Chris, Jill and Barry had been walking through the sleek metal corridor for about five minutes and still hadn't encountered any of Wesker's pets.
Chris was surprised. He expected an ambush earlier but something told him Wesker had something big up his sleeve. Separating the team was a smart move; Wesker new that they would be less effective in two smaller groups. He could only pray that Claire and the others were all right and that they would reunite as soon as possible.
The team turned around a bend in the corridor and came across a wide door. A circular, red light glowed above the door, indicating it was locked.
Uncertain whether to enter or not, the team stopped at the door.
"We can't just turn back, Chris," Jill said. "We have to keep moving."
"She's right," Barry added. "Besides, we know Wesker is watching us so we're going to run into one of his surprises anyway."
Then came a third voice from a speaker above.
"Their right, Chris."
The team looked up at the speaker in surprise. Chris identified the voice almost immediately.
"Wesker!" Chris shouted.
"It's good to see you again, Chris. I must say I'm impressed you've made it this far. But I'm afraid your unwanted presence will soon be ended," Wesker said smoothly.
Chris clenched his hands tightly around his rifle, his eyes narrowed with hate.
"Don't bet on it you son of a bitch!" Chris hissed. "As soon as we're done mopping up your creations, I'll be coming for you!"
Wesker scoffed in contempt.
"Oh, my creations aren't the only thing you fools have to worry about. At least put up a decent fight before dying. Good-bye," Wesker concluded.
There was a soft click and the red light above the door turned green.
Chris sighed and turned his attention to the door and realized Wesker had baited them to whatever was inside. Knowing there was no turning back; he reached over at the button beside the door and pressed it.
The door hummed and drifted up, opening into a wide room. Here and there, metal barriers stood in a neat row across the center of the room. Ten feet above there were metal walkways lined with several doors and ladders built into the wall that covered three sides of the room. It looked like a training room of some sort.
Without hesitating, Chris stepped inside with Jill and Barry following with their guns poised.
As soon as they were all in, the door shut behind them and Chris could hear the sound of the doors above opening. The first one in the center opened and out came two men. Both of them were dressed in black, combat gear with tactical helmets with visors and M4 Carbines fitted with scopes.
"Ambush!" Chris cried as he dove for one of the metal barriers.
The two H.C.F. soldiers took aim and opened fire as the S.T.A.R.S. team swiftly took cover behind the bullet proof shields. Chris gripped his rifle as the rounds rapidly bounced off the thick shield. He waited for the two guards to stop and reload.
The gunfire ceased and Chris quickly rose up from his cover, took aim and fired at one of the guards, bringing him down with a well placed burst of fire to the chest. The other soldier ducked behind the metal plating covering the walkway.
Before Chris could aim again, two more doors opened; one on the walkway above and the other on the opposite side of the room, disgorging four more H.C.F. soldiers into the room.
"Look out, Chris!" Jill cried.
As the H.C.F. soldiers took up position, one of them whipped out a frag grenade and hurled it towards the S.T.A.R.S. It narrowly bounced off the surface of Chris' shield and exploded, spraying the area with shrapnel. Luckily none of them were hurt.
The chatter of automatic gunfire filled the room as the guards peppered the metal shields with bullets.
"We're pinned down!" Barry shouted, his voice barely audible over the gunfire.
Chris peaked behind his shield and saw two guards covering the door that led out of the room and quickly hatched up a plan in his head.
He turned his attention to Jill and hand signaled her to throw a smoke grenade forward.
Jill nodded as she removed a cylinder smoke grenade from her vest, pulled the pin and threw it forward. A moment later, the grenade popped and hissed, releasing a thick cloud of white smoke that filled the room. The gunfire ceased briefly as the guards struggled to find a clear view of fire around the smoke.
"Now! To the door! I'll cover you!" Chris shouted as he lifted his rifle and fired.
Jill and Barry joined in as Chris fired at the space the two guards occupied and heard two bodies fall. Jill and Barry sprang from their cover and ran for the door as one of the H.C.F. soldiers wildly at them as the smoke began to clear.
Barry was too slow.
The burly S.T.A.R.S. member grunted loudly as a bullet tore through his shoulder, a brief spray of blood erupting from the wound.
"Barry!" Chris cried out as he spotted one of the H.C.F. soldiers and fired, scoring a head shot.
Without looking back, Jill and Barry rushed through the door and fired upwards to prive cover for Chris.
