Chapter 3

Bloodshed

Alyssa pushed herself through the open window that led from the roof into the main editorial office where she worked. Yoko quickly followed her, her green leather coat brushing against the window pane and her backpack fitted tightly around her shoulders. Alyssa didn't know what to think of the girl, she had only known her for a few moments but already she made her uneasy.

"Lets see if we can find anything, but we'd better hurry. I want to check that canister out fast." Alyssa said, her eager reporter tone coming into play.

Yoko pointed to one of the corners of the trashed room. There was an overturned table top, papers rustling about everywhere in the wind. Alyssa could feel a bit of the rain drops coming in the closed window.

A day in life in Raccoon City…

Yoko headed for the door, but then stopped suddenly, just before she walked around the corner. Past the door she was standing in front of there was a small hallway that branched to a set of stairs, leading downstairs to the shipping station and front doors, but not without passing the heating and cooling system first…

Oh no…what did she see…

"What's the matter?" Alyssa asked, pressing forward-

and suddenly Yoko jerked her head back, looking horrified.

"Run! We have to get out of this building!" Yoko grabbed Alyssa by the arm and suddenly a wave of horrid gas smell rushed over Alyssa.

-gas…oh shit…

Alyssa and Yoko were running and then she saw what the young oriental had seen. There was a man, a soldier, crouched on the steps holding a lighter in his hand. He looked maniacal, disturbed and overwhelmed. He was covered in blood, and she could see the empty gun lying next to him. He was flipping the lighter open and shut, open and shut, and Alyssa immediately knew exactly what he was going to do-

-suicide…

"Hurry! He's gonna light up!" Yoko grabbed Alyssa and yanked her down the steps. And Allysa was just past him when she felt a sudden wave of heat rush over her. She dove, and felt the crushing steps on her neck and she ducked and fell. There were fire proof shudders just in front of her, and they were sliding-

-shut! No!

Yoko was already out and Alyssa could hear the screams of the frying soldier behind her.

He killed himself! Yoko knew it right away, she tried to save me and now I'm going to die!

SNAP!

The shudders suddenly fell faster, and Alyssa scrambled, the heat of the flame charring the back of her neck.

Get out! Get out! OUT!

And then she felt the coolness of the lobby, and the shudders crashed to the floor. The window shudders fell and the entire building was sealed off.

No! I have to get outside! I have to see…the Tyrant is loose I have to know what it is!

Without a word, Alyssa hopped to her feet and slammed her fists against the front door, which was now nothing more than a wall of silvery metal grooves. She cursed herself for not moving faster, for not using all the strength she had left. But she couldn't shake the image of the man who detonated himself and tried to fry her too without saying a single phrase of apology…

"Here, I can tell these shudders aren't going to be too hard to get through." Yoko said, and then there was the sound of glass breaking. Alyssa turned, and Yoko had snapped the glass that led to the fire extinguisher and axe deep in the north wall, "We can probably cut through it if we swing hard enough."

She held the heavy weapon in her hand and Alyssa stepped away, in awe of the will power this young girl possessed.

More than you…

CHANK! CHANK! CHANK! CHANK!

Swing after swing Yoko pounded the shudder and suddenly there was a gut wrenching scratching sound and the metal from one spot on the wall tore away.

"Its aluminum." Yoko said, "Look at the way it bends."

She pried it apart with the dull end of the axe and then gave it enough lee way for her hands to get through. Alyssa moved to help, but felt awkward.

She seems very do it yourself…don't interrupt unless she asks.

Yoko turned the axe around when she got a hole big enough in the shudder and slammed the butt of the weapon into the door behind it. Wood splintered and the door obviously broke open, but they were still behind the shudder…

"After you," Yoko smiled, pointing to the somewhat large hole in the shudder, "Be careful, it may be sharp."

Alyssa grunted.

You're gonna have to put forth a bit of effort now, aren't you Alyssa? Move your ass, you don't want to disappoint your new friend.

"Okay," she smiled and found herself already half way out. She climbed in backwards, her back against the shudder so she could grasp onto the upper part of the outside door as she pushed through. With her backside seated on the half inch of aluminum, Alyssa gave herself a sudden lurch backwards and tumbled a few feet to the city street below.

Easier said than done...

...meanwhile, on the Raccoon City Streets...

Mark hadn't seen the van until it was too late. He put his arms up in distress and saw suddenly as the SWAT vehicle overturned, rolling onto its side and tumbling a few feet past him. It did at least a three sixty on its side, and then landed, upside down, in a smoking heap of metal. He felt himself exhale, but then his stomach turned to knots when he realized that there had been someone driving that van…

Help! It could be someone who could help! They're in a SWAT van, what makes you think they're not help?

SWAT or no SWAT, he realized almost instantaneously that the police hadn't done much for the ill fated city. They had tried to help, but their efforts didn't do too well. They were killed immediately, and when they laughed at him for his low paying RPD security position and old age, he felt even less obligated to assist them in their definite failure.

