A Night in the Darkness

IX. Descent
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Shots fired as the snake prepared to strike again. Shot’s to the left side of it’s head, and even more to the right. Chris, Rebecca and Barry all fired manically, bombarding the creature, not giving it a chance to recover. It screeched an ear piercing cry, thrashing it’s head back and forth, confused, chunks of flesh tearing from it’s head as the survivors relentlessly fired.

Finally, it seemed to weaken, falling forward, it’s head hanging over the banister and the main floor. Slowly, the weight of it’s head dragged the rest of it over the banister, and it crashed to the lower level with a shaking rumble.

The three looked over the banister to see the serpent’s limp body, motionless. It was dead. There was no satisfaction in it; the damage had been done.

They rushed over to Jill, who still lay on the ground. Her face was set in pain, and she clutched at the thigh of her left leg. It was bleeding, badly. Rebecca was on it immediately, grabbing at the hem of Chris’ shirt. She ripped a generous amount of fabric from it; he hardly noticed as he held Jill’s torso upwards, keeping her elevated. He was brushing her hair away from her face, whispering to her, consoling her.

Rebecca wrapped the shirt around Jill’s leg, above the wound. She pulled it taught and tied it in a makeshift tourniquet; it wasn’t nearly as good as she would’ve liked, but it was all they had.

“One of you carry her,” she said. “We have to move.” Chris immediately lifted her, cradling her in his arms like a princess.

“What’s the plan?” Barry asked, looking as though he might throw up. He had watched the other two tend to Jill’s wound, doing nothing, feeling pathetic; it was his fault. He was killing them.

“We have to make it to the labs,” Rebecca said, her tone devoid of any fear or hesitance she had displayed throughout the entire night. “There’s almost sure to be an anti-venom. They wouldn’t be stupid enough to not keep one. We can get to the labs from this library. There’s a passage behind a bookshelf around here somewhere.”

Chris and Barry nodded obediently, ready to follow her every command. She was in charge now, knew what she was doing. Being the medic, poison was her domain. Rebecca started forward, rounding a corner following the corridor, looking for the right shelf.

She tried her best to ignore Jill’s moans of pain. The poison was working quickly, fever already setting in; she had felt it radiating off of her. The best thing to do was not to panic. They had to get to the labs, and everything would be alright. She wasn’t going to let Jill die; she had promised herself that she would be strong, to do her part.

Now was her chance to prove it to herself.

…

They found the passage behind the bookshelf, just as Rebecca had said. The passage was crude, the ceiling bare and exposing the rock it was carved from. The walls and floor were covered with cold, uniform metal. They felt it slowly descending, taking them underground, towards the labs; just as Rebecca had said.

Rebecca had not said anything about the cells. From the look on her face, Chris thought, she was just as surprised as they were.

Along the walls were cells, iron barred cages, dug into the rock walls of the passage. Some of them were empty. Some of them.

Others contained zombies. They shambled stupidly into the bars of their confinements, repelling themselves backwards a few inches, then walking right into them again, as if they thought they might get lucky and slip between the bars; not that they really thought.

Others contained the hounds; much like the ones that had forced Alpha team into the mansion in the first place, Chris thought. They barked and snarled furiously, relentlessly, the din resounding hollowly on the walls of the passage. The whole walkway was less than ten feet wide, and the snouts of the hounds poked through the bars, in alarming proximity to the survivors.

There were a few more cells that, upon first glance, appeared to be empty. As the company approached, however, shuffles and grunts could be heard; a testament to monstrosities that lurked mercifully within the shadows, just out of view.

Rebecca led the way down the passage, pistol clutched in her stiff hands, her face set with false neutrality, masking the terror underneath. She forced herself onwards. She had to be strong for the others. For Jill.

She sneaked a look behind her at her injured friend. She hobbled between Chris and Barry, her arms slung around their shoulders, injured leg more or less dragging while she hopped on the other to keep up. Her face was slack and pale, slicked with a feverish sweat. Her breathing was labored and dry, the sound overtaking the noise of their shuffling feet. Still though, she had refused to be carried.

The poison was working fast, faster than Rebecca ever would have expected. Jill was going to die, if they didn’t reach the labs soon. Even then, it might not be enough. Whatever was in these creature’s could very well be in the venom that pumped through Jill’s veins. Even if they found an antidote, even if they administered it in time… she could very well die.

Or worse…

They continued down the passage, the air growing colder as they descended underground. Nobody spoke; there was only ragged breathing and Jill’s groans and sighs. There were light fixtures overhead, but they were dim, increasingly so as they progressed, until they were all but blind, barely able to see two inches ahead. The stirrings in the cages continued, shambling and inhuman cries cutting through the dark. The survivors walked slowly, cautiously.

