.”

“How do you know about that?” Claire asked with a frown on her face. The one Rick had always found cute.

A sigh escaped the BSAA agent. “Because I was there on vacation when it started. I have enough experience with B.O.W. made with the T-Virus to know it hadn’t been used for the attack.”

“That’s the reason why I keep a close eye on the black market. To acquire any new virus with the hope of developing a cure for each one of them.” Downing chimed in at the right moment to defend his actions. “Unfortunately, even Senator Davis couldn’t express to the government the need for it. Nor how dangerous the G-virus is and how imperative it is to work on a vaccine for it.” He let out a dramatic sigh. “The project was shelved and the virus put under lock in Level-4 on order of the Senator who was part of the committee who decided to purge Raccoon City.”

Rick silently ticked at that. It was such an out of the blue statement to make. Irrelevant regarding G but not regarding Curtis Miller. It could explain why the man had attacked the Airport when it was known Senator Davis would be there.

Claire turned to Rick. “Did you know?” He gave her a blank look which irritated her. “You were here to investigate WilPharma, no?”

“About the T-Virus, the vaccine and the Trials. Nothing else.”

“Did you even bother to search?!” She snapped at him.

He wanted more than anything to snap back for the implication she was making. That he didn’t do his job properly. “The BSAA has no legal authority to start an investigation into private business without explicit evidence of wrongdoings.”

“Then how—”

Downing cut Claire of. “The BSAA contacted us. They politely asked if they could have a look at our research regarding the T-Virus as a response to the alleged illegal clinical trials the company had conducted in India. In normal times, the request would have been declined but… with the release of those damaging photographs to the media, the company agreed and invited an agent to observe what we do on the condition of the signature of a NDA and to only look at the T-virus research and nothing else.”

“The report I was about to write once back to Washington will clear WilPharma of any wrongdoings about the situation at hand.” Rick finished. “The only thing I’ve seen for a week are the laboratories regarding the T-virus, the data obtained from its study, the development of the vaccine and the data from clinical trials. Nothing else. And everything was in order.”

Claire stayed silent. Searching for any hint of deception in Rick’s cold eyes. What she found was annoyance but nothing else. Realizing she had let her temper get the best of her, she pulled out her phone.

“I need to tell Leon.”

As she pushed the numbers, Downing appeared panicked. “What will happen to me? If the government learn—”

Claire gave him a cold look but before she could open her mouth, Rick spoke first.

“Nothing.” Man and woman looked at him. “Nothing will happen to you. You did the government’s job. Sure they won’t be happy about it but you’re clean, so they won’t bother you much. Either they leave you alone while keeping you under surveillance or they hire you.”

“Are you kidding me?!” Claire was outraged and for good reasons.

“No”. His blank expression didn’t prove otherwise. “That’s how the government operates. Now, call Leon. He still needs to know about the possibility of Miller having the G-Virus so he can prepare, no matter how small the odds are.”

His phone rang and he picked it up. The number on the display was O’Brian’s. “Excuse me.” He answered the call and walked to the other side of the office. “Captain Wald.”

“So you’re alive.”

Rick internally winced, remembering he had told his boss he would call back and hadn’t so. “I am. It has been a bit hectic over there. Someone blew up the trucks with all the vaccines and I had to move fast to secure the data about it and make more.” All the while he kept an eye on Claire and Downing. “I found Angela Miller. By a stroke of luck, she was working with an agent of USSTRATCOM and we escaped together the airport. Since the agent had everything in hand, I prefered to go to WillPharma’s institute as a body guard. Forgot about reporting in, my apologies.”

“I understand. I don’t like it but I understand. Any news on Miller?”

“None but I suspected he’s around. A hunch, sir.”

“Alright. If you can arrest him or help with his capture, do so.”

“Good for the BSAA, I know.” Rick rolled his eyes at the political agency of his boss. Not like he could or would blame O’Brian. With the FBC in play the BSAA was more or less playing second fiddle at the moment and it wasn’t good. A success like this one would boost the NGO’s image and undermine their rivals.

“It’s good you’re aware of our situation. Good Luck and don’t get yourself killed. I’d rather you alive than dead with Miller in our custody.”

Rick wondered how that made sense since he was the sole BSAA agent present. “Touching, sir. Call you when I can.” He ended the call and as he was putting back the phone in his pocket it vibrated. Flipping it open again he saw a text message from Rachel.

“Frederic Downing didn’t exist before October 3rd 1998.”

That was all the message said. His reply was a simple “I owe you one, Love you.” Making sure to not look straight at the man, an idea crossed Rick’s mind. Immediately he wrote a long text with instructions to Annette.

“I’m sure you saw the news. I need your help, it’s important. Go to WilPharma’s website and search for the picture of Frederic Downing. He’s Head of the research division of the WilPharma complex in Harvardville. I need to know if you know the guy under a different name. Hole up into your home and have your gun at hand. I don’t foresee any trouble coming your way but better safe than sorry. I don’t want to tell Sherry something happened to you when I could have prevented it. I’ll visit as soon as I can.”

Rick just finished typing the text when Downing left the office to go check on a problem in the server room. Now alone with Claire, he went straight behind the desk to have a look at the man’s computer while she was still on the phone with Leon. Her attention was however divided on watching him.

“What is it?” He asked her as he searched the files for any incriminating information on the British man. No side glance was spared for her.

Claire didn’t answer and kept talking with Leon. But clearly, what Rick was doing was something she didn’t like as indicated by another frown on her face.

The telephone on the desk rang and Rick picked it up after exchanging a glance with his ex. He put it on speakers and signaled Claire to do the talking.

“Claire!” Downing sounded agitated, almost panicked.

Claired noticed and immediately her attitude shifted to naturally mimicked his. “Frederic? Where are you?”

“In level-4.”

“Why? You said you were going to the server room?”

“I saw someone suspicious on my way down and I followed them. Is Captain Wa—Oh god.” His tone turned from panicked to utter terror.

“Frederic?! What is it?”

“A bomb! There is a bomb in—”

Rick didn’t think twice. Not even once really. His body moved on its own and he tackled Claire protectively to the ground, just as a massive explosion shook the whole complex.