CHAPTER 1
Nate Zaney stepped through the big office doors, his icy blue eyes boring holes into the walls. Looking at his hard expression, it was evident he was unimpressed, probably for the same reason as most were. Being woken out a deep sleep at 2am for a top-secret mission was not the most thrilling event.
Pushing his broad shoulders back, he made a final sweep of the room with his eyes. It was a very plain room, decorated with only a few necessities of a desk, filing cabinet and a couple of sturdy chairs. The walls were painted a dull eggshell white, the only thing clearly visible on them to be the framed credentials of Larry McDole, a top agent of the Special Tactics and Rescue Service otherwise known as S.T.A.R.S.
This was, Nate noted, the same man who had sounded so urgent on the phone when he had called just over half an hour ago. Whatever mission Larry was holding in his grasps, Nate knew it would be something that would change his life forever.
Running a hand through his silky brown hair, Nate made his way over to one of the seats, sliding down into it and making himself comfortable while he waited for Larry to finish up in the conference room.
As a sigh brushed over his lips, a deep voice sounded in the doorway, "Nate Zaney, so nice to finally meet you." Nate's head snapped toward the sound to fix his gaze on a large, rotund man, whose grey hair was thinning at the sides. A toupee sat on his head to cover what Nate guessed must have been a bald area at the top.
Looking at him, Nate wondered how on Earth a man of Larry's calibre could be a top specialist of any elite team, but then he remembered that there were more than just tactical people on the field. There were also scientists and the head honchos who called all the shots. Nate could see Larry sitting behind his big desk calling out orders left and right, slurping down his coffee with a doughnut in his big, pudgy hand.
Shaking his head of the thought, he watched as Larry closed the door behind him and made his way over to his desk, lowering himself down into his chair and dropping a pile of folders down in front of him. Casually flicking through them he glanced up from time to time at Nate, speaking low and in monotone as he laid out the mission, choosing his words carefully. "Nate as you may or may not know a few months ago there was an... event that took place in the small town of Raccoon City. What you would not know is the full extent of those events and it is for this reason that everything you hear in this office today and learn in your mission is to be kept fully confidential."
He sat back in his chair, holding his hands out and looking at Nate expectantly through somewhat arrogant, dark eyes. Nate nodded once, enough of a confirmation for Larry to continue through to the briefing. Sliding over one of the folders, Larry motioned for Nate to open it up. As he did, Larry's voice once more filled the air. "Not too long ago a secluded mansion in the outskirts of Raccoon City, was host to a series of... bio-technical experiments. There was a breach in the quarantining of these experiments and the... viruses that were embedded in them were set loose to not only the mansion itself but also the neighbouring city."
Nate felt his heart lurch as he recalled the newspaper articles about the strange disappearances, the TV reports of the strange sightings and the many rumours which had followed swiftly behind them. How foolish he had been to just think that it had all been so normal.
"The area is cut off from all life and is known as a crisis area," Larry went on. "There is utter chaos and we doubt that there is anyone still left alive. If there are any survivors they have probably been infected with the virus which is passed on by either being bitten by one of the raging monsters or else by the contaminated air, which is why you will be given a shot for immunity." Nate scrunched his nose up. He hated needles but he knew he would hate being inflicted with a horrendous virus more which he still had no idea of the effects.
Larry passed Nate a map of the city and lowered his eyes as he prepared to give the young man the full details of his mission. "You will be dropped off at the heliport located at Raccoon City's hospital. From there you will make your way through the streets to the Trepas Laboratory and find the new bio-technical weapon the company that were funding the original viruses created." So that's it? Nate thought to himself. They're sending me on a suicide mission?
Tensing up, Nate could feel that wasn't the worst yet, there was still more to come and raising his brow he encouraged Larry to continue. "I'm not about to lie to you Nate, this mission is most probably the deadliest you will ever have to deal with. You have been recommended because you are the best at what you do and right now we need that. This new virus if it were to be unleashed would wipe all of Northern America out in a matter of mere days and we're not the only ones after it. If our competition were to get the virus before us, it's game over."
Nate's heart thudded wildly in his chest, his breath catching in his throat. He looked up at Larry to see desperation in the man's eyes. The truth dawned upon him: he was their last hope. Clenching his fist, Nate closed his eyes, his voice coming out in a harsh whisper. "I'll do it."
Larry breathed a sigh, nodding his head and presenting him with the final details. "You have exactly two hours to complete your mission and then the president has ordered the American military to nuke the area. Bombing Raccoon City is a bad idea because the canisters may break and then the virus will be spread. So therefore it will only be done as a last resort." Nate nodded his head, feeling as though his world had fell from his feet but gathering his courage, his eyes snapped open to focus on Larry. "I'll need some artillery… some heavy artillery." Larry laughed, liking Nate's directness. "It's already been taken care of."
The big man got up out of his seat and ushered Nate to the door. When they closed in on it, Nate turned to him. "Just one question. If I were to find one of the survivors what am I to do about them?" Larry's gaze fixed on Nate. "None of your actions will be known about. Everything in this mission remains confidential. So therefore I leave the choice up to you. But we would prefer there to be no further survivors other than yourself." And with those final words he turned the doorknob and started towards the heliport, leaving Nate to follow behind.
