Adam Luck - Thanks, dude! I really did have a good Thanksgiving. And no problem! You're pretty much part of the backbone of my motivation to continue writing this! :3 And yes, I initially planned to go on a break after this chapter, but I think the other two upcoming chapters are just too good for the wait so I'll just leave it at that. ;)

x-x-TheBurnedMan-x-x - Sorry to hear that! I had a feeling you hadn't noticed since hahaha, but adding an update to my previous story wouldn't help either as any edits to the uploaded chapters won't give any update notifications on the story itself. Uploading a new chapter that only emphasizes an update or announcement would just ruin the whole flow of the previous story. It would've been best to follow and/or favorite me as an author and you'd most likely get notifications of when I do upload a new story or sequel. Otherwise, the only other way would've been to check at least once every two to three weeks.
Again, I'm so sorry you found out about this nine chapters later, but at least you can binge-read through all of them in one go! Lol!

Recommended BGM:

1. Resident Evil 2 (1998) - The Second Floor

2. Resident Evil 2 (1998) - Madness Under the Mask

3. Resident Evil 2 (1998) - (SPOILER) Watch for BOLD TEXT below

Bonus Track: Resident Evil 2 (Remake) - Secret Hope


Chapter 10

Claire kicked a heavily damaged door blocking a hidden corridor on which a crashed helicopter had landed nearby. The door turned almost into complete dust. The wreckage that caused the mess inside seemed like it happened a little while ago, but she did not stop to bother and think about how or why it even happened. All she was focused on was getting inside someplace safe where Mr. X wouldn't continue to pursue her…

…and even though she knew it could find her virtually anywhere, assuming it had the combined power of a detective and a ruthless hitman, she wouldn't be safe for as long as she wasn't putting it out of its misery. His massive footsteps were rattling the burnt wood around her and she knew she had to get inside the door that led directly into the Chief's office.

And with the wreckage generating so much dust with the ruckus he's making, he may not even think I would've gone inside…

Quickly, she hurried down to the end of the hall and opened the door quietly before shutting it behind her without making any obvious noise that she'd gone inside.

She stopped for a quick minute, putting one ear over the door as she heard the faint echoes of the giant humanoid's footfalls. A few moments later, it finally subsided for good, making her tensed muscles relax as she turned to take a good look at the room she had just entered.

Doesn't quite look like an office to me…

The atmosphere inside the lavish room felt bizarre and alien, almost like some parody of someone's cabin in a forgotten land that had been revamped into a men's clubhouse from the fifties. The Chief's office was decorated thoroughly almost all the way to the smallest corner possible. The walls were lined with various wooden bookshelves with designs that were both unique and exotic, all of which were filled with various trophies, books, framed photographs, and delicate vases. There was a chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating the entire room with a yellow nonchalant light that oversaw a low crystalline table in the center, set up with two padded leather chairs, all sitting over an expensive-looking oriental rug. However, the thing that stood out the most was the overwhelming amount of stuffed animals, ranging from raccoons and birds to stag and bison heads, most of which were all gathered around the massive desk upfront.

oh, Jesus… what happened?

Laid on the desk was a corpse of a young, beautiful woman in a flowing blood-stained white gown with a rather large wound around her abdomen, almost like she had been eaten alive by zombies themselves.

The corpse looked as though it were a centerpiece, every surrounding stuffed animal in the room gazing at it with dead, glass eyes.

The entire creepy sight in itself had caused Claire to stop breathing for a moment, almost feeling the urge to face Mr. X himself rather than to stay in the office any second longer…

…and when the high-backed office chair behind the desk swiveled around suddenly, she barely held back the scream of superstitious terror that filled her up in an instant. She half-expected some sort of dark, sinister spirit of a man, grinning back at her with the eyes and grin of death itself. It was merely just a man, but a man that held a gun pointed at her.

Twice have I been exposed to a gun's muzzle in one night… How many times before someone finally pulls the trigger on me by accident?

