Resident Evil: Phoenix by Red Hope

Chapter 17

"Where are we landing?" K-Mart checked with the clone. She moved the headset's microphone closer to her mouth and waited for Casey.

Casey was concentrating on finding the location that Claire had recommended to her on the sectional. She glanced again at the sectional clipped on her kneeboard. She studied the ground about twelve hundred feet below them.

"We're about seventy-five miles from the city," Casey explained. "You see that lake just ahead?"

K-Mart peered over the dash and spotted the lake. She gave a nod.

"That's Lake Austin." Casey slowed the helicopter once they were over the lake. She found a nice location to land alongside the lake.

K-Mart didn't say anything else and allowed the clone to focus on landing the helicopter. She held her breath as the altimeter rapidly dropped then slowed at the last twenty feet. She braced herself for a harsh landing but was surprised when it was softer than prior ones.

Casey glanced over at the human, who had tense shoulders. She grinned and teased, "No confidence in my skill."

K-Mart chuckled and argued, "I can't do it." She curiously watched how Casey easily shut down the helicopter's engines then switched off the electrical system.

Casey unbuckled herself and went directly to the sliding door. "I want to check the area." She saw K-Mart swing her shot gun on her back. "You stay here." She hopped out after she opened the door. "Fire a gun if you have problems."

"Got it." K-Mart exited the V-22 next and glanced about the surrounding area, which was growing dark rather quickly. "What about a campfire?"

Casey faltered from hurrying off and explained, "Wait until I get back." She planned to get the wood while she was gone. She didn't want K-Mart straying far from the helicopter. She freed a Glock and rushed off. She didn't want to waste the last daylight.

K-Mart stepped away from the helicopter and realized how much cooler it was compared to earlier this afternoon. She let out a content sigh then looked around again. She wandered closer to the lake and was surprised by the water in it. Most likely the lake was connected to the ocean somehow. Like other survivors, K-Mart had noticed many inland lakes and rivers were drying up. The rare times that it rained the dried waterways would refill for awhile until the cycle started again.

K-Mart brushed her hair aside that'd moved in front of her face. She returned to the helicopter's side and stood near the doorway. She considered whether to find at flashlight because it was getting pretty dark. She didn't have night vision like Casey or Alice, but a glance to the east told her that a nearly full moon would keep them company tonight.

It was almost fifteen minutes before Casey returned and with an arm load of wood that she'd collected too. She dumped it a few yards from the helicopter then set about properly organizing it. "K-Mart, can you get the satchel that has the camping supplies?"

K-Mart nodded, entered the still warm helicopter, and went to the supplies. She rummaged through it until she found the camping supplies. Hurriedly, she returned to Casey's side.

Casey peered up at the human and gratefully took the satchel. She pulled down on the drawstring's clamp and opened the mouth of the satchel. She picked through the items until she found the lighter and small lighter fluid container that'd help get the wood burning. She quickly had the campfire started and knew that K-Mart would need the warmth soon.

"Do you really think they can take down that facility?" K-Mart asked. She was seated on the other side of the large satchel.

Casey sighed and recalled the team's plans that Alice told her last night. "It's doable."

"How did Alice destroy the Tokyo facility?" K-Mart hadn't hear the details and curiously looked from the growing fire to the clone.

Casey was on her knees and kept an eye on the flames to make sure it was burning right. "She had a few friends help her."

K-Mart gave a dubious look and argued, "Alice acts like she doesn't have a single friend in this world… before or after the T-virus."

Casey chuckled and agreed that Alice mainly kept to herself ever since she lost her immediate family. She shrugged and looked at the human. "She found a few in an unexpected way."

K-Mart narrowed her eyes at the clone. "Come on, Casey."

Casey grinned at the human's persistence. "How about I tell you over dinner?" She couldn't let K-Mart go hungry, especially after the lunch didn't stay down.

"Alright," K-Mart relented. She got up again and went into the Osprey by herself. She switched on an overhead light then started hunting for something half decent that she could eat tonight. She prayed there was something else other than canned beans.

"You see my pack?" Casey asked directly behind the human.

"Casey!" K-Mart snapped and covered her racing heart after another surprise. "Why the Hell do you have to do that?" She turned her angry glare onto the clone off her left shoulder.

Casey cringed and touched the human's lower back in apology. "Sorry. It's just habit." She made a mental note to actually carry a footstep around the human. She was use to the other clones and Alice constantly detecting her presence thanks to their link.

