THREE
Chris caught his breath as he took in the surroundings. The hall they all stood in was huge, grey marble tiling and finished off by a red criss-cross carpeted staircase to the second floor. Arched stone pillars held up the second floor, full candleholders and a chandelier cast light over everything.
"Is everyone alright?" Jill asked. They all nodded. "What is this place?" Barry muttered. Wesker rearranged his sunglasses then turned to Barry "Not quite your ordinary house...that's for sure." Chris looked around the hall up at the second floor, all around him the place seemed wrong somehow.
Clutching his handgun he walked towards the stairs, the sound of his footsteps echoing throughout the hall. Chris glanced up from the base of the stairs and saw a large portrait of mourners stood by a headstone. He shrugged the place seemed...empty.
Chris walked back to the others "Wesker I thought this place is supposed to be abandoned." Wesker looked away from the front door "It's meant to be...though who's been here?" Jill spoke up "Could it be anything to do with Bravo team?" Wesker shrugged "Could be, this door appears to have been broken down before we even got here."
"Wesker, you think those...dogs are responsible for Kevin's death?" "Most likely Chris, he looked pretty messed up!" Jill covered her face with one hand First Kevin now Joseph, how many more have died. Barry looked at Jill and saw that she was shaken "You okay Jill?" Jill lowered her hand "Not really, I keep thinking about Joseph." Barry nodded "You did everything you could." "They just wouldn't die, what the hell were they... they were definitely dogs but something was wrong with them?"
Chris spoke up "I know what you mean, I hit one in the chest and it got back up." Barry turned to Wesker "What do we do now?" Wesker held one hand up, the other to his head set. "Brad do you copy, over? I repeat, Brad do you copy, over?" Wesker shook his head "I can't get through to him, how's everybody doing for ammo?"
Chris ejected his clip "Four clips and nine left in this one." Jill pocketed her spent mag and slapped in a fresh one "Four clips left." Barry let the chamber on his gun swing open dropping six empty casings on the carpet, out of his pocket he pulled five full speedloaders and a handful of loose rounds. Wesker ejected his clip "Four in this one and another four full."
Wesker turned back to the group "I suggest that we wait..."
BANG
Jill looked to Wesker "What was that?" Wesker rubbed at his chin "Maybe one of the Bravo's, Chris go and check it out report back if you find anything." Chris crossed the hallway to the door that the sound came from. "Chris?" he turned to the sound of Jill's voice. "Take care." "Yeah, I will." He pulled open the door and disappeared through, the sound of a clocks tick dying as the door closed.
Some sort of dining room? Chris wiped a finger along the dust-covered dining table that stretched the length of the dining room. Not been used in a while. A grandfather clock stood ticking against the wall, next to it a picture of two men engaged in a sword fight. Above was a second-floor balcony, at the far end a fireplace. To the right of the fireplace a door stood partly open, Chris looked down and noticed that the dust on the black and white checked floor had been disturbed and led through the door.Chris walked towards it and stepped through.
The hallway he stood in was dimly lit, every so often lightning would light it up, the walls decorated in a green patterned wall paper. Chris looked up the length of either side, to the right a couple of doors and a turning at the end, to the left the hall took another turn, he walked to the door across from him and tried the handle, locked. What's that smell? Before Chris could think of what it could be something caught his eye, to his left at the end of the hall, the dust on the carpet had been disturbed by what looked like footprints. Might be whoever it was from the dining room!
He raised the gun and slowly approached the corner. He stood dead in his tracks at the spectacle before him. A man was huddled over a body and was feeding of it, as if sensing Chris he slowing turned his head to look at Chris.
Chris backed away from the hideous sight, his face covered in blood and clothes were stained, his flesh dried and cracked, Chris realised that the smell was coming of this man. What's wrong with him...Chris aimed his Beretta at the mans chest "Freeze, stay where you are!" The man stood in front of Chris, arms slowly outstretching it reached out for Chris.
Chris fired a shot into its chest, it stumbled back, then started forward again. What the fuck? He fired another two rounds into its chest, this time it dropped. Chris stepped back from the corpse, Chris glanced at the body it was feasting on. He saw that the guy had a symbol on his shoulder, it looked like... the S.T.A.R.S. insignia.
