Chapter 17: First Encounter with Billy Coen

The dense drizzle wove the Arklay Mountains into an impenetrable sheet of gray and white.

Rebecca Chambers walked alone through the muddy woods, her first-aid kit strapped to her back, her knuckles white as she gripped her gun.

The surroundings were filled only with the sound of rain, the soft crunch of fallen leaves, and the occasional low, viscous roar drifting from the depths of the thick fog.

As the youngest member of S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team and a new medic who had only recently joined, this was the first time she had stepped onto a real battlefield in her life.

From the moment the helicopter suffered a sudden malfunction and crashed into the depths of the dense forest, all the fear, anxiety, and panic surged into her heart like a tide. However, she had to force herself to calm down. She was a medic; even if she was alone, she could not lose her composure.

According to Captain Enrico's orders, her mission was to investigate the old transport line on the west side of the woods alone, searching for traces of the fugitive Billy Coen while also keeping an eye out for other survivors or equipment that could contact the outside world.

The rain soaked her short hair, plastering it against her smooth forehead, and the cold sensation constantly reminded her that she was in danger.

She held a weak flashlight in one hand, its beam barely tearing through the thick fog to create a narrow path of light, while her other hand rested lightly on the pistol at her waist. Her fingertips trembled slightly, but she still tried to maintain a professional demeanor.

She did not dwell on Captain Enrico's orders, nor did she have the energy to worry about her separated teammates. At this moment, all she could do was stay alert and walk forward, step by step, along this barely visible old path.

She did not know how long she had been walking in the thick fog when the trees ahead suddenly thinned, and a relatively open clearing appeared before her. In the center of the clearing, a rusted railway track lay like a sleeping giant python, extending from the depths of the dense forest and disappearing into the gray-white mist on the other side.

The surface of the tracks was washed bright by the rain, while the edges were covered in dark red rust, fully displaying the vicissitudes of time and the desolation of abandonment.

And at the end of the tracks, a behemoth sat silently.

It was an old, pitch-black train. The train's exterior was intact, still retaining its appearance from when it was in normal operation, but it was now deathly silent. The windows were covered in fog and grime, like a mobile prison frozen in an instant.

The moment she approached, a strong smell of rot and decay hit her, mixed with a faint, slimy, fishy odor—like the smell of stagnant water mixed with soft-bodied organisms—wafting from the gaps between the train cars.

Rebecca Chambers's heart rate accelerated suddenly, and a strong premonition of danger instantly enveloped her.

She stopped, slowly raising the flashlight beam to sweep across the train cars inch by inch. The doors were tightly closed, the windows were blurry, and the entire train was terrifyingly quiet, as if time itself had stopped here. She hesitated for a moment, but eventually gathered her courage and walked forward.

As a member of S.T.A.R.S., she had a responsibility to check every suspicious location in this area, even if this place looked extremely eerie.

She approached the nearest car step by step, her fingertips gently touching the cold metal door. Rainwater dripped along the gaps of the door, forming a small, murky puddle on the ground. She took a deep breath and tentatively pushed it.

"Creak—"

A harsh, long, creaking sound of the door hinge echoed in the deathly silent environment, like the final moan of someone dying, piercing the tranquility of the woods.

The door was actually unlocked and opened at the sound.

Rebecca Chambers took a deep breath and stepped onto the train.

Inside the carriage, the lights were bright, the seats were neat, and various bags were placed on the luggage racks. Everything was maintained in a state of normal operation, except for one thing: it was completely empty.

She stood in the center of the carriage, her voice carrying the tension and seriousness peculiar to a newcomer, and spoke clearly:

"Is anyone there? I am Officer Chambers of S.T.A.R.S."

The echo gently dissipated into the air, with no response.

There was only the endless sound of rain outside the window and the faint hum of electricity inside the carriage.

Rebecca Chambers gripped the gun at her waist and slowly walked toward the next carriage.

The moment she pulled open the connecting door, a strong, pungent odor hit her.

