Chapter 8. "Double Mystery Part 1."

One dark blue boot took a step forward and into a small puddle that splashed against it. Jill cursed inwardly as the noise seemed to echo through the ship for eternity, and paused, trying to listen for anything else, anything that could be moving in reaction to that small sound. The gentle howl of wind through the halls was all that greeted her. Jill narrowed her eyes and began to move forward once again, on high alert for any potential threats.

'Good thing I'm on a boat for a change, not much chance of reanimated dogs coming at me here…I hope.' Jill shuddered at the thought of running into a zombie fish dog thing in the cramped confines of a ship, but quickly shook it off and continued to make her way back to the workers room, holding herself back from running like she is having a panic attack.

This reminded her so much of the old times, the two of them will always look after each other no matter what. She walked carefully through the dark room whispering. 'This's our fate my dear partner, I wonder how long we'll keep doing this.' She asked herself. Knowing the various answers she told herself, half of them were lies usually to herself.

To her luck the way back was relatively silent and peaceful... apart from a rat that mistook her boot for food and wouldn't leave her alone until she finally found her way back to the stairs, and he decided she was too much trouble to bother.

Jill's ears caught the sound of movement; something heavy and metallic. She hold the railing and went down as quiet as possible, her breath caught in her throat, afraid to make the slightest sound and give away her location.

The door to the hall was half opened, she stood behind the door and listened, though silence welcomed her. With every bit of the door's movement, more of her flashlight beamed in. The usual view of scattered junk didn't surprise her.

'You know what? Screw it!'

Jill barged through the door, gun ready in her hand but she couldn't see anything out of place or figure lurking in a corner.

"What's going on here?" She put her finger in her ear and called. "Leon come in?"

...

"Is everything alright on your end?" His voice didn't sound as calm as before.

"We're being watched by someone." Jill said and took the key out of her pocket and start tugging the lock. The strap to her MP5k at her shoulder felt as if was loosened as well.

"I think so too."

She spent a moment to stop fiddling with the door and gently pressed the eye slit open. There in the center of the room was a figure in dim lighting hunched over. Completely still and didn't hear the noise but didn't react to the sound behind it at all.

'No, No, No!' Jill mentally chanted to herself.

At last the door was unlocked, without hesitation she ran inside. "Chris!"

Her instincts were screaming that something wasn't right. Chris didn't move an inch and something about him, she couldn't place. Her hand grazed his shoulder, and the sudden shake has made the head fall on the ground.

This was just a doll to make her open this room. "What is this? Why?" In the wall in front of her was Veltro's flag stained with blood. The greyhound looking over room and stared directly back at Jill.

A sound of a hissing sound startled her. She immediately lowered her pistol and drew her MP5k in case for any giant snakes. It came to her surprise that it was gas spreading into the room. The smell and taste was completely bitter as her vision started to blur.

She covered her mouth while desperately trying to escape the room, but her knees weakened all of her senses seems to leave her slowly as she hit the ground.

The heavy metallic sound came again, and she could see a figure coming toward her. "It's time you learn the truth, Miss Valentine." That was the last thing she heard and she drifted off into a blackened void.

Leon forced himself to look through corpses he found piled in the corner of a small hallway for anything... or anyone useful in his quest for answers, after that he went through a room designed like a small museum.

Each time he moved, his left thigh and right ankle flared in a slow and bitter burning sensation. He must have pulled a muscle earlier… He ignored the cramps in his legs as he picked up the Genesis tool and begin analyzing. He didn't know much about what to expect to find from this thing, although anything that could help the investigation is good enough for him.

Still he couldn't help but to remember the time he looked for Ashley, that thing who regenerated itself and his weak parts couldn't be found easily.

He took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to push that terrible memory aside, trying to forget about the incident that had taken normal life from an innocent girl, because of Krauser and how he corrupted himself. Then in the end, he would help such a cult. It didn't matter anymore.

'Maybe I should give her a call, someday.' Leon thought as the green screen showed nothing useful for him.

When he heard a sudden heavy movement behind him, he senses kicked in and he returned to the end of the hallway but there was nothing different there, the door are still the same.

"Leon come in?" Jill's voice buzzed.

He brought his index finger to his left ear. "Is everything alright on your end?"

"We're been watched by someone."

"I think so too." Leon replied as he checked his surroundings again.

He holstered the tool and continued in to the front where he could see another wooden door, it led him to more doors in the other side and railing in the middle. The whole place was decorated like a nice apartment, it made him wonder what's it must be like to travel in such a fancy ship.

The thought were cut short as another bloated and horribly mutated corpse emerged into his sight. He rolled his eyes and took out the rifle. "I'm really sick of you." Leon stated as he focused his aim.

Then he felt a strong grip from behind, lift him off the ground. He never wished to be forced to do this, but he had no other choice.

With his legs he kicked the creature's face, taking the chance to rotate to face it, he brought himself up its shoulder and put three rifle bullets in its head. The trembling of the creature gave him the chance to move forward and jump on the other creature, and he did the same with a bullet through the head and he leaped down to the ground.

He stood there for several seconds until he made sure these things are dead.

Leon went through the door in the left side, and it revealed a bathroom. The water ran into the sink. With a sigh he allowed his hands to feel the cold water then he washed his face twice.

Another voice appeared, this time it was right outside of the bathroom.

"Bring...her."

Carefully he put his ear on the door listening. "Put her in the room and lock the door."

"Roger, leave Kennedy to me."

