RE: Legacy - Chapter 1-2: Front

BSAA SS Alexander Graham
The Black Sea
52 Miles off the Coast of Georgia
September 9th 2015
09:03 GDT


   The steady beating of the Blackhawk’s rotors served as a reminder that she was once again back in the thick of things as the transport helicopter slowly ascended from the carrier deck.  Once airborne, the pilot banked left before straightening out towards their destination deep within the Georgian hinterlands.

    The BSAA’s original mission had been to assist the efforts of TerraSave within the capital city, but their orders had changed based off of new reports of rebel troop movements along the Abkhazia border.  This had been the first sign of activity since the terrorist attack three days ago, and it warranted further interest.  With the Georgians still reeling from the deadly bombing and their military thirsty for vengeance, it had been decided that the BSAA would take the leading role in investigating the area.

    Looking over her shoulder, Jill took a moment to glance back at the Alexander Graham as it grew smaller in the distance behind them.  The aircraft carrier was the crowning addition to the small, yet formidable BSAA fleet and had been set up to serve as their operations command and control center.  Built by the engineers at Graham Corp International, the company had succeeded in developing the world’s very first stealth carrier.  Of course “stealth” was a relative term as the ship itself would never be able to magically disappear from the naked eye.  It did however, carry new jamming technology that rendered radar, sonar, and even satellite detection virtually useless within a five mile radius of the ship.  While the technical aspects had been a bit beyond her, Jill was grateful for an edge now that they were officially in hostile territory.

    The BSAA presence in the area had caused a huge stir with the Russian Federation.  Their ambassador was already grumbling loudly to the United Nations about possible “territorial integrity” concerns with the rebel provinces while the US ambassador pledged America’s support behind the Georgians.  With all of the political arm-twisting involved, they had almost been denied access to the Black Sea entirely until China had offered its tepid support for the BSAA’s mission.  While they would be able to operate freely, the region’s already tense atmosphere had seemed to increase ten-fold.  It was enough to give her a very bad feeling.

    All of this had started back in the States when the entire team had been called in for an emergency meeting at headquarters.  That was when Parker had laid out everything the BSAA knew about the attack and what the organization’s response would be now that the Georgians had officially requested their aid.  The broadcasts on the nightly news hadn’t even shown half of the deadly carnage from the bombing.  Only a dozen people had actually died from the initial explosion.  The vast majority of the victims had immediately been exposed to a biological agent.  Video footage from nearby security cameras had captured images of multiple people hemorrhaging from their eyes, nose, and mouth – with many on their hands and knees vomiting up blood.  It had quickly followed with seizures and then death… all in under two mintues’ time.  Two hundred and fifteen people had been the initial casualties with an additional three hundred more showing signs of a slower form of infection.  Efforts to contain and isolate these people had been bolstered by the Georgian military’s curfew along with the efforts of TerraSave, but it was absorbing a great deal of manpower.

    The worst part was that no one knew exactly what they were up against.  Tests had been conducted on both the deceased and the infected, but while the weapon contained small traces of the T-Virus there were other compounds as well.  All of which made the creation of a vaccine next to impossible until the remaining agents were isolated and identified.  Whatever they were dealing with, the Abkhazians had somehow gotten their hands on a new biological weapon… and now they were using it.  It hadn’t escaped anyone’s suspicion during the briefing, and it had been Quint Cetcham who had inquired about the possibility of Russian involvement in the attack.

    After their military campaign against Georgia in 2008, the Russians had set up headquarters within both Abkhazia and South Ossetia to act as territorial “advisors”.  In response, both provinces had subsequently petitioned Moscow to recognize their independence.  As of now the Republic of Georgia existed in name only with the country essentially divided between the three provinces… along with rising tensions.

    Jill felt her teeth grit together as the dread began stirring within her veins.  Some might call it a sixth sense, but she felt as if the biological attack in Tbilisi was just the herald of a larger storm that was about to fall… and that they would all get caught up in the middle of it.  

