Rebecca stood tentatively outside the door, waiting for General Cooper to
let her enter. She held in her thin hands a Neutrino Blaster and an
outlawed Softnose Laser, which Billy had given her to look after. She bit
her lip, remembering his yells of pain as the dogs had dragged him away.
His Daemon had vanished straightaway, and she knew he was dead. General
Cooper opened the door and motioned for her to come in. She stepped inside
the room and sat.
"Rebecca Baggins. How can I help you?" The general sat comfortably in his chair, searching her swiftly. His blue eyes sparkled over the half moon glasses and she felt at ease.
"Sir. Can I sweep the area? I have two weapons and three people have agreed to come."
"Very well, if you must. But we don't want any more being lost. Iorek Byrinson is to come and protect you." He frowned. "You and whom, might I ask?"
"Draco, Sam, and Genevra sir."
"Hmm. Yes, ok, do as you may." He stood up and suddenly looked frail and old. Rebecca looked up and noticed him staring at the old Softnose.
"I thought those were outlawed, Ms Baggins?" he said, a twinkle in his kind eyes. His daemon, a fiery red phoenix, rested sleepily on his old shoulder. He stroked the birds plumed head and smiled. "Fawkes approves, Rebecca. On you go. Take care."
With that thought resting on her shoulders, she and her daemon left the hall and followed Genevra into the dark hallway.
Jill tugged on a drawer handle. Its rusted hinges scraped as she threw her weight from it. In her desperation, she looked around the small room she was in- the drawing room, she thought. All she needed was an.*aha!* she thought, and she let go of the gold rimmed handle, walking over to the small table where she had spotted a small knife. Picking it up, she walked over to the huge cabinet and jammed it into a crack in between the rotting wooden case and the drawer. It opened enough for her to fit her hand in, and Jill slid it inside. Her hand closed around a weighty object and she pulled it out. As it emerged from the shadows, she excitedly turned it over and blew the dust off. As the cloud of cobwebs and rubble disappeared, she noticed it was a book, with the initials K.S engraved in peeling goldleaf. She picked up the tiny cell phone strapped to her waist and flipped it open.
"Holly?"
"Holly? What? I'm Jill, you moron!"
"Ah. Sorry. Excuse old Arty. Did you find the book?"
"Yes. I've found a moldy old red book with the initials K.S if that's what you mean."
"That's the one. Report back."
Mulch Diggums, the escaped Dwarf, allowed himself a quiet giggle. "Really, Fowl. Report back?" he grinned. "We're not in Recon, you know."
"Quiet, or I'll have Root kick your stinking behind back to T'athld." Artemis turned from the now sulking Mulch, tapping on the computer screen. He rotated it slightly and frowned.
"Butler. What are those four kids and the bear doing in the guest rooms near the west?"
"I'm not sure, Artemis. But it seems they've been cleared by Cooper, so."
"Hmm. Is Ho-I mean, Jill with you?" Artemis winced. He needed a brainwash. And a good shower whilst he was there. Unfortunately, the showers were out of bounds whilst Sirius and Sanders were examining them for 'possible life forms'.
"No, Sir." Butler brought Artemis back to earth with a thud- he had been imagining a nice massage and Jacuzzi back at his mothers spa. Artemis nodded and sighed, a rush of static filling the bodyguards ears.
"Artemis. Here." A short voice made him jerk around, and a red book was thumped on the table.
"Ahh. Here we go; this is where it begins now." Mulch looked up from his Game Boy, remotely interested now, seeing the flash of gold.
"What is that?" asked Jill, sitting on an uncomfortable chair.
Artemis opened it, sliding it out of its cover and leafing through the stained, yellow pages. "It's a brief history and map of the mansion.now we should have a clear view of where we are and what we should be doing." Artemis squinted, and Daikah the mocking bird cocked her head. She pecked at his black hair and turned to face Jill.
"Why hasn't your Daemon settled yet?" she said, in a soft voice. Jill looked up, startled.
"Uhm..I don't know." Jill pushed her hair behind her ears. "I'm never sure when they're meant too." Saratham pushed his nose under her arm and peered at the pages.
"Hmmm." Daikah fluttered off Artemis' shoulder and prodded a paragraph. Artemis looked at it, and frowned.
"So that's where it came from." he muttered, scratching his head. Then he jerked up and turned so quickly Daikah almost fell off the handle of his chair.
"Butler. Get that old coot up here. We need to ask him some-"
"That old coot is already here, Mr. Fowl." Artemis whirled around to see General Cooper smiling bemusedly. "So you discovered Umbrella?"
"Umbrella?" Jill looked confused. "But.I thought they were discharged last year?" she stood and walked over to the monitor, tapping a button with her index finger. Artemis scowled.
"What?"
"They were responsible for C.R 3 years ago," she snapped, as if it was obvious. Artemis walked over.
"Of course.." Artemis snapped his fingers. "Why didn't I think of it before!"
Sam tentatively put a hand on the door handle, at the request of Iorek. Rebecca gulped and, as Sam stepped back, kicked the crumbling door open. Draco was already fishing out his lock pick and handing it to Iorek, who was studying the door that was directly opposite from the plastered one they had just entered. The bear gave a disbelieving snort and swiped his huge claws on the frame, leaving deep scratch marks. The door clicked and swung open, and the four mortals and their cowering daemons followed.
