(Chapter 1 is finished. I added about 5 more pages) Claire and Leon decend into Umbrella against orders and learn a bit more about what's in their hearts.
Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil or any of the
characters.They are the property of
Capcom.I'm using them for my own
personal enjoyment and that of others and not making any money in the process.
*Note – I ignored the fact that Leon apparently knew Claire
was on Rockfort (or whatever) sorry.I've never played the games! (My explanation for it is that if Leon knew
how to contact Chris to tell him where Claire was….why would Claire go looking
for Chris in the first place?!)
Big thank you to Mayumi H for being such a great beta
reader!And to all the people who
review to help me become a better writer.
Light of Shadows
By: Facade
************************************************************************
There's a candle burning
In the world tonight
For another child
Who vanished out of sight
And a heart is broken
Another prayer in vain
There's a million tears
That'll fill a sea of pain Aerosmith
"Fallen Angels"
************************************************************************ "No way." "But…" "No buts,
Claire.You are not coming." Chris Redfield interrupted, eyeing his younger sister
sternly. Claire's
chin inched up defiantly, her blue eyes sparkling with challenge.Chris sighed inwardly, recognizing the
stubborn tilt of her jaw all too well. "You're not
going." he repeated firmly."I want you
here where it's safe." Claire
gasped indignantly. "Chris!That's not
fair!I can…" "Enough."
Chris roared suddenly, surprising even himself. Claire's
mouth snapped shut, her expression hurt.Chris never yelled at her. "Fine," she
whispered before spinning on her heel and stomping into her hotel room,
slamming the door behind her. Chris
stared after her for a moment before sighing and raking his hands through his
brown hair, causing it to stand on end. "I
should've made her promise…" A small,
feminine chuckle drew his eyes toward the window where a slender figure was
lounging in one of the wing chairs. "That
wasn't very nice, Chris." Jill Valentine pointed out. "I know but
I don't want to be worrying about her while we're there." Chris explained once
again. "I don't
know.She seems to have done pretty
well by herself back in Raccoon City," she remarked casually. Chris
glared at her for the reminder, but Jill simply grinned at him until he smiled
back. "Think I
should go apologize?" "I
think she'd probably shoot you if you went in there now."
_____________________________________________________________
Claire
threw herself onto her bed, rolling onto her back and glaring angrily at the
ceiling.How dare Chris even assume
that she couldn't take care of herself!She wasn't his baby sister that needed to be protected anymore.She was twenty years old.She'd lived through Raccoon City without his
help. In fact,
she'd never have been in Raccoon City if it hadn't been for him.If he'd managed to find time in his busy
schedule of bringing the Umbrella Corp. to its knees and told her where he
was…she'd never have gone to Raccoon City looking for him! She
shuddered as memories drifted across her consciousness like windblown
leaves.The smell of rotting flesh, the
shuffling thump of approaching zombies, the low, nerve wracking moans, ice cold
fear flowing through her veins as she counted her remaining bullets.Claire rubbed futilely at the goosebumps on
her arms, her anger abating slightly.She
could hear Chris and Jill in the next room.Making plans probably. That's why
they were here after all.All of the
information they had pointed to another Umbrella Corp. lab somewhere in the
nearby desert.Claire rolled onto her
side, tucking her hands under her cheek and gazing out the window at the
spectacular sunset painting the sky in brilliant streamers of reds and
oranges.The sensational view was the
only good thing she could credit Arizona with.Everything else since she'd gotten there was hell.Especially Chris ordering her to stay behind
while he, Jill, and Carlos infiltrated the building and had a look around.She had just found Chris again and she
didn't want to sit here and wonder whether she'd ever see him alive again. She glanced
at the phone on the bedside table contemplatively…
_________________________________________________________
"Claire?
