Chapter Text
“Alright,” Chris Redfield began his address as their transport truck rolled and rumbled towards their infiltration point, “sorry there was no briefing, but it was paramount we moved out ASAP.”
He passed his glance over the faces of his squad, ensuring they were all listening.
“This is a shopping mall outbreak, it happened yesterday evening and the mall is in lockdown, and already it has been established what virus was used.” He patted his equipment loop containing a silver, pen sized implement, “these vaccines are the correct dosage, however Professor Chambers could only make them effective by matching them to our individual DNA. The idea is to avoid being bitten at all costs, but if you are, you are to use the vaccine.”
“Can we just not use them now, Captain?”
Chris shook his head.
“Negative. The vaccine has no effect unless you’ve already been bitten. We don’t know why. Remember that your vaccine is tied to your own DNA; unless you have a clone it will only work effectively on you 100% of the time.”
Chris piled out of the van with his squad to the sound of screams, groans and gunfire filling the void. The air around him was thick with the scent of gunpowder, blood and death, but the smell didn’t offend him.
Years of this shit would do that to anyone.
He threw a hand to his ten o’clock, and his squad moved out. They fanned out and shuffled forward, pressing on closer to the expected throngs of the pale undead inside the looming building up ahead.
“What kind of sick bastard unleashes a virus into a shopping mall? On a fucking Saturday evening near Christmas?” Chris whispered to himself. And it happened so fast… in the middle of New York City…
He tapped his earpiece, addressing his squad.
“Alright. Keep it clean, keep your guard up. As I said, if you are bitten, you are to use the vaccines distributed to you.” He raised his voice higher; “but remember, the vaccine is unique to your DNA. They will not work on anyone else. Under no circumstances are you to attempt to use the vaccine on someone else. We’re here to neutralise any threats. Anyone who is found to be safe and uninfected will be kept safe. We’ll establish where a safe room can be made when we have a better idea of the situation.”
They approached the main doors of the mall and Chris threw and arm;
“Stack up!”
His squad lined up, ready to rush in, and Chris led them in. He did expect that throng of undead in the main lobby area, but there was nothing. Nothing more than a few bodies torn beyond recognition. The large Christmas tree that graced the main hall was a pitiful reflection of its festive state less than twelve hours before; half of the lights no longer worked, a few branches had been torn, probably from people jumping from the upper floors to avoid the infected. He strained his ears; the gunfire was coming from outside, after all, maybe some other squad was dealing with the spill of infected out into the streets?
It was way too quiet for Chris’ liking. The fine hairs on his neck stood on end as he pushed on through the dark, foreboding emptiness of the mall. He had been here plenty of times in the day, with natural light flooding in through the skylight, he was even here just under twenty four hours ago doing his own little bit of Christmas shopping, but never at 2am.
“Alright, rear head upstairs, front, with me.”
The back half of the squad made for the stairs while Chris pulled his men forward. As the large hall curved gently he could hear the tell tale garbled groans up ahead, and he signalled for his men to take caution. Far ahead to the left were… perhaps five zombies? Yeah, five zombies all huddled together, on their knees, feasting on what was left of a shopper.
“Jesus…”
He approached the five zombies, waiting for their attention to turn to him, and when they finally glanced their hungry faces upon the squad…
“Open fire!”
Flashes and gunfire echoed and bounced off the walls, and within seconds all five zombies collapsed in heaps of bullet torn flesh. Chris approached the bodies and nudged the ill fated shopper over onto its back.
“Oh…shit…” He staggered backwards a couple of steps as recognition came over him.
Moira Burton?!
Chris’ heart forced itself into his mouth. Moira was with Chloe…shit! Where’s Chloe?!
He checked the dead zombies with bated breath, praying that none of them was her. None of them were, and he should’ve breathed a sigh of relief, but that didn’t solve his new concern; where was she?
He glanced around. These for now were the only bodies he could see.
“Shit…that’s Barry’s girl!”
He turned his head slightly as his squad shuffled awkwardly at the sight of Moira.
“Yeah…that’s Barry’s girl…” Chris sighed. His heart hung heavily in his chest, knowing that he’d have to be the one to break the news to an ill and frail Barry Burton.
A strange noise above him caught his attention, and he and the rest of his squad spun and aimed, right as someone vanished over the glass panelling lining the edge of the other floors above.
Chris began running for the still and silent escalator and took the metal steps two at a time. As he reached the top the same figure disappeared through an open fire door, normally closed off to the public, he knew. He sprinted, his gear bouncing on his torso, and he heard a few shots as he hit the door frame.
He raised his rifle and began to cautiously pace, slowly sweeping back and forth, and peering into each open side door. Just more half eaten bodies, no actual zombies. What the hell had happened? Were the shots meant for these bodies?
He heard them again and ran back into the corridor; someone was using a standard handgun, he could tell by the sound and the timing between shots. He moved faster now, his rifle still raised, until he came to a T-junction. A light to his left made him squint, but behind him was-
“Get down!”
Chris hit the deck and three more shots rang out, the same gun he had heard earlier. He twisted on his heels in his crouched state to see a downed zombie, three fresh bullet holes through the eye socket, the cheek and one in the sternum. He sighed and stood up with a frown.
The flashlight beam dropped to reveal long auburn hair, sharp but pretty feminine features and a wry smile.
“You’re getting rusty, old man.”