Chapter 5. "Unlikely."
Earlier that evening…
Hunk rummaged through the unnamed files at Henry's house. Just in the back room was a cluttered room with the homeowner's belongings. The search infuriated the mercenary. A simple job and now an Outbreak? Hunk frowned behind his gas mask as he brushed some trash aside. He knew that there was very little time left to bug out, but he needed to look through this mess and figure what kind of information this dead man possessed.
The briefcase from earlier was empty. Hunk even used the knife to cut all the padding to see if anything could be hidden inside and stabbed it dozens of times for hidden compartments. The mercenary tossed it lightly out in the hall during the search.
Eventually, he moved a coat away from an isolated chair and voilà! There was a yellow file with a red outline at the edges, and Hunk threw the jacket across the room. It landed at the feet of the dead man. Surprisingly there was another file underneath the first one with a blue outline.
Hunk looked through a page from the red-tipped file, which contained ten names. People he knew all too well in the past.
Hunk went through the blue-tipped file, though the first four pages were blank. The fifth page had a map drawn with a pencil, and judging from the arrangement of the shapes. It is a drawing of Tall Oaks, he flipped into the next page and found nothing there. It was an elongated piece of paper that was meant to be folded out, but since it was blank, he tore it out.
The severed map flailed a bit before it was folded poorly then stuffed in a vest pouch. He went through another file.
The content the mercenary discovered made his blood boil, too much information he was sure nobody would ever need to know. The recruitment process, missions, private lives, Raccoon city, and what happened to the Alpha team, where are Wolf-Pack members currently live with their real names and photo IDs, stapled on the top left corner.
Even Hunk's name was among them.
The mercenary was certain such information had been lost five years ago, somehow someone kept the information and updated the record. What troubled him, even more, is a red 'X' was over several names. He moved his index finger over the marked names until he saw, Vector, Christina, Yamata, and Hector.
'Someone wants to eliminate us all, why? If not, what's the point exactly?' Hunk shook his head. 'This is why I have trust issues.' On the next page, he found the answer to his confusion. He took an empty file from a shelf, stuffed the Wolf Pack psychological files, and read the rest.
With an annoyed sighed, he returned his attention to the previous file, settling back into a seat. He'd already reviewed many names and materials several times, but he wanted to be on top of every detail. No sound could be heard in the immediate area, and against his conscience, he didn't feel like there was a significant threat in the area. The mercenary sheepishly lifted the document up and turned on a flashlight to read it.
This new file had old dates written all over it. '…1976, 1980, 1985...'
Name Haley AKA Subject G-12.
Age: 10
The subject had been involved in the test, her IQ is high, but it was expected like the others. Trials for her medication will start in the coming weeks. This is still behind the projected schedule plans, but there is shown signs of promise, and so the Board has approved of the project for six more months... Hunk read, but from there, the document was covered in tattered blood, meaning some sections were too difficult to feasibly understand.
Subject G-12 passed every test precisely and that it was predicted to happen. They chose carefully, but it also caused her to experience severe insomnia levels for a day, and just like Mark's case, she was not easy to control, and still, it is a trait like this that made them want to recruit these two kids. She'd survive, but she would likely spend the rest of her life on that island unless she finally gives in and does her duties. This girl's case had to be settled quickly, her family kept quiet about what happened to her, and they were ordered to forget about her or else they'll be in trouble if they tried anything...
At the top of the last page written. 'The Children of Raccoon City.'
Hunk gathered all the files, and once it was packed together, Hunk undid several straps to loosen his gear so he could somewhat open his uniform. When it was opened far enough, he placed the bag in a custom pocket for such a thing then closed his uniform. He tightened his uniform then prepared himself to go back outside. Hunk knew he has to look at these documents later and figure out the reason why Henry was killed. It was planned for him to die all along, and this must be more than just experiments done in some child.
...
Claire carefully checked the magazine and racked the chamber. The survivor raised the muzzle to avoid inadvertently aiming at someone uninfected. In the middle of her walk, a loud voice can be heard through speakers.
"People evacuate immediately, head south toward the main hall of the city. The police are forming a safe zone. Again, please evacuate-"
Claire tuned the message out then redirected her focus. To her surprise and dismay, the bridge was down… as in a pile of rubble. She spent a moment thinking about her options if she'd take another path, search the area, or go to safety with the rest.
