It was high time to flee, and Chris Redfield intended to do just that. He
was supposed to be long gone by now, with Barry in Europe. Things had just
not turned out that way though. Jill had decided to stay behind. They needed
more proof, she had explained with a smile. So sorry, ta ta, see you around
in Europe. And that was that. Nothing more to it.

Chris was frustrated by her unconcerned attitude. The news stations were
reporting on nothing but the cannibal murders and S.T.A.R.S.’s testimony.
The latter seemed to be an object of concern and fear, the latter a story of
apparent corruption and failure of the police forces. Chief Irons had blown
off what Chris had told him as a drug induced hallucination. Even when the
marksman had shown him papers that he had found proving Umbrella’s sinister
on goings, Irons hadn’t looked at them.

“Garbage,” the portly man had scowled, crushing the papers between his
beefy palms. “I don’t have time to look at this garbage, Redfield.” Swirling
in his chair, he tossed the evidence into the trash can easily. “You,
Burton, Valentine, and that Chambers girl, are all suspended without pay. I
won’t accept drug use on this squad.” Irons turned to Chris, his small,
piggy eyes glinting with malice. “And if we ever find the bodies of those
poor damn bastards, you’ll be finished for good, Redfield. You can claim
that it was ‘monsters’ that you shot up all you like. I never should have
accepted you in here, not with your shoddy air field record. Now, get out.”

Jill had resigned in disgust, but instead of leaving with Chris and Barry,
she was staying. He was worried for her, but any further arguments would
obviously be fruitless. With a scowl on his face, he he tossed the last
duffle bag into the trunk of his car, slammed the trunk and leaned against
the dusty red hood to look out upon Raccoon one last time. He had a feeling
that this was the last time he would see it has the bustling, busy, thriving
city that it was today.

“Hey -- wait up!”

Chris half turned, one hand straying to the gun that was in his holster at
day and under his pillow at night, at all times now. He wasn’t stupid enough
to think that Umbrella would leave him be now that he had gotten out of that
freakish facility alive.

It wasn’t a monster, or an assassin. It was Rebecca Chambers, jogging
towards him in her S.T.A.R.S. issue high waters and a baggy pink t-shirt
with a picture of the Earth on it. She stopped, tugged her shirt straight,
and smiled at Chris shyly.

“Bye, Becca.” Chris said with a smile. Rebecca reminded of him of Claire.
The two of them were as different as day and night, but they were around the
same age, and they both had that strength of personality that Chris admired
in his sister so much. “Take care of yourself, kid. Get another degree,
maybe go to another city, get a job there.” He grinned and ruffled her hair
playfully.

“Or maybe,” Rebecca suggested quietly. “I could come with you?” her voice
was hopeful yet hesitant, and she quickly rushed on with her words. “I won’t
be a bother, don’t worry, and I’m already packed. Besides, someone around
here has to keep you out of danger; you’re a menace to society.”

Chris raised his eyebrows for a second, then finally grinned and took her
light suitcase from her. “Yeah. Of course you can come. As long as you don’t
mind sharing a place with me and Barry, that is. You won’t have anyone
around to talk to about girl stuff. Will that be okay?”

“Yeah, well…” Rebecca broke eye contact with Chris, her smile fading
slightly. “The three of us have been through a lot together. I have more
important things to talk about than boys and stuff.”

Chris’s grin shrank as well, and he turned away from the girl to pop his
hood and toss in her light case. “I’m leaving now. You sure about this? You
won’t be able to say good bye to anyone or anything.”

“I told my parents what happened already. They think I’m doing drugs as
well, but with all the coverage of the ‘cannibal murders’ -” she did the
finger quotes around those words - “They should be able to put two and two
together, and I left them a number where they can reach me.” Rebecca gave a
small shrug. “Besides, the Police Department will be there to protect and
serve. I’m not worried about them.”

“Don’t you want to say bye to your friends?”

“Ah…” Rebecca’s cheeks flushed somewhat. “I don’t really have a lot of
friends in Raccoon. I graduated past them in high school, and in college…
well, no one was really interested in hanging out with the little kid. You
guys, S.T.A.R.S., are my friends. And that’s why I want to come with you. To
get back at Umbrella for…” her voice tripped at this part, “for the rest of
Bravo.”

“You’re welcome to come, Becca.” he said, slamming the trunk down again.
“Did you bring a gun? Your first aid supplies?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” Chris grinned again, grabbing his keys and opening the door of the
rusted old car. “Let’s go.”