Escape

Ruth: "No, but…"

I just lowered my head. I wasn't even sure what to say anymore. "I see. He helped you, and so you want to know if he made it out alive. Well I can understand the sentiment, but sorry Ruthanne, I don't know what to tell you. And quite frankly, it doesn't matter at this point. I…" Suddenly the door we had gone through was being banged upon as the cries of zombies could be heard from the other side. "…it's time to go, come on." I followed as we raced through the small building. It seemed to be a convenience store of some kind as we made it out through the front of it and onto yet another street that was filled with zombies. We were surrounded once again. "Damn! Don't these things ever stop coming?!" He aimed his gun and began firing rounds off as a path was slowly being cleared. "This way!" We probably ran for about a block before I was becoming way too exhausted. The entire ordeal was tiring and I was beginning to feel dizzy as I stopped and fell to my knees, holding my head. "Hey, what's wrong?" Kevin yelled as he ran up towards me and knelt down on one knee, placing a hand on my shoulder. "We've made it this far, we're almost out of the city." "I-I can't. My head….I…I just want to sleep." Kevin sighed heavily as he picked me up once more and threw me over his shoulder. "Lucky for me, you're a light weight. I'll get you out of this city even if it kills me." His words pierced through my mind as I just couldn't believe yet another stranger would just risk his life to save me, even if it meant ending his, even if he was a police officer, but something was wrong. My head felt heavy as I just kind of hung over his back as he ran along the street. All I could see was the passing of the ground as it blurred into just pure grey, my vision tunneling. "Put me…p-put me down please!" Kevin placed me upon the ground as he frantically kept looking around.

Kevin: "Look, I don't know what's wrong with you, but we can't just keep stopping."

Ruth: "I-I don't know what's wrong! Just…just leave me here! I'll just slow you down. You've got to get out before the city gets bombed!"

Kevin: "W-What?! What do you mean the city's getting bombed?!"

Ruth: "T-There's no time to explain everything. Listen, the reason all this is happening because of a viral outbreak that got leaked from Umbrella."

Kevin: "Umbrella? The pharmaceutical company?"

Ruth: "They….ah! God….this hurts…they…they were conducting research into bio-organic weapons and created some type of infection or virus that got leaked somehow and spread through the city, turning these people into walking dead. And because of this the city has been ordered to be bombed."

Kevin: "You're kidding me! No way!

Ruth: "Look…the light of day is already hitting the horizon. They could bomb it any minute for all I know!"

Kevin: "Leaving you to the dogs is not an option. Are you able to stand?"

Ruth: "I-I guess. Maybe I….LOOK OUT!"

I threw my arms around Kevin as I pulled him to the side onto the ground as an infected dog leaped past him. I took out my gun and aimed, but the dizziness in my head kept me from getting a head shot as the bullet merely hit the dog's leg, blowing its paw off. It wasn't a head shot, but it was sufficient enough to stop the dog from attacking any time soon. Kevin got me to my feet, swinging my arm around his neck as he helped me run down the street. He kept us going, not stopping even for a second, but I could tell all the running about was starting to take a toll on him as well. He took a sharp turn as he lead us down another alley seeing as the main street was blocked by endless zombies. The alley was blocked by a gate, but there were zombies on the other side. We turned to go back the way we came, but the other end of the alley was accompanied by more dogs as they stood and growled at us. "No, no, no! There's got to be another way!" Kevin frantically looked around not seeing anywhere that we could go, just like the alley I was in before; a dead end. And the one ladder that was connected to a stairway on the side of the building was too high to reach. We were trapped, but just as all hope was lost, what seemed to sound like a whistle pierced through the air above us. "Hey, up here you two!" "Alyssa, is that you?" Kevin seemed rather happy to see the woman. "Yeah, and in good timing I see. Grab on!" The woman let down the ladder far enough for us to reach it as Kevin quickly helped me up the ladder and he soon followed. Zombies and infected dogs soon crowded around the ladder. Once we made it to the top Kevin with some swift kicking of his boots, knocked the ladder off its hinges to keep the zombies from climbing up. "It won't be long before those things fill up this building so we got to move. Where are the others?" "They've already made it out of the city. I was still in the area where we got split up so I looked around for you. Glad I did." The woman replied. "Yeah me too and look what I found." The woman looked at me quizzically. "She's so young…" I was getting rather irritated about the age references. "No time for introductions. We need to go." I retorted back. They nodded as the woman led us through the building. "I'm not sure what happened to this building, but it looks like someone had set off a bomb in it so there are numerous floors that are ready to break through so watch your step." "But you've already been through it so there shouldn't be any problem right?" Kevin asked. "No, I didn't have too much trouble." "Well that's comforting." I said sarcastically. Many floor boards were loose and most offices caved in and windows completely blown out. You'd think there was a war zone in this building, but I couldn't help but shake the feeling that maybe something was here that someone didn't want anyone else to find so they blew out the building for the most part. We were coming along some very flimsy floor boards now and they seemed nonstop as we carefully groped along the wall, passing multiple cubicles. "Are we there yet?" Kevin asked in playful banter. "Yeah, the entrance door should be just up ahead." "Wo, wo stop…"I urged. "Hey, what did I say about stopping?" Kevin replied. "Didn't you feel that?" I retorted. "Felt what?" He retorted back. It was then the entire building felt like it had shook as the floor beneath us rumbled and then….