Claire, we're leaving now. Remember…" Claire
glanced up from her book. "If you're not back in twenty-four hours, call
Rebecca and Barry.They'll know what to
do," she repeated again for the one-hundredth time. Chris
hugged her briefly."I love you,
Claire.We'll be back." "I love
you, too, big bro." He grunted
in response, hugging her once again. He picked his Magnum up off of the table,
slipping it into the holster at his side.Without another word he was out the door.Jill followed him, turning to wink at Claire before she pulled
the door shut behind her, leaving Claire alone. Claire waited until she heard the
doors on the rented van slam closed and the engine disappear into the silence
of the stardusted night.She jumped to
her feet, disregarding the book she'd been pretending to read for the last five
hours when it fell to the floor.They
actually thought that she was going to sit here meekly and wait for them?Not Claire Redfield! Claire was
just pulling her heavy leather boots on when the knock sounded on the suite's
outer door.She blew several strands of
loose hair from her eyes and stomped her foot into the last boot, ignoring the
flopping laces.She slipped a wicked looking
knife into the sheath on the inner side of her right boot before straightening
and slipping silently across the room to the door.She looked through the peephole cautiously before throwing the
locks and swinging the door open, smiling. "Leon!" Leon Scott
Kennedy looked up from the scrap of creased paper in his hand, a slow smile
spreading across his face.He dipped
his left shoulder slightly, dropping the duffel bag he carried to the floor
with a muted thud, and stepped forward.Claire stepped into his arms willingly, her own arms circling his torso
tightly while her face tucked into his warm shoulder.She inhaled the clean scent of his skin deeply, smelling the
faint scent of his soap mixed with musky aftershave.Claire felt Leon's arms wrap around her shoulders, squeezing her
tightly, his cheek resting on the crown of her head.If she held on to him longer than was appropriate neither of them
commented when she finally stepped back, allowing him to enter the room. Leon toed
his bag just inside the door and shut it softly behind him.He hadn't changed much in the months since
she'd last seen him.After Utah Claire
had continued on to Europe to find Chris while Leon went to California to check
out several Umbrella fronts for Trent and to check on Sherry. Claire suddenly realized that she
was staring at him but couldn't bring herself to look away.When had he gotten so damn attractive?Had he looked that good in Raccoon City and
she just hadn't noticed?His russet
hair had grown a bit, still falling forward to frame his face only to be pushed
back casually, revealing a pair of expressive deep blue eyes.Claire eyed his tall, lean form critically,
from the dark blue T-shirt stretched across his broad chest to the snug black
pants encasing his muscled legs to the thick boots on his feet.She glanced up to find him watching her with
a curious expression and blushed darkly, spinning away to hide her red cheeks,
and crossing the room to sit at the small table. Leon smiled
after her, admiring her many feminine qualities.He skimmed her body with his eyes quickly, appreciating the way
she filled out the jeans and muted red shirt she wore.He followed her to the small round table
placed in the center of the room and dropped gratefully into one of the chairs
around it. "Leon…
Thank you so much for coming.Especially on such short notice." "I couldn't
pass up a chance to see your beautiful face again." Leon quipped, wiggling his
eyebrows suggestively. Claire
flushed a bright red and Leon leaned across the table and tugged playfully at
the end of her brown ponytail.Her head
shot up and a sharp retort died on her lips at his mischievous smile and she
couldn't resist smiling back.She loved
the way his eyes sparkled when he was fooling around.She stuck her tongue out at him and laughed. "So where's
your brother?" he asked, looking around the room curiously, noticing for the
first time that they were completely alone. "Gone
already." Claire replied bitterly.She
didn't notice when Leon smiled at her knowingly."He refused to let me go with them.Ever since I got caught by Umbrella months ago he…" Claire
trailed off as Leon lurched out of his seat, blue eyes wild, roaring, "WHAT?!" She leaned
her head back to meet his eyes, repeating calmly, "I was caught by Umbrella
several months ago.They sent me to
Rockfort Island…" Claire's
voice broke and she stared blankly at him, her mind drifting back.Rockfort…Antarctica…Steve…Her throat closed painfully and she felt
hot, stinging tears fill her eyes as a wave of grief she thought she'd finally
escaped washed over her.Steve
Burnside.Who'd loved her enough to
sacrifice himself to save her life.Claire bit down on her trembling lower lip to keep from crying.She sensed rather than saw Leon kneel next
to her chair, reaching out hesitantly to touch her.She raised her anguished eyes to his frantic, worried ones and
attempted a weak smile. Leon gently
took her hand in his and tugged her into his arms, shifting slightly to sink to
the floor with her between his knees.He pressed her to his chest tightly and rocked her slightly, all the
time rubbing her back soothingly. She'd been captured by
Umbrella.Just the mere thought of it
sent cold fingers of fear clenching at his gut.Why hadn't anyone told him?!Why?!What had happened to her to cause such
misery in her beautiful eyes?He felt
cold and clammy just thinking about the terrible things she could have been
subjected to.Leon held Claire tighter,
unable to shake his fear, and rested his cheek on the top of her head. A few
moments later she finally pushed back from his chest, the strong, collected
Claire firmly back in place.Leon could
tell from the look in her eyes that she didn't want to talk about it so he
reluctantly released her.She stood
slowly, brushing her jeans off. "Sorry."