"Look." Rebecca turned in the direction Draco was pointing and she uttered a small scream. Her owl daemon hooted and gripped her shoulder with her talons. Genevra knelt by the body and softly rolled it over. Iorek growled.
"It's Redfield, guys." Genevra muttered. Sam frowned.
"How? Zombies?"
"Oh, no!" Rebecca leant against the wall and studied the mangled corpse.
"Are you sure it's him?" Draco moved closer and took the badge from Genevra's trembling hands. The four of them jumped when a gnarled tree branch slapped across the small window. The wind whistled even louder inside the now silent room, and dead leaves rustled outside the door. Iorek suddenly leant down and, with a deft swipe of his paw, sliced the dead man open. "What? Iorek?" Draco looked shocked and backed away from the bloody body.
"Bite marks. Everywhere.and his arms have been gnawed clean off. My hunch is there's a zombie lurking close by. Draco, Sam, run back and inform General Cooper, Sirius and Sanders, and come back down here. Take their weapons-" he pointed at Genevra and Rebecca's heavy blasters- "and go, now."
Rebecca shuddered as the two men left hurriedly down the dark corridor.
"Iorek?"
"Hmmm?" the bear was now poking around the Alpha team members insides.
"How did he come here anyway?" Genevra knocked on the walls. "Can zombies pick locks?" She found a hollow part in the peeling, moss covered wall, and Rebecca rattled the handle they had just come through.
"I don't know." Iorek pulled Chris' head at a 90 degree angle and studied his half eaten face with disgust and wonder.
"Look!" Rebecca twisted the handle twice to the left and once to the right. "A simple, frustrated pulling method.ingenious!" her fair face lit up. "No normal person would think to simply twist the handle like this, in the way we usually open a cupboard door if it were jammed." Genevra tried it for herself.
"Perfect. But-" and now Iorek paused from prodding the heart- "How could zombies think of this? Usually they just break down the walls!" she frowned. "You don't think-"
"No. It can't have been planned." Rebecca murmured, though she felt doubt in her throat. "Iorek. Do you have any idea what could have killed it like this? No 'ordinary' zombie, right? Look how well cut and eaten his body is."
"Leech Zombies." A definite male voice sounded from behind. Iorek looked up, sitting on his haunches. "They evolve from the leeches we've seen around here, and they have somehow managed to pollute the remaining life of the zombies and have made them evolve into these." He threw four photographs of hunchbacked black zombies and Rebecca caught one.
"Look at the blades.and their heads are super large...they're more clever!"
"Exactly. According to the book, no matter how much you shoot, they always come after you and back up. My guess is that they were the ones who killed Chris in this way."
"So does that mean they're prowling around as we speak?" Sanders nodded, and showed her two scans.
"We found these in the bathroom, and our guess is that the half evolved centipede creatures need a damp, warm space to evolve." Iorek, though his face showed no emotion, turned back to the dead, now carefully dismembered, body. He rummaged around in the stomach and General Cooper knelt beside him.
"Black. Does this mean anything?" he scooped up a handful of black, quivering jelly with a gloved hand. Sirius murmured something to Sanders, who nodded and spoke back.
"You found that in the bathroom?" Ioreks voice boomed around the small room, even though it was a softer tone. Sanders nodded. "Can I see?" and so, Iorek, Sanders, General Cooper and Sirius headed upstairs to the bathroom. The alpha STARS members followed quickly behind, holding their weapons threateningly.
Artemis flipped open his miniscule cellular phone. He pressed a button and held it to his ear, tapping his feet and thinking how he really should clean his loafers. A black stained coffee mug was sitting opposite him, its contents slurred and strong.
"Yes?" a horsy voice was heard at the other end. *some polite greeting.* thought Artemis, and he gave a small cough.
"Its me, Foaly." There was an amused whicker.
"Ah, Recons favorite mud-boy. And how are we today, Mr. Kidnapper?" the centaur sat back in his modified La-Z-Boy, his tin foil hat jammed on tightly.
"Fine. And you?" he replied tersely.
"Oh, I'm splendid, thanks for asking. So, what is it, Fowl? Come for another request of fairy gold? You father gone missing again?"
"No, quite different this time. We need some background information on the Umbrella Corporation. Human testing organization? I'm sure you guys down at LEP know the sort." Artemis chuckled softly, checking his manicured nails. There was a shuffle and a mutter, then a rush of static filled Artemis' ear.
"Artemis, you moron. What the hell are you doing to Jill?" a strong female voice was yelling down the phone.
"Holly. Charmed, I'm sure." He leant forward. "So, what do you know?"
"Let me talk to Jill. Do it or I'll fly all the way there and punch your IQ out of your head." She slammed her fist on the table and Foaly grinned.
"I'd do as she says, Fowl. I've had that done before and let me tell you, it's not pretty." A nicker and a strange gulping and sucking noise filled the tinny receiver. Artemis guessed Foaly was eating his lunch.
"Fine, fine." He stood up, straightening his immaculately crisp trousers, and handed the phone to Jill, who was checking on the upper dining hall. As she talked to her grandmother, Artemis sighed. He was 19 now. Puberty was nearly past him, but he couldn't help wondering about Holly. Then again, in human terms, she was 50.
"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry, Grandma. Ok, I'll pass you back. Love you!" Jill threw the phone across the room and Artemis caught it before it went spinning underneath the metal enforced communications center.
