A Sickly Sweet Reverie (Leon Kennedy X OC) [BOOK 3]

Chapter 14: Drop of poison

The events unfolded in slow motion. The arrow had torn into the center of her forehead, making a clear path through her skull. Helena moved in sync with her sister's falling corpse, stretching out her hand as she reached for the now lifeless body. Some part of me heard her scream, but all sound cut out as I turned to follow the origin of the arrow and found Ada Wong standing a few feet away, crossbow in hand.

She was ingrained in some deep crevice in my mind that I didn't wish to visit, the dark part where the beast and rage bided their time. I hadn't seen her in years, but she looked the same. Her hair was a bit shorter, still that same dark sable that framed her face. Her red blouse was deeply unbuttoned, and black pants and heeled boots gave her that usual cocktail hour image. Botox looked good on her.

Images from that helicopter flashed into my mind. Those same dark eyes that stared down at me from her higher position, pushing me from the helicopter. The virus slipped between my fingers, the vial of liquid chaos I let her get away with. She wouldn't win this time. This time, I will finish the job.

I can finish this right now, right my wrongs and atone for my past failures at her hands. For all the people's lives she's directly ruined.

I was moving before I actually registered the motion. I charged forward, ready to rip my nails down her face before arms engulfed me.

Leon tugged me against his chest, fighting against my thrashing as I fought to get out of his grip. The edges of my vision were blurred as my gaze stayed narrowed on her. Leon said my name, his voice cradling the shell of my ear until time caught up and my vision went solid again.

"Let me go, Leon," I growled, not breaking the stare between me and the monster standing before us.

"No. You need to get a hold of yourself," Leon replied, making something in my chest crack, like the words sharpened into an unbreakable blade that pierced my heart. Protecting her, after all we've seen her do, all the lives she's cost.

"Looks like you've seen a ghost," Ada purred, taking a few steps forward and shifting her weight on her hip.

Helena snarled from somewhere behind me as she came up on Leon's other side, her gun aimed at Ada with a finger on the trigger. Helena's breath came out in shallow gasps as she locked eyes with Ada. That cracked piece in my chest was screaming at Helena–Shoot. Shoot.

Leon unraveled one of his arms, placing it on the barrel of her weapon to slowly lower it to the ground. A sob broke loose from her chest as the gun hung loosely from her side. Leon's arm stayed wrapped around my waist, stopping any attempts to strike at Ada.

"Ada, what the hell is going on here?" He asked.

I yanked free of his grip and moved to Helena, my eyes staying locked on Ada as I crouched down to place a hand on her arm.

"It's complicated," She answered, looking back at him.

The platform beneath us began to rumble, and grains of pulverized rock sprinkled down from above as I moved to steady myself. Small chunks of sediment rained down, dislodged from their nooks higher up in the structure.

"But this isn't the time or the place," Ada continued, looking up toward the tunnel overhead, like she was looking for something that may be following. I helped Helena to her feet, following her gaze to see if there was indeed something we needed to be ready for.

"These walkways won't hold, we need to get to the lower levels," Ada said, taking a step toward the next descending passage connected to the platform. Helena pulled out of my grip, stepping toward Deborah's body.

"I'm so sorry, Deborah. This is all my fault," She leaned down, brushing her fingers down her forehead as she mumbled through the tears. Even with the area rumbling around us and the dust raining down, she needed this moment–needed to say goodbye. As Helena leaned down to press her lips to her sister's forehead something caught my gaze.