Chapter 12: Necropolis
October 1, 1998
9:17 PM
Raccoon Towers Apartment Complex, Underground Parking Lot
The elevator announced its arrival with an all too cheery ping. The stainless steel doors slid open, allowing darkness and cold, stale air to spill into the shaft. Zeke squinted, trying to pierce the wall of blackness but the wall of shadows in the parking lot proved to thick and complete for human eyes to penetrate.
"Can't be happening. Can't be happening. Can't be happening." The lieutenant glanced over his shoulder and saw that the words belong to Skip. The poor kid sat huddled in one corner of the lift with his knees pulled tight against his quivering chest, repeating the mantra over and over to himself as he shook his head. From the way the young man was rocking himself back and forth Zeke thought that Skip's denial of the events taking place was the only thing keeping the young man sane.
"Looks like the power's out down here too." Scott mumbled, imitating his superior by squinting into the blackness.
"Alright," Zeke said, using the back of his hand to wipe sweat from his forehead, "we're moving out. Fix flashlights to your weapons and keep your ears open. We'll have to walk through there half-blind, not half-deaf."
"You sure the kid's in any shape to show us to his car? Provided it's even where he left it for that matter." Cooper said, nodding to where Skip sat curled up, his wide, fearful eyes not really seeming to see anything anymore.
'Remembering, that's what he's doing.' The Ranger thought as he studied the pathetic sight that was Skip Francis. 'Remembering pale, peeling hands reaching for him and how cold they felt against his skin. Remembering a face, ashen and dead, leaning forward bearing broken yellow teeth. Remembering the smell of putrid decay and choking rot as its torn lips opened wider and –'
"Lieutenant?" Wesley's voice snapped Zeke from his thoughts and he turned to his friend. Wes' face was creased with lines of puzzlement and concern. The lieutenant only shook his head.
"I'm fine." He said simply. "Just get ready to move. I'll talk to the kid. Here' take Rachel for a minute."
Being as gentle as he could, so as not to further aggravate her leg, Zeke handed the pilot over to his subordinate. Rachel did not look good at all he was forced to admit. Her skin was as pale as a sheet of paper and dampened with a cold sweat. Her head lolled to one side and her soft eyes, circled in dark bruises, were clouded with pain.
The lieutenant tried desperately to think of something more he could do for the woman and cursed himself when nothing came to mind. He had bandaged and set her leg but she had refused the painkillers he had offered. Until they got her to a hospital there would be nothing else he could do for the wounded pilot.
'One thing at a time.' His mind told him and Zeke paused to draw in a deep breath, letting it quiet his nerves. 'You can't do anything for Rachel now so you'll have to wait. Skip is your problem too but you can do something about him. Focus on what you can do.'
The lieutenant nodded to himself as he crouched in front of the young man who did not seem to notice him. Zeke knew he was right but it did nothing to improve his feelings. To Lieutenant Wilcott knowing that he could not help Rachel was the same as knowing he had been completely and utterly defeated.
"Hey, Skip?" Zeke said but the young man just continued to rock himself back and forth, muttering statements of disbelief. "Skip?"
"Isn't happening. Can't be happening." The young man repeated, voice breaking, eyes filled with restrained panic.
"Skip."
"Can't be happening."
"Skip!"
"Isn't happening!"
"SKIP!"
Zeke grabbed the younger man by the shoulders and slammed him roughly against the wall of the elevator. Pain and surprise flashed across Skip's visage as the Ranger bellowed into his face. Fearful eyes met with Zeke's razor-sharp ones. The others looked back at the two, astonished to see such a violent outburst from their commander, before going back to their tasks.
"This can't be happening." Skip whined one more time before breaking down in a blubbering mess. Tears streaked through the dirt on his face, his body shook with ferocious sobbing. "Tell me it's not happening!"
"I wish I could kid, I honestly do." Zeke sighed, then gave Skip another rough shake. "But since I can't that means you have to keep it together. My people and I need your help to get out of here and you're no good to us crying your eyes out in a filthy elevator. We need you to focus okay? Got that?"
Skip just looked at the Ranger for a moment, eyes misty and red from weeping. Then, sucking in a deep, shuddering breath, he wiped a hand across his eyes and nodded. "Okay. Okay…what do you need me to do?"
Zeke's shoulders sagged with relief as he saw some of the hysteria leave the kid's eyes. The fear was still there but at least the wild panic had ebbed away. The lieutenant had been expecting a great deal more difficulty in calming the young man down and was exceedingly grateful for this small stroke of luck. He had a feeling luck would only come in small doses tonight…good luck anyways.
