Start of the Apocalypse Chapter 1, a resident evil series fanfic

The number you are calling has been disconnected.

Something isn't right. Something clearly isn't right. Why was every number she tried suddenly disconnected. They were taken offline. Clearly, something has happened. But what. She's even tried calling Alice's third phone, but she isn't picking that one up either.

Which in itself was weird when Alice handed her the number to her third phone two weeks ago saying just in case something happens. She tried to ask what Alice meant by that. But the woman deflected her questions using work as an excuse. But Jill isn't stupid. Umbrella is a sketchy company, but Alice was never sketchy. Yes, she was secretive about her work but never like this.

For weeks now it seemed like Alice was on edge. Whenever she asked what was wrong Alice would just mutter work. She tried to act nonchalantly about everything, but Jill could see that Alice was scared of something. At first, with Alice being so weird, distant and secretive she had suspected that Alice was cheating on her. There were phone calls in the middle of the night. Calls Alice would get defensive about. That was until two weeks ago before she handed her the number to her secret third phone, she heard Alice talking to someone called Lisa. Whoever Lisa was Alice was trying to convince Lisa to let her in on this. That she was a part of the Special Tactics and Rescue Squad and that she could help them. Lisa was against it though.

She still doesn't know who Lisa is. Other than someone Alice is working with. Jill does know that the two of them would meet up on days off having coffee or going out for lunch. Again if it wasn't for her overhearing that one call Jill would be sure that Alice was cheating on her with Lisa. but After that call, she didn't know what to make of the situation. Nothing was making sense. Until Alice decided it was time to tell her something was going on.

Alice doesn't trust easily. Jill has learnt that very quickly and learnt just how difficult it could be to get Alice to open up to her. Even now two years into their relationship she can still see flickers of doubt and uneasiness when Alice talks about her past. The constant waiting for the other shoe to drop. The way Alice will start talking about something and then suddenly grow quiet watching her wearily. It's not Alice's fault. She knows that. Knows that Alice is trying so hard to be more open with her. That Alice does trust her more than almost anyone else in her life. But there are moments when Alice's past will rear its head. And Alice will doubt everything and everyone around her. Herself the most. It's in these times that Jill is thankful that Alice does trust her. That she allows Jill to be around her when everything gets too heavy and shares the overwhelming pressure with her.

The more she learns about Alice and what she has had to endure the more hate Jill feels towards Alice's father and his friends. The more she hates Umbrella. The more she seriously completes mass murder. Alice is strong, a force to be reckoned with but so very fragile when you see past her mask. One Alice willingly revealed to her because she trusted Jill to do so. And Jill knows she is one of only at most seven people to ever see the real Alice. And seeing that just made her love the other woman more. Made her want to protect her from all the shit she had to suffer through.

Jill remembers the last time she saw Alice.

Entering her apartment Jill freezes seeing that the lights are on and there is music coming from the kitchen. Hand reaching for the gun she slowly starts heading towards the source of the sound. The smell of garlic hits her nose causing her to relax a little. Walking into her kitchen to be greeted by the sight of Alice standing in her kitchen wearing her old grey STARS hoodie. One which Alice claimed for herself saying it was soft and comfy. In return, Jill had stolen Alice's dark blue FC Dynamo Kyiv hoodie.

Alice hearing her enter the apartment looked up from cooking offering her a soft smile. The one that makes Jill's heart flutter. "Hi," Alice says uncharacteristically shyly. Jill sneaks a peak at what Alice is whipping up for the two of them. Garlic and chilli shrimp with sourdough for a starter. Pancetta fettuccine in a garlic cream with tomato and chilli garlic bread. And a banoffee tart for dessert.

Her stomach rumbles at the sight of it. It all smells delicious. As Alice's cooking usually is. Her mouth salivates which she discreetly hides behind taking a drink of the red wine Alice has put out for her. This certainly beats the instant noodles she was going to make when she got in. She is nowhere as skilled in the kitchen as Alice is.

It's not an unusual sight. Alice likes to cook and is surprisingly very good at it. Before Alice took the higher paid job which meant she was living on site twenty four seven Jill would usually come home to find Alice waiting for her with dinner ready. It was all very domestic of them. At first, Alice was going to turn down the job but then one day Alice came home and talked about taking the job and what it would mean for them.

However, given Alice's promotion times like this have happened less and less. Nonetheless, Jill can't help but smile at the scene in front of her. She's missed this. She's missed, Alice. The time they have together has been very limited recently. Most of their interactions have been over the phone.

"Hey yourself," Jill answers taking off her jacket and throwing it over the couch. "What's all this." She waves her hands over the mini feast has prepared for them.

"An apology," Alice replies stirring the pasta. At her raised eyebrow Alice expands on her answer. "I haven't been a very good girlfriend recently. I know I have been weird and distant. I know your worried about me. And I'm sorry about."

