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Retirement did not last long for Leon and Ada but it was enjoyable while it lasted. At least the Kennedys learned what they wanted for their ideal retirement, when the time finally came. If the government could ever truly let their prized agent go, that is.
Sometimes, Leon wondered if the higher-ups would send him to the field in crutches or a wheelchair. Not like his wife would ever let him do this in his old age, anyway.
He managed to leave once, he could easily do it again.
At least the blond returned on his own terms this time, negotiating for a much better salary and benefits. He was no longer deployed for all sorts of outbreaks, only those that needed discretion and his level of expertise. Leon had to thank Ada for suggesting hazard pay too.
He was also allowed to wear his wedding gift for all missions too, under the condition that his wife was never to interfere. Not like she ever did, unless he mentioned a special code phrase that they agreed upon years ago. He had yet to invoke it and Ada remained at home, monitoring his location and vitals from his watch.
The closest time when Ada felt she had to go to her husband was when he went to Alcatraz. His pulse and breathing was erratic for over an hour before it suddenly stabilised. Leon’s recollection of that day sounded thrilling and astounding, and it almost made her jealous that she missed out on the fun.
For Ada on the other hand, after their short stint as personal trainers, she pivoted to being a freelance private investigator. It still gave her the thrill of being on the field but without the danger. Most of her clientele consisted of spouses who suspected their partners were committing adultery.
Compared to her previous life, this was a walk in the park. She did not even have to make contact with her targets at all. With patience and time, she always got the evidence she needed.
Now, Ada was perched on the arm rest of his chair in his home office, her keen hazel eyes reading the document on his desk.
“How suspicious,” was all she said.
Leon nodded, “I agree.”
To receive a ‘wellness check’ invitation from a chronic care centre so close to Raccoon City, of all places. What took them close to three decades to reach out? It screamed of a trap.
“You can put a pin on it, see if they reach out again.” Ada’s voice rang out once more.
He sighed and leaned his head against Ada’s soft bosom, finding much needed comfort in his wife’s presence. Her fingers immediately threaded through his locks, gently massaging his scalp and worries away.
“My dance card’s full, anyway. I’ve been asked to investigate these mysterious deaths…”
Ada’s mouth pursed into a thin line. Homicide was not his specialty and if they called him, it meant the deaths were unnatural in nature, possibly from bioweaponary.
“When do you fly off?”
“The usual timing.”
“Time for bed then, handsome,” she kissed him and slid off the chair to head off to their bedroom as he packed up his documents. The sensation of her lips still lingered and he grinned. Even after more than a decade of marriage, their bodies still elicited such a response from each other. He felt like the luckiest man alive.
A little mew interrupted his thoughts when he left his study and he glanced down to find a ginger cat greeting him. “Hey, buddy,” he bent down to pick up the feline. “I'm going away for a while. Take care of meowmy while I'm gone. Good night now.”
Leon gave Cobalt a little kiss on his head and set him down as the cat sauntered away.
He headed to the kitchen to grab a drink of cold water and felt a furry presence rub against his leg. Given how the creature was camouflaged in the darkness, he surmised it was their black cat, Ebony.
The blond gave her the same affections and instructions as Cobalt and Ebony responded by licking his face, as if sealing a promise to him that she would protect Ada just as well as her furry brother.
With both pets satisfied, Leon finally climbed the stairs.
There was a trail of clothes along the upstairs corridor and his heart raced with anticipation. Not surprisingly, Ada greeted him with nothing but a smile in bed.
His own pajamas were shedded in seconds and he slipped into her inviting warmth with practised ease. It had become a ritual for them to make love before and after each of his assignments.
In the early years of matrimony, their fornications were usually fervent and passionate to make up for lost time. Nowadays, they were content with taking it slow and sweet. Unless he was away for an extended period of time, then they would get absolutely feral.
Leon remained sheathed within Ada after spilling into her and his wife nestled her head on a fleshy spot on his chest, absentmindedly fingering his bullet scar from 1998. In return, he gently stroked the matted flesh on her waist. Both silently remembering the events of that fateful night and being grateful for what had transpired in spite of what happened.
