Chapter 49: Lies

July 26, 1998, early morning, Raccoon City.

The morning mist after the rain had not yet dissipated, drifting through the streets with a damp chill. The scent of frying bacon wafted from a roadside diner. Early risers walked with hurried steps, and the entire city was still immersed in the peacefulness of a midsummer morning.

Jill Valentine sat at the dining table, watching Chloe, who was quietly eating toast, with gentle concern in her eyes.

After a night of rest, combined with the S01 Inhibitor injected the previous night, the virus within her body had been thoroughly stabilized, and Chloe's condition had improved significantly. A faint flush appeared on her pale cheeks, yet she still carried a certain timid reserve, her spine slightly tensed as she ate, as if she had not yet fully adapted to this hard-won stability.

"I'm going to the police station today to discuss the follow-up matters with Chris and the others." Jill Valentine set down her milk glass and softly instructed, "You stay home. I've checked the doors and windows. Don't open the door for anyone, and don't answer the phone casually. Do you understand?"

Yesterday, when Irons rejected the report and suspended them at the police station, the young girl had clutched her hem, her eyes filled with unconcealable fear, clearly terrified to her core by the all-pervading influence of the Umbrella Corporation.

Chloe immediately looked up, nodded vigorously, and whispered in response: "I remember, Jill. Just come back early." Her voice was very soft, carrying a complete reliance on Jill Valentine, but her hand under the table was quietly clenched.

She knew very well that if the fact that she had secretly hidden the S01 Inhibitor were discovered, this hard-won sanctuary would likely collapse in an instant.

Jill Valentine smiled, reached out to ruffle her hair, stood up to pick up her coat and backpack, and after repeatedly confirming the security settings of the door lock, turned and left the rented apartment.

Meanwhile, in the S.T.A.R.S. office on the third floor of the Raccoon City Police Department, a repressive and anxious atmosphere had long since permeated the room. Chris leaned against the desk, the cigarette at his fingertips burning to the end; he only snapped back to reality when it scorched his fingers, and he casually crushed it out in the ashtray.

On the desk in front of him, the complete investigation report brought back from the research facility had been flipped through repeatedly, the edges of the pages wrinkled.

Barry sat on the sofa nearby, his face still haggard. He had only just settled his wife and daughter at a reliable friend's house outside the city in the early hours of the morning. Having not slept all night, his eyes were bloodshot, yet he was still forcing himself to stay alert, checking the details in the documents over and over, fearful of missing any evidence that could bring down the Umbrella Corporation.

Rebecca sat at the computer, focused on organizing the virus sample data. The dense code and charts on the screen were the only remaining core evidence they had that hadn't been seized by Irons.

"Irons is clearly determined to suppress this matter entirely." Chris broke the silence first, his tone laced with irrepressible anger. "I've been calling the State Police all morning. As soon as they hear it involves the Umbrella Corporation, they either hang up directly or say there's insufficient evidence and refuse to accept it. The entire state's law enforcement system has been riddled with holes by their infiltration."

Barry sighed heavily, his voice hoarse: "The Umbrella Corporation has operated in Raccoon City for so many years; the municipal government, the police department, the media—they're all their people. The evidence in our hands can't even get past the police station, let alone be submitted higher up."

"We can't just let it go like this." Rebecca stopped typing and looked up, her young face filled with determination. "Captain Enrico, Richard, and our fallen teammates didn't die in vain. We must expose the crimes of the Umbrella Corporation to the public."

Just as the group was at a loss, the office door was gently knocked.

The group exchanged glances, their nerves tightening. Chris said "Come in" in a deep voice. The door was pushed open, and in walked Marvin of the Raccoon City Police Department, followed by Deputy Chief Raymond Douglas.

Marvin was known in the department as a man of integrity, steady and rigorous in his work, who never pandered to the influence of the Umbrella Corporation. He was also one of the few people the S.T.A.R.S. team could lower their guard around.

The Deputy Chief Raymond Douglas following behind him was a veteran officer nearing fifty, wearing a crisp police uniform, his hair combed meticulously. He had no expression on his face, his eyes sharp, and he had always been a stickler for rules and procedures. His reputation in the department wasn't considered smooth, but he had never had rumors of corruption or dereliction of duty; he was a man who truly lived by the rules.

"Everyone, I heard you returned safely." Marvin spoke first, his gaze sweeping over the unhealed wounds on everyone, his eyes filled with genuine concern.

"We've all heard about what happened in the Arklay Mountains. So many brothers sacrificed; please accept our condolences. Deputy Chief Raymond and I came to see if you needed any help. If there's anything the department can coordinate, we will definitely do our best."

Raymond stood to the side, nodding slightly without unnecessary pleasantries. His gaze swept around the office and finally landed on the investigation report on the table, his tone serious but devoid of any malice:

"Chief Irons has already briefed me on the situation. You went into the mountains to execute a mission and suffered heavy casualties. I know your emotions are very unstable right now. If you have any demands, as long as they comply with the rules, you can bring them up."

Chris and Jill Valentine exchanged a look, both seeing a glimmer of opportunity in each other's eyes. Although Raymond was rigid, he had always been responsible and was not a parasite bought off by the Umbrella Corporation like Irons. Perhaps this was the only breakthrough they could fight for.

