Claire looked up for a second hearing the rumble from an aircraft passing , a carrier chopper "Those mercenary assholes must still be in the city!" Elaine thought one hand over her gun holster; she adjusted her belt before continuing down the hall with Mark, and Claire "So what brings you to Raccoon City? Guessing it isn't for the thriving nightlife." She asked Claire "I came to find my brother, Chris, there was word he's in trouble. I need to find him" "Redfield?"
"You know him?" - "Sorry to burst your bubble Honey, but soon as the shit went south STARS were the first to jump ship" Claire looking deflated she'd hit a wall "...I'm sorry...Chris, STARS, they're good people, but they were set up from inside, the whole town wanted their heads. They had no choice, and Chris wouldn't have bailed on family, not unless he had no choice." the group found themselves back in hall opposite the staircase where Leon and Grahams had gone previous "We really need to find Leon" Claire thought remembering the gun she had loaned, her boots catching the floors hollow spots tailing the rest of the group. Mark kept a hand over the sturdy baton strapped to his belt, ready. Elaine took the lead, the hall seemed eerily quiet where as it would usually be a flutter with beat walkers, detainees, and admin. Fashioning a noticeably contemporary cut, the officer brushed her golden fringe aside to see better, a slight glow from the sweat on her brow she'd obviously been working for some hours. Claire thought herself a people reader, and more so with what Chris had shown her, The cop was tough, slight boyish side from her walk and held her gun like a pro, ex military/seasoned maybe late 20's at least, definitely the STARS type.
She was still in good shape, given the situation, subtle blue sleeveless shirt only difference was women donned short sleeve, folded Kevlar through her left shoulder. Neatly pinned black tie, navy slacks, her Lt. stripes and boots. "Those things were all over the place last time i was in here" Elaine pondered suspicious of the silence, all of them unaware as something watched them intently from above; a strange hissing just barely within human hearing range. She looked up for a minute "Did you hear that?" - "No but I see them" Mark said suddenly as two zombies came stumbling out from under the stairs, pulling back as another tried to flank their left "Speak the devils name..." the hall flashed with gunfire as single rounds from Elaine's pistol pierced the momentary silence, one bloody slobbering perp clawed at them before being knocked on its ass by a black stick. The lumbering officer reached out lunging toward Claire with an angry snarl, its hat fell off, a hefty shoulder barge sent the creature off its feet.
Mark stepping away for a minute to take his gun out found himself in the grasp of yet more undead, hands smashing through the window pulling him out; Claire unaware as yet another zombie cop lunged from behind but was shot dead by Elaine in the nick of an eye. "Watch your back" - "Got it!" Claire replied shooting another one down, unbeknownst to Elizabeth as she placed her hand over a small alcove, a thin plant like vine cut her, startled she snatched it away, cradling her arm with the other; the sudden trauma caused her to shake briefly "Stick close" Claire's words fell on deaf ears as the girl backed away and ran back for the other door "Hey, wait!" Claire about to pursue but her calls were futile, suddenly a snarling perpetrator jumped in front of her, forcing the barrel end of her gun under its jaw before completely blowing it off. The girl had managed to disappear much to their chagrin.
Elizabeth hiding in another room stood back against the wall and slumped down into a heap, silent tears streaming down her cheeks, before fleeing into the shadows. Mark still scrapped with the zombie outside in the alleyway; the creature forcing itself upon him with hungry jaws. The dead guy possessed a surprising amount of strength despite Marks large stature. Finally managing to pry the slobbering creatures' hands off him Mark threw it to the floor blasting its head into a bloody pulp.
