Chapter 26: A Brief Reunion

Since Billy Coen rescued Rebecca Chambers from the collapsing abyss, the two had joined forces once again. Within this facility, which was riddled with the traces of the Umbrella Corporation's evil experiments, they embarked on an even more perilous path to survival.

The passages inside the building became increasingly labyrinthine, and the emergency lights grew dimmer. Many areas were plunged into total darkness, forcing them to rely on the beams of their flashlights to grope their way forward.

Dangers emerged one after another along the way. Staggering, ulcer-ridden zombies dragged their mangled bodies as they wandered, emitting low, murky growls.

Giant cockroaches mutated by the T-Virus scurried in swarms, feasting on experimental remains and corpses. There were also early BOWs developed by Umbrella, grotesque in form and highly aggressive; every encounter meant a life-and-death struggle.

Billy Coen always stood in front of Rebecca Chambers, clearing the threats ahead time and again with precise shooting and efficient close-quarters combat.

Rebecca Chambers, for her part, identified virus-infected zones and avoided lethal traps. Their cooperation grew more seamless as they fought their way through, penetrating deeper into the outer reaches of the Training Facility.

However, as the terrain became more complex, the passage ahead was completely blocked by collapsed rocks. The two were forced to split up again to search for a way through, agreeing to contact each other via walkie-talkie as soon as an exit was found.

Billy Coen walked alone through a rusted metal corridor. At the end of the corridor was a tunnel, where howling wind and rain mixed with a biting chill hit him in the face. He raised a hand to shield himself from the pelting rain, and as his flashlight beam swept across the area, a glimmer of light suddenly flashed in his eyes.

In the center of the platform sat a rust-covered cable car. Its cables spanned the tunnel, connecting to a distant station. It was clearly a secret transportation facility used by Umbrella for personnel transport in the past.

Even though the cable car had been abandoned for years, in this desperate situation, it was undoubtedly the only hope of leaving the Training Facility. Billy Coen stepped forward quickly, checking the cable car's exterior and fixing mechanisms. Confirming the body was still intact, he whispered to himself, "This might just come in handy."

He immediately took the walkie-talkie from his waist, adjusted the frequency, and quickly contacted Rebecca Chambers. After a burst of static, Rebecca Chambers's voice, slightly tired but clear, came through: "This is Rebecca Chambers."

"This is Billy Coen. I've found something you'll be very happy about," Billy Coen said slowly into the walkie-talkie, his tone carrying a rare hint of relief. "It's a cable car. It looks like it's still functional and should take us directly out of this facility."

On the other end of the walkie-talkie, Rebecca Chambers, who had just dealt with a lunging mutated zombie, felt her eyes light up. Much of the fatigue and despair from the past few days vanished, and her voice was full of joy: "Really? That's wonderful! We can finally get out of here!"

"Yeah, let's regroup as soon as possible. I'm at the cable car tunnel platform on the west side of the Training Facility. Don't delay," Billy Coen urged. This area was still dangerous; every extra moment spent there was an added risk.

"Copy that, I'm on my way," Rebecca Chambers replied immediately. She then hung up the walkie-talkie, gathered her equipment, and hurried toward the direction Billy Coen had specified.

After ending the communication, Billy Coen did not wait in place. Instead, he searched carefully around the cable car, trying to find a way to start it.

He felt around the platform for a moment and soon discovered a small control room in a corner beside the cable car. The door to the control room was slightly ajar, and the interior was covered in dust. An old console sat in the center with most of its buttons and wiring intact. Clearly, this was the core location for operating the cable car.

Before long, hurried footsteps approached. Rebecca Chambers arrived at the cable car platform despite the wind and rain. Seeing the stationary cable car, a long-absent smile appeared on her face as she walked quickly to Billy Coen's side. "Great, there's finally a way out."

"Let's go into the control room first and see if we can start the cable car," Billy Coen signaled for Rebecca Chambers to follow, and the two entered the cramped control room together.

The control room was full of accumulated dust, and the air was thick with the pungent smell of aging electronics. The console screen was pitch black, and the indicator lights were completely dark.

Rebecca Chambers stepped forward and crouched down, carefully inspecting the console's wiring and power supply. Her fingertips brushed over the oxidized terminals as she quickly troubleshot the faults, then pressed the power restart button.

With a burst of electrical buzzing, the console screen slowly lit up, displaying dense rows of operational data. The previously extinguished indicator lights turned green one by one.

Staring at the interface on the screen, Rebecca Chambers quickly pressed the corresponding start button. A mechanical roar of operation came from outside the cable car; the clamps holding it in place slowly released, and the cables tightened. It had clearly started successfully.

"It worked! The cable car is operational!" Rebecca Chambers turned to look at Billy Coen, her eyes full of excitement.

