Chapter 4

They came to a dead end. A large wooden obstructed door stood in their way. Hernandez tried to pound against it with the force of his body but it wouldn't budge. Arynn helped him pull off slabs of wood that someone had nailed to the door. They both bum rushed the door and once again nothing happened.

"Damn, that door is strong," Hernandez panted as he tried to catch his breath. In frustration he kicked the door causing a large dent. Arynn agreed. He reached for his handgun and Arynn held him back.

"No we don't know what's behind that door. The noise could trigger more of those things to come."

Hernandez put the gun away, she was right. They had the gun power to take down anything but they weren't sure if there was enough ammunition to take on anything stronger than what they had already encountered.

"Wait." Adam called. The man and the woman looked towards him. He knelt down in front of the door where Hernandez had kicked it. His small fingers felt the bruise and Arynn could see that the wood was soft. "If we kick it here, we can get in this way."

Hernandez looked at Arynn with a smile, "The boy's smart, I tell ya." He moved Adam out of the way while Arynn took a few steps back.

The soldier gave the door a few good solid kicks. The noise was loud but not as loud as if he had used his gun. He squatted and ripped at the exposed inner wood. Adam helped while Arynn surveyed the hall behind them. When the hole was a good size, Adam volunteered to go through first. Hernandez held him back but Arynn put her hand on his arm to let the boy go.

"He's the only one who can fit in that hole." She said.

"Yea but I can kick out more wood," Hernandez replied without hesitating.

"Don't worry," Adam replied as he zipped through the hole and disappeared into the blocked path.

The two waited for what seemed like minutes before the Adam popped his head out.

"The door won't move."

"Stand back." Hernandez said. Immediately Adam disappeared and Hernandez started to kick the door in. Arynn joined him. The two kicked with all the strength they could muster. The noise was now loud and reverberated off the quiet walls of the corridor. The smaller hole now seemed to take up the lower half of the impeded door. As Arynn leaned down to see into the hole, she suddenly felt tremendous heat coming from behind her. She turned slowly to see a tall pale individual. She whipped out her gun. The bullet pierced the side of the creature's head. Infected blood spewed from the gaping wound as the creature grabbed her by the arm and flung her into a nearby wall. Hernandez tried to fire his shotgun but the creature dodged it with so much agility that he didn't have time to blink. Instead Hernandez fired his handgun. The blast from the weapon hurled the creature to the floor. The soldier quickly dragged the fallen Arynn and pushed her into the half-opened door.

"Adam, take her!" he yelled.

On the other side, Adam pulled the half conscious woman towards him. He helped her up. Arynn came to bewildered.

"Eddie," she yelled through the door.

"Take Adam and get the hell out of here!" she heard the soldier cry out.

"What about you?" she yelled back.

"Just go!"

Arynn quickly gathered herself and took Adam by the hand. They ran a good distance from the hole and saw that something was trying to enter. She took her gun out but before she could fire, Adam put his hand in from of the shaft. She looked down at him. The boy was staring hard at the wooden door.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I don't know." Adam answered.

The boy started to convulse violently. His grip on Arynn's hand was so strong that she thought he would snap one of her fingers. He fell back and Arynn strained to keep him from hitting his head.

"Adam!" she yelled. There was no response. His eyes had rolled to the back of his head and his body continued to twitch aggressively.

Arynn didn't want to move the boy. When she interned for the Raccoon newspaper, she remembered visiting the Mercy hospital and being told that convulsing patients were never to be moved for fear of cardiac arrest. Whatever was on the other side of that door was starting to rip and burst through the wood. She had to get the boy up and out of there within seconds, but how? Feeling through her pockets, her hand landed on the unnamed anesthesia from the lab. Her eyes widened. Giving the dose to Eddie took a way his pain, but administering the substance to Adam was risky. He was smaller in body type, age, and tolerance. There was no telling what effects the drug could take on the boy. She had to chance it, if it meant saving his and her lives. She inserted the needle into his forearm. She had to be careful to keep him steady and not let the needle go too deep. Putting a way the syringe, she saw the creature's arm appear through an even more gaping hole in the door. Please work, she prayed. Arynn never had to pray for anything in her life but right now seemed the perfect time to start.

Without thinking, she picked up Adam and took the chance at running further down the hall from the creature. She could feel his shudders lessening but his moving body made it hard for her to keep him in her arms. The further she ran the more the noise faded.

"Adam," she half whispered, "Can you hear me?"

His eyes were now closed but she could see his eyes move erratically underneath his lids.

