Resident Evil: Unloved [ENG]

Chapter 15

The way to the City Hall was fairly uneventful:

No monsters around corners, no other possible trouble, other than a small pause for Jonny to remove a very annoying pebble in his right shoe.

They could see the huge building a few meters away.

Even the City Hall, however, looked decidedly dilapidated, as if the wood, rock and marble of which it was built had been rotting away for years, and even the flag hoisted on the flagpole was pitch black and tattered.

This certainly did not stop Vince from moving closer and closer past the pitch to reach its entrance, resting a hand on the door handle.

Everyone could sense it:

Something was trying to keep them from entering, an unpleasant feeling trying to instill fear in them.

"Is the so-called son of the devil afraid...?"

"Such an element is afraid of us? Then it means there is a very valuable clue here." Elizabeth commented with some confidence.

"And now we're going to find him!" exclaimed Rhonda...

Before slightly shifting Vince and kicking in the doorway, shotgun in hands.

This opened suddenly, emitting a dull rumble in an apparently elegantly-decorated two story atrium, complete with paintings on the walls and central staircase, a long silk carpet accompanying the entrance to the upper floor.

A central balcony, several doors on either side of the foyer and a typewriter resting on a small column at the foot of the stairs were the last peculiar signs of that room...

Besides the fact that the candelabra lights were all on.

"A fine place... no argument there. You say the archives are upstairs?" asked Megan.

"I would look directly for the mayor's office. You're on the safe side there." JR commented in response.

Vince took a few steps inside the facility, looking around.

"However... a lavish building like this to house a county City Hall..."

"There's the beauty of funds donated by a corporation like Umbrella." retorted Rhonda, resting her rifle on one shoulder in disappointment.

"At the end of the road, everything revolves around this company." Liz added.

Rhonda, suddenly shushed them:

Her keen musician's hearing had picked up internal noises, an indication that they were not alone there in the midst.

"Was that our direct stakeholder?" asked Jonny, also remaining on high alert, especially after noticing his friend's reaction.

"Or maybe those HCF guys." Vince added, arming himself in turn.

"Then we'll just have to find out." Liz urged them, motioning with one hand to look around.

The first idea was to climb the central staircase, immediately reaching the second floor of the atrium.

On the balcony, there were two roads:

One gate on the left, and one on the right.

Where they led to was not specified by any sign.

"So much for the City Hall. This is a goddamn mansion." muttered Vince irritably.

"Well? Shall we guess?" asked Rhonda.

"Where were those noises coming from, Rhonda?" asked Archer then; "Because I'm going to find out who the hell it was."