(c) ShinobiWolf , 2013
Resident Evil: Dark Zone
The slide locked back on Leon's Heckler & Koch USP .45 Compact Tactical pistol as he fired the last round in the magazine. Blood splattered the ground at his feet as the figure in front of him moaned one final time and hit the ground with a thud.
His head snapped to the right as he heard more groaning and growling coming from around the corner. He couldn't see the source through the darkness, and he decided he wasn't going to stick around to find out.
He swerved around pallets and vaulted over boxes as he hurried through the darkened warehouse. His eyes were open wide, trying to identify the black and gray shapes in front of him.
He rounded a corner, pointing his gun in every direction a possible attack could come from. Finally, he saw dim moonlight illuminating a patch of floor just up ahead.
The exit.
"Leon, are you alright?" Ingrid Hunnigan inquired through his earpiece.
"For the time being," Leon replied, nearly out of breath.
"Keep going," she urged. "Looks like you're almost out of there."
"Good. I can't see jack shit in here. Whose idea was it to send me in at night anyway?"
"This is a time-sensitive mission. It can't wait until morning. You'll just have to do the best you can. I'll give you further instructions once you're clear of the building."
"Roger that," Leon said, hearing shuffling footsteps closing in behind him. As he carefully made his way toward the light, it seemed to be shrinking quickly. He sprinted as fast as he could.
"NO!" he shouted as slid on his side toward the closing shutter door. His foot hit against it as the last few inches of light disappeared underneath.
"Nothing personal, Mr. Kennedy," came a muffled voice from the other side of the door, "but I can't have you interfering."
Leon stood up and looked through the small window in the door. A dark-clad figure stood just outside, seemingly glaring at him through two red circular eyepieces.
"Shit!" Leon exclaimed, pounding his fist against the glass as the figure turned and walked out of view.
"Leon! What's going on?" Hunnigan asked.
"Someone wearing body armor and a gas mask just locked me in!"
"Alright, stay calm. I'm finding you another route. Stand by."
Leon flipped on the tactical flashlight mounted underneath the barrel of his gun. He shined it on the control switch near the garage door. The lights were off and it looked like someone had very recently bashed it in.
"Control panel's fried on my end, Hunnigan."
"Never mind that. There's an underground maintenance tunnel connecting the warehouses in this area. It should lead you toward Waypoint Sierra, your mission objective. You should see a small elevator directly across from you."
"Thanks," Leon said, relieved. He hurried over, trying not to panic as the moans began to gather behind him.
Suddenly, he felt a hand close around his ankle, tugging him downward. He looked back and saw one of the infected laying on its belly, preparing to bite into his leg right through his pants.
Unsheathing his knife, he quickly leaned over and drove the blade clean through its head from temple to temple. He wrenched the knife's handle vertically and pulled it out, feeling the hand's grip loosen just enough for him to break free.
Darting inside the elevator's small cabin and slamming the gate behind him, he pressed the 'down' button. He let out a sigh of relief as the elevator descended.
"Glad to be out of there," he said under his breath, "that was too close for comfort."
"Alright Leon," Hunnigan continued, "our scouts have located a small makeshift laboratory at Waypoint Sierra, in one of the warehouses up ahead. Inside is the only known sample of a genetically modified version of the G-Virus, called G-Delta."
"The G-Virus again?" Leon asked, surprised. "I thought we were done with that."
"Apparently not. Your mission is to secure it and transport it to the extraction point at Waypoint Tango."
"Got it."
"There's some kind of strong jamming signal surrounding the warehouse. The jamming field is designated 'Dark Zone'. Once you enter it, your radar and communications will be useless, but I'll still be able to track your movements from here."
"Great, that sounds like fun," Leon joked in his usual deadpan tone. "So I'm supposed to take out the jamming device and find a little vial in a warehouse, all with no help? Talk about needles in a haystack..."
"Don't worry about disabling the jamming signal. Your first priority is to locate and secure the virus."
"Still easier said than done."
"You won't be alone, Leon. You've been assigned a partner for this mission, codenamed Shadow-1."
"Shadow-1? What's with the mysterious name?"
"I don't know. All I know is that they're being given orders directly from the top brass," Hunnigan replied in a hushed tone. "I'm sorry, it's out of my hands."
