Project: Resurrection

Calm before the Storm, Part 18

It's always quiet before the storm. Jake knew this, he'd spent years in that moment, in anticipation of the fight. His blood was pounding, fingers tightened around his gun waiting for the first target. The more silent, the more promise of violence. It was as if the whole world was waiting for someone to make the first move.

Jake loved it.

At least, he would have, but not with Sherry and Anja at his side. He was more reckless than he'd been in Edonia. He pushed the boundaries, whatever it took to get the missions done. He knew Leon understood at least on a basic level what he was doing. But the pain from each injury was real, as was the pain he felt as his body righted itself again. He didn't want that for Sherry. In the back of his mind, something was saying this was ironic. A man as reckless as he was with an indestructible wife and child. But that didn't mean they couldn't feel pain or not suffer. That Jake couldn't let happen.

He stole a glance at Leon. Leon's hair, hanging over his face obscuring his eyes, had a pinch of gray at the roots. This surprised Jake for some reason, he hadn't pictured Leon as getting old as much as he was out on the job, killing B.O.W.s. Leon was tensed and waiting, his breathing silent as he scanned the woods in front of them. He was patient where Jake was restless. He glanced down at Anja, strapped to his chest this time. Her hair was red like his, only a shade lighter. The blue eyes that stared up at him were solemn, Jake had a suspicion that she knew she needed to be silent. She watched his every move with a gravity that would have befitted a general watching a battle not going his way. He put an arm around and glanced back at their surroundings.

When the quiet was broken, dread filled Jake, not anticipation. They had to get this right. He was so tired of being their guinea pig, and they were not going to torture Sherry again if he had a breath left in his body. Of course, if they ever succeeded in stopping Neo-Umbrella in whatever shell company they took; he would be out of a job.

The sudden explosion knocked them all to the ground. Sherry could feel her ears ringing as she tried to listen but everything was convoluted and muffled. Her face was plastered into the dirt as she pulled herself up. Jake, Anja! She tried calling out for them but all that came out was a dirt-filled croak. She coughed struggling to get the dirt out of her mouth and lungs. Blood tinged her vision, running over her face. Her head was clearing but that was making the pain more vibrant. Her healing didn't work as fast as she would like. Something was broken. She screamed as it popped back into place before clapping a hand over her own mouth. Only a few more moments and she wouldn't feel it at all. It didn't matter though; rough familiar hands grabbed her and pull her through the brush. She didn't even have the strength to cry out.

Jake had Anja on his chest when he'd been knocked back. He landed flat on his back with Leon's legs pinned underneath him. He heard Leon grunt as he fought to get off of his legs. Rough hands pushed him down and his hazy vision made out a face with at least four eyeballs more than it should have had. They were all located in the wrong places. He felt Anja's weight leave his chest and when the hands began to pull him up he swung into action. Somewhere Anja's screams were fading into the distance.

Grabbing the closest J'avo he pulled it towards him and punched it in the face. Its face crunched in and Jake didn't need to look again to know that it was going to stay down. Other J'avo tried reaching for him with the same result. Sherry where are you?

He glanced around frantically for Anja or Sherry but couldn't see either. The J'avo pressed in around them when suddenly gunshots rang out. Those closest to Jake were hit, and Jake was suddenly glad that Leon was a superb marksman, because if they mutated here and now they were much too close to Jake for comfort.