Having situated themselves in the lobby of the police station, BJ took the time to scour the crates and other supplies that were scattered around while Claire tended to the officer that had given them a hand.

Marvin Branagh turned out to be one of the many officers that had been charged with keeping the station secured during the outbreak. Now he was more than likely the last police officer still alive in Raccoon City.

"So nobody knows what caused this?" Claire asked as she redid Marvin's bandages. His wound was deep and he'd lost a lot of blood already, but the man was still hanging on through sheer willpower.

"There's a lot of theories." Marvin replied, seated on a bench working on the laptop they had looked over earlier. "But all I know for sure is that this place is crawling with zombies."

"Yeah, we got that much." BJ said as he laid everything he had gathered around the lobby on a nearby table. Several boxes of 9mm rounds, some medical supplies, water, and a pair of RPD hip packs for storage, one of which he handed to Claire while clipping the other on himself. "What about the military? Something like this wouldn't go unnoticed by US Brass."

Marvin shook his head, "The first couple of days things only seemed like riots and civil unrest. By the time we realized how bad things were getting, we were pretty much cut off from the rest of the world. You're the first one in military uniform I've seen since this all started."

The officer looked at the younger man and noticed the name patch that had a couple drops of blood stained on it. "Birkin? Any relation to William and Annette Birkin?"

"Yeah, my parents. Was coming home after being discharged to visit my sister Sherry before running into the living dead and Claire here." replied the Marine.

"Not the best homecoming for you, huh?" the officer offered with a sad smile, "Regardless, it ain't pretty, but welcome home soldier."

BJ sent him a thankful smile while loading fresh rounds into an empty pistol clip. Claire took out a walkie-talkie that Marvin had given them.

"Keep that on, just in case." said the officer.

"Won't be around long. Once we find Chris and Sherry, we're outta here." replied the young Redfield.

Marvin looked her over a moment, "So you're really Chris' sister?"

Claire looked at him, now invested. "Yeah, I am. Do you know what happened to him? Where he is?"

"He's on vacation with a couple of friends from STARS. Europe, I think. Left weeks ago." said the officer.

"Vacation?" asked Claire, sounding skeptical. "That's...That's great news."

"What about Sherry?" asked BJ, taking out the photo of him and his sister and showing the man.

Marvin looked the photo over closely, shaking his head. "Sorry, a lot of people evaced here when the outbreak really started getting bad, too many to keep accurate track of. I'm not saying she didn't make it here, but if she's still around she could be anywhere by now. And with all the zombies roaming around..."

The Marine took a deep breath, calming his nerves. "She's alive. If I know Sherry, she'll have holed herself up somewhere when the trouble started...I'm gonna find her."

Claire put a hand on his shoulder, "We both will. I owe you for all the help you've given me so far and then some."

"Got something else for you, too." Marvin said, holding up the notebook the other officer had on him before he died. "Looks like there might be a way out through this secret passage here." he pointed to the tunnel on the map beneath the statue.

"The question is, how do we get there?" wondered BJ, taking the notebook back and turning the page to the one that showed the statue drawings. "It looks like these statues are marked with combinations." he looked up at the lion statue on the upper level of the lobby behind the Goddess statue.

Marvin suddenly groaned, clenching teeth and holding his side as more blood soaked through the new bandages.

"We need to get you to a hospital." said Claire, worried about the man's condition.

"No...Forget about me. I can take care of myself." Marvin waved her off.

"You won't survive like this, you need help-" the young Redfield started.

"Listen, both of you:" the officer said in a no-bullshit tone. "Save yourselves. So you can each see your siblings again." he reached behind him and produced a combat knife in a scabbard. "You're gonna need this."

Claire shook her head, "No, we're not-"

"Claire." BJ said, reaching out and taking the man's knife before kneeling down next to Marvin. "You were bitten, weren't you?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Marvin nodded, "Yeah...over an hour ago. Bastard caught me off guard. Don't know how much longer I got left, but I'll make the best of it while I can."

"There's gotta be something." Claire pressed, not wanting to see anymore people die.

"I appreciate that, Claire. I really do. But there's nothing anyone can do for me now." said Marvin. "Just, be careful out there. If you see any of those things, no matter who they were, don't hesitate. Take them out if you can, or run. Okay?"

Both younger adults nodded seriously as the officer leaned back on the bench and got as comfortable as he could despite the pain he was in.

BJ and Claire took a few steps away, standing by the table he had been setting supplies up on with a map of the precinct's first floor spread out in the middle. The Marine handing the knife Marvin had given them to his partner where she clipped it to the back of the belt that housed her revolver while he picked up another one he had found and clipping it to his own.

"So, what's the plan?" asked Claire.

"I checked out the Goddess statue while you were helping Marvin. It's got three circular indents in it, probably for some kind of key." BJ answered, showing her the statue drawings. "These three statues are probably where the keys are located, and we got one of them in this room." He made his way up toward the lion statue he saw before, the alpha predator of the Savannah standing tall with its front paw set on the top of a shield.

