Earthquake
Home Base, Hessenauer Falls Police Station
"So, Mister..., uh, Winchester, was it? What exactly is Al short for...?" Chris sounded suspicious. Jill glanced at her husband and silently shook her head. She knew Chris like the back of her hand, and she knew what he was getting at. Luckily, nobody else seemed to notice.
Chris continued, "...Albert, or Alfred maybe?" Suddenly, Rebecca and the others realized what Jill had already noticed, Chris was definitely suspicious of the newcomer.
"Uh, Allen, actually. Al is short for Allen, with two L's and an E. Why do you you ask?"
"No particular reason, you just look like an Albert." Chris answered hastily.
"And do you always judge people by looking at them, Mr. Redfield." It was Winchester's turn to sound suspicious, and Jill decided to step in before things got ugly.
"Fellas, we have more urgent matters to attend to if you don't mind."
"You're right, Jill. My apologies, for making you uncomfortable Allen. I have a hard time trusting people I've never met before. My history with the Raccoon City S.T.A.R.S has hardened me somewhat."
"It's okay, Mr. Redfield, I understand. I know all about your history with Umbrella and the HCF. I've done my research."
"Please, call me Chris. We don't believe in formalities, except for special occasions." Jill and the others breathed a deep sigh of relief, and soon they briefed James and Allen on all that had happened since the S.T.A.R.S arrival.
Bravo Team, Bentzen Lake Forest
"How much further do these woods stretch?" Alyssa was obviously starting to get tired. They had been on this mission for the better part of at least six hours, with little to no rest. She just wanted to get home and shower, and maybe even sleep for a couple days straight. Everyone else was beginning to feel the fatigue set in as well, especially Taylor, since she was not used to these lengthy treks. She did her share of hiking over the course of her nineteen years, but never to this extent, and never without her older brother by her side. She never particularly cared for outdoorsy type things, but she really didn't have much choice. Robert had been her keeper. After their parents died, he had to be mother, father, and older sibling all at once. They were both very young -he was twelve and she was six, to be exact- when their biological parents died in a car accident. After several foster homes didn't work out, they finally found a couple to stay with, and although they were never officially adopted, Taylor and Robert began to refer to them as their parents. He never left her side. For the first couple of years, they often went into each other's rooms and layed next to one another until they fell asleep. When he turned twenty-two, and she was sixteen, he graduated from college, and found work as an architect, but was required to relocate to Australia. When she was old enough, she moved to Australia to live with Robert and his, then, new wife Kelsey. As they decided to rest, Taylor began to cry, and the S.T.A.R.S Bravo Team tried to comfort her.
Dan held her close as she spoke between sobs. "I miss him so much. You know, it was always us. He would say to me, 'Little sis, one day I'm gonna travel the world, and you're coming with me!' But as we grew up, it was plain to see that it wasn't to be. He got a job as an architect, and moved down here, because it was a requirement. I wanted to tell him not to leave me, but I couldn't take away his dream. He'd taken care of me since we were kids, and I couldn't be selfish. He picked me up from school, helped me with my homework, and was always there if I needed help with something."
"Your brother sounds like he was a wonderful man," said Mike, who, like the others, had been listening to her story. One by one, Chrissy, Tabby, Alyssa, and Steph, all gathered around the grief-stricken girl, hoping that in some small way, they could help her through her pain. The moment was interrupted however, by the sudden shifting of the earth beneath them, and the unwelcome sight of trees falling all around them. The same thought went through everyone's minds simultaneously: EARTHQUAKE!
Alpha Team, The Mine
"How deep do you think this mine goes Rick?" asked Britney.
"I'm not sure Brit, but I don't like the idea of seeing all this Gen-Tech equipment. What the hell were they digging down here for? What would a mine have to do with genetics, or even technology for that matter?"
"Rick, um... don't look now, but there is something heading this way."
Rick looked to see what Hunter was talking about, and suddenly, there were about twenty zombies plodding toward them from the passage up ahead. The sound of dragging feet and accompanying moans was quickly drowned out by the sound of bullets, as Alpha Team opened fire on the undead army. After several minutes, guns began to click empty, and more zombies had decided to join the party. Things were beginning to look hopeless, when all the sudden the ground began to shake, and the passage in front of the young S.T.A.R.S team opened up. Most of the zombies were swallowed by the earth, while others were buried under falling rocks.
"Fall back! Fall back!" shouted Rick, and the Alphas escaped the falling rocks, but as they made their way back toward the entrance, they saw their escape route disappear in a blanket of dust stirred up by falling rocks and steel beams which blocked their path. All at once, Alpha Team knew they weren't getting back out.
A/N
After such a lengthy absence, I had hoped to make this chapter a bit longer. However, after a tension-filled scene with the old S.T.A.R.S, and then an emotionally charged secene with the Bravo Team, I kind of wanted to get back to the action. Please review. Let me know how I'm doing. Constructive criticism, as always, is quite welcome. However, I really don't appreciate flames, as they are far too derrogatory, and insult those of us who try to write the best stories we can for the readers.