Perry S.. Resident Evil – The "Umbrella" Conspiracy

S. D. Perry
 
Resident Evil – The "Umbrella" Conspiracy

PROLOGUE

   Latham Weekly, June 2, 1998
    BIZARRE MURDERS COMMITTED IN RACCOON CITY
   –The mutilated body of forty-two-year-old Anna Mitaki was discovered late yesterday in an abandoned lot not far from her home in northwest Raccoon City, making her the fourth victim of the supposed "cannibal killers" to be found in or near the Victory Lake district in the last month. Consistent with the coroner reports of the other recent victims, Mitaki's corpse showed evidence of having been partially eaten, the bite patterns apparently formed by human jaws. Shortly after the discovery of Miss Mitaki by two joggers at approximately nine o'clock last night, Chief Irons made a brief statement insisting that the RPD is "working diligently to apprehend the perpetrators of such heinous crimes" and that he is currently consulting with city officials about more drastic protection measures for Raccoon citizens. In addition to the murderous spree of the cannibal killers, three others have died from probable animal attacks in Raccoon Forest in the past several weeks, bringing the toll of mysterious deaths up to seven…
 
   Raccoon Times, June 22, 1998
    HORROR IN RACCOON CITY MORE VICTIMS DEAD
   –The bodies of a young couple were found early Sunday morning in Victory Park, making Deanne Rusch and Christopher Smith the eighth and ninth victims in the reign of violence that has terrorized the city since mid-May of this year. Both victims, aged 19, were reported as missing by concerned parents late Saturday night and were discovered by police officers on the west bank of Victory Lake at approximately 2 A.M. Although no formal statement has been issued.by the police department, witnesses to the discovery confirm that both youths suffered wounds similar to those found on prior victims. Whether or not the attackers were human or animal has yet to be announced. According to friends of the young couple, the two had talked about tracking down the rumored "wild dogs" recently spotted in the heavily forested park and had planned to violate the city-wide curfew in order to see one of the alleged nocturnal creatures. Mayor Harris has scheduled a press conference for this afternoon, and is expected to make an announcement regarding the current crisis, calling for a stricter enforce-ment of the curfew..
 
   Cityside, July 21, 1998
    "S.T.A.R.S." SPECIAL TACTICS AND RESCUE SQUAD SENT TO SAVE RACCOON CITY
   With the reported disappearance of three hikers in Raccoon Forest earlier this week, city officials have finally called for a roadblock on rural Route 6 at the foothills of the Arklay Mountains. Police Chief Brian Irons an– nounced yesterday that the S.T.A.R.S. will participate full– time in the search for the hikers and will also be working closely with the RPD until there is an end to the rash of murders and disappearances that are destroying our community Chief Irons, a former S.T.A.R.S. member himself, said today (in an exclusive Cityside telephone interview) that it is "high time to employ the talents of these dedicated men and women toward the safety of this city. We've had nine brutal murders here in less than two months, and at least five disappearances now-and all of these events have taken place in a close proximity to Raccoon Forest. This leads us to believe that the perpetrators of these crimes may be hiding somewhere in the Victory Lake district, and the S.T.A.R.S. have just the kind of experience we need to find them." When asked why the S.T.A.R.S. hadn't been assigned to these cases until now, Chief Irons would only say that the
   S.T.A.R.S. have been assisting the RPD since the beginning and that they would be a "welcome addition" to the task force currently working on the murders full-time. Founded in New York in 1967, the privately funded
   S.T.A.R.S. organization was originally created as a measure against cult-affiliated terrorism by a group of retired military officials and ex-field operatives from both the CIA and FBI. Under the guidance of former NSDA (National Security and Defense Agency) director Marco Palmieri, the group quickly expanded its services to include everything from hostage negotiation and code breaking to riot control. Working with local police agencies, each branch office of the S.T.A.R.S. is designed to work as a complete unit itself. The S.T.A.R.S. set up its Raccoon City branch through the fund-raising efforts of several local businesses in 1972 and is currently led by Captain Albert Wesker, promoted to the position less than six months ago.

ONE

   JILL WAS ALREADY LATE FOR THE BRIEFING when she somehow managed to drop her keys into her cup of coffee on the way out the door. There was a muted ting as they hit the bottom, and as she paused in mid-stride, staring in disbelief at the steaming ceramic mug, the thick stack of files she carried under her other arm slid smoothly to the floor. Paper clips and sticky notes scattered across the tan carpeting.
   "Ah, shit."
   She checked her watch as she turned back toward the kitchen, cup in hand. Wesker had called the meeting for 1900 sharp, which meant she had about nine minutes to make the ten-minute drive, find parking and get her butt into a chair. The first full disclosure meeting since the S.T.A.R.S. had gotten the case – hell, the first real meeting since she'd made the Raccoon transfer-and she was going to be late.