She mumbled meekly. Leon shook
his head mutely, gazing up at her. "Claire…" "We should
get moving.It's getting late." She cut
him off abruptly, turning away and crossing the room.She disappeared into one of the bedrooms and returned a second
later with an armful of equipment. Leon shook
his head, levering himself off of the floor, and went back to the door to get
his bag.There would be time later to
find out the whole story.He swung the
bag onto the table and the contents inside rattled in protest to the treatment
before settling.He glanced at Claire
one last time before setting to work.She was busily thumbing 9mm rounds into a magazine, steadfastly ignoring
him. Leon sighed inwardly and unzipped
the bag, reaching in and pulling the first gun out.
_________________________________________________________
Claire
shoved the last full magazine into her hip pouch and swiped at her forehead
with the back of her hand.She tucked
an errant strand of long, brown hair behind her ear and straightened,
stretching her back.She glanced across
the table at Leon.His head was bent
over the gun in his hands, strands of reddish-brown hair flopping forward to
tickle at his long nose and obscuring his features.Her fingers itched to ruffle the long strands and she clasped her
hands behind her back to still the urge.Claire diverted her eyes from the temptation and found herself staring
at Leon's left shoulder.Her forehead
crinkled in confusion and she cocked her head to the side to get a better look.Leon looked up, as if suddenly aware that he
was being scrutinized.His cerulean
blue eyes followed her gaze until he found the source of her curiosity.He angled his shoulder toward her and
Claire's frown disappeared as the white letters RPD boldly emblazoned across
his dark blue sleeve came into view. Leon
cleared his throat uncomfortably, fidgeting slightly in embarrassment."A reminder." He explained succinctly.His nervousness increased when Claire
remained silent, her gaze never wavering from his sleeve.He jumped in surprise when she leaned across
the table and lightly traced the letters with her fingertips. "Does it
ever bother you?" she asked gently, her voice barely a whisper. Leon
covered her hand with his, pressing her palm flat against the warmth of his
arm.Her eyes rose to find his, seeing
the same tumult of emotions reflected in their blue depths."Every night," he answered softly. "Because
it was wrong.Because it was
inhuman.That's why Umbrella has to be
stopped." Claire and Leon
stared into each other's eyes for a moment, feeling closer than either had ever
imagined possible.Leon finally blinked
and cleared his throat, moving away.Claire felt a sudden coolness replace the warmth of his hand and shook
herself back into reality.Leon was
pulling on a heavy black vest covered in multiple pockets, into which he
stuffed his spare magazines and several loose rounds.He slipped his ever present Desert Eagle .50AE Magnum into a
holster at the small of his back and the 9mm Beretta into the holster under his
arm. "We should
get going." He grinned over his shoulder at her."Unless you've decided you'd rather stay…" Claire's
chin inched up in response to the challenge in his voice."Not in your life." She shot back, striding
over to the table to get her equipment. Leon
shouldered her Remington shotgun and gave her a cocky salute before moving to
the door.He cracked it open and peered
out cautiously.A cool breeze ruffled
his hair slightly, bringing with it the scent of the hot, dry desert
nearby.When he was sure the coast was
clear he slipped out quietly, jogging across the small motel parking lot toward
his borrowed Ford Taurus.He propped
the shotgun against the rear door and fumbled his keys out of his back pocket,
eyes warily scanning the area.Claire
slipped out after him, shutting the motel room door securely behind her and
hurrying to join him at the car.She
smiled at him impishly and bent to peer into the backseat.Leon laughed out loud and opened the
driver's side door and slid behind the steering wheel, thumbing the automatic
door locks.Claire plopped into the
passenger's seat, slamming the door behind her. "Better
safe than sorry," she barely managed to say without laughing. He leaned
over and poked her in the side, causing her to shriek when the action tickled,
before slipping the key into the ignition. The car roared to life and Leon
grinned at her, his teeth flashing white in the gloomy interior of the car,
before slamming his foot down on the accelerator.The back tires spun momentarily before the car lurched forward
and disappeared onto the road in a cloud of dust.