"So. Umbrella, Foaly? Anything?" There was a tapping noise, numerous beeps and crunching. Crunching? Ah yes, it was 12:47, after all.
"Hmm..This is interesting. Exactly what are you guys doing on Raccoon Hill?"
"Zombies."
"Ah. Well, I can't see how Umbrella is behind this all, to be honest with you." Foaly frowned. "They were disabled 3 years ago."
"Then how come this book shows that they're still in action?" Foaly's ears pricked up.
"Book? It was probably written ages ago-"
"Then how come it says last weeks date on it?"
*****
Iorek yanked back the plughole and plunged a furry arm inside the narrow pipe. Rebecca was nearly dancing on the spot with worry as the bear rummaged around, his black, pit like eyes furrowed. A noise that sounded like nails being scraped on newly filed iron came from the pipe, then a scrabbling noise which got weaker as Iorek started to pull his hand out. As it reached the dim light in the bathroom it twisted back, its millions of legs wriggling and twisting wildly. Genevra backed up against a wall, terrified. Sirius leaned forward, watching the Bear King's grip slowly crush the mutated insect. It stopped wriggling and Sanders took it from Iorek.
"Right. This'll need testing. Iorek? You wanted to see the black stuff?" Sanders stood heavily from his squatting position, zipping the bag with the insect in it.
"Stuff?" Iorek's voice sounded (if only just a smidgen) amused as he plugged the hole up. "Is there no other name for it?"
"Not yet. Until we find out what it is, we have to call it stuff." Sirius grinned and helped General cooper to his feet as he tried to stand unaided from his huge staff.
"Ohh. I'm getting far too old for this-" he nodded his thanks to Sirius- "Ahh. Right. You four come with me. I'll show you where all the REAL illegal stuff is kept in here." The STARS alphas followed, looking nervous.
Iorek let out a growl. Sanders looked up from where he had been slicing off part of the abdomen from the insect. Iorek then fished out a tiny phone with great difficulty from his belt. As he struggled to flick his claw into the iron enforced phone (he had broken the others even by flicking then with a claw), Sirius grinned and took it from the bear, using both hands to prize open the phone. Iorek nodded and gripped it in his huge paws.
"Iorek.what took you so long?" Butler's voice sounded on the other end.
"Stupid phone was to small. Anyway, what is it?"
"We have a new lead," he flipped the red book with huge hands, "You three should come up immediately."
Iorek nodded. "What are the other five doing?"
"The ALPHA recruits are scouring the top dining hall with." he gave the tiniest fraction of a lip raise, "Sig Saurs." Iorek growled in amusement.
"I'm surprised their little hands can hold them."
Jill opened the doors to the drawing room. Iorek and Sanders walked in with all the tested samples and immediately Artemis started questioning them. Sirius pulled Jill aside and, frowning, sat down on a chair.
"You OK?"
"Yeah. I'm OK, Artemis isn't that bad after all." She said, softly.
"Oooooohhh." He teased, grinning and nudging her.
"Oh, shut up. You know perfectly well what I mean."
Sirius grinned and took a hand, which he noticed was burnt. She withdrew it and smiled.
"I burnt my hand on the plasma screen. You'd think that mud man would at least warn me." Sirius smirked and stood up, his daemon fluttering to the ceiling to join Daikah.
"So, Fowl. What do we have?" he leant over the carefully laid out post mortis which had been apparated by Mulch, who was now flexing his fingers and starting to map out tunnels on the main computer.
"We've found traces of insect matter and larvae growing on the insides of the body." He picked up the severed arm with a gloved hand, grimacing as he took a scalpel and sliced off the infected tissue. His white face mask covered his raised lip as he laid the sample on a slide and slipped it under a gyroscope. Jill handed Sanders and Sirius white coats and masks. They both wrinkled their noses at the smell of the rotting flesh.
"Deal with it. The worst will be when we burn the upper torso," she pointed at the blue dotted line on the milky white, inflamed chest, "and freeze the head and limbs. This baby's gonna be awaking from the dead if we don't freeze it soon."
"So it dies.rots.and the leech grows inside it, takes over its mainframe and controls its body?" Sanders pondered, slipping on gloves to poke inside the mouth. "Ah yes. The leech itself is inside there. This thing is still half alive...we have had to keep it separate from the others." Iorek padded over, a white piece of material bandaged over his muzzle.
"This wont be pretty, guys." The bear plunged his furry arm into the dead mans mouth, and Jill almost gagged as Chris' throat enlarged and Iorek buried deeper. She saw his massive hands clench up, and then the snapping sound of his neck breaking in half from the pressure echoed in the hall. Sirius' eyes almost disappeared under his knotted eyebrows. Jill turned away and clung to his white coat. Sirius put an arm on her shoulder and watched, fascinated yet horrified, as Iorek yanked his sopping arm out, clutching the dead leech in his paw.
"That is so GROSS!!!" she squealed, backing away as Artemis held the huge black insect to the light. He gave a small cough as he laid it on the chrome counter, and Foaly clapped a hoof on his intercom system.
"Ok, Fowl. This may sting a little, but." Artemis blinked back a tear as his blue iris cam rotated and zoomed in. "I think that black matter is the eggs.but you've seen the eggs before, haven't you?" Artemis nodded, and Foaly snorted. "Stop it, you're making me nauseas."