   Figures. Probably the first time in years I actually give a rat's ass about being on time and I fall apart at the door…
   Muttering darkly she hurried to the sink, feeling tense and angry with herself for not getting ready earlier. It was the case, the goddamn case. She'd picked up her copies of the ME files right after breakfast and spent all day digging through the re– ports, searching for something that the cops had somehow missed and feeling more and more frus– trated as the day slipped past and she'd failed to come up with anything new. She dumped the mug and scooped up the warm, wet keys, wiping them against her jeans as she hurried back to the front door. She crouched down to gather the files-and stopped, staring down at the glossy color photo that had ended up on top. Oh, girls… She picked it up slowly, knowing that she didn't have time and yet unable to look away from the tiny, blood-spattered faces. She felt the knots of tension that had been building all day intensify, and for a moment it was all she could do to breathe as she stared at the crime scene photo. Becky and Priscilla McGee, ages nine and seven. She'd flipped past it earlier, telling herself that there was nothing there she needed to see…
   … But it isn 't true, is it? You can keep pretending, or you can admit it-everything's different now, it's been different since the day they died.
   When she'd first moved to Raccoon, she'd been under a lot of stress, feeling uncertain about the transfer, not even sure if she wanted to stay with the
   S.T.A.R.S. She was good at the job, but had only taken it because of Dick; after the indictment, he'd started to pressure her to get into another line of work. It had taken awhile, but her father was persis– tent, telling her again and again that one Valentine in jail was one too many, even admitting that he was wrong to raise her the way he had. With her training and background, there weren't a whole lot of op– tions – but the S.T.A.R.S., at least, appreciated her skills and didn't care how she came by them. The pay was decent, there was the element of risk she'd grown to enjoy… In retrospect, the career change had been surprisingly easy; it made Dick happy, and gave her the opportunity to see how the other half lived. Still, the move had been harder on her than she'd realized. For the first time since Dick had gone inside, she'd felt truly alone, and working for the law had started to seem like a joke – the daughter of Dick Valentine, working for truth, justice, and the Ameri– can way. Her promotion to the Alphas, a nice little house in the suburbs – it was crazy, and she'd been giving serious thought to just blowing out of town, giving the whole thing up, and going back to what she'd been before… until the two little girls who lived across the street had shown up on her doorstep and asked her with wide, tear-stained eyes if she was really a police– man. Their parents were at work, and they couldn't find their dog… Becky in her green school dress, little Pris in her overalls-both of them sniffling and shy… The pup had been wandering through a garden only a few blocks away, no sweat and she'd made two new friends, as easy as that. The sisters had promptly adopted Jill, showing up after school to bring her scraggly bunches of flowers, playing in her yard on weekends, singing her endless songs they'd learned from movies and cartoons. It wasn't like the girls had miraculously changed her outlook or taken away her loneliness, but somehow her thoughts of leaving had been put on a back burner, left alone for awhile. For the first time in her twenty-three years, she'd started to feel like a part of the community she lived and worked in, the change so subtle and gradual that she'd hardly noticed. Six weeks ago, Becky and Pris had wandered away from a family picnic in Victory Park and became the first two victims of the psychopaths that had since terrorized the isolated city. The photo trembled slightly in her hand, sparing her nothing. Becky lying on her back, staring blindly at the sky, a gaping, ragged hole in her belly. Pris was sprawled next to her, arms outstretched, chunks of flesh ripped savagely from the slender limbs. Both children had been eviscerated, dying of massive trau– ma before they'd bled out. If they'd screamed, no one had heard…
   Enough! They're gone, but you can finally do some-thing about it!
   Jill fumbled the papers back into their folder, then stepped outside into the early evening, breathing deeply. The scent of freshly cut grass was heavy in the sun-warmed air. Somewhere down the street, a dog barked happily amidst the shouts of children. She hurried to the small, dented gray hatchback parked by the front walk, forcing herself not to look at the silent McGee house as she started the car and pulled away from the curb. Jill drove through the wide suburban streets of her neighborhood, window down, pushing the speed limit but careful to watch for kids and pets. There weren't many of either around. Since the trouble had started, more and more people were keeping their children and animals indoors, even during the day. The little hatchback shuddered as she accelerated up the ramp to Highway 202, the warm, dry air whipping her long hair back from her face. It felt good, like waking up from a bad dream. She sped through the sun-dappled evening, the shadows of trees growing long across the road. Whether it was fate or just the luck of the draw, her life had been touched by what was happening in Raccoon City. She couldn't keep pretending that she was just some jaded ex-thief trying to stay out of jail, trying to toe the line to make her father happy, or that what the S.T.A.R.S. were about to do was just another job. It mattered. It mattered to her that those children were dead, and that the killers were still free to kill again. The victim files next to her fluttered slightly, the top of the folder caught by the wind; nine restless spirits, perhaps, Becky and Priscilla McGee's among them. She rested her right hand on the ruffled sheaf, stilling the gentle movement and swore to herself that no matter what it took, she was going to find out who was responsible. Whatever she'd been before, whatever she would be in the future, she had changed… and wouldn't be able to rest until these murderers of the innocent had been held accountable for their actions.