He looked up hearing gunfire elsewhere, crackling flash bangs revealed more staggering shadows down the end of the alley, the predictable ominous moans and worn shoes scraping across the asphalt. Suddenly a human figure appeared, Mark looked on curiously for a second "Hey, HEY!" The man turned to see him he was dressed like a police officer "Over here!" Overwhelmed the man briefly glanced back at crowd of staggering citizens almost dizzy for a moment before running toward Mark "Where the hell did you come from?" the hungry crowd closing in, there was little time for small talk "Move!" they headed back for the broken the window. Claire paused, her eyes darted back and forth unsure of where Elizabeth could have gone, Elaine's muzzle snapping and spitting out cases shook her into focus. "C'mon!" Claire urged, as two figures appeared in the window frame, Mark and an unfamiliar face clambered inside. "Who are you?" her words were ignored "We need to go, now!" A hand placed itself over Elaine's shoulder, she made a 180 turn about to shoot whoever was foolish enough, before an arm blocked her mid-swing "Kevin…" a hardy stubbly jaw grinning back; Claire looked around in a panic "Where too?" she asked "Where's Elizabeth?" Elaine asked suddenly noticing the kid was gone, zombies began drawing toward the window "I have to find her" she said before scuppering down the passage aside the Bannister "Are you fucking crazy! Get back here...Elaine!" Kevin snapped "I gotta go get her!" zombies neared the doors that lead into the dark room there was no time to think as they grew closer "Upstairs, hurry!" Kevin snapped motioning everybody up soon following behind, a few blind-fire shots to keep them away from the stairwell.
Leon hanging the shotgun over his neck had finished loading his pistol, soon distracted by the commotion that seemed to be coming from the hall "Gunfire? Maybe it's the others" - "Wait how do you know who it is out there" - "I can't just sit in here while they're still out there" the two of them hurried toward the noise there seemed to be more than one series of gunfire, a flash of fire in the window then silence, Leon peered out for a second "Huh?" curious catching sight of a woman in a blue dress disappear past a broken down bus, suddenly distracted by more continuous gunfire out in the hall.
The door was pressed gently ajar, the others desperately holding back the ravenous growing crowd of zombies "Claire!" - "Leon!" She cried a sense of gladness washed over her; joining the fight Leon let off few pot shots into the front of the crowd allowing the group to retreat, Kevin firing shots across a 180 area "Get the shutter!" - "What?" "Get the shutter damn it!" Leon looked at the side of him and saw the release panel smacking a hard fist against it, a low hum shutters fell down creating a barrier between them, it wasn't much but "That'll hold them for now." Leon observant, they seemed to have no interest or regard for the shutters, dead eyes emotionless almost like animals, clawing and clasping for blood with an insatiable hunger, the office door was pulled shut.
Back inside the S.T.A.R.S office; Leon irritated by the carry on, re-adjusted the shotgun sling and placed a bag down on one of the desks "Shit, Elaine…" Kevin desperate for an idea to find and bring her back "I was starting to think I was the only cop left around here" Leon thought "Deja-vu" Kevin replied checking his gun magazine pulling back the bridge of the piston a few times "So where do you fit into all of this?" Leon asked "Leave this place for an hour, got word that there were survivors trapped in the mall so I went to check it out, then finally the shit hits the fan. The road was blocked with those bastards so i doubled back then i found you guys" Kevin continued checking his gun and looked down the sight checking for any quick needed repairs. Another cop, again his uniform was slightly different, black short sleeve, knife vest over top, basic black slacks and drivers gloves, rough shaven, definitely the hard ass type. Maybe a driver, or armed units, his gaze caught hers "What?" - "Nothing i..." he returned sights on his lady luck, checking for one in the breech a slight but hardly noticeable grin.
