Chapter 29: Resident Evil 1

In the early hours of July 24, 1998, a suffocating panic still hung over the Raccoon City Police Department. Torrential rain had raged all day, leaving the entire city cold and damp. Inside the S.T.A.R.S. mission room on the top floor of the station, the atmosphere was so heavy it felt as if it had solidified.

It had been exactly four hours since Bravo Team entered the mountains and lost contact. Only harsh static crackled from the communicator. No matter how Alpha Team called, there was no response, as if the entire team had completely vanished into the dense fog and torrential rain of the Arklay Mountains.

The lights in the mission room were a cold white. The map of the Arklay Mountains on the wall was covered with red markers, each representing a missing person case—and an unknown danger.

Chris Redfield clenched his fists and slammed them onto the table, his brow furrowed and his eyes filled with anxiety. "Four hours! Not a single word. Something must have happened to Bravo Team! We can't just sit here and wait!"

He had a resolute personality and was a man of action who always prioritized the safety of his teammates. At this moment, he could no longer contain himself.

Jill Valentine stood to the side, her brown eyes filled with worry. Her fingertips lightly tapped her holster as she nodded in agreement. "Chris is right. We have to go into the mountains for a search and rescue. Captain Enrico and the others are still out there. Every minute we wait is another minute of danger."

Barry Burton and Joseph Frost also gathered around, their expressions solemn. They all agreed to launch a search and rescue operation immediately.

Ordinary police forces were simply incapable of handling the unknown dangers of the mountains. Only S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team had the capability to head deep into the Arklay Mountains to find their missing teammates.

The group waited anxiously. Just as they were debating whether to force their way into the mountains, the door to the mission room was pushed open.

Albert Wesker walked in slowly, his sunglasses masking all emotion in his eyes. He radiated his usual aura of cold indifference.

He had just returned from the Umbrella Corporation's underground command post, having witnessed the resurrection of James Marcus. His plan for escape was already set. Returning to the police station now was merely to move this chess game toward its predetermined conclusion.

"Captain Wesker!" Chris immediately stepped forward, his tone urgent. "Bravo Team has been out of contact for over four hours. We request to move out immediately for a search and rescue!"

Wesker's gaze swept over the agitated team members. The corner of his mouth curled into an extremely faint, imperceptible arc. His voice was steady, carrying the unique authority of a captain, as if he had already considered everything thoroughly.

"I have already submitted an application to the higher-ups. Alpha Team is to gear up. In ten minutes, we depart by helicopter for the Arklay Mountains to search for Bravo Team's whereabouts."

His ready agreement took everyone by surprise for a moment, but that was quickly replaced by the tension of the impending departure.

No one noticed the calculation flashing deep in Wesker's eyes. He wasn't going to rescue his teammates; he was going to personally deliver this group of highly trained S.T.A.R.S. members into the Spencer Mansion to become perfect test subjects for evaluating the T-Virus B.O.W.'s combat capabilities.

Ten minutes later, Alpha Team was fully assembled. Chris, Jill, Barry, Joseph, and the pilot Brad, fully armed, boarded the specialized helicopter and flew toward the rain-shrouded Arklay Mountains.

The rotors churned through the curtain of rain as the fuselage jolted forward in the gale. The fog in the mountains was thick and visibility was extremely low. The pilot, Brad, struggled to control the helicopter, following Bravo Team's scheduled flight path to search.

Before long, a striking blue and white color caught their eyes amidst the dense forest below. It was Bravo Team's specialized helicopter.

"Found it! Over there!" Brad lowered his voice, maneuvering the helicopter to a slow descent and landing smoothly in a relatively open clearing.

The group quickly jumped off the helicopter, gripping their firearms and looking around warily. The rain soaked their clothes, cold to the bone. Only the sound of wind and rain filled the forest; it was terrifyingly silent.

Bravo Team's helicopter had crash-landed in the mud. The fuselage was slightly deformed and the rotors were broken, but the overall structure was still intact. Chris was the first to rush forward and pull open the cabin door. It was empty. Equipment was scattered everywhere, and mud was mixed with blood in a shocking display.

"There's a body here!" Jill suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a hint of gravity.

The group turned to look. Near the pilot's seat in the cabin, Kevin Dooley's body lay there, cold and covered in hideous bite wounds, long since dead. As Bravo Team's pilot, he hadn't lived to see the rescue and would remain here forever.

"Kevin..." Chris gripped his weapon, his heart sinking. "Captain Enrico and the others aren't here. They must have entered the forest to search after the crash."

"The surroundings are too eerie. These wounds don't look like they were caused by ordinary wild animals at all." Barry knelt down to examine Kevin's wounds, his brow furrowed and his tone grave. But with no other clues, they could only follow the tracks in the forest and continue deeper to search.

Wesker walked at the front of the group, seemingly leading the search, but in reality, he was discreetly guiding them toward the Spencer Mansion, his eyes warily scanning the surroundings as he waited for the Hunters to appear.

