Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2006 14:31:08 -0800 (PST) From: bob bob Subject: Resident Evil: Crimson part 7 **************************************************************************** Disclaimer/Warning: This story is completely fictional. If you are under the age of 18, or if it is illegal to read such materials in your country, state, province or county, then please leave. If you are willing to take responsibility for your actions, then be my guest. This story contains descriptions of sexual activity between males, swearing, and graphic violence. The author retains all rights to this story. Please do not publish without authorization. Note: The following story is set in the Resident Evil universe, created by Capcom (http://www.capcom.com) (http://www.residentevil.com). Therefore, all the characters and related titles in this story are property of Capcom. The author is only borrowing characters and elements (including world), and is not making any money in doing so. No Copyright infringement is intended. Conversations in the [ ] boxes are communicated through the headsets. **************************************************************************** Seven. The door had swung open; revealing a mean-faced Jill. Carlos and Mark just froze in their place; awaiting whatever verbal beating they were about to get from Jill. "Grab all your stuff. Carlos, we need you with Alice sniping from the roof." "What's going on"? "The virus has reached this area, the dead are rising from the graveyard. Now come on!" She commanded as she came over and grabbed the bags on the floor and started stuffing whatever stuff she could find, into the bags. Carlos gave Mark a small peck on the cheek before he jumped off the bed and headed for the roof, which was accessible by a ladder just out side the house. Mark got off the bed and helped Jill, adjusting to her speed as he emptied drawers and threw the stuff to Jill, who then placed it in the bags. When they were done, Jill asked if he had all his stuff on his belt. He affirmed with a nod and they both left down stairs. When they got there, the entire room looked like the way it was when they first had entered the house two days ago. Jill took Mark's arm, as he was still observing the room, and brought him to the door. When they were outside, Mark noticed the dark rain clouds and echoing thunder that filled the sky. If Mark didn't know the time, he would have thought that it was around 6, but it was only 4:30 PM. The ferocious winds swept through the farmyard; the dead leaves and dust filling the moving air. Jill turned to face Mark; her hair whipping her face. "Get inside the van!" her comment was barely heard as the heavy wind overlapped whatever noise came out of her shouting mouth. At first, he didn't get it, but she pointed at the van, and Mark assumed that he had to get in. Jill took mar's bag and hauled the stuff to the boot, where LJ was helping with the packing; there wasn't much space because of the stuff they stole from the superstore. Mark jumped into the van, noticing Angie. He slid the door to a close. The noise of the wind was less, but still there as the boot was open. "Where's the rest??" "The boys, it seems, have formed a 'little gang', and are going to go in LJ's car. Oh, we're supposed to leave that door open, incase Carlos or Alice need to jump in." mark blinked a few times before turning around and opened the door. He moved all the way to the back and looked at the boot. Jill & LJ had finished stuffing the bags into the boot and were now shouting directions at each other in the thunderous wind. Mark saw CJ nod and he left to go to the polo car. Mark jumped as Jill slammed the boot shut. She walked around the van, covering her face from the sand and jumped into the drivers seat, turning the engine on. Mark sat there, before looking out to his left to see the boys in the polo car, chatting away. Bad timing. Mark's thoughts were interrupted as the gunshots that have been firing ever since Mark got out of the house, have ceased. He moved through the van and sat in the front passenger seat; Jill didn't mind. After a minute, the shadows of Alice and Carlos appeared through the dust as they sprinted to the van. Jill began pulling out with a flash as the two jumped in. Carlos sat by the door, but didn't close it as he was shooting at the shadows that lurked behind the house and beyond. Alice opened the van's rooftop and did the same. The polo had already left as the van drove down the bumpy road leading to the main road. "Mark, seatbelt" Jill's voice was shaky "What?" Mark looked up to find a zombie standing in the middle of the road, arms stretched out; moving towards the van. Jill kept her foot on the gas. Mark's voice showed uncertainty as he put his seatbelt