"So, any ideas how were getting out of here?" Leon asked "I don't know." Kevin answered bluntly with a slightly raspy tone to his voice, his accent strong and southern, a Texan boy "You seem pretty calm given the situation" Leon thought "After that shit up state, with Umbrella. It was inevitable, S.T.A.R.S got way in over their heads; should of seen this coming the second they went out there and tussled with those assholes And what thanks do they get? Irons had them whipped with their pants down, they were on their own. Just like we're on our own." Replacing his Smith & Wesson into its holster, looking somewhat tired with well graded stubble and brushed back hair giving him a somewhat rugged look
His attitude toward S.T.A.R.S was bitter and hadn't changed since failing the selection process on three occasions, that and he just thought they were all arrogant and puffed up, especially that kingshit with the shades. "Do you know a Chris Redfield? He was an S.T.A.R.S member" Claire asked before he looked at her for a second tightening his fingerless police gloves "Can't say I've heard that name before now, should I have?" Kevin asked "He must have left the city after all" Claire said sounding disappointed dropping her gun arm down by her waist again "He's a relation" Leon said calmly jumping in
"If he's smart then he probably left before things got out of hand, and as much I hate S.T.A.R.S truth is we could really use them right about now." Kevin said before looking around the office, Claire gave him a warm glance seeing right through him, he didn't truly hate them, he just felt he was good enough; as fellow officers he respected them, underneath the facade was a decent guy, just with shitty luck.
"Wait, there was a guy back in the main offices - Marvin. He was hurt pretty bad, I have to go back for him I said I would" Leon said; Kevin made a barely noticeable nod in comprehension as he continued "He'll need medicine, anything but he's not gonna last much longer" Leon thought "The sick room's down on the other side of the station and the upstairs floors are cut off by those things, only other way is across the landing library " - "Will it be safe?" - "Shit, is anywhere safe anymore? No point sitting around here talking, let's just get" Kevin said "If she's not already dead" The mere suggestion was ludicrous, Elaine was a hard ass when she needed to be, wasn't much that could stop her, but this was a different kind of situation, nobody was prepared for the nightmare the lab coats let take over the city "She's alive, she knows how to handle herself, she'll find us." - "I'll go with you maybe I can find something" Claire thought, it was only a grain of hope but she held onto it.
"Grahams you go with them, you're with me" Leon said to Mark.
"Better take this with you, we should keep in contact!" Leon suggested as he took two radios passing one to Kevin "Thanks"
"We find Marvin, Elaine...and we get out! If those soldiers are still in the city something tells me it won't end well if we cross paths again" Leon thought "Agreed" Mark said as they went back out into the corridor little knowing something was watching them. Kevin and Leon gave a passing glance for good luck before taking their separate ways.
Elaine wandered cautiously through the wide corridor, her sights held forward while she watched her footing "Elizabeth?" she asked, her voice stretched through the wide cold empty corridor, somewhere where a fight had previously taken place. Torn down plaster and broken chairs, even a toilet bowl had been ripped from its fixtures laying a few feet from where she stood "Elizabeth..." her voice broke in the silence, seemingly no answer while she carried on looking around, unease fell over her brow, eyeballing the state of the place. Most of the windows had been boarded up with planks of wood and whatever else could be used, stained cracked old; what little light was still outside from the street lamps broke through the gaps.
A police van, had crashed through the wall somehow, she looked up hearing the Faint sound of helicopter blades somewhere back outside, moving on. She dipped avoiding one of the lights hanging out by its fixtures Where are you? The silence was uncomfortable, never had the place felt so lonely, the thought of being grabbed at any moment danced around her in the darkness.
The sound of rustling like that of food wrapping caught her ear, outside? Around the corner maybe, when her hearing tuned into focus it sounded wet almost like wet meat being played with. Instinct kicked in, as she rolled her thumb over the tail cocking the gun as quietly as possible, closing in on whoever it was, whatever it was. The noise became erratic as she grew closer; it was definitely food of some kind...
Her eyes peered slowly around the walls edge, there on the floor the body of an officer, had to be from his uniform, not sure who, a dog stood over him its teeth ripping at his chest and jugular "...the...fuck" its pointy ears pricked as it turned to see her, chewing lazily before dropping the stringy red clump of flesh, its ribs were showing, literally "Oh Christ" the dog darted after her, blind fire caught its ear but still it came, flight was instant as she catapulted for the door. She shot back several more hitting the things face and legs putting it down, the body stunned twitching, blind luck surely but she was thankful.