"I need two things from you." Zeke answered, making sure to keep his voice sold and steady for Skip's sake. "First, I need you to show us where your car is. Second, I need you to tell me everything about this virus and what's happened since the start of the outbreak. Think you can handle all that, Skip?"
"S-sure." The young man said weakly then fixed the lieutenant with a timid smile. "Sure, n-no problem."
"Good." Zeke said with an encouraging smile of his own. "Look kid, I know you're scared and this probably isn't how you figured you're life would turn out but trust me when I say that we all feel the same way. Just stick close to me and my team and you'll be back cruising bars and corrupting the girls in no time, alright?"
Skip managed a small laugh and nodded again. "Don't worry, I won't fall behind…lieutenant."
"Just Zeke will do, Skip." The Ranger said rising to his feet and turning back to face his comrades.
Each Ranger, with the exclusion of Rachel, had fixed the flashlight attachments from their rucksacks onto their weapons. Narrow beams of light cut through the shadows, passing across concrete flooring and support struts that had different letters painted upon them. Few cars remained the only evidence that they had ever been there in the first place was left in the form of oil spots and tire marks.
"What do you drive, Skip?" Zeke asked, affixing his own flashlight attachment to the end of his rifle.
"If it's a Mini or a Beetle I'm going to shoot myself right here." Wesley mumbled, keeping his weapon trained on the emptiness of the parking garage.
"No," Skip said, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's a black Suburban. It should still be in space 4-C, uh, unless the rioters did something to it I mean."
"Alright," Zeke nodded, flicking the safety catch off his weapon. "Coop, Wes and Scott, I want you guys to take point. Ryan, you watch our backs. I'll look after Rachel. Skip, you're our navigator, keep your eyes open and let us know when we've reached the right spot. Everyone stay alert there could be more of those…things down here."
"Got it." Skip whispered hoarsely. "Just keep moving straight. IT should be on the left hand-side."
Wesley gingerly handed the half-conscious Major Parker back to Lieutenant Wilcott and then the Rangers were moving, boots scrapping across the pavement as weapons traced left then right. Rachel slumped heavily against Zeke as the team moved out. Her feet dragged across the parking lot floor and the woman's breathing was shallow enough to cause the lieutenant no small degree of alarm.
"Zeke…" Rachel murmured into his ear as they moved through the darkness. He felt his heart miss a beat at how strained her voice sounded. "Zeke…I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" He replied with genuine surprise, more at her words than how pale she looked when his eyes fell upon her. He certainly had not expected her to feel sorry about anything. "What do you have to be sorry for?"
"My leg," she whispered back as they trudged on, "I'm slowing us down."
"No you're not." Zeke said softly, soothingly, into her ear. "Don't worry about it, we're almost out of here. Skip is going to show us his car and then we'll meet up with Captain Haag at the police station and wait for help. I bet they'll have food and medical supplies there – maybe even some hot water to wash with."
Zeke did his best to sound reassuring but Rachel didn't seem to hear him. She just rolled her head to one side and repeated the words "I'm sorry," once more. Tightening his grip around her slender waist Lieutenant Wilcott pressed on, silently urging the woman to stay with him.
"Everything clear behind us, Sergeant Pierce?" Zeke asked over his shoulder and saw the sniper nod.
"All clear, sir." Ryan replied, eyes trained on the shadows as he swept the area with his pistol.
A sudden thought – more of a feeling really – began to worm its way into the lieutenant's mind. He hadn't had time to think about it before but now, with a lull in the seemingly endless chaos, he started to realize something about Tactical Sniper Pierce. Something that set his internal alarm bells ringing.
'The man is too cool.' Zeke thought, his eyes looking forward but his mind looking back at Pierce. 'We're beset by hordes of the undead and he's just taking everything in stride. Wesley's wisecracking more than usual so I know he's nervous. I can see the fear in Coop's eyes and hear it in Scott's voice but Ryan is hard as stone. We're all sweating like pigs but he's dry as a bone. The man might as well be walking through the park instead of a pitch black garage with God knows what lurking around the corner.'
Zeke shook his head. Maybe he was being paranoid. He knew that snipers were supposed to have nerves made of steel – kept their hands from shaking and throwing off a shot – but Ryan just seemed…different. It was as if his cool demeanor was less a part of his job and more a part of himself. The lieutenant turned to regard Sergeant Pierce once more when Skip told the group to halt.
"What is it?" Zeke asked quickly, holding the M-4 in one hand while using the other to support Rachel.