Chris picked up the investigation report from the table, walked quickly to the two of them, and handed it over with a firm tone: "Marvin, Deputy Chief Raymond, our trip into the mountains was not an encounter with wild animal attacks at all; this was all a trap set by the Umbrella Corporation."

"They built a secret biochemical laboratory in the Arklay Mountains to illegally conduct human experiments and develop viral weapons. The T-Virus leaked, causing the test subjects to mutate, and our team members all died in their conspiracy."

He paused, his voice growing heavier: "And our captain, Albert Wesker—he was an undercover agent planted by the Umbrella Corporation within S.T.A.R.S. It was he who tricked us into the mountains and treated us as test subjects to verify the performance of biological weapons."

"Including Chief Irons—he was bought off by the Umbrella Corporation long ago. He didn't even look at the complete evidence we submitted before rejecting it directly and suspending us, all to help the Umbrella Corporation cover up their crimes."

Marvin's expression darkened instantly, and he took the investigation report and began to flip through it quickly. During this period, several bizarre and malicious attacks had occurred in the city one after another. The victims were covered in bite marks, dying in miserable states. The medical examiner had never been able to find the source of the weapon, and all clues vaguely pointed to the Umbrella Corporation, but there had never been substantial evidence.

Now, looking at the detailed event sequence, experimental data, and scene photos in the report, his hands gradually clenched, his eyes filled with shock and anger.

Beside him, Raymond, after hearing Chris's words, frowned tightly. He took the report and flipped through a few pages, his expression becoming increasingly serious—not with anger, but with total incomprehension and disapproval.

"Redfield, do you know what these words mean?" Raymond closed the report, looked up at Chris, and said in a serious tone.

"You are accusing the city's largest taxpayer of illegally developing biochemical weapons, accusing the Chief of Police of accepting bribes and abusing power, and also accusing your former captain of treason and collaboration with the enemy. Yet, all you have brought out are documents from a 'research facility' turned into ruins that cannot be verified for their source, and testimony that cannot be cross-referenced."

There was no malice in his tone, only the strict demand for evidence from a veteran policeman: "I've been handling cases for over twenty years and have never seen such a bizarre case. Viral mutations, humanoid monsters, human experiments—these sound like delusions after excessive shock."

"I can understand the pain of losing your teammates, and I can understand that you experienced terrible things in the mountains, but handling cases requires evidence, not relying on guesses and inferences."

"Deputy Chief Raymond, these are not delusions!" Jill Valentine immediately stepped forward, her tone urgent, "The five of us all came out of the mountains alive; we all saw those mutated creatures with our own eyes, we saw the Umbrella Corporation's laboratory!"

"And those bizarre attacks that have happened in the city recently—don't you find it suspicious? The wounds on those victims simply could not have been caused by ordinary wild animals!"

"I have already reviewed those cases. The coroner's preliminary assessment is an attack by a large canine, and we are currently conducting a sweep," Raymond said, shaking his head, his tone remaining firm.

"I am not trying to deny your experiences, but you currently cannot produce any concrete evidence that would convince me or the prosecution.

I cannot initiate an investigation into the city's pillar enterprise and the Chief of Police based solely on a report of unknown origin. It is not in accordance with procedure."

Marvin immediately spoke up: "Raymond, the details in this report match the cases in my hands perfectly! The morphology of the victims' wounds is completely consistent with the characteristics of zombie bites described in the report! We cannot just turn a blind eye!"

"I am not turning a blind eye, Marvin." Raymond looked at him, his tone softening slightly. "I know you are worried about the city's public safety, and so am I. But we are police officers; we must follow the rules. We cannot act recklessly based solely on passion."

He turned to look at Chris and the others, his expression showing a touch of genuine concern: "I know you are all physically and mentally exhausted, and you are not in a good state. How about this: I will speak with Chief Irons and try to have your suspensions converted into paid administrative leave.

Take some time to rest and adjust your state of mind. Once you are emotionally stable, we can discuss the next steps. If you can truly produce concrete evidence that stands up to scrutiny, I will be the first to sign off on opening an investigation."

He was not trying to cover this up; it was simply that, based on the professional standards of a veteran police officer, he could not stir up such a storm based solely on an unverified report. He had his sense of responsibility, but that sense of responsibility was confined within the bounds of procedure and rules.

After speaking, Raymond nodded slightly to the group and turned to walk out of the office. Marvin watched his back, sighed helplessly, and turned to look at the others:

"Raymond is just like that—he only trusts evidence, not people. But he keeps his word, so the administrative leave should be fine. Make a copy of this report for me. I will follow the leads privately. Even if Irons tries to suppress it, I cannot let our brothers die in vain."

Chris patted Marvin's shoulder heavily, his tone full of gratitude: "Thank you, Sergeant Marvin."

"Don't thank me; it's what I should do." Marvin waved his hand. "Get some rest. If there are any developments, I will contact you at any time."

After seeing Marvin off, the office fell silent once again. Although Raymond's attitude did not completely align with theirs, he had given them a moment to breathe—at least they would not be watched so closely by Irons, and their movements would not be restricted.