Cracking glass as suddenly another appeared jumping at the window starboard pawing and scratching desperately, a lone bark, it had suffered an eye injury and part of its jaw missing "Another one, great" the lifeless canine suddenly reanimated and struggled to its feet, a growl deep from its sternum as it readied to pounce. The dog at the window vanished, she looked at her gun for a minute before grabbing a large piece of wood; the hall beast lunged for her its whole body left the ground, *CRACK* the plank saved her, somehow breaking its skull rendering the animal senseless. It lay stiff, hopefully dead this time.
The second dog reappeared this time shooting through a broken window behind her and hit the ground running, she threw her leg back kicking it in the neck just as the other got back up once more. She gasped as a third suddenly jumped down onto the bonnet of the police van showing its teeth and licking its horrid mangled lips, she stepped back just as it went for her face, a crunchy squish as it had impaled itself on the piece of wood; the mutts counterweight forcing her to drop it-
The other two dogs paired up ready for the kill. A fourth had appeared clawing at the windshield from inside the van, forcing its snout through the hole of the glass in spite of further injury it might sustain. She slowly backed away her heart beating faster than her body could handle, this was it, no more bullets, just dead. "Okay just take it easy…good doggies" she pleaded in spite of reality, that their crude brains would understand a single word, let alone have reason. Then *BANG* followed by a yelp, one slumped over in an instant, then a second as a bloody hole was blown bang through the middle of the its head.
She turned to see a figure step into focus, it was Rebecca, they shared a familiar gaze for a moment. The dog finally broke its way through the window immediately it leaped for Elaine, snatched away Rebecca took front, her arm jerked from her pistols kickback blowing its brains out.
A smoking hole through the temple as it lay dead stiff as if never alive at all, its aimless torment put to an end. Rebecca holstered pistols checking herself for marks luckily having received none. Elaine had never felt a greater sense of relief, besides being just about ready to piss in her slacks, living was a joy indeed, the sight of a compatriot was like the second coming. "Thanks" the gratitude in her voice obvious "Don't mention it, fucking things are all over the place" Rebecca answered, after the mansion incident and fighting off infected Doberman finschers, she'd had her fill of dogs! Remembering the sight of their bloodied and mutilated shapes haunting the Spencer mansion grounds, and the horrid sound of claws pitter pattering on the floor. It was enough to change her opinion on getting a dog for the apartment, her trust in mans best friend was forever gone. Fetch, and beg, they get fleas, and now they apparently eat people, she came to the earth shattering realization that she hated dogs. "I thought S.T.A.R.S were all…" Rebecca looked at her for a moment tightening the red bandanna around her arm "Yeah, we get that a lot…Anybody else or is it just you?" she asked Elaine "I lost a kid...i told her i was gonna get her out of here, she was supposed to stay put..." Elaine answered, the sickly feeling that sat firmly in her gut as she was forced to face facts, the kid was gone, by now some zombie had gutted her or if she was lucky ended it herself.
"We can't stay here, but maybe there's still a vehicle we can use. Main hall's a no go, and the motor pool is locked down so we'll have to try the basement" Rebecca said
"Are you serious? Those things are all over the place down there" Elaine thought
"Look, up here isn't any safer either but, unless you got any better ideas we have to move now"
"And go where? All the exits out of this town are cut off" Elaine believed at least, no other reason as to why she hadn't attempted to flee the city with her sister.
"All of them except the draw bridge. They didn't get to that, so we can go there if we hurry now c'mon"
"How do you know?" Elaine asked her
"Because we were ordered to help with the evacuation, before the chief had us pull back and pad out the fire blockades. Far as i know, there is nobody left up there"
"Wait, there's more people, on the west floors, but i got cut off...I'd be an asshole to just leave them" Rebecca looked at her for a second,the darkness seemed to grow almost swallowing whole Elaine, a large looming black shape gradually took form behind the cop, its cold piercing glare. "S.T.A.R.S!" a deep inhuman voice cried, the NEMESIS had found her - "Move!" She barked, forcing Elaine out of firing range "Get the hell out of here now! It's after STARS. Just go!" the sudden whir of spinning metal as bullets split wall and plaster, hot banging flashes lit up the walls. The thing had acquired a new weapon, something even more powerful than the last.
