Chapter 90: "Split Up" Operation

September 29, 1998, 20:47. Spencer Memorial Hospital, B3, NEST 2 Entrance.

The military off-road vehicle crushed the puddled road, kicking up splashes half a meter high. Nicholai gripped the steering wheel with one hand while nonchalantly wiping blood from his dagger with the other.

Chloe lay quietly in the back seat, her face as pale as a sheet of paper.

She hadn't woken up yet.

The effects of the S01 Inhibitor were still lingering, and the previous battle with the USS and Nemesis had drained all her stamina; at this moment, she was as fragile as a porcelain doll.

But Nicholai showed no mercy. He didn't even glance at the back seat, his eyes filled only with cold greed.

Sergei still thought he was on a mission to collect B.O.W. data, and the rest of the UBCS thought he had lost contact in the subway. No one knew that he had found the greatest fortune of his life.

A perfect T+G virus fusion, a living specimen that could sell for 100 million dollars.

The off-road vehicle turned into the alley behind the hospital. It was deserted, with only a few abandoned ambulances parked haphazardly along the curb.

Nicholai turned off the headlights, donned black gloves, and got out to open the rear door. He roughly slung Chloe over his shoulder like a sack of cargo and strode toward the freight elevator on the side of the hospital.

There was an inconspicuous red button on the elevator panel that required a high-level Umbrella Corporation clearance card to activate.

Nicholai pulled out his black clearance card and swiped it. The elevator doors slowly opened, revealing the rusted metal interior.

"Ding—"

The elevator descended, and the floor indicator stopped at "-3".

The moment the doors opened, a cold scent of disinfectant mixed with the smell of blood hit his face. This was NEST 2, hidden by the Umbrella Corporation beneath Raccoon City General Hospital, specialized for weapon research, development, and mass-production packaging of B.O.W.s.

He carried Chloe down the hallway, having already disabled the surveillance cameras in advance. The laboratory doors on both sides were tightly shut, with occasional low growls coming from within—infected subjects that hadn't been disposed of yet.

Nicholai didn't care and walked straight to Lab B-317 at the end of the corridor. This was an independent isolation lab with the highest level of biosafety protection, and it wasn't connected to the NEST's central monitoring system, making it perfect for hiding his "cargo."

He threw Chloe onto the cold metal exam table and pulled an oversized dose of sedative from his tactical backpack. This sedative was originally intended for subduing Nemesis, and the dosage was enough to put an elephant to sleep for three days and nights.

"Don't blame me, little girl." Nicholai tore the bandage from Chloe's arm and plunged the needle deep into her vein. "I just need you alive when you reach the buyer. As for whether you live or die after that, it's none of my business."

The cold liquid was pushed entirely into her body. Chloe's body twitched violently, and her brow furrowed tightly, but she never opened her eyes. Her breathing grew even weaker, and her heartbeat slowed until it was almost imperceptible.

Nicholai nodded with satisfaction and tossed the empty syringe into the trash. He pulled out a satellite phone and dialed an encrypted number.

"The goods are in hand," he said, his voice kept low. "Just as we discussed."

A raspy voice came from the other end: "Confirmed to be alive?"

"Of course, she's alive and kicking; she just killed Nemesis with her own hands," Nicholai sneered. "100 million dollars, not a penny less."

"Deal."

The call disconnected. Nicholai tucked the satellite phone back into his pocket and took one last look at Chloe on the exam table. She lay there quietly, like a lifeless doll.

"Sleep well, my little gold mine."

He turned and walked out of the lab, closing the heavy alloy door and entering a complex password. The lock clicked, sealing it completely.

Nicholai turned to leave, his steps light. He was already calculating where to go and enjoy himself after getting the money: a villa in Switzerland, a yacht in the Caribbean, and all those bills waiting for him to squander.

He didn't notice that the moment he turned around, on the exam table, Chloe's finger twitched slightly.

21:02

Raccoon Street

"Attention all citizens! Due to the disaster in the city, we advise all citizens to head to the Raccoon City Police Department for shelter as soon as possible. We will provide free food and medical supplies for citizens in need. I repeat, please head to the Raccoon City Police Department for shelter immediately..."

The official broadcast repeated continuously over the car radio. Leon gripped the steering wheel, his brow furrowed.

The police car drove down the deserted Raccoon Street, its headlights illuminating the dilapidated streets ahead. The shops along the road were all closed, their windows smashed and shelves looted clean.

A few abandoned cars were parked haphazardly in the middle of the road, their windows riddled with bullet holes.

The entire city was deathly silent, with only the sound of rain and the broadcast echoing.

Claire leaned against the car window, watching the scene outside, her eyes filled with shock and fear. She reached out to wipe the fog from the glass, wanting to see more clearly.

"My god, this is all so surreal," her voice trembled slightly. "A few hours ago, I was still in civilized society. Now... it's like hell here."

"The police station isn't far," Leon pointed to the faintly visible police lights ahead. "They... must know something. Once we get there, we can figure out exactly what happened."

Claire turned her head and looked at Leon, her eyes full of pessimism. "Fine, but... what if it's just us? What if there are no other survivors?"

