Chapter 63: The note

The sound of his phone’s ringtone was what woke him up. Sprawled onto the bed, face down, Rick removed the soft cotton shift covering him by moving an arm. Eyes still closed he used his hearing to locate the offending device that brought him out of his restful and peaceful sleep. Feeling his way around with his hand, he found what he was looking for.

A flip of the thumb and his phone and the press of a button and the line was opened. Bringing it to his ear he mumbled a greeting.

“Captain… Wald.”

“Wald, resting on your laurels?” O’Brian’s voice came through. The man sounded professional but Rick could recognize when he was pissed.

Too tired and not in the mood for the kind of reproachful conversation his boss wanted to have, Rick cut to the chase immediately. “Just resting, sir. I had to fight two outbreaks yesterday until deep into the night. One of them was a G.”

O’Brian’s snarky retort died in his throat and took a moment to process what he had just heard. “... A G you say?”

He was well aware of what a G was from Rick’s reports and from the ones he got here and there under the table from acquaintances in high places. The B.O.W was considered as the highest threat in the current times.

“Yeah. It’s a long story, but Curtis Miller injected himself with the G-Virus. Had to fight him alone in the ruins of WilPharma’s institute. It’s dead.” It was a bit of a lie. There had been rangers but they did nothing but get slaughters, Leon and Angela had helped which invalidated his statement but they did at the end and most of the fight was done by him.

“Damnit. If I hadn’t read your dossier, I’d say you’re bullshitting me.”

“I never do, sir. Now… What is this call about? I’d like to rest some more because I’m drained.”

“You punched a Senator, that’s what it’s all about! He’s creating a shitstorm for the BSAA.”

Rick frowned, thinking about the man in question then chuckled. “You don’t have to worry about that, sir. He’d be dead before the end of the week.”

“Wald… You’re not thinking of—”

“Not me, sir. Let’s just say Senator Davis was caught with his hand in the cookie jar and his backers will want to tie up loose ends to not be exposed.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. He was playing the stock market with WilPharma. Creating a need for the vaccine but also making a shortage to raise the prices… While he had nothing to do with the outbreaks, he was colluding strongly with the one responsible.”

“Who?”

“The head of WilPharma’s research division, Frederic Downing. Real name: Adam Striker. He worked for Umbrella in Nest. Escaped with the T-virus and a G-virus sample a few days before Raccoon City turned to shit. I’m pretty sure both were backed by a third party, despite having no proof. I’d bet on a pharmaceutical company, perhaps one funding us, which would explain why WilPharma agreed so fast to our investigation request.”

“Shit, that’s not good.”

“No. I’ll keep that out of my report. As for Davis, he’s dead either way. Either politically or literally.”

“What about Downing?”

“Alive and in custody of USSTRATCOM. We have an agreement regarding credit for the success. At the very least the BSAA will be named as having given assistance to the rangers and at best as the leading authority.”

“Good. Now get yourself back to Washington. I want that report yesterday and I want you to be examined.”

Rick frowned again, not liking at all the prospect of seeing a doctor. “I’m good, sir. No need for—”

“It’s protocol, Wald. After being in contact with a viral agent all members have to report to be examined. So you get your ass back—”

“Since fucking when?!” Rick finally opened his eyes in shock and outrage.

“Since two weeks ago. Don’t worry too much. I’ve been warned about not poking into your medical file too much from high places. Shit is more redacted than everything else in your dossier. While I’m curious, I won’t pry. We still need to follow protocol that’s why I hired an expert in the field. Someone you, Valentine and Redfield know very well and from what they said can be trusted with the information.”

“Who the fuck?!”

“Rebecca Chambers.”

Rick groaned in distaste. He didn’t want to see Rebecca. It's not like he held a grudge against her. He never did but things had been more than very awkward the last time they bumped into each other. Having her taking care of him

“Sir, what if… I can bring us a very competent Doctor? Not only a virologist but someone used to work with patients? And very well versed with the T and G viruses.”

“I’d say why didn't you mention that guy sooner? We’re cruelly missing competent people like that. That’s why I recruited Chambers in the first place.”

“They’re in witness protection because… Well… they’re former Umbrella and helped greatly with the trials. They turned a new leaf after Raccoon City. They’re well aware of… my medical file.”

O’Brian’s voice sounded as if he was being pulled from both sides. “I both like and don’t like what I’m hearing. But beggars can’t be chosers. If you trust that guy, it’s good enough for me. I will keep an eye on them though.”

“I’ll contact them with an offer but, sir.”

“Yeah, yeah, their identity will be protected. I wasn’t born yesterday.”

“See you tomorrow then.” Rick was about to end the call when he added a few more words. “And I want a two week vacation once I’m done with my report.”