Giving it a once over before focusing on the odd combination lock set into the base. Holding up the notebook, he rolled each symbol until they matched the ones that were written. When the last one was in place, a loud click was heard and the center of the shield opened to reveal a round, brass colored medallion the size of his palm with a lion embroiled on the front.

Removing the medallion, BJ headed down to the Goddess statue. Placing the object into one of the three empty spaces at the bottom, it clicked into place before the base started to shift. Stones lowing into the floor to revealing iron bars blocking off a set of stairs leading under the station.

"I'll be damned. There really is a secret passage." said Marvin, having seen the whole thing from his resting place.

"And we'll need the two other medallions if we want to get out of here." said BJ, turning to Claire. "That's our plan. We need to find the other statues."

The brunette nodded, "Alright, where do we start?"

X

After gathering everything they would need, the duo went over the map and decided to start their search on the other side of the station. Claire using her knife to remove the tape that sealed the junction box for the shutter controls and flipping the switch allowing them entry to the waiting room leading to the West Hallway.

With weapons at the ready, they entered the corridor and closed the door behind them.

Much like the last one they had been in the lights were out plunging the hall in darkness. Taking out their flashlights and shining them forward, they saw several windows lining the walls were either broken or boarded up, bloody handprints and streaks painting the walls.

The people in the station never had a chance.

Stepping lightly down the hallway, being aware of where their feet were to avoid excessive noise when the sound of static echoing from a body slumped to the floor.

"This is 73-Bird...for rescue." the choppy words echoed from the dead officer's radio as Claire and BJ approached. The Marine crouching down next to him and carefully moved his head to reveal his lower jaw barely hanging on by threads of bloody tissue while his face and neck looked like it had been torn into by a rabid animal.

"Poor bastard." BJ muttered, "That's no way to die."

"Neither is this..." added Claire, her flashlight shining on another dead officer who was dangling from the ceiling with a chunk of metal speared through the back of his neck and out his mouth.

BJ shook his head at the fallen men before going through the utility belt of the one in front of him. Finding a full clip of 9mm ammo and pocketing it before going to the hanging body next.

"What are you doing?" asked his companion.

"As horrible as it is to say, we can't do anything for the dead." replied the Marine as he pulled another full clip from the body and handed it to her, "And we need all the help and resources we can get."

Even though part of her was hesitant, Claire knew that he was right. The odds were already against them enough as it was.

"Have you been in a lot of situations like this?" she asked, accepting the clip and putting it into her hip pack.

"I've seen combat, yes." said BJ, looking back at the first body. "Nothing as bad as this though...fighting insurgents is one thing, but flesh eating creatures that were once people? My training never covered this."

Claire nodded, "Yeah, feels like the end of the world. I'm just glad that Chris isn't anywhere near all this..." she trailed off, thinking about what Marvin had told her back in the lobby.

"You don't sound convinced." said the Marine, noticing her change in demeanor.

"I know my brother. The idea of him taking a sudden vacation isn't like him, he's focused and a bit of a workaholic. And he would have told me if he was leaving for any amount of time." said the young Redfield. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I can't help but think that something happened."

BJ nodded, "He was a member of STARS, right? We can check their office and see if he left anything behind." Claire smiled in thanks, making her already pretty face stand out even more.

Even in the dim lighting of the corridor it was hard not to take into account how attractive she was. He'd noticed when they first met, but kept that opinion buried for the sake of getting through the nightmare that had now surrounded them. One would have to be in a coma not to notice her athletic frame hugged comfortably in the outfit she was wearing, and how she handled herself in a bad situation was beyond words as well.

His thoughts on the brunette were broken when something clattered somewhere in the hallway ahead of them. Both of them aiming their weapons into the darkness, waiting for something to appear.

Seconds ticked by, even when nothing showed itself the duo remained on guard. Putting a finger to his lips, the Marine trekked ahead with Claire on his heels, covering any angle in case of an ambush.

Checking one door on their right and finding it locked, the knob marked with a green colored club symbol, they passed through an open doorway where BJ paused a moment when he saw deep gouges carved into the wall next to it that looked like...claw marks?

"...Zombies didn't make those." he thought, running his fingers over one of the marks which was roughly an inch deep in the concrete. He turned to Claire who looked hesitant when she saw the marks as well, but managed to put on a brave face as they continued down the hall until it ended at another corner. A zombie standing outside a window infront of them pounding on the glass trying to get inside.

Deciding to leave the undead alone, they slipped past the window while it growled and struck its palms on the frame. Stopping when the corridor ended at a barricade made of tables and wood boards, the duo turned to a set of double doors that were thankfully unlocked.

Inside, they found a large room that looked to have been used as a meeting area. Tables and chairs set up with paper scattered around. Claire went over to one of the tables while BJ went to another door in the corner, the brunette finding an RPD file marked with dates from a couple days prior:

September 25th

We're turning the station into a temporary shelter due to the massive sudden outbreak. All police personnel have been instructed to make the safety of the citizens their top priority as we try to accommodate as many of them as possible.