Chris walked over to the desk, preparing to reorganize and file the report and evidence, and to make a copy for Marvin. He opened the sealed military medical case brought back from the laboratory, intending to seal the virus samples and reagents inside. However, the moment he opened it, his movements froze abruptly.

Inside the medical case, the five S01 Inhibitors that had been counted were now reduced to only three.

Chris's brows furrowed instantly. He remembered clearly that when they evacuated from the laboratory, he had personally counted the supplies in the medical case. All five S01 Inhibitors were there. After being placed in the medical case, it had been locked in the office safe, and the combination was known only to the four survivors; it was impossible for an outsider to have opened it.

"Jill, come here for a second." Chris said in a low voice, his tone carrying an imperceptible gravity.

Jill walked over quickly. Seeing the missing S01 Inhibitors in the medical case, she was also stunned: "What happened? Two are missing?"

"In the past two days, besides the four of us, who else has touched this medical case?" Chris looked up at her, his gaze sharp.

Jill frowned, carefully recalling the scene from yesterday. A moment later, her pupils contracted slightly: "When we just returned to the police station yesterday, Chloe stayed in the office for a few minutes. She said she wanted to get water and left my sight. At that time, the medical case was on the table and hadn't been put into the safe yet..."

Halfway through her sentence, Jill's voice trailed off. She suddenly remembered the "Observation Record" by William Birkin that Chris had found near Wesker's body, which clearly stated: "Thanks to the Subject S01 from The Ark, I have finally found the key to stabilizing the G-Virus."

"S01 - Specific S01 Inhibitor, effective only on this test subject, can stabilize the viral factors in her body and prevent runaway mutation."

S01. Chloe.

Jill trembled all over. Countless images flashed through her mind in an instant: the way Chloe's fingertips tightened when she saw the medical case, her inexplicably rising body temperature on the helicopter, and her tearful plea: "My father was a researcher here, and they locked me up as a test subject for many years."

So, she had been lying from the very beginning. She was not the daughter of any researcher; she was the Subject S01 from William's notes, the core test subject used by Umbrella Corporation to develop the G-Virus.

"She lied to us." Jill's voice was very soft, carrying an unhideable touch of complex emotion. There was no expected anger, only the disappointment of being deceived, and a deep understanding of the young girl's situation.

A test subject who had been imprisoned for eight years, full of wariness toward the outside world, could only use lies and disguise to protect herself; this was the only straw of survival she could grasp.

Chris looked at her expression, gently closed the medical case, and said in a low voice: "I haven't made a scene. Right now, people from Umbrella Corporation and Irons are still watching us. If this matter leaks, they will surely do whatever it takes to drag her back."

"But Jill, you must be clear: she concealed her true identity and secretly took the S01 Inhibitors that only she can use. This means there are still many secrets about her that we don't know."

He paused, reminding her with a solemn tone: "You live with her, so you must keep an eye on any abnormalities and protect yourself. We don't know what the situation is with the virus in her body, nor do we know what else she is keeping from us."

Jill nodded silently. Her mind was a mess, but she was still clear that Chloe was first and foremost a victim of Umbrella Corporation's sinful experiments, and only secondarily someone who had kept things from them. She had no intention of exposing her, at least not for now.

"I understand." Jill took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart. "I'll head back to the apartment and check on her. If anything comes up, we'll contact each other by phone."

Chris nodded, not saying anything more.

Jill picked up her coat, walked quickly out of the police station, and drove toward the apartment. The streets outside the car window were still bustling, but Jill's heart felt as if a stone had been cast into it, causing ripples to spread. She didn't know how she would face Chloe when she returned, nor did she know how long this trust, built upon lies, could last.

Ten minutes later, Jill pushed open the door of the apartment. The living room was quiet, with sunlight streaming through the windows onto the floor. Chloe was squatting in the corner of the living room, carefully tidying up scattered odds and ends, organizing the documents Jill had left on the table into neat stacks.

Hearing the door open, Chloe immediately looked up, a genuine smile appearing on her face, and hurried forward: "Sister Jill, you're back!" She was in good condition, her eyes clear, with no signs of discomfort. Clearly, the effect of the S01 Inhibitor was still steadily suppressing the virus in her body.

Looking at her obedient appearance, Jill swallowed the questioning that had reached her lips. She smiled and reached out to take the warm water the young girl handed her: "Yes, I'm back. Did anything happen at home today?"

"No, I've been staying at home the whole time. I didn't open the door or answer the phone." Chloe nodded vigorously, reporting earnestly like a child afraid of doing something wrong.

Jill looked at her and sighed softly in her heart. She did not expose the girl's lie, but silently made up her mind. She would get to the bottom of all the secrets surrounding Chloe, and she would protect this girl who had struggled in the darkness for eight years, no matter what happened in the future.

The sunlight outside the window was perfect, and daily life in Raccoon City remained peaceful. Yet, no one knew that the undercurrent of the virus, lurking beneath the calm, was spreading wildly. And between Jill and Chloe, the subtle crack torn open by lies was quietly, slowly, widening.