CHAPTER 26
Ford shifted slightly letting the knife glance off his plated coat. He let go of his gun grabbing the knife and shoving on the door knocking the person hiding behind it backward. The lady, he determined from not only memory and the hand he saw, fell back into the small bed. He closed the door while still watching the teenage looking girl. She sat up but didn't move much else even as Ford picked up his pistol. She was wearing the army style boots, light green khaki's, and a tight short sleeve shirt that had from the shoulders down the arm part green. The rest was white with a red cross on the front. She had a belt with various items including a medi-pack. She was also wearing a reddish bandana and also looked a little on the malnutrition side.
"So…..you're one as well. Figures I'd run into one of you again. What's your age?"
"Eighteen."
"Your real age." he said with a grunt.
"Thirty-four."
"Thirty-four huh? Interesting. You've been around longer than I have. Anyway I don't care. Raccoon's Alpha team is here. My name's Ford. You're Rebecca Chambers. Names are out of the way so let's get going." he said handing the knife back.
"You're not after my head then?" she said surprised.
"I'm not after anyone's head. I don't take heads. I don't do that stupid game. I'm not in on it." he said starting to leave. He looked at the small bookshelf seeing medical stuff. "Going to need this possibly."
"What do you mean?" she said totally lost.
She knew she had little energy left in her. She'd been hiding in this room and had died several times from starvation. It usually took a couple of days. She came back to life yesterday and was really beginning to feel the hunger coming back. He could take her out easily and she couldn't stop him. He could take advantage of her easily too.
"Do you need me to carry you out or can you walk?"
"I think I can walk."
He rummaged through his coat finding the thing he was looking for. He handed a couple of energy bars over. She grabbed them quicker than he thought almost yanking his arm off.
"I'm guessing you ran out of ammo since the walking dead guys out there were still around."
"Ford, come back." his com said.
"I'm here Colonel. I found a survivor. Her name is Rebecca." he said into his com unit. "We're coming up now. By the way, my friends know about what we are. Your friends from Raccoon don't though."
O'Neill and the others were still standing and waiting when Ford came up with a young girl behind him. Chris and the other two gave her a hug and helped her to keep standing. They asked her how she managed to survive, she said something the rest didn't catch.
"She's one of those….you know?" Jack asked quietly.
"Yes she is. She's the same age, well two years older than I am actually."
"How old are you again?" Daniel asked.
"Thirty-two. Same age as you I think."
"No, unfortunately I'm older, but thanks for thinking I'm younger."
"Oh, well she also knows that you all know, but those cops don't so don't tell them."
"No duh Ford. Your….problem is just as classified as the SGC." the Colonel said.
"How much farther is this lab?" Chris asked walking over.
"Too far I'm afraid. Even if there was no encounters along the way, it's still more than she needs to take. You guys have to get out of here. I can guarantee that no one else survived." Ford said.
"It's been some time since anyone's been here! I still don't understand how she survived." Chris yelled.
"She's going to have to come with us sir. She's…well…" Carter whispered.
"I know Major. They have to stay Ford and you know why. Now which way?"
"Yeah I know. Dammit. I can't remember the way. I want to say that way," he said pointing to the door with the body pile in it. "But I can't remember. Been to long."
"That's not helping us any Ford. Have you been trying to forget all these years?" O'Neill asked.
"That's part of the problem. All I mostly remember is that if we can get to the lab, we can blow this place up with the self-destruct and radio for help. It's either near the residentially area or behind the waterfall, or was it? See I can't remember. If I had the internet like back home I could figure this out quickly." Ford said shaking his hands around in frustration. "And some things around here have changed, more rooms and such."
"Well if it is this residential area, where is it?" Jack asked.
"This map doesn't say sir." Sam said.
"There is another map somewhere but I don't where. If only….." he was saying when they all heard what sounded to be a elevator moving. It lasted only seconds.
"Anybody catch where that sound came from?" Jack asked looking around.
