Resident Evil: The Recurring Nightmare of Hope

Chapter Ten: Aggressive Advancement

"Oh sure, the villagers will be helpful… They'll give us a boat no problem…" three shots are fired from Leon's handgun as the crowd of Plaga-Infected villagers slowly swarms the trio as they back up against the large bonfire in the center of the village.

He grits his teeth and slams the weapon against the side of a villager's head before dropping a foot down to crush the skull, "No way in hell could a village so close to the Los Illuminados compound be infected with Plagas…"

"I have another tampon if you need, princess. Or are you done bitching?" Jill quickly ejects the empty magazine, sliding it into her pack before jamming a fresh one home and dropping a round into the skull of a rushing infected.

Chris doesn't have a smart remark to counter them, his eyes focused on taking out the more violent of the bunch with well-practiced headshots. A burst of blood from the back of the group, then a Plaga-spider scrambles over the crowd and lunges at him. A swing of the large knife Chris keeps handy ends that threat before he follows through with the swing and drops the blade into the skull of one villager who got way too close. A curse from Leon as they all realize they aren't really getting anywhere except short on ammunition so Chris retorts by ushering them around the fire and toward a large set of doors at the northern end of town.

"Holy shit!" Jill dodges a sickle that was thrown at her as Chris drives a shoulder into the door, snapping the rusted hinges free and helping his teammates through the door as the crowd begins to rush it.

"Now why would they have the locking bolts on the outside of the village?" Chris doesn't want an answer to the question as he locks the door tight, relishing in the relative safety of this side of the wall.

Leon quickly reloads a magazine with loose rounds from the pouch attached to his belt before sliding the clip into his empty handgun, "Would love an answer to that, but I think we have a larger problem…"

"Like what?" Chris spins around from the large doors and regrets getting curious as a hatchet digs into the thick wooden bolt next to his head.

11

"Krauser, sir. It appears that they have made it past the village square and are slowly making their way to the farms. What are we to do? I already have another group moving in on them, but I doubt they will hold them for long," Krauser runs a finger down the long scar that adorns his face before chuckling lightly.

"Nothing they do will really matter. It's only a matter of time before we break the Redfield sister and make her one of us. See to it that they get a visit from the Garrador…" the parasite nods and walks away from the taller soldier as a flash of light off the calm water catches his attention.

"No sir, they won't be a problem any time soon. We have more than enough barricades to throw at them to give us the time we need," another flash brings a smile to Krauser's face.

11

Chris aims down the sight of his handgun, waiting patiently as Leon and Jill back up to take up positions on either side of him as the group of infected villagers begins a slow march toward them. A few shots from his left signal that Leon is growing worried, just as a hand on his shoulder from his right reveals Jill's own worry. Chris just smiles and drops his aim down before squeezing the trigger, the shot digging into the leg of a villager coming up from behind the mob. The larger villager begins to fall forward, beginning a domino effect that takes down every villager except for two, which Leon takes down with two clean headshots.

"Come on, before they get back up," Chris leads the two over the mass of body parts as he eyes two barns off in the distance.

The one on the left is too open, so he jumps over a small fence and enters the white barn where he scales a ladder and helps his two partners up, "What are we going to do now?"

Leon asks the question, only to get Chris pulling the ladder up as a response, "We got a little time to think before they think to grab the ladder outside. How far are we from that lagoon that feeds into the ocean where the boat is, Jill?"

"A couple hundred meters at best, mile at the most?" not the best answer he has heard today, but definitely a good one if it wasn't for the mass of bloodied weapons and crazed villagers stomping around beneath their feet.

"Check the cabinets and boxes up here for anything useful, gonna be a danger-filled trip to the lake today," the other two ignore Leon's attempt at a joke as they pry open the boxes covered by dry hay.

Chris's eyes must be wrong; there is no way that a gold-plated beerstein could have been left behind by these people. The lid of the box is slowly lowered back down as the elder of the three just shakes his head and opens another, finding little of any real use. Jill gives a small cheer and reveals a box of rounds for a rifle they don't have, but must be a sign that the gun they are used in is close by. Leon comes up empty as well so they turn to the only window on this level and make their way out and onto the walkway connecting the two barns.

Leon looks to the left before jumping at Jill, pushing her to the wooden walkway as a large two-by-four spins overhead, "Son of a bitch!"

The two climb to their feet as Chris falls off the side, the piece of lumber having collided with his chest with enough force to send him over the edge. Jill nods at Leon and aims her handgun at the fast-approaching horde of villagers as Leon jumps off after Chris and helps him to his feet. Gunfire rings out as Leon ushers Chris toward the large metal doors at the other end of the farmstead before turning to cover Jill with trigger pulls of his own. Chris works to push the doors open, but as a gap is formed by the creaking doors something rips them open and the male Redfield finds himself yet again flipping through the air as someone is pushed into his chest again.

"What the fuck!?" dirt fills the air as Chris lands in and destroys what appears to be a chicken coop.

