"You think there's anything good in there, boy?" Alice was crouched behind a broken down wall as she eyed the seemingly deserted convenience store.
Katros replied to his master's question with a scoff as he sniffed the arid desert air.
Alice watched him intently; he was as good as a movement detector, if not better. She had found him alone and wounded in a gas station just outside of Las Vegas a year ago. The black Doberman was most likely abandoned by his previous owners because of his wounds - or perhaps they didn't have enough food to feed another mouth - Alice wasn't sure. Either way, after she patched him up she just didn't have the heart to leave him alone again.
The outbreak hit the world hard and fast. It spread itself so quickly that even the most gifted biologist had yet to determine whether it was a pathogen or a flaw in human physiology. Nations allied and the military swooped in to attempt to neutralize the threat, yet it only brought more death and destruction to a world that was already on the verge of extinction.
Alice traveled solo for the most part and never stayed with one group for too long. She helped their wounded and moved on. She had faced death every day at work without so much as a second thought, but now that the world had literally ended, she felt completely powerless against it.
She thought it might have been because she was scared to fight them, the revenants, the zombies, the undead. Take your pick, it seemed that every group at their own word of endearment for them. Alice was never agile with a firearm, but she possessed a black belt in the martial art of Krav Maga and had recently become an instructor. Though, no matter how hard she knocked down the undead, they got up again and again until a bullet or a knife badly damaged the integrity of their brain.
Eventually, Alice had to learn to defend herself with a weapon. She chose to dual wield knives and has become quite proficient disposing of the undead with them. She never understood the love for automatic weapons everyone seemed to have - she had always stuck to her Kukri blades. It reminded her of her life before: her surgical tools could either save a life or take it with one precise cut.
Regaining that control hadn't erased the feeling of extreme anxiety she felt when working on a survivor bitten in a place she damn well knew the spread of infection or virus couldn't be stopped. She knew what would happen in the next twelve hours, but from some misplaced hope, their loved ones thought it would be different for them. They were dead wrong. That kind of thinking could cost them their lives, and most of the time it did. This may well be what the woman feared the most.
Alice gazed upwards and noted it must have been close to 7 am from the blaring sun's position into the blue sky. She lowered the hood of her green jacket down on her eyes and lifted the makeshift scarf, she had made from an old shirt, over her mouth and nose. California was the sunny state for a reason, but the Nevada desert was a bitch compared to what she was used to.
"Let's go Kratos," She and Kratos moved away from the wall and trekked across the deserted street towards the convenience store. Alice didn't have a map, but she spotted a sign that read 'Tonopah' as they entered the small town. Mountains shielded most of it from being claimed by the sand, which had been the unfortunate case in most of the larger cities she had visited. Alice gladly welcomed the change of scenery, though.
She gripped the handle of one of her Kukri blades as her other hand pressed down against the stained glass of the store's front door. She halted her movements and looked up to see if there was a doorbell. Relieved to see none, Alice cautiously entered with Kratos in tow.
It didn't take the traveler much time to notice the store had been picked clean months ago. Nothing remained on the shelves but dust and empty wrappers. Dried blood colored the walls and the floor to give it that cozy, homey feel.
Alice chuckled humourlessly as she bent down on one knee in front of the Doberman. She laid a hand down on his head and ruffled his short hair affectionately. "Guess our luck just ran out, buddy. What do you say? We scavenge the rest of the town or we move on?" Wherever that may be.
Kratos moved towards the front door and barked. He then sat down and cocked his head sideways as he stared at his master.
"You're right, this post-apocalyptic chic decor isn't for me either." They still had enough food and water for a day's travel and there probably wasn't much of anything to be found here. Hopefully, the next town would be close enough. She wouldn't voice her concerns out loud, though, she didn't want to stress Kratos out. He was a real worrywart.
The Doberman barred his teeth at her and Alice frowned at his odd behavior, until she heard shuffling behind her. She spun around and swiftly flipped the sneaky undead onto his back. He fell on the ground with a thud, loud groans escaped his half decapitated mouth as he attempted to grasp Alice with his free hand.
