Leon nodded.
Claire wasn’t as fragile as her brother had thought.
After finishing up, Alan Han and Leon walked out of the Safety Deposit Room.
Remembering how he had once forgotten to remove the USB drive and ended up unable to retrieve certain items later, Alan Han turned back toward Leon.
“Don’t forget to take the USB drive.”
“If you hadn’t said anything, I really would’ve forgotten.”
Leon removed the USB drive, while Alan Han stepped out first to check whether the Tyrant had caught up.
For now, it hadn’t.
It seemed they still had a bit of time.
Alan Han glanced at Leon, who was keeping watch behind them.
“Leon, let’s make a stop at the darkroom.”
“Huh?
Why?”
“There’s something good to see.”
Leon looked confused, but he followed anyway.
Alan Han took out the film roll and developed it.
Looking at the developed photo, Alan Han raised an eyebrow.
Definitely a nice shot.
Leon walked over curiously.
“Is it a clue?”
“See for yourself.”
Alan Han smiled and handed the photo over.
“What is this… oh.”
“Oh?!
Wait, why is there something like this here!”
Leon’s face flushed as he looked at the photo.
It showed a girl sitting on the ground in a sporty crop top, a basketball resting between her legs.
Her arms were raised high, exposing her underarms, revealing a striking glimpse of skin.
Alan Han knew who it was.
Rebecca, Chris’s teammate.
A pure and innocent beauty.
As for why Rebecca, who had only been on the team for three months, had a photo in Wesker’s desk, that was a question for another time.
At least Leon’s reaction confirmed just how inexperienced he was.
Alan Han smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
“I’ll leave this with you.
Consider it a welcome gift for coming to Raccoon City.”
“Huh?
That doesn’t seem right.
Hey?!”
Watching Alan Han walk out of the darkroom, Leon stretched out a hand as if trying to stop him.
Then he looked down at the photo again.
A gift, huh…
Well, since it’s from you.
Ahem.
I guess I’ll accept it.
After glancing at it a few more times, Leon tucked the photo into his inner pocket.
Outside the darkroom, Alan Han thought about Leon’s expression.
Too innocent.
Honestly, the photo wasn’t even that big of a deal.
Shaking his head, Alan Han moved to the corner on the left.
The moment he peeked out, he saw a massive black figure blocking the way.
The Tyrant was striding toward them in steady, rhythmic steps, as if terrifying music filled the air.
“Damn it, Leon!
Move, move!”
Seeing Leon just coming out, Alan Han grabbed him and pulled him toward the other end.
Leon nearly tripped over himself.
Just as he was about to speak, he glanced back.
Yeah, this is definitely more intense.
They rushed up the stairs, kicking aside the crawling zombies on the second floor as they made their way to the third.
Looking back, the Tyrant was already climbing the stairs behind them.
If only those stairs would collapse.
Just as they were about to dash off, a Licker suddenly appeared right in front of them.
Hearing the noise, the Licker let out a shrill screech and lunged straight at Leon.
In a split-second reaction, Alan Han pulled out his Lightning Hawk, loaded with three bullets.
Those three rounds weren’t for nothing.
He pulled the trigger.
The slide snapped back as the primer ignited.
A massive burst of flame erupted from the muzzle, and the recoil bent his wrist back close to ninety degrees.
His muscles screamed in pain, and his ears rang.
But the result was immediate.
The Magnum round punched straight through the Licker’s head, leaving a gaping hole.
Leon followed up with a powerful kick, sending the creature crashing to the ground.
Alan Han’s hands trembled as he holstered the Lightning Hawk, ignoring the pain in his wrist.
“Quick, Leon.
We need to get to the library.”
Leon nodded and took the lead.
They reached the library and crossed the path they had made earlier by stacking bookshelves.
The downside was obvious.
The Tyrant could follow the same route.
Leon slammed the door open, pulled out his shotgun, and fired at a zombie half-hidden behind the wall.
The shotgun boomed, blasting the zombie violently against the wall.
Without checking whether it was dead, they kept moving.
If anything, it might slow the Tyrant down.
They arrived at the clock tower.
Alan Han took out the gear he had been wedged into his waist pouch and installed it into the missing slot.
Finally, it was useful.
Carrying that gear had been uncomfortable the whole time.
With the grinding of metal, a staircase leading upward dropped into place.
He removed the gear again and signaled Leon.
“Head up first.”
“Got it.
I’ll check for threats.
Follow me.”
Leon reloaded his shotgun and quickly went upstairs.
Alan Han followed, taking the chance to ease his wrist.
Leon examined the mechanism in front of him.
This had to be the core of the clock.
Alan Han removed the loose small gear and replaced it with the large one.
With the mechanism completed, the entire structure began to move, metal grinding against metal.
Alan Han took the small gear from Leon, went downstairs, placed it into the control panel, and turned it to the right.
The entire clock tower mechanism began to turn.
…
Outside the station, the clock at the top of the tower started moving again.
As the minute hand reached twelve, the bell rang.
But since it hadn’t been fully repaired, the swinging bell broke loose and fell, crashing onto the wooden scaffolding below.
With a loud crash, the planks shattered, and the box containing electronic parts mounted on them fell along with it.
“I hope I don’t have to write a report for this.”
Leon walked over, picked up the electronic parts, and casually glanced at the repair plan on the nearby desk.
“We just saved the station a huge repair bill.
Because now it’s completely beyond fixing.”
Alan Han smiled.
Leon fell silent.
He hadn’t even officially started working and already felt like he owed something.
