Resident Evil: Exodus - The Tale of Elza Walker

Chapter 5 - Retread

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The plan Kevin devised, with ample input from both Rita and Elza, counted on all three of them to be able to function independently. They would proceed immediately to the Media Room hallway and finish clearing it of the zombies Rita had been forced to leave in there before. They would also deal with any crows or other threats which might have come in through the now-wide-open high wall vent that was their goal. Once they reached it, Kevin would boost up both Rita and Elza so they could climb through and onto the second floor back roof. By retracing the route Rita had used to enter the building in the first place and returning to the back door in the building's northeast corner, where the smouldering remains of Kevin and Rita's SWAT van still straddled the broken back retaining wall, they could avoid having to fight their way through the zombies swamping the Lobby on the first floor. In the meantime, Kevin would make his way to the third floor, switch the building's power over to the emergency generator via the main breaker box, then head up to the roof. He would use his newly acquired shotgun to deal with the crows on the helipad. After that he would come back down, unlock the gate across from the helipad stairs, go to and start up the emergency generator, and then pick up the crank handle while he was at it. The last was a contingency measure for opening the security shutters, in case the building's power went back down again for whatever reason.

Once the power was back on, that would make things easier insofar as the rest of the things they still had to do. Each of them had an electronically locked area they would go to and unlock as soon as possible. Rita had given Kevin the Green Keycard she had found earlier in the Medical Room, because she was sure that it would unlock the third floor's Conference Room. It was where the RPD used to hold its press briefings before the move to the new station, and it was beyond the double doors Elza had been unable to open on her visit to the third floor. "Novak's memo mentioned that Bernice didn't need a green card because she wasn't a reporter," Rita said. "Elza said the lock on the Conference Room door had a green stripe. I think the two are a match. Do you remember the stripe color for the lock on the Armory?"

"Uhhh, yellow," Kevin said.

"And what about the Cell Bay?" Rita asked.

"Its lock had a red stripe, and it's running off of emergency power. Remember?" Elza added.

"Oh, yeah," Rita answered with a nod. "I forgot."

"Careful, Rita," Kevin said, grinning as he did. "Don't go getting old on me." He kept talking before the now-flustered Rita could snap back a retort. "I'm guessing there's a spare keycard down there somewhere for situations like this. I'd recheck the night watchman's desk first, then the Boiler Room, and then the Morgue last. We might have missed finding that card the first time we searched that desk. Since the Cell Bay lock is running off emergency power, you can go in as soon as you get it unlocked. Speaking of locks, you got your keys?"

Elza held up the two keys from Denham's key ring Kevin had given her earlier. "Check," she said. She then put them back into one of her firesuit pockets, talking as she did. "You know, of course, that once you restore power, then that security shutter with the broken switch is going to come up."

"I know," Kevin said. "Can you handle it?"

"I know I can, unless they've all turned crimson by now," Elza said confidently. She nodded at Rita. "Rita's got the far tougher job, having to dealing with those infected K-9s you left for her."