K-Mart sighed and loosened up after snapping at the older woman. She studied the supplies and asked, "What's your pack look like?"

Casey shifted to the human's side and reached into the pile. "It's this one." She wiggled it out then looked at K-Mart. "Find anything good to eat?"

"I really can't see that well," K-Mart admitted.

"Come on." Casey took the satchel from the human and guided her outside to the building fire. She and K-Mart sat down and decided on a chicken soup dinner that would probably settle better. K-Mart was amazed to find a small loaf of bread at the top that most likely came from the Arcadia.

Casey hadn't expected the refresh bread herself and studied it for a moment. "Where'd this come from?"

"There are supplies on the Arcadia," K-Mart explained. "A lot of frozen meats as well."

Casey was amazed. There were foods that she only knew of from Alice's memory, but she certainly hadn't tasted them herself. There were a few meals in the Nevada facility that survivors would have killed to eat, but that was due to Umbrella's stash in the facility.

K-Mart couldn't wait to try the bread, which at one time had been a human staple. However, canned foods had become a staple for humans since farms and cattle were gone. The only problem was that canned foods were not indefinite.

Casey helped the human prepare the small meal. She wasn't really hungry yet planned to eat with K-Mart out of tradition. Shortly they were having a hot bowl of soup and sharing the white, thick bread that'd come from the Arcadia.

"I'd die for butter," K-Mart commented.

Casey chuckled and stirred her soup. "What food do you miss the most?"

K-Mart toyed with her spoon then fished out a chunk of chicken meat. "I loved chicken, a lot." She was eating slow tonight because she wanted to savior it. "I think I really miss scrambled eggs with cheese." She gazed over at the clone, who glowed in the warm firelight. "Breakfast was my favorite meal."

"It's the most important," Casey reminded. She returned to her soup.

K-Mart softly hummed then considered their luck tonight with the soup and bread. "I wonder where all the frozen meats and stuff came from?" She peered across at the clone. "I mean does Umbrella really have such a supply? And enough to load such a volume onto the Arcadia?"

"Yes." Casey understood Umbrella's logistics, supplies, and abilities both before and after the T-virus outbreak. "But even their supply isn't endless."

K-Mart shook her head and quietly ate her soup. She considered Claire's idea about going to Hawaii and what the possibilities were for the survivors. K-Mart looked forward to hopefully starting over in Hawaii. It was a warmer option than Alaska.

Casey broke the looming silence and fulfilled her promise to K-Mart. She explained to K-Mart how Alice accomplished taking down the Tokyo facility. K-Mart hadn't expected the news that there'd been other clones. She couldn't imagine how they differentiated each other or how they greeted each other by name, if they had names. K-Mart was awed by Casey's story about the attack on the Tokyo facility and later how Casey survived the blast.

After dinner and cleaning up their few dishes, Casey returned the food satchel to the helicopter and retrieved a sleeping bag and blanket for K-Mart. She wasn't sure if K-Mart would really sleep tonight knowing that Claire and Alice were headed right to Umbrella. But she thought it was worth tempting K-Mart. Casey set the sleeping bag near the fire and left the blanket on top. She returned to her seat beside the quiet human and studied her.

K-Mart had her legs propped up, and she stared at the flames tangling together among the firewood. She let out a sigh and looked at the curious twin.

"Can I show you something?" Casey quietly asked.

K-Mart nodded and curiously watched Casey bring her pack between them.

"Where's your sword?"

K-Mart twisted to her right and produced the sheathed weapon.

"Take it out," Casey instructed.

K-Mart realized she was about to be schooled on caring for the sword. She unsheathed it then set the scarab off to her right. She held it out to Casey, but it was pushed back into her lap.

"It should be cleaned about once a week," Casey instructed. "And sharpened at least once a week… but that really depends on how often you use it."

K-Mart's eyebrows hiked up then a laugh bubbled to the surface. "Use it?" She lifted the sword slightly and informed, "I don't know how to use it."

Casey grinned and promised, "You will… soon." She already had plans to show K-Mart how to fight with a sword. But that wouldn't be until after they were done the mission. For now, it'd be enough for K-Mart to learn how to care for the old weapon. "Come on." She'd gathered a handful of items and directed K-Mart around the fire to a large, smooth stone that protruded from the ground. "Sit down."

K-Mart did so and waited for the next instruction. She wasn't sure what to expect and merely gripped the weapon tightly.