The woman unsheathed her Kukri and pinned the undead's hand with her foot before she lurched down and impaled her blade deep within his skull. Blood sprayed out from the wound as Alice removed her weapon from the newly created cavity. She made an over-dramatic disgusted face at Kratos and quickly cleaned her blade before she strapped it back against her hip.
"What would I do without you, huh?" Alice smiled at him as he playfully barked at her. He nudged her hand and was rewarded with affectionate scratching behind his perked ears.
The pair made their way down the road quietly until they reached a sign that read 'Phoenix, 52.3 mi.' "Would you look at that." Alice chuckled, with renewed faith and a quicker step.
Kratos whined but nonetheless followed her.
"Come on, it's only 50 miles! Where's your runner's spirit?"
Kratos replied with another whine.
Alice rolled her eyes, "you big baby."
Kratos then 'accidentally' bumped into her and he even had the nerve to gaze her way with innocent, irresistible puppy dog eyes.
The woman laughed and shook her head, excited to finally come across a big city. They usually were hotspots for activity; both for the undead and the living. Though, Alice had no other choice; and it was a chance she was willing to take for both her and Kratos.
Claire Redfield stood in front of a crowd of familiar faces. Ones she liked and ones she disliked. In this brave new world, however, faces you used to dislike could tip the balance between surviving and perishing. She had been elected as their leader because they wanted one, not because they truly needed one.
After the initial panic of the outbreak, survival took its turn for the worst. Brother turned against brother for food and supplies, even if it was to survive just one more day. They had no safe haven to come to; no place to call home. Claire figured if she gave these people a sanctuary and a common goal, then comradery and order would be restored.
Turns out she had been absolutely right. After months of hard work, Phoenix's South Mountain Village was completed shielded off from the rest of the city. The mountains behind them provided more than enough protection from the undead, while the ten-foot walls kept every other hostile parties out.
Two watchtowers were built on opposite sides of the wall. Rubble was cleared and what remained of the old buildings were used as walls to reinforce the many structures they built, while the rest of it was cleared and taken down to make enough room for new structures.
The barracks had been constructed against the south wall and housed the survivors who had no next of kin. Military tents were set up for those with families and for those wanting to start a family. Claire couldn't understand how someone would want to bring a baby into this world, but perhaps to some, it was the last shred of humanity they clung onto.
The most precious form of electricity were batteries; the rest was pretty useless. No working electrical outlets meant no cooking appliances, so they built a large fire pit and a smoking hut next to the open mess hall; which was really just a few support beams and a poor excuse for a ceiling to shield them from the midday sun.
Claire had welcomed two very skilled engineers a few years back. They helped her construct wells and makeshift showers around the camp. They also lead well-digging expeditions operations outside of the settlement and around the city of Phoenix where they collected a fair amount of water on a daily basis.
Her brother, Chris, was in charge of rescue and scavenging operations, while their longtime friend Jill Valentine was in charge of Arcadia's defense. Without them, and every single survivor, this settlement wouldn't be half of what it is today. Claire was an extremely skilled and charismatic leader, but she couldn't take care of everything.
During its construction, they named the settlement Arcadia after a radio transmission that ran on for months on every frequency. It promised safe shelter free of undead in Alaska, out of all places. Claire had no idea where it came from, or who had sent them, but it certainly helped to populate their camp as most survivors recognized the name instantly upon seeing it engraved on their front gate.
Before the outbreak, Claire had been forced by her parents to enroll in the military with her brother when the school life hadn't turned out so well for her. Her time as a marksman only lasted two tours. Even though she loved seeing heads explode in her TGR's sights, she hated her time on deployment, unlike her brother.
After she left the force, Claire gravitated towards what she truly loved: tinkering, fixing and repairing. She earned a GED in auto mechanic and worked at a small shop until their world was thrown into a dark and gritty era. Along with her leader duties, she has since been taking care of the vehicles they have and made a hobby out of modding their weapons.
Claire regarded each of the faces of those she came to know over the last four years behind her dark tinted sunglasses. Her face was shrouded behind an army green face bandana that covered her mouth and nose. Red scarred skin showed on the exposed space between the bandana and her sunglasses, just beneath her left eye.
