Resident Evil Recall: Operation Arklay

Episode Eight: Night Terrors

Part Two

The Arklay Resort, 7:30 PM…

Chambers wasn't sure what to think as the man continued to shamble toward them in spite of McGee's order to stop. There was a chance that he simply hadn't heard the instructions due to the blaring fire alarm, but as the man got closer, it became obvious, even in the annoying flash of the alarm lights, that there was something wrong with him. The skin on his outstretched hand was discolored and blotchy as if he had some kind of a disease, and his face didn't look any better.

"I said stop there!" McGee ordered again. "Drop to your knees, and place your hands on top of your head, interlocking your fingers!"

Okay, now Chambers knew for a fact that there was something wrong with this man. His eyes were heavily glazed over, and the way his teeth were showing, it appeared that he had no lips at all. He let out another groan as drool poured from his mouth, and now the Rookie realized that the dark coloring on the man's shirt that he had originally thought was a pattern, was actually a splattered stain that appeared to be blood.

"Damn it, we told you to stop!" Chambers yelled while stepping forward with his pistol still aimed. "Take another step and I'm gonna put one in your leg!"

He had only just finished saying this sentence, when the man snarled as he suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Chambers by the front of the shirt and forcing him back into the wall. The pistol fell from his hands as he tried to overpower this foul-smelling man by grabbing him in the same way, but then he quickly had to adjust his grip so that he was holding the man's throat and one of his arms to keep him back when he suddenly tried to bite him. The man started to go for another bite, but them McGee struck him in the back of the head with his revolver hard enough to stagger him.

The man groaned again as he quickly regained his balance, but then the two cops tackled him to the floor. The man snarled and thrashed around, but between the two of them, Chambers and McGee were able to roll him onto his stomach so that they could force his hands behind his back. The whole time, the man was fighting as if he were feral, or deranged, or maybe on some kind of really powerful drugs, continuing even after they managed to snap the handcuffs onto his wrists.

"You okay, kid?" McGee asked as they stood up.

"Yeah, I'm good." Chambers replied while picking up his fallen pistol. "What… what's wrong with him?"

McGee offered up a few possibilities such as Leprosy or too much PCP in his diet, but the one they would get the real answers from was Reginald. The Rookie couldn't believe that the resort manager had actually trapped them in there with this person, as well as abandoned them there as if he really thought that this one drugged-up guy was a match for two Officers of the Raccoon Police Department. Sure, the guy was strong… and still snarling as he fought to get out of the handcuffs, but now he was subdued, and they could focus on…

"Uh, McGee." Chambers said as all feelings of victory were shattered by what he saw next. "McGee! We've got a problem!"

Some movement farther down the hall caught his eye in the flashing lights, and the Detective let out a gasp when he also saw what was happening. From inside a few more of the open rooms, a groan could be barely heard over the alarm as more people began to step into the hallway. For a moment the Rookie hoped that it was guests that had been hiding in their rooms from this deranged criminal, but this hope quickly faded away as he saw that their bodies were in almost identical condition.

"RPD!" McGee yelled while aiming at them. "Stop, or I'll shoot!"

Suddenly there was a flash of light, followed by a loud bang as the Detective pulled the trigger of his powerful Magnum revolver, and the nearest person let out a groan while stumbling into the wall as her arm was nearly blown off. However, she soon regained her balance, and resumed shambling toward them while even more people came out of the rooms behind them. Chambers fired a shot of his own, making the same woman stumble and fall on her face as the bulled struck her in the kneecap, but still her pursuit resumed in the form of crawling.

"They're not stopping!" The Rookie exclaimed nervously. "Why aren't they stopping?!"

"No time, we have to get out of here!" McGee yelled back. "Get to the fire escape, now!"

Firing another shot from his revolver, neither of them even watched to see if the bullet hit something before they took off running down the hall in the other direction. Their pursuers were slow moving, so it was easy to stay well ahead of them until they reached the window at the end marked EMERGENCY FIRE ESCAPE. The window opened easily enough, and they were just about to jump out, when a slight problem arose. This was the right window, but the fire escape didn't quite come all the way up. In fact, it stopped about three floors below them, too far to jump without risking serious injury or death if they landed wrong or bounced off of it.

"What, they didn't build it up this high?!" Chambers yelled in frustration. "Are you kidding me?!"

"Oh, they built it." McGee explained. "Look at the mount-holes, this was removed on purpose… probably for these people… and unlucky bastards like us."

Taking a look back down the hall, Chambers saw that their pursuers were getting closer, with more seeming to join them like an angry mob with each room they passed. With no stairs, no elevator, and no fire escape, their only choice was to run into the nearest open room. The deranged people were right on their heels as they ran inside and slammed the door shut, but one of them got their arm inside, preventing it from closing all the way. The two cops used their bodies to hold it closed as more of them tried to get their arms through, but then Chambers' eyes widened as he saw that there were three more of those same kind of people inside the room with them.