September 25th (addendum)

One of the refugees attacked us in the middle of the night, resulting in the death of 1 officer and injuring 3 others. The person in question was quickly restrained. We believe this was simply a case of someone snapping under intense stress.

September 26th

A mob attacked the station today, resulting in a number of casualties. A few survivors were able to make it safely behind the emergency shutters, but surrounded as we are, it'll be hard for any of us to escape this place. We're not sure we can fix any of our comm equipment, so we remain cut off from the outside world.

September 27th

There was another clash on the west side of the station around 1pm. Twelve people died, and there is only a handful of survivors left. Everything is falling into disarray in here.

David Ford

"Find anything?" asked the Marine.

Claire sighed, "Just some notes taken by one of the officers here. Things fell apart on them fast." she replied, handing him the documents to read.

"None of them stood a chance. By the time they figured out what was happening, the dead already outnumbered them. And by then this place was already overrun." BJ said, wondering what the men on duty here had done in their last moments as their numbers dwindled. "The other door is locked up with a chain, it's a dead end."

Looking around with her flashlight, Claire stopped when she shined it over a broken window above a stack of wood palates.

"Up there. It looks like it goes to the other side of that barricade we ran into out in the hall."

The Marine followed her line of sight and nodded, "I think you're right. It's the best chance we got." The climb wasn't hard, Claire went first with BJ watching her back before he climbed through after her, being aware of the broken shards still in the frame as he dropped down on the other side in the adjacent hallway. Both of them remaining where they were when they saw a rather portly zombie slamming his hands on a vending machine that was still lit up.

Pulling out his knife, BJ motioned for Claire to stay put as he crept forward. Staying low to the ground and making hardly any noise while the undead remained oblivious. When the soldier was behind it, he stood up and grabbed the hair on its head in a tight grip before stabbing it through the temple.

The zombie jerked from the weapon piercing its head, but just as quickly went still when it hit home.

Pulling the knife free, BJ wiped the blade off on the zombie's clothes before sheathing it again. "Brutal." Claire whispered as she joined him.

"Saves ammo." was his reply as he surveyed the new corridor. The door next to where they had come in was locked, there were two other doors across from each other, one a locker room of some kind and the other a large office, and the end of the hall curved and headed back to a staircase.

"We should split up and check for supplies while we're here." said BJ, motioning to the two doors. "Left or right?"

The brunette looked between them a second, "I got the left." The Marine nodded as he took the office on the right, sending one last nod to his companion as he slipped through the door.

X

Entering the locker room, Claire did a quick sweep and found a lone body laying on the floor a couple feet away with a missing arm.

Not wanting to take any chances, she holstered her revolver and drew her knife. Steeling her resolve as she crouched over the corpse and stabbed it through the temple like BJ had done to the one in the hallway.

Swallowing thickly, she pulled the blade free and wiped it off before putting it away. When she was sure the place was clear, she sat on one of the benches and finally let everything that had happened so far sink in.

When she had left her college campus a state over, she never expected what was waiting for her here in Raccoon. When Chris had fallen out of contact she had thought the worst, the two of them had always been close. Ever since they lost their parents long ago all they had was each other, and Chris did everything in his power to look after her. Teaching her how do defend herself and be prepared when she went out into the world on her own.

She knew her brother, knew that the idea of him taking a sudden 'vacation' was way out of his character. Which made her wonder what had happened to make Chris leave without even telling her? Had he gotten into something? Did it have anything to do with the living dead roaming around? There were too many questions and not a lot of answers.

Leaning back against the locker behind her, Claire let her mind wander to her companion.

If she were honest, she was glad to have someone with her through this nightmare. And she really lucked out with him being a trained soldier, it certainly showed with how he handled himself in a difficult situation and how he was easily able to adapt.

A light blush dusting her cheeks as she began thinking about his rugged appearance. Even with his uniform on she could tell that he was fit from all the training he went through, and when he smiled she couldn't help but smile back with her stomach fluttering.

She'd always been considered a tomboy growing up, not a lot of guys caught her attention. When she got to college she dated a bit, but none of them got the reaction out of her BJ did, and they had just met. There was just something about him...

Shaking her head, pushing those feelings aside for the time being. She needed to focus on them getting out of here, finding BJ's sister and staying alive. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and started examining the locker room for anything useful.

Although her thoughts would occasionally drift to the Marine despite her best efforts.

X

A/N: Their quest has begun, and with the early signs of a pairing making themselves known. I'm not intending on having them jump each other so early, but a lot of people can understand how something like a zombie outbreak can bring people together in a lot of ways.

One of my readers has been asking me up and down about possible weapons BJ will be getting in the near future. I already have plans set in place for that, but I'm keeping his arsenal close to the chest for the time being. Don't worry, I think you guys will like what he'll be using.

I know the last few chapters have been on the short side, the ones after this will start to get steadily longer. I'm just trying to add a little extra suspense in between in standard RE fashion.

Keep reading guys, the next update is already in the works!