Night had fallen on the small Western town. To their completely non-surprise, Jill, Leon, and Billy watched droves of creatures that were once men and women walk the streets. The three were perched on the roof of the small police station. Billy was partially right about the absence of guns in the town, but the only weapons found were police batons, stun guns, and the occasional pepper spray bottle. Any guns found had no ammo and not a single box of shells to be found.
They watched the zombies roam through the streets, looking for anything. Bill took point with the rifle, scanning the area. Minutes felt like hours as the three watched the horde stumble through the town.
Jill tugs on Billy's arm. "So, who exactly does a wanted felon get a job for the military?" she asks.
"I have my good buddy Redfield to thank for that," Billy answers, his scope still aimed at the zombie army.
"Redfield? As in Chris Redfield?" Jill inquires.
"Yep, best friends too. Of course he joined the Air Force and I joined the Military, but we kept in touch, even through me getting convicted of murder. That's how he got court-martialed, y'know. Tried to stick up for me."
"I didn't know that," Jill admits.
"So, how'd you two meet?" Billy asks Leon.
"Raccoon City," they both answer.
"I ran into her in a back alley, and she was white as a sheet," Leon says.
"You're one to talk, Mr. I-Smell-Like-a-Sewer," Jill childishly retorts.
Billy looks at Leon weirdly.
"I blew up an alligator in a sewer pipe," the former cop explains. Billy nods in understanding.
"So, we're not gonna fight them all…are we?" Jill asks, growing anxious at the massive horde of undead flooding the streets.
"We won't have to, if we do it right," Billy explains. "We get down to the facility, engage its auto defenses and hold out till dawn. They come back underground, and we got 'em."
"I take it you guys don't activate them on a daily basis," Leon states.
"Only in case of lock down emergencies." Billy makes a sweeping motion with the rifle. "The only problem would be trying to get past them all and make it into the main tunnel."
"Where is it?" Jill asks.
"Five blocks up, three blocks right, down the fourth building, and the first manhole you see," Billy answers curtly. "Think we can make it?"
"Probably not, but we've all been in situations like this before," Leon replies. "Now, how do you get a bunch of undead creatures to suddenly go away?"
"You give 'em food," Jill answers.
The zombie horde that flooded the town found themselves drawn to a single area. They could detect the smell of fresh meat, but couldn't tell where it was coming from. Then the smell of cooking meat got their attention. Food to eat without the hassle of trying to hunt it down. They were drawn to the remnants of a police station, the smell of burning flesh and meat too much to resist.
On a pyre were two headless bodies impaled through a series of desks and garbage. The zombies didn't care for it meant food. Several of the first to try and eat the offered meat burst into flames, increasing the intensity of the intoxicating aroma. The stench of burning flesh became overpowering and flooded out of the station, drawing in more undead victims.
The fire spread and engulfed the exposed wood of the station. The small bonfire became a massive barbecue; the smell of burnt flesh flooded the remnants of the small town. The undead population stormed for the smell, unaware of three fresh morsels watching them.
"Nice work, Ms. Valentine," Leon says in a polite voice.
"Why thank you, Mr. Kennedy," Jill returns, in an equal polite voice, doing a mock curtsy. They both laugh.
"You guys done?" Billy asks impatiently.
Jill and Leon look at each other, and then unenthusiastically reply, "Yeah."
Leaving behind the smoldering remains of the raided police station, the three Umbrella survivors run through the streets. With their weapons at the ready, they weren't taking any chances should their plan be a bust. After traveling down five blocks, they take a right and run another three blocks. Billy was quite impressed that Jill and Leon were keeping pace. If things were different, they'd all probably been in the Military together, but that was speculation for another time.
They come to a row of buildings and carefully navigate through them. Coming to the fourth, Jill notices the manhole. Through a round of rock-paper-scissors, Leon was elected to be the one to open it. He slides two steel poles out of the cover and tosses them to the side. Carefully, he grabs the manhole cover and eases it off the ground. With a grunt and sigh of effort, Leon gently puts it down on the ground. If there was one thing they all knew it was loud noises would attract the undead.
"See anything?" Billy whispers to Jill.
"No," she whispers back. She turns to Leon. "How 'bout you?"
"Nada," Leon replies. "What are the chances that there's something bigger and badder than a zombie down there?"
"Very high," Billy and Jill answer.
"Thought so. Who's goin' first?"
"I have the bigger gun, so I guess that means me," Billy answers. He slings the rifle over his back and begins the climb down the hole.
"Be careful," Jill says. Leon and Billy stare at her. "What?"
"That phrase has lost all meaning to me," Leon answers.
"Same here," Billy grunts. He slides down the rest of the way and his boots make an audible splash on the concrete tunnel below. "All right, come on down! It's safe…for now."