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The warm, comfortable air in the villa shattered in an instant.
Noah glanced out at the garden where Claire was basking in the afternoon sun, and little Antirui in the stroller. The scene was as beautiful as a painting.
He turned and quickly walked into the study, lowering his voice.
"What is it?"
"Ashley Graham." Leon's voice was laced with extreme exhaustion, with the background noise of clamoring voices and the hum of equipment.
"The President's daughter. She's missing. Or rather, she's been kidnapped."
Noah's heart sank heavily.
So, it still couldn't be changed... "What's the situation?" Noah forced himself to calm down as his mind began to race.
"A complete mess." Leon's reply confirmed his ominous premonition. "On her way back to Washington from university, her entire escort convoy, twelve top-tier Secret Service agents, were all taken out."
"The scene... it doesn't look like human handiwork."
"Torn steel plates, huge claw marks... The local police are terrified. Our people just took over the scene. The White House is in chaos, and the Pentagon's phone lines are jammed."
Noah's B.O.W. furrowed deeply.
"Sherry..."
"Ashley is Sherry's only, and best, friend at school."
"I know." Leon interrupted him, a hint of personal emotion creeping into his voice.
"That's why I called you first. She'll find out about this sooner or later. You'd better... be prepared."
"I understand." Noah hung up the phone and stood silently in the study for a long time.
Sunlight slanted in through the window, casting a long shadow on the floor, dividing the room into light and dark halves.
He felt as if he was standing on that dividing line, with the warm harbor of his Family on one side and the storm about to sweep in on the other.
When he walked out of the study, Sherry was in the living room sitting on the sofa with a laptop, processing data from Rebecca's Research Institute.
She looked up and saw the lingering gravity on Noah's face.
"Brother Noah, did something happen?" A girl's intuition is always sharp.
Noah sat down beside her, unsure how to begin.
In the moment of his silence, Sherry's face began to pale.
Her intelligence, far beyond ordinary, allowed her to deduce the worst possible scenario from the subtlest change in expression.
"Is it... Ashley?" Her voice trembled.
Noah nodded with difficulty.
Sherry's laptop snapped shut with a 'clack'.
Her body began to tremble uncontrollably. Her blue eyes, usually sparkling with intelligence and vitality, were now clouded by a rapidly welling mist.
But she didn't cry.
Tears brimmed in her eyes, stubbornly refusing to fall.
She bit her lip hard, her nails digging deep into the flesh of her palms.
She remembered Raccoon City, her father who turned into a monster, her mother lying in a pool of blood.
She thought all that was in the past. She thought she and her friends could live in the sunlight.
"What... what did they do to her?" Sherry asked, her voice hoarse.
"We don't know yet." Noah reached out, placing a hand on her cold shoulder, trying to convey some strength. "She's just missing. We'll find her."
"I want to help." Sherry suddenly looked up, a near-frantic fire burning in her blue eyes.
"My clearance can access Federal Databases. I can track more data streams than they can! Ashley's phone, her personal computer, any electronic device—if there's a network record, I can find a trail!"
As she spoke, she moved to reopen the computer.
"Sherry!" Noah tightened his grip on her shoulder. "Calm down! This isn't something you should be involved in!"
"Why shouldn't I be!?" Sherry's emotions finally broke. She stood up, shouting at Noah in a low voice.
"It's my friend who was kidnapped! My only friend! Are you all going to save her while I sit here like a useless waste, waiting for news?!"
"This isn't a game!" Noah also stood up, speaking to her in such a stern tone for the first time.
"We don't know who the enemy is or what their goal is! They took out twelve top agents without a sound. What do you think your firewall can stop them from?"
Claire came in from the garden pushing the stroller, just in time to see this scene.
She immediately understood something.
"Sherry," Claire walked over to the girl and gently hugged her. "Don't get upset yet. Listen to Noah first."
In Claire's warm embrace, Sherry's tense body finally relaxed a little.
She buried her face in Claire's shoulder, and the sobs she had suppressed for so long finally leaked out.
Claire patted her back soothingly, but her gaze turned to Noah, her eyes filled with questions and worry.