Ada listened to the rhythmic thumping of her husband’s heart before it gradually lulled her to slumber. Her breathing slowed down as it became deeper, signaling to Leon that she was no longer awake.
The blond took time to observe the woman in his arms. Every time before he flew off, it became a habit of his to commit every part of her to memory. Who knew what would happen to him on the field? Leon came close to peril at Alcatraz and it became a wake up call for him to get his affairs in order and treasure every moment with Ada.
His wife exhaled a sigh before rolling away from him. Her temperature did tend to run warmer these days and it was amusing to see her body unconsciously keep itself cool. Hitting fifty might have brought some more wrinkles and bodily imperfections to both of them but she was still as beautiful as the day he met her.
Gently draping the blanket below her shoulders, just the way she preferred it, Leon got comfortable and joined her in dreamland.
Ada made a nutritious spread for breakfast, with enough food to sustain Leon for a few hours. He allowed the cats to join them at the dining table, feeding them churu to appease their greed. Once sated, their pets curled up under the dining table to groom themselves.
He helped her with the dishes, trying to prolong the remaining time they had together before he had to depart.
When he donned his winter coat, did his wife tug the wedding ring off his finger before placing it in a jewellery box. Ada adjusted the lapels of his outercoat and smoothed it down. “Stay warm, wherever it is you’re going,” she murmured and leaned in close, inhaling his scent once more.
“You’ll find out soon enough.” He replied and tipped her chin with one hand while the other went around Ada’s back to press her as close to him as possible. Their lips met in a searing kiss and both of them poured their undying loyalty and devotion to each other into this single gesture.
Leon was torn every single time this happened and he did not want to let her go.
But, duty called and he had a responsibility to keep the main populace safe so no one else would have to undergo such a harrowing experience like they had. It was something Ada understood as well.
“I love you, Ada,” he whispered raggedly against her luscious mouth, peppering more kisses across her face.
The raven haired woman held his gaze tenderly, “I love you too, Leon.” She stroked his cheek and they brought their foreheads close to each other.
Some day, all this pain and longing they endured for each of his assignments would end. They would just have to work even harder for it.
With another kiss, Leon extracted himself for his wife’s embrace and headed to the garage. Ada stood outside their home and waved goodbye as his Cadillac cruised down the road. She still remained on the porch even though he had driven out of view.
Leon fired off another round at the approaching undead as he fought against the urge to spew bile from his throat. He had already emptied out his guts earlier but the sensation of vomiting still persisted.
He was running on muscle memory and pure adrenaline now as he ducked into a room to find cover and gather his bearings. The sickly sensation was beginning to grow worse as he felt a fever was emerging and his throat was beginning to feel like the Sahara.
This would be his third time being infected, how could he have been careless? Being redirected to the chronic care centre as part of the investigation was such an obvious trap and he still fell for it. He hoped nothing untoward would happen this time…
Luckily, he stumbled across notes about an inhibitor in one of the research labs and he was so close to it. If only there weren’t so many enemies in the way. The blond agent was running low on ammo too.
At least the room appeared to be a chemical storage room of sorts, with bottles of solutions lined on the shelves. His blue-grey eyes panned across the labels and found several with flammable symbols on them. Perfect.
He began to strategically pour the contents around the room and when he was satisfied with his handiwork, Leon threw the bottle towards one of the entrances and he heard it shatter into pieces. A series of wailing moans responded to the commotion.
Leon waited in the middle of the room as bait and whistled at one zombie shambling past the door. It snarled menacingly at him and shrieked down the corridor, rallying its brethren for backup.
The shuffling of feet grew louder and the horde rushed in at once, making a beeline for the blond. But their trajectory was so utterly predictable and Leon ran out of the way, throwing a grenade towards them. The resulting explosion was glorious, lighting up the alcohol on the ground and setting them on fire.
Leon did not stay any longer than he had to and slammed the door shut behind him before tearing down the hallway into the main lab. The stench must have gotten to him as he was hit by a wave of nausea.