The two immediately left the control room and walked quickly toward the open cable car door. Just as they were about to step into this place of hope to escape their predicament, an unexpected change occurred!

A dark shadow suddenly leaped down from the pipes above the platform, lunging straight at Billy Coen with a violent roar! It was a T-Virus mutated baboon that James Marcus had released earlier to roam the Training Facility. It had evaded their previous sweeps and now attacked, drawn by the noise, moving with incredible speed.

Caught off guard, Billy Coen had no time to dodge. The mutated baboon's thick body slammed hard into his chest, the massive impact causing him to instantly lose his balance. He staggered backward.

He instinctively reached out to grab the railing, but his fingertips only brushed against cold rust. He fell straight over the guardrail of the cable car platform, disappearing into the pitch-black slope and darkness, leaving behind only the baboon's roar and the dull thud of his fall.

"Billy!" Rebecca Chambers cried out in alarm. She rushed to the guardrail and leaned over to look down, but it was pitch black below. The wind howled, and Billy Coen was nowhere to be seen. No matter how she called out, there was no response.

A massive wave of panic instantly enveloped Rebecca Chambers. She gripped the railing, her eyes uncontrollably turning red. Just as her heart was breaking, a cold, slimy presence quietly approached from behind, carrying the distinct fishy-sweet scent of leeches.

Rebecca Chambers's heart tightened, and she spun around. She saw a shriveled figure, its body swarming with countless black leeches—a Leech Man. It was the collective avatar of the leeches controlled by James Marcus. Its cold eyes stared fixedly at her, the leeches on its body writhing constantly, ready to attack at any moment.

Still reeling from the shock of Billy Coen's fall, Rebecca Chambers suppressed the turmoil in her heart and quickly drew her handgun, her gaze becoming determined. She knew she couldn't afford to panic; only by defeating the enemy before her would she have a chance to find Billy Coen.

The Leech Man roared and lunged. Rebecca Chambers dodged nimbly, pulling the trigger with precise aim. The bullets struck the leeches covering the Leech Man's body, sending black ichor splashing everywhere. The hit leeches fell off, curled up, and died.

After a harrowing struggle, Rebecca Chambers finally exhausted her ammunition and completely broke the Leech Man apart. Leeches scattered across the floor, gradually losing their vitality. Gasping for air, she staggered back a step and looked over the guardrail again, but there was still no sign of Billy Coen.

The cable car had already started. The longer she stayed, the greater the danger, and the terrain below was treacherous. Going down blindly would only lead to a greater crisis, and she might even lose the chance to find Billy Coen forever.

Rebecca Chambers bit her lip, her eyes full of reluctance and worry. Ultimately, she turned and stepped quickly into the ready cable car, closing the door.

The cable car started slowly, moving along the cables through the tunnel. It soon arrived at the next hidden station. Rebecca Chambers stepped off the cable car and, not daring to delay for a moment, immediately explored the area around the station. She tried to find a path that would allow her to return and search for Billy Coen, but instead, she inadvertently discovered a connected monitoring room.

Most of the screens in the monitoring room were malfunctioning, with only a few still capable of displaying images. Rebecca Chambers stepped up to the console and pulled up the surrounding surveillance feeds. As her gaze swept across the screens, it suddenly froze on one particular image.

The image showed a massive underground cultivation tank filled with pale green nutrient solution. Inside the solution, a large, well-defined humanoid creature was suspended. Its body was taut, connected to countless nutrient lines, and it exuded a heart-pounding sense of pressure.

Rebecca Chambers's heart sank. She knew this was undoubtedly a more advanced BOW developed by Umbrella. The secrets of this facility were far more terrifying than she had imagined. Not daring to look further, she quickly turned off the surveillance feed and continued exploring deeper. Following the signs, she found a giant cargo elevator.

This elevator was clearly a specialized one used by Umbrella for transporting experimental equipment and BOWs. The space was cavernous, and the metal walls were covered in scratches and bloodstains. Rebecca Chambers pressed the down button, and the elevator began to move slowly, descending deeper underground. The mechanical roar of the elevator was exceptionally piercing in the silent subterranean space.

Upon reaching the lower level, the elevator doors slowly opened. Before her was an even deeper metal corridor with more sophisticated security. Both sides of the corridor were lined with sealed laboratory doors, and the air was thick with the concentrated smell of disinfectant mixed with viruses.

Rebecca Chambers gripped her remaining weapon and moved forward cautiously. She avoided traps and cleared out scattered zombies as she went. After walking for a long time, a small passenger elevator appeared before her.

Rebecca Chambers stopped and stared intently at the closed elevator doors. While she was walking, she had vaguely heard the sound of the elevator operating. Clearly, someone was inside.

