Authors Note- I'm sorry for the delay. Now that it summer, I'll have plenty of time for updates. On another note, sorry if this chapter is a little short. Please enjoy and review.
Dr. Murphy had just witnessed the Stingers destruction at the hands of the S.T.A.R.S. team on her lab computer monitor. In less than a few minutes, the intruders had already breached the first obstacle Wesker had set up for them. But it wouldn't be the last one. Not by a long shot.
"Those poor bastards," Murphy said with a soft sigh of pity.
She didn't hate the S.T.A.R.S. at all. In fact she actually respected them for their courage and determination.
Though in her eyes, there was little hope they would survive once they entered the facility but at least they would take down a few of Wesker's little Frankenstein's with him in the process. Perhaps they would escape somehow and if they were lucky enough, maybe they would find her and try to help her. Maybe she could escape with them. Maybe…
"No," She muttered helplessly, realizing she was being unrealistic.
Murphy could never forget that Wesker basically had her family at gunpoint all the time. Even if the S.T.A.R.S. did find her by some chance, Wesker would be watching her on his monitor. If she tried to defect, even for an instant, he'd send an H.C.S. team to her house.
Back on the monitor, she watched the S.T.A.R.S. team enter the facility through the Stinger hole, going in one at time. Luckily for them all of the Stingers had been wiped out so they wouldn't have to worry about encountering more down below.
She switched off the computer monitor and wheeled around in her chair to face the half-dozen large, metallic cylinders lined in a row across the wall on the opposite side of the lab. Each one was about three feet wide and eight feet high. Warning signs were placed on each one with the iconic red biohazard symbol on them. Each cylinder had a small, glass viewport about a foot wide.
There were still quite a few B.O.W.s stored within the lab and a few other areas throughout the facility, along with two full squads of H.S.C. troopers, all well trained and armed to the teeth by Wesker himself.
Murphy had labored day and night to enhance Wesker's new creations, especially those injected with the T-Veronica Virus which he obtained from Steve Burnside.
The T-Veronica specimens were the strangest out of all the B.O.W.s.
Murphy approached one of the cylinders and peered through the viewport and felt a surge of disgust engulf her as she stared at the scarred, skeletal face of the creature inside. It was unconscious but breathing as it floated in the pale green fluid contained inside the cylinder with it.
Dr. Murphy stepped back and breathed out, letting her inward horror of her own creations drift out of her system before returning to her post, knowing Wesker would contact her again for further orders.
She knew only too well he was disappointed with the failure of the Stingers but he wasn't nearly angry enough to kill her. She was too valuable to dispose of like some worthless pawn and he was well aware she wouldn't dare defy him out of fear for her family.
She was nothing but a slave to Wesker. A helpless servant dragged into his schemes against her will. And worse yet, there was no way Wesker would ever let her go.
The narrow, thirty meter long corridor was metallic and lit by small, circular lights embedded into the smooth steel walls. Pipes and electric cables snaked straight across the ceiling above. Not a soul was in sight and it was unnervingly quiet. The corridor parted to both sides at the end.
Chris surveyed the hall before slowly taking a few steps forward before signaling the others to follow at the same pace as him. Little by little, with their weapons trained and eyes sharp, the team advanced single file down the corridor, the only sound was their footsteps and soft breathing.
Chris knew the thin corridor was a good place for an ambush. But even as the team made it halfway down the hall, nothing happened. It was puzzling but not convincing. It would be idiotic to think Wesker was out of tricks.
In the back, Claire kept her MP5 poised at her hip as he walked along. Her heart had eased up on adrenaline but she was nervous enough to keep it pumping more than normally.
True, she was scared, but there was no way she would turn back. She had to find Steve.
The team reached the other end of the hallway. Chris and Barry both hit the walls and edged towards the neighboring corridors to the left and the right.
They swerved around the bends, training their weapons but didn't fire. The other two corridors were shorter than the main one and just as devoid of activity.
"Left corridor clear," Chris said.
"Right corridor clear," Barry added.
