Chapter 2: And The Secret Breaks

This young lady from the S.F.S. had intrigued Rebecca Chambers since their first brief meeting in the S.T.A.R.S. office. Rebecca hadn't really got to know her, and was sort of curious. S.F.S. Captain Danielle A. Lanza was legendary around the station due to her demeanour and attitude towards superiors. Apparently, she was a crack shot and could hit anything from over a hundred yards, and was one of the toughest women, including Rachelle and Jill, on the force.

Rebecca knew from overhearing conversations that Wesker, and even Chief Irons were apprehensive of her, and though she was a renegade officer who rarely followed orders she disagreed with, she had never been reprimanded, and Rebecca put it down to fear. She had only ever seen the captain once or twice, only really when she was in the office at the same time as her. She tended to get harder to find as the days went on. Rachelle began to refer to her as the 'wild white wolf that nobody ever sees from Alaska', and that her supposed habitat was in the Umbrella section of the library. Everything she'd heard was nothing compared to what she was really like. She had heard a lot about her off Rachelle, Brad and Jill, but nothing too close to what she had seen of Captain Lanza so far.

Rachelle had said that if you're on her good side, she hardly ever yells at you, and if you were to get in her bad books you'd know about it. Brad had said that she was very protective and could be very loud, but all in all was a nice girl. So far, Danielle had been utterly silent, without moving a muscle, looking at the floor of the chopper. She had been that way since they had left Raccoon City. Taking a chance, she tapped her shoulder. Danielle sat up with a start, and after she saw who it was, settled down and smiled warmly.

"Oh, hi Rebecca."

Rebecca smiled back cautiously. "I don't mean to pry, Captain Lanza, but, umm, I can't help but, ahh, wonder about you."

Danielle sat for a minute, and then began to laugh. "Oh dear. Someone's told you the story of how I lose my temper, now haven't they? Don't worry, I won't go off unless you're someone like Wesker. He really rubs my fur the wrong way."

Richard Aitken, Bravo Team's communications specialist, piped up.

"What I want to know is why he's rubbing your fur in the first place."

Danielle rolled her eyes and flipped him off. "Oh, that's just rude. There are teenagers present."

Rebecca giggled at the remark. Forest looked at her.

"Hey, you're too young!"

Rebecca stifled her laughter and grinned. "I only wanted to know why you don't seem to care about what people think or say about you. Like when I told you where to go in the S.T.A.R.S. office, you only laughed. Other people I know would've punched my lights out."

Danielle sighed and sat back in her seat. "Yeah but that's only because Jill told you to. No really, you see, the reason is, I believe that people can think or say whatever the damn hell they like, because that's their own opinions, and isn't everyone entitled to their own opinions?"

Rebecca nodded. "So it doesn't worry you, if say, someone thought you were a stuck-up snob, for instance?"

"Are you asking me, because it's what someone has told you?"

Rebecca shook her head quickly. "No, nothing like that, it's just, I have heard a lot of different 'opinions' about you, and I can't help but wonder which ones are true."

Danielle thought for a moment. "Well, all of them, actually."

Rebecca's eyes widened. "ALL of them?"

Danielle nodded. "And none of them."

"And none? How does that work?"

"They're all opinions, Rebecca."

Richard looked up at her. "Hey, Captain Lanza. I'll take your advice and try not to show you that it's my informed opinion that the male gender tends to outrank you females, in the field and in bed."

Danielle put her head to the side. "I'm flattered. But tell me, how do you gather that?"

Enrico grinned. "Haven't you noticed that there are only three female S.T.A.R.S. members? That's cause men are stronger, smarter and tougher."

This statement caused Danielle to sarcastically sputter and cough as if she was choking, and by the time she had finished, the guys were arguing with each other over things that only men could argue about and Forest, who was sitting between the two guys looked to Danielle and shrugged. Danielle grinned and turned to Rebecca.

"And Rebecca, I have just taught you how to ark up a pair of brainless men."

Wesker looked up as the transmission light on the comms equipment at the end of the room began to flash and the machine began to beep. Jill stood up and turned it on. Adjusting the dials, she picked up Edward Dewey, the pilot of Bravo Team's helicopter.

"Hello? Hello? Can you hear me, HQ? Over."

Jill switched on the microphone. "We can hear you, Dewey, what's up? Over."

"We're having engine troubles, have to land. There's a-"

Suddenly the transmission ended, and all that they could hear was white noise, static. Chris sat up slowly, and the rest of Alpha Team went silent. Wesker stood up.

"Alright. Saddle up, team, we're goin' for a little ride."

Alpha Team's enthusiasm was through the roof as they prepared to go out to look for Bravo Team. Brad was in the pilot seat before you could say 'Prepare the helicopter', and everyone was gathering all the equipment they needed, being barked at every other second by Rachelle to 'hurry up', 'be careful', 'stop just standing there and help', or 'get more of this'. Barry looked at her as she ran out onto the rooftop.

