The mansion was like a maze, and the pair didn't let their guard down for a second. Continuously passing corpses in the upper main hallway did nothing to calm their nerves and pounding hearts. The creaks and groans of the old mansion made it even worse. After trying both doors on the main floor to the left and right of the grand front doors, the assumption that they were locked proved to be correct. The pair had grimly resigned to trying the upstairs doors, Chris knowing that the only thing they were going to find was the lever that led to basement. He couldn't even begin to imagine what was down there.
The first winding corridor had led them to a bedroom, which Jill had suggested belonged to Spencer himself as it was the only room so far to appear to have had any real use. Chris hadn't thought they could be that luck, instead suggesting that maybe it was the room of the guards' captain, or perhaps a scientist or doctor. Every corner they came to was an ordeal in itself, Chris edging forwards and swinging his gun to affirm nothing was hidden and lying in wait.
Jill's sense of foreboding had grown steadily worse, though she kept a calm demeanor; she didn't want to give Chris the extra worry about her, and she knew he would. He always worried about her. While Chris played the soldier, Jill had time to observe the walls around them. This place was old, that was for certain, and Spencer didn't appear to be diligent about his housekeeping. While tidy, organized and relatively free of clutter, the mansion was still dusty. The old wallpaper was peeling and water stained the corners. The old, decorative plates and photographs were covered in layers of grime. Pictures of Spencer watched them moving from their homes behind dusty panes of glass. Jill had that unnerving sense that the eyes moved wherever they went.
Having found nothing but some old hand written books in the bedroom, they left and moved back to the main entrance, walking across a carpeted pathway to the door on the opposite side of the room. A flash of lightening brought a sudden memory to Jill; groaning and gun shots, nothing but fear and adrenaline keeping her going.
"Kinda takes you back, doesn't it?" She asked quietly. Her grey eyes turned to look at Chris, and she saw his eyebrows draw together. Regret pulled at her, and she felt bad for hinting at what she had.
"To Raccoon City?" His eyes turned to meet hers, questioning, and she nodded once, trying to look apologetic. Everything that had happened, all he had been through…she knew how hard it was for him to think back on it. But it made you stronger. She thought. Better.
"Unfortunately, yeah." Chris said in agreement, his eyes moving back to what was ahead of them, making sure nothing blocked their way over to the next doorway. "That's where all this started."
"Hard to believe that was eight years ago." She sighed. "I guess I am getting older."
"You're not the only one." Chris said, the ghost of a smile on his face. For a second, just a second, Jill saw the boy she had met, way back in S.T.A.R.S.; stubborn and resistant, strong willed, but good hearted, remembering how she had admired the way he stood up to Wesker when he had bullied Chris. How long ago that was now, and how different their lives were. Sometimes she wondered how they had made it this far. When they reached the opposite side, they came to a break in the floor where the old material had given way. Chris and Jill looked at each other and gave a grim nod. While Chris knelt and flattened his hands in front of him, Jill took several steps backwards, all the while calculating the distance in her mind. She took a breath and ran at Chris, counting each foot fall before stepping on Chris's outstretched hands and launching herself over the gap, tucking and rolling a perfect landing on the other side. Pride swelled in her chest as she turned to nod at Chris.
"I'll go unlock the door downstairs." She said, slipping through the doorway, praying there would be an easy way down. Chris ran back down the central staircase. Once Jill had unlocked the doorway, the pair explored what turned out to be an old dining room, and after practicing an almost forgotten musical talent, Chris and Jill returned to the single light in front of the hole in the wall.
Once Chris had run under while Jill turned the crank they had reunited, turned and walked the remaining short distance down the dungeon-like hallway, until they reached a metal doorway illuminated by a single naked bulb. Pushing through, they followed down another short hallway until they came to a drop. Chris cautiously stuck his head over and saw it was only about a six foot drop. He crouched, and leaped down, landing in a puddle, and checking his surroundings, before Jill dropped down beside him.
