After leaving the atrium, BJ and Claire entered a small waiting room on the second floor.
"I didn't ask this before, but who turns a museum into a police station?" the brunette asked, reading a pamphlet she found on the main desk.
"The city built a new museum years ago and decided to use the old building for the RCPD. This place is pretty old, so they must have thought about keeping it for the sake of the city's history or something like that." replied the Marine, using the 'Spade' key to unlock the door that would help lead them to the courtyard Marvin pointed them toward.
Opening the door, they stepped out into the dark hallway on the other side. The path to the left was blocked by a metal shutter and the door across from the one they went through held paintings and statues and not much else.
They had just started going down the only available path to their objective when an a loud crash suddenly rocked the entire building. Making them both stagger about.
"What the hell was that?!" Claire shouted. BJ jogged the rest of the way with the young Redfield behind him, smoke billowed from around the corner of the hallway, filling the small space quickly and forcing them to go out the door leading to the fire escape outside.
The sight that greeted them when they stepped out into the pouring rain was both unexpected and horrifying.
A helicopter had crashed into the side of the police station. The compartment, propellers and cockpit a mangled mess that sparked among the debris of the hallway it now rested within. From where they were standing, the duo could make out the pilot, but he wasn't moving.
"Shit..." BJ muttered as he surveyed the wreckage. Claire shined her light over it, hoping to see any sign of life and was disappointed.
"Hey! Hey you up there!"
The partners looked over the railing and saw the young man Marvin had shown them on the CCTV cameras. "Is there anyway you can help get me inside?!" he called up to them.
"Hang on, we're on our way down!" the Marine shouted back as he and Claire went down the steps while the survivor tried to open the door leading out of the courtyard.
"Dammit." he cursed, finding the gated door locked tight. "You two alright? That chopper just came out of nowhere."
"We've been through worse." said Claire. "Got a name, stranger?"
"Leon. Leon Kennedy. I got into town not long ago and ran into...well..." Leon trailed off.
"Zombies?" BJ finished for him. He caught sight of the RPD patch on the shirt under his jacket. "You a cop?"
Leon nodded, "Yeah, supposed to be my first day on the job. Are there others inside?"
Claire and BJ shared a look, "There's another officer, Marvin Branagh. But he's injured, bitten. He's not going to make it much longer." the young Redfield stated.
"Shit..." the rookie cursed, running a hand through his hair. "I take it neither of you have a key to get through this?" he asked while rattling the gate.
"Sorry, no. Most of the building is sealed off. The corpses have this place overrun too." said BJ. "There might be another entrance on the other side of the building, if you hurry and keep quiet you might-"
The chopper behind them exploded, the fuel leaking from the tanks getting ignited from the damaged circuitry and sending flaming debris raining down in different directions.
The trio slowly stood back up, BJ having used his body to shield Claire from the blast just incase. "Fuck. Just when shit can't get any worse." the Marine muttered as the shrill sound of the stations fire alarms rang loudly.
Claire looked through the fence and tensed up. "Leon, you need to get moving. Now!" she said when she saw the iron fence on the other side of the courtyard start to shake violently as the horde of undead on the other side rammed themselves against it.
"Get to safety you two." the young officer said, drawing his weapon.
"Yeah, yeah, we're good. Worry about yourself rookie, MOVE!" BJ shouted, firing his own weapon through the gate when a zombie got too close to Leon who nodded his thanks to the Marine before running off down the path and out of sight.
More undead started to make themselves known and the duo thought it best to get back inside before they were boxed in.
Not wanting to try their luck with the burning hallway back where they had come from, they tried the door on the ground floor. BJ grabbed a pair of bolt cutters laying near an open toolbox and used them to cut the chain keeping the door sealed shut, allowing entry.
"Marvin, it's bad out here. There's zombie's everywhere!" Claire said into her radio.
But she received no response.
"Marvin? Marvin are you there? Marvin?!" the brunette looked at her radio, "Something's wrong."
