Claire followed closely behind Kevin leading way though with cautious steps, Grahams fell behind as his mind began to drift for a moment "Umbrellas lackeys are still out in force, so why haven't they compromised this place?" he wondered ignoring the water quietly streaming from a ventilated section "Something just doesn't add up, I mean if they know there are still stragglers scattered around the city why would the precinct just abandon ship?" - "I don't think they did" "Those choppers must be looking for us though right?" Grahams suggested somewhat growing jittery from being out in the open; a sudden noise sparked their attention bodies motioned to the rear, guns at the ready.
Leon and Mark somewhere in a less murky area of the station passed along the landing and made their way through the library, the lights had dimmed but gave enough glow to see "This way" Mark prompted vaguely memorizing the upper floor layout of the precinct, his company would sometimes send him out with advisers, for data protection updates, staff training etc "Just hope he's still in one piece" Leon thought as they furthered noticing the over sized weapons cases stopped them dead in their tracks, both already open and both contents gone; the sponge-molds indicated something big. The initials AT-4 were printed down the side of one of the cases in white bold, the other various large automatics "These were dropped in" Leon stated the obvious peering up at the jagged hole where the skylight used to be. Why the hell would they need rocket launchers and heavy artillery inside a police station? Judging by the size its handling was intended for someone of exceptionally large stature, someone big "Or something" - "What the hell's going on here?" the two shared a passing glance whilst they continued examination, before carrying on between the crammed shelves, probably tutoring books, regulations and protocol, etiquette and the like.
Leon spotted the door marked with a red cross; it was adjoined to a tiny set of computer suites and near another staircase to the lower floor "C'mon" Leon said motioning Mark toward the red cross, his boots bumped heavily across the floor in tandem with the lights suddenly fizzling out "Power must be limited in some sections" Leon gripped the doorknob, one final look back as both He and Mark readied themselves before opening the door. Leon took front clicking on his pen torch to open the top of the stairwell; a brief sweep indicated the it was safe "Looks clear" most of the station may be dead but as far Leon was concerned he was still on duty and put his police skills to work. Heading down the first flight of stairs Mark kept close guard while Leon stayed cautious with his footing down the steps.
Bright clinical bulbs welcomed them upon entering the sick room, exposing the whitewashed walls and reflecting off the cold steel examination bed "We need bandages, morphine, painkillers. Granted this place won't be stocked liked a hospital, but anything heavy duty, grab it and we get back" Mark began searching the series cabinets built into the higher wall, it was stored with various medicines and pain killers, Leon went to investigate the cupboard situated toward the back end of the room. Looking inside, there were boxes of disposable gloves, stored needles and antibacterial liquids. Delving further inside he could just see several first aid kits behind the boxes of gloves, reaching for them and pulling out two large cases upright again. Leon placed down the 12 gauge over the steel table, to open the cases and find anything specific. Bandage he thought taking out several roles and put them next to the shotgun, looking through a drawer he also found a small torch and a roll of duct tape "This could be handy" He said; Mark rummaged through the rest of the top cupboards and drawers looking through the bottles of varied ointments and lotions trying to find morphine.
Leon grabbed a small netted rucksack from the cupboard next to the faucet and, began storing it with the supplies he'd found "Anything?" he asked Mark, continuing to fill the bag "Nothing in here except disinfectant, hand soaps and paper towels" "Grab the disinfectant, we got pretty much everything else, let's move" No sooner did Mark turn to face the staircase again, the lights suddenly went out, shrouding them in complete darkness. The two paused for a moment to gather bearing, arming up in case of a fight. The sound of duct tape being unraveled broke the silence, as Leon taped the torch under the belly of his Beretta shaft. The light flicked on catching sight of something, but Mark couldn't be sure of who or what it was "What?" - "I thought I saw something" Leon looked around for a moment met only by the sound of his own breathing "Go" He whispered motioning for his partner to descend the stair case, suddenly Leon whipped around as again a shape moved behind them quick as lightning sinking back into the tar black shadows. It was now apparent they were indeed in the company of an inhuman presence, the two staying nestled against one another, back to back gun sights swaying in a half circle motion trying to catch sight of the hostile. Leon signaled Mark a move for the stairs, moving cautiously his eyes darting around the landing, seemed clear.