on, never keeping his eyes off of the undead. "Jill..." "Hold on" Mark held onto the seat as- BAM The van smashed into the body. Mark saw the thing rip in two as it was moved out of the way. ******************** When they reached the main road, the cars took a left and fled in the shadows. Mark heard the main door shut, the roof as well. He looked back to see Alice sit next to Angie, and Carlos near the front. The man gave Mark a sly wink. Mark smiled and then was questioned by Jill. "Hey kid, open the compartment in front of you, grab the map, and tell me what the nearest city is." Mark obeyed. He opened the compartment and saw a pack of bullets and a map. He took the plastic map out and shut the compartment. Now opening the map, he observed it closely. "Los Angeles" "Which way" "Were on the right road, we just follow this, and we'll be there" "Alright then, City of Angels it is" Mark looked at the route again, double-checking, before folding it back up and placing it on top of the compartment, by the window. Jill asked Carlos to call LJ and tell them their new destination. When he was done, Jill turned on the radio. ******************** It had been nearly four hours in the van. They had taken a stop at a gas station an hour ago, but other than that, they were sitting and sitting. Mark had thought several times if he should sit next to Carlos, but apparently, he was busy fixing some equipment. It was nearly 8 PM, and darkness had already flown in. Mark looked out the window onto the highway. Their van and LJ's car were the only ones that traveled. Strange. He ignored the thought and looked back up, making out the faint lights of L.A. He's never been to L.A; he has been everywhere else but L.A. Why? He didn't know. He didn't let the thought ponder him as he saw the massive skyscrapers standing tall, their strange and gothic architecture puncturing the night sky. On almost all the buildings were red lights, glowing. The sky had a strange green shade to it, along with the black clouds that overlooked the dark metropolis. As they entered the city, Jill asked directions for downtown, which mark gave. They drove past sleek and shiny business towers, to warehouses full of stuff. There weren't many cars as Mark thought there would be, as they were in the heart of the city. After 15 minutes, the van stopped in front of one of the tallest buildings in the city. Mark peeked out of the window to catch a glimpse of the shining lights that spelled the place's name: Sky Peek Tower (Apartments). Mark heard the doors open and saw that Jill and the rest had stepped out and moved to the front door. Mark hurried himself, struggling with the seatbelt, and then managed to follow them. LJ and the rest had followed. The crew moved up the marble steps and through the huge spinning doors and into the lobby; where they located the reception and moved towards it. The 'gang' that the boys had formed moved towards the leather couches that were in the lounge next to the reception. The place looked nice, as its modern furniture, abstract art, and smooth atmosphere suggested so. Mark moved over to the receptionist but then was told to gather up the boys and move to the elevator. "Yo, we're leaving" Russel heard Mark's comment, and told the other two, who deeply engaged in a conversation. The gang moved to the elevator and stepped in. Luckily, there was no cheesy music. "Alright guys, 64th floor, flat #271" Angie hastily shoved the crowd aside as she wanted to push the button. Jill let her. The elevator didn't move as a recorded voice spoke: "Please slide your flat card through the slip" Jill handed over the card to Angie, and she slid it through. Nothing happened. Alice notified that it was the wrong way around; and Angie tried again. The elevator slowly moved the moment the card left the slip; it felt as if they weren't even moving at all: gosh, technology these days :). After 30 seconds, the door opened and everyone stumbled out onto the black carpet. Mark looked up to find themselves in a small room, and in front of them, was room #271. Mark assumed that this complete floor was dedicated to this flat. Angie again used the card on the black door and opened it. When they stepped in, the first thing mark noticed was the huge aquarium built into the wall, just next to the door on the left wall. Its residence of colorful fish swam in its soft blue glow. The thing looked like it was 3 meters tall and 2 meters wide. Angie's eyes stuck to the glass like as if she was a cat looking for her evening meal. In what appeared to be the living room, 3 large black leather sofas stood on top of an abstract creamy carpet, glass coffee table in the middle. On the right side of the wall was a huge plasma screen T.V, with two 'mood lights' on each side, changing color every now