   "Yo, Chris!"
   Chris turned away from the soda machine and saw Forest Speyer striding down the empty hall toward him, a wide grin on his tanned, boyish face. Forest was actually a few years older than Chris, but looked like a rebellious teenager – long hair, studded jean jacket, a tattoo of a skull smoking a cigarette on his left shoulder. He was also an excellent mechanic, and one of the best shots Chris had ever seen in action. "Hey, Forest. What's up?" Chris scooped up a can
   of club soda from the machine's dispenser and glanced at his watch. He still had a couple of minutes before the meeting. He smiled tiredly as Forest stopped in front of him, blue eyes sparkling. Forest was carrying an armful of equipment-vest, utilitybelt, and shoulder pack.
   "Wesker gave Marini the go-ahead to start the search. Bravo team's goin' in." Even excited, Forest's Alabama twang slowed his words to a stereotypical drawl. He dropped his stuff on one of the visitors'chairs, still grinning widely. Chris frowned. "When?"Now. Soon as I warm up the 'copter." Forest pulled the kevlar vest on over his T-shirt as he spoke.
   "While you Alphas sit taking notes, we're gonna go kick some cannibal ass!" Nothing if not confident, us S.T.A.R.S. "Yeah, well… just watch your ass, okay? I still think there's more going on here than a couple of slobbering nut jobs hanging around in the woods." "You know it." Forest pushed his hair back and grabbed his utility belt, obviously already focused on the mission. Chris thought about saying more, but decided against it. For all of his bravado, Forest was a professional; he didn't need to be told to be careful.
   You sure about that, Chris? You think Billy was careful enough?
   Sighing inwardly, Chris slapped Forest's shoulder lightly and headed for ops through the doorway of the small upstairs waiting room and down the hall. He was surprised that Wesker was sending the teams in separately. Although it was standard for the less experienced S.T.A.R.S. to do the initial recon, this wasn't exactly a standard operation. The number of deaths they were dealing with alone was enough to call for a more aggressive offense. The fact that there were signs of organization to the murders should have brought it to A1 status, and Wesker was still treating it like some kind of a training run.
   Nobody else sees it; they didn't know Billy…
   Chris thought again about the late-night call he'd gotten last week from his childhood friend. He hadn't heard from Billy in awhile, but knew that he'd taken a research position with Umbrella, the pharmaceutical company that was the single biggest contributor to the economic prosperity of Raccoon City. Billy had never been the type to jump at shadows, and the terrified desperation in his voice had jolted Chris awake, filling him with deep concern. Billy had babbled that his life was in danger, that they were all in danger, begged Chris to meet him at a diner at the edge of town and then never showed up. No one had heard from him since. Chris had run it over and over again in his mind during the sleepless nights since Billy's disappear– ance, trying to convince himself that there was no connection to the attacks on Raccoon and yet was unable to shake his growing certainty that there was more going on than met the eye, and that Billy had known what it was. The cops had checked out Billy's apartment and found nothing to indicate foul play… but Chris's instincts told him that his friend was dead, and that he'd been killed by somebody who wanted to keep him from talking.
   And I seem to be the only one. Irons doesn't give a shit, and the team thinks I'm just torn up over the loss of an old friend.
   He pushed the thoughts aside as he turned the corner, his boot heels sending muted echoes through the arched second floor corridor. He had to focus, to keep his mind on what he could do to find out why Billy had disappeared, but he was exhausted, run– ning on a minimum of sleep and an almost constant anxiety that had plagued him since Billy's call. Maybe he was losing his perspective, his objectivity dulled by recent events… He forced himself not to think about anything at all as he neared the S.T.A.R.S. office, determined to be clear-headed for the meeting. The buzzing fluores– cents above seemed like overkill in the blazing eve– ning light that filled the tight hallway; the Raccoon police building was a classic, if unconventional, piece of architecture, lots of inlaid tile and heavy wood, but it had too many windows designed to catch the sun. When he'd been a kid, the building had been the Raccoon City Hall. With the population increase a decade back, it had been renovated as a library, and four years ago, turned into a police station. It seemed like there was always some kind of construction going on. The door to the S.T.A.R.S. office stood open, the muted sounds of gruff male voices spilling out into the hall. Chris hesitated a moment, hearing Chief Irons's among them. "Just call me Brian" Irons was a self-centered and self-serving politician masquerad– ing as a cop. It was no secret that he had his sweaty fingers in more than a few local pies. He'd even been implicated in the Cider district land-scam back in '94, and although nothing had been proved in court, anyone who knew him personally didn't harbor any doubt. Chris shook his head, listening to Irons's greasy voice. Hard to believe he'd once led the Raccoon S.T.A.R.S., even as a paper-pusher. Maybe even hard– er to believe that he'd probably end up as mayor someday.
   Of course, it doesn't help much that he hates your guts, does it, Redfield?
