September Twenty-Eighth

Scott was beginning to wish he had never joined Umbrella, he was a solder yes, but not someone up for a suicide run, and that is defiantly what Umbrella had sent him on.

"They should rename his place." He muttered. "Necropolis, Hemotep, or just plain City of the living dead." He could imagine the tourist posters. 'Come for the day, stay for your undead after life!' Scott sighed in disgust "If I don't get out of here soon I'll end up talking to my self."

"Jason!"

Was it Scott's over Active imagination or could he hear a girl calling out. Oh well imagination or no he had to check it out. He edged his way around the corner to come face to face with not some girl but a green...thing. His mind couldn't find any other name for the beast, not beast-his mind whispered-monster!

The girl having escaped the ally had eventually found herself behind some buildings that looked like warehouses, she was thankful for the fact that she hadn't grown attached to her new home yet she had only moved in with Jason last week, but that thought sparked more fear. Not for herself but for Jason.

The two of them had grown up together but Jason had moved here last year. It was just her luck to move in on the week all hell broke lose. She had been calling out for Jason but didn't expect an answer. She continued to pick her way along the path she had chosen wishing for the hundredth time that she had grabbed a jacket before she had abandoned the house.

Or even a pair of shoes if you have to walk down hell's back streets you should at least be allowed to have a pair of shoes.

She had been half awake when she had to run for her life away from the things -they couldn't have been people- that had shattered Jason's windows and had then pulled themselves though, leaving blood on the glass still in the frame and the carpet. Only with her stupid nightshirt on, a pair of socks stopped her feet going numb, barely. All she had to do was tread in some glass or something like that and she wouldn't be able to run and so far that was the only thing that had kept her alive. Well, that and a giant spider. She was thinking of turning back to look for another way out of town when she thought she saw movement.

Torn between fear that it was another monster and fear that it was Jason unable to call out for some reason she stood there for a while before she broke into a run. What she found made her stop in her tracks. It had its back to her but just seeing it's back was enough to make her seriously think about turning tail. Until she heard a man's scream coming from beyond the monster. Jason? Even if it wasn't she had to help somehow. The monster stood on two legs but it was a sickly green that glistened in the street light. Just the colour made her want to gag, but the worse was a chemical oily musk that caught in her throat. Though she couldn't see its face (thankfully). She could see some kind of tubes or whiskers as it lifted its head. She realised that if she didn't act soon the man it was attacking would be dead no matter who he was.

Looking round in panic she found a large bin which had been knocked over and was almost empty, not much, but better than nothing. Picking it up she edged towards the monster. When she was within arms reach of disgusting thing she the bin on the things head. In its confusion it swung it's four clawed arms crazily knocking her to the floor. As she fell head over heels she found herself wishing for some jeans. Or at least a pair of shorts if it was Jason she had helped he would never let her live down the fact at that moment her nightshirt was mostly around her neck.

Scott was having a hard time comprehending what had just happened. That thing was about to latch itself onto his head when. Someone put a metal bin over its big fat ugly mug. It was so ludicrous that he almost bust out laughing. Not a good idea, he knew that if he started laughing now he wouldn't stop. He shook his head as if to shake off the threatening insanity, and levelled his magnum at the abomination. He shot straight though the bin and green goo came squirting out the other side. Holstering the gun and pulling out the assault rifle he looked round for his saver. And found only some girl franticly pulling down an over-sized T-shirt.

"Hey you!" He called to the girl. "Did you see who helped me with that thing?"

The teen stood and her eyes practically popped out of her head when she saw the rifle partly aimed in her direction. She began backing off

"No wait," he said softly moving the gun so it pointed at an right angle to her. "Do you know who helped me?"

"Y-Y-your looking at her." She said eyes still locked on the gun.

"You!" Scott had to fight off another laughing fit. "You put the bin on that thing?"

The girl nodded frantically causing her long brown haired plat to bounce down her back. She looked at what was left of the monster and ran round the corner.

"Hay wait," Scott called as he ran after her. "Where you're going? I'm not gonna hurt you!" He found her behind some bins not hiding but depositing her breakfast on the floor.

