Disclaimer : Resident Evil and all of it's characters belong to Capcom. This story is simply fiction, and is only for entertainment.

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Chapter Eleven : Seek and Destroy

"Have you ever been alone at night,
Thought you heard footsteps behind,
And turned around and no one's there?
And as you quicken up your pace,
You'll find it hard to look again,
Because you're sure there's someone there..."

The dense fog rolled and swirled throughout the streets as the dead staggered closer towards the mall's entrance. There really weren't too many carriers within the couple's immediate vicinity, but the few that were needed to be taken care of. As soon as Leon had exited the Jeep, he put a well placed bullet into the head of what was once a security guard, spraying crimson liquid all over the sidewalk. He also heard Ada firing as well, and the agent soon knew why. A couple of infected citizens were blocking the entrance to the mall, but they were nothing to really be concerned about. The ex-assassin easily plugged them both in the head, decorating the door with blood that slowly began to seep down. Without those two carriers in the way, the couple proceeded to the entrance, quickly shuffling inside.

"Well, so far so good." Leon stated with a deep breath, taking time to gaze around the huge mall. They were only on the first floor, and there appeared to be at least two other floors to explore. Not only that, but the entire building was completely empty of life. It was an eerie feeling, to be standing in a place that was usually jam-packed with people, when it's been abandoned. Leon thought back to the police station in Raccoon City as well as the airport in Harvardville, and he couldn't help but feel the similarities. The only difference was, those places made up for the lack of life with the living dead. The mall however, didn't even have that, which he supposed was a good thing.

"Alright, so what's the plan?" Ada questioned, pulling off her gas mask to breathe the fresh air in the mall. Leon had almost forgotten about the air system that the building came equipped with. He mimicked his wife's actions, pulling the mask over his head, grateful for not only the fresh air, but the sudden increase in visibility as well.

"I think we should start at the top and sweep down, scanning every inch of every store. Ashley's more than likely at the top, and if we start there and she happens to be on the second floor or something, we can just keep going down once she's safe." Leon suggested, looking in the direction of the elevator. Thankfully the electricity was still operational in the building, so the elevator was probably functional as well. Not to mention the fact that the entire mall was well lit, so they didn't have to search in the darkness.

"I agree...besides, starting high and working low is a good tactic. Once we're at the top floor, we'll just stick to the stairs afterwards." the raven-haired woman offered, and set off towards the elevator. As she pressed the button to call the lift, Leon paid no attention, choosing instead to examine everywhere that his eyes would allow; every visible point of the first floor, and even above to the second. There would be no nasty surprises from above if the ex-cop had anything to say about it. But before anything even had the chance to jump out and attack, the elevator dinged, signifying that it had completed it's descent. Leon whirled around at the noise, just in time to see the smooth metal doors part ways and allow the couple entrance. And as they peered into the lift, Leon and Ada instantly knew that the search for the President's daughter had just become a little more complex. A lone bloody hand print, once desperately scratching at the rear wall of the elevator in a sad attempt to escape a horrible fate, now streaked down to the floor of the lift. A larger amount of blood pooled at the floor, and it looked like whoever was inside had been forcefully dragged out. But wherever this event once took place, it certainly wasn't on the quiet first floor. The couple exchanged a quick glance before readying their weapons and stepping inside, careful to avoid the larger section of the crimson liquid. Ada pressed the button marked '3' on the control panel, and the metal doors closed once more.

"Wonder what's up there?" the Eurasian beauty suddenly remarked curiously, garnering a confused look from her husband. She felt his eyes upon her, and turned her head to meet his gaze before continuing.

"I mean...I know there's probably human carriers, but if the outbreak happened so fast, then it's not a stretch for further mutations to increase in speed too." she hinted softly, remembering the abominations that she witnessed in Raccoon City.

"Good point...I guess there's only one way to find out." Leon stated as Ada nodded in agreement. The elevator rang once more, interrupting the couple, and they both raised their weapons cautiously. The doors slowly slid open, and almost like finding another piece of a puzzle, the remainder of the crimson trail could be seen leading somewhere to the left of the lift. The couple gingerly stepped out of the elevator, looking around the new floor in confusion. The third floor was almost like an entirely different place, on the opposite end of the spectrum from the first. The bottom floor was completely normal, except for the absence of shoppers. The floor that they were on now was a mess; trash cans were tipped over, shattered glass lay strewn about on the floor, and blood decorated the floor and walls. The most significant change however was the fact that there was no electricity on the third level, and the only lighting available was the pale glow coming from the floors below.