and then. Far behind the couches was a dining area, and behind that was a huge window that stretched from the aquarium all the way to the end of the living room, which was a long way as the place was huge. The glass panel was at least as tall as the aquarium, from floor to roof, exposing the mesmerizing sight of nighttime L.A. Connected to the living room and dining area, was the kitchen, full of fancy shiny black fridges and cupboards. Several leather stools were placed by one of the kitchen counters, facing the living room, which kind of looked like a bar. On the far right side of the zone, was a metal stairs that led up to another area, right above the kitchen. It appeared to be another seating area, along with a computer, as there were no walls covering the area, but metal railings. And further up there, was a hallway, which most likely led to the bedrooms and bathrooms. "Well then, this is our new haven. There are 4 bedrooms, with two single beds in each, so someone is gonna have to sleep on the couch. Y'all look around while me; Carlos, Alice and LJ are going to get our stuff from the van. I'm leaving a copy of the card on the coffee table." And with that, the adults left the flat and the rest were able to roam around. Mark placed his bag pack on the couch and made his way over to look out to the city. It was breathtaking. The tall skyscrapers, twisted architecture, wonderful lights, it all looked like some fantasy city like Gotham City. Mark noticed that Giovanni stood 2 meters away on his right, looking out as well. Mark didn't want to talk to him; instead, he gazed at the City of Angels. ******************** Half an hour later, all the luggage and food had arrived in the house, and everything was organized in its proper place. After everyone had finished his or her designated tasks, Alice had assembled everyone in the living area. "Alright, me and the rest of the adults are going to check and visit any S.T.A.R.S that are in the city, so that is going to take a few hours. In the mean time, Giovanni, there is a phone number in the kitchen for pizza, and the money is on the counter, so you organize your dinner while we are all out" Giovanni nodded. Alice had finished her speech and Carlos took over. "Everyone, come on over and grab a cell phone. I've placed everyone's number in there so that we can call each other." Everyone moved towards him and grabbed a phone out of the card box. Mark eyed the sleek and shiny black object in his hands. "The date and time is already set, so you don't have to worry about that. I've placed our address in the notes section, under the main menu, just in case. And uh, don't forget the chargers; their in the other box on the coffee table" Everyone played with their toys before grabbing a charger. "Alright then, we're off" And with that, the adults left. Mark shut the door and locked it. He turned around and saw that Angie was taking pictures with her phone of all the fishes. He looked over at the boys. "Mark" Mark looked over back to Angie. FLASH "Hey! You didn't get permission for that, you little rascal" Angie screamed as she ran when Mark approached her, laughing while she rested halfway up the stairs. Mark shot her an evil look (in a funny way). "Don't worry, I'll get you in your sleep" Angie stuck out her tongue, before returning to her phone. Mark placed his phone in his pockets, and the charger in his bag. "Yo, I'm gonna go get some fresh air down stairs, okay?" None of the boys heard him as they were chatting about the features on their phones. "Its okay, I'll tell them," Angie said. Mark thanked her before he placed his bag on his back, took the spare card, and left the flat. He waited for the elevator before he stepped in. "Please slide your flat card through the slip" Came the smooth female voice. Mark did as he was told, and the lift descended ever so gently, until the doors opened and Mark stepped out into the empty lobby. He moved to the receptionist, a tuxedo wearing, gelled up hair, handsome fellow. "Hi" "Good evening sir, how may I help you tonight?" "Uh, is it possible for me to get another card of this (Mark hands over the card) as there are too many of us wanting to go up and down, and we only have two cards" "I'm afraid that's not possible sir" Damn! Mark thought for a moment, before he thought of something up. Well, Mark has never done this before, and he knows that he will feel stupid if it doesn't succeed, but seducing is his only option. Mark spoke with a smooth and innocent tone. "Auww. I was so hoping that I would find someone to talk to, since I've got something I want to share so badly with someone. Maybe you can help me." Mark leaned in closer to the counter. "What do you want to share?" The receptionist's eyes showed deep curiosity as the words carefully