A new sound came, after a while. A mewling sound, gurgling, like when two round glasses are knocked together. It chilled the bone to hear, especially for Chris, who had heard it once before. He had killed one earlier, one of the reptiles, humanoid and massive, like a scaled ape with talons. He could here Rebecca breathing harshly just ahead, trying not to panic. Thank god nobody had drawn their flashlight; better to stay hidden.

They continued, all making a conscious effort to keep silent, to not disturb whatever was mewling. It was directly to the right of them now, and Chris hoped desperately that there was no curve in the path, anything that might draw them closer to the walls.

Rebecca took another step forward, lifting her feet deliberately to avoid kicking anything. As she continued, she walked into something. It pushed away from her body, creaking on dry hinges; it was the door of the cage. She was standing right in the doorway.

She felt a few tears fall as the mewling sounded again, directly next to her face. She held absolutely still, vainly trying to hold your breath.

“Don’t move, Rebecca,” a voice whispered from behind her. Chris. She heard a growl in her ear and felt a small gust as the thing whipped it’s head around to look behind her. An high pitched shriek echoed throughout the passage, and Rebecca felt the creature leap past her.

Chris fired manically, the shots illuminating the hall, portraying the advancing monstrosity in a slideshow as it rushed him. He fired and fired until it was upon him. Barry had tried to pull Jill out of the way, but the two were still caught in the tumble along with Chris and the thing.

Rebecca whipped out her flashlight as the blind struggle continued, the grunts and cries reverberating off the walls. She clicked it on and pointed it behind her just in time to hear Jill scream. She was being dragged by her legs into the dark. Chris lie motionless, and Barry was nowhere to be seen.

Rebecca didn’t think, only moved. She sprinted into the dark, light jostling about, her gun held clumsily before her. The creature had stopped in the middle of the path and was crouched over Jill, Talons flashing in the light. Jill’s gun was just out of reach of her outstretched arm, fingers brushing the air just next to it.

Rebecca fired, pouring bullets into the thing; it flinched, hardly, and turned to Rebecca. Shrieked at her, crouching up to leap. Rebecca screamed as she felt something Wrap around her neck and pull her back. Barry’s magnum came into view from behind her, and fired as the thing screeched.

The range was less than ten feet, and the monster’s head exploded. The crack of the gunshot sounded like lightning, and when it faded, the two realized that the rest of the creatures were howling and yammering, desperately lunging at their cage doors.

Barry stepped out from behind Rebecca, only it wasn’t Barry. Chris was gripping the magnum, smoke still curling from the end of it, his shirt soaked with blood. He knelt down beside Jill and scooped his partner up in his arms.

“I can walk, Chris,” Jill protested weakly, but he shushed her. He nodded to Rebecca.

“Let’s go.” They walked, Rebecca’s flashlight now showing the way.

“Where’s Barry,” Rebecca asked, looking behind her. Chris was looking down at Jill, his gaze concerned, scared.

“He’s gone,” Chris said. Rebecca felt her heart sink.

“You mean… he’s…” Chris shook his head.

“No,” he said. “Not dead. Gone. He ran off. Keep an eye out. He could be anywhere.”

Rebecca nodded, turning back to face forward. Chris turned his gaze back to his partner. She was unconscious, covered in sweat. He could feel fever coming off of her in baking waves. His arms were wrapped under and around her, and he brushed a lock of her hair with his fingers.

We’re gonna get through this, he thought. I swear we’ll make it. Together.

They continued walking. After a while, the creatures in the cells fell quiet. Leaving the survivors in silence. A while after that, Rebecca’s flashlight went out, and they continued their descent in darkness.

…

Wesker stood before the Tyrant, it’s beautiful eyes closed in it’s cryogenic sleep. Between his fingers was the virus strand. Not the T-Virus. A special one. A gift from his old friend, Birkin.

“I know you’ve always had a thing for power, Albert,” Will had said, pressing the vial into his hand. “It’s not finished, but I’m sure that makes it even more appealing for you. Just don‘t let Umbrella have it. They can‘t be trusted.”

Wesker smiled. It did make it more appealing. Birkin knew him like no one else. The vial had been for use as Wesker saw fit, and he his mind still reeled with possibilities. What a bargaining chip it could be. Wesker had finally chosen to sit on it, saving it for a rainy day.

His eyes shot up to the cryogen tube, and he saw the Tyrant’s hand move. It was waking up.

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*Getting close to the end. I'm actually glad, though. I've been compiling a lot of ideas for a new fic, which I'm sure will please fans of one of my old ones (hint).
*"Dave," thanks for the review. I honestly don't know if more smut will be happening. It's wrapping up pretty fast.
*Hope you enjoy the chapter and the hunter was sufficiently creepy. Read, Rate, Review, and Enjoy!!!