'No, I can't let someone like that murderer roam free.' Claire frowned in determination, then whispered. "I won't."
The survivor took a deep breath and increased her pace through the ruined town. She avoided the trees and going through a wide-open stone path in a public plaza. Half the public lights were not powered like they should, which made dark spots that Claire circled around. Not wanting to make herself a prime target for potential crazies or reveal her location to the man she currently tracked. Claire used the flashlight periodically, a quick flash to see what was in front of her.
Echoes and various images of Raccoon City racked around her mind. Normally, it would keep her awake on occasion, but instead, it fueled determination.
Bbrrrrbbtthtth… Claire stopped in her tracks then aimed her weapon at her surroundings. Several street lamps flickered over to her right side, and she knew something hidden in the shadows.
It sounded like massive claws grazed over the concrete as something approached her. Claire stood still and allowed her eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness. Every flicker or so, the shape of the hunched creature appeared to have been getting closer and closer.
By now, Claire wished that she brought some kind of knife along… even a kitchen knife could do the trick.
It started as if she could not see it coming a huge figure came in front of her and shoved her in the side. She slammed against a nearby fence, a shout of pain escaped her lips, during the fall, her elbow struck the floor first then by the reaction she pulled the trigger, and the bullet wedged itself into a brick wall. She shook her head as the shell casing rolled toward her attacker… Claire told herself to focus. The young woman looked up, 'Come on.'
Right in front of her was another lizard… but this one was different. Claire blinked her eyes to check if she saw this thing correctly. A foot with talon sized claws stepped into here view as the lights flickered. It was strange, did she hit her head hit harder than she thought or were the talons of a blood-red color to them? It must be the lighting, but Claire didn't waste any time as she rolled over to her back and then took the creature's view. This lizard thing looked very different from the others. The shoulders and arms were encased with seemed to be hardened scales that were almost pitch black. The claws on the arms were utterly blood-red as well as the underbelly. The eyes blinked before it ran its tongue over the teeth.
"I hate you." She whispered and aimed at it.
One bullet went through the chest, which made the creature jump around, then hiss at her. The lights seemed to have returned to normal as the lizard sprinted in to close the distance again. Claire rolled over and tried to keep her aim focused, she fired again though it dodged it cleverly. Once she made it to her back again, the lizard caught its left arm at the ready, then shot directly down and made a hole in the concrete. It was stuck for a moment as it tried to pull itself out. Claire took advantage of this to get back on her feet and run away, then she turned around. The lizard yanked out its arm then shrieked during its charge.
Claire fired her gun as it approached...The first bullet missed completely. The second hit the right shoulder but didn't affect the target.
The third bullet hit the right thigh, and with a spark, the shot just left a dent in the scales. Claire raised her left arm by reflex as her right unloaded the magazine altogether. The claw came down, but it didn't, and it shrieked at her again.
Claire screamed while trying to stay still, and she was able to shot more than once it's like her pain is keeping her going until the thing is down. When it swiped at her, she has knocked down again.
Her body trembled, she held unto the fence and pushed herself up, and she looked back at her hand. It was turned crimson. It jumped back as Claire leaned against a wall, and the magazine ejected from the Blacktail. The survivor slammed the new magazine in and flicked her left arm of the excess of blood. An open cut was from her palm of her left arm to the middle of her forearm. Claire walked backward as it stared at her, its chest had three clear holes in it, and it just observed her. She didn't understand why, but she didn't waste the opportunity to getaway. 'Maybe it doesn't understand that guns have a limit.'
Claire knew she had to find something to stop the bleeding. Also, her right-left felt odd, and when she would apply pressure on it, she groaned in pain. 'I probably sprained it.'
She continued her way with a limp, where she could easily be mistaken with a zombie. Claire tried to walk in the sides while praying within her heart; no one would shoot her. Or any zombies would get a whiff of the blood and investigate her location.
The survivor looked back again for the sturdy lizard, but it wasn't there anymore… that unsettled her more. 'I have no idea it's going to come back my way or not.'
It felt like that sturdy lizard would probably stalk her.