Rebecca dove left for cover narrowly avoiding a flurry of bullets shredding the wall like kindling, a few bullets being fired back at the unrelenting creature to no effect. Elaine practically launched herself behind the wall of an old office, hardly felt the sting as a bullet just caught her pant leg.
Large heavy boots marched onward crunching over bullet casings and kindling, toward the door just as Rebecca got to her feet. Dashing for the opposite side as NEMESIS brought its gun round to destroy its target, this time instead the creature pulled a device from its hip *CLICK* and tossed it through the doorway rolling toward them "Run!" she and Elaine paired hurrying further away as the mine bleeped a 3 second countdown followed by a small explosion, scrambling down the corridor. Rebecca daren't look back knowing the son of bitch would be on her heels, relentless in its pursuit of "S.T.A.R.S!" Its voice devoid of emotion, almost entirely alien growling under its breath, another explosive was thrown at the floor toward their feet *SSS... BANG*. The corridor turned to a thick white smoke for a few seconds; nothing but dust and silence befell the area...the incessant stomp of its heavy black boots banging about the floor and then all sound stopped. Breathing to a minimum, the two had taken refuge in the next room joining the corridor, Elaine trying to ignore the increasing pain in her right shin from the bullet graze. The smoke sheet began to thin, the hulking black shape still lumbering around, turning in a slow but constant 180 motion to regain sight of them. A series of three long breathes exuded, followed by a short fourth gave off the creatures impatience, the strong guttural grumbles coming from its sternum.
The heavy breathing had stopped, it seemed the creature had given up its search for now, and Elaine took out her gun to refresh the magazine, when a single bullet had slipped through her fingers. *SMASH* a giant size fist shot through the wall grabbing for her, Elaine missing its grip by the skin of her teeth, retracting its hand suddenly again smashing a hole through brick and plaster "Jesus, this thing's persistent." She cried.
Kicking more of the wall out, gradually tearing down internal beams and plaster with ease before stepping through and raising his gun again, the spinning -1 second delay of burst fire. Rebecca flicking her fringe aside threw her arm back to create blind fire, 9 mils popping holes through its torso to no effect. About to return fire, Rebecca with blind luck hit the weapon catching the piston coils and creating a backwash causing the munitions gear to pop, finally the creature gave out, a loud moan, them time to escape.
Heading back out into the corridor passing back through its path of destruction, they headed toward the main hall leading west to find their group; NEMESIS quickly regained focus unaware just as one of the mines had triggered. The hulk forced to recoil as a flash-bang engulfed it for a few brief seconds. Silence fell whilst Elaine and Rebecca waited for the smoke and dust to die out, "I think that one worked" - "Not for long, that's only gonna slow it down" Rebecca thought "What?" Elaine asked "Listen, take this" Rebecca said passing her two extra clips "Thanks, I guess but what about..." Elaine replied "You have to go now, that thing back there it only wants S.T.A.R.S, but if you stay you'll die too now go!" the S.T.A.R.S officer urged
"You're a cop, I don't leave people behind" Elaine said "You're not S.T.A.R.S look don't argue with me just go, now" without warning she pushed Elaine into the file room and quickly pulled the door, shooting the handle to lock her off. Alexis stood over the tech sitting at the main terminal that operated the video screens, he pushed a speaker button "NEMESIS respond…NEMESIS…respond now!" One of the video screens had become distorted and became pixelated losing focus "Sir?" One of the soldiers asked awaiting his proposal "keep trying its response systems…something that minor surely would not have shut it down completely. Check its heart rate and resuscitate the heart if you have to" the soldier nodded and continued with his operation. Not now, not when I'm so close Alexis thought to himself silently observing the numerous video monitors.