    Her concentration was broken when she looked down and saw that her fingers were tapping repeatedly against the top of her leg.  Immediately, she made a fist and placed her free hand over top of it.  Her nerves were beginning to show; something she needed to hide quickly before the others took note.  As she looked up however, her eyes widened when she saw Chris staring back at her.  His gaze was focused down at her hands before his eyes met hers.  The look on his face was full of concern.  Are you okay? his expression seemed to ask.  In response, Jill took a deep breath and nodded before giving him a reassuring smile.   The last thing she wanted was for him to become distracted on her account.

    Initially, her role was to be an operations advisor back on the carrier, but it had been Chris who had asked her to accompany his team on the mission.  As an advisor, she wouldn’t technically be part of his squad and could still fill her role providing combat advice.  As such, Parker had approved the move.  While she hadn’t done BSAA field work since the Spencer Estate and was well within her right to refuse, she had instead decided to accept.  She hadn’t skimped on her training throughout the years and at least out here she could keep an eye on him.  But then she began to wonder if the reverse had been the truth regarding her fiancé’s motives.  Maybe Chris had wanted her with him so that he could keep an eye on her?

    She could tell that he hadn’t been fully mollified with her prior excuses.  At first, it wasn’t something that she had wanted to discuss with him, but in the days that followed she began regretting that decision.  As they moved ever closer to the mission’s starting point, their work had prevented them from having any time to talk about fixing the tension that existed.  Now, Jill found herself wanting that intimate contact more than anything else.  Whether it was for her own reassurance or for his, she had missed their shared intimacy and the calm that it evoked.  If only she had been brave enough to tell him how much of a struggle everything was for her even after all this time.

    In a way, it was an ironic twist.  Ever since Chris’ return from Lanshiang, she realized that she’d been taking simple things for granted – whether it had been his comforting touch when he put his arm around her or the sound of his laughter that never ceased to make her smile.  At first, she hadn’t even noticed that she was doing it.  After all, there hadn’t been a world crisis in over two years which had left them with normal workdays for the first time since Africa.  And after seeing one another at work, they had spent each night together building their relationship.  It was a routine that had lulled her into false sense of security.  Now a familiar longing began eating away at her heart as she sat there watching her best friend giving orders to his team.  Even though he was only a few feet across from her, Jill had never felt more alone.  God, she missed him so much.

    She then shook her head.  Thinking about personal problems out here was a dangerous proposition.  Left unchecked, it would cause distractions and that was something she could ill afford if she planned on watching his back.  At least that was a job she wouldn’t have to do alone.  Chris’ team was comprised of the best operatives from both the North American and European branches of the BSAA – an elite fighting unit known as “Viper Squad”.  On the flight from Italy, she’d had time to read up on their profiles before rendezvousing with the carrier group.

    The first was Chris’ second-in-command, Crispin Jettingham – code name “Dee-Ay”.  Previously a former Army Ranger, Jettingham had gained combat experience during his time with the US Military seeing action in both Afghanistan and Iraq before his recruitment into the BSAA.  He’d also had first-hand experience with biological warfare when he and his team had been deployed to Lanshiang two years ago.  He was a seasoned warrior, and Jill had a feeling that he and Chris would get along well.

    Carolyn Floyd, code-named “Willow”, was the team’s recon specialist.  Born a Native American from the Cree tribe, she had followed her former squad leader Dee-Ay to the BSAA after her departure from the Rangers.  According to her file, she was an expert in both adapting and assimilating herself to her surroundings; making her one of the very best the BSAA had to offer in terms of both scouting and stealth.  The woman came off as a bit of a perfectionist however, which gave her a somewhat prickly demeanor.  While Willow may not be the best at making friends, she would be an ideal asset to the team.

    A man who had come as a complete surprise was Erez Morrris – the foul-mouthed and somewhat eccentric team medic.  Being a former biker in a criminal gang, Morris had adopted the call sign, “Harley” as a reminder of who he was and where he had come from.  While he’d been a former infantry medic during the storming of Baghdad, he’d been discharged early due to several incidents of disorderly behavior.  That had led to his life as a drifter before joining the outlaw biker gang “The Saints” in California.  After a huge bust by the FBI, he had made a secret deal to trade his medical expertise for his freedom.  That had led him to the BSAA.  To Jill’s surprise, the man had actually turned his life around once he’d enlisted.  His former squad leader had even written a note that Harley’s skills under fire during the Edonian operations were exemplary and had recommended him for this assignment.

