Chapter 91: Hanging out

Rick’s check up ended nearly in the middle of the afternoon. What happened during it was not something he would repeat to anyone. Ever. Not Jill. Not Rachel. No one. Despite Annette being more hands-on than Dr. Hunt, she had been nothing but professional. Most of the time. Getting on her knees to give him two handjobs to get semen samples was not something ethical. He wouldn’t complain but that left him frustrated for more with how clinical she had done it.

When he came back to the office, he wanted nothing else but to sit in his chair and waste the day away. His wish was quickly dashed when he saw a small gathering at his desk or rather, Angela’s.

Jill and Chris were around his mentee, having a discussion. From what he could hear, it was about how to deal with Lickers and they were sharing their own experiences.

“Steel reinforced boots.” He cut in and the trio looked at him. “To deal with a licker when you’re unarmed is to catch its tongue and drag it to the ground where you stomp its brain.”

“Catch his tongue?” Angela was skeptical. “How can you even do that? From what I read it’s as fast as a whip.”

“If you don’t have acute reflexes then use something sturdy to shield yourself. The tongue will be stuck a bit and you’ll have the time to grab it and pull the Licker to you. Of course, shooting at its brain or slashing at it is a far better option but if you're unarmed or need to remain undetected that’s how you do it.”

Chris was impressed. “Happened a lot?”

“Twice in Raccoon City.” Rick finally sat down in his chair. “I wasn’t… enhanced at the time.”

Jill’s eyes widened at the casualness of Rick talking about his enhancement. She quickly glanced at Angela who didn’t seem phased by it.

“You know?”

The new recruit blinked. “You mean about…” She waved her hand at Rick who decided to speak up while checking his e-mails.

“She does. She saw me healing third degree burns and fighting butt naked a G.”

“I still think I hallucinated the whole thing.” Angela presented a small amused smile.

“Wow, wow, wow. You fight a G while… Seriously?” Chris interjected in utter disbelief.

Rick shrugged. “The purge burned everything I was wearing away.”

“Hm. So we can talk about your… You, here?” Angela asked out of curiosity. She didn’t want to make a mistake and out him.

Rick denied her on the spot. “Nope. Those two know, O’Brian, Rachel and Annette. Five more, including Leon, are outside the BSAA. I’d like it to stay that way.”

Angela nodded and Jill and Chris went back to their desk. With nothing new in his mail box, Rick thought about his next steps regarding his assigned partner’s training. He had to give it to her, Angela was not only serious but diligent from what he has seen of her so far. She has been on her own for a few hours and was already learning by herself the bestiary by heart. Now all he had to do was think of what to teach her, how and in which order because there was a lot to cover.

Before the day was over, Rick introduced her to the limited power the BSAA possessed. What they could do, what they could not. When they were deployed and when not. It was different from how the police operated but not by much, so Angela wasn’t lost and was quick on the uptake.

Chris invited them for a few rounds at a nearby bar, to get to know her and Rachel better. Some kind of welcoming party for the two ladies. Not everyone in the office was present, a few members being on their own cases but most of the former STARS in the BSAA were.

It was a simple social gathering but also a celebration for taking down Lansdale with the people involved. It should have happened sooner but Rick had gone straight to his vacation so it hadn’t happened until now.

Rachel stuck to Rick close and asked about how his day went. She had noticed he had been absent most of it. Asking around she had learned he was doing a full checkup and wondered how it went.

“It was surreal.”

That was the only answer she got about it. The blonde wasn’t offended and understood that anything more wasn’t for anyone’s ears. Still the moment they were out of the BSAA’s HQ, she held his hand. Not possessively but out of familiarity and perhaps habit.

It hasn’t gone unnoticed by the rest of the group, including Rebecca who had been invited by Chris too. Had Rick not known that the man was a meathead, he would have thought he had done it on purpose. Either as a pay back for fucking his sister or to make Rick squirm a bit. The latter was why he had never gotten as close to Chris as he did to Jill during their time in Raccoon City.

The bar wasn’t far. Five minutes by foot in the same streets as their workplace. Inside, very few patrons weren’t members of the BSAA. They got one big table and Rick and Barry went to get everyone a drink.

“So… I’m a bit confused by the BSAA’ structure.” Angela started with a beer in hand.

