They had entered the base, with this area long since rendered obsolete the lights where not on of course. The shadows were long and the dust was heavy on every surface. Every step they all took caused a cloud to rise from the floor and into their lungs with every breath they took. Much to their misfortune, the elevators didn't work, and they were left to climb the stairs.

Chris stood at the bottom of the stairs. He pulled out a flare from his vest and cracked it. The green light came to life and cast even deeper shadows over them all. He smiled slightly at the little stick as he clipped it to his belt.

"Here." He threw one to Jill, one to Rebecca and one to Claire. All three of them did the same. Carlos cracked his neck and made his grip on the handle of the bomb case tighter. He looked to Jill, and then to Chris before he spoke.

"Where exactly are we planting this bugger?" Leon nodded at the question, he must have been wondering the same thing Chris reached into his pocket and took out a blue print of the base. Claire frowned.

"How did you get that?" She left Rebecca standing next to Leon and stood by her brother's side. Chris smiled at her and unrolled the blue print. It looked fairly new.

"I got it from a source inside Umbrella; he was just repaying a favour he owed me." Chris frowned down at the blue print. He looked back to Claire.

"Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to make copies… This is our only copy of the blueprints for the base." They all grew silent as they realized what that meant. If for some reason Chris became separated from them, they would be lost in the base. No one really said it aloud, but every one knew they were all thinking the same thing. Jill shrugged after a moment or two.

"Well then we'll just have to be extra careful not to get separated." Chris nodded at her. He looked at Carlos and Leon, then pointed at a spot marked X on the blue print.

"Here, is where we have to plant it, right in the heart of the base." Carlos shook his head.

"Why can we not set it here, or any where else in the base for that matter?" Chris shook his head this time.

"Because, if the bomb isn't set in this area, the base won't be completely annihilated. Sure, the bomb is big, but look here. (Chris pointed to the X on the map again.) See this? At that X, there is a weak point in the structure of the base. If we set it there then set it off not a damn thing in the whole base will be left standing."

The whole team began to grow wearier as they went further and further. Leon and Carlos had to be suffering. They were still carrying the bomb between them. And Claire contemplated on the thought that, if they dropped it unable to take the strain any longer, they all could be blown into bits. Claire pressed that thought from her mind. Claire trusted them, well she trusted Leon at least.

Leon was calm, but Claire could tell he was nervous. Sweat had beaded on his forehead, and the green light made him look like skeletal. Rebecca kept quiet, but every now and then, she would hum quietly. Jill… well Claire had to admit she was extremely well trained. In all the time, they had been within the base Jill had never let out any sign at all that she was even remotely worried. Despite this, Claire could tell she was anxious, because her heartbeat had gone way up.

Chris was of course being the leader as everyone expected him to. Even Claire could not detect any difference in his vitals, or his steely expression. And as for herself? Well Claire couldn't lie to herself. She was scared, if only a little. Claire noticed when the darkness began to lighten up ahead of the team. And apparently, Chris had as well. He ordered them to drop the flares. And quickly they all unhooked them from their belts and gave them one final crack before their light diminished.

Claire stopped and listened. Something wasn't right.

Something was up ahead, and it definitely wasn't human! Claire made her way up to Chris, leaving Rebecca behind, who looked up at her puzzled.

"What is it Claire?" Rebecca asked confused. Claire ignored her and made her way to Chris. Hearing Claire dashing towards him Chris turned around. "What?" Chris looked for the first time in the whole mission worried. The rest of the team stopped. Everyone with the same frown on their faces as they watched Chris and Claire.

"What the hell's going on now?" Carlos asked impatiently.

Chris shook his head and pulled Claire further away from the team.

"Alright Claire. Tell me what it is." Chris asked gently. Claire took a deep breath to steady herself first.

"There is someone or something on the stair well straight up ahead." He looked her in the eye.

"Did you see it?" Claire shook her head. He started to turn around she knew Chris wasn't sure, so Claire grabbed his shoulder. He looked down at her again.

"Please! You have to believe me Chris!" He nodded his head.

"Are you sure?" He asked. Claire nodded her head vigorously.

"Okay. Now get back in formation." Claire complied instantly, ignoring the quizzical looks of her team-mates.

Claire could see Chris saying something into the ear of Jill, Claire couldn't hear what it was. He looked back at Claire before he turned and walked slowly up the stairs. The others tried to follow but Jill shook her head and everyone stopped at her signal.

He had his modified Black Tail equipped with a silencer held ready out in front of him. The laser light on it reached out into the shadows.

Chris made his way quietly up the stairs. Taking it one step at a time. He listened intently, straining his ears for anything up ahead.

Chris trusted Claire, if she said something was up here, then something was up here. He gritted his teeth.

Wait…

Chris was sure he had heard something. A sound that sounded suspiciously like scratching.

Chris peered about in the gloom. The stairs had ended, and he now stood in a long hallway. It was partially lightened from the numerous little windows on the doors, but toward the end of the hallway, it was pitch black. Chris started forward, every step bring the scratching noise closer. He stopped and looked through every door, he tried the handles, they were all locked. Once he had checked the last door, and was sure nothing would burst through, he turned his attention back to the end of the hallway.

His laser light landed on something cream coloured…

He called out to it.

"Raise your hands." Chris barked a habit from his training, because he was unsure what this was. Its outline rose from the floor, rigid and the scratching noise stopped.

"Raise your fucking hands." He stopped where he was and waited. It was making liquid sounding wheezing noises. Chris shook his head as it stumbled out of the shadows. Its jaw gaped open, and on its cheek, an eye flopped wetly the frayed nerve tendril reaching back into the socket.

"Fuck!" Chris took a risk and rushed it sending it against the wall, the carrier tried to bite his hand but he held it by the neck against the wall. He put the cold steel tip to its mutilated head and pulled the trigger. On the back wall, it looked like a splash canvas, the blood and gore dripped down the wall in rivulets of vibrant colour, and after being propped up by its own weight for a few moments the body slid down to the ground in a bloody heap.

Chris stood there looking down at it in disbelief.

This means… The virus has broken out! He shook his head and turned around. Chris had to warn his team fast.

As Chris walked away, a quiet hiss of mechanical doors unlocking could be heard…