"No! There must be survivors!" Leon interrupted her, his tone firm. "In a city this size, someone must be alive."

Claire looked at Leon's determined eyes and didn't say anything more. She turned back to the window. Rain flowed down the glass, distorting the world outside into a blur of light and shadow.

No one spoke again. Only the roar of the engine and the monotonous repetition of the broadcast remained in the cabin.

The police car drove another five hundred meters before suddenly coming to a halt.

The road ahead was completely blocked.

Dozens of cars had crashed together, piled into a wasteland of steel. Some cars were still burning, emitting billowing black smoke that dyed the night sky a dark red.

Leon sighed and released the steering wheel. "Looks like we'll have to go on foot."

Just as he finished speaking, Claire suddenly grabbed his arm, her fingers turning white from the pressure.

"Leon... look over there."

Leon looked in the direction she was pointing.

In the shadows by the roadside, two people were crouching on the ground. Their backs were to the police car, their shoulders twitching as if they were eating.

By the light of the headlamps, Leon could clearly see a mangled person lying at their feet.

Blood stained the ground red.

Those two people were feasting on the corpse on the ground.

"I think we'll have to run," Claire's voice carried a distinct tremor.

At that moment, a zombie heard the sound of the police car and slowly raised its head. Its face was covered in blood, and its clouded eyes stared fixedly at the car as it let out a raspy growl.

Immediately after, more zombies emerged from the surrounding shadows. They stumbled and growled, closing in on the police car.

A few of the faster ones had already lunged at the front of the car, frantically pounding on the windshield with their fists.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Leon slammed the car into reverse, trying to back up.

"Leon, hurry and back up!" Claire gripped the handle tightly, her face pale.

Just then, a deafening roar of an engine came from behind.

Leon and Claire turned back at the same time.

A tanker truck fully loaded with gasoline was hurtling toward them from behind at extreme speed. Its headlights were blinding, like two burning suns.

In the driver's seat, a balding driver sat with his head tilted, his face a sickly greenish-black, with black blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. There was a gruesome bite mark on his neck; he had clearly been infected.

He was on the verge of turning, his mind incoherent, merely floorng the accelerator out of instinct.

"Damn it!" Leon cursed, jerking the steering wheel to try and dodge, but it was too late.

The tanker driver lost consciousness completely at the last second, and he jerked the wheel sharply.

The massive tanker slammed sideways into the side of the police car.

BOOM—!!!

The sound of the impact was deafening. The police car was sent flying like a toy, sliding a dozen meters across the pavement and plowing right through the crowd of zombies surrounding the front of the car.

The massive force of the impact sent Leon and Claire crashing against the doors, their vision momentarily going dark.

"Claire! Get out! Get out of the car, now!" Leon was the first to react. He forced his door open and shouted to Claire.

At that moment, Leon smelled a strong scent of gasoline.

He looked up and saw that the tanker's fuel tank had ruptured. Gasoline was pouring out continuously, forming a sea of oil on the ground, while sparks flew from the tanker's damaged engine.

Leon threw his door wide and lunged out of the car.

The next second—

BOOM—!!!

An earth-shattering explosion erupted.

A massive fireball soared into the air, illuminating the entire night sky. Leon felt as if his back had been hit by a train, the pain unbearable.

"Cough... cough cough..."

Leon struggled to push himself off the ground, covered in glass shards and dirt. Ignoring the pain in his body, he shouted toward the police car, "Claire! Claire, are you okay?"

"I'm okay!" Claire's voice came from the other side of the police car. "What about you?"

"I'm fine!" Leon looked around. The explosion had attracted all the nearby zombies, and they were growling as they swarmed toward the burning wreckage. "We can't stay here! It's too dangerous!"

The flames grew higher and hotter, and car parts continued to explode off the wreckage with loud cracks and pops.

Claire crawled out from the other side of the police car. Her arm was scratched and bleeding slightly, but it wasn't serious.

"We'll have to split up!" Claire pointed to a nearby alley. "You go that way, I'll circle around to the west side of the station. We'll meet inside the police station!"

Leon glanced at the closing zombie horde and nodded. "Alright! I'll wait for you in the station lobby! Stay safe!"

"You too!"

With that, Claire turned and ran into the adjacent alley.

Leon also turned immediately and sprinted into another alley. He ran a few steps and looked back. The burning wreckage was like a massive torch, illuminating the twisted faces of the zombies.

He gritted his teeth and kept running forward.

At the end of the alley, the sign for the Raccoon City Police Department was clearly visible. Red police lights flashed in the rainy night like a lonely lighthouse.

Leon took a deep breath, gripped his gun, and ran toward the station gates.

On the other side of the city, Claire reached the iron gate on the west side of the station, which was covered in scratches and bloodstains.

She pushed the gate open, slipped inside, and then closed the iron gate behind her, blocking out the growls of the zombies.

The yard was deserted, with only a few burial mounds sitting there. The rain hit the ground with a rhythmic pattering sound.

Claire leaned against the iron gate, gasping for air. She looked at the small graveyard before her, her heart filled with unease.