_________________________________________________________
Leon
punched at the elevator button again in annoyance.He sighed in resignation and turned to shrug at Claire."I guess we aren't going up the way we came
down." He told her.He pointed to the
card reader placed next to the elevator call button."They'll let ya come down but you need a card to go back up." Claire made
a disgusted face and scanned the dimly lit hallway once more before stepping
next to him to look at the card reader."Guess we should look for a card, huh?" "Guess
so."Leon rubbed at his eyes wearily
and turned to point down the hallway."Let's go that way." Claire
nodded in agreement and hurried to keep pace with him as he broke into a loping
jog.She gripped the butt of her gun
tighter, her eyes flicking up and down the hall ahead of them warily.An hour.A whole hour and nothing.No
sudden revelations that would bring Umbrella down and no sign of Chris and the
others.They were here somewhere. Claire and Leon had arrived in the
small town to find it silent.Not a
deserted silence though.The silence
that falls upon all small towns after a certain time of the day.The silence that means the residents had retired
for the evening to their safe homes.They had found Jill's rental van in the alley across the street from the
innocuous building bearing the faded red and white symbol of Umbrella Corp.The vehicle was empty, locked, and
undisturbed. Using the shadows to cover them,
the two had circled around to the back of the building.The door had been left cracked open
slightly, just enough that a cursory glance would have assumed it closed.It showed no signs of forcing, Jill's
lockpicks having been sufficient to gain the trio access.Leon and Claire slipped in unnoticed and
found themselves to be in what appeared to be a legit branch office of Umbrella
Pharmaceuticals.Small reception area
with several healthy potted plants, small corner offices with large desks
covered in legal papers, and a conference room dominated by a long table and
chairs. Claire had spent several minutes
sifting through stacks of paper on some of the desks, using the moonlight
spilling through the slitted shades to read by, too afraid to turn on even a
penlight lest it be spotted and reported to the local authorities.Leon had made a logical assumption that any
darker sides of Umbrella had to be below and went around the office systematically
pushing, pulling, and knocking on walls, desks, and various objects.That's how they ended up where they
were.He'd found a simple pressure
plate hidden on a back wall that slid back to reveal the elevator.Now they were jogging down the hall in an
attempt to find a swipe card that would allow them to go back upstairs when it
was time to go. Claire for one hoped they found one
soon.She really wasn't looking forward
to being found there in the morning when the employees arrived.There wasn't a doubt in her mind that she'd
be recognized immediately and she had no desire to find out what Umbrella had
in store for Claire Redfield if they caught her again.She'd been lucky last time.Others hadn't….like Steve Burnside.She shook her head furiously, pushing the
thought to the back of her mind.Her
eyes burned hotly with unshed tears but she refused to let them fall.She couldn't fall apart now.Leon needed her to stay focused.Leon… She glanced over at him
instinctively.He was still keeping
pace next to her, his breathing deep and easy, completely unlabored.His eyes were focused on the hallway before
them but after a moment they slowly slid over to lock with hers.She frowned slightly. "Tired?" he asked, concern
reflecting in his blue eyes. Claire shook her head
negatively.She cocked her head to the
side, unsure that she liked the direction her thoughts had suddenly taken.So concerned about her now…Concerned enough to come to Arizona within
twenty-four hours of her calling… Leon's gait faltered and he slowed
to a stop."Claire?What's wrong?" "Why didn't you come to Antarctica
to rescue me?" she asked bluntly, unable to stop herself.If he'd come then maybe Steve would still be
alive… Leon blinked at her in surprise,
hurt flashing across his handsome face."Wh-what?" "I e-mailed you and told you where
I was.Why didn't you come?" Claire
choked out, her eyes beginning to water. "Why didn't you come?!" Leon stepped back slightly,
stricken horror on his face."Claire…I
didn't know…I haven't checked my e-mail since I went to California…" "You…didn't know?" Leon shook his head slightly."No." "Then how…..?" Claire looked
puzzled.How had Chris known where she
was?It slowly dawned on her."Trent." she breathed.She shook her head.She didn't like the man particularly but she
made a mental note to thank him the next chance she got. "I'm sorry, Leon." she apologized,
sheepishly. "That was uncalled for." Leon hooked his finger under her
chin and lifted her eyes to his."I
would have come for you…" he whispered huskily. Claire stared up at him solemnly
for a moment before throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly,
kissing his cheek gently."I couldn't
ask for a better friend than you, Leon." She felt his arms wrap around her
in return and he hugged her tightly until she squeaked in protest.He finally set her back on her feet and
reluctantly released her.He chucked
her under the chin lightly and smiled at her before turning away."Same here, Claire." Claire smiled happily and followed
him.He hadn't abandoned her.
_________________________________________________________
Leon
slipped his 9mm Beretta from its holster and jerked his head toward the closed
door silently.Claire nodded and
quietly inched to the other side of the door.She crouched down low and squeezed herself against the wall.Leon glanced at her to be sure she was in
position then back at the door clearly marked with the biohazard symbol.He drew a deep breath and blew it out
slowly, steeling his nerves, before stepping forward into the door's automatic
sensors.It whooshed upwards into the
ceiling with a muted whir of machinery.Leon swept the room left to right, vaguely aware of Claire repeating the
action below him. "Jackpot."