For a moment, neither of them moved or spoke, and slowly, the man realized his mistake as he lowered his weapon. The man began to smile gently at her, a smile that somehow sent shivers down her spine.

"Oh…I'm terribly sorry," he said, his voice oily and as generic as a bad politician could ever get in their entire career. "I thought you were another one of those… zombies."

Claire walked closer to the desk separating them apart, almost quickly regretting the decision to venture inside the office any further than she'd liked. Even though she never met the guy before, she immediately knew who he was; Chris complained about him more times than she could count.

Fat as a beach ball, thick mustache, the eyes and voice of a hungry businessman, - yep, it's definitely the police chief.

He didn't look like he was in a right place. His porcine eyes looked fatigued, outlined by darkened circles, and his cheeks were bloated, but hollow, resembling that of a person who went through days without sleep. The way he darted his gaze all around the room was quite unnerving as if paranoia had full control over him. Not only that, but he looked unhinged like he wasn't all there in the same reality that Claire was in.

"Are you Chief Irons?" she asked, trying to sound formal and respectful, even though she saw all kinds of resentment from just his gaze alone.

"Yes, that's me," he said smoothly and tiredly, "and just who are you?"

Before she had the chance to respond, Irons continued, making Claire have firm confirmation of what the Chief was like - the bitter, irritable tone in which he used to express what he said next. "No, don't bother telling me. It makes no difference. You'll end up just like all the others…"

He finally broke his gaze away from her, staring down at the dead woman in front of him with emotion that Claire couldn't seem to understand. She felt pity for him, despite what Chris had told her about his direct incompetence and shallow personality. It was no surprise to see him the way he seemed to be in a place like this; the horrors he might've witnessed, the terrors he might've gone through, or the things he needed to do in order to survive…

and is it any wonder? Anyone in this city would go insane for trying to deal with reality alone.

David, Leon, and I have only just gotten here, probably days or weeks after the outbreak began; Irons, Marvin, and the others were already here in the city and had to go through all of it, which included watching their friends and loved ones die…turning into the same monsters that caused all this mess.

She looked down in shock at the young woman that lay on the desk and Irons began to speak once again, his voice bleak and pretentious all at once.

"That's the mayor's daughter," he took a deep breath before continuing. "I was told to look after her, but I failed miserably…"

Claire felt even more sorry for the man that might've suffered too much loss as she searched for words of comfort. She wanted to tell him that she was sure that he did what he could as a police chief, that it wasn't his fault, and was lucky to be alive after all this time. As he continued to lament, however, the words died down before she could even express them, and the pity she felt quickly faded away.

"Just look at her. She was a true beauty, her skin nothing short of perfection. But it will soon putrefy and she will turn into a zombie within the hour like…all the others."

Claire didn't want to jump to any conclusions yet, but the way he longed for the dead woman and spoke chillingly about the graphic detail of her overall appearance, made her own skin crawl. The way in which his eyes were glued on the dead girl…

no, you're only getting ahead of yourself right now. Chris might've told you he's an idiotic scumbag, but he's also the police chief for a reason, not just some perverted lunatic. And he might even know anything about the STARS whereabouts. Any type of information from him could prove useful. Don't let the opportunity waste away by simple glances at face value.

"There must be some way to stop it…" Claire said carefully, even though she knew exactly how to prevent a dead, infected person from coming back alive. She and David had firsthand experience with that horrific truth alone, but she'd play it dumb for now.

"In a manner of speaking, there is," he responded back with a chilling tone that made Claire feel unnerved yet again. "Either by putting a bullet through her brain or by decapitating her completely."

He finally looked away from the body. He didn't connect his gaze at Claire, but at the stuffed animals perched on the edge of his desk. His tone was subdued, but almost cheerful at once.

"And to think that taxidermy used to be my hobby, but no longer…"

Claire felt a distressing alarm triggered inside her gut, her mind in a fog of confusion as she stared at him for another moment.

