Chapter 1-2 Alice Winters
Of all the places to take a vacation, Dulvey, Louisiana was not one that many would have considered. Florida, sure, because at least Florida had beaches. All this area had in this state were long farmlands and muddy swamps filled with aggressive wildlife. At least, that was what the residents had told her. The younger Winters who was in her late twenties was driving down the long road, heading towards an address that she had written down which was on the passenger seat next to her. Her eyes focused on the road, while the hands gripped the steering wheel. But her mind was wandering elsewhere as it was flooding with questions and concerns. Alice continued to take deep breaths, breathing the AC in the car to keep her from melting. Even though it was night time, the heat was unbearable as the last weeks of the summer were passing by the states.
The blond woman grunted as she spoke to herself. "It's bad enough I had to come all the way out here, but to be here during the middle of an August heat wave…" Alice shook her head. She couldn't believe she was spending her time traveling far from home in this god-forsaken area. All because she was searching for someone dear to her. Her phone was hooked up to her dashboard, which she noticed out of the corner of her eye. While she continued to head down the long road, one of her hands went over to the device and pressed a few buttons. She waited as the phone rang, praying that there would be an answer this time. After a few minutes, there was a click, followed by an automatic message.
"Hi, this is Ethan Winters. I can't take your call right now, but leave me your name, number and message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can." Alice didn't even bother to leave a message, she shut off her phone as the woman felt defeated. With a heavy grunt, she lightly hit her head on the handlebar, not enough for it to hurt just enough to let out her frustrations. This had been her life for the past several hours, traveling to a destination in the middle of nowhere while being ignored by the person she was trying to find.
"Damn it, Ethan… what have you gotten yourself into now?" That was one of the many questions she was going to ask him when she would finally find him. The sky was indigo with no sign of any stars. She couldn't believe how late it was, not that she was scared. Green eyes looked at the passenger seat, where an automatic handgun with a few boxes of bullets rested. Alice was thankful there were plenty of stores near this area that sold firearms, probably because of the wildlife around here. Either way, in the worst case scenario she was able to fend for herself. She kept driving down the street, noticing the amount of vegetation that was growing in volume around the area. Clearly she was in the deepest part of the swamps of Louisiana. "How can anyone live out here?" She questioned. It was hard to believe that her sister in law had ended up and stayed here for three years. Another set of questions she would be asking when she found her brother.
As she was driving to a thicket of trees and bushes, she began to slow down as her eyes caught something interesting. Before her, many heavy trucks and cars were stationed at the entrance, blocking it off along with long pieces of yellow tape. People were stationed outside, wearing thick armor and masks that covered their faces. "What the hell?" Alice muttered under her breath, baffled by the scene before her. She parked her car not too close but just enough for her to be able to walk right up. This was the last thing she expected to find upon arriving, and the way these people looked with their weapons and trucks, only added to her stress.
Once the car was stopped, Alice quickly hopped out and jogged over to the one guarding the entrance. He was talking out loud to himself, but it seemed more like he was communicating with someone within a device attached to his helmet. "Yeah, we secured the perimeter like you told us. So far we haven't seen any other infected, so they must still be out in the swamps."
"Hey!" Alice called out as she finally approached the man. The guard turned his attention to her, clicking the headpiece on his helmet as the woman came up to him.
"Ma'am, you need to step back. This area is under quarantine." The soldier held his hand out, attempting to prevent Alice from approaching further.
Despite the barrier, the younger Winters was not going to back down easily. "Is this the Baker Estates?" She questioned. "I need to go there."
"We can't let you in. This place has been closed off to the public."
"Why?" Alice demanded to know.
"There's… been a gas leak. It's very serious and can cause hallucinations if inhaled. So we are sealing off this area and taking care of it. There's already been lots of casualties, which is why we are taking precautions." Despite the authority in his voice, Alice knew full well that he was lying.
Her hands grasped her hips as she stared at the guard. "A gas leak?" She repeated while mocking the surprise in her voice as she was having a conversation with him. "Must be really dire."
"Yeah, though not surprising. There are some old mines around here, so the pipes must have finally busted. We're on top of it though, and are handling the situation. But it could take a while before everything is cleared."
Alice nodded, continuing to play along as the soldier seemed to be taking the bait. "You know… I've heard some rumors that there have been a lot of people going missing around Louisiana. Apparently there's been about… twenty missing in the last two years? That's quite a lot of people."
The man in the mask gave a nod. "May not seem like it to some, but even one person who goes missing is never a good thing."
"True… I also heard that many of those that were missing went into the swamps." A smirk played onto her face as her eyebrow raised. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that… do you?"
The armored one didn't seem to waver at her tone, but with how long of a pause he took to answer made Alice guess she was onto him. "W-Well… some of those people ended up in the swamp and got exposed to the gas. Like I said, the gas causes hallucinations which impaired the senses of the victims, causing them to wander. They most likely ended up drowning in the waters, falling off cliffs that broke their necks. Hell, with these gators and other carnivorous creatures out here, wouldn't be surprised if they became a snack. That's one theory as to why we haven't found any bodies."
"Sounds like this area is more of a jungle than a swamp." Alice commented.
The soldier shrugged. "It may seem that way. But, not to worry madam. We're on the job to secure the leak and ensure no one else gets infected. Hence why this area has been closed off."
Her arms crossed over her chest while she continued to stand there, eyeing the guard. "So, you're some kind of gas expert?"
"Well, I wouldn't say expert… I'm just paid to guard this place to make sure no civilians get hurt. We already had too many casualties, so we can't risk letting others follow."
"Mh-hm… and is that why you have those guns?" She pointed at the firearms around the personal.
"We don't use them on the civilians, mostly for the animals." He reassured her.
Alice nodded, still playing along for a bit longer. "I would think animals would be the least of your worries… considering that firing a gun in a gas leak area is a problem all on its own." The guard became tense, staring at the woman as she continued to speak. "After all, a spark or flame in an area where a gas leak is can cause an explosion… including gun fire." She dropped her chatty act, becoming more judgmental as she was interrogating this man. "Now, are you going to tell me the real reason this area is closed off, or will I have to find out for myself?" She threatened.
The guard gripped his weapon, holding it up to his upper chest as if he was ready to use it. So much for not firing on civilians, Alice thought. The dramatic moment was interrupted as another guard wearing the same get up approached. "Niles!" Alice and the one holding down the fort turned their attention to the newcomer.
"What is it, Jeremy?" He asked, hearing the urgency in his voice.
"We have a problem… the scouts that were sent out to the swamp to locate the survivors… they found someone."
"You mean Zoe Baker?" Niles questioned as he fully turned to face the other guy, ignoring Alice, who was just in the background listening to their conversation. "I heard them on the radio end… they were calling it into HQ, but then they got interrupted by something."
"You think they were attacked?" Jeremy questioned in a serious tone.
"Possibly, as far as we know, Zoe is the only one of the Baker family that has survived. If they can get her cured before it's too late, it would be a miracle. They could be taking her to the shack outside further in the swamp, they were planning on setting up there. If she is infected, they would have gone there to give her the cure before bringing her to HQ." Niles stated. "Hopefully they made it there already…"
"Want me to go check on them?" Jeremy questioned.
"No, we need to stay here and guard the perimeter so no civilians get involved. Speaking of, help me get this woman-" before he could finish his sentence, the soldier turned back to where Alice had been standing. But now, there was no sign of the light-haired woman aside from her car. "Where the hell did she go?!" He became panicked, checking around with his comrade but saw no sign of the younger Winters.
Alice slipped away while they were talking, listening to their conversation as she knew what her plan was. The Winters was aware there was more going on in these swamps than those guards were letting on. Still, they wouldn't be much help to her so she was on her own now. Stumbling into the dense thicket of the swamps, carrying only her gun and limited bullets on her personal. She grunted as she was standing in the sinking mud, making her wince. "Ugh, and I just bought these shoes too!" She sighed in annoyance, while looking ahead to notice a path before her. "Those guys aren't going to be much help… which means I'm on my own." Alice realized, but knew she had to press forward. With her weapon in hand, she threaded through the swamps covered in overgrown weeds and muddy waters, hiding many predators that could jump her.