"How the...? What happened here?" Leon mumbled, straining his eyes to work to the darker setting.

"If I had to guess, I'd say that a few civilians decided to use this place as shelter, but some carriers managed to get in. The people ran to the highest point, and the infected simply followed suit." Ada offered with a sigh.

"The only thing that doesn't make sense is the fact that this floor doesn't have electricity...especially when the other two do." she continued softly.

"You're right...that doesn't make sense. The only explanation I can think of is...a circuit breaker. Unless it was an accident, I can't figure out why anyone would kill the power up here." the blonde man admitted. His eyes were just about adjusted to the dim lighting, and he silently cursed himself for not thinking to bring along a flashlight.

"Care explaining how the elevator still works then?" the ex-spy queried.

"It's rigged up to the first floor's power. The third floor's situation doesn't really affect the elevator..." Leon clarified, looking around the floor. His eyes widened when he found what he was looking for, and he motioned for his wife to follow. With a light sigh, Ada raised her 9mm and walked behind her husband, attempting to see what he had. She didn't have to wait long to find out however, as Leon stopped in front of a store called "Hank's Sporting Goods" and peered inside.

"Damn...I can't see anything in there." he whispered glancing over his shoulder at his wife. From the name of the store, Ada already had a pretty good idea of what the blonde man had in mind, and also squinted into the pitch black store.

"Me either, but we have to go in...we've got to have some kind of light if we want to sweep this floor effectively." the raven-haired woman remarked, taking a step forward. Leon softly nodded and aimed his gun into the store, cautiously stepping inside. He had to admit that the dark really wasn't so bad now that he was actually inside, and there weren't any silhouettes of carriers visible, which was a definite plus. When Leon was satisfied with the silence, he motioned to Ada that it was clear, and made his way over to a shelf. After squinting his eyes for several minutes, he finally managed to find a suitable flashlight resting on a rack. It was a decent size, and completely gun metal, meaning it had durability. Not that beggars could be choosers, but Leon was glad he found this one over a cheap plastic brand. He opened the package, and it appeared that luck was actually on his side, as the batteries were included.

"Did you find one?" Ada whispered as the ex-cop was unscrewing the bottom to insert the batteries. He flicked the switch on, and a long beam of light cut through the darkness and illuminated the rack, showing dozens of other similar flashlights.

Wow...a Mag-Lite this big with batteries included for twelve bucks? That's a steal...

"You should probably grab one too hun..." Leon proclaimed, turning his attention to where Ada was standing, right near the cashier counter. And on the other side of that counter, a carrier began moaning and reaching for the Eurasian beauty. Just as she whipped around and aimed her 9mm, a bullet tore through his skull, splattering blood all over the wall behind him, and the infected man slumped to the ground. The ex-spy sighed in relief and turned to meet her husband's eyes. He was grinning confidently, holding the Springfield Armory parallel to his head. He quickly holstered the gun and grabbed another light, tossing it to his wife.

"I forgot how fast you were handsome..." Ada teased as she tore open the packaging, which was being illuminated by Leon's light. He rolled his eyes at her statement, and continued to concentrate the light as she inserted the batteries and screwed the cap back on. Soon Ada's own beam of light joined her husband's, and the couple prepared to leave.

"Well, we have a lot of ground to follow and I'm sure your gunfire will have alerted any nearby carriers, so let's get going." the ex-assassin suggested, motioning for Leon to lead the way. The agent nodded, and held the flashlight with his left hand, resting and aiming his Springfield on his left wrist with his other hand. Just when he exited the store, Leon turned his head to make sure his wife was close behind, and his eyes flicked towards the counter.

"Sorry Hank..." he murmured sarcastically, fixating his gaze ahead. Ada rolled her eyes at her incorrigible husband, but mimicked his tactical stance with the flashlight, making it so that wherever she aimed, the beam of light followed. As they swept through the entire third floor, they were relieved to find that there still weren't many infected citizens staggering around, and most of the stores were empty. The best that they could hope for without finding Ashley was what they found in the electronics store, which was nothing. And so far, the worst that the couple had seen so far were three carriers inside of Old Navy, but that could be attributed to the fact that they were busy feasting on a dead body. After they confirmed that it wasn't Ashley's body that they were eating, Leon and Ada simply locked the store's door and left, not wanting to waste ammo on the occupied carriers.