    Jill then felt herself smiled when she looked over at Lawrence Kimbala, code named “Shona”.  She’d met him many years ago when he had joined both her and Chris in the creation of the BSAA.  The man had been a brilliant military scientist whose research had landed him an important role on the organization’s science team.  Originally part of the African division, he’d transferred to the Alexander Graham in order to provide his scientific expertise.  He was an expert in all forms of biological agents and had worked with their organization’s top scientists to develop cures for both the T and C-Viruses.  His experience was vital to the team as they worked to unlock the mysteries of the recent attack in Georgia.

    The smile quickly faded however, when she glanced at his seating partner, Sienna Fowler – code name “Party Girl”.  When the two of them had first been introduced back on the ship, the woman had bluntly asked her if she was the same Jill Valentine who had worked with Albert Wesker back in Africa.  Fowler’s comments had caught her off guard, and before she could reply the woman had then followed up with asking how it was that she’d even been allowed back into the BSAA after everything she’d done.  Initially, she’d been shocked by the woman’s verbal assault but rather than engage in a confrontation in front of everyone, Jill had decided on simply walking away.  Perhaps it had been a cowardly thing to do at the time, but the last thing she wanted was to be a source of tension between Chris and his squad.  Of course neither Chris nor Parker had appreciated the woman’s comments, and Jill had heard both of them chastising Fowler as she left the room.

    As she continued staring, Jill had to admit that despite the woman’s relatively young age and sharp tongue, at least she was good at what she did.  According to her profile, “Party Girl” was a master at both surveillance and a sniper rifle.  The light reading in her file had mentioned that she’d gotten both her job and her nick-name by luring away a BSAA executive from a private party and “encouraging” him to divulge classified secrets in a very compromising position.  Jill could have done without the mention of the bondage video, but it was certainly enough information to make even a vice cop blush.  However, that incident had eventually led to her recruitment and the discovery that she was also a pretty good shot as well.

    As if by fate, the blonde suddenly turned and caught her stare.  The woman’s lips turned into a condescending smile before giving her a wink and returning back to her conversation with Shona.  Yes, that bitch was definitely someone that Jill didn’t care for.  As long as the two of them stayed out of each other’s way, they’d be fine.

    “Don’t let her get to you, luv,” the woman sitting beside her replied.  Jill turned her attention to Marissa Ronson – code name, “Tweed”.  “She’s a bit of a hard-ass, that one.”

    Jill felt the grin on her lips.  “No kidding?  I hadn’t noticed.”

    Tweed laughed.  “Don’t you worry none, ma’am,” she replied.  “Everyone knows who you are and what you’ve done for this organization.  You’re a hero and only a bleedin’ fool would say otherwise.”

    Despite Shona being a fellow founder of the BSAA, Jill had to admit that she liked the spunky red-headed Brit the most of all.  Perhaps it was because the two of them had a shared experience in demolitions for the military.  After initial introductions, they had become fast friends and had swapped several stories of their unique adventures.

    Tweed had been a former member of the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service before a career-ending injury had seen her discharged with honors.  After applying to the BSAA, she became one of the best sappers their organization had.  It was heartening to see the vast experience pool that comprised of Chris’ team.  They were truly the best of the best.

    That left only her – Jill Valentine.  While not officially a member of Viper Squad, she would be acting in her original role as an advisor to Chris.  Her code name “Cupid” was enough to make her roll her eyes.  No doubt that had been Quint’s doing.

    Communication guys and their jokes…

    Before she could dwell on it, the lights within the helicopter suddenly flashed red and were followed up by an alarm.  The pilot immediately addressed them over the radio.

    “Heads up back there!  We’ve flying into a hot zone!  Biological agents have been detected!”

    “Masks on!”  Chris yelled to all of them.  “Masks on now!”

