Disclaimer: I don't own any of the things that were in the game, but JASON AND KATE, LAUREN, AND TOM ARE MINE AND YOU CAN'T TAKE THEM AWAY FROM ME!!! THEY ARE MY OWN! My…..PPPPPPPRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEECCCCCCCCCCIIIIIIIIIOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!! Heh heh….*ahem* Sorry about my outburst of Gollum but "Lord of the Rings" is my favorite movie! Enjoy my story that probably needs a better title!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Burning Flames of Love and Hate"
Chapter 1
Enter Hell
It was 8:17 P.M. on July 23, 1998 in the forest of Raccoon City, a midwestern town in America. A train sped along the tracks carrying the Umbrella Corporation employees to the training facility. The train wasn't very full so it was fairly quiet even though everyone was cheerfully chatting away with each other not knowing that they were being watched. One employee sat by himself reading the newspaper. He was the one person on the train that had experience working with the Umbrella Corporation. Everyone else on the train were brand-new employees that he had to baby-sit. He sighed and shook his head as she read the headlines: "The Evil Continues!" Recently, there have been bizarre murders in the suburbs of Raccoon City. People have been found dead in their homes, eaten alive. Some witnesses said that the families were attacked by a group of about ten people. "More of those weird murders," the employee thought, "All of the people who have been murdered seem to live somewhere near the forest zone of Raccoon City. I wonder-" A look of fear appeared across his face, "They were attacked by a group of unidentified people! They were all eaten! Could it be that an accident happened at the-" he shook his head, "No. That's impossible. Everything is so high strung there that nothing could possibly go wrong!" But the paranoid thought still danced around his head.
He felt the train turn another corner in the dark forest and heard the faint serenade of a female, opera-sounding voice. He set his newspaper down into the seat next to him and straightened his glasses. He looked out the window, trying to find the source of the voice. He heard a splat and saw a gray leech-like creature about the size of his fist sticking to the window. He was staring straight at its pink and gray underside. A small hole opened up on its stomach and showed a mouth filled with razor sharp fangs. The employee screamed and ran away from the window as dozens of leeches started covering the window. There was a shatter of glass and hundreds of leeches fell into the train, attacking everyone. Everyone screamed out in terror and pain as the leeches covered them, tearing up their skin and sucking out their blood. The drivers were attacked as well and in their frantic attempts to get the leeches off of them, they managed to press the button for the brakes. Not far away, a young man stood on a cliff wearing some sort of white robe and a blue pendant around his neck. He looked down at the slowing train and smiled as he continued to sing.
Two hours later, the Raccoon Police Department (RPD) dispatched their S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics And Rescue Squad) Bravo team to investigate the forest in the mountains for any clues to the grizzly murders. Their helicopter soared over the forest carrying the seven S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team members: Kevin Dooley, the pilot, Edward Dewey, the co-pilot, Forest Speyer, the team's vehicle specialist, Kenneth Sullivan, the field scout, Enrico Marini, the team leader, Richard Aiken, the communications expert, and Rebecca Chambers, the medic. Rebecca's white bullet proof vest had a red cross with the word "RESCUE" printed on the back. Her green combat pants marched her shirt and boots. Her hair was a reddish-brown color that didn't even reach down to her shoulders. She wore a red choker around her neck and small non-dangly diamond earrings. Rebecca was the youngest member of both the S.T.A.R.S. teams. She was eighteen and just graduated from college. She graduated from high school when she was sixteen. She skipped her sophomore and junior years in high school and college. The rest of Bravo team were in their twenties with the exception of Enrico and Kenneth who were in their forties. This was Rebecca's very first mission and she didn't know what to expect. She was a little glad that RPD sent her team out on the assignment instead of Alpha Team. "My first mission," she thought to herself, "I hope that we don't run into too much trouble."
Her thoughts were soon interrupted when she heard a small explosion and felt a jolt. The beeping of warning sounds filled her ears. "What's going on?" Enrico demanded.
"Engine failure!" Edward answered, "Emergency landing!" Edward and Kevin quickly tried to land the chopper in a small clearing in the trees. The tail of the chopper hit a tree, snapping off the propeller and the part of the tail that it was attached to. This added damage caused the chopper to fall spinning to the ground. The chopper landed right side up but tilted on the grass. Everyone was alive and uninjured. Kevin stayed in the helicopter and saluted everyone as they hopped out of the helicopter. Rebecca gave Kevin a thumbs up in return before jumping out and closing the door.
Everyone had their pistols out and studied their surroundings with the smoking chopper behind them. Enrico broke the silence, "Check the current position and investigate the surrounding area." Everyone obeyed and started searching the forest. Rebecca stayed close beside Enrico. She looked around and saw an overturned MP truck and the bodies of two soldiers.
"Captain, look!" Rebecca informed. Everyone walked over to the gruesome site. Both the dead men still had their eyes open and had bite marks and torn flesh covering the bodies. Enrico was studying them when Rebecca called him again.
"What happened?" Enrico replied, walking over to the young rookie cop. Clear slime oozed down the side of the truck. Rebecca pulled a clipboard out of a silver briefcase and read the document out loud as the team gathered around her. Everyone towered five to nine inches above her.
"Court Order for Transportation," Rebecca read, "Prisoner: Billy Coen. Ex-Lieutenant. 26 years old. Court marshaled and sentenced to death July 22nd. Prisoner is to be transported to Ragarthon base for execution." Edward took the clipboard and looked at the picture of Billy.
"Those poor soldiers," Edward commented shaking his head, "They were good men just doing their jobs and then that SCUM murdered them and escaped!" Enrico grabbed the clipboard from Edward's hands.
"Alright everyone," Enrico stated while studying the picture, "Let's separate and survey the surrounding area. Our friend is brutal and ruthless. Keep your guard up!"
Rebecca looked around the forest all alone. The only light she could see came from her gun. She heard a rustle in the bushes behind her. She quickly turned and looked past the white light. "A train?" Rebecca thought out loud when she saw it sitting motionless on the tracks. She slowly walked up to the train as it started to rain. She took a deep breath and got inside.
It was dark and quiet inside-too quiet. She didn't see anyone anywhere. She noticed bloodstains on the floor and seats. Her grip on her pistol tightened as she opened a door to the to other side of the car and stepped inside. This passenger car's lights were still on and a stairway leading to the upper floor stood next to her. She felt calmer when she a heard a female voice. "This is officer Chambers from S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team," Rebecca said to the voice, "Please identify yourself," The voice continued to speak, but not to Rebecca, "Is someone there?" Rebecca approached the voice. She turned to the seat that the voice was coming from and gasped. There sat the corpse of a male adult with his head leaning up against the window. He was decomposed so much that his skin was a sickening gray and his eyes were clouded. Some of his flesh was already gone or coming off because of the small bite marks all over him along with the stage of decomposition he was in. She looked down at the seat and saw a small radio. "This is where the voice was coming from." Rebecca thought as she picked it up. She turned her back on the corpse and turned off the radio. As she silenced the voice, another sound emerged from behind her: moaning. She quickly turned around to see the corpse staggering toward her with its arms outstretched. The moment she turned away from it and started to run down the aisle, she ran into two other corpses standing behind her: the conductor and a passenger. The conductor grabbed Rebecca's shoulders. It opened its gangrene mouth and started biting her neck. She cried out in fear and pain as it ripped through her flesh and tore off her choker. It bit her two or three times until she was able to push it off of her. The corpse fell backward, knocking over its comrade. Rebecca whipped out her gun and opened fire on the approaching corpse behind her. She hit it once in the chest. Blood splattered onto the floor, but the bullet seemed to have no effect. She shot it four more times until it dropped to the floor. Rebecca turned back around and emptied the rest of the 15-round clip on the other passenger and the conductor. Rebecca stood frozen in the aisle still pointing her empty pistol at the three dead monsters. She reached up and felt the bite mark on her neck. She pulled her hand away and stared at her blood and then at the corpses. "What just happened?" Rebecca pondered in horror, "I-I thought they were dead!" She couldn't stand being in that room anymore. She quickly reloaded her gun and darted for the door to the next car.