"Jill? Can you come and help me?" Sanders was looking at a diagram of the two leeches and frowning.
"Sure, what is it?" she composed herself and washed her hands at the large sink. Her rubber boots made no sound as she walked over to the table where he was sitting hunched over the dusty red book. She sat on the counter and looked at the stained pages. Sanders pointed at the two grotesque diagrams with his index, and Jill furrowed her brow.
"Male and Female. We've only found the female so far, but maybe the male is the strongest?" Suddenly, there was a clatter and the sound of claws on the floor and Artemis started yelling frantically into his receiver.
"REBECCA, COOPER, SAM, GENEVRA, DRACO! STAY WHERE YOU ARE, DON'T MOVE!" Butler followed the charging Iorek out the blasted double doors and they plunged into the dining hall. Sirius looked white and Jill ran over, looking at the stairs. Three leech zombies were making their way up the stairs to the dining halls top level, where the 5 STARS alpha team was stranded. Foaly cut himself off. All this panic was making him hungry, and there was a slice of carrot cake with his name on it waiting in the fridge.
******
Rebecca froze on the spot. Artemis' tinny voice almost broke the static in her ear, and she grabbed Draco's thin arm.
"Oh my god.what should we do?" she pulled Genevra closer to her for comfort and the older girl put an arm around her. Artemis was yelling instructions down the small headset and Sam had taken out his Sig Saur, loading it painfully. Artemis paused to catch his breath and continued.
"Lock both doors. Go two at a time, NEVER leave each other. You guys are going to have to stay in there for a little while. We have Butler working on the south door-" there was a ripping noise and a bright beam of light was pumped, the shadows covering their feet- "Iorek is on north." There was a tremendous roar and two thumps, then a slashing noise sounded. Rebecca whimpered and edged towards the door, clutching Draco's arm. He slid the bolts back and shoved it into place, then they rushed back to General Cooper, who was leaning on his stick, Fawkes resting at his feet. He was speaking intently to Artemis and his usually jovial face was replaced by a grim look.
"Guys. Looks like we have to stay here for the night."
"WHAT???" Rebecca sank to the floor. Draco laid a hand on her shoulder and she buried her head in her arms.
"The others are stuck in the control room." Genevra mumbled. Artemis let out a sigh and almost deafened her. "Only Iorek and Butler are outside." Artemis suddenly yelled,
"GET BACK!!" the 5 members huddled together and Iorek crashed through the door, covered in black blood. He gave a fierce growl and General Cooper, Genevra and Sam clambered onto his broad back.
"Stay there. I'll come back for you in two second." The bear lumbered surprisingly fast into the controls room, swiping a regular zombie on the way.
"Oh, God.I hate my job." Draco enveloped her in his arms comfortingly and Rebecca closed her eyes.
"GET ON! THIS IS NO TIME FOR ROMANCE!!!!!" screamed Artemis, banging on the panel. His panic was so strong that they broke apart and ran towards the door, where Iorek was bulldozing up the stairs. Across his snowy white stomach and muzzle there was blood and a huge gash ran from his left paw to his stomach. Still, he never stumbled, and the floor shook with the combined weight of Butler, who was running from the scene to the stairs. He sprinted up them two at a time and grabbed Rebecca by the arms, swinging her onto his back. *never leave the principal alone* he thought, and his worry of Artemis made him quicken his pace.
As soon as they reached the doors, Sirius pulled the two off and slammed the doors, not just a second in time. 5 or 6 zombies, male, were pummeling at the door, using their huge clawed arms to rip through the rotting wall panels. Iorek shoved a huge metal welder across the door and Artemis' pale face was lit up by the steady greenish hue of the plasma screens. Thunder sounded from the huge, 10 ft tall windows. The moon shone spookily across the dilapidated lawns and Sirius gave Iorek two bars of Honeydukes Chocolatl to numb the pain of the ointment that was being tenderly applied to his open wound.
"I suggest you make yourselves comfortable- We'll be here for a day, if not more. We seem to have woken up the dead."
*****
Saratham clung to Jill's chest, his monkey claws digging into her hair. She sat under a blanket with a very grumpy looking Artemis, who had been sent to bed by Butler. Daikah was flitting around the room, pecking snappily at anyone who got in her way. Jill frowned as Artemis fell into a stupor, his head drooping back on the small shelf. Soon enough, the 19 year olds snores were heard from everyone, and Jill rolled her eyes. She drew the blanket over his shoulders and Daikah flew onto his shoulder, then nestled in his pocket. As Saratham fell asleep, Jill took out the tiny diary and started to write, keeping half an ear on the adult's conversation. Sirius was sitting next to her, fingering his badge absent mindedly. Rebecca and co. were fast asleep on the floor, their eyes twitching in REM sleep. Sirius frowned and whispered,
"How come we aren't allowed to join them?" Rebecca frowned, closing the book.
"This sucks. We have a right to know, don't we." But half of her was fearful of Iorek and the adults, so she didn't object. Sirius sighed and closed his eyes.
"Goodnight." the clock on the main hall chimed 13 times, and Jill looked at her LCD watch. *1:24 am.I'd better hurry up.* Jill took out the diary again and continued, sleep itching at her eyes.