Taxidermy? What does that have anything to do with a dead human being on his desk?

Irons finally looked at her, and Claire was already on the verge of dashing right out of there. His gaze pierced at her, but it seemed like he wasn't actually aware that she was even standing in front of him. It finally began to dawn on her that he hadn't even given her a single question as to how she'd survive thus far or what were the hammering footfalls outside of his own office. She didn't even know if he was even aware of the fact that there was a chopper wrecked almost in front of his own office, which could've trapped him inside for all she knew. And the way he talked about the mayor's daughter, there was no real sorrow in the look of his eyes, just self-pity and a chilling twisted kind of admiration for her own appearance.

Oh boy…he's not just being a weirdo, he's on a completely different planet…

"Please…" Irons said gently. "I'd like to be alone now."

He sagged down into his chair, putting his head back as he closed his eyes, seemingly in extreme exhaustion. With that, she had been dismissed, and Claire did not bother him any further. She had a million questions to ask him, but she felt it was for the best to leave him alone for now, especially after how creepy he'd sounded during their awkward conversation after all that time. Maybe if she were to give him some time, he could very well be able to answer any questions she had in mind for him.

A soft creaking sound happened to come up from behind on her left. It was almost too quiet, she could've quickly dismissed it as her imagination, but there was something about it that seemed real, and after her encounter with Mr. X, she'd been on full alert across her entire surroundings.

Can't be him, or else the entire ground would be shaking and dust would rain down from above. So could it be a wandering zombie? A dog? Or maybe someone hiding…?

She looked back at Irons but found that he hadn't moved at all. If anything, he hadn't even shown any signs that he heard a single sound and to him, she had officially gone out of existence. He'd gone back to whatever dreamworld he was in before she stumbled into his office to hide from Mr. X.

So… what do I do now? Go back and hope I don't get caught up with Dr. Evil, or do I go and investigate the other door inside?

She almost forgot about the secret entrance that Chris may have marked on the map of the station. Behind the wall next to Irons was a secret passage that Claire had been keen on exploring, but with him being in the way, she knew it would have to be saved for another time.

David… Leon…

She had to go look for David and Leon somehow, but with X still looking for her, she doubted she could even have a chance to meet up with them before bumping into the giant humanoid once again.

Oh God, but what if he's after them as well? What if Umbrella sent him as a hitman to hunt down any remaining survivors - to kill any witnesses and prevent the truth from coming out of the city?

If Chris and Marvin were right about everything, she knew that dealing with Umbrella was going to be tricky and if that thing was a part of something far more sinister, she had a feeling that surviving inside the city would be much harder than she initially thought.

Well if you consider monsters like that slimy creature and the zombified dogs to be some additional experiments gone wrong, no doubt Mr. X is another biological experiment as well.

And Lord only knows what the G-Virus is also capable of…

Claire gave a deep sigh before heading to the second door of the office. She knew she had to find more survivors - to help one another. According to Chris' map, the place through the other side of the door led to a room that was a complete dead end. It would only take a quick moment to check it out, just to be sure if anyone was residing inside.

With one final glance at Irons, sagging next to the corpse of the mayor's daughter, Claire walked through the second door, hoping she wasn't making a terrible mistake.


Sherry made it to the knight room, back to where she first stayed during her first five nights inside the station. David wouldn't know where she'd gone, but at the very least, it would be a while before that monster would come back to get her and that's when she'll be ready to run and look for him as she'd go.

Sorry, David… I just… I just couldn't let that monster get you again. It's my fault for…

Sherry wanted to drop down in tears once again, quickly being reminded that the monster had been her father all along. But it hasn't been her father, not anymore. Her father died when he turned into that monster. Still, it didn't help but think about how he could still be suffering, maybe still knowing that she was his daughter, but could not do anything to stop himself from trying to hurt her. It was all confusing to think about, and yet Sherry had been keeping herself together, trying not to let her emotions get to her as much as they did when she last looked at the photo inside her lucky charm.