The scene before her made her blood almost freeze.

Bodies were strewn about, lying across the seats and the aisle. Their skin was a deathly gray color, their wounds were hideous and terrifying, and parts of their flesh showed abnormal decay. And what terrified her even more was that one of the bodies near the door was slowly lifting its head.

There was no consciousness, no expression, only dull, stiff movements and a chilling, low sound rolling from its throat.

Rebecca Chambers was so scared she took a step back, her mind going blank.

She didn't know what that was, and she didn't know how to understand the scene before her. Fear gripped her heart like a cold hand, but the training instinct carved into her bones made her subconsciously draw her pistol.

Her arms trembled slightly, her gaze locked firmly onto the target.

The second before the deformed body lunged at her, she pulled the trigger hard.

The gunshot exploded in the enclosed carriage, making her eardrums ache.

The body collapsed to the ground with a thud and stopped moving.

Rebecca Chambers panted heavily, her muzzle still trembling slightly, and cold sweat trickled down her spine. She dared not stay, suppressing her almost collapsing emotions, and continued to inch her way deeper into the train.

In the corners of the carriage and the gaps in the floor, she could occasionally catch glimpses of small, black traces flashing by, so fast that one might think it was an illusion.

Walking a bit further, she stopped abruptly.

A man was leaning against the seat beside the aisle. He wore a dark tactical vest, his muscle lines were firm, and his arms were stained with mud and light brown bloodstains. His short hair was soaked and plastered to his forehead, his face was rugged, and his eyes were cold and sharp, carrying a sense of casualness and keenness forged by long experience with life and death.

It was Billy Coen. The man from the wanted poster.

Rebecca Chambers tensed her entire body instantly, raising her gun steadily to aim at him, her voice trembling as she tried to control it: "Don't move!"

Billy Coen looked up and swept his gaze over her, a slight, disdainful curve forming at the corner of his mouth. His tone carried unconcealed contempt as he spoke lazily: "Relax, kid. If I wanted to make a move, you wouldn't even have had the chance to draw your gun."

"Did you do this to the people on the train?" Rebecca Chambers gritted her teeth, refusing to take even a half-step back.

"You saw it yourself just now; that thing is definitely not something a human could have caused." Billy Coen straightened up, his hands casually tucked into his vest pockets, looking completely indifferent. "I'm just like you, trapped in this godforsaken place."

"I don't believe you." Rebecca Chambers's voice remained firm. "You are an escaped dangerous criminal."

"Believe what you want." Billy Coen sneered, his gaze sweeping over her trembling fingertips, his tone even more dismissive. "I'm going to the front carriage to see if there's a way out. Stay here, don't run around, and don't scream, otherwise, if you attract more of those things, I won't save you."

Without waiting for Rebecca Chambers to retort, he turned around and walked through the connecting door with an easy stride, disappearing into the front carriage.

Rebecca Chambers was left alone, her heart pounding uncontrollably. She leaned against the cold carriage wall, breathing heavily, trying to calm her surging emotions. At eighteen, facing such death and eeriness for the first time, the only thing supporting her was the stubbornness of being a S.T.A.R.S. officer.

She walked forward slowly, scanning her surroundings vigilantly, trying to keep herself calm.

Just as she reached the entrance to the next carriage, a violent crashing sound suddenly exploded from behind. "Bang—!" The shrill sound of shattering glass pierced her eardrums.

Rebecca Chambers turned back abruptly, her pupils contracting sharply. Edward Dewey fell heavily onto the carriage floor, covered in injuries. His combat uniform was torn in many places, his left leg wound was bleeding uncontrollably, and he was on the verge of death.

"Edward!" She rushed over like a madwoman, slamming the first-aid kit onto the ground. Her hands trembled as she searched for hemostatic bandages and medicine, her voice trembling uncontrollably: "Hang in there! I'll treat your wounds! You'll be fine!"