"What now, Ms McDermott? Want us to polish your shoes before we go?"

"With our tongues!" Joseph offered, mocking hopefulness, from where he was near the rooftop door. Rachelle shot a glance in his direction, but ignored him, and kept going, leaning on the door of the helicopter cockpit. Brad leaned out the door to hear what she was saying over the sound of the rotor blades spinning.

"Brad, keep the helicopter going. We'll be ready in a few minutes."

Brad looked around for a minute. "Looks like we're ready now, do you think we should let Wesker know?"

Rachelle turned to Barry. "Barry! You ready to go?"

Barry nodded, with his arms crossed. "I was ready five minutes ago Rachelle, we're just waiting on Jill and Chris."

Joseph nodded. "No worries, I'll go get them. Kay?"

They nodded, and Joseph ran off to find the two absent S.T.A.R.S. members. Wesker approached her.

"Get in the helicopter, Rachelle, they'll be along in a moment, and we'll be able to leave right away."

Rachelle, for once, quickly agreed with him, and jumped into the chopper, right behind the pilot's seat. Brad glanced over, and put on the radio headset that Rachelle passed over to him, pulling on his helmet.

"Thanks. I gave mine to Danielle before they left. Listen, if we get down there, and I have no choice but to take off and leave you guys there, just call me up on this radio and give me your location, once you get to a safe place, and I'll come and get you. Try your best to stay together, as this is the only one I have. Also, if you find Danielle, contact me straight away."

"Why?"

"Just because," he replied vaguely. Rachelle nodded, and took the small, hand-held radio he handed to her. She looked up as Jill and Chris came running out, following close behind Joseph. They jumped into the helicopter without a second thought, and once Wesker was in and the door was shut, they took off, out towards the Arklay Mountains. No-one knew what had happened to Bravo Team, but they were sure that is was more than just a little engine trouble, no matter how much Wesker assured them that it was.

"This is great. Just great," Enrico grumbled angrily. "I thought you serviced the chopper, Rebecca."

Danielle turned around and looked at Enrico. "Leave the girl alone. These things happen."

Then she shrugged and took a few steps away. Rebecca followed her, feeling slightly safer around her. Danielle looked at her out of the corner of her eye and smiled slightly. Enrico turned to Edward.

"Dewey. Do you think you can get the chopper radio working again?"

Edward shrugged. "I guess, but it may take a bit. Give me some time, okay?"

Enrico nodded and turned away. Kenneth looked over at Danielle.

"Hey Dani. What's the bet that all that toughness you exhibit in the office is just a cover and you're really piss-weak in the field?"

Danielle turned to him. "You seem to be forgetting something, Kenny. Like the fact that I already have a file on my fieldwork. I'm surprised you haven't seen it. Your captain with the big nose has already stuck his large proboscis into it."

Richard, who was digging around in the down chopper turned around, Danielle's side-pack in his hand.

"Nice wording. This yours?"

Danielle caught the bag as he tossed it to her.

"Thanks Richard." She looked around cautiously. "I hope we get out of here soon. Who knows what bugs are out here."

"Big bad Dani Lanza is afraid of bugs?!" Forest exploded with sudden laughter. Danielle whirred around and clamped her hand over his mouth quickly.

"Shut up!"

She kept a hold on Forest from behind. No one said a word, but they could hear something. Rebecca edged towards Danielle.

"What's that?"

Danielle shook her head, easing away from Forest. He listened.

"Sounds like some sort of dog."

Danielle thought for a moment. "Guys, I think we'd better go somewhere else. I saw a house on the other side of the trees over there. Come on, let's go."

They started to back slowly up towards the chopper. It happened suddenly. With a ringing crash something burst in through the chopper windscreen and a blood-curdling scream from the co-pilot Kevin announced their arrival. The dogs attacked with lightning speed and took down Edward in no time. He fired at them, but to no avail. Danielle wasted no time in turning around and racing off. The dogs gave chase immediately. Rebecca tripped on a grass root and went toppling forward. Danielle caught her as she rushed past and pulled her along behind her.

Danielle reached the doors of the mansion first, and found them open to their relief, holding the door open for the others. As soon as Forest, who was bringing up the rear, was through, she slammed the door, but the lead dog managed to get its snout in. Danielle pushed hard on the door, trying to force the dog away. The other dogs were gaining quickly. In a last attempt, she pulled her gun from its holster and jammed the barrel into its mouth, pulling the trigger. The dog flew back in a burst of blood and sparks, hitting the other dogs and slowing them so that she could get the door shut. She slammed the door and leaned against it, catching her breath. She looked across at the Bravo Team members who were milling aimlessly in the main hall.