The poor blond dry heaved into a nearby flower pot and was relieved nothing came up. He did not want to feel gastric acid stinging his sore throat again.
Once he recovered enough of his strength, Leon purposefully headed to the lab, only to find it empty… save for a computer on the desk. There was an empty briefcase off to the side and it was open, displaying foam indentations of vials and syringes. Its contents were gone, silently mocking him that he was too late.
With a clenched fist, he slammed it against the keyboard in fury and the screen sprung to life, revealing a picture of a familiar arm with black splotches. Ignoring the dull throb pulsing in his hand, Leon read his own file.
Repulsion coursed through his body. Gideon was a sick bastard for keeping such an intimate record about his current infection so far.
I know you’re reading this, Mr Kennedy.
I have a proposition for you.
What you seek is in Raccoon City. Co-operate with me and you’ll be cured.
Leon would be a fool to fall for the same trick twice.
He swiftly downloaded the data into a flashdrive and pulled out his Tomahawk axe, delivering a few aggressive blows to the computer. It was absolutely cathartic, seeing the screen shatter and the rest of the equipment go up in a shower of sparks.
It was time to leave this hellhole of a “care centre”. Leon did not know where he was supposed to go next but every fiber of his being screamed he should drive as far away as possible.
The debilitating pains began a mile in and he thankfully managed to maneuver himself safely onto the road shoulder in the middle of nowhere. It wasn't his own car and the controls took some getting used to. At least it didn't have an overly complicated braking mechanism. He still wasn't entirely convinced on the reason for driving such an extravagant car to an investigation but he wasn't one to turn down a sponsor.
Leon was brought back to reality when he felt torment in parts of his body he didn't know existed. One moment he felt the most wretched ache in his muscles, and the next it felt like all his nerve endings were on fire. Another wave of misery felt like it shot right down to his bones which seemed impossible.
Groaning in sheer agony, he reached into his glove compartment and grabbed painkillers, shoving the maximum dose into his mouth. His hearing was starting to dull a little too and a soft tinnying sound rang in his ears.
Fuck, he was losing it.
Leon fumbled for his phone and unlocked the device shakily. It was now or never.
[txt] I need a midnight snack
He then reclined the driver’s seat and closed his eyes, willing the pain and discomfort to go away. The agent knew he wasn’t following protocol but he couldn’t think straight at this point.
Ada had just finished sending incriminating evidence to her latest client when her phone chimed. She received a notification of Leon’s irregular vitals some time ago and while concerned, she kept an eye on it, believing that her husband had things under control.
Cobalt, who was on her lap, made a little chirp at the noise and she soothed him with ear scritches.
But as she swiped the screen and read the message, her mind briefly went blank and her hand stilled altogether. The code phrase that Leon never used before had just been activated.
“Meow?” The ginger cat vocalized a little question and batted at her fingers. She resumed the petting with furrowed brows.
Leon and Ada had planned their series of code words years ago, using food as the main subject. It started off with ‘breakfast’ which meant that he was unharmed and coming home. Progressing to other meals of the day meant an increasing severity of the situation.
Midnight snack was the most dire, meaning he needed her and required medical attention.
She looked up Leon’s location, and the result made her frown even more. Her husband was in the Midwest. Driving was out of the question.
It’s a good thing she still maintained her private flying license.
“Sorry, Cobalt. Pawpa needs my help.”
Gently setting the feline on the ground, she made a couple of calls. First to their trusted catsitter, the next was to a contact who owned a private airstrip. As it was a last minute request, she paid them several times above the usual rates for their services.
With things settled, Ada got up and headed to her walk-in wardrobe. It was going to be chilly up by the mountains and warmth was going to be a priority. Not wanting to jeopardise Leon’s position in any way, she opted for a similar colour as him, a black trenchcoat along with a dark burgundy fleece top with black warm lined pants.
“Don't have too much fun without me,” Ada cooed to her cats as she gave them more kisses and pets before heading to Leon’s office to retrieve a kit that was designated for this sort of emergency.
Checking that none of the contents were expired, she headed for her Lexus and drove barely under the speed limit as she booked it to the airstrip. Thank goodness the weather was on her side today.