As she proceeded into the corridor that had the giant stuffed tiger, she quickly started hearing some muffled voices, coming from inside the door that faced the tiger itself. She couldn't tell what they were saying, and even though she didn't think her mother was there as none of the voices didn't match hers at all, it had been quite a relief to know there were still other people alive inside the station. However, if there were multiple voices inside, that meant help might've finally come to Raccoon.

The army, the marines, the FBI, CIA, maybe all of them…

David hadn't said anything about being in the army, but he had been wearing an army jacket, which might've meant that he may be related to someone from the army itself or that he was in the army after all. The added fact that he also survived his encounter with her mutated father, gave her even more hope that the people inside were all from the army itself.

Excitedly, she hurried down the hall and was next to the door and the big snarling tiger when her excitement turned to a complete halt. The voices had stopped, and Sherry stood very still, suddenly anxious as her heart began to pump loudly. If anyone from the army had come to help, wouldn't there have been any commotion outside of the building? Maybe planes, tanks, or trucks? Wouldn't she have heard them in the garage, shooting and bombing everything as men with loudspeakers told everybody to come out?

Maybe they aren't from the army; maybe those voices are bad people that had come to hurt others. Or maybe… one of them could be that monster that the blue officer talked about in the garage. Maybe they're looking for him…or David…or even me.

She had been extremely paranoid ever since she had a monster try to follow her throughout the police station, and because of that, she felt bad for the people that had good intentions and tried to protect her. Even if they were police officers on the other side of the door, she didn't want them to find her as that would mean becoming separated from David, and she worried she might not even be able to see him again. It felt awful to leave him behind, but there was no other choice.

Sherry started back to the armor room when suddenly, a creaking sound came from behind, and she froze for a second. The floor began to shift slightly underneath as the sounds of a pair of footsteps began to introduce themselves to her. Her breathing almost came to a halt when she stared at the door, clutching her locket as she hoped it wasn't going to burst open or that it would be Leon's monster charging in and getting her…

There was no other sound for a few more moments, but she felt that her own pounding heart would give her away as it had become so loud in her ears, she could easily mistake them as hammers hitting against the walls around her. After several seconds of wondering what would happen next, she carefully started back down the hall, putting the slightest steps possible over the red rug across the hall. It almost felt like she was stepping on eggshells, trying not to make even the slightest cracking noise over the wooden floor underneath the rug itself. The entire hall felt like it was a mile long, and she used all her willpower to resist running once she reached the turn. If there was one thing that she learned from movies and TV shows was that running from danger always meant either getting caught or enduring an unexpected horrible death.

When she finally reached the entrance back to the armor room, she felt an intense wave of relief. She was now safe again, and she could just wait it out until whoever was inside that other door would go away and be able to have the chance to meet up with David somehow. He would surely be looking for her across the station, and just thinking about David being worried about her had made her feel uncomfortable yet again…

…and the door next to the stuffed tiger had finally opened and closed, and a second later, there were footsteps, growing louder as each moment passed by.

They're coming…

Sherry flew into a state of panic, her mind blocked off, only her gut being able to tell her to hide somewhere quickly. There was no logic in her thinking, the crushing panic letting her completely forget about the ventilation shaft that was still accessible for her to go through. All she knew was to run, to get away as far as possible. Through the armor room, there was a dark, tiny chamber past the glass case in the middle of the room. Darkness was all she needed to use in order to hide, a dark shadow to protect her from whoever or whatever was coming to get her…

…and in her blind panic, the footsteps continued, somewhere behind her, pounding over wood in a desperate attempt to look for her as she darted into the dark room and into the farthest corner.

Sherry crouched down between a padded chair and a lonely stand holding a small jewelry box in place, trying to huddle herself tightly as she hugged her knees, hiding her face while she closed her eyes, feeling scared for her life.