On the other side of the door, she was greeted by the crunch of broken glass under her feet. The window next to her was shattered and the rain was pouring inside. Rebecca turned a corner and found a hallway with two doors off to the side. She cautiously walked to one door and opened it. It was a very small room with a bunk bed, and a sink. Papers and bags were scattered all over the place. She eyed a corpse on the lower bunk suspiciously. A diary sat on the sink next to Rebecca. She picked it up and read it:
"July 14th
Orders came from the boss today. Looks like we're in charge of investigating the remains of the Arklay Mountains laboratory.
We're moving in two groups, with us in the initial group, assigned to start checking what's left of the abandoned experiment.
July 16th
Unfortunately, the test production of B.O.W. (Type-Y139) had to be suspended because of this investigation. It's the same with Type-Y139. There's still so much we don't know about responses to the crustacean t-virus. There's a lot of interesting research left…Depending on the species and nurturing conditions, only minute doses of the "t" bring about remarkable changes in solidity, size, multiplication of internal toxins and brain development. If these effects can be controlled, a powerful weapon could be produced. But the sudden development of the shell results in a corresponding fragility. Certain areas become exceedingly weak.
Problematically, one of these areas is the head carapace. This lab we were going to - were they pursuing the same research? It would certainly help to find data and samples that would help us in our research.
June 19th
The day is finally approaching…I am growing more anxious.
The Raccoon City newspapers and TV stations are full of reports about the bizarre murders in the suburbs.
It can't be the virus, can it? If it is…No. I can't think about that now. I have to concentrate on this investigation and make sure it goes smoothly."
"Research? B.O.W.s? T-virus? What is going on here?" Rebecca wondered. She set the diary down and walked out the door. She entered the room next door and felt very safe inside. There was another bunk bed but no corpse laid anywhere in the room. She found a file on the bed. It was stained with blood and some of the sections were illegible, but she tried to read it:
"Investigation Orders
8 miles north of Raccoon City, in the Arklay Mountains, lies our comp ny's Management Training facility. It was shut down years ag .
Now, w are conducting a preliminary tudy into the re-opening of the faci ities. First Investigation Unit is alre dy on-site and opening th investi ation, I want yo r team to provide suppo t.
The following orders re Will m Bark and 1s I ves gat o Un t."
The rest was torn and unreadable. Rebecca didn't even want to think about this one. A desk sat next to the bed and on it were unused tissues, papers, typewriter, ink ribbon, and a first aid spray. "First aid spray?" Rebecca thought. She felt a drop of blood trickle down her green S.T.A.R.S. t-shirt and suddenly remember the wound on her neck. She looked at the back of the spray can and read the directions. " 'Just shake and spray on. Completely heals all gashes, open wounds and broken bones. Cures any venom or poison in the wound. The amount of spray needed depends on the intensity of the wound. Made from the genetically enhanced Mbiriri and red and green Ngendo herbs.' Mbiriri and Ngendo herbs? Never heard of them." The can showed a picture of a red Ngendo herb, a green Ngendo herb, and the blue Mbiriri herb. Besides the color difference, they all looked exactly the same. Rebecca shook the canister, took off the cap, and sprayed it on her neck. She screamed in pain as she felt the sizzling sensation on her neck. She turned to the mirror mounted on the wall and watched in amazement as skin started forming on the wound. The burning pain faded away as the wound got smaller and smaller until it disappeared. She felt where the wound used to be. It was as if nothing had ever touched her. Rebecca grabbed a tissue and wiped the excess blood away from her shirt and shoulder where the blood drizzled. She put the rest of her first aid spray in her medical fanny pack and walked out of the room. Rebecca continued down the hallway and found an open door with luggage spilling out of it. Next to the open door was a locked door labeled, "Conductor's Cabin". The girl turned a corner and found another locked door with a card reader next to it. Next to the door was another corpse. The male waiter was badly torn up. She saw a key in his hand labeled "Dining Car". She bent down and took it. She was about to stand up when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned her head and saw Billy Coen standing behind her pointing a gun at her. His dog tags hung loosely around his neck. He was wearing a purple tank top and a pair of jeans with a red leather belt. His jeans covered most of what looked like blue cowboy boots. His straight dark hair was longer than hers. It was combed back and stopped a little bit passed the base of his neck. Making him look like a rock star. He was six feet tall and Rebecca was only 5'6". He was a very muscular and very handsome man. He also had a long, squiggly, black tattoo that ran from his right shoulder down to his wrist. At a certain angle, the tattoo spelled out, "Mother Love". The tattoo only touched the top part of his arm. "Billy," Rebecca said while standing up to face him, "Lieutenant Coen."
"So, you seem to know me," Billy answered in a deep and seductive voice, "Been fantasizing about me have you?" Billy smiled.
"You were the prisoner being transported for execution. You were with the soldiers outside."
"Oh, I see. You're with S.T.A.R.S.," Billy put his pistol in his back pocket, "Well, no offense Honey, but your kind doesn't seem to want me around. So, I'm afraid our little chat time is over." Billy walked away from Rebecca. She followed behind him.
"Wait!" Rebecca ordered, "You're under arrest!" Billy stopped and turned to her.
"No thanks, Doll face," Billy said with a smirk, "I've already worn handcuffs." He raised his left arm up showing handcuffs hanging off his wrist. He walked down the hall.
"I could shoot, you know!" Rebecca shot back as he walked in the next car. She turned away and let out a long sigh. She felt like such a dork for the way she acted around Billy. As if she would really be able to control him when she acted like a little girl trying to play "Cops and Robbers"! "Why didn't I even try to arrest that jerk?" Rebecca thought to herself, "Oh no! I can't be attracted to that asshole! I can't! Just because he's really hot and has a sexy voice-AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGG!!!!!!" She turned around when she heard a crash behind her. She saw Edward sitting himself up against the wall with the broken window above his head. He had bites and gashes all over him. "Edward!" Rebecca ran to his side, "Are you all right? What happened?"
"It's worse than-" Edward tried to answer through the pain that surged throughout his entire body. Rebecca was fumbling around trying to find the first aid spray in her pack, "We can't….You must be careful, Rebecca. The forest is filled with z-zombies…..and monsters."
"Zombies and monsters?" Rebecca thought, "Those things are out there too?!" Edward closed his eyes and went limp. Rebecca shook his shoulder trying to wake him up, but it was too late. He was dead. Rebecca screamed as the window smashed above her head. She opened her eyes and saw a rotting Doberman. Its half skull of a face growled and its mouth foamed. Rebecca stood up and pulled out her gun. The dog leapt at her and she opened fired. She shot the dog three times in the chest and it was dead before it hit the floor. She ran through the hallway, rage pulsing through her. Another dog leapt through the window and Rebecca was ready for him. "EAT THIS YOU LITTLE SON OF A BITCH!" She shot it once in the head, causing its head to explode. She felt the sweet taste of vengeance as she ran to the end of the hall and into the next car.