Noah shook his head at her, indicating the situation was complicated.
That night, Sherry locked herself in her room and didn't come out.
Noah and Claire stood by Antirui's crib, looking at their sleeping son in silence.
"How long will you be gone?" Claire spoke first.
Her voice was soft, but calm.
"I don't know." Noah reached out, gently stroking his son's soft cheek. "It might be quick. Or it might... take a long time."
"I thought... those days were over." Claire leaned against his shoulder, a trace of weariness in her voice.
"I thought so too." Noah put his arm around her shoulder. The faint scent of her hair and the milky smell from the baby lingered at the tip of his nose.
This was the scent of home, the scent he would fight with everything to protect.
"Who is the enemy?"
"I have some guesses. But anyone daring to move against the President's daughter, the forces behind it are definitely not something a commercial company like Umbrella can compare to." Noah's voice was heavy.
"Leon has already set off. The White House wants me there too. This matter requires us to work together with them."
Claire fell silent.
She understood better than anyone what this meant.
When the two nations with the strongest armed forces both find a matter troublesome enough to set aside their differences and cooperate, the danger level of that matter has already exceeded ordinary imagination.
"Promise me, you will come back." Claire looked up. Her blue eyes in the night were like two deep Lakes. "Antirui can't be without his father."
"I promise." Noah lowered his head and kissed her lips.
Claire's finger gently traced a lightning symbol in his palm.
Noah clasped her hand and used his fingertip to draw a cloud on the back of her hand.
This was their promise—silent, yet heavier than a thousand words... Meanwhile.
On the huge screen in front of Trant, all intelligence regarding the Ashley Graham kidnapping case was being refreshed by the second.
Torn Kevlar Armor, non-human tissue samples left in the mud, and a reconstructed assault model from the scene that seemed almost impossible to execute.
His expression remained, as always, unperturbed.
But those familiar with him would know that the frequency with which he rubbed his ring was faster than usual.
This indicated that the development of the situation had touched upon some bottom lines he hadn't anticipated.
Wesker.
Simmons.
Or perhaps, someone within the 'Family' could no longer restrain themselves?
Kidnapping the President's daughter in such a brutal, direct manner—it didn't seem like the style of a politician like Simmons.
He preferred to manipulate from behind the scenes, using the rules to strangle his opponents.
As for Wesker... this move was too ostentatious, as if declaring his existence to the entire world.
This did not align with the code of conduct befitting a'shadow'.
In any case, this move went too far.
It shattered the balance of power, drawing too many unpredictable gazes onto the chessboard.
Trant stopped fiddling with his ring.
He accessed an encrypted communication channel.
On the screen appeared a blurry, only-outlined female face.
'Ada.'
'Long time no see, Trant.' Ada Wong's voice came through, carrying a hint of laziness and teasing. 'Contacting me so late doesn't seem like your style. What mess needs cleaning up now?'
'An interesting task.' Trant's tone betrayed no emotion.
'Wesker's recent moves have been a bit too big, so big that I find them rather obstructive. He's made contact with that 'Church of Light' organization in Spain and is very interested in a certain parasite they possess.'
'The plaga parasite.' Ada stated the name directly. 'I thought you weren't interested in such things.'
'I'm interested in any variable that could lead to a loss of control.' Trant said.
'Because of Simmons, Wesker has connected with the 'Family'. He is now a mad dog that has been fed too well. I need to know if his leash is still secure, and who he truly wants to bite.'
'So, what do you want me to do? Be your double agent, go to Wesker's side, and see what game he's really playing?' Ada chuckled lightly. 'That sounds... challenging.'
'I trust in your professional capabilities.' Trant added.
'The President's daughter was kidnapped, with the last signal disappearing in Spain. Wesker and the 'Church of Light' are both there. I don't believe it's a coincidence. Find Wesker, tell him you want in. He won't refuse a capable 'ally' like you. I need to know his entire plan.'
'And the payment?'
'Everything you want to know about your origins. And... the safety of Leon S. Kennedy.'
Ada on the other end of the communication fell silent for a moment.
'Deal.'
The communication cut off, and the office returned to silence.
