September 30, 1998, 2:15 PM, Outside the Villa
Ada dodged the zombie dog's clumsy attack with a fluid, almost bored movement. It was her first time facing a creature like this, but her cold, primal instincts screamed one simple command: don't get bitten.
Baam!
Another shot rang out among the trees. A second dog collapsed to the ground. Only one remained.
Zsss!
In an instant, the last creature vanished. It hadn't disappeared—it moved with unnatural speed, using the tree trunks as cover, a blur of rotting flesh and bristly fur. Ada spun on her heels, senses on high alert, but she couldn't pinpoint it.
A rustle above her. The sound of strong wind.
She looked up. The zombie dog was plummeting from above, a missile of death with jaws wide open and claws extended.
Ada used every ounce of her skill to dodge, but it was too late. The attack was perfect, the angle impossible. For the first time, she felt the cold touch of the angel of death. Her eyes widened—not in fear, but in pure, unadulterated horror at failure.
Just as the fangs were about to sink into her neck…
Baam!
A single, deafening shot.
A high-velocity bullet struck the dog squarely in the head. Its skull exploded in a spray of black blood and bone fragments that splattered to the ground.
Ada was still in shock when a strong hand grabbed her arm, yanking her with a force that nearly made her stumble. "Move."
The voice was an order, not a request. Eddie dragged her toward the villa. "This area isn't safe. Are you hurt?" he asked, not slowing, his eyes darting through the trees. "The Arklay Mountains are dangerous. Don't you read the news?"
Hearing that voice, Ada froze for a moment. Her target. The man she had been spying on had just saved her. She couldn't respond—not immediately. Her mind was still processing how fast the situation had escalated and resolved.
A rustle came from the bushes. Another wave of zombie dogs was approaching.
Eddie accelerated, almost lifting her, and rushed inside the villa, slamming the heavy wooden door behind them with a thud.
He released her into the living room. He went to a small refrigerator, grabbed two bottles of water, and tossed one to her. "Who are you? Why are you here? If you don't have important business, you'd better leave now and never come back." His expression was serious, devoid of warmth. "This area is dangerous."
Ada placed her pistol on the table, a charming smile forming on her lips. "And you? Why are you still living here?"
Eddie had no intention of playing games. "The door's there. Walk, and don't come back."
Ada was taken aback. A moment ago, he seemed almost concerned—and now he was chasing her away. "Will you let a vulnerable woman like me go alone?"
Seeing her stance, Eddie laughed, a sarcastic sound. "Vulnerable? First, if you were truly vulnerable, you wouldn't have made it here alone. Second, your gun isn't a market model; it's modified. Otherwise, you wouldn't have killed that monster with a single shot."
Knowing the trick hadn't worked, Ada pulled out her fake ID and showed it to Eddie. "I'm an FBI agent. I'm here to find my boyfriend, John Clemens. He's currently in training at the Umbrella Corporation." She paused, her gaze hardening. "Don't interfere with my duty, sir."
Eddie remained silent for a moment. A faint, almost imperceptible smile brushed his lips—identical to the one he had when he met Leon. "I don't care if you're FBI or not. The Umbrella training facility nearby is closed." He leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "There's nothing you can do here. If you really want to find your boyfriend, why not go straight to Umbrella headquarters? Maybe he's there, enjoying life with his pretty secretary, who knows…"
"Wait, you know him? You work for Umbrella?" Ada continued her act. It was a golden opportunity.
She was confident in her charm; with a little maneuvering, this man would soon become submissive.
"Not exactly. How about checking for yourself? I'm leaving. Don't go into that abandoned building outside—it's dangerous." Eddie gave her one last warning, then headed to the bookshelf to grab a book.
"I can't leave John alone." But Ada pressed on.
"Then find him yourself," Eddie replied, not looking up from the page he was reading.
"But it's dangerous!" Ada said, reluctantly.
"Then go and die with him." Eddie waved a hand, as if it didn't matter.
"W-why are you so ruthless! Wait… John is already dead?" Again, Ada tried to maintain her act.
"I don't know. I've never seen him. If you want to leave now, hurry. Otherwise, I can give you only one night; after that, you leave tomorrow," Eddie said with a grunt.
"Fine, then I accept your offer." Ada agreed. Even if she pretended to be dissatisfied, she still consented. Surely there would be important information to uncover by staying.
Ada approached Eddie, her heels clicking in a measured rhythm. "By the way, I still don't know your name…"
"Eddie Cai," Eddie replied briefly.
"I see… First of all, thank you for saving me." She paused. "Honestly, John and I are just pen pals who've been communicating for a while. After receiving his emergency letter, I was really worried. That's why I came here to look for him."
"That's your business, not mine," Eddie said, still reading, flipping through the pages. All the books in the villa were Alex's private collections, each a classic work of literature.
"Can I ask? Are you of Asian descent too?" Ada suddenly changed the topic.
"Yes," Eddie replied lightly.
"My name is Ada Wong; it seems we're alike. It's nice to meet someone from home in another country." Ada smiled sweetly, introducing herself.
"Alike? Sorry, I'm not very thrilled to meet a compatriot here." Eddie waved his hand, dismissing Ada's words.
On the other side, Ada felt very confused. "Why? Don't you like meeting neighbors in other countries?"
"You'd better mind your own business. You know even a 'neighbor' can kill his neighbor." He paused. "Not everyone is good."
Hearing these strange words, Ada smiled. "You're so funny, Eddie… Anyway, nice to meet you."
"Okay. You're an FBI agent, right? Can I ask a favor?" Eddie said suddenly, his expression serious.
Sensing the gravity in his tone, Ada thought he wasn't joking this time. She sat silently and nodded. "Tell me. If I can, I'll help."
"Do you know how to cook? I'm starving." After saying this, Eddie returned his attention to the book.
Although Ada seemed cute, perhaps Jill and Alex were better cooks. That's why Eddie wanted to know personally.
Hearing Eddie's ridiculous request, Ada fell silent. In her heart, she felt annoyed; wherever she went, men always flattered her! But now she had been ignored. Did this man have no soul? He even asked her to cook something.
Is he treating me like a wife or a servant? Only a wife would cook for her husband! Ada complained in her mind.
Eddie waited a moment; seeing Ada didn't respond, he immediately turned to the beautiful girl. "What? Don't tell me you don't know how to cook?" Eddie asked, with a surprised, almost fake expression.
"Don't underestimate me!"
Ada felt extremely angry; how dare he underestimate her.
She wondered why her charm had no effect on Eddie. Or was he gay?
After the dissatisfied murmur, Ada headed toward the kitchen.