"We knew it would be difficult when you were offered the job," Jill says reaching over the counter to claim Alice's hand that isn't stirring the pasta sauce. They had talked about when Alice was offered the job. It was supposed to be a nine-month assignment while Umbrella looked for a more permanent replacement for Alice's predecessors.

Five months in but it feels so much longer.

Alice nods stroking the back of her hand with her thumb. "I know. But I'm still sorry for making it harder than it should be." Jill wonders if she should push for more information about what is going on with Alice. Thankfully it seems that Alice makes that decision for her. "Something is happening," Alice admits quietly. "Umbrella is doing something it shouldn't be. And I can't say anything more than that for now. There's an investigation taking place but it's bad Jill. It's really really bad."

The tint of fear in Alice's voice has her on edge. She's personally never liked Umbrella. Most of her coworkers feel the same. But Alice was different. Jill can feel the tremble in her partner's hand. If she's afraid of what Umbrella is doing, you know it's bad. "Are you in danger." Is the first thing she asks needing to know how much trouble Alice is in.

Alice is silent for a few moments. "At the moment no."

That was not reassuring at all. "But that could change." Jill pushes feeling her heart race pick up. The thought of Alice in danger. She knows that her girlfriend is a very skilled individual but everything about this situation just screams danger to her.

The blonde closes her eyes taking a deep breath before answering. "I don't know. My position makes me safer than most people. But I still don't like where I'm sat." Jill goes to ask Alice to quit. To get as far away from what is happening as possible. Sensing her thoughts Alice adds on. "If I could get out I would. But I can't. I need to see it through. If all goes to plan everything should be done by the end of the week."

"And if it doesn't go to plan." Jill dreads the answer Alice will give her.

One which Alice gives making her feel worse about the situation. "Then my father Issacs and Alicia will get involved." She pauses turning off the stove and making her way around the counter taking both of Jill's hands and tugging them to wrap around her waist while her arms come around her shoulders. Alice leans her head against Jill's. "Alicia has my back on this. She was the one who offered me the promotion and had me looking into things." Alice leans forward planting a quick kiss on her lips. "I wouldn't worry about anything yet."

A small, depleted of humour laugh escapes Jill at this. "You know I will worry anyways." Nothing about this sounds good.

A flicker of a smile tugs at Alice's lips. "Yeah. I know."

Shaking her head Jill reaches up to cup Alice's face. "Promise me you will be safe."

No doubt seeing how serious Jill was being despite how Alice tried to brush out the extreme risks she was putting herself in Alice's hand comes up to cover Jill's. Matching her tone Alice makes her own promise. "I promise to be as careful as I can be. And I promise once it's over you'll be the first person I come and see. Trust me."

The memory has been repeating over and over again in her mind. She should have done more. Should have pushed for more information. Should have done anything it get Alice to back out then and there. Or at the very least get Alicia's number for when things when pear shaped. "Fucking bullshit." Jill slams her phone down on the table loud enough to make her co-workers jump at the sudden sound.

Uneasy eyes jump to one another as they watch the aggravated Jill glaring menacingly down at her phone. People are well aware that pissing her off never ends well and no one wants to be dealing with a pissed off version of her. "You alright Valentine," Peyton asks cautiously.

Peyton sits on the corner of his desk watching his friend show probably more emotion in one sitting than he has ever seen her produced. Other than pissed that is. That may be what she is showing her, but this isn't Jill pissed angry. No this is Jill pissed and worried. "No." Jill shakes her head. Her hands coming up to cover her face while her elbows lean on the desk holding her up. "I can't get a hold of Alice."

"I'm sure everything's alright." Jill scoffs at Peyton's weak attempt at making her feel better. He means well but that isn't helping the situation. Jill shakes her head in her answer. "Jill, you know how secretive Umbrella can be about everything. Alice is probably stuck in boring meetings." She isn't stupid. She knows that sometimes she can't get a hold of the blonde due to incidents wherever she works but that's normally resolved within a day. It's never been like this before.

And it's never been following Alice telling her she's investigating something nefarious going on behind the scenes at Umbrella's secret lab. Jill's voice goes quieter not wanting everyone around her to hear this conversation. Fucking nosy coppers. Meeting his eyes Jill lets the fear that keeps building in her chest free. "Peyton It's been six days."

The calming and comforting smile Peyton was sending instantly slips from his face as her words sink in. He looks away from her and that's all the confirmation she needs that she really isn't making a bigger deal out of this than it should be.

As cops, they know how vital the first twenty-four hours are in someone going missing. That after forty-eight the chances of finding the individual alive drop significantly. So, for Alice to be gone for six days the odds don't look good.

The first day she was gone she didn't think much of it. It wouldn't be the first time Alice has gone a day without a contract apart from sending her a good night message or if it's really late a good morning message for her to wake up to. By the second day, Jill was starting to feel the worry build but pushed it aside. Alice told her she was dealing with shit at work, and it was supposed to be over by the end of the week. Maybe she pulled an all day and nighter and is crashed out somewhere recovering from what happened. She called but the call went straight to voice mail.