"We need to get back there." said BJ seriously as they stepped into the building out of the rain. Finding themselves in the East Corridor they had been in back when they first got to the station.
A zombie that had been facing away from the door turned around and was swiftly met with the heavy end of the bolt cutters, caving it's skull in and sending it hard to the floor.
Shaking the blood off the tool, BJ went toward the double doors past the watchman's office and cut away the chain on them as well. Kicking the doors open, he and Claire stormed the large office room beyond filled with desks.
The duo made quick work of taking out the zombies roaming around before they split up and searched for anything useful.
Claire managed to find 9mm bullets, a flashbang grenade and a large fuse that looked like it would fit the missing circuit box for the shutter at the end of the East Corridor.
As for the Marine, after clearing out a few desks he checked the small office separate from the rest of the room and found a bright red valve wheel sitting on the lone desk. Remembering the steam blocking the way back in the men's locker room, he dropped the bolt cutters and picked up the valve before rejoining Claire back in the main room.
"Found some bullets, a grenade and a fuse for the shutter outside." the brunette reported her findings.
"I found us a way through that steam wall up on the second floor." BJ said holding up the valve. "Lets get back to the atrium."
After removing the chairs and books used to barricade the other set of double doors, they stepped back out into the corridor. Thankful that there weren't any undead in their way, Claire snapped the fuse in the proper place and the shutter immediately started raising, allowing them entry back into the main atrium.
"Marvin?" the young Redfield called out, her voice echoing through the spacious room. The duo went up toward the Goddess statue, expecting the worst when they found the Lieutenant laying on the bench he had been sitting on.
BJ went to the man's side and checked his pulse, his skin was very pale, hot to the touch and clammy. But he could feel a faint pulse beneath his fingers.
"He's alive...but not doing well." he said before turning to his companion. "Whatever the hell this virus is, it's ravaging him from the inside out."
"Isn't there anything we can do for him?" Claire implored, wanting to do something, anything, for the man that had helped them.
The Marine shook his head, "There's nothing we can do, Claire. Just make him comfortable."
X
After setting up a cot and getting the Lieutenant situated on it and being sure he was comfortable, BJ and Claire took a few minutes to go through their supplies before going back out into the station again.
BJ was dealing with their ammo situation, refilling clips and speed-loaders while taking stock in what they had left.
"Six mags, five speed-loaders and a handful of spare rounds." the Marine thought as he looked over their munitions. They also had a full box of shotgun shells and the flashbang grenade Claire had found.
It wasn't much, but it would get them through if they conserved their ammo.
"Shit!" he looked up hearing Claire's curse, seeing her struggling with the portable lockbox she'd found in the locker room. Pressing the buttons on the case and trying to light up the green lights in the right order.
"There's gotta be something important in here if it's that hard to-" she stopped when all the lights came on in the right sequence and made a soft jingle before the lockbox popped open. "Yes! Now let's see what's..." The brunette gave another yip of excitement when she pulled out a keycard that had 'Weapons Locker Keycard' imprinted on the front.
"Something good?" asked BJ.
"The keycard for that weapon locker!" Claire replied holding up her prize.
The Marine grinned, "Then we know our first stop before hitting the upper levels." After dividing their supplies between them, they immediately set out to the weapon storage room.
Using the 'Spade' key to unlock the office BJ had scoured through earlier and making a shortcut to where they needed to go. Reaching the locker that held a W-870 shotgun and a GM-79 grenade launcher with ammo for each on the shelves beside them.
Claire swiped the card through the reader and unlocked the cage, pulling the door open and allowing them to claim their new weapons. The young Redfield staking claim on the grenade launcher while BJ picked up the shotgun.
"This, will make things a lot easier." the Marine said as he loaded fresh shells into the shotgun. He looked up and saw Claire slipping an explosive round into the launcher while stashing the rest in her pack. "Might want to save those as best you can, we're still in tight quarters here."
"Trust me, I'm not planning on blowing us up." replied the brunette as she slung the launcher over her shoulder using the strap attached to it.
