Chapter 121: Where Everyone Goes

Outside Raccoon City, Military Base No. 17.

Lead-gray barbed wire fences sealed the entire area airtight; searchlights swept back and forth across the night sky, their cold beams slicing through the darkness.

Leon sat in an interrogation room containing only a table and two chairs, the incandescent bulb overhead making his eyes ache.

On the table in front of him sat a cup of coffee that had long since gone cold, fine beads of condensation clinging to the sides.

Six hours ago, he, Claire, Annette, Sherry, and Angela had been intercepted by the military on a road in the suburbs of Raccoon City.

Without any explanation, everyone was forcibly taken onto military vehicles and brought directly to this isolated base.

The door to the interrogation room was pushed open, and a middle-aged man in uniform with the rank of colonel on his shoulder straps walked in.

He was tall with a stern face, holding a thick file folder in his hand.

"Leon S. Kennedy, newly appointed R.P.D. officer." The man threw the file on the table and sat opposite Leon. "I am Colonel Adam Benford, responsible for the follow-up handling of this Raccoon City incident."

Leon looked up, staring at him with calm eyes. "What about my companions? Sherry and Angela are just children; they don't know anything."

Adam did not answer his question. He opened the file, pulled out a piece of paper, and pushed it toward Leon. "Annette Birkin, wife of William Birkin, Chief Researcher of the Umbrella Corporation North American Branch, and head of the G-Virus project.

We detected G-Virus antibodies in her daughter and confirmed her involvement in multiple human experiments. She has been classified as a high-risk individual and is being held in solitary confinement in a maximum-security cell."

Leon's fists clenched tightly.

"Claire Redfield, a junior in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Midwestern State University." Adam continued, his tone softening slightly. "Her identity has earned her a chance at bail.

We have verified her background and confirmed that she only entered Raccoon City to find her brother, Chris. She can leave this afternoon, but until the investigation is concluded, she is not allowed to contact any media, nor is she allowed to meet with other survivors."

Leon breathed a sigh of relief, but the weight in his heart did not lift.

"What about the two children? Sherry and that silver-haired girl." He asked again.

Adam's eyes darkened. "Active viruses were detected in both of them. Sherry has G-Virus remnants, and the girl named Angela—her case is more complex. Releasing them would be irresponsible to the general public."

Leon gave a bitter laugh and leaned back in his chair. "So, are you going to execute me? Just because I came out of Raccoon City? Let those two children go; they are innocent and are also victims of the Umbrella Corporation."

"Execute?" Adam raised an eyebrow. "No, we won't do that. Honestly, we have a high opinion of your abilities, and that is not sarcasm. We have reviewed your performance in Raccoon City. For a fresh police academy graduate to survive in that kind of hell and save so many people is truly remarkable."

He leaned forward, his tone becoming serious. "Now, we are giving you a choice. Join us and form a specialized anti-bioweapon unit. The Umbrella Corporation still has dozens of secret research facilities around the world, and disasters similar to Raccoon City could happen again at any time. We need people like you with real combat experience."

Leon looked down at the cold floor, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.

"What about those two children?" After a long silence, he finally looked up and asked.

"They possess very valuable research potential." Adam said candidly. "Of course, I can tell you responsibly that we will protect their safety. We will not perform inhumane experiments like the Umbrella Corporation; we will only conduct necessary medical observation and research. As long as you cooperate with us, I guarantee they will receive the best care."

Leon fell into silence again. The interrogation room was deathly quiet, with only the ticking of the wall clock echoing.

After a long while, he spoke slowly. "I need time to consider."

Adam nodded and stood up. "Very well. I will give you 24 hours. I hope to have your answer by this time tomorrow."

With that, he turned and walked out of the interrogation room, the heavy iron door slamming shut behind him with a "clang."

Leon leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Sherry's terrified face flashed through his mind, followed by Chloe's cold gaze and Ada's resolute back in the NEST. He didn't know if his choice was right or wrong, but he knew he had to protect those innocent people.

Meanwhile, in downtown Raccoon City.

Claire, carrying a simple backpack, stood on the street, looking around at everything in a daze. Half an hour had passed since her release by the military; the sunlight spilled onto her face, but it brought no warmth.

She walked to a public phone booth on the street corner, inserted a coin, and dialed her best friend's number. A cold busy signal came from the other end; she tried a few more times, but it remained the same.

Claire helplessly hung up the receiver and sighed. Communications throughout the city were in a state of semi-paralysis, and most private calls could not get through.

Just as she turned to leave, a familiar figure caught her eye.

With silver-white hair tied into a neat ponytail and wearing a dark gray hoodie, she was walking quickly with her head down toward the hotel.

"Chloe!" Claire shouted in pleasant surprise.

Chloe suddenly looked up, and the moment she saw Claire, her eyes lit up. She ran over, and the two hugged each other tightly.

"Sister Claire! It's so good that you're okay!" Chloe's voice was choked with emotion.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Claire patted her back, too excited to speak. "I thought I would never see you all again. Where is Jill? Is Jill okay too?"

"Yes! Sister Jill is fine. We are at the Raccoon City Hotel just ahead." Chloe took her hand and looked around vigilantly. "There are too many eyes here; let's go back to the room first."

Claire nodded and followed Chloe quickly into the hotel.

Pushing open the door to Room 204, Jill was sitting at the table organizing files. Seeing Chloe bring Claire in, she stood up abruptly, an expression of disbelief on her face.