"It sounded like it came from out there O'Neill." Teal'c stated pointing his staff weapon the way Ford pointed earlier.
"I know there is an elevator that way but I don't think you can get to where we want to go by that." Ford said.
"You're only partially right, but it doesn't matter. You won't be getting there." a commanding voice said. "Or anywhere."
"Who's there?!" Jack yelled looking around with his weapon up. Everyone else had their weapons up looking around.
"Drop your weapons or I'll shoot the woman. I don't miss." the voice said.
"Which one?" Chris asked.
"The blonde."
"Don't listen to him." Jack said still looking around.
Carter grabbed her left arm and cried out letting go of her weapon. Ford had heard the shot realizing where the voice was coming from.
"Carter!" Jack yelled turning to her quickly seeing he was the closest to her at the moment.
"I'm fine sir. Just a grazing shot." she said through clenched teeth as she held her arm. It wasn't bleeding to badly thankfully.
Ford turned around almost literally growling. It was dark enough you couldn't tell who was there, but a tall man was standing near the doorway to the door with the dead bodies. He had a gun pointed at them. A nine millimeter with a silencer. Ford concluded this by the sound of the shot and the damage inflicted upon Carter.
"I only grazed her on purpose. The next will be fatal. Drop your weapons!"
Do the eye glowing thing! Don't ask why.
Whoever was holding the gun on them kept watching as the others started laying down their weapons. Ford hadn't moved.
"You in the large coat! Drop yours as well."
"Ford don't do it." Jack warned.
"To hell with this." he grwoled as Hercules made his eyes flash.
Quicker than anyone thought possible, Ford pulled his revolver and fired. Wesker fired at the same time, but his bullet went into the wall as he grabbed his hand and dropped the gun. He ran forward and grabbed Wesker's hand as he reached for the gun and squeezed hard feeling bones break. The guy yelled in excruciating pain at the breaking of his hand and the scream was cut off as Ford's right hand grabbed his neck and slammed him through the wall. He hung there by Ford's grip as lightening flashed. Ford then saw who it was and pulled him back in.
"Damn you Wesker!!!!" he said about to give him a backhand that would most likely take his head off. Jack grabbed his arm as did Teal'c.
"I think you've managed to subdue him Ford."
"Not enough." he growled as they were barely keeping him from striking out. "He deserves death. I've seen what he's done. He a traitor to his own kind."
"We need him. He might know where we need to go."
Ford relaxed but didn't let go. He slightly noticed that Wesker was doing something with his right hand, but being so dark it was hard to notice until he felt something hit his jacket. He let go of Wesker who dropped to the floor hard. When he tried to get away Teal'c grabbed him as did Jack. Chris came up seeing his former boss as did everyone else.
"Thanks Jack." Ford said turning away.
"Where you going?" Jack said as he let Teal'c and Chris get the answers out of the guy.
"To help Carter. I stay here any longer and I'll toss him out the window, or worse. He sold out his own town."
"Go."
Daniel was helping Carter who was sitting against the wall. Ford came over asking her how she was.
"I said I'm fine. It's just a graze. I've had worse." she said squinting as she held her arm.
"Did you kill him?" Daniel asked.
"No. I wanted to."
"Because of what he did to me." Carter said gritting her teeth.
"Yeah." Ford said not looking away from her eyes. "And other things."
"I'm going to go help them." Daniel said getting up.
Ford shifted over to her left checking her arm despite her objections.
"I can take punishment and heal quickly, though I wish it were the case for you. So let me look."
"Just help me off the floor."
He didn't want to fight with her so he gave up and helped her up. Everyone had seemingly retrieved their weapons since he didn't see them on the ground.
"He's going to help us." Jack stated as he came back over. "Teal'c and the others didn't give him much choice. You okay Major?"
"I'm fine for the last time!"
"Okay then, let's go." he said starting to turn. "Ah Ford?"