They left the storage room and made their way toward the stairs, BJ in the front with his new shotgun leading. The boarded window they fixed up the last time they passed through was still holding strong even with a couple of zombies trying to get through.
Going up the steps two at a time, they got to the second level and entered the men's locker room. BJ unclipped the valve wheel from his belt and fixed it into place, cranking it to the right a handful of times until the steam blocking the way turned off to reveal the showers...
With a gaping hole in the wall on the other side leading into the room on the other side.
"What the..." Claire said, approaching the opening with a bewildered expression. Almost the entire wall had been knocked down as if something had gone through it.
"Best not to think about it. For now at least." BJ stated, although he was more than a little concerned of exactly what had caused the damage.
Stepping carefully though to the laundry room on the other side, the duo checked for anything useful before going through the door that opened up to the dark hallway beyond.
Weapons ready, the duo started making their way forward. Cool air brushing against their faces from a shattered window ahead of them that had rain pouring in onto the wooden floors. The sound also filling the silence as they passed a couple of bodies.
Claire stopped suddenly infront of a door to their left. The insignia for the Special Tactics And Rescue Service (STARS) marked on the surface.
"This is the office Chris worked for." she said before opening the door and stepping inside. BJ entered behind her and closed the door before getting a better look at the well lit room.
He'd heard about the STARS a couple years ago. An elite group of specialists that were meant to deal with cases normal law enforcement couldn't handle, similar to SWAT but had a wider skill set in comparison.
With everything that was going on, the Marine couldn't help but wonder where they were during this outbreak.
The place looked like the people who had been here were in the process of packing up. Boxes filled with files and other supplies were scattered around and the radio equipment situated in the back of the room looked like it hadn't been touched in a while.
BJ tried his luck with the radio, hoping to get in contact with someone, anyone, that could help them. But nothing turned on when he flipped the correct switches.
"Dammit." he muttered before turning toward where his companion was.
Claire was over by one of the desks against the far wall that had a leather jacket on a hook beside it bearing an angel on the back, searching through the drawers for something.
"It must have been her brother's desk." the Marine thought, deciding to leave her be for the moment and started looking around to see if the STARS had left something behind.
The first thing he found was the sealed off corner of the room that was similar to the weapon storage area they had just been in. Inside was another gun locker, wide open and revealing a MQ-11 submachine gun and an AR-15 assault rifle inside.
BJ looked at the familiar rifle and immediately tried to open the door, but found it sealed tight with an electronic lock that was connected to the computer set up on the desk next to it.
Trying the computer, his frustration mounted when he was denied entry. Only someone with the proper clearance could gain access to the weapon storage. He sent another look at the automatic weapons and vowed to be back for them later if he could.
Moving on, he tried the desk immediately across from the cage. The name plate on the desk read 'Barry Burton', and from what he could see the man must have been the team's weapon specialist given the many empty weapon mod boxes scattered around.
The Marine came up with a couple pistol clips in the drawers but nothing else. But when he tried the few boxes he found something unexpected.
A small black metal box, no bigger than a calculator with a couple of switches on the front next to an LED read out and a couple of wires sticking out of the top. BJ didn't need his military training to tell him that it was a detonator.
His mind flashed back to the bricks of C4 on the wall he and Claire discovered on the third floor. It was risky, but it might be the only way to get through to the final statue.
Checking the device over, BJ found that it was missing a battery, 9-Volt if he wasn't mistaken. And as luck would have it, there was an open box of them on the desk.
Taking one of the batteries and slipping it into place, the LED display on the detonator came on with a pair of zeros. Ready to be primed and activated.
"Now all we have to do is get back to the attic and-"
"Dammit Chris!" Claire suddenly exclaimed, slamming her fists on the top of her brother's desk. "You couldn't have left something behind?! A note, a phone number, something?!"
