BANG!
Before the empty casing had even landed on the ground, all of the survivors were awake an scrambling out of their bedrolls, while a few had even managed to get a gun in hand. However, the sight of Alice holding Ryan's smoking Beretta made everyone relax and lower their own guns.
"Alright, listen up! Claire has some important news we've just learned! She's going to explain, so be quiet!" Alice called out in a loud voice, handing Ryan back his pistol.
Claire immediately stepped forward and began her speech. "We've just learned that there is a community of survivors, infection free, and secured. It's a walled city, going by the name of Sanctuary. However, we know almost nothing about what's inside, all we know is that it is highly organized, and has a large population. Our source explained that to be allowed entry, we have to pass both a T-Virus check, but also a normal disease screening. But, before we even go there..." She paused to gather herself before continuing. "Is there anyone here that wishes to NOT live in Sanctuary? Who wants to stay out on the road, like we've done since the very beginning. All in favour of Sanctuary, stand with Alice and Ryan... Anyone who wants to stay on the road... Go back to sleep. It's your descision."
Claire stepped back beside Ryan, making her own choice very clear. She wanted to go to Sanctuary.
Murmuring rose through the assembled survivors for several seconds, then... one by one, they all approached Alice and Ryan.
"That settles it then... We're heading for Sanctuary." Claire declared loudly. "Pack up, we're moving out!"
In record fast time, the convoy were back on the road, but this time, Alice and Ryan were riding on her bike in the lead of the pack, Katie was driving their pickup truck, and everyone else was in their respective rides as they followed Alice back to their new destination.
Arriving fifteen minutes later, Alice turned to Ryan and said. "We'd best explain our... family condition to the right people with authority, lest we find ourselves with some unneeded attention, okay Itoshii?"
"Got it. We'd better find that girl's mother. It seems as if the woman has a fair degree of power inside Sanctuary." Ryan replied as he swung his leg over the bike and began to walk alongside Alice as they approached the gate.
An armed guard carrying an AK47 met them at the gate, eyeing them carefully. Alice explained that they'd rescued Taylor earlier and were invited inside by her.
The guard radioed for a medical team, and a woman named Michelle. He received a positive reply, and told Alice to wait before anyone could be allowed inside just yet. He turned back and left the triage area, entering the gates beyond.
Immediately Ryan turned to Alice with a glint in his eye. She instantly sensed it as well, dozens of infected were approaching from the east.
"Claire! We've got zombies coming from the right side! We'll handle them!" Alice yelled for Claire, who was standing near her Hummer. Claire gave a thumbs up, but reached for her M4 all the same.
Ryan instantly began to sprint towards the crowd of zombies that was approaching, drawing his katana while Alice followed right behind him with her kukris. Together they charged the horde head on, and within three minutes, they'd cleared them all out without a single one breaking through them.
"I counted a total of forty four." Ryan said as he sheathed his katana. "Let's get back to the gate so we can get inside the triage to relatively more safety." He began to walk back, and Alice fell into step beside him, enjoying her adrenaline rush after the battle. This very well could be her last one for a long time...
When they reached the gate, they were met by an auburn haired woman and a dozen doctors, plus twice their number in armed guards. Ryan immediately caught the woman's menacing aura, and he already knew she was the leader of all of Sanctuary.
"Who are you?" She demanded the instant that Alice approached, seemingly mistaking Ryan as Alice's bodyguard. It seemed that she also mistook Alice for the leader of their group as well.
"I'm Alice, you must be Michelle." Alice replied somewhat cautiously. Ryan could tell from both of their body language they were having a silent battle of wills. These were powerful, confident women.
"That is correct. Are you the leader of your group?" Michelle asked, glancing at Ryan in the corner of her eye. "And who is this big brute you have in tow?"
"This is my husband. And, no. I'm just a lieutenant. Shall I retrieve our leader?" Alice replied warily, pointedly hiding Ryan's name.
"Send him." Michelle indicated Ryan with her gaze. "I don't like the look of him."
Ryan turned to Alice, scowling lividly behind his mask. "The nerve of this woman!" He said angrily. "But, I'll go get Claire... Give me a chance to cool off, I guess."
"Itoshii, go fetch Claire. Tell her she's needed at the gates." Alice spoke vocally, turning to him in a calm slowness.
Ryan nodded, and turned on his heel, leaving Michelle and Alice to stare at each other with narrowed eyes.
"Itoshii... so that's his name, huh?" Michelle commented, crossing her arms over her chest.
"No." Alice replied flatly. "It's Japanese for 'Darling.' He can introduce himself, he isn't a dog like you seem to think he is."
