Author Note: Continuation to Secrets and Flies that starts Three months after the end of the last one. Love, betrayal, suspense and action are on the menu for this story as we watch our favourite band of Umbrella renegades give it there all to hopefully bring a final end to there hellish lifestyle once and for all. To do that, assistance will be required from some, unconventional characters.

I do not own the characters & this will be very different from any RE movie (to date) and/ or video game plot (to date)

Please read & review as you wish!

B


Updated June-28-2021: I made a few edits to this chapter to align with the last two chapters in Secrets & Flies.


Calm Before the Storm

- 1 -

-Three Months Later -

Her body heaved, gasping for air, and startling herself awake. Her eyes adjusted slowly to the darkness of the empty stateroom. The air was stale, her throat parched, grasping at any bit of moisture. The window was open, blowing in a salty ocean breeze, but giving her sweaty body a chill. Claire wiped her clammy forehead, her breathing returning to normal. This was the third time this week she had startled herself awake from a nightmare.

It was the same every night. She was tied to a metal post in a large, open area. Each quadrant of the room illuminated at a time, highlighting someone she cared for pounding on the soundproof glass, attempting to break free. A voice, distorted too much for her to identify, asked Claire where Alice was over. When she stated she did not know, a licker entered the illuminated box with her loved one, tearing them to shreds within seconds. After a few moments the quadrant went black and the next one lit up. The same question was asked again with another innocent life hung in the balance.

She never made it past the second person.

Claire ran her fingers over the cold, left side of the bed. Three months have passed since Alice disappeared without a trace. She did not even kiss Claire good-bye. It wasn't until she spoke with Angela that Claire knew Alice was gone and why she left. Over the past three months, Chris was on a warpath of punishment if Alice ever returned. No matter how hard Claire and Jill pleaded, it fell on deaf ears. Anger turned into a witch hunt, and outcomes upgraded from imprisonment to shooting on sight. Claire hoped that whatever Alice's plan was, it was to keep as far away as possible from the Arcadia.

Rubbing her tired eyes, Claire stood, knowing she would not be able to get back to sleep. It was still dark out so she had a few hours before relieving Luther on the bridge. She walked barefoot across the cold floor and entered the closet sized lavatory adjacent to her room. As a crew member, she was granted one of the larger, more luxurious staterooms the Arcadia had to offer. Chris, Luther, and Alice had the other three. Jill had taken over Alice's room across the hall, and adjacent to Chris. Luther was across the hall and to the left of Claire. It had taken sometime, but Claire finally accepted the Chris/Jill relationship. The women had grown closer since Alice left, even taking the occasional shift together to us as time to talk in private about what Umbrella had done to them, and their predictions on what Alice was up to. As much as Chris liked to rally the troops against Alice, many still believed she did not abandoned them. Jill kept it quiet, but Claire knew her true alliance was with Alice.

K-Mart and Angela, the lone survivor of a group camping out in the jungle of Mexico, had become inseparable since her arrival. They shared a room adjacent Luther. With the announcement of Angela's pregnancy, Jill and K-Mart kept a watchful eye on the young girl. The women survivors below decks were excited to the potential new life and got to work knitting and preparing as much as they could for the baby when it arrives. The survivors, about eighty in total, occupied the two lower decks, huddled into rooms of four of five. It was a tight fit, but the people did not mind as long as they were safe.

Since Alice's departure, changes had been made to beef up security, and training of civilians in the event of another attack from Umbrella; the common enemy everyone was on edge about. The Umbrella Corporation was solely responsible for the eradication of the human race, destruction of modern society, and creating terrifying bio-weapons. They would always be the monster hiding in under the bed and lurking in the shadows. Claire could guess at the name of Alice's target; Albert Wesker. They saw his helicopter explode over the ocean months ago, but it was likely he was still pulling the corporate strings.

Claire ran the taps, splashing cold, rust coloured water onto her flushed cheeks. The light flickered overhead, the smell of ammonia rising from the sink. Light bulbs would be added to her shopping list of supplies. In the next forty-eight hours they should approach the Northern tip of Brazil. If no unexpected surprises appear on the horizon, that was to be their next stop for supplies and survivors. The Arcadia was a sitting duck if it stayed stationary in the middle of the ocean, and maybe, they could rebuild society in South America. It was as good a plan as any, and leaving this rust bucket of a ship would remove the moving target from their backs.

It also meant less of a chance to see Alice again.

Claire studied her appearance in the mirror, cold water dripping from her chin. Her green eyes, once bright, were now dark and hollow. Purple bags puffed under her eyes, reminders of countless sleepless nights. Her skin was pale, and red hair dull from lack of nutritious food. To Claire, she resembled the undead, but to everyone aboard this ship she was a beacon of hope and the glue that kept this place together. Letting out a deep sigh, she wiped her face on a nearby towel and shut off the bathroom light, surrounding herself in darkness once more. On her way back to bed Claire stopped, the hair on the back of her neck rising. She could sense the presence of another. She stood perfectly still, in front of her was a small dresser where she had a pistol. Slowly, she reached out and opened the drawer, wrapping her hands around the rough grip of a 9 mm semi automatic.

"Who's there?" Claire called out, cocking the safety with her finger and still not turning around. "Show yourself or I shoot,"

Suddenly light filled the room as Claire spun, ready to fire, but froze. Her hands trembled, the gun shaking before she lowered it to her side "A-Alice?" she stuttered dropping the gun to the floor with a clunk.

"Claire," Alice breathed, locking the redhead in a tight embrace, "I've missed you so much,"

Claire cried, her body trembling. Alice was really here. Three months did not change the love they shared. Alice lifted Claire's head from her shoulder, looking into the green eyes she'd been dreaming of and kissed her lips salted with tears.

"H-How did-" Claire tried to ask, but she was silenced by a gentle finger to her lips.

"I'll explain everything when we have time." Alice replied, caressing Claire's cheek.

"Are we in danger?"

Alice nodded, "It won't be long until they've tracked me here. We need to get everyone assembled. Umbrella will not go down without a fight."

She may have left, but came back knowing Umbrella was going to strike. She returned to protect her friends, loved ones, and the innocent people aboard. Claire touched Alice's arm, the skin almost hot to the touch. Blood was rushing through her veins at hyper speed. Alice had broken their promise, and she should be angry, but right now all Claire felt was relief.

Claire looked deep into Alice's eyes, "What happened, please tell me." she begged.

"I'll tell you everything when the time is right, but now is not the time."

Claire nodded, kissing Alice again, "The calm before the storm right?"

Alice frowned, "Sound the alarm, we'll need every able person on deck and armed."


T.B.C.


Feel free to share with me your theories on what Alice did over the past three months (I promise, there will be an explanation!)

Please R/R & I will return the favour!