Leon quickly spins and empties a round into the form before getting a look at it, grimacing as the bullet ricochets off the armor plating wrapped around the man's chest. As green eyes look the monster up and down, they widen as the form brandishes two-foot long sets of metal claws on both hands, swinging wildly with an uppercut from the left hand. Leon flips back to avoid the slice and drains another round into what little exposed skin he can find.

The round hits flesh, but the blood that drips from the wound is almost black and thick like jam, "This thing is dead, blood is coagulated…"

"Headsho- Nevermind," Chris glares at the metal helmet strapped to the head of their adversary, noting that there isn't a single hole in the thing, not even for eyes.

How is it tracking us? Jill runs up next to Chris and fires a round of her own behind them, still trying to fend off the group that is now five less than before.

The monster quickly jolts its head toward Jill's position then bursts into a full sprint, brandishing the claws as Chris pushes her out of the way, "SOUND!"

11

He smiles a bit as Leon nods and looks around for anything that would make sound, finding not much in that regards, but does see that every once in a while, the monster glances at the crowd rushing them from the opposite side of the farm. As Jill empties rounds into the group to keep them interested and Chris keeps her moving around the farm to keep the clawed-beast away from them, Leon takes this time to work back through the farm and circles around behind the mob. Steady fingers pull his handgun up and he takes aim at the monster honing in on Chris and Jill's position. Three quick rounds are fired at the metal helmet and he smiles as it stumbles for a second and then charges toward him, colliding with the group of villagers. Blood sprays into the air and covers the ground as the villagers try to escape the onslaught brought on from the monster mistaking them for its targets.

Leon circles back around to Chris and Jill and the trio makes its way to the open door, "Quickly, before it realizes we aren't there."

Leon closes the doors once they are through and with Chris's help he lowers the steel beams into the locking brackets, securing the door for a while at best, "What in the hell was that? And how the fuck are we going to kill it while it is wearing body armor?"

Jill leans against the door and sighs, swiping sweat from her brow as she ejects the empty magazine into her pouch and slides a fresh one in, "No idea, but hopefully it stays behind this door for a while. Chris?"

Both of them turn to look at Chris as a gloved hand is clenched to his chest, "Son of a bitch must've broken a rib with that kick… I'll be fine for a while. Come on, we need to keep moving."

11

Claire groans as the man sharing the room with her reads the letter again, "You know, I could read it to you if you want. I've heard it enough times to memorize the damned thing."

A chuckle fills the room as the note is held up to her, "There is a back page you know… We haven't read the GOOD stuff yet."

Blue eyes scan the page quickly, locking on two words scribbled in a different handwriting than the rest of the note, the handwriting of a scared girl, "Raccoon City…"

As the man starts to read the second half of the letter, Claire finds herself escaping the room and landing back into the burning streets of that hellish nightmare. His voice echoes through the air like the voice of God, but it means little as Claire walks down the alley behind Kendo's gunshop. There must be a reason Sherry wrote this city down that way, something Claire needs to know. As she rounds the corner to the stairs something crosses in front of a light, blinding her for a second. The redhead finds herself back in that dark room that reeks of bad liquor and leather, her ears picking up the sounds of a sobbing girl.

She flicks on the light switch and finds herself back in that room with the infected man reading the letter to her, "There is no longer hope, Claire. I'm sorry. Sherry Birkin. See, even she knows there is nothing left to live for anymore…"

A smirk grabs his attention as Claire replies, "The brightest light in our darkest memories is hope, asshole… A good friend taught me that…"

Before he can speak or call for help, Claire brings her legs up and wraps the left around his neck as her right foot is pressed into his throat. Something bulges inside his neck, but Claire keeps the pressure on, using all of her strength to kill both the man and the monster inside. Claire taught Sherry that there is hope, there is always hope. A Redfield never gives up, no matter how bleak the future looks. Claire doesn't let go of her grip on the man's neck until blood begins to pour from every orifice in his head, the body crumpling to the ground as she feels a new strength build inside her.

As the door is kicked open and Krauser steps in wielding a rather impressive knife, Claire smirks at him, "You're gonna need more goons, prick."

The snarl that greets her distorts the large scar on his face as the soldier steps forward, "I won't be requesting more grunts. You've just pushed yourself up the schedule, Miss Redfield."

Claire locks gazes with her captor and braces for the impact, instead finding a pang of fear creep through her body as the blade is slowly brought up to her face, "Hope is dead, Claire."

11

"Denise, any reports on a bioterror outbreak?" Cranston quickly marches into the command center for the North American BSAA and takes a seat in his personal leather chair.

The blonde woman with a large headset around her neck shakes her head before resuming her furious typing on the keyboard before her, "No sir, nothing since Kennedy and Redfield returned from Chile. Are you expecting one, sir?"

A grimace crosses his face as he quickly works to cover his tracks, "No, Denise. They've just been popping up like clockwork over the past three years and all of a sudden they just stopped. Change irks me is all."