"You know the drill," Claire moved in front of the military Lorry truck they used for transportation outside of the camp. "Kill any undead you see. Priorities for today is food and gas. If there are survivors, bring them here. Chris, you'll lead team A." She nodded at her brother.
Chris stood tall and taut, his hair had been cut high and tight just as he had always worn it. Caire couldn't recall a time he didn't have it this way. He wore his old USM BDU's, which seriously needed to be changed. Claire told him every day, but he always denied it and explained how comfortable they were now that he had broken them in for the last four years.
Claire then moved her concealed gazed towards a smaller woman. "Jill, you get team B," Claire commanded.
Jill acknowledged the order with a two finger salute. Her head was covered with a worn out cap; dark shoulder length hair flowed freely underneath it. She too opted to wear her old BDU pants and undershirt. Though, Jill found the light tactical vest she always wore was far more comfortable without the jacket underneath.
"If you run into trouble, report to your leaders. If they get in trouble, let me know when you get back so I can personally kick their asses." Chuckles erupted from the crowd as amused faces, grins and smirks alike were directed towards Claire "Report in every hour, as usual. Jill, you're Whiskey Bravo One, and Chris, you're Whiskey Alpha One." They had stuck to military callsigns as it made communications much easier during their ventures out of the settlement.
"That's all. Go, have fun. And if someone finds me some damn cigarettes there's going to be a glass of bourbon with your name on it when you get back." eyes lit up at the mention of liquor just like Claire knew it would. It was one of the rarest things to find out there and naturally became the most sought after consumable.
When the teams moved out, Claire retreated back to her tent. She removed her sunglasses and scarf before taking a seat on the uncomfortable cot she called a bed. Sighing, the woman could feel a headache coming on. Soon, the scar on her face throbbed in tandem with the pain in her temple.
She bent down and grabbed the bottle of liquor under her bed. She then popped it open and took a long swig out of it. The burn of the alcohol slowly numbed her pain. The scar was four years old, yet it looked fresh; angry and red. The desert air hadn't helped and did quite a number on it. The skin all around it was dry and cracked and seemed to crack open wider each day.
Claire took a glance at her reflection in the mirror and snarled at the face that stared back at her. She shook her head and took one last swig out of the bottle, closed it and carelessly chucked it under her bed.
Claire practically threw herself back on the cot and fell into a liquor induced restless sleep.
Alice and Kratos arrived in Phoenix a long seventeen hours later in the middle of the night. Stars lit up the sky, and the cool breeze was a nice change from the crushing weight of the desert's humid days. The pair stealthily moved amongst the decomposed bodies, sand dunes, rusted cars and other objects that littered the once crowded streets.
Alice had spotted the large structure just a mile out from where she had entered the city and was determined to find out what it was. With peaked curiosity, they quietly rounded the hordes of undead aimlessly wandering around until they reach what looked more and more like a large settlement.
Alice hid behind the old carcass of a car as she spotted the watch towers; one sniper guarded each. What the hell is this place? The front gate was about a 100 yards out and lit up with torches. Wooden spikes protruded from most of the outside walls, creating a macabre decor of impaled undead; some fresher than others, Alice noticed.
She couldn't decide whether they would be friend or foe, but her dry mouth and empty stomach screamed at her to at least do something. She turned to Kratos, who stared back at her with a puzzled look on his face. She smiled and whispered to him, "why don't you go and greet our friends?" His tail wagged in excitement and Alice chuckled as she snapped her fingers and pointed towards the front gate. "Get."
The large dog made a show of limping and whining as he made his way towards the entrance. The guards spotted him in just a few seconds. They both exchanged hand signals from a distance and after a few quiet moments, the front gate loudly creaked open.
Good boy, Alice smirked as she watched a woman emerged from behind the large doors. Her hair was distinctively red - more like auburn- but Alice couldn't make her any other facial feature as she was partially hidden under a scarf.
She watched as Kratos lead the woman away from the entrance as he pretended to be frightened by her. The woman approached him slowly, getting further and further away from the door in the process. When they were far enough, knowing the guard's attention would be on them, Alice sneaked passed and entered the large compound.
