A few hours later, Wesker made his way to RPD headquarters. As Forest had stated a few nights previously, traffic on the Raccoon Bypass was a nightmare from around 7:30 until about 9:00 AM and today was no exception. A multi-car accident had backed the Bypass up for about several miles in both directions effectively bringing traffic to a standstill. The alternative routes were just as clogged with people trying to avoid the mess on the Bypass and with the steady rain it made for slow going regardless. So Wesker decided to remain on the Bypass until the Ennerdale exit, at least HQ was half a mile down Ennerdale and traffic on Ennerdale was always pretty light.
As Wesker made the turn from Ennerdale onto Flower Street to get into the parking lot of HQ, he saw a sea of television news cameras and reporters camped around the building. They were no doubt anxious for a statement from anyone in the police department. According to the news this morning, police were investigating the shootout Friday night and a bomb threat on the S.T.A.R.S. office made in the early Sunday morning. The entire precinct was on high level alert, no one but essential staff could enter RPD Headquarters and all cars and packages went through a strict screening process before being let into the building. Rolling down his window to flash his badge at the police officer that guarded the parking garage, several reporters snapped pictures and swarmed around is car.
"Captain Wesker!" A reporter shouted into his rental car window. "Is it true you were shot in the shootout at Bar Jack?!"
"Captain Wesker!" Another reporter shouted. "How critical is the situation for your unit now that your office has had a bomb threat?"
"Captain Wesker!" A third reporter called out. "How do you intend to catch the perpetrator or perpetrators who are threatening you and your team?"
"I have no formal statement at this time." Wesker said calmly. "However the S.T.A.R.S. unit is actively investigating this case and we hope to bring those responsible for these crimes to justice."
Wesker rolled up his window as the guard opened the gate for him to enter. Slowly he drove down the ramp and to his parking spot. This was going to be a very trying day, but he had no choice but to muddle through and make the best of an atrocious situation. The walk to the S.T.A.R.S. office too far longer than usual this morning; officers stopping to ask how he was, a few of the women in the secretarial pool stopped him to hug him and offer their praise of how he handled the situation, then there was the occasional stop to offer condolences for losing his brand new Mercedes Benz in a hail of gunfire. All Wesker wanted to do was get to the office and figure out how to nab Thatcher. Practically running up to the second floor, he dashed down the hall, through the corridor, and ran into the S.T.A.R.S. office slamming the door behind him. The entire S.T.A.R.S. team, both the Alpha and Bravo units were in the office huddled around a map of Raccoon City, trying to figure out what their next course of action was going to be when he walked in.
"Captain Wesker?" Enrico said sounding very surprised to see him. "I thought you had Monday's off."
"Normally I do." He said walking over to everyone. "But with the situation turning critical, I figured it would be best if I came in and we find where Thatcher is."
"We have his location pinpointed to New Prague." Enrico said sternly.
"How did you deduce he was there?" Wesker asked.
"I have been triangulating calls made from various pay phones since Saturday morning." Brad said. "The last four calls that have come in are all from pay phones in the New Prague section of the city."
Wesker looked at the map and all the X marks where pay phone calls were made to the S.T.A.R.S. office.
"The last call that came in was around 5:30 this morning." Brad said.
"We sent Chris down to check out the area." Enrico said.
"And what did you find Chris?" Wesker asked.
"There is an abandon warehouse on Praha Road." Chris said. "It closed down after a fire took it out of commission two years ago. But when I went by it looked a little too active if you know what I mean. So upon further investigation, I saw a couple meatheads were perusing the area, no doubt looking out for police. I figured that must be where Thatcher is holding up."
"How many men were there?" Wesker asked.
"It was about five or six guys Captain Wesker." Chris said. "They were all wearing Euston Street Runner patches, and they look like they all had handguns or hunting rifles, nothing too serious."
"Well we took out Thatcher's weapons cache when we busted the Euston Street house." Wesker said. "So they're probably using barebones weapons now."
"Right now we are looking for the best route to do a breach." Enrico said looking at the map of Raccoon City. "We were thinking about cutting across Prague Blvd and turning right on Hluboka Lane and breaching from the side of the warehouse."
Wesker looked at the map for a second to contemplate taking the route. It was a decent route, but from where that particular warehouse is located there are about four or five gaps that Thatcher could slip through if they weren't diligent. Thatcher was too smart for his own good; he could leave his men to ambush any officers while he escaped Scott free. Enrico's plan wouldn't work, what they needed was a choke point. They needed to completely surround the compound and leave with only two choices, to either surrender or die. So Wesker devised a plan that would leave Thatcher no chance of escaping. It was time to end this once and for all.