Two zombies approached her. She shot both of them in the neck. The bullets ripped though their spinal cords, killing them both in one shot each. Rebecca jogged into the other passenger car where she first entered the train. Her radio started beeping and she took it out to answer it.
"This is Rebecca. Over," Rebecca answered. She heard Enrico's voice on the other end, but the frequency was full of static, so she couldn't understand him. She pressed some buttons until he was understandable, "Enrico? Hello? Can you hear me? Please respond!"
"Rebecca, I can hear you," Enrico answered, "Now listen up. We've obtained detailed information on the fugitive from the document found in the wrecked wagon. Billy Coen killed as many as 23 people. Over."
"Twenty….three…people?" Rebecca thought out loud in utter shock.
"We have also confirmed that he was institutionalized, so keep your guard up! Can you hear me Rebecca. Over?" Rebecca just stood quietly, "Stay alert, Rebecca and don't think twice before killing him!"
"Enrico! Captain! Hello? Hello?!" Rebecca frantically pushed some buttons, trying to talk to Enrico again, but she couldn't contact him. At the end of the car, she saw another sliding door labeled, "Dining Car". "I knew it!" Rebecca thought with a smile as she ran to the door. She pulled the key out of her pocket and unlocked the door. She tossed the key behind her and was just about to open the door when she felt cold hands on her shoulders from behind her. She elbowed the zombie in the stomach, forcing his head forward over her shoulder, missing her entirely. She slammed the back of her fist into its forehead, spun around and delivered a left hook to its nose. She heard the creature's nose snap as it fell to the ground. Blood poured from its broken nose as it started to get back up. Rebecca quickly shot it in the head, leaving a large hole in its fragile skull. She smiled and walked into the dining car.
Rebecca found herself in a small room with an automatic door in front of her and a stairway next to it. The red light above the automatic door showed that it was off, so she couldn't get in. She heard a voice behind her say, "It's going to be dangerous from here on in," Rebecca spun around and aimed at Billy. Billy quickly thrust his hand forward and pushed Rebecca's hand up so she missed and fired the shot into the ceiling. He knocked the gun out of her hands and held her hands behind her back with one hand. He quickly pulled out a large survival knife and held it to her throat before she could react.
"Don't be so feisty, Sweetheart. Why don't we cooperate?" Billy asked with a smile.
"Cooperate with you?" Rebecca shot back.
"Listen little girl. In you haven't noticed there are some pretty freaked out things on this train and I, for one, want to get out of here. I don't think that we stand a chance doing it alone."
"You expect me to trust you, a wanted felon? I don't need your help. I can handle this on my own. And don't call me little girl!" Billy released her from his grip and put his knife away.
"Alright, 'Miss Do It Yourself'. What should I call you?"
"The name is Rebecca Chambers!" Rebecca spat back at him, "But that's Officer Chambers to you!"
"Well then, Rebecca, why don't you go and try while I wait here." Billy leaned up against the sliding door and watched Rebecca as she walked to the stairway. She noticed a paper sitting on what looked like a bedside table. She picked it up and read it:
"Notice to Supervisors
When closing the dining car, supervisors are asked to switch off the automatic doors after ensuring all staff have vacated the car. The main automatic door power switch is located on the roof of the fifth car.
Inspections will take place when the train is garaged. After inspections are complete, use the ladder at the rear of the second floor of the dining car.
Umbrella Corp.
Maintenance Department"
"Great! Now I can turn that stupid door on!" Rebecca thought as she crumpled up the piece of paper into a ball.
"Well are you going to get going or aren't you?" Billy commented. Rebecca shot him an aggravated look at threw the ball at his face.
"SHUT UP!" Billy chuckled as Rebecca turned around and started walking up the stairs. She couldn't help but have the feeling that Billy was staring at her butt as she walked.
"Yo, Rebecca!" Billy called after her. Rebecca turned around to see him twirling her gun on his finger, "Forgetting something?" He tossed Rebecca her weapon and kissed the air in her direction. She caught the gun with one hand and gave him the finger with the other before she stormed off up the stairs and into the second floor.
Rebecca looked around the quiet room. It was a dining room by the looks of it. The only light in the room came from one of the tablecloths in the corner of the room that was on fire. She looked to the back of the room and saw a man that looked to be in his sixties sitting at a table. He sat quietly and didn't seem to notice that Rebecca was there. He looked perfectly normal and this relieved Rebecca. She walked up to the man. "Um…Excuse me sir," Rebecca said to him. He gave no answer. "Sir?" Rebecca shook his shoulder a little bit. The man slowly lifted his head up to look at Rebecca. When he turned his head to her, his head twisted off and fell to the floor! Rebecca screamed as his entire body fell apart into a pile of leeches! The leeches rose up into a column and split in several places forming a human body. Then the head of the man rose up onto the neck of the leech mass. The head was now rotten and had clouded eyes. It started wobbling after her. The way it moved gave away that it had no type of skeletal structure. Rebecca quickly pulled out her gun and started firing at the monster. It didn't' seem to have any effect. Rebecca was horrified when she heard the click of her empty gun. She searched her pockets, but she found no ammo! She cried out as the monster exploded into hundreds of leeches and came hopping after her. They crawled up her legs and covered her entire body.
She was thinking that she was about to die until she heard two gunshots and the leeches fell off of her in dead heap. She stood on her hands and knees breathing heavily. She looked up to see Billy standing by the stairs with a smoking pistol in hand. Two leeches leaped from the pile at Billy. Billy jumped to the side and shot them both using only two bullets. He grunted as he hit the floor and skidded to a stop on his side. He got back up and walked over to Rebecca. "Are you okay?" Billy asked. Rebecca looked up at him and gave him a thumbs up. Billy grinned a little as Rebecca stood up. They both looked out the window as they heard a singing voice. It sounded like an opera voice. They saw the dark silhouette of a man wearing a white robe with the leeches crawling over to him. He silenced his voice and in a flash of lightning they saw the face of the man who sang. He looked very young: in his early twenties. His long, straight, dark hair came past his shoulders. "Who is that guy?" Billy asked. They suddenly felt a jolt as the train started moving.
"What's going on?" Rebecca asked, "Who's controlling the train?"
"Go and check out the first engine car," Billy ordered as Rebecca ran for the window.
"I can't! That door is locked! There is a power source on the top of this car and I need to turn it on!"
"Listen!" Billy called after Rebecca. She stopped and faced him, "We've got to cooperate with each other from now on! You got that?" Rebecca stood for a moment and thought.
"Well I don't-"
"Clue in girl! Or maybe you like being worm bate!"
"Alright!" Rebecca agreed, "But you just remember that I will shoot you if you try anything funny."
"Fine," Billy said as he pulled out a few handgun ammo clips, "Now take these with you." Rebecca caught them and walked to the window, "If you find anything, give me a call, alright?" Billy held up a radio. Rebecca reloaded her gun and nodded at Billy before she climbed out the window and up the ladder onto the roof.
"This is Delta Team. This is Delta Team," a man in heavy armor with an assault rifle said through his radio, "We have gained control of the train. Over."
"Understood." Albert Wesker answered on the other end. Wesker sat in a small dark room. In front of the chair that he sat in, were at least six screens showed surveillance camera visuals. A long-necked microphone sat in front of his face, attached to the control panel. Wesker was 38 years old and in his blue S.T.A.R.S. uniform and sunglasses with his blond hair combed back. William Birkin stood next to him in his lab coat with his hands rested on the control panel. Birkin's clothes were dirty along with his dirty-blond hair. Birkin was around Wesker's age and looked like he hadn't slept in a week. He looked at the floor and shook his head.