Please, please, please…. Don't come this way. No one's here. Please…

David…help me…

The running footsteps had come into the armor room and were now slow in pace, hesitant, moving around the glass case in the middle of the room just outside of the dark chamber. It was at this moment that Sherry realized her only escape out of there was through the armor room and into the ventilation shaft that could've led her elsewhere safer, and she struggled to hold back the tears of self-condemnation. The fireplace room had no exit other than the one she had come in from. She was trapped.

Each hollow, thumping step was a constant reminder of how bad of an idea it was to ever separate herself from David, the only person who could be there to protect her from harm, the terrible decisions she's made recently probably costing her life now.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Suddenly, the room flashed into a blinding light of constant brightness, the soft click of the light having triggered Sherry's terrified cry as she desperately began attempting to get out of there as fast as possible. She pushed herself away from the exposed corner and ran, screaming and panicking, hoping to get past the unseeing humanoid that partially blocked her way out…

…and a warm hand grabbed her by the arm tightly, keeping her from running away with a force she could not fight off. She screamed again, wiggling herself out as much as she could, but again, it was just too strong.

"Wait!" It was a lady's voice, the tone almost as frantic as Sherry's pounding heart.

Sherry didn't know what the intentions of the lady were, but she wasn't going to risk it any further than she'd liked and proceeded to beg her in her frantic cry of terror.

"Let me go!" Sherry cried out, but the lady was refusing to do as she said, instead, she pulled her closer.

"Easy, easy there - I'm not a zombie! It's okay…" Her voice had turned into a soothing tone, the words hummed just as David's voice had when Sherry first met him, the lady's hand still firm and strong, but slowly letting go as she tried to be patient with her. The sweet, gentle voice continued on repeat.

"...easy, there. It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you, honey. You're safe now."

Sherry turned to finally look at the lady and saw just how pretty she looked, her eyes glistening with concern and sympathy, the same eyes that David had when she had been running away from the monster that stalked her throughout the station. And just like that, Sherry stopped her physical and mental struggles and felt hot tears drip over her cheeks, the tears that she'd been trying to hold ever since she separated herself from David, tears that held in place for fear that she wasn't going to see him ever again, the fear of seeing her chances dwindling from ever seeing her mother again. Instinctively, she hugged the young, pretty stranger and the lady hugged her back, her arms more slender than David's, but just as tight as she wrapped them across Sherry's trembling shoulders. (BGM #3 - Sherry's Theme)

Sherry whimpered for a couple of minutes, letting the lady stroke her hair and whisper soothing and reassuring words to her. At last, she felt the worst had been over and immediately started feeling embarrassed for her sudden behavior in front of the pretty lady. All she wanted was to find David and her mother and simply forget about the fears, letting herself believe that she was now safe. She knew better than to just sit there and cry about every bad thing that has been happening around her. She kept reminding herself of what David had told her earlier. She was strong, and she knew she wasn't a baby anymore. After all, she had just recently turned twelve last month.

Sherry finally stepped away from the woman as she wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks, looking back at the woman's face again. To her surprise, she looked almost as young as David, probably around twenty or so, making her wonder if she knew David or if she was the same lady that he'd mentioned earlier. She wore some cool, brown boots, red cutoff denim shorts, and a matching red sleeveless vest with a black shirt underneath. She also had long auburn hair tied in a pretty ponytail and whenever she smiled, she looked like someone who could pass down as a famous movie star.

The woman crouched down in front of her, still smiling at her gently.

"My name's Claire. What's yours?"

Claire? She must be the same lady then! Maybe she can help me find David and the others as well!

Sherry looked at her, filled with a sudden joy of surprise at the mention of her name.

"Sherry," she responded lightly before proceeding to ask her about something. "Do you know someone named David? Or a police officer named Leon? Are you really Claire?!"

Claire's eyes suddenly widened in surprise. With that, Sherry knew she must know either of them, and almost without a doubt, she knew she could trust her with the look she gave her in response to the names she mentioned.

