Chapter 13
The trip to this "Dragon Den" had been a silent one. Sam, Cliff, and Drake didn't say a word as the tunnel extended further into God-knows-where. Nonetheless, Sam could easily tell that Cliff felt very uneasy about the event that occurred with Drake and those reptilian gorilla creatures. She got off to thinking and eventually came up with the most logical answer: he was harboring whatever disease made people into vampires of zombies. However, she had seen plenty of "infected" people to know that they often did not exhibit features like the ones he portrayed. What if he couldn't control it? Would they be his next victims? Sam was beyond terrified.
The two were following Drake, their heads low, yet vigilant all the same. There were at least a half dozen doors they had to skip, but if they all had bio monsters inside, it would be best to not even bother; they were low on ammo, but even the idea of looking for weapons and ammunition seemed like instant suicide.
The three stopped in mid stride, gazing at the enormous door with the creepy stone gargoyle set on the front. Its eyes were lit red by some kind of molten substance. Two huge, flickering torches greeted them on each side of the narrow hall, creating sort of an omen.
"How do you open this?" Sam asked softly and not to anyone specifically. "There's no handle or anything . . ."
"We have to push this thing," replied Drake, his voice slightly wavering. He met eyes with Sam, and she noticed his were reddened and filled with suffering, making her feel very emotional. She turned away and closed her eyes, knowing deep down that he knew what was happening.
Cliff began pushing first, the stone relief barely budging. Drake joined in, struggling to get the thing to even stir.
"Wait a minute," Sam interrupted them, hitting a well-hidden and hardly used switch on the wall. The gargoyle began to descend, the stone tile floor nearest to it shifting downward. With a mechanical cranking sound, the relief finally hit the bottom with a loud crash, followed by nervous silence.
The first to enter was Cliff, examining the next room as quickly as he could; it appeared to be some kind of leisure room. On the opposite side of the relief was the frame of what would have been a false fireplace. Apparently, Umbrella, or whatever organization owned the place, was quite fond of spy gizmos and other annoyances. Sam wasn't. There was only one door leading out, and this one was quite elegant, bearing an inscription in Romanian. Finally feeling useful, Sam headed over to it first, ignoring the other lavish items scattered throughout the room- only to be disrupted by Cliff's call.
"Hey, you both better look at this."
Sam and Drake walked over to the windows where Cliff stood, wondering what he was so worried about. The sight made Sam feel despair drip out of every pore on her body. An army of those things from the city were making their way to the front of the building-
-and this building is a goddamn castle! Where the hell are we!
The horde of vampires stormed the front, causing ear-shattering, echoing pounding sounds throughout the entire castle. Soon after, there were gunshots, but not just ordinary gunshots. They were fully automatic! Were the agents here as well? With that finally inspiring her, Sam stared at the others with glittering eyes, the tiny flame of hope kindling once more.
"They're here . . . the agents are here! We might be saved!"
Cliff's eyes widened suddenly. "So, my brother's most likely here . . . and alive!" he shouted. Drake remained silent.
"D-Drake? Are you alright?" Sam asked, even though she didn't even have to ask. He was getting pale, his hands shaky.
"I'm fine. Don't worry," he let out softly.
"Sam, I can't make out these words," Cliff stated after hurrying over to the inscription, "you have to decipher it. You're the only one who can, Ms. Interpreter!"
Hesitating, Sam ran over to it and started reading, pushing her unruly hair back to view it much easier. There was a miniature demon depiction on the door's design above the etched writing, a small slit where the mouth should be. The writing said . . .
-Give me a taste of the blood of a human. Then, give me a taste of the blood of a defect. At last, give me a taste of the blood of a masterpiece, and my bloodlust shall be quenched.
After reading the cryptic inscription out loud, Sam paused and looked at the others anxiously. Time was slowly crawling to minutes, desperation taking over.
"What does it mean?" she asked, the gunfire getting much more intense.
"Don't look at me!" Cliff said nervously.
Wait, a defect?
The only defects that weren't human Sam could think of were those vampire things. Did they need to retrieve an actual blood sample?
"Here," called out Drake, who had picked up several things from one of the room's many shelves, across from the pool table. "These should clear things up a bit."
He handed Sam three small wooden figures resembling chess pieces. His hands were feverishly hot, startling her before looking at the items.
One was blood-red, with several chemical formulas etched on. Also was etched the word, "Researcher". The second was purple, more etchings on its side. The word, "Darkside" was written on it. The last one was dark green with the word "Tyrant" inscribed on it. Sam and Cliff looked at each other, the tiny objects clearing up nothing. All Sam knew was that a researcher was human, unless they meant the infected ones . . .
"What are we supposed to do now?" Cliff said with frustration as the castle shook from the gun fight several rooms over.
"Give me," Drake said, taking them from Sam's hand. He placed the red one into the slit, the wooden piece falling inside with a muted tick. He then threw in the green one and finally, the purple one.
"How did you . . ."