"What is that smell?" Jill asked in disgust. Chris inhaled and had to restrain himself from gagging. It was a smell that reminded him of one he had smelled before, and it had come from things Chris had hoped he would never have to deal with again.
"Dunno, but I hope we don't run into whatever's making it" He said, knowing full well they had been forced to come down this way for a reason. It was all Jill could do to stop from snorting.
"And when have we ever been that lucky?"
The joking and idle chatter came to a stop the moment the pair got only a few feet into the dungeon like basement. The corridors were long and dirty, rust covering the barred cells to their left and right. Dried and frail looking corpses lay scattered, leaning against walls and lying face down on the ground. Rats nibbled at their flesh, and squeaked, running away from the living, breathing partners now descending further into this hell. Chris's eyes moved cautiously down the hallway, and up onto the balcony above them. He had the horrible feeling that he and Jill were not alone down here, and he dreaded meeting whatever lurked out of sight. Jill was braced for anything, gun at the ready, and uneasy about the stench which grew stronger as they moved.
"I have a bad feeling about this place." Jill said quietly. The chains that hung from the ceiling clinked against each other, and rattled slightly in the breeze. A rat ran by her feet and a musky stench ran by with it.
"Me too. Keep close." Chris said, nodding in grim agreement. They began down a second hallway, when something moved on the walkway above them. Chris reached out and grabbed Jill's arm, yanking her into one of the open cells, heart slamming against his chest. They stood, still as statues, their eyes pinned on the ground for a shadow, their ears listening to the drag of its chains.
"What the hell was that?" Jill whispered.
"Let's not find out." Chris whispered back, their voices hardly audible. Several minutes later, the pair had found they had no choice but to move up where that thing had just been, but the corridor was empty.
"Where did it go?" Chris asked, looking around. "I don't hear it."
"Let's not find out." Jill said, echoing his earlier words. The pair continued moving through the dungeon, their fear increased now that they had caught a glimpse of one of the guardians. They moved down another set of stairs and came to a short, dark hallway, blocked off at the end by fallen rubble. Chris sighed, "Guess we'll have to find a different way though." but Jill had frozen. She heard a muffled grunting, and what sounded like something being dragged across the floor. Chris seemed to have heard it to because he froze, and turned slightly facing down the hallway.
A spiked hammer broke through the blocked off wall, and the guardian pushed its way through. It was huge, and the smell that came with it was unbearable. It wore a cloth over itself, and had a large hood covering what was sure to be a grotesque face.
"Chris, this way!" Jill ran down a small hallway, the thing rounding the corner they had just come from. They cut back across and ran through the hole in the wall, guns ahead of them and hearts pounding. Running down another winding hallway, they got to a room with a ladder in the middle, leading up to a doorway. Looking behind them and seeing the thing coming after them, Jill scurried up the ladder, Chris pulling himself up quickly behind her. They ran through the doorway and slammed it behind them.
Panting, they stood in yet another gloomy, smelly hallway. They couldn't help but look at one another and grin.
"Duck and run; my favourite tactic." Jill said with a smirk, and Chris held back a laugh. It was one of the things he really liked about her; she never let anything get to her too much. Chris started walking ahead of her, not letting the moment of happiness distract him from the issue at hand. He was getting annoyed at this nonsense, and wanted nothing more than to bully the information out of Spencer, apprehend him and get on their way.
Suddenly Jill felt the ground go from beneath her feet, and it was all she could do not to scream. She landed on her side, ducked and rolled down until she came to a stop in murky water. Jumping to her feet, her hands grasped at her utility belt and pack, realizing with mute horror that they were gone. She bent and felt around in the water around her, but her search brought her no relief. Hearing a crackle, and she realized with some hope that her walkie hadn't been destroyed.
"Jill, are you okay?" Chris's voice was fuzzy, but audible, and she felt a wave of relief hearing his voice.
"I'm fine." She said, keeping her voice low, but sighing with relief. She didn't feel safe here, and now that Chris wasn't with her, she felt overcome with vulnerability. "But I lost most of my gear."
