Chapter 33
Fire. And darkness.
On the ground below, something moves. I shine the mounted Gatling gun's searchlight on it and fire. The light explodes. Gunfire slaps into the tower.
I put my hands in the air. "Wait! Don't shoot!"
The person yells, "Who are you?"
It's a girl. She sounds young, maybe around my age.
"Wait right there," I yell back. "I'm coming over."
I climb over the side of the tower and drop to the ground. She keeps the gun trained on me as I approach her.
"Sorry about that little misunderstanding," I say, "but I thought you were another one of those monsters-"
She points the gun in my face. "Shut up. Make one wrong move, and I'll shoot."
She's about my height. Skinny, but she definitely works out. Dressed in jeans and a red vest buttoned over a black crop top, with her brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. Two big, beautiful, blue eyes light up her face. In short, she's way hotter than any of the girls at my high school, especially after six months in this place without seeing so much as a picture of a girl.
I give her a smile - the same smile that some of the girls at school said is cute. "Relax, beautiful. I said I was sorry. My name's Steve. Steve Burnside. I was a prisoner on this island. I'm going to guess you're not with Umbrella, either."
She lowers the gun. "No, I'm Claire. Claire Redfield."
"'Claire?' Hm. Nice. I'll remember that."
She rolls her eyes. She isn't feeling it. Can't say I blame her, all things considered.
"I heard there was an airport around here," I say. "You wouldn't happen to know where it is, would you?"
"No, but I just got here and -"
"'No''s good enough." I head toward the prisoners' barracks.
"Hey, wait up!"
I turn around. She's right on my heels, like a stray kitten.
"Huh-uh. I don't want you following me around. You'll only slow me down," I say.
Cocking an eyebrow, she makes a sour face. "Excuse me?"
Whatever. It's not like she can help me anyway. People are like that. Dependent, but never dependable -