"Do you hear that?" Skip asked, his voice quaking as was the hand gripping his flashlight and baseball bat.
"Hear what?" Scott asked from the front of the line, scanning the parking garage with his weapon.
"Listen!" Skip said urgently, sweeping the lot with flashlight but revealing only a lone green station wagon parked in one of the painted spaces off to the right.
I don't…" Zeke started and then trailed off. He heard it too.
It was a bizarre noise, like that of long fingernails being tapped against a tile floor. Whatever the sound was – a steady click-click – it was certainly out of place for an underground parking garage. Click-click. There it was again, closer, but still seeming to emanate from no particular direction. Even the softest sound echoed in the wide-open space of the underground lot. The noise seemed to come from every direction at once.
"The hell?" Cooper said, sweeping his SAW left and right, sweat beading along his creased forehead.
"Keep moving." Zeke ordered, giving the frightened Skip a gentle prod with his rifle. "Stay together."
The group continued forward, weapons up and eyes searching. As they walked steadily forward through the dark parking area the clicking noises continued, falling silent for a moment only to pick up again. After a minute or so, it sounded to the lieutenant as if another pair of clicking nails had joined the original. Worried faces and startled eyes searched through the blackness and Zeke felt his own heart seize in his breast when Skip gave an excited cry beside him.
"There it is!" The young man exclaimed as his light passed over a strut that was marked with a painted letter C and then across the intimidating form of a black SUV.
"Bloody fuck." Wesley swore with a gasp, fixing Skip with a hard stare. "Keep your voice down. You want to draw whatever's out there right to us?"
"S-sorry." Skip said, dropping his gaze – and voice – while scratching the back of his neck. "I-I'm just surprised no one touched my wheels is all. Sorry."
Wesley looked away, grumbling to himself. "Going to need a change of knickers now. Shouting like a loon."
"I hope you didn't forget your keys, kid." Cooper said, his face drenched with sweat, frantically searching the shadows for the source of the eerie noise. Click-clack. Click-clack. Click-clack.
"It's getting closer." Scott breathed, the light on his weapon slicing through the darkness but only revealing more concrete posts and empty parking spaces.
Clickclack, clickclack, clackclack, clickclack.
"Then let's get the fuck out of here." Skip muttered, racing around to the driver's side door of the Suburban. Tucking the bat under one arm he fished around in his pocket with the other. There was the jingling noise of metal on metal as Skip pulled a set of keys from his jeans – and then the sound of metal sliding across concrete as they tumbled from his hand. "Shit."
"Shit." Zeke repeated, adjusting his hold on Rachel. "Skip, you had better find those keys fast. Everyone else form up, it's coming from the west end!"
The lieutenant saw Skip drop to his belly out of the corner of his eye, cursing as he fumbled around beneath the vehicle. The Rangers formed a tight line, training their weapons on the west end of the lot, revealing only more oil trails and lonely spaces. Even Rachel managed to raise her pistol in a feeble attempt at self-defense. 'Just hang on girl.' Zeke thought, feeling his heartbeat pick up.
Clickclackclickclackclickclack! This time to the east. The Rangers shifted position. Clickclackclickclackclickclack! Back to the west, they shifted again. Clickclackclickclackclickclack! East again. Then west, then east, then both at once.
"Fuckers are playing with us!" Scott said, the rifle in his hands shaking as much as his voice. "What could be doing that, boss?"
"I don't know," Zeke muttered, voice hardly above a whisper. "And I'd rather not find out. Hurry up, Skip!"
Clickclackclickclackclickclack.
'Why the hell can't we see it!' Zeke's mind screamed.
"I'm hurrying!" Skip cried from beneath the SUV. "Just relax – I mean – uh – you know, hang in there. Wait! Almost…ha! Got 'em!"
Following the young man's triumphant cry was the familiar jingle of keys rattling against one another. At that moment Zeke couldn't think of a sweeter sound. Within moment's Skip had the driver side door unlocked and was climbing inside, hitting a switch on the door and releasing the others locks to his vehicle.
The team hastily climbed into the relative safety of the Suburban, Zeke laid a mumbling Rachel Parker out in the back before hopping into the passenger seat next to Skip. Ryan and Scott pulled themselves in on either side of the pilot, quickly slamming their doors shut and pushing the locks back into place. Cooper, along with his bulky SAW stretched out in what served as the Suburban's cargo space.
"What the hell was making that noise, Zeke?" Skip asked in a quivering tone, wiping away sweat with his shirt-sleeve before jamming a key into the ignition.
