Chapter 83: T-Virus Vaccine

The heavy iron gate clanged shut behind her. Jill tucked the key into her tactical vest pocket and tightened her grip on the Shotgun. The alley was narrow and dark, most of the windows and doors of the houses on both sides were shattered, and the dark, empty windows looked like prying eyes.

The distant firelight flickered on the walls, and the air was filled with a mixed scent of gunpowder, decay, and burning.

Her stomach still ached faintly, each step pulling at her wound, and cold sweat streamed down her cheeks.

But she dared not slow down. The rumble of the subway engine seemed to be ringing in her ears, the last hope for hundreds of survivors.

Jill passed through a house and entered the backyard. The yard was overgrown with weeds, a dilapidated bicycle lay on the ground, and a dusty doll rested in its basket. She didn't stop, climbed over the low wall, and came to another street.

Just then, a burning metal object flew through the air with a whistle, crashing heavily three meters in front of her.

"Bang!"

Scorching metal fragments splattered everywhere. Jill instinctively raised her arm to shield her face. It was a Flamethrower fuel tank, already deformed by the fire, blue flames still licking at it, crackling.

Jill's heart sank, and a chill instantly swept through her. She snapped her head back, looking at the rooftop behind her.

A huge figure, completely engulfed in raging flames, stood on the edge of the rooftop.

Its combat uniform was completely burned away. Beneath the scorched skin, knotted muscles constantly writhed, and its yellow eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty light in the fire. It was the Nemesis, who should have perished in the inferno.

It carried a black metal box on its shoulder, its surface blackened by smoke. The Nemesis let out a deafening roar and slammed the box onto the ground.

"Crack—"

The box's clasps were shaken open by the immense impact, and the lid flew off. Plastic foam scattered everywhere, revealing a modified quadruple rocket launcher, its cold barrels gleaming with an eerie light in the fire.

"A rocket launcher?! Are you kidding me?!"

Jill gasped, turned, and ran. She never dreamed that this monster would survive such an explosion and even get a more terrifying weapon.

"Boom!"

The first rocket whizzed out, exploding not far behind Jill. The huge shockwave sent her stumbling forward a few steps, and the scorching heat seared her back. Jill dared not look back, running desperately forward, turning into a nearby alley.

"Boom! Boom!"

Two more rockets followed in quick succession, shattering the walls on both sides of the alley, and bricks and cement fragments rained down.

Jill moved quickly, hugging the wall, as bullet-like debris grazed her cheek, leaving a small cut on her face.

She burst out of the alley onto a wide street. An abandoned police car lay across the road. Jill was about to hide behind it when a rocket accurately hit the police car.

"Rumble—!"

The police car instantly exploded into a fireball, and the shockwave from the exploding fuel tank sent Jill flying. She fell heavily to the ground, her Shotgun slipping from her grasp and sliding several meters away.

Jill felt like her bones were about to shatter. She struggled to get up and picked up the Shotgun. Just then, the walkie-talkie on her waist suddenly rang.

"Jill? Are you alright? Why is it taking so long?" Carlos's voice was anxious.

"Carlos, that monster is chasing me again!" Jill shouted into the walkie-talkie as she ran, her voice broken by heavy gasps.

"Jill, are you kidding me? Wasn't it blown up?" Carlos's voice was filled with disbelief.

Jill was about to answer when the corner of her eye caught a glimpse of the Nemesis jumping onto a distant abandoned car. It shouldered the rocket launcher, and a red laser shot from the barrel, precisely locking onto Jill.

"Yeah, I thought it was dead too!"

Jill yelled and lunged to the side.

"Boom!"

The rocket exploded where she had just stood, blowing a large crater in the ground. Jill, using the explosion as cover, scrambled into a nearby abandoned building.

She ran up the stairs, the Nemesis's roar and the sound of rockets exploding constantly echoing behind her. The entire building shook violently, threatening to collapse at any moment.

Jill reached the rooftop, climbed over the railing, and jumped onto the scaffolding of the adjacent building. She moved quickly along the scaffolding, finally shaking off the Nemesis's laser aim.

"Jill, can you hear me? I think I know how to stop that bastard!" Carlos's voice came through the walkie-talkie. "Run to the subway station! I'll meet you at the entrance!"

"Got it! I'll be there right away!"

Jill took a deep breath, jumped off the scaffolding, and landed in an alley. She oriented herself and sprinted towards the subway station.

After two blocks, the open space in front of the supermarket was ahead. The giant Uncle Toy sign stood on the supermarket rooftop, and under the firelight, its perpetually smiling face looked exceptionally eerie.

Jill was about to rush up the steps, cross the open space, and head to the subway entrance when a red laser flashed.

"Oh no!"

Jill stopped abruptly and ran to the side.

"Boom!"