She trudged along, despite not having a flashlight to guide her. The full moon in the sky helped to illuminate the jungle, so at least she wasn't going in completely blind. As she walked further down the path, she kept an eye out for any clues or areas that could lead her to where her brother would be. She also thought about the things those men were discussing while she slipped away. They were definitely being secretive about the real reason this place was being watched over, but Alice knew that it had something to do with these Bakers. "The Bakers… I remember some of the locals around here talking about them." She told herself while wading through the bushes. "They disappeared around three years ago, but they were said to have been a kind family that kept to themselves… Come to think of it, Ethan was heading to where they lived according to the address he got from Mia. Those Bakers must be the cause behind what's happening here… or at least became the first victims."
Despite how confused Alice was about the situation, finding out what happened here was not her priority. She was only interested in locating Ethan and Mia and getting out, that was why she was here. Keeping her gun close, she continued to make her way deeper into the swamp lands. Sounds echoed around in the air, between the chirping of the crickets to the caws of the birds, Alice was lucky she hadn't heard or run into anything more dangerous at that point. The only bugs she saw were moths, but they were pretty harmless. She kept following a narrow dirt path, keeping her eyes peeled for any sign of danger or her family. She passed by a shining light stationed next to a large dump truck. The area around her had crates and barrels, making her realize that something must have been set up around here. Her eyes followed another lamp post, which was on the other side of a wired fence. Wasting no time, she rushed over there and walked right through due to an opening. On the other side, she saw a large wooden shack that was being covered by the nature. Some of the boards were also loose just on the walls alone, indicating the lack of care it had received. "That must be the old shack those guards were talking about…"
Alice walked right up to the door and opened it, being taken to a blackness within. There was enough light for her to at least see outlines, but for the most part she had to stick close to the walls so she wouldn't get lost. The shack wasn't too big, with only a main hallway for her to walk down. Creaking came from every step she took on the uneven floorboards, preparing herself as she was nearing the end. On the other side of the shack, two things caught Alice's interest. A large window that helped her see her reflection and a bit of the outside. Underneath the sill of the glass was something far more disturbing. Upon closer inspection, Alice saw the body of a man, wearing the same uniform as those who were guarding the swamps. He was laid up and slumped over against the wall, his outfit was dirty with black substance that Alice did not recognize. The man was more or less a corpse, as his skin had been stripped from his body, revealing the bones on his face. His eyes were missing from the sockets, instead a bunch of inky slugs pooled out from the holes.
Alice stumbled back in disgust and fear, as her mind was reeling from what had done this to a soldier. Her arms tingled as if goosebumps were forming on her flesh. Only for her eyes to catch the oil colored liquid on her. Swatting it away, Alice panted as she took even more steps back, not wanting to get… whatever that thing was on her body. "...What the hell happened here?" Alice could only ask, realizing it was more than just a gas leak. Her eyes drifted over to a notepad next to the corpse, it was a bit dirty but the words were still legible for her. Quickly grabbing it, she read over the material in the hopes to learn more about this situation.
"Evacuation of the Baker Estate has been completed. So far, any civilians that have not been completely infected by the mutamycete have been taken into custody for questioning and treatment. We are still searching for any other residents that have come into the area and will need to detain them should they be mostly consumed by the mold. We have orders to eliminate those that pose a threat, especially the infected ones, but our main goal is to try and cure them if possible. On the other hand, we have managed to slay multiple infected, especially the patients zeros. Currently, the status of the residents of the Baker Estate are as followed:
"Jack Baker: Infected - Status: Deceased
"Marguerite Baker: Infected - Status: Deceased
"Lucas Baker: Infected/Cure - Status: Deceased
"Zoe Baker: Infected - Status: Unknown
"Ethan Winters: Unknown - Status: Alive and getting treatment
"Mia Winters: Infected/Cure - Status: Alive and getting treatment."
Alice had to practically read over the last few lines, making sure she wasn't making it up. They had Ethan… and Mia? They're both alive?! "Ethan was here! And so was Mia!" Alice gasped, a smile dawning on her face at the revelation. Based on the notes, they had been taken in by these people, and hopefully were helping them recover whatever kind of hellscape this swamp had to offer. "Now the question is… where did they take you two?" That was the next thing Alice had to figure out. Now that she knew her brother and sister-in-law were alive, finding them was next on her agenda.
She didn't have much time to think too hard on it, as sudden sounds began to emanate from behind her. Alice turned, becoming horrified at what she was witnessing that was approaching her. A tall being that was humanoid, but not human. The body was covered with a black, veined substance that looked like mold. Beneath that bumpy flesh, Alice could see faint outlines of white bones and reddish organs. The head was what disturbed her the most, it had been melted into an incomprehensible, misshapen mass. The only noticeable thing she could make out on what remained of the head were two sockets that looked to be where the eyes were, and a gaping mouth that took up most of the body part. The jaw was filled with enormous, spike-like teeth that stretched to an unnatural size. The ends of their arms, instead of hands, were sharp claws that resembled the teeth. The creature approached her, the neck structure was heavily disproportionate to its head.
"Jesus Christ, stay back!" Alice warned, as the creature hissed and howled. It strung the arm at her, the claws just missing her. Clearly words would not be enough for whatever the hell this thing was, so Alice would have to resort to using force. Raising up her gun, she aimed the barrel and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew out from the firearm, landing right in what was left of the head. The creature stumbled back, but it was not enough. The monster was practically a sponge, since it took Alice five head shots just to watch it fall over, spasm and then become still. Once it was dead, Alice managed to breathe as she carefully walked around the corpse. She got a good look at this ugly beast, repulsed by the sheer sight. "What the hell is this thing…?" She questioned, trying to process the near-death experience.
She decided to press on, as there was nothing here for her now. She walked out of the shack, ready to continue into the wilderness. The moment she stepped out to the front lawn, there were two others of those moldy creatures. "Shit, there's more!" Alice grunted, as they began to gang up on her. Thankfully, she had plenty of bullets and managed to use them to shoot at the enemies, aiming for the head as that took the most damage. It was a close match, but she managed to reign on top. Once they fell, Alice examined them for a moment. "There's no way a gas leak could do this…" Alice concluded. "That note mentioned something about mold… what the hell kind of mold does this?" So many questions were forming in her mind, and hardly any answers were given to her. All she could do was press forward, as there was a lot of ground she would need to cover if she was going to catch up to Ethan and Mia.
Trudging along, Alice continued down the path and forced herself through the swamp. She kept her eyes peeled for any signs of life or enemies. She didn't have to wait long, as she managed to look up and notice smoke close by. Alice followed, soon noticing a blazing light source as she approached. When she got close enough, she managed to find out what was going on. Before her, she watched a cabin close to the water being consumed by growing flames. The ground around there was surrounded by dead alligators, whether they were dead from the fire or whoever killed them Alice didn't know. The blond was stunned by this scene, keeping her distance. "It's just one disaster after another around here…" Alice noted. She checked around, wondering if there was a clue in this hot mess she stumbled upon.
After scanning the area, she caught sight of a boat with some people inside, heading down the river. She was stunned, but happy to see that there were some people nearby. She couldn't tell who they were, since they were too far for her to make out a silhouette, but they might be friendly. They seemed to be the only ones around here that seemed local, so Alice had to take a chance. First, she examined the rest of the area in case there was something here she could use. There was a chest in a small shelter next to the cabin that was not ablaze yet. When she looked insider, there were a few healing items, which she decided to take in case she ran into more trouble.
With the items gathered, Alice headed off and followed the river to try and catch up to the boat. She stayed close to the shoreline but didn't want to risk going too close to the waters, in fear whatever was in there would ambush her. Though at this point, an alligator would be more of a welcome compared to those mutated creatures. As she walked down, she had a run in with a few more of those monsters from the shack, but managed to handle herself the best she could. The night dawned on, as Alice continued to march through the swamp while staying close to the river in the hopes of finding where those that were on the boat went.
After a while of walking and fighting for her life, Alice felt she was finally getting somewhere as she gazed at the foot of a tall hill. On the other side of the large body of water, she noticed a grand fortress with a high wall and two lights that illuminated the area. "Woah… that looks promising…" Alice thought to herself. Such a structure like that had to be holding something or someone important. She climbed over the rocks and walked down the path, knowing where she had to go but had to figure out how to get there.
