In It For the Money

XXXIX

Leon had made it to the front door of the building when the alarms started suddenly blaring, the doors barring shut and the lights flicking off to replace with blinking red. Leon's heart began to race loudly in his ears as he turned around to see the absolute shock on Chris' face. "Chris...?" He watched the brunette turn his head to the side as a slight over sized wolf crawled up the stairs leading to the cells. "No..." It lifted its head at the sound of his voice and remained still briefly before it turned and ran back down the stairs.

"After him!" Chris yelled, pulling out his pistol while Leon grabbed his arm.

"Chris don't-" Chris shoved Leon off and stared him down, watching the man swallow thickly.

"I can't keep letting him get away Leon." With that two soldiers grabbed onto Leon's arms and held him back while Chris descended with Blaze standing by the metal cell door leading to the cellar below. He sighed and pushed the door closed as the wolf ran back into the room, stopping inches away from the brunette's feet.

"Go on and get." Blaze nodded his head to the side and the wolf made its way to the door, pausing to turn and look back at him and Leon before it returned and sunk its claws into the metal keeping the door together. Chris stopped at the metal gate just as Blaze began 'trying' to get it open. The wolf managed to rip open the door as Chris aimed his pistol, shooting a tranquilizer dart into the beasts back thigh as it hissed and turned briefly to look at the needle.

"Get this goddamn door open!" Chris yelled as he watched the wolf push through the front door and Leon break free of the soldiers holds as they pulled out their guns. Leon crawled through the space the wolf made and watched as it got to the edge of the sidewalk before slowing down and laying on the ground exhausted, head turning at the sound of Leon's footsteps.

"Why?" He approached and kneeled by the creature, taking its head onto his lap. "Why do you keep doing this?" He saw the wolf turn its gaze away, ashamed as it let out a soft breath. "He's gonna kill you for this, or chain you up worse than you are now... You understand that don't you?" The wolf lifted its head when he heard the front door fully open, struggling to stand while Leon wrapped his arms in a hug around its neck. "Please stay..." He heard the creature whine softly and briefly try and get him to let go, but as his grip tightened it relaxed and turned to look at the door. Chris stood there with his pistol in hand, waiting for its next actions. A deep huff left the creature as it hung its head and lowered itself onto the ground in submission. Leon let go and pressed his forehead against the top of its head. "Thank you..." Leon lifted his head to watch Chris begin to approach before feeling his lovers chest rise and fall in a low grumble, a warning growl as his ears pinned back to his head.

"You can't keep pulling stunts like this." Chris began, kneeling down next to the wolf and shaking his head. "What do you think Jill's feeling right now?" He was replied to with a huff from the wolf as it looked away. "Okay fine, bad exampled. We both know she would have freed you to. What about Ada?" The wolf growled and stood up, Chris remaining in the kneeling position as the wolf circled both men, ears pressed flat against his head before a low whistle is heard from somewhere in the parking lot. Redirecting the wolf's attention as it turned fully to the sound, ears lifting to locate the sound as a slightly louder whistle echoed.

"Who is that?" Leon asked, looking through the parking lot before a masked figure emerged from behind one of the larger combat vehicles.

They lifted the mask just enough off of their face to bring their right hand to their mouth to whistle a final time before the wolf broke off into a sprint towards the figure before jumping onto them, the wolf's form melting away into nothing as the figure absorbed it. Taking the mask off completely to reveal the true body of Leon's lover, both men staring in shocked horror at the precision and planning the man had made in the span of a few minutes. The wolf was only a distraction, the man turning to look deeply into Leon's eyes from afar as he raised a hand to wave.

"No way..." Leon uttered softly, shock filling his veins.

"How did...?" Chris questioned as he stood up, shock visible on his face. They had no other words to share as the male turned away from them and began walking into the woods calmly, like there was nothing else to worry about. Chris turned his gaze to Blaze, who joined the two quietly. Eyes still glued to the treeline, he knew the plan. Took the risks. And as he turned to Chris who began to question him immediately he knew he would be paying for it. "What the fuck?!" He smiled back at Chris casually before looking towards the ground. "You did this didn't you? It was all some plan you made behind my back!"

"It was, I'll be honest about that." Blaze lifted his gaze and stared right back at the brunette. "But we know him better than anyone else. The dedication. The eagerness to succeed. You of all people know just how determined he gets, how critical. His mission isn't gonna end with him locked behind bars and you and I know it. That's why you used the different rounds. Why you didn't kill him when you thought you had the chance. He's got business to finish and whether we see him again after it or not no one knows, but he's one hell of a guy and he'll stop at nothing to finish what he started. I don't know if he's going after Wesker or what. But I know today isn't the last time we're going to see him, trust me on that. I know what I'm doing."

-

Three and a Half Years later, in the ass end of Tall Oaks. June 2013.