"What?" he said with an air of please not now.
He didn't feel like being dressed down at the moment.
"Two things first. I noticed that you know the guy you attacked so that probably means he was going to do something….bad to us anyway."
"Right. He works for Umbrella and he's not totally human anymore. They experimented on him, but I never really learned what they did. I know he's, superhuman for lack of better term."
"Okay. Good work getting to him as quickly as you did."
"Thanks." he said feeling better. "What's the second thing?"
"That?" he said pointing at the coat. "Does it hurt?"
Carter and Ford looked down at what he was pointing at. It was a switchblade stuck in him.
"He got through the coat." Ford said in surprise. "Just like that damned Samurai."
He started opening the jacket some when he stopped after hearing a click noise. "Uh oh. Flashlight! Quick."
Jack fished his out and gave it over. Ford shined it down what part he had gotten open.
"Ah dammit. Better back off."
"You must ask for trouble or are a magnet to it. What's wrong?" Jack asked moving closer to see. Ford backed away.
"He didn't get me. He pierced one of the grenades."
"Whoa." Jack said pulling Carter with him. "What are you going to do?"
"Be in serious trouble if this doesn't work. Get everyone around the corner except Rebecca."
"Who?"
"The new girl."
"I get it." he said walking away quickly.
Rebecca came over and nearly jumped out of her skin as Ford told her what he had to do. The others did walk away from their sight as instructed. Rebecca held the light while Ford tried to work. The knife had cut through the top of the grenade cutting the pin in half. Only a small part was keeping it from detonating since the handle was barely on too, which is where the click noise came from. Rebecca was to remove the knife as he tried to get rid of the damaged thing. He got the other side of his coat open enough he could get a better look. It was worse than he thought. He was wondering why his chest was hurting, once. The knife was about six inches long and had managed to make it about four inches into his coat. A inch of it was in his chest. That inch was now missing since he had healed and it took the blade off in the process. He grabbed the grenade as she grabbed the knife.
"On three." he said.
On three she pulled as he pulled the grenade out tossing it down the stairs. It went off seconds later, prematurely, blowing them both against the wall. Ford was stunned by the blast and she was completely knocked out. He was shaking it off when a thudding noise caught his attention as did smoke. The stairway was on fire and one of those creatures were coming up it.
Oh shit!!!
No kidding Herc. I can't get at my weapon in time and cover her!
The creature let out a roar as it got closer to the two on the floor. He couldn't get up in time so he did the next best thing. Tapping his right boot heel against the floor a knife popped out. Not the best attack item but he gave it a try kicking it in the crotch. It howled loudly which awoke Rebecca who screamed with it. The creature suddenly jerked spasmodically as it kept screaming. Blood sprayed as it quit jerking and screaming from a hail of gun fire and then fell back going down the stairs.
"You two okay?" Jack asked as he came around the corner alone.
"Better. Troubles a brewing though. Firefighting was not something I did." Ford said taking Jack's hand.
After helping Ford up he helped Rebecca.
"You started the house on fire?!"
"Wasn't intentional Daniel." Jack said. "The grenade was going to explode anyway. Would you rather it gone off in Ford's coat?"
"No Jack."
They went back into the other room quickly since the smoke was getting thicker.
"Mr. Primus. Are you injured?" Teal'c asked seeing Ford with a noticeable limp.
"No. Just another thing to fix." he looking at the wall. He was knocking on it.
"What are you doing?" Jack said.
"Looking for a stud. Ah." he kicked the wall about a foot up and twisted his foot. The sound of metal breaking was heard.
"You had a knife built into your boot?"
"Had being the word Sam. It wouldn't retract and has happened before. Usually when I use the blade to kick something, not slice or cut. Won't be the last."
Jack shrugged and shoved Wesker forward.
(A.U. Can't remember the layout of the rest of the mansion, though I tried looking on the internet. I also only played the original version for the first Playstation so I know little if anything about the version of the Nintendo Gamecube. Some of what was described in this story as to the house design was the map I found online for the Gamecube version, which threw me off seeing as I didn't know where everything went.)
