Chapter 20
A loud howl, halfway between man and monster rang out.
"What the hell was that?" asked Yukari.
"It sounds like one of Umbrella's dangerous secrets to me" said Kimura. He held up the gun. Compared to the roar he'd just heard it seemed very inadequate. He sighed and gripped hold of the small gun.
Kubo sighed and placed one hand against his head, pressing against his forehead. "Jeez, it just doesn't end does it" he grumbled.
"Ain't that the truth" said Yukari angrily.
Kagura glanced across at Kimura in shock as faint vibrations passed through the train, not from it moving over the rails but from being pursued by something. Kubo grunted something and rushed over to the cabin. He watched in shock as a large humanoid figure leapt up onto the train and ripped through the wall of the cabin with sharp talons. The steel was yanked back and Kubo felt the muscular 'weapons' rip through his shoulder as he was shoved out of the way. He landed with a thud against the wall of the main cabin.
Kagura guessed the thing may have been human once. It stood tall, bald head scraping against the roof, buckling it upwards. It stood naked, a giant mass of grey and purple muscle, seemingly genderless. It came to a stop studying them with cold grey eyes. On one hand where there should have been fingers stood five long talons that seemed to independently move. On the other two of the appendixes resembled fingers, the thumb and two remaining 'fingers' sharp talons as well.
"Now what?" muttered Yukari to Minamo.
The creature roared and stretched out its thick arms and tearing through the steel, marching towards the others. Yukari held up the shotgun and started firing as Minamo led Kagura back, opening the door that led to the next cabin. Kagura looked across at Minamo questioningly as the soldier gripped the door handle.
"What are you doing?" asked Kagura.
"Stay in there" said Minamo, "If it comes to it, disconnect this car."
"What about you?" asked Kagura as Yukari yelled out in anger as she fired the shotgun again. Kagura could have sworn the woman was almost enjoying it.
Minamo gave a non committal grunt and pulled the door shut. Kagura watched as the woman turned, holding up her rifle. No, she couldn't disconnect the car. She couldn't let them stay there, they would die for sure! But what could she do? She had no weapons, nothing to use to help them. She gripped her head. They'd gotten this far, and now it might all end!
Kimura grunted and moved out of the way as the creature struck out with one of its powerful arms. It smashed one of the larger access doors, which buckled and fell away, disappearing in a shower of sparks. Kimura gripped hold of a handrail, his face a few centimetres away from the brick wall that passed by at fifty miles an hour. His glasses just about remaining on his face, he pulled himself back into the train car.
"Oh yeah" he said as the moment vanished and he realized he was back sharing a room with a monster. "Well crap."
"I bloody hate stupid Umbrella monsters!" yelled out Yukari, reloading her shotgun as Minamo unleashed a burst of gunfire into the chest of the creature. It let out a frustrated murmur as the gunfire forced it back.
As Minamo's gun ran out of bullets the creature stooped forwards, Yukari still busy reloading. Kimura held up the pistol and started firing, bullets tearing into the stomach and chest of the creature. It turned its attention to him, moving back as Yukari blasted a shotgun shell into its stomach, tearing open a bloody hole. She fired again, ripping through the muscle and ligament of the right knee. The creature slumped down as the torn apart knee gave way beneath its weight. It pushed itself up with one hand and stuck out its other hand directing the sharp claws at Yukari.
She closed her eyes and then opened them in surprise when nothing happened. Kubo stood in front of her, four powerful muscular objects sticking out of his back. He coughed and spat blood on the creature, bringing up his rifle. The creature roared out as he opened fire, the head jolting back as bullets ripped flesh and muscle away from the head. Its eyes were splattered and the jaw fell away, bouncing off of its thick chest. The tongue lopped down as a bullet tore away the nose, thirty bullets fired into its head at point blank range.
Kubo dropped the weapon and slumped back, the talons pulling out of him as the monstrous creature stumbled back. He looked up at Yukari who nodded and rushed forwards in a furious rage.
"I have had enough of this fucking place!" she practically screamed as she fired into the creatures head and neck. "I have had enough of zombies and viruses and headshots! I just want to go home, get some Korean barbeque and have a beer!" she yelled out as her final shotgun blast tore the creatures head in two. Yelling she swung the shotgun into the creature and it fell sideways, out of the gaping doorway. For a moment it was still, before being pulled between the train and the wall rapidly passing it by. With a large squelch it was torn apart, splattering blood across a wall that was quickly left behind, cleaving off an arm that remained on the floor.
Yukari slowly walked across to the twitching arm and kicked it out, listening as it fell beneath the end train wheel. She slowly turned to the others as Kagura stepped back in.
"That is how Yukari Tanizaki does things!"
"…Yeah" said Minamo as a chunk of flesh fell from the roof to the floor. She stood watching as it rolled out of the train.
Kagura crouched down beside Kubo who was deathly pale.
"K-Kubo?" she asked.
