章節 27: Chapter 23 - Project Nemesis

After the entire incident the group continued with their journey through the streets, it was around this time Zeel noticed the peculiarity.

"We are being watched," Zeel said to the group.

"Watched, by who?" Alice asked.

She vigilantly looked around while carrying the tired Jill on her back.

"You can probably feel it too just focus," Zeel said as he once again tapped into the nearby cameras and discovered someone monitoring them.

Zeel was using mainly his brain enhanced by nanites than an actual computer to carry the load of calculations, hence he could only briefly access the location of the other person.

"I feel it," Alice said, pointing in a specific direction "It's that direction about 4 kilometers,"

"Yeah, but just ignore it. This person isn't doing anything except monitoring us. I need more time to get a clear view of their intentions since a lot of signals are meshing right now," Zeel said as he could feel several access points using the same cameras all over the city.

Most cameras were damaged, but there was still enough to monitor their journey.

It was a good thing he shielded himself from all monitoring equipment. If the person in charge knew of Project Exodus, they would no doubt evacuate immediately.

The group continued walking, ignoring the fact they were being watched.

They were heading to the location of a gate, Zeel and Alice could probably manage to get everyone across. Every corner they passed, the phones started to ring, it was as if the noise was following them.

Alice grew tired of the ringing and decided to answer.

"Hello!"

"God, I thought you'd never answer," Dr. Ashford said from the other end.

"Who is this?" Alice asked.

"I can get you out of the city. All five of you. But first, we have to come to an arrangement. Are you ready to make a deal?" Dr. Ashford asked throwing the bait he had been holding onto all this time.

He was in urgent need of someone to rescue his now lost daughter. Dr. Ashford had managed to successfully track his daughter Angie to her old school in east Raccoon City.

"Do we have a choice?" Alice asked.

"Not if you want to live past tonight, no," Dr. Ashford replied.

Zeel took over the phone from Alice just as Dr. Ashford was about to give her the main information about his daughter.

"I know where the helicopters are, and when they're going to leave, why should we help you?" Zeel asked.

Dr. Ashford reeled in shock for a moment since he thought that only himself and a few others were privileged to that information.

"I can notify them that you're coming, I don't think you'll like …"

"Don't threaten me, doctor, a lot of people have tried and only one lived to see the next day," Zeel said in a threatening manner, still having a trauma from the shackles placed on him by the Cosmic Being.

Dr. Ashford thought for a while and used every communication available to relay the next statement.

It was loud enough for the entire group to hear.

"Please, my daughter is at Raccoon City Middle School, it is not far from your location. I just want you to get her for me and I'll do whatever you ask," Dr. Ashford said.

Lucky for Dr. Ashford, he chose the right method of approach, had he tried the sympathy move with Zeel, the outcome would have probably not been as favorable.

"We'll do it!" Alice said after contemplating for a while, then she looked at Zeel and said "Even if there is a chance, the little girl is alive we have to help where we can,"

Zeel just sighed internally since this was the type of answer he would expect from Alice.

He even refrained from telling her they didn't need to go through with this mission in the first place. It would only make her hesitate a little and not change the outcome.

After Dr. Ashford hung up, Alice began to summarize what she knew about the mysterious caller.

"His name is Dr. Ashford, and he runs the genetics and viral research division of Umbrella Corporation,"

"What's he wants with us?" Peyton asked a bit confused.

"His daughter, Angela is trapped in the city. Umbrella was to evac her, but she didn't make it. She's hiding out in her school. We find her, he'll help us escape the perimeter," Alice said as she examined the faces of those in the group.

Everyone apart from Zeel was giving her doubtful looks.

"Why do we have to help? Why can't we just hall ass to a wall and get out?" Terri said in exasperation, feeling as if she was the only one thinking clearly in the group, after all, sometimes the obvious answer was the best answer.

"Can you get there before your time expires though?" Zeel asked feeling a bit funny at the current situation.

To him, Terri's answer was the stupidest answer he had ever heard up until now.

"What do you mean?" asked Peyton, catching onto what Zeel just hinted at.

"Listen, Umbrella knows they can't contain the infection. So at sunrise this morning, Raccoon City will be completely sanitized," Alice stated something everyone should have already realized.

"What do you mean by 'sanitized'?" Jill asked unsurely.

"A precision tactical nuclear device," Alice replied plainly.

"What yield?" Jill asked.

"Five kilotons," Zeel replied in Alice's place.

"How much are five kilotons?" Terri asked.

Zeel looked at Alice who shrugged, then he sunk into deep thought for a while before responding "Goodbye Raccoon City kind-of-bomb,"

As the group was walking along the street looking for a car to jump-start, Alice and Zeel stood still and both looked in the same direction. They swiftly ducked behind a nearby car.