"This does not make any sense," Birkin muttered, "How was the T-virus leaked? And why did it contaminate both the lab and the mansion, as well as a train almost three miles away?" Wesker quickly covered the microphone with his hand.
"That's irrelevant!" Wesker snapped at Birkin, "We must make sure that no knowledge of this gets out. Destroy the train! Completely!" Wesker glared at Birkin for a moment before he turned back to the microphone, "How far away are you from the nearest branch line?"
"About ten minutes to-" the soldier cut himself off when he saw hundreds of leeches pouring out of the screen next to the open walkway in the engine car. He watched in horror as they crawled up his legs and began covering his whole body. He screamed in horror and pain as he frantically fired his M-16 trying to kill the leeches. The leeches bit through the armor and burrowed beneath his clothes to his skin. The soldier's comrade came out of the control room only to see his friend completely covered in the horrible leeches. Some of the leeches began to attack the other soldier as well. Wesker heard the screams and gunshots over the radio.
"What happened?" Wesker yelled through the microphone. Moments later, both the soldiers collapsed to the ground in death. Their bodies were covered in the slime secreted from the little creatures as the leeches wriggled out of the engine car and traveled to other parts of the train.
Meanwhile…
Rebecca could hardly get up at all without getting blown off the speeding train. The wind and rain stung her face as she crawled across the roof the end of the car. She was nearly blown off the train's roof when she heard gunshots and screams coming from the front of the train. They continued for a few seconds until the cries died down and the only sound that could b heard was the wind and the rain. "Those were assault rifle shots!" Rebecca thought, "My team members aren't carrying assault rifles! So who is on the train?"
"Rebecca?" Rebecca could barley hear Billy's voice over the noise of nature, "Did you hear those shots?"
"Yeah!" Rebecca yelled over the background noise, "They came from the front of the train, the engine car! Whoever they are, they started the train, but I'm pretty sure that they're dead now!"
"Do you think they were from your team?"
"No! No! It couldn't be them! My team isn't carrying anything more than pistols and shotguns! We don't have assault rifles! Do you have any idea who they might have been?"
"I'm as confused as you are." Rebecca saw sparks flying next to a hole in the roof. The sparks came from a broken wire in a power box.
"I think I know how to turn the door downstairs back on!"
"Good. Hurry!"
"Over and out!" Rebecca put her radio away and cautiously crawled over to the power box. She reconnected the hose-size wire, activating the automatic door. After she did, clear slime slowly started to seep up to her through the wires. Suddenly, about a dozen leeches jumped at her from the slime. Rebecca cried out as they knocked her backwards and into the hole. She groaned and slowly stood to her feet. The leeches were gone. She found herself in a room with a long counter that spanned across most of the wall. Above the counter were cabinets. Next to the counter was a small service elevator. On the other side of the room was a door. Rebecca tried to open it, but there was something stuck in the keyhole and the knob wouldn't turn.
"Rebecca?" Rebecca heard Billy's voice on the radio, "Hello? What kind of trouble did you get yourself into now? I heard you scream and then I heard a really loud thump above me."
"I'm fine!" Rebecca answered thoroughly annoyed while picking up some ammo off the countertop, "I turned the automatic door on, but I fell through a hole and I'm stuck in a room on the upper floor."
"Smooth move Rebecca." Billy said with a breath of a chuckle.
"Hey! Shut your mouth! You would have fallen in too!"
"Knowing you, I sincerely doubt that." Billy said as he walked through the automatic door and into the kitchen.
"DROP THE EGO AND HELP ME OUT LIKE YOU PROMISED! WHETHER I LIKE IT OR NOT, WE'RE A TEAM NOW! DON'T FORGT THAT!"
"I don't know. I was kind of thinking of ditching you. You should know better than to trust a fugitive like me."
"WHAT?"
"Would you stop yelling? You're giving me a headache! I was just kidding! I wouldn't leave you up there. That would be a lot of booty gone to waste."
"The door has something caught in the keyhole and the knob won't turn," Rebecca said through gritted teeth, trying to keep from cussing him out, "I need something sharp." Billy walked around the kitchen. A large refrigerator stood on the other side of the room. Next to the refrigerator were a locked door and a trapdoor in the corner. Billy tried opening the trapdoor, but he couldn't. He needed some kind of tool or hook to pry it open. Food was still sizzling on the stoves next to the automatic door.
"Some food is still cooking on the stove," Billy said.
"Yeah? What's your point?"
"Hey! They're chili dogs! I'm kind of hungry. You want one?"
"BILLY!"
"Okay! Fine. Girl, you have absolutely no sense of humor, do you?"
"ARE YOU GOING TOE HELP ME OR NOT?"
"I will," Billy looked across the room and his eyes fell on a small service elevator, "Is there a service door in the room you're in?"
"Yeah."
"You're in luck. There's one in here too. I'll send you my knife."
"No! Your knife is too big! I need something small and thin that I can actually pick it out with!"
"Really? Interesting. I thought that you'd like 'em big."
"BILLY! I'M WARNING YOU! IF YOU DON'T' SHUT UP, I SWEAR I WILL KILL YOU THE MOMENT I GET OUT OF HERE!" Billy was laughing on the other end.
"Dream on, Rebecca," Billy laughed, "You didn't do too well last time you tried that and that was when you were serious!"
"Are you going to help me or not?"
"I would, but it seems that we're stuck. There's another door marked, "Freight Car" and a trapdoor in here, but the door is locked and I can't open the trapdoor unless I have a panel opener or something. So, it looks like neither of us are going anywhere." Rebecca looked around the room. She spotted a key on the counter. She picked it up and read the tag: "Conductor's Cabin".
"Yes! I found the key to the conductor's cabin! I'm sending it to you now with some ammo that I found on the floor." Rebecca put the items in the elevator and pressed the button to make it go down.
"Good. Now we're getting somewhere," Billy said while putting the items in his pocket, "Over and out!" Billy ran threw the passenger cars and came to the hallway where he met Rebecca. He unlocked the conductor's cabin and threw the key away before he opened the door.
It was more like an office than anything else. There was a desk, a small closet and a shelf with some red and green Ngendo herbs on it. Billy found a piece of paper on the desk. It was a note form the conductor that said:
"The key card for the Driver's Compartment is in my briefcase as always. But I need the other guy's key too to open the damn thing. But it looks like I've lost it somewhere. If it was a normal key, someone would be sure to turn it in, but this key is different…I'll look for it too, but if you happen to find it, please hand it in.
Thanks in advance."
Billy opened the closet and found the briefcase that the paper was referring to. He felt the unique circular imprints on the front buckle. He set the case down on the floor and turned to the opposite wall. He saw a map of the train near the door. He studied it and put it in his back pocket. Next to where the map was mounted was a red button. He pressed it and a hole in the ceiling opened up and a ladder folded out leading to the upper floor. He climbed up the ladder and ended up behind the counter of a bar. The upper floor looked somewhat like a ballroom. Suddenly, he heard a loud screech and huge footsteps from above. Dust fell off the ceiling as the footsteps sounded. Something was on the roof. Billy didn't want to find out so he ran to the other side of the room and opened the door. On the other side laid a long hallway with one door on the side. Billy heard a disgusting squishing sound coming from the end of the hall. He cautiously walked over and found a large pile of clear, golf ball-sized eggs blocking a door. A puddle of slime saturated the surrounding area. Billy walked into the room on the side of the hall. The small room had a sink, a locked closet, and a bed, and messy cabinets and bookcases. On the floor were a double-barrel hunting rifle, shotgun ammo, and handgun ammo. Billy grinned as he stuffed the ammo into his hip pockets. Billy put his pistol in his back pocket and picked up the shotgun. He loaded and cocked it. He exited the room and started walking back to the ballroom. He was about to open the door when something caught his eye. There was a small, sharp ice pick about he size of a dinner knife next to dirty dishes on a serving tray cart. "This would satisfy Rebecca." Billy thought as he picked it up. He walked back into the ballroom and heard a smash of glass.