"Let's go," he broke Cliff off, opening the now unlocked door and hurrying inside. Sam and Cliff exchanged bewildered looks and followed after him-
-and in crashed a monster most heinous. He, it, appeared like some mutated man, easily seven to eight feet in height. He was nude, yet looked like layers of skin were clothing its unnatural body. There were many scars all over its grayish body, causing Sam to quiver in fright, knowing this thing wasn't particularly new at killing. However, its greatest distinction was its razor-sharp nails on every finger of its hands. It came from the ceiling, its elongated nails flicking off the dust and stone on its muscular and abnormal body.
"Darkside," Drake muttered, raising his weapon shakily. Sam didn't know what was going on, but all that mattered was that everything they'd gone through would be for nothing if that impossible monstrosity got to them.
S H A W N
The fervent survivors who fought bravely for their lives opened fire on the bearer of truth, the shots all connecting and striking at once. Each automatic blast seemed to do nothing to the hulk of a man. And Shawn could see, even as he repeatedly fired, from the holes in his tattered robe that the wounds weren't opening fully, not bleeding. Someone tossed a grenade at Hisaru's right, but the unnatural man's eye caught it on time. He was finally provoked, the man charging toward them like a bull. He whipped out a long metallic weapon.
"Get outta the way!" Shawn shouted immediately. "He's got a bazooka!"
The small crowd of surviving agents began to disperse, like mice scurrying from a cat. One blast from the enormous gun, and Shawn saw it happen too quickly, the shot obliterating Dwayne's upper torso.
"No!"
Hisaru's face turned to his, his amused smile widening. Shawn was only several feet away, but he unloaded on him posthaste, the shots catching the arm carrying the bazooka. The hit should have blown his limb from its socket, yet he still stood in one piece! It couldn't have been the parasite doing that.
The agents, although barely in cohesion, fired endlessly. Perhaps they all realized their grim fate. With that much more hate for the bastard, Shawn decided he wouldn't simply give up either. He moved behind a stone pillar, easily thick enough for protection. Surely enough, a grenade round shook the pillar that was his temporary shield, the chunk of stone resisting.
Shawn heard some more blasts and, sadly, more shouts of agony; he was mowing them down, time was running short before they'd all die.
Something moved from nearby, something soft and mushy. There were sickening snapping noises, like bone splintering partially. When Shawn turned to his right, he saw the remains of Dwayne, something rising from somewhere in the gory mess. A vampire embryo stood up, screeching and instantly rushing for blood. Shawn rushed after it, then stopped in his tracks as he saw more and more bursting out of chests, from the bodies of his friends, his fellow comrades.
He fell to his knees, shocked and disoriented, feeling like all of it was impossible. Hisaru stood behind a nearby pillar, taking aim at the stunned agent.
"I got you now, filthy American," he muttered in a schadenfreude most devilish. Then, from behind came a calm voice.
"Karma sure is a bitch."
There was a shot fired, startling Shawn to his feet again. But by the time he turned and aimed, there was an explosion so swift, he nearly lost his balance. From the shadows, Eva came out, toting her sniper rifle. She wore the same unreadable expression on her enigmatic face, of both mirth and solemn grief. It didn't make sense. None of it did, not her, not the man laying on the ground scorched.
Hidden in the cover of darkness, the embryos' erratic breathing could be heard, his senses going on high alert. Eva was approaching, not saying a word. For some reason, he became almost as wary of Eva as he was of the vampires. He backed away slightly. Holding up his weapon.
"Tell me, did you have any part in all this!" he said, his shotgun pointed squarely at her.
". . . Shawn, if I wanted to kill you, you would've been dead a long time ago, as would your friends. However, I did not. Don't let that fool throw you off."
Hisaru was a smoldering body on the ground. His weapon, too, was blown to shit, sadly. That must've been what Eva struck.
"You're not making any sense. You don't want to kill us, yet you're still associated with these ass-wipes! And there's Wesker . . ."
"What about Wesker?"
There was a beeping noise on Eva's belt, so faint, that Shawn actually thought he was hearing things. Eva only smiled, not a single emotion showing.
"Well? Aren't you going to answer it!" Shawn spat angrily.
"Hmph, fine, if this is what you want." Eva hit a switch somewhere on her belt.
"Torque," came a collective male voice, "has he been eliminated?" Shawn's eyes narrowed, not sure of how to react.
". . . yes," she simply answered.
"Good. Now head to the city further out west, just a short ways down. That will be your last chance at retrieving the true Parasite X. There'll be a chopper waiting at beacon 4-2-21. Be quick about it. Over and out."
"That was Wesker . . . wasn't it?" Shawn's tone was weak, but he could tell Eva saw the anguish and rage in his every feature.
"If I told you sooner, it would have hindered our partnership, and our chance at survival. Besides, Shawn, I like you. I didn't want to have to kill you."
"You betrayed me, Eva! All of this death could have been prevented! And for what! A damn parasite that's worth shit!"
"Do not talk of things which you know nothing of! You have no idea what I had to endure!"
Eva dropped her weapon to the ground. She began to show only the slightest of emotions, but Shawn was surprised nevertheless.