Climbing and tumbling over the uneven rocks and muddy water, she found herself seeing a wooden shack with some porch lights on. Next to that was a large area guarded by a wired fence. She noticed some tents and other equipment of interest within that premise. Approaching the area, Alice moved closer to where the shack was so she could see what was inside and maybe take a break. She approached cautiously, just in case there was something lurking that would jump out at her. Slowly peeking her head, she checked out what was inside the wooden hut. There wasn't much, aside from a boat in the water, with a wooden floor that covered half the building. The only furniture was a soft couch, with some newspapers and a lantern on the end. What caught the interest of the Winters the most, was seeing someone laying on the sofa.
The blond moved over, getting a better look at the person. "What the…?" There was a woman, who seemed mutated but not in the same way those others were. She was naked, only things covering her were crystals and veins that became part of her body, with white hair to match. At first, Alice wondered if she was dead, but the slow yet deep breaths proved she was somewhat alive, though not conscious. "Hello?" Alice called to her, but got no response. "Hey, can you hear me?" She spoke in a louder tone, but still got nothing. Alice didn't know this woman, which was a bit of relief since she knew it wasn't Mia. But… who was she? And what happened to her? "Is she… one of those that got infected?" She questioned, recalling back to that paper she found with that corpse. There were a few names on that list, and perhaps this woman was one of those people.
Based on the way she was, this crystallized woman was not going to give Alice any answers at the moment, so the blond had to press on. Exiting the house, she went over to the fence and entered the premises. The door had been broken, which meant there was most likely someone else in here. Being cautious, Alice looked around for any enemies or clues. There were a bunch of tents set up with equipment against the wall and papers scattered over the floor. Crates and barrels of wood decorated the area, storing supplies. This must have been a station where those guards set up to do a survey around the swamp. Though based on the fact there was no one here and the mess, this place seemed to be abandoned by any sane human life. Alice walked through into a second tent, bigger than the first. She checked the papers on the ground, but couldn't make out much about what they said as it was all words she didn't recognize. A lone laptop rested on a table, but when Alice tried to use it, the device would not activate. She began to grow annoyed by her lack of progress. "Can anything in this shitty swamp give me an answer on where my brother and sister-in-law are?!"
Tossing the papers in the air, Alice pivoted on her heels to exit out of the tent. Her frustrations were growing, unable to get the answers she was seeking but could not obtain them. As she turned left from the tent, she was about to go further into this place. She was too deep in her own spinning mind, her eyes didn't even notice another Molded that was crawling towards her. By the time she had heard the growls and faced the beast, it was already on her. Alice quickly grabbed her gun and began to aim at the creature, but it was much faster on all four limbs that the bullets missed. And any that managed to land, were hit on the body aside from the head. The monster got the upper hand, pinning Alice to the ground as she continued to struggle. She tried to keep it at bay, but the creature was far more powerful than her and was practically gnawing the teeth close to her face. Alice screamed, trying to get her gun by her side so he could at least shoot it.
The monster growled, ready to tear her apart while Alice winced to prepare for the pain. It never came, instead she felt splatters of moldy flesh land on her face. When she managed to open her eyes, a sharp rock was only an inch away from her nose, as it cut through the head of the enemy. The limbs twitched as they began to lose feeling, twitching as it began to die. Alice could have easily tossed it off of her, but she was reeling from what had killed it. Her breathing was heavy as she felt her life flash before her eyes, unable to register what was going on in the present.
Eventually, she felt the inhuman being lifted from her by someone else. At first, Alice wondered if it was another guard like the ones near that house. But this man wore no such gear, as she got a good look at him. The only clothes he wore were a white short-sleeve shirt, with some dog tags wrapped around his thick neck. He had on dark overalls, but only one strap was hanging on his left side and thick boots that were mud proof. His hair was white with a thick beard and mustache, showcasing his age. Despite his intimidating nature of being quite tall and thick in muscles, for some reason Alice felt compelled to trust him. "Well I'll be damned… didn't think I would find a little lady running around these parts."
"And I didn't think I would find anyone else aside from those monsters or guards…" Alice retorted. The man reached a hand towards her, which Alice took as he helped her get back on her feet.
"You by any chance ain't working for those soldiers, are you?" The tone in his voice was hostile, but Alice couldn't blame him. Maybe he had a similar run in with those guys like she did.
"No, I don't work for them." She answered. "If anything, they're the reason I'm here because they wouldn't give me the answers I need."
The man hummed, calming down. "Sounds like we both ain't a fan of them…" As he took a gander at her appearance, he couldn't help but speak his mind. "You don't look like you're from around here."
"No, I only came here because I'm looking for my brother." Alice explained. "He came here to find his wife, who had been missing and presumed dead for three years. I followed his trail to catch up to him, but I haven't seen him. His name is Ethan Winters… blond, green eyes, around my height. And his wife, Mia, has brown hair and eyes, peach skin and was last seen wearing a tank top with jeans." She described them both to the man.
The guy shook his head, looking as disappointed as Alice was. "Sorry little lady, I ain't seen anyone around here with those features. I've been living in the bayou for a long while, so human interaction isn't something I come across." He admits. "Speaking of… name is Joe." He introduced himself.
Despite not getting any information, Alice was grateful he was being nice to her. The most decent interaction from someone she had gotten since coming to these swamps. "I'm Alice…" She told him.
"Nice to meet you, Alice…" Joe smiled at her. Alice had to admit, for some swamp hermit, he was well mannered. "So… you know where your brother was heading?"
"He told his friend that Mia was staying at an estate… the Bakers Estate. But when I got there, the place was taped up and being guarded by those people."
When she explained that to him, Joe's face became morphed with that of surprise and horror. "God damn… they're already crawling around that place?" He shuddered, turning away. "I can't imagine what they did to them…"
Hearing this made Alice curious, as she had to pry. "You know the Baker family?"
When he heard her, Joe managed to face her as he sighed heavily. The least he could do was answer her the best he could, since that was all she wanted. "My brother… Jack. He lived there with his wife and two kids."
This was something Alice did not expect, catching her off guard but she had to know more. "You're a Baker?!"
"I am, me and my brother, Jack, we grew up at the Baker ranch around here. We regularly fought, but always kept our familial ties to the area, even when we were in service for the US Marine Corps."
"Military… Well, that explains a lot." Alice noted as she checked over the physique of Joe and the dog tags. "But, why weren't you living on the ranch with your brother?"
"Jack inherited the ranch and he settled down not long after. I chose to live as a frontiersman and set-up a shack in the bayou. Been that way ever since." So that explained why Joe wasn't infected by that mold in the Estate and was spared from the deaths in the area. He continued his story. "We kept in contact still, but in October of 2014… our interactions stopped."
Alice absorbed the information, listening to what he said until her brain clicked with something that caught her attention. "October 2014…?" She repeated, that date sounded familiar. It took a while of searching in her memories before her eyes went wide due to realization. "Wait… that's the same time that Mia's ship was lost at sea!" Alice gasped. "My sister-in-law was on a ship… Annabelle I think it was called? It got hit by a hurricane and sank on October 5th… Everyone on that ship was presumed dead since none of their bodies were recovered nor was the ship."
Joe listened to Alice, and then added his own parts. "Now that you mention it… I think it was around the 8th or 9th of that month and year that I last heard from my brother before I couldn't reach him." He admitted.
"Those soldiers told me that there was a gas leak around here… but after seeing all of these monsters, I'm starting to think there's way more…" Alice concluded, looking at the creature that Joe had killed.
He took a look at where she was pointing, grunting at the ugly inhuman being. "I may not be a college man, but even I know there are too many connections to chalk it up to a mere coincidence…"
Alice gave a nod in agreement. She turned to Joe as she recalled reading that list from that dead soldier. She decided to speak up as she figured it was only fair he learned about his family. "When I was heading here… I came across a shack with a corpse. They… had this note and it listed a bunch of names. Four of them were Bakers and two were my brother and sister-in-law." Joe gazed over at Alice and let her speak. "According to the note, it mentioned that a Lucas, Jack and Marguerite Baker were deceased… Zoe was infected but there was no indication on where she was."
Joe appeared stunned at first, and slightly heartbroken. "Ah… damn it…"
"I'm sorry…" Alice added. "I… know this is a lot to ask but… do you think you might know where Zoe Baker is? If she was in that house with Ethan and Mia, then maybe she knows where they are. Zoe is the only lead I have to find my family." As much as she hated to ask him such a question, Alice was desperate and Joe was the only sane one around these swamps willing to help her.
Picking himself up, the old man scratched his beard as he pondered. "Yeah, I found Zoe not long ago." He admitted. "She was with a few other soldiers that I attacked, mainly cause I thought they were hurting her."
