Chapter Seventeen
"Those poor bastards never had a chance." Winston glanced from the smashed fire truck to the body of the firefighter below, the yellow illuminous strips of the jacket stained orange by the blood. Winston then stared at the department badge, a cartoonish raccoon with a fire helmet and axe. The white letters "FDRC" were also stained red from a trail of blood dripping down the door. It had been a nasty crash, the engine had been going fast enough to knock a set off traffic lights off of the extended arm of a lamppost. Winston then moved off in the direction of a small strip mall that would take them to a resteraunt. From there they could pass through a building site, the Raccoon Post Office and then go through a set of alleyways to the RPD. It was easier said then done.
"This is the plan, Dr. Stern has told me that we can go through several buildings and alleys and end up a block away from the RPD. Unless anyone has a better plan then we'll be following Dr. Stern. They entered the strip mall. All of the shops were closed and Winston wondered if there was any difference from when they were open.
"Right here." Dr. Stern had reached a T-junction in the strip mall. The humming of a neon sign nearby was distracting, too loud in the dead city. Dr. Stern ezperienced some trouble in opening the glass door in front of them. Winston walked over to see what was happening.
"What's the problem?"
"The door's stuck, something is blocking it." Winston pushed his shoulder into the door's metal frame and put his strength into into forcing it open, something metal started to scrape the pavement as it moved. The door suddenly gave way as a metal bench was shoved aside.
"That way should lead into a building site, and then onto a street leading to the Post Office. Dr. Stern pointed to a door that was partially covered in plastic with green tape. Dr. Stern moved the plastic and tape aside and pushed he door open. The inside was dark, whatever the building had been was lost when most of it's structure had been demolished to house a lareg lift shaft. Dr. Stern moved towards a turn in another T-junction. A map on the wall indicated where in Raccoon they were, they were only a few blocks away from the RPD. However the journey was most likely going to be longer depending on how many detours they were going to make. The door at the end of the short passage opened up onto a small section of empty road. Down the street was an abandoned pet shop, but on the other side of the road from that was the Post Office. The inside the post office seemed like a tomb, the concrete and asphalt creating a chill. The reassuring sound of car engines was devoid from the small parking lot as most of the vehicles would never be used again. The only other sound in the building apart from the three survivors was a sparking jump cable attached to a car engine. They exited the building through a service door next to the shutter, only to find a car wreck in front of them.
"This is no good, the way's blocked." Amy turned back towards the office which they'd used to get into the Post Office.
"Now hold on a minute, you haven't even taken a decent look yet." They walked out into the street and Dr. Stern pointed towards a gate between two storefronts.
"See? if we'd listened to you then we would have missed that gate." Amy muttered angrily as they moved past a bus which must have been in a spectacular crash. The gate lead into a short passage.
"There's another gate that should lead to Ennerdale Street, we can then go into the RPD using the main entrance."
"Lead the way." They moved through the small, dark passages towards the RPD. Again Winston wondered how much of this passage had changed during the onslaught of the zombies. Dr. Stern reached a rusted door at the end of the passage and pushed it open. They all shielded their eyes from the heat and light of a massive fire burning away a few feet away. They moved onto Ennerdale Street and started to look around at the devistation.
"Where are the zombies? I thought this place would be litterally crawling with them." They moved towards the Main Gate.
***
"This is Charles Brighton of TRCN, we will continue to broadcast as the events in Raccoon City unfold. Those of you who are just tuning in will most likely already know about the monsters that have taken over the town. TRCN advises you to barricate downstairs doors and windows and to arm yourselves." A muffled crash was heard over the Television's loudspeakers. Shouting was also heard.
"What the?" The male newsreader stood up from the desk. Several station workers rushed by the camera.
"No, oh God please no!" The camera fell to the floor and displayed a sideways view of a crowd of zombies moving towards the newsdesk. scream was heard as the screen turned to static. The screen then displayed a message in red lettering. The message read: "TRCN apologises for the break on transmition, we are suffering techinical difficulties. Please stand by."
Peter stared at the phone, he hand't really noticed that it hadn't rang once since he'd got there. He decided he'd see if he could contact Janine, warn her that they might be late getting back to the Firehouse. The dial tone hummed as he dialled the number of the Firehouse.
"I'm sorry but the number you've dialled cannot be reached, please try again later."
"Hmph." Peter dialled the number of his old apartment.
"I'm sorry but the number you've dialled cannot be reached, please try again later."
"Hmmmmm." Peter dialled the number for the pizza resturant down the street from the Firehouse.
"I'm sorry but the number you've....."Click!" Peter had slammed the phone down into it's cradle.
"Some phone system!" Peter walked back to the Meeting Room, all the while the moans of zombies could be heard outside. He had reached the double doors when the main entrace doors opened.
("Oh no, they're here!") But instead of a crowd of zombies stumbling through the door, Peter instead saw Winston, a man in a labcoat and a blond haired woman.
"My God Winston you're okay!" Winston glanced over to see Peter approaching.
"There were times out there if I would make it back, but we did."
"Who are these people with you?"
"This is Dr. Stern, we were in the Autopsy Room at the hospital when the town was overrun. This is Amy Weathers, she found us when we were checking Ecto at the garage."
"How is Ecto?"
"She's fine, she'll run and I'm sure there's a clear route out of town."
"I could have used you in an argument I was having with Ray earlier, but I'm glad to know you're safe. We need to go get the mad scientists and Officer Spencer and tell them your plan. Last time I checked they were in the Meeting Room so follow me." They moved off through the corridors of the West Wing of the RPD.
