Not even fifteen feet into the west lab and we come across a third dead body of a U.S.S. soldier in here. Over five of these people were killed, that's almost the entire squad that would've originally come in. I haven't seen a sixth body though; did at least one person survive fighting Birkin?
Dried blood coats the wall, the helmet is concaved as if having been crushed by something...
"Another one?" Claire asks in surprise.
"I've seen more of these bodies," I confess as I crouch beside it, seeing how the remains of the head loll off to the side. Thinking of how Leon asked about all the new weapons I'd gotten my hands on, but lied about not knowing whose they were. Something I know now he undoubtedly could tell I was lying about. "They were taping whatever they were doing. And whatever they were doing on that tape, I've got a feeling it somehow led to William becoming that thing."
"You think he killed them all?" she kneels on the other side, picking up a discarded grenade resting beside the limp hand.
I go to stand, seeing another VCR tape between the man's legs and I grab it. Inspecting the tape plastered across the bottom: "Operation Nestwrecker (1)", I recall the same name from the last tape I'd found in the sewer. That one had different handwriting, but was labeled with a two. It must have been recorded sometime after this one was. "Found a tape on another person's body while trying to get through the sewers," I gesture it to Claire, "But that was the second one, this is the first."
"Think we'll find some answers on it?" she takes it from me gently to give it a once over herself. "I know we've gotta get to that sample..." I feel the same curiosity and want to watch it, to see what it'll show us. If the second one showed Birkin already on a monstrous rampage, maybe the first will show what led to it.
Checking his MP5, I discover it's partially loaded. Searching his pockets yields another six magazines too. They'd come prepared, but in the end, it appears their weapons meant nothing as they all died.
"Here, take this." I hand the weapon to Claire and half of the magazines, a feeling that she might need them and it's better to be safe than sorry. "You know how to fire it?" I ask as she inspects the weapon, flicking the safety switch up, then down. "Careful about the recoil. It can get away from you if your hold isn't strong enough. And don't ever forget to slap this down," I warn her and then instruct how to chamber the bullet with the paddle. Remembering when I used one for the first time.
There's no doubt Claire is strong, but an SLS and an MP5 are entirely different. She chuckles, "I didn't know, thank you... I picked up an MQ-11 from the S.T.A.R.S. armory and tried firing it on Birkin when he attacked me actually. Chris had warned me about the recoil when the unit had just formed... it wasn't enough clearly. Almost got myself killed."
One of the few weapons I had trouble with is the MQ-11, I refused to use it when offered because I know how erratic the recoil is. It's nearly impossible to hold it still from how strong it is.
"Yeah, well, I don't think Chris trained you in firing semi-automatic weapons at monsters either. I've had training with different guns for a long time and I can barely keep a handle on that thing," I admit as I grab another H&K USP9 from the body, along with handgun magazines, offering both to Claire. "I imagine you're running just as low on ammo as I am?"
She takes it, "Thanks," and shoves it into the back of her pants waistband where mine currently is in mine, the grip resting against my lower back.
"We need to watch this, in that second video I'm pretty sure I saw William killing two of these people. This might..." I avoid eye contact as I carefully tiptoe around referring to the soldiers out loud. I'll tell Claire everything, who I am, where Chris is, just not now. Not when we still have a whole section of this laboratory to scour through for the DEVIL vaccine. "Might tell us who they are and why they were here," I say as I meet Claire's gaze.
YOU ARE READING
The 0714 Files: File #1 Inferno (Remake 2)
Horror"I think you're going to learn a lot of things about this city and the people that you won't want to." Madeleine Sówka has spent the last twelve years of her life believing she knows what monsters look like. They are the people who hide in the backg...