Her light aircraft was already warmed up and ready when she pulled her car into the hangar. “Thank you for arranging this on short notice,” she greeted her contact with a smile.
“All part of our services,” the owner shrugged good-naturedly. “Your ride is ready to go. We’ll also help take care of your car till you get back.”
Ada thanked him once more and boarded the plane with her belongings. The checklist was already completed and all she had to do was strap in and taxi.
She took off into the air minutes later and enjoyed her solitude in the clouds. After reaching a certain altitude, she switched on the autopilot. The silence gave her time to plan her route on the ground. According to the tracker, Leon still remained where he was and from what she could interpret from his biometrics, he wasn’t feeling too well either. At least he was still alive. For now.
Ada Kennedy was not a religious woman but prayed it would remain that way till she reached him.
The journey was uneventful and she made it to her destination in under two hours. Her rental car was already waiting for her in the parking lot and she took a quick break to eat a sandwich from the vending machine. It was piping hot and sated her just enough. She washed it down with water and visited the hangar’s bathroom before starting her journey down the highway with a few extra sandwiches just in case Leon needed it.
What started off with a wide open road gradually turned into an unpaved route surrounded by the forest. Ada turned on the highbeam and kept an eye on the tracker as she drove her way in the dark, the silhouette of the trees casting menacing shadows on the car.
She was half-expecting unwanted creatures to jump out of the woods but she kept her wits and focused on Leon’s position.
Less than half a mile to go and Ada proceeded to slow down and lowered the headlights. Instead of the navy blue Cadillac that her husband usually drove, she saw a black Porsche instead.
Doubt crept in and Ada did a double-take at the GPS. True enough, Leon was dead ahead. Deciding to be cautious, she stopped the car at a respectable distance and readied her pistol. The ex-spy quietly walked to the Porsche.
The windows were tinted and she could not see any of the occupants inside. Carefully, she tapped the driver’s window in a rhythmic pattern. It was another one of their secret codes to verify each other’s identity through closed doors.
“Leon, do you read me? Leon?” Sherry Birkin’s voice rang out in his ear, jolting the blond from slumber.
“Hello? Are you there?”
Blinking the bleariness from his eyes, he glanced at his watch but his vision was still hazy. The pain was less intense but still throbbed. How long was he out?
He pressed a finger to his ear piece and replied hoarsely. “Loud and clear.”
Agent Birkin exhaled a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. You were radio silent for hours! Are you alright?”
“Never better,” he said sarcastically before he got interrupted by a coughing fit.
“Do you need a med evac? You don’t sound good.”
That’s when he noticed a set of headlights in the rear view mirror. Was that Ada? Did she get his message?
“I got that covered…”
There was silence on the other end before Sherry whispered, “What do you mean by that? You know civilians cannot be involved.”
“I have it handled,” Leon reiterated firmly.
If it was Hunnigan, she would chew him out briefly but close an eye. Too bad she was currently on vacation and Sherry volunteered. Not that the younger agent was bad by any means but she was a little by the book.
He heard Sherry exhaling a sigh, “Fine. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Me? Never.” His slightly blurry vision could make out a figure approaching his side but without any illumination, he could not see any details. “I’ll check in later.” He then ended the call.
Leon held onto his revolver and heard a series of taps rapping against the window. Instantly, his spirits soared and he relaxed. Stowing his weapon, he knocked on the window pane in return. He waited for a few seconds before winding down the window.
His wife was clad in black like him, looking fashionable as always. She grinned, “Seems you got a new car when I wasn’t looking.”
“I wanted to surprise you,” came his reply as he unlocked the door.
Ada was leaning down to give him a kiss when he abruptly turned his head away and put out a hand to stop her.
“Sorry, I could be infected.”
Eyeing her husband, she saw he had removed his coat and was covered in a thick sheen of perspiration. The zipper of his tactical shirt was pulled all the way down his chest and she spotted an angry, inflamed rash on the right side of his neck. His blue-grey eyes were sunken in and the dark circles made him look more sickly. Saying he looked like shit was an understatement.