"That's strange. If they want us to work together, they could at least tell me who to look out for."
Leon felt an uneasy feeling come over him. He knew it wasn't Hunnigan's fault; if she had security clearance, she would certainly have told him everything. By keeping Hunnigan in the dark, they were keeping Leon in the dark as well. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on behind his back.
"I sure could've used this Shadow-1 guy's help back there. I guess he's a no-show, unless it was him who closed the door on me back there."
"I'm reading one unauthorized heat signature moving from your warehouse to the Dark Zone. Whoever that is, it's not Shadow-1 and they aren't part of this mission."
"Yeah, didn't think so," Leon mumbled to himself as he slid a loaded magazine into his pistol and chambered a round. "Why do these things never go smoothly?"
The elevator jerked to a stop and the gate opened. A long hallway extended out in front of Leon. It was dimly lit by one single small bulb about twenty yards down, buzzing softly as it flickered off and on.
He could see puddles of a dark liquid dotting the floor here and there. Every few seconds a drip from the rusty old pipes on the ceiling would fall. Junk littered the ground here and there: boxes of pipes and machinery and other equipment, a ripped-open bag of what appeared to be trash, a couple odd rusty screws and bolts.
"Nice place," Leon remarked dryly, "Not exactly my first choice for a date."
"The first ladder you come to should lead back to the surface," Hunnigan instructed, "Once you're out, head for the large building marked '03'".
"Understood," Leon said, trying to ignore the stench that was becoming stronger with each step.
As he carefully stepped around a pile of trash, something that sounded like a whisper caught his ears. He slowed down to listen.
There it was again. It sounded closer this time. He turned around. Aside from the debris, there was nothing on the floor where he'd come from. He shined his light towards the ceiling.
Something red was clinging to the pipes above. It made a noise that sounded like a voiceless scream. It had an almost human-like body, but its skin looked like it had been peeled off, exposing its muscles and tendons. Its head was grotesquely mutated, with an enlarged and exposed brain, and a large mouth and jaw that dominated the lower half of its face. A long snake-like tongue protruded from between rows of sharp, knife-like teeth.
Leon noticed it was dripping what looked to be blood from its exposed organs, making a small puddle on the floor.
A puddle exactly like all the others he'd passed.
He panned his light further down the ceiling, the way he'd just come.
Above each one of the puddles, another one of the creatures clung to the pipes overhead, dripping the same substance on the floor. There must have been at least seven, he thought.
Leon's mind raced.
"You've gotta be kidding me," he whispered to himself, trying to keep his voice low.
He backpedaled a couple steps, then turned and began running.
Another raspy, voiceless scream came from behind. The creatures' claws made a clink-clank sound as they scurried across the ceiling pipes toward him.
He hurried faster, sprinting as quickly as he could.
Suddenly, he felt something smooth and wet wrap around his ankle, pulling him off balance. He turned back and braced for the impact, trying to line up his gun's iron sights on the creature who had him.
It swiped at his other leg with its claws, ripping a slit in his pants on the inside of his right knee. The sting made Leon wince as a small bloodstain began to soak the shredded cloth.
He fired off three frantic shots, one hitting the base of its tongue, the other two somewhere on its face. The creature screeched and quickly withdrew its tongue.
Leon scrambled to his feet, their panting and hissing following close behind.
He noticed one of the creatures on the pipes just ahead, its tongue ready to strike.
He fired a shot at its head.
Sparks flew as it ricocheted off of a pipe. He fired again. The creature hissed and lost its grip on the ceiling, falling to the ground with a sickening splat. Leon emptied another round into its body as he leaped past it.
Up ahead, he could see the ladder leading up and out of the tunnel. Reaching behind him, he grasped a cylindrical object and ripped it off his belt. He pulled the pin and dropped it behind him as he scurried to the ladder.
He leaped to the fourth rung and scurried up as fast as he could, his heart pounding in his chest as he felt the heat from the explosion below him.
He hoisted himself out of the small shaft and quickly slammed the hatch closed and slid the locking bolt in place.
Sudden pounding and scratching came from below as the creatures tried to follow, growling and hissing angrily.
"Better not count on that thing to hold," he said, hurrying toward the large building marked "03".
"Leon, you're about ten yards from the edge of the Dark Zone. Be on your guard." Hunnigan warned, her signal already starting to sound a little scratchy.