Claire walked in the alleys for about ten minutes. Nothing but roaming rats and dead piles of flesh.
Once again, the street was too silent, where she almost swore her breathing echo through the empty place. "I hope nobody stayed behind," she said as her eyes observed the houses. It looked at several of the cracked windows, and on the left side, it was strange… Claire saw what seemed to have been an owl watching over the street. It had darkened feathers, but she could clearly tell it was an owl.
Claire took a moment to lean her back against a wall. Then looked at her arm to access the damage. Nothing serious, but the blood loss is still blood loss. She needed to find a place to apply first aid. Once she chose to do that, she looked back at the building. The owl was gone…
A soft gasp escaped her lips as she could see a black figure jump down from a wealthy house.
Claire focused on the figure then noticed the red visors that appeared for a moment, and we're only a few meters away, moving parallel to her position. Claire did not make a sound as she walked forward, then placed her back against a wall. She peeked out to see Hunk use a balcony to jump down to the street level. A small fire was nearby, and she could clearly see his outline. Claire's thumb nudged the safety off and moved her left arm back and right shoulder forward. So didn't want her blood to be a distraction if this would get violent. Quietly she moved behind him, her footsteps are light barely audible. He stopped for a moment as he checked several bodies that were huddled together. 'Got you.' she thought.
One more step, she'll be able to hold her gun on the back of his head. Though once again, she was reckless. Her shadow gave away her advantage, and Hunk used his elbow to knock her aim off course, then he front kicked Claire's stomach. As she caught her breath, his blade was right on her throat, and she was disarmed. When she was kicked, Claire reached forward and took hold of his chest, and he was pulled with her, but he shoved her back. He tilted his head, "It looks like you have other things to worry about."
He turned away from her, something at the ground caught her attention.
A paper must have fallen from his person, she bends down and takes it, carefully examining the drawing. 'What is this?'
A wide smile graced her pale face, 'I guess I need to play his game to catch him and get the answers I need.'
Claire ran after him, calling. "Hey, jerk, hold on." Hunk stopped in the middle of the dark ally of Henry's house without looking back, he waited for her to speak.
She stopped, her back then rested against the wall, biting her lip to avoid gasping for air. She felt exhausted from all the stuff that's happened tonight. "I have something you want," she said in an obviously teasing tone.
"Excuse me?" Hunk's shoulders flinched in annoyance.
She chuckled a soft sound mixed with heavy breathing, she held the map and waved it in front of him. Claire was willing to pay money just to see his reaction under that mask. 'Ah too bad.' Her arm's blood could be used to ruin the paper, and she'll gladly tear it apart afterward.
Hunk stayed silent and crossed his arms. "Do you have a death wish?"
"I'm told that I'm a lot of things." Claire chuckled. She tightened her grip around the paper and noticed her Blacktail was too far out of reach before Hunk could kill her. So a silver tongue would work best for the moment.
"You obviously have no idea what you're doing." He uncrossed his arms. "Put that down, or I will make this much worse."
"I figured as much coming from a sociopath." Claire carefully looked around. There was a wooden plank several feet away, and she wanted to use it as a weapon that idea was beyond stupid.
Claire stood still waiting for him to answer, her eyes flickering with pride.
"Do you really think you can move with that wound?" He pointed with his index finger.
"That's none of your business." Claire frowned. "What are you doing here?"
"Selling cookies." Hunk replied in a deadpan tone.
"Yeah, right, very funny."
"I know."
Claire just learned that Hunk can play the waiting game, but he's going to lose his patience sooner or later. Claire chose to mix up her approach.
"You're a mercenary right?"
"In simple terms, yes." Hunk slightly cocked his helmet.
"You obviously are part of this somehow, and you know that pistol you have right there is completely empty." Claire knew that all too well.
"That's a bold statement."
"Tell you what. I'll give this back if you're really here to be a bastard and cause panic, take that gun and end this. BUT, if I'm right, you'll have to listen to a deal I have to offer."
'She's definitely persistent.' Hunk thought.
"Putting your life into others will only get you killed." Hunk drew his pistol then aimed for her forehead. "Don't be clumsy."
The black abyss of the gun was the only thing Claire could focus on at that moment. Hunk straightened his arm and prepared his muscles to absorb the recoil.