Today we encountered Leech Zombies. Great. I'm as worried as I ever have been, and I find myself dreading the next 6 days in this place. If this happens so early on, I don't know what I'll do. I'm so tired, and we're all trapped in one room. I'm going to keep half an eye open, just in case something bad happens.
"Rebecca Baggins. How can I help you?" The general sat comfortably in his chair, searching her swiftly. His blue eyes sparkled over the half moon glasses and she felt at ease.
"Sir. Can I sweep the area? I have two weapons and three people have agreed to come."
"Very well, if you must. But we don't want any more being lost. Iorek Byrinson is to come and protect you." He frowned. "You and whom, might I ask?"
"Draco, Sam, and Genevra sir."
"Hmm. Yes, ok, do as you may." He stood up and suddenly looked frail and old. Rebecca looked up and noticed him staring at the old Softnose.
"I thought those were outlawed, Ms Baggins?" he said, a twinkle in his kind eyes. His daemon, a fiery red phoenix, rested sleepily on his old shoulder. He stroked the birds plumed head and smiled. "Fawkes approves, Rebecca. On you go. Take care."
With that thought resting on her shoulders, she and her daemon left the hall and followed Genevra into the dark hallway.
Jill tugged on a drawer handle. Its rusted hinges scraped as she threw her weight from it. In her desperation, she looked around the small room she was in- the drawing room, she thought. All she needed was an.*aha!* she thought, and she let go of the gold rimmed handle, walking over to the small table where she had spotted a small knife. Picking it up, she walked over to the huge cabinet and jammed it into a crack in between the rotting wooden case and the drawer. It opened enough for her to fit her hand in, and Jill slid it inside. Her hand closed around a weighty object and she pulled it out. As it emerged from the shadows, she excitedly turned it over and blew the dust off. As the cloud of cobwebs and rubble disappeared, she noticed it was a book, with the initials K.S engraved in peeling goldleaf. She picked up the tiny cell phone strapped to her waist and flipped it open.
"Holly?"
"Holly? What? I'm Jill, you moron!"
"Ah. Sorry. Excuse old Arty. Did you find the book?"
"Yes. I've found a moldy old red book with the initials K.S if that's what you mean."
"That's the one. Report back."
Mulch Diggums, the escaped Dwarf, allowed himself a quiet giggle. "Really, Fowl. Report back?" he grinned. "We're not in Recon, you know."
"Quiet, or I'll have Root kick your stinking behind back to T'athld." Artemis turned from the now sulking Mulch, tapping on the computer screen. He rotated it slightly and frowned.
"Butler. What are those four kids and the bear doing in the guest rooms near the west?"
"I'm not sure, Artemis. But it seems they've been cleared by Cooper, so."
"Hmm. Is Ho-I mean, Jill with you?" Artemis winced. He needed a brainwash. And a good shower whilst he was there. Unfortunately, the showers were out of bounds whilst Sirius and Sanders were examining them for 'possible life forms'.
"No, Sir." Butler brought Artemis back to earth with a thud- he had been imagining a nice massage and Jacuzzi back at his mothers spa. Artemis nodded and sighed, a rush of static filling the bodyguards ears.
"Artemis. Here." A short voice made him jerk around, and a red book was thumped on the table.
"Ahh. Here we go; this is where it begins now." Mulch looked up from his Game Boy, remotely interested now, seeing the flash of gold.
"What is that?" asked Jill, sitting on an uncomfortable chair.
Artemis opened it, sliding it out of its cover and leafing through the stained, yellow pages. "It's a brief history and map of the mansion.now we should have a clear view of where we are and what we should be doing." Artemis squinted, and Daikah the mocking bird cocked her head. She pecked at his black hair and turned to face Jill.
"Why hasn't your Daemon settled yet?" she said, in a soft voice. Jill looked up, startled.
"Uhm..I don't know." Jill pushed her hair behind her ears. "I'm never sure when they're meant too." Saratham pushed his nose under her arm and peered at the pages.
"Hmmm." Daikah fluttered off Artemis' shoulder and prodded a paragraph. Artemis looked at it, and frowned.
"So that's where it came from." he muttered, scratching his head. Then he jerked up and turned so quickly Daikah almost fell off the handle of his chair.
"Butler. Get that old coot up here. We need to ask him some-"
"That old coot is already here, Mr. Fowl." Artemis whirled around to see General Cooper smiling bemusedly. "So you discovered Umbrella?"
"Umbrella?" Jill looked confused. "But.I thought they were discharged last year?" she stood and walked over to the monitor, tapping a button with her index finger. Artemis scowled.
"What?"
"They were responsible for C.R 3 years ago," she snapped, as if it was obvious. Artemis walked over.
"Of course.." Artemis snapped his fingers. "Why didn't I think of it before!"
Sam tentatively put a hand on the door handle, at the request of Iorek. Rebecca gulped and, as Sam stepped back, kicked the crumbling door open. Draco was already fishing out his lock pick and handing it to Iorek, who was studying the door that was directly opposite from the plastered one they had just entered. The bear gave a disbelieving snort and swiped his huge claws on the frame, leaving deep scratch marks. The door clicked and swung open, and the four mortals and their cowering daemons followed.
"Look." Rebecca turned in the direction Draco was pointing and she uttered a small scream. Her owl daemon hooted and gripped her shoulder with her talons. Genevra knelt by the body and softly rolled it over. Iorek growled.
