Resident Evil: Unloved [ENG]

Chapter 9

It was when they found a ladder sticking out of one of the manholes that Vince offered to take a look.

When he opened the heavy lid, shifting it slightly to look around, he realized that there were no longer large buildings surrounding the area, but small isolated houses away from the lights of downtown.

Few light poles along the road, enough to catch a glimpse of any zombie danger.

However, there seemed to be no more than a few freaks, and not too close to give any trouble.

Just being stealth would be enough.

"Easy peasy... come on up. We're in the suburbs."

Rhonda was the second one to emerge from the manhole.

"Well, thank goodness... I want to remind you that I am no longer armed and dangerous, at least for the time being... Rather, do you think one of these houses can lend us a bathroom? If I don't quickly take a shower, I'm going to scream..."

"Keep yourself from screaming until we are far enough away from this town." Archer murmured, giving her a hand to pop out of the manhole altogether.

"But I don't want to keep smelling like shit," grumbled the girl, without looking the mechanic in the face.

Vince sighed.

"Meg... is your house around here? Or your uncle's?"

"Well, not right here... I think it's a little bit further down but...that's...I don't know my way around well at night, I'm not a nightlife person..." the high school girl admitted.

"Then let's try to go ahead and see... just keep running and they'll never catch us," replied JR, pointing at the road with his index finger.

Everyone then decided to get going, as they watched Meg for a possible signal from her so they could get their bearings more precisely.

The greatest danger was a couple of walking corpses along the road, but divided among themselves and easily avoided in the long run.

Only later did the teenage girl dwell on a detail familiar to her:

A fairly unique conformation of a certain garden, with an elaborate bird fountain between twin street lamps.

"There, that's the house of Mr. Jackwell, Uncle's neighbor!"

"Then next..." murmured Vince, with everyone almost immediately rushing to the doors of the next house...

Only to freeze upon seeing a rather bizarre panorama:

Windows blocked by sandbags, reinforced doors, and various anti-personnel posts on the raised floors...
As well as corpses upon corpses that filled the garden, all riddled in the body. 

"Um... Meg... what kind of guy is your uncle?" asked JR tensely.

"How can I explain... he's a Cold War veteran... very strict with himself and others, but I'm sure he'll help us out." she replied thoughtfully.

"I'm not going to get any closer if that guy is already pointing a rifle at our heads." Rhonda exclaimed.

"It will be enough to make it clear that we are still alive... I hope." murmured Vince; "But making noise now would not be good. And we need weapons."

Megan had a flash of genius to solve that problem...

And she took the flashlight, beginning to turn it off and on as she was slowly approaching his uncle's house.

"What is she doing?" whispered Rhonda to her cameraman friend. 

JR sneered with superiority.

"Do I have to explain you everything? It's morse code! If the man is a veteran, he will know it!"