Claire refused to even blink. Hunk pulled the trigger. CLICK!
The gun was empty, and the chamber latched back, and Hunk reset it.
"Not bad." Hunk crossed his arms again.
All the anxiety inside Claire thoroughly washed away as she mentally pictured herself in a coffin with her brother heartbroken over her. She leaned back.
"Okay, you're here for something than other than killing infected. They're the same as in Raccoon City, but this is too perfect. You could have been killing dozens of people, but you avoid contact. SO that leaves me to assume you're trapped here as well?"
Hunk remained silent.
"I'll take that as a yes. So what I propose is that we work together until we can get out of this city. Not with those lizard things running around."
Hunk twitched under the gas mask. Claire noticed it, and she connected the thought that he might know more about the lizards that she does.
"One of the black lizards got me, and it's still running around the city." Claire continued her verbal power play. "I don't think we can do this by ourselves."
Hunk mentally cursed, he knew he'll regret this, though it is a fact he could never admit, he needs help in that place, he cannot do it alone, and he could use her good instead of irritating him with the idea of the arrest. If Hunters are here in the city or 'lizards' as the woman likes to call them, that means that the one who started this is not wasting expenses. "Alright, you better keep up, girl," he said as he cocked his head to the side for her to follow. "Don't expect me to wait for you if you act stupid."
Hunk turned around then he placed his gun in his holster. Claire sighed in relief, then she passed the paper to Hunk. He folded the paper back inside his uniform. It looked like one of the folders was placed in good enough, and that could be why one of the documents fell out. Claire walked to the corner of the alley to pick up her gun. Hunk stared at her as she checked the magazine. The moment she would try something, he'll gladly end her, and she knew it.
The mercenary coughed, tasting blood in his mouth. Earlier, when he left the park, he encountered more zombies and several hunters. He had no choice but to use the last of his ammo to kill some of the zombies. He thought he had several bullets left for another extreme emergency… He didn't know if he had the spare ammunition.
'I'm getting sloppy.' Hunk shamed himself. He walked ahead of Claire as she watched the rooftops, and Hunk made it his job to kill the lone zombies that got in the way of their path.
The mercenary had to move and get back the map, see if this place had led to that secret one on the map. The streets only grew quieter and quieter. Hunk finished knifing a zombie in the eye and Claire got to see him kill them with such force, she felt somewhat justified on her assumptions about him.
During their walk, Claire ripped a section off her jacket. The torn piece became a temporary bandage as they were always on the move. As much as she wished to stop, there were times when he could leave her.
He stood, cradling his right arm as he searched signs for the girl mentioned from the documents. It leads them on a pathway down the rocks in the side where he was, it looked like—a giant, hidden corridor, he had to jump.
'What a crazy way to hide.' He thought. 'What is this all about?'
Though it wasn't very well lit, his gaze went back to the broken rocks searching for red hair. Carefully he moved around.
There were numerous piles of blasted pipes and puddles of burning gas around, it seems like one of these pipes are used for bus fill. The rocks were piled in positions and made it impossible to climb back up, it blocked the way to their luck, the two of them trapped underground. 'That girl better not lose that map.'
'That jerk better not leave me behind.' Claire grimaced.
Hunk heard a gasp, "Uh." A slumped shadow stirred near, it seems like she's buried.
"Hey!" He stumbled forward, hoping she was still human. She was face down, her jacket seems to be shredded.
"I'm alright." She whispered as she pushed herself up.
"Where is the map!?" He gritted his teeth.
It took Claire a moment, for panic to take over her, she searched through her pocket until her hand touched the paper, a sigh of relief followed.
"Here it is." she took out nothing that seems wrong with it other than being stained with sands.
Together they went down to the corridor, once their feet touched the ground, Hunk was in the front. She followed him as he walked carefully, examining the area, unsure what to do, and what to say. She seriously doubted that this is the perfect time to try and shot him; she needed answers first with his help. Still, she was ready to fight if he tried anything, Claire knew all too well to never trust someone like him.
"So, what is this place?" She asked. "A secret lab or something?"