As Chris had informed the others at HQ, there were six of Thatcher's men standing watch outside the sight of the former Praha Road Construction Warehouse. In its prime, the building used to store wood, drywall, and other building materials for constructing houses. However the fire that ravaged the structure a decade ago left a hollowed out interior, yet the exterior was solid as a brick and made for an excellent hiding place for thugs and other assorted undesirable people. That particular part of Raccoon City was primarily an older industrial part of town, which meant it was away from prying eyes and meddlesome neighbors, it was also a hot bed of criminal activity. The narrow alleyways of Foreman and Radok Lane, around the corner from the storeroom, made it easy for an escaped felon to elude capture or set up an effective ambush. However at the same token, if those same alleyways were blocked there would be little chance for escape or set up an ambush of their own.
Chris and Jill drove an unmarked car down Hluboka Lane and parked. Meanwhile Richard, Kenneth, and a dozen plain clothes police officers parked their vehicle down Forman Lane. Joseph and Forest parked their unmarked car down Radok Lane effectively cutting off all escape points if Thatcher tried to make a break for it. Barry and Captain Marini had barricaded Praha Street going north and southbound along with practically everyone from the Raccoon City Police Department. Wesker, meanwhile, lay perched at the top of a building about half a mile from the abandon warehouse with a sniper rifle filled with rubber bullets in the chamber.
From his vantage point, he had a clear shot of the six men standing watch outside as well as the entire perimeter around the warehouse; taking them down would be disgustingly easy. By far his favorite view was the inside of the destroyed depository. He could see there was one lone person inside leaning up against a wall using what looked like a cellular telephone. The person looked to be unarmed, so chances are it was Thatcher. And if it is him he should put up no fight in being captured. Everything was perfect to end this ridiculous game. With all roads and alleyways blocked, there was no chance Thatcher could slip away this time. All that remained now was for Captain Marini to give the word to begin the assault, the grand finally was about to begin.
"Is everyone in position?" Captain Marini asked.
"Chris and I are ready." Jill said sternly.
"We're ready Captain." Both Richard and Kenneth said.
"Ready when you are Captain Marini." Forest said.
"Captain Wesker?" Enrico asked. "Are you set up?"
"I'm set up and ready to go." He said sternly. "Commence the operation."
Leaving their car behind, Joseph and Forest began to walk down the street, they were apprehensive about this plan, but they knew it would be best if they coaxed the sentries away from the building.
"So afterward I get out the car and go to the other guy's car!" Forest practically yelled. "I look in the back window and there's some chick in the back of the car completely naked. I'm laughing so hard I can't breathe..."
Hearing the boisterous conversation, three of the six men standing watch over the outside of the warehouse, began to walk over to Forest and Joseph.
"What are you doing here?" A portly man brandishing a shotgun asked.
"Nothin'." Forest said.
"Then you and your buddy here need to get lost, now." The portly man replied.
"Come on man." Forest said. "We're just walkin' and we ain't botherin' anyone."
"You need to get the hell outta here now!" The man demanded.
The other two guys drew their weapons on Joseph and Forest, with that Forest discreetly gave the selected signal for Captain Wesker to commence taking down the watchmen. Focusing his sniper scope on the disheveled portly man holding the rifle, Wesker squeezed down on the trigger as the rubber bullet exploded from the chamber, almost instantly piercing his shoulder. Captain Wesker's aim was flawless; the chunky gangster instantly crumpled to the ground screaming in agony.
Before the other two men had a chance to react Wesker cut them down, leaving them to drop to the ground and wail like crying babies needing to be coddled by their mothers. The other three men saw what was going on and began to shoot blindly around. Forest and Joseph dove behind a couple of metal drums for cover when the shooting began. They both removed their Samurai Edge Berettas from their holsters and began to return fire surprising the already dumbfounded group. Taking full advantage of the element of surprise, Forest hit one of the suspects in the shoulder causing him to collapse to the ground. While Joseph shot one of the other two suspects in the shin. Cries of agony filled the stifling late spring air while blood mixed with rain water and ran down the narrow thoroughfare.
"Jill, Chris, get in there!" Captain Marini shouted.
Chris wasted no time in putting the car in drive and blazing down the street to where Forest and Joseph were. Two suspects were down and the other one was in the process of being incapacitated by a shot to the knee by Forest, when Jill and Chris stepped out of their car with guns drawn.
"Captain Marini." Wesker observed through his sniper rifle lens. "Send in the RPD unit to Praha Street now."