"It's Redfield, guys." Genevra muttered. Sam frowned.
"How? Zombies?"
"Oh, no!" Rebecca leant against the wall and studied the mangled corpse.
"Are you sure it's him?" Draco moved closer and took the badge from Genevra's trembling hands. The four of them jumped when a gnarled tree branch slapped across the small window. The wind whistled even louder inside the now silent room, and dead leaves rustled outside the door. Iorek suddenly leant down and, with a deft swipe of his paw, sliced the dead man open. "What? Iorek?" Draco looked shocked and backed away from the bloody body.
"Bite marks. Everywhere.and his arms have been gnawed clean off. My hunch is there's a zombie lurking close by. Draco, Sam, run back and inform General Cooper, Sirius and Sanders, and come back down here. Take their weapons-" he pointed at Genevra and Rebecca's heavy blasters- "and go, now."
Rebecca shuddered as the two men left hurriedly down the dark corridor.
"Iorek?"
"Hmmm?" the bear was now poking around the Alpha team members insides.
"How did he come here anyway?" Genevra knocked on the walls. "Can zombies pick locks?" She found a hollow part in the peeling, moss covered wall, and Rebecca rattled the handle they had just come through.
"I don't know." Iorek pulled Chris' head at a 90 degree angle and studied his half eaten face with disgust and wonder.
"Look!" Rebecca twisted the handle twice to the left and once to the right. "A simple, frustrated pulling method.ingenious!" her fair face lit up. "No normal person would think to simply twist the handle like this, in the way we usually open a cupboard door if it were jammed." Genevra tried it for herself.
"Perfect. But-" and now Iorek paused from prodding the heart- "How could zombies think of this? Usually they just break down the walls!" she frowned. "You don't think-"
"No. It can't have been planned." Rebecca murmured, though she felt doubt in her throat. "Iorek. Do you have any idea what could have killed it like this? No 'ordinary' zombie, right? Look how well cut and eaten his body is."
"Leech Zombies." A definite male voice sounded from behind. Iorek looked up, sitting on his haunches. "They evolve from the leeches we've seen around here, and they have somehow managed to pollute the remaining life of the zombies and have made them evolve into these." He threw four photographs of hunchbacked black zombies and Rebecca caught one.
"Look at the blades.and their heads are super large...they're more clever!"
"Exactly. According to the book, no matter how much you shoot, they always come after you and back up. My guess is that they were the ones who killed Chris in this way."
"So does that mean they're prowling around as we speak?" Sanders nodded, and showed her two scans.
"We found these in the bathroom, and our guess is that the half evolved centipede creatures need a damp, warm space to evolve." Iorek, though his face showed no emotion, turned back to the dead, now carefully dismembered, body. He rummaged around in the stomach and General Cooper knelt beside him.
"Black. Does this mean anything?" he scooped up a handful of black, quivering jelly with a gloved hand. Sirius murmured something to Sanders, who nodded and spoke back.
"You found that in the bathroom?" Ioreks voice boomed around the small room, even though it was a softer tone. Sanders nodded. "Can I see?" and so, Iorek, Sanders, General Cooper and Sirius headed upstairs to the bathroom. The alpha STARS members followed quickly behind, holding their weapons threateningly.
Artemis flipped open his miniscule cellular phone. He pressed a button and held it to his ear, tapping his feet and thinking how he really should clean his loafers. A black stained coffee mug was sitting opposite him, its contents slurred and strong.
"Yes?" a horsy voice was heard at the other end. *some polite greeting.* thought Artemis, and he gave a small cough.
"Its me, Foaly." There was an amused whicker.
"Ah, Recons favorite mud-boy. And how are we today, Mr. Kidnapper?" the centaur sat back in his modified La-Z-Boy, his tin foil hat jammed on tightly.
"Fine. And you?" he replied tersely.
"Oh, I'm splendid, thanks for asking. So, what is it, Fowl? Come for another request of fairy gold? You father gone missing again?"
"No, quite different this time. We need some background information on the Umbrella Corporation. Human testing organization? I'm sure you guys down at LEP know the sort." Artemis chuckled softly, checking his manicured nails. There was a shuffle and a mutter, then a rush of static filled Artemis' ear.
"Artemis, you moron. What the hell are you doing to Jill?" a strong female voice was yelling down the phone.
"Holly. Charmed, I'm sure." He leant forward. "So, what do you know?"
"Let me talk to Jill. Do it or I'll fly all the way there and punch your IQ out of your head." She slammed her fist on the table and Foaly grinned.
"I'd do as she says, Fowl. I've had that done before and let me tell you, it's not pretty." A nicker and a strange gulping and sucking noise filled the tinny receiver. Artemis guessed Foaly was eating his lunch.
"Fine, fine." He stood up, straightening his immaculately crisp trousers, and handed the phone to Jill, who was checking on the upper dining hall. As she talked to her grandmother, Artemis sighed. He was 19 now. Puberty was nearly past him, but he couldn't help wondering about Holly. Then again, in human terms, she was 50.
"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry, Grandma. Ok, I'll pass you back. Love you!" Jill threw the phone across the room and Artemis caught it before it went spinning underneath the metal enforced communications center.
"So. Umbrella, Foaly? Anything?" There was a tapping noise, numerous beeps and crunching. Crunching? Ah yes, it was 12:47, after all.