"Y-yes, yes I know them," said Claire in the same smooth tone, with more enthusiasm. "All three of us met after we arrived at the city together. We got separated after we had an accident, but…" Claire looked away for a moment before immediately putting her concerned gaze back at Sherry once again. "How do you know them?"

Sherry put her arms to the back as she put her head down, staring down at her hanging locket as she spoke. "Well… I was getting chased by a monster underground…until that's when I met David. He looked…worried and…scared too. He fought the monster, but then…" Sherry felt like she was about to cry, but immediately stopped herself as she took a deep breath, trying to compose herself as she continued with her explanation. "The monster was my dad. Or I think he used to be my dad… but then after we got inside the garage, that's when we met Leon and that other mean-looking woman in a red dress, can't remember her name. And then that monster appeared again… hurt someone…and I ran away because I got so scared that it would go after David again."

Claire frowned as she slowly shook her head, her expression filled with the same sympathy that David had before, and Sherry knew she could trust Claire just as much as she trusted David.

"Oh, Sherry…" she said empathetically. "I'm very sorry to hear that, honey. Can't imagine the things you've been through in all of this mess. So this monster… is it a bald man? Wearing a long trench coat?"

Sherry's stomach turned to a tight knot at the mention of the same monster Leon talked about. Claire probably had no idea of the monster that David actually fought, but if she's seen the other monster…

then that would mean she could get killed and then it could come after me!

"No, that's another monster that Leon said to watch out for. I never saw it, but he said that the other monster in a green trench coat was following him after he arrived here at the police station. The monster I'm talking about has hair, but one of his arms is bigger than the other. Terrible looking."

Sherry could tell that Claire's face was becoming pale, her skin losing color as she listened to her explanation, almost as though she couldn't believe was she was saying. However, Claire kept her cool, still trying to find the right words to say anything to her as she put a warm, gentle hand on Sherry's right shoulder, and soon began to reassure her that she'd be safe with her as long as they'd stay together.

"Everything's gonna be fine from now on, I promise you," her soothing voice did not waver. "Can you tell me anything about your mother or where she could be?"

"She works at the Umbrella Chemical Plant, near the city limits," Sherry explained.

"The chemical plant?" Claire asked in slight surprise. "Then, what are you doing here?"

"My mom called when I was at school before all this started," Sherry replied as she looked down at her feet for several moments. "She told me there had been a big accident at her workplace. I was instructed to go home, but then she said that it was too dangerous to stay there and told me to go to the police station after that. I've been trying to hide ever since."

Claire nodded, frowning. "From the look of things, I'd say she was probably right. But as you may know, it's dangerous here as well…" she then slowly smiled gently at her. "You better come with me."

Sherry felt a sense of discomfort, afraid of bumping into any of the monsters she knew that were walking around the station. However, she also knew there would be a much better chance of surviving with someone like Claire or David than if she'd be by herself.

Sherry nodded in agreement, but she still couldn't let go of the guilt of having left David behind.

"I will, but… we have to find David," she said almost frantically. "I left him behind when that monster came back and attacked someone inside the jail. We have to go back to the basement and look for him, and Leon too!"

Claire slowly stood up, nodding as she still held her gentle smile. "And we will, but we have to look for a way down somehow," she took out a map of what seemed to be the police station as a whole, studying it for a moment.

Sherry was about to emphasize a way out through the ventilation shaft and although Claire was shorter and much thinner than David, she was pretty sure that she still wouldn't be able to fit inside as much as she could.

And I'm not willing to leave her behind too. Another mistake like that and I could get either of them killed by accident.

"We should go back to the Chief's office and see if he could let us pass on that old sealed passageway that could send us down to the basement," said Claire as she pointed a finger that followed a trail that Sherry wasn't entirely sure about. "We can't risk going back throughout the station as the trench-coated monster could still be walking around, looking for me, David, or Leon."