Scott backed off until the retching noises finished before going back. "You okay?" She nodded. "Here take this. You should find some breath mints in the left pocket." He took of his jacket and gave it to her. She gratefully took it and wrapped it tight around her.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Lorna." She said. "I'm looking for someone, his name's Jason."

"Lorna huh? You got a last name to go with that?" Scott asked as she gulped down some breathmints.

"Web." Lorna said, the poor girl looked haggard, and by the look of her Scott thought she must have woken from one nightmare to another; but she had his respect for how she handled that thing which was trying to kill him.

"I'm Scott." He said trying to get her talking. "Your pretty smart to think of that bin."

"Scott?" The smallest of smiles fluttered across her lips. "You got a last name to go with that?"

Scott looked at this girl for a moment. With her green eyes and her brown hair mostly held back in a plat but with some rouge strands plastered to her face by sweat, and Scott realised that she make have lost her breakfast but not her grip.

"Yeah Stanford." Scott told her. "So your looking for some bloke called Jason?"

"Yes. Jason Lloyd. I have to find him." Lorna reached for Scott's arms her eyes welling in tears of fear.

Scott looked away not wanting to say what would come out of his mouth, thinking that this Jason had been a lucky bloke to have a girl willing to look for him though this hell.

"Lorna." He couldn't look her in the face. "He's probably already dead. Or worse." When he didn't hear any reply he turned to look at her. She was looking at him, though him. "Lorna?"

She turned and started walking away.

"I'm getting out of this hellhole. Jason will be doing the same thing. I'm looking for him but he can take care of himself and I'm not going to get eaten taking foolish chances looking for him. If that's what your trying to stop me doing." She said still walking. "But until I see his body he's not dead."

"Wait a minuet." Scott jogged up to her. "I'm part of a team sent here to help any survivors, I guess that counts you so if we stick together you get an extra pair of eyes to look out for this Jason and get to do my job."

Lorna regarded Scott for a moment head tilted slightly to the side as she considered his offer.

"Also I get someone with a gun to kill what ever comes along and you get the ego boost of saving a damsel in distress" She added.

Again Scott had been knocked back verbally by this girl. He had seen many people in this town begging to be shot or hiding in corners giggling insanely. This Lorna sure had some strength of character. Scott then thought he had made that conclusion to soon when she collapsed to her knees beside him.

"You okay?" he asked as he helped her back to her feet.

"Yeah just a little dizzy." She said. "I'll be fine."

Scott didn't think so he put his hand to her forehead, she was burning up. "Come on we have to find somewhere safe for you to rest."

"No. If we stay still something may find us. We got to keep moving." Lorna argued. Then she noticed something behind him. "Look! That's what I need."

Scott turned to see what she was pointing at and then saw what she meant. It was a clothes warehouse.

Lorna thought she would never see a nicer sight in this city. As she struggled with the door Scott came up behind her and gave her a hand. He was quite good looking she thought, Spiky platinum blond hair, blue eyes, a bit taller than she was, and she needed to start thinking with her head. He was just doing his job and she was looking for Jason. And right now she needed to get some warm clothes. Walking round town in a nightshirt and socks can't be doing her health any good.

Scott shot though the chain holding the doors shut and then though the lock after telling her to get back in case the bullet glanced off. Once inside Lorna made her way to the lady's trousers. It was amazing how much safer she felt with Scott there.

"So what size are you?" She heard him ask.

"Don't know much about girls do you?" She glanced back at his confused expression. "You should never ask a girl her clothes size."

"Lorna." His tone told her that she was not being good company but after what she been though he couldn't blame her for not acting properly. She found a pair of jeans that fit and Scott turned away as she quickly slipped them on. Then she tucked in her nightshirt so she didn't look ridiculous and when off to look for a fleece so Scott could have his jacket back. Then she noticed some backpacks and grabbed one of those too. In case they found a coke machine they could get some cans out of and carry round with them or even a bakery with some sandwiches. She had started looking for a pair of trainers when she realised she had lost Scott.

"Scott!" All feelings of safety evaporated in a wave of panic. "Scott! Scott where are you!" Lorna screamed as she started running, but wasn't long until she found him waiting for her at the entrance.

"When I lost you I figured you'd come back here eventually." He explained when her saw her.