"I d – " Was as far as the lieutenant got before he discovered the source of the noise and why they hadn't been able to see it. What he saw made the Ranger feel as if he had somehow become inexplicably lost on the set of an old monster movie.
A dark blur fell from the ceiling, seeming to be born of the darkness itself and landed on the hood of the SUV with a heavy thud that sent a jolt through everyone. The blur slowly took on shape, its figure stretching out to reveal a body of crimson, glistening muscle sinew. Its head was the size of a man's but the gray matter of its brain was exposed and the lipless mouth framed rows of sharp, bone-white teeth. Hollow pits where the eyes should have been starred back at Lieutenant Wilcott through the windshield. Seven-inch claws dug into the Suburban's hood, cutting through the sheet metal as if it were cardboard.
"Holy – " Skip began, regarding the monstrous thing with disbelief, but was cut short when the creature unfurled its tongue – a foot long tongue – in the air and uttered a dry raspy hiss. A second later, with a lightning quick move, the dripping tongue came down hard enough to send spidery cracks along the windshield's surface.
"Go! Go!" Zeke bellowed even as the young man turned the key in the ignition, bringing the great metallic beast to life.
The Suburban's headlights snapped on and with one, grasping hand a terrified looking Skip Francis managed to not only find the gearshift but move it into reverse as well. One sneakered foot found the gas pedal and the SUV lurched backward, tires squealing. The squeal was outmatched by that of the creature as it gave a startled, confused and piercing shriek, obviously not pleased that its prey was trying to get away. The horrible, skinned thing dug in its claws to avoid being thrown off as Skip spun the vehicle in a wide arc before tearing down the center of the parking garage.
"Not hitchhikers!" Zeke hollered at the monster, bringing his rifle up. The beast could only hiss in retaliation before a hail of bullets punched through the window, then tore through its body. The monster screamed its ear-splitting trill once more as Zeke emptied a clip into his body. The shriek was so loud that the Ranger could not hear the bark of his own weapon above it. Blood splattered the front of Skip's car, along with bits of glass and glistening red skin. With a final scream of defiance the skinned mutant lost its grip and tumbled off the hood. Another jolt shook the car and its occupants as the creature passed beneath the wheels.
"Fuck!" Skip cursed, knuckles white on the steering wheel.
"Coop," Zeke shouted into the back as he changed magazines, ignoring the kid for the moment. "Get stretched out in the back with that 249! If anymore of those fuckers are chasing us turn them into dog food!"
"You got it, lieutenant!" The big man replied.
The SUV rocked violently, stirring a startled gasp from an almost comatose Major Parker as something heavy landed on the roof with enough force to put a thick dent in the metal. Rachel's gasp turned into a scream as a pair of dagger-like claws rent through the roof, peeling the metal back as if it were the lid on a soup can.
"It's raining these things!" Wesley cried before his rifled drowned out his voice and the shouts of the others. Bullets tore through the top of the Suburban, drawing an outraged screech from above.
"There's the exit!" Skip cried excitedly, pressing a finger against the windshield as Scott's rifle joined the clatter of the Brits. "We're – oh shit."
Zeke's head snapped up from reloading his weapon at the sound of Skip's less than encouraging words. He could see light spilling into the parking area as the kid tore up the ramp at dangerous speeds, the silver glow of moonlight illuminating a metallic gate. A gate that was only halfway up.
"I'm out!" Wes cried from the back, groping his vest for another clip.
"Me too!" Scott shouted, then promptly ducked as the claws tore through the roof above his head, peeling back more strands of painted metal and leaving a ringing sound in the lieutenant's already throbbing ears.
"Damn it." Skip seethed and Zeke saw his foot moving to the break.
"No!" The Ranger cried, stomping down on the kid's foot to keep it on the accelerator. "Gun it, I just hope everyone's feeling short today."
Skip nodded, knuckles white on the wheel, face a mask of grim resolve, as he bit into his lower lip. In the backseat Zeke could hear Ryan and Rachel firing into the roof with their side arms as Wes and Scott scrambled to reload. The gate came closer, a half-open maw seeking to devour them with teeth of steel.
"Brace yourselves!" Zeke shouted then followed his own advice, ducking his head low and covering it with his arms.
Wesley had just enough time to secure his chin strap and mutter the word "Fuck" before everything was lost in a hail of sparks, the crunch of metal, shatter of glass and a brain scrambling shriek from overhead. The last noise was a dull thump as something heavy was knocked off the roof of Skip's Suburban. Then it was over. The night surrounded them cool air rushing in through cracks in the windshield and a gaping hole where the roof had been turned up like a pop can lid. Empty road lay in front of the group and they were free.
