10

Claire looked upward toward the room where the little girl had taken refuge. As she did, her eyes moved to her left, and she noticed a retracted ladder that could be their way out. Her eyes returned to the little room once more.

"Hey! Little girl..!? Claire called "It's safe now...it's over"

Leon and Claire watched as a small figure appeared on the walkway above. She looked down nervously, scanning the vast space below.

"Are you sure?" the little girl called back.

"Yeah, I promise. Everything's fine. I just need you to lower that ladder for us"

The little girl's eyes fell upon Leon, and she smiled a little.

"You were telling the truth, "the little girl called "he is one of the good guys, so will you both help me find my mom?"

"Your mom is down here?" Claire replied, side-eyeing Leon with concern.

"I think so. I hope so..." The girl replied.

Claire looked back to the girl above

"Yeah...of course we'll help you"

The girl smiled back, and played about with the ladder until, with a click, it extended to the floor below.

Claire climbed the ladder, followed by Leon, and when they both reached the top, the little girl seemed more relaxed. Claire dropped onto her knees in front of the little girl "So," she started "What's your name, sweetie?" the little girl started wringing her hands when she looked nervously at Leon.

Leon smiled and crouched down onto a knee next to Claire. "My name's Leon," he said.

"I know," the girl answered "I mean, I remember...when this nice lady told me so before"

"Oh yeah," Leon replied. "I'd forgotten that Claire here had already dropped my name. Guess I'm taking too many hits in the head from the bad guys, huh?"

The girl suddenly smiled. "Or eating too many for breakfast?" She replied. Leon smirked with a raised brow, and Claire let out a small laugh. The little girl laughed with Claire, and then said, "My name is Sherry. It's nice to meet you."

The trio started to make their way across the walkway; Sherry walked close to Claire's side, while Leon led a few paces ahead.

"So," Claire began, "what's your mom like?"

"She works at Umbrella. She's making an important new medicine" Sherry replied.

"Umbrella? That big pharmaceutical company?" Claire questioned.

Sherry nodded "My mom's always at work. I don't get to see her much"

"Well, hopefully, you'll get to see her again soon. So... where's your dad?"

Claire noticed that Sherry had started wringing her hands again.

"He, um...worked with my mom but...he's gone"

Oh...damn...I'm Sorry... Claire thought, and placed a gentle hand onto Sherry's shoulder as they continued to move forward

Claire said, "Both of my parents are gone too. It's just me and my brother now."

"Oh...I'm Sorry..." Sherry replied.

"Don't be," Claire smiled "it means we've got something in common and that's a good thing, right?"

Sherry nodded, as the three entered a small room at the end of the walkway.

"Leon's your brother?" Sherry asked, as the young cop inspected a ladder leading upwards towards a maintenance hole.

"No" Claire replied, smiling back.

"Then...," Sherry started again "are you guys, like, boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"No," Leon said, turning away from the ladder. "We're just…" He looked at Claire awkwardly, and continued. "Well, we actually just met a few hours ago."

"Yeah," Claire quickly agreed, but then smirked. "Turning out to be one helluva first date, though"

"Yeah, you have no idea," Leon quipped, and he turned back to the ladder. "It looks like this is our way out" Leon called over his shoulder. "I'll go first, and call down if it's safe."

"Okay," Claire replied, and she watched as Leon disappeared up the ladder.

"Leon's kinda cute tho," Sherry suddenly blurted out "So maybe you guys should go on a real date after we're safe"

"Sherry!" Claire exclaimed, with half a laugh.

"You don't think so?" Sherry questioned, without a trace of humour

Oh my god... kids!

Claire hoped the sound hadn't carried up the shaft, and decided she needed to shut this train of conversation down, before her cheeks turned as red as her jacket.

"A word of advice, Sherry," Claire smiled, whispering. "Stay well away from the pretty boys; they're nothing but trouble."

"So! You do think he's cute!" exclaimed Sherry.

Claire then wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

If Leon had heard the exchange, he didn't show it as he beckoned to Claire, who was about to climb the ladder.

"Wait!" he suddenly cried out, and Claire watched as he turned his head to the left. A low, rumbling growl echoed around the parking lot. Leon moved forward with his firearm ready and strained his hearing, trying to get a fix on the menacing sound, but with the low light he couldn't see anything. Claire's eyes didn't move from the opening above. Then she saw it. A dark shadow, that leaped across the gap.

"LEON!" Claire shouted from below, causing the young cop to turn back just as the shadow launched itself, knocking him to the ground. At the sound of the savage growls from above, Claire turned to Sherry.

"Stay here!" She cried and raced back towards the ladder.

A dog had Leon pinned against the floor, snapping its jaws ferociously while Leon pushed with all his strength against the dog's neck to keep the vicious teeth away from his throat. From its appearance of hanging flesh and exposed bones, the beast was obviously one of the undead, and Leon reached desperately for the firearm he had lost during the fall.

"Get off me!" Leon seethed, his fingertips brushing at the base of his gun.

Claire made it to the top of the maintenance hole, and her anxious gaze fell on her vulnerable friend.

A loud bang was heard, and Leon inhaled as he watched part of the dogs face disappear from the violence of the bullet. The dog fell beside Leon, and the young cop expected to hear Claire, but the feminine voice he heard was not one he recognised.

"Hey"

Leon turned towards the voice.

"Who is that?" he questioned

"Stay sharp" the voice commanded.

Leon turned toward the sudden motion to his right, shot the dog before it could surprise him again, and then turned his gun on the stranger as she appeared from the shadows.

The woman in dark shades and a trench coat commanded, "Lower it."

"You first!" Claire suddenly seethed from across the lot.

Unfazed by the situation, the woman half-turned toward Claire.

"FBI" The woman announced after flashing an I.D

Leon lowered his firearm, and signaled for Claire to do the same.

"Sorry," Leon said, as he got back on his feet "Thank you for your help"

The woman scoffed as she passed between them. "Surprised you made it this far."

"FBI, huh?" Leon said to the strangers back as she passed "What's going on here?"

"Sorry. That information's classified"

"Where are you going?" Leon asked the stranger as Claire approached his side.

The woman stopped, and abruptly turned towards the pair.

"Do yourselves a favour; stop asking questions and get the hell out of here" she stated, and moved forwards across the parking lot towards a doorway in the shadows

"HEY! I'm not done talking to you!" Leon called, and he moved to follow when Claire took his arm

"Leon, forget about her; we need to get out of here!"

"I know," Leon replied "I just thought we might finally be able to get some damn answers"

Claire understood his frustration. The mystery woman was extremely evasive, which told Claire that she probably knew exactly what had gone down in the city. Claire figured that they'd find out what had happened eventually; it was bound to be splashed all over the national media. But first, they'd have to get out alive. "I'm gonna get Sherry from below," Claire said. "Then we're getting the hell out of here."