Casey set down a few items on the ground and only kept a stone in her right hand. She then went behind K-Mart and leaned over her. "You're right handed?"

"Yea," the human murmured.

"Prop up your left leg then point the sword blade downward," Casey instructed. But she had to adjust the human's grip on the hilt better. "Move your hand here." She moved K-Mart's clenched hand until it rested on the inside of K-Mart's left knee. "There."

K-Mart cleared her throat and stayed focused on the task rather than Casey's warm touches. She peered around and whispered, "Now what?" She hoped nothing was given away in her tone. However, she began to wonder if Casey, like Alice, could sense changes in humans.

Casey raised her right hand in answer. "This is a sharpening stone… or a whetstone." She placed it in K-Mart's right hand. "All you have to do is run it down the blade at a precise angle. You do this several times on both sides then it'll stay fairly sharp for you."

K-Mart nodded but furrowed her brow at the clone. "What's the precise angle?" She felt Casey's front side brush against her back, and she struggled against not leaning into Casey.

"It depends," Casey started, "on how sharp you want it. Certain angles give a different type of edge." She took K-Mart's right hand and adjusted the whetstone in her hand. She brought the stone against the blade near the top. "This is a thirty degree angle and will give you a more lasting edge." She canted her head and watched K-Mart's focused expression. "You usually see that type of edge with working tools… like chisels."

"Alright." K-Mart filed it away then guessed at the next angle. "A twenty degree angle?"

Casey grinned then adjusted their linked hands to the new angle. "That's a tough edge and more for chopping purposes."

"Hatchets and axes," K-Mart summarized.

Casey nodded then adjusted to the last angle. "A knife angle is between ten to fifteen degrees… it gives the very sharp edge."

K-Mart shook her head and argued, "But this isn't a knife."

"No." Casey's grin returned after the human's keen observation. "You want to stay between a twenty to thirty degree angle… really a thirty degree angle is typical." She released K-Mart's hand and pointed at the tip of the blade. "Along here, you can sharpen it at a twenty degree angle to give it a sharper point."

K-Mart nodded now that she understood the different angles. She had an idea on how to use the whetstone, but she didn't want to damage the weapon. "So how do you…"

Casey understood what the human was asking so she took K-Mart's hand again. "Start here at the correct angle." She then guided K-Mart's hand down the blade with the stone. "You want smooth strokes." She repeated it several times with K-Mart until she sensed that it was becoming natural to K-Mart. She removed her hand on the fourteenth attempt and watched the whetstone go down perfectly. "You have to do it for each edge and on both sides."

"That's a lot of work," K-mart joked.

Casey smirked and replied, "You can see why they invented guns." She halted K-Mart's next stroke because she didn't want the blade to get damaged. "Before you do anymore, you need to oil the blade." She retrieved the stone then collected a worn cloth that had a special bottle of oil. "Just put some oil on the rag then wipe the blade down really well."

K-Mart did so and made sure to get both sides. She looked at the cloth and was surprised by the amount of dirt and grime that came off. She set the cloth down by the oil jar then reclaimed the whetstone.

"Sharpen the edges for awhile then I'll show you the other whetstone," Casey promised.

"Another whetstone?" K-Mart twisted around and stared wide eye at the clone. "Are you joking?"

Casey laughed and shifted away from the human. "No." She plucked the lighter colored whetstone from the ground and showed it. "It's for finer sharpening and polishing too." She set it down then become serious. "I'm going to run the perimeter. I won't be long." She was already moving out of the camp.

"Be careful," K-Mart called to the clone. She couldn't see or hear Casey anymore so she returned to her task. She became rather engrossed in it and never heard Casey return despite Casey made sure to enter within K-Mart's view.

Casey softly smiled at the human's sole focus to return the six inch sword to its former glory. She decided to take care of her sais and went to her satchel. She dug out another oil rag and quickly polished each prong then the main truncheon. She checked over the leather wrap on each handle to make sure they were still in good shape.

After maintaining her sais, Casey took the sword's aged scarab and modified it for K-Mart's use. She'd noticed that K-Mart was wearing a belt, which would be quite useful. She also inspected the leather and oiled it down. The previous owner seemed to have better knowledge about the scarab than the actual sword.

K-Mart held up the sword after deciding she'd done enough. She called Casey over, and they inspected it together. Casey was satisfied and retrieved the finer whetstone and showed K-Mart how much oil to put on it. Together, they carefully polished and further sharpened the blade until it was shining at them. K-Mart was impressed by its renewed life.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Casey whispered. She admired the civil war era weapon that'd probably pierced a few bodies, but she knew it wasn't a primary weapon for a soldier in those days.