"One last store to check, and then we can head down to the second floor." Leon pointed out, aiming his flashlight into the darkness of an old candle store. There wasn't much to the store at all, and unless Ashley was hiding behind the counter, he would have seen her by now.

"Ashley?" the blonde man hissed at the entrance. His reply was complete silence, and feeling satisfied with that, Leon turned and shook his head at his wife.

"I guess there's nothing left to do but head on down." Ada announced, and set off towards the stairs with her husband following closely by her side. The couple felt content that the third floor was clear, free of carriers and Ashley alike, and once they reached the non-functional escalator, they both switched their flashlights off and set them down on the floor, hoping that they would no longer need to rely on them. Ada was the first to step on the escalator and begin descending as Leon pulled up the rear. Suddenly, the raven-haired woman halted her movements and also Leon's, by placing a hand on his chest.

"Do you hear that?" she mouthed silently to her husband, causing the agent to strain his ears. It paid off, as the sound of toenails clicking on tile floor could be heard, gradually getting closer. He'd heard this sound before, he was sure of it, and the memories were not pleasant. Slowly, Leon holstered his 9mm and pulled the double barrel shotgun from his shoulder, motioning for Ada to crouch down. The sound was certainly coming from the second floor, there was no doubt about that, so Leon aimed the 12-gauge at the base of the escalator and waited for whatever it was to show itself. But instead of coming into view, the sound of the toenails scratching against the floor suddenly stopped, and a deep growl rumbled through the air. The sound sent memories flooding back into Leon's mind, and he suddenly knew what they were up against.

"Dog..." he breathed out, and no sooner had the words escaped his lips than the animal bounded into view, snarling and bearing it's teeth in all of it's infected glory. The T-Virus had been unkind to the beast, decomposing it's flesh so drastically that it was practically drooping from the poor animal's bones. With a vicious bark, it charged up the escalator's lifeless stairs, quickly tearing the agent from his thoughts back to the matter at hand. He pointed the bead of the 12-gauge at the dog's face, ignoring the fact that it was drooling hungrily at the thought of picking clean the bones of his wife and unborn child, and fired. The blast from the shell struck the animal violently, sending it tumbling back down to the base of the stairs with a sharp yelp. However, given it's erratic movements, the shot managed to miss it's target and only deliver a non-fatal blow to the creature's ribs. It wasn't long before the animal was back on it's feet, and while a large chunk was ripped from it's sternum, the dog's brain was still intact. And that meant that no matter what, it wouldn't stop until it was feasting on human flesh.

Leon utilized his agility and hopped over his crouching wife, not only blocking her from harm's way, but also to minimize the spread of the shotgun's pellets. With a long and somewhat sorrowful howl, the dog once again dashed towards the couple. The ex-cop aimed once again, jamming the stock of the gun firmly into his shoulder to absorb the recoil better and trained the sights at those lifeless eyes, pulling the trigger. Once again, the poor animal was thrown backwards, but this time, unlike the last, the dog made no noise when it smacked against the floor. Chunks of skull and brain matter scattered against the large white pillars that were at the base, and large amounts of blood seeped from the animal's head, rapidly pooling around it's limp body. Feeling the cringe of pity that he always felt whenever killing a carrier, human or otherwise, Leon flipped the barrel of the shotgun open, ejecting the spent cartridges on the stairs. As he reloaded the weapon, Ada stood from her spot and placed her hand on his shoulder, giving him a soft and loving kiss on his cheek.

"Let's finish this Leon." she spoke into his ear, prompting him to nod in agreement. The blonde man replaced the 12-gauge over his shoulder and fished his Springfield from his thigh holster, making sure to check the clip first. He had 4 shots left in the magazine, and would need to reload soon, especially if more carriers were close by. Cautiously, Leon led the way down the useless escalator, sweeping his gun wherever his eyes roamed. Because of the dog's appearance, the ex-cop was sure that more infected were sure to have flocked down on the second floor, and just as he was about to make his way off of the stairs, Leon was proven right.

"Damn...I'm not sure we have enough ammo..." the agent muttered, scanning the new level 360 degrees, and noticing quite a few more carriers down here. Some were oblivious to the couple, and others had already begun to make their way out of stores and other hard to see areas.

"Guess we'll just have to be quick on our feet then." Ada replied, aiming her weapon at the closest threat, an infected female, before squeezing the trigger to expertly plant a 9mm round into her head.

"Alright then...let's get this over with..." Leon agreed, and was about to begin his search of the second floor when a dinging sound rang over the loud speakers of the entire mall.