    Immediately, her heart was racing.  Biological agents?  Were the rebels launching another attack?  Those questions could wait however.  Grabbing her mask, Jill began securing it to her face while her companions did the same.

    Chris was already addressing the pilot.  “Johnson, what do you have?”

    “Systems are detecting trace amounts of biological agents in the atmosphere, Captain,” he replied.

    “Command, this is Viper One.  We have a confirmed biological presence in the region.  Please advise.”

     “We copy, Viper One,” Parker replied.  “We will inform the Georgians but first we need you to recon that area and find the location of ground zero.  According to Jackass, there is a mining village roughly three clicks northeast of your position.  That would be best place to start in your search.”

     If the village had indeed been the target, then there was another concern that needed addressed.  “Command, this is Cupid.  How many people are located in the village?”

     “A little over five hundred,” Quint replied.  “You guys will need to be alert for anything.”

    “Viper One, you have your orders,” Parker cut in.  “Recon that village and find out where this attack took place.”

    Jill felt her body tense as she heard the orders.  They were being tasked with intelligence gathering in a hot zone crawling with rebel troops.  How many dead or dying would they find in this village?  Where was the enemy?  It was enough to send a shiver through her body.

    When would the world finally be safe from madmen willing to use these horrible weapons against innocent people?  Jill began to wonder if it was too much to hope for – living in a world of peace.  Could something like that ever happen in such a depraved and sickened world?  After Africa, she had allowed herself to believe the false promise that Wesker’s death would herald a turning point in the fight.  But that was a dream that wasn’t to be as others picked up right where he had left off.  How much more sacrifice would be required before they finally made a damned difference in this war?  What was it that she was truly fighting for anyway?  Was any of it truly worth the cost?

    “Touch down in five seconds.”

    The chopper descended toward an opening roughly half a mile from their objective.  Looking through the window, Jill could see that the area was laden with fog – another bad omen.  After landing Chris was busy getting his team on task.

    “Willow, you’re on point,” he ordered.  “Everyone else, form up.  We don’t know who or what we’ll find out here so keep your eyes open.  Once we reach the outskirts of the village, we’ll assess the situation.”

    In a way, it was almost a reminder of old times.  Their very first mission together had seen them ushered in by helicopter to a foggy scene outside an old mansion. After their escape, she and Chris had been teamed up on multiple insertion missions just like this one.  It was standard operating procedure for the BSAA.  Sending in highly-trained operatives to work in pairs not only allowed them to move quickly, but also gave them the opportunity to utilize their experience with stealth; making them more deadly than an entire squad of military soldiers.  It was a measure of comfort that each of Chris’ team had been trained in the same fashion.  With an entire squad backing him up, he would still have the option of breaking them off into pairs should the situation warrant it.  It was a new strategy that Chris and Parker had instituted a month prior to this mission.  Now they would see how well it worked in practice.

    Up ahead of them were the gates to the village.  As they approached the opening, Chris signaled a halt to their advance.  Through the fog, Jill could see Willow materializing from its embrace as she made her way back to the squad.

    “Anything?” Chris asked after she’d taken a knee next to him.

    “The town looks completely abandoned, Boss,” Willow replied.  “There’s no movement, no noise… nothing.  It’s dead quiet.”

    “Did you see any bodies?”  Jill asked.  If this place was indeed the location of the latest attack, they needed to know what kind of hazardous conditions they would find within.

    Willow turned to her and after a moment’s pause replied, “There’s no one out there, ma’am.”

    “How the hell can that be?” Harley asked.  “We all saw the footage from the capital!  There were dozens of bodies there.”

    “Enough!” Chris replied in order to halt any additional speculation.  “Shona, what can you tell me?”

    Their science officer was already taking readings.  After typing on his touch pad, he gave Chris his answer.

    “There are no biological contaminants in the immediate vicinity, Captain.” he replied.  “What ever happened here, it has passed.”

