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Grace’s heart thumped, feeling as though it had somehow sprung loose from her chest and lodged itself in her throat, choking her with each beat. She tried to ignore it, working faster, fingers thrumming across the keyboard. All she had to do was break into this computer system. She could handle that. She was braver now, after all. At least braver than she had been before, but as it turned out, shaking a fear of creepy abandoned bioweapons labs was a bit different than managing to make it through a work presentation without sweating through her shirt.
The fact that Leon had been radio silent for the last fifteen minutes or so certainly wasn’t helping.
“Leon can take care of himself,” Grace said aloud, trying, and failing, to calm her heartrate. But as true as she knew that was, Leon was also out there alone, and she was the one who had dragged him into this. If anything happened to him…
“Stop that,” she chided herself under her breath. Leon of all people would hate for her to be even thinking like that. She just needed to focus on her job, and he would focus on his. Everything would turn out fine.
“Easy. This is supposed to be easy…”
When Grace had first brought Leon in on this case, she hadn’t even been one hundred percent certain she was actually on to something. Her superiors certainly hadn’t thought so, or at least they hadn’t thought that she had enough to launch an investigation. A younger Grace would have agreed with them, dropping it, or simply monitoring the situation from her desk. But that Grace hadn’t seen the things she had now. Hadn’t met Emily. Or Leon.
Hadn’t seen the things that these people were capable of.
So, when she began to connect some dots on an old missing persons case in rural Indiana, and the picture it was painting began to look an awful lot like a here-to undiscovered and likely abandoned bioterrorism lab, she hadn’t hesitated to call Leon in for a consult.
…
“So, I think the missing people were probably test subjects for a lab in one of these marked locations” Grace finished, arms still outstretched towards the investigation board she kept in her office, out of the way of Emily’s watchful eyes. “I don’t think my superiors were convinced though,” she continued, a bit of the energy going out of her.
Leon hummed thoughtfully. He sat on the other side of her desk, watching her thoughtfully. “…And when you explained it to them, did you also go with the conspiracy theory bulletin board presentation or…”
“Leon, this is serious!”
Leon chuckled, but Grace could tell he was taking her seriously, his eyes darting back and forth between the documents she had shown him. He stood, walking around her desk to get a closer look at the board. He paused at the map that she had marked with the last known locations of the missing people, along with potential lab locations.
“Okay, walk me through the color coding again on these sites?” Leon asked.
“Yeah! So, the locations marked in yellow are all land sales that occurred in the year prior to the missing persons cases starting. And those that are marked over in orange are all land purchases that tie back through shell corporations to an alias that I’m pretty sure is for a former bioweapons scientist.”
“You’ve seen the alias before?”
“Not an exact match… but it fits a pattern that he likes to use. Literary characters and colors… weird, huh?”
Leon smirked, “Mad scientists aren’t known for being exactly the most stable. Okay, and the red locations?”
“They meet all of the other criteria, and their locations are well suited for a lab. Secluded, but not cut off from shipping for supplies, viable energy generation conditions, the right type of soil to build underground…”
Leon nodded, following along as he peered closer at each location.
“Yeah. Okay,” he said after a moment, stepping away again.
“Okay you believe me?” Grace asked, unable to completely keep the hope out of her voice.
“Of course I believe you. Okay, as in I’ll go check it out,” Leon said, sitting down again casually as if they were just discussing the weather or sports. Or whatever normal friends talked about.
“Wait. Just based on my word, you’re willing to go in, guns blazing?”
“Well, hopefully not guns blazing, if it’s abandoned like you think. You said it’s been years since the last disappearance? But yeah. Why wouldn’t I? You’re the analyst, I’m just the muscle.”
“Leon, you’re not…”
“I’m joking. Mostly. But leave it to me. I’m between missions at the moment; I have the time,” Leon added with a shrug.
Grace bit her lip. She’d called Leon in because she needed help, but the thought of him in danger because of her sat uneasily in her gut.
“…Okay. I’m coming with you though,” she said finally, crossing her arms over her chest and bracing for pushback. Leon didn’t disappoint.
“Grace, I can handle this. You’ve done your job collecting the intel, now let me do mine. Besides, I’m used to going it alone.”