The journey took awhile but they managed to get to the lab section. Ford pushed past them looking around but not going down the stairway just yet. It was dead quiet and there was no one around.
"What it is?" Jack asked knowing something was up.
He had gotten used to seeing that look on many a people including Ford who did it often in this mission. Ever since their encounter at the stairs they had came across no one. They had to split up a few times to retrieve a few things but no more dead guys or other things. They did encounter a couple of large spider's that didn't go very well. He wouldn't enter the room until the spiders were dead. Teal'c ended up taking them out and Wesker had gotten bitten after trying to run away, but it didn't seem to be doing much to him.
"More missing bad guys, best way to put it." he mumbled as he pointed around. "Prison….no that's the prison….ah…elevator? Yeah…..morgue….another room…. storage…uh……generator room one thru three…."
"Ford?"
"One moment……uh where was I …..oh yeah….Ah! Okay. We need to go below first then we can blow this place off the map. One of these rooms has got to have a phone or computer that has an outside connection. Maybe in this room." he said walking down the stairs.
They followed slowly keeping watch. There was no one around and it was way to quiet. They past the door off to the right which Ford said went no where important. A passage went to the left and Ford said it just circled around to encompass the large room in the middle of the room.
"You know this place to well, like you've….oof!!"
Jack and the others had been telling him to shut up for quite some time. He had been making remarks and once tried to led them down the wrong trail but Ford realized where they were and turned him around. This time Ford had had enough of his attitude and decked him into the wall. He slumped down unconscious.
"Nice I was going to hit him but you saved me the trouble." Jack said pulling some ties out of his pocket. "Here. You do the honor."
Ford tied his feet together and hand behind his back. They left him there.
"This should be the lab storage." he said trying to open the door.
It needed a cardkey and the door was refusing to budge despite his best efforts. It also was a solid flat surface so he had nothing to grab. "Okay let's forget that and try somewhere else."
"You can't open it?"
"No handles Jack so I have no grip and I know it's about six inches thick so punching through it won't work. There's room in here possibly…"
They entered through the door seeing an elevator to the left. A door was in front of them along with one to the right.
"That goes to the self-destruct."
"Major, Ford, Teal'c. Go check it out. Me and Daniel will look in here while you four go check that area Ford thought was unimportant." he gave Ford a look making him keep silent.
"Yes sir."
They split up making Jack and Daniel very alone rather quickly.
"Why are we the only one left to stay here? Not much room to fight if something comes in."
"I think that after all this time the dead guys have finally died and what we saw left was probably survived off the national guard outside. Whatever was living this far down has done died off. C'mon and lets see what is in this room."
Jack opened it entering into a small room with a large box, typewriter with an ink ribbon and more importantly….a phone. Looked fairly new too.
"This is new."
"It's a phone Jack."
"No Daniel. I meant that someone has put it here recently."
"Maybe that Wesker guy did."
"Maybe." he said picking it up. When he heard a dial tone he dialed out.
"Sir. O'Neill is on the phone."
"About damn time." Hammond muttered taking the phone from the airmen. He was in the gate control room looking at a SG team leave. "Colonel?"
"Hey sir." said excitedly seeing as he was surprised he actually got through. "We're still here alive and well. Things aren't doing so well. Ford says there is a heliport just outside that we're still trying to get to though."
"I have a helicopter waiting inside the city awaiting you to call them. I'll have them come right away. Anything he might need to bring?"
"Not that I can think of sir. I'd say lunch but things here have made that idea not really a….good thing to think about."
"Is something wrong Colonel?"
"No. I'll tell you later sir. Just get us out of this hell hole."
"Have a signal sent up so he knows where to land Colonel. Do we need to send in another team to mop things up?"
"No. Ford and Carter are setting the place to blow sir. It seems to have a self-destruct built into it."
