Chapter 82: After the Monsters, the Men

Raymond wasn’t cuffed or tied up again. Not like he had anywhere to run on a helicopter in flight. Rachel kept an eye on him nonetheless. By her side, Barry was keeping an eye on a still unconscious Jessica. He couldn’t believe that the woman was a mole working for Morgan Lansdale. The whole ordeal with Il Veltro was something he wasn’t very knowledgeable about beyond their attack on Terragriagia the previous year but he knew his friends well enough to trust them. Chris and Rick’s testimonies, two honest men, had weight.

The revelation of Landsale’s crimes and O’Brian’s plan to take the man down had been a shock. Neither Barry nor Parker were very happy with their boss doing the things he did but they understood why.

Parker was surprised by Rachel’s presence here. Raymond was O’Brian’s mole and a key element for the head of the F.B.C. 's fall but the blonde woman was a mystery. He remembered her as an outgoing and flirty one albeit keeping her private life to herself. Jessica and her couldn’t stand each other as their personalities were more or less the same. Divas and drama queens acting like rivals or enemies.

“Really? You were rivals with that thing?” Rick asked while probing Jessica’s prone form with the tip of his boot.

Rachel shrugged. “In her dreams perhaps. I just played an act for my cover.”

“Wow, wow, wow. Wait a minute! What cover?” Parker asked through the pilot headphones.

Rachel gave her former colleague an amused smile. “If I tell you, Parker. I’ll have to kill you.”

“Riiight.” Nobody could see his face but his tone made it clear he wasn’t convinced.

Rick gave credence to her words however. “She’s telling the truth. Nobody is supposed to know for whom she’s working for.”

That ticked Barry. “And you know because? And how do you two know each other in the first place?”

The former partners shared a mutual glance and Rachel shrugged again. Rick looked at Barry with a smirk. “I ’ll have to kill you if I tell you, Barry. Honestly, some answers are not worth it. The less you know, the better for everyone involved.”

That made Barry make a very unhappy face, prompting Rachel to laugh.

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” She sighed when she got her laughter under control. Taking a deep breath she explained herself. “Since the F.B.C. is probably going to get shut down, my mission will be over and it’s time for me to quit.”

It surprised Rick who understood she didn’t mean quit fighting bio-terrorism but working for the government. She gave him a nod to indicate that yes, he understood her clearly, then continued her explanation.

“I’m working for President Graham. My mission was to observe and report to him what was happening in the F.B.C. behind the scenes. With the War on Terror, he feared that the F.B.C. would be used to nefarious ends and became too big to be controlled. Considering the situation today, he was right to do so.”

“Holy… So you’re a bona fide spy?” Rick couldn’t tell if Barry was impressed or shocked out of his wits.

Rachel laughed again at the absurdity. “Something like that.” She leaned to the side to rest her head on Rick’s arm.

The former STARS wasn’t done with his question and gave Rick a curious look. “So you’re spying on the BSAA for the pre—”

“No. I haven’t seen the president or been in contact with him since early January 2004. He wanted me to but I declined. Accepting meant I stayed in the army and I was done.”

“Then how did you two…” Barry waved at the two of them.

“That is really classified.” Rachel answered with a bit more serious than before. “Let’s just say before my spying job, we were partners and leave it at that.”

Parker shook his head. “I don’t know how you guys do it. Keeping secrets like this… Doesn’t it eat at you?”

“It would if we had close ones.” Rachel replied. “I’m lucky I have this idiot.” Her head bumped against his arm. “It’s also why I’m retiring. That kind of life takes a toll and you need to get out before there is nothing left of you.”

Rick hummed his agreement, while his eyes shifted to the back of the Chopper where Jill and Chris were on a video call with O’Brian. They were updating him on the events which happened on the Queen Zenobia.

Rachel and Jill had found proof of Lansdale’s involvement with Il Veltro and the development of the T-Abyss. Unfortunately, the evidence were reports and notes, found inside the lab. The man’s name was quoted a few times. A praise here, a blame there but it was all circumstantial. It wouldn’t help much with taking him down.

Jessica was a key witness but it could be argued that she was lying. Working for the BSAA it was easy to dismiss her words as an attempt to frame Lansdale. As such the only option left was to catch the surviving leader of Il Veltro: Jack Norman. Nobody would be able to doubt the man and odds were high the man had incriminating evidence of Lansdale’s involvement with the terrorist organisation.

The issue at hand was that nobody knew where the man was.