The brunette bowed her head, her shoulders shaking as she tried to keep her emotions together. "Where...Where are you big brother?" she muttered softly. A hand on her arm had her looking up into BJ's crystal-blue eyes, showing both concern and sympathy.
His strong arms pulled her into an embrace, firm, but gentle enough for her to push away if she wanted to. Only, the young Redfield had no intention of doing so.
Her face burrowed into the crook of his neck, arms wrapping around his tightly just as the first sob broke through. Within moments she was crying into his uniform jacket, the stress of the nightmare they were in, the anxiety over the well being of her brother, and the crushing loneliness with the thought of losing the only family she had left finally overwhelming her.
BJ was silent, offering the comfort Claire desperately needed in that moment. Though a selfish part of him took comfort from her embrace as well. His own worry for his little sister bleeding through as he held the brunette close.
Right now, they only had each other to make it through this. But at the very least they weren't alone.
X
Several minutes ticked by before the partners broke apart slowly.
"Thanks, BJ...Sorry about-" the Marine held up a hand, cutting Claire off.
"It's fine, Claire. Really. I'm in the same boat as you." BJ replied with a smile of understanding.
Claire looked up at him, biting her lip. "How do you do it? How are you able to keep things together so well?"
Thinking about it a moment, the Marine took a deep breath before answering. "Some of it is due to my training, the rest is my focus to find Sherry. Even though things look slim, she's smart, I know that she's out there, somewhere. Everything else doesn't seem as important until I find her."
"What about me?" asked the brunette, almost regretting it when the words left her mouth. She didn't want to put him on the spot like that after he'd helped her so much. He could have left her behind at that gas station, instead he got her into the city and stuck by her through everything up to this point.
He even offered comfort in her moment of need.
BJ just smiled at her, "We're partners in this, Claire. And I made you a promise too. We're all getting out of this city, together."
Claire smiled back, her stomach fluttering from the soldier's words. Her eyes roaming over his his handsome features a moment before settling on his lips.
Maybe it was the stress of the situation, the constant stream of adrenaline going through her system, or it was simply the fact that she was with someone who she could relate to on many levels. Whatever the reason, the urge to move up the few inches that separated them and press her lips with his was hard to ignore.
From his point of view, BJ was going through something similar. The feelings he experienced before coming back with avengence as he took in the brunette's beautiful features. Despite the few spots of blood and dirt that were visible, she was by far the prettiest thing he'd ever seen.
Without either of them knowing they drew closer to one another. Claire's head tilting up and to the side while BJ leaned down to meet her half-way...
A loud crash out in the hallway shattered the moment entirely just before they could touch. On instinct they both had their sidearms aimed at the door and waited.
Several seconds passed, but nothing else happened. Allowing them to relax their stance just a little.
"We should get moving. I found a detonator for the explosives in the attic, we'll be able to get to the last statue." BJ said, clearing his throat awkwardly.
"Y-Yeah...Yeah. Good idea..." Claire did the same, avoiding eye contact with red tinting her cheeks at what almost happened between them.
Taking a minute to gather themselves, the duo stepped back out into the corridor and noticed another window had been smashed inward, more than likely from the storm still raging outside.
BJ caught movement in the shadows beyond the broken window and saw a lone zombie stumbling toward them. Raising his MK.23 to put it down, he never got the chance to pull the trigger when something long and pink suddenly shot down from above and speared the walking corpse through the head and yanked it toward the ceiling.
Startled, the Marine and the young Redfield slowly raised their flashlights upward until they shined on something that shook them to their core.
On the ceiling above was a creature that looked like a person with all the skin peeled off feasting on the body it had just captured. Red and pink muscle flexed and shifted with each minor movement, its spinal column stuck out like spikes along its back with a few other bones sticking out as well.
Claws that were almost machete-like in length and probably just as sharp dug into the ceiling tiles with ease, keeping it in place while it fed with a loud series of crunches and blood pouring down onto the floor.