…CRASH…

The floor beneath us gave way as I plummeted to the bottom, just like in the power plant, only this time there was no water to break my fall. Kevin was hanging off the ledge, Alyssa helping him up as I hit flat on my back the floor that was underneath the one we were on and the impact in turn caused that spot in the floor as well to cave in as I finally landed into the basement of the building it seemed. I could only feel but numb pain as I laid there, Kevin's voice calling out to me from above. "Ruthanne….Ruthanne! Damn it, I got to get down there." Alyssa pulled him back on the arm. "Are you crazy? You're going to get yourself and the girl killed trying to get down there." "So you just expect me to leave her? Is that it?!" In the midst of their arguing I slowly sat myself up and checked for broken bones. There were none. In fact, strangely enough, I felt perfectly fine as if I hadn't fallen at all. I looked straight above me as I saw Kevin and Alyssa two floors above me through the holes I had crashed through. At that point I knew it was pointless for them to even try to get to me, but not all hope was lost, not just yet. I slowly stood back up and yelled at Kevin. "Listen to me! I'm going to be fine. I'm not hurt and there's a window here that's small enough for me to crawl through. Just go with Alyssa and run for it. I'll be fine! The exit to the city is only a block away!" Kevin looked back down on me as I could tell by the look in his eyes that he didn't want to leave me behind, never truly knowing if I would actually make it out. And actually, I was partially lying. It wasn't just one block away, it was 3 and considering the situation, something could easily keep me from making it, but I wasn't bound to let him risk his life let alone Alyssa's to try to get to me. So I lied to assure him I'd be fine. "But…" "…just go! I'll be fine!" He sighed a moment and then "…alright. No time for long winded goodbyes so damn it, you better make it out of this city alive!" "Don't worry I will." I replied with reassurance. "Oh and Kevin…" He turned back around before taking another step away. "…thanks. Thanks for everything." He smiled back. "No problem. Let's go Alyssa. The others are waiting." And off they went, leaving me alone once again. I quickly went up to the window and broke it open with my knife. Upon crawling out I found myself on Taskin Street and for the most part it was clear enough to run through and at the end of it I could see the end of the city, my ticket to salvation. And with a straight shot and 3 blocks later, I made it out. I had made it out of the city. I had made it to a forestry area that seemed well enough away from the city to keep me from being obliterated by the bombs. I sat on the ground and just waited for the dawn. The sky was fairly lit up now, with orange and red colors of the sunrise and off in the distance I suddenly heard the sound of thumping beats in the air. "A helicopter? You've got to be kidding me. Someone is still alive from the city?" I got up to gaze at it and as it came closer I noticed it was carrying a rather large metal container that was connected to a chain that led up to the helicopter itself. "What the hell is that thing carrying?" I had a bad feeling about it and as my eyes focused on it nearing my area over head I noticed a rather odd figure shape on top of the container. "Wait…isn't that a…a woman?!" I couldn't believe it. There appeared to be a woman with black hair and a red outfit sitting atop the container. "What the hell is going on here?!" The helicopter was white and didn't appear to have any logo on it, but my gut reaction told me that it wasn't something good, but my attention was quickly turned to the sounds of a whizzing whistle in the air and there, completely airborne and headed for the city were missiles. It was the bombs set to cover up the entire city in ash. Within seconds the entire city of Raccoon…………was decimated. The heavy winds from the explosion hit the area I was in as I kept watch behind the protection of a thick cedar tree, watching the home where I was born and grew up, the home where my friends and most of all my family lived, was completely destroyed within an instant and for what? Was the outbreak really just an accident? My entire life and everything I had come to know was now rinsed from existence and nothing left but rubble and soot. I don't know how long I was sitting there watching, but I waited until it was clear enough for me to walk back, to walk back to the city of death. What choice did I have? I didn't know where else to go and the only other major city within reach was 30 miles away and I had no means of transportation. But at this point I didn't care. It didn't matter anymore…..