At first, Alice gave a wide smile as it felt she was finally getting somewhere in her search. "Zoe's alive?! Is she with you? Can I see her?"
"She is and you can… but, she can't speak right now." That didn't make any sense to Alice, who became confused and irritated slightly. Joe pointed towards where that house was, that Alice had peaked into. "Over there, that's where I laid my niece down. She got infected, according to those soldiers. And right now, she's fighting for her life." Alice blinked as she looked at the house, where she saw that crystallized woman laying on that couch. She whipped back over at Joe, as he put his arm down. "One of those soldiers that discovered her told me there is a cure that can save her. So I came here to find it. And I need to hurry, because I don't know how much time she has left."
Alice felt sympathy for Joe, he was clearly trying to save his niece as she was the only family he had left at this point. Biting her lip, Alice reached down and grabbed her gun before putting it in her holster. "In that case, let me help you." She declared, making Joe raise a brow. "I'm doing all I can to see my family again, and so far Zoe might be the only lead I've got… so, let me help you get her back to normal, and then we can talk."
Joe Baker could tell how determined Alice was, both in her voice and body. She had a fire in her to get what she wanted, and he couldn't help but admire that. "Alright… you help me save my niece, and I'll have her tell you what she knows. Hopefully, she can give you the answers you're seeking." Joe agreed. Alice was glad to be on the same page as this man. It also helped she was going to be having a partner with her that can get her through this mess. "Let's look around the rest of this place. Gotta be a clue on a cure somewhere." Joe suggested.
And so, they walked around the area in search of a sign to point them in the right direction. They went past where that Molded creature ambushed Alice, and saw another doorway that was blocked by some loose boards. At first, Alice wondered if they would need to get something to remove those planks, like a crowbar. Joe on the other hand didn't hesitate to use what he got. Balling his fists, he began to punch the blockage, shattering the wood one piece at a time until they had an open path now. The Winters was slightly impressed. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."
"Ha, you don't come back from the Marines without bringing some values and lessons in ya." Joe remarked, as they headed through the area and up a few stairs, being taken to another wooden make-shift shack. It seemed to be the roof based on the structure, but there was a hole leading to the inside. Thankfully it was big enough for the two of them to climb down. Once inside, they saw more scientific equipment scattered around. The most noticeable thing was to the right of Alice, where there was a large glove box machine with four holes that connected plastic like gloves. Guess they were taking samples of this mold and didn't want to risk it getting on them. Considering what they would have turned out like, Alice didn't blame them. There were tables on either side of the machine with beakers and test tubes on the surface. On the other side, more tables and desks lined the wall with other bottles, microscopes, and medicines. On one of the surfaces, Alice noticed some documents that she took, reading them to herself.
"Orders are as follows, effective immediately: The mutamycete is on the loose in the swamp, and it'll keep mutating as it encounters new organisms. We can't allow the stock of medicine compounds to be exposed - if they suffer a mutation they'll be useless. Transfer the whole anti-infective synthesizing station over to the paddle boat."
After reading it over, Alice managed to get the answers. "Looks like to get the cure, we have to find this station that makes the anti-infection. They transferred it to the paddle boat."
"The paddle boat?" Joe repeated before sighing. "Dammit, you boys ain't making this simple."
Alice had to agree, but no point in complaining. "It could be around here, if not, it's on the other side of that large wall"
Joe gave a nod. "Let's start our search here first just to be safe." With their plan in place, the two headed out of the shack, going back out into the fenced area with a lantern on a crate illuminating their way. Just as they turned and were walking through a corridor, their peace was interrupted at the sound of a groan. Before them was an approaching monster, it looked similar to those Molded creatures but it was more bulky and human-like. Parts of the skin resemble mud and dried vegetation mixed with what looked to be remains of human flesh. Holes could be seen in the skin, showing how decayed it was.
"Holy Hell, this is the ugliest one yet!" Alice cried out.
"You!?" Joe gasped angrily, which indicated he recognized this one. "You best stay back now…" He ordered, balling his fists and giving the beast a punch to the head. "I'll take care of this, you go ahead and get on the paddle boat!" Joe told Alice. Even though the young woman didn't want to leave him behind, she had to press on and find the cure before Zoe would lose herself to that infection. Plus, despite Joe's lack of weaponry, she had a feeling he would be alright. Squeezing past the monster, who was distracted by the old Baker, Alice slipped away and moved on ahead. She went through another gate that she opened, and climbed down a small dock before taking a left and going through more broken pathways flooded with dirty water. Unfortunately, the waters had been infested with large alligators stalking Alice. Fortunately though, she still had her gun and plenty of ammo.
Killing the gators were far easier than the Molded, as they only took three headshots before they turned over and died. Alice waded through the depths, noticing the lumps on the gators which did not seem natural. "Looks like they were right about the Mold affecting the wildlife as well…" Alice realized, trudging along the waist high pool. She kept her guard up, watching the waves as anytime they moved, she knew one was waiting for her. Alice killed a total of five alligators in that area, as her supplies were running low. Still, she pressed on, following a light that led her to a large red wall with a shack next to it and a catwalk that had an attached ladder. "This must be the paddleboat!" Alice realized. She decided to head to the small shack first, where she opened the metal door and it took her to a safe room with a table and chest. On the table was a box of twenty bullets for her hand gun, making the Winters relieved that she had plenty on her again. There was also a strange tape player on the table that she used, making sure she recorded her recent tasks.
When she walked back out where she came, she turned to her right and began to climb the ladder attached to the beams, going onto a plank before going up another ladder until she finally got onto the dock of the paddle boat. "Made it… now hopefully Joe catches up. In the meantime, let's see if we can find that cure." Alice declared, walking around the front deck to figure out where she had to go. In the distance she could see that large wall with the two blaring lights. She had a feeling something important was in there, but even if that was true, she had no way of getting inside. For now, she would focus on helping Zoe get cured of her infection to learn what happened to Ethan, then go from there.
She explored the boat, going up a flight of stairs to take her to the steering room, which was all rusted from the walls to the wheel. Broken glass from the windows scattered all around the floor. Only noticeable thing for her was a healing salve in one of the shelves and another tape recorder. She grabbed the healing item and then went on, looking around the place as she walked down the stairs to the other side of the boat. It was quite creepy, now that Alice got a good look at it. Plenty of crates and boxes abandoned, the metal rusting to the point it had a near-full coat, and no sign of life anywhere. Of course, that was short lived as Alice heard the familiar groaning of those molded mutants while heading to the lower deck. Walking up the stairs was a more thorny Molded, where the arms looked to have branches on them.
"These uglies are everywhere!" Alice grunted, trying to keep distance as she began to shoot at the head, but despite getting five shots in, it was still going. She was worried as there were a few times it came close to attacking her. Once it got about eight or ten shots in the head, it finally tumbled over and died. This one was more sturdy than the others, which meant Alice had to be extra conservative with her ammo. She continued down the stairs into the lower deck of the boat, going into another area where the groans of the monsters could be heard. Alice wasn't sure how many there were, but she didn't want to risk fighting more and losing any ammo in case she would be caught in a corner. Instead, she decided to go into stealth mode. Making her way around the corners and using the barrels and crates for cover, she blended into the shadows in the hopes the creatures wouldn't notice her. Though she feared the squeaks of the floorboards would give away her position. But thankfully none of them noticed.
She snuck passed the three, going through a doorway leading to a set of stairs heading downward. She had to sneak past a few other Molded down there, making her way to the engine room as she tried to remain invisible to the five Molded in total that was around. Thankfully, as long as she moved quietly and in the dark, they didn't notice her. She walked through the room with the engine, and into another area with more medical and scientific equipment. This had to be the area that would give her the cure! Against the far end of the wall was a stand holding some kind of computer and other strange devices. It rested on top of plenty of support beams with tarps for coverage. The Winters found the ladder that led up to it and climbed to the top. She headed to the machine with the screen and the canisters locked within. "Alright, this has to be it… Let's see, how does this work?"