"Those poor bastards never had a chance." Winston glanced from the smashed fire truck to the body of the firefighter below, the yellow illuminous strips of the jacket stained orange by the blood. Winston then stared at the department badge, a cartoonish raccoon with a fire helmet and axe. The white letters "FDRC" were also stained red from a trail of blood dripping down the door. It had been a nasty crash, the engine had been going fast enough to knock a set off traffic lights off of the extended arm of a lamppost. Winston then moved off in the direction of a small strip mall that would take them to a resteraunt. From there they could pass through a building site, the Raccoon Post Office and then go through a set of alleyways to the RPD. It was easier said then done.
"This is the plan, Dr. Stern has told me that we can go through several buildings and alleys and end up a block away from the RPD. Unless anyone has a better plan then we'll be following Dr. Stern. They entered the strip mall. All of the shops were closed and Winston wondered if there was any difference from when they were open.
"Right here." Dr. Stern had reached a T-junction in the strip mall. The humming of a neon sign nearby was distracting, too loud in the dead city. Dr. Stern ezperienced some trouble in opening the glass door in front of them. Winston walked over to see what was happening.
"What's the problem?"
"The door's stuck, something is blocking it." Winston pushed his shoulder into the door's metal frame and put his strength into into forcing it open, something metal started to scrape the pavement as it moved. The door suddenly gave way as a metal bench was shoved aside.
"That way should lead into a building site, and then onto a street leading to the Post Office. Dr. Stern pointed to a door that was partially covered in plastic with green tape. Dr. Stern moved the plastic and tape aside and pushed he door open. The inside was dark, whatever the building had been was lost when most of it's structure had been demolished to house a lareg lift shaft. Dr. Stern moved towards a turn in another T-junction. A map on the wall indicated where in Raccoon they were, they were only a few blocks away from the RPD. However the journey was most likely going to be longer depending on how many detours they were going to make. The door at the end of the short passage opened up onto a small section of empty road. Down the street was an abandoned pet shop, but on the other side of the road from that was the Post Office. The inside the post office seemed like a tomb, the concrete and asphalt creating a chill. The reassuring sound of car engines was devoid from the small parking lot as most of the vehicles would never be used again. The only other sound in the building apart from the three survivors was a sparking jump cable attached to a car engine. They exited the building through a service door next to the shutter, only to find a car wreck in front of them.
"This is no good, the way's blocked." Amy turned back towards the office which they'd used to get into the Post Office.
"Now hold on a minute, you haven't even taken a decent look yet." They walked out into the street and Dr. Stern pointed towards a gate between two storefronts.
"See? if we'd listened to you then we would have missed that gate." Amy muttered angrily as they moved past a bus which must have been in a spectacular crash. The gate lead into a short passage.
"There's another gate that should lead to Ennerdale Street, we can then go into the RPD using the main entrance."
"Lead the way." They moved through the small, dark passages towards the RPD. Again Winston wondered how much of this passage had changed during the onslaught of the zombies. Dr. Stern reached a rusted door at the end of the passage and pushed it open. They all shielded their eyes from the heat and light of a massive fire burning away a few feet away. They moved onto Ennerdale Street and started to look around at the devistation.
"Where are the zombies? I thought this place would be litterally crawling with them." They moved towards the Main Gate.
***
"This is Charles Brighton of TRCN, we will continue to broadcast as the events in Raccoon City unfold. Those of you who are just tuning in will most likely already know about the monsters that have taken over the town. TRCN advises you to barricate downstairs doors and windows and to arm yourselves." A muffled crash was heard over the Television's loudspeakers. Shouting was also heard.
"What the?" The male newsreader stood up from the desk. Several station workers rushed by the camera.
"No, oh God please no!" The camera fell to the floor and displayed a sideways view of a crowd of zombies moving towards the newsdesk. scream was heard as the screen turned to static. The screen then displayed a message in red lettering. The message read: "TRCN apologises for the break on transmition, we are suffering techinical difficulties. Please stand by."
Peter stared at the phone, he hand't really noticed that it hadn't rang once since he'd got there. He decided he'd see if he could contact Janine, warn her that they might be late getting back to the Firehouse. The dial tone hummed as he dialled the number of the Firehouse.
"I'm sorry but the number you've dialled cannot be reached, please try again later."
"Hmph." Peter dialled the number of his old apartment.
"I'm sorry but the number you've dialled cannot be reached, please try again later."
"Hmmmmm." Peter dialled the number for the pizza resturant down the street from the Firehouse.
"I'm sorry but the number you've....."Click!" Peter had slammed the phone down into it's cradle.
"Some phone system!" Peter walked back to the Meeting Room, all the while the moans of zombies could be heard outside. He had reached the double doors when the main entrace doors opened.
("Oh no, they're here!") But instead of a crowd of zombies stumbling through the door, Peter instead saw Winston, a man in a labcoat and a blond haired woman.
"My God Winston you're okay!" Winston glanced over to see Peter approaching.
"There were times out there if I would make it back, but we did."
"Who are these people with you?"
"This is Dr. Stern, we were in the Autopsy Room at the hospital when the town was overrun. This is Amy Weathers, she found us when we were checking Ecto at the garage."
"How is Ecto?"
"She's fine, she'll run and I'm sure there's a clear route out of town."
"I could have used you in an argument I was having with Ray earlier, but I'm glad to know you're safe. We need to go get the mad scientists and Officer Spencer and tell them your plan. Last time I checked they were in the Meeting Room so follow me." They moved off through the corridors of the West Wing of the RPD.