Jill and Chris finished their visio-call and filled everyone in. From their faces, the mission wasn’t over by a mile and there was more trouble on the horizon.

“O’Brian found out where Jack Norman is.” Chris announced, taking everyone by surprise. Even Rick’s eyebrows rose in total disbelief.

His question was legitimate. “Did he find out now, or did he know beforehand?”

It was Jill who provided him with an answer. “Less than an hour ago. He had Norman’s video’s signal tracked.”

“And?” Barry inquired.

Rachel was more explicit. “Where is the guy?”

“Inside the Queen Dido.” Chris was already rearming himself with the gear available on the helicopter.

“Another Queen?” Rick frowned. “Please tell me it’s not the sister of the Zeno—”

“It is.” Jill sighed with resignation, tired of George Trevor’s legacy popping up everywhere bio-terrorism was involved. “Three ships were made. The Zenobia, the Semiramis and the Dido.”

“The Semiramis blew up hours ago. Jessica and I barely escaped it.” Chris tucked shotgun shells on a belt for them.

“Wait,” Raymond interrupted, a frown on his face. “Isn’t the Dido, the ship that the F.B.C. sunk during the Terragriagia Panic?”

Jill nodded. “It is. How Norman and the rest of Il Veltro survived is a mystery but it means we’re going to have to dive.”

Rick sighed and stood up from his position on the chopper’s floor. “Joy.”

“Nu-huh. Chris and I are going. You guys have a more important job.”

“Like what?” Rachel joined her ex-partner on her feet.

Chris explained the situation and it wasn’t good. “O’Brian cut the transmission short. Lansdale and the F.B.C. showed up to the BSAA HQ in Catalina. They’re arresting him for being the one behind Il Veltro and the attack on Terragrigia.”

“What an asshole.” Barry grunted, scowling.

“He’s putting his own crime on O’Brian’s shoulders. Can’t say it’s not clever. It's not good either for the BSAA. Lansdale will have absolute control on everything. I supposed we’re to go there and… What exactly?” Rick wondered aloud.

“We have enough proof to arrest Lansdale at the very least,” Jill pointed at Rick’s backpack into which Rachel had stored the flimsy evidence they had. Alone it would never lead to a conviction but it was sufficient to put cuffs on the man.

“And how?” Barry interjected. “We’re in Italy, we can’t get a warrant. Lansdale is so far up the food chain I can’t see anyone ready to issue one at this hour. The sun is barely rising.”

“Hm…” Having an idea in mind, Rachel walked to the computer Jill and Chris used to contact O’Brian. Entering a number through the BSAA communication program, she made a call.

Rick immediately understood what she had in mind and chuckled.

“What is she doing?” Barry asked him.

“She’s calling POTUS.” Rick smirked. “Landsdale is technically a terrorist and US affiliated. By the time we make it to HQ, odds are high an international warrant will be waiting for us.”

He was correct. Rachel, after giving her credentials and speaking in code was put on the line with the President. She didn’t waste time babbling and went straight to the point. First she reported the reason for her call and then the findings on the Zenobia and finally her request to be given the authority, to her and Rick, to arrest Landsale. It was a ten minute conversation and Rick was impressed by the president simply listening without interrupting. He may not have voted for the man (nor his opponent) but credit was due where it was due. President Graham was a smart man who knew when to speak and when to listen.

“Yes, sir,” Rachel said. “An arrest at the very least. The rest is a gamble but…” She looked at Jill and Chris. They were ready for their excursion under water. “I have faith we will be able to acquire irrefutable proof.”

“Alright, Major.” Rick heard the president talk. “You and Captain Wald never failed me before so I will put my trust in you. Be warned, if you don’t get that irrefutable proof, not only both your heads will roll but Lansdale may be able to turn this in his favor.”

“We’re not on American soil, sir.” Rachel argued. “If push comes to shove, we could always…” Her words hung in the air but everyone knew she meant to assassinate Lansdale. “The F.B.C. would still grow into something too big to control but an agent could be put in charge of it.”

“As a last resort, Major. I want him alive for a trial if possible.”

“Understood, sir.”

Graham put an end to the call and Rachel grinned in victory. Save for Rick, everyone looked at her as if they were seeing her for the first time. Not only did she directly speak with THE president of the United States but she also talked commonly about assassination.

“Did you guys do that often?” Jill asked aloud.

Rick gaslit her a bit. “Speaking with the President? Just once for me.”

“I’m pretty sure, she meant the assassination part.” Chris had a deadpan expression on his face.

