Chapter 126: The Church
Jill Valentine witnessed the scene unfold.
She had actually discovered the cannibalistic monsters that morning and quickly devised a strategy to kill them efficiently—
by severely damaging their cervical spine or brain.
However, all her tactics were meaningless against the sheer number of infected.
How many people lived in Raccoon City? Even if not hundreds of thousands, there were still over a hundred thousand, and eighty percent of them had turned into zombies. That meant nearly 100,000 headshots would be needed to clear them out.
And every single shot had to be precise.
It was impossible. Even as a S.T.A.R.S. officer, Jill, despite her strong sense of duty, didn't want to face 100,000 zombies alone. So she and her fellow officer Peyton Wells prepared to evacuate.
Then, the scene at the security checkpoint unfolded, and worse still, Peyton was bitten.
More and more citizens gathered in front of the checkpoint, attempting to protest Umbrella Corporation's actions with their voices. But when the dark muzzles of assault rifles were pointed at them, they faced a choice: die now, or return to the city to survive amidst the hunt of thousands of zombies.
Some people didn't believe Umbrella would actually fire, but as the corporation's guns spewed flames, dropping people one by one, the citizens panicked and scattered.
Their emotions had been so intense that they forgot Umbrella Corporation wasn't some benevolent organization, but a ruthless entity willing to do anything to achieve its goals.
Jill helped her wounded partner Peyton escape the gunfire and began moving through the city.
They didn't want to return deeper into the city, because it was teeming with zombies, too many to count; there was nowhere truly safe anymore.
Finding a relatively secure place to hide was their only objective.
Weather reporter Terri Morales, armed with a camera and believing she had caught a major scoop, followed closely behind. The two were armed, and sticking with them would keep her safer.
"Let's rest," Jill suggested, not wanting her partner to suffer.
Despite his right leg being numb from the infection, Peyton shook his head. "It's okay, I can keep going."
They were moving around the city center; doing so would only reduce their chances of encountering zombies, not eliminate them entirely.
So they couldn't stop.
"What the hell is going on?" Terri whispered, her voice laced with anger. "They actually shot at civilians!"
"You're a cop, can't you do something?"
In her mind, only the police could stand up for justice at this moment, but she completely overlooked the disparity in power between local law enforcement and Umbrella Corporation.
Jill ignored Terri's complaints. To be honest, she didn't really want to bring her along, but Terri was like gum stuck to the sole of your shoe—you just couldn't shake her off.
"Let's go inside and find somewhere safe to hide."
They arrived at a church, Raven's Gate Church.
No one was there to pray today; perhaps God would bring them good luck.
As Jill turned to investigate, she noticed a stumbling zombie following behind them. It seemed their conversation had alerted it, and soon more would arrive.
The group moved lightly but quickly.
They had fully grasped the zombies' nature: relentless, tireless, and drawn to sound.
To deal with such a terrifying enemy, all they could do was stay alert and extremely cautious.
This intense concentration resulted in exhaustion; Peyton, already bitten by a zombie, was feeling somewhat feverish, but they couldn't rest yet.
The three walked slowly into the church.
Suddenly, a man pointed a pistol at them with shaking hands. "Get out of here right now!" His forehead was already covered in sweat; hiding here was clearly driving him to the brink of a mental breakdown.
"This is where I'm hiding!"
Terri seemed unconcerned, trying to reassure him, "It's pretty spacious here, there aren't many of us..."
"Don't give me that!" the man said, his voice breaking with emotion.
Just as the man was about to lose it completely, Peyton suddenly raised his hands in a calming gesture. "Okay, calm down, put the gun down!"
The authority of a police officer always carried weight, and coupled with Peyton's commanding presence, the man obediently lowered his weapon.
Peyton reached out and grabbed Terri's arm. "You, stop being so reckless!" This woman's carelessness had almost put the three of them in mortal danger!
The man might not be a good shot, and might not even be able to hit them, but the sound of a gunshot would alert every zombie in the area, and they couldn't afford those consequences.
Jill also approached and said to Terri, "You're either going to get us killed or get yourself killed." Both officers were disgusted by this delusional, reckless woman.
Jill lit a cigarette and found a place to sit, but unexpectedly, Terri followed closely behind, setting up her small video camera. "Jill Valentine, do you remember me? I reported on you before you were suspended." She held out her hand, as if hoping for a friendly gesture. "Terri Morales, Channel 7 Raccoon City."
"I've seen all your reports," Jill replied with a tight smile, without extending her hand.
"Wow, a fan!" Terri was somewhat pleased and was about to launch into a speech, but Jill cut her off. "No."
"You're doing the weather forecast now, right?"
Clearly, both of them had complicated histories.
Just as the two were about to continue their exchange, a voice rang out from the second floor, "Can this little argument end? You're being too loud—you'll attract the infected!"
Jill and Peyton were startled and instantly raised their weapons toward the source of the voice. Terri also lifted her camera, trying to capture footage.
When everyone turned their attention to the second floor of the church, they saw a man in a jet-black tactical suit sitting there. Perhaps because his dark hair and black outfit blended so well with the shadowy environment, no one had spotted him earlier.
"Who are you!" Jill demanded, gun raised.
"I told you not to be so loud!" The figure suddenly leaped from the second floor, landing with his knees slightly bent before smoothly straightening up!
This move startled everyone.
"Who exactly are you?!" Jill asked again, but this time she was much more tense; the agility the man had just displayed was far from ordinary.
"Me? This is a church—who do you think I could be?"
"A priest?" Jill scoffed, lowering her gun slightly. Since he was human, there was less need to be on guard. Besides, she was confident in her draw speed; if he made any hostile moves, she could respond quickly.
Chapter Rewards
500 Power Stones = 1 New Chapter
10 Reviews = 1 New Chapter
Thanks for reading!
20+ advanced chapters available on P1treon: Soulforger