Skip's face was wide. He looked shocked for a moment then chortled incredulously, his laughter near the point of mania. "We're alive! I don't believe it, I don't fucking believe it!"
A firm hand gripped Zeke's shoulder and a friendly voice chuckled merrily into his ear. "Way to improve, boss." Wesley chuckled. "I almost feel sorry for the poor bugger…whatever it was."
"You're about to get a good look at 'em, Wes." Joe reported, stretched out in the back, the chatter of his machine gun washing away the group's dumfounded grins. "Five more of those freaks coming up on our six, boss."
'I wish they'd stop calling me that.' Zeke thought irritably but he was already handing out orders. "Step on it Skip! Ryan, get back there and give Coop a hand. Scott, watch Rachel. Wes, you're with me."
Skip pushed harder on the gas, eyes focused on the road ahead. Ryan unslung his rifle, climbing over the seat next to Joe Cooper. Zeke and Wesley hastily scrambled up through the makeshift sunroof, keeping their boots squared on the seats as best they could.
The skinned abominations had been horrifying enough dropping from the ceiling but Zeke found watching them give chase far more disturbing. They scuttled forward at incredible speeds, easily keeping pace with the racing Suburban, their thick claws digging up the pavement. Their hideous tongues lashed out at the empty space between them and the speeding vehicle, like whips reaching for a running slave. The bizarre, raspy hiss that rose from the creature's throats pursued the group on through the night as they scuttled forward.
'Scuttlers.' The name forming in Zeke's mind all of its own accord. 'That's what they are, Scuttlers.'
The heavy rounds of Cooper's SAW succeeded in keeping the Scuttlers at bay better than it did at doing any actual harm to them. The 7.62mm bullets eating up the road in front of the creatures, forcing them to leap and scramble out of harm's way with astounding agility. Every now and then one of the Scuttlers would step too slowly and one of Coop's shots would tear a chunk of slimy sinew from its body though. Frustrated, the monsters would only unleash their piercing trill and come on even faster.
"What are we doing up here, Zeke?" Wesley had to shout to be heard above the rushing of the wind and the chatter of Cooper's weapon. "Enjoying the night breeze?"
"Shut up, Wes and that's an order!" Zeke demanded, pulling one of his remaining anti-personnel grenades from his vest. "When we gain enough ground on these suckers I plan on blow them to the moon."
"Smashing." Wesley replied with a grin, unclipping one of his own grenades and slipping a finger through the ring.
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The Suburban sped on, Skip doing everything in his power to push the limits of his vehicle and watch for obstacles at the same time. One of the monsters suddenly lunged, its powerful legs propelling it towards the roof. Cooper stopped firing and quickly adjusted his aim, sending a hail of NATO rounds through the mutant's torso, ripping the beast in half. With a disgusting wet plop the two bloody halves fell back to the ground.
"Gross." Coop muttered to himself, preparing to slide another ammo belt into his weapon.
The corporal's eyes and ears picked up at the sound of another piercing, feral cry. Another of the horrible, crawling nightmares took to the air, this time vaulting itself towards the big man himself. 'Oh shit.' A mouth that seemed to be all teeth reared up in front of him, so close that Joe could see down the black abyss of its throat. Then the black turned red and the creature fell away, hitting the street in a bloody heap, the exposed matter of its brain scattered across the pavement.
Joe turned his head to the left to see a stone-faced Sergeant Pierce reaching into a pocket in his vest for more ammunition. "Thanks," Coop told the sniper, feeling his heart start to beat again.
"Forget about it." Ryan said, working the bolt and setting the rifle's stock against his shoulder once more. "Hear come more of them."
"I should have been a fucking postman." Cooper grumbled and opened up with his SAW again.
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'Damn, he's good.' Zeke though, watching as the three remaining Scuttlers crawled over the one Pierce had just dispatched to continue the chase. Then he saw his opportunity as a side street came into view.
"There!" Zeke yelled at Skip, ducking into the vehicle and pointing. "Punch it over there!"
"You got it!" Skip replied and pulled the wheel hard to the right, so hard that the Ranger nearly lost his footing.
Lieutenant Wilcott poked his head back out into the night, holding the grenade tight in his fist. The Scuttlers drew closer but then started to lose ground as the Suburban completed its sharp right turn. They hissed and slapped their tongues at empty space, scrambling over one another to compensate for the change in direction. Zeke pulled the pin free.
"Now, Wes!"