With that order Captain Marini called in the cavalry. Police light flashed brightly illuminating the murky grey sky, sirens screamed as the arrival of the full might of the Raccoon City Police Department arrived on the scene. Wesker, patiently peering through the sniper rifle lens, waited for the next act in this play to begin. Thatcher's thugs had been disposed of, but Thatcher himself had not yet made his grand appearance. The production would reach its zenith right now, the only question remained was how would Thatcher choose to end this? Going down in a maelstrom of bullets and gunfire or with another surrender and arrest?
"This is the RPD." A senior officer said speaking into a megaphone. "If there is anyone inside come out with your hands up. You are completely surrounded and you have no chance of escaping."
The tension in the damp afternoon air was thick as the storm clouds above. Everyone waited with weapons drawn and unblinking eyes towards the door that lead to the interior of the warehouse. The slow drizzling rain turned into a downpour as everyone paused with bated breath to see what would play out. Captain Wesker looked through the lens of the sniper rifle to see what was going on inside the burned out depository, but he could not see clearly with all the cold rain falling from the sky.
"I wanna talk to the man in charge!" A gravelly man's voice shouted from inside the compound.
The senior officer beckoned Captain Marini over and handed him the megaphone.
"This is Captain Marini of the Special Tactics And Rescue Service." Enrico said speaking into the megaphone. "Come out with your hands in the air."
"I don't want you!" The man's voice said bitterly. "I want that blonde guy! Captain Wesker. If I don't talk to him, then I blow this warehouse and all of you to kingdom come."
"Do you have an explosive in there?" Enrico questioned.
"Yeah, I got some dynamite and I'll set this whole place off!" The man replied. "Now get that Wesker guy here or I'll be forced to blow everyone up."
Enrico handed the megaphone off to another nearby officer so he could contact Captain Wesker.
"Captain Wesker." Enrico said speaking into his walkie-talkie.
"Yes Captain Marini." Wesker said answering, but keeping an eye peering through the sniper rifles.
"The one inside the warehouse wants to speak with you." Enrico answered. "He said that if he doesn't speak with you he'll blow up the warehouse and all of us."
Wesker fought the powerful urge to sigh, but moved away from the rifles scope. He knew there would be no two ways around this and with Thatcher threatening to blow everyone he had no choice but to go down there and meet Robert Thatcher face to face. Getting up from his prone position, Wesker packed up this sniper rifle and made his way over to the Praha Road Construction Warehouse. It took practically no time for Wesker to arrive at the front of Praha Road Construction Warehouse, by the time he arrived on scene, the rain that was pouring from the sky was now a full on torrent, which did not help the already tenuous scene.
"Captain Wesker." Enrico said walking over to him.
"How's the situation going?" Wesker questioned.
"He insists that he has dynamite inside and will use it unless he talks to you." Enrico said handing him the megaphone. "We are unsure of his mental state, so we didn't want to risk a breech and have him follow through with the threat."
"Who are we dealing with?" Wesker asked.
"A few of the henchmen we rounded up said it was Robert Thatcher." Enrico said.
"What about the dynamite?" Wesker asked. "Did they confirm if he had any or not?"
"They said they weren't sure what was inside the creates." Enrico answered. "It could be anything."
Wesker took the megaphone and turned it on.
"This is Captain Wesker of S.T.A.R.S." His baritone voice sliced through the dense air. "We would like you to surrender peacefully, so come out with your hands up."
There was a long pause before Thatcher answered, "I want you to come in and get me; just you and no one else."
"If I come alone will you surrender peacefully?" Wesker questioned.
"Yeah." He said. "But only if it's just you. And don't bring weapons or your radio either. I just want it to be you and me."
"Ok," Wesker said. "I'll be in as soon as I take off my gear."
"Are you crazy?!" Captain Marini questioned. "This is a trap."
"Probably." Wesker said removing his gun belt and combat knife then handing them to Enrico.
"Captain you can't be serious about meeting with him alone and unarmed?" Chris said walking over. "He's been trying to kill you for a few days now."
Wesker ignored them both and prepared to walk into the warehouse.
"Thatcher." Wesker shouted. "I am unarmed and alone, let me in?"
The knob turned slightly and the door cracked open enough for Captain Wesker to slide through the sliver.
"Shut the door behind you then reach for the sky." Thatcher said.
Wesker played along with this childish game for the time being, he wanted to wait to see what would happen before he made his next move. Closing the door behind him then stretching his arm high above his head, Captain Wesker walked into the interior of the burned out warehouse. At he was finally face to face with Robert Thatcher. It took all his restrain not to reach over and wrap his large hands around his scrawny pencil neck to gradually squeeze the life out of him or better still, pick him up by the neck and beat him against the concrete walls until blood poured from every orifice and any signs of life were completely extinguished. As delightful as the thought of revenge was right now, he had to compose himself and behave as an officer of the law would in a situation such as this.
