Chapter 2
The sun rose over the mountains before covering the small population of Wallace City. The bright orange glow slowly travelling through the city streest giving them light that the night had taken away. The small town had been given a new lease of life thanks to Umbrella. On the verge of dying, it was revived once again with a generous donation from the Umbrella corporation that included jobs for practically everyone in the city. The small town was once again alive, people walked out of their homes to begin their day, a heavy line of traffic forming at the road leading to the Umbrella Facility on the edge of town. Jordan Philips stood at her window, a cup in her hand, unlike the rest of the city her cup was filled with orange juice rather then coffee. She was never one for coffee, her job was like her caffine, she loved it. She stood looking out onto the city that she protected, people going out to their jobs, most heading towards the Umbrella Facility. Her S.T.A.R.S. uniform covered her athletic body, she had joined S.T.A.R.S. about a year before, and then she had been moved to the Wallace City branch. The S.T.A.R.S. team in Wallace was small, however they got the job done, and lately Wallace needed the team. Jordan, Chris Hetherington, Lorila Silver and Eric Jackson made up the small town. Eric Jackson was the Captain of the team and he was the best Captain that Jordan had worked with. Morning in Wallace City was always busy, it was when night fell that the town showed its fearful side, the side that meant people would not move outside their doors after dark. Murder had caused this, and not just any normal murders brutal murders, murders that made a cops skin crawl when they got the call saying there had been another. Jordan walked away from the window putting her cup onto the counter. The morning paper lay on the counter next to her cup, the headline told a sinister story
"ANOTHER MURDER ROCKS COMMUNITY, WHAT ARE OUR POLICE DOING INSTEAD OF THEIR JOB?!"
Jordan shook her head
God damnit, what the hell are they blaming us for? We are trying to do our job but every time we try to get close we are stopped
She took her keys in her hand and walked out of her apartment. Walking into the street several people said hello to her as she walked over to her jeep which was parked in the street in front of her apartment building. She got into the jeep starting up the engine, she headed the few blocks to the station looking out into the street as she drove. She drove round the corner onto the street facing the station. Driving down the street she looked around, people nodded to her as she drove, each one of them hoping she would find out what was happening and help their fair city in their time of trouble.
As she pulled into the parking lot of the station she saw several of the officers moving into the station to begin their shift. She got out of her jeep having parked it and walked into the station. She was about to move to the stairs to head to the S.T.A.R.S. office when she heard a voice calling her name
"Jordan, can I see you for a second?"
Jordan turned looking towards the young receptionist who sat at the front desk
"Captain Jackson had to attend to some business today and he asked if you could sign out Rogers to the Lieutenant who's coming from Florida to pick him up?"
Jordan nodded slowly
"sure just ring me when he arrives"
The
receptionist nodded and went back to her work which she thought
included chatting up and being flattered by the younger more
impulsive officers in the station. Jordan shook her head and walked
upto the S.T.A.R.S. office, even before she reached the door she
could hear the voices of her other two team mates and friends
chatting inside. She could tell Lorilas voice a mile off, she had a
vision of Chris sitting there nodding his head just listening but not
totally listening. Jordan walked into the office looking at the two,
Lorila spun round
"JORDAN! thank god your here, the savior
has arrived in our hour of need"
Jordan stopped and stepped back slightly
"Huh? I'll walk out and back in again shall I?"
Chris smiled and shook his head
"Nah, Caps not here so shes worried we'll be bored most of the day. How you doing this morning Jordan?"
Jordan shrugged her shoulders, she had been a little uneasy after seeing the newspaper headline
"See the paper? I give it two hours before Matt's in here asking me and Lor out and blaming Jackson for the whole thing"
No sooner had she spoke but a figure walked into the office. Matthew Gates had been successful all his life, his uncle had assured him the position as Chief Of Police and at the age of twenty five, he was the youngest and as he said the best looking Chiefs he had seen in a long while. He walked into the S.T.A.R.S. office slowly looking at the team who turned their heads looking at him. Jordan stood the closest to him, her arms immediately folding when he walked in, defensive, he liked it
Oh yeah Matt she wants you, just play it cool and then you'll be taking the lovely young Miss Philips to bed
His head then moved to look at Lorila sitting next to Chris
Hmmph, she could have had you, but she chose Hetherington. Oh well, Jordan will be perfect, showing her off at the functions will certainly be a joy.
Jordan glared at him slightly as he walked in, she noticed he was holding a copy of the morning paper under his arm. Matt calmly walked over to the desk that Chris was sitting at and put the paper down slowly, Chris had not taken his eyes off Matt since he had walked in, he hated the guy, not so much that he was the Chief and was an arrogant asshole, but he had tried to take Lorila away from him more than once. Matt looked at them all
"Can anyone explain to me why this headline arrived on my desk this morning?"
Matts voice was calm, but he looked as if he was on the verge of a hernia. Jordan stepped over to him
"well oddly enough when you request that your paper be delivered to your desk rather than getting it yourself at the store then that's why it was on your desk this morning...sir"
Jordan did not smirk or move at all unlike Lor and Chris, they smirked slowly at Jordans comment, Matt turned his head to Jordan, there was a part of him that wanted to backhand her for the comment, but what would that prove? He looked at her, his dark eyes piercing hers
"Officer Philips, I would advise you to watch your tone with me, I am after all the Chief of Police and your precious Captain Jackson isn't here to protect you right now"
Jordan never faltered
"I don't need my Captains protection sir, I can hold my own just fine, and as for the headline, isn't PR your department, go call the news paper yourself and ask them, because S.T.A.R.S. don't have time to worry about headlines, we fight the bad guys and save your ass when something goes wrong, now if you please, we have a killer to find"
With that Jordan walked over to her desk and picked up the phone, Matt scoffed slightly and walked out of the office, Jordan wasn't sucumming to him as easily as he expected. Once he had left the office part of him had almost gone back to tear strips off Officer Philips, but he decided he would deal with her later, he wanted to contact Umbrella and find out what the situation was with the murders. He knew more than he was letting on as he walked into his office barking at his Personal Assistant to hold his calls.