   Yeah, well. Chris didn't like to kiss ass, and Irons didn't know how to have any other kind of relation– ship. At least Irons wasn't a total incompetent, he'd had some military training. Chris pasted on a straight face and stepped into the small, cluttered office that served as the S.T.A.R.S. filing cabinet and base of operations. Barry and Joseph were over by the rookie desk, going through a box of papers and talking quietly. Brad Vickers, the Alpha pilot, was drinking coffee and staring at the main computer screen a few feet away, a sour expression on his mild features. Across the room Captain Wesker was leaning back in his chair, hands behind his head, smiling blankly at something Chief Irons was telling him. Irons's bulk was leaned against Wesker's desk, one pudgy hand brushing at his care– fully groomed mustache as he spoke.
   "So I said, 'You're gonna print what I tell you to print, Bertolucci, and you're gonna like it, or you'll never get another quote from this office!' And he says" "Chris!" Wesker interrupted the chief, sitting for-ward. "Good, you're here. Looks like we can stop wasting time."
   Irons scowled in his direction but Chris kept his poker face. Wesker didn't care much for Irons, either, and didn't bother trying to be any more than polite in his dealings with the man. From the glint in his eye, it was obvious that he didn't care who knew it, either. Chris walked into the office and stood by the desk he shared with Ken Sullivan, one of the Bravo team. Since the teams usually worked different shifts, they didn't need much room. He set the unopened can of soda on the battered desktop and looked at Wesker.
   "You're sending Bravo in?"
   The captain gazed back at him impassively, arms folded across his chest. "Standard procedure, Chris." Chris sat down, frowning. "Yeah, but with what we talked about last week, I thought" Irons interrupted. "I gave the order, Redfield. I know you think that there's some kind of cloak and dagger going on here, but 7 don't see any reason to deviate from policy."
   Sanctimonious prick… Chris forced a smile, knowing it would irritate
   Irons. "Of course, sir. No need to explain yourself on my behalf."
   Irons glared at him for a moment, his piggy little eyes snapping, then apparently decided to let it drop. He turned back to Wesker. "I'll expect a report when Bravo returns. Now if you'll excuse me, Captain."Wesker nodded. "Chief."Irons stalked past Chris and out of the room. He'dbeen gone less than a minute before Barry started in.
   "Think the chief took a shit today? Maybe we all oughtta chip in for Christmas, get him some laxa– tives."
   Joseph and Brad laughed, but Chris couldn't bring himself to join in. Irons was a joke, but his mishan– dling of this investigation wasn't all that funny. The
   S.T.A.R.S. should've been called in at the beginning instead of acting as RPD back up. He looked back at Wesker, the man's perpetually composed expression hard to read. Wesker had taken over the Raccoon S.T.A.R.S. only a few months ago, transferred by the home office in New York, and Chris still didn't have any real insight into his character. The new captain seemed to be everything he was reputed to be: smooth, professional, cool, but there was a kind of distance to him, a sense that he was often far removed from what was going on. Wesker sighed and stood up. "Sorry, Chris. I know you wanted things to go different, but Irons didn't put a whole lot of stock into your… misgivings."
   Chris nodded. Wesker could make recommenda– tions, but Irons was the only one who could upgrade a mission's status. "Not your fault." Barry walked toward them, scruffing at his short, reddish beard with one giant fist. Barry Burton was only six feet tall but built like a truck. His only passion outside of his family and his weapons collec– tion was weight lifting, and it showed.
   "Don't sweat it, Chris. Marini will call us in the second he smells trouble. Irons is just pullin' your chain."
   Chris nodded again, but he didn't like it. Hell, Enrico Marini and Forest Speyer were the only experi– enced soldiers in Bravo. Ken Sullivan was a good scout and a brilliant chemist, but in spite of his
   S.T.A.R.S. training, he couldn't shoot the broad side of a barn. Richard Aiken was a top-rate communica– tions expert, but he also lacked field experience. Rounding out Bravo team was Rebecca Chambers, who'd only been with the S.T.A.R.S. for three weeks, supposed to be some kind of medical genius. Chris had met her a couple of times and she seemed bright enough, but she was just a kid.
   It's not enough. Even with all of us, it may not be enough.
   He cracked open his soda but didn't drink any, wondering instead what the S.T.A.R.S. were going up against, Billy's pleading, desperate words echoing through his mind yet again.
   "They're going to kill me, Chris! They're going to kill everyone who knows! Meet me at Emmy's, now, I'll tell you everything…"
   Exhausted, Chris stared off into space, alone in the knowledge that the savage murders were only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Barry stood by Chris's desk for a minute, trying to think of something else to say, but Chris didn't look like he was in the mood for conversation. Barry shrugged inwardly and headed back to where Joseph was going through files. Chris was a good guy, but he took things too hard sometimes; he'd get over it as soon as it was their turn to step in. Man, it was hot! Seemingly endless trickles of sweat rolled down his spine, gluing his T-shirt to his broad back. The air-conditioning was on the fritz as usual, and even with the door open, the tiny S.T.A.R.S. office was uncomfortably warm.
