Hello everybody. I hope you started this new year properly. I wish you all a wonderful 2017 full of great stories.

- VI -

The nightmare

Wednesday, 4:30 p.m.

"I find it weird that all the doors are open here," Jill said as they crossed the third unlocked door in a row on their way through the hallways.

"Well..." Claire tried to come up with a logical answer. "It may be because they didn't expect any unauthorized subjects to find this place."

"Why do they have safety cameras then?" Jill smiled.

"True…"

"I'm not saying this to worry you. It's just odd." Jill said observing the situation. "This was obviously a lab. In labs the access to certain areas is usually restricted."

"Maybe we haven't reached those areas yet…" Claire mumbled before giving her friend a frightened look. What was awaiting them behind those walls?

Claire held her breath when she put her hand on the doorknob to the room where Neil had been summoned. She turned it slowly and breathed again as it opened. A dim light shone in a corner of the large room. It was full of old lockers and metal tables with wooden boxes on it. Jill got closer to have a better look at them.

"What is it?" Claire asked while putting down her gun as she saw there was no one in there.

"Looks like a mutated hand." Jill lifted the box.

"How nice," Claire said ironically. "What was Neil supposed to find in here?"

"I think the X was drawn on a certain spot in the room, wasn't it?" Jill reminded her friend.

"Right." Claire took the map out of her pocket and unfolded it on one of the tables. "It looks like it shows something on the wall." She walked towards the end of the room, while Jill opened another case.

"If I keep on looking I'll find the whole body stuffed into boxes," she said. "Here's the right foot."

Claire smiled as she spotted a dark shadow on the wall. She stepped forward to examine it when suddenly the floor cracked. Before she could react she broke through the rusted surface and fell onto the floor below.

"Ouch!" She yelled in pain.

Jill ran to the hole in the ground and kneeled down.

"Claire, are you okay?" She called through the hole.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She looked around. A flickering halogen lamp illuminated the cold room. The floor was covered with dry blood stains and chains were hanging from the ceiling. With thick iron bars closed cells evolved the room. It looked somehow like an arena of that Roman Colosseum where gladiators fought to death. Only one entrance was a metal door. Not that it had been very comfortable before, but standing in that space caused Claire to shiver. She stood up and walked to the door.

"Shit."

"What is it?" Jill asked from above.

"I think I've found the only closed door in this place." Claire ran back to where she had fallen down. "Listen Jill, I need you to search the way to the other side of that door and see if there's a key or something."

Jill suddenly became aware of the situation.

"Alone?"

She hadn't been alone since Kijuju. Even at night in the hospital there was always a nurse with her. Otherwise, she'd panicked. One night the nurse had found the blonde sitting on the window frame willing to jump when she came back after a visit to the bathroom. It was irrational, but Jill couldn't stand being alone. And now she was supposed to go down the dark and creepy stairway all on her own?

"Claire, I'm going to jump down to you. I can't be alone." She put her hands to her throat and began to breathe heavily.

"Jill, don't be stupid, I'm trapped here. I need your help to get out. Besides, you might get hurt jumping down from there." Claire understood she had to calm her friend down and lowered her voice. She shook her head and spoke quietly. "Jill, I know you can make it. It's just one floor and you have the map with you."

Jill looked at her friend and nodded, still shivering. She forced herself to stand on her feet. And gave one last fearful glance to her friend below. Then, she turned around and looked up which way she had to go exactly. Before leaving the room, she touched the weapon in the holster, praying to every supernatural force for not having to use it.

The blond man caressed softly the screen where Jill was shown.

"What happened to you, Miss Valentine? Did coming back from the dead break you that much?" On what he had seen, he'd already created complete reports on the two women. Claire Redfield seemed a very tough young lady, especially compared to her older friend. He sent out the reports, expecting to receive soon the order to eliminate both intruders. When he looked back onto the screens he almost froze.

"What the fuck is he doing?"

Jill walked slowly through the stairwell, holding her back against the walls. The smell of rotten flesh made her feel dizzy and hitting noises coming from beyond seemed to scare her every time they reached her ears. She wasn't sure if she preferred staying there alone in solitude or finding out what had produced the sounds. She swallowed and licked her dry lips. There was no other option than going on.