“Alright, officer.
Back to business.”
They returned to the corridor outside the clock tower, went to the right-side hallway, unlocked the door, and entered.
It was the same room where Alan Han had found the gear earlier.
After passing through it, they quickly headed downstairs.
Soon, they reached the crashed helicopter area, the same back entrance where they had met Claire.
Without hesitation, they entered through a side door, passed Elliot’s location again, and returned to the underground parking garage.
A zombie suddenly smashed through a window and lunged at them.
Leon shoved his shotgun forward and fired straight into its head.
The body exploded apart.
Alan Han drew his pistol and took down the zombies rushing in front of him one by one.
He pulled the trigger three times.
Before the smoke cleared, he realized the slide had locked back.
“Leon, I’m out!”
“Take mine from my waist!”
Leon shouted while blasting zombies outside the window.
Alan Han holstered his gun, awkwardly pressed the release on Leon’s holster, and pulled out Leon’s pistol.
The recoil sent pain shooting through his injured wrist, but the remaining zombies dropped.
“That’s it.
Move!”
They didn’t bother checking for the Tyrant.
They just ran.
Back in the parking garage, they finally slowed down.
His stomach growled.
Still hungry.
Suddenly, voices came from not far away.
“It’s locked… damn it, we need a key card.”
Claire was standing at the gate with Sherry.
“We need another way…”
She stepped forward, crouched down, grabbed the metal bar, and prepared to lift.
“Come on, help me.”
Sherry walked over obediently and grabbed it as well.
“Ugh…”
“Are you sure this works?”
“Mom took me out like this before.”
“Sherry?
Haha, Sherry, you really made me look everywhere for you.”
“A little girl going out alone in this situation.
That’s pretty brave.”
Claire immediately shielded Sherry as a heavyset man stepped out of the darkness.
Brian, Chief Irons, raised his gun at Claire.
“Kneel down.
Hands behind your head.”
“You can’t be serious.”
Claire glanced at his badge.
A gunshot rang out, sparks flying off a nearby car.
Brian had fired at it deliberately.
“Now kneel!”
A shotgun blast rang out, taking down a lunging zombie dog.
Leon was breathing heavily.
Alan Han looked even worse, almost ready to collapse, his wrist throbbing painfully after firing who knew how many shots that night.
But hearing Claire’s voice, they rushed over.
“Don’t move.
Who are you?”
Leon raised his gun.
“Oh?
Police uniform.
But I’ve never seen you.”
Brian looked slightly unsettled.
Claire, annoyed after nearly being forced to kneel, spoke up.
“Leon, what’s going on?
He’s a cop, and he’s threatening me to hand over Sherry!”
Leon frowned, then looked at Brian.
“I remember now.
You must be Leon S.
Kennedy.”
Brian smiled.
“I’m your superior.
Brian Irons.”
Leon’s eyes widened.
“You rookie.
Think you’re a hero?
Put that damn gun down.”
“Sorry, I…”
“Leon, don’t lower it.
Think about what Ben said.
And what he was just trying to do.”
Alan Han cut in.
“Who the hell are you?
Mind your own business.
Rookie, shut him up and bring Sherry to me.
Now.
You don’t have a choice.”
Brian sneered.
A gunshot cracked.
Brian’s leg was pierced, blood spraying out.
“Ah!
Damn it!
You bastard!
How dare you shoot me!
You should go to hell!”
He collapsed, clutching his leg, sweating from the pain.
“Funny.
With zombies everywhere, what gives you the right to threaten people?
Who gave you that confidence?”
Alan Han kicked his gun away and pressed the shotgun against his head.
“No… no, you can’t kill me.
I’m the chief!
You can’t touch me.
Rookie, help me!”
Leon holstered his weapon and walked over slowly.
“Chief Irons, I’m not stupid.
Maybe you should see a therapist.”
Brian froze in disbelief.
“You… let me go!
What kind of heroes gang up on someone like this!”
Alan Han almost pulled the trigger, but then stopped.
He remembered how this man would end up.
Better to let him suffer.
Brian used his ID card to open the gate and limped away.
Claire gently comforted Sherry.
“Han, why let him go?”
“Isn’t it better for someone like him to suffer before dying?
No gun, no options.
It doesn’t matter where he goes.”
Alan Han knew how things would play out.
That coward would head to the orphanage.
In the game, he would die after being implanted with a G-virus embryo.
But now things had changed.
Sherry was safe, and William wouldn’t go there.
Still, with that injury and no weapon, Brian surviving long wasn’t likely.
“Fine, but the gate’s closed again.
What now?”
Claire asked.
Leon and Alan Han took out the electronic part at the same time.
“We’ve got a backup plan.”
They pushed through their hunger and headed to Ben’s cell.
Leon installed the electronic part and adjusted the wiring.
With a metallic grind, the cell door opened.
They went inside.
Alan Han grabbed the First Aid Spray behind the toilet and the file about the Tyrant.
Leon crouched next to Ben and reached for his ID card, but noticed a recorder at his waist.
He played it.
“…Alright, but that doesn’t explain the rumors about the orphanage.
Umbrella being a sponsor.
Doesn’t that seem too convenient?”
“You told me this interview was about their new scholarship program.”
“Come on, Annette.
No one cares about that.
They want to know about the G-virus, and…”
“Where did you hear that?”
“And the sewage system in the city.
They say it leads straight to your lab.”
Leon frowned.
“What?”
“Are you going to tell me the truth or…”
“Stop.
This interview is over.”
“Hah.
Bitch.”
The recording ended.