"Attention all shoppers...attention all shoppers. The mall will be closing in...five minutes." came a familiar male voice, followed by a jovial laugh. A laugh that caused Leon's stomach to churn.

You gotta be shitting me...

"Leon, listen!" the Eurasian beauty suddenly exclaimed, trying her best to ignore the stumbling monsters that were getting closer and strain her ears. After plugging the closest carrier in the head, the blonde man also strained to hear.

"Help me! Please!" a faint cry pleaded, directing the couple's attention upwards, where Ada gasped.

"How the...?" she trailed off, gazing at the floor above, where the electricity had been restored.

"No time hun, just go!" Leon proclaimed, ushering his wife up the stairs to the already clear third floor. Without hesitating, the ex-spy made her way up the escalator, which was proving slightly difficult as the stairs were now moving down. The agent also began ascending, turning every once in a while to shoot at the looming mob of carriers. Luckily, they were too stupid to figure out how to effectively follow, but it wouldn't be long before a couple wandered onto the other side, where traveling to the third floor would be much easier. When the couple made their way to the top, they focused on the cries again.

"Sounds like they're coming from over there." the blonde man announced, pointing in the direction of an electronic store.

"We already checked that store...this has to be a trap." Ada stated, but followed her husband nonetheless. Leon inserted a fresh clip into his Springfield, and casting a quick glance to the raven-haired woman, entered the electronics shop.

"Someone help me! Oh please God, help me!" Ashley's cries grew louder, causing the ex-cop's heart rate to increase.

"Aww, shh, shh, shh...No one can help you now. Not man, not God...you're alone..." was the familiar male's reply. At this point, Leon was sprinting around the store, stopping only when he had reached the section where the display televisions were kept. Ada also skidded to a halt, not quite expecting what she saw. Because on every single display TV, was the image of the young blonde woman in her mid-twenties cowering away from a man that she had never seen before. But she didn't need to see the man to know exactly who he was.

"Oh, look who joined the party! Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy, let's give them a round of applause for showing up stylishly late!" Joe exclaimed, looking at the camera into the eyes of the couple.

"Let her go..." Leon growled, earning him a laugh.

"Umm...no?" the madman replied, almost as if he was unsure of his answer. At this point, Ashley looked up and surveyed her surroundings, hoping to see Leon in the room.

"Where are you?" the blonde man interrogated, looking around the store in confusion.

"Not where you are, that's for sure...I'm in the security room on the first floor. It's much safer, isn't that right Miss Graham?" the dark-haired man implored, grinning in her direction.

"Just hold on Ashley." Leon spoke, and turned on his heel, facing the exit.

"Ah, ah, ah...I...wouldn't do that if I were you. Maybe you didn't hear me correctly...I'm in the security room. I basically run this mall right now. I can see both of you right now, thanks to those security cameras in the store, and I can even control the power from here. So...if you don't want little Ashley to meet an unfortunate end...I'd suggest staying right where you are." Joe explained with a chuckle, holding up a switchblade knife and waving it around on the screen.

"This, Miss Graham...this is God." the madman continued, turning around to emphasize the knife in his hand. Ashley's eyes grew wide, and all Leon and Ada could do was watch helplessly as the dark-haired man slowly approached her.

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Sorry about the lame chapter guys, but I had to update today, no matter what. And ya know why? Because today marks the one-year anniversary of DOAM! Woo hoo! Honestly, I'm not sure whether to be proud or ashamed lol...this should be done by now, right? Or...at the very least, I should be further along. Ahh well, blame my laziness lol. Anyways, this is dedicated to all of my readers and especially reviewers, because without you guys, I wouldn't have even made it THIS far into the story, so a HUGE thank you for all of the inspiration and motivation that you've given me!

Alright, I'll be brief this time lol...I just came off of an all-nighter, so I'm a little beat. The lyrics at the beginning are once again from Iron Maiden's 'Fear of the Dark'.

But enough with the obligatory anti-copyright plugs and back to the matter at hand! Wow...one year guys...it's been a trip. I'll admit, trying to keep this story interesting and fresh is proving to be a daunting task, one that I hadn't anticipated from the beginning. But regardless, if I have to headlock this fic into submission, I WILL complete it! So again, much love to the wonderful people who read and give feedback...I can't thank you guys enough, and every review means a lot to me, so don't think that I've forgotten this story, even though I haven't updated since...August-ish lol. I hope the next chapter will be better, so keep with me and I promise you won't regret it! Until next time, take it easy everyone!