Claire whispered. Leon nodded
dumbly, his eyes scanning the immense room slowly.Machines of all different sizes and types lined the shadowed
walls like great, hulking monsters lying in wait for a chance to wreck havoc
with some unsuspecting soul.Their
metal hides gleamed threateningly in the weak lights, their low growls the
muted whir of machinery.A cold chill
racked his body and Leon shook his gaze away from the intimidating sight.The other side of the room was scattered
with small workstations, computer screens glowing brightly like beacons.Locked glass cabinets filled with bottles
and vials lined one wall; the other having a short section of slanted glass
looking down into an operating room most likely.Leon shuddered, imagining the countless inhuman experiments that
had doubtlessly been performed there. Claire
wrinkled her nose in distaste as the antiseptic smell of the lab assaulted her
nostrils.She couldn't stand the
smell.It was like a hospital with an
undertone of sickly death.She nudged
Leon in the side with her elbow and waved her gun toward the desks. "Let's
check those out." Leon nodded,
slowly lowering his own gun to his side."Be careful though.This place
is sure to have some kind of security…" Claire
flashed him a cocksure grin and gave him the thumbs up with one hand, her
bright blue eyes laughing."Sure thing,
hoss."She sauntered over to the
nearest computer and pulled out the rolling chair, spinning it around so she
could sit on it backwards. He chuckled
softly, feeling some of the tension drain from his limbs, and raked his free
hand through his hair.He scanned the
banks of computers nearby but made no move to sit at one.Computers had never really been his
forte.Instead, his eyes were
continually drawn towards the great glass observation windows lining the far
wall and he found himself unconsciously moving toward them. Leon
approached the bank of windows slowly, almost hesitantly.He tentatively placed his hand against the
glass, palm flush with the cool surface.He winced and squeezed his eyes closed tightly, blocking out the stark
horror before him, as the imagined tortures performed in the room pricked at
the edges of his consciousness like small daggers.His head dropped forward until his forehead rested against the
glass and he drew a ragged breath. ~Damn
it!How do they sleep at night?~ Leon
cursed softly under his breath, his balled fist smacked into his thigh
angrily.His blue eyes snapped open,
nearly black with determination, and he pushed himself away from the
glass.The door leading into the room
clicked open easily under his hand and he pushed it back.Claire glanced towards him in surprise, half
rising from her chair.Leon shook his
head, motioning that everything was fine, and smiled tensely.She frowned back at him, worry creasing her
brow, but slowly sat back down. Leon
skipped down the short set of metal stairs into the murky semidarkness
below.He paused at the bottom,
scanning the gloom slowly.Stainless
steel cabinets lined one of the walls; their surfaces gleamed dully in the low
light.The adjacent wall held a counter
that ran the length of the wall.At one
end was a computer with numbers scrolling up the screen and several other
pieces of electrical and medical equipment.The center of the room was dominated by a huge stainless steel operating
table.Trays of scalpels and other
implements of torture were lined up perfectly beside it.The back was completely devoid of any
equipment or shelves.There seemed to
be a faint outline of a door in the center of it and Leon moved toward it. The murky
shadows played havoc with his perceptions and Leon misjudged the distance
between him and the table, managing to bang his hip painfully against the
corner.He hissed in pain and dug the
heel of his palm into his side.The
pain radiated up his side to his ribs and he cursed again. ~Smooth move, Kennedy!~ he scolded
himself. He leaned against the wall near him
in order to inspect the damage but jumped away quickly when he felt something
slide beneath his elbow.The area he
thought was the outline of a door slowly slid into the ceiling, a slightly
brighter light spilling out from within.Leon cocked his head at it curiously, debating whether it was prudent to
enter.