Together the two Rangers hurled their explosives through the air. The grenades hit the pavement with only the slightest sound, landing a couple feet in front of the racing Scuttlers. High, piercing cries split the night air only to be silenced a moment later by a deafening blast, a column of fire banishing the darkness. Zeke and Wesley dropped back into the Suburban as debris and Scuttler pieces began raining down in a gory shower.
"Well, kid," Wesley laughed, jovially slapping Skip on the shoulder from his place in the back, "I hope you enjoy your new convertible because it certainly comes in handy."
"That was some fancy work with the wheel." Scott added with an encouraging grin.
"Thanks." Skip said, the excitement draining from his face as the adrenaline rush wore off. Zeke though for a moment the kid might lean over and puke until he flashed the lieutenant a wide smile. "Think this thing will help me pick up those girls anymore easily now, Zeke?"
Zeke managed a short chuckle. "I'd almost guarantee it, kid. What girl doesn't like a guy who can put the top down on a sunny day?"
"Not me," Rachel's soft voice filtered in from the back, "that's for sure."
Lieutenant Wilcott spun in his seat, turning to face a smiling Rachel Parker. The smile was the slightest tugging at the corners of her lips but it was a definite improvement from her near comatose condition moments ago. Her face was still pale and damp with sweat but at least she was awake and lucid.
"Hey," Zeke said as softly as he could without sounding too unprofessional. "How are you feeling?"
"Shitty but hanging in there." Rachel shrugged then her smile grew wider. "Nothing a hot bath and some cheese cake won't cure – oh and maybe a cast for my leg while you're at it."
Zeke laughed, a genuine, relieved laugh. "I'll see what I can do, major." He smiled at her and she smirked back. "Just hang on for a little while longer, you hear?"
"I'll see what I can do, lieutenant." Rachel chuckled.
"Damn," Cooper muttered in the back, drawing the glances of both the pilot and the lieutenant. "They're everywhere man, everywhere."
Zeke twisted his neck to the right and peered out the window. It took him only a second to notice what the corporal was referring to. The shambling figures in tattered, bloodstained clothes were hard to miss after all, stumbling up the road drunkenly bumping into one another without care. Their hollow, hungry moans hung on the night air as they paced about looking for fresh meat.
The horror of Raccoon City was made complete by the light of fires in the distance, blackened storefront windows and abandoned vehicles littering the streets like a child's toys. Trails of blood were streaked across the sidewalks and the doors of homes that stood dark and lonesome.
'I wonder if they're already dead.' Zeke though absently as the homes and apartment buildings rolled by, losing track of time. 'Maybe they aren't. Maybe they're just hiding inside and waiting for help…or death.' The lieutenant shook his head, reminding himself that he could not think like that. He had to focus on what he could control.
"Necropolis." Zeke gave a start when he heard Pierce speak. The man was simply too quiet that it was so easy to forget he was even there. Too quiet and too cool.
"What's that?" Lieutenant Wilcott asked the sniper who saw slumped against one wall of the Suburban with his rifle cradled in his arms.
"Necropolis." Sergeant Pierce repeated, his face a hunk of granite as Scott gave Skip directions to the police station. "It's a Greek word, means 'city of the dead' and that's sure what this place is."
Zeke nodded uncomfortably then turned to face Skip. "Kid, what can you tell me about what happened in this city?"
Skip shot the Ranger a quick glance before turning his eyes back to the road. "Uh, well, that's kind of a long story. Where would you like me to start?"
"At the beginning preferably," Zeke said. "Tell me everything that went on in town after they reported the outbreak."
"Alright, but I don't know if I can tell you guys a whole lot you don't already know." The young man said, easing up on the gas.
"Trust me," Wesley scoffed, "you might be surprised how much we don't know."
"Alright," Skip replied, "so basically a few weeks ago people started getting real sick, looked like they were coming down with a bad case of the flu or something. They got high fevers, headaches, nausea, all that stuff but no one really thought much of it at that time because, I mean shit, people come down with the flu all the time. Even the couple living in the apartment across from me came down with it and I didn't give it a second thought." Skip paused to turn up a side street, narrowly missing a chubby man in a pair of torn jeans. "So whatever but then we all start hearing these reports on the TV and over the radio that the disease makes you nuts. Apparently some hospital staff and relatives taking care of the sick got attacked by their patients – bitten is what I heard. So everyone started getting spooked and anyone with flu like symptoms had to report to the nearest ER. Wasn't long after that that health officials said it was Marburg."
"Cripes." Wesley breathed and Scott shook his head.
