Chapter Text
The heavy noise of the helicopter blades roared in her ears. Her team was on the way to Dulvey, Louisiana to assist in apprehending the Bio-terrorist, Lucas Baker.
They had already sent in some Blue Umbrella & BSAA agents to unsuccessfully subdue Baker. Her team was sent in to find the missing soldiers and to rescue Ethan Winters.
The aircraft was completely silent on the ride over. She took the time to say a quiet prayer, not just for herself, but the others too.
She would be lying if she didn’t admit to being terrified, this was her first big mission as a major player. Usually, she would be on the sidelines waiting to collect the data from the neutralized sites or taking care of the wounded.
This would be the first time she would be in the action as it was happening. She wondered how desperate they would be to send someone like her to the forefront.
She was snapped out of her thoughts when Captain Redfield yelled for everyone’s attention.
“We’re encountering a serious bio-terrorist here, our main goal is to neutralize Lucas Baker, but we’ve lost comms with some of our best down there. If you see anybody down there, try to get them to safety.”
She gulped. The best had been lost down there. What was she considered?
She was preparing to mentally distance herself from the whole situation when Captain Redfield sat down next to her.
“You good, Connolly?” he said sensing her insecurity.
“Damn him,” she thought. Of course, he knew how to spot hesitation, that's how people get killed.
“I’m just mentally preparing is all.” She was honest.
This job wasn’t easy or for the faint of heart.
She was self-admittedly sensitive, but she did have balls of steel. The only way she knew how to survive was to separate herself mentally and convince herself it wasn’t real.
Sure, it wasn’t a great way to get along, but it kept her alive.
“What are you holding?” he asked curiously.
This was her first time working with Captain Redfield. She assumed he was trying to get to know her, so he could at least tell her family something at her funeral.
Don’t think like that Anna.
“It’s my pendant of St. Barbara,” she told him, holding up the pendant so he could see the details.
“St. Barbara?” he asked, semi-confused.
“I’m guessing you didn’t grow up Catholic, Captain.” She laughed light-heartedly.
He returned her smile.
“You got me, I don’t put much worth into religion these days,” Chris said readjusting himself in his seat.
“I can’t blame you, it’s hard to have faith some days.”
Chris let out a sarcastic laugh.
“She’s the Patron Saint of those who work with explosives or those who face sudden and violent deaths on the job. Pretty fitting for our line of duty, huh?”
Chris was silent.
“My sister gave me this pendant after finishing basic training for the BSAA; even though my family begged me not to join but I felt called to.” She said.
“I understand what that’s like.” He said.
Anna thought for a minute and placed the pendant in Redfield’s gloved hand.
“You should take it, I think it’ll do you some good to have it on you,” she said with a smile. “We are hunting for this sicko in an abandoned salt mine.”
“Are you sure? Your sister gave this to you, Connolly.” He said through a furrowed brow.
“She’ll have plenty of time to give me another one. She’ll be thankful I gave it to you.” She said assuringly.
She was thankful Captain Redfield decided to speak with her, She felt more confident now than she did before.
Chris nodded and placed the pendant into one of his tactical pockets. The gesture filled him with a warmth he hadn’t experienced in a long time.
Damn, she was kind.
“Thanks, Connolly.” he managed out.
Before she could respond, the speaker of the aircraft crackled to life.
“We’re about to land, get ready to deploy troops.”
Chris sat up quickly, “All right you heard him.”
Anna inhaled deeply when the aircraft carrier doors opened and the other troops slid down without hesitation.
“Ladies first,” Captain Redfield said to her. She must have been hesitating more than she thought.
Anna slid down and was relieved when she quickly felt the ground under her heavy boots.
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They had been in the mine for not even 15 minutes when the horrors began.
She and Captain Redfield had encountered the first missing soldier together. He tried to warn them, to let him die; but that's when the supposedly “deceased” soldier sprung up from the floor.
“Gotcha!”
It was Lucas Fucking Baker. He had strapped a bomb to your Captain’s wrist and Chris pushed you back to try to get you away.
You unconsciously let out a yelp as your back collided with the ground.
You tried to get back to your feet and shoot Lucas, but you didn’t have a clear enough shot.
It wouldn’t have mattered anyway.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, sweetie,” he said with a disgusting emphasis on the last part.
The way he addressed her made her feel sick; like she wanted to set her clothes on fire.
“My hand might just Slip!” and with that, the soldier’s head exploded.
She was so detached from the situation, she thought it was someone else who screamed “NO!”
She felt her legs start to buckle, but she knew this was only the beginning, and that she had to nut up if she had any chance of surviving the mine.
“You better go get that bomb off your wrist Redfield, wouldn’t want to leave your lady friend down here alone with me.” Lucas sneered “Actually, maybe you should. I bet y’all keep her in great shape, she could take a couple of rounds before I kill her.”
She wanted to vomit.
“Shut the fuck up, Lucas!” Redfield roared.
“I’d love to stay and make you watch Christopher, but I have some business to deal with. Y’all better head back up if you know what’s good for you.” with that, he shut the door behind him as the room released E-type spores.
“Shit,” Chris said as their ventilators switched on.
Anna looked at him. “He’s right, we have to get that off of you, It looks different from the one who killed our comrade though. I think it has a timer that hasn’t been activated yet.”
“How can you tell?”
“If he really wanted us dead just now, he would have killed us. He’s getting greedy and that’s when these guys fuck up.” Anna reasoned.
“I guess you’re right, but it still doesn’t mean he can’t detonate it at any time he wants, we’ll proceed with caution.”
That's when their comms unit crackled to life. “You two can’t be serious. We have to get that off of you, Redfield.” HQ scolded them.
“The only reason we’re down here is that the BSAA seems to be convinced you are the good guys. Do you really want us to pull out now when we’re so close to apprehending Baker? Not a chance in hell.” Chris said sternly into the Mic.
HQ sighed. “We’ll talk more when you get back to base, Captain Redfield. Just stay focused on the mission ahead.”
Anna could hear the smirk in Captain Redfield’s voice when he answered with a “Yes Ma’am.”