Claire
watched Leon disappear down the stairs into the darkness and sighed
deeply.There was something very
disturbing in his eyes.She mentally
reminded herself to sit down with him and have a heart-to-heart talk about what
was going on his head.After they got
out of here that was.Claire turned
back to the thick folder of papers open on the desk before her.The current page was an unfathomable blur of
numbers.According to the heading at
the top they were dealing with the results of cerebral testing conducted the
week before. Claire snorted in disgust and
flipped to the next page.Nothing
helpful there either.Just long columns
of statistics and chemical equations.She stared down at the page for a moment, mentally kicking herself for
not thinking to bring a camera or something to make copies with.She was sure that Rebecca would be able to
understand what all the numbers and formulas meant but taking the folder was
out of the question.It looked way too
important to go missing.Chances were
its theft would be noticed and Umbrella would pack up and disappear from here. She flipped the file closed and
glared balefully at the Umbrella logo embossed on the cover.Underneath it were the stark, bold words
Project: Stalker.Anxiety prickled
along her spine like icy fingers.Claire rubbed her arms in a futile attempt to warm her from an internal
cold and pushed the folder away, opening the desk drawer instead.She rummaged though the contents to no
avail.Paper clips, rubber bands, Bic
pens, a few crumbled Baby Ruth wrappers, an unopened pack of gum, and a half
empty pack of cigarettes.Ooohhh….the
fiend!Claire smiled slightly at her
own comment and closed the drawer.Or
tried to.About halfway in it got
stuck.She tried again with no success.Claire grumbled to herself and pulled the
drawer completely out and set it on the desktop before kneeling in front of the
gaping hole and thrusting her hand inside.Her fingertips ran over the smooth metal side looking for what was
obstructing the way.She cursed when
her fingers found nothing and started checking the other side.She half expected it to be a broken piece of
the metal guides and that she was going to pull back a mangled finger so her
fingers stumbling over the edge of something plastic taped to the side was a
surprise. It took her a moment to get her
fingernails under the edge of the plastic and rip the tape away.She sat back on her heels and examined the
object in her hand.It was a small
piece of translucent green plastic about the size of a VISA card with a hole in
one end to allow it to hang from a chain.On the front was a blurry picture of a balding scientist with cheerful
brown eyes, a name – Charles Wallace -, and a security clearance – M level
-.On the back was a single, wide
magnetic strip.Claire studied it for a
second longer before rising and slipping the card into the back pocket of her
jeans.She picked the drawer up off of
the desk and slid it home, smiling to herself. Leon edged around the doorjamb
cautiously, every sense alert.The
first thing he noticed was the musty quality to the air.It smelled damp and old with a faint
underlying scent of urine.He resisted
the urge to cover his nose and swept the interior with his gun.Small cells lined both walls, steel bars
extending floor to ceiling with a small section at the bottom left open for
slipping food into the cells. The
concrete floors were swept completely clean and there was no furniture.Not only that but they were empty.Leon lowered his gun and straightened.His boots echoed eerily off the walls as he
walked down the line of cells.Reaching
the end he turned around to head back and froze.He drew a sharp breath and held it.Not all of the cells were empty and the lone occupant curled in
the corner of the end cell wasn't animal.It was a human. Leon stared dumbfounded for a
moment, completely at a loss about what to do.A second later the rage hit.He
visibly shook with the effort it took not to explode as white-hot anger coursed
throughout his body.Darkness edged the
corners of his vision.Several deep
breaths later he had regained his composure enough to look into the cell
again.Closer inspection revealed a
young girl, maybe seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing old, faded Levi blue
jeans and a tattered baby blue t-shirt with an obscure logo across the front.Tangled masses of dirty, oily black hair
partially hid her face from view.Her
skin was as pale as parchment but not the sickly white of the undead.The soft rise and fall of her chest assured
him that she was still alive. "Hey," Leon called softly, rattling
the door slightly to gain her attention. The girl twitched slightly and
slowly pushed herself into a sitting position.Her hair fell away from her face and Leon got a glimpse of doe brown
eyes.She watched him warily, her body
tense, eyes flicking up and down his form quickly.For a moment Leon thought her eyes looked cold…calculating, but a
moment later she blinked and the expression in her eyes changed to one of fear
and helplessness. "Help me," she whispered pitifully. Leon's hands tightened into a white
knuckled grip on the bars."Don't
worry, sweetheart.I'll get you out,"
he promised vehemently. His fingers traveled over the door
quickly, looking for a lock.He shook
the door in frustration at finding nothing.The girl looked like she'd dozed off again. "Hey," Leon called to her.Her eyes opened and focused on him
again."How do you open this?" She cocked her head to the side for
a moment before pointing at a small box next to the room's entrance."Over there.The code for my cell is 5891." Leon raised an eyebrow in surprise
