Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Protect and Serve
(Ed: I hope you enjoy this chapter, if I'm not mistaken, there will be more action in the following chapters, thanks for the support and happy reading^^)
After changing into a lounge suit, I called upon Jordan, who emerged from my factory in pristine condition, devoid of any injuries or traces of blood. His appearance was as perfect as he had been before his death, his impassive face betraying little emotion.
"Do you have an identity in town?" I asked in a calm but direct tone, as I scrutinized his expression carefully.
"Yes, I am a nurse for the Raccoon City Hospital," he replied in a slightly dull voice, revealing few details about his apparent life.
"Very well," I agreed, knowing that his professional cover could prove useful in our future maneuvers. "You will visit houses for sale and purchase one for no more than $200,000, with a loan if necessary. Then, you will go to the orphanage to ask about adoptions. »
(Ed: I know the orphanage is supposed to have already been cleaned out but for the sake of the story, I'm assuming the event will take place after the events of Re 0 and 1)
After providing Jordan with the $20,000 needed for his mission, he nodded and left the room, calling me "Master" with a respect that spoke to our trusting relationship. His unwavering loyalty was a valuable asset in my future plans.
As Jordan set off, I took the mobster out to get information on the other hideouts of the mob bosses in Racoon. However, I was surprised to discover that all the other hideouts had been cleaned out by Umbrella. The thought that such a powerful force had eliminated all of Racoon City's mob without being detected left me perplexed, but I knew I had to proceed with caution in this delicate situation.
Thoughtfully, I considered the best strategy to adopt. The idea of involving the STARS in the orphanage under the pretext that our leader Iron was the director came to my mind. By presenting this action as a charitable initiative towards the children, none of my colleagues would be against it.
06/15/1998
I finally had a day off. Jordan already contacted me to tell me that he bought a house in the city center not far from the orphanage but that it was not possible for him to even see the children.
While I was still in my bed, my mind wandered in search of a solution. My mind imagined some scenarios with more or less realism. I shivered as I imagined being greeted by Mister X at the gate of the orphanage. However, this tranquility was quickly interrupted by a knock knock on my door.
I got up with deliberate slowness, stretching lazily before heading towards the entrance. To my surprise and delight, it was Jill who was standing there, dressed in casual attire and sporting a radiant smile.
"You're doing something today, handsome blond," she called out with a mischievous glint in her eye, making my heart beat a little faster.
I smiled back, unable to hide my own joy at the sight of her. "As much as I would love to spend a lot of time with you, lovely creature," I replied with a hint of teasing in my voice. Jill had given me an idea with her presence.
"However, I plan to visit the children at the orphanage with a few things to please them. Would you like to join me on this adventure?"
Jill seemed to think for a moment, her gaze searching mine with an unsettling intensity. Then, after a moment of silence that seemed to last an eternity, she nodded slowly, her smile widening.
"Chief Iron is the director of the orphanage near the police station, we should go there, I'll pick out the items for the little girls and you for the boys; there's a toy store down the road," she suggested cheerfully, already walking towards the door before I could even follow, making sure to lock it behind me to ensure our privacy.
"I'd like to stop by a bakery to buy some pastries for them, how many do you think there are in the orphanage?" I asked as I caught up with her, my steps blending with hers in natural harmony.
Jill turned to answer me, her gaze sparkling with sweet compassion. "From what I know, there are about thirty children in the orphanage, and its full capacity is 50," she explained, emphasizing the importance of our gesture.
Her attention then turned to my clothes, and I felt a slight shiver run through me as she scrutinized them with an amused gaze. "You should go to the store and buy a casual outfit, because you might scare the kids," she joked gently as she adjusted a crease in my outfit.
I couldn't help but smile at her remark, recognizing the importance of projecting a reassuring and welcoming image to the children we were about to meet.