"Copy," he replied, still feeling the rush of adrenaline as he tried to pull himself together.
"I'm being told Shadow-1 has rendezvoused with you. Can you confirm that? Do you have a visual?" Hunnigan asked. Leon frowned.
"Rendezvoused? The only thing I've rendezvoused with out here are zombies and those skinless freaks from Raccoon City!" Leon exclaimed, exasperated. "I'm losing my patience with this so-called partner I'm supposed to-"
Leon abruptly stopped as moaning and wheezing came from only a couple feet behind him.
He spun around.
A rotting corpse staggered toward him and reached out, its hand inches from his face.
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out in the distance before Leon could even raise his gun. A bullet ripped through its skull, taking a large chunk out of the left side of its head. The body crumpled to the ground.
Leon watched as it twitched and began to move again, trying desperately to sit up.
Another gunshot rang out, completely destroying the head this time, save for a small chunk of its lower jaw and neck. It fell back flat, motionless.
"Well well," Leon muttered, looking toward the building where the shot had come from, "look who finally decided to show up."
"Please hurry," Hunnigan urged, "we don't have much time. That unauthorized heat signature is heading into the target building now. Get in there and secure that virus!"
"Alright. I'm heading into the Dark Zone now." he said, clutching his gun as he ducked behind some metallic crates.
"Good luck," Hunnigan's voice scratched through the earpiece, barely intelligible. The static continued for a couple more seconds until the signal fell silent.
Leon surveyed the main entrance. A large vertically sliding door was about one-quarter of the way ajar. About seven or eight corpse-like figures were nearby, most of them on their knees, feasting on a body of some sort on the ground.
Sliding or crawling through the small opening in the main entrance was too risky, he judged. It was unlikely he could get past them without being noticed.
He spotted a narrow metal staircase leading up to a door on the side of the building. The door was held open by something in the doorway, though he couldn't see what. Probably left there to ensure someone's quick escape, he guessed.
"Second floor entrance, huh? Good enough for me," Leon said to himself as he quietly and discreetly approached the stairs.
One of the figures moaned loudly behind him, startling him. Leon felt a tingle on the back of his neck while he dashed up the stairs two at a time, not even bothering to look back. He heard footsteps on the stairs right behind him.
He threw open the door, kicked the small pipe out of the doorway, and quickly slammed it behind him. The pipe clanked and clattered, rolling loudly until it hit against the wall.
A savage growl came from just outside, followed by the sound of something pounding on the door. It stopped after a few seconds as Leon's pursuer apparently gave up.
"So much for a quiet entrance," He exhaled deeply and wiped the sweat from his brow as he looked around, taking the first chance he had to catch his breath in what seemed like hours. "Wonder if anyone's home."
It was a long room with unadorned metallic walls, littered with boxes and tools of all sorts. He looked along the wall to his left. Past the support beams, he could see a large industrial workbench fixed to the wall. A window above the workbench was slightly ajar. Against the bench sat a large rifle with a scope attached. He made his way over carefully, scanning for movement.
He shined his light down onto the rifle, then looked through the window. The shaft he used to escape the maintenance tunnel was clearly visible.
"So he was here," Leon whispered.
He shined his light toward the metal doorframe and carefully made is way through it. Just outside, a figure lay slumped in the hallway against the wall, in a pool of its own blood. A closer look revealed it to be a male, approximately in his mid twenties. He was wearing tactical body armor, and his helmet lay several paces away, cracked and smeared with blood. He was loosely holding a submachine gun in his left hand. Leon examined it, but found the magazine to be empty.
He noticed bloodstained footprints leading away from the scene. From what he could gather, they were probably the same type of boots the dead man was wearing, and whoever the prints belonged to was in a hurry.
The footprints led further down the hall, past several doorways. Leon peered into each one as he passed them, but his light revealed nothing of immediate interest. The prints finally turned a corner to the right and faded out, the last one pointing in the direction of an enclosed staircase a bit further down.
Seeing no other clues and without any other indication of where his objective might be, he cautiously descended the stairs.
He suddenly became aware of how quiet it was - almost as if something was lying in wait, ready to pounce on an unsuspecting visitor. There was no light in the warehouse either, except for the dim moonlight coming through the occasional window. A few lighted switches and buttons on the walls glowed here and there, but they did little to help illuminate the place. He noted that no matter how many times you do it, walking through a quiet dark corridor in the presence of the infected never gets any easier.