“That doesn’t mean you should have to,” Grace countered. “And I can handle myself too, you know that.”
Leon smiled, less of his typical smirk this time, but something softer that sparked a warm feeling in Grace’s chest. “Yeah, I know. You’ve saved my ass more than a few times.” He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah. Alright. You can come. But,” he continued before Grace could interrupt, “Leave the dangerous stuff to me. You can be my tech support.”
“…Fine.”
“Alright, guess we better see who’s around to watch Emily.”
…
Now Grace was regretting her earlier eagerness.
At least she’d broken into the computer system, mostly based on codes she’d found scribbled haphazardly and strewn about the room. She began orienting herself in the file structure, her racing heart beginning to slow as she lost herself in focus. It didn’t take long to navigate towards the files on individual experimental subjects. None of the files contained names—why would they? They had been lab rats to the scientists who worked here, not people—but she thought the information they provided would prove enough to give the families of the missing something approaching closure. She began downloading the files onto the drive she’d brought with her.
“Now I just need to get to the personnel files and—”
Grace jumped as the door to the room slammed open, her hand flying to her holster before her brain caught up and realized who it was.
“Leon! Oh, thank God…”
“Yeah, don’t get too thankful yet” Leon said, locking the door behind him. He turned towards the interior of the room, eyes quickly scanning the situation. “The lab may not have been entirely abandoned as things turn out… Not sure that we’re going to be able to get out the way we came in.”
Grace nodded, biting down on her lip to keep herself grounded. Half of her wanted to ask what sort of horrors he had run into out there; half didn’t want to know.
“I... I’m sure I saw a map in here somewhere… just give me a second…”
“Did you find the files we need?” Leon asked, moving methodically around the room and piling anything movable in front of the door he’d entered through. There was another door at the back that Grace hadn’t been able to open yet. Another hurdle in their escape plan.
“I have files on the test subjects and… Here! Yes! I found the personnel files. Just… it’ll take a little bit to download…”
Leon nodded, checking through his ammo supply. “That’s okay. Just do your thing.”
“Yeah… yeah, okay. I got this…”
“I know you do.”
Grace turned back to her work, conscious of Leon moving around in her peripheral vision. At least with him here with her, she wouldn’t have to worry about anyone sneaking up on her; she settled back into her work, letting the room around her melt into background noise.
“Okay!” She turned to find Leon prodding at the keypad next to the locked door. “I have all the files, now maybe I can find a map, or a code to open the door or—”
“Plug your ears a second?” Leon asked.
“Okay, but—”
Leon drew his handgun and fired at the keypad, flinching away at the resulting shower of sparks. Once the electricity had calmed down, he reached a hand tentatively towards the door. It swung open at the lightest touch.
“Found us a way out,” Leon said, turning back to Grace with a wolfish grin. “You ready?”
Grace snatched the drive she’d downloaded the files onto, zipping it into a pocket on the inside of her jacket. She tapped the pocket twice. Checked that the zipper was truly closed. It was there. Secure. No matter what else happened, she had accomplished that much.
“Ye…Yeah. Hang on. If I can just find a map I can find us a way out…”
Something outside the room slammed against the barricaded door. Grace flinched, but thankfully Leon’s handiwork showed no signs of failing.
“I don’t know it we’re going to have time for that map, Grace. We may have to just wing it.”
Grace paused for a moment, hands trembling over the keyboard. But he was right. They were running out of time.
“Okay. Yeah, okay, let’s go.”
Leon nodded, handgun at the ready. “Got plenty of ammo?”
Grace flashed a smile, “I came prepared this time.”
“Once bitten, twice shy .Alright, let’s go. I’ll take point. Watch my back?”
“On it!”
They made it about halfway through the next hall—miraculously mostly free of debris which made it easier to navigate in the dark—before the first zombie reared its ugly head. It burst out of a door behind them and to the left, Grace turning to put it down with a shot to the knee and the head on instinct.
Despite the situation, she couldn’t help a small flash of joy watching it fall. She’d been practicing her shooting at the range, sometimes with Leon when he was in town, and sometimes with colleagues from work. It seemed it was paying off.
The crack of another gunshot rang through the hall as Leon took care of something in front of them.