"Yeah," Skip continued, "but that wasn't the worst of it. First they freaked everyone out by saying it was Marburg but then they make another announcement saying that it's not Marburg but some kind of weird skin disease and they've got no idea what it is. Everyone around here just started calling it Raccoon Syndrome."
"Great," Zeke breathed, "so first they scare everyone by saying they know what it is and then they confuse everyone by saying they don't."
"Yep." Skip said, making another turn past a flaming station wagon. "The city became a powder keg after that, no one wanted to so much as step outside to pick up the morning paper. More people got suck and even more started to get antsy. Then the boys in blue set up their road blocks and the mayor told everyone they had to stay in the city, couldn't spread the contamination to other areas or some such."
"I guess folks around here didn't take to kindly to that, huh?" Scott asked, examining the M-4 in his lap.
"Better believe it." The young man nodded. "Everyone who wasn't sick went batshit anyways and started to riot. Almost everyone still living in my building had left by then, trying to make some last ditch effort to get out of town. In retrospect…I probably should have joined them."
"Don't think like that, kid." Zeke told the younger man. "The precient isn't far and you've done a good job keeping it together so far. Just keep on doing what you're doing and we'll be out of this nightmare before you know it."
Skip looked less than convinced but nodded grimly and focused on the road. Zeke was about to ask the kid if there was anything else he could tell them when Rachel suddenly grabbed hold of his shoulder and shouted into his ear: "Zeke, look out!"
Unfortunately, the lieutenant was not to be accorded such a luxury as a moment after Rachel's cry of alarm a resounding crash turned him inside out. At least, that's certainly what it felt like. Everything became a wild, dancing blur as something heavy connected with the front end of Skip's vehicle on the right side. All sound was lost, save the crunch of metal and the shatter of glass.
Then, just as quickly as it had begun Zeke's spiraling, twirling vision took on order again and he found himself starring down at the dashboard. There was a terrible, fiery ache in the lieutenant's forehead that made him oddly sleepy and when he pulled his fingers away they were damp with blood. Groaning, Zeke surveyed the inside of the Suburban, hoping that no one had fared worse than he.
Skip was slumped over the steering wheel, moaning as well, his upper lip bleeding profusely but otherwise looking aware and intact. Rachel sat in the back grimacing as she rubbed a shoulder the lieutenant assumed had collided roughly with the back of his seat. Scott shook his head, shards of glass littering the floor as he pulled away from the shattered window. The radio operator cringed as he saw how thoroughly destroyed the window was, his helmet absorbing the blow that would have split his skull open like a ripe melon.
"Bloody hell." Wesley grumbled from his upside down position on the floor, feet thrown up over the headrest of the driver's seat.
Cooper and Ryan appeared to have escaped the collision unscathed, bracing themselves against the sides of the Suburban's cargo space. The sniper rubbed the back of his neck irritably while rising to a sitting position. The corporal looked far more disturbed as he pointed frantically through the side window. Eyes wide as saucers, Cooper's mouth simply fluttered for a moment before any speech followed the movements.
"L-lieutenant!" Was all the big man could manage, gesturing with fervor to the side of the vehicle.
Judging by the corporal's expression whatever had thrown them off course was bad, so when Zeke turned his head to look he prepared himself to see the worst. When his eyes fell across the hulking creature – an eight foot tall mass of rippling muscle bare to the waist where a tattered leather skirt hung, moonlight glittering off the knives it had for fingers – Zeke realized he had not prepared himself quite as well as he though. Pushing Skip towards the mangled remains of the driver's side door Zeke kept his feverish brown eyes locked on the behemoth's flaming yellow ones.
"Everybody out of the car!" Zeke ordered, not caring how panicked his voice sounded. "Everybody out now!"
Skip took one look at the gargantuan standing silently watching them from the other side of his Suburban and scrambled out through what was left of the door on his side. Miraculously – to the lieutenant anyways – the kid managed to keep the presence of mind to grab the baseball bat he had stashed under his seat before crawling away. The other Rangers piled out after him, Wesley grumbling as he tried to straighten himself out in the back before rolling out into the streets. His expression quickly changed from one of annoyance to one of blind terror as he caught sight of the group's attacker.
"Bloody hell." The Brit repeated breathlessly.
"Everyone on this side! From a line!" Zeke ordered, absently pushing Rachel to the back of the formation where she laid a hand on his back to stay upright.
The colossal beast, another nameless terror of the insanity that was Raccoon City, advanced forward a step, its heavy footfall seeming to shake the Earth to its core. As the monster advanced it opened its mouth – a cavernous maw lined with yellow razors of teeth that dropped to its chest – and bellowed a deep, warbling challenge. Its feet shook the night. Its voice shook the air.
