Chapter 2

Hearts started beating faster and faster when the elevator door opened. They weren't sure what was expecting for them outside, in the 196th floor. It could be zombies, it could be people and it could be a whole lot of nothing. Hoping for the second or third options, Alice and the team went out of the world's fastest elevator with drawn weapons and walked cautiously through the long, fancy hallway to the mayor's apartment.

"Here it is." Alice said and knocked on the door. Muffled noises could be heard behind the locked door.

"Who is it?" They heard a girl's voice.

"My name's Alice and I've got some people here with me. We're here to help you." She said.

"Did my father send for us?"

"No, but we thought he would appreciate it if we get you out of here before the zombies find you." Alice said. The door opened and the girl let Alice and the team in.

"You're Alice?" The teenage girl asked and locked the door again. "What's going on in this town? My father called us a week ago and told me and my sister not to get out no matter what happens. We never heard of him since then."

"A deadly virus was released in town and is turning people into flesh-eating zombies." Alice explained. "By the way, those are Matt, Clair, Peter and Princess." She introduced the team.

"She's lying. My name's Lindsay, not Princess." Lindsay said.

"I'm Rae and that's my younger sister, Miranda." She pointed at a girl who was sitting on the couch and nibbling crackers.

"Did you try contacting your father since the whole thing started?" Alice asked. Rae nodded.

"He said he's really busy and couldn't talk. His phone's been off since Wednesday." Miranda said. "Maybe his battery ran out."

"Okay, that's good. Did the two of you hear anything unusual in the building? Like screams and loud noises?" Both girls shook their heads. "That's good. I think it means the zombies didn't get here yet."

"So what's your plan, Alice?" Lindsay asked.

"Well, the original plan was to call my supervisor, so I can do that. Meanwhile, you might want to take a shower since you're covered with blood and we all know how uncomfortable you are with it." Alice teased her.

"That might be a good idea, Lindsay." Rae said. She was black haired and green eyed and had a slender figure. Her younger sister resembled her very much, but her hair was red and pink and she was taller than her older sister. "Our mother loved this carpet you're standing on, and we wouldn't want to stain it."

"Uh, okay…" Lindsay said. A shower wasn't in her mind at those moments, although she really did want to get cleaned.

"Come on, I'll show you where the bathroom is." Rae said. She seemed to be the more practical and down-to-earth sister. She led Lindsay to the fanciest bathroom she had ever seen. She, who had such a wealthy background, could never imagine how it was like to have such a comfortable bathroom equipped with everything technology could offer. "Here's a towel." Rae took it out of a cabinet and handed it to Lindsay. "The shampoo, soap and shower cream are right there." She pointed on the countertop. Lindsay thanked her and Rae went out of the room. Lindsay looked at herself in the mirror for a moment. She never looked worse in her life. Her hair was messy, her skin had a greenish-gray tone that reminded her of the zombies and there was blood all over her back and arms. Slowly, she started taking the guns, bullets and knife out of her belt and pockets and put them on the counter. Then, she took her black boots off and sighed. Her legs were aching and she wished she never came out of bed that morning; Then she remembered that she had never went to bed on the previous night, because she was with the team, memorizing details about the case. She sighed and took off the rest of her clothes.

She was washing the blood off her arms and hair when Alice burst into the bathroom and grabbed her wrist. Lindsay pushed her backwards and Alice stumbled over Lindsay's boots and fell on the floor. She grabbed Lindsay's weapons and put them inside one of the boots.

"What the hell are you doing?" Lindsay asked and put her hands on her waist.

"There are zombies in this very building and they're probably looking for some food. The guys are on the roof, building a ramp that would help us get to the top of the nearest building. We have to get the hell out of here right now." Alice said and got up. "So I don't care if you got soap in your eyes. You're coming with me this instant."

"Would you at least let me dress up?" Lindsay asked.

"Miranda's got some clothes for you up there. You can use this in the meantime." Alice handed her the towel. "I'll take your boots. Now let's go!" She said. Lindsay wrapped the towel around her and they went out of the bathroom and ran to the veranda, where an improvised rope ladder was hanging. Alice took her belt off and handed it to Lindsay. "Put it on, so your towel doesn't fall off and start climbing." Lindsay did it and started climbing, with Alice coming right after her. "The view's great here, Princess." Alice joked.