“We’ve got a T up ahead,” Leon called back, not turning his head from the gloomy hall in front of them. “I’m thinking right is our best bet if we want to loop back to the entrance.”
“Yeah, sounds go—” Grace cut off abruptly as the door immediately to her left flew open, the creature that emerged digging its claws into her shoulder before she had a chance to react.
“Grace!” Leon spun, slamming a kick into the creature that sent it sprawling towards the floor. He grabbed Grace’s uninjured arm, pulling her behind him before emptying his clip into the creature’s head. It took all too long for the thing—more of a monster than a zombie this time—to stop moving.
“Shit,” Leon said, turning back to Grace, his eyes flicking up and down her quickly, clearly assessing her for harm. “You okay?”
Grace nodded mutely, probing at the gash on her shoulder with a shaking finger. It hurt, but it could have been much worse. “I’m okay.”
“Let me see?” Leon asked.
Grace shook her head. “Its okay, promise. Let’s just get out of here.”
Leon’s eyes narrowed briefly as if he was trying to determine whether or not she was telling the truth. Whatever he saw in her face seemed to convince him enough. Finally, he nodded.
“Let’s get the hell out of here.”
…
“Well, I guess it could have been worse,” Leon said.
He and Grace stood, both panting to catch their breath, watching the smoldering caved-in exit to the lab from what they’d judged to be a safe distance. The last hall had been a bit of a mad dash, Leon using the one grenade he’d brought with him to ensure that nothing followed them out from the basement.
“It could have been worse,” Grace echoed, her hand resting protectively over the drive in her pocket.
“Alright, lets see your shoulder,” Leon said, evidently comfortable enough with their exit to turn his back on the lab. Grace obliged, turning her injury towards him, but her eyes watched over his shoulder warily for any unwelcome guests.
By the time he’d finished cleaning and wrapping her wound, she had relaxed somewhat, Leon’s easy calm rubbing off on her. She supposed there hadn’t really been that many monsters in there; maybe they had actually gotten them all.
“What now?” Grace asked, finally letting her mind stray away from the immediate needs of survival. A new concern dawned on her, heartrate picking back up; zombies and monsters weren’t the only things to be concerned about here. “We have the files, but neither of us are actually supposed to be here, are we? It’s not like I can just show up to work on Monday with them… I’d… I’d probably lose my job. And we have to do something about that,” she added, gesturing towards the wrecked lab. “If there are… things still in there…”
Leon shrugged, none of her concerns seeming to bother him too much. “I have connections. I’ll call in a favor with the BSAA. They can clean up the lab and handle the files for us. We just slip back into the shadows, job done.”
Grace bit her lip, hand clinching over her pocket. “The BSAA… you trust them?”
To her surprise Leon shook his head. “Not all of them. But a handful—Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine... If you ever need back up and I’m not around, they’ll have your back. Don’t worry, everything here will work out. Scout’s honor.” He flashed a hand symbol at her that she was fairly certain wasn’t actually the Boy Scout salute.
“…Okay. Yeah. Sounds good.”
“Great. Well, I don’t know about you, but I figure it’s time we get out of here.” Leon turned back in the direction of the road, towards civilization again.
“Yeah… but uh… Leon?”
“Hmm?” He glanced back over his shoulder.
“Thank you.”
“For having your back? Yeah, of course.”
“No, I meant, for believing me. About the lab. About everything.”
Leon’s eyes widened slightly. “What else is family for?”
Family…
Leon had spoken lightly—almost flippantly, as Grace had found he was prone to—but she had seen the flash of deep affection in his eyes before he turned again. She knew he had meant what he said.
Grace’s family had always been small. Just her and her mother at first. And then for far too many years it had just been her alone. But now she had Emily. And Leon. He was family too, wasn’t he? Maybe not in the traditional sense, but then when had Grace’s family ever been traditional.
Family… the word blossomed warmly in her chest.
“You coming?” Leon called over his shoulder, already slipping back into the shadows of the nearby forest.
“Coming!”
“Great! I want to see if we can find any souvenirs in town to bring back for Emily.”
“…In the middle of Indiana?”
“Yeah? Why not?”
Grace laughed, feeling the last of the tension melt from her body. “I guess we’d better hurry up then!”
Fin.