The chandelier had fallen from the ceiling and crashed on the floor. A huge claw pierced the ceiling. Then another one. The lights went out as the ceiling caved in on the other side of the room. Billy stood in horror as a scorpion that took up half the car, stood shrieking in the pile of rubble. The creature advanced on Billy with its venom filled tail ready to strike. Billy fired two shots at the scorpion's head, but it protected its face with its claws. Billy ducked as it swung its sharp, pointed tail at his head. The scorpion missed and hit the door behind him, leaving a gaping hole. Billy reloaded the rifle and fired at point blank range into the thing's head. Bright green fluid sprayed out as it screeched in pain. Billy reloaded again and continued to fire at its head. The creature's stamina was diminishing, but its rage was rising. Billy reloaded again and cocked the gun. Before he could raise his gun and fire, one of the scorpion's giant claws swiped at his hands, knocking it across the room. Billy pulled out his pistol and opened fire. The creature seemed to be getting closer and closer to death as Billy lodged the bullets into its face. The monster looked like it could take no more as Billy pulled the trigger again. He was horrified to hear the loud click of the empty pistol. The arachnid lunged toward him. It knocked him back, causing Billy to drop his gun and pinned his waist against the wall with the flat of its claw. It raised its stinger and thrust the point toward his chest. Billy screamed as he pulled out his knife and impaled it. The stingers point was just inches from his chest. The sickly, yellow venom spewed from the stinger. The monster cried out in pain as the knife tore its stinger in half. It backed up screeching so loud that Billy's ears were ringing at a high frequency. Billy spotted the rifle and darted for it. He was almost in range to grab it when his feet were suddenly pulled out from under him. He fell face-first on the floor. Billy turned over on his back to see his feet caught in the scorpion's claws. He threw the venom stained dagger into its exposed brain. It cried out and released him. He crawled to the rifle, his ankles cut up. He grabbed it and turned towards the monster. It raised up on its back four legs about to impale him with its sharp claws. Billy pressed the barrel of the rifle up against its underside and shot twice. Parts of the scorpion's organs and exoskeleton shot out the other side. Billy rolled out of the way as it went limp and slammed to the floor, green fluid leaking everywhere. Billy's radio beeped, so he pulled it out waiting for a voice.
"Hey, jerk! You there?" Rebecca's voice said over the radio, "Have you found anything yet?" Billy slowly and painfully stood to his feet.
"Yeah, I'm here," Billy groaned, "I got a little picky thingy that I think will do for getting you out." He staggered over to his empty pistol on the other side of the room and reloaded it before putting it back in his pocket.
"What took you so long?"
"Hey! Give me a break, girl!" Billy shot back as he reloaded his rifle and traveled back to the trapdoor next to the scorpion, "I had a run-in with the most pesky scorpion on this planet with the exception of you! It nearly took my feet off too!" He pulled the knife out of the dead scorpion's head and wiped the fluid on the carpet before putting it away.
"A scorpion? What the?"
"Yeah. It took up half the car too."
"How bad are you hurt?" Rebecca asked sounded slightly concerned.
"It cut my ankles up pretty bad, I think. It hurts to walk, but I think that I can make it back okay."
"Glad to hear that since you are my only means of getting out of here." Billy tossed the rifle down the trapdoor and was about to proceed down the ladder when something caught his eye. He picked it up and was glad to see that it was a long panel opener.
"Hey, Rebecca? You know that panel thing in the kitchen that I told you about a while ago?"
"What about it?"
"I found something that can open it." Billy tossed the tool down into the conductor's cabin.
"Good. Now hurry up!"
"I'm coming. Over and out." Billy put his radio away before carefully descending down the ladder. He picked up the rifle with one hand and the panel opener with the other before he walked out into the hallway.
Billy limped through the hallway, leaning against the walls every other step. He staggered through the passenger cars nearly falling over with every step. He was almost to the dining car when a woman emerged from a seat close to the dining car door. She staggered towards him wheezing with her mouth loosely open. Billy tightened his grip on the panel opener. She was a few feet away from him when he swung the panel opener like a knife with all his might towards her neck. The hook on the end of the panel opener dug into the female zombies throat. With a quick movement of his hand, he twisted the hook upward, snapping the monstrosity's neck. Its body went limp and collapsed to the floor, blood oozing out of its esophagus. "No time for you, Babe," Billy murmured to himself. Billy walked into the dining car and through the automatic door to the kitchen. He turned the corner and sat on the counter next to the service elevator. He pulled the pick out of his pocket and placed it in the elevator. He pressed the button and sent it up to Rebecca. Billy took out his radio and held the button down to talk. "Time to come down."
"Thank you, Billy," Rebecca answered as she replaced the pick with the remainder of her first aid spray, "I'm sending some first aid spray for your ankles." Rebecca pushed the button to send the spray down to Billy.
"Thanks. Over and out."
Rebecca put her radio away and walked to the door. She stuck the pick into the keyhole and moved it around trying to get the piece of metal out. After about a minute, she loosened the metal and fished it out. The end of a key fell out of the keyhole and clanked on the floor. She dropped the pick and pulled out her pistol as she heard a cry of pain coming from downstairs. She quickly opened the door only to find two zombies: a man and a woman, blocking her path. Half of their bodies were engulfed in flames. Rebecca quickly shot them both in the head and ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. She turned the corner to see Billy cringing in pain as he watched his ankles start to heal. The pain faded from his face as Rebecca approached him. "That stuff burns like hell!" Billy commented.
"Amazing how it works though right?" Rebecca said to him.
"Yeah. Kind of creepy, actually." Billy stood up and walked past Rebecca to the trapdoor. He hooked the panel opener around the handle and pulled up. The trapdoor opened with a creak and a small crawlspace that led under the door and into the next room revealed itself. Billy tossed the panel opener aside. "Ladies first."
"Oh no! Uh-uh!" Rebecca answered quickly, "I am not trusting you anywhere near my ass! You go first!" Billy laughed.
"Have it your way," Billy replied as he got into the crawlspace, "Hey! You have a sense of humor now!"
"I was serious!" Rebecca shot back as she followed him. Billy just laughed as he crawled through.
Billy poked his head out of the crawlspace on the other end.
"Would you hurry up and move, Billy?" Rebecca pleaded.
"Why?"
"IT'S A FULL MOON!"
"My pants are not sagging!"
"True, but your butt is still in my face!"
"Sorry, but I have to survey the area first before I climb out. I don't know how dangerous it is in the room, so I'm doing this procedure for safety sake."
"Yeah, right." Rebecca mumbled.
"Huh?"
"What do you see?" Rebecca asked.
"Not much. It's kind of dark," Billy answered, "Um, it looks like a storage place."
"For what?"
"Um…some chemicals and gas, equipment stuff and, oh! Some shotgun ammo! Good times!"
"Anything else?"
"Some cages with some dead dogs in-" Billy was cut off by the crash of the doors of the two metal cages flying across the room and into a wall. The mindless canines sprang out and jumped at Billy, "OH BLOODY HELL!" Billy killed both the dogs in one shot. The two bodies slammed lifelessly to the metal floor. Billy was breathing heavily.