Back on the other side, Hernandez struggled to keep the creature's attention from the door. He blasted it with his shogun penetrating the mangled bloody flesh of its back. It buckled from the wound and turned to face the soldier. Hernandez started to back off as the creature clenched its fists and stood firm and ready to leap onto him. He had to time this perfect if he was going to survive. He instantly pulled a flash grenade from his small arsenal, flung it out to the creature and waited for the explosion of sudden light. The creature immediately covered its exposed eyes and cried in agony over its sudden blindness. Now with the opportunity open, Hernandez ran up to the creature punched it square in the chest and then pulled out his shotgun. He fired straight into its head sending the creature hauling into the wall. It was dead upon hitting the floor. Taking a moment to catch his breath, Hernandez started for the barricaded door. As he crouched down to pass through the hole, he heard shouts and screams coming from the opposite end of the hall. Whatever it was, he didn't want to stay and find out. Quickly he made it through and started to run. The shouting was getting louder until he could hear it right outside the door. When he was some distance away, he leaned down and saw the legs of someone frantically running. He didn't know what was going on but he wondered if the person was infected or not.

"Do you need assistance?" he called out.

"Yes!" the person yelled, followed by the echoes of loud banging on the walls.

Hernandez ran back to the door. He peered inside and saw a handful of creatures similar to the one he had killed earlier. He reached out his hand and the person grabbed it. He pulled the person through with almost inhuman strength. He kept pulling the individual until they were a safe distance away. Hernandez let go and the individual immediately got up, patting away the dirt.

As the soldier watched the person, he noticed the familiar womanly physique and short blond boy-ish haircut. It was the young woman from the cafeteria! She instantly noticed him as well. She rolled her eyes in disbelief.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she questioned.

"I was gonna ask the same thing." The soldier replied.

"Are you following me?" Page asked.

"No," Hernandez answered, "From the looks of it, you're following me."

"Ah, don't kid yourself." She cynically stated.

She took a moment to look around and then back to the soldier, "So where's your old lady and ya kid?" she asked.

Hernandez's eyes widened. "She's not my wife." he sternly replied.

"Sure…" Page slightly taunted the soldier.

Hernandez revealed his weapon and immediately the woman became silent.

"Yea yea." She said under her breath, "Americans…"

"What was that?" Hernandez questioned as he watched her walk and he followed closely behind.

"You heard me," she answered, "you, Americans are all the same. You think that you can come and bully us with your guns!"

Ah not another political fanatic, Hernandez thought to himself, that's all I need… The soldier rolled his eyes.

"Get Going," he sighed.

She walked and he followed. He wanted to make sure that the crude young woman wouldn't try to escape.

******

Arynn brought the young boy up a long flight of stairs. His convulsions were now wearing off. She still maintained her grip around his body. She wasn't sure how long she had been running but she didn't want to stop. Beyond the stairs was a long wide concrete corridor. As she walked swiftly along the walls, Arynn took a glance behind her and saw that no one was there. With a sigh of relief, she knelt down and placed Adam against the floor and wall. She watched his eyes move under his closed eyelids. She wondered if the substance she injected into his forearm did anything for him besides limit the convulsions.

Rising up and taking a look around the tunnel, she thought back to the underground tunnels of Mercy Hospital back in Raccoon City. They were dark and desolate similar to this tunnel. There were no busy streams of employees walking or echoes of fast conversations reverberating off the walls. It was hard to believe that there used to be life down here in the bowels of the medical facility. To Arynn, it was just hard to believe in anything anymore. What was the real meaning of life down here? Zombies and outbreaks would've never crossed her mind as reality. All of the events from Raccoon were things she only saw in movies. She would've never dreamed of the things that once gave her a good scare at the theatres now making her run for her life and her sanity. Without her family, friends, and what she knew before the outbreak, life was nothing. Life was desolate, isolated, and terrible like the stench of the last zombie she killed hours ago. Down here was the tomb of radical research performed by god-wannabes. She would not let herself become the victim, the zombie, or the terror in this medicinal crypt. Arynn looked up at the ceiling, closed her eyes, and vowed to never let the terror continue, to end it here once and for all.

"Arynn?" Said a small voice from beside her. She looked down and smiled.

"How are you feeling?" she asked the little boy.

Adam blinked a few times and yawned. His eyes were tired as if they had witnessed too much to remain open. She could see the fatigue in them and in his body movements.

"Where are we?" the boy questioned.

The woman looked around as she sat down to meet the boy. "I'm not sure," she answered.

"Where's Eddie?" he asked.

"He's coming…" Arynn replied as her voice trailed off.

Adam could sense that there was more to what she said. He wondered if what she said was true. Deep down inside, he wasn't sure if he knew the answer either.

