Before the Outbreak
Disclaimer: The Characters and Locations in this story are the property of Capcom. I do not own them. The situations I have put them in are of my own design.
Kevin Ryman is a police officer – one of Raccoon City's finest. But today he doesn't much feel like it. His application to S.T.A.R.S., the Special Rescue and Tactics Service, has been rejected again. He doesn't understand why they wouldn't want him as a member. He's in great shape, he's an excellent shot, and he has a spotless record with the RPD. He runs his fingers through his tousled hair and sighs. "Oh well." He mutters to himself. "Everything happens for a reason right?" He looks up and realizes he has reached his destination – J's Bar. It's the most popular nightspot in Raccoon City. And Kevin suspects it has little to do with the food, and a lot to do with the waitress – Cindy Lennox. Kevin admits that she's the reason he comes to this dive. Just a glimpse of her smile makes him forget any troubles he may have.
Kevin pushes the door open and is immediately assaulted by cigarette smoke, loud music, and muffled conversation. He walks toward the bar, and being a trained investigator, notices everyone in the place. Mark is at his usual table in the corner. Kevin smiles and waves at him and Mark responds with a nod before returning to his newspaper. Mark is a man of few words. Kevin knows he fought in Vietnam, but never got any details. Now Mark is content to be a security guard at one of the local companies. At the table next to Mark sits a gentleman that Kevin has only seen in here once before; Kevin figures he must be a doctor because he has a medical bag on the chair next to him. Jim, the subway guy, is at his usual stool at the bar. From the looks of it, he has already had a few. He is trying to buy a drink for a very attractive and very well dressed woman sitting a few stools over from him. She is talking on her cell phone and paying Jim no attention. The last person Kevin notices is a young girl sitting in a booth eating a hamburger while she types on her laptop. She has a backpack and some books spread around. Kevin figures she must be a student at the University.
The she walks in. Kevin feels her presence before he looks up and sees her. Cindy Lennox is carrying a plate of food in one hand and two mugs of beer in the other. She places one mug of beer on the table where the doctor is sitting and she sets the other next to Mark and sits down the plate. "Here's your dinner Markie. Enjoy." She says with a beautiful smile. "Thanks Cindy." Mark responds. She shakes her head knowing that is the most conversation she's going to get out of him. She spots Kevin sitting at the bar and heads toward him. He can feel his heart beating faster. "C'mon Kevin." He admonishes himself. "She's only a woman. You can talk to her. Don't blow it." On her way to where Kevin was sitting, Cindy stops next to Jim and lays a hand on his shoulder. She whispers in his ear. "Give it up Jimmy. She's not your type." This makes Jim smile and he turns from the lady and orders another beer. When she reaches Kevin she smiles brighter than she had for anyone else. "Evening officer Ryman. What can I get you tonight?" She thought she might have seen Kevin blush. "I've kinda lost my appetite tonight Cindy. I guess I'll just have a beer." She noticed he looked down. Kevin never looked down. "All right – a beer it is." She walks behind the bar and pours him a drink. "Bad day at the office huh?" She asks. Kevin forces a smile trying not to reveal how he is really feeling. "Aren't they all?" Cindy knew that today was the day Kevin would find out if he'd been selected for S.T.A.R.S. From the looks of it he wasn't.
Before Cindy could think of something to say that would cheer Kevin up, Dave the plumber comes bursting out of the ladies room. "Hey Cin. I got it all fixed for ya." "Thanks Dave. What do we owe you?" He has a lecherous look on his face as he responds. "Oh, I'm sure we can work out some form of payment." Cindy rolls her eyes. Dave is definitely not her type. She pours him a beer. "Well this is on the house, and just leave your bill for the plumbing with Eddie on your way out." She sat the beer in front of him and went back over to talk to Kevin. "So Kevin. I guess you didn't get the promotion?" She smiles trying to make him feel better. He looks up and sees the genuine concern in her eyes and realizes that a job is not what's most important in life. He covers her hand on the bar with his own. "Cindy?" He begins, but he won't get to finish. At that moment it sounds as if all hell broke loose outside the bar. Kevin rushes for the door and looks out. There are cars swerving into one another and mobs of people destroying everything in their path. And it looks as if some of the animals have escaped from the Zoo. He feels the ground shake and hears the trumpet of the elephant before he even sees it. He quickly closes the door and locks it. "Cindy is there another way out of here? We have to go now."