"Hmm..This is interesting. Exactly what are you guys doing on Raccoon Hill?"
"Zombies."
"Ah. Well, I can't see how Umbrella is behind this all, to be honest with you." Foaly frowned. "They were disabled 3 years ago."
"Then how come this book shows that they're still in action?" Foaly's ears pricked up.
"Book? It was probably written ages ago-"
"Then how come it says last weeks date on it?"
*****
Iorek yanked back the plughole and plunged a furry arm inside the narrow pipe. Rebecca was nearly dancing on the spot with worry as the bear rummaged around, his black, pit like eyes furrowed. A noise that sounded like nails being scraped on newly filed iron came from the pipe, then a scrabbling noise which got weaker as Iorek started to pull his hand out. As it reached the dim light in the bathroom it twisted back, its millions of legs wriggling and twisting wildly. Genevra backed up against a wall, terrified. Sirius leaned forward, watching the Bear King's grip slowly crush the mutated insect. It stopped wriggling and Sanders took it from Iorek.
"Right. This'll need testing. Iorek? You wanted to see the black stuff?" Sanders stood heavily from his squatting position, zipping the bag with the insect in it.
"Stuff?" Iorek's voice sounded (if only just a smidgen) amused as he plugged the hole up. "Is there no other name for it?"
"Not yet. Until we find out what it is, we have to call it stuff." Sirius grinned and helped General cooper to his feet as he tried to stand unaided from his huge staff.
"Ohh. I'm getting far too old for this-" he nodded his thanks to Sirius- "Ahh. Right. You four come with me. I'll show you where all the REAL illegal stuff is kept in here." The STARS alphas followed, looking nervous.
Iorek let out a growl. Sanders looked up from where he had been slicing off part of the abdomen from the insect. Iorek then fished out a tiny phone with great difficulty from his belt. As he struggled to flick his claw into the iron enforced phone (he had broken the others even by flicking then with a claw), Sirius grinned and took it from the bear, using both hands to prize open the phone. Iorek nodded and gripped it in his huge paws.
"Iorek.what took you so long?" Butler's voice sounded on the other end.
"Stupid phone was to small. Anyway, what is it?"
"We have a new lead," he flipped the red book with huge hands, "You three should come up immediately."
Iorek nodded. "What are the other five doing?"
"The ALPHA recruits are scouring the top dining hall with." he gave the tiniest fraction of a lip raise, "Sig Saurs." Iorek growled in amusement.
"I'm surprised their little hands can hold them."
Jill opened the doors to the drawing room. Iorek and Sanders walked in with all the tested samples and immediately Artemis started questioning them. Sirius pulled Jill aside and, frowning, sat down on a chair.
"You OK?"
"Yeah. I'm OK, Artemis isn't that bad after all." She said, softly.
"Oooooohhh." He teased, grinning and nudging her.
"Oh, shut up. You know perfectly well what I mean."
Sirius grinned and took a hand, which he noticed was burnt. She withdrew it and smiled.
"I burnt my hand on the plasma screen. You'd think that mud man would at least warn me." Sirius smirked and stood up, his daemon fluttering to the ceiling to join Daikah.
"So, Fowl. What do we have?" he leant over the carefully laid out post mortis which had been apparated by Mulch, who was now flexing his fingers and starting to map out tunnels on the main computer.
"We've found traces of insect matter and larvae growing on the insides of the body." He picked up the severed arm with a gloved hand, grimacing as he took a scalpel and sliced off the infected tissue. His white face mask covered his raised lip as he laid the sample on a slide and slipped it under a gyroscope. Jill handed Sanders and Sirius white coats and masks. They both wrinkled their noses at the smell of the rotting flesh.
"Deal with it. The worst will be when we burn the upper torso," she pointed at the blue dotted line on the milky white, inflamed chest, "and freeze the head and limbs. This baby's gonna be awaking from the dead if we don't freeze it soon."
"So it dies.rots.and the leech grows inside it, takes over its mainframe and controls its body?" Sanders pondered, slipping on gloves to poke inside the mouth. "Ah yes. The leech itself is inside there. This thing is still half alive...we have had to keep it separate from the others." Iorek padded over, a white piece of material bandaged over his muzzle.
"This wont be pretty, guys." The bear plunged his furry arm into the dead mans mouth, and Jill almost gagged as Chris' throat enlarged and Iorek buried deeper. She saw his massive hands clench up, and then the snapping sound of his neck breaking in half from the pressure echoed in the hall. Sirius' eyes almost disappeared under his knotted eyebrows. Jill turned away and clung to his white coat. Sirius put an arm on her shoulder and watched, fascinated yet horrified, as Iorek yanked his sopping arm out, clutching the dead leech in his paw.
"That is so GROSS!!!" she squealed, backing away as Artemis held the huge black insect to the light. He gave a small cough as he laid it on the chrome counter, and Foaly clapped a hoof on his intercom system.
"Ok, Fowl. This may sting a little, but." Artemis blinked back a tear as his blue iris cam rotated and zoomed in. "I think that black matter is the eggs.but you've seen the eggs before, haven't you?" Artemis nodded, and Foaly snorted. "Stop it, you're making me nauseas."
"Jill? Can you come and help me?" Sanders was looking at a diagram of the two leeches and frowning.
