Resident Evil: Terror on the Horizon.

CHAPTER 1: May 10, 1998 I lay in bed on a spring day after a long nights work. It was 11:30 and I could feel the warm Saturday sun beat on my face. Being a security chief has some disadvantages even with my high salary, especially when your head of security at Umbrella Pharmaceuticals. The company is like any ordinary drug factory. Except for the secret labs down below, where Mr. Birkin and the other scientists do their experiments. William Birkin was a total genius with a touch of mad doctors disease. I was called down to lab last night because one of the experiments had broken loose. Some sort of freak concoction those sick doctors had cooked up. A human turned inside out with a huge, long piercing tongue. An Re3. Birkin had called it a licker on the phone and told Victor to get down to the lab with some men to take it out. William had perfectly nick named that thing. It licked a giant hole through one of my guys before we could take it out. I can remember the shear terror on young Raymond Jackson's face the moment before the licker killed him. He was dead in an instant. The thing had ripped his heart out with its tongue.

Birkin had yelled at me not to say a word to anybody about last night. He said that it was some sort of biological weapon. But whatever it was, and whatever else they have down there I wanted no part of it. Utterly disgusted with that thought I arose to a fresh pot of coffee brewed by my wife Mary. I was surprised she had stayed with me for these past 6 years. It wasn't until 3 years ago that I got the high paying job at Umbrella. And I was hardly home since I got the job. After getting a shower and getting dressed, I went down stairs to the sound of laughter. I found the blonde, fresh-faced wife of my boss, Annette Birkin. She was sitting there talking with Mary about having a picnic. All Umbrella workers and there families were welcome to come. She looked up to the sound of my shuffling and raised her head. "Well good afternoon sleepy, she said. Rough night. Did my honey William give you trouble"? She and Mary started to laugh. I let out a forced chuckle. Annette always thought of herself as a comedian. She was always going around to the offices at work. Trying to lighten things up. But today I was not in a cheerful mood. Not after what I saw last night. "Yeah he's a regular slave master", I replied. And we shared a laugh. I walked over to the table and gave Mary a kiss. "Where's Sherry at. It's been awhile since I have seen her". "I dropped her off at her grandmas" said Annette. "I need to go help William with a test". With those words I flashed back to last night. That poor boy...the telephone rang bringing me back to reality. I walked over answer it and it was none other than Raccoon City's favorite police chief, Brian Irons. "Matthew's" he barked. "Is Mrs. Birkin there. Her husband has been ringing my phone off the hook. Saying something about her being late for a test at the lab. Tell her to leave right away. Birkin sounded pissed". "Sure chief I'll tell her". With that Irons hung up. I walked out of the living room and into the kitchen. "Annette. That was Chief Irons on the phone. He said your husbands been calling off the hook looking for you. Says you're late". "But he said be there at 2:00, its only 12:30". She sat there for a bit and spoke with a tear in her eye. "I think he has finally cracked. Umbrella was pressuring him to work long hours and to turn out this new formula. And he hasn't seen his daughter in weeks. He hardly has any family at work. And even though I am there most of the time, I am hardly allowed in the labs". She began to cry a bit as Mary went over to hug her. "Well I guess I better get going. If he needs me early then fine. I'll go. Thank you for the coffee Mary, Victor". I nodded and saw her out the door and then drove away.

"When do you work tonight Victor".

I replied tiredly, "6:30. I need to run down the new security system and train the new guys". I let out a yawn. "So what are your plans for today".

She said, "I am going out for a hike with the mayor and the city council". I kept forgetting my wife was secretary at city hall. Mayor Harris and his family had frequented our house often for dinner. We lived in Raccoon Hills, a small ritzy neighborhood south of downtown Raccoon. We took the house because it was the closest to the Umbrella facility. We had no kids do to our busy careers. There were many times we talked about kids but I would always change the subject. Mary knew that she could only get the serious commitment of marriage out of me. Parenthood was not to my liking. Kids always seemed to be a hassle to me. We had our arguments like any other couple. But I hoped that no matter what would happen, we would always be together. Through good times and bad, till death to us part.