Chapter Fourteen: The Hunted

Leon pulled up on the crowbar to open the manhole in the dog kennel, according to Bertolucci who they found hiding away in the cells, this was the only way out of the station. The parking garage had turned out to be a meaningless endeavor. There were plenty of squad cars, a few civilian sedans, even a SWAT van, but no power to the shutters that blocked their exit. The shutters were heavy and metallic, which was definitely made to withstand a large vehicle ramming the gates so prying it open was not an option.

Leon and Sherry entered through the door on the opposite side of the garage and eventually came to the arrival holding cells and found a lone reporter hiding away. He was squirrely and had no intention of leaving unless Leon could guarantee his safety on the way out. Leon couldn't guarantee anything of the sort, but the reporter did tell them of an alternative route through the sewers.

Leon rolled his eyes just thinking about the pathetic Bertolucci, probably sitting on the bunk patiently waiting for the cavalry that would likely never come. Leon tried to radio Jack and Claire, but there was no response, either they had no signal or something had happened. Leon considered going back for them, but it wasn't just about him anymore, he had a child with him and apart from Bertolucci she was the only survivor he had run into since arriving. He couldn't willingly lead her back into danger, especially with that monster still lurking in the shadows.

Leon slid the manhole cover over the opening and left it off to the side with the off chance that if someone else happened upon it they would be able to access it easily.

"Its going to be all dark and gross in there isn't it?" Sherry asked.

Leon chuckled a little, "I'm not going to lie to you, its going to be horrible…"

Sherry shuddered, the dogs in the kennels barked nearby and continued growling, watching the pair hover over the opening. Leon had considered putting them down, but decided against it. It was a waste of ammunition on something that wasn't an immediate danger and it would only rile them up. Still the thought of the canines being trapped here indefinitely made him wince.

Leon flicked on his flashlight and handed it to Sherry, "Here, you be my eyes, I'll need help on this one."

Sherry nodded, she seemed to perk up a little, it was surprising what a little purpose did for her. "As soon as I get to the bottom I want you to follow, if something happens just jump down and I'll catch you."

Leon pulled out his handgun and descended the ladder as he stepped into the ankle high water, Sherry followed him into the dark abyss. Leon turned from the ladder and aimed down the passageway, Sherry lifted the flashlight and aimed the beam dead ahead. Something in the dark skittered away from the light. Sherry felt a lump form in her throat, Spiders!

Leon holstered his handgun and removed the shotgun from his back, he held the wood stock against his shoulder and scanned the dark hallway.

Nothing on the walls, nothing in the water, Where the hell is it?

Sherry's beam suddenly hit the ceiling to reveal the giant oozing fangs and rough brushy legs and thorax.

"Whoa!" Leon cried sharply as he lifted the shotgun and squeezed the trigger, the spider splattered into a sludge of green and brown blood.

"Oh my god!" Sherry screamed, "I hate spiders."

"Sherry, be my eyes watch the walls and ceiling!" Leon yelled as he led her through the passageways, he could hear the beasts skittering in nearby passages.

"My ears are ringing!" Sherry yelled.

"I know it sucks, but we have no choice."

Just then her beam caught another coming around the wall, it immediately spit a flying wad of acid saliva right at them. Leon threw his arm across Sherry and stepped backward, the spit flew right past them, Sherry recovered and lit up the creature again as it rushed for them.

Leon pumped the shotgun and fired sending chunks of meat and appendages going in multiple directions.

"Eww Eww!" Sherry yelled.

"You're doing good, keep it up!" Leon yelled as they took the corner at the end of the long passage. They passed by where the spider had crawled around before, Sherry catching small shadows of the spider's legs scattered about in the water, the fuzzy prickly legs brushing against her.

Leon pumped the shotgun again as two more massive spiders came into view. These two skipped the acid and rushed towards them. Leon squeezed the trigger, somehow he missed, the spread of the shotgun blast missing the pair of arachnids completely.

"Shit," he pumped the shotgun once more and fire again without lowering his weapon and struck the spider in the center of its fangs, sending the remains flying backwards.

The shotgun went dry, clicking at the second spider, Leon pulled his sidearm and pulled the trigger several times, the nine millimeter rounds pounding into the beast's face. It sagged just before them, Leon let out a long sigh. He could just make out a light ahead at the end of the tunnel.

"Leon…" Sherry managed from behind him, Leon turned to see her flashlight catching the shadows of a large herd of spiders coming right at them from where they came.

Without thinking, Leon swooped his arms under Sherry's legs and upper back and raced with her in his arms through the tunnel. The skittering grew louder behind them, as their pursuers screeched in anger. Leon turned at the end of the tunnel and ran up the stairs, he set Sherry down by the valve door and began turning the red valve as fast as he could.