"Why are you so into him like this?"

"None of your business."

Leon could feel his breath hitch on his throat, the voice he heard was way too familiar, but he couldn't place to who it belonged. It took the two mysteries figures few seconds of whispering, and Leon heard the door close behind them at last.

"Jill do you read me?"

Silence was the answer he got. "Damn it!" In a hurry he left the bathroom and ran toward the door right in front of him.

It led to another small hallway, same decoration as outside and he could see two more creatures trembling in there. "For the love of god." Annoyed, Leon took out a grenade out of his pocket and rolled it toward the creatures.

A loud explosion echoed-followed by the sound of Leon's feet pounding against the deck as he raced to the other side, where there was a door locked with a padlock. Without hesitation he took his wing-shooter out and fired multiple times, though the lock would not budge.

"Put your hands where I can see them."

He felt a the cold metal pointing directly at his back. "Sorry." he chuckled. "Following orders from a stranger isn't exactly my style."

"Where is Jill?" his voice is cold and dangerous.

The masked figure laughed, just a way to provoke him even more. "After all this time, You haven't changed. Don't worry your little friend is fine." He scoffed at Leon. "Enjoy your time here because you'll never leave this ship." with that the figure ran to the other side of the hallway.

"Wait!" Leon shouted and tried to chase after him, when the pain returned again making him crumble on his knees. In his movement, Leon fired a bullet for it spark along the metal wall.

His breathing sounded like someone about to choke and die. Again he tried to call. "Jill, answer me."

"Leon." the answer came after a seconds.

"Where are you?"

"A room somewhere, the door is locked. I don't have any of my gear."

Leon bite his lip and continued talking. "Tell me if you can hear this." and raised his gun to the ceiling and he fired one bullet.

"Is that you?" Jill asked.

"Great then I'm right outside the room, can you open the door? what happened to Chris?"

"...No, it is electric lock. That room was just a trap I cannot believe it."

Jill was locked in a room with a king-size bed and a T.V. in the front, she searched all over the place for anything to help her open the door but there was nothing even useful for her weapons. The door of the bathroom was open, and strong smell was coming out of it. "I'll look for something." she spoke to Leon. It was clear that there wasn't anything of note that could be in any particular use to her. There was an old dresser, bed and an entertainment center. The entertainment center was just another dresser but it didn't stop her from checking the drawers to see if she could find anything useful.

Jill spent several moments searching but couldn't find anything of note. Besides a box of pistol bullets and it was completely empty… 'go figure.'

She glanced around the room again and knew of the bathroom she didn't think much of it. Of course, Jill mentally shrugged to herself as she slowly paced inside.

The place was small, she could see the bath top is filled with dark liquid. 'Disgusting.' she thought and forced herself to look for the drain and open it. There she found in the middle of the rusted top, a screwdriver. Her lips curled into a smile.' this should help.'

In her way out a bloated corpse barged out from the closet. She sighed, and waited for it, screwdriver at the ready.

When the creature bent and tried to grab for her, she dodged and kicked it right to the T.V. "Enjoy the show." she whispered.

It took her a few seconds to be able to open the door and leave the room. "Survived the fall I see." she joked. Leon was on the ground with his back against the wall.

Though she noticed that his eyes were narrowed, and his jaw unusually taut. "Are you alright? I have something that might help you."

She searched through her pocket and took out the pain killer she found in the locker.

"Thanks." she could see his hands are trembling.

"Why don't you rest inside that room, I'll go look for my weapons and come back to you."

"No." He protested. "This ship is crawling with those things. I'll be fine."

Jill knit one's brows. "Hey, there are two things that happen with pride. Either you swallow it or you choke on it. Stay here and try to reach HQ."

"Fine." Leon chuckled and swallowed two pills. "My last girlfriend was big into choking me anyhow, I kinda started to enjoy it before she turned into a zombie." he said and pushed himself up on his feet.

With a sigh, Jill followed him as he led her back to the dinner hall, in silence, neither of them seemed to desire small talk at the moment, though she did ponder asking him if what he said about his girlfriend was true... and if so then how the hell did he get a girlfriend in the first place with an attitude like that!? But she refrained.

When they were down the stairs Jill decided she just had to break the silence. "What made you leave a peaceful life for this outfit?" she asked.

"Nothing to it. I enjoy my job. I get to meet plenty of interesting people, the nice kind to the crazy. The pay isn't bad either..." Leon checked a corner with his gun. "Plus I get free dental. What about you?"

She sighed and turned away from him toward the door. "I want to help to raise awareness of Bio-Terrorism, after all the horror I saw I don't wish for anyone to ever experience it. That's why I joined Clive O'Brian and Chris to form the B.S.A.A."

She opened the door to the next hallway and saw there was a double door in the right side.

"Wait, let me go first." he pushed her back and went to the door.

"I can dodge and take care of myself you know." Annoyed she followed behind.

"Hey, there are two things that happen with pride. Either you swallow it or you choke on it." he said and kicked the door open.

The room was a wide library, the shelves were filled of dusty books. Leon came in first observing their surroundings.

It took Jill a moment to fully realize what had he done all this time."You are a stubborn Smart-ass, you now that right?" she said in an obviously angry voice while she crossed her arms.

"I'll take that as a compliment." He said and pushed her behind as a corps came crawling from an half empty shelf.

Leon took his rifle and aimed, focusing the scope' view directly at its head." I'm ready for you." he said.

Thank you for reading.. Reviews are always appreciated.