Chris stopped his own an inch away from his lips. “In what regards?”

“I only saw our one office but there are more agents, no?”

Jill explained it to her. “There is. Our office is considered the lead team for investigation and deployment.”

“In other words: the best.” Rick nodded sagely.

Barry was more humble about it. “I’d say the most experienced. There are other offices on the lower floors.”

Angela frowned. Not negatively but in contemplation and confusion. “Then why was I assigned to it? I have no experience, well…” She corrected herself. “Less experience than most agents that used to fork for the FBC.”

“Huh. That’s a good question.” Chris took a sip of his beer, not knowing why O’Brian would put Angela with them.

Jill had an idea although she wasn’t sure. “Probably because of Rick's report for the Harvardville and the WilPharma outbreaks.”

Angela turned to her mentor. “You did?!”

“I didn’t write a dissertation about you,” He chuckled, ignoring Rachel putting her hand on his thigh under the table. He was well used to it after the years. “But the events spoke for themselves. Your name was mentioned during crucial moments and O’Brian saw potential.”

Rachel chimed in. “That you weren’t part of the FBC must have played a lot too, in the decision. You are technically a blank slate.”

“Why did you make the team then?” Angela quickly added an explanation, realising how her words sounded. “No offense, just curiosity.”

Rick’s ex-partner simply smiled. “None taken. I think O’Brian assigned me because I’m the most experienced with BOW and bio terrorism after this one, here.” She kissed Rick on the cheek, which made Rebecca frown slightly. “As for being part of the FBC… It was just a cover. Working for them was my assignment but I wasn’t part of them at the core.”

“Who did you work for then?”

“The President.” Rachel grinned proudly. Angela’s eyes widened comically and so did Rebecca’s who asked her a question.

“Wait, you said you were the most experienced after Rick but how so? You guys only joined the FBC or BSSA two years ago from what I understood?”

Rick and Rachel exchanged a complicit look. The former shrugged and put his glass to his lips, leaving the latter to answer.

Sighing, the blonde spoke up. “It’s not like it’s much of a secret anymore, our files are mostly opened albeit heavily redacted.” She turned to Rebecca. “Starting January of 99, President Braden created a Black Ops Unit whose sole purpose, at first, was to hunt and fight bio-terrorists. It expanded a bit to regular terrorists after 9/11 but that’s not relevant. We were basically the prototype Unit for any secret agency dedicated to the fight and the FBC. We spent five years putting down terrorists, BOW and blowing up illegal labs all over the world. Most of the information anyone has about BOW comes from us.”

A ‘wow’ escaped Angela’s lips. Jill aside who had been well aware for a couple years now, everyone at the table was dumbstrucked.

Barry recovered fast and looked at Rick. “How did you join a Black Ops unit in the first place? You were a greenhorn back then. Not even part of the military and quite young.”

“Jugs made me.” Rick’s dejected answer made Chris snort, nearly choking on his beer. Jill, put her arm around her little brother’s neck and pulled him down to her with a squeeze.

“Why am I not surprised?” Barry shook his head with a chuckle. Back then, the only one who could make Rick do anything he didn’t want to was Jill to a varying degree of success.

“I did, huh?”

“Yes…” She squeezed harder. “I give! I give!” Rick quickly said, lacking oxygen and she released him. “You did ask me to join.” He insisted.

“For your own good.”

He smiled gently and gratefully at her. “Yeah.” Then he looked at Bary. “I was already the most experienced in outbreaks back then, having gone through five. The guy in charge was an old acquaintance of Jill from the army and was impressed. He saw potential and he needed someone like me and Rachel in the Unit.”

“Survivors.” Rick’s partner commented. “And that’s why I’m in the team today. O’Brian’s thought I’d fit right in.”

Rick wasn’t of the same mind. “I’d say it’s for the tits if I didn’t know any better.”

Instead of being offended, Rachel looked proud of herself and her bountiful chest. “Lansdale sure liked looking at them thinking he was discreet. That old pervert. Glad O’Brian looks me in the eye.”

“As if you didn’t like men looking.” Jill rolled her eyes.

Rachel leaned back to see her behind Rick’s back. “And women.” She winked at Jill.

“So are you two dating or…” Barry inquired, making the pair laugh and catching Rebecca’s interest.

