The enclosure had grown eerily quiet as the sun set, turning the sky above a dusky orange. Most of the bushes and undergrowth had been unearthed by the reptilian monstrosity, making it harder to find places to hide. On the positive side, it had made finding bullets a little easier. Her total ammunition was now five shotgun shells with two already loaded in the gun and seven pistol bullets. She had yet to find the fabled pistol, but she'd mostly stuck to the outer edges of the enclosure.
There was a ledge at the top of the enclosure that was close enough to a tall tree for her to reach it. Unfortunately for her escape plan, she hadn't climbed a tree since she was eleven. Hopefully, the adrenaline surge at the threat of death would be enough to propel her up the tree.
The creature had disappeared after destroying most of the enclosure in a rage. Cass at least wanted to know where it was, so she'd know when she could safely begin her ascent. The monster had incredible arm strength; no doubt its legs were just as powerful. A single leap could spell doom for her if she didn't get a good head start. Using the trees to hide herself, she slowly made her way along the outer edges of the enclosure. The only place she hadn't checked was the center.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she slowly made her way towards the center. A path of destruction led her right to a lake. The only part of the center not reduced to shattered twigs and clumps of dirt was a tree stump with a pistol resting on top. Movement in the water caused a small ripple. Cass' hands tightened on the shotgun as she realized the creature was smart enough to leave the trap alone. No doubt it waited in the water for her to come claim the weapon. Deciding that the pistol wasn't worth the dismemberment, she crawled back through the trees towards the ledge that she had seen.
The tree seemed to be even bigger than the last time she'd seen it. With a small sigh, she used the sling to tie the shotgun around her and set it over her back. She'd need all of her strength for this to work. As she approached the tree, a small sound made her hesitate. The sight of a string floating in the wind made her let out a little groan. She bolted away and took refuge behind a fallen log as a siren blared out from behind the tree.
Loud footsteps made their way toward the siren. Cass stayed motionless as she heard the monster approach the tree. She realized that she could probably go back for the pistol now before a crunching sound caught her attention. She peeked around the log to see the creature with its claws in her only means of escape.
"Hey!" Cass screeched as she jumped out from her hiding place with the shotgun raised at the creature.
The monster let go of the tree and turned to stare at her with its cold eyes. As it lunged forward, Cass pulled the trigger. The sound of the blast echoed off the walls. Blood splattered from the creature as it fell backwards with another shriek of pain. Cass stared for a moment in horror as it started to get back up.
Another shot caused the creature to fall back down to the ground, and Cass sprinted away as fast as her legs could carry her. An anguished scream in the distance let her know that it was still alive and angrier than ever. Taking cover by a rock, she listened for the creature's heavy footsteps. Another roar echoed through the enclosure. Using the screech to cover her sounds, she cleared the shotgun before inserting two more rounds.
Her heart threatened to leap out of her chest as she waited for it to get within range. The closer it was to the blast the more damage it would do, and Cass had no idea just how durable this creature was. Two rounds from a shotgun would have killed almost anything. Clearly, the laws of nature didn't apply in this place. A loud crash caught her attention as it slammed into a tree on her right. As the tree fell, she cocked the gun. Its eyes focused on her just as she pulled the trigger. There was a sickening sound, and the creature fell to the ground.
Cass cocked the gun a second time and waited for it to try to get back up, but it made no effort to move as a pool of blood expanded underneath it. Walking slowly backwards, she kept an eye on it as she walked toward the center of the enclosure. Taking the pistol, she quickly raced back to the tree. Thankfully, it was still upright and mostly unharmed aside from two giant claw marks. Putting the safety on the shotgun and the pistol, she began her ascent towards freedom with the shotgun over her back and the pistol in her back pocket. Leftover adrenaline pumped through her, making the climb a little easier but no less nerve-wracking.
As she took a break on a sturdy branch halfway up the tree, she heard a snap that made her heart leap in her chest. She glanced down the tree. Nothing. The sun had already long since disappeared over the horizon, and Cass assumed that the paranoia was getting to her. As she resumed climbing, a shadow raced out from the dark. The creature darted for the tree with blood still streaming from its head, but it seemed far too enraged to care about its wounds. The sudden resurge of adrenaline gave Cass a much-needed boost as she climbed as fast as she could.
A loud snap below her let her know that the creature had reached the tree. The tree began to fall. Cass pushed herself off the tree towards the ledge. Her hands griped it as the tree tumbled to the ground with a loud crash. Cass pulled herself onto the ledge and sat for a few seconds. After catching her breath, she turned off the shotgun's safety and aimed up at the skylights. The blast shattered the windows as Cass used her arm to shield her face from the glass. She definitely had some cuts on her arm, but at least it was still attached to her.
Using the shotgun to brush away the remaining glass from the skylight, she started to climb through when a sudden lurch of the platform almost caused her to fall. She looked down in horror to see a pair of scaly hands hanging on the ledge. The hands bent the metal platform, and a creak erupted from the platform as it bent under the weight. Jumping for the opening, she pulled herself onto the roof of the building before fishing the last shotgun bullet from her pocket. As she reloaded the gun, she backed over another set of skylights.
The creature launched itself onto the roof with a savage grin. Drool and blood dripped from its gaping mouth as it slowly walked toward Cass, clearly savoring the moment before its kill. As it stepped onto the skylight, a small fissure formed in the glass. It looked at the crack with curiosity, and Cass pulled the trigger. The blast caused the glass to shatter. The creature dropped back down into the enclosure with one last screech. Hesitantly, Cass walked closer to the edge to get a peek. It laid flat on its back; its eyes open but unseeing. At least she hoped.
Collapsing onto her knees, she set the shotgun on the ground. Tears blurred her vision as she tried to calm herself. She reached into her back pocket with her still-shaking hands and retrieved the pistol. Loading the gun made her feel a little more comfortable. Taking a deep breath, she tried to suppress the trauma… at least for now. Chris was still in danger. She needed to be calm. If she went after him in this state, she'd be more of a burden than a help.
Cass wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. There would be time for tears and therapy later. As she took a deep breath, she stared at the night sky and tried to clear her thoughts. The sound of a chopper in the distance pulled her from her attempt at relaxation. She opened her eyes to see the Alpha Team chopper landing in the distance.
Getting up too quickly, she stumbled before she caught herself. Brad would most likely be the one piloting the chopper, and he could tell her where Chris was. And if he was also an Umbrella spy… well, Wesker had been kind enough to give her a pistol. It would be a shame to let it go unused. Although when it came to possible Umbrella spies, she had him way down the list. Umbrella seemed to only hire competent people. She peered along the edge of the building only to see darkness below. A bark of laughter left her lips as she realized that she'd spent all that time finding a way up and had no idea how she would get down.