He reached the bottom of the staircase and flattened his back against the wall. Taking a deep breath, he heard faint footsteps further out. He slowly peered around the corner, looking for their source. Suddenly, movement caught his eye.
A figure on the other end of the building was moving carefully and quietly toward the far wall.
He watched as the figure crept over to a panel on the wall, nervously glancing around as if to make sure they weren't being watched.
Leon remained still.
The figure looked to the ground, and bent over as if to pick something up. It grasped a metallic ring affixed to the floor, and pulled. The ring revealed a chain attached as the figure pulled it out of the ground. With a pop and a squeak, a small trap door opened just a couple feet away. The figure lowered themselves in, and closed the door after them.
"That guy sure knows his way around," Leon whispered to himself, "I think I'll go have a little chat with our mystery guest."
He readied his gun and carefully rounded the corner away from the stairs.
A large forklift lay amongst piles of industrial materials. Concrete tubes lay stacked on the floor, as did bundles of plastic and metal wire, and a large control panel connected to all sorts of tubes leading off in all directions. Pallets loaded with cargo were stacked atop each other in rows, creating corridors. Support beams dotted the floor. Large aluminum ducts were the only thing clinging to the ceiling this time, he noted with a sigh of relief.
All typical warehouse fare. It didn't seem like the type of place a laboratory would be, let alone a sample of a new and deadly virus.
He turned a corner, carefully working his way around the forklift to head in the direction he had seen the shadowy figure. As he walked past an intersection between towers four stacked towers of pallets, the sudden sound of a gun being cocked just a couple feet away made him freeze.
Startled, he pointed his gun to the right, shining his light in the direction it came from. A figure stood before him with a silenced pistol aimed directly at his head.
"Get down!" demanded an odd, electronically-filtered voice.
Leon ducked.
The stranger fired three shots over Leon's head. Leon looked to his left and was shocked to see another skinless Licker hissing as it flailed its limbs before becoming motionless.
"Damn it!" Leon exclaimed, still a bit shaken. He stood up to face the stranger once again. "I didn't even see that thing. To whom do I owe the pleasure?" he asked dryly.
"Shadow-1." the voice replied.
The person standing in front of him wore a black baliclava with night vision goggles covering their eyes, and a small device covering their mouth. A loose-fitting olive drab military-style coat lined with pockets was strapped to their waist, with black nylon gloves covering their hands. Dark gray military pants and black boots covered the lower half of their body.
Leon couldn't tell if it was male or female. He couldn't even tell what color their skin was, since none of it was showing at all. The individual was a bit shorter than he was and slightly thinner looking, though it was hard to tell through the loose fatigues they wore. It was either a younger male, or a female who hid their curves very well, he guessed.
"So you're the famous Shadow I've been hearing about? Nice to... meet you," Leon said cautiously, sizing up the strange presence.
There was no reply; his partner simply stood there, staring for a second or two. Was that a smile underneath that mask? Leon couldn't tell.
"I just saw someone over there," Leon said, pointing toward the trap door. "I think we should-"
"I will finish this floor and go upstairs," the deep digital voice interrupted, "I suggest you check elsewhere." Shadow turned around. Leon followed Shadow's gaze.
Back toward the other end of the warehouse, Leon saw the main shutter door that was partially open. The moonlight coming in was blocked by a small black mass. Looking closer, he realized it was one of the infected that had been outside, crawling in through the opening. Another began to follow.
"That's just what we need," Leon muttered, keeping an eye on the them. "Alright, we'll cover more ground if we split up. I'm going to follow that unidentified person I saw. We'll meet-"
Leon stopped mid-sentence as he heard Shadow's footsteps abruptly trailing off behind him. "... by the stairs," he said, finishing his sentence. "Well, I see he's not much for small talk."
Leon continued toward his destination, taking care to step over another corpse in body armor. It was laying on its side among blood stains on the floor, just like the other one. Leon hoped he'd have better luck.
He reached the opposite wall and began sweeping his light across the floor, searching for the ring. He quickly spotted it and knelt down, realizing that he never would have thought twice about it had he not seen it used a couple minutes earlier. He carefully grabbed the ring and pulled up on the chain.
