September 24, 1998, 07:30 AM
The fresh morning air was a relief after the stifling, lethal atmosphere of Sergei's office. As Eddie walked away from the black glass tower, he felt an invisible weight lift from his shoulders. The pressure radiating from a monster like Sergei was physical, a glacial field that drained the oxygen from the room. For now, courtesy was the only weapon Eddie could wield against him. But patience was sharper. He would wait. He would let Sergei's arrogance and Spencer's paranoia take their course. And when the colossus fell, Eddie would be there, among the ruins, to gather the pieces and bury his rival's secrets beneath a landslide of scandal. A perfect plan.
The thought of returning to the lab, however, stirred an unpleasant knot in his stomach. The image of Annette's terrified face was burned into his memory. He had no idea how to face her. He hoped she wasn't angry, but hope was a fool's currency.
He chose to postpone the confrontation. First, he had to claim his prize.
Behind an abandoned warehouse at the edge of the industrial zone, he found it. A Bell 206 helicopter, matte black, looming majestic against the gray morning sky. His guarantee of safety. His one-way ticket out of hell when the curtain finally fell on Raccoon City. He performed a quick inspection, his enhanced senses registering every detail: the fuel's sharp odor, the tension in the rotor bolts, the faint hum of idle electronics. Perfect. Ready to fly.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The shrill tone of his cellphone cut into the moment. He answered. A cold, sharp female voice struck him.
"Where have you been hiding? Afraid to face the mess you made yesterday?"
Annette. Her tone was deliberately flat, but Eddie caught the strain beneath it, the unnatural rhythm of her words. He swallowed hard.
"Are you okay? I was preparing something for you…" His voice sounded weak even to himself.
"I'm fine. I didn't tell William what happened, so you can calm down." A pause. "You'd better get back to the lab. Your absence might raise suspicions. Hurry."
"Alright, I'll be right there. Just one more thing to take care of." Eddie sighed, closing the call. He couldn't run anymore. A man had to face the consequences of his actions.
An hour later, he stepped into his private lab. Annette was waiting, seated on a chair. She looked more fragile than usual, the purplish bruises on her neck and arms stark against her pale skin. But her eyes were steel.
"Well? What do you have to say?" she asked, unblinking.
Eddie handed her a paper bag. Inside were grilled chicken wings, a hamburger, and fresh fruit juice. "I didn't know what to bring you. I hope you can forgive me." His voice was earnest. "I warned you. My emotions were out of control then… If you can't forgive me, I'll leave you my personal research results." He looked her in the eyes. "You're my friend. I don't want to ruin this."
Annette scoffed, pure disdain. She pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Her movements were clumsy, awkward. She wasn't a smoker. She lit one, inhaled, and was hit with a fit of violent coughing.
"I don't want your research," she rasped, her voice raw from the smoke. "You think I need your scraps?"
Eddie shook his head. "I know the G-Virus is stronger. But in terms of stability, William will never match the serum I've developed." He paused. "Speaking of serums, do you know who I met today?"
"Who you meet has nothing to do with me… Who was it?" she asked, dragging another puff and coughing again.
Eddie smiled inwardly. This woman… "I met Sergei."
"Sergei?"
"Yes. He asked about Doctor William. I told him I've been studying only with you all this time."
Her eyes narrowed. "You're betraying us?"
"Of course not. If I had, I wouldn't be here. I'm a good friend. I won't betray you." His smile was genuine. A man of his word, especially to those he deemed worthy of loyalty.
Annette nodded slowly. She dropped the half-smoked cigarette and crushed it under her shoe. "Do you know Professor Greg Mueller? A former Umbrella senior researcher."
Eddie shook his head. "No. What does he have to do with us?"
"He's an expert in biochemical weapons. He developed an anti-virus for the T-Virus." Her gaze was intense. "If we're ever exposed to the T-Virus, we'll need that anti-virus. And maybe… maybe his notes could help you solve your serum problem."
The idea struck Eddie like lightning. An anti-virus. Not to cure infection, but to control the side effects. The aggression. A solution. And Greg Mueller… wasn't he also the creator of the Thanatos project? A near-indestructible Tyrant, stopped only by a massive dose of… anti-virus.
"You want me to find the anti-virus?" Eddie asked.
"I want you to test it," she corrected. "But be careful. That man had executive-level training. I don't know where he is now."
"You may be right," Eddie admitted. "But I can always use company data to build my own version of the anti-virus."
Annette scoffed again. "Umbrella won't give you that data easily. Every file is a resource, guarded tightly. I'm afraid you'll die before you ever develop your anti-virus. So don't be stupid."
She stood and left, her heels clicking rhythmically across the lab floor.
Eddie watched her go, a wry smile on his lips. Woman, you refuse to admit the facts… But he liked her view. Pragmatic. Lethal.
He decided he had nothing left to do there. It was time for another visit to Sergei. And he hoped his request wouldn't draw too much suspicion.