Everyone else froze and mimicked the action, fully comprehending just how skilled Zeel and Alice were. If they both ducked, that meant that everyone had to duck or die.

"There is something out there," Alice whispered to the group.

"What is it?" asked Zeel, while he could feel the presence of something that could threaten him below, he did not have the necessary insight to point out the level of danger.

"Not sure. But it's huge and aiming at us," Alice replied.

"Hmmm. Project Nemesis should be a mutated version of your friend that Matt boy," Zeel said after carefully feeling the presence of the being hidden some distance away.

Alice reeled in shock before gathering herself and asking "Can you be sure?"

"80%, we were at the same facility and my nanites can do minor hacking. The best thing you can do for him is to take him out of his misery.

And of course, I can tell since I didn't like him and I don't like whatever is aiming at us. I just assumed it was him based on that information," Zeel said.

Alice just rolled her eyes.

'Like the people he was not fond of were limited to just Matt alone – well it might have been, given everyone else died in The Hive,' Alice thought.

Zeel then explained further "I can't help you with this one either because if they see me chances are they'll evacuate as my biology is unique and they are aware of that. So you have to lead it away and then escape. I'll try and infiltrate the main base,"

"Understood. I am surprised by how much trust you have in me," Alice said a bit cheekily since she was never one to hold a grudge for a long time.

Especially since Jill could walk and talk properly once again.

"Well, it's mainly because based on what I've read, you can't die even if you wanted to. That's a discussion for a later time though.

My nanites can only be inside you so I would recognize you anywhere," Zeel said, Alice was confused at his statement since it was all over the place.

Was she immortal or something? What did he mean she couldn't die?

Not waiting for any more discussions on the topic, Zeel separated from the group as he ran in the opposite direction towards The City Hall.

After making sure Jill, Peyton, and Terri understood their part of the mission, Alice too opted to leave the rest of the matter in their capable hands – well Jill's capable hands since she didn't yet trust Peyton or Terri.

Alice jumped off the bridge and ran towards the distance; Nemesis immediately started launching round after rounds of bullets at her.

Had it been before Alice would've duck for cover as even with all her enhancements, she could not dodge a bullet. However, as a benefit of the upgraded nanites, she could now predict the trajectory of the bullets with pinpoint accuracy.

Predicting the trajectories of bullets, judging the speed she should run, even angular momentum was accounted for. Running too fast was just as bad as running too slow.

When she got close enough, Alice raised a knee and jumped towards Nemesis, effectively kneeing him in the jaw. Success, however, was short-lived as Nemesis grabbed her and slammed her against a concrete pillar.

Alice bent her body in a semi-circular manner, using the force to swing around the pillar and launch herself towards a nearby building.

Alice slammed through the window.

Nemesis, on the other hand, was not as capable hence just running through the wall itself. Alice then ran towards the garbage chute hoping to escape, while also leading Nemesis away as that was the goal of this fight.

Nemesis, hot on Alice's heels, raised a gun to shoot, reacting swiftly Alice then slid on her knees. Alice began unloading what was left of her bullets into the wall below the garbage chute.

She soon smashed through the wall and into the chute, sliding down like a professional garbage bag.

Nemesis looked down the garbage shoot and then launched a grenade downwards. Alice jumped from the bin while taking a page out of Zeel's book.

She launched herself onto the opposite wall and then launched herself outwards, effectively escaping the blast radius.

At City center, Base of Umbrella Operations in Raccoon City.

Zeel was currently wearing an Umbrella soldier's uniform. He had already killed two guards stationed near the border of the City Hall.

After he was finished getting dressed, Zeel made his way around the compound. Zeel delivered a drop of blood onto each helicopter remaining at the temporary base.

His blood had an increased corrosive effect on metals so he figured this was the most inconspicuous way of getting rid of the other helicopters.

The nanites in his blood, while not effective in corroding all metals, can still corrode specific parts of machinery – a small hole in the fuel tank can go a long way.

After completing all preparations, Zeel then waited for Alice and the team to perform a distraction.

Zeel cannot read Alice's mind, but the nanites can convey intentions fairly well. It would take more time for their brainwaves to sink and thoughts to be shared.

Zeel was never one for flattery and beating around the bush. Usually, if he had a chance to end things in one strike, he wouldn't hesitate to do so.

However, Zeel neither would think himself infallible because even if he could kill Major Cain, maybe a stray bullet could kill him.

The best scenario was to wait for a suitable distraction and strike when The Umbrella Personnel least expects it.