   "Any luck?"
   Joseph looked up at him from the pile of papers, a rueful smirk on his lean face. "You kidding? It's like somebody hid the damn thing on purpose."
   Barry sighed and scooped up a handful of files.
   "Maybe Jill found it. She was still here when I left last night, going through the witness reports for about the hundredth time…" "What are you two looking for, anyway?" Brad asked.
   Barry and Joseph both looked over at Brad, still sitting at the computer console, headset on. He'd be monitoring Bravo's progress throughout their fly-by of the forested district, but for now he looked bored as hell. Joseph answered him. "Ah, Barry claims that there are floor plans in here somewhere on the old Spencer estate, some architectural digest that came out when the house was built" He paused, then grinned at Brad. "Except that I'm thinkin' that ol' Barry's gone senile on us. They say memory is the first thing to go." Barry scowled good-naturedly. "Ol' Barry could easily kick your ass into next week, little man." Joseph looked at him mock-seriously. "Yeah, but would you remember it afterwards?"
   Barry chuckled, shaking his head. He was only thirty-eight, but had been with the Raccoon
   S.T.A.R.S. for fifteen years, making him the senior member. He endured numerous old age jokes, mostly from Joseph. Brad cocked an eyebrow. "The Spencer place? Why would it be in a magazine?" "You kids, gotta learn your history." Barry said. "It was designed by the one and only George Trevor, just before he disappeared. He was that hot-shit architect who did all those weird skyscrapers in D.C. – in fact, Trevor's disappearance may have been the reason that Spencer shut the mansion down. Rumor has it that Trevor went crazy during the construction and when it was finished, he got lost and wandered the halls until he starved to death." Brad scoffed, but suddenly looked uneasy. "That's bullshit. I never heard anything like that." Joseph winked at Barry. "No, it's true. Now his tortured ghost roams the estate each night, pale and emaciated, and I've heard tell that sometimes you can hear him, calling out, 'Brad Vickers… bring me Brad Vickers'" Brad flushed slightly. "Yeah, ha ha. You're a real comedian, Frost."
   Barry shook his head, smiling, but wondered again how Brad had ever made it to Alpha. He was un– doubtedly the best hacker working for S.T.A.R.S., and a decent enough pilot, but he wasn't so hot under pressure. Joseph had taken to calling him "Chicken– heart Vickers" when he wasn't around, and while the
   S.T.A.R.S. generally stuck up for one another, nobody disagreed with Joseph's assessment. "So is that why Spencer shut it down?" Brad addressed this to Barry, his cheeks still red. Barry shrugged. "I doubt it. It was supposed to be some kind of guest house for Umbrella's top execs. Trevor did disappear right about the time of comple-Tion, but Spencer was whacko, anyway. He decided to move Umbrella's headquarters to Europe, I forgot where exactly, and just boarded up the mansion. Probably a couple million bucks, straight into the crapper." Joseph sneered. "Right. Like Umbrella would suffer."
   True enough. Spencer may have been crazy, but he'd had enough money and business savvy to hire the right people. Umbrella was one of the biggest medical research and pharmaceutical companies on the planet. Even thirty years ago, the loss of a few million dollars probably hadn't hurt. "Anyway," Joseph went on, "the Umbrella people
   told Irons that they'd sent someone out to check the place over, and that it was secure, no break-ins." "So why look for blueprints?" Brad asked. It was Chris who answered, startling Barry. He'd walked back to join them, his youthful face fixed with a sudden intensity that almost bordered on obsessive.
   "Because it's the only place in the woods that hasn't been checked over by the police, and it's practically in the middle of the crime scenes. And because you can't always trust what people say." Brad frowned. "But if Umbrella sent somebody out…"
   Whatever Chris was going to say in response was cut short by Wesker's smooth voice, rising from the front of the room.
   "All right, people. Since it appears that Ms. Valen– tine isn't planning on joining us, why don't we get this started?"
   Barry walked to his desk, worried about Chris for the first time since this whole thing had started. He'd recruited the younger man for the S.T.A.R.S. a few years back thanks to a chance encounter in a local gun shop. Chris had proved to be an asset to the team, bright and thoughtful as well as a top-notch marks– man and able pilot. But now… Barry gazed fondly at the picture of Kathy and the girls that sat on his desk. Chris's obsession with the murders in Raccoon was understandable, particularly since his friend had disappeared. Nobody in town wanted to see another life lost. Barry had a family, and was as determined as anyone else on the team to stop the killers. But Chris's relentless suspicion had gone a little overboard. What had he meant by that, "You can't always trust what people say"? Either that Umbrella was lying or Chief Irons was… Ridiculous. Umbrella's branch chemical plant and administrative buildings on the outskirts of town supplied three-quarters of the jobs in Raccoon City; it would be counter-productive for them to lie. Besides, Umbrella's integrity was at least as solid as any other major corporation's-maybe some industrial espio– nage, but medical secret-swapping was a far cry from murder. And Chief Irons, though a fat, weasely blow– hard, wasn't the kind to get his hands any dirtier than they'd get accepting illegal campaign funds; the guy wanted to be mayor, for chrissake. Barry's gaze lingered on the picture of his family a moment longer before he turned his chair around to face Wesker's desk, and he suddenly realized that he wanted Chris to be wrong. Whatever was going on in
   Raccoon City, that kind of vicious brutality couldn't be planned. And that meant… Barry didn't know what that meant. He sighed, and waited for the meeting to begin.