Edward's lips trembled as he grabbed her wrist, his breath weak: "Rebecca... I'm not going to make it... Outside... there are things... they aren't human..."

"Don't talk! Let me bandage you!"

"It's no use..." Edward's voice grew fainter and fainter. "Tell the Captain... the mountains... are dangerous..."

As his voice faded, his hand slowly dropped, and he stopped breathing entirely. "Edward—!!"

Rebecca Chambers froze in place, tears streaming down her face. Holding her comrade's cold body, the immense sorrow almost drowned her.

Just as she was immersed in her pain, the sound of sharp claws scratching suddenly came from outside the window! Several hideous zombie dogs lunged frantically at the window, causing glass shards to scatter everywhere!

Rebecca Chambers looked up abruptly, her face pale. She had no time to grieve; she immediately stood up, drew her pistol, and gripped it with both hands, aiming at the window.

The moment the first monster lunged, she pulled the trigger. Gunshots rang out one after another. One shot, two shots, three shots...

Relying on her training instincts, she aimed precisely and fired calmly, knocking down every monster that broke into the carriage one by one. Gunsmoke and the smell of blood filled the air. She slumped to the floor, panting heavily, tears mixing with cold sweat as they slid down her face, but she didn't make another sound.

After a brief silence, a faint crackle of static suddenly came from the walkie-talkie at her waist. Rebecca Chambers was startled and took the walkie-talkie with trembling hands.

"This is Rebecca Chambers." "Zzz— Zzz... Rebecca Chambers, this is Enrico. Where are you?" "Captain... this is Rebecca Chambers... Can you hear me? Please answer."

Captain Enrico's voice was low and serious, coming through the static clearly.

"Rebecca Chambers, I can hear you. Listen carefully. We found detailed information about the fugitive in the wreckage of the vehicle. Billy Coen massacred... as many as 23 innocent civilians."

"If you encounter him, do not negotiate, do not trust him, and do not act alone. Prioritize your own safety. Repeat, this person is extremely dangerous; you must stay away. Rebecca Chambers, do you hear me?"

The call was short and powerful, without unnecessary explanation, only a cold warning.

Rebecca Chambers gripped the walkie-talkie tightly, and the last shred of hesitation in her heart vanished completely. Sorrow, fear, and duty intertwined, making her tighten her grip on her gun once more. She wiped the tears from her face, stood up, and walked firmly toward the front of the train, step by step.

Passing through two carriages filled with the aura of deathly silence, she finally saw Billy Coen's figure again in the aisle ahead.

"It's very dangerous here. Why don't we cooperate?" Billy Coen took two steps forward and leaned against the stair railing.

Rebecca Chambers did not hesitate for a second, immediately raising her gun to aim at him, her voice carrying the stubbornness and seriousness unique to an eighteen-year-old newcomer: "Cooperate? With you?"

Billy Coen turned around, looking at her with her gun raised. His face still wore that casual disdain, and his tone was flat but hit the reality of the situation: "Listen, kid. I don't know if you've noticed, but there are very terrifying monsters on this train. So I want to leave this godforsaken place as soon as possible. Us acting on our own isn't going to work."

"You want me to trust you? Trust a wanted criminal?" Rebecca Chambers gritted her teeth. "I don't need your help. I can handle it myself. And another thing, don't call me kid. I have a name."

"Alright, Miss. What should I call you?" Billy Coen reached out, attempting to pinch Rebecca Chambers's cheek, but she dodged him.

"My name is Rebecca Chambers, but you must call me Officer Chambers."

Billy Coen turned slightly, calmly making way, his tone carrying a hint of mockery: "Fine, Rebecca Chambers. Then you can try. See if you can walk out of this train on your own and leave these mountains alive."

Rebecca Chambers froze in place. She knew very well that what he said was the truth. But her duty as an officer prevented her from just turning a blind eye. In the end, she gritted her teeth, lowered her gun, did not look at Billy Coen again, turned around, and walked forward alone.

She was going to prove that she could survive on her own