    With their location free from any airborne hazards, they were free to remove their masks.  To Jill, it was a relief.  Despite the number of exercises she’d been a part of, operating in any type of biological gear was uncomfortable and hampered her movements.  Even attempting to aim down the sight of her weapon had been a challenge.  What ever lay ahead, at least she’d be able to operate without restrictions.

    No sooner had they shed their masks when Chris was giving orders for their current mission.  Pointing towards a ridge that offered a vantage point looking down on the town, he turned toward Fowler.  “Party Girl, I want you up on that ridge to provide over watch.  If you see any movement, be sure to report it in.  Dee Ay, you back her up.”

    “Got it, Boss,” Party Girl replied before looking over at her new partner.  “C’mon sugar, looks like you’re with me.”

    Chris then turned to the rest of them.  “Up ahead, the village splits off into a “Y”.  I’ll take Willow and Shona and go left.”  Then the unexpected happened when he looked over to her.  “Jill, I want you to take Tweed and Harley and move right.”

    Shock was the first emotion to greet her.  Even though she was a fellow captain, she was only along as an advisor.  She certainly hadn’t been prepared for him to have her take charge of any portion of his squad.  Dee Ay was his second in command but after sending him to be paired up with Party Girl, that did leave her as the next in rank.

    Right then the urge to refuse was there.  It had been years since she’d led troops and wasn’t sure if she could any more.  After Africa, all of the confidence she had in herself and her abilities had been lost… giving way to doubt and fear.  In the ensuing years, it had felt safer for her to remain serving in the background as an advisor while others like Chris bravely commanded from the front lines.  But now was the moment of truth.  Everyone’s eyes were on her including Chris’ – she couldn’t buckle now that he was putting his faith in her.  She had to do this… for him.

    With a silent breath to steady her nerves, Jill nodded before looking over at her new squad mates.  Tweed nodded with a grin while Harley held a look of uncertainty.  She could understand his hesitation.  After all, she was an anomaly to the makeup of this team.  Now Chris was tasking her with leading a portion of it.  But trust was not something that she could automatically expect given her past.  It was something that she would need to earn – not just from the team but also the ability for her to trust in herself again.

    “All right,” she said with an unfamiliar tone of confidence in her voice.  “You two… on me.”

    With Viper Squad on the move, Jill and her team broke off to the right once they reached the intersection.  At least all of her training was making itself known; like shaking off the cobwebs to a rifle that hadn’t been used in years.  She was a professional after all – something that Chris still saw in her even if she didn’t.

    Despite the new-found confidence, she couldn’t help but feel the tension weighing down on her.  Not just from her new role as a squad leader, but also from the current atmosphere of the village.  While she had initially kept her reservations to herself as they slowly advanced down the abandoned dirt road, Harley was the first to verbalize the unease.

    “You two hear that?” he whispered quietly.

    “Hear what?”  Tweed replied.

    “Exactly.  I don’t hear anything.  No sounds of activity… no dogs barking… not even the music of any birds.”

    He was right.  Jill had taken note of how quiet it had been when they had stopped just outside the village.  Now the eeriness of it all was beginning to make itself known.  Something had happened here… but what?  She was about to respond when they heard a noise.  It was the sound of glass breaking just ahead of them.  Immediately, all three of them had their rifles up.

    Taking point, Jill took the lead as they moved toward the mysterious noise.  They had previously passed by three houses already with no signs of activity. Unfortunately, all were locked, and the resulting condensation from the fog made looking inside the windows nearly impossible.  There was no telling who or what they would find out here.

    CLANG!  Another sound – like a tin can hitting stone.  Something was there.

    Pressing herself against the corner of the adjacent building, Jill signaled for Tweed and Harley to hold their positions.   Whatever had made that noise was on the other side of the fence.  Her heart was already pounding like a bass drum, but with practiced movements she quickly turned the corner and raised her rifle.

    CAW!  All she’d been able to see was something large and black coming straight at her face.  With no time to react, she got her rifle up just in time to deflect the incoming intruder before it flew past her.  CAW!  CAW!  CAW!  CAW!  Several others followed suit and then there were black feathers floating all around her as the birds flew off in the distance.