Jill dropped down in fear as she heard a heavy knock from the underground and the lights flickered. The tension cut her breath and caused her to tremble heavily. What had that noise been? She crawled on her hands and knees into the nearest corner and covered her head with her arms, keeping her eyes tightly shut. She didn't want to see what was coming towards her. She knew what was coming. It was those people in white, carrying needles and test tubes. They'd extract blood or inject something into her. They'd hurt her, make her scream in pain,they's scratch and cut her. She sould even feel them cutting through her skin. Only her open mouth, her almost dislocated jaw, told her she was screaming, but no noise came to her ears. The silence wasn't the problem. The solitude wasn't the problem either. It was was what coming when the solitude ended.

The screams ceased.

She looked up. She'd expected to find something or someone in front of her. But she didn't see anything. Nobody in white coat was coming. Nobody would take her back to labs. Nobody would ever control her mind again. Nobody but herself.

It took her a little to find the strength to get up again. She forced herself onto her feet. Claire needed her help.

"I'm going to get her out of here, Chris," she whispered, remembering how worried Chris had always been about his sister. This reciprocal concern the Redfield siblings felt for each other had pushed them both into trouble more than once. Jill couldn't hold back a tender smirk as she started running through the stairway towards the room where she was supposed to find her friend. She almost embraced the door that separated her from Claire when she reached it.

"Claire," she panted. "I'm here."

"Well done, Jill." Claire yelled happily through the door. "You see? You can do everything, if you just want. Now, please see if you can find a key to open the door."

"I have something better," Jill said, completely calmed again, and took her lockpick out of her pocket. It had been a birthday gift from Chris, since she'd lost hers in the Spencer Estate when they'd fallen together into the dungeon in the basement. This new one had an engraving saying 'I. O. E.' on it.

"I Open Everything," she read. She smiled, remembering how in the past she had often wished her lockpick could open Chris' heart as well. She shook her head to get rid of such a childish idea. With precision, she put the tool into the lock and started working on it.

Claire heard a scratching on the the metal and remembered that Jill was an expert in opening locks. Actually, she could've done that from the inside as well. However, the door would open in less than a minute. She shook when she suddenly heard a grunting noise coming from one of the prison cells behind her. She slowly walked towards the metal bars to check out the inside, when she made a wrong step over a floor granting. Again, rusted metal ceased and her foot got buried in a gutter.

"Shit! Not now," she yelped silently and tried to rip her foot out of the hole. The grunting came closer and she couldn't even move. She got petrified when she saw what kind of creature was breaking through the bars that were closing the cell. It looked like a huge, with fire playing, human baby. It was about nine feet tall and wore a big jar in one hand and a torch in the other one. Its head was covered with bandages and a cage-like metal helmet. It stared at Claire with one red glowing eye and laughed at her.

"Very funny," the woman mumbled before continuing trying to free her foot in anxiety. The enemy started hitting the torch onto the jar as if it was a drum, as Claire saw the content of the jar starting to boil, about to explode. As she saw it aim for her with the opening she understood what destiny was awaiting her. She instinctively pointed her gun at the B.O.W., giving it three quick and effectless shots before focusing on the defence. She quickly looked around for some object she could use as a shield, but apparently the only thing she had to cover herself was her own clothing. Even if it was not giving a real protection, throwing her jacket over her head and arms was the best idea she had. It could possibly catch most of the sparks and she'd just throw it away, gaining some time before getting attacked again. She knelt down and tried to hide behind the fabric. Before the imminent threat of getting burned, Claire couldn't do anything else but closing her eyes and thinking of all the people she'd never see again. She felt a wave of heat approach her, before suddenly getting thrown at a side by something… or someone. Her savior had freed her foot from her boot and was now lying on top of her on the floor. She opened her eyes again.

"Neil!" tears of happiness shot into her eyes. "You're okay!"

"And thank God you're well too. Since when is your jacket fire retardant?" He smiled at her and quickly got to his feet again, helping Claire up.

"Very funny," Claire said as she reached out for his hand. "I'd like to see what you'd done in my place." Neil pointed his gun at the head of the beast.

"The eye, Claire. Shoot its eye!"

Claire took her gun and did as he told her. It wasn't easy to aim for the tiny eye, even if it was glowing in the dark. The monster was faster than its huge body would suggest and it didn't stop moving at any time. The few shots that hit its head didn't actually seem to bother it. It even kept on laughing at them.

"Are you sure its weak point is its head?" Claire asked panting.

"How would I know?" Neil said. "I just know that I'd prefer getting shot in the ass than in the eye."

"Overwhelmingly logical" Claire laughed and kept on shooting.