and the girl smiled slightly."I've
watched them punch that code in every day."She shrugged. Leon turned and jogged toward the
box, once there he quickly punched in the code and heard the faint click of the
cell unlocking.He went back and pulled
the door open.The girl pushed herself
to her knees and he extended his hand to help her to her feet.She leaned against his side heavily and he
slipped a supporting arm around her waist, leading her toward the door. "Who are you?" Leon asked, "How did
you get here?" "I don't know.I can't remember."Her voice was shaky and unsure."Please, you have to help me!"She was beginning to sound hysterical. "I will.I promise," Leon reassured her quickly, squeezing her side as
emphasis."I have friends who can help
you." He helped her into the dimly lit
operating room and started to steer her towards the stairs."Claire!" he shouted. "Leon?"He heard a chair crash to the floor and her footsteps hurrying
towards the door.Her silhouette
appeared at the top of the steps, bracing her arms against the doorjamb to halt
her forward motion before she plummeted down the flight of steps."What's wrong?Who's that?!" Leon opened his mouth to speak but
stopped when he felt the girl stiffen under his arm. "Redfield," she hissed. Leon slowly turned his head to look
down at her, his mouth falling open.His blood turned cold in his veins and his arm fell away from the girl's
shoulders.He stumbled back a step,
staring at her in horror.Her pupils
dilated until there was only a thin ring of brown circling the outside and took
on a flat, cold gleam.The muscles
along her arms rippled and twisted obscenely under her pale, translucent
skin.She doubled over, gasping, and
wrapped her arms around her stomach, making low, ugly mewling sounds.Leon watched in dismay as the twisting
muscles doubled on top of each other, writhing up and down the girl's thin body
like ropey snakes.He could see her
chest heaving with the great breaths she was drawing and the horrendous noises
she was making were slowly growing deeper.The sound of cartilage and bones snapping filled the room. "Jesus…" he whispered to himself,
unable to look away from the scene before him.The girl…no, she wasn't a girl anymore…the monster before him was shifting,
changing.Skin ripped like tissue
paper, exposing the slick vermilion of muscle beneath, and reformed as sickly
ocher flesh, thick veins pulsing green just beneath.Joints popped and dislocated obscenely, shifting outwards.The creature's arms fell away from its
stomach, the knuckles grazing the floor.The right hand still resembled a human hand although slightly distorted
but the left was a horrible mimicry of an appendage.Four short, stubby fingers were attached to thick, heavy
knuckles.The thumb had diminished to a
nub on the inside.Each bulbous digit
was graced with a thick, four-inch claw.The nails tapped against the floor in a nerve-wracking tempo, grating
against Leon's already frayed nerves. His hand fumbled at his side for
his gun even as the creature's head turned toward him.Sharp eyes focused on him and the creature's
mouth opened slightly, revealing rows of needle sharp teeth, and emitted a low
hiss.Leon swallowed hard and stepped
back slightly, swinging the barrel of his Beretta to bear on the monster's
head.It let out a grating screech that
sent a chill down his spine and swiped at him with one hand. The gun flew out of Leon's numb
fingers, clattering loudly to the floor.The creature growled deeply and lunged toward him, slamming into his
shoulder with the force of a small wreaking ball and sending him flying
backwards.His breath whooshed out
painfully as his back crashed into the far wall and he slid to the floor,
groaning softly.Darkness closed in on
his vision and he shook his head to rid himself of the ringing in his ears. Claire's hands tightened into fists
at her side when the monster knocked Leon away."Leon!" The creature turned away from
Leon's prone form to face her.It's
eyes narrowed and it growled deep in its throat."Red…field…"It took a
menacing step toward her, its claws clicking against each other ominously.Claire backed up a step in response, her
fingers groping frantically for her gun.The monster dropped its jaw and let out a bloodcurdling scream, causing
Claire's searching fingers to slip off the butt of her gun in surprise.It took another heavy step forward before
lunging toward her, letting loose an ear-piercing cry and swiping objects out
of its path with its long claws.The
trays of surgical instruments tumbled to the floor in a loud jangle and
skittered across the linoleum. Leon struggled to push himself to
his feet, blindly searching for his gun in the dark."Claire!RUN!" he
screamed to her. His shout finally spurred her to action
and she whirled around and raced back into the main room, the monster only a
breath behind her on the stairs.Leon's
fingers closed around the cool, reassuring surface of his Beretta and he
scrambled to his feet, struggling to maintain his balance as the floor slipped
dangerously under his boots.The sounds
of gunfire and crashing from the computer room drove him toward the steps even
faster. He threw himself through the
doorway, sweeping the room instantly.Claire was furiously unloading her clip into the monster advancing
toward her but the creature ignored the shots peppering its skin as though they
were gnats.Streams of green blood
gushed unnoticed from a handful of wounds.It slashed at Claire with its claws, shrieking in fury.Claire ducked under the arm and backpedaled