He pulled the door at the end of the corridor. Nothing, the survivor could feel no air sweeping in, though there is no smoke, and she was thankful for that. Still, though, he didn't say much when they entered here.
Claire mentally fumed at the thought that the mercenary completely ignored her questions. She couldn't get any answer from him, anger was threatening to appear she closed her hand tightly, holding herself back.
"This is why I work alone." Hunk muttered and rotated his head to look at her. "Stay silent, girl."
"Oh yeah, whether you like or not, we're trapped together in this." Claire fired back. "Deal with it."
He was about to say something, but stopped in the middle of the next corridor, then looked out at the place around the two. The slight reflection of his lenses scanned over the halls as the light was out, and just the glint of it was enough for Claire to know he's there.
The place was massive, more substantial than a mine it seemed, like a giant workplace underground. "Whoa." She whispered, looking at the multiple doors, rusted hospital machines, moving beds, and many more.
"You Umbrella types always have toys for something terrible." Claire lightly chuckled.
"Huh?" Claire moved her hands down as she looked around. "What..." She was interrupted with a hard slap in her face, where she almost felt her teeth were going to crack.
Shocked, she stood in a moment holding her cheek. Immediately she took out her gun and aimed at him at the bridge of his nose. "So you want to finish that fight here, see who's going to live in the end?" She took a step back so he can't best her in hand to hand again.
The barrel of his gun directly at her forehead. "This one for being stuck with the likes of you." He said coldly, "You should know I have nothing to do but use you to my advantage, don't you dare ever think I listened to your threat."
"You're out of ammo," Claire smirked.
"I always keep one spare bullet on my person." Hunk replied then leaned his mask in. "Want to test your luck again?
Claire chuckled and lowered her gun. "Let's just say we're using each other in this, so we're finally have something to agree on." showing him a broad smile. It was like a message to him. "You won't break me that easily."
Hunk, at last, lowered his gun and turned around. "Keep those words of yours in check, girl."
"Assuming this place is some kind of a hospital, right?" Claire assumed as Hunk walked passed her. She stepped back, looking at a half-opened door, thinking if she should go and check, is it safe to make him vanish from her sight again?
Something on Hunk beeped suddenly, but it seems like he could speak privately, and she couldn't hear who was talking to him.
'He can get a signal in this place?' Claire shook her head, then took some time to investigate the room. Much of the place was covered in dust, as in years' worth.
"All of this is not like what I thought, there are working hands under the table, unknown motive."
After a long moment, he let go of the phone-radio thing. The only thing to hear was their footsteps.
"What are you waiting for, do you need mommy's permission to move and search for something useful?" Hunk walked past Claire and bumped her at the shoulder.
'God, he is really irritating.' She turned away to look around the room some more, slightly amazed, as she opened the door. Part of her was on edge that she was brave enough to have her back to a person that worked for Umbrella. Still, though, she was amazed that she could turn away without a knee-jerk reaction to fight him.
The room she went through seems like a standard room where the patient stays in it, there was also an opened rusted bathroom.
She shook her head in disgust and went toward the bed and the small table next to it.
"I wonder who was sitting here."
Meanwhile, Hunk went through an office, searched through the damaged papers, and knew there should be an answer somewhere, that map won't be drawn for this place. He moved more trash out the way and flicked his gloves the dust as he started to look over the stuff. Just some random workplace belongings of the former employees. Some old faded photos that he couldn't see who the people were, not because he cared, but faces could help with information. He flicked them in the air, and Claire decided to check them out as well.
In the middle of the chaos, he saw something, a small hat with faded green color.
It's like he could hear it in his mind, the sound of a child screaming. "No, where you have taken me? Let me go, please." He shook his head and looked away.
Hunk doesn't need this, and he never well. The mercenary's senses kicked in. He can feel it something is coming, quietly. He prepared his knife and looked around the office. Claire noticed his subtle gesture from the lack of sound and carefully prepped herself to draw her gun. Once she was mentally prepared, she nodded.
The faint sound slowly grows louder as something enraged from behind an office in front of him.
Claire and Hunk both turned around before the next footstep could be heard. Claire hesitated with a gun, and Hunk did the same with his blade.
"What the hell?"
Thank you for reading, I hope you liked this. Special thanks to The95will my beta reader for his great help.