She immediately ducked behind the wall next to the elevator doors and drew her handgun in a defensive posture. Her breathing slowed and her body tensed, ready to react to any sudden danger.

Soon, the elevator doors opened slowly with a mechanical chime, and the sound of footsteps came from within. Rebecca Chambers held her breath, and just as she was about to attack, she saw a figure wearing a S.T.A.R.S. tactical uniform step out. The man was tall and had a solemn expression; it was Enrico Marini, the captain of Bravo Team.

As Enrico Marini stepped out of the elevator, he immediately noticed movement nearby. He drew his handgun in an instant, aiming precisely at the source of the sound, his eyes sharp and full of vigilance. "Who's there?"

"Don't shoot! It's me!" Rebecca Chambers immediately lowered her gun and stepped out from behind the wall.

When Enrico Marini saw it was Rebecca Chambers, his tense expression relaxed instantly. He slowly lowered his gun and stepped forward, looking her up and down with a voice full of concern. "Rebecca? Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Captain. You're alive!" Rebecca Chambers walked quickly to Enrico Marini, her eyes full of the joy of reunion. The sense of grievance from surviving alone for days in this hellish place surged up; encountering her captain was undoubtedly the greatest comfort.

Enrico Marini nodded, his brow still furrowed. Seeing Rebecca Chambers alone, he immediately followed up: "What about the others? Have you seen any of the other members of Bravo Team?"

The joy on Rebecca Chambers's face vanished instantly. She shook her head, her tone full of worry and disappointment. "I haven't encountered them. Since getting separated from the team, I've been surviving in this facility alone. I haven't seen anyone else."

"How can this be..." Enrico Marini's face darkened as he whispered to himself, a hint of unease flashing in his eyes. Bravo Team had suffered one disaster after another. Now the members were scattered, their fates unknown, leaving him, as captain, filled with anxiety.

He quickly composed himself and pointed down the corridor, saying to Rebecca Chambers, "Intelligence indicates that if we continue from here, we can reach an old Spencer Mansion where Umbrella conducted secret research in the early years. There might be a way out of the Arklay Mountains there. Come on, let's go together."

Having said that, Enrico Marini prepared to move forward, but Rebecca Chambers immediately stepped up and stopped him, her tone urgent and firm. "Wait! Captain, I can't go with you. I have to find Billy Coen."

Enrico Marini paused and turned to look at Rebecca Chambers, his brow furrowed with confusion and sternness. "Billy Coen? The wanted convict? You mean you found him?"

"Yes, we met in this facility and have been traveling together, looking out for each other. But we were attacked at the cable car platform just now, and he accidentally fell and we got separated. I have to go back for him!" Rebecca Chambers nodded quickly, trying to explain Billy Coen's situation, but Enrico Marini interrupted her.

"Forget about him." Enrico Marini's tone was dismissive and certain. He shook his head and said, "He's a dangerous criminal, and after falling from a cable car platform that high, there's no way he survived. We don't need to waste time on a prisoner. Our teammates are missing, and we must reach the Spencer Mansion as soon as possible to find them and a way to survive."

"No, Captain, he's not what you think!" Rebecca Chambers spoke up quickly, wanting to defend Billy Coen, but with time being so tight, she couldn't go into detail. She could only look at Enrico Marini with pleading eyes.

"Please, Captain, I have to find him. He saved my life, and I can't just leave him behind. Don't worry, once I find him, I'll catch up with you immediately. I won't take too long."

Enrico Marini looked at Rebecca Chambers's determined gaze. Looking at this normally obedient rookie who was being so incredibly persistent at a critical moment, he sighed helplessly. He knew Rebecca Chambers's personality; once she made a decision, she wouldn't easily change it.

In the end, he could only compromise, urging her repeatedly: "Rebecca... fine. You must be careful. This facility is full of danger. Don't stay alone for too long. I'll wait for you ahead. Make sure to catch up as soon as possible."

"I will. Thank you, Captain!" Rebecca Chambers nodded quickly, her eyes full of gratitude.

Enrico Marini gave her a long look, said no more, turned, gripped his handgun, and walked quickly toward the Spencer Mansion. His figure soon vanished into the depths of the dark corridor.

Neither of them anticipated that this hurried reunion and parting would be the last time they ever saw each other.

After heading to the Spencer Mansion, Enrico Marini would fall step by step into the trap meticulously laid by Wesker, ultimately perishing in this biological conspiracy of Umbrella.

As for Rebecca Chambers, she turned and embarked on the path to find Billy Coen. In this underground facility filled with evil and death, she began a new round of life-and-death adventure alone. The dark conspiracy of the Arklay Mountains continued to spread in an irreversible direction.