Chapter 95: Sherry Birkin

Claire leaned against the cold metal wall, taking a deep breath to suppress the stinging in her eyes. She gripped her revolver, turned on the flashlight, and the beam pierced the darkness, illuminating the metal stairs stretching ahead.

The power supply system in the underground area was still running steadily; warm emergency lights flickered on along the walls, casting a clear, bright light down the long, narrow passage.

Claire's footsteps echoed in the empty corridor, each step resolute. She knew now was not the time for sorrow; escaping this hell and finding Chris was the best way to honor Marvin.

She passed through the vacant underground office area. In a corner, she found an old freight elevator, its doors slightly ajar and its circuit indicator lights blinking normally.

Claire slipped into the elevator car and pressed the button labeled "B2." The elevator descended smoothly, the slight sound of steel cables rubbing against each other exceptionally clear in the small space.

"Ding—"

The elevator doors slid open slowly, and a faint smell of disinfectant mixed with sewage wafted toward her. This was the platform for the underground sewage treatment facility; in the distance, the water pump units were running at a steady speed, emitting a regular, low-frequency vibration. Claire stepped out of the car and cautiously moved forward along the fire escape.

Just as she turned the right-angled corner where Leon had once heard a roar, a sudden sound of hurried running came from the ventilation duct overhead, accompanied by the faint rustling of fabric, as if someone were fleeing desperately through the duct.

Claire stopped abruptly, aimed her gun at the ceiling grate, and shone her flashlight upward. "Hello? Hey? Is someone up there?"

Her voice echoed softly in the empty passage. The running sound in the duct stopped suddenly; after a brief silence, the footsteps started again, growing more distant until they finally vanished deep within the pipes.

"Strange..." Claire frowned and lowered her gun. It sounded like a child's voice. Could there be other survivors trapped here? She pushed aside her doubts and continued forward. No matter who was up there, the most important thing now was to find an escape route.

Continuing deeper along the passage, she saw massive electrical cabinets below, arranged neatly with indicator lights alternating between bright and dim. Exposed wires were wrapped in protective sleeves, occasionally emitting faint blue sparks.

A collapsed steel filing cabinet still lay across the center of the passage, blocking the way. Just as Claire prepared to move the cabinet, a very slight sound came from behind a stack of cardboard boxes next to it.

Claire's nerves tightened instantly. She aimed her gun at the pile of boxes, the flashlight beam illuminating them precisely. "Is someone there?"

Under the beam, a small head peeked out from a gap between the boxes. It was a little girl who looked to be only seven or eight years old. Her blonde hair was messy, her face was stained with dust and tear streaks, and her large blue eyes were filled with terror and caution, like a startled fawn.

The moment she saw the girl, Claire's tense nerves immediately relaxed. She slowly lowered her gun, a gentle smile appearing on her face as she softened her voice: "Hey! It's okay, don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."

The little girl didn't speak; she just looked at her timidly, half of her body still hidden behind the boxes.

Claire walked forward slowly and reached out her hand, her tone even softer: "Do you need help? Come, you can take my hand, and I'll lead you out of here."

The little girl pursed her lips and muttered something in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

"Hmm? What did you say?" Claire didn't hear clearly and leaned in a step closer.

"You... you're the one who needs help." The little girl looked up, her voice a bit clearer, her eyes full of fear as her trembling finger pointed behind Claire.

Claire's heart sank, and a bone-chilling cold instantly shot from her spine to the top of her head. Almost instinctively, she lunged to the side.

"Boom—!"

A deafening roar exploded where she had just been standing. A steel pipe as thick as a bowl slammed into the metal floor, smashing a huge dent into the solid steel plate and sending sparks flying.

Claire rolled clumsily to the side, raised her gun, and looked back.

A tall, deformed figure stood in her previous spot. It wasn't human at all; his right shoulder was abnormally swollen, bulging with a massive eyeball covered in red veins. His right arm was disproportionately thick, the skin torn to reveal dark red muscle and white bone beneath. It was William Birkin in his g1 form.