rolled out of his mouth. Mark gently whispered. "It's hard to explain you see (sigh). Hmmm... Maybe I can show you instead." The receptionist now seemed to be enjoying this moment. "Go on" "Come closer" Mark slowly whispered, never taking his eyes off of the guy's face. The receptionist, whose name was Jake (name tag), leaned in slowly; their faces just inches apart. "Are you sure you want me to share it with you? I mean (Mark licks his lips), I'm not sure if it's something you... can handle..." Gosh! Mark was enjoying himself all too much. "I'm sure Its something we both... want" Jake was now looking at Mark's lips every now and then. "(Bites his bottom lip) Well then, here's my... confession..." And with that, they both leaned in, before they're soft lips met, sparks flying on contact. Mark didn't hesitate and began exploring the stranger's mouth, keeping him busy. Mark opened his eyes as they kept kissing and saw what he wanted on the counter: the keys to the employee room. He placed his right hand behind Jake's head and pulled him in, intensifying the kiss as his left hand slowly made it's way to the keys. Finally he made contact with the cold metal keys and silently pulled them back, before he placed them in his pockets. Mark smiled as they kissed. Victory. Mark then broke off the kiss, breathing heavily, still keeping his face inches away from the receptionist's. "I think I showed you... too much." "I don't think I got that, want to show me again?" Mark shot him a sly smile. "Auww... Kitty wants more milk? Don't worry, I'll come back if I ever get another... confession..." Mark shot him a wink before he took the flat key on the counter and left, feeling Jake's eyes watch him as he left to a hallway containing the bathroom and the employee's room. Mark looked around and saw that he was out of sight of the lobby, making sure Jake wouldn't follow him. Luckily, he didn't. Mark smiled to himself. Mark, you evil little wonder. He took the keys out of his pockets and eyed them victoriously. He then turned to the Staff Room, checking if it was unlocked by any chance. Nope. He tried all four keys and the lock clicked as the fourth one twisted in the lock. Mark looked around in the hallway he was in, making sure again, before he slowly opened the door and stepped in; hoping that no one was in. his theory proved correct as he eyed the simple room. Leather couch, ambient lights, pretty plants, computers, and a small machine next to the computer. Damn, no cards? He frowned, disappointed. He moved to the computers and saw that one of them read: Key Cloner. Mark smiled and saw the small machine next to the computer had a slot for a card in it. He moved over to the door and pressed the lock, while his ear was on the door, listening for any sounds. After he was sure no one was around, he went back to the computer and sat in the leatherwork chairs. He eyed the screen. Key Cloner- Available Commands: 1. Clone a card 2. Turn machine on 3. Turn machine off Command_ Mark typed in 'Turn machine on' Key Cloner- Available Commands: 1. Clone a card 2. Turn machine on 3. Turn machine off Command_ Turn machine on_ He pressed enter. Key Cloner- Error. Invalid Command. Mark frowned for a moment, before trying again. This time, he typed in the number of the command. Key Cloner- Available Commands: 1. Clone a card 2. Turn machine on 3. Turn machine off Command_ 2_ Mark pressed return. A moment of silence passed before Mark jumped a little as the machine next to him sprung into life. Luckily, it wasn't noisy. He returned his eyes to the screen and typed. Key Cloner- Available Commands: 1. Clone a card 2. Turn machine off Command_ 1_ He looked back at the screen and typed in enter. Key Cloner- Please insert card in machine. Mark removed his face from the screen and placed the card in the slot, and in its correct position, as labeled on a diagram on the desk. The machine shut the slot and began its work. 2 minutes later. A card popped out of a slip on the side of the machine, and the original card appeared in its slot. Mark grabbed both and placed them in his bag. He returned his attention to the screen and turned the machine off. He took his phone out and looked at the time: 8:50 PM. He still wanted to explore a little bit, so Mark decided that he would return the original key later. He unlocked the door and moved out, locking it and his way out. He walked over to the reception and noticed that Jake tying his shoelaces. Mark took this opportunity and placed the keys back on the counter. He quickly left and moved out of the building. ******************** Mark stood on the pavement in front of Sky Peak Tower, soaking up the new environment. The sky still had its strange green/black shade and black clouds; the full moon exposing itself every now and then. The