Lowering his gun arm but keeping his eyes fixed forward Leon pulled out the radio holding it up to his mouth "Claire...read me? Grahams" he whispered but no-one replied "Cla... " he suddenly lunged forward as the desk behind was ripped up from the ground and hurled in his direction, instead hitting the wall as he dived out of the way. Narrowly avoiding being crushed by the thing, the desk was big and heavy oak, a champion bodybuilder would have trouble moving the thing at such a speed without momentum. Leon gasped having the piss scared out of him, swung his gun arm around fixing his sights on the far room where the desk once sat "What the hell is this" he murmured as Mark helped him back onto his feet, they looked around the room slowly hearing what sounded like skittering close by "It's on the walls" Mark thought as he stood shoulder to shoulder with Leon nearing the stairs, suddenly forced to back up as someone snapped at his face, it was Elizabeth now an aimless puppet of the virus "No!" Using his arm to shield her face from his; he quickly pushed her away, snapping and snarling a sudden bullet forced her head back, bone snapping before collapsing into the floor.
Blackened blood trickled down the corner of her mouth and onto her gray sleeveless pin top, Leon rushed to his aid "Christ, you alright? Did she..." he asked "I'm fine, she came out of nowhere but no damage done" Mark answered "Good" Leon replied as he moved toward the door probably leading back into the main hall. Trying the door knob he found it was locked but flinched suddenly after hearing a loud bang, it came from the staircase. What the fuck is going on? He thought shining some light down over the lower stairwell to break the darkness, the girls body had disappeared, streaks of blood but no body, she'd been moved. On full alert they stood back to back once more "This can't be right" - "Where the hell's the body?" "There's no way it got up from that" thinking for a moment a silent Leon moved toward the staircase and stopped near the railing, he quickly scanned the wall and upper case, nearing the top of the banister he saw a shape and *BANG* defense mode kicked but the shape seemed to be quicker than the bullet. Mark still in the room pulled his right jacket sleeve up to assess his injuries, a bite, which had broken the skin "Where'd it go?" Leon thought checking in, Mark quickly rolled his sleeve down again, their attention was caught by that of the sound of loud deep rotors seemingly overhead.
Somewhere on the rooftop an Umbrella soldier waved yelling to the chopper as It hovered above him, he was dressed differently to the unit Claire had encountered "Over here" the chopper pilot waved to him signalling for the soldier in the back to release the rope ladder "Alright you're clear, go. Go!" The soldier screamed, his voice barely breaking through the sound of whirring blades and blow back from the engine, suddenly the fire exit burst open for two zombies to come stumbling out. The lone soldier had lost most of his unit to an attack somewhere in the south hall near the basement, his only escape being the evac chopper given he was infection free by the time he got up top.
The rooftop soldier trying not to break and freak out "Oh God" his nerves soon winning the battle as he looked out for the chopper "Hurry" a voice cried out hovering above him "Get away" his voice broke as it all became too much for the grounded trooper, the creatures closed in reaching out with loud hungry moans "No! Get away, stay back" though his cries were futile, and the creatures ignorant and famished. A sudden *crunch* as teeth sank in between his collar bone just past the shoulder protector, it was over, his finger flicking the safety off in a panic *tata-tata-tata-tata* and jerked on the trigger as his cries were muffled. Three bodies collapsed into a heap, the windshield popped and cracked, shredding through the belt and riddling the pilots body as he danced and jigged. The spinning screaming bird began a frenzied descent, the soldier violently knocked around before being thrown out screaming to his inevitable end. The craft finally plummeted forward smashing through wall *PHOOM*. A brief explosion, the tail rotor shot across the rooftop before cracking through the cement, and the fire shrunk sending a thick plume of smoke into the cold night air. The pilots charred mangled body burning furiously in the cockpit, the sound of buckling metal and popping glass as his aviators melted into his face.
The sound boomed through the halls as Leon clambered down the emergency ladder after Mark, they had left the library managing to use to the upper landing , taking them back out into the main hall. "What the fuck was that?" They looked around to find the others hadn't arrived yet much to Leon's disappointment "This is Leon, we've reached the main hall. Does anybody read, come in, over?" he asked holding the radio to his mouth again waiting for an answer. "Claire, anybody do you read me? Come in! over."