On the screen the words 'Auto Synthesizer System' was written in a box. She looked over the buttons and knobs, clicking a few and hoping they would work. Background images of small words and charts began to appear, while the word 'Synthesizing' was now on the screen as a loading bar filled underneath. She watched as the program was processing, seeing the rectangle fill up. "Come on…" Alice urged as it was nearly there, only for it to stop just when it was 90 percent complete. "Come on!" Alice grunted in frustration. She hit the monitor a bit to try and get it to start up, as she was already so close. Finally, the process was complete and she watched as a canister lifted on the machine next to her. White smoke emerged, within the container was a syringe with green liquid. "This must be it!" She reached over and took hold of the syringe, grasping it in her hand. Hopefully this would cure Zoe. Alice basked in this victory, finally getting a win after what she had to witness in this hellscape.
She was so lost in thought, it took the words of Joe Baker to snap her out of it. "Alice! Look out!" The Winters didn't have time to act as she felt herself being grabbed from behind. She felt a force pressing down on her neck, as she came face to face with the disgusting creature of the swamp. It stared at her, tightening the hand that gripped her throat and blocking her airway. She tried to get it off of her, hitting the arm but it did no damage. She felt the air being crushed from her being, making her gag. The monster was determined to kill her, and was succeeding until he was hit with a spear in his face, making him lose his grip and dropped Alice back on the floor. The monster stumbled back, falling from the ledge of the upper level, and dropping down. The weight made it crash through the floor, bringing it to the lower levels. But it wasn't over yet, as Joe approached the hole and looked to where the monster landed. "OK. You want some? Come and get it, you pile of puke!" He shouted, jumping down the hole as he was going to fight the beast.
Alice coughed, regaining the air she had lost as she tried to heal herself. She actually thought she was about to die for a moment. It took a bit for her to compose herself, by that time, she heard the grunts from the Baker and monster down in the hole. Clutching the cure, Alice made her way to where they fell and decided to jump down. Thankfully she was able to land on her feet and hands, then looked to where the fighting was. She had come just in time to see Joe twist the head right off the swamp creature, pulling it apart and looking at it in his hands. "Now that's how you get it done!" He declared victoriously, throwing the head in a pool of water.
Alice approached him with a ring around her neck. "Is it over?" She asked him.
Joe turned his face over to the Winters, giving a nod. "Yeah, I doubt he'll be bothering us anytime soon." Alice gave a slight chuckle, taking his word and evidence. "You alright?" He questioned as the survivalist noticed the wound on her skin.
Alice touched the mark, reassuring the Baker. "It'll heal… at least I'm alive."
"Sorry I didn't get here sooner… bastard is a lot tougher than he looked." He motioned to the headless corpse.
"I was able to manage… oh, here!" Alice gave him the vial she obtained. "I got it through that machine… this should be able to cure your niece."
Joe took it from her, examining it. "This looks like the one I gave to her before… but it wasn't a full dose so it didn't do any good." He explained. "But with this amount, it should fix her up." Alice was glad to hear that, they were almost there to save Zoe. However, their celebration was cut short as the growls and moans of the infected could be heard. "Shit, those fuckers don't give up, do they!?" They could hear a large hoard of them, either approaching or still within the boat.
As much as she would like to team up and beat those monsters, Alice knew that there were more pressing matters to attend to. "You get out of here with the cure. I'll stay back and take down these monsters."
"You sure?" Joe asked with concern.
"I can handle the smaller ones, besides, Zoe needs the cure now." Alice urged.
Joe couldn't argue, looking at the vial in his hands. "Be careful… and meet us back at the shack." Alice nodded in agreement. "I'm coming for you, Zoe." Joe declared, running off with the cure.
Alice stayed behind, preparing herself as the Molded came down from the hole above. "Looks like I'm stuck being the clean up crew…" Alice noted, checking around the area for supplies as she was going to be in for a fight. In total, there were eight Molded that approached her. One crawler, five regular Molded with the sharp claws, and two Prickly Molded. All that she avoided before were now ganging up on her. Alice had to use what she could, thankfully there were plenty of supplies around her to use and most of them were able to go down easily. Except for the more thicker ones, but even then she managed to drag them down. It took a lot out of her both physically and with her ammo, but eventually they were all killed. She panted, being a bit bruised and cut up, but nothing some healing items couldn't fix.
"That's the last of them…" Alice panted in exhaustion. At least she survived… yet again. "Ethan is going to owe me when I find him." She grunted. Now that it was over, she began to make her way back to Joe and Zoe. Taking the scenic route by moving through a hole in the base of the boat, she came out on the other side to where the fences and shack were. The Winters made her way through the path and headed over to the side door of the hut. She bursted through, hoping to find Joe and a cured Zoe Baker. Instead, neither of them were there and the boat that was next to the couch was missing as well.
"What the hell? Where did they go?!" Alice questioned, checking around and saw no sign of them. She headed out of the hut, staring off into the distance for any clues on where they could have gone. Eventually her eyes landed on the large wall separating the area, where she saw Joe using the boat to head inside with the gate already open. She didn't see Zoe in the boat with him… did something happen to her?! "Great, looks like my work isn't done yet!" Alice grumbled. With no other choice, she headed over to where the wall was and looked for anything she could use to go in. The waters were too deep for her to trudge through, and even if she wanted to, she would be too open for those monsters and alligators to attack. Thankfully, there was a small dock near the place with a boat for her to use. Hoping into the vehicle, she rode off and began to follow after Joe by going through the gate and being taken to a land of wide waters and many trees. "Note to self, after this, take a long, hot shower." Alice reminded herself as she drove her vehicle further down the bayou.
She waded further downwards for what felt like hours, to the point the moon was beginning to set. She lost Joe's trail and had no sense of directions around here, so she may as well have been lost. It didn't help that everything looked the same around here with no real land marker for her to tell where she was going. Though as she passed by some patches of water, she noticed many bodies were piled on the rocks, rotting with open wounds. "Damn, no wonder they closed off this area." Alice realized. Hopefully that meant she was heading in the right direction.
Soon enough, she stopped her boat on another wooden dock, where she decided to check on land for now. "Maybe they're around here…" Alice told herself, hoping off and going down the path. There were many lanterns that were lit, indicating human activity that was present here. She rushed down the damp ground and towering trees, keeping her eyes peeled for any friends or foes. After a bit of running, she found a large house floating out in the waters. As much as she would hate herself, she jumped in and pushed against the current. There was no way for her to climb up onto the porch, so she had to go underneath the house. Keeping her anxiety high, she looked around in case any alligators were nearby. When she did find some, they were already dead with throwing spears in their heads. "Joe's work… he was here." Alice realized, continuing on as she knew this was the right path.
Alice made her way through the waters, climbing up many boardwalks connecting to different houses that were ransacked. All the while, she noticed a structure in the background that looked promising. Deciding to head there, the young Winters walked along to find a path leading there. While she did, she noticed many corpses of the Molded and alligators littered around. "Joe was definitely here… and thankfully he cleaned the way for me." Alice was relieved that she didn't have to get involved with too many of them. Of course there were about four or five that were alive, but she was able to manage them well and collect any ammo or health items that were still around.
As she was going into one of the small huts connecting with the walkway, something of interest caught her eye. Laying on a table next to a couch was a yellow file with some pages sticking out. Curiosity got the better of Alice, as she reached and read them over, wondering what new information she would get.
"E-001 Log - July 2016 , Health: Good, Mental State: Good, Mutamycete Secretion: Normal, Other: n/a. Not much change. She just plays with dolls all day. Turned two guys Molded today.
"E-001 Log - August 12, 2016, Health: Coughing, exhaustion, Mental State: Slightly stressed, Mutamycete Secretion: More than usual, Other: n/a. After playing ball with dad, she started complaining about being tired. Turned one guy into a Fat Molded.
"E-001 Log - August 26, 2016, Health: Bad, Mental State: Stressed, Mutamycete Secretion: High, Other: Sudden aging. She's aging all of a sudden: losing weight, hair falling out, the works. The more she screams, the more she vomits. Basement's heavily contaminated. No apparent cause for the aging. Gonna ask for further instruction.
"E-001 Log - September 9, 2016, Health: Weak, but stable, Mental State: Delusional, incoherent, Mutamycete Secretion: Stable, Other: n/a. Aging has slowed, seems pretty stable. Got the E-Necrotoxin from the company. Orders are to use it "if she gets out of control". And I thought I was the funny one."