And this nut was gonna run you over.

Suddenly there was movement, and a body crept out of the van. He was coughing, and Mark rushed to his side.

"You alright?"

The man coughed again, and stood up. Mark had seen him before somewhere, but couldn't put a name to the face. He was tall, pale, with dark hair and thin lips. He was dressed in nurse scrubs and a hospital coat…

Dr. G…

"You're from the hospital, aren't you?" Mark said.

Dr. G laughed, and smiled at him. "Yes, you were one of my patients a while back, right? Pleased to meet you, and I'm sorry the circumstances weren't better. I thought you were another one of those zombies."

"Don't worry about it, its fine. Looks like our ride out of town is totaled though," Mark pointed to the overturned police unit and grinned, "We should find another way out of the city before its too late."

"I agree. There has to be another van with keys in it, something we can get out of town with."

-out of town…no way out of town…the blockades are up.

"I think that will be easier said than done. Most of the cars were either sabotaged or destroyed in the fight, and if we can find one with keys, its gonna need the power of a bulldozer to get past the police blockades that are set up around the perimeter of the city." Mark said softly, "We're trapped in Raccoon."

...deep below the streets, in the Raccoon City Sewers...

Annette waded through the disgusting sewer water and pressed herself up onto the cement platform. It would only take a minute to get to the ladder that led to the turbine room. From there, she could take a flight up steps to another ladder that led to Iron's private office…

past the turbines, up the steps, up the ladder, cross the cavern, another ladder and then to the Sanctuary…

She mapped her route in her head, knowing that it was the best bet she had. She checked her cell phone again, seeing there was still no service, and she immediately blamed Irons for it.

"Help! Help me! Help me please!"

Suddenly there was a gasping cry for help, around the bend. Annette didn't want to help the crying female, and she didn't feel a bit of remorse. Another spy…

...but when she saw the girl, it wasn't a spy. It was a person, a girl she recognized.

Emily Warren…the mayor's daughter. What is she doing down here?

"Help me! Help me!"

She had seen Annette, and she was running for her. She was dressed in an immaculate white evening gown, her blonde hair still looking soft and beautiful. She was beautiful.

"What are you doing down here? How did you get down here?" Annette calmly said, knowing that the girl would die soon anyways. No one of her pampered background would havethe will power or strength to live in the hell that had transformed Raccoon into the Night of The Living Dead.

"My names-" she started, but coughed. Suddenly she vomited streams of yellow bile into the sewer water. She stumbled through the foot deep sludge and climbed onto the stone path Annette was on and fell to her knees.

Annette helped her to her feet, "I know who you are. You're the mayor's daughter."

"Yes…" She nodded. "My dad…he's up on the surface. He told me to take the subway, but it derailed and I was thrown out...the whole thing is infested with these gigantic cockroach things, and zombies are everywhere! Theres a big one too, hiding somewhere deep in the system, I saw it before I got away from there.The power cut I guess, like everywhere else in the city. I found this manhole, and it led to the sewers so I've been hiding here…but something's following me!"

…William…

"We have to go now, hurry!"

"Shrreeeeee!"

Annette cringed. That wasn't William…she could tell that right away. But something was coming, and then the shadow appeared and Annette saw the monsters reflection.

"It's here!" Emily shrieked, "Help me!"

She scrambled to the door in front of her, not knowing where it led.

Annette looked back at the creature, and saw that it was nothing more than a big licker, a stage four. It had mutated past its original state, obviously having fed on the flesh of the living.

And you were also one of its pricy meals…

She looked down at her arm, now a deep crimson. The wound had clotted, and thank god she had the anti virus flowing through her system. She wouldn't get infected any time soon by the T Virus…

The licker grasped the cement wall and then Annette heard Emily scream. She turned, knowing she should really help the girl but not wanting to pass up the chance to see the licker in the wild.

"Help me!" the girl cried.

Annette suddenly felt the drugs kick in again.

You don't need her. Kill her! Lock her in the room with the monsters she just crept through! If you go through the ventilation holes, you can get to the lift and up to the managers office and find another way to Irons office! You know what you have to do.

Letting out a silent chuckle, Annette lurched forward, knowing Emily wouldn't find the concealed ladder in the room she was in, and bolted it shut.

...on the other side of the door...

Emily felt a wave of pain rush over her gut as the terrible thing in front of her pierced her skin. There was a flip blade on the counter top by her side, and in all her agony she reached for it and gouged it through the red beast's face. In a wave of anguish, the monster flipped onto its back and its claws flew into the air and it shrieked, dead.

Blood gushed from her lower abs, and she felt dizzy. Falling nearly to the floor, she pushed herself against a wall, and felt it bend slightly.

Hollow…

Her hand slid across it as she felt herself going dark, and she found a latch. She grasped it and pushed it to the left and she had found a door. Opening it, a ladder was revealed and she felt a wave of relief rush over her. Smiling, Emily hoped silently that she had enough strength to find her father and make it out of the city alive.

TO BE CONTINUED!