Work Text:
30 Days of Prompts, Day 2:
Lost in the city
Leon pulled over as his personal phone began to ring. He glanced at the number, but didn’t recognise it. That didn’t necessarily mean he wouldn’t know the person on the other end, particularly if they were using a burner phone.
“Leon.”
“Agent Kennedy?” Came a faraway voice, hesitant yet determined.
“Speaking.”
“This is Lieutenant Piers Nivans of the BSAA. I apologise for contacting you, Sir, but Claire gave me your number before she left the area. She said—”
“Claire left Edonia?” Leon interrupted. She had mentioned that she wasn’t sure how much longer she could remain in Edonia for last time they had talked, but it still came as a surprise, considering Chris was still missing.
“This morning, Sir. A lot of the TerraSave personnel have been redirected. The BSAA are also being pulled out of the area.”
Leon processed the information. It was coming up for three months since the incident and Chris’ disappearance. There were also, no doubt, the politics of the situation.
“But you’re not leaving?” Leon guessed.
“Not if I can help it, Sir. I won’t abandon Captain Redfield. I don’t care if they’re scaling back the search. I won’t give up. I can’t. He wouldn’t give up on me,” Piers stated sounding more than a little emotional. “Sorry, Sir,” he apologised, a second later, probably realising just how fired up he sounded.
“No need to apologise, Piers, was it?” Leon reassured the man, struck by just how frustrated Chris’ Lieutenant sounded.
“Yes, Sir,” Piers replied, sounding a little more together.
“Just Leon is fine,” Leon sighed. He cleared his throat, “I’m sure that Chris appreciates your dedication to finding him.”
“I was hoping that you could help with the finding part,” Piers admitted somewhat sheepishly, “To be honest I’m beginning to run out of leads.”
Leon hadn’t got the heart to tell Piers that he had only recently checked in with his contacts and that they hadn’t been able to provide any new intel. But maybe if he could try and give his contacts something more to go on…
“You were there when Chris went missing, correct?”
“Yes, S—,” Piers cut himself off.
“Tell me what happened,” Leon requested. “Don’t leave anything out.”
Leon listened carefully, only interrupting for clarification or to ask for Piers to elaborate on certain points. As he did so, he compared the information he had already gathered from his contacts; the official reports and information he gained from having spoken to Claire, who had put together her own intel. Something she seemed to be scarily good at these days. However, he’d never got a first-hand, verbal account.
“OK,” Leon acknowledged, not for the first time wishing he didn’t report directly to the president so that he could have travelled to Edonia to help with the search in person, “Let me check in with some contacts and I’ll get back to you with any leads,” Leon promised.
“Alright. Thank you, Agent Kennedy…I mean Leon. Sorry.”
“Stay safe,” Leon all but chuckled. It was nice to hear the young Lieutenant sounding less frustrated and somewhat despondent and more energised.
“You too,” Piers offered, “Thanks again.”
“Any time,” Leon assured him, before ending the call. Leon sat for a few moments, just thinking. Then he ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
“Where are you, Chris?”