Resident Evil Recall: Operation Arklay

Episode Eleven: Case Closed

Part Three

RPD, Chief's Office, 7:30 AM…

It was nice to see the sun again after what felt like the longest night in the history of the world, but Lopez just wished that it was under different circumstances than seeing it through the Chief's window. Slowly Raccoon City was illuminated, but things were looking dark for the remnants of Task Force Arklay as they stood in front of Chief Irons' desk while he read through their reports. All of the division heads were present as well, including Sergeants Proske and Branagh of Burglary and Traffic respectively, as well as Captains Marini and Wesker of S.T.A.R.S., with Homicide not represented for obvious reasons.

"Sergeant McGee." Irons said as he looked up. "You claim that Officer Ashwood was injured during a confrontation with a man who you describe only as a giant… you also claim that Lieutenant Liquid was found incapacitated by unknown means not far from where Detective Carver was found decapitated. Let's start there."

"It's all true, Chief." McGee replied. "Lieutenant Liquid's team was ambushed by this giant while Officer Chambers and I were investigating the resort, and although they were able to neutralize the threat… Officer Ashwood was injured."

"There was evidence of gunfire at the scene, Chief." Proske added. "Bullet holes were found in what was left of the cabin that burned down, as well as in some of the nearby trees… but we couldn't find any evidence of anyone else being present… let alone a giant. The good news, though, is that Officer Ashwood is expected to make a full recovery, although it will take some time… but I can't say the same for Lieutenant Liquid."

"Okay, then let's pick up there." Irons continued. "Sergeant McGee, you claim that the Arklay County Sheriff and all his Deputies were killed by a group of people dressed in black riot armor with gas masks, it says here. They then took you to an underground facility, where you have described many unethical things taking place. You were briefly separated, but overpowered your captors, and that's when you found Lieutenant Liquid and Detective Carver just before the facility was completely destroyed by an automated self-destruct system."

"The self-destruct was triggered when we breeched quarantine." McGee explained. "It was too late for Detective Carver, and we only just managed to get Lieutenant Liquid out before the explosion."

"Lieutenant Liquid is completely comatose." Proske added. "The Doctors don't know when, or even if he will ever regain consciousness. No remains of Detective Carver were found at the site of last night's collapse of the Arklay Historical Mine, nor could any evidence be found of these black-armored assailants, or this supposed underground facility."

"That's because it was blown up!" Lopez replied angrily. "Haven't you ever been to the movies? That's what self-destruct devices do; they get rid of a problem without leaving any evidence!"

"That's enough, Officer Lopez." Captain Wesker calmly warned. "You will have a chance to speak."

This meeting was a pointless waste of time as far as the half-blond man was concerned. With everything that had happened out in the Arklay Mountains, how could these people not see that now was the time for action? For all they knew, there could have been dozens of facilities like that around, and who knew what kind of sick experiments they were performing. Not only that, but The Cannibal Murders remained unsolved, which was in itself a call for the entire RPD to get on the case.

"Thank you, Captain, which brings us to the next point." Chief Irons continued. "These reports are full of incredible stories about deranged people at the resort, invincible giants waiting for us at home, and shadowy teams of well-trained operatives who kidnap entire squads of Police Officers in the middle of the night. What evidence do you have to support why we have two buildings burned down, the entire Arklay County Sheriff's Department dead, five people, including three RPD Officers, missing or dead, and the Mayor about to hang me by my feet over the loss of tourism income alone? What is your evidence?"

"We have nothing." Chambers replied sadly while hanging his head. "We saw it all, and we know what happened, but we can't prove a single word of it. We failed… miserably… and now we're gonna have to suffer the consequences, but Lieutenant Liquid was right. There is a very real danger out there, and at the most it just got slowed down a little."

"Damn it, something has to be done!" Lopez yelled. "Liquid wasn't very smart, but we would have never found this stuff out if he didn't drag us out into the mountains!"

"I won't tell you again, Officer Lopez." Wesker warned again. "Speak to the Chief like that again, and you will be ejected from these proceedings."

It was so hard for him to keep calm while Chief Irons continued on with this stupid meeting that wasn't going to accomplish anything in the end. Meanwhile, the dangers were still out there; the attacked hikers and campers, the people locked on the top floor, the strange skinless dogs, who said that these things couldn't happen again? Or worse yet… who said that they were isolated incidents? After all, everything that they had been through was the results of stumbling into them accidently, and they would have never even found the facility if they hadn't been literally dragged there.

"Correct, your claims have no evidence." Chief Irons said as he closed the reports. "But do you know what we do have evidence of? Arson, Possession and Employment of Illegal Weapons, Police Brutality, Injury or Death under Suspicious Circumstances, Entering Without a Search Warrant, Alcohol-related Discharge of Firearms, Willful Destruction of Police Property, and Defacement of Public Property. Sergeant McGee, as the leader of these man in Lieutenant Liquid's absence, you have a choice: The Mayor wants this to all go away, so you can avoid charges if you turn in your badge and get the hell out of Raccoon City."