Meanwhile somewhere in the sewer tunnels gunfire lit up the dark passages as shadows warred and struggled after the human group. Claire and the others, a zombie threw itself forward after having his rotted face blown off "Move" Kevin commanded just as several more appeared from around the corner. Another had fallen down the ladder behind him, snarling and growling its face covered with clotted bites and scratches; they seemed much more aggressive than the other zombies, much faster, almost feral like. The mindless blank stare behind their white pupils, their blistered skin - turned red raw, and the strange boney appendages from their hands, sharp as blades. Grahams cowered behind Kevin, unaware as one of the creatures had managed to circle back and snuck up behind, about to bite into a warm blood filled forearm, but was thrown back by a hail of bullets "Where'd they all come from?" Claire asked her voice breaking in the panic. They seemed to retain some intelligence or residual memory, as some even tried avoiding the bullets, failing in their attempts. The creature on the front, took rounds to its arm and torn bloody deltoid, the skin around its skull putrid and decayed, almost hairless from dried dead follicles. "Stay in formation" a voice barked "These bastards are different from the rest of them, smarter" Kevin remarked, Claire almost leapt out of her skin as the radio on her belt bleeped and fuzzed, she unbuttoned it.
[Can somebody come in over]
"Leon, is that you? Thank god you're alive. Where are you?"
[We're...main hall, are you close?]
"Err... we're In the sewer tunnels, I'm not sure where" the obvious doubt in her reply
"We should be right under the parking lot" Kevin interjected, gazing back for a minute before choosing his shots, ammo began to run low "You read?"
[Just sit tight, I'm coming]
"That's nto a good idea, they're all over the place down here and... these ones are different!" she said in a frantic manner
[Can you meet us back in the main hall?]
"I'm not sure, Leon, Hurry!" with that radio silence resumed.
Leon looked back at Mark "I know where it is" Mark spoke not giving Leon the chance "Can you get there safely?" Leon not even sure why he was letting people go off alone, but it's not like he could stop the guy even if he tried, Mark was a tank "I know a way" - "Is it safe?" Leon asked "What do you think?" Mark answered before Leon passed him the shotgun "Wait, where are you going?" Mark asked Leon who looked back for a second "I promised I would go back for a friend that's what I'm doing. Watch your ass, anything comes up you get straight back here, no exceptions" Mark nodded before heading off; Leon looked onward again he sighed heavily before moving onward. This is one hell of a first day, join the R.P.D, kill undead cops, definitely a highlight on the resume! Go back for the guy who's probably already dead, this one hits the top of list, of really bad ideas.
More zombie runners dropped down the manhole, falling over one another in pursuit of the living food; Kevin popped out the empty magazine packing in a fresh one, taking pot shots for critical hits. Claire spent her clip, checking her belt "I'm out" nerves high, somewhat losing hope that Leon and Mark would be able to help them in time "There!" Grahams spotted a ladder that lead back up to the surface "Go, go!" Kevin ordered staying back while Claire went for the ladder, Grahams hurried up first "C'mon" Her voice cried with urgency as she checked back for him, Kevin spent the last of his magazine blowing a few bloody holes as bodies dropped, blood smeared the vest of his uniform.
The other lurkers pushed past each other swiping at the air desperate for flesh, their decrepid leg muscles worn down wading through water in pursuit "C'mon" Claire screamed offering her hand out to Kevin right below her, his hand reached out for hers. Another arm lowered through the hole, offering itself to help, it was Mark, not blind to the urgency of the situation, yanking her up. Kevin right behind quickly grabbed the rusted iron rungs and made his way up, a stray lurker suddenly grabbed his leg, it's nails cracking apart down his boot before promptly receiving a fatal kick, losing half its face in the process. Mark used the crowbar he found, to drag the manhole lid back across to seal it, just as the creatures themselves attempted to ascend the ladder *THUD*. "A minute longer, and you'd be picking what's left us from their teeth!" Claire thought, her body still pumping with adrenaline, and her head filled with a flurry of startlingly violent scenarios, none of them ending well. "Impeccable timing, friend!." Grahams spoke a hint of humor within his voice, trying to hold on to some semblance of sanity amidst the nights events so far "Thank you." Claire spoke gratefully, Mark who seemed a little worse for wear "You okay?" - "Yeah I'm fine" he answered "Where's Leon?" Claire asked worriedly.