“Assassination? Nobody talked about that, no?” Rachel looked at Rick for confirmation.

He simply nodded. “You didn’t. Chris put the word out there. You might have been talking about taking Lansdale to eat Kinder surprises. Those are illegal in the States.”

Nobody believed for a second that. Not like they knew what a Kinder surprise was.

“Kid, the fuck happened to you?”

Barry’s question was full of worry. He remembered Rick in Raccoon City. A street kid trying to survive the best he could on his own with quite the wits about him. Paranoid, perhaps, but also someone honest with a good moral compass. He hadn’t had the opportunity to interact with him much ever since he joined the BSAA but hearing talk about premeditated cold blooded murder made him question if the young man in front of him wasn’t an entirely different person.

Rick simply shrugged. “Umbrella, 22 Outbreaks, the Black Ops. Take your pick.”

“We're talking about this when we get home.” Jill spoke in a tone that left no place for any arguments.

Rick shrugged again, not caring. He was too tired to start arguing. Instead he armed himself and went to the side to rest a bit. Not that he needed to physically recuperate. He had slept eight hours and, despite his fight with the gigantic B.O.W. and nearly drowning, he was alright. It was both his mind and emotions which tired him to no end.

Parker reached the coordinates of the Queen Dido’s last known position. Right where Norman’s signal had been pinpointed. Near the coast of what was used to be Terragrigia. Jill and Chris immediately dived into the sea from the helicopter, the latter taking with him Rick’s backpack since it was waterproof.

An hour later they were back to Sicily. The BSAA HQ not having a helipad on the roof, Parker had no choice but to land at Catalina’s airport. It was not much of an issue and if anything a good opportunity to get the international warrant they needed. Rachel had received a pdf of it in her personal mail-box and was able to print it in one of the offices there. There had been a small problem when they requested a printer but when Rick shared that it was to arrest the one responsible behind the Terragrigia Panic, the people working were more than accommodating. A few had lost a close one during the attack and the prospect of having the guilty party arrested and brought to justice wasn’t something they’d go against.

While Barry and Parker, secured Raymond and Jessica with the help of the airport’s security, The former Black Ops pair were riding inside a police car straight to the HQ.

“How do we do this?” Rick asked Rachel’s opinion.

“I’m a F.B.C top agent, so hopefully we can get inside without trouble. Not to sound arrogant but my face is well known. I just have to say that I’m reporting for my mission and it should be enough to get us in without problems.”

He looked her in the eye for a few seconds, then down at her breasts. They were almost popping from her open diving suit. Looking back up, his eyes were back on hers.

“HmHm.” He didn’t seem convinced about her ‘face’ comment. “If they don’t?”

Rachel smacked his thigh in amusement. “You can play with them later. Now, if they dont… Well, their obstruction of Justice would make them accessory and complicit to Lansdale and terrorists.”

‘They die,’ was the thought they both shared.

Thankfully it didn’t come to that when they arrived at the HQ. Rachel had been right about her face being known. More than that, while the F.B.C. had taken control of the place, O’Brian had been the only one arrested from what they learned. The rest of the BSAA had been forced to keep working. By asking one of the F.B.C. they got their target’s location. O’Brian’s temporary office.

“It's asinine.” Rick realized as they were riding the elevator. “A US law enforcement organisation taking charge of a UN one on the arrest of its director?” He shook his head.

Rachel thought the same thing. “That’s how high Lansdale thinks of himself. Worse while he was criticized for the way he had handled Terragrigia the results were there and his political power across the globe is such that the odds of him getting out of it unscathed are high. Getting even more power is possible.”

The elevator stopped at the 14th floor. The moment its door opened, Rachel took the lead and went straight to their destination. They didn’t stop for anyone. They opened the door, guns drawn and aimed forward.

O’Brian was standing to the side while surrounded by the F.B.C. agent. Two more were guarding the door and finally, Lansdale himself leaned like a king against the desk, reading Dante’s Divine Comedy. He was more than surprised to see Rachel alive.

“Agent Foley?”

The voluptuous blonde used her free hand to pick the arrest warrant from her suit. A sensual act that made Rick inwardly roll his eyes. “Morgan Landsale, you’re under arrest for bio-terrorism, including but not limited to having orchestrated the Terragrigia Panic.

The whole room went dead silent for a moment. Everyone was frozen by the declaration. Even O’Brian who hadn’t expected this turn of event. Not like this at least.

Lansdale, with a cold and deadpan face, quickly issued an order. In his mind there was no way it was possible. Every evidence of his masterminding had been destroyed, the last of it with the Queen Zenobia. What was happening now looked to him like a last ditch effort from O’Brian.