"Understood Colonel. Get out of there before it goes off."
"Yes sir."
As he hung up the phone him and Daniel could hear the elevator being activated.
Ford took point looking around the small walkways and large pipes. They past through another room just about the same coming into one large room that had a large metal grating floor. Little else was in the room other than a control panel near the wall at the other end of the room. Carter went over to it and started looking it over. It was pretty easy to figure out.
"I can set this to activate by remote."
"Good idea. We have a big problem to deal with before we can get going."
Jack and Daniel came out rushing to the elevator. The Alpha team came rushing in saying that Wesker had escaped.
"We noticed." Daniel said.
"Carter?" Jack said into his com.
Ford was helping set up a program that would make the self-destruct kick in in five minutes. Carter's com chirped to as they were working.
"Carter?"
"Yes sir."
"Wesker got away."
"Where Jack?" Ford yelled through his com.
"Took the elevator down."
"We got to go stop him. Quickly." Ford said running out of the room with them following.
They came back through the piped area's and into the four way room. Jack and Daniel was standing there. Ford kept walking and went over to the elevator calling it back. He tapped on it impatiently.
"Where does this go?" Daniel asked.
"To hell."
"And we want to go here why?"
"Jack, I was being figurative." he said as it opened.
He ushered them in and pulled his personal out. The trip down was little no trouble. A short hallway lead to a closed door. Ford approached it hesitantly.
You are jittery.
You'd be to if you knew what I knew. Once you see what I mean.
"Everything you have ever seen can't prepare you for this." Ford said turning the knob. It was locked.
"Oy!!" Ford said stepping back from the door.
One of them, probably Jack was in the process of saying something when Ford kicked the door, not in as intended, but off. It slid across the large room as they entered. Wesker turned around having a M-16 in his hand.
"Drop your weapons…..or else."
"We have more weapons on you than you on us." Jack said pointing his.
Ford only glanced back for a moment seeing everyone was still outside the room hiding behind the wall. He looked over seeing a large metal screen covering a very large round tube inset into the wall. It was shaking some like it was being pounded on from the inside.
"Tyrant still alive?"
This caught Wesker off guard and he dropped the gun slightly. Jack took the opportunity to plug him in the head.
"Good shot sir." she said walking in.
"We have to get out of here, now!"
"He's dead! What have we…" Jack said as they all got out from behind him.
The metal screen covering the tube punched out some. Several more large dents came out.
"We are so…."
"Fubar?" Jack asked.
"No. Worse."
The cover gave way sending the metal sheets everywhere. They bounced off the walls or were embedded in them. Everyone had gotten down with the exception of Ford who got on his knees covering himself and Carter. As they started getting up a tremendously loud roar, sounding like something from the pits of hell itself, made them not only cringed in fear but made them grab their ears.
A large foot was the first thing they saw as they looked up. What followed was the rest of the what must be a fifteen foot tall body. The right arm led to a large set of several foot long claws which somehow had Wesker's body impaled on them. The other arm was a mountain of muscle that looked normal. The head had a normal eye and the other was bigger. It had no clothes on and looked extremely pissed off as it screamed again.
A challenge perhaps.
Hell no!!! I can't take that.
Please. I fought worse in my time.
You where probably as big as him then!
No. I was about a foot higher than you.
"You're nuts to think that I'm taking him on."
"What was that?" Carter said shooting with everyone else. The bullets weren't doing anything. Some energy barrier was protecting him.
That's when Ford, Teal'c and Carter felt it. Tyrant was part Goa'uld.
"Sir, that thing has a Goa'uld."
"WHAT?!!" he yelled taking cover as part of the ceiling came down.
Ford tried firing off a couple rounds of his personal gun. They hit but had little effect. Tyrant looked at him and tossed the dead body of Wesker at him. Wesker collided with Ford putting them into the wall. He wanted to move but the body came at him at lightening speed and part of the wall came down burying the two. Carter grabbed Ford's gun off the floor, took aim at the head and fired. Her wrist snapped and her right shoulder popped audibly. A resounding thud that shook the room came after.
