A/N: This is the first chapter pre-edited by my beta rein Seele. Thanks rein, this one is dedicated to you.

Chapter 12: Captain Mendez
(May 4th --- 29 day after Outbreak)

"This looks fantastic honey!" Connor exclaimed as he looked upon the oversized bacon cheeseburger that had been put in front of him.

Andrea leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Only the best for my husband," she said with pride as she sat down opposite to him.

"Cap'in Mendez …"

Connor laughed as he looked up at his wife. "I thought you got over that fixation; I was promoted over four months ago."

His wife looked up at him questioningly. "What are you talking about?" Connor froze as he was about to take a bite out of his food and looked over at his wife, then down to his burger again. It was large, juicy, and seemed perfect in every way… it was obviously not Andrea's cooking.

"Damn it not again!" he exclaimed, catching one last glance at his beautiful wife as the world around him began to fade away.

"Cap'in Mendez," the little girl repeated as she shook the sleeping leader.

Connor's eyes shot open, taking a moment to register that there was a small girl in tattered clothing standing in front of him. "Oh… Hello Suzie; is everything ok?"

"Miss Kenneth sent me to tell you that there was a splosion' outside. I heard it too," she added excitedly it as she threw her arms in the air; "it-it was like BOOM-woossssh." Whit nothing left to add, the little girl abruptly turned and trotted away, her curly chestnut hair bobbling up and down as she went.

With a weary groan, Connor got up and took a few steps towards another sleeping figure with digital camouflage identical to his own. "Walters, get up," he commanded, jabbing his foot into the soldier's midsection when there was no response. "Get up; something exploded outside… apparently."

Groggily the Warrant Officer stirred and looked up, rubbing his side where Connor kicked him. "Huh… Wha--what do you mean 'apparently'? Who was on guard?"

"Freddie was," Connor said unhappily and pointed at another slumbering form at the foot of the stairs that was hunched over an antiquated M1 carbine. Connor sighed inwardly at the sight of the weapon; they had left for Bestine under complex circumstances and they were forced to take only the equipment that would not be missed. Well, most of it anyways, he corrected himself, noting the precious amount of C-4 in his pack as well as Walter's MP-5.

Nate Walters played with his unkempt beard in mild amusement as he relished the serene look on Freddie's face; Walters inhaled deeply. "Hey Freddy! Get up, ya lazy bastard!" he yelled from across the dark room, causing Suzie to turn her head for a moment before looking back at the school teacher.

Connor hit Nate lightly across the back of the head. "Did I not specifically tell you to curb your language around the kids?" he asked tersely; Nate nodded. "Good, now quietly go wake up the others."

"We're supposed to bet out lives on an explosion that 'apparently' happened?"

"Look," Connor began in a low whisper that only the Warrant Officer could hear, "We ran out of food last night… I think this is our last chance."

The face behind the fuzzy brown beard tensed. Connor respected that about Nate: the guy was a joker, but when the situation called for him to be serious, he was serious. "What about the civilians?" Nate asked objectively, back in his mission oriented attitude.

Connor looked at Suzie and the others, who where currently being occupied by one of Mrs. Kenneth's stories; even the adults listened attentively. I don't blame them, he commented grimly, what else is there to do in a dark basement that smells like crap? "Leave them to me; just get the generator running and everyone up."

"What should I have them pack?"

The Captain looked up into space for a moment and then looked back at Nate. "Everything that they can fit in their packs," he decided. "If we make it out, there probably won't be a chance to come back and if we don't… well it won't matter much either way."

Five minutes later the emergency generator hummed to life, consuming the last drops of fuel to light up the room. That will probably last for thirty minutes at best, Connor calculated as he tried to distract himself from then horrific sight of the now illuminated latrine. The latrine consisted of a chair with a hole in the bottom which sat over a bucket, when the bucket filled up they would empty the rancid contents into a larger box… unfortunately said box had become full a week ago.