TWO

   JILL WAS DEEPLY RELIEVED TO HEAR THE sound of Wesker's voice as she jogged toward the open door of the S.T.A.R.S. office. She'd seen one of their helicopters taking off as she'd arrived, and been positive that they'd left without her. The S.T.A.R.S. were a fairly casual outfit in some respects. But there also wasn't any room for people who couldn't keep up-and she wanted very much to be in on this case from the beginning.
   "The RPD has already established a perimeter search, spanning sectors one, four, seven, and nine. It's the central zones we're concerned with, and Bravo will set down here…"
   At least she wasn't too late; Wesker always ran meetings the same way-update speech, theory, then Q and A. Jill took a deep breath and stepped into the office. Wesker was pointing to a posted map at the front of the room, dotted with colored tags where the bodies had been found. He hardly faltered in his speech as she walked quickly to her desk, feeling suddenly like she was back in basic training and had shown up late for class. Chris Redfield threw her a half-smile as she sat down, and she nodded back at him before focusing on Wesker. She didn't know any of the Raccoon team that well, but Chris had made a real effort to make her feel welcome since she'd arrived.
   "… after a fly-by of the other central areas. Once they report in, we'll have a better idea of where to focus our energies." "But what about the Spencer place?" Chris asked. "It's practically in the middle of the crime scenes. If we start there, we can conduct a more complete search." "And if Bravo's information points to that area, rest assured, we'll search there. For now, I don't see any reason to consider it a priority." Chris looked incredulous. "But we only have Um-brella's word that the estate is secure…"
   Wesker leaned against his desk, his strong features expressionless. "Chris, we all want to get to the bottom of this. But we have to work as a team, and the best approach here is to do a thorough search for those missing hikers before we start jumping to con-
   clusions. Bravo will take a look-see and we'll conduct this by the book."
   Chris frowned, but said nothing more. Jill resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Wesker's little speech. He was doing the right thing, technically, but had left out the part about it being politic to do as Chief Irons wanted. Irons had made it clear time and again throughout the killing spree that he was in charge of the investigation and was calling the shots. It wouldn't have bothered her so much except that Wesker presented himself as an independent thinker, a man who didn't play politics. She had joined the
   S.T.A.R.S. because she couldn't stand the bullshit red-tape that dominated so much of law enforcement, and Wesker's obvious deferral to the chief was irri– tating.
   Well, and don't forget that you stood a good chance of ending up in prison if you hadn't changed your occupation… "Jill. I see that you managed to find the time to come in. Illuminate us with your brilliant insight. What have you got for us?"
   Jill met Wesker's sharp gaze evenly, trying to seem as cool and composed as he was. "Nothing new, I'm afraid. The only obvious pattern is location…"
   She looked down at the notes she had on the stack of files in front of her, scanning them for reference.
   "Uh, the tissue samples from underneath both Becky McGee's and Chris Smith's fingernails were an exact match, we got that yesterday… and Tonya Lipton, the third victim, had definitely been hiking in the foothills, that'd be sector-seven-B…"
   She looked back up at Wesker and made her pitch.
   "My theory at this point is that there's a possible ritualistic cult hiding in the mountains, four to eleven members strong, with guard dogs trained to attack intruders in their territory." "Extrapolate." Wesker folded his arms, waiting. At least no one had laughed. Jill plunged forward, warming to the material. "The cannibalism and dis-memberment suggest ritualistic behavior, as does the presence of decomposed flesh found on some of the victims – like the killers are carrying parts of previ-ous unknown victims to their attacks. We've got saliva and tissue samples from four separate human assail-ants, though eye-witness reports suggest up to ten or eleven people. And those killed by animals were all found or found to be attacked in the same vicinity, suggesting that they wandered into some kind of off-limits area. The saliva traces appear to be canine, though there's still some disagreement…" She
   trailed off, finished. Wesker's face betrayed nothing, but he nodded slowly. "Not bad, not bad at all. Disprove?" Jill sighed. She hated having to shoot her own theory down, but that was part of the job-and in all honesty, the part that most encouraged clear, rational thinking. The S.T.A.R.S. trained their people not to fixate on any single path to the truth. She glanced at her notes again. "It's highly unlikely that a cult that big would move around much, and the murders started too recently to be local; the RPD would've seen signs before now, some escalation to this kind of behavior. Also, the level of post-mortem violence indicates disorganized offenders, and they usually work solo."
   Joseph Frost, the Alpha vehicle specialist, piped up from the back of the room. "The animal attack part works, though, protecting their territory and all that."