It took more effort than the previous user made it seem, but the small hatch opened with the same sound as before. Leon lowered the chain back into the floor and shined his light into the hole below. A ladder led down a short distance and dropped off into a small walkway that seemed to be illuminated from further inside. Leon quietly lowered himself in and closed the hatch above him.
Stepping off the ladder and looking down the narrow hallway in front of him, he noticed a decidedly different style from the warehouse above. The floor, made of concrete just like the walls, was dusted with dirt. Iron beams stood against the wall at equal intervals. The corridor was uncomfortably narrow, but at least twin florescent bulbs fixed to the low-hanging ceiling provided light down here.
He flipped his gun's light switch off and held it ready while he followed the hallway. After about twenty yards or so, it turned to the right, then to the left, where it led into a larger room.
Carefully looking inside as he approached from the corridor, he noticed microscopes, laptop computers, papers, and files strewn about several desks inside.
Through a window in the far wall straight ahead, Leon could see a dimly lit chamber with several rows of liquid-filled tanks inside. Most of the tanks appeared to be occupied by some sort of humanoid-looking mass.
"Bingo," he thought, "Now we're getting somewhere."
As he moved closer to the doorway, he heard faint noises coming from within. It sounded like voices, and one of them was familiar. He pressed his back to the wall and listened from around the corner.
"This is the last time I'm going to ask nicely, Doctor," said the muffled voice, which Leon recognized as the one who'd closed the warehouse shutter on him earlier.
"Please, Mr. Hunk, just a little longer! That vial is all there is. I didn't have enough time to produce all they asked!" pleaded a nervous-sounding middle aged man.
"I don't care. I was sent here to retrieve it. This laboratory has been compromised. Now, hand over the G-Delta."
"A-Alright. Here it is," stuttered middle aged the man, apparently handing something to Hunk. "You're going to get me out of here, right?"
"Of course, Doctor," replied Hunk's muffled voice, "but first, my employers asked me to give you a message."
"Yes?"
A sudden gunshot startled Leon, followed by what could only be a body hitting the floor.
"They don't tolerate failure."
Footsteps began moving toward the doorway, toward Leon. He waited until they were just around the corner, seconds from coming into come into vision. A bead of sweat ran down the side of his forehead. His muscles tensed up.
Another footstep. One more, and...
Leon sprang from around the corner and grabbed Hunk by the shoulders, pulling him in as he slammed his knee into the man's abdomen through the black flak vest he was wearing. Hunk uttered a surprised grunt. Leon drew back and landed another knee with all the force he could muster.
The masked man staggered back into the laboratory room, stunned, as he gasped for air through his gas mask.
Leon spun around to his right, lifting his leg and planting a solid roundhouse kick on the side of his helmet. The silver briefcase Hunk was carrying flew out of his hand as he stumbled backward to one knee, grabbing a countertop for support.
Leon rushed after him, determined not to let his opponent get his balance back.
He buried an elbow in Hunk's midsection just as he got to his feet. Leon quickly grabbed Hunk's arm and hoisted it over his shoulder as he swung it toward the ground. Hunk's body hit the ground with heavy thud.
Seeing his opening, Leon swerved around Hunk's body and went for the case. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hunk pulling a pistol out of its holster as he lay on his back. Leon crouched, holding the hold metal case in front of him out of desperation.
He felt the bullet's impact jerk the case violently out of his hands. It tumbled into the entrance behind him.
Already to his feet, Hunk seized the opportunity. He grabbed Leon by the shoulders and threw him against the large window in the wall. The force of the impact cracked the glass a bit as Hunk threw a large gloved fist into Leon's stomach.
Leon then felt a jarring impact shake his jaw as a right hook landed solidly just below his temple. His head was thrown to the side, his vision blurred a bit as he struggled to stay on his feet.
He felt Hunk's arm hook around his head from behind in a stranglehold. Leon clutched at Hunk's arms, trying to pry himself free, but his grip was like a vice. Desperately, he hammered at Hunk's ribs as hard as he could with his elbow while continuing to pry the chokehold away with the other hand.
Hunk loosened his grip. Leon spun around backwards, his elbow catching the side of Hunk's helmet. To Leon's surprise, it had almost no effect.