Her gaze softened and she grabbed his gloved hand tenderly, holding it close to her heart. “I’m with you in sickness and in health, handsome,” She gently reminded him of their wedding vows.
“I brought the kit. What do you need?”
A warmth stirred within his chest as she could still make him blush after all these years. Leon rattled off his ailments as Ada listened carefully.
She decided on a drip for his dehydration and anti-pyretics for his fever. Slapping on a pair of gloves, she helped him remove his sweaty top and gloves, and her heart sank when she saw raised black veins on various parts of his arms and chest. This was more serious than she had imagined.
Temporarily casting her emotions aside, Ada then got down to work with a tourniquet, palpating a vein to insert the IV.
“There are sports drinks and honey cough drops for your throat. And sandwiches too. If you can stomach some, that is.” Ada murmured as she administered first aid.
Leon shook his head, “Let's hold off for now, I still feel queasy. Hopefully the drip will help.”
After an hour, he felt some vitality return to his body and the fever had broken but the nausea and malaise from the infection still lingered.
Ada wiped his forehead and body with a towel, “Do you want to try Rebecca’s anti-viral? We aren't sure if it's the same virus.”
“It’s worth a shot…” Leon replied and gave her a feeble smile. “Given our luck, all these bioweapons have been related to each so far.”
“Alright," his wife said soothingly and disinfected his skin before squeezing his bicep and injecting a dose of medication into his muscles. He winced slightly and Ada instinctively whispered sweet nothings.
It was his turn to grasp her hand and hold it to his chest, “I love you so much, Ada.” She was his guardian angel forever and he could never repay her in this lifetime.
Ada looked at him adoringly, “Me too, Leon. Very much.” Through all these years, he was still the same kind-hearted soul who saw the good in people. For that, she was grateful.
They waited a while longer and colour went back into his cheeks. The redness on his neck was still there but no longer looked as bright as a stop light. Plus, the creepy death veins faded to a dull blue hue.
He felt comfortable enough to put on the spare tactical shirt inside his emergency kit.
Leon decided to slowly nibble on the corner of a sandwich, allowing the bread to turn to sweet starch in his mouth before swallowing. When that did not trigger his gag reflex, did he take his time to enjoy his first solid food in a few hours.
He then told her about Grace, Gideon, and the lure of a cure for his infection in Raccoon City, of all places.
“I'm coming with you,” was her response.
“I can't bear to lose you, honey.”
“Well, I can't lose you either. You're still recovering and with my ties to Raccoon, it could interest him enough to throw the scent off you,” she gave him a look that indicated that she wouldn't take no for an answer.
The blond frowned, “You’re also a civilian. I can’t get you involved.”
Her eyes gentled as she looked at him, “We can do this together, handsome. I’m as experienced as you too.”
Leon exhaled a long sigh. She was right but it was his duty as her husband to be naturally protective of her. This switch was forever activated in his brain and he had to learn to manage this feeling.
“I know, Ada. Raccoon also brings bad memories…” His voice was on the verge of cracking. “I thought I lost you there…”
Ada glanced down to the floor in deep thought, “Your feelings are valid. What will ease your mind if I go with you?”
The old Ada would have brushed aside his worries with a coy smile and honeyed reassurances. The amount of consideration his wife was showing demonstrated the growth she had over the years.
He deliberated on her request before finally coming to a decision, “I don’t want you to leave my side when we’re in the city.”
She gave him a nod, “I can do that.” Ada then began to grab his soiled shirt, pack up, and stow the kit into the trunk of the Porsche. “I’m driving though. You need to rest some more.”
“What about your car?”
Ada shrugged, “It’s a rental. I already paid someone to come pick it up.”
After consuming the remnants of his sandwich and scooting over into the passenger’s seat, Ada got into the driver’s seat and briefly readjusted the mirrors.
“Shall we?” She asked with a smile.
“Lead the way, gorgeous.” Leon beamed back at his wife in return.
Ada pulled the car into drive and made her way towards the ruins of Raccoon City.
Whatever lay ahead of them was a mystery but the couple knew they would be able to overcome it as long as they did it together.