Jill had lost some practice after all those years and she got distracted by the sound and smells that came from the other side of the door. It took her some time to finally open the lock. Before pushing the door open, she took the gun from her holster. She didn't know what she was supposed to find, but she had heard that the target was the creature's eye. She took one deep breath and entered the room.

"Thank God, Jill" yelled Claire when she saw her friend. We can really use another weapon.

Jill nodded at her friend and aimed for the eye. Though she tried to concentrate, her hand started shaking heavily. Though Claire was aiming for the target, she noticed her friend's situation.

"Don't give a shit about where you shoot. Just do it." She remembered an old Cat Stevens song her mother had often sung for her and Chris before her death. "The first shot is the deepest," she said.

Jill giggled nervously and tried to calm her hand. But she didn't get the chance to shoot. The B.O.W. fell to the floor. Neil had given it the last shot.

"I've run out of ammo," he said. "I hope there's not another one of these."

"I'm almost at zero too," Claire said and smiled at Neil. "I'm glad to see you."

He smiled back at her, then walked over to Jill, who was still staring at the gun in her hand. He put his hand on her weapon.

"Claire was right. The first shot is the most difficult one," he said nicely before stretching out his hand. "Neil Fisher."

"Jill Valentine," she said shaking hands with him. Neil's eyes opened widely in surprise. He had taken her for a newbie.

"Jill Valentine? Really? E-excuse me. I didn't know…"

"It's okay." Jill smiled. "I feel like a complete rookie, too."

Neil didn't know what to say and just stared and smiled at her. Claire walked over to the gutter where her boot was still stuck. After taking it out and putting it on again she reached out for Neil's blue shirt collar.

"Now, you. What the fuck are you doing down here alone? Everyone is worried about you!" She tried to look angry, but couldn't avoid smirking lightly at the look of the handsome head of TerraSave. 'Damn it! Has he always to smell that good? Even down here?' she wondered.

He placed his fingers on her wrists and took her hands down.

"I'm sorry Claire, I didn't mean to worry you," he whispered. "I got that strange message saying someone would give me important information about a mole in our organization. Of course I couldn't tell anyone until knowing more."

"A mole in TerraSave?" Claire couldn't believe it. How could there be a traitor among them? But then another thought came to her mind. "Did you even suspect of me?"

"Claire, I'm sorry. I had to do my job." She was obviously hurt and he wanted to fix it. "But seeing how you've come after me I will never doubt you again." He smiled at her tenderly and stood closer to her. Claire felt like she was about to blush. Though she didn't like to admit it, she enjoyed his attention. However, she wasn't feeling comfortable flirting with her boss right after escaping death. Jill saw Claire's doubtful expression and decided to interrupt that one-way romantic scene.

"How did you get in here?" she asked the man. Neil stared at her before he pointed at the ceiling.

"I jumped from the floor above when I saw that thing was getting closer to Claire."

"Well I thank you for your help, Neil. But if it wasn't for Jill this would now be the grave for both of us."

"I know," he said, looking at Claire. "But I knew you hadn't come alone in here. I saw you two through a monitor and went back to get you out of here" I supposed you had fallen through the floor and that Jill was looking for an alternate way".

"Have you met anyone yet? Do you have an idea if that person really wanted to share information or did someone want to get rid of you?" Jill sounded like the self-confident officer she once was.

Neil stared at her, confused. He hadn't expected her to be that rough.

"No, I haven't met anyone yet. But I don't think the person I had to meet with wants me dead. This is just a very safe place where we could talk. And I've been informed about all possible traps I could have run into all the time."

"Traps?" Claire asked seriously. "You mean like the hole in the floor above?"

"Yes, for example. " He nodded. "Or the map I was supposed to leave at the entrance."

"A map at the entrance?" Claire asked fearfully giving Jill a nervous look.

"There's a map nailed to a wall before the ladder that leads to this place. One of the notes I got said I should just copy it and leave it there."

Jill and Claire looked at each other.

"Just don't touch your lips, nose, eyes… anything." Claire almost choked. "It could be poisoned."

"If the virus is stable enough to air exposition it could even be a way to infect us."

Neil understood the talk.

"Wait.. are you saying you have the map with you?" The women nodded. "Oh shit…That explains everything," he said.

"What does it explain?" Jill lifted an eyebrow before taking the plan out.