Still clutching the bent steel pipe, he slowly turned his head, his clouded gaze locking onto Claire as a low growl rumbled in his throat.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Claire cursed under her breath, quickly scrambled up, and turned to run deeper into the electrical equipment area.

William let out a violent roar and pursued her with heavy steps. Every stride he took made the ground vibrate slightly.

He swung the steel pipe, smashing the distribution cabinets along the way. Wires snapped and sparks flew, causing the lights throughout the electrical area to flicker wildly.

Claire ran quickly around the massive electrical cabinets, using the complex terrain to maneuver around William. Although William's strength was terrifying, his movements were relatively slow, and his bulky frame was difficult to manage in the narrow gaps between equipment.

As she ran, Claire fired back over her shoulder. The bullets hit William's body, only kicking up small sprays of blood; they failed to cause any fatal damage and instead only enraged him further.

"Roar—!"

William violently hurled the steel pipe in his hand. It whistled past Claire's ear and embedded itself deep into the wall behind her. Claire broke into a cold sweat, stumbling and nearly falling.

She took the chance to hide behind a massive gas storage tank, gasping for air. William's footsteps drew closer, his heavy breathing clearly audible. Claire gripped her revolver, her eyes quickly scanning the surroundings for a chance to counterattack.

Her gaze landed on the valve at the top of the gas tank. A daring plan instantly formed in her mind.

William rounded the gas tank and saw Claire hiding behind it, immediately lunging forward with a roar.

The moment he lunged, Claire suddenly dodged to the side and simultaneously fired a shot, accurately blowing out the valve on the gas tank.

"Hiss—!"

High-pressure gas erupted instantly, filling the entire space with white mist. The powerful airflow caused William to stumble, his vision completely obscured by the fog.

"Now's my chance!"

Seizing the opportunity, Claire rushed out of the mist, circled to William's side, and fired three consecutive shots at his massive eye.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The bullets accurately struck William's eye. He let out a heart-wrenching scream and recoiled uncontrollably. His foot slipped, stepping right onto the edge of the damaged floor; his massive body lost balance, and he fell from the platform's edge with a scream.

Claire rushed to the edge of the platform. Below was empty and bottomless.

"Oh, my god..." Claire let out a long breath and leaned against the railing, her heart still pounding wildly. She had almost died at the hands of that monster just now.

Still shaken, she quickly regained her composure and began looking for a way back to the upper level. Looking around, she found a metal ladder hanging on the wall, but its latch was locked from above, making it impossible to open from below.

"Dammit..." Claire hit the railing in frustration. Just then, she remembered the little girl hiding in the boxes.

She looked up and shouted toward the upper level: "Hey! Little girl!? It's okay now! That monster fell down; it's safe here!"

After a long while, a small head peeked over the railing above. The little girl looked down cautiously and asked timidly, "Really? Is that monster really gone?"

"Yes, I promise, he fell down and won't be coming up for a while." Claire gave her a reassuring smile. "Could you help me lower the ladder? I'm trapped down here."

The little girl hesitated, biting her lip. "Then... then can you help me find my mommy?"

Claire was taken aback for a moment, then nodded. "...Is your mother here?"

"She should be. I hope she is..." The little girl's voice was tearful. "My mommy's name is Annette. She works in the Umbrella Corporation's lab."

"Okay, no problem," Claire said firmly. "I'll help you find her, and we'll leave this place together."

Hearing this, a trace of a smile finally appeared on the girl's face. She nodded vigorously, ran to the ladder, and unlatched it. The metal ladder dropped down with a "clatter."

Claire climbed back to the upper level via the ladder, and the little girl immediately ran over, clutching the hem of her jacket tightly.

"Thank you," the little girl whispered.

"You're welcome." Claire patted her head and asked gently, "What's your name?"

"Sherry. Sherry Birkin."