"I can see why your leader made you a lieutenant instead of your husband. You've got some serious balls." Michelle smiled as Ryan returned with Claire in tow. "But then again, maybe you've got him so whipped, not even you can notice he's actually wrapped right around your little finger."
"Claire, this is Michelle, the leader of this place." Alice indicated Michelle through the fence when she came up to them, with Ryan standing between Alice and Claire protectively.
The small glance that Claire gave to Ryan at that moment meant to Alice that he'd explained what had been exchanged between them so far. She then turned her gaze to Michelle and nodded.
"Claire Redfield. I'm the leader of this convoy. You've obviously met two of my lieutenants already." Claire indicated Ryan and Alice with her hand. "So, shall I be blunt, Michelle, is it?"
"Yes, Miss Redfield, let's not beat around the bush." Michelle replied, shifting her weight to one leg. She hid her anger well, but not well enough for Ryan to detect the stiffening in her arms against her chest and the flaring of her nostrils.
"That's right, bitch. I'm a lieutenant, not a dog like you think I am." He smiled happily behind his mask. Alice caught his comment, and could tell that Claire had called him that without his incentive. She trusted him enough to be promoted.
"We want to enter Sanctuary, pending your permission, that is." Claire stated, putting her hands on her hips.
Alice, Claire and Michelle were all silent for several long seconds, and even Ryan could feel the electrifying buzz in the air surrounding the three most powerful women he'd met. His wife... his leader... and his new mayor...
Where was his mother while this was happening? Then there'd be a full blown WAR between the four of them!
"Line up all your children. I'll have them screened first, then your adults, then finally your lieutenants. However, you and this big brute will be screened last. Is that understood, Miss Redfield?"
"If I may..." Alice spoke up, taking a distinctive step towards Ryan and wrapping her hands around his forearm. "My husband and I would like to be screened together, with our daughter. After Claire, if you would be so kind."
"Your husband hasn't said a word since you've arrived. What are you hiding, Alice? Are you bitten?!" Michelle instantly demanded, but Alice cut her off.
"No. We're not bitten. But the three of us have some explaining to do, pertaining to the T-Virus. So, while the rest of our convoy is being screened for entry, the three of us shall wait outside, guarding those that have yet to enter your triage. Once everyone has been screened, we shall enter to be screened, together. Deal? Then we can talk."
Michelle scowled lividly at Alice's determined tone, but she nodded anyway. "Fine. But I also want to know why your husband doesn't talk. Now, Claire, except for their daughter, gather all your children for a screening."
Claire shot daggers at Alice's reference to Ryan as her husband. However, with a silent look from Alice that read 'We'll talk later', she nodded once and returned to the convoy's schoolbus to announce the conditions for a screening.
A moment later, Katie arrived to see Ryan and Alice, cradling her MP7 in her hands, and Ryan noticed that her K-BAR was back in place on her shoulder after Ryan took over the usage of her katana.
"So this is your daughter... She takes after her father quite well..." Michelle commented quietly, but Alice clearly heard her.
"Except for her eyes. Her eyes are heterochromatic. They've been like that for years." Alice replied casually, holding her M3 across her chest in the same manner as Ryan and Katie were holding their guns. Her finger curled and uncurled around the trigger of the shotgun in an absentminded manner.
Michelle said nothing in reply, and continued to corral the survivors from Claire's convoy into lines through the fence, then ordered the line of children to enter.
Throughout the process, Claire, Ryan, Alice, Katie and the other lieutenants - Betty, Carlos, Chase, Mikey, Otto and LJ were on guard duty, protecting everyone else, who by Claire's orders, had been stripped of their weapons until they'd either been allowed inside, or if they'd been denied and forced back outside.
It took the next three hours for the entire convoy to be screened, and finally, after Claire was cleared for entry, it was time for Alice, Ryan and Katie to be screened.
"I'll bet you that Michelle gets pissed off about our little... how did you put it? 'Family condition'?" Ryan joked as he followed Alice and Katie through the gate and - very reluctantly - handed ALL of his guns and his katana over to one of the guards.
"She won't like it, that's for sure." Katie replied Telepathically, also handing over her weapons to a guard.
"Settle down you two." Alice reminded them, also Telepathically. "Just let me handle this woman. She's talked to me the most, plus she knows you're mute, Itoshii." Alice handed over her M3 and Glocks, then her kukris after a moment of hesitation.
Ryan noticed right away at that moment that - like himself - neither of them had revealed their wrist blades existence to the guards. He smiled behind the safety of his mask. This was going to be a delicate conversation to begin with... The aftermath is going to be damn near explosive...
"Alice... You said we'd talk..." Michelle stared at her pointedly, while the six guards flanking her aimed their guns at Ryan, Alice and Katie. "So start talking." She ordered.