Author's note: Thank you, everyone, for reading my story and giving me feedback. I've decided to upload the last two chapters today since they are shorter chapters. If you would like a continuation to this story, either comment below or send me a message. I look forward to hearing from you.
The evening sky reflected off the lake as Cass relaxed with a cup of tea. Her leg was still healing, but she expected to hear from Gats soon. Gats was setting up a unit that would help deal with future Umbrella related disasters. Ben's death had hit Gats pretty hard. Cass supposed that the unit was her way of coping.
Cass looked over at the phone but knew staring at it wouldn't make anyone call her. Kevin had promised to call her when he got to Florida safely. He'd decided to take a well-deserved break. Cass half-wished that she could have gone with him, but Gats had insisted on sending her into hiding, especially with her wound. To be completely honest, Cass felt reassured staying in a house with an underground safe room.
For the first couple days, she had been sure every creak was someone trying to break in, but as the days rolled by, she became more relaxed. Still not completely at ease but finally able to sit down in peace. She winced as she stood to put her cup in the sink. Her leg still ached. It probably would for at least a few more days. With a sigh, she limped her way to the bedroom.
A knock on the door made her freeze. Gats hadn't said anything about anyone stopping by, and she was too far out in the middle of nowhere for it to be a neighbor. Quickly pulling the string on the blinds, she found the remote and opened the entrance to the panic room. Cass climbed down the ladder before closing the door behind her. Without the remote, it would be impossible to open the entrance from the outside. In addition, the entrance blended perfectly into the floor, making it difficult for anyone to even find it.
Television screens in the safe room were hooked up to camera feeds from different rooms. She checked the camera by the front door to find the front door on the floor off of its hinges. A shiver went up her spine as she remembered one of Umbrella's creatures doing something very similar. At least it would be easy to find. She looked at the other cameras hoping to find where it went, but it must have been standing in the cameras' blind spot. Something small rolled on the floor near the entrance to her bedroom. Marbles rolled into the room and stopped right over the entrance to the panic room.
Cass quickly put out an alarm to Gats before running to the escape hatch. It would take her to an old shed near the garage. The sound of metal breaking put a pep in her step as she climbed the ladder and unlocked the hatch. Closing it behind her, she hoped the creature wasn't smart enough to follow but doubted her luck. Adrenaline pumped through her, giving her a second wind, as she raced to the garage.
As she opened the door, she stood in shock. The car inside was completely unusable. Flipped on its side and the wheels completely destroyed. She left the door open and escaped into the nearby woods. Hiding in the shadows, she looked back to get a peek at whatever was following her. The shadowy figure was much smaller than she remembered. It stood outside the garage before walking into the woods. She had her gun on her, but she doubted a handgun would be powerful enough to do her much good. There was a shotgun in the house. She debated going back and realized that she wouldn't make it to town anyway. She'd have to hope Gats could get some people here before the monster got to her. With a wary glance at where the figure had disappeared, she slowly circled her way around the house.
The broken door made her feel nauseous with anxiety. With slow careful steps, she made her way into the side room and took the shotgun off of the wall.
"Oh, dear, is that for me?" a familiar voice asked, and Cass swung around in disbelief.
Albert Wesker stood in the doorway with a smirk on his face. Cass pointed the gun at him and said, "Get the hell out!"
Wesker's smile deepened, and he looked anything but fearful.
"Now, now, darling. Surely, we can talk this out," Wesker said mockingly as he removed his sunglasses. "I'm afraid your gun won't do much anyway."
Cass gasped as she looked into his snakelike eyes.
"You… you were the one following me."
"I was hardly the only one… but I got rid of some of the competition. Now drop the gun. We don't need to play this silly game."
Cass raised the gun, but before she could fire, Wesker grabbed the muzzle and took it out of her hands. As it fell on the floor, she felt a burning pain as she realized that he had stabbed her. He caught her in his arms before she could crumple to the ground.
"There is pain now, but if you prove to be worthy… death will not be the end for you. Don't worry, my dear. I'll be here for you when you awake."
The world around her faded to darkness, and the last thing she felt before she faded into it was a gloved hand caressing her face.