"Don't worry, you're neither poisoned nor infected. That map attracts those things to you." He pointed at the dead creature on the floor. "Look at it. It's made of fresh skin and it's impregnated with some fragrance which I assume turns them aggressive even at a distance of dozens of feet."

The women looked at each other. They couldn't believe they hadn't been more cautious.

"I never imagined that a map would get me into danger instead of helping me out of it." Jill laughed.

Claire also burst into laughter. Neil didn't understand their reaction, but he didn't care. They were both fine and now they'd leave behind that map and get out of that place.

Fisher had reunited with the women in order to help them, for sure. But he didn't know that it was also their death sentence. He needed to speak to the TerraSave leader alone and he needed to do it as soon as possible, not wanting to wait any longer for instructions from above. He wanted those women dead. His eye was twitching. He took a pill case out of his pocket and had to take three of them before getting calmer. After taking a deep breath, he took a small metal case from a drawer and opened it. It contained two syringes, doses of a former version of the T-Phobos - a failed version indeed, but exactly what he needed now. He took the blue dose and walked out of the room and into the elevator, being the basement his goal. The elevator door slid open.

"Hello, my love," he said smiling. "How are you feeling today?"

Chained to the wall, a young man in his twenties was panting in pain. He had been kidnapped by the blond guy just a couple of days before at the exit of his gym and hadn't eaten anything since then. But hunger and thirst weren't what troubled him the most. It was the uncertainty about his future, not knowing if he would ever get out of his prison alive. The blond man caressed his face over the piece of black tape that was covering his mouth and part of his cheeks. Sweat and blood were dripping from his forehead, glueing his dark, half-long hair to his skin. His muscles were firm and well built. He looked simply amazing. He opened his eyes and gave his punisher an understanding look, begging for mercy.

"Look at you, my love. You are so beautiful," the blond man whispered, caressing his cheeks and neck. Then he showed him the syringe. "But I will make you perfect."

The young man began to cry desperately trying to get himself free, but it was useless. The kidnapper turned his head aside and injected the blue virus directly into his neck. The boy tried to scream, but couldn't. He looked at his blond punisher in fear. Suddenly he started shaking heavily and his eyes went bloody. His skin began to crack and crumble off his face as his muscles swelled up. With one quick move, he ripped the chains out of the wall and let go a scream of freedom. The blond man had been watching the show silently. He started to clap with energy.

"Good boy," he said. "And now, go get those women who are bothering us."

The mutated boy looked at him and walked in his direction. Saliva was dripping from his still taped mouth. His eyes were filled with blood and anger. When he reached his punisher, he screamed desperately.

"I said, go behind those women," the man said. "You are supposed to haunt female visitors, so get going. What… don't come any closer. I'm your creator." Something was going wrong. The virus wasn't supposed to do this. The blond man swallowed, stepping back in fear, sweat running down his back. "Don't even think about it."

The monster stood in front of him and threw his right arm, together with the chain on it, behind its head. With one quick move, it hit the man's skull with the heavy metal chain link.

A heavy pain ran down his spine when his body hit the floor. Everything went blurry and a shrill whistle resounded in his ears. He tried to get up, but his hands slipped over the bloody surface whenever he tried to support himself, causing his body to crash down against the floor again. His blond hair was already soaked in blood. He got to turn onto his back, his eyes meeting the staring gaze of his opponent. A deep cry released from his throat as the creature stuck his hand into his mouth and grabbed his tongue. He tried to bite its hand, but couldn't gather enough strength in his jaw. A tearing pain ran down his throat as he got lifted, hanging from his tongue, before being thrown into the nearest corner. Blood dripped from his mouth. With effort, he looked up and his gaze met the creature's right before the chain crashed down against his head again.

Ouch! Poor nameless blond guy. I guess he did get his reward indeed LOL. Next week we'll see how this continues.

I'd like to thank everybody for reading this, for following, favouriting and reviewing. It means a lot to me. But you already know that ;)

absolutefaith: There's the new chapter and it's a long one. I hope you enjoyed it ;)

Thebigticket21: Yes, Claire is completely blind. Maybe Jill can open her eyes. She's really too good for that slimy ass... u.u Chris is gonna show up a little later again. Jill is not ready for that encounter yet ;)

Sofistinha: Tsee, we still don't know who that blond guy is... But I can assure you, it doesn't matter any more hahaha Jill has had her solitude moment (breakdown included). Maybe it wasn't as tough as I had wanted it to be. But I think she's sufferend enough LOL

That's all for now. As I said above, I wish you a wonderful new year.