THE CRIMSON STONE
CHAPTER 9
Fortunately for them, they entered an empty dining hall. It was huge and had candles on both side of the walls. A big old-fashion looking chandelier hung above the room. The place looked as if it was set up a few decades ago since the plates and cup were all placed on the table and looked untouched. There was a door at the other end of the room. Leon was the first to walk into the room with Charlie tailing behind him.
"Wow… this place is so quiet," Charlie said as she observed the nicely set forks and plates on the long tables.
"Too quiet," Leon commented back.
Leon jogged towards the door, opposite, from where they came in and found it locked. He turned around to tell Charlie, but was shocked to find Charlie was not alone. Leon can't help it but to stare at it in horror. He could not believe his eyes on what he was looking at.
"Hey, why are you looking at me like that?" Charlie asked, bewildered by his sudden starring.
Without Charlie realizing it, a figure stood behind her. It was dwarf-like creature, no taller than a five-year-old child. However, its feet weren't touching the ground and it was floating directly behind Charlie's head. It also had a broken wine bottle in its hand.
"Charlie, duck!" Leon shouted across the room just in time as the creature swung the broken wine bottle at Charlie's head.
Luckily, Charlie had fast reflexes and dodged the swinging bottle just in time. She rolled on the floor, escaping the injury she might have gotten. The creature, raged by the interruption, quickly charged towards Leon instead.
The creature was fast, for such a small size. Leon barely managed to avoid the swinging bottle the creature attacked him with. He had to jumped over the tables, smashing the dishware as he did so. And Charlie was right. Without his guns, it is almost impossible to kill this half dwarf, half ghost creature.
"Okay, stop already!" Charlie suddenly screamed at the ghost.
Leon was startled and not only because she screamed, but the fact that the creature actually listened to her as it stopped in its tracks.
"We have gone through enough. We already encountered zombies, monsters, mutated insects and now this; a bloody ghost?! Oh, come one! Give us a break! It's not our fault that the insane owner of this castle holds you captive here. It's him; you should go after, not us!" Charlie rambled on.
Surprisingly, it worked. The creature straight away dropped the half broken bottle and flew through the walls, leaving them in peace. Not sooner after that, the sound of a lock unlocking was heard.
Leon looked at Charlie's flustered face and said, "Are you thinking, what I'm thinking?"
Charlie just nodded, out of breath from her sudden out burst. Her face was still red. Both of them headed towards the door, as just as they assumed, the door was unlocked, thanks to their little friend.
"Before we enter, I just wanted to say that I don't know what to believe in anymore. And whatever else we're going to find in there, I'm ready for it," Charlie said as she held her hand over the door.
"Believe you me," Leon said.
And after understanding one another better, they set themselves for the next chapter of their horrific journey.
They went through the door and found themselves raiding a set of stairs. As they were heading up, Leon checked his communicating device. It wasn't working ever since he got knock down and was brought down to the dungeon. That's why he hadn't been able to contact Tia so far.
"Damn it," Leon muttered.
"What's wrong?" Charlie asked.
"I haven't been able to get a signal ever since I entered this castle,"
"That is bad,"
"Let's hope I'll be able to get a signal once we're on higher level,"
They reached the top of the spiral stairs and went through the door there. It opened up into yet another deserted hallway. As they walked along it, they found a door that looked unlike the rest. Its door was white and metallic. And it had the Umbrella Corporation logo on it.
"Let's go inside, I may find some firearms," Leon said to Charlie as he opened the door slowly and finding it empty.
They went into the room, shutting the door slowly as they did so. The room was white from floor to ceiling and it was very spacious. However, it looked like a stalker's den since there were pictures of Charlie everywhere. Some were pinned on boards, while others were strewn across the long study table. The same Umbrella logo they saw on the door was displayed as a screen saver on the computer sitting on top the study table. Leon quickly went through the cupboards and drawers in search of firearms. Luckily, there was a machine gun and several of its magazines. He also found a hand gun and its bullets. After that, he headed to the computer and started tapping vigorously across its keyboard.
"Were they looking for me all this time?" Charlie asked weakly as she looked at all of her pictures hung around the room.
There was a picture of her when she was twelve, of her getting into her uncle's car, of her walking to school, of her eating at an ice cream parlor, and of her at so many different times. Charlie was astonished by it. Her eyes finally landed on the Umbrella logo.
"As a matter of fact, you were tracked down ever since you were eight years old by Umbrella," Leon replied as he read the documents on the computer.
"What is Umbrella, anyway? Is it what the logo on the door represents?" Charlie asked.
"Yes. Umbrella Corporation is a bioengineering pharmaceutical company. It was founded in 1968 by Lord Ozwell E. Spencer, Sir Edward Ashford and Dr. James Marcus at the corporation's Raccoon City facilities while he maintained control over the company for the next thirty years. Later, Umbrella had multiple research facilities and various research being done on various bioweapon viruses such as the G-virus and T-virus which I think Steax is playing with right now," Leon replied as he gave her a brief history about the Umbrella Corporation.
"Is that the virus that is contaminating Raymark City now?"
"Yes it is,"
"And what does it have to do with me?" Charlie asked quizzically.
"It says here that you seem to have the ability to unleash the power of the Crimson Stone, which you did. I think Steax's motif was to get the power inside your body and use it so he could combine it with the T-virus." Leon explained and suddenly stopped momentarily as the sound of foot steps was heard.
"Quick, hide!" Leon whispered to Charlie. And they both hid behind the long study table.
They waited a few moments until the sound of the door opening was heard. However, the person who entered the room was no other than, Jeff Acker. He was wearing his lab coat.
Surprised, Leon used the gun he just obtained and went out of his hiding place with his gun raised to Jeff's face.
"Alright, spill it. What's your story?" Leon asked carefully.
Jeff was startled and said, "Oh, my lord. I'm so glad I found you Kennedy. I knew you would be somewhere around here," with his hands up as a sign of surrender at the sight of Leon's gun.
"I know this may look bad in my defense, but I was forced to do it," Jeff continued.
"Forced to do what?" Leon asked as he circled him.
"You see, I'm one of the best scientists in this country. And Steax asked me to work for him or else my family, back in Tennessee will pay the consequences.
"And how do I know if I can trust your words, Acker?"
"Listen, I'm just a man who wants to protect his family and nothing more. And I happen know a way out."
Leon looked at him hard. He was deciding whether he should trust him or not. There weren't any other choices left. He had to since it was impossible to find a way out with him, lacking the weapons he needed.
"And why did you bailed on us earlier?" Leon responded after taking a few moments to think it through.
"I got a message from Steax, telling me to get to the castle immediately. I didn't want to drag you along into this mess so I thought by leaving you and that girl immediately, I could spare you guys," Jeff explained.
A plan formed in his mind and he said, "Alright then. Where's the secret exit?"
"Right this way," Jeff answered and moved toward one particular cupboard after Leon lowered his gun. He opened it to reveal a hidden lift inside it.
"Charlie, you can come out now," Leon called out to Charlie.