"You okay up there, Billy?"
"Yeah! I'm fine!" Billy said with a hint of fear still clinging to his voice.
"Zombie dogs?"
"Yup!" Billy answered as he got out of the crawlspace, "And they scared the crap out of me! I wish that those things wouldn't pop out like that!" Rebecca laughed a little as she climbed out and stood next to Billy. He put the shotgun ammo in his pocket.
"What's that?" Rebecca asked.
"What's what?" Billy answered while unlocking the door behind them that led back to the kitchen.
"There's something gold in the cage."
"Huh? Which one?"
"The one closest to the other door." Rebecca pointed. Billy walked to the cage and looked inside. A small gold ring sat in the back of the cage. Billy picked it up and examined it. It was about an inch wide just like the imprints on the briefcase. Billy felt the ring and remembered what the imprints looked like.
"It's one of the keys!" Billy exclaimed.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"In the conductor's cabin I found a briefcase. It's locked and it needs two keys to open it. The keys I think are two small rings that fit into identical imprints on the buckle. I'm pretty sure that this is one of the weird keys. The keycard to open the door to the engine car is in the briefcase."
"How do you know this?"
"A piece of paper told me," Rebecca started laughing as she walked to the door next to the cage. Billy stood up, "What's so funny?"
" 'A piece of paper told me!' "
"It did! It said on the paper that the briefcase needed those weird keys and that-"
"I know! I know! But the way you said it just makes you sound like a schizophrenic that talks to walls and tree trunks!" Billy laughed.
"You actually made a joke!" Rebecca turned and started to open the door, "Yey!" Billy bear-hugged Rebecca around the stomach, lifting her off the floor, "I'm so proud! I feel happy!" Billy laid an exaggerated kiss on the back of her neck.
"AAAKKKK!!! DOWN! DOWN! PUT ME DOWN, YOU CRAZED BABOON!"
"What did you call me?"
"BABOON!!!!" One of Billy's hands let go of Rebecca and slipped into his pocket. He was still able to keep her off the ground using one arm with no problem. Billy took the ring out of his pocket and talked to it.
"Did you hear that, Winky? She called me a baboon! The loudest, smelliest, stupidest ape of them all! I think that I'm going to cry now!" Billy let out an obviously fake whimpering/crying sound while he put the ring back in his pocket.
"BABOON!" Rebecca screamed as loud as she could while kicking her legs frantically, "BABOON! BABOON! BABOON! BABOON! BABOON!" Billy started laughing and he dropped her. The second Rebecca hit the floor, she turned around and slammed her knuckles into the side of Billy's face, making him stumble back and fall into the cages.
"OW!" Billy cried out as he sat up and looked at Rebecca, "WHAT WAS THAT FOR!"
"I warned you not to try anything funny!" Rebecca shot back as Billy slowly rubbed the bruise forming just below his left cheekbone.
"Actually you said that you'd shoot me if I tried anything funny," Rebecca stood still as Billy stood up, "So why didn't you shoot me?" Rebecca paused.
"I was mostly referring to you trying to kill me!" Rebecca opened the door to the open platform that was the very back of the train, "And besides, you're not even worth the bullet." Rebecca walked through the door and into the stinging wind and rain.
"Yeah, sure." Billy murmured sarcastically as he followed her.
They could hardly see outside. A metal fence at stomach level caged in the platform, so the duo wasn't nervous about falling off the train. The only light came from a small light that illuminated a control panel to the right of the door. The control panel was off and next to the screen were nine buttons. The buttons were labeled one through nine. Below the display screen were ten small lights lined up in a single row, but they weren't shining. There was also a slot for a key card. To the left of the door was a tool about the size of an MP-5 submachine gun. The barrel had a large grappling hook sticking out of it. It was mounted at face level and strapped to the wall with two metal clamps. "This would be nice to have if I could get the clamps open!" Rebecca yelled over the weather. Billy looked around and saw a lever on the fence. He pulled it down and the clamps opened. Rebecca put her pistol in her pocket and pulled the hookshot off the wall. She saw a slip of paper behind the clamps. She pulled it out and read it:
"Hookshot Operator's Manual
-WARNING-
This device should only be used when inspecting difficult-to-access car roofs, or when connecting special trains. Return to its proper location after use.
Instructions
1. Where to use.
There is a ladder outside the small window by the 1st floor section door of the third carriage. Fire the device so that it hooks high onto the ladder.
2. Using the Winch to Climb.
After securing the hook, use the winch to lift yourself up.
-This grappling hook can only lift one person at a time. Be aware that the unit may be damaged if lifting more than 80 kg."
"Where do we use that thing?" Billy asked. Rebecca paused and thought a little.
"The passenger car at the front of the train!" Rebecca answered, "There's a window there with a broken ladder! I can use this to get on the roof!"
"Okay! Let's go!" Billy and Rebecca passed through the freight car and into the kitchen. Rebecca walked in front of the refrigerator and a zombie burst through the refrigerator door and grabbed her from behind. Rebecca screamed and didn't have time to react. A loud gunshot sounded and Rebecca felt something hit the back of her neck. Rebecca froze and it grew quiet. She turned around to see Billy holding the smoking rifle and the zombie's body collapse to the ground. Its head ended at the bottom of the chin. Billy had literally blown its head off! The back of Rebecca's neck felt wet. She felt the back of her neck. It was blood. "Don't worry, Rebecca," Billy reassured her with a few drops of blood dripping from his face, "That's not your blood, it's his." Billy motioned to the body of the zombie on the floor. Blood was splattered all over the room and a pool of blood was growing around the zombie's head, or what was left of it. "Man, he splattered all over you! Sorry about that!" Billy grabbed some paper towels off the counter and started wiping the blood off his face and the back of Rebecca's neck and shoulders. Rebecca suddenly felt something sliding down the front of her shirt. She looked down to see a piece of the zombie's head sliding down between her breasts.
"YYYYYIIIIIIEEEEE!!!!" Rebecca screamed in disgust and surprise as she dropped the hookshot, "EW! EW! EW! GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT!"
"What? What?" Billy dropped the bloody towels is surprise.
"A piece of his head is sliding down the front of my shirt and it's all squishy! GET IT OUT!" Billy burst out laughing and reached a hand out towards Rebecca.
"Okay, fine. I'll get it. Hold still!"
"WHOA THERE, BOYO! NO! NOT A CHANCE! ON SECOND THOUGHT, I'LL GET IT!" Rebecca turned her back on Billy and jammed her hand down her shirt, trying to get the piece out.
"OH! I get it!" Billy finally figured it out as he put his hands up a little and stepped back, "I'm sorry!"
"Great! I've just been successfully attacked by the brain of an obviously perverted zombie!" Rebecca commented, "But it's not the only perverted thing in this room!"
"Hey!" Billy exclaimed, "I am not!"
"Then why were you reaching for my breasts?"
"I was just trying to get that thing out! I'm sorry, but that thought never crossed my mind! I swear that I was not planning on-" Rebecca pulled the piece out of her shirt and threw it at Billy. Billy jumped back in a futile attempt to dodge it. It hit him in the shoulder and stuck to it. "BLEH!" Billy pulled it off him and threw it to the floor, "It's like a giant hairy tick!" Billy wiped his hands on a paper towel.
"Dang it! My fingers are all gooey now!" Rebecca approached Billy with her hand outstretched trying to wipe her fingers off on his shirt.