Hunk dove into Leon, locking his arms around Leon's chest and lifting him up. Leon felt his feet leave the ground. For an instant, he felt helpless.
He felt his center of gravity right over Hunk's shoulder. The next instant, a sudden impact shook Leon's spine. The back of his head bounced off the hard tile flooring as he was spiked hard to the floor. He could feel the impact instantly drain his breath away.
Leon gasped and wheezed, trying to get up. Then he looked up, and froze.
Hunk stood over Leon, aiming a pistol directly at his head.
"Not bad," Hunk said, pausing for a breath, "but your little mission ends here."
Leon winced from a sharp pain, placing his hand just above his stomach. Hunk backed up a step, glancing around toward the doorway for the case. Leon couldn't see it either.
"Oh, were you looking for this?"
A familiar electronic-sounding voice came from just out of view as the sound of footsteps came closer.
"Shadow-1!" Leon exclaimed, struggling even to make his voice heard.
"Who are you?" Hunk demanded, keeping his gun on Leon as he looked toward doorway.
Shadow-1 sauntered into the doorway with the briefcase in one hand a pistol in the other, aimed directly at Hunk.
Leon watched intently as Shadow slowly placed the briefcase on the ground. Gripping the device strapped to their mouth, Shadow pulled it over their head with their fingertips. It fell to the floor with a clatter.
The figure slowly pulled off the night-vision goggles. Next, reaching for the base of the black baliclava, Shadow pulled it upwards, revealing a neck, then a chin, mouth, nose, and eyes.
Leon gasped.
"Ada!" Leon uttered in astonishment, just as the cloth mask fell to the ground.
Ada Wong shook her head, loosening her brown, chin-length hair.
"It was you all along?" Leon asked, taken by surprise.
"Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag," she said with a smirk on her lips.
She kept the gun on Hunk as she picked up the briefcase once again.
Leon's heart pounded in his chest. This could go very wrong, very quickly, he realized.
"Ada, get out of here! You've got the case! Run!" Leon urged.
"Do that, and your partner dies - but if you pull that trigger on me, you'd better hope one shot is enough," Hunk threatened, menacingly, as he briefly looked down at Leon.
Ada stood perfectly still. She glanced at Leon, meeting his eyes for an instant before fixing her gaze back on Hunk.
Behind Hunk's looming figure, Leon noticed movement.
A sudden BANG on the cracked window made everyone's head turn.
Two infected corpses rapped on the cracked glass window from the other side, in the tank room. More pounding came from the window on the adjacent wall, just above Leon. Three more corpses were clawing and scratching at the glass, threatening to break in.
Leon heard Ada utter a surprised gasp just as something knocked the briefcase from of her hand. He caught sight of the long, slimy, snake-like tongue of a skinless Licker creature.
Hunk moved suddenly and quickly. He snatched up the briefcase, shouldering Ada aside as he darted past the Licker, disappearing around the corner.
Just then, the window shattered above Leon. Shielding his face from the shards, he looked up just in time to see a corpse crawling in from the window above.
It landed on top of him, growling in a raspy voice while clawing for his throat. He frantically shoved it away, trying to keep it at arm's length.
Two gunshots came from Ada's gun, slicing through the Licker's head.
Leon managed to create enough distance to kick the corpse several feet away to the side. It began to sit up immediately. Another shot from Ada's gun thundered through the room, piercing a hole through its forehead and sending it back to the ground.
Leon got to his feet.
"Ada, what are you waiting for? We have to go after him! He's got the case!"
"He's got the case," Ada repeated, "but not the sample."
She reached into a pocket in her coat and pulled out a sealed glass cylinder containing a pale blue liquid.
"What?"
"I paid the good doctor a visit while you were busy getting here," Ada explained.
"And he just gave it to you?" Leon asked, confused.
"He did, when I told him Umbrella is on their way."
"Then what's in the case?"
"I swapped out the vial for a little present of my own," Ada said, replacing the vial in her pocket and pulling out something that looked like a detonator switch.
Leon's eyes widened. Ada pressed the button with her thumb. Seconds later, an explosion vibrated the walls for an instant.
Leon noticed the cracks in the window growing larger as the corpses continued the beat on the glass.
"Come on, let's go. That glass won't hold forever," Leon said, walking into the hallway.
"Agreed," she said, following close behind.
