September 25th, 10:00 PM. Aside from the flickering streetlights and occasional bursts of electrical sparks, the area outside the Police Station was plunged into near-total darkness.
Inside the Raccoon City Police Department underground parking lot, the evacuation convoy stood ready after hours of preparation. Several prison buses, originally used by the Police Station to transport inmates to the suburban prison, had been repurposed as transport vehicles for the citizens. The tempered glass and iron bars welded onto the windows—once meant to prevent prisoners from escaping—now served as the passengers' primary source of security.
Under the orderly guidance of grim-faced officers, the surviving citizens boarded the buses. Amidst the crowd, Mr. Kendo shielded his daughter closely, covering her eyes with his broad palm to prevent her from seeing the gruesome stains in the corners of the Parking lot that hadn't been fully cleaned. He shuffled slowly with the flow of people into the cramped cabin. Because the number of surviving evacuees far exceeded expectations and vehicles were scarce, every inch of space was utilized to its limit, leaving every bus packed to the brim.
On the other side, the fully armed and ready officers of the Police Station quickly boarded various police vehicles. Patrol cars, SUVs, and police vans lined up in succession; their sirens were dark, yet they exuded an air of solemn, lethal tension. Lear leaned over to lift Sherry into the passenger seat of a pre-prepared police patrol car, buckling her seatbelt and whispering instructions to stay close to him no matter what happened. He then quickly slid into the driver's seat, checked the vehicle's status, and swept his gaze toward the Parking lot exit.
Earlier, the remaining officer, Marvin, had led an elite squad of police to conduct a thorough sweep of the streets outside the Parking lot exit. The officers had worked together to clear away the literal piles of bodies, carving out a path just wide enough for the convoy to pass. Dark red bloodstains and mottled streaks remained on the pavement, looking ghastly under the cover of night.
At the commander's signal, the heavy metal gate of the Parking lot slowly rolled upward, shedding rust and dust. Chief Raymond personally drove the lead vehicle at the head of the convoy, acting as the vanguard for the entire evacuation force. His headlights cut straight into the dark streets ahead, guiding the way for the vehicles following behind.
The rest of the police vehicles followed immediately. The buses carrying the surviving citizens were tucked into the middle of the convoy, serving as the primary focus of protection. The patrol car driven by Lear and a few other police cars brought up the rear, maintaining constant vigilance against any pursuit or danger that might emerge from behind.
Engines roared in unison and wheels began to turn as the massive evacuation convoy slowly pulled out of the Raccoon City Police Department gates. Outside the windows, dead streets, abandoned vehicles, and burning buildings flashed past. As he drove, Lear began to reflect.
In the original timeline, the Raccoon City police had established a shelter at the Warren Stadium. However, due to their lack of familiarity with the characteristics of the T-Virus, they allowed the Infected to slip in among them. The stadium shelter fell rapidly, and the subway station converted from the stadium followed suit, falling within a few short hours. Now, their destination was the suburban prison on the outskirts of Raccoon City. According to the plot, that location had been designated as a temporary safety zone by the U.S. military, and troops should already be stationed there. Even if they weren't, the prison's high walls would provide temporary shelter for the surviving citizens until they could find a way out of Raccoon City. Most importantly, according to a certain lackluster Resident Evil 9, the nuclear strike on Raccoon City seemingly only targeted the City Center, meaning the prison should be safe for the time being.
The convoy's progress was relatively smooth, with almost no significant obstacles along the way. Only a few scattered, wandering zombies were directly sent flying by the roaring police cars, crushed into blurred patches of flesh and blood on the ground.
However, just as the convoy was about to leave the urban area and enter the final stretch before the Raccoon City Bridge, a piercing whistle suddenly tore through the night sky.
Trailing black smoke, a rocket projectile struck with precision beneath a moving police car just ahead of Lear.
"BOOM—!"
Flames erupted into the sky as metal fragments sprayed in all directions. The entire police car was instantaneously engulfed in a violent fireball. The blast sent tremors through the surrounding buildings, and the entire convoy was forced to a dead halt.
Lear's reactions were lightning-fast. He slammed on the brakes, the tires letting out a shrill scream against the pavement. The car jerked to a stop right before the wall of fire, nearly plunging into the inferno.
He snapped his head up, looking toward the origin of the rocket.
Standing on the roof of a residential building was an unnaturally tall, hulking bald man wrapped in a heavy black leather trench coat. He slowly lowered the rocket launcher from his shoulder, his emotionless eyes coldly locking onto the convoy below.
(A Tyrant?!)
Lear's heart constricted as his mind raced. (Why was this thing appearing now? Logically, it wasn't supposed to show up until Leon and Claire were deeper into Raccoon City.)
He instinctively looked down at Sherry in the passenger seat; her face was pale with terror, her entire body trembling. (Was it after Sherry? Setting aside whether her father had already injected the G-Virus, even if he had, it should be William Birkin hunting them down.)
Lear had no time to think. The sharp whistle of a rocket cutting through the air reached his ears again—the second shot was already closing in!
Driven by instinct, he scooped up the paralyzed Sherry, kicked open the car door, and rolled out onto the roadside in a frantic scramble.
The very second they hit the ground, the rocket slammed into the police patrol car.
BOOM—!
The massive explosion flipped the entire vehicle. Roaring flames surged upward as a scorching heatwave, laden with sharp metal shards, blasted outward. Lear gritted his teeth and shielded Sherry beneath him, using his own back to absorb the impact. A shard of broken window glass grazed his left cheek, instantly carving a deep gash that exposed the bone underneath. Blood seeped out immediately.
At that moment, the walkie-talkie at his waist crackled to life. Chief Raymond's anxious, gravelly voice cut through the static: "Lear! What's your status? Respond!"
On the street, the explosion of the first police car had triggered a chain reaction among the abandoned vehicles lining the road. Serial explosions and thick smoke shrouded half the path in total chaos.
Lear panted heavily, clutching Sherry tighter as he replied in a lowered voice, "I'm okay, Chief! I saw a man on the rooftop with a rocket launcher—he's the one attacking the convoy!"
Before he could finish, another terrifying howl ripped through the night.
The Tyrant's third rocket had been fired, soaring straight toward a civilian bus in the middle of the convoy.
"BOOM—!"
Flames burst out as the bus was instantly twisted and deformed. Screams and the sound of the explosion mingled into a shrill, scalp-numbing cacophony.
"Damn it!" Lear cursed under his breath. He immediately shouted into the walkie-talkie, "Don't worry about me! Get moving now! Staying in the middle of the road makes you sitting ducks! I'll find a way to lose him!"
Chief Raymond was silent for half a second before his voice came through, heavy with resolve. "Right! You have to hold on! Once we get the citizens safely to the Jail, we'll turn back for you immediately!"
There was no time to hesitate. Under Raymond's command, the surviving convoy roared their engines once more, punching through the smoke and fire as they sped toward the Raccoon City Bridge.
Left behind were only Lear and Sherry, who clung to his hand, shivering uncontrollably.
(Translated by yourtl.app)