The spiders turned at the stairs and were headed right for them, Leon felt the door give finally and grabbed Sherry's hand, throwing her inside to the concrete floor and threw his shoulder into the door. The door jam caught a spider leg in the wedge and squeezed it right off as he felt the latch lock home.

Leon turned the valve as quick as he could, sealing him and Sherry in their new environment. Leon pressed his back against the door and let himself sink to the floor.

"That was the most terrifying experience of my life," Leon sighed.

Sherry laughed sat beside him, "We made it though."

"Sure, as long as I don't die from a heart attack." Leon holstered his handgun and dropped the shotgun from his shoulder and began loading shotgun shells.

Sherry took in their surroundings as they sat, it was another concrete hallway, a nice change from the short stint through the sewers and the dog kennel.

There was another large valve door with a key card scanner, she recognized it from her Mom and Dad's lab.

"We're gonna need a key card…" she said as she got up and walked to the end of the hall.

"How did you know that?" Leon said.

Sherry juggled whether she should be telling anyone about Mom and Dad.

"My Dad, he's a scientist for Umbrella. They worked in a lab with scanners like these."

"Before in the station, when we met, you called that thing your Dad?"

Sherry's eyes welled up with tears, she quickly wiped them away and fought them back. "Something happened to my Dad, in a lab beneath the police department. My mom said they were attacked by soldiers from Umbrella. I don't know what happened other than that, but after it happened my mom told me to head to the police station and find help so I can be safe."

"Right, but by the time you got there… the place was overrun." Leon said.

"When I got to the station, I hid in the vents, everyone was so busy, people were running everywhere. They were shooting those things in the station, so I tried to go back to the lab but everyone and everything was infected. Those monsters were everywhere, so I hid in the station, then I started see Dad."

"My god, Sherry I'm so sorry."

Sherry shrugged, "I don't even know if my mom's okay."

Leon nodded, "You said the lab is beneath the station, maybe there will be a back door or exit through the labs. We can look for your mother and escape together."

Sherry nodded, "If she'll leave."

Leon got up from his seated position, "Sherry I,"

She was gone, "Sherry."

Leon called to her and ran down the L-shaped hallway. Sherry screamed from a nearby vent as her legs disappeared into the darkness.

"Sherry!"

…..

Jack had landed on his feet, his shotgun rattled after him, he was able to catch it as it fell down the chute. He took a deep breath and looked up to see two signs one said "Arrival Cells" the other pointed the opposite direction, "Parking Garage". Finally he had found it, escape was in sight. Jack unholstered his handgun and raced down the hallway and took the next corner sharp, he opened the door and immediately smelled gas and pavement.

Jack began looking through the cars and found several with keys, looks like they will have many choices in escape vehicles.

We.

Claire, she was still in the station, he had led Mr. X away but she was still trapped inside the station trying to find her way out. He couldn't just leave.

She would never leave you, well she kind of just did…but I told her to.

Jack pulled the slide back on the Springfield and drew in a deep breath. It was time to go back into the fire for him. That was when his eyes caught sight of it, a lone black gunmetal suitcase seated on the passenger seat of the cruiser he was looking in. A metal shiny Umbrella logo was fixed on the face of the suitcase.

"What?"

Jack reached in and grabbed the case, he recognized these from his time with the company.

Looks like it wasn't locked or secured, maybe whoever owned it didn't have time to set up access, or multiple person's were responsible for it. Jack placed his hand on an outer scanner, the scanner illuminated bright green in his eyes as it clicked open.

Jack lifted the case open, he felt himself audibly gasp.

Three vials, Jack immediately recognized two of the vials blue was the T-Virus, responsible for this whole mess. The other was bright green, the antigen, a cure of sorts, it was the only thing you could try if you got infected even then it only had a fifty percent success rate. The last one was purple, they were shaped as double helix's in the vials, this one must be new, what the hell was he looking at.

Above the three vials was a medical injector, shaped like a handgun, the patient could use it to administer any of the three directly into their bloodstream. There was only one Jack would ever consider and even then, the antigen was still undergoing clinical trials. Jack removed the antigen and slipped it into his pocket. He lifted the suitcase out of the car, if he could, he would need the case to prove Umbrella was behind everything.

It was the very evidence he had been searching for since he left Umbrella, it was what he was searching for at the Spencer Estate ruins, before Officer Valentine arrested him.

Jack headed for the door at the opposite end that led back to the police station. That was when he heard it, footsteps.

Jack spun around and lifted his weapon, there was nothing, no zombies at least.

Someone was following him…