"Sure, what is it?" she composed herself and washed her hands at the large sink. Her rubber boots made no sound as she walked over to the table where he was sitting hunched over the dusty red book. She sat on the counter and looked at the stained pages. Sanders pointed at the two grotesque diagrams with his index, and Jill furrowed her brow.
"Male and Female. We've only found the female so far, but maybe the male is the strongest?" Suddenly, there was a clatter and the sound of claws on the floor and Artemis started yelling frantically into his receiver.
"REBECCA, COOPER, SAM, GENEVRA, DRACO! STAY WHERE YOU ARE, DON'T MOVE!" Butler followed the charging Iorek out the blasted double doors and they plunged into the dining hall. Sirius looked white and Jill ran over, looking at the stairs. Three leech zombies were making their way up the stairs to the dining halls top level, where the 5 STARS alpha team was stranded. Foaly cut himself off. All this panic was making him hungry, and there was a slice of carrot cake with his name on it waiting in the fridge.
******
Rebecca froze on the spot. Artemis' tinny voice almost broke the static in her ear, and she grabbed Draco's thin arm.
"Oh my god.what should we do?" she pulled Genevra closer to her for comfort and the older girl put an arm around her. Artemis was yelling instructions down the small headset and Sam had taken out his Sig Saur, loading it painfully. Artemis paused to catch his breath and continued.
"Lock both doors. Go two at a time, NEVER leave each other. You guys are going to have to stay in there for a little while. We have Butler working on the south door-" there was a ripping noise and a bright beam of light was pumped, the shadows covering their feet- "Iorek is on north." There was a tremendous roar and two thumps, then a slashing noise sounded. Rebecca whimpered and edged towards the door, clutching Draco's arm. He slid the bolts back and shoved it into place, then they rushed back to General Cooper, who was leaning on his stick, Fawkes resting at his feet. He was speaking intently to Artemis and his usually jovial face was replaced by a grim look.
"Guys. Looks like we have to stay here for the night."
"WHAT???" Rebecca sank to the floor. Draco laid a hand on her shoulder and she buried her head in her arms.
"The others are stuck in the control room." Genevra mumbled. Artemis let out a sigh and almost deafened her. "Only Iorek and Butler are outside." Artemis suddenly yelled,
"GET BACK!!" the 5 members huddled together and Iorek crashed through the door, covered in black blood. He gave a fierce growl and General Cooper, Genevra and Sam clambered onto his broad back.
"Stay there. I'll come back for you in two second." The bear lumbered surprisingly fast into the controls room, swiping a regular zombie on the way.
"Oh, God.I hate my job." Draco enveloped her in his arms comfortingly and Rebecca closed her eyes.
"GET ON! THIS IS NO TIME FOR ROMANCE!!!!!" screamed Artemis, banging on the panel. His panic was so strong that they broke apart and ran towards the door, where Iorek was bulldozing up the stairs. Across his snowy white stomach and muzzle there was blood and a huge gash ran from his left paw to his stomach. Still, he never stumbled, and the floor shook with the combined weight of Butler, who was running from the scene to the stairs. He sprinted up them two at a time and grabbed Rebecca by the arms, swinging her onto his back. *never leave the principal alone* he thought, and his worry of Artemis made him quicken his pace.
As soon as they reached the doors, Sirius pulled the two off and slammed the doors, not just a second in time. 5 or 6 zombies, male, were pummeling at the door, using their huge clawed arms to rip through the rotting wall panels. Iorek shoved a huge metal welder across the door and Artemis' pale face was lit up by the steady greenish hue of the plasma screens. Thunder sounded from the huge, 10 ft tall windows. The moon shone spookily across the dilapidated lawns and Sirius gave Iorek two bars of Honeydukes Chocolatl to numb the pain of the ointment that was being tenderly applied to his open wound.
"I suggest you make yourselves comfortable- We'll be here for a day, if not more. We seem to have woken up the dead."
*****
Saratham clung to Jill's chest, his monkey claws digging into her hair. She sat under a blanket with a very grumpy looking Artemis, who had been sent to bed by Butler. Daikah was flitting around the room, pecking snappily at anyone who got in her way. Jill frowned as Artemis fell into a stupor, his head drooping back on the small shelf. Soon enough, the 19 year olds snores were heard from everyone, and Jill rolled her eyes. She drew the blanket over his shoulders and Daikah flew onto his shoulder, then nestled in his pocket. As Saratham fell asleep, Jill took out the tiny diary and started to write, keeping half an ear on the adult's conversation. Sirius was sitting next to her, fingering his badge absent mindedly. Rebecca and co. were fast asleep on the floor, their eyes twitching in REM sleep. Sirius frowned and whispered,
"How come we aren't allowed to join them?" Rebecca frowned, closing the book.
"This sucks. We have a right to know, don't we." But half of her was fearful of Iorek and the adults, so she didn't object. Sirius sighed and closed his eyes.
"Goodnight." the clock on the main hall chimed 13 times, and Jill looked at her LCD watch. *1:24 am.I'd better hurry up.* Jill took out the diary again and continued, sleep itching at her eyes.
Today we encountered Leech Zombies. Great. I'm as worried as I ever have been, and I find myself dreading the next 6 days in this place. If this happens so early on, I don't know what I'll do. I'm so tired, and we're all trapped in one room. I'm going to keep half an eye open, just in case something bad happens.