“She was one yours, huh? I’ve never—”

Clive took a good amount of satisfaction with his answer. “She isn’t.”

“Nevermind then.” Morgan turned to his guards. “Arrest them.”

As the guard raised their sub-machine gun, Rick spoke up. “This is your first and last warning. Make a move and you will be complicit to obstruction of justice and considered complicit to bio-terrorism. Stand down.”

They all turned their heads to Lansdale, not knowing what to do. The man gave a nod of the head to his men as if to mean ‘Go on, I gave you an order.’ Two lowered their weapons. The two others, the one securing O’Brian, fell to the ground with a busted knee, courtesy of Rick and his .45.

“You’re going to regret this.” Lansdale warned calmly. To him it was a slight setback and he’d be released soon. “Agent Foley, you can consider your resign—”

A screen on the wall lit up and caught everyone’s attention. The voice of Jack Norman made everyone suddenly stop what they were doing. They forgot the situation, believing the leader of Il Veltro was making another announcement.

It wasn’t the case. It wasn’t a transmission with a message. It was a recording of the man, meeting with Lansdale who gave him a whole briefcase of T-Abyss virus and gave orders to attack Terragrigia.

This was the smoking gun they needed to make Lansdale fall. Chris and Jill had succeeded in getting the evidence which would make things far easier for everyone. Everyone but the director and head of the F.B.C.

Rick had to give the man credit, he wasn’t a sore loser. He admitted his defeat with dignity.

“Well played, O’Brian. Well played.”

Clive went around his desk and pulled out the sample of the T-Abyss Rick and Jill had found inside a blob on the beach the previous day. It was identical to the ones Morgan gave to Norman in the video.

“It wasn’t a game. That you see it that way is why you were unfit to lead the war against bio-terrorism. The end doesn’t justify the means.”

Rick called bullshit on this. His boss had faked the revival of Il Veltro just to catch his opponent. Clearly the end justified the means. It wasn’t like he absolutely disagreed. It was the hypocrisy he didn’t like.

Lansdale was escorted out to be put in a cell. The guards with a busted knee were transported out of the office when BSAA members came to get them to the medical area to deal with their injury.

“Was that necessary?” O’Brian asked as he sat behind his desk.

“Of course not but they did get a warning.” Rachel answered with a lightness that indicated everything was over.

“I’m no cop, sir. One warning is enough. If people don't heed it then a bullet to the knee de-escalate quickly instead of more warning. People usually understand you mean business from the simple shock of being shot in the knee or seeing someone shot in the knee.” Rick explained without remorse.

O’Brian sighed, not feeling like arguing the point. “I guess so.”

“Now, since we seem to have the time…” Rachel walked to the desk and leaned down over it, giving Clive a very deep view of her amazing cleavage. “I’m Major Rachel Foley and I’m applying for a job at the BSAA.”

O’Brian blinked and to his credit didn’t look at her breasts on display. Instead his eyes found Rick’s. He said no words but his facial expression said enough.

Rick’s shoulder went up and down in a shrug. “I’m the foremost expert in bio-terrorism in the world, she’s second.”

“Sixteen outbreaks survived. And if that’s not enough, I’m sure President Graham will give me a glowing recommendation.”

The grin on her face told everything. She would get the job. That was a certainty. O’Brian couldn’t miss such an opportunity. Not when she was trusted by Rick and proved to be loyal to the best interest of the people. It reminded him a bit of Rick’s own application albeit this time, the difference was that Rachel did it herself and not through someone else.

“Send me your resume.” Clive conceded with a sigh. At this point he wanted the whole day over yesterday already.

Unfortunately Rick wasn’t done. “My finals are next week, so I’m taking it to study. Then I’m taking that three week vacation—”

“Two weeks!” O’Brian interrupted. “It was two weeks!”

Rick turned to Rachel. “Did you hear four?”

The blonde woman nodded with amusement. “Hmhm. I heard four, yes.”

“Argh! Fine! Take three weeks! But when you get back I want you to write the textbook about field survival during outbreaks and give courses about it! Agents need more training!”

“Deal.” Rick answered simply.

He high-fived Rachel who had raised her hand for one. Her fingers intertwined and they left the office hand in hand. They didn’t need to speak to know that they will go to the infirmary, treat Rachel’s wounds she got on the Queen Zenobia then find an empty room and fuck like rabbits in heat to deal with the traumatic events they went through.