Walking through what used to be a city, was now nothing more than an empty graveyard. It was the only place I really knew to go back to. It was my home, my past, my origin. Although all the streets were pretty much gone, I instinctively knew how far and where my home resided. Walking upon the ground was like literally walking on egg shells as beneath my feet cracked glass, wood, gravel and rubble. Never in my life had I seen such destruction and it had my mind at a haze. I began to cry once more, knowing what I had lost and how alone I truly felt. I was the only one, the only sole survivor left still walking about now. No zombies, no dogs, and no creatures to eat at me…eat at me…eat… "…wait a minute…eat…" a memory had triggered in my mind. My arm! Oh my god. How could I have forgotten?! I ripped off my sleeve just to make sure I wasn't delusional and there on my skin was a bite mark. I guess out of frenzy I was experiencing and Kevin suddenly coming to save me, everything had caused me to forget I had been bitten. Now there was truly no hope. I was the last remaining survivor there and now I was the last remaining zombie. It would only be a matter of time before I would become an undead creature. I fell to my knees in utter bafflement. No words…no words could describe what I was thinking or even feeling. All I knew is that my hand was physically taking out the gun Kevin had given me, and pointing at my temple. It felt as if someone else was controlling me. I was in a true blank state of mind. And then…

…click…………………click click…

…and then there was nothing. There were no more bullets as I had already used the remainder of them helping Kevin, but it didn't matter. I'm sure someone would come along from the government, find me, and have me destroyed. And so I slumped over on my side and laid there, closed my eyes, and let the world pass me.

…Hours later…

Light, bright light hit my eyelids as I saw the luminosity in my sight. I slowly opened my eyes to find blaring lights covering my entire body. It was windy around me as helicopters circled above me. "Hey, the girl's alive! Hey get the researchers over here immediately!" "Roger!" I heard voices all around as I slowly sat up, but quickly had a gun pointed in my face. "Don't move or make any sudden movements!" I was startled as men in armored outfits and men in biohazard suits surrounded me. It seemed to be night time outside. Had I slept for so long? "Does the girl have any identification on her?" "No, not from what I can see. Her clothes are tattered and blood is on her, but she doesn't appear to be infected." "Wait a minute…" A biohazard suited man was kneeled down next to me as he was accompanied by another that came up and gently grabbed my arm. I winced slightly, but it was then I noticed that the blood from the bite mark was gone, but the mark was still there. "Look at this; it looks like a bite mark." "Are you sure? There's no blood." "I'm sure. The rigid nature of the pattern of the mark is curved like a human's bite." I looked at the men skeptically. Who the hell were they? Government agents? "She doesn't appear to be exhibiting any symptoms from the virus." "But that doesn't explain why she's the only survivor here let alone the fact of how she survived the bombing." "We better get her back to headquarters to run some tests just in case." I didn't notice it at first, but my eye caught sight of the logos on the men's uniforms. It was a red and white pattern. It was Umbrella! The men began to grab at me to pick me up and I struggled against them. "No! Leave me alone!" The armored men around me simultaneously held up their guns as the men in the biohazard suits held me down, one of them taking out a syringe filled with some type of liquid as he stuck it into my lower back and within moments I was knocked unconscious. Seconds had passed by, minutes, maybe even hours. Who knew? All I did know was that the next time I would wake up; it wasn't in Raccoon City anymore. I found myself on some type of gurney in some type of lab like room. My vision was blurry at first, but it didn't take long to clear. I was stripped down to a mere white gown like the ones found in hospitals and I found my ankles and wrists bound down like they do at insane asylums for patients that are too much to control. I began to tremble. I was almost frantic for fear of what they were going to do to me. I was surrounded by lab researches and armored men that stood by the doorway and computers and test tubes of unknown liquid stacked nicely together in trays accompanied by microscopes for viewing. So this was it, this was truly the inner ground workings of Umbrella Corporation and I guessed that I wasn't the only one that has been here before like this. The thoughts of being a guinea pig were unbearable as I struggled against the leather straps that held me down. I felt almost wild, like an animal as I grunted out cries of anger, feeling something sweltering inside me. Slightly above me looked liked what appeared to be a glass viewing room as it seemed what could be the "higher-ops" were watching the progress of what was going on with me. Thinking about the researchers brought me back to the research I had found a year ago and the picture I found on my father's database that showed some of the top researchers of Umbrella. The first thought that came to mind was the man named Albert Wesker. I looked about me in the room for a man with black sunglasses and blonde hair, and such a man was nowhere in sight. I barked at one of the lab workers that were standing by me, holding a wooden pad and pencil as he seemed to be writing things down. "Hey! You! That's right, you. I demand to see the man named Albert Wesker."