"Claire!"

"Jill!"

The two walked quickly to each other and hugged tightly.

"You silly girl, why did you run to Raccoon City without saying a word?" Jill patted her back gently, her tone filled with reproach, but even more with lingering fear. "Do you know how worried I was about you?"

"I called the Police Department so many times, but no one answered." Claire said aggrievedly. "I couldn't contact Chris, and the news said a serious accident had happened in Raccoon City. I was really worried, so I just came myself."

"Alright, alright, it's good that you're okay." Jill let her go and smoothed out her messy hair. "Sit down and tell me what happened to you afterward."

Chloe poured Claire a glass of water, then sat beside her and recounted everything—finding Jill at the hospital, Nicholai kidnapping her, Jill using the railgun to finish off the monster, and the three of them finally escaping Raccoon City by plane—in detail.

Claire listened with her heart in her throat, unable to help covering her mouth several times.

"By the way! What about Leon, Sherry, and the others?" Chloe asked anxiously.

"I got separated from them at the military camp; we had originally agreed to meet in Raccoon City." Claire said. "We were placed under house arrest by the military before we even entered the city."

Jill's brow furrowed tightly. "The military placed them under house arrest?"

"Yes." Claire nodded. "Sherry's mother was put in solitary confinement, and I was bailed out by my university because I'm a student. Leon is still at the base; the military seems to want to recruit him. Sherry and Angela were also kept at the base, supposedly for medical observation."

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became heavy.

"I have to find a way to rescue them." Chloe said in a low voice.

"How?" Jill shook her head. "That's a military base with heavy guards; you could never break in. Plus, once we clash with the military, we'll become fugitives, and then no one will be able to save anyone."

Just then, the encrypted walkie-talkie on the table suddenly emitted a "buzzing" static sound.

A familiar voice came through, filled with a trace of trembling and urgency: "Jill? Jill, are you there? Please answer if you can hear me! This is Barry!"

Jill grabbed the walkie-talkie, her voice sounding a bit puzzled: "Barry! It's me! It's Jill!"

"Thank God! You're still alive!" Barry's voice was filled with ecstasy. "I heard on the news that Raccoon City was bombed, and I thought... I thought you were all..."

"We're all fine, Barry." Jill took a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions. "Brad... Brad sacrificed himself to save me."

The other end of the walkie-talkie was silent for a long time.

"I understand." Barry's voice became low. "He was a good team member. May he rest in peace."

After a pause, he continued: "I am currently in the suburbs of Raccoon City, having been blocked at a military checkpoint for several days. I wanted to enter Raccoon City to meet up with you, but I couldn't get in at all. Where are you now? Is it convenient to meet?"

"We are at the Raccoon City Hotel in the city center, Room 204." Jill said.

"Okay, I'll be there right away."

Half an hour later, there was a knock on the door.

Jill opened the door and saw Barry in casual clothes standing at the door, his face full of fatigue and the signs of the journey.

"Barry!"

"Jill." Barry smiled, walked into the room, saw Chloe and Claire, and reached out to ruffle their hair. "It's great that you two little ones are okay too."

His gaze fell on Carlos, and he extended his hand. "Hello, I am Barry Burton, former S.T.A.R.S. member."

"Carlos Oliveira, UBCS member... former UBCS." Carlos shook his hand. "I've heard a lot about you."

After everyone sat down, Jill explained the current situation to Barry in detail.

After listening, Barry frowned and pondered for a long time.

"The military shouldn't do anything to Leon and the others." He said slowly. "The whole world is watching the Raccoon City incident right now; if they dare to harm the survivors, public opinion will crush them. At most, it will be house arrest for a while, and they will be released once the investigation is clear."

Everyone nodded, though they had no better options.

"What do you plan to do next, Jill?" Barry asked.

Jill glanced at Chloe beside her and gently held her hand. "I just want to have a good rest now. After experiencing so much, I am too tired."

"I'm going to Canada in a few days to see my wife and daughter." Barry said. "They are very safe there. Why don't you come with me? Change the environment and relax. We can talk about things after the situation here calms down."

Jill looked at Chloe, asking for her opinion.

Chloe nodded. She knew Leon and Sherry would be fine; Leon would join the government and become an agent. As for Angela, that mysterious clone girl, she didn't have any good solutions for the time being and could only pray that nothing would go wrong.

"Okay, we'll go to Canada with you." Jill said.

"What about you?" Jill asked Claire.

"I'm going to Europe to find Chris. I must confirm with my own eyes that he is safe." Claire said.

"I'll go with you." Carlos shrugged and said with a smile. "My job is gone anyway, so I might as well go to Europe and look around, and maybe pick up some mercenary work while I'm at it."

He took a slip of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Jill. "This is my contact information. If you run into any trouble in the future, call me anytime."

Jill took the paper and stepped forward to hug Carlos. "Thank you, Carlos. Thank you for saving my life so many times."

"Don't mention it." Carlos patted her back. "Take care of yourself and Chloe."

That evening, everyone parted ways at the hotel entrance.

Carlos took Claire to the airport, while Barry took Jill and Chloe to Canada.

Jill looked back in the direction of Raccoon City, then turned and got into the car. Barry drove the car away slowly, heading into the distance.

The nightmare of Raccoon City had ended, but the shadow of the biohazard had only just begun to loom over the entire world.