Jordan put down the phone and looked at her team mates.
"He comes in here again and I swear I am gonna have his head on my desk"
Matt was starting to tick her off, she had refused him when she had first arrived and he had not stopped pestering her since then. She walked over to the board her hand running through her long dark red hair, the board was littered with pictures, both of the living and of the dead, the victims before and after they had been killed. Jordan studied the wall slowly, pieces of paper, writing on the white board where they had spent hours trying to figure out a pattern. Lor and Chris decided it would be better to let her think, they had known Jordan long enough to know that she took her time with a case, and they had felt her wrath when they had disturbed her train of thought. Chris and Lorila stayed at their desks quiet as mice as Jordan walked the board for the millionth time. She muttered slowly to herself re-walking the crime scenes, going through every statement that had been taken.
Come on Jordan, there has got to be something that jumps out here, these people were eaten and you have DNA samples from every case, and yet you don't have anyone in custody yet, it's not gonna be long before Matt is doing more than just breathing down your neck
Pushing the thoughts aside, Jordan turned and walked back to her desk. She looked at Lor and Chris
"Sorry guys, look you don't have to be quiet as mice ya know, I was just thinking is all"
Chris and Lor nodded, Lor walked over to Jordan
"This case is getting to all of us Jordan, I mean, we've all seen the bodies, none of those people deserved to die, and we will catch whoever is doing it, but tearing yourself up over it isn't the way to go"
Chris nodded in agreement
"yeah I mean come on, what's Matt doing about it? Showing his face on television making himself look pretty? We're the ones who are doing the leg work"
Jordan nodded
"I know guys, but these people have been great to us, this town needs us right now. The least we can do is make the streets safe for them to walk in after dark"
They all nodded in unison. Lor was the first to speak after the few awkward seconds
"Ok what's this about some guy from Florida coming down to pick Rogers up?"
Jordan nodded
"Yeah I've to deal with the move, Barbie downstairs is gonna let me know when he arrives"
Lor grinned, Jordan knew exactly what the look meant
"don't even think about it"
Lor put on a look of mock insult
"What?! I was not thinking anything, but you have to admit Jordan, you should try getting out and dating more ya know?"
Jordan threw her a synical look
"I have my job, that's all the pleasure I need right now"
Lor threw her arm round Chris shoulder
"Come on, you can't honestly tell me that you don't want a hunk like this to woo you all the time"
Jordan looked at Chris who's face had turned completely red
"Chris a hunk? Lor I think you need new glasses"
Chris jumped up in defense
"Hey!"
Jordan held her hands up in defense
"whoa whoa hang on, in her eyes your a hunk, in my eyes your...well Chris, look I'm gonna get outta here for a bit, try and get some more information from the people around town. Call my cell if you need me ok?"
Chris and Lor both nodded as Jordan walked out of the office and downstairs, as she was walking out the door she couldn't help but notice the receptionist twirling her hair round a pen as she spoke with a young rookie
God damnit, what the hell is it with people flirting? Don't they realise they have jobs to do?
She thought for another second
Jordan...you're turning into a right old woman, sorry to admit it girl, but you are
She shook her head as she walked out to her jeep ready to face the citizens of Wallace City once more.
The highway that lead out of Wallace City was one of the most scenic highways that America could offer. Trees and small rivers ran alongside the highway that buzzed with traffic most of the day. However, hidden in this scenic trail of grass and trees lay one dark secret. A body lay sprawled out on the grass, from a distance it would not be seen or would have been mistaken for someone sleeping. Closer examination would reveal something far more sinister, the true brutality would have been revealed. The eyes were closed, there was denuded bone visable on the arms and legs. Flies crawled over the body as maggots crawled through it's wounds eating the dead flesh. The virus was slowly taking over the body, travelling through the now dead veins like a fright train down a rail road track. However there would be no warning as to what this virus would do. Blood stained the white shirt, the crimson red vibrant and strong against the once white shirt. Ragged pieces of flesh hung off their chest, whatever had caused this trauma had been hungry. As the body lay on the ground it's hand slowly began to move, it's mind came back slowly, family memories and times gone by would not be there. The mind that now had control of this host was only sure of one thing, the most basic need of all animals, the slow moan emerging from its lips not of pain, not of sorrow, this was hunger in its purist form. The soul of the person stuck in a place of torture and pain aching to be set free. Standing on its feet, its clouded eyes looked around for food, only flesh would do, but not just any flesh...living flesh. Its torn arms reached out as it moved one foot in front of the other, it could smell its desire, it knew what it wanted and what it thought it needed. Flesh, as he staggered towards the unsuspecting city, he was joined by the moans of his ill-fated familiars. Every one had been torn from their happy life so tragically, so brutally, when they died they had known true pain. Dying in their sleep was a luxury they were not privie to. The virus had taken them, taken them from their family, friends, taken by Umbrella.