Suddenly the lab workers around me stopped what they were doing as they turned around and stared at me. "You are hardly in a position to give demands, and yet I find it most intriguing that you even know that name." "Like I give a damn what you think! I want to see him NOW!" The man shot me a glare as I assumed he was not accustomed to a young girl giving him orders. "I suggest you watch your mouth little girl. You are property of Umbrella now. You are nothing more than test subject #307 and an intriguing one at that." "And why is that? Why am I so intriguing?" "That concern is only ours." "The only concern you should have is me killing you!" Although I've been known to show signs of anger every once in a while and it was but a natural human reaction, I couldn't help but feel that the words I was saying was unnatural. I've never threatened to kill anyone in my life and considering that I was in no position, as the doctor said, to give demands, I did so defiantly anyway. And yet I did not know why. I felt myself pulling on the straps as the stretching and rubbing of leather could be audibly heard. "Test subject #307. Unless you want to feel more pain than I will be distributing to you shortly, I suggest you keep your mouth shut." "Pain?" The word pierced through me. "That's right. The experimentations on our rats show them exhibiting high frequency in reaction timing of nociceptors. In other words they experience a vast amount of pain. However since using anesthetics only slows the process and my……employer is just as impatient, I see no reason to ease any pain you will be experiencing." No…my worst fears were coming true; to be experimented on, held against my will, tortured. I couldn't handle even the thought of it and then something in me snapped. I don't know how, but in the midst of my crying out, I had broken myself free from the straps that held me down and then I broke into frenzy. I was hysterical with rage and panic and in that moment everything seemed in slow motion. The armored men standing by the entrance door began to fire bullets and yet the bullets just seemed to float past me as I easily dodged them without struggle of any kind. Within seconds I had reached the armored men, picked them up and threw them across the room as they crashed into the computers. The lab workers were just as panicked as they began to cry out and yet….why….why was everything so slow and I was the only one moving so fast? What the hell was going on? Seeing as there was nowhere to go I dashed to the entrance of the room and tried to open it, but it would not open. So I began to slam my arms upon it as enormous dents were being thrust into the metal of the doors. I wanted out. I wanted out so badly and I couldn't control myself. What was happening to me? How did I have the strength to do all this? Before I could thrust one more slam onto the door, the panels of the thick metal door opened and there stood a man, a man in a lab coat with blonde hair and black sunglasses. It was him….it was the man I sought. I froze as he kept his sight on me, his arms folded behind his back and his stature calm and receded. Although I could not see his eyes, I could feel his gaze strike through my soul. And then he spoke…

"That will be quite enough out of you."