The rocket accurately hit Uncle Toy's head. The huge plastic head instantly shattered, bringing down flames and debris towards Jill.

Jill scrambled to dodge. The massive plastic head crashed heavily where she had just stood, creating a large crater in the ground.

"Oh, this is too crazy."

Jill looked at the ruins in front of her and couldn't help but complain. She dared not linger and continued running towards the subway entrance.

Just as she turned into the alley leading to the subway entrance, a familiar figure rushed out of the shadows.

"Jill! Over here!"

Carlos held an assault rifle, continuously firing in the direction behind Jill.

"Carlos!" Jill exclaimed in surprise.

"Get in! I'll cover you!" Carlos shouted, simultaneously tossing Jill a magazine.

Jill caught the magazine and quickly reloaded her pistol: "No! We go together! It has a rocket launcher, you can't stop it alone!"

"Stop talking nonsense! We'll run out of time if we don't go now!" Carlos said while firing. "I have my own way to get out!"

Just then, the Nemesis appeared at the alley's entrance. It raised its rocket launcher, aiming at the two again.

"Watch out!"

Jill shouted, pulling Carlos to the side.

"Boom!"

The rocket exploded behind them, blowing away half of the walls on both sides of the alley. Carlos seized the opportunity to pull a grenade from his waist, pull the pin, and throw it towards a fuel tanker next to the Nemesis.

"Goodbye, big guy!"

The grenade accurately hit the fuel tanker's fuel tank.

"Rumble—!"

An earth-shattering explosion erupted, and the fuel tanker instantly became a massive fireball. Flames shot skyward, engulfing the entire alley.

Carlos pulled Jill, and using the thick smoke and chaos, they sprinted towards the subway entrance. They rushed down the stairs, arriving at the rolling shutter door of the subway entrance.

Jill pulled the rolling shutter's switch.

The heavy iron door slowly descended, isolating the Nemesis's roars and explosions outside.

Jill collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. Carlos also leaned against the wall, too exhausted to speak.

After a while, Jill recovered. She reached out and pulled Carlos up from the ground.

"Come on, we need to get out of here." Carlos wiped the dust from his face, smiling.

With that, he turned and headed for the side door, walking down. Jill followed behind him.

"Carlos, we didn't get along well before, but thank you for saving me." Jill's voice was a little low.

"Hey, you saved me first." Carlos looked back and smiled. "And you're much braver than I am. If it were me, I wouldn't dare lead that monster across half the city alone."

"Well, the main thing is that all of us can leave this hellhole." Jill nodded, a hint of relief in her tone.

"Yeah, you'll be fine."

Carlos's tone suddenly became a little strange. He stopped in front of the slowly rising iron gate and didn't continue forward.

Jill looked at him in confusion: "What's wrong? Let's go."

"According to the information I received, I won't be getting on this subway." Carlos's smile faded, and his eyes became determined.

"Why?" Jill frowned.

"New orders." Carlos said, "If I can help save more people, I have no complaints."

Just then, the iron gate fully opened. Michelle and Tyrone were waiting inside for them.

Michelle saw Jill and nodded: "Well done, Officer Valentine. You truly live up to your reputation. Get in quickly, the subway is about to leave."

Jill didn't move. She watched Carlos and Tyrone bump fists, a bad premonition in her heart.

"What exactly is your mission?" Jill asked.

Michelle glanced at Carlos, then said to Jill: "Don't worry, after the citizens reach a safe place, the train will come back to pick us up."

"Exactly." Carlos grinned, returning to his usual sunny demeanor. "You go first, don't worry. I won't leave you in a cold world without me."

Jill scoffed, but her worries didn't lessen at all: "Nonsense. If you dare die here, I'll never forgive you."

With that, she turned and walked into the subway car.

Chris sent a team invitation to Carlos.

Jill immediately saw Nicholai sitting in the corner. He was leaning against the window, wiping his pistol, his face expressionless.

Seeing Jill enter, Nicholai raised an eyelid and said coldly: "You finally... learned your lesson. Only your own life... is the most important."

Jill gave him a contemptuous glance and said nothing. She walked to an empty seat, sat down, and held the hidden silver insulated box tightly on her lap.

Nicholai's gaze fell on the silver insulated box, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes.

He scrutinized Jill up and down. His intuition told him that whatever was in that box was definitely not simple. But he didn't ask further, just lowered his head again and continued wiping his pistol.

Michelle and Carlos exchanged a few more words, "Carlos, Tyrone, you have other tasks. You must now return to the city and find Nathaniel Bard. You two need to find that scientist; his vaccine research can save everyone's lives."

Then Michelle walked into the car. Tyrone and Carlos stayed together on the platform.

"Take care." Michelle said to Carlos on the platform.

"You too." Carlos waved.

The subway doors slowly closed, and the engine let out a low rumble.

The train slowly started, pulling out of the station.