Alice was confused yet disturbed by these files that were left here. They sounded like some kind of experiment, a very degrading one. "The hell… were they experimenting on kids? What kind of sick piece of shit allowed this?!" Alice couldn't help but be angry, this E-001 sounded like a girl who must have got caught up in the middle of this business. It also sounds like they were using her to make those be infected with the Mold. That was pure evil, according to her. Regardless, Alice continued to press forward until she came upon a dirt path leading up to the building. She hopped down a small cliff, and was taken to a graveyard where a church stood tall. "Figures I'd end up in a graveyard, the most cliched place possible in these horror settings." Alice complained, noticing the ripped up body parts of the infected that were here. Hopefully Joe and Zoe weren't too far behind. Just as she was about to go through the entrance, her ears caught the sounds of a splash.
The Winters drew her attention to the source and walked over to the waters surrounding the church. She noticed a wooden box with a slot being tossed in, slowly drowning in the murky depths. Alice didn't think much of it at first glance, but the fact it was shaped like a coffin and she heard some pounding come from it, meant someone was inside. "Shit, don't tell me…" The blonde had a feeling, so she acted upon it and raced to get the box. It took a bit as she had to walk around the graveyard and church to get to the shoreline. She followed along the edge of the waters, locating any sign of that box. All the while, she kept defending herself against any Molded creatures that tried to attack her.
Soon, the moon was setting and the dawn was breaking. There was more light in the sky but the clouds covered it. At least now, Alice could see better without being surprised by the darkness. After a bit more pressing forward, she found herself in the shallow areas of the bayou, where she saw the wooden coffin had washed up. She quickly ran over to it, seeing the lid had been torn off, but there was still someone inside. The survivalist Joe Baker was nestled within the confines, he wasn't breathing and based on the clothing he had been in the water for a long while. "Joe?! Joe!" Alice called for him, but he didn't respond. She grabbed hold of his clothing and dragged him out the box and laid him on the ground. She lowered down to listen to his chest, there was a heartbeat but it was very faint. She didn't know how long he had been submerged, but she had to do something now.
She placed her hands into fists on Joe's chest. Alice began compressing him, trying to get the blood pumping back into his being. She kept at it, watching his face for any sign of movement. Alice worried it wouldn't work, but she had to keep going, she couldn't lose Joe now when they were so close! After a few rounds of CPR, Joe began to react. He coughed up water as his body jolted awake. Alice stepped back so he could have room to breath. When he managed a few deep pants, he came around and registered everything as he was on the floor. Alice sighed in relief. "Thank god…"
Joe looked over at the Winters, recognizing her after he finally regained himself. "Alice? You saved me…"
"You can thank me after you tell me what happened… Why were you in that box?"
Joe became somber and held his head down. "That swamp thing… it came back and took Zoe from the shack…"
Alice jumped at that explanation. "What?! B-but you decapitated it! I watched you!"
"Somehow it regenerated with the head… don't ask me how, I don't know and don't care…" He shook his head. "I tracked them down to that church where Zoe was… looked like a damn sacrilege. He came up behind me and I… I managed to get a look at his face underneath that mess before he knocked me out and sent me floating down the river…" He trailed off after the explanation, going quiet for a moment. This caught the attention of Alice, as her curiosity had to make her ask.
"Did you… recognize who it was?"
"...Yeah," he admitted. "It was my younger brother… Jack. He was that monster…"
Alice blinked, confused at the answer. "What… but, that note… it told me that Jack was already dead! How can he-"
"My guess… whatever he got infected with, turned him into that. And I guess he has a problem with staying dead." Joe grunted, hitting his hand on the ground in frustration. "Aw hell, Jack-boy… what happened to you?"
No one could blame Joe for his anger and confusion, it was a lot to take in to know that your brother was nothing more than a monster, hell bent on killing what's left of his family. Alice moved over to Joe, offering her condolence. "I'm sorry… Joe. It must be hard to know you might have to kill your brother. But I promise to be there for you to give you support."
Despite her encouragement, The Baker got up on his feet. His face morphed to showcase his determination. "Don't you worry about me… I won't hesitate to bring down that abomination." Joe reassured, catching Alice a bit off guard. "That thing may have my brother's face, but he is no longer Jack. All I see is a monster that is hurting the only family I have left!" It seemed that killing off his brother was not going to be an issue for Joe. Though with the way that creature looked, can anyone even say it's still Jack Baker? "I just gotta figure out where he went… hopefully he still has Zoe."
Alice nodded in agreement. "I doubt he would have killed her. If that was his goal, he would have done it back when he took her or at the church…"
Joe hummed. "Maybe he's just waiting for her to die from the infection? A slow and painful death…" He theorized. As vile as that sounded, it would explain the actions he's taken up to this point.
"If we find him, we could find Zoe…" Alice added, walking around the shoreline they washed up on. Joe followed close behind her as they spotted many raft boats with engines at the back. They were all colored blue and gray and based on the number, many people came from them.
What really caught Alice's eye was the radio box on one of the boats, starting to flare up with the lights and noises. Screams and gun firing was echoing from the other end for the two to hear until a voice followed up. "Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! We've been engaged by an unknown bioweapon! Baker House Camp under attack!" As the message was being broadcasted, another flash of light flew over the duo. The source came from a helicopter, passing by and heading further up. "Gotta be the same thing that attacked base! What the fuck…" More gun fires could be heard, but based on the increase in screams, they were not winning. "He's not going down! Pull back! Pull back!" The message cut out, as Alice was stunned.
Joe, on the other hand, balled his fists. "There you are you sonofabitch… let's do this." He declared.
"He said the Baker House… which means if Jack's there…"
"Then Zoe's gotta be there as well!" Joe finished, turning towards the thicket of trees with a small pathway. "I'll be damned, we're actually right next to it. Been a long while, but these parts haven't changed."
Alice stood next to him and looked to where he was staring at. "Back here again…" She realized, coming back to where she started this journey.
"We better get going, take that motherfucker out and find Zoe." The military man urged.
"You go ahead, I'll stay here and find some more information and ammo. Maybe there's something around here to give us a fighting edge against him."
Joe didn't argue with her and nodded. "You be careful… and wish me luck." He rushed on ahead, leaving Alice. Despite being separated, the Winters needed to check around and see if there was any new knowledge she could obtain around these parts. Hopefully more about what transpired and maybe what actually happened to her brother and Mia.
As she checked over the boats, something else caught her attention. Written on the inflatable parts of the vehicle, were bold white letters put together to read, 'Umbrella Corporation'. With the logo of an umbrella next to it. Alice felt her blood run cold when she read those words and saw that symbol. Memories of a far away past long forgotten rushed through her. A sudden weight had placed itself onto the Winters, casting her in the shadows of horrors she experienced. "U-Umbrella… N-No… I-It can't be…" Denial took over her mind, attempting to shield her from the truth despite it staring her right in the eyes. Alice couldn't believe it, she didn't WANT to believe it. The company that had ruined her hometown, the agency that had stolen her mother from her, the institution that tainted her childhood and ruined any normalcy she could find afterwards.
So many questions were going through her head as she tried to make sense of it all. What was Umbrella doing here? When did they get here? Who was in charge of the company now? Why were they here? Alice felt herself fumble back, catching her breath as she felt her heart beating incredibly fast. Her hands were becoming shaky and sweaty, as the ghosts of her youth had managed to find their way back into her adulthood. Alice felt her heart ache as her mind tried to ration itself, the last thing she needed was another stressor to increase her anxiety even further. She decided to remove herself from the area, getting as much distance as she could.
The Winters headed down the path that Joe took, he was no doubt already miles ahead of her. Still, she pressed on all to remove herself from that scene that would have triggered her memories. Following some lights, Alice pushed herself through the thicket of trees and vegetation. All the while she could hear the rattling of shots being fired close by. Eventually, she came up to a large house, believing this to be the Baker Estates. Though it didn't appear in good condition, as fences were posed around to keep things out or retain them from inside. Tarps were also covering a majority of the structure, no doubt there were plenty of those infected still within. Hopefully Joe had managed alright without her, and managed to find Zoe.
Alice walked through the gates, wading through some water and climbing up on a porch to get to the double wooden doors leading her inside. When she looked around, it was clear how disarray the room was to the point it was chaotic. Furniture that didn't belong was set up like army cots and sheet curtains. Any furniture that looked to have originated from here were either dirty, destroyed or a mix of both. The walls were peeling off, and the floorboards were covered in different forms of mud, dirt and who knows what else! It also didn't help that it was nearly pitch black in this room if there weren't any lights, since most of the windows were covered in either planks or metal bars. As if that wasn't eerie enough, plenty of paintings were hanging up on the wall with disturbing imagery. One of which was just a white spider in a cracking wall background, and another was of a person sitting in a chair wearing a sack over their face. Alice could not understand how anyone could live here, though she supposed it wasn't always this way.