"Same here." He said after a moment. "Alright. Try to find a way out of there and I'll find a way to meet up with you."
"Copy that." She said, with professional courtesy. "Watch your back."
"You too." The walkie crackled off. Jill walked cautiously down a small hallway, crouching to look through the barred lower wall. . Listening to be sure nothing was nearby, she crept over to a crate and lifted the lid, the inside revealing a blue tinted triangle. It was a shard of rock, and Jill studied it's broken off edges. It was cut too evenly to be an accident; this had been placed in that chest for a reason. She pocketed the item and crept off.
He said he'll find me. He always finds me.
Chains shook to her right, and the brunette froze, shivering from the cold, damp clothing, feeling vulnerable with no weapon. They sounded as if they were getting closer, and she took several steps backwards and a hand snaked around her mouth. Her heart leapt out of its chest, but she turned around, Chris had a finger to his lips, and her heart once again settled. The pair backed into a dark corner, Jill's back pressed against Chris's chest. She couldn't help but feel warmth at his closeness. Now is not the time. She thought, sternly.
The decaying monster walked by down the hallway, dragging its large, hooked hammer behind it and oblivious to the pair hiding. Jill felt Chris's heart hammering in his chest.
"We have no weapons." She said fearfully.
"I didn't see any easy way out." Chris's voice was low, but he was managing to keep calmness in his tones. "The whole room is all half built walls and ladders and empty crates. It has a large, solid stone corridor in the middle, blocked by a barred gate. It could be a way out, but there's only a ladder on the other side."
"Is it accessible, this corridor?" She asked, her fingers touching the hard shard in her pocket. She looked up at Chris who frowned.
"As long as that thing doesn't come by, yes." He looked pensive. "There was another crank too..." They shared a look.
"And a puzzle?" Jill asked, pulling the piece out. Chris's mouth drew in a hard line. "We'll have to be fast about it."
Chris took her to the centerpiece; it truly was a large corridor, blocked off by a heavy looking barred doorway. Jill looked all around it's edges, and saw that the whole thing could be lifted up. How safe that was, she didn't know. Her eyes followed the wall's edge down until they fell upon a crank.
Jill's eyes found the puzzle box just as they heard the echo of chains from far off to their left. She moved quietly through the filthy water over to it and gently slid in its missing piece. A resounding click echoed off the dungeon's walls, and the duo froze.
"Try it now." She said, confidence in her voice. Chris regarded her with a look of admiration, one which he frequently gave her. She couldn't help the smile. "Hurry!" The thought of the roaming creature wiped the smile off her face as quickly as it had come.
Chris placed both of his strong hands on the crank and leaned against, putting considerably more effort into it now. Jill saw another crank inside, meant to open the door from the inside out.
"Chris!" Jill shouted, as the door dropped down with a bang behind her. Chris had released the crank. "I'll distract it, get the door open again!" His voice sounded much too far away and she felt a fear rising in her chest. I have to save him, I have to. She heard another loud smash of the hammer, and it shook her. She took a steadying breath, and put both hands on the crank, pushing down as hard as she could.
Despite the heaviness of the door, her cranking began to make it rise, painfully slow, inch by inch. It was getting higher and higher, and finally Jill could see on the other side.
"Chris, it's open!" A moment went by, and then Chris appeared, running and splashing through the water, the hooded, decaying figure close behind him.
Jill released her hands and the crank spun wildly, the large, spiked door slamming down on top of the monster, causing it to let out a horrible shout, before a sickening crunch that echoed through the basement.
"You okay?" He was bent over, catching his breath, but he looked up at her when she asked him.
"Yeah. I've dealt with worse than that thing." He said with a small grin. Before them now, stood a ladder, leading up to what looked like a sewer top.
"Up and out, I guess." He said, looking at her. Trepidation of what awaited them filled Jill. As she started to climb, listening to Chris climbing up behind her, a dread filled her. She knew.
The worst is yet to come.