Chereads / soldier of the end / Chapter 8 - In The Past

Chapter 8 - In The Past

As the team moved cautiously through the rain-soaked streets, the sound of shuffling feet echoed ominously around them. After a few meters, they spotted a girl darting into the entrance of the Raccoon City Police Department.

"Hold up," Williams said, pointing toward the building. "I just saw a woman go in there."

Lester squinted, trying to get a better look. "Yeah, I saw her too," he confirmed, a frown creasing his brow. "That's suspicious. We need to move faster. There's something off about this place."

The team exchanged worried glances, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on them. "What if she's leading zombies to us?" Ali suggested, gripping his weapon tighter.

"Exactly," Lester replied. "We can't afford to waste time. Stay alert and keep your eyes open."

As they approached the entrance, tension hung in the air like a thick fog. They could hear distant moans and the occasional gunfire inside the station, underscoring the urgency of their mission. "Let's check it out," Lester said, leading the way, his heart racing with a mix of caution and determination. "If she's in there, we need to find her before it's too late."

As the team moved faster toward the building, their hearts raced with anticipation. The weight of their weapons felt reassuring in their hands, a reminder that they were ready for whatever awaited them inside. They had a mission: to investigate the police department for clues about the mysterious virus and to collect any information on the Nemesis incident from 1998.

They burst through the entrance, and chaos erupted around them. A group of zombies, seemingly less coordinated than the ones they had encountered before, lurched toward them with outstretched arms and bloodied mouths.

"Here we go!" Lester shouted, leveling his rifle. The first shot rang out, and the nearest zombie crumpled to the ground, its body hitting the floor with a sickening thud.

Williams took aim beside him, picking off another staggering figure. "These ones are a joke compared to what we faced earlier!" he yelled, relief flooding his voice.

Frederick nodded as he dispatched a zombie that got too close, the creature collapsing in a heap. "Yeah, they're slow and weak," he agreed, scanning the area for any potential threats. "We can handle this."

Ali fired his weapon, taking down another one with precision. "Let's keep moving! We need to find that girl and finish our mission!"

As they fought their way deeper into the police department, the sounds of gunfire echoed through the hallways, mingling with the growls of the undead. Lester led the charge, his instincts guiding him through the chaos.

"Keep an eye out for any signs of her!" he shouted, adrenaline pumping. "She could be trapped or in trouble, but we can't lose sight of our mission!"

Just then, they caught a glimpse of a figure darting down a side hallway. "There!" Williams pointed. "That's her!"

"Let's go!" Lester urged, adrenaline coursing through him as they sprinted after the girl, dodging and shooting zombies that dared to get in their way.

As they closed the distance, they noticed how she maneuvered through the horde with incredible agility, dispatching the undead with swift, decisive movements. Each shot she fired was accurate, and her determination radiated from her.

"Watch out!" Jason shouted, warning Lester as a zombie lunged from the side. But the girl was quicker, her weapon flashing as she dropped the creature effortlessly.

"Stick together!" Lester called, a renewed sense of urgency in his voice. "We need to get to her and find out what she knows!"

As they rounded the corner, Lester felt a flicker of hope. Maybe this time, they would be able to save someone while still completing their mission.

The woman's eyes widened with despair as she caught sight of the approaching team, her instincts urging her to flee. Despite their desperate chase, Lester's voice rang out, sharp and commanding. "Stop! We can't afford to lose focus on our mission!"

The team halted, confusion and frustration etched on their faces. Williams frowned, still breathing heavily from the chase. "But she might have information about the virus or the Nemesis incident!"

"Maybe," Lester conceded, his eyes tracking the woman as she disappeared down a corridor, her form a fleeting shadow. "But we're here for a reason. Let's not forget what we came to do."

Taking a breath to steady himself, Lester pulled out his device—a sleek, glass-like panel that had been given to them by Ray. It shimmered in the dim light, reflecting fragments of their surroundings. He pressed a button on the side, and the surface came alive with swirling colors, displaying a holographic interface.

"Ray, come in!" Lester called, activating the communication link.

"Lester, what's going on? Are you in position?" Ray's voice crackled through the earpiece.

"We spotted a woman, but she fled. I need to know if there's been any government deployment in this area regarding the outbreak," Lester explained, glancing at his team as they regrouped.

"I'll dig into it. In the meantime, how are you finding the glass?" Ray asked, curiosity evident in his tone.

"It's… interesting. Can you walk me through how to use it to check the past?"

"Sure. Just focus on a specific location, and the glass will retrieve historical data from that spot," Ray instructed. "You'll see images and events that happened there, like a living memory. Make sure to look for anything relevant to our mission."

Lester nodded, determination building within him. He aimed the glass at the police station's entrance, feeling the familiar surge of energy flow through the device. Slowly, the swirling colors settled, morphing into an image of the past.

The scene unfolded before him: police officers bustling about the station, the air filled with urgency. Lester watched as they coordinated efforts to manage an escalating crisis, the shadows of panic evident on their faces. In one corner of the image, a commotion drew his attention—an officer arguing with a scientist, their heated discussion hinting at the discovery of something monumental.

"What are you seeing?" Ray's voice broke through the focus of the moment.

"Looks like they were dealing with something serious here—arguments about a discovery, possibly related to the virus," Lester replied, his heart racing. "This might be connected to what we're after."

