Rock music blared in the background as Kevin Ryman scooped up his drink. Taking a gulp

he held the glass up to Jack who stood behind the counter preparing a drink for another patron.

"Cheers!" Jack laughed. Ryman was a regular sight after his shift at the RPD.

"Mr. Ryman," a sweet voice said as it passed by. Turning on the bar stool, Kevin watched as

Cindy, one of J's barmaids, approached the counter. Her smile was sweet, yet teasing. "I pulled an entire shift last night and never saw you once."

"Been busy. Can't seem to keep ahead of the calls." He motioned to the TV that hung from the ceiling.

The news anchor was reporting about another riot. This time at a football match between the Raccoon Sharks and the Oldcourt Thunders.

Filling her tray with fresh drinks, Cindy sighed. "Just another day in Raccoon City." Balancing the tray on her left hand she gave Kevin one last quick smile before walking off to tend to the other patrons. She hadn't gotten far when Kevin heard the smashing of glass. Jumping from his perch by the bar, he reached down and picked up the tray. His boots crunched as he stepped on broken glass.

"Are you okay?" Cindy nodded, though her face was pale.

"There was a rat..."

"That glass isn't going to clean itself up." Jack bellowed as he grabbed the broom and offered it to Ryman.

"Hey, you don't pay me enough for that."

"I don't pay you at all, but I'm sure you were the cause for her tripping over her own feet."

Before Kevin could get a word out of his mouth Cindy was gone to retrieve the broom from her boss.

"Don't worry. I'll get it." Her cheeks were a blossoming red now.

As the music changed its pace from rock to country, the main door opened and in stumbled a young man. His head was drooped downward and he shuffled as if he had had one too many drinks.

"Huh?" Jack looked up from his task as he noticed the man. Stepping out from behind the bar he slung the dish cloth over his shoulder. Before he could offer the man a seat the stranger lunged forward and sunk his teeth into J's neck.

Kevin hadn't been paying attention to the man until he heard Cindy scream. Though missing the initial attack, Kevin now saw J push a figure out the door then slam it shut, locking it in a panic.

"Hey, is everything..." Kevin hadn't finished his sentence when there was a tapping on the large front window of the building. All eyes inside the bar seemed to turn towards the noise. One by one, people outside were approaching the window. Their hands and faces pushed against the glass leaving streaks of blood behind. There was a moment of silence, then the couple on the far side of the room grabbed their coats and made a break for the nearest door, leaving it wide open as they departed. "Is there another way out of here?" Kevin asked as he helped J to his feet. Jack nodded, his hand was clutched tightly against the side of his neck. Cindy frantically rooted through the drawers behind the counter until she found some clean dish cloths. "Hurry, we gotta get out of here." Reaching under the bar, Kevin grabbed the set of keys that hung hidden there, then unlocked the door that lead to the second floor. Ushering Cindy through he slipped himself under J's arm and hoisted him to a stand.

"What's upstairs?"

"The staff room and some storage areas." It was a murmur, but it counted. As long as he was still talking, he was still alive.

The stairwell to the second floor was dark. The only light was dimly filtered through the dirty window up ahead.

"Where's this staff room?"

"It's just around the corner." Leading the two men, Cindy nervously moved into the empty room. It was just as run-down as the rest of the second floor, which didn't really surprise Kevin. Setting Jack down on the couch Kevin grabbed the dish cloth from Cindy and pressed it against

the wound. It had almost stop bleeding.

"J, you still with us?" Jack nodded. His eyes were beginning to grow shallow in their sockets and his strength seemed to be gone. "You hang on. We'll get you out of here."

"What do we do?" Cindy was nearly in tears as she heard the sound of shattering glass coming from the floor below.

"Is there a fire escape?"

"No, there isn't..." If it had been under different circumstances, Kevin would have written them up. As things were, he doubted anyone would really care.

"Can we get to the roof." He nearly fainted when Cindy sat down at a nearby desk to think. "The doors are locked to the roof, but..." She thought for another moment. "There's an air duct that leads to the roof. If we can fit inside we can bypass the locked door." Climbing through air ducts like some sort of spy wasn't Kevin's idea of the greatest escape plan, but he wasn't having any luck coming up with something better.

"Where is it?"

"In the storage room." Picking the keys out of the desk she tossed them to him.

"Good work." Turning back to J, Kevin checked on him. "Cindy, Let's get to that storage room." Backing away he took Cindy by the hand and led her away from the body.

The city itself was being to fall into utter chaos. The police were failing to keep the public in order and the virus was beginning to spread at an alarming rate. From the rooftop, she watched as a couple ran from the bar. They hadn't gotten far when they were devoured by carriers. Raising her eyes to the bar's rooftop she caught sight of the shadow. It's origin was still a mystery, but she first noticed it outside the city barricade.

"What do you want?" Her voice echoed into the reddening sky. It stopped at the sound of her cry.

Help him. It wasn't requested, It was demanded. Clenching her fists she jumped. The muscles in her legs gave her enough strength to make the leap almost effortlessly. As she landed the sound of footsteps burst through the rooftop door.

"CINDY, RUN!" A man and woman emerged from the stairwell followed by several stumbling zombies.

"GET DOWN!" Withdrawing her pistol she took aim and fired. Kevin, surprised by the sudden order, grabbed Cindy and ducked around a nearby corner. Three, four, five shots - then silence.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Kevin asked as he moved towards their rescuer. He drew short when he saw the S.T.A.R.S. crest on her coat. Feeling like a fool he introduced himself. "I'm Officer Ryman with the R.P.D."

"I know who you are." Her voice seemed distant and yet familiar to him.

"Kevin, are we going to be alright?" Cindy's face looked up at him as her hands clasped his arm for security. He smiled down at her.

"We're safe for now."

"No," The stranger contradicted him. "No one is safe anymore." Catching a glimpse of her smooth features Kevin could finally identify the woman.

"Lieutenant?" Ignoring him, Charlotte walked to the edge of the building then peered down at the street below.

"You can make it across to the next building then take the fire escape to the street level. Stay out of the open." Before he could protest she disappeared over the edge. Cindy screamed as Kevin dove forward reaching his hand out to grasp the woman, but there was no one there. No body on the street. She had vanished.