Heading to a white door on her left, she walked down a corridor with red walls and more chilling pieces of art. She walked through another door, leading to a room with even more of a mess like broken bookshelves and chairs in one corner, loose floorboards collapsing from the ceiling and a rusting sink with chipped cabinets underneath. This whole place was just the definition of condemned. "It feels like I'm walking through one of those haunted house attractions." Alice remarked. "Except in this one, the staff will kill me if they catch me." As if she had triggered the event, three of the Molded with claws and teeth came around from the other end of the room, heading towards her. Acting quickly, she shot at them which emptied out a bit of her ammo but at least she managed to survive.
Walking into another room, she found herself seeing it covered in cobwebs and a nest resembling a bald-faced hornet one. There was also a large thicker one in the center of the room, resembling a mud dauber nest. Thankfully, there were no signs of any insects around here. Which was good because a hornet sting was the last thing Alice wanted to deal with. She continued to the next room, which smelt of acid and rot. "Ugh… it smells like something died in here." She complained. Ahead of her was a dead end, as most of the house had practically collapsed on itself. So she took a left and was taken outside by two double doors. She was once again back outside, with another walkway leading down another path. Baby dolls hung from the ceiling, as if they were a warning to anyone entering. "As if the paintings weren't bad enough…" She shuddered, trying to keep away from the figurines.
She finally made it to the end and opened up the iron gates. The first thing she noticed was a guard laying on the ground, a dried pool of blood underneath the corpse, indicating his fate. "Poor bastard, hopefully your death was quick." She continued on, walking up a steep dirt path and turning a corner to find another house. This one was larger than the other, and there were tents and barrels around the yard. This must be the real Baker Estate, Alice realized. She wondered if Joe or Zoe were nearby. As she approached, her eyes noticed more bodies piled up around the area, one was even sprawled up against the wall inside a large tent with blood behind it. "These guys didn't stand a chance…"
The Winters slowly moved inside the tent, seeing a bunch of gurneys and more military cots stationed up. There were other technologies as well such as large boxes of supplies and ones that have buttons, slots and knobs. A few medical equipment like IV bags were also near the gurneys. On the right side of the tent, Alice noticed a table with some documents stationed on the surface. She went over and immediately read them, in the hopes to learn more about what was happening.
"For many of you this is your first mission with us, so we wanted to make it clear what Umbrella is all about. Though many of our staff hail from the infamous pharmaceutical giant Umbrella, our purpose is to make amends for the atrocities perpetrated under the Umbrella name. That is why we re-incorporated as a PMC in 2007.
"We will put a stop to not only anyone who is engineering or selling bioweapons, but those who support those efforts as well. We made a mess and now we have to clean it up. By keeping the Umbrella name, we show that we take responsibility for that mess and we want you to remember that you carry this responsibility with you in every mission."
Alice was quite baffled, reading this all over to get better clarity on the matter. So, this wasn't the same Umbrella from Raccoon City that was known as the pharmaceutical company. Instead, it was a private military company designed to stop those engaging in illegal matters involving bioweapons. Now that Alice thought about it, looking at the symbol it was a different color. Sure, the shape was the same, but instead of crimson red, four parts of the umbrella were a navy blue. Guess the ones that survived the outbreak who were in charge of it wanted to clean up what they did. Even though it wouldn't undo the damage they caused, at least they were owning up to it and ensuring the same mistake wouldn't happen twice. "So this isn't the same Umbrella mom worked at…" Alice concluded. Even though they were using the name and identification, their goals were not the same. Did that mean… they weren't the cause of these infected? They were actually trying to stop them?!
Alice became lost in thought that she didn't hear anyone sneaking up on her. "Hands up!" A demanding voice from a male ordered her. The Winters gasped, realizing she had let her guard down and was now paying the price. Raising up her hands, she did as she was told as to not be shot at. "Turn around, so I can see your face." He barked again.
"You think I'm a threat?" She questioned.
He clicked his firearm as his voice boomed with sternness. "Anyone who's carrying a gun and standing tall over the corpses of my comrades looks threatening to me."
Alice rolled her eyes, surely this man couldn't… her pupils landed back over at the bloody man that had died, and then over at the papers she was reading. Okay… maybe she could see how one would be suspicious of her. Still, she felt the need to clear herself. "I didn't kill them, those creatures did. Or that larger one from the amount of damage that was done here." She explained while not turning to face him.
The one pointing a gun at her didn't seem to believe her right away. "So you're here to collect those bioweapons or gather data on them?"
Was this man really that dense? Alice had to answer though if it meant not getting a bullet in her. "Are you kidding? I've been fighting off these ugly bastards and trying to avoid them. Plus, if someone wanted to send me to do some collecting, you'd think I would be dressed in this with only a single handgun for a weapon? I may not know much about what is going on aside from the fact it has something to do with this Mold… but I couldn't care less about that! I'm not here for any kind of sabotaging or stealing."
Alice expected the man to keep questioning and continue being hostile. She was met by silence, which made her a bit worried as she feared he might actually be considering pulling the trigger. Instead, footsteps approached the young woman until the man himself stood before her so she could get a look at him. The man was quite muscular, though not too bulking and he seemed fairly handsome to some. His dark brown hair had spiky ends, but his eyes were a different story. Sometimes they looked gray, but in the right light they looked blue. He had on some gear as well to associate him with the military company: including a long sleeved dark green shirt with a black bulletproof vest over it, complimented with several pouches. That matched his black pants and combat boots. With the amount of gun holsters on him, he was definitely ready for a fight. The moment Alice stared at the man… a sense of deja vu washed over her. She couldn't put her finger on it, but he looked awfully familiar.
Thankfully, he seemed to have calmed down as his expression softened and he placed his handgun to the side. "You do look like a civilian… sorry, but we can't take any chances with what's happening."
Alice crossed her arms over her chest. "You don't have to explain… mainly because I doubt you won't tell me even if I ask."
The man gave a nod. "Then can I at least ask you why you came here?"
"If I do, will you help me?"
He shrugged. "Depends on what you need." At least he was offering.
With a heavy breath, Alice explained. "I came here to look for my brother… He came out here a few weeks ago to find his wife. I hadn't heard from him and he left so suddenly… Eventually, I decided to take matters into my own hands and arrived in this state to find him… and maybe my sister-in-law if she is here."
The man listened to her, processing her explanation as his eyes showed the gears within his mind turning. "Your… brother? Sister-in-law?" He repeated.
Alice nodded. "The address he got led him and me here, to the Baker Estate. I tried getting in, but the guards at the front stopped me so I tried looking around for any other answers. All I know was that he was taken to some place to get some treatment."
It was a surprise to the Winters how this man was being patient with her, considering he had a gun to her only a minute ago. Either he was sympathetic with her cause and realized how personal it was… or he knew something else. "What's your brother's name?" He finally asked. Alice was stunned by the question, but it seemed that he was interested in helping her. Even if she didn't know who this man was, he seemed to have the information she needed about her brother. Just as she was about to speak while moving her mouth, another interruption was getting in her way.
"Redfield! Quick!" A soldier ordered at the entrance of the tent in tough gear similar to those Alice had seen. "There's a disturbance within the Estate!"
The dark-browned haired one heard this, getting into his stoic expression as he got his weapon at the ready. "Get everyone else and let's storm in!" He ordered. Then looked back at Alice. "Stay here, for your own safety." He told her, and was about to head out.
"Wait!" Alice called out. "Zoe Baker could still be inside!" Hearing that made the man turn to her in shock, but he listened nonetheless. "One of the other Bakers, Joe, was with me. We were trying to find a cure for her, but she was taken by Jack Baker! Her father, who's mutated! They might be inside!" She wasn't too sure about it, but it seemed like a gut feeling and she was usually right about them.
The man, Redfield, looked back to the one who called him. "You heard her! If Zoe Baker is in there, make sure she is alive! Along with her uncle!" He ordered. They then ran off towards the tunnel leading them inside the estate. Alice merely stood in the tent, watching them go. Part of her wanted to see what was happening, but at the same time, she wanted to take a break and let someone else take care of this mess. Plus, something told her this was all being wrapped up now. Though, something kept replaying in her mind as she recalled what that one soldier called that man.