"I could never beat a wrap like that." McGee replied as he took the badge off his belt. "So I guess it's banishment for me, then… besides, I know it's Tobias that you really want to pin this on, so here's hoping he stays asleep for a long time."

Lopez was shocked to see the Detective put his badge and revolver on the Chief's desk. He had expected the man to fight, or at least be really pissed off, but instead he just turned around and walked out of the office. So was that the choice waiting for each of them? Were they supposed to either run away or spend the rest of their lives in jail? That wasn't a choice, it was a crucifixion. A crucifixion where they would end up being viewed as the bad guys no matter what they had been through or how much they had sacrificed.

"Chief, if I might interrupt." Captain Wesker said while stepping forward. "Captain Marini and I have been discussing this case, and although we agree with punishing rogues such as Lieutenant Liquid and Sergeant McGee, we see no reason to place blame on two Rookie Officers who were, after all, just following orders."

"They couldn't have understood what was going on." Captain Marini added. "Not at the beginning, anyway… but it seems a shame to waste such talented individuals, which is why we want the chance to salvage them."

"Oh, do you?" Chief Irons replied with a skeptical tone. "And what did you have in mind?"

"We want them transferred to our department." Wesker explained. "S.T.A.R.S. is forming a new Charlie Team to work in support of the others, and we feel that working in this capacity will be a good fit for young Officers such as Lopez and Chambers here. We'll train them ourselves to be model representatives of both the RPD and the Special Tactics and Rescue Service… hopefully erasing any damage done to them during their unfortunate time on Task Force Arklay."

The Chief was silent for a few seconds, but then he nodded, and although Chambers seemed relieved, Lopez was now even angrier. They had simply discarded McGee, and who knew what was going to happen to Ashwood and Liquid when they recovered? Or in Liquid's case, if he recovered. So now they were being given a chance to save themselves by joining S.T.A.R.S. and would probably have to sign some kind of confidentiality agreement so that they would never talk about what happened out in the mountains. But people needed to know; with or without evidence, the danger was still out there, and the things they had seen needed to be put on the news, if not broadcast to the whole world.

"I'll leave it up to them." Irons answered. "So what'll it be boys? Will you follow your leaders into darkness, or will you do the right thing and try to make up for the wrongs they've done?"

"I'll join S.T.A.R.S." Chambers replied. "Come on, Lopez, as long as we're still in the RPD, we can find a way to fix this. We'll get another chance, I know it."

Everyone in the room seemed pleased with Chambers' decision, except for Lopez, this is. He understood why he did it, and for all he knew, Chambers might have been right. It was certainly possible for them to eventually get another chance to solve both The Cannibal Murders as well as all this other stuff that they had stumbled into, but when would it be? That was just one of many questions burning into his brain as Chambers was escorted out of the office by Captain Marini, and he considered following his friend's example, but then he remembered the first crime scene Liquid had shown them.

"How many more, Chief?" Lopez asked angrily. "How many more people have to die before a rational thought is able to sink into that flabby skull of yours? Do you know who Jonathan Adams and Maddison Russel were? They were a couple of high school kids who decided to go camping on their first date, and do you know what happened to them? They were eaten alive, you slimy walrus-looking scumbag!"

"Is that a fact?" Chief Irons asked while leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head. "Well, I see that there's just no getting through to you, is there, son? Well, if you don't want to join S.T.A.R.S., and you don't want to be banished from the city, then we're just going to have to make the Mayor angry and let you take the fall for all the charges I mentioned earlier. Captain Wesker, arrest this…

Suddenly the Chief's words became a high-pitch shriek of terror as Lopez dove across his desk, tackling him and his chair to the floor. He was able to give the fat bastard two good hits to the face before Wesker and Branagh, who were closest to the desk, grabbed him. They started to pull Lopez away, but he freed himself by shoving them backwards, and then he resumed his attack. However, he was only able to get one more hit before Proske came forward and hit him with a familiar looking shock baton, making Lopez scream and fall over as sparks flew.

"Wow." Proske said as he collapsed the weapon and put it back on his belt. "No wonder he liked this thing so much… are you okay, Chief?"

"I'm fine." Chief Irons sniffled while wiping the tears from his eyes. "Now everyone get out of here, and lock this psycho in the holding cells."

"Hey, look at his pants." Lopez tried to laugh through the pain as they dragged him away. "He peed himself… look at the stain, Chief Irons peed himself."

As he was pulled across the floor, Lopez watched as Irons looked down at himself. The Chief gasp and quickly put his hands over the large urine stain on the front of his pants, making the half-blond man laugh even harder as he was dragged out the door.