"Are you okay to walk?" Arynn asked breaking the short silence.

"I think so," Adam said as he started to get up. Arynn rose and took his hand.

He stood up and stretched. The floor felt cold to his bare feet and a chilling draft lingered around his legs.

"First things first," Arynn started, "we gotta get you some clothes."

They started to walk and Arynn picked up the boy. She knew how it felt to walk around in cold places.

They continued to walk further into the corridor, passing the yards of fluorescent lights and old wiring. Towards the end, she could see that one light was buzzing and flickering as if it was about to go out. As it flicked on and off, shadows were cast in eerie positions. She knew they were shadows yet a small fear was developing within her that made her keep her hand close to her weapon. As she took more cautious steps towards the unlit area, she could see that there was a very dark area against the wall of the adjacent light. The more she honed in on the area, the more she saw that it wasn't just a dark spot. There wasn't anything there at all. It was a large gaping hole within the concrete structure!

"Adam…" she instantly whispered. The boy clenched his hands firmly around the woman's neck. "Listen to me," she continued as she drew her pistol, "when I say run, I want you to run as fast as you can…"

He nodded without hesitation.

When she cleared the area, she immediately let the boy go and he began to run. Suddenly, something lean and tall emerged from the hole. Arynn's eyes widened and she let two bullets piece the neck and head of the individual. Without much thought, she took off after Adam, slowing down to turn and fire on the creature.

As it moved, she could hear its bare feet scuffing against the dusty pavement crackling down on small pieces of concrete and rubble. It didn't make any noises like the other mutations yet Arynn knew it was lethal just by its stature and fierce upper torso.

Adam slowed down a little and Arynn caught up to him. She grabbed him, picked him up and ran as fast as she could. A sudden burst of energy coursed throughout Arynn's legs and they seemed to carry her further away from the menace. The creature sensing that the woman was picking up speed increased its momentum. It followed her to the end.

"Arynn, it's getting closer!" Adam squealed as the creature lashed out its lengthy arms.

The woman could see an old dusty metal door. She immediately lunged towards it. With all of her strength, Arynn pried open the door and rushed in. The tall individual was minutes away from grabbing her as she forced the door closed. Adam immediately dropped from her arms and fell feet first onto the concrete then backed away. He looked around the small room. As Arynn leaned her body against the door, she could feel the creature trying to knock it from its hinges. She wasn't sure how long her strength would hold up against such a strong force. Her eyes examined the room briefly looking for something to barricade the door. Instantly her attention fell on some heavy-looking pipes and an old dusty table.

"Adam, grab a pipe and bring it over here." She commanded. The little boy went for the pipes and grabbed two. Together he and Arynn used the door and two adjacent shelves to wedge the pipes onto the door. They created a firm bar holding the door in its place. Arynn stood back wiping away beads of sweat from her forehead. Adam grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the door towards the other side of the room. The concussion that she suffered earlier was now getting to her. She didn't know how long it would be before she would give out. Arynn could sense fear in the little boy's grip as she followed him.

"What are we going to do now?" he asked a panting Arynn in a shrill voice.

"I'm not sure," she replied bending over to catch her breath. She glanced around for an exit. There was nothing. No windows or ceiling vents.

A loud bang came from the barricaded door frightening Adam and making him cling onto Arynn tightly.

"Don't worry we'll find a way outta here," she whispered, holding him close.

She got up and looked behind some of the heavier stationary furniture hoping for a vent or window hidden along the walls. To her luck, there was a rather small vent behind an old hutch close to the baseboard of the wall. As she tried to move the wooden desk and hutch, the door from the other side shook violently. Adam mumbled sitting down holding his legs. Arynn saw tears form in his eyes and it was all the more to make her move the wooden blockade. Struggling with all of her being, she pushed the wooden structure along the wall towards some shelves off to the side. Immediately she knelt down and grabbed at the side of the metal grid. She pried it straight off the screws and threw the object towards the door.

"Adam!" Arynn yelled motioning for him to come to her. As he came to her the barricade on the door fell off and layers of dust filled the room.

Arynn grabbed the boy's hand and nudged him into the old vent shaft.

"Go!" she screamed as she got up to divert the creature away from the boy. Instantly the creature slapped Arynn down and looked around for the boy. When it couldn't find him, it went straight for Arynn and grabbed her by the neck. It lifted her up and flung her into some wooden shelves. She screamed out in agony as she felt her side. Her hand was covered in blood and she felt a sudden weakness spread throughout her body. She saw that the creature was drawing near and she immediately ran for the now opened doorway.

******

"What are you down here for anyway?" asked Page as she walked up a flight of stairs and Hernandez followed closely behind.