"Shawn, I didn't lie to you about my past. I was a part of Nether Gate, and I was an assassin. But, ever since Hisaru became affiliated with a strange man, he changed. It was that damn bug, the parasite. He used a strange knife to administer it into select few. I was one of them. We would be granted great power and an elongated life span. I had no choice in the matter! I was becoming one of them . . . until I met Wesker."
Shawn felt many urges at the moment; he felt like blasting her away for sacrificing his friends, like embracing her to comfort a pitiful soul, even to run, run away from everything. He was confused. He just stood there, his face unchanged.
"After he isolated me, he managed to create a sort of medication that would prevent the parasite from entering the body to the non-infected. For those who were infected already, it would only suppress it for a certain amount of time. I have to constantly take them, or I'll . . ." She paused briefly.
"So, you feel you owe him this? God knows what goddamn horrors he'll do with it!"
"I know, but it's too late; he's already begun." There was another brief pause.
"Shawn, you're not infected. Some time after you fell into the river, I evaded Hisaru, who I had pretended to have connections to. It so happened that during my travels meanwhile, I found you unconscious by the river's edge. I administered the medication in your body before any infection could take place."
"Eva . . ."
"You don't have to worry. You'll be safe from it for at least a week. Leave this place and do not return to your home in the U.S., Shawn."
"W-What?"
With those words, Eva turned and headed toward the two-story-tall doorway at the front. She was going to go through with what Wesker had told her!
"Eva, wait!" She interrupted him, taking one last glance at him.
"There's an anonymous helicopter circling the area a little bit off this path. Keep going until you reach the city limits. I believe its still there. Hurry while you can. At least one of us can enjoy the rest of their life." Eva rushed over to the drawbridge and jumped, simultaneously taking out a strange gun. It released a hook, similar to those in spy movies, and attached itself to something. In a split second, she ascended into the sky.
Shawn let out a sigh. He picked up her rifle and noticed the weapon was still practically full, at least fourteen shots left. It must have been one-of-a-kind, probably given to her by Wesker himself. There was a small bag near it, too. A cache of ammo for the Uzi, and a gun similar to the one she used to escape.
"Shit!"
His heart nearly skipped a beat when he noticed Hisaru's body up and rushing at him at full speed. Shawn somersaulted to his left, and Hisaru ran through the pillar behind him. He damned himself for strapping away the shotgun; the sniper rifle was useless at this range.
Wait, she did fire at close range . . .
Shawn waited for the living bulldozer to rush at him again, but after the debris from the stone pillar cleared he was nowhere in sight. There was a loud tremor behind him, and just as he turned around, Hisaru grabbed hold of his neck, cutting off his circulation and air. Hisaru still wore a smile. His robe was gone, revealing horribly pale, abnormal muscles. Charred and scarred all over, his only intention at that moment was his death alone.
Shawn's face began to turn red. However, his hands managed to reach the small lever on the rifle he still held onto tightly. He quickly pressed and held the trigger, spraying Hisaru with piercing rifle ammo. The trail of bullets came upward and pelted him in his face, his grip suddenly loosening. He let out a stifled moan of pain.
Have to get loose . . .
From his side pack, he slipped out his knife, thrusted it into his wrist and twisted. Shawn was freed from the monster's grasp, struggling to breathe in air. Hisaru began throwing punches freely, punching holes into other pillars and stone walls, barely missing him by inches. After a short while, his eyes repaired, the tissue in his face back to its original state. As this was happening, Shawn hurried outside near the entrance doorway. He took hold of the device that raised the drawbridge, spinning the crank as fast as his arms could turn. Hisaru's attention shifted immediately on him, the fixation to kill him too great to ignore.
"That's right, you dumb shit, over this way!" he muttered. Shawn had just finished the turning when his rock-solid fists pounded the crank device straight into the moat. In the meantime, Shawn looked over to the other side, at the forest just at the moat's edge. His heart pounding and his body incredibly tense, he took out the hookshot Eva left him and aimed at the closest and largest tree on the other side. Hisaru turned to his direction, his face no longer filled with wild glee, but macabre lust for death. He fired, the hooked end quickly piercing through the sturdy tree. As he let go of the trigger, Shawn was flying directly across, at the same time fearing that he'd fly straight into the tree in front of him. At the last moment he let go of the gun, crash landing onto safe grounds on the other side.
Despite the sharp pain in his left shoulder, Shawn got right back up, no longer feeling pain anywhere. Hisaru was climbing the lifted drawbridge. He reached the tip of the bridge, getting ready to jump down. Shawn quickly took aim.
If I miss these shots, I'm most likely dead.
He aimed the sniper rifle not at Hisaru, but at the chains holding the bridge up. He finished blasting the last one just as Hisaru landed onto the edge of ground. When he turned around, the last thing the mindless monster could see was the gigantic bridge closing down on him. The smashed body was a mishmash of flesh and odd organs, all lightly coated in abnormal blood and beyond repair.
After a moment of extreme panting, Shawn let out one final sigh of relief. It all happened so quick, and it was more or less all luck. He turned toward the path leading into the forest. He needed to make a choice.