"Keep digging. There could be more clues in that place," Ray encouraged. "I'll let you know if I find anything on the woman."

As the images flickered and shifted, Lester felt the weight of their mission settle on his shoulders once more. He turned to his team, determination in his eyes. "We need to search this station thoroughly. There's more to uncover, and we can't let this opportunity slip by."

With renewed focus, they moved deeper into the police department, aware that every step could bring them closer to the truth behind the virus and the terrifying events that had unfolded in Raccoon City.

Lester and his team gathered around the shimmering glass panel, their eyes glued to the unfolding images. As they delved into the past of the Raccoon City police station, the device revealed a series of critical events leading up to the infamous outbreak.

The first image materialized, showing the station bustling with activity. Officers in crisp uniforms moved purposefully, unaware of the impending chaos. Lester watched as a young officer named Leon Kennedy was seen arriving for his first day on the job. He recalled the stories of Leon—how he had fought against the tide of terror unleashed by the T-Virus, a rookie thrust into a nightmare.

As the images shifted, they saw footage of an urgent briefing in the station's conference room. An officer was expressing concerns about bizarre incidents occurring around the city—reports of cannibalistic behavior, strange disappearances, and the discovery of mutilated bodies. The tension in the room was palpable, underscoring the growing dread that something catastrophic was on the horizon.

"Look at that," Williams pointed at the screen as an image flashed of an R.P.D. officer standing over a case file marked "G-Virus." "This was all before the outbreak even began."

The glass revealed a chilling sequence: a frantic response to a call about an outbreak in the nearby Arklay Mountains, with officers dispatched to investigate. Lester's heart raced as they saw the moment when the first infected individuals stormed into the station. Officers were overwhelmed, desperate calls for backup echoing in the chaos.

Suddenly, the team was jolted back to the present as a loud crash reverberated through the station. A group of zombies, their bodies twisted and rotting, had begun to pour in from a side door, drawn by the noise. Some bore mutations—the unmistakable signs of having been infected by the G-Virus.

"Zombies incoming!" Lester shouted, his pulse quickening. "Get ready to defend!"

Ali and Frederick took up defensive positions, weapons raised as Lester and Williams focused on holding back the advancing horde. The air was thick with the stench of decay and the frantic sounds of gunfire erupted as they engaged the creatures.

"Keep an eye out for any more infected!" Lester yelled, firing his weapon with precision. "We can't let them flank us!"

The struggle was intense; the zombies moved with a frenzied energy, some lunging directly at the team while others staggered, their grotesque forms a reminder of the horrors that had plagued the station. Lester's focus remained sharp, but he couldn't shake the sense of urgency.

"Let's push toward the evidence room!" he shouted, rallying his team. "We need to find anything we can on the virus! We can't lose sight of our mission!"

They fought their way through the throng of zombies, the glass device still flickering with images from the past. With each step, they were reminded of the tragedies that unfolded here—a poignant connection to their own struggle against the nightmare that continued to plague Raccoon City.

Finally, they burst into the evidence room, barricading the door behind them as they caught their breath. The walls were lined with case files and remnants of past investigations. "We need to search this place for any records or evidence," Lester urged, glancing back at the glass. "It could hold the key to understanding what happened here—and how to stop it from happening again."

As the team fanned out, the weight of the station's dark history hung heavily in the air, a reminder that they were fighting not just for survival, but to uncover the truth buried beneath layers of horror.

As they cautiously made their way through the dimly lit police station, the unsettling realization hit Lester and his team: they were not the first ones to navigate these haunted halls. Williams broke the silence, a look of recognition crossing his face. "That girl—we should've known. She was here for the files," he said, his eyes darting around for any signs of her presence.

Before Lester could respond, a sharp crack echoed through the building, followed by the unmistakable sound of gunfire. The shots reverberated against the walls, pulling their attention as the shrieks of T-Virus zombies filled the air, drawn to the commotion. Panic momentarily gripped them, but Lester quickly regained his composure, his instincts kicking in.

"Stay sharp! We're not alone here," he warned, adrenaline surging through his veins. He gathered his team in a tight circle, their faces illuminated by flickering overhead lights. "We need to handle this situation and keep moving. Our mission is to gather intel on the Nemesis."

Ali gripped his weapon tightly, nodding. "What's the plan, Lester?"

"We'll have to fight our way through," Lester replied, scanning the room. "But we can't rush in blindly. We need to prioritize the G-Virus zombies; they're more dangerous. They've been involved in past evacuations, and we know some might still be lurking around here. Use the environment to our advantage. Cover each other's backs, and keep communication open. If we can thin their numbers, we can push forward and find those files."

Frederick chimed in, his voice steady despite the chaos. "We've faced worse. Remember the ambush at the warehouse? We got through that."

"Exactly," Lester said, meeting the eyes of each team member. "We've survived because we work together. Let's do this smart—Ali and Williams, you take the left flank. Jason, you and I will provide cover fire from the right. Frederick, stay behind us, ready to jump in if we need backup. Let's move!"

With a plan in place, the team split up, moving stealthily through the shadows as they prepared to confront the threat ahead. The tension hung in the air like a coiled spring, ready to snap. The muffled groans of the approaching zombies served as a chilling reminder of the danger lurking within the walls of the police station. They would need to rely on each other now more than ever if they hoped to escape unscathed and complete their mission.