Auburn hair cascaded over her shoulder as she cast a glance back down the ladder she had begun to ascend. Her ribs throbbed from the fall she had taken to the floor below moments before. Her nerves were rattled from the experience she had just had fighting that creature that resembled a man in a white lab coat. Although she had told the young girl that the fight was over and they were safe she did not completely believe her own words. This town had taught her that nothing was as it seemed. Things that should stay dead, oftentimes, did not. She had witnessed corpses get up and walk toward her with intentions to rip the flesh from her bones. She had seen horrifically mutated creatures roaming the halls of the police station. A place that had once represented order and safety was now the setting for a scene from someone's worst nightmare.
Her footsteps echoed loudly off each rung as she tried to erase the feelings of dread and anxiety that tugged at the recesses of her mind. Upon reaching the platform above, Claire looked up towards the young girl as she called for her to follow her. She had agreed to help her find her mother. It felt like it was the least she could do. She had to keep that innocent girl safe if it meant risking her life to do it. She let out a soft sigh as she bit back a grimace of pain that radiated from her ribs before she began to follow the girl up a set of stairs and into a small control room.
"It won't move." her soft voice filled the room from her place beside the machine. Claire cautiously approached the control panel where the lever sat. It was the only thing the girl could have been talking about. She took hold of it and gave a solid tug on it, it slid downwards. With a loud rumble a platform moved into place to allow them to pass out of the heat of the, what she assumed, was a boil room of some sorts. As they continued on Claire questioned the girl about her parents. The two bonded over their lack of parents. Although, Claire's parents had died when she was young. She learned the kid's name was Sherry Birkin during their idle chatter.
Claire led the two of them through the winding corridors, gun always drawn and carried at hip level. Just like how her brother had taught her. They reached a second room, it appeared to be an office or break room with a ladder that led above ground. Claire cast a glance at Sherry. "I'll go first, you climb up behind me." She instructed softly before taking the rungs in her hands and ascending them. Claire was met by the heavy iron disk of a sewer grate. She pushed with all her might until she could see what lay above. The lights of a police cruiser shone through a locked parking gate. When she deemed it safe enough to continue upward she pushed the grate out of her way and climbed up, stopping long enough to assist Sherry from the depths of the hole.
Sherry ran towards the light of the car beyond the gate. "It's closed…" Her voice trailed off as Claire approached the reader glowing red beside it. "Dammit. We need a key card." She sighed as she turned to look back at Sherry who stood next to her. Thinking quickly, Claire examined the gate for a moment. "Come on…" she turned back towards Sherry and nodded towards the gate, "Here, come help." The two girls tugged with all their might but the bars barely moved an inch. Claire let out a soft sigh "And you're sure this is the way?"
"This is how my mom took me last time."
"Sherry!?" The sound of the male voice startled the two of them as Claire got to her feet to see who was approaching. "I've been looking everywhere for you, Sherry..." Claire cast a glance at the girl. "Brave little girl to leave your house in the middle of this mess..." Claire could now make out a face from the darkness but just as quickly there was a gun now pointed at her. "On the ground, hands behind your head."
"You can't be serious…" Claire replied in disbelief. A gunshot followed by the sound of shattering glass erupted from behind her. "On the ground. Now." Immediately without hesitation Claire raised her hands above her head and got to her knees. Whoever this man was he ordered Sherry to tie Claire's hand behind her back. "Why are you doing this?" she whispered in response. He issued the order again. Sherry only stared at him which only seemed to anger him more as he approached Claire and threatened to kill her.
Immediately Sherry did as she was told as the man opened the gate. Claire began to threaten to have her brother from S.T.A.R.S deal with him for what he was doing. This earned her a kick as he grabbed the back of her head and waved the gun in her face. "What's your f***ing name!?" he hissed. "Claire!" She replied, trying to swallow her fear. He glanced up at Sherry without moving the gun "Sherry, you come with me now or say goodbye to Claire!" The girl eagerly agreed to leave with him demanding he take her to her mom which he agreed to as he got up from the ground to leave. "Don't listen to him, he's full of sh*t!" Pain exploded across her face as the metallic barrel of his gun smashed against her face. The force knocked her to her side. She could taste the metallic flavour of blood as it dripped from her lip. He had busted her lip but she barely felt it. Her vision was blurry and her ears ringed. She was stunned but as stubborn as she was she crawled herself back towards a grate and cut the zip ties from her wrists. Too little too late as the gate came crashing down in front of her. She gripped it in her hands calling after Sherry helplessly. She had enough time to grab the pendant that had come loose from Sherry's neck before the adrenaline faded from her and she lost consciousness against the closed garage gate.