All the civilians looked up at Connor expectantly; many of the adults in the group had noticed the squad gearing up before the lighting had been turned on, but had rightfully committed themselves to keeping the children distracted up until now. I hate lying, he thought angrily, shifting the weight of his pack from one shoulder to another in agitation, but it looks like I don't have much choice in the matter; I can't exactly tell them that I'm gambling all their lives on a fleeting hope.

"Ok everybody, we are going to get out of here today," he began with a falsely upbeat tone. "I have confirmed that there is a rescue party in the area, so I need you all to pack what you can carry and be ready to go once my men and I clear the way for you."

"We're saved!" someone yelled over the cheers of joy. As Connor watched the others hug and cried with relief, he grimaced, imagining all the happy faces turning into looks of betrayal as they find out there is nothing out there. He knew that wasn't fair; there could be someone out there, but to him it seemed unlikely.

The expression only penetrated Connor's mask of confidence for a moment, but that was long enough for a young college student at the edge of the crowd to notice. "Shit," the Captain cursed as -What's his name? Oh yes, Peter- as Peter approached him.

"There isn't anyone coming to rescue us, is there?" the boy asked quietly, making sure to keep his back to the crowd.

"Of course there-" Connor began to deny it, but thought better of it and let out a troubled sigh. "No… or at least not with any certainty."

The boy looked at the ground, justifiably upset that he had been right. "Are you going to come back?" Peter asked eventually with suspicion in his voice.

"I would sooner commit myself to burn in the deepest bowls of Hell than abandon civilians…" he began with acid in his voice, genuinely hurt by the accusation. Connor glanced over Peter's shoulder at Suzie, who was presently helping one of the adults pack.

"And orphans?" Peter said sadly, following his gaze. "Sweet girl; it's a real shame about her father."

The Captain sighed heavily. "Yeah, it is…," he said distantly, the memory of the event still horribly clear.

Flashback: April 7th --- 3 days after outbreak

"DADDY!"

Connor dropped the box of supplies he was carrying and ran to the window. Outside, across the street from the office, there was a man helping a little girl up from the sidewalk with more than a dozen of the demons in pursuit, moaning as they approached the pair from all angles. Connor drew his P-226 combat pistol and rushed out the door.

Bracing the weapon in both hands, Connor began to pick off the demons with headshots -he had learned the necessity of that fast- as he approached; moving as fast as he could without sacrificing accuracy. One by one they dropped to the ground, but there were just too many coming too fast and one of them made it to the father. Unable to get a clear shot at that one, Connor continued to methodically shoot the others, increasing his pace as the father struggled to keep the one that made it through away from himself and his daughter.

"GO AWAY!" the girl cried shrilly as one of the two remaining demons neared her; Connor took aim and squeezed the trigger, but only got a hollow -click- in response. Cursing inwardly, he holstered the empty pistol and drew his combat knife, breaking into a sprint for the final couple of feet. Connor lunged at the demon, jabbing the knife into the base of its skull.

Not taking the time to retrieve the knife, he let it drop with the demon and balled his hands together. With all his strength Connor brought his hand down like a hammer over last one's head. The neck buckled under the force of the attack and the demon fell limp, silencing the only moan within earshot. "You ok?" Connor asked breathlessly.

The man revealed a small gash on his forearm and shook his head sadly; they both knew he was as good as dead. "Please take care of my daughter, she-she's a good kid," he pleaded in a desperate whisper.

"I will," Connor replied in awe of the man's selflessness.

The man walked over and knelt in front of his daughter. "Suzie, I--I have to go away for a while," he began, doing his best to hold back the tears.

"But daddy… if you go, who will make me lasagna?" she asked with the confused innocence that only a child could have.

He pointed to Connor, who was reloading his pistol. "That nice man over there is going to look after you… behave for him, ok?" The girl nodded obediently and the man enveloped her in a hug. "I will always love you sweetie," he whispered.

They're getting closer, Connor thought as a demon moaned in the distance Hearing the moan as well, Suzie's father got up and began to walk away. "Wait!" Connor yelled after the man. Catching up he discreetly handed his pistol to the man; "One bullet."

