Enrico's question was met with a clear and honest answer from Chris. "Actually, Captain Enrico, you don't have to worry. Both Javier and Rebecca are still alive. We met them in the dense forest of the Arklay Mountains before arriving at the mansion. They're much more experienced than you might have anticipated."
"On the other hand, we have no contact with the other members of the Bravo team. We can't reach Edward, Spencer, or Richard. Sullivan, however, has been confirmed dead. He died in the mansion's main hall, bitten by a zombie. I'm sorry for your loss. Our Alpha team isn't doing much better. As soon as we landed, that guy Brad fled in the helicopter. And Joseph was too reckless and was the first to die at the jaws of a zombie dog."
As Chris spoke freely, Wesker remained impassive, offering no additional words and maintaining his cool and ruthless demeanor. However, this only deepened Enrico's suspicion. S.T.A.R.S. members were dying and getting injured, and even if Wesker were truly cold-hearted, he should have shown some emotion. Instead, his reaction was as if they weren't his subordinates, as if he didn't even consider them to be living people. This truly made him seem like a spy sent by Umbrella.
"I see..." Enrico paused for a moment, not wanting to immediately expose Wesker. Instead, he chose a more subtle approach. "Captain Wesker, I'd like to ask you something. When this mission was first assigned, were you aware of the dangers that existed in the Arklay Mountains? Or was this a mission secretly handed down by the police department with no information revealed?"
As soon as he said this, Wesker narrowed his eyes, turning his cold gaze on Enrico. These words made it clear that Enrico, the Bravo team captain, had discovered a secret and was questioning him. Wesker's expression darkened, not from nervousness, but from anger. He responded in the same intimidating manner he had used with Chris, his tone full of displeasure.
"What are you implying, Enrico? Are you trying to blame me for the deaths of the S.T.A.R.S. team members? This mission was issued by the Raccoon City Police Department, a direct order from the chief himself. Do you have a problem with that? The Arklay Mountains' serial murders have left the public in a state of panic, and you all have been wanting to investigate this for a long time."
"Now that you've run into danger and some team members have died, you're trying to shift the blame onto me, the team leader? That's ridiculous. Besides, people die on missions. Not just in the S.T.A.R.S. team, but even regular Raccoon City police officers die in the line of duty."
Wesker's words were a direct attack. He didn't want to be led by Enrico and chose to strike first to gain the upper hand.
But Enrico's goal was not to shift blame.
"Of course not..." Enrico shook his head, quickly clarifying that he didn't mean to imply that. "Captain Wesker, you're taking my words too seriously. I'm just asking because I want to know if anyone besides the S.T.A.R.S. team knew about the monsters in the Arklay Mountains—monsters that were created by the Umbrella Corporation. This mansion has been abandoned for at least a few years. Has no one explored this place during that time? "
He continued to press, using indirect, sarcastic language. He knew confronting Wesker directly was not a wise idea; he had to attack from the side. Chris had made that mistake earlier. Facing Wesker head-on, with his superior rank, was a disadvantage.
Chris, meanwhile, was confused and bewildered. The atmosphere was incredibly tense. Enrico's words were so obviously sarcastic that a fool could understand he was indirectly mocking Wesker.
"Hmph... " Wesker responded with a cold, flat tone. "It was probably a virus leak. Before the Arklay Mountains' serial murder case, who would have known that a virus research lab was hidden inside this mansion?"
But Enrico pressed his advantage, a knowing smile appearing on his face. "So... this virus research by the Umbrella Corporation has been going on for a long time? Perhaps the very purpose of Umbrella was simply to research viruses, and their current power and status are due to the virus. What do you think of that hypothesis, Captain Wesker?"
As Enrico laid out his theory, Wesker remained unfazed, his expression unchanged. He acknowledged that Enrico was a smart and vigilant old cop, but it made no difference. Whether his guess was right or wrong, it was meaningless to him and Umbrella.
"Perhaps... What are you trying to say, Enrico?" Wesker's voice grew colder. He was tired of this back and forth and wanted to get to the point. Although he appeared to be getting angry, this was precisely the attitude Enrico wanted to see.
"Nothing..." Enrico said. "I just want to say that since Umbrella has been researching a bioweapon virus for a long time, then... how could you, Captain Wesker, an Umbrella researcher, not know about it? Captain Wesker, do you truly not know, or are you deliberately hiding something? Are you helping Umbrella cover up its inhumane crimes?!"
Seeing the time was right, Enrico's voice rose in a powerful accusation. In his final words, he showed no sign of respecting Wesker's rank. He was questioning a suspect, his tone sharp and commanding. Enrico then held up the black-and-white photo he had found. The man on the far right was clearly Wesker; his black sunglasses and cold expression were not so easily imitated or changed.
