Even if someone is still alive, they have to face the endless tide of zombies.
Gunfire roared through Tall Oaks, punctuated by the screams of survivors.
Eddie finally drifted in on a Helicopter and looked down in surprise; he'd only fooled around for a short while—how had the place turned into another Raccoon City?
Chapter 606: Queen of Balls Helena's Predicament
The university below was cloaked in smoke; as the pale-purple haze thinned, the scene revealed was a living hell.
Ravenous zombies chased down the living, and masses of unknown mutations had appeared.
"Leon, are you guys reliving Raccoon City?" Eddie asked over the radio from the Helicopter.
Leon, escorting Benford toward the rooftop, brightened at the voice. "Eddie, I'm on the route to Building One. Get the President out; the place was hit by an unknown gas—everyone's turned into zombies."
"I'll patch you through to the outside units; my bird can't carry you," Eddie refused. No one could change his rule—his private craft was strictly women-only.
Leon was stunned; he hadn't expected Eddie to snub the highest leader of the Federation. "Did you mishear me?"
"I heard you fine. Survive first, then we'll talk. Anyone capable of hitting this place already knows who you are, yet they still attacked—figure it out." Eddie said no more.
When he reached the outside commanders, they hesitated only a moment before holding position.
Simmons's order was to stay put for five hours, then go in for rescue—while detaining every escapee from Tall Oaks for quarantine to stop the virus spreading.
Yet Tall Oaks still held large numbers of Family members and relatives; it was a gathering place for the clan.
Every member of the Family got the news at once, demanding the National Guard go in to save their kin.
Bring them out alive or bring out the bodies; if the Guard stayed idle on the perimeter they might as well drop dead.
Under pressure from the Senator, the commander dispatched a 200-man unit, using Tanks to punch through.
A Helicopter in the sky could be shot down by hidden Lickers with Rocket Launchers; only a ground advance was safe.
Eddie hovered above Building One; a large group was calling for help below.
Nearly thirty people—rescuing them all would be a heavy load.
If Claire were here she might have gone soft-hearted, but Claire wasn't here.
As punishment for her soft-heartedness she was recuperating on Goddess Island, pregnant with her second child and about to become a mother again.
"Eddie, get the President out first; I'll find a way for the rest," Leon called as Eddie reached the rooftop.
A rope dropped from the Helicopter; Eddie tied up Benford. "Hang on for twenty minutes and you're out—just a bit uncomfortable in that position."
"I'm fine, but why aren't the outside troops coming in?" Benford asked, a bad feeling growing.
"They take orders from Simmons. I've told them; whether they move is up to them. Leon, you and Benford get clear—my wife Alexia will give you a ride." Eddie lit a cigarette; behind him Jessica, Lisa, and Hilda, three rival bodyguards, stood together.
"What about you? What are you going to do?" Leon asked; as a protection agent, his duty was the leader's safety.
"I'm going after Helena. I promised Deborah I'd get her out. You leave first, call in an armed team, then come back. This virus is nasty—these survivors won't last long; your task is tougher." Eddie blew smoke rings, utterly casual.
"All right. Thanks—I'll be back." Leon secured himself to avoid being flung off the rope.
On the aircraft Alexia and Alex exchanged glances; they knew their husband was about to show off. "How boring—let's go play Mah-jong; that's fun."
"Tee-hee, leaving hubby all alone?" Rebecca giggled, sounding a bit worried.
"Don't worry. Even if the whole world dies, he'll live on just fine—you know what your husband can do." Alexia wasn't concerned; as his wife, she could read Eddie's intentions with a single twitch.
"I'm not worried; I just don't want him to be lonely." Rebecca smiled. Sweet-faced Rebecca hardly looked as though she had a grown daughter—she could easily pass for a girl who'd never given birth.
The Helicopter left. Eddie picked up a stick. "If you want to live, leave a distress signal here, then find a room to hide in. This place isn't safe."
"Who the hell do you think you are, ordering us around when you're not even taking us with you?" A burly white man stepped up and jabbed a finger at Eddie.
A flying, mutated Plaga zombie snatched the man away the next second and tore into his flesh mid-air.
His screams echoed across the sky before fading around the corner of the building; the man was as good as dead.
Eddie paid no heed. He looked around. "I'm not giving orders; do as you please. If you've lost your love, gone bankrupt, or simply want to die, I won't stop you."
Leaving the survivors gaping at one another, Eddie pushed open the rooftop stairwell door and walked down.
On the middle landing, Helena and other agents were barricading the door with furniture to keep the zombies out.
Eddie came down the stairs just in time to smash a unique Pupa Virus Licker that had been about to ambush Helena.
"Eddie! What are you doing here?" Helena's face lit up with unmistakable joy at the sight of him.
"I'm here to get you out. Benford's already left. Take my plane and you can leave too. If Leon can talk the National Guard outside around, we might still get rescued." Eddie flicked his cigarette away with a shrug.
Helena watched him, utterly captivated by his nonchalant swagger—this was a real man.
"I found out there's a church up north; something's hidden there," an agent suddenly said—the turncoat Patricio himself.
Chapter 607: Whose Family Gets Kidnapped This Time?
"How could anything happen near the church? We haven't received a single report!" Helena demanded. Her sister was perfectly safe; even if Simmons tried to use that bond against her, he had no leverage now.
Patricio's eyes flickered. "The President had me investigate. Missing-person figures across the Federation have spiked; we suspect bioweapons research. I tracked leads to Tall Oaks, and just as I got a fix, we were attacked."
Eddie could tell the man was lying but saw no reason to expose him; whatever Patricio did was none of his business.
Helena frowned, unsure whether to pull out or keep searching. With the President safe, she was no longer accused of assassination.
"Let's move first; this place isn't safe. A chopper might come to the roof—or it might not. Too many terrorists are loose in the city," Eddie warned.
"Aren't they afraid of the gas attack?" Helena asked in puzzlement.
"They used the virus to modify themselves—why would they fear it? Come on; we'll find a way out once the gas clears." Eddie took the lead.
They reached a multimedia classroom, picking up plenty of food from the cafeteria on the way.
They could hide in the sealed room, grab a bite, have a drink, and wait for the gas to disperse.
Helena frowned. "Eddie, you seem to know a lot about this new virus."
The remark made the other agent guards pay attention; they weren't suspicious, merely cautious—after all, the man was a doctor of virology.
"We ran into this virus in the Middle East while they were testing it. Thanks to your Federation's so-called Super-Soldier Serum—trying to build stronger, more adaptable troops—they cooked up this mess. One day that madness will destroy the world." Eddie gave a cold laugh.
No one could argue; the disaster stemmed from reckless science, and the Federation had to shoulder the blame.
Patricio's face twisted, as if conscience were gnawing at him.