skyscrapers around him rose high above and were shining like candles. There was a slight wind in the cool air as Mark looked around. There was one or two cars passing every now and then, and the street had a few people walking around: from business people to prostitutes and hobos. Mark saw a map by a bust stop across the street and decided to go there. He checked the silent traffic before crossing over. He reached the sign and noticed something on the back. He moved and saw a flyer: an Umbrella sign with a big red cross on it. Under it, it read: A.U.M Anti Umbrella Movement, show your support. Gothet Avenue, Club Undying. Mark eyed it for a moment, and thought if he could get any information from any people in this 'anti movement' group. "It's worth a shot" He told himself. He sighed and looked back at the map for Gothet Avenue. Apparently, it was just 2 streets down. Mark eyed it one more time before he turned around and made his way to Club Undying. "Hey honey, you lookin' for a date?" A hooker in pink approached Mark, but Mark paid no heed and just walked on. 5 minutes later Mark stopped to tie his shoelaces. As he did, he eyed his surroundings. Right next to him, was a pawnshop, while Skyscrapers still littered the area. Mark focused on his shoes, but his eyes moved to something lying underneath a bench. He moved over and picked it up. It was money folded within a rubber band. He looked around him, seeing if anyone dropped it. No one was around so he counted the cash. $550 greens. Mark placed it in his pocket, smiling to himself. "Maybe I should spoil myself" Mark stood up and looked at the pawnshop. He didn't hesitate and went inside. The place was small. A chubby man with long hair stood behind a glass panel counter, full of crap. "Can I help you kid?" "Uh, I'm just looking" "Suit yourself" Mark walked over to the counter and looked at the things. "Whats that?" Mark pointed to an object that looked like a foldable pocketknife. "Lock picks" "Oh, how much is it?" "$20" "I'll take that" "Alright" The man slid the glass panel open from his side and took the object else while Mark was looking at other stuff. His eyes read the title of a small booklet: Computer Hacking "That?" "The booklet contains different codes to type for different types of computers to get what you want: passwords, access to emails, etc..." "Price" "$30" "I'll take that as well, and what are those two things?" Mark pointed to a long black tube, which had an eyepiece to look through one side. ""That? You stick the narrow side of the tube under doors, and you look through the eyepiece to see whats on the other side." "Uh huh, and that?" The guy looked at an object, which looked like a remote controller. "It's basically a 'voice changer'. You select a 'voice' with one of the buttons, then you speak into the small microphone, and your voice will come out as the voice you selected on the other side" "How much for both?" "$50" "I'll take all that then" The guy took the two objects and placed them with the others and moved to his cashier, typing in numbers. "$100 bucks, kid" Mark forked out a hundred dollars from his pockets and handed it over to the guy. "You need a bag?" "Nah, it's fine" Mark took off his bag and placed the objects inside. "Alright, thanks" "Take care" Mark wore his bag pack and left the store, continuing his journey to the club. He made a right at an intersection and saw his destination at the end of the street. A church. Above the wooden doors of the church read Club Undying. Mark kept on walking as he looked at the place. Skyscrapers surrounded the back. The glass mosaic windows were a glowing red from the lights within; it gave the church a sense of foreboding and a dark aura, hence the name Club Undying. Mark assumed that it was a dance club as he reached the doors and felt the heavy beats flow in the air. He walked through the huge oak doors, which were carved with demons and fire on it, and ended up in a dark hallway. The hallway had green wallpaper and was illuminated by green lights from the ceiling, giving it a glow. Near the end of the hallway, was a desk. Behind this desk, the word Club Undying shone in bright red and green lights. As Mark got closer he saw that, the bouncer, he thinks, had asked for I.D from a couple that were entering the zone. Shit. But luckily, the guy left into a room next to the reception. Mark walked over to the desk to make sure, before he turned a left and entered the club. ******************** The heavy beats had now greeted Mark as he stepped into the main chamber of the church. On his left, was a bar; with its glowing green lights as a background. In the middle of the huge area, was the dance floor, its dance squares (or lights) shaped into a cross. And all around the area, were table booths. Mark