The team moved forward slowly. Joseph Frost walked at the rear, constantly alert to any movement behind them. Rain washed over the ground, and the sounds of growling in the forest were faint and intermittent. He gripped his handgun, his nerves taut, yet he failed to notice several dark shadows quietly approaching, using the thick fog and trees as cover.

Suddenly, a burst of rapid barking shattered the silence!

Several Zombie Dogs with rotting flesh, missing fur, and blood-red eyes suddenly lunged from the dense forest! Their speed was incredible as they charged straight for Joseph at the rear of the team!

"Watch out!" Chris shouted, quickly raising his gun, but it was already too late.

The lead Zombie Dog leaped into the air, its sharp fangs sinking deep into Joseph's carotid artery. Blood sprayed out instantly, splashing onto the muddy ground and mixing with the rainwater.

"Ugh—!" Joseph let out a short, miserable scream. His body fell heavily to the ground, and after a few struggles, he went completely still.

The sudden attack caused everyone to freeze instantly. Jill's eyes widened as she looked at the hideous Zombie Dogs before her, the blood in her body seemingly turning to ice.

They had never seen such terrifying canines. They reeked of rot and were extremely aggressive, having completely lost their biological instincts, leaving only the desire to kill.

At that moment, one Zombie Dog turned, its crimson eyes locking onto Jill, and lunged toward her!

Jill was seized by fear and her feet froze. She had no time to dodge and instinctively fell back into the cold mud. Looking at the approaching fangs, her mind went blank.

"Jill!"

At the critical moment, Chris spun around and pulled the trigger without hesitation. The bullet accurately struck the Zombie Dog's head. The monster fell instantly, twitching a few times before it stopped moving.

"Let's go! Back to the helicopter!" Chris stepped forward quickly, helping the paralyzed Jill up and dragging her toward the helicopter.

But at that moment, by the distant helicopter, the pilot Brad had already been scared out of his wits by the bloody scene before him. Seeing the endless stream of Zombie Dogs lunging from the forest, he didn't wait for the team to return. He slammed the cabin door shut, piloted the helicopter into the air, and fled this place of death without looking back.

"Damn it!" Chris cursed as he watched the departing helicopter. The Zombie Dogs behind them were already closing in again, their growls getting nearer.

Just as the two were about to be surrounded by Zombie Dogs, several crisp gunshots rang out, accurately hitting the lunging dogs and easing the pressure on them.

"Chris, Jill, over here!" Wesker's voice came through. He stood by a tree trunk not far away, firing continuously. He seemed to be covering his teammates, but was actually luring them toward the Spencer Mansion step by step.

Chris supported Jill and rushed to Wesker's side. Barry followed close behind. The four of them stood back-to-back in a defensive formation, fighting as they retreated.

The Zombie Dogs were endless, their assault growing more fierce. In the chaos, Chris was separated from the group, vanishing into the fog-shrouded forest.

"Chris! Chris!" Jill shouted loudly, but heard only her own echo. Her heart was full of anxiety.

After the chaos, only Wesker and Barry remained by her side. Chris was nowhere to be found.

The three of them fought and retreated. Before they knew it, a vintage, sinister mansion appeared deep in the forest. In the torrential rain, it looked like a crouching giant beast, exuding a heart-palpitating eeriness.

A flicker of calculation flashed in Wesker's eyes. He deliberately led the two toward the mansion, saying in a low voice, "Take cover in the mansion first, then we'll find a way to search for Chris!"

Jill and Barry didn't think twice and followed Wesker into the mansion. They pushed open the heavy main doors, and a wave of decaying, cold air hit them. The interior of the mansion was deathly silent, and the dim lighting was oppressive.

Just as they stepped into the mansion, Jill stopped and turned to head back out, her tone urgent. "No, I have to go out and find Chris. It's too dangerous for him to be out there alone!"

"Going out now is just throwing your life away!" Wesker immediately took a step forward, blocking Jill's path with an unquestionable firmness in his voice.

"The outside is crawling with Zombie Dogs and unknown dangers. We know nothing about the environment here. Going out blindly won't just fail to find Chris; it'll get us killed too."

"But he's our teammate! We can't leave him behind!" Jill refused to back down, her gaze determined. The unease in her heart grew stronger; this mansion felt even more eerie to her than the forest outside.

"I didn't say we were giving up on him, it's just not the right time!" Wesker's brow furrowed slightly as he offered a feigned steady reassurance. "We'll confirm our safety inside the mansion first, organize our gear, and then formulate a search plan. That is the most prudent way to do this."

The two were at a stalemate, and Barry stood to the side, not knowing how to mediate. Just then, in a room off the mansion's corridor, a series of faint footsteps suddenly sounded, followed by a low, guttural growl and a gunshot that rang out with startling clarity in the silent mansion.

The corner of Wesker's mouth curled imperceptibly. He thought to himself: the game has finally begun.

Jill and Barry instantly stopped their argument. They gripped their firearms, their bodies tensed and their gazes locked onto the direction of the sound. The dangers within the mansion were far more unknown and terrifying than the Zombie Dogs outside.