We went to the clothing store next to the apartment, where Jill took the initiative to pick out an outfit for me. She opted for a pair of navy blue pants paired with an azure blue shirt, complete with matching dress shoes. As I tried on the outfit, I noticed that the muscular figure I had acquired after my reincarnation showed through the shirt, but the outfit didn't seem too tight, which suited me perfectly. So I decide to keep the clothes on and go to the checkout to buy them.
After paying at the checkout, I put my old clothes in a plastic bag and hand it to a homeless man standing next to the store. While they aren't dirty, they just don't look very nice. However, the grateful look the man gives me confirms that this simple gesture brings him some comfort.
"You're really generous, Gerald," Jill remarks as we walk towards a bakery, her gaze sparkling with recognition. I can't help but notice her predatory gaze fixed on my buttocks, which makes me smile amusedly.
"Not really, now that I'm spending more time in uniform, I might as well look good in civilian clothes, and if my old clothes can help someone, I might as well give them away," I explain to Jill, walking into the deserted bakery despite the early hour.
As I made my way to the cashier, I selected a selection of doughnuts, donuts, buns, and apple turnovers, my eyes scanning the tempting delights that lined the shelves. However, my satisfaction was short-lived when I discovered that my generosity came at a price: I suddenly found myself $200 lighter. It was then that I realized that we were in a high-end French bakery, which explained why it was so deserted despite the early hour.
Jill burst out laughing behind me at the amount of money spent on a simple breakfast. We decided to head straight to the orphanage, preferring not to wait any longer to share these delicacies with the children while they were still warm and delicious.
As we approached the orphanage, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of apprehension at the sharp spikes jutting out from the wall. Despite the green gate with its pretty design, the sense of eerieness emanating from the compound tugged at my heartstrings.
As we walked, I gave Jordan a discreet nod as he stood at the door of his new home, a newspaper in his hand, telling him to meet us at the orphanage later. I intended to have him confront the staff in front of me and Jill.
"I don't know about you, Jill, but I think the top of the wall looks really creepy," I pointed at the threatening spikes.
Jill looked at me with a reassuring smile. "You're worrying too much, it's just for the children's protection." Remember, Chief Iron is the director, so it's safe," she tried to reassure me.
Inwardly, I let out a long sigh of resignation. For now, I decided to keep my concerns to myself, knowing that the children's well-being was our top priority.
The gate opened to reveal a skinny man eyeing us suspiciously. "What do you want?" he asked in a wary voice.
Before Jill could respond with her legendary repartee, I took the lead, stepping forward slightly with a wide smile as I pulled out my badge. "We're here to see the children," I began in a friendly voice, "We're STARS, and since Chief Iron is the director of the orphanage, we decided to spend some time with the children during our day off."
His gaze traveled over my plaque with reluctance clearly displayed on his face, but eventually he opened the gate for us and we entered a large garden where several children were playing, supervised by at least ten adults, all with notebooks and taking notes. However, after a quick count, I realized that there were only eight children present.
I turned to the man next to us as Jill began to voice our thoughts. "That's not a lot of adults, plus I don't really like the way they look at children. I hope you don't allow perverts in here or I'll lock you up right away," Jill said firmly, glaring at the man.
The man seemed slightly panicked, searching for words before he answered hastily, "We're funded by Umbrella, they're their staff. They're just monitoring the children's health."
My gaze hardened, a hint of suspicion creeping into my thoughts. "I hope the children aren't being used as guinea pigs to test Umbrella's drugs or things will get ugly," I added scathingly, staring intently at the man in front of me.
The man began to sweat profusely, while the adults with the notebooks noticed our growing agitation and the children ran towards us.
Immediately putting on a smile, Jill and I began to congratulate the children, patting some of them on the head as we tried to hide our concern under a façade of joviality.
DING
Mild infection with various chemical reagents as well as T and G virus residues.
Assimilation of resistances and genetic correction under construction.
The host can now correct mild infections resulting from experimentation.
Shown to the dining hall where the children could enjoy the pastries we had brought, Jill and I were greeted with shy smiles and curious glances from the little ones. As the children settled around the tables, eager to enjoy the delicacies we had brought, I discreetly took the initiative to remove all the impurities and toxins present in their bodies with a simple touch on the head.