Nate Zaney stepped through the big office doors, his icy blue eyes boring holes into the walls. Looking at his hard expression, it was evident he was unimpressed, probably for the same reason as most were. Being woken out a deep sleep at 2am for a top-secret mission was not the most thrilling event.
Pushing his broad shoulders back, he made a final sweep of the room with his eyes. It was a very plain room, decorated with only a few necessities of a desk, filing cabinet and a couple of sturdy chairs. The walls were painted a dull eggshell white, the only thing clearly visible on them to be the framed credentials of Larry McDole, a top agent of the Special Tactics and Rescue Service otherwise known as S.T.A.R.S.
This was, Nate noted, the same man who had sounded so urgent on the phone when he had called just over half an hour ago. Whatever mission Larry was holding in his grasps, Nate knew it would be something that would change his life forever.
Running a hand through his silky brown hair, Nate made his way over to one of the seats, sliding down into it and making himself comfortable while he waited for Larry to finish up in the conference room.
As a sigh brushed over his lips, a deep voice sounded in the doorway, "Nate Zaney, so nice to finally meet you." Nate's head snapped toward the sound to fix his gaze on a large, rotund man, whose grey hair was thinning at the sides. A toupee sat on his head to cover what Nate guessed must have been a bald area at the top.
Looking at him, Nate wondered how on Earth a man of Larry's calibre could be a top specialist of any elite team, but then he remembered that there were more than just tactical people on the field. There were also scientists and the head honchos who called all the shots. Nate could see Larry sitting behind his big desk calling out orders left and right, slurping down his coffee with a doughnut in his big, pudgy hand.
Shaking his head of the thought, he watched as Larry closed the door behind him and made his way over to his desk, lowering himself down into his chair and dropping a pile of folders down in front of him. Casually flicking through them he glanced up from time to time at Nate, speaking low and in monotone as he laid out the mission, choosing his words carefully. "Nate as you may or may not know a few months ago there was an... event that took place in the small town of Raccoon City. What you would not know is the full extent of those events and it is for this reason that everything you hear in this office today and learn in your mission is to be kept fully confidential."
He sat back in his chair, holding his hands out and looking at Nate expectantly through somewhat arrogant, dark eyes. Nate nodded once, enough of a confirmation for Larry to continue through to the briefing. Sliding over one of the folders, Larry motioned for Nate to open it up. As he did, Larry's voice once more filled the air. "Not too long ago a secluded mansion in the outskirts of Raccoon City, was host to a series of... bio-technical experiments. There was a breach in the quarantining of these experiments and the... viruses that were embedded in them were set loose to not only the mansion itself but also the neighbouring city."
Nate felt his heart lurch as he recalled the newspaper articles about the strange disappearances, the TV reports of the strange sightings and the many rumours which had followed swiftly behind them. How foolish he had been to just think that it had all been so normal.
"The area is cut off from all life and is known as a crisis area," Larry went on. "There is utter chaos and we doubt that there is anyone still left alive. If there are any survivors they have probably been infected with the virus which is passed on by either being bitten by one of the raging monsters or else by the contaminated air, which is why you will be given a shot for immunity." Nate scrunched his nose up. He hated needles but he knew he would hate being inflicted with a horrendous virus more which he still had no idea of the effects.
Larry passed Nate a map of the city and lowered his eyes as he prepared to give the young man the full details of his mission. "You will be dropped off at the heliport located at Raccoon City's hospital. From there you will make your way through the streets to the Trepas Laboratory and find the new bio-technical weapon the company that were funding the original viruses created." So that's it? Nate thought to himself. They're sending me on a suicide mission?
Tensing up, Nate could feel that wasn't the worst yet, there was still more to come and raising his brow he encouraged Larry to continue. "I'm not about to lie to you Nate, this mission is most probably the deadliest you will ever have to deal with. You have been recommended because you are the best at what you do and right now we need that. This new virus if it were to be unleashed would wipe all of Northern America out in a matter of mere days and we're not the only ones after it. If our competition were to get the virus before us, it's game over."
Nate's heart thudded wildly in his chest, his breath catching in his throat. He looked up at Larry to see desperation in the man's eyes. The truth dawned upon him: he was their last hope. Clenching his fist, Nate closed his eyes, his voice coming out in a harsh whisper. "I'll do it."
Larry breathed a sigh, nodding his head and presenting him with the final details. "You have exactly two hours to complete your mission and then the president has ordered the American military to nuke the area. Bombing Raccoon City is a bad idea because the canisters may break and then the virus will be spread. So therefore it will only be done as a last resort." Nate nodded his head, feeling as though his world had fell from his feet but gathering his courage, his eyes snapped open to focus on Larry. "I'll need some artillery… some heavy artillery." Larry laughed, liking Nate's directness. "It's already been taken care of."
The big man got up out of his seat and ushered Nate to the door. When they closed in on it, Nate turned to him. "Just one question. If I were to find one of the survivors what am I to do about them?" Larry's gaze fixed on Nate. "None of your actions will be known about. Everything in this mission remains confidential. So therefore I leave the choice up to you. But we would prefer there to be no further survivors other than yourself." And with those final words he turned the doorknob and started towards the heliport, leaving Nate to follow behind.