"That was stupid Major, but at least you got him." Jack said helping her up.
"Yes sir." she said through the pain. "Just fix it."
"We have to get out of here!!!" Daniel said seeing Tyrant moving again.
"Teal'c. Help Carter."
Damaged small pipes and wires fell and were tossed into the air as a hand burst out. Another followed suit and started shoving things aside.
"Son of a…I'm….."
A large piece of the wall was tossed aside breaking and bending on impact. Ford shoved more out of his way and then tossed the busted body aside.
"Okay. I guess he has everything under control. This is going to hurt Carter."
"Just get it over with."
She cried out as Jack managed to pop her shoulder back into place. Hercules/Ford shoved the rest of the damaged stuff off him muttering curses, mostly in Goa'uld or Japanese.
"Times running out and he isn't dead." Ford muttered after taking over.
He grabbed his gun off the floor and started switching clips.
Jack had then taken off to the elevator quickly with the others. Ford was helping Carter along and berating her gently for using his gun. Once in the elevator they had it stop on the second level. Ford rushed out going straight to the room with the self destruct system. He told them to go straight to the top and wait. They got out quickly and ran over to the landing pad. The helicopter was in the distance and approaching fast. Daniel set the flares up and then went to the others on the pad to wait.
Ford rushed into the room and got on the small console quickly. As he started working on the system and got near the end, the door was blown inward as Tyrant walked in. Ford quickly pulled his shotgun and loaded it with explosive rounds.
"Ha ha ha!!! You are a fool little one."
"Maybe." he said firing his shotgun until it ran out of ammo.
Tyrant was blown back into the wall, but little else was done to him as he healed up quickly. Ford pushed the final button turning the self destruct on leaving him ten minutes to get out of the place. Tyrant ran over and took a swipe at him. Ford dropped quickly and rolled away, then ran for the broken door. Everything beyond the damaged door to the elevator was caved in, on fire, and so damaged he could never get through. He pulled his personal cannon and rolled out of the way again as Tyrant put his spiked hand through the wall. Ford loaded a very special clip that cost a very pretty penny and then ran over to the far wall spinning around quickly and firing a few rounds. They exploded on contact blasting Tyrant into the wall. Ford didn't wait to see if he did anything as he used the rest of the clip blasting the ceiling around the large freak.
Up above the ground, just a way's off from the landing pad blasted up then caved in leaving a trail of broken and twisted metal. Ford came climbing out quickly, his hands bleeding and well as some places on his face and head. He looked like he was caught in an explosion.
"Ford?!!"
Jack yelled.
"This place is suppose to blow in less than five
minutes!!!" he said stopping next to him as he panting to catch his
breath.
As the helicopter came in to land the ground shuddered.
"You think he's coming back?"
"Jack! You just blew it for us. Thanks a whole smegging lot!"
"That isn't what I think…"
"Jack. You should have kept it shut while we were ahead. I had him dead!!!" Ford said glaring at Jack.
"Then why is the ground shaking?!"
Everyone looked over near the end of the landing pad seeing the ground erupt. Tyrant came out slowly and stood up. He had a hole where his right eye was suppose to be and though bleeding from it and several other shots he wasn't stopping.
"Got rockets on that helicopter?"
"This is Colonel O'Neill to whoever is piloting that helicopter. Fire all your rockets at the large creature near that open hole near us. I repeat fire all rockets now!!!!!"
He yelled to the others to get down as several loud shots flew over head. Loud explosions erupted as Tyrant exploded. The ground began to shake and crumble inward as explosions from underneath took place. The house was completely engulfed in flames and several dead guys on fire were coming out after them. Some of the creatures were headed their way to, also on fire. More explosions took place as the house caved in and the ground started giving way around them.