K-Mart turned the blade over a few times and was surprised it'd cleaned so well. She peered up at Casey and offered a smile. "Thank you for showing me."

Casey returned the smile and squeezed the human's shoulder. "You're welcome." She then held up the scarab. "Stand up for me and undo your belt." She wait until K-Mart nearly had the belt off then she threaded the belt through the sheath's makeshift hook. She helped K-Mart put the belt back on and was happy it worked out so well.

K-Mart sheathed the blade and found it locked in place fairly well. She adjusted the sheath slightly on her belt and found it in the perfect spot. "Now… I just need to figure out how to use it."

Casey grinned and looked up from the sheathed sword. "I'll show you. But learning how to maintain it is just as important as using it."

K-Mart nodded then peered up at the clone. "Thanks, Casey."

"No problem," Casey softly replied. She collected her oil, rag, and whetstones but would make sure to get K-Mart a set later. She straightened up and suggested, "You should get some rest soon."

"Do you need any sleep?" K-Mart sat back down on the stone seat.

"Only three to four hours," Casey informed. She walked around K-Mart and started back to her satchel.

"A night?" K-mart checked.

Casey turned around and grinned. "A week." Her grin grew wider at K-Mart's shocked look. She went to her satchel and put the items away.

K-Mart contently sighed and stared at the campfire. Her thoughts were on Claire and Alice. She estimated they'd be at the junction to the facility or at least close to it. She could only image what the team really had to go through to accomplish what they set out to do. She wondered exactly how Jill Valentine felt about it too.

Casey had found her journal in the pack, but she didn't write in it yet. She gazed over at the quiet human, who was staring off into the fire. She drummed her fingers on the leather journal's cover then set it down. She stood up and the duster fell around her. Casey approached K-Mart and blocked her view of the campfire.

K-Mart tilted her head back and focused on Casey's serious face. She slightly leaned back when Casey squatted down in front of her.

"It doesn't do any good to think about what's happening," Casey warned. "They're down there, and we're up here." She placed her hand against K-Mart's knee. "You need some sleep because tomorrow… anything could happen."

K-Mart agreed that despite the plans something would probably go wrong. It was just the law of averages and also their damn luck anymore. "I know." She considered whether she could really sleep and an idea came to mind. She pulled out the iPod still in her front pocket and held it out to Casey. "Maybe you'll need this tonight?"

Casey once again pushed the iPod away and argued, "I need to hear everything." She stood up. "It'll help you sleep actually."

K-Mart turned the mp3 player around in her hands then gazed up at the older woman. "How in the world did you keep this thing charged anyway?"

Casey held up her index finger and gave a smirk. "Excellent question." She reached into her duster's right pocket and produced a green, square object. She gave it to K-Mart and explained, "Solar charger."

K-Mart found the hook up for the iPod and was impressed. She hit a small button that lit up green lights like a bar.

"It's fully charged." Casey accepted the charger from the human. She slipped it into her pocket.

"Smart," K-mart complimented.

"Just one of my many great qualities," Casey huskily stated. She enjoyed the faint flush on the human's cheeks that appeared darker thanks to the campfire. She couldn't control her wick streak surfacing so she bent down over K-Mart until their faces were inches apart. "I'll let you think about what… the others are."

K-Mart was stiff and heart beating in her ears when Casey entered her space. She felt every word Casey spoke, and it caused a warm burn under her skin. She nervously gripped the stone in her hand and couldn't think about what to do or say.

Casey sensed the human's apprehension and came back to herself. She tried softening the tense moment by lightly pressing her lips across K-Mart's cheek. She then warmly suggested, "Get some sleep, K." She quickly withdrew and gave the ridged human her needed space.

K-Mart let out a breath after Casey suddenly vanished. She blinked twice and realized there was a tender burn on her cheek. Now she recalled that Casey had actually kissed her there. K-Mart inhaled deeply then cautiously slid off the stone. She didn't dare look at Casey and continued gripping the iPod for dear life.

Casey was already sitting down by her bag and was working on the journal. From the corner of her eye, she minded K-Mart's movements and hoped that the rattled human would calm down. She hadn't expected K-Mart to shut down so instantly, but Casey should have been mindful to K-Mart's age. She suspected K-Mart didn't have much experience when it came to things like flirