Nightcall

Thank you so much for the reviews everybody :D I am really happy that people are enjoying this, hopefully you'll like this chapter too! This particular chapter was inspired by the song Nightcall by Kavinsky.

Night was closing as Claire took the elevator down to the atrium of the TerraSave building. She was intending to head to the local bar for a celebratory drink, having just published a vital article detailing the implementation of viral testing within Clarke Pharmaceuticals; a respected health organisation. Despite the enormous amount of time and effort it had taken to complete, it gave Claire hope to know that this battle against bio-terrorism could indeed be won. The elevator doors opened, and Claire stepped out into the ambient foyer where a number of heavily built but strangely well dressed men stood. She was shocked when one of them addressed her by name.

"Miss Redfield, I'm Agent Miller, a representative of Clarke Pharmaceuticals. I have reason to believe you published a report detailing the company's involvement in a corporate conspiracy," the largest of the men detailed. Claire stopped outside of the elevator, before giving the men a polite smile and a shake of her head.

"I'm sorry but that information is confidential," she explained. "If your employers wish to answer for their crimes they can do so in a court of law. Now if you'll excuse me." Claire attempted to walk past them, but Miller's lackeys cut her off.

"Mr Clarke is not a patient man Miss Redfield," Miller said. His tone grew threatening, and Claire flinched when she felt the barrel of a gun between her shoulder blades.

"There's a car waiting in the alley outside," he said. He pushed the gun into her back in a way that insisted she move. Claire began to walk, a feeling of dread pooling in the pit of her stomach. A few pedestrians walked past them on the street, and Miller pulled the gun away from her back, hiding it in his suit jacket. Noticing this lapse in concentration Claire acted quickly. She turned and slammed her elbow into his face, breaking his nose with a sickening crunch. One of his accomplices moved in to detain her. She brought her foot down hard on his knee, shattering it in a practised motion, before punching another hard in the jaw. The men greatly outnumbered her. As she tried to run she felt strong arms grab her, forcing her into the alleyway and onto the hard concrete.

"You little bitch," Miller hissed, clutching at his bloody nose. A psychotic look flashed in his eyes. "I should just kill you here." Claire refused to back down, even with a pistol in her face. She glared at him angrily.

"Have the pawns of Clarke Pharmaceutical really dropped to the level of common criminals, executing unarmed women in the streets?" A familiar voice drawled. The group looked up, and Claire froze when she saw it was Wesker who spoke.

Wesker approached the group casually. "Did you not hear me or are you mongrels too stupid to speak?" Before anyone could react Wesker slammed Miller against the wall, gripping him by his throat. One of the men went to pull the gun from his jacket, but Wesker was faster. He broke the large man's wrist, throwing him through the glass doors of the TerraSave building. Claire stood up, kicking one man in the stomach before making a break for it. Ducking around a corner she continued to run, heart pounding in her chest. What the hell had just happened? Had Wesker just saved her? Reaching her motorbike she put the keys into the ignition, starting the engine with a roar, and speeding down the street.

Wesker broke the last fumbling goon's neck, and pulled off his bloody gloves. The bodies of Clarke's dead messengers littered the pavement like trash, and Wesker found it strangely appropriate. He heard a strangled yelp of pain and turned to see one of the men attempting to crawl away. His leg was a mess, bone protruding from his skin, and piercing through his suit pants. Wesker grabbed the man by his collar and pulled him to his feet, causing a scream to erupt from the man's throat.

"Listen you worthless piece of filth," Wesker hissed into his ear "Tell your employer what happened here and tell him that if he touches Miss Redfield again I will personally see his head sent to her doorstep. She is mine, and she is worth far more to me alive. Do we have an understanding?" The young man nodded, before Wesker threw him onto the hard pavement. Sighing he walked away from the devastating scene, leaving the bodies thrown across the street and the gutters flowing with blood. He pulled out his cell phone and dialled the number. Her number. She picked up on the second ring.

"Hello," Claire said, her voice cautious.

"I hope you are not on your way back to your house, it will be crawling with these vermin by now," Wesker said, cutting straight to the point.

There was a long silence before Claire responded "That's quite a thing to say considering that until today you were the most eminent danger to my life."

"We don't have time for this," Wesker said, urgency all too clear in his tone.

"What do you suggest I do then?" Claire asked.

"I don't care what you do," Wesker said. "Just get out of town for a week at least."

"Okay… Just one more thing," Claire said, as he went to hang up.

"And what would that be?" Wesker asked, genuinely intrigued by Claire's words

"Why… Why did you do save me?"

Wesker smirked, a rumbling laugh coming from somewhere deep within his throat. "Save you? Dear Heart that was the never my intention, it's just business." With that he hung up.

Claire sat there, phone still in hand as his final words rang in her ears. Just business? Even she could see it was more than that. She didn't know much about the mind of Albert Wesker, but she knew that had he been in her position she would have let them blow his head off. She drove down the freeway, bobbing and weaving between the cars on her way to Chris'. She wondered how he would react to this situation. Would he be angry? Worried? Well probably both. She had to admit she was pretty shaken up herself. Even an experience like Raccoon City couldn't prepare you for a confrontation like that. Her thoughts once again strayed to her mysterious rescuer. Yes he was evil, monstrous even, but there was something about him that she couldn't explain.

Pulling up at Chris' apartment building Claire parked her bike and went inside. She felt safer knowing that Chris was nearby, but the thought that she may be putting him in danger was constantly in the back of her mind. Taking the stairs to his apartment she stood outside the door, hesitating. It suddenly occurred to her how late it was. Maybe she shouldn't bother Chris with her stupid problems. Swallowing her doubt she knocked on the door and a dishevelled Chris answered.

"Claire?" He asked, squinting at her "Do you have any idea what time it is?" She put her hands up and shook her head.

"I know… I'm sorry!" She said and then sighed. "Look, I have bad news; I think we should discuss this over a drink."

Chris eyed her suspiciously. "Okay. Meet me at the bar; I'll be down in five minutes."