"My name is Claire." Claire smiled. "Alright, Sherry, we need to get out of here quickly. That monster might wake up soon."

Sherry nodded, let go of the corner of Claire's clothes, and walked ahead to lead the way. "I know a shortcut that leads to the parking lot above."

Claire followed behind Sherry as they walked along the passage. Along the way, Claire asked softly, "By the way, Sherry, what's your mother like?"

"She works at the Umbrella Corporation; she's a very impressive scientist." Sherry's tone held a hint of pride. "She's making a very important new medicine that can cure many people's illnesses. That's why she's always busy, and I rarely see her."

Hearing the words "Umbrella Corporation," Claire's eyes darkened. It was this company that had caused this disaster and killed countless innocent people. But looking at Sherry's innocent face, she ultimately didn't speak the cruel truth.

"Well, I hope you'll get to see her soon," Claire comforted her softly.

The two passed through the control area, crossed the steel suspension bridge, and arrived at the employee breakroom where Leon had been earlier. The breakroom was still a mess; the sofa was torn open, and mattresses were thrown on the floor.

Claire leaned against the door to catch her breath and asked again, "And your father? Does he work with your mother too?"

At the mention of her father, Sherry's face instantly turned pale, and her eyes became frantic. She stammered, "He... well... he worked with my mother... it's just... he passed away."

Seeing Sherry's distressed look, Claire felt a pang of sympathy in her heart. She stepped forward and gently hugged Sherry. "Oh... I'm sorry, Sherry. My parents are gone too; now it's just me and my brother, Chris."

She let go of Sherry and forced a smile to lighten the mood. "At least we have something in common. That's nice, right?"

Sherry looked at Claire and nodded, a faint smile appearing on her face.

"Alright, we should go." Claire pointed to the metal ladder in the corner of the breakroom. "If we go up from here, we'll be in the underground parking lot."

She climbed the ladder first, pushed open the hatch at the top, and poked her head out to observe cautiously. The parking lot was silent; only the emergency lights emitted a faint red glow, and there was no movement.

"It's safe, come up," Claire called down, then reached out her hand. "Come, take my hand."

Sherry grabbed Claire's hand and climbed up the ladder. As soon as she stood firm, she immediately ran to the iron shutter at the parking lot exit. Looking at the closed gate, she said disappointedly, "The door is closed..."

Claire walked over to the control cabinet nearby to check. The screen clearly displayed the words "Authorized Keycard Required."

"Damn it, we need a keycard." Claire frowned and pushed hard against the heavy alloy shutter, but it didn't budge. "We have to think of something else."

She beckoned Sherry over. "Come here, Sherry. Help me; let's see if we can lift it together."

The two went to the shutter and used all their strength to lift it. But the alloy shutter was far too heavy. Even with all their effort, the gate only rose enough to reveal a tiny gap before quickly slamming back down.

Just as the two were panting and preparing to try again, a raspy shout suddenly came from the shadows of the parking lot.

"Sherry!"

Both Claire and Sherry were startled and looked toward the sound. They saw a fat figure slowly emerge from the deep shadows of the parking lot. He wore a crumpled vest, had a protruding belly, and his face was slick with grease and a look of madness. It was the long-missing Chief of the Raccoon City Police Department, Brian Irons.

"You certainly made me look for you, Sherry!" A blood-curdling smile appeared on Irons' face as he approached them step by step. "A little girl running around in such a dangerous place... how brave."

Sherry was so frightened that she immediately hid behind Claire, clutching her clothes tightly and peeking out with half her head, looking at Irons in terror.

Claire shielded Sherry behind her, staring warily at Irons while her hand quietly moved toward the revolver at her waist. "Who are you? What do you want?"

Irons didn't answer her question. He just stared intently at Sherry, his eyes filled with greed and madness. Suddenly, he whipped a handgun from his waist and pointed the barrel straight at Claire.