Liquid Family Cabin, 7:30 PM…

From where Ashwood was positioned behind the doorframe of the bathroom, she was able to see this… this gigantic bald man from behind as he slowly stomped his way toward where Liquid was standing. The whole cabin shook a little with each of his slow steps, and following the others, she readied her pistol. Hopefully, this big man would surrender peacefully, but somehow Ashwood had a feeling that he wouldn't, and she really did not want to have to shoot anyone tonight… or ever.

"That's far enough!" Liquid ordered. "One more step, and I will shoot you!"

Please, let this end peacefully, Ashwood thought, not wanting the Lieutenant to shoot anyone, either, although she had no doubt that he would. Almost defiantly, the big man took another step forward so that he was out of the hallway, and suddenly Lopez leapt over the railing from his position on the stairs, landing on the big man's shoulders in an obvious attempt to tackle him. The giant stumbled forward a little, but then the Rookie cop cried out in surprise as the big man grabbed him with one hand, and effortlessly threw him across the room.

"Oh, my God!" She whispered to herself, realizing how strong this person was.

Lopez collided with Liquid, causing the Lieutenant to drop his revolver as they hit the floor, and Ashwood was about to shoot the big man in the back to save them, but stopped when Lopez jumped to his feet. Letting out an enraged roar, the half-blond man charged at the giant, ramming his shoulder into the big man's waist, and forcing him to take a step backward. The big man responded to this by swinging his arm, striking Lopez in the side hard enough to send him crashing right through the closed bedroom door that he had been next to.

By this time, Liquid had recovered his revolver, and was aiming at the big man, when Lopez let out another roar as he attacked again. This time he smashed a chair over the big man's head, which he had apparently found in the bedroom, and then he began to punch the big man with hard hits to the stomach, but there was no reaction, as if the giant couldn't feel them.

"Lopez, get out of the way!" Liquid ordered as the Rookie ducked under the giant's next attack. "Lopez, I can't get a shot!"

Lopez didn't appear to care as he relentlessly struck the big man again and again with his fists, a flurry that Ashwood was certain would have killed anyone else that had been his target, but still there was no reaction from his opponent. Unfortunately, the next time he avoided a hit, Ashwood saw how heavily Lopez was breathing, and how much he was slowing down. Clearly he had not expected anyone to be able to withstand his attacks, and now he paid for this mistake when the big man grabbed him by the throat, lifting the Rookie off his feet as if he weighed nothing.

"No!" Liquid yelled as he extended his shock baton.

Ashwood couldn't see the Lieutenant once he started running toward the big man, but then sparks flew as he used his trademark weapon, and this time the giant hesitated. The hesitation was only for a half-second, and caused him to drop Lopez, but this also stopped Liquid from making another attack. Still without showing any emotion, the big man swung his arm, backhanding Lopez so hard that he flew right into the boarded up window, blowing out the wooden planks as he crashed to the ground outside.

"Lopez!" Liquid yelled before turning back toward the big man.

He started to swing his shock baton, but the giant was faster, hitting the Lieutenant with an upward swing of his arm. Liquid cried out in agony as he crashed through what was left of the kitchen furniture, and then Ashwood knew that she had no choice. Flipping the safety off on her pistol, she came out from her position, and got only a couple feet away from the big guy before pulling the trigger. There was a flash of light, followed by a bang as her bullet slammed into the big man's back, putting a small hole in his long coat, but that was it.

He didn't cry out, nor did he fall on the floor and die like she had been worried about, in fact, aside from stopping in mid-step, there was no way to tell if he even felt it. What the hell is this guy? Ashwood wondered as she pulled the trigger three more times. Even if he were wearing a bullet-proof vest, the pain and force of the bullets from that close should have at least knocked him down, but instead a knot formed in Ashwood's stomach as the giant slowly turned around to face her.

"Oh, no." She found herself saying. "Liquid! Lopez! Help!"

Pulling the trigger one more time, putting one in his chest just as he finished turning around, Ashwood didn't have time to do anything before the big man's powerful fist was coming at her. It struck her in the side of the head, making her ears ring and her vision go gray as her feet left the floor. Dizzy and partially numb from the impact, she barely felt it as she shattered the basement door, and felt even less as her body destroyed part of the wall on her way down to bouncing off the last few basement stairs.

Rolling and bouncing for a moment, Ashwood took in a gasping breath as she slid to a stop across the bare concrete floor. She tried to get up, but her arms and legs didn't respond, and a much as she tried to fight it, there was no stopping her eyes from closing while consciousness slipped away.