"Not on me!" Billy tossed the paper towels to her. Rebecca caught them and wiped her hands off on them. As she did so, Billy noticed something in the open refrigerator: an empty bottle. Billy remembered seeing a gas canister in the freight car. He picked up the bottle and thought for a moment. Billy ran into the freight car as soon as he got the idea. Billy opened the gas canister and filled the bottle up with gas. He ran back into the kitchen and stuffed a rag in the bottle.
"What are you doing?" Rebecca asked.
"I made a Molotov Cocktail just in case."
"Clever you." Rebecca picked up the hookshot before she and Billy walked out of the kitchen and into the dark passenger car. Luckily, they passed through it without having to kill any zombies. They walked into the lit passenger car and looked to the open window to their left.
"Is this it?" Billy asked.
"Yeah," Rebecca answered as she stuck her head out the window, "As much as I'd hate to say it, you're going to have to hold on to me while I aim for the roof so I don't fall out of the train." Rebecca reached out a hand to him. Billy grabbed her wrist and held on tight as Rebecca carefully slid her torso out the window, "You got me?"
"Don't worry. I won't let you fall." Rebecca raised her hookshot with the other hand and fired. The hook caught on the top of the remains of the ladder.
"I got it! You can let go now."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. I'll radio you if I find anything."
"Okay." Billy let go of Rebecca and the rest of her body slipped out of the window. Rebecca pressed a switch on the side of the tool and the wire started coiling up, lifting Rebecca to the top of the train once more.
Rebecca carefully lifted herself onto the top of the train and slowly crawled across the car. There was another hole in the ceiling in the middle of the car. Rebecca looked through the hole and saw a small room. She jumped down the hole and landed next to a dresser and a bed. She stood up and saw a woman standing in front of her with her back to her. The woman turned her head and showed a decomposing face. Rebecca raised the hookshot and fired. It broke through the woman's skull and pierced her brain. The zombie fell backwards in death for the last time. Rebecca placed her foot firmly on the woman's face and pressed the switch to pull the hook out. The hook popped out of the woman's head and snapped back into the barrel. Next to the body was a closet. Rebecca opened it and found a small jewelry box on the floor of the closet. She flipped it open and found a silver ring identical to the gold one that Billy had. Rebecca reached for her radio. "Billy, I found the other key."
"Good. Can you get back alright or do you need another ice pick?" Rebecca turned the knob on the door next to her. Rebecca let out a sigh of frustration.
"Neither!"
"What do you mean?"
"I can turn the knob, but something's blocking the door! I can't push it open!"
"Are you sure that you're pushing it the right way?"
"Yes! The hinges don't swing the other way!"
"Oh great. Where are you? Stomp on the floor or something so I can find you." Rebecca jumped as high as she could and slammed her feet on the floor with all her might. Billy heard a loud thud. He turned and faced the long aisle where the sound came from. "Do it again." Rebecca obeyed and Billy spotted the portion of the ceiling that Rebecca was jumping on. "Okay, I know where you are now. I'll be up in a minute."
Billy ran up the stairs next to him and turned a corner into a long hallway. He gasped when he saw what lay in front of him. Thousands of eggs lined the hallways. He saw the door to the room that Rebecca was in. A huge pile of eggs was preventing her escape. "Some weird eggs are blocking the door!" Billy called down the hallway.
"What?" Rebecca asked in surprise, "Eggs?"
"Yeah! They're all over the hallway! I saw a small pile earlier in the area that I fought the scorpion! The eggs are sort of transparent and they're leaving an awful lot of slime everywhere! Any idea what they could be?"
"Eggs," Rebecca thought, "Slime. What could they- OH GOD!" Rebecca jumped when she heard Billy scream.
"REBECCA! THEY'RE LEECHES! THE EGGS ARE LEECHES! THE ONES IN FRONT OF THE DOOR ARE HATCHING! HURRY AND GET OUT OF THERE BEFORE THE REST HATCH!"
"I'M COMING! HOLD ON!" Rebecca turned the doorknob and started ramming the door with her shoulder in an attempt to break through the remaining eggs. The door started to give way a few inches and leeches poured inside the room. Rebecca screamed as she hit the door as hard as she could, forcing it open. She ran into the hall with leeches crawling up her legs and back. She heard popping and splats all around her as more and more eggs began to hatch. There were so many leeches around her that the hallway seemed to pulsing and moving towards her. Rebecca turned a corner and saw Billy waiting for her. He lit the Molotov Cocktail with his lighter and threw it behind her, sending the whole hallway up in flames, killing any leeches that dared the chase them. Billy and Rebecca ran down the stairs and back into the passenger car where Rebecca used the hookshot.
"OW!" Rebecca screamed as the few remaining leeches began biting her collarbone and sides, "AAAAAA!!!! GET THEM OFF!" Rebecca started ripping the leeches off her collarbone as Billy pulled the leeches off her sides and hips. Rebecca stomped on all of the leeches that fell from her body, staining the carpet with large circles of yellow leech guts. Rebecca held her hand over her collarbone and neck where the deep bite marks were present.
"You okay?" Billy asked while looking around her neck for any other bite marks.
"It stings!" Rebecca replied through gritted teeth.
"They got you pretty good, didn't they?"
"Billy." Rebecca looked into his eyes.
"What?"
"Hands." Rebecca motioned down with her eyes. Billy looked down and saw that he was still holding onto Rebecca's hips. He quickly pulled away.
"Sorry," Billy apologized, "Uh, you still got that ring?" Rebecca pulled the silver ring out of her pocket and handed it to Billy.
"Where's the case?" Rebecca replied.
"I left it in the conductor's cabin." Billy led Rebecca through the aisle and into the car where Edward spent his last moments of life. Billy walked past Edward's body and opened the door to the office. He walked inside and took out the two rings from his pocket. He placed them in the imprints on the buckle of the case, unlocking it. All this time Rebecca just stood in the doorway and stared at Edward. It was only at this time that she felt sorrow for Edward. Edward was gone. Her team mate and friend was murdered by the monsters and she missed him terribly. She fought hard to hold back tears. She didn't want Billy to see her like this. It was bad enough having to be teamed up with someone like him. "Alright. I got the key ca-" Billy stopped when he saw Rebecca kneeling in front of Edward who sat motionless and silent against the wall. His face had gone pale and his body stone cold. Rebecca slowly started to reach a hand out toward Edward's face. Billy grabbed her wrist and stopped her. Rebecca let out a slight gasp and faced Billy. "Best to leave him alone. Come on." Billy pulled Rebecca to her feet and guided her to the door trying his best to keep her from looking back. Billy gave the blue key card to Rebecca who slowly took it and slid it through the card reader on the side of the wall next to the door. They heard a beep as the door unlocked. Rebecca dropped the keycard and opened the door.
The rain was still pouring like a waterfall outside. The walkway to the control room was open with the exception of a small overhang over the metal walkway. It hardly protected the fugitive and his new comrade from the rain that was now blowing at an angle. They came across the bodies of the two dead Delta Team soldiers. Their gas masks had been eaten clean through to their faces in some parts. Billy picked up their assault rifles and checked the clips. "Are they empty?" Rebecca asked. Billy nodded.
"But I'm not about to go searching them for more ammo!"
"Good call! They'd probably wake up!" Billy and Rebecca continued down the walkway and walked through the door to the control room. Two dead drivers lay lifeless on the floor. Sparks flew out of a damaged power box for the main braking power. A large control panel was covered in computers, buttons, and switches. A single lever stood next to a small panel with a display screen and nine buttons like the one on the back of the train. Billy walked to the control panel and looked at the computer.