marveled at the gothic architecture of the church. He saw that several cages were hanging from the roof, strippers dancing within. Chains hung in some areas, while glowing lights filled the shadows. The place was somewhat filled with many people. Some wearing casual clothes, while others wore fetish or gothic costumes, such as the workers here. Mark walked in a little more eyeing the bar, when he bumped into a stripper dressed in red lingerie. She wore a red bra with a big black X on each breast, while another X marked the spot on her red underwear. She stood on black high heels and had red thigh high's. She had red hair, tied into a ponytail with a black band. She wore red lipstick and heavy black eye shadow that surrounded her green eyes. She was a really attractive lady. "Well, well, well, look what we have here." Her voice was lustrous and smooth. "Sorry, do I know you or something?" Mark questioned. "I'm the owner of this club, darling. And I saw you sneak in with my eagle eyes." "Uh-" Mark knew that he was in for it now. "Don't worry. Come with me." She gently took Mark's hand and Mark followed. She took him past the bar and through the dancing crowd and ended up by the other side of the club, where a set of stairs was illuminated by glowing green lights. Mark followed her up the stairs and into what seemed to be a VIP area. There were several booths, some of them filled. She led him to an empty one and sat him down. A waiter appeared out of nowhere. "Two fruit punches Larry" The guy nodded and left, returning a split second later with two large glasses with red fruit punch. "So, it's been a while since I've seen someone sneak in. Desperate to see night life sweetie?" "Umm No" Mark looked at his drink. "It's not spiked, if that's what you're thinking about" She gave him a wicked smile, before she sipped from her straw. "What brings you're wandering soul to my undying domain?" Mark took a sip from the drink. Yum. He looked back up at her, her eyes softly looking at him. Mark swore that if this were a fantasy world, she would have been perfect for being a vampire. "Hmmm... Never mind, you have a name my darling?" "Mark" "Auww, that's cute" Mark didn't pay much attention as he was still looking at the club he was in. "You like it? I'm proud of it myself. It's tough competition with all the other clubs in L.A. We don't have that many customers today, as it's a Sunday." "Yeah, love the place" "You got a boyfriend darling?" Mark choked a little on his drink and looked up at her. "What?" "(Smooth laugh) uh huh, it's obvious" "What is"? "Your sexuality" Mark hesitated for a moment. "Well... how did you know??" "Hm. Well, what do you expect with these huge breasts of mine? Guys are normally all over it, some girls as well" She slipped a sly smile and continued sipping on her drink. "No, I don't have one. I think." "Ooh... (She whispers) bring in your lover some time and I'll show both of you how to have a good time" "Ummm sure" "You still haven't answered my question cupcake" "Huh?" "What brings a horny teenager like you to my club? Looking for some action? Underage drinking?" "Umm no... I'm here for the A.U.M" The club owner eyed him suspiciously before speaking. "Where you from" "Raccoon City" She continued looking. "How much do you know" "Bout what" "Umbrella" "Umm.. a lot" "How" "I'm with some surviving S.T.A.R.S" The lady sat back and folded her arms. "I see..." A moment of silence passed as the thumping beats danced in the air. "Umm... miss..." "Oh dear me, how rude of me. I'm known as the Velvet Fox here in L.A, but you can call me Selene" She gave him a mysterious wink. "Hmmmm... the A.U.M... You know what, I'll tall you more and give you contacts if you do a favor for me" "What" "Umbrella own a small clinic here in L.A downtown, one of my happy hour strippers, Heather, called in sick a few days ago and said that she was going to pick up medicine from the clinic. We lost contact from her ever since." "Did you check the clinic...?" Mark frowned. It's like... Duh. "The thing is, I've heard from one of my contacts that Umbrella are secretly using some of their patients at the clinic for their experiments." Things here in L.A weren't as clean as Mark hoped it would be. "I want you to find out anything about her at the clinic, if you take my... quest, do whatever you must to get that information, don't kill anyone though" "And you will promise me info on Umbrella?" "Yes" Mark thought about it for a second. "What's the address." Selene smiled and spoke. "Good choice. 