Understanding what the gun was for, Suzie's father nodded and walked off into an alley, leaving Connor alone with the girl.

The moans drew closer and became more numerous; Connor picked up Suzie and ran towards the recruitment office, hearing the muffled yet distinctive sound of his P-226 firing one last time.

All the squad members stood waiting in the main room; they looked at the girl and then at their Captain. "Barricade the doors!" he ordered. "There are more coming and they might have my scent or something."

As Nate and the others frantically began fortifying the entranced, Connor led Suzie to a couch in a back room and sat her down. She looked at him silently. Poor thing, he thought sadly, must be scared out of her- "Oh!" the girl said, jumping up and holding her tiny hand out. "I almost forgot to into'duce myself… Daddy wouldn't like that; my name is Suzie Wilson."

Connor's jaw dropped in amazement and he struggled to reply. "Pleased to meet you Suzie, I'm Captain Connor Mendez," he began courteously, shaking the girl's tiny hand in amusement. "Listen Suzie, I gotta go help my men work, but if you need anything, anything at all, you come see me. Sound like a plan?" he added worriedly, concerned that the girl didn't seem upset about her father. She can't understand what just happened, he decided as he began to walk away, that's all.

Suzie nodded and Connor turned to walk away. "Umm… Cap'in Mendez?"

Connor looked back over his shoulder with a warm smile. "Something wrong?"

She shook her head, "No, but… Cap'in Mendez?"

"Yes?"

The girl kicked her tiny legs in the air anxiously and then looked at the ground. "Can--can you make me lasagna?… I'm hungry."

Maybe--maybe if we survive this, Connor speculated as the memories of his first encounter with Suzie faded, maybe I could adopt her; I always wanted to be a dad, but Andrea never-

Nate tapped Connor on the shoulder, waking him from his trance. "Sir," the Warrant Officer whispered into his ear, "everyone's given the green light; after you Sir."

Connor gave Nate the thumbs up gesture over his shoulder from where he stood at the top of the basement stairs and did one last visual check on his L85-A1 rifle. It was another one of the mothballed weapons that had been lying around; he had chosen it because it was heavy and had a metal covering on the stock that would be good for a blunt weapon, though he desperately hoped it would never come down to that. Deep down, in the pit of his stomach, Connor knew that he would have to; no one had any idea how many where out there, but he just knew, and that worried him.

Doubt is for before and after combat, Connor reminded himself, shifting gears into a more pleasant thought process. "Let's do this!" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. He took a deep breath, raised his rifle, and barged into the room.

"Oh damn!" the Captain exclaimed in awe of how many demons where in the room. They were everywhere and, alerted by the noise, more began to surge through the main entrance. Doing the only thing Connor could do, he leveled his rifle at the nearest demon and fired.

His men came into the room and formed a perimeter as they fired in, protecting the entrance to where the civilians where hiding. "We need to cut off the flow!" Connor yelled over the deafening roar of ten guns firing at the same time. "Walters, take Stevens, Hendrickson, Marquis, and Davis and make your way forward. Everyone else, focus your fire down the center; let's cut them a path!"

Responding to instincts drilled into them over years of conditioning, the soldiers did as they were told. Walter's group temporarily fell behind Connor's group's firing line as a path was cut towards the door. "GO!" Connor ordered.

Connor's group's guns fell silent as Walter led his men through the ever shrinking path that had been carved out for them. Connor and the others resumed firing, taking care not to hit their comrades by mistake.

The mass of demons closed behind Walter group, cutting them off from Connor and the others. A scream of pain pierced over the noise. "What was that?" he yelled over the headset system that he was wearing as he strained his eyes to see what was happening. "I can't get a visual!"

"Stevens is down," Walters's voice announced. "We've been routed and are retreating up to the second floor."

"Got it, do what you can from there." Cursing his inability to help, Connor continued to drop the demons left and right; it was all he could do and glancing down at his bag of magazine's, Connor knew that he wouldn't even be able to do that for much longer.