The team eased up, relieved there was no danger at the moment.
Chris and Barry faced the rest of the team as they awaited further instructions.
"Okay, guys," Chris began. His voice was as strict and serious as before. "Wesker is somewhere in this facility and we have to find him and take him out."
"But we don't know anything about this facility," Brian stated. "For all we know, Wesker could be watching us right now."
"I'd say your being paranoid," Barry scoffed, earning a quick glare from Brian.
Chris exhaled softly, knowing Brian had a point.
"We'd better split up and search the facility. Two groups," Chris announced, deciding quickly. "Barry, you and Jill stick with me. Brian, you take Claire, Leon and Rebecca. If anything goes wrong, use your walkie talkies. Keep your eyes peeled and be prepared for anything."
The team looked unsure of Chris's decision to split up. He gave them a defiant look, reminding them he was their leader. As usual, they trusted him, albeit with questionable looks on their faces. They all nodded slowly.
Chris nodded back and looked at Barry and Jill before taking to the left while Leon's team cut to the right.
In his quarters, Wesker sat quietly in his chair as he watched the S.T.A.R.S. team on his monitor, waiting patiently for them to step into the little trap he set up for them. He actually anticipated earlier that they would defeat the Stingers and find their way into the facility.
Many of the corridors throughout the base had built in emergency doors for containment in case any of the B.O.W.s got loose. They would work equally well at separating the S.T.A.R.S. from one another. The pathetic intruders would never find each other after he sprang the trap.
"All too easy," Wesker murmured, a sinister smile sliced across his face.
He eased his fingertip onto the smooth red button that would trigger the doors in the eastern section of the base. He waited a few moments and saw the S.T.A.R.S. separate and slowly advance down the corridors.
He casually pressed the button, very proud of himself for his cunning trap.
Leon's team had barely taken five steps into the right corridor when they heard a loud, metallic sound behind him. They all spun around and suddenly saw a heavy metal shutter slam down from above, cutting them off from their comrades in the left corridor.
Just like that, they had stepped into Wesker's trap.
"No!" Leon groaned.
Claire slammed her fists on the shutter in frustration. Rebecca and Brian looked angry, likely at Chris for his rash decision.
Leon was already on his walkie talkie, switching it to Chris' channel with a sour look on his face.
"Chris, this is Leon, do you read me?" Leon said, trying to suppress his annoyance.
"I read you, Leon," Chris' replied over the walkie talkie.
"Chris…..we've got a bit of a situation here," Leon said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "What's the plan now?"
Chris garbled sigh could be heard, earning mildly amused looks from Leon and his team.
"Just keep moving," Chris said unwavering. "Wesker can separate us but he can't break us. We'll regroup as soon as we can. These corridors have to connect together."
Leon looked uncertain.
"Copy that, Leon out," He said regardless as he switched off the walkie talkie and looked at his waiting comrades. "We've got to keep moving. We'll link up with the others as soon as possible."
"Easier said than done," Brian said skeptically. "We don't even know how big this place is."
Leon stared indifferently at Brian. He simply checked his ammunition and continued down the corridor.
"There's only one way to find out, now let's go," Leon said.
Wesker eyed Leon's team carefully as they moved along the corridor, heading towards the containment room of one of his personally favorite B.O.W.s.
He suddenly felt a rush of joy and anticipation in his system and immediately switched on the intercom on his desk to Dr. Murphy's channel.
"Dr. Murphy," Wesker said. "This is Wesker. It's time for our second phase. Release the Hunters, over."
There was a brief pause.
"Yes sir," Dr. Murphy replied.
Wesker switched off his intercom and folded his hands behind his head as he sat back in his seat.
Soon his revenge against Chris would commence with the death of his sister. Though he would love nothing more than to expose Claire to what was once Steve Burnside and relish in her terror, either way, her death would be an extravagant sight.
With Claire dead, Chris would be devastated to the point where he would unable to resist the fact Wesker had defeated him.
"Soon, revenge will be mine at last," Wesker said, looking ever so forward to his glorious vengeance.