   Wesker scooped up a pen and walked to the dry-erase board next to his desk, talking as he moved. "I agree."
   He wrote territoriality on the board and then turned back to face her. "Anything else?" Jill shook her head, but felt good that she'd contrib– uted something. She knew the cult aspect was reach– ing, but it had been all she could come up with. The police certainly hadn't come up with anything better. Wesker turned his attention to Brad Vickers, who suggested that it was a new strain of terrorism, and that demands would be made soon. Wesker put terror– ism on the board, but didn't seem enthusiastic about the idea. Neither did anyone else. Brad quickly went back to his headset, checking on Bravo team's status. Both Joseph and Barry passed on theorizing, and Chris's views on the killings were already well known, if vague; he believed that there was an organized assault going on, and that external influences were involved somehow. Wesker asked if he had anything new to add (stressing new, Jill noticed), and Chris shook his head, looking depressed. Wesker capped the black pen and sat on the edge of his desk, gazing thoughtfully at the blank expanse of board. "It's a start," he said. "I know you've all read the police and coroner reports, and listened to the eyewitness accounts." "Vickers here, over." From the back of the room, Brad spoke quietly into his headset, interrupting Wesker. The captain lowered his voice and continued.
   "Now at this point, we don't know what we're dealing with and I know that all of us have some… concerns with how the RPD has been dealing with the situation. But now that we're on the case, I…" "What?"
   At the sound of Brad's raised voice, Jill turned toward the back of the room along with everyone else. He was standing up, agitated, one hand pressed to the ear piece of his set.
   "Bravo team, report. Repeat, Bravo team, report!" Wesker stood up. "Vickers, put it on 'com!"Brad hit the switch on his console and the bright, crackling sound of static filled the room. Jill strained to hear a human voice amidst the fuzz, but for several tense seconds, there was nothing. Then. "… you copy? Malfunction, we're going to have to…"
   The rest was lost in a burst of static. It sounded like Enrico Marini, the Bravo team leader. Jill chewed at her lower lip and exchanged a worried glance with Chris. Enrico had seemed… frantic. They all lis– tened for another moment but there was nothing more than the sound of open air. "Position?" Wesker snapped. Brad's face was pale. "They're in the, uh, sector twenty-two, tail end of C… except I've lost the signal. The transmitter is off-line."
   Jill felt stunned, saw the feeling reflected in the faces of the others. The helicopter's transmitter was designed to keep working no matter what; the onlyway it would shut down was if something big hap– pened – the entire system blanking out or being seri– ously damaged. Something like a crash. Chris felt his stomach knot as he recognized the coordinates. The Spencer estate. Marini had said something about a malfunction, it had to be a coincidence – but it didn't feel like one. The Bravos were in trouble, and practically on top of the old Umbrella mansion. All of this went through his head in a split-second, and then he was standing, ready to move. Whatever happened, the S.T.A.R.S. took care of their own. Wesker was already in action. He addressed the team even as he reached for his keys, heading for the gun safe.
   "Joseph, take over the board and keep trying to raise them. Vickers, warm up the 'copter and get clearance, I want us ready to fly in five."
   The captain unlocked the safe as Brad handed the headset to Joseph and hurried out of the room. The reinforced metal door swung open, revealing an arse– nal of rifles and handguns shelved above boxes of ammo. Wesker turned to the rest of them, his expres– sion as bland as ever but his voice brisk with au-thority.
   "Barry, Chris I want you to get the weapons into the 'copter, loaded and secured. Jill, get the vests and packs and meet us on the roof." He clipped a key off his ring and tossed it to her.
   "I'm going to put a call in to Irons, make sure he gets us some backup and EMTs down at the barri– cade," Wesker said, then blew out sharply. "Five minutes or less, folks. Let's move."
   Jill left for the locker room and Barry grabbed one of the empty duffel bags from the bottom of the gun safe, nodding at Chris. Chris scooped up a second bag and started loading boxes of shells, cartridges, and clips as Barry carefully handled the weapons, check– ing each one. Behind them, Joseph again tried hailing the Bravo team to no avail. Chris wondered again about the proximity of the Bravo team's last reported position to the Spencer estate. Was there a connection? And if so, how? Billy worked for Umbrella, they own the estate-
   "Chief? Wesker. We just lost contact with Bravo; I'm taking us in."
   Chris felt a sudden rush of adrenaline and worked faster, aware that every second counted – could mean the difference between life and death for his friends and teammates. A serious crash was unlikely, the Bravos would have been flying low and Forest was a decent pilot… but what about after they'd gone down? Wesker quickly relayed the information to Irons over the phone and then hung up, walking back to join them.
   "I'm going up to make sure our 'copter's outfitted. Joseph, give it another minute and then turn it over to the boys at the front desk. You can help these two carry the equipment up. I'll see you on top."