"That isn't funny at all." Lindsay said, realizing that it wasn't the sundown that Alice was talking about.

"I think it is." Alice said. "Keep climbing. We have three more floors." It took them fifteen minutes to reach the top of the building, where the sisters and the team were waiting for them.

"Nice dress, Linds." Peter grinned.

"That's really funny. Now get me something real to wear." Lindsay said.

"That's the first thing I found in my closet. I hope it fits." Miranda said and handed her a red dress and a black leather coat.

"Thanks." Lindsay said and took the clothes. "Peter, Matt, turn around or I'll have to kill you." She said. They turned around and she took off the towel and wore the dress and the coat. Alice took the weapons out of Lindsay's boots and handed them to her. Lindsay put them on and then wore Alice's belt around her waist and stuck the weapons in it.

"Sexy!" Peter commented when Lindsay said that he can turn back.

"After this is over, remind me to kill him." Lindsay said to Alice, who nodded and grinned.

"How's the ramp going?" Alice asked Rae and Matt, who were working on the ramp. It was made of a bunch of metal pipes that were tied together.

"Almost done. There are 17 feet between us and that building." Rae said and pointed at the nearest building. "This ramp is 23 feet. It would reach the other building, but there's gonna be an elevation."

"In other words, she means that we're gonna have to slide down there, because it isn't as high as this building." Matt explained.

"The height differences between the buildings are minor, but big enough for someone to lose balance and end up down there with the smelly dead guys, so you wanna be careful when you slide." Rae said.

"She's a genius. She always gets the best marks in her class." Miranda whispered to Lindsay. "But that's the first time I've seen her using her knowledge to something bigger than the annual science fair."

"There's always a first time." Lindsay said and smiled at her. "Now, let's go and help them pass the ramp to the other building."

"Ummm, guys, this idea about the ramp is very exciting, but I've got another one." Peter said. Everyone looked at him. "I bet you didn't notice that the Oracle has an exterior emergency stairwell that will take us straight to the street, where we left the car." He pointed at a ladder that led down to the street.

"Yes, but the zombies are down there." Miranda said.

"We're armed. We can fight them until we get to the car and drive…"

"Drive where? We're gonna run out the gas and then it's gonna be a problem." Alice said.

"I'm sure we have enough gas to get out of the city." Peter said. "We had a full tank when we met you in Corte."

"Yeah, we have enough gas to do that, but let's try to kill some of those creeps before we run for our lives." Alice said.

"Let's get out of the building before we will be killed." Peter said. Suddenly they heard loud pounds on the door that lead from the stairwell to the roof.

"Too late, they're already here." Lindsay said. "Miranda, slide down to the other building right now." She said as she pulled her gun and cocked it. With her sister's help, Miranda climbed on the 23 feet long ramp that was connecting the two buildings and started sliding down to the other building. "Clair, you go next!" Lindsay said and helped Alice block the door that separated the zombies from the people on the roof with metal pipes, just like the ones that made the ramp. After Clair and Miranda passed safely to the other building, Peter helped Rae and then passed to the other building instead. Matt, Lindsay and Alice were now blocking the door with their bodies.

"You realize that we have to move to the other building somehow." Matt said and leaned on the door.

"Princess, you go next." Alice said. Lindsay shook her head.

"You go. I'll be right after you." Alice nodded and slowly started sliding down the ramp. "Matt, after Alice gets to the other building, I'm gonna count till three and we're gonna get the hell out of here." She said. He panted and nodded. Alice reached the other building pretty fast and signaled to Lindsay and Matt. "Ready?" Lindsay asked. Matt nodded. "One, two, go!" She yelled and they both ran and climbed the ramp together. More than a dozen zombies ran through the now breached doorway and Lindsay and Matt quickly found themselves surrounded. "Come on, Matt!" She said and grabbed his shoulder. Hands were sent towards them and fingers tightened around their legs. Clinging to the ramp, Lindsay pulled Matt after her and they slid down the ramp to the other building, with the zombies right behind them.

"Come on, Lindsay!" Alice called out from the other building. "Go faster!" Finally, they reached the other building. "Good job, Lindsay." Alice said.

"Thanks." Lindsay replied and then smiled. "You just called me Lindsay." She said with surprise.