Trant's gaze fell back onto the map of Spain on the screen, his eyes profound.
The chessboard was in disarray, so it needed someone to clear it... Twenty-four hours later, BSAA European Branch, Hamburg, Germany.
An unmarked black Transport Plane descended silently onto the base's secret runway in the pre-dawn darkness.
The hatch opened, and Noah, dressed in a black tactical trench coat, stepped down.
The icy air filled his lungs, instantly clearing his mind, which had grown somewhat dull from the long flight.
On the Tarmac, a tall figure in a Leather Jacket was already waiting.
Leon S. Kennedy.
His face bore unconcealed exhaustion, with faint dark circles under his eyes. His usually well-styled blond hair was now somewhat disheveled.
Dispensing with formalities, the two men simply exchanged a glance and bumped fists firmly.
Everything was understood without words.
'The situation is worse than imagined.' Leon spoke first, leading Noah inside the base.
'We captured the General outline of the attackers through residual thermal imaging from a satellite. It's not any known B.O.W. They move agilely, and... there's more than one.'
'Intelligent?' Noah asked.
'Yes.' Leon's expression grew even graver. 'They understand coordinated attacks, how to use the environment, and even how to evade surveillance. This indicates there's a commander behind them.'
The two passed through a long Metal Corridor, arriving at a brightly lit Laboratory.
Inside the lab, a man with messy hair and Black-Rimmed Glasses was busily working in front of a large Data Screen.
It was Etienne Bellini.
'Noah! Leon!' Seeing them enter, Etienne immediately approached.
His face was also etched with exhaustion, but his eyes were unusually focused.
'We analyzed the biological samples from the soil at the scene,' Etienne pointed at a complex string of DNA Sequences on the screen. 'Its structure is ancient, like a kind of... parasite resurrected from ancient Fossils. But it's been modified by some modern technology, with terrifyingly high activity and aggression.'
'Noah, I heard you became a father, congratulations!'
A woman in a White Lab Coat, with beautiful long blond hair, walked over carrying two cups of Coffee.
Sophia.
Her face held less of its former melancholy, replaced by a capable and resilient air from being immersed in her work.
'You two need some caffeine.' She handed the Coffee to them. 'Etienne hasn't slept for over thirty hours.'
'Thank you, Sophia.' Noah took the Coffee, his gaze returning to the screen. 'Is there any way to counter this parasite?'
'Not for now.' Etienne shook his head, a trace of defeat on his face.
'Its genetic structure is very stable, and it seems to have a unique signal transmission mechanism that can control hosts from a distance. We intercepted some strange Low-Frequency Signals, originating from the mountains in northern Spain.'
'Then let's go check the source of those signals.' Leon took a large gulp of Coffee, as if injecting himself with his last bit of fuel.
Twelve hours later.
A military base on the outskirts of Madrid, Spain.
Noah and Leon met with the heads of the Spanish National Intelligence Center and the National Guard.
The atmosphere in the Conference Room was so oppressive you could wring water from it.
Several Spanish senior officers in crisp Military Uniforms looked increasingly grim.
Their foreheads were covered in cold sweat. Their gazes at Noah and Leon were filled with awe, fear, and a hint of desperate pleading to absolve themselves of responsibility.
The daughter of the American President going missing in their country was too heavy a burden, enough to crush the entire Cabinet.
'Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Noah.' A leading General spoke in heavily accented English.
'We are deeply sorry and shocked by this unfortunate event. The Spanish Government will unconditionally cooperate with all your investigative actions. Any support, any intelligence you need, we will provide it at the first opportunity.'
As he spoke, he had an assistant hand over a file.
'This is all the information we currently have. The last signal tracked from Miss Ashley came from an isolated Mountain Village in the north. It's... very remote and insular, having followed an ancient religion called the 'Church of Light' for centuries. Our attempts at infiltration have failed; all agents sent have lost contact.'
Noah opened the file, which contained a few blurry satellite photos and a small dot circled in red on a map.
Leon also leaned in to look at the marked village.
It was surrounded by mountains and dense forests, like an Isolated Island cut off from modern civilization.
And this Isolated Island was the Eye of the Storm they were about to step into...
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