"You went through a lot of trouble find me didn't you Blondie?" Thatcher said emerging from the shadows and patting Wesker down to see if he was truly unarmed.
"It was no trouble at all." Wesker said confidently.
"Sure." Thatcher hissed as he thoroughly patted down each of Wesker's legs. "You have, what, most of the RPD out there? And for what, for little old me, I'm not even armed."
"You said you had a bomb?" Wesker answered firmly.
"Yeah but I'm not stupid enough to actually have them here." Thatcher said standing up checking his torso. "See, I know how the justice system works."
"I'm sure you do." Wesker said not flinching a muscle.
"Yeah I do." Thatcher said digging into Wesker's pockets. "I'm going to surrender peacefully, turn state's evidence against my old buddy Aaron, and do minimal time."
"Minimal time in Arklay Federal you mean." Wesker said. "But ratting out your old gang would mean you probably wouldn't get a year into your sentence before they found you shanked to death somewhere."
"That's where you're wrong Blondie." He said taking off Wesker's sunglasses to look into his eyes. "If I cooperate with the Feds, they'll send me anywhere I ask. I'll probably be out in a few years and when I get out you'll be the first one I visit."
Captain Wesker was unimpressed by Thatcher's cockiness. He could tell by the look in his pale blue eyes that what he said it was probably true. If he did turn states evidence with the Feds, he more than likely would receive a reduced sentence and would spend little if any time in prison. Thatcher's statement was not a major revelation; it didn't surprise Wesker in the least that he would resort to the coward's way out to avoid going to Arklay Federal Penitentiary. However, Wesker wanted him to suffer for causing so much disruption to his life and regardless of what the Feds said or did, he would make Thatcher pay.
Both Captain Wesker and Thatcher stood silently for a moment sizing each other up, waiting for one of them to show a moment of weakness or cowardice. Thatcher thought that Captain Wesker would tremble now that he was alone and at his mercy. By all indications, he seemed like a typical pig cop, pretending to be some kind of super hero. Wearing sunglasses, even on a rainy day like today, to prove how in control he was. It was bullshit. This guy was just another pig, and pigs always interfered in his business, were always stirring up trouble with his gang, so the best thing to do with pigs was to make them bleed, but it would have to wait for another day. This blonde pig cop may have gotten the drop on him today, but when he got out of prison he would make sure he would get the drop on him first.
Captain Wesker, meanwhile, never lost his unflappable demeanor the entire time Thatcher was sizing him up. Just in the few moments they spent together, he instantly knew Thatcher's type. He had seen it dozens of times before, the scrawny biker type whose words were as pointless and inane as his actions. He would mouth off or threaten anyone in earshot, but it was all a massive façade. Behind that shield of cheap studded leather clothing, lies the heart of a coward. All his minimal courage came from petty intimidations and the actions of others. After all, he tried to use assassins to take him out, he never once tried it himself, proving that he lack true courage. Robert Thatcher was a sorrowful and pathetic man, but his day would come sooner rather or later.
"You have freaky looking eyes." Thatcher remarked snidely as he finally noticed that Wesker had one green eye and one blue eye.
Thatcher put the sunglasses back on Wesker's face, while Captain Wesker ignored the snarky comment and waited for Thatcher to make his next move. After another moment of sizing Captain Wesker up, Thatcher grabbed the silver chrome handcuffs that dangled from his utility belt and shoved them against Wesker's broad chest.
"Go head Blondie." He said smirking. "Arrest me."
Captain Wesker lowered his arms and took the cuffs out of Thatcher's rough hands. Slapping them around his wrist, Wesker walked behind Thatcher and grabbed his other arm and cuffed it. Then shoving Thatcher along, the pair began to walk out of the warehouse and outside where everyone was waiting with baited breath to see how this drama would unfold. Once outside a dozen officers ran over to Wesker and Thatcher; the officers dragged Thatcher along to a waiting police van reading his Miranda Rights as they pulled him along.
The members of S.T.A.R.S. who were present on the scene ran over to Wesker to see if he was hurt or injured.
"Are you all right?" Several of them asked.
But Wesker didn't hear their questions; his gaze was transfixed on Thatcher as he was loaded into the paddy wagon. Before the arresting officers closed the van doors, Thatcher looked over to Wesker and smiled wickedly.
"Be seeing ya soon Blondie." Thatcher mouthed.
The officers closed the doors to the van and took off immediately for RPD Headquarters. At last, this entire sorted ordeal was finally over.