Fear gripped hold of Zeke as that inhuman roar obliterated any sense of reason he had. The lieutenant simply starred with wide, frantic eyes as the giant took another step closer, the disfigured Suburban barring its path now. Somewhere in the sea of ice that surrounded the Ranger's mind, making it impossible to do anything but stare, a lone thought managed to break through. 'The head.' The hole the single though made in the ice gave room for more to pass through. 'It's worked on all the other things running around in this nightmare. Shoot it in the head.'
"Sergeant Pierce!" Zeke called, bringing his rifle up. The ground swayed as the behemoth took another step.
"Yes sir!" The sniper was positioned in a crouch on the ground, one eye closed as he peered through the scope of his weapon.
"Drop the bastard!" The lieutenant cried.
Ryan needed no further instruction. Taking the briefest of moments to aim the Remington flashed and the walking mass of muscles and claws staggered. The heavy round passed clean through the monster's skull and out the back in a gruesome explosion of black, viscous blood. The giant swayed for a moment – then continued forward. Then another. And another.
Fresh sweat broke out across the lieutenant's face as a thick, purple fluid began to fill in the gaping hole that stood in the center of the creature's forehead. The icy hands of panic groped for Zeke again but he fought them off. The need to think becoming ever more urgent as the giant took another lurching step towards the Suburban.
'The Suburban!' The thought hit Zeke like a falling piano. New hope suddenly stirred in his heart.
"Ryan, do you think you can hit the gas tank on Skip's ride?"
"Better believe it." Pierce answered his superior, working the bolt on his rifle.
"Grenades!" Zeke shouted, lowering his M-4 and unclipping the last anti-personnel grenade from his belt. "Get them inside the Suburban!"
The Rangers lowered their weapons and reached for the explosives at their belts. The giant took another step, its soulless roar turning Zeke's knees to jelly. The soldier's unclipped their hand grenades, yanking the pins free. Another step.
"Get that rifle ready after you throw, Pierce." Zeke said and saw Ryan nod. "Now!"
Altogether the line of men lobbed their explosives through the shattered windows of the crippled Suburban. The behemoth took another plodding step forward and then leapt five feet in the air, coming to an abrupt halt as its booted feet crashed through the vehicle's shredded roof. Unhinging its jaw, the beast bellowed again, its cry splitting the night.
'Come on,' Zeke thought, watching with horror as the giant continued to roar, its jaw hanging open in a surreal fashion. 'Come on. One, two, th – '
The explosion silenced not only the lieutenant's thoughts but the creature's hellish cry as well. The grenades detonated at almost in sync, sending a fireball five feet into the air and causing the Suburban to jump off the pavement. The giant's defiant growl turned to a scream of pain as the flames consumed its twisted scarred body. Zeke raised a hand to shield his eyes from the blaze and turned to the sniper crouched at his side.
"Do it, Pierce!" He ordered and Ryan's rifle made its report instantly.
The second explosion was even more devastating than the first as the already burning Suburban erupted in flames once more. The behemoth was thrown to the ground, its bellow cut short. It lay on the pavement, wrapped in fire, smoldering.
Zeke watched, mesmerized for a moment, fully expecting the clawed giant to get back up and slice them all to ribbons. It did no such thing though it simply lay upon its back in the middle of the street. Lay there burning. Hollow, lifeless wails drifted to the Ranger's ears from the distance and ragged, drunken looking figures began to stumble into view from down the street.
"The fire must have attracted them." Rachel said from behind Zeke, changing the clip in her Colt.
"Let's not stick around to say hello then." Lieutenant Wilcott replied, wrapping a supportive arm around the pilot's waist. "Scott, how far are we from the station?"
"N-not far." The radioman stammered his wide eyes fixated on the smoking giant. "Just up this street and around the corner. Come on."
Hefting his rifle Sergeant Owens led the way up the street. Zeke and the others followed after, Rachel hobbling as fast as she could and Skip gripping his bat so hard the lieutenant thought it might break in half.
'What the hell is going on in this city?' Zeke thought as he ran. 'Zombies. Scuttlers. The Less Than Jolly Brown Giant. Give me a break. What is going on in this place?'
Zeke continued after Scott, trying to think of an answer to his question. He didn't have one at the moment but he was sure that he would find out soon. The lieutenant was also sure, quite sure, that he would not like the answers he found.
Author's Note: Here's the new update my Readers. I hope you enjoy. Please read and review when you get a chance.