Lorna glared at Scott before she sat down next to the wall.

"Now can I help you find some shoes or is it also taboo to tell a man your shoe-size as well...?"

Lorna was fast asleep.

September Twenty-ninth

Lorna was feeling much better about her chances of escaping Racoon alive, with Scott taking point with his gun and her keeping an eye behind so one suck up on them she was beginning to think they were making a good team. Not that much had challenged them. But there had been one "zombie" as Scott had called it. It was a good description. Lorna wondered why she hadn't thought of it sooner. Probably too tired, she had slept for hours in that warehouse.

"Oh hell." Scott sounded like he would lose his stomach, as she had earlier.

"What is it?" Lorna asked though she didn't really wanted to know the answer.

When Scott didn't answer her she looked for herself, and though she might lose her stomach again. About another ten feet down the ally was a dead zombie, but that wasn't what was so disgusting what was, was the red thing eating it. Looking at it, it reminded her of the spider-man comics Jason used to read except that he was bright red and blue not this nightmarish blood red and bone white monstrosity. It was clinging to the wall facing the ground. A meter long tongue flashed out and snagged a piece of rotting flesh of the poor dead man's body, and brought back to the mouth to be eaten. Lorna was too afraid to move. She prayed that it wouldn't turn and look at her. That it would only scavenge food, not hunt for itself. She didn't realise she had gripped Scott's arm so hard that it snapped him out of his own terrified trance. Until she heard him shouting –

"Hey! You yeah you. You freak! Come and get me!"

Lorna backed away from him thinking he had gone crazy, but he caught her wrist, and started dragging her along with him. The red monster turned and looked at them but it didn't really look because as she could see now that she was closer. It had no eyes, at least any that she could see. And the red and white she had seen were bare muscle and bone. She could see the shiny dagger-shaped teeth, the exposed brain. The over-sized claws, that were where there should have been hands, stained red by the blood of former victims.

The things deadly maw opened and Lorna knew it was about to skewer her. The next thing she knew she was falling pushed by Scott's strong hand. She landed heavily on her arm as he ran in the other direction. Magnum out aiming for the brain.

The lethal tongue spitting out between them. Actually slicing a corner of Scott's jacket that she had only just given back. Lorna's hands went instinctually to her ears as Scott's magnum found its mark. Splattering pieces of grey Scotter on the bricks as the demon it self fell off the wall.

Scott stared at his handy work. Stupid freak. It wouldn't be getting back up he realised as it screamed and writhed on the ground. Scott let out the breath he didn't even know he had been holding. He turned to look at Lorna she was on her knees gently rubbing her arm he must have pushed her harder than he had realised. He held out his hand to her she looked at it then got up blatantly ignoring his help.

"You know we could have gone back the way we came." She said

"We'll never get out of here if we keep backtracking." Scott said. "We got to keep going forward."

"If I had done that you'd be dead." Lorna sounded really peeved. "It was when back tracking to avoid something that I ended up in the back street I found you in."

"What were you avoiding?" Scott asked.

Lorna took a step back looking anywhere but at Scott. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"Must have been scary." Scott tried to sound sympathetic. "To phase the girl who saved me."

"Yeah well I was this close to turning tail when I saw that green thing." She admitted

"But you didn't and for that I…" Scott stopped noting she was looking beyond him. Probably thinking of Jason.

"No." She said. "No don't go down there!"

Scott turned round and saw another U.B.C.S. member leading a group of six people down a manhole in to the sewers.

"Lorna why shouldn't they go down there?" Scott asked "It might stink but it should be safer."

Lorna must not have heard her or didn't care what he had said she broke in to a run to the group of people. She didn't even notice a zombie craw out of a side ally behind her. Scott ran after Lorna stamping on the zombie's head on the way. Lorna reached the group of people and was trying to pull the solider Scott recognised him now his name was Jack away from the manhole. Just as Scott came within earshot Jack pushed her to the ground.

"What's your problem?" He was shouting. "This is our best chance!"

"Lorna what is it?" Scott asked helping her back up. "What's wrong with the sewers?"

"You should keep your charges in line." The soldier reprimanded Scott as he started down the ladder.