away quickly around the desk, firing two more rounds.The monster straightened and turned toward her.With startling agility and speed it leapt to
the top of the desk, scattering papers across the floor and howling.The computer monitor tipped backwards and
exploded across the floor in a shower of sparks and glass.Claire jumped backwards and ran for the far
end of the room. Bam. Bam. Bam.Click.Click. She cursed loudly, ejecting the
spent clip and fumbling in her hip pouch for another.The monster hurdled off the table toward her but yelped and fell
to the floor heavily, gouts of crimson blossoming across its chest as Leon's
more powerful Magnum rounds ripped into its flesh. KRBAM.KRBAM.KRBAM. Claire slapped a new magazine into
her gun as the monster lifted its head, momentarily forgetting her and focusing
its rage on Leon. Leon held his ground as the
creature rushed toward him until the last possible second before diving out of
the way.He rolled across the floor,
stopping with his back pressed firmly against the wall, and fired two more
shots at the animal's unprotected back.It turned back to face him, a gurgling hiss spilling forth, and
determinedly rushed at him.Leon
charged to his feet and leapt over the nearest desk.He felt the wind of passing as the monster's claws missed his
cheek by bare inches.He used his
shoulder to soften his fall and rolled to his feet quickly, sprinting away as
the creature charged over the desk after him, howling its frustration to the
heavens.Leon fired his last two
bullets into the things chest just as Claire opened up again.Again the monster's attention shifted as 9mm
bullets sprayed across it, giving Leon time to reload.He clicked the new clip into place and aimed
carefully at the back of the monster's head, just where the head and neck met. "Claire," he roared over the sound
of gunfire, "The door!" He started firing slowly,
methodically, drawing the creature toward him and giving Claire time to race
toward the door leading out of the lab.Instead of going to the door as ordered, Claire ran toward one of the
desks, slowing only to sweep up the Remington shotgun she'd left there
previously. "Leon!Catch!" she shouted to him, tossing the shotgun toward him. Leon caught the gun reflexively,
dropping his Magnum to the floor. KABOOM. A chunk of the monster's side
disappeared in an explosion of green gore, dark blood splattering the desks
nearby.The creature bellowed in pain
and staggered backwards.Leon swept his
Magnum up off the floor and pivoted on his heel, racing toward the door.He felt the floor beneath him rumble as the
monster pounded after him, its piercing shrieks of anger deafening.He could see Claire standing in the hallway,
her gun pointed steadily toward him. "Come on!" she shouted. "Go!Go!Go!" Leon heard the swishing of air
being split behind him a moment before he heard the sound of fabric
tearing.There was a brief burning
sensation at his right shoulder before it went cold.He stumbled forward, barely keeping his balance, before he
regained his footing and dove through the doorway.Claire let loose with several rounds, forcing the creature back
slightly before she blew the door's controls. The door to the lab swished closed,
blocking the monster in.For the
moment.Its screams were only slightly
muted by the thick door.Metal rent
with a shriek as its claws scrabbled down the door in an attempt to rip through
it to get to the prey on the other side. "Run!" Leon gasped, staggering
toward Claire. Claire pivoted on her heel and
sprinted toward the end of the hall.Leon raced after her, his heart pounding loudly in his ears.He blinked sweat out of his eyes, gulping
deep breaths into his lungs, and pumping his arms for speed.They raced blindly through the maze of
corridors, driven by the echoing wails behind them.The sound ricocheted off the walls, creating a terrible cacophony
of noise that sent chills through Leon's gut. He was sweating heavily now,
finding it harder and harder to keep up with Claire.His shoulder was beginning to feel as though it was on fire and
his legs were becoming leaden.He
slowed to a jog and finally a walk, unable to continue running.He struggled to draw a deep breath but it
felt like a thousand needles puncturing his lungs and he coughed weakly.He ultimately stopped, leaning his shoulder
against the nearest wall and blinking the darkness from his vision. Claire heard Leon groan behind her
and whirled around. "Leon?"She frowned, worry flashing in her eyes as she approached
him. He smiled feebly, hoping to be
reassuring."I'm okay.I just need…to stop a sec." Leon rested his back against the
wall and let his head fall back against the smooth surface with a thud.He could hear Claire calling his name but it
sounded as though it were through a long tunnel. Claire watched in horror as Leon's
eyes rolled back in his head and he slowly slid down the wall to the
floor.His fingers loosened and the
shotgun and Magnum fell to the floor next to him with resounding clatters. Unable to stop herself, Claire
began screaming.A long, shattering
wail that reverberated down the deserted corridors like a banshee's
scream.Her eyes fixed on the long, dark
stain smeared on the wall behind Leon's prone form, his blood gleaming darkly
in the weak light.
TO BE CONTINUED……..
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I'm sinking slowly
So hurry hold me
Your hand is all I have to keep me hanging on
Please can you tell me
So I can finally see
Where you go when you're gone Michelle Branch"All You Wanted"
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