"Alice, they bit Matt." Clair called out. Alice turned around and walked over to where Matt was sitting. Blood was oozing from his left leg and there were clear teeth marks on his skin.

"Man, there's too much blood." Alice said. "We need something to stop it."

"Here, take this." Lindsay took off her coat and handed it to her. Alice took it and put it on Matt's wound. Few moments later, it was clear that leather coats aren't good in stopping bleedings. The blood was gushing from the wound and created a dark red pool on the floor around Matt's leg.

"Mattie, please don't die." Clair begged and took his hand. "I love you." Matt looked at her and smiled.

"You're beautiful; did I ever tell you that?" He asked her gently.

"Yeah, almost every day." Clair said, trying not to burst into tears. She kissed him gently.

"Guys, we really gotta get out of here." Alice said. "Use the emergency stairs." She pulled Clair away from Matt and dragged her by the hand towards the stairwell.

"Come on, Linds." Peter said and took her hand.

"No, I'm gonna stay with him." Lindsay said. Peter's eyes told her of his disagreement. "He doesn't have more than five minutes. I'm gonna be down there in a few moments." She said. Peter nodded and brought her hand close to his face. Gently, he kissed it and looked into her eyes.

"Promise me I'll see you again in five minutes, no matter what happens." He said. She nodded and Peter started going down the stairs. Lindsay watched him for a short moment and then came over to where Matt was sitting and kneeled down in front of him.

"Matt," She spoke softly and touched his knee. He raised his head and looked at her.

"Linds, why are you still here? Don't stay here. You'll be safer if you go with them." His voice was cracked. Lindsay took his hand and entwined her fingers with his.

"I'm not leaving you here alone, Matt." She said. He looked at her with compassion, as if she was the one who's dying.

"It's just a matter of time, Linds, until I die." He said.

"And I'm gonna stay with you till it happens. I don't want you to die alone." Her voice was shaking, as if she couldn't believe she was going to lose a case manager again. Matt nodded slowly.

"Lindsay, can you do me a favor?" His voice was barely audible.

"Anything, Matt."

"Tell Dana how much I love her, and that she's a great girl and I'm proud of her." He was on the verge of tears. "Tell Clair that I love her too." He continued.

"I will, Matt. I promise." Lindsay said. "Can you tell Connor that I love him and miss him?"

"I don't know how he looked." Matt joked.

"Trust me, when you'll see him, you'll know immediately it's him." Lindsay smiled, remembering how great looking he was. Matt nodded.

"And one more thing," He said and pointed at her gun. "I don't wanna be a zombie, so…" Lindsay nodded and felt tears flowing down her face. With all the strength he could gather, Matt put his palm on her face and wiped her tears. "Don't cry. You're a big girl." He smiled. "All grown up with your dress and boots, not to mention those guns. You're a knockout." A faint smile rose on her lips, but she erased it almost immediately; His hand was lighter in hers his eyes were staring at the horizon behind her.

"Matt," She whispered and leaned forward in order to look at him closely. He wasn't breathing. Slowly pulling her gun, she looked at his face one more time. "I'm gonna miss you forever." She said softly before cocking the gun and shooting him in the head. She could hear the shot's echo for long moments after she had pulled the trigger and it kept echoing in her ears as she ran down the stairs and entered the car. Clair looked at her helplessly, as if she knew, but was afraid of the bad news.

"Is he…" She started, not able to continue the sentence.

"Yes, he is." Lindsay replied. She wanted to cry, but the echo of the gunshot was still in her ears, making her wanna scream. She hated herself for doing that, but what choice did she have? Matt didn't want to become a zombie, and she could understand him perfectly. No one wanted to be a brainless creature whose only goal in life was to eat. She could see Clair's eyes were full of tears and it reminded her of the night Connor died. "He wanted you to know he loved you."

"Thanks." Clair said. "I know you did what's best for him." She motioned towards Lindsay's gun. Lindsay looked at her for a moment and nodded slowly.

"Guys, we gotta get going. Those suckers are back here." Alice said and started the car. Zombies gathered around the car and started knocking on the windows.

"Where are we gonna go?" Lindsay asked and shot a zombie who tried to get into the car through the broken window.

"There's a military base in Lasson-Pierre. It's located 18 miles away from the city. They have airplanes; they can bomb the city and kill the zombies." Alice said.