"Now do you see why I find it more entertaining to follow Umbrella?"

"Do you know something we don't?" Kenneth asked shortly. "How do we know that those... things, are from Umbrella?"

Danielle leaned down and picked something up off the floor. "Let's see. Ma-39. The code used by Umbrella for a bio-specimen. I'd say that this would be fairly weak, considering."

"Considering what?"

"The largest number I've counted so far is Ma-121. And that was a mean mother, I swear."

Her hand wandered to her arm.

"You seem to have dealt with something like this before," Enrico said, crossing his arms. Danielle shrugged.

"I've found the tags. I've been given these tags by people who claim to have removed them from 'strange monsters' in the neighbourhood. This... this came off the dog when I shot it."

Rebecca looked at the green tag in her hand.

"How did it come off if it was attached?"

Danielle grinned. "Its head blew up, Rebecca. And bits of head went everywhere," she made a gesture to describe the manner in which 'the pieces of head went everywhere', before kicking at a piece of bloodied fur lying near the door jam. Rebecca coiled back in disgust.

"And that's nothing to you?"

"When you've seen it all before... Look, Rebecca, you're a first aid officer. You were recruited as one. Put it this way. You're bound to see things just as bad or worse in the autopsy room or the field during your service in the force than I can ever describe to you as a field officer... unless I've been there, of course." Rebecca shivered. Danielle walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Just don't think about it, okay? That's a fair way away."

She walked away and sat on the bottom step of the huge staircase in the lobby. Outside, they could hear the other dogs barking and howling, scratching at the door. Danielle rubbed her eyes as she glanced tiredly up at Forest and Kenneth, who had begun arguing about what they should do now.

"We need to find a way out," Kenneth said. Forest nodded.

"I say we all go and look around. There must be a back way out somewhere… or a phone or something that we can call the others on."

"We're in the middle of goddamn nowhere, Forest," Kenneth returned. "Like they'd really have phone lines out here. Do you even have any idea where we are?"

"Spencer Mansion."

They both turned and looked at her. Danielle was sitting on the bottom step of the staircase, gazing up at them.

"You mean the same Spencer who practically owns Raccoon City?" Enrico asked. Danielle nodded.

"How couldn't you know? The Spencer family is as old as the city… even I knew that. Spencer is on the Board of Directors for Umbrella. This mansion," she went on, standing up and spreading her arms out as she walked into the center of the floor, "is older than me. Spencer Mansion was built sometime around 1965."

"1965? That's the year Raccoon became a city. It used to just be a little town. But in 1965 it went through a big boom and just shot up out of nowhere," Rebecca smiled. "I learnt that in History class."

They were quiet for a moment, and then Forest spoke up a little quietly, returning to their previous topic.

"Well, if this place belongs to a family like the Spencers, it must have something like a phone, or a CB or something. Let's just go and find it."

"As a group?" Kenneth shook his head. "We'd never get anywhere and we'd attract attention as a big group."

"But don't you think it'd be safer? You know, safety in numbers? Who cares if we spend ages in this place? People live here, so maybe we should find them and see if we can get some help."

"We don't even know if anyone still lives here," Danielle again lowered the tone. "It's too quiet."

"See?" Forest turned back to Kenneth. "Dani's right. Those dog things outside may have killed the people here. I'll bet they split up and hid in little places. It's gotta be safer to stick together."

"Look Forest. I'm not saying you aren't right. But you listen, alright? What can you hear? Nothing. What does that mean? There's nothing here. I say we split up and find either a way out or some sort of apparatus we can use to contact the outside."

"Well Richard's the radio genius, what about your hand-held?"

"It's only short range," he replied. "The one in the chopper could broadcast further… but the chopper's outside. If we could maybe find some sort of broadband radio, I may be able to rig it up to reach out further, but other than that I can't do a thing."

"Well that settles it. Let's stick together and find a radio."

"It's not the most effective way to go about this," Kenneth argued. "If we split up we'll cover all the rooms so much faster than if we stay together."

"I don't think it matters really," Enrico shrugged. "We're stuck until Alpha Team gets here anyway. Even if we do find a way out, what then? Do we hitch hike back to base? Do we walk? With those dogs running amok out there, we'd be lucky to make it five feet away from this place without ending up like Kevin and Dewey."

They all went silent. Forest and Kenneth looked at each other for a moment. Kenneth shook his head.

"Enrico's right, man. I mean, we split up or not and we still have to wait for the other guys. Let's just take a bit of a gander around together, huh?"

"I like that idea," Richard agreed. Rebecca nodded also. Danielle smiled.

"It's settled then. Where should we go first?"

"Well," Enrico turned to a huge set of double doors to the left of the stairs. "Let's try there first."