𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞| ᴀ ʟᴇᴏɴ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ

Prologue

The hum of the coffee shop almost makes me feel like a normal citizen and not some high profile top secret agent. I sigh into my steaming drink, gazing out of the window as I watch people go about their daily lives. My boyfriend and fellow agent, Leon S. Kennedy sits beside me in the booth tucked in the corner, his strong arm wrapped around my shoulders in some sense of love and protection, despite the fact we could both take down someone with a mere spoon. 

A buzz interrupts the moment of normalcy, and alas, duty is calling. Literally, Leon's work phone buzzes in his pocket, tickling my thigh as we both sigh. Leon grabs it, flipping the out of date phone up then he presses it to his ear closest to me so I can listen in. "Hunnigan, what's the run down this time?" Leon drawls. Ingrid Hunnigan, our field office support, hums as she types something on her computer, probably pulling up our next assignment. 

"You're being sent to a seemingly abandoned town up west. It's called Grimhurst, population unknown due to its history of bankruptcy. Most locals left after the town began to deteriorate, but a few stayed willing to go down with the ship. There's recently been a rise of eager tourists, some quoting to the local police that there's monsters lurking there, and apparently the town is full of ghosts."

Leon huffs a fake laugh, glancing at me from the side of his eyes. I lick my lips, not liking the sound of this, but intrigued nonetheless. "How many casualties or missing person reports?" I ask before Leon can. I can almost picture Hunnigan's smile at my eagerness.

"So far? Around five."

Leon curses under his breath, shoulders tensing. I know missing person cases always remind him of his rookie cop days back in Raccoon City, as well as most recent mission in some village in Spain, where hikers often went missing too due to some cult murdering them. The thought almost sends a shiver up my spine, but then I remember that I'm supposed to be the cool and collected agent the government trained me to be. "There's definitely something weird going on there," Leon sighs, rubbing a hand over his face as he closes his eyes for a second, but then his brows draw together, "Why hasn't the government sent any agents out yet? Haven't the local police stepped in to investigate?" 

Hunnigan hums, followed by a series of mouse clicks and typing. "Huh," she mumbles, "Nothing. Apparently the president brought the subject up with the head of homeland security, Mr Theodore Jackson, but the worry was always dismissed. However, it seems like he's changed his mind, because Mr Jackson asked specifically for you both to take this mission."

Something about this whole thing doesn't feel right, especially after waiting so long until five people have gone missing, and now they're asking for us to go in? This isn't adding up, but regardless I'm in no position to turn down a mission, and besides, if there's people who need us to help them I'm going. Leon looks to me, arching a brow as if to ask me if I'm okay with this. I nod, giving him a small smile to reassure him, then he gives me a nod in return.

"It's probably because homeland security knows we're the best, right?" Leon teases both me and Hunnigan, trying to lighten the mood. It works a little because I huff a laugh, shrugging as I sip some more of my drink, which doesn't seem as sweet as it did earlier. Leon's arm squeezes around my shoulders as I lean further into him, glad that we're a team, this mission doesn't seem fun to go in alone, and I know Leon's still struggling from Spain and the forces he encountered there. 

"Well whatever it is, you're expected to leave soon and go investigate what's going on in Grimhurst, and locate the missing tourists if possible, but that isn't required." Hunnigan says. Leon's lips pinch together, and I know he's already devising a plan to try and find the missing people, he'd never leave someone behind if he can help it, and I bet my life that we won't be leaving the desolate town until we know what's happened to them. 

"Okay, we'll get going soon. Condor One and Two out." Leon mumbles, then he hangs up, setting the phone on the table as he blows out a breath. I rest a hand on his knee, his nervous energy something I often try to cure. 

"It'll be fine. We'll get in, look around, hopefully find some people, then get out. All in a day's work, right?" I softly ask Leon. He nods, a stray lock of blonde hair falling over his eye. I reach up and push it away, but then Leon grabs my wrist and presses a kiss to my hand.

"This doesn't feel right, so let's be careful, OK?" He mumbles. I nod, reaching up to kiss his lips, then I pull away and finish my drink, nodding at Leon's half finished black coffee. 

"Come on, drink up, we've got people to save and some creepy town to venture into." I smile, watching as Leon's lips quirk up a little, then he reaches for his drink, both of us prepping mentally for our newest assignment.