He took a few steps towards me as the heavy metal door panels behind him slammed shut. My trembling became more rapid and my heart beat paced quicker as with every step he took towards me was another step I took behind me. "I was given word that you were looking for me, but it comes as a surprise to me that you even know my name." I stammered in response, "A-A…Albert….W-Wesker?" His stature did not change in the least as he replied back, "Correct." He stopped taking steps toward me, but I couldn't help but feel quite timid in his presence. Something about him was entirely different than anyone here in the lab I had briefly met, but at the same time I felt my frenzy calm down by the sound of his voice; maybe because he was so calm or maybe because he didn't dare touch me…at least not yet, but it helped to know he wasn't trying to inject me with anything or strap me back down as I'm sure it helped him to stay calm knowing that I wasn't trying to attack him like I did the others. The silent air was quickly broke however when he let out a rather irritated exhale. "You've made quite a mess of things with those computers you just destroyed." Before he said another word, he slowly removed his glasses and stuck them in his pocket and for the first time he struck me with his gaze. His eyes…I couldn't' stop staring into them. They were almost cat like with thin slits for pupils surrounded by red and yellowish coloring. It was like looking into the devil himself. I felt my knees slightly shaking. "I thought a girl of your age would have better manners than what you just displayed. I guess your parents didn't raise very adequately." I snapped at his statement, "Don't speak to me about my parents after what you and those other disgusting people just done to Raccoon City!" I wanted to say more, but I bit my tongue. I got the feeling that this man was the wrong man to piss off. "Really? And yet somehow you survived the bombing. State your explanation." He glared at me, not taking a liking to my tone so I toned it down a bit. I wish he'd stop staring at me. "I didn't survive the bombing. I made it out of the city with the help of two other men, but after the city was bombed I went back." "Why?" I hesitated in response. I wasn't sure how to explain it to him or to give a rational explanation of it. "I…it was the only place I knew to go back to." "I see. Well my dear girl I hate to cut this sweet chat short, but time is not a luxury right now and there is much I seek from you. Do you know why you are here?" I just shook my head innocently. I truly had no idea. "Must I spell it out for you?" Sighing heavily, "Very well then. Since you can't seem to comprehend the situation at hand I'll give you a hint. Think back to when you were still in the city before it was bombed. How long ago were you bitten?" His question struck me heavily. I knew getting bitten would zombify an individual, but come to think of it, it had been hours since I was bit. If I were to transform to the undead, I would have done it a long time ago. From my shear facial expressions, he could see the answer in my eyes. "Now do you understand?" "I realize that it's unusual that I haven't turned into a zombie but…wait…is my body…this abnormal strength…no it couldn't be! How is that possible?!" "I'll presume you understand why you're here now? To make it clearer for you so there is no misunderstanding, 1 out of every 10,000 people are able to accept the T-Virus. You are one of those people." "T-Virus? So it's true. The company is researching into bio-organic weapons. It'll be sold to terrorists and the bombing of the city wasn't just to get rid of the zombies…the company paid the government to keep quiet and cover up the incident!" As I spoke, I became more angered at the situation than anything else. But was I surprised? Was I really surprised? "Excellent deduction #307." "My name is Ruthanne!" I snapped in replied. "Ruthanne…test subject #307…it does not matter. You are property of Umbrella now and that is how it shall always remain." Within seconds a group of armored troupes had entered in the room as they kept their guns pointed at me. "No….I REFUSE!" The men reacted to my response, but Wesker held up his hand as the men lowered their guns, his expression the same as it was when he first entered the room. "My dear girl, do you not understand that there is no escape." I stared him dead in the eyes, my fear now gone. "Really? I beg to differ." With lightning speed, I picked up one of the semi-machine guns that were dropped by one of the soldiers I had taken down earlier. It was near my feet the entire time and I was prepared for such a moment as this. I held the tip of the barrel of the gun to the bottom of the corner of my throat. I was prepared to die. Wesker frowned in disagreement as he slowly lowered his arm and began to crack his knuckles, the tight squeezing leather of his gloves could audibly be heard as he took steps towards me.

"My dear girl, it seems you still do not understand the position you are in." "If you don't think I'll do it you're sadly mistaken!" He stopped in his tracks as I cocked the gun. "Umbrella…you….everyone here…you took everything. YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!" The armored men were ready to aim and fire. "I have nothing left to lose so if you think for one second I won't kill myself I w…" My words were cut short as Wesker at one moment was in front of me and then a second later he was face to face with me. I almost pulled the trigger, but he quickly took the aim of the gun and dug it into his chest. "What makes you think you can actually die now?" I gasped, understanding only a hint of what he might have been getting at, but I just didn't get it. What did he mean? "If you're so confident you can escape then shoot me."