Without hesitating, Chris ran from his shield and sprinted for the door, narrowly dodging bullets as they slapped the metal floor at his feet. He reached the door, entered and immediately closed it behind him, panting.
Barry slumped down to the floor and removed his shirt to inspect his bleeding shoulder. Jill knelt beside him to inspect the wound.
"Are you okay?" Jill asked.
"I think so," Barry said through clenched teeth. "Hurts like hell but I don't think it hit anything important."
"Lucky you," Chris said as he reloaded his rifle. "Jill, patch him up."
Jill nodded as she carefully bandaged Barry's shoulder while Chris patiently waited.
The team had stumbled into another corridor different from the previous one. There were doors on both sides and navigational signs. One of them read: power generator.
Chris remembered all of Weskers cameras. All of the speakers and electronic doors. Without any power, he couldn't open them unless there was auxillary power. Even if there wasn't, the team still had flashlights to guide their way through the corridors.
Deciding quickly, Chris stumbled towards the generator room, reaching for a hand grenade on his vest.
Wesker stared in disbelief as his H.C.F. soldiers had failed miserably to kill Chris and his team.
It didn't make any sense. They were outnumbered and outgunned two to one and all his men managed to do was wound Barry Burton while four of them had died. Only two H.C.F. soldiers remained, including McCron.
Infuriated, Wesker raised his fist and thrust it into the monitor, shattering the screen loudly. He withdrew his hand from the smoking monitor and stabbed his finger onto the switch to his intercom.
"McCron…" Wesker said, barely containing his rage.
"Y…yes sir," McCron replied weakly.
"I want to see you in my quarters now," Wesker said.
"B….but sir…"
"I said NOW!" Wesker shouted.
"Y…yes sir….r…right away…"
Wesker switched off the intercom and held his forehead in bitter frustration.
"This is all wrong! They should all be dead by now! Those fucking, meddling bastards!"
Wesker knew he had to kill McCron. The incompetent commander was more useless than he thought. Wesker half-expected McCron to be a complete fuck-up anyway but it didn't matter anymore. He could always get more soldiers but the S.T.A.R.S. had to die.
Wesker sat silently in his chair, letting his anger drain from his system with deep breathing. Once he regained his composure, Wesker realized there was only one option left.
Wesker switched his intercom to the Bio-Lab.
"Dr. Murphy," Wesker said.
"Yes sir?"
"It is time. Release Subject C-2," Wesker replied.
There was a brief pause.
"But…sir…..what about the H.C.F.?" Murphy inquired.
"They have failed, now release subject…."
Before Wesker could finish, a muffled but audible explosion shook the room slightly and the intercom shut off abruptly, as did the lights and his computer screen.
Dumbstruck, Wesker tried to turn the intercom back on to no avail. Then he realized the S.T.A.R.S. had reached the main corridor that led to his quarters. The main quarters contained the most important sections of the base, including the generator. There was auxillary power but only for the emergency lights to guide lost staff members. The rest of the equipment was useless now, save the computers stored in the Bio-lab to prevent the BOWs from getting loose.
"No…..no!"
Wesker screamed as he slammed both of his fists on the wooden desk, smashing it in two but he barely noticed. All he could think about was Chris Redfield and how slow and painful he would make his untimely demise once he caught up with him.
Dr. Murphy was in mid-sentence with her boss when suddenly the intercom shut off. Murphy was puzzled for a moment but then remembered Wesker telling her the S.T.A.R.S. had defeated the H.C.F. troops. Whether it was luck or skill, the S.T.A.R.S. were on Murphy's doorstep and Wekser's as well. They had made it past every obstacle...except Subject C-2.
But what really struck her was that if Wesker had been cut off, then the generators must have been damaged or destroyed by the S.T.A.R.S. This meant Wesker could no longer communicate with the outside world and only the Bio-lab had any emergency power left.
Dr. Murphy swallowed hard as she swiveled in her chair and gazed at the Biotube containing the last BOW in the facility. Inside, Subect C-2 slept, awaiting orders.
Murphy hesitated for a moment, realizing that now she could truly consider her option of using the memory serum. She held it in one slightly shaking hand, sloshing the bright orange fluid inside the thin, glass cylindar built into the syrange.
It was a big risk...but it just might be worth taking.
For the first time in a while, Dr. Murphy actually felt a glint of hope for her family. She stood up, breathed in deeply and walked towards Subject C-2's container, praying the the serum would work.