New chapter is live.
Settle in, take your time, and let’s see what waits in the dark 🖤
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Dawn had barely begun to brighten the sky when Adrian woke.
He carefully moved T-Lilith’s leg off his body, climbed out of bed into the cold, and got dressed.
When he reached the office, Chris was already gone.
“Thought he’d sleep until noon.
This works too.”
Adrian washed up quickly.
T-Lilith would probably not wake for a while, so breakfast could wait.
Bored, he sat on the couch where people had once tried to kill each other, lit a cigarette, and turned on the computer.
He skimmed through meaningless news.
The headlines were dominated by another U.S.-led counter-bioterror operation overseas.
This time, however, the threat looked real.
The article included a video of green, lizard-like monsters leaping through a battlefield, cutting down soldiers with their claws.
The footage was blurred to hell, but the soldiers’ shouts of “Open fire!” and “Fall back!” came through clearly.
“Hunters?
Interesting.”
The footage was muddy, but Adrian recognized the shape immediately.
Hunters.
Judging by the build, Hunter Alpha.
The Hunter Alpha was a T-virus B.O.W.
created by combining human and reptilian genetic material.
It stood upright, covered in hard scales, with enormous claws and enough speed to close distance in an instant.
In the games he remembered, one clean hit could kill.
‘T-Lilith would tear one apart with her bare hands.
My woman is terrifying.’
Adrian skimmed a few more news items, then checked the upcoming game release schedule.
After closing the browser, he stretched.
His bones cracked in a long chain of pops.
Maybe he had been taking commissions too frequently lately.
There had not been that many actual shootouts, but sitting on the couch during vacation somehow made him feel bored.
‘Don’t tell me I prefer running through gunfire with T-Lilith over doing nothing.’
He shook his head.
That was not a thought he should entertain.
In the end, Adrian still wanted a stable life with T-Lilith.
Keep tempting fate long enough and sooner or later it wins.
He still remembered the year he buried his boss.
Adrian stood, intending to open the refrigerator and see what was left to eat.
Someone knocked on the door.
He looked out at the still-dim morning and frowned.
Who came this early?
Chris again?
Please no.
Adrian took the Glock hidden in the drawer and tucked it at his waist.
Then he opened the door with suspicion already in his voice.
“Hello.
This is the agency that still hasn’t gotten around to naming itself.
We’re closed for Christmas vacation.
If you have a commission, please…”
He stopped.
Standing outside was a beautiful woman with short black hair, a coat, black stockings, high heels, and a large black leather case in one hand.
She lowered her sunglasses just enough to reveal dark eyes and smiled.
“Mercenary.
Adrian Voss, right?”
The sight startled Adrian, but this time he did not blurt out someone else’s name.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” the woman asked with a smile.
“Right…”
Adrian stepped aside almost on reflex.
The woman inclined her head and walked in.
Of course Adrian knew her.
Ada Wong: the spy who had crossed paths with Leon S.
Kennedy in Raccoon City, worked with Wesker, and survived every faction that tried to use her.
Mystery followed her wherever she went, and Leon was usually somewhere in the fallout.
Thinking of that, Adrian could not help looking at Ada strangely.
“Is there something on my face?” Ada asked, more amused than concerned.
“Nothing, ma’am.
May I ask who you are?”
“Ada Wong.
Ada is fine.”
‘Good.
She gave the name herself.
If I slipped later, that would have been trouble.
She’s not like Chris.
If she gets her hooks into me, I’ll be cleaning up trouble for months.’
As far as Adrian was concerned, women with complicated canon romances were to be respected from a safe distance.
“Then, Miss Ada, what brings you here?”
Ada sat on the couch, crossed her legs neatly, and looked up at him.
“I have a commission.
I hope you’ll consider it.”
“Normally, I would.” Adrian put on a regretful face.
“But as you can see, I’m on vacation.
Christmas only comes once a year.”
“Mercenaries like you take vacations?”
“Mercenaries are people too.
Work too much and we get tired.
I can recommend someone else if you want.
Loplers has plenty of decent security contractors.”
In truth, even if he were not on vacation, Adrian would still want distance from Ada.
If he accepted her commission, Christmas was going to become a disaster.
“That is a problem,” Ada said.
Adrian did not believe she found it a problem at all.
“This particular job has to be handled by your agency.
I don’t trust anyone else’s ability.”
“Sorry.
We don’t accept commissions during holidays.
A new rule we just made.” Adrian’s tone became less polite.
“If there is nothing else, Miss Ada, please leave.
I won’t be keeping you for breakfast.”
He finished speaking and watched her.
Ada did not look like she had any intention of leaving.
Instead, that unreadable smile remained on her face, and unease crawled up Adrian’s spine.
“Now that I think about it,” Ada said lightly, glancing around, “I remember hearing Loplers had two Mad Dogs.
Where is your lovely partner?”
“Sleeping.
Why are you asking?”
The moment Ada mentioned T-Lilith, Adrian’s unease sharpened.
“Nothing.
I’m just curious how you hid her true identity during an operation with the BSAA.” Ada smiled at his darkening expression.
“If the BSAA found out the mercenary who fought beside them a few months ago was a B.O.W., how do you think they would react?”
Adrian went still.
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Want to keep going?
I hope this chapter gave you another reason to stay with the story.
There’s still plenty ahead, and things are only starting to unfold.