“No.” Rachel was firm. “I don’t date.” Then she gave the stinky eye to Rick. “And he doesn’t either.”

“We do are close.” Rick nodded cryptically and left the subject at that.

Afterwards, everyone got a round to tell their own story. Not necessarily anything deep and heavy like Raccoon City but more general things. Those who didn’t know were surprised to learn that Angela had been living in Umbrella’s own town before the outbreak. Barry shared that his family finally moved back from Canada now that Umbrella was done for good in the US. He, his wife and their two daughters were living in Leesburg not far from the capital. He looked both proud and tired when he talked about his teenage girls, especially his eldest who was fourteen.

The group separated a bit afterwards. Chris and Rick went to play pool, with Jill standing to the side encouraging them both, beer in hand. Angela, Rebecca and Barry were still at the table talking about how to handle stubborn and rebellious teenage girls and the ladies’ own teenage years. Rachel, like usual, flirted with every guy around that caught her fancy. Her intent was to go home with one of them for some fun. She was the first to leave in fact. Accompanied.

“You’re not bothered by it?” Chris asked Rick who was leaning onto the pool table, focused on his next move.

The white ball hit a red one which went straight to the hole in a corner. “Nope. Rachel is a big girl and she’s not drunk so can handle herself. If you mean jealousy? Then nope too. It’s not the kind of relationship we have.”

The meathead shook his head and hit his own ball. “I really don’t get your relationship.”

“Rachel has abandonment and commitment issues. She also doesn’t want to be tied down or interested in any kind of family life. We love each other but it’s not… quite romantic. It is in a way but also familial and friendly. We simply don’t see each other that way.” Rick explained.

“What about you?”

Rick nearly missed his shot entirely at the question. To the side, Jill frowned slightly. Chris had just jumped feet first into a conversation that she knew Rick didn’t want. Worse? It was done on purpose. Chris had been waiting for answers since the Queen Zenobia and only got half of the story, if even that, from Claire at Christmas.

Rick straightened up and let Chris make his move. “I’m not talking about your sister, not to you. Not like there is much to say anyway. I love her, she loves me, or so she says… She just doesn’t want to date me. End of story.”

“Shame that.” Chris was utterly genuine. He liked Rick well enough and thought he paired well with Claire. Why his sister refused to date his friend was beyond him, especially when every time his name was brought up, she suddenly quieted down with a faraway longing look in her eyes. In his opinion, she was being an idiot. It was obvious she was unhappy with her love life.

“I think so too but it’s entirely her doing.”

“Ever thought of…” Chris hit his ball and gave his place to Rick. “Going after her and setting her straight? She is too stubborn for her own good sometimes and needs a… I was going to say a forceful reminder but… Well… You know what I mean.”

Jill snorted at the understatement and how easy and simple Chris thought of Rick and Claire’s relationship.

“I did. Twice. Broke my heart as many times. If she wants to date me, it’s up to her to make the move now. I’m done chasing after her like a dog chasing cars but never catching it.”

“Her loss.” Jill commented and gave Rick a side hug. “It’s not like you don't attract the ladies around you.”

Rick snorted. “If you mean Rebecca looking at me like I’m some prize meat. Yeah, I noticed.” He chuckled.

“She was furious this morning for the way you rebuffed her.” Chris hit the last ball and ended the game, winning it. Rick sighed and gave his queue to Jill so she could play while Chris got all the balls back on the table.

“I figured from how she stomped away. I just… Feel like the idiot kid I was back then every time she’s here. I like her just fine.”

“She knows now. Hence the looks she gives you.” Jill polished the tip of her queues as she said that.

“I don’t date. She’d be disappointed. But enough about my dating life. What about yours?”

Jill's answer was immediate. “No comment. You know that.”

“Don’t have the time.” Chris simply shrugged.

“Ever thought about putting back the—”

He stopped talking when he stifled the shout of pain that nearly got out of his mouth. Jill had leaned on the table and used the butt of her queue to hit Rick right in the stomach. Obviously on purpose.

“Less talking, more winning.”

The two men understood perfectly that she didn’t like the conversation much and changed subjects. It shifted towards simple football which launched a debate about the last game of the Patriots against the Seahawks. A mundane discussion that they all appreciated.