12 Hurton Lane. You won't miss the building." "Alright then, how much time do I have?" "Until tomorrow" Mark slowly nodded. "Kay, I'm off then" Mark placed his bag pack on and took out a piece of paper and pen before he did and wrote something down. "My number" He handed it to the Velvet Fox. She reached for something from her back and gave a card to Mark. "It's an I.D card" "But it doesn't have a photo on it" "That's because these are for clubs only. You have to memorize the name and the code, that all. My number in on the back." Selene stood up and planted a kiss on Mark's cheek. "Till we meet again my dear wolf." And with that, she left Mark and disappeared into the darkness. Mark memorized his I.D card. Mark added the number to his phone and went down the stairs and made his way to the entrance. "Hold it, I didn't see you come in, show me some I.D" Came the big bouncer. Mark gave him the card. "Name?" "Harold Just" "Code" "382" The man handed the card back. Mark smiled at him and then left into the night. ******************** Mark reached stepped out of the elevator and stood in front of flat #271. He whipped out his card and slipped it into the slot. The light flashed green and Mark heard the lock click open. He opened the door and entered his haven. "Hi" Mark looked over to Angie, who was watching television. "Hey" "The boys haven't noticed that you were gone at all, I haven't told them. Silly." "Oh really" "Yeah, there's pizza on the dining table" "K, thanks" Mark placed his bag full of usefulness down by the aquarium and moved to the dining table, where he ate as he watched the view. He took out his phone and checked the time: 10:30 PM. ******************** Mark woke up at 2 AM and checked that his roommate, Carlos was asleep. The room had two single beds, a lush carpet, a stylish wardrobe, and a purple lava lamp. He slowly got out of his bed and moved to a sleeping Carlos. He gave him a small peck on his forehead and then got dressed. He grabbed his bag and left the room. He descended the stairs and left the apartment. When he got to the lobby, he noticed that Jake, the receptionist, watched him. Mark blew him a kiss as he walked out the door. Smiling, he made his way to 12 Hurton Lane, which was in the same direction as the Club was. 5 minutes later, he passed the street which the Club laid in and continued down the main road, until he had to cross the road and take a left into Hurton Lane. The street, just like all the others, had skyscrapers and pretty building. He looked around as he walked down the street. His wandering eyes found his destination. The Umbrella logo hung upon a gray building with blue lights. He noticed that the clinic was closed. Frowning, he looked around the building and saw an alley that led to the back of the structure. Here, he found a door. Mark reached out and turned the knob, it was locked. Just then, a voice came from a speaker next to the door. "Whose there" Mark hesitated, unsure of what to do. But then he thought of the voice changer and quickly grabbed it from his bag. He had played with it back in the flat so he knew what to press. He spoke in a raspy voice "What?" "Julius, is that you?" "Uh, yes" "What the fuck are you doing here so late?" "I forgot a few things inside" "And what the hell is up with your voice?" "I've got a cold" "Ah, got it from jenny too eh?" "Yeah, badly" "Okay, I'll let you in" Mark smiled as the door unlocked. He packed his toy and then entered the building. He ended up in a white hallway, dim lights shining on two blue doors. One of them was locked and had a security code for it. The other one was unlocked. Mark silently opened it and saw nothing but darkness. He grabbed hi pen light and shone into the room. It was a janitors closet. Frowning, Mark nearly shit the door when his attention fell upon something on the ceiling in the closet. The ventilation system. Mark prayed that they didn't have camera's in there as he shut himself inside the closet, torch in mouth, and started placing boxes underneath the vent. He finally managed and then began climbing the shaky tower. He opened the grate as he reached the top and climbed in. He crawled on his knees and turned around to pull the grate back up. When that was done he looked around. There was only one way as the other way was a dead end. He crawled for 10 minutes and saw another grate in front of him. He looked down and saw that it was an office room with a computer in it. Torch in his mouth, he opened the grate and jumped down. He got to the room's light switch and turned it on. A water dispenser was in one corner. Mark helped himself to a drink and then sat in front of the compter, pulling his hacking booklet out as the same time. "Okay Umbrella, show me what you got" **************************************************************************** So what ya think? Drop me any comments at re_crimson@yahoo.com or visit/join my group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Umbrella_Co/ ****************************************************************************