The creature released the body, dropping it to the floor with a loud thud. Revealing a head with an exposed brain and a mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth, a long, serpentine tongue with spikes on the end lashed back and forth with a loud hiss vibrating from deep within its throat.
Claire shivered, fear crawling up her spine, unable to take her eyes away from the abomination that had made itself known. She raised her revolver, but BJ's hand quickly shot out and stopped her.
Giving him a startled look, the Marine put a finger to his lips before pointing up at the creature then covering his eyes. The brunette looked back up at it and saw, despite its horrific appearance, it didn't have eyes.
Meaning it was blind.
Before either of them made a move, the creature made one first. Dropping from the ceiling and landing on the floor, its claws tearing into the carpet as it hissed, tongue lashing the air as it searched for another meal.
BJ backed up, Claire in step with him as they kept their distance. Recalling the note they found on the upper floor about something called a 'Licker', the description alone matched what they were looking at, that and the long tongue seemed to match the name completely.
With this in mind, the Marine bent down and picked up a glass bottle that was laying on the floor by his foot. His eyes locked on the 'Licker' as it continued to sit and listen for anything as he tossed the bottle over its head and down the corridor where it shattered.
The reaction was almost instant. The Licker spun around and released a garbled shriek before as it lunged after the loud sound. BJ and Claire took that moment to back pedal and slip through the door back into the laundry room.
"What the fuck was that?!" Claire said lowly, not wanting to risk getting the attention of the creature out in the hall.
"Pretty sure it was the 'Licker' we read about in that note, definitely fits the profile." replied BJ as he took a steady breath as he remembered how fast it moved after he had thrown the bottle. "I think it's best we follow the advice given and try to avoid it as much as possible. And keep our eyes open incase there are more roaming around."
The brunette nodded before they backtracked to the stairwell and went up to the third floor, following the familiar path to the crumbling room where the final statue was being held.
BJ took out the detonator and fixed it to the explosives with steady hands. Attaching the wires to where they needed to be and setting the timer to 15 seconds with his finger hovering over the start button.
"We got fifteen seconds. When I hit the switch, take cover in the back of the room." he instructed to his companion. Claire nodded seriously as he hit the switch, both of them immediately ran to the far end of the room and ducked down behind the large pile of broken furniture by the door and braced themselves.
When the timer ran out, the entire room shook violently when the explosives went off. Chunks of masonry, drywall and metal flew around the room from the blast, some of the furniture closest to the wall shattered and was also thrown about.
A couple seconds passed before Claire and BJ stood up, shaking the dust off themselves before they came around and checked the damage.
"...wow." the brunette said in awe when she saw the amount of damage that had been caused.
The entire back wall was gone, large cracks and chunks of debris sticking out of a few places. The ceiling had collapsed in a couple places and various shelves that survived the explosion were knocked over.
"A pound and a half of C4 will do that." BJ said as they approached the open space. Thankful that the statue hadn't been damaged in the blast.
A couple of bodies on the floor around the statue groaned and began to rise, but were swiftly put down by the duo as before approaching their objective.
"Care to do the honor's?" asked the Marine as he handed the notebook to Claire. The brunette smile and took it from him before something moving behind him caught her eye.
"BJ!"
A long tongue shot forward and wrapped around BJ's neck, yanking him back hard almost giving him whiplash as he was thrown back into the room. Crashing through a bookshelf against the wall and leaving him aching and disoriented.
He couldn't reflect on what had happened too long when through his slowly refocusing vision he saw the grotesque image of a Licker began to skulk toward him, hissing like a large serpent prepared to strike.
The Marine just barely registered the immediate danger as the beast lunged, claws and teeth prepared to kill.
X
A/N: It's been a while since I left things at a cliffhanger. Can't think of a better time than now.
BJ and Claire had a bit of a moment, and although things are moving a bit quick anyone could admit a scenario like this can bring people together in a multitude of ways. Especially when they understand each other in such a way.
I've got back in the groove of things pretty well and am already hard at work on the next chapter. Keep the reviews coming and I'll be sure to make it another good one.