"Wait… did he say, Redfield?!"
In the end, everything turned out well despite the hellscape they all experienced. The group came back with not just Joe, but a conscious Zoe Baker as well. They had her on a medical bed and looked her over, as her body shed off the crystals on her skin and she appeared more human-like. Her hair was a dirty white now, but it was nowhere as bad of a mutation as what she had witnessed. The medic looked over a clipboard as he ran a few more tests on the female Baker. He gave a pat on her shoulder while his voice echoed in his mask. "You're gonna be just fine." He promised, moving away to give her a moment. She had on a white top with black pants, giving her some cover after having been naked in that form. She sat up on the bed, just as Joe was walking over to her and checking on her. The young woman looked at her uncle, for the first time she had seen him in many years, she let out what she was thinking. "I was trapped with those monsters for 3 years - all of them trying to kill me…" Her eyes gazed away, while her malnourished body shook. "I can't believe it's finally over." She whispered.
Joe could sense the fear in her voice, she had been through a hell of a lot in just a few years. All the while he wasn't there to protect her. "Ya gotta know, deep down somewhere, they were still your family and they loved you. Especially your daddy… even in his final days." He expressed. Even though Joe had to be the one to kill his brother, there was guilt within him knowing he had to end Jack for something beyond either of their control. Zoe didn't respond to his words, but from the look in her eyes there was a part of her that believed it. Speaking of eyes, the Baker woman noticed a blond that was standing near the entrance, watching over them but tried to not be involved.
"Did you help my uncle? To save me?" Zoe asked.
Alice, finally being acknowledged, stepped over and gave a nod. "He told me you were in the Estate during the time my brother was there. I was hoping that you could tell me what happened to him if you got cured." She admitted.
Zoe seemed stunned as she got a good look at the woman and her features. She then popped the question Alice had been waiting to hear. "You're Ethan's sister, aren't you?"
The Winters didn't expect Zoe to have come to that conclusion so quickly. Even so, her heart jumped as it felt she was going to get somewhere in her search. "You know my brother?!"
Zoe nodded. "Yeah, he came here a while back to find his wife. But he ended up getting involved in my family's mess. Got really hurt… him and his wife… I had him try and help me so we could all get out…" She kept trailing off her sentences, becoming visibly upset the more she talked. Joe went to her side, trying to comfort her.
Even though Alice wanted to know everything, she had to recognize that Zoe was a victim in this biohazard exposure. Despite her curiosities, the Winters had to restrain herself for the sake of the survivor. "You don't have to tell me everything… All I want to know is what happened to my brother. Did Ethan and Mia… make it out?"
Zoe took in a breath before she answered. "Yeah… he gave the cure to Mia and they took a boat down the swamps. He told me that when he reached help, that he would send some people to come and find me. I didn't believe him but… the fact these men here were looking for me…" She lifted her head up and managed to bring a grin to her face. "Safe to say your brother is with them."
Even if it wasn't a solid answer, it was more than anything Alice had gotten since coming to Louisiana. "Thank you, Zoe. For looking out for my brother and Mia."
"Well, I didn't do much for him. He's the one that helped me the most." Zoe admitted.
Alice merely shrugged. "I wouldn't say that, your uncle fought through hell for you. He's far more impressive than Ethan, trust me." Alice chuckled.
Zoe looked over at Joe, who rubbed the back of his head all humble like. "What can I say, I'd do anything for my family."
The younger Baker smiled up at him nonetheless. "Thank you, Joe. I'm sorry you had to get involved, but I'm glad if I had to see anyone after recovering, it was you."
The retired military man let out a bellow of a chuckle. "Ah, you know I always had a soft spot for ya… Besides, I wasn't there when you all were going through that. The least I could do was be there for you now."
Alice watched the two interact, letting them have their moment. They could only rely on each other now that it was just them as the survivors of the Baker family. She wasn't sure what would happen to them now, but hopefully the worst was behind them and they could rebuild what was left. As Alice watched them reconnect, a twinge of envy flashed into her heart. Despite how upset she was towards Ethan for leaving her behind, she couldn't help but worry as he had gotten himself into a mess like this. She could only hope he was being taken care of.
The moment soon came to a turn, once the man known as Redfield came in through the entrance. He was talking to someone on the phone. "We found her. She's a tough kid." Alice, Joe and Zoe turned towards the soldier, wondering who he was talking to but they might have one idea. "Yeah, of course. Hang on." He approached the female Baker, handing the phone to her. "Someone wants to speak to you." Zoe reached over to take the device, while the burnet man looked over at Alice. "I'd like to have a word with you outside, if you don't mind." The Winters wasn't sure how to feel about this, but she should allow the Bakers to unite while she walked out with the soldier. Once they were out of the tent, she noticed the others going to work around and inside the Estate.
"Looks like you all will have your hands full for a while." Alice remarked.
"We have a lot of cleaning up to do… but now that the main threats are out of the picture, it's just a result of cleaning up the little messes. It'll take some time before things can go back to normal, I'd give it a year or two before this place even remotely resembles what it once was."
Alice kept her gaze at the man as he spoke with such confidence. He must have been speaking from experience, which meant this wasn't his first damage control. "What will happen to Zoe and Joe Baker?" She questioned.
"Due to their involvement with the B.O.W's, and with Zoe once being infected, they will be handed to witness protection. We can't leave any loose ends in case some people who heard about this want to recreate it. Plus, it might be better for them to leave the swamps. Not just for safety reasons, but for their mental health as well. At least Zoe Baker is cured. According to the doctors, she will have a slight mutation in her hair, but other than that she will have no complications in her health." He pivoted his body so he fully faced the woman. "All that's left… is you." Alice was startled as he looked at her, wondering what he was planning. Though the expression on his face showed no malice behind his actions. "You're… a Winters, aren't you? Related to Ethan Winters?"
Alice perked up as she heard him say her brother's name, meaning he no doubt knew about him. With a quick nod, she answered. "I'm his younger sister, Alice. I came here because he thought his wife Mia was in this Estate. Zoe told me he was here and they escaped."
Redfield nodded. "They did… we got to them just in time before the final battle here. We took them to get some treatment and are in witness protection themselves."
Alice let out a slight giggle as a smile formed on her face. "So they're both alive…" She felt relieved as she finally got some answers about her brother, but there were still more questions to be asked.
The soldier however added his own thoughts. "I got to say, for a civilian you sure were able to manage yourself around here well. Not just anyone could handle those B.O.W's unless properly trained. And I speak with experience."
"I bet you do, Chris Redfield." Alice remarked. When she said his name, his eyes went wide while she kept her grin. "I thought it was you when that other soldier said your name back there."
"You know me?" He questioned.
"Not personally, but I know you were part of the Racoon City Police team known as S.T.A.R.S. You were a hero to the whole class."
At first, the man wasn't sure what she was referring to, confused on how she could know him. But at the mention of the city and a classroom, it finally clicked for him. "Wait… you're from Racoon City!"
Alice gave another nod. "Me and Ethan were born there… lived there with our parents until… well, you know." Alice trailed off as she didn't want to go into detail about that night.
Chris gave a solemn nod as he knew what she was talking about. "You two were survivors… and based on your ages, you must have been very young when it happened." He theorized. The look in Alice's eyes only confirmed his thoughts. His expression softened with sympathy, realizing the horrors this woman and her brother must have endured during those days and nights that city went to hell. "I'm sorry… no one should have experienced that, especially those so young. I was away on another mission out of the states when it happened… My sister was there as well, to try and find me. By the time I had learned about it, she told me and I feared for what she had to experience." He explained, while looking at Alice as a flash of his own flesh and blood crossed his mind. "You know… you remind me a lot of her. Independent, capable of handling herself in stressful situations, sympathetic and kind to every victim… and a bit of a big mouth you two can't learn to keep shut."
Alice gazed up at him with a judgmental glare at that last statement. Chris, however, managed to get back on topic. "Because of that… I feel for your situation. So, I want to help you."
"Then, can you take me to see my brother and Mia?" Alice requested, hoping to be reunited with them at last.
Chris held up his hand though. "Not yet… we're still putting them in witness protection and want to ensure they settle down in their new location. But, we will let them know about you and give you updates on their situation. If you really want to meet them sooner though… I have a proposition for you."
