***AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter contains strong language and scenes of violence/gore ***

Chapter 4: The Toll Collector

Orange Grove, Nebraska

36 Miles Northwest of Peyton, Iowa

65 Miles North of the Raccoon City Containment Zone

April 4th 2008

20:13 CST

The miles continued to creep by on the dark interstate highway that lay ahead of her. Tonight, it was just her and the lonely road. Tapping her manicured fingers on the steering wheel, her eyes narrowed as her exit approached – it was time for some exhilaration. Shifting gears, she pressed down on the accelerator, and the Mercedes was quickly going over eighty-five miles per hour. A smile crept upon her face at the sheer rush of speed. Pressing the clutch, she shifted again, and now she was approaching one hundred as she moved into the right lane. The exit to Orange Grove was up ahead as the lights along the freeway began to line the road. Shifting the car into neutral and decelerating, the Mercedes glided onto the exit ramp, and with a quick right, she was on her way towards her destination.

As she continued on, her mind wandered back to what the mechanic had told her as he lay huddled on the floor of his shop clutching his broken right arm. His face was a bloody mess after she had taken her liberties with the pipe wrench.

"He likes… flirty girls… ones that appear loose and easy… Open up the top buttons… on your blouse… and walk sexy… He'll come to you… God, I swear!"

Soon enough the lights to Stagla's Bar were coming into view on the right hand side. As she made her turn, the parking lot was filled nearly to capacity. For a Friday night, this establishment was apparently the popular hotspot for the entire town and surrounding area. According to the mechanic, this was where all the local singles gathered to drink, hook up, purchase drugs, hire strippers, and pretty much do whatever they wanted. After some research, she was surprised that it hadn't been closed down by the local police, but that wasn't her concern. From what she'd been able to glean from the man, this was the frequent hangout for David Yeager – a man in his mid thirties. Born into wealth and power, his father was a successful real estate tycoon. Yeager had both money and power – two things he had allowed to go to his head by believing he was charming… and untouchable.

Parking her Mercedes in a space near the road, Ada stepped out and straightened her black business suit jacket and matching short skirt. Reaching up, she undid the top two buttons of her red blouse to make sure that the tops of her breasts were plainly visible to anyone wanting to sneak a look. When she was satisfied with her efforts, she ran her fingers through the jet-black bangs of her hair and began walking toward the entrance. On the way, she glanced at the vehicles in the lot. She stopped when she spotted a red 1967 Camero with white racing strips near the front of the building. The license plate was a match – Yeager was here tonight.

The music was blaring loud when she opened the door to the smoke-laden interior. The blue and purple neon lights seemed to add to an almost surreal atmosphere as they flickered on and off. Out on the dance floor, couples were grinding to a hardcore rock song as strippers up on the platforms swung around poles to the beat. Many others were sitting in booths socializing or making out. It was a surprisingly wild scene. She had visited other clubs around the world that were even more risqué than this place… but not many.

With a sauntering approach, Ada provocatively swayed her hips as she approached the bar. The bartender caught sight of her and froze as did several other onlookers as she passed by them. Pretending not to notice, she made her way toward the left side of the bar. Sitting down on a stool by herself, she slowly crossed her legs in a deliberate motion.

She had noticed Yeager sitting behind her in a large private booth with two other men and a couple of dancers. Turning her head as if checking out the scene, she let her gaze roll behind her until she locked eyes with the man. He was already openly staring at her. She smiled and gave him a wink before turning back to the bartender who had quickly made his way over to her.

"What'll ya have, Sweetheart?"

Without so much as a pause, she answered, "Jack Daniels."

The man reached under the counter and produced a bottle of the golden whiskey. After setting it down on the bar, he grabbed a glass from up top and asked, "Do you want that…?"

"Straight up," she answered. Why was it that no matter what drinking establishment she visited they always asked her if she wanted her drinks watered down? "And leave the bottle."

He began to protest until she produced a fifty from her purse and laid it down on the bar counter. "It's been a long week, Sweetie. This is for the bottle… and some privacy. I'm sure you have other patrons to fawn over."

Her smile was pleasant enough, but she made sure that her almond-colored eyes conveyed the silent message clearly enough – she did not want him hanging around her. His smile faded as he took the bill and walked away, leaving her alone with her drink. Taking the glass in her fingers, she tilted her head back and downed the entire contents.

It wasn't long before she felt the presence of another person standing behind her. Stealing a quick glance in the mirrored wall behind the bar, she saw Yeager standing there looking down at her with a smile on his face. He had the beginnings of a beer gut forming on his belly – the nightlife that he kept seemed to be catching up with him quicker than he probably would have liked. Other than that, he was built, and his beard was unshaven but not entirely unattractive.

"Now I can certainly appreciate a woman with a taste for good whiskey," she heard him say.

Ada turned her head and looked at him with a smile. "Is that so?" She cooed. "Well, it just so happens that I also appreciate the taste of good whiskey."

"I'm Dave," he said with another smile as he held out his hand. She noticed him take a peak at her chest.

"Ada," she replied as she gingerly took his.

"Do you mind if I keep you company, Ada?"

She glanced at the other two men sitting in the booth behind them. Both were whispering to each other and smiling as they looked in her direction. "Won't your friends over there feel left out if you ditch them for me?"

"My 'who'?" He asked in feigned innocence as he chuckled. "I don't know who those guys and gals are. Honest!"

She laughed and motioned for him to take the stool to her left. "Would you care for a drink, Dave? My treat."

"Don't mind if I do," he replied as he placed his glass next to hers. After she had filled both of them halfway, he lifted his glass in her direction. "To good whiskey."

"Cheers," she said with another smile.

"Haven't seen you around here before. You new to this area?"

"I'm just passing through," she replied. "It's been a long week at work and…" She paused for a moment to gently crack her neck. While she did, she made sure that her breasts moved with her motions. "… I really need to blow off some steam."

"Really?" He asked as his eyes arched upwards in fascination. "And what exactly does a gorgeous woman like you do for work?" He was openly flirting with her now as his eyes ran down her body.

She smiled and ran her fingers through her hair. "International regulations mostly."

His smile was wide and infectious – an obvious quality he had learned in his time banging cocktail waitresses and impressionable single ladies. "And what does an international regulator like to do to blow off steam?"

Ada lifted the glass to her lips and took another sip of her whiskey. "First, I'm going to enjoy my drink," she replied. "Then I'll see where the night takes me."

"Spontaneous, aren't you? Maybe you'd like to dance?"

She turned to look at him fully and gave him one of her more charming smiles. Eyeing him up from head to toe, she said, "Maybe… Do you think you can peak my interest?"

"Why don't I show you?" He replied.

After finishing their drinks, he took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor. The bass was pounding to the beat of a fast-paced hip-hop song. She hadn't danced like that since her college days, but fortunately she had a good memory, and the moves came back to her quickly. The floor around them was alive with energy as the lights flashed on and off. After a few songs had passed, the next to follow was a slow and sexy grind tune. Moving with the rest of the couples on the floor, Ada backed into Yeager and began to grind her hips into him as she reached up and put a hand behind his neck. His hands went to her waist and slowly worked their way up to her chest. She could feel him straining through his pants as they moved together to the beat.

As another song began to play, she decided that now was the best time to make her move. "You seem to know your way around a dance floor, Dave. How about the two of us find some place a bit more… private?"

A huge smile spread across his face. "Well, I live just down the road. How about I fix you up with a drink at my place?"

"Mmmm, that sounds…" she slowly slid her hands down to his crotch and grasped him through his jeans. "… delicious. Lead the way."

It was almost a surprise that it hadn't required any further convincing on her part, but the one thing that she had never underestimated was the effect that she had on men. Following his red Camero, he turned down a long private drive about three miles outside of town. His residence was a large, two story ranch-style home most likely paid for with his father's money. Despite that however, it did hold a certain class that was obviously lacking in its owner.

"What do you think?" He asked as he escorted her to the front door.

"It's beautiful." She replied and then asked, "Do you live here alone?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." He unlocked the door and held it open for her. "Let me see about getting you that drink."

"That's sweet of you, Dave. You're quite the gentleman."

He led the way into the sizeable living room that contained two large couches, an entertainment center, and a mini-bar. It was certainly a single man's bachelor pad. As Yeager walked to the mini-bar talking about himself, Ada quickly removed the Beretta from her purse and stashed it in the back waistband of her skirt.

"Anyway, did you like my car?" He asked over his shoulder as he poured her a drink. "That was a sixteenth birthday present from my parents. I've never loved a vehicle more than that one."

"You do have an eye for beautiful things," she replied.

He turned and walked toward her with the same smile on his face. "I certainly do. Speaking of beautiful things, I was quite lucky to meet you tonight, Ada."

"Oh luck had nothing to do with it, David," she replied coolly as her eyes narrowed. "It so happens that I was the one waiting for you."

He stopped in front of her with a confused look on his face. "Wait… what? I don't understand…"

"I think its time we skipped the foreplay, Love," she said as she placed her arms around his neck.

With that, Ada quickly landed a knee into the man's genitals causing him to gasp and double over in pain. Immediately she grabbed the Beretta from behind her back and smashed the barrel into his nose. A scream pierced the room as he dropped the drink and fell to his knees in pain.

"YOU BITCH!" He yelled as his hands went to his bleeding face. "You broke my fucking nose!"

"Now that's not the kind of dirty talk I like to hear before getting into the sack, David. You'd be wise to shut your mouth and stay down, or I promise you I'll break something more painful," she said as she finished attaching the silencer and aimed the pistol at his face.

He looked up at her with confusion and anger spreading across his features. "Who the hell are you!? Don't you know who I am!?"

"Of course I do. Your name is David Richard Yeager. You were born on February 3rd 1976 to Richard Earl Yeager and Elizabeth Jessica Eagerly. You graduated from Orange Grove High School in 1995 and were awarded a bachelor's degree from Stanford University in 1999. Shall I continue?"

He knelt there on the floor with widened eyes of shock as he stared at her. She now had his full attention. "I… I don't understand… Why?"

"I'll ask the questions, David," Ada replied in a cold voice. "But first, I want to talk with you about a party night of yours a long time ago – the night of May 16th 1993."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"You were driving that beautiful red Camero of yours when you struck a white Cavalier off of Highway 77 as you were driving north from Raccoon City – do you remember that night?"

He was silent for a moment and then stole a quick glance at the floor before returning his attention back to her. She had read his eyes clearly enough… he knew full well what she was talking about.

"Look, Ada…" His voice had lost all of its cockiness now. "I don't know what this is about, but if its money you want…"

"Money?" She asked incredulously. "Is that why you think I'm here – to blackmail you? No, David. I'm here tonight, because I wanted to finally meet you in person after all these months. I'll admit that it took a great deal of my time to track you down. The paint samples from your vehicle had been difficult to obtain. But with a little determination, I was able to locate the mechanic you used to repair your car without alerting the authorities. He was quite the chatterbox once I convinced him it was in his best interests to cooperate with me."

His eyes went wide. "Johnny… Brenner? How… How did you…"

"I have my ways," she replied with a coy smile. "He told me about how you brought your car to him the next day and paid a large sum of cash to have it fixed quietly. It seems that Daddy's money can buy a lot of things, can't it? People, their silence… even covering up two counts of manslaughter."

"Manslaughter? What are you a fucking cop or something?"

A sudden flash of anger enveloped her by his callous remark, and she responded in kind. Smashing the pistol into his face again, Yeager fell to the floor in a bloody sobbing heap. The coward was just like all the other rich pricks that she had been acquainted with during her life – all cock and no spine. Throw money into the mix, and they soon felt untouchable by society's norms. How many times had she witnessed that happen in her line of work? If she wasn't working for those types of men and women, she was being paid to kill others just like them. However, tonight was an exception. There was no money involved here; no mission to complete. This was simply something she had to do.

"You should really watch that mouth of yours," Ada cooed. "It's going to get you into trouble."

"Just stop, okay?" He moaned. "I'll give you whatever you want just please… don't hurt me."

She looked down at him and smiled. "Tell you what, David – you tell me who was with you that night, and I promise that I won't harm another hair on your head. How does that sound?"

"Okay… okay… Look… I… it was an accident, alright? I didn't mean for it to happen… I…"

"David," she interrupted, "I'm not interested in your excuses or your explanations. I simply want the names of the people who were with you. That's all."

He looked up at her with fear in his eyes. It was a look she had seen many times before, and she had never once let it move her. In her line of work she was many things – a spy, a killer… and a woman experienced in many forms of interrogation and torture. There had never been a time when she had failed to extract information from a mark. The mechanic she had tortured had been a necessity to bring her closer to her objective – she needed the name of the driver of that red Camero. Now that she had it, things were quickly beginning to turn personal. While she would have rather broken every bone in Yeager's body, with great restraint she held herself back knowing that a deft touch was more profitable for her to obtain the additional names that she wanted.

"I… I was with one other person. His name is Ronnie Atkinson. He was with me at the bar tonight. I… I swear that's it!"

Another smile crossed her lips. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it? Now there is one last thing you're going to do before I leave – you're going to call Mr. Atkinson and have him meet you here."

"How am I…?"

"You're a cocky man. Tell him that you're having a private party with strippers – I don't care how you do it, but get him here. Oh, and one more thing – if you try anything clever, well…" She pointed the gun to his knees. "I promise you that I know how to make men scream."

Yeager meekly complied and began dialing on his cell phone. Ada made sure her eyes never wavered from his. The eyes were the windows to the soul, and she had much experience in reading people and their reactions. To his credit, Yeager had managed to convince Atkinson to come to his place without alerting him to her presence.

"Now slide your phone across the floor," she said after he had finished the call.

"If you're not a cop then why are you doing this?" Yeager asked as he did what she had ordered.

"Why?" She asked as her eyes narrowed. "It's really quite simple. You see the people you killed that night during your binge of drugs and booze happened to be the parents of a very good friend of mine. He isn't a killer… but I am."

With that, she raised the pistol and pulled the trigger. The Beretta sneezed, and a red hole appeared in Yeager's forehead as his brains exploded out the back of his skull. She'd come equipped with hollow point rounds – ones that made a real mess in a person's body. Yeager fell backwards, and just as quickly a pool of blood began forming under his head. His eyes were wide and lifeless as his empty gaze stared at the ceiling.

"Sleep tight, David." Ada said coolly as she casually stepped over his body and walked toward the front door. "You won't be alone for much longer."

After retrieving a few things she had brought with her from the trunk of the car, Ada sat down on the couch in the living room and waited. The last man responsible for the deaths of Leon's parents would be here shortly, and she wanted to be prepared. Her face continued to maintain that cool detachment she was used to as she watched the minutes pass by on the nearby wall clock. The only things keeping her company was the silence of the room and Yeager's corpse. This certainly hadn't been the first time she'd taken the life of a target she'd been after, but it was the first time in a long while that she had done so for personal reasons – at least since the time of her very first kill. I was just sixteen at the time… Sixteen-years-old...

Ada closed her eyes and sighed. She didn't want to think about that – not now and certainly not here. Letting her mind wander, soon thoughts of Leon began to consume her. She had made no attempt to contact him since that beautiful night the two of them had shared in Paris those many months ago. He had been so nervous initially – something she found quite… adorable. But when he finally grew comfortable, he had turned out to be quite a gentle and thorough lover. As difficult as the self-imposed separation had been, part of her was glad that she had kept her distance from him. The reason was simple – she didn't want Leon to know what her intentions were.

When he had confessed to her his reasons for joining the Raccoon Police Department, her heart had broken for him. The sheer injustice concerning the loss of parents had a lasting effect on him as a teenager which had followed him all the way to adulthood. She could hear it in his voice of how much he had loved them; how their loss had shaken him to his very core, causing him to question everything in his life. Ever since she had met him, he had always struck her as a compassionate and caring individual with a strong moral compass and plenty of nobility to spare. In fact, she had felt that he had too much, and that one day it would get him killed.

In the years since Raccoon City, she had researched his background in an effort to gain more insight into the man that he was. Initially she had told herself that it was simply research to understand his motivations and habits, but she also couldn't deny that there were… other reasons why she had. He had intrigued her, and that wasn't something that was easy to do – especially for a man.

It was during her research that she had discovered his parents had died in a car accident, but she had no idea how much of an impact it had on his life. It had consumed him to a point where he had been prepared to go to extreme lengths to seek revenge against those who took them from him. That was until the Raccoon City incident had altered his course. In a way she was almost grateful that the disaster had happened in order to help him rediscover who he truly was – a good and decent man; a defender of people. Truth be told, those were the qualities that she truly liked about him. He wasn't an assassin or a murderer – not like her.

The sounds of a car pulling up the drive brought Ada's attention back to the present. Standing up, she casually placed the pistol into the back of her skirt and walked toward the door. A trio of knocks greeted her from the man she'd been waiting for.

Opening the door, she smiled and provocatively leaned against the entrance. "Hello," she cooed. "You must be Ronnie. Dave said you'd be stopping by."

The man's eyes widened when he first saw her before they traveled down to her breasts. "Holy… You're that woman from Stagla's bar, right? The one who left with Dave?"

"I'm Ada," she said in a seductive voice as she grabbed his wrists and pulled him inside. "Come on in. Dave's waiting for us."

"Sounds good to me, baby!" He replied with a smile as he led the way.

Ada smiled as she positioned herself behind him. In just a few seconds, he'd be right where she wanted him.

"Dave!" He called out as he walked towards the living room. "I don't know how you got this girl back here, but damn I…"

His voice trailed off as his eyes spotted Yeager's dead body lying in a pool of blood. Ada then sprung the trap. Pulling out the silenced Beretta, she moved behind him and landed a sharp kick to the back of his knee. Atkinson let out a loud yelp of pain as he fell to his knees. Immediately, she was standing to his right side and held the gun to his temple.

For so many years she'd engaged in this type of work. The movements were as natural to her as breathing. Looking down, she saw Atkinson pleading for his life, but she was always able to remove herself emotionally during these situations. Her detachment was what made her so valuable in her field and had aided her in many of her hit missions. Whether her current actions were justice for Leon's parents, a message to rich criminals that their money couldn't protect them forever, or just good old-fashioned murder – none of it mattered.

Ada felt herself smile as she looked down at the man. "Good night, Ronnie."

The pistol sneezed a second time, and Atkinson was now lying on the floor with Yeager. Casually removing the silencer from the Beretta, she bent down and placed the weapon into the man's right hand, making this ugly affair look like a murder-suicide.

Taking the two five gallon containers of gasoline that she had brought in from her car, Ada began pouring them all over the bodies, the couches, and across the entire living room. As she walked toward the front door, she clicked open a Zippo lighter and lit the flame. Tossing it toward the gas-soaked floor, it immediately caught fire.

Back in her car, she sat and watched as the smoke that was bellowing from the residence windows was replaced by the orange and yellow flicker of flames. Quickly they began to engulf the entire home in the pyre. Soon questions began to gnaw at her – why had she done it? This had nothing to do with her. So why then was she getting involved in something that was none of her concern? This wasn't a job; she hadn't been paid to kill those men. So why?

Turning the key to the ignition, she stole another glace as her mind focused on him.

Leon...

She had been fighting with herself all these years concerning her feelings for the man – from Raccoon City until now. In her line of work, it was necessary to remain detached from emotional bonds, but for some reason she couldn't deny the connection that the two of them shared – not after all they had been through together.

After everything that had transpired in Paris, there was one memory of that night that had stood out from all of the others. It was the way he had held her face and looked at her after they had finished on the table. That genuine look of affection in his eyes had touched her in ways she had never believed possible. It was as if he was looking at her. Not as an asset, a one night stand, or a tool to be used until it no longer served a purpose… but as a woman – a woman he cared for. A shiver washed over her when she realized the implications; a prospect that was both exciting and terrifying at the same time… and completely dangerous. It was something that had begun in Raccoon City almost ten years ago and continued to this day even though she had tried her best to fight it. But there was no question – she had fallen for him. That had been the ultimate reason why she had gone to him in Paris. As dangerous as that rendezvous was when it came to their two worlds, it had been worth it in the end… because he had felt the same way about her, too. With that, a single tear rolled down her cheek.

As her gaze fell upon the dancing flames before her, Ada knew that if he found out what she had just done, there was no doubt in her mind that he'd be furious with her. She would need to make sure that she covered her tracks well so that this little adventure couldn't be traced back to her. Still, in the end she was glad that she had acted on this information before he could possibly think about it again. Despite the fact that he had sworn that he would never deviate from his true self again, she wasn't going to take the risk of his honor becoming corrupted by vengeance. She liked the man just the way he was and didn't want to see him fall like she had. The desire for revenge was something she knew quite intimately, and it always ended in blood… just like her first kill. The answer was now clear to her why she had done it.

"I'm sorry, Leon," she said with a gentle sigh. "But I won't let you become like me."

With that, Ada put her car into gear and, as was so often the case, disappeared into the darkness of the night.

*** THE END ***

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading this Aeon fan fiction story. I truly hope that you enjoyed this piece. Please take a moment to leave a comment to let me know if it was good, bad, entertaining, or boring. All feedback is used to make my future stories that much better.