When day three turned around now Jill knew something wasn't right. She tried calling Alice again. And when that didn't work, she tried calling Spencer. Yet again both calls went to voice mail. Calling Alice's office there was no reply either. Nor was there at Alice's place of living.

Day four she was calling everyone she could think of. Shade didn't pick up. Rain didn't pick up. Chad didn't pick up. JD didn't pick up. Megan didn't pick up. Ryan didn't pick. Joe didn't pick up. Everyone who Alice was friends wasn't answering. Everyone who would have been deployed had something gone wrong at the facility had gone dark.

On Day Five she was calling the Umbrella Hospital in the city to try and get answers. One of their first buildings and one that everyone used daily. A hospital owned by Umbrella and staffed with their workers. That was suddenly closed off to the public. No one that was authorised in or out. They claimed it was for renovations and upgrades to equipment, but Jill knew that wasn't true.

Umbrella is hiding something. Something Alice was trying to uncover. And now she's missing, and Umbrella is hiding behind it's castle walls.

"Six days," Jill repeats almost numbly. "With no word whatsoever to me." She had tried. Tried everything she could think of. On day four when no one was picking she had thought about going to the police. Surely her co-workers would help her find out what happened. But this Umbrella. If they wanted something hidden it gets hidden. All they would officially say is that the secret lab Alice is working at doesn't exist and that Agent Abernathy is off on a covert mission. Case closed. "Peyton if this was someone outside of Umbrella you know exactly what we would be thinking."

By day six of someone being missing they would assume the person is dead. They wouldn't say this to the families obviously. But they would all be thinking it. Without any new leads, the trail would go cold, and they would start looking towards the next case.

"But this isn't someone outside of Umbrella." Peyton gently says as if talking to a spooked animal. Which given Jill's current mental state isn't that far off. "This is Alice. The head of security at Umbrella. She can handle herself just fine."

That was never in question. But that doesn't change the fact she's been awol for six days "She was scared." Jill mumbles. Still, the thought of Alice being so scared of what was happening she was shaking at the thought of it makes her feel sick. She should have pushed more. Anything to make Alice act like could only mean the worst.

Even Peyton who has only met Alice a few times understands what that statement means. "What."

"She couldn't tell me anything, but Umbrella was up to something that scared her," Jill tells him her emotions varying between fear and anger. Anger at herself for letting Alice go back there without back up or more information and anger at Umbrella for whatever fucked up shit they were doing down there.

"Alice scared. I didn't think that was possible." Peyton tries to lighten the conversation. To make it sound less horrific than it actually is. Just like Alice did the last time she saw her to make her feel better about what was happening.

"Peyton this isn't funny." Jill snaps. The anger in her winning this round of emotional conflict. "Whatever Umbrella were doing terrified her. And now she's disappeared."

"Jill." Peyton tries to soothe her. Tries to calm her but she doesn't want that. She wants someone to be as clearly distressed about this as she is.

"And not just her." Jill pushes on ignoring Peyton glaring off to the side of him. "I can't get a hold of Spencer, Shade, Rain, JD, Chad, Megan, Ryan or Joe. I can't reach security or the house. I can't reach any of them. All their numbers have been discounted. Peyton, I'm telling you something isn't right with Umbrella."

Not reaching them is one thing. But all their numbers being disconnected means someone has proposed gone through each and every one of their numbers and taken them offline. It means Umbrella is fully aware of whatever happened and is trying to cover it up.

But cover what up.

"Nothing about Umbrella is right." Vickers jokes dragging his chair over to the two of them smirking at her. Joining in on their private conversation only hearing the last sentence she said.

God, does she want to smack that smirk off of his face. "Shut the fuck up, Vickers." Jill turns her ire towards him.

"I'm not the only one who thinks it." He raises his hand gesturing to the whole office.

Peyton interferes before she could actually kill him. "This isn't the time for this Vickers." The blonde douche goes to say something else but once again Peyton cuts him off. "Go and get the Captain." When Vickers makes no movement to that order Peyton joins in with Jill glaring daggers at him. "Now Vickers."

Rolling his eyes Vickers stands up kicking his chair back towards his desk heading towards the Captain's office. "Why is he getting the Cap."

"Because we are going to need all the help, we can get in finding your girl," Peyton tells her resting a hand on her shoulder. "If Umbrella is up to something we need to find out. But more importantly, we need to find Alice. I have your back. No matter what comes."

"Thank you." She says far more earnestly than she would normally allow but this isn't normal times. Whatever has happened she swears she will find out. She will find Alice. A part of her refuses to believe that Alice is dead. It's entirely possible and even likely. But a part of her won't allow herself to admit that.

Please be alive Alice. I can't lose you.