Chapter 1

There was a clunk as the weapons upper-body slid into place, the satisfying sound of a round entering the chamber. For a moment or so Chris looked at the weapon in his hands deep in thought, letting the sound ring through his head. He looked at it as if he was waiting, or maybe hoping, for a reply, a reply to the many questions that were going through his mind. Eventually, after giving it one last look over, he holstered the weapon, not wanting to ponder on morbid notions or direct his questions to a piece of unintelligible metal, metal that can, after all, only really live through its human masters, expressing their emotions in the squeeze of a finger.

Chris now focused his immediate attention on what was happening outside the helicopter. It was late afternoon – born of July – and the sky was a darkening reddish-pink that was washed out slightly by a passing mist, a familiar occurrence in Raccoon City's forest region. Below the chopper and stretching far to the surrounding mountains was the thick engulfing Arklay forest.

Generations old and popular with the tourists, the forest had been receiving some bad press lately, and with good reason. Only last week Chris had received about a dozen reports from locals concerning strange activity within the forest - some startling accounts about attacks from crazed lunatics or vicious 'hounds of hell'. The newspapers had taken a keen interest into the deaths and disappearances involving the Arklay area, and had exaggerated rumours of a satanic cult group's involvement.

Considering the grisly circumstances behind those dead, Chris at first suspected that they were victims of ordinary bear attacks. However, from further investigation at the morgue, it would seem that human beings (besides those fallen victim to killer 'hounds of hell') were the soul culprits in the attacks, which made it homicide and the RPD's responsibility.

It was not the possibility of being attacked by mad men and rabid dogs that played on Chris's mind, but the safety of his compatriots – his friends – from Bravo team. Less than 24 hours ago Bravo team were sent in to scout the forest area, following up on a lead that a group of strange men had apparently been seen entering a remote, and previously thought abandoned, house. Bravo team went in to investigate, but they soon lost contact. Alpha team – Chris's team – had attempted to make re-contact via communications control back at the RPD, but to no avail. To Chris it could mean either two things: Either Bravo's helicopter communications device had been disconnected or destroyed, or they had all perished somehow.

Just then Chris heard the voice of his superior, Captain Wesker. "Chris, have you seen anything from your side yet?"

"No. I haven't seen anything at all." Chris replied.

"Well keep looking, they couldn't have just disappeared."

Chris pushed any previous negative thoughts he had had to the back of his mind, and instead began to focus his efforts on spotting anything above the tree line that might indicate to them the whereabouts of Bravo, or even the allusive house. Worrying about it wasn't going to bring them home safely. Besides, S.T.A.R.S was the Raccoon City Police Department's finest elite team; they didn't just accept anyone. Bravo team was going to be fine.