"This train line's gonna derail and crash!" Billy exclaimed, "I've gotta stop this thing!" Rebecca dropped her hookshot and frantically searched for something that would stop the train. In a locker behind her, she found a booklet. Rebecca read it out loud,
" 'Brake Operation Manual
Using the Brake Control
The following three steps are necessary to operate the brakes:
Step 1: Activating the Controls
Brake controls are located in the following locations:
-First car Driver's Compartment.
-Rear deck of the fifth car.
To activate the system, you must insert the magnetic card into the device in the fifth car. This will supply power to both sets of controls.
Step2: Enter Rear Deck Code
Enter the code for the rear deck unit to release the lock. After this the Driver's compartment code can be input.
Step 3: Enter Driver's Compartment Code
Enter the code for the Driver's Compartment unit to remove the lock. Upon completion of these three steps the manual brakes will be available for use.' "
Rebecca set the booklet down onto the panel and grabbed a black magnetic card that sat on top of the broken power box. Rebecca's authoritative voice caught Billy's attention, "I'll go to the back deck and manipulate the control panel for the break. You stay here and apply the brake when ready." Rebecca pointed to the lever.
"Okay," Rebecca ran for the door, "Rebecca!" she stopped and faced Billy.
"Hm?" Billy tossed her the rifle and some shotgun ammo, which Rebecca placed in her pocket.
"Don't screw up, okay?"
"I won't." Rebecca replied to his comment as she cocked the rifle. Billy watched her as she walked out of the control room.
Rebecca ran across the walkway and to the door as she heard the two dead soldiers rise up. Rebecca got through the door before the mindless bodies noticed she was there. "Billy! Be careful!" Rebecca warned through her radio, "Those soldiers outside just woke up!"
"Thanks for the heads up," Billy replied, "Now hurry up! I don't know how much time we have left until it's too late!" Rebecca ran past the conductor's cabin, barely noticing that the employee and Edward were gone. She ran into the hallway and darted past the awakened employee and into the passenger car. On entry, she noticed about a half a dozen zombies approaching her. She raised her rifle and fired twice killing two zombies at once. She hit two with the butt of her rifle, which caused the domino effect, knocking the rest to the floor. Rebecca jumped over their bodies and ran into the next car before they could get up.
Rebecca closed the sliding door of the darkened passenger car behind her. She turned around to face the aisle when she heard a slurping, crunching sound. She gasped at what she saw. A zombie was eating a body on the floor. The monster turned his face towards Rebecca with blood dripping from his blue lips. "EDWARD!" Rebecca screamed and dropped her rifle. Edward's mouth was black and hung open showing bits of rotting flesh stuck in between his teeth. "No." Rebecca shook her head not wanting to believe his transformation. Edward stood up and staggered toward Rebecca, with his hands outstretched longing to taste her flesh. Rebecca felt her eyes welling up with tears. She just stood there looking at Edward's face as she felt her sorrow consume her. Memories came flashing back to Rebecca; memories of her and Edward. She remembered their friendship. He loved Rebecca like a little sister and promised to do whatever it took to keep her safe. He had a good head on his shoulders and a passion for justice. Rebecca always admired him for his good soul. He was like the brother she never had. "Stop! Don't come any closer!" Rebecca pleaded as she looked into his clouded eyes, looking for Edward. Where was he? There was no soul, no life behind his eyes. Now he was only a shell, nothing more. Edward Dewey was dead. He was gone forever, but he was not fully at rest. Rebecca could not let him live on like this. He wouldn't want to be this way. Rebecca slowly reached for her pistol. She pulled it out of her pocket and aimed for his head. "Goodbye, Edward. I'll miss you, brother." A tear trickled down Rebecca's face as she put Edward out of his misery. It seemed like slow motion as the 9mm bullet shot out of the barrel of Rebecca's pistol and soared towards Edward's head. It pierced through his skull and buried itself in his brain. Blood oozed down his forehead as he let out a wheezing breath and collapsed onto the floor. Rebecca stared at his body for a moment before she darted for the door, her vision blinded by tears. She couldn't stand to look at her "brother" anymore. Not when he was in that form. She prayed for his soul as she opened the door to the dining car and ran inside, slamming the door closed behind her.
She darted through the kitchen and kept telling herself that she couldn't stop. Billy was counting on her. She had to manipulate the controls to save both their lives and hopefully, soon, her friends' lives. She ran through the freight car and onto the platform outside. She quickly pulled out the magnetic card and pushed it into the slot. She heard a beep as the small display screen showed: 0/36. Rebecca's hand moved towards the nine buttons and she pushed the 3. Then the display screen said: 3/36 and one of the ten lights below it lit up. Rebecca pushed the 6 and another light lit up as the display screen showed: 9/36. Rebecca pushed the 9 and the third light lit up as the screen showed: 18/36. Rebecca typed in 18 and two lights lit up one after the other under the screen that now displayed: 27/36. Rebecca paused and then it hit her. Rebecca quickly typed in: 1 1 1 1 5. When the rest of the ten lights lit up, the display screen showed: 36/36. A loud beep was heard and the numbers on the display screen blinked. Rebecca whipped out her radio and pressed the button down to talk. "This is Rebecca! I've engaged the control device for the break! Over!"
"Roger," Billy responded, "I'll put the break on now!" Billy looked down at the control panel that was identical to the one that Rebecca had just finished messing with. It displayed: /67. The glass was cracked where the zero would be. "Rebecca, how do I do this?"
"You have to type in ten numbers whose sum is the number displayed on the screen!"
"Okay. Thanks." Billy put his radio away as he looked at the display screen and thought, "Okay. What times nine is almost equal to 67?" Billy pondered for a while until he pressed the 7 nine times and the 4 once. The display screen beeped and blinked. Billy was about to pull the lever when two pairs of hands grabbed him from behind. The drivers were awake and hungry. One bit into his left shoulder as the other feasted on the right side of his neck. Billy screamed out in pain as the demonic duo fiercely tore flesh from his body. Billy frantically tried to break from their grasp but it did no good. In an effort to save Rebecca, Billy kicked the lever, turning it clockwise to apply to brake.
Sparks flew from the wheels as the train sped along the tracks hardly slowing down at all. It turned a sharp corner and raised up on one side, pushing the zombies and Billy against the wall. Rebecca was nearly thrown from the train, but was able to grab the railing. When the turn ended, the train slammed back down on the tracks, throwing Rebecca back onto the platform. Billy and the zombies slammed to the floor. Billy pulled out his pistol and shot the both in the head before they could get up. Billy stood up and looked out the windshield. They were headed straight for a building. "OH SHIT!" Billy yelled as the train smashed through a weak wooden fence. It hit a warning sign that was held up by a big pile of rocks near the end of the tracks. The train got airborne and the engine car flipped onto its side. The cars broke apart form each other and skidded across the floor before they crashed into the wall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yey! I have completed the first chapter! I know this was long, but if you don't like long, then don't worry! Because I don't think that my other chapters will be as long as this! ^_^ Don't' expect to see another chapter anytime soon because I'm going through WRITER'S BLOCK FROM HELL!!! I FIGURED OUT THE ENDING AND EVERYTHING BUT I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO GO ALONG WITH THE MIDDLE! NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! I've started the second chapter, but I've can only go into like the first 10 minutes of the second chapter because after that……WRITER'S BLOCK!!!! Also, don't expect much funniness anymore, cause I think the train will be the only appropriate funny time or whatever because of what happens later. ANYHOO! Please review! If you are a flamer, YOU'D BETTER HAVE A GOOD REASON TO BE ONE!!!!
P.S. THANK YOU KATE FOR HELPING ME ON THE CHAPTER TITLE! I OWE YOU ONE!