"Get down on your knees! Hands behind your head!" Irons' voice was sharp and crazed.

"You can't be serious?" Claire frowned, unable to believe this man would actually point a gun at them.

Bang!

Irons fired without hesitation. The bullet hit the concrete floor by Claire's feet, sending up a shower of sparks.

"Get on your knees! Now!" Irons' finger was on the trigger, his eyes wild. "Don't make me fire a second shot!"

Claire knew he was serious. She gritted her teeth and slowly knelt down, placing her hands behind her head.

Irons pulled a pair of handcuffs from his pocket and threw them at Sherry's feet. "Sherry, tie her hands up."

"How can you do this?" Sherry looked at Irons, her eyes full of confusion and anger. "She's a good person!"

"Shut up!" Irons roared, pointing the gun at Claire's head again. "I'm counting to three. If you don't tie her up, I'll blow her head off. One... two..."

"No! I'll do it! I'll do it!" Sherry cried out in fear, quickly picking up the handcuffs from the floor. She walked behind Claire and, with trembling hands, cuffed her wrists behind her back.

"Who the hell are you? Why are you doing this?" Claire demanded angrily.

Irons ignored her. He walked to the iron shutter, pulled out a keycard, and swiped it on the control cabinet. With a "beep," the iron shutter slowly began to rise.

"Exposing a child to such danger... that is the first sin..." Irons turned his head and beckoned to Sherry. "Sherry, come here."

"What are you going to do to her?" Claire shouted.

"That's none of your business. Shut your mouth!" Irons glared viciously at Claire.

"If you dare hurt her, I swear..." Claire said through gritted teeth, "my brother is a member of S.T.A.R.S. We won't let you get away with this!"

Before Claire could finish, Irons suddenly lunged forward and kicked her hard in the stomach. Claire let out a muffled groan and fell to the ground, curling up in pain.

"Sherry, come here now!" Irons shouted at Sherry, his tone even more impatient.

Sherry stood her ground, shaking her head and refusing to go over.

Seeing this, Irons grabbed Claire by the hair, yanked her head up, and pressed the gun firmly against her chin. "I'm asking you one last time, Sherry. Are you coming or not? If you don't, I'll kill her right now!"

"No! Don't hurt her!" Sherry burst into tears. "I'll come! I'll go with you! You have to take me to find my mother!"

"Of course." A satisfied smile appeared on Irons' face, and he let go of Claire's hair.

"Sherry, don't believe him! He's lying!" Claire shouted urgently.

Smack!

Irons backhanded Claire hard across the face, knocking her to the ground. Blood immediately trickled from the corner of her mouth.

"Stop hurting her! Please!" Sherry pleaded through her tears.

Irons ignored Claire, grabbed Sherry by the arm, and forcibly dragged her toward the iron shutter.

"Stop! Let me go! Let me go!" Sherry struggled desperately, screaming and shouting.

"Clearly, no one has taught you the rules. It seems I'll have to teach you a lesson..." Irons dragged Sherry step by step out through the iron shutter.

At that moment, taking advantage of Irons' attention being on Sherry, Claire quickly twisted her hands. Using the gap in the handcuffs, she violently yanked one hand out. Ignoring the pain of her scraped wrist, she immediately scrambled up and rushed toward the iron shutter.

But she was a step too late.

Clang—

The heavy alloy iron shutter slammed down, locking tight.

"I won't let you get away with this! You son of a bitch!" Claire kicked the iron shutter hard, producing a dull thud. She leaned against the gate, watching through it as Irons dragged Sherry away into the night, her whole body trembling with rage.

Just as she was in despair, something glittering on the ground caught the corner of her eye.

She bent down and picked it up. It was a golden pendant with a small rose engraved on it; it must have fallen when Sherry was struggling just now.

Claire clutched the cold pendant tightly to her chest. Looking out into the dark night beyond the iron shutter, she whispered to herself, "Please be safe, Sherry. I will definitely save you."