    “Shit!” she gasped as her heart nearly lodged itself in her throat.  It was a nothing but a murder of crows.

    Chris’ voice was already coming through her earpiece.  “Cupid?  Everything alright?”

     She was about to respond before a question began nagging at her – what were crows doing here of all places?  That was when she looked down at the ground… and immediately covered her mouth to stifle a gasp.

    “Cupid?  Report!”

    The disembodied voice was once again calling out to her… echoing in muted tones to accompany the beating of her heart.  With great effort, Jill somehow found the ability to switch off her emotions long enough to respond.

    “Boss… this is Cupid.  You need to get to my position now.  We’ve… got bodies.”

    The last part of her sentence had come out as a barely audible whisper before her attention quickly returned to the macabre scene before her.  On the ground were the bodies of over a dozen children laying within a make-shift playground.  Even with her limited expertise in medicinal matters, their bloody eyes, noses, and mouths already indicated their causes of death.  This was new proof that the rebels had launched their attack here… but for what purpose could killing a group of children serve?

    She suddenly tensed when a firm, but reassuring hand rested on her shoulder.  Chris was standing next to her and taking in the horror.

    “Good God…” he muttered.

    Shona was kneeling amidst the bodies in an attempt to take tissue samples.  The hand-held computer he carried with him was another technological advancement made possible by their benefactors.  Even when out in the field, BSAA scientists now had the ability to do preliminary biological testing rather than take the risk of transporting hazardous materials through potentially hostile zones.

    Tweed was the first to break the uncomfortable silence.  “So where are the rest of the villagers?”  she asked.  “We didn’t see any signs of activity on the way here.  Where are the other bodies?”

    “We didn’t see anything either,” Willow replied.  “Dead in their homes perhaps?”

    Jill let the team’s banter fade in the background of her mind as she watched Chris’ eyes meet hers.  She’d known him for so many years that she could practically read his thoughts.  The ominous look in his eyes was enough to tell her that things were quickly turning from bad to worse.  The question Tweed posed was still relevant but there were more pressing concerns as well – where were the rebels who had launched this attack?

    Putting his hand on her shoulder, Chris led her away from the established perimeter.  “Jill…” he said quietly; still shocked at the brutality of what they had just seen.

    Immediately, she placed her hand on his chest.  “I know, Chris.  My God...”

    He lips twisted in a tight grimace.  “I’ve seen so much on this job… but to see children die like that when they should be playing in safety.  This is a whole new breed of evil we’re dealing with.”

    With all of the times he had been there for her during her struggles, Jill wished that she had some words of comfort that would help ease his burden.  The BSAA had been sent out here to help these people, but it seemed as if their efforts were doomed to fail right out of the gate.  Like the capital, this village was the latest site for new atrocities committed by sociopaths who didn’t give one whit about who they hurt just as long as they came out victorious in the end.

    Both of them had seen so much over the years – war, monsters, death… repeat.  When would their efforts finally make a difference?  While many lauded them as heroes, the dead children lying on the ground gave testament to that falsehood.  So what other options were there to combat this deadly game?  Give up and let the bad guys win?  No… she couldn’t see either of them doing that.  But how long would things continue on this course before the “good guys” had nothing left to give?

    He then looked back up at her.  “Jill… I want you to tell me the truth – how are you doing with all of this?”

    “What do you mean?”  She was stalling and immediately felt guilty for doing so. Jill knew full well what he was asking her.

    “We’ve always been at our best when we’ve worked a team,” he replied, “but I have a feeling that I’m the one pressuring you.  I’ve seen how tense you’ve been – not just here but at home, too.  Did I make the right decision by asking you to come with me?”

    “Chris…” she began, “you know that I’ll always be here when you need me.  That will never change.”

    He stood there for a moment just looking back at her; his eyes searching hers for answers.  “Jill…”

    Just then they heard something in the distance.  It was faint at first, but when a slight gust of wind blew toward them, they heard the sound more clearly.  Quickly, the two of them turned in its direction and raised their weapons.  
   
    Somewhere up ahead of them a woman was crying.


                                                                Next: Chapter 1-3: Infection