Chris stepped over the corpse and crouched by the body, it was Kenneth Sullivan of Bravo team. His throat was a total mess, Chris closed the fallen Bravo's eyes. He saw that Kenneth's gun was nearby, and stuck it into his pocket, patting down the body he stumbled upon three full magazines. Thanks friend.
Unnhhh
Chris's looked to his right, the man he downed was getting back up. The creature was blocking his way back to the main hall, Chris glanced around and saw a door behind him. Retreating back to it he let a round loose into the creatures right kneecap, he grabbed the handle and pushed at the door slamming it behind him.
Wesker stood by the door and continued to try raising Brad on the radio. Wesker gave up and shook his head. "Nothing." Barry punched the wall, unsettling dust. "Fucking coward!" Jill walked over to calm him down, just as she laid her hand down on his shoulder a gun shot rang out, followed by two more. "Chris!" Jill turned towards the door then started forward before turning back to Wesker "Jill go and investigate!" Jill started towards the door but stopped at Barry's insistent voice "I'm going with her. Chris and I go back a long way." Wesker hesitated then nodded "Alright you two go. I'll stay and secure this area." Barry and Jill both nodded back at the Captain then proceeded to the door. Wesker called over to them, his tone demanding "Stay sharp!" Guns raised, Jill reached out for the left handle of the double doors and pushed it open and Barry charged after it.
Barry charged into the room and scanned it with his gun, Jill came in after him, gun held out in front of her, the room was empty. Barry lowered the gun and took in the room "A dining room?" Barry walked towards the fireplace at the far wall leaving Jill behind to look around. As Barry approached the fireplace he noticed a red fluid on the floor in front of it. Barry crouched before the fluid and looked more closely at it. Damn! Shocked at the discovery Barry shouted over his shoulder to Jill who was staring at a picture by the grandfather clock. "I think you better take a look at this!"
Jill turned at the call from Barry and walked to him "What is it?" Barry was crouched in front of a red patch of fluid on the floor, he dipped his fingers into the substance and rubbed them together "Blood..." he turned to look up at her "...Jill lets see if we can find any other clues." He raised to feet and started towards the single door by his side, he looked over his shoulder as he reached the door "Lets just hope it's not Chris's!" Jill nodded in agreement and they opened the door and walked into the hallway. A stench hit her nose, a smell of rotting meat. Barry turned to her as she stared down towards the end of the hall to her left "What's that smell!" she shook her head then caught a glimpse of movement as a shuffling figure appeared around the corner. "Barry!"
Barry turned at the sound of Jill's shout and saw the shuffling figure, lightning flashed lighting up its face, what was left of it that is. In all of Barry's previous careers he had never seen any thing like it, except back with SWAT when he and his team raided a drugs factory and found a two day old corpse lying in the boiler room. The heat had caused the corpse to de-compose earlier than usual making it stink to high heaven. The same smell coming off the man shuffling towards them. But how can he smell like that corpse did, he's still alive! Barry looked to Jill again "What is it?!"
Jill already had her gun up and pointed at the man as he inched his way towards her and Barry. Jill shook her head "No idea!" the man closed the distance between them, Jill held the gun more steadily "Freeze!" the man continued to shuffle towards them, one leg dragging along the floor, it raised its arms and let out a pitiful moan. Jill noticed that the man's torso had several bullet holes in it "That's far enough!" the man continued. Jill squeezed the trigger and let two rounds smack into its torso. The man stumbled then came back at them
Barry ushered Jill behind him and raised the .44 magnum "Let me take care of this!" taking aim Barry let of a round, the gun jumped in his hands as the round smacked the man in the chest, he flew back into the far wall and slid to the ground. No sooner had they lowered their weapons that the man let out a moan and raised to his feet "What the hell!" the man's chest was covered in blood, his rib cage partially visible. Barry shouted over his shoulder to Jill "It's like the god damn living dead!"