Sherry swallowed heavily. It was bad enough to enter Mr. Irons' office as from what she was able to remember the last time she visited with her mother, all the stuffed animals looked creepy and scary as they stared at them relentlessly, making her feel extremely uncomfortable. The tiger in the corridor was bad as it was, but everything else inside had been much more bizarre. At the same time though, she didn't want to see the bald monster either. Dealing with Mr. Irons and his office sounded a lot safer than a stalking monster that wanted people like Claire, Leon, and David dead.

"Okay," she complied with a nod. "I'll follow you."

Claire nodded back and just after that, both of them walked their way out of the small chamber and into the only door inside the armor room.

Sherry had been feeling an intense wave of relief. Claire seemed genuine and the fact that she knew about David and Leon made her even more trustworthy, and even though she did not seem to be part of the army at all, she seemed to know how to handle things just as much as David did.

No more running around by myself. No more having to hide from monsters. No more wondering when will a bad person come to hurt me.

And with Claire, there's more hope for me to find my mom and David too.

They reached the other end of the stuffed tiger's hallway. Claire opened the door and Sherry stuck behind her as much as she could when they finally entered. The entire room was creepy in itself, but when she turned her head to gaze at Claire for a small moment, she saw there was a sudden sense of confusion behind her shocked expression.

"Chief…?" uttered Claire as she stared at the lonely desk where a lot of the stuffed animals were.

"What's wrong, Claire?" Sherry asked as she exchanged looks with Claire and the desk in front of them. She could see some sense of worry behind her cool, blue eyes, but despite this, Claire slowly smiled at her, a hint that she was trying her best not to let Sherry worry herself.

"It's nothing, "Claire sighed. "The Chief was here just before I found you, and since he's no longer here, we can find something to open the secret door on the wall upfront or find something to break through somehow."

Sherry nodded. "Okay. Where should I start looking?"

Claire pointed at the desk in front. "Look anywhere on or near the desk, see if you can find some sort of switch or lever. I'll go look around the shelves and see if there's anything blunt we can use to break the wall."

Sherry did as she was told and moved behind the desk right away, almost feeling thrilled about finally doing something useful other than just hiding or running away. Looking for something to activate a secret door made her feel like she was in an espionage film, making her even more excited than she had ever felt in ages.

While Claire fumbled over and behind the dusty shelves, Sherry crouched down to look for anything unusual, but after a whole minute of not finding anything around the desk, she stood up to announce her lack of any findings, until she hit herself on top of her head against the edge of the thick table.

"Ow!"

Claire immediately ran to her aid, stroking her head. "Are you okay?"

Sherry tried shrugging it off as she stared at the stuffed animals to her left. "Yeah, I just… hey! Look!"

Her bruised head completely forgotten, Sherry pointed at a stuffed eagle that had something metallic shining underneath its left wing. At a glance, it looked like a switch as though to power the eagle to life somehow, but deep down, Sherry knew that had to be it.

It has to be! A stuffed animal doesn't usually have a button to turn it on like a mechanical toy. Unless it is an actual toy…

Claire reached out with one arm and pushed the switch. Behind them, a section of the wall just a few feet across slid smoothly upwards as dust came raining down, the secret sealed door disappearing into the ceiling and exposing a brightly lit room, all of which was made out of oversized bricks. The air from the room felt tropical; cool and humid. Just like in the movies, it was a secret passage, concealed for stuff that Sherry did not know about.

Together, they stepped out toward the opening, and Claire put out a hand at Sherry before deciding to enter first, looking around and back. After several seconds, she'd finally let Sherry in. The small space was filled with discarded and stored equipment, ranging from repair tool kits to frames for the weird artwork that may have been used around the station. On the wooden ground were spots of blood, some of which seemed to be fresh, leading back to a big old-fashioned elevator gate, which Sherry was familiar with when watching old classic movies while her parents were gone for work.

"So… does this lead to the basement?" Sherry asked nervously. "Are we gonna be able to find David and Leon from here?"