After climbing back to the ground floor, they looked around. He checked the partially-opened shutter. Infected creatures were pouring in, completely filling the small opening. Several more were already inside, shambling toward them. In the other direction, Leon spotted a door to the rear of the building.
"There," he said, pointing to the rear door. "That's our ticket out of here. Waypoint Tango is in that direction."
Ada was a few yards away, examining something on the ground. The charred remains of the briefcase lay at her feet. Blackened pieces of metal and foam were scattered everywhere.
"No sign of Hunk. That's a shame," she remarked.
"Forget him. We got what we came for. Let's go!" Leon said, running for the door.
"I can't yet," Ada said as he passed her.
"What are you talking about?" Leon asked.
"Go, Leon. Escape while you can. I have other business to attend to first," she said.
Leon looked back at her.
"Don't worry, I've got my own ride out of here."
"If you say so. Stay safe, Ada," Leon said, turning to head for the door.
"See you around, handsome," Ada called from behind.
"Looks like this is the place," Leon said. He could hear the extraction helicopter approaching from beyond the tree line.
"Leon, are you reading me?" Hunnigan asked.
"I read you, Hunnigan. Looks like I made it out of the Dark Zone," he replied.
"Do you have the sample?" she asked anxiously.
"I met up with Shadow-1 inside the Dark Zone. She retrieved the sample and is on her way-"
"Hold on, did you say 'she retrieved it'?" Hunnigan interrupted.
"Yeah, why?" Leon asked, confused.
"Leon, I tried to tell you this earlier, but you were already inside the Dark Zone and the signal must have been scrambled," she began.
"What are you saying, Hunnigan?" he asked, beginning to fear something was wrong.
"Leon, Shadow-1 was a male agent. Just after you entered the warehouse, I got word that he had been killed in action by an infected creature."
"Are you serious?" he asked, dismayed.
"I don't know who you met, but that person calling themselves Shadow-1 was an imposter," Hunnigan said, disappointment coloring her voice. Leon sighed, shaking his head.
The helicopter was getting closer, almost directly above where Leon was standing.
"Looks like my ride's here, Hunnigan."
"I'm just glad you're safe. Get yourself to HQ. You can sort this out and file your report when you get back." she said, trying to sound reassuring.
"Roger that," Leon replied.
"Ada..." he thought to himself, "What are you planning?"
Ada looked back at the warehouse as she ran, seeing at least four corpses in pursuit. She threw open the rusty door of the pick-up truck in front of her and climbed inside.
"Not exactly my style, but it'll do," she said to herself, fishing in her pocket for the key she'd gotten from an office in the warehouse.
After a few tries, the old engine turned over. She threw it into gear and sped away, exhaling deeply.
"Sorry about that, Leon," she thought aloud as the aging vehicle took her away from the nightmare, "Right about now, you're probably realizing what just happened."
She smiled gently as she turned onto the main road, heading towards the city.
"You're just so easy to fool, and sometimes, a girl can't help herself."
She held up the vial, watching as it glowed briefly under a street light.
"Maybe I'll just hold onto this for safe keeping. This little trinket might make a nice addition to my personal collection," she said, dropping it back into her coat pocket. "Besides, I'd feel safer with this locked up in my vault than in the hands of those suits..."
The city lights came into view off in the distance as she reached a crest in the road.
"...You never know who might get their hands on it."
-AUTHOR'S NOTES-
- This story was originally going to be called "Waypoint Sierra", but I decided that name wasn't scary enough for a Resident Evil story.
- This story was written as a favor to my friend Rin, who is probably annoyed that I took so long to write it - about two weeks or so, a week longer than originally intended.
- The project was originally supposed to be a simple one-shot encounter between Leon and Ada which was not covered in any games. It was slated to be about 1500 words or so. Oops.
- The fight scene between Hunk and Leon was choreographed by me, in a notebook with stick figures and step by step diagrams. Maps of the entire complex and insides were drawn by hand, to help me picture myself in the same room with the characters.
- I actually researched Leon's gun, the Heckler and Koch USP .45 Compact Tactical, to make sure it was made before the time frame this story would take place, as well as having room for attachments like a flashlight and a laser sight. That gun is, without a doubt, something a special agent like Leon would have realistically used on a mission like this, sometime after the year 1993.
- Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!