That's it! Jill turned to Barry as the thing closed in "Barry, its
head, aim for its head!" Barry levelled the gun again "Don't need to tell me twice." He let loose the round and it smacked the man directly between the eyes, its skull caving in as the round punctured its brain covering the wall with skull and brain fragments.
The man fell backwards and did not rise again.
Barry knew the answer before he asked the question "What the fuck was that...thing!" Jill shook her head in disbelief "As ludicrous as it is, it seems to be a...zombie?!" Barry shook his
head in disbelief "I know it can't be true but the facts seem to present themselves, first it stinks of rotting meat, second you saw how many rounds it took and still wouldn't die!" Barry rubbed at his stubbled chin "Third?" Jill nodded "And third it finally dropped from you destroying its brain. It would explain all the recent cannibal attacks that have been happening!"
Barry looked pretty taken back "What's that!" Barry pointed to a dark red patch from where the zombie came from. The two walked to the end and were shocked to find a corpse, its throat partially gnawed on. Upon closer inspection they found that the corpse was Kenneth Sullivan, Bravo teams field scout and an expert in chemistry. Now he lay before them a blooded ragged mess. Jill covered her face with her hands, Barry looked to her "Where's his weapon?" Jill couldn't quite bring herself to look directly at his corpse "What?" "His weapon, it's missing." Barry crouched by the side of the body and patted the legs down. Jill managed a glance at the corpse, Barry was right Kenneth's leg holster was empty and his gun was nowhere to be seen. Barry stood up "Nothing, no weapon and no ammo." Jill looked hopeful "Chris maybe?" Barry looked around "Possibly he's nowhere to be seen." Jill indicated to the door on Barry's left and started towards it, she reached out and grabbed the handle.
"Maybe we should report to Wesker first?" Jill let go of the handle and sighed "Okay, but lets hurry, Chris could be walking around this place alone!"
They walked through the dining room and reached the double doors back to the main hall. Barry walked through first already starting to call Wesker "Wesker?" Barry stood in the hall and Jill joined him. Nothing changed everything the same just missing a Captain. Barry tried a little louder "Wesker?!" Nothing. Where the fuck is he? Barry faced Jill "Help me look for him, lets not leave this hall for the moment." Jill nodded in agreement "Good idea." Barry started looking around the main hall while Jill headed up to the second floor. Jill reached the top of the stairs and glanced at the portrait of mourners by a head stone, upon a closer look Jill spotted a doorknob. Well I'll be damned it's a door! Up a shorter flight of stairs she saw that there was two doors on the East Side and a further two on the west. A noise caught Jill's attention behind the nearest door on the West Side, just as she gripped the handle she heard Barry shout "Jill, come here quick!"
Jill let go of the handle and ran down the stairs taking them two at a time. Stood at the bottom of the stairs Jill looked around, she was alone "Barry?" "I'm here Jill!" from behind the stairs Barry emerged "Come take a look at this!" Jill jogged over to him and saw that leading under the stairs was a stairwell leading down, blocking there way a giant Iron Gate with two small palm size octagonal indentations. "You think Wesker maybe went down there?" Barry ran a finger over the indentations "I'm not sure it seems whatever goes in these slots unlock the gate, but that's not why I called you. Listen!" Jill moved closer to the gate and heard a loud moan nothing like the zombie's moan but more like whatever it was, was frustrated and in pain, a lot of pain. "What the hell was that!" Barry shook his head "I've no idea, any luck upstairs?" "No, wherever Wesker is, he isn't in this hall."
"First Chris now Wesker." Barry shrugged "There's not much we can do. We can search for them separately, we'll cover more ground that way. I'll go back through the dining room to the area with Kenneth." "Okay I'll try some of the doors in this hall, one is bound to open and if it doesn't this will help." She held up the lock pick set that she always took on missions. Barry gave her a thumbs up and headed to the dining room door "Okay, remember this mansion looks huge, we could easily get lost! If something does happen head back here to this hall." "Okay." Barry opened the door and turned to Jill and tapped his brow with is index finger "Stay safe!" Jill smiled "You too!" Barry returned the smile then went through to the dining room pulling the door shut behind him leaving Jill alone in the main hall.