Claire had taken her gun out when she crouched down next to Sherry and smiled. However, it wasn't the same kind of smile she had given her earlier before. Sherry knew where that smile was coming from, even before she even said a word to her as her stomach began to churn in anxiety about what was going to happen next.

"Sweetie, I think it would be best and safest for you to stay here as I look around down there first…"

Sherry's face began to contort with worry. "But… you said we should stay together! You said we were going to find David and Leon together! What if any of those monsters come back and they…!"

Claire hugged her, but it was a hug she could not be happy about, let alone help suppress her anger for having lied to her. She was going to tell her not to worry, that she'd be safe in here, that nothing bad will happen, and she was going to leave her behind anyway. It was the typical grown-up lies she didn't like about the adults.

Stupid grown-up lies…

David would've probably done the same too anyway. He's a grown-up too after all. They all are.

Claire broke her hug and leaned back, putting a few hair strands away from Sherry's concerned expression. "Listen, I know you are scared, and let's be honest, I'm scared too. You even told me that David seemed scared himself. And I'm sure Leon must be feeling scared as well. We all are. And that's okay. It's what makes us human after all."

Upon hearing this, Sherry wanted to wail in sorrow. Claire's words were just about the exact same as David's, which made her miss him a lot, but somehow, those same words helped her to remember that she was strong, just as her parents told her when they let her know how self-sufficient she was at her age. She held back the tears and started staring at the stained ground as Claire continued speaking.

"It's a bad situation we are all in and to tell you the truth, I don't know what's going to happen next. But I want to do the right thing for you, and that means that I'm not putting you in a position where you could get hurt for as long as I can help it."

Sherry finally connected her gaze with Claire, her worried expression still unchanged. "But I wanna come with you…I don't want to be alone again."

"I know sweetie, but you won't be for long," she said firmly. "I promise I'll be back. And if… if I don't, I want you to hide, just like you have before. I'm sure David and Leon may already be looking for you. Help will come."

At least she was being honest about it. Sherry didn't like any of it, but she had to accept that as a fact, and with the look she was given, there was no way she could convince her otherwise. It was either being a crybaby about it or complying. In the end, she had no other choice in the matter.

"Okay…" she whispered reluctantly. "Just… be careful."

Claire hugged her again before finally standing up and moving toward the elevator. She pushed a button next to the gate to call it to the floor they were on. There was a soft hum of machinery for several seconds before an old elevator car rose into view, coming to a complete stop as the gate automatically opened. Claire entered the elevator, turning to look at Sherry one more time.

"Don't worry, sweetie," she said calmly. "I will be back in a few minutes."

Sherry forced a nod at her before Claire pushed a button inside that closed the gate and send her down from where the elevator car rose. Claire kept her smile strong and determined as her expression disappeared out of view through the ground itself, leaving Sherry by herself inside the cold, damp passageway.

Sherry sat on an old padded chair inside in the corner of the small space that faced the only other exit out of there. She rested her elbows on her legs as she put her chin over her hands, thinking just how brave Claire and David had been all along. Not only that, but they both shared a pearl of wisdom that made Sherry admire them more than any other grown-up. She knew she was coming back, that they were going to find David and Leon. She wasn't keen on being with that other Asian-looking woman, but she figured that the more people were with her, the better chances she got at looking for her mother as well.

I want mommy…

But I have to be strong. I know I am. And I can wait for Claire. She will come back.

Sherry pulled out her mother's locket and opened it once again, staring at the picture of her family. This time, she didn't feel sad any longer, but more determined. Her father may be gone, but her mother was still out there, possibly looking for her too. No matter what happens next, Sherry thought to herself that she will survive. They will find each other. And after they do, all of them could get out of the city and seek outside help.

Sherry closed the locket and started staring down at the elevator gate and out into the Chief's office, hoping that either Claire, David, Leon, or her mother would arrive from any point of entry.