"S…shit" said Kubo, "Fucking figures I try and do the right thing" he spluttered. He tapped his pocket. "You know…it's funny. I just really wish I got to finish this series. Pathetic huh?" he asked before he fell silent.
"Kubo?" asked Kagura lifting up the man. Silence fell across the train and Kimura and the two soldiers stepped towards Kagura, gathering around the fallen man. Minamo looked down sadly, Yukari standing with a neutral expression, chewing on her lip. She wasn't one to frequently show signs of sadness. She crouched down and tapped his forehead.
"Thanks for saving me back there Kubo" said Yukari sadly. "Thanks."
Kagura slowly placed the man back on the floor and let go of him. She looked up from the man to the end of the train which had been torn open. The walls of the train tunnel rushed passed and disappeared into darkness. They had left the hive. With every passing second they moved closer back to the outside world.
"Is it over now?" asked Kimura as the train rushed on with its journey. "Is it finished?"
"I think so" muttered Yukari. "We're out of here."
"All we need to do now is get through that house" muttered Minamo.
"You just couldn't give us a few minutes could you?" asked Yukari.
"Realist" said Minamo winking.
Yukari slid her final shotgun shell into the weapon. A weapon covered with dark thick blood. Minamo chucked a fresh clip for the pistol to Kimura. Kagura leant down by Kubo.
"What are you doing?" asked Kimura.
Kagura stood up holding Kubo's rifle, placing a new clip into the weapon. With a determined look she turned to Kimura. She glanced at Minamo who nodded.
"Woman huh?" said Kimura.
---
The train gently came to a stop, the four people stepping out of the torn train.
"Welcome back, we hope your time has been enjoyable and productive and remem…"
The message wasn't finished as Yukari destroyed the speaker with a blast from her shotgun. Kagura wished she'd done that. Kubo had been left on the train. He may have carried the infection, and given the potential danger outside his body would have slowed them down. All four knew Kubo would prefer for them to escape then drag his body around and risk being killed.
With a great sense of relief Kagura saw that the exit hadn't been blocked off. They ran to the stairs, Kagura turning to give the torn train and polished station one last look. So many people had died in this place. She turned back and they disappeared into the mansion.
"Good luck Miss Kagura" rang out the voice of the Red Queen. The door slammed shut. She was now alone.
A few of the wasps had survived, but most sat upon the floor, dead. Yukari purposefully stepped on as many as possible as they ran through the corridor, the few remaining insects buzzing angrily. They stepped into the main hallway, surprised to find it empty.
Kimura carefully opened the door and stepped outside, followed by Kagura. She shielded her eyes as sunlight beamed down. It was still morning, but she had been so used to dim artificial light. Beside her Minamo took in a deep breath of the fresh air. They stood waiting, watching to see if the helicopter would arrive. A faint growl caused them to sprint to a road built on the top of a faint hill. It gave them a perfect view of the area- nothing could sneak up on them.
"Look!" said Kagura pointing. The group stood in exhausted disbelief as a car drove towards them. It finally came to a stop, a female police officer stepping out of the car. The uniform wasn't one that belonged to this small village. They walked towards her, the woman pulling out her gun.
"Say something!" she called out.
"We're members of a specialised military force!" called out Minamo.
"Please help us!" added Kagura.
The young woman lowered her gun and walked across to them. "You can't be too careful now. Oh shit!"
Kagura followed her gaze to a man slowly walking towards them, half of his face torn off.
"That looks like Yagi" said Minamo.
"Well it did" said Yukari as the officer fired, shooting it in the head.
"Come on, get in the car, we can't stay in a place like this for too long" said the officer. "Keep the guns, you'll need them!"
Yukari took it upon herself to take the passenger seat, while Kimura, Kagura and Minamo found themselves cramped in the back. The officer climbed into the car, gripping hold of her walkie-talkie.
"This is Officer Takino. I have found four survivors. There doesn't seem to be anyone else out here" said the officer.
"Understood Tomo. Get back here ASAP, don't spend too long out there."
"Fine then" replied the officer.
She glanced behind as she started up the engine, reversing the car and turning, before zooming off along the road.
"I'm surprised to find you out here" said Tomo, paying little attention to the road. "Several towns around this area have been devastated; this seems to be the epicentre."
"For what?" asked Kagura, despite being certain she knew the answer.
"Some strange disease. People seem to be ultra aggressive, several dozen people have been killed so far. And the numbers seem to keep rising. Some people even say that the dead are walking around, like that would happen."
Kagura looked across at Kimura who mouthed the word shit. The car continued driving, passing by a burning town. The flames rose high into the sky as pale bodied people feasted upon the burnt remains. A group slowly ambled towards the car, even as it zoomed passed, holding up their hands and snarling angrily. Kochi was beginning to burn, the whole of Shikoku would soon follow.
Yukari was cursing under her breath as the car continued, watching as they passed another dead town. Kagura sat back in the seat, gripping Kubo's rifle. As Kimura looked down at the floor she shivered.
It just doesn't end does it?
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