"Then what are you waiting for? Do it!" Lindsay said and Alice pushed the gas pedal. But the car didn't move.

"There are too many of them. The car can't pass through." Alice said. "Shoot them!" Lindsay and Peter started shooting the zombies, but it didn't seem to help. There were still too many of them and they blocked the road.

"Lindsay, give me your bombs." Clair said and started unbuckling Lindsay's belt.

"What the hell are you doing?" Lindsay asked as she shot a very ugly zombie between the eyes.

"My time is short. In an hour or two I'll become one of them and then I'll be dangerous to the rest of you. I can't let it happen." Clair replied. "Alice, I need a lighter." She stuck the bombs in her belt.

"So you're gonna explode yourself?" Lindsay could barely hear her own voice through the gunshots noise.

"It will clear the way. You'll be able to get out of town safely." Clair said. "Help me out." She said and started moving towards the van's broken window. Almost immediately, the zombies grabbed her arms and pulled her out of the car, sticking their teeth in her flesh on the way. Quickly, she lighted all four bombs she carried on her and got away from the car. "Go, Alice! Go now!" She yelled a second before the bombs exploded and her body was torn into pieces, along with a few hundreds of undead. The windows of the car shattered and the car rolled over and burst into flames.

"Get out of the car, it's gonna blow up!" Alice yelled and pulled Miranda out of the car through the window. She dragged her to an alley and came back to help Rae out. Peter was trying to take Lindsay, who was unconscious, out of the car, but the whole backseat was squashed and Lindsay's lower body was caught.

"Alice, help me get Lindsay out!" He yelled. His shoulder was wounded and it was very painful for him to pull Lindsay out. Alice helped Rae out of the car, gave her a gun and pointed at the alley where Miranda was waiting. Then, she opened the door of the car and went in. Quickly and efficiently, she moved to the back seat and released Lindsay's legs that were caught in a small space that was left between the ceiling and the floor of the car's right side.

"She's free." She said and helped Peter pull her out of the van. Together, they carried her to the alley and laid her down on the pavement.

"She's breathing." Peter said after conducting a quick and slightly sloppy check up. "And I can't see any sign of bleeding, except for some minor wounds. Hopefully, there's no damage to her internal organs."

"We need to get her to a hospital as soon as possible." Alice said. "I'm gonna get us another car, the rest of you should stay here and be very quiet." She grabbed a weapon and started going away. From the road they could hear a huge explosion sound.

"Too bad, I liked this car." Peter said to himself. Alice came back twenty minutes later, with a green minivan that was still in one piece, despite Alice's driving, the chaos in the city, and the explosions. Rae helped him carry Lindsay into the car and they drove off. Most of the way was clear of zombies, mostly because Alice kept driving in the less populated areas of the city and side roads.

"Wait! Stop right here!" Rae ordered when she saw a gas station. A couple of zombies were chasing the car and Alice really didn't wanna stop for gas or even to shoot those zombies. "We need gas."

"We need to get out of here as soon as possible before those creeps kill us all." Alice replied. Night was starting to fall and she didn't wanna get lost in the darkness.

"You can't get anywhere without gas." Rae argued.

"I'm gonna stop at the next station, okay?"

"No, stop here. You can't let them get out of the city. They're gonna bite and kill people out of town and that's gonna be a mess." Rae said. Alice had to admit that Rae was right. It was better to kill the zombies now and keep the virus from spreading outside of Raccoon City. She pulled into the gas station and went out of the car. She filled the gas quickly while Rae shot the two zombies that were coming closer to the car. "Leave the pump on the floor and let the gas drip out of it." Alice nodded and did what Rae said. "Now, let's get the hell out of here." She said and looked at Miranda. "I need your lighter, Mira."

"How'd you know I smoke?" Her younger sister looked at her with surprise and handed the lighter to Rae.

"I saw you smoking with your friends a couple weeks ago after school." Rae replied and opened the sunroof of the car. She lit the fire in the lighter and threw it towards the puddle of gas that was created on the floor of the station. It burst into flames and as they drove away from there, they could see the whole station exploding.

"Wow, you're a real vandal." Miranda said and patted on her older sister's shoulder. "I guess we have something in common." She smiled at her mysteriously.

"I don't even wanna know." Rae smiled.