   Wesker nodded to them and hurried out, his foot– steps clattering loudly down the hall. "He's good," Barry said quietly, and Chris had to agree. It was reassuring to see that their new captain didn't rattle easily. Chris still wasn't sure how he felt about the man personally, but his respect for Wesker's abilities was growing by the minute.
   "Come in, Bravo, do you copy? Repeat…"
   Joseph patiently went on, his voice tight with strain, his pleas lost to the haze of white static that pulsed out into the room.
   Wesker strode down the deserted hall and through the shabbier of the two second-floor waiting rooms, nodding briskly at a pair of uniforms that stood talking by the soda machine. The door to the outside landing was chocked open, a faint, humid breeze cutting through the stickiness of the air inside. It was still daylight, but not for much longer. He hoped that wouldn't complicate matters, although he figured it probably would… Wesker took a left and started down the winding corridor that led to the helipad, absently running through a mental checklist.
   … hailing open procedure, weapons, gear, re-port…
   He already knew that everything was in order, but went through it again anyway; it didn't pay to get sloppy, and assumptions were the first step down that path. He liked to think of himself as a man of precision, one who had taken all possibilities into account and decided on the best course of action after thoroughly weighing all factors. Control was what being a competent leader was all about.
   But to close this case…
   He shut the thought down before it could get any further. He knew what had to be done, and there was still plenty of time. All he needed to concentrate on now was getting the Bravos back, safe and sound. Wesker opened the door at the end of the hall and stepped out into the bright evening, the rising hum of the 'copter's engine and the smell of machine oil filling his senses. The small rooftop helipad was cooler than inside, partly draped by the shadow of an aging water tower, and empty except for the gunmetal gray Alpha helicopter. For the first time, he wondered what had gone wrong for Bravo; he'd had Joseph and the rookie check both birds out yesterday and they'd been fine, all systems go. He dismissed that train of thought as he walked toward the 'copter, his shadow falling long across the concrete. It didn't matter why, not anymore. What mattered was what came next. Expect the unexpected, that was the S.T.A.R.S. motto, although that basi– cally meant to prepare for anything. Expect nothing, that was Albert Wesker's motto. A little less catchy, maybe, but infinitely more useful. It virtually guaranteed that nothing would ever surprise him. He stepped up to the open pilot door and got a shaky thumbs-up from Vickers; the man looked posi– tively green, and Wesker briefly considered leaving him behind. Chris was licensed to fly, and Vickers had a reputation for choking under the gun; the last thing he needed was for one of his people to freeze up if there was trouble. Then he thought about the lost Bravos and decided against it. This was a rescue mission. The worst Vickers could do would be to throw up on himself if the 'copter had crashed badly, and Wesker could live with that. He opened the side door and crouched his way into the cabin, doing a quick inventory of the equipment that lined the walls. Emergency flares, ration kits… he popped the lid on the heavy, dented footlocker behind the benches and looked through the basic medical supplies, nodding to himself. They were as ready as they were going to be… Wesker grinned suddenly, wondering what Brian Irons was doing right now. Shitting his pants, no doubt. Wesker chuckled as he stepped back out onto the sun-baked asphalt, getting a sudden clear mental image of Irons, his pudgy cheeks red with anger and crap dribbling down his leg. Irons liked to think he could control everything and every-one around him and lost his temper when he couldn't, and that made him an idiot. Unfortunately for all of them, he was an idiot with a little bit of power. Wesker had checked him out carefully before taking the position in Raccoon City, and knew a few things about the chief that didn't paint him in a particularly positive light. He had no intention of using that information, but if Irons attempted to screw things up one more time, Wesker had no qualms about letting that information get out……or at least telling him that I have access to it; it'd certainly keep him out of the way. Barry Burton stepped out onto the concrete carry– ing more ammo cache, his giant biceps flexing as he shifted his hold on the heavy canvas bag and started for the 'copter. Chris and Joseph followed, Chris with the sidearms and Joseph lugging a satchel of RPGs, the compact grenade launcher slung over one shoulder. Wesker marveled at Burton's brute strength as the Alpha climbed in and casually set the bag down as though it didn't weigh over a hundred pounds. Barry was bright enough, but in the S.T.A.R.S., muscle was a definite asset. Everyone else in his squad was in good shape, but compared to Barry, they were pencil-necks. As the three of them stored the equipment, Wesker turned his attention back to the door, watching for Jill. He checked his watch and frowned. It had been just under five minutes since their last contact with Bravo, they'd made excellent time… so where the hell was Valentine? He hadn't interacted with her much since she'd come to Raccoon, but her file was a rave review. She'd gotten high recommendations from everyone she'd worked with, praised by her last captain as highly intelligent and "unusually" calm in a crisis. She'd have to be, with her history. Her father was Dick Valentine, the best thief in the business a couple of decades back. He'd trained her to follow in his footsteps, and word had it that she had done quite well until Daddy had been incarcerated… Prodigy or no, she could stand to buy a decent watch. He silently urged Jill to get her ass into gear and motioned for Vickers to start the blades turning. It was time to find out how bad things were out there.