“Sure, you got it, now move your ass and for god’s sake don’t find yourself in trouble for a while!” O’Brian ended the call right then, not giving the opportunity for Rick to reply.

Closing his phone and putting it back on the nightstand. Rick reached for the other side of the bed with his arm. He hoped that it would find Claire but knew it was more wishful thinking than anything. She would have said or did something about his phone ringing or would have snuggled against him during the call or been playful. Either drawing formless patterns on his chest with her fingers or playing with his morning woods. She had always loved doing that.

Nothing of the likes had happened and when his hand found nothing but empty space, he sighed.

The previous night had been magical. For the first time in seven years he had felt happy. After eating her out in the back seat of the SUV and giving her two more orgasms with his dick, Claire said they needed to find a hotel because the backseat wasn’t comfortable enough to take Rick’s violent and savage thrusts.

Rick hadn’t argued and took the seat behind the wheel. The whole drive Claire spent it with hand and mouth on his cock. It had been torture because she refused to let him cum. Twice he nearly crashed the car to the side of the road. Fortunately they made it to the nearest motel and after Claire paid for the night, almost ran to the room they got. They had barely stepped through the door that they went at it again. Almost the whole night. It was as if they were scratching a seven year itch.

It was even better than he remembered, Claire being even more aggressive and him meeting her blow for blow. Nothing had been off limits. Absolutely nothing. It all ended with Claire not able to take her last orgasm. Rick had mounted her and fucked her ass as if it was the last thing on Earth he could do before dying.

During their night of passion he thought that it was it. That they were finally reconnecting, finally getting back together. He even let it slip that he loved her during a particularly strong and powerful orgasm. They were in a mating press position and Rick was pumping into her with as much strength as he could without hurting her. Claire was holding onto him for dear life, scratching his back so deeply that she drew blood and using her legs to push him down deeper.

It was then he confessed. Her pussy walls contracted so hard he couldn’t pull back. Not like he wanted too. If anything he wanted to go even deeper and stay there forever. Claire came so hard that she squirted, completely drenching him, herself and the bed, moaning loudly his name while at the same time he confessed his love for her.

Neither had said anything about it afterwards. Whether they were recuperating from a climax or going back at it again. Not a single word. Rick hadn’t paid attention, too busy by the way Claire made him feel and more importantly how he made her feel. The thought never crossed his mind either when he repositioned her from a downward dog position to laying down on her side then snuggled her from behind, taking her in his embrace.

He didn’t hear a shower running, nor someone in the bathroom. The fragrance of her perfume still lingered in the air but it was faint, overwhelmed mostly by the odor of sweat and sex. The only heartbeat he heard was his own.

Claire was gone.

That broke his heart even more than it already was. Getting out of bed, he saw none of her clothes around, which was expected. He went to the bathroom to take a leak and a shower. To his surprise he found a note sticking to the mirror.

Rick,

I love you too. I really do. I never stopped and god knows, I probably never will. Seeing you again after all this time, I just knew there could be no one else but you. But I’m sorry. I can’t be with you for the same reasons as to why I broke up with you in the first place. Despite loving you so much.

I’m truly sorry,

Claire

His heart went from being broken to shattered. In his opinion the note was cruel. It gave him everything he wanted to hear, to know and took it all away in one swoop. He would have prefered if Claire had just left without saying anything. At least he would have known she didn’t feel the same. That she had moved on and that the previous night had just been her coping or just some fun or nostalgia.

Now, Rick found himself with the woman he loved, loving him back but not wanting to be with him. How was he supposed to move on from this? How was he supposed to have closure? To bury his love for her and start anew with someone else?

He couldn’t. There was no way for that to happen.

Crumbling the note in his hand shot it straight to the garbage can and went back to the bedroom to make a call. He needed to think of something else or he would lose it. Annette’s number was dialed, already a list of tasks forming in his mind. When the call connected he spoke first.

“Annette?”

Her tone was neutral and perhaps even a bit non-chalant. “You’re alive. That’s good.”

“I’m sorry for not calling you sooner to say the threat was gone.”

“Hmhm.” It was clear she was pissed and had spent the whole night sleeping with her gun under her pillow. That is, if she slept at all.

“Look.. I fought a G, so I was more than a bit exhausted to think of calling you. Sorry. Shit happens, that’s life.”

Annette went straight to the point. She didn’t care about his excuses. “What do you want?”

“The fight left me butt naked. I have a lab coat to dress myself but that’s not enough. Lost everything but my phone and—”

“And you want me to bring you some clothes and be your taxi.” She cut him off again.

“I will pay you back later.” Rick meant it. “Or in nature. I’m already at a Motel outside Harvardville, the No Tell Motel if you want. I also have a job offer.”

He heard her sigh in resignation through the phone. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

“Thank—” She ended the call. “You.”

With twenty minutes to spare, Rick went back to the bathroom for a really needed shower.