The children seemed completely oblivious to this intervention, content to concentrate on the delicacies that awaited them. For the next ten minutes, I continued my discreet cleaning, moving from one child to the next without arousing their suspicions.
In the meantime, I also took a few moments to have fun with the boys, sharing a few bursts of laughter and innocent games that lit up their faces with joy. Then, after messing around with them for a few minutes, I turned to the little girls who seemed eager to share their stories with us.
Listening attentively to their stories of their life in the orphanage, I was touched by their resilience and courage in the face of the challenges they faced. Despite the difficulties, they radiated remarkable energy and determination, which reminded me once again of the importance of our being here.
The commotion outside quickly caught our attention, and Jill and I rushed outside, determined to find out what was causing the commotion. "What's going on here?" she asked firmly as she arrived at the scene.
Jordan, visibly upset, tried to calm down before answering. "I don't know, I'm asking them about adopting a child, but the staff keeps saying there won't be any adoptions," she explained, her gaze expressing her incomprehension and frustration.
The children ran towards us, their faces lighting up at the sight of Jordan, but quickly falling as his words darkened. "Why can't the children be adopted?" ", Jill asked icily to the man who had opened the gate for us, staring intently into his eyes for any hint of lies.
A feeling of suspicion grew within me, fueled by this disturbing revelation. I turned to Jill, determined to act. "Jill, I think I'm going to have the rest of the team come and search this place thoroughly. There's something fishy going on here," I said, my thoughts already turning to the need for a thorough investigation to uncover the truth.
She nodded, understanding the urgency of the situation. "Okay, be careful. I'll have Chris and Barry come too. Captain Wesker is on vacation this week," she added, her voice laced with concern as she prepared to contact the rest of the team.
The staff began to panic slightly as they saw Jill leave the yard, their agitation betraying some nervousness at our presence. With a firm gesture, I pointed at the eleven men of the orphanage. "Now, you," I declared in an authoritative voice. "You will stay outside. The children will follow me."
I then turned to Jordan, addressing him as a stranger, thus reinforcing our strategy. "Please, sir, keep an eye on these people and call me if they do anything suspicious," I ordered him sternly, entrusting him with this crucial task.
Guided by their curiosity and trust in me, the children followed me obediently into the hall, their eyes fixed on me with great attention. I took a deep breath before addressing them in a calm but firm voice.
"Children, I need you to answer a few questions," I began, trying to sound reassuring despite the gravity of the situation. "Are there other children besides you here? Have the people here done anything strange?"
The children's answers were revealing and unsettling at the same time. Some mentioned frequent injections and blood tests, and medical experiments that seemed to deeply disturb them. Their stories confirmed my suspicions and gave me evidence of the dark reality that lurked behind the walls of this orphanage.
The children were quickly taken into care, and through the combined efforts of Jordan, who adopted two of them, and various members of the police force who volunteered to serve as temporary foster families for the others, they were all placed in loving and safe homes. Meanwhile, the orphanage staff were arrested and charged with child abduction and psychological abuse, thus putting an end to their nefarious activities.
Umbrella managed to clear its name because the staff were not part of its known workforce and the donations it gave to the orphanage were clearly clean, the money having been used to renovate the building as well as to purchase equipment for the children.
The scandal that erupted following these revelations caused a great stir, and Chief Irons was forced to face the consequences of his team's incompetence. In a public statement, he made it clear that he was completely unaware of the staff's actions and that he would refuse to have his name associated with the orphanage until the end of his career as commissioner. This announcement was met with skepticism by some, but it nevertheless demonstrated an awareness of the serious mistakes made within the institution.
As for the orphanage building, it was sealed and placed under close surveillance, but I knew that this would not put an end to its secret activities. Knowing its connection to Birkin's "NEST", I decided not to pursue the search further, knowing that the entrance to the director's room offered potential access to these clandestine facilities.