Honestly though, Cranston is worried about the lack of activity for a different reason. Los Illuminados has traded enough G-Virus samples around the world that SOMETHING should've popped up already. Darkness fills his mind as he questions whether or not the report they intercepted from the last Raccoon City scientist was right and the G-Virus is way too unstable. If that is the case there are probably a vast number of isolated incidents in underground bunkers that will never be seen or reported. If the same group has bought multiple samples to avoid detection, there might just be that large biohazard nightmare the BSAA needs hidden beneath the very ground they walk upon.

"Denise, highlight the areas with G-Virus deals, please," as more and more dots light up the map of the world, Reed feels a deep pang of fear fill the pit of his stomach.

The G-Virus is now located in thirty-five percent of the planet, nestled secretly on six of the seven continents… What in the hell have I unleashed?

11

"What in the hell is that thing?" Leon doesn't know whether to act his age and shoot it in case it isn't dead, or give in to the childish temptation to poke it with a stick.

Chris drops two rounds into what he guesses is the face of the behemoth before replying, "It's dead, whatever it is, I think."

"Looks like there is a small fishing cabin on the other side of the lagoon, hurry up, boys," Jill doesn't give the monster a second thought, not even letting the question of why there are several large hooks driven into the top of the monster plague her thoughts.

The trio of BOW-busting survivors quickly hustles around the dark and smelly water, each one keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Despite their preparations for the inevitable, their travel around the lagoon to the cabin is uneventful with the three people arriving with the same amount of ammunition as when they started the hike. Leon pushes the door open as Chris raises his handgun and steps in, sweeping left to right before motioning for his partners to enter as well. There seems to be nothing out of the ordinary inside the cabin as Jill starts rummaging through the shelves and cabinets that line the walls.

"Who in the hell leaves expensive gems lying around?" her search turns up a handful of multi-colored gems, each one rather expensive-looking, as well as a moldy plastic container.

Chris sighs and chuckles at the scene, taking this opportunity to rest a bit and leans against the counter opposite the door, "Take them if you want and Merry Christmas from me, Jill."

There is a dead silence before Jill tosses one of the gems at him, "Dick. So guess it's on to a boat now then?"

"Sure, if you can find one," Leon peers out through the window facing the lagoon, frowning as there isn't a boat outside that looks remotely useable.

"Kennedy we really need to force you to take more vacations already," Chris pats the younger agent on the back and leads them back outside with his eyes set on one particular boat.

Chris grabs the side of the sinkable vessel and quickly flips it over, the hole underneath catching his gaze. Before either of his teammates can ask a question he disappears inside the cabin and reemerges with a warped plastic lid from the container Jill found earlier. Chris proceeds to press the lid against the hole with his left hand while the right rummages through the pockets of his pants and jacket.

"Looking for something?" Chris smirks as he picks up on the tone in Jill's question.

He stands up and holds his hand out to his partner, "I quit smoking, so no, Jill. Where's your lighter?"

She smiles at him before placing the golden Zippo in his palm, the S.T.A.R.S. insignia worn off a bit but still visible as the item is clenched in his hand, "Some memories are hard to let go of, right?"

He nods at her question before slowly waving the flame over the piece of plastic, watching it warp to fill the hole in the hull of their water-travelling craft. When the hole is successfully covered, Chris flips the wooden boat over and begins dragging it toward the edge of the water with Leon's help in the endeavor.

"I bow before the master fisherman," Chris laughs as Leon performs a fake bow before waving for Jill to jump in first.

"I really hate to question the obvious, but what if the river out is blocked?" both men look at Jill before slowly pushing the boat out into the water.

11

"Does it drive you?" Krauser once again begins a slow circle around the redhead as the knife grazes the skin around her abdomen.

Claire breathes out and holds it so as not to risk getting a deep cut from the blade, then replies once the blade is removed from her vicinity, "What?"

He looks down at the skin peelings on the blade and shakes them off, "Hope. Does hope give you the power to fight us?"

"I don't even know what you people want..." Claire hates replying with that as he leans in close, the smell on his breath unidentifiable as he laughs.

"We need someone on the inside… Someone within the BSAA who can still access the outside world… Our last…" he leans his head back, like he is looking for the right words. "Recruitment drive you could say, didn't go so well. We have decided to take a more direct approach, but there are complications that we need your help to overcome…"

Claire's blue eyes scan his face for anything she can use, growling as he is as cold as stone, "Why would I help you?"

"Plagas needs to be accepted by the host for our mission to succeed, you see…" Krauser presses a button on a device attached to his belt and smiles as one of the infected followers rolls a cart in, the top of which is occupied by a large case made of thick glass.

"When a Plaga is forced into a subject, like it was for most of the people aboard this ship and in the surrounding villages, it takes over, you become a pawn to the Master… Now, if you accept the Plaga, it bonds with you, and you hide in plain sight. Plain sight is what we need, Miss Redfield. We need you to accept this gift and become our agent of chaos within the BSAA."

Claire's eyes widen as she begins to realize their plan, "And what would I do as this, agent of chaos, as you call it?"

A large smile crosses his face before he replies, "Bring about complete infection. You will be the Agent of Chaos that spreads the word of Saddler across the world…"

END