Holy shit. Alice had seen her fair share of settlements and camps, but this was a whole other level. It was practically a town on its own. It didn't give off any 'evil' vibe to say the least, but the woman decided it was best to make sure and explore a little. Besides, would they really miss a little food and water?
Alice moved into the closest tent, which was ways apart from all the others. No one was here, but it was definitely occupied. There was a cot in the left corner with disheveled sheets half hanging off of it. There was also a simple wooden dresser and a mirror on the right wall of the tent. What looked like a military supply box lay on the ground, at the foot of the cot. Locked, of course.
There was a picture frame of the woman that was with Kratos, though she had barely recognized her without the scarf; that and she seemed much younger. There was also a young man with her in the picture. Both of them were dressed in BDU's. Siblings? She thought. Her musings were interrupted by the distinct sound of a weapon being cocked.
"Nice trick," the woman spoke, angered that she actually fell for it. Damn, cute dogs.
Alice turned around slowly with both of her hands raised up in surrender. She came face to face with a beretta 22 pointed at her head and a pair of furious green eyes. She noticed the scar almost instantly, and the physician in her wanted to reach out to examine it.
Alice decided that telling the woman, who was holding her at gunpoint, that she hadn't taken very good care of that scar probably was a very bad idea. Instead, she remained quiet and examined her.
Her clothes screamed simple efficiency: she had a black t-shirt that clung to her developed muscles, dark ripped jeans that outlined strong legs and a pair of combat boots. Her accessories consisted of a drop down leg holster and a double shoulder holster that held the woman's other Baretta.
Alice heard the confidence in her voice and noticed it in her posture as well. If she had to take an educated guess, she would say that this woman was the leader - or one of them at least. "Look, I'm not here to cause any trouble."
She narrowed her eyes at the intruder, "you already did." She was puzzled as to what this woman's angle was. Many survivors attempted to infiltrate this settlement, much less creatively than her, but the ones that succeeded always wanted one of two things: food or weapons. The dark circles under the blonde's eyes and her dried lips were a very good indicator of hunger and dehydration.
"You can trust me," Alice attempted. It seemed weak; an empty promise to someone who didn't know her. Nonetheless, it was a truthful statement. Alice had no intention of hurting anyone. She simply wanted food and water and the possibility of a good night's rest.
The redhead chuckled. Right. Trust. "Sure, like you trust me?"
Alice chuckled and licked her dry lips. "Good point," she rasped with a raised eyebrow.
"Could have knocked." She examined the blonde woman for a moment: her soft blue eyes looked far from menacing. If anything she really looked desperate for supplies. So, why would she sneak in instead of simply asking? She understood how hard it was to differentiate friend from foe these days, but it was gray decisions like those that made it that much harder.
Alice simply shrugged, "Could have. Didn't. Wanted a better idea of what this place was before I announced my presence."
"Could have knocked," the woman threw back at her once more.
Alice opened her mouth to retaliate, but a man entered the tent, automatic weapon in hand. "Claire! We've got a problem."
"I know," Claire answered her brother quickly and never let her gaze off of the blonde.
"Not her. Raiders. Lots of them." His words were rushed and, it was clear he had run all the way here from where he was.
"If I find out you had anything to do with this-" Claire's eyes pierced into hers like daggers. She shifted her weight on her left foot, the scrutiny of the woman's stare making her feel less than comfortable. Alice could practically see a fire being ignited in those dark pupils.
"Claire, come on. We can deal with her later," the man reasoned. Alice recognized him from the picture on Claire's desk.
"Stay here," she told Alice pointedly, then turned to exit the tent.
She released the breath she had been holding in once she was alone in the tent. Nice going, moron. You really should have knocked. Alice poked her head out of the tent and whistled loudly. A few moments later, Kratos entered and ran towards Alice excitedly.
Even though Alice was quite certain this Claire woman wouldn't be happy about her next decision, she just couldn't ignore the thunderous battle going on outside. Besides, they probably needed help, Alice reasoned.
She bent down and scratched Kratos' chin. "Stay here boy, I'll be right back."
The Doberman obediently stayed behind and watched Alice's retreating form, both kukri blades clutched into her hands.