"Looking for a friend…" the soldier replied.

"Oh?" the young woman replied lifting up a brow.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"For the regular," Page stated.

"Regular—"

"Yea, you know…appointment?" Page cynically whispered giving Hernandez a snicker. Something about that didn't sit well with Hernandez but he didn't have time to dwell on what the young woman said.

At the end of the stairs the two came up into a long wide corridor leading down to a well-lit entryway. Hernandez could see someone or something quickly heading their direction.

"Get out the way!" He shouted to Page as he drew his weapon and aimed it towards the individual. Page dashed to the side and waited for Hernandez to shoot. There was a pause and Page looked to the man wondering why he didn't pull the trigger.

"Well come on! Get on wit' it!" she shouted.

Hernandez holstered his weapon and took a step towards the person. His steps turned into a sudden dash when he saw the individual go down.

"Arynn!" he shouted as he caught the woman in his arms before she hit the floor.

Page narrowed her eyes as she watched the soldier.

Arynn cried out in pain as he lifted her up and she grabbed at her side.

"She's been wounded," he yelled.

"Oh jump for joy, already," Page sarcastically replied.

"Where's Adam?" he asked.

Arynn pointed towards the room at the end of corridor.

"The vent…" she said, "he's there. But…"

"Yea?" Hernandez asked.

A dark figure emerged from the end of the hall. Page gasped.

"We can't stay here!" she shouted turning to go back down the stairs.

"We gotta get the boy!" Hernandez replied.

Hernandez pulled out his shotgun and aimed. "Arynn, I need you right now…" he said but Arynn had already closed her eyes. She was going in and out of consciousness. He shouted back to Page, "Can you fire a gun?"

"'Course I can!" Page took Arynn's gun from the holster and aimed at the monster's head. She fired and the monster kneeled back. "Happy now?" she asked.

Hernandez fired a few rounds leaving deep gashes in the monstrosity's head and chest. As they fired, the soldier tried hard to keep his grip on Arynn's unconscious body but she fell to the ground motionless.

"Arynn!" he yelled, "wake up!" No response.

They continued to fire on the creature until it went down shaking the very foundation of the structure.

Hernandez turned back to Arynn. She wasn't moving.

"Leave her, we have to get out of here," Page yelled as she started for the stairs again.

"I am not leaving her!" he commanded.

He leaned down and felt her neck for a pulse. There was a faint heartbeat. She was still alive…

The soldier took Arynn in his arms and proceeded down the hall. Page stood still with her arms crossed bewildered.

"Aren't you coming?" The soldier asked, as he kept walking not once turning around.

"Na," Page quickly responded.

"Then I suggest you keep that gun by your side…" He said leaving the young woman to stare at the large mutated carcass.

"Don't worry 'bout me." She stated.

Within minutes the soldier walked into the dusty room. It looked like a custodian storage area. There were pieces of furniture that seemed to date back to the fifties and more recent equipment that hadn't been touched in years. He saw the moved over hutch and the vent shaft leading straight ahead. Hernandez gently laid Arynn down on the floor careful to not let her head hit the concrete. As he knelt down and looked down the shaft at eye-level, he didn't see anything but cobwebs and metal walls. Taking a look back, he saw Page standing in the doorway.

"I take it you didn't wanna be alone out there?" he asked as he continued to examine the shaft.

"Ya you can say that." Her voice called towards him.

"Watch Arynn, I'm going for the boy," he commanded.

"Ya sure thing…" Page responded. Hernandez looked back her wondering if he could trust her with the one woman he truly now had to protect.

"If anything happens to her…" he began, "I'll personally make sure that you don't leave here alive."

"Strong words from a sissy bloke, like you" She blatantly teased. Hernandez wished that he could so much just break her neck and not have to listen to her annoying antics and sarcastic ways. He despised people who were pessimistic especially women. He couldn't let the anger get to him. He crawled inside the tunnel.

Inside, Hernandez had his small firearm drawn and cocked back. As he used his fingertips to glide his body along the small dusty metallic floor, all he could hear was the tremble of his breathing.

"Adam?" he whispered out down the tunnel.

Adam's small body crawled out from the corner of another tunnel and the boy immediately clamored towards the soldier.

"You okay?" Hernandez asked.

"Yea" the little boy panted as Hernandez led him out of the tunnel and into the custodian room.

"Great. One big happy family…" Page's sarcasm called out.

"Let's get the hell outta here," Hernandez commanded as he gently picked up Arynn's body and left followed by Adam.

"I couldn't agree more, "Page replied as she took up the rear with Arynn's pistol at her side.