Next to him, Chris, who was already suspicious of Wesker, took a few steps back, creating a safe distance. Chris had only suspected Wesker of lacking humanity; he had not imagined that Wesker was an Umbrella employee who had participated in bioweapon research. This discovery chilled Chris to the bone. If Wesker was truly an Umbrella agent, then everything that had happened must have been his plan. But what could his goal be?
"It seems you're showing your true colors, Enrico," Wesker said calmly. "But I'm surprised your little trick is just to frame me. That's too childish. Chris! Don't let him fool you. Enrico is the one who works for Umbrella. He's trying to turn us against each other. And that photo is fake; the real evidence is with me!"
Wesker wasn't flustered by the photo evidence. He remained calm and collected, explaining his side to Chris. He then pulled a confidential file from his jacket and tossed it to Chris, as if it contained important evidence that would prove his innocence. His composed and confident expression made the naive Chris hesitate.
What the hell was going on? Was this like the story of the false Monkey King? Or was it a spy movie? Enrico's performance seemed so genuine, his face filled with righteous indignation, like a hero of justice. But Wesker's performance was even more bizarre. He was completely unfazed, his expression unchanged, even confident, like a man who was truly being framed.
Chris, who was young and lacked experience, was plunged into confusion. He was a man of justice and firm conviction, and he was usually very smart. But he couldn't see through Wesker, an Oscar-worthy actor. Although he didn't get along with Wesker, he couldn't accuse an innocent person based on his personal feelings, especially not at a time like this.
Hesitantly, Chris opened the file Wesker had thrown to him. Inside were documents and several photos.
"Name: Enrico Marini, Position: Umbrella Corporation Researcher, currently serving as Captain of the Bravo team in the Raccoon City Police Department. A dangerous individual who must be monitored at all times... This person is the main culprit behind the virus leak. To cover up the incident, he plans to personally destroy the remaining evidence and hide Umbrella's virus research..."
The document contained a detailed description of Captain Enrico's identity. The final photo was identical to the one Enrico was holding, but with one key difference: Enrico's face had been Photoshopped over Wesker's on the far right. The photo looked real, not doctored. In contrast, Enrico's photo looked blurry and old due to time.
This sudden reversal caught Chris off guard. He didn't know who to believe. He wanted to believe Captain Enrico wasn't a mole, but he couldn't ignore the documents in his hand. At the same time, believing Wesker made him uneasy. He stepped back, putting distance between himself and both men. Until he saw the real truth, he wouldn't trust either of them.
Enrico was furious, seeing Chris retreat. He couldn't understand what Chris had just read and cursed him under his breath, wondering if he really believed the fake evidence Wesker had fabricated.
Wesker, meanwhile, had a faint smile on his face, as if everything was going according to plan. This outcome was exactly what he expected.
The confidential file in Chris's hand was not fake; it was "real" evidence. It just didn't align with the truth. The file had the Raccoon City Police Department Chief's official stamp and signature, as well as Umbrella's identity verification. Most importantly, the documents were meticulously fabricated. They included photos of Enrico in a lab coat, researching viruses, as well as candid shots of him in his police uniform secretly contacting other Umbrella personnel. It all looked incredibly real.
And just in case, Wesker had even used his authority to tamper with Enrico's records at the police department and within Umbrella. If someone were to investigate, they would genuinely find a file for a person named Enrico Marini in Umbrella's database.
From the very beginning, Wesker had planned this. He intended to leave Umbrella and Raccoon City after collecting combat data on the Tyrant. But if he were to just disappear, it would raise suspicion. So, he prepared this scapegoat. And the perfect person to take the fall was Enrico. As the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team captain, his rank was just below Wesker's, making him an ideal candidate to be an Umbrella mole.
So Enrico's accusation had played right into Wesker's hands. While the evidence was false and would eventually be exposed, Wesker didn't care. As long as it bought him enough time, it was sufficient. For example, it had fooled the naive Chris for now. Wesker didn't need the S.T.A.R.S. team members to all side with him; he was satisfied as long as they didn't trust each other.
As for how Wesker accomplished all this, it was simple. As the head of a management branch within Umbrella, Wesker's status was as high as that of the genius biologist William Birkin, if not higher. He had a great deal of authority, and tampering with information was not difficult for him. Tampering with police records was even easier because the chief of the Raccoon City Police Department, Brian Irons, was a corrupt, greedy man. He appeared kind and friendly in public, but he was secretly selfish and extravagant. This "pig" had long ago made a deal with Umbrella, trading power for money. Even the police station, which was a converted museum, had an Umbrella branch lab underneath it. Many prisoners held by the police were sold to Umbrella by Chief Brian to be used as human test subjects.
The G-virus research team, led by William Birkin, was one of his biggest customers. In the original timeline, Chief Brian even suppressed the reports from Chris and Jill and suspended their police licenses, putting them under long-term surveillance. Thus, it was effortless for Wesker to bribe this trash. He wasn't even asking for murder, just for a few records to be tampered with. To Chief Brian, this was a trivial matter. After all, who would turn down money?