"Please!" Lorna was crying rivulets of tears falling down her face. "There's these things down there! They're huge and deadly don't go down there!"

"Jack maybe you should listen to her." Scott said.

Jack just sniffed as he vanished from view. Lorna knelt by the manhole shaking her head. Not long later his scream rose up from the hole.

Lorna was the only one who didn't react to the scream. Some of the small group of people backed away others approached but still kept a few feet between themselves and the sewer opening. Or was it the girl they were staying away from. Scott wasn't too sure. She had made quite an entrance. Coming from nowhere to try to stop Jack and a few seconds later Jack was dead, his scream confirmed it. Not even Scott was too sure what to do with Lorna. She was in some kind of shock. Was it delayed shock from whatever it was she didn't want to talk about earlier? Scott noticed a scuffle among the group of survivors as a dark skinned man in a red sweater pushed his way though the group. He knelt by Lorna, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Lorna?" He asked as he twisted her round to see her face. "It is you. I thought you were dead!"

Finally Lorna snapped out of it.

"Jason?" She buried her face in his chest.

Jason was about to say something, when an assault rife came flying out of the manhole followed by a magnum.

Scott knelt by the manhole, dropping his own rifle. The three of them looked into the darkness. As they watched Jack pulling himself up the ladder. He was painfully slow. He must have been wounded bad by something, and Scott's imagination was not sparing him any details. As he came within reach the three reached down and took hold of his arms Jason and Lorna had the left and Scott the right as they pulled. Jack screamed again as something tried to pull him back down.

"Scott." Jack said though bared teeth. "Look after my group, get them outer here."

"I will Jack and you'll help me just as soon as we kill this thing." Scott could feel tears on his face and didn't care.

Jack cried out again after that his face went slack.

"Let him go." Scott said quietly.

"What?" Jason asked.

"No!" Lorna shouted.

Scott let go of Jack's arm and reached for his dog tags. Jack had a sister in New York she deserved to know what happened to her brother. As whatever had hold of Jack's body pulled he was torn out of Lorna and Jason's grip.

"What did you leave him go for?" Jason yelled.

Scott looked at Jason evenly wanting to see what type of man had inspired Lorna's loyalty. Frankly he wasn't impressed.

"He was already dead." Scott told him.

"Get away from the hole!" Lorna screamed.

The two men looked at the hole between them. Two-meter long furry things that were to wide for one man's hand to grip round were poking out and feeling the ground around the hole. Both Jason and Scott jumped away from them. Looking at them in horror, they simply could not be what Scott thought they were. It was impossible. Suddenly Lorna was there holding the assault rifle by the barrel and hitting the two impossible spider legs with the butt. They withdrew and Lorna backed slowly away holding the rifle ready in case they came back up. Scott looked round to check on Jack's, no, his people. They where plastered up against the ally wall as far from the manhole as they could get. Pocketing the dog tags and scooping up the magnum he went to talk to them. Jason and Lorna were close behind him.

"Is everyone all right?" Scott asked and wasn't completely satisfied with the slow nodding he had in answer. Of course the weren't alright they had just seen a man who had probably save their lives more than once die, and now they were saddled with each other.

"Jack told me to get you out and I'm gonna do that." He told them and knew he sounded like a cheesy film hero. "But I'll need some help from you."

They weren't buying it. He could tell by their faces they would do what he said but they didn't think he'd get them out. How was he supposed to get them to trust him? He was checking Jack's Magnum when he heard the noise. A deep hissing and the sound of someone hitting their head on the underside of a table only about twenty times louder. All eyes turned back to the manhole.

"Jason." Lorna threw Jacks assault rifle to the man and picked up Scott's off the floor. "Go ahead of the group and find a safe place for them to hold up."

Jason looked at the gun in his hand then at her and finally nodded. "Come on." He called to the group what are we waiting for?"

The hitting noise grew louder. Cracks appeared spreading from the manhole. Scott aimed both Magnums at the hole wondering what could hit its head so hard against concrete and not knock itself out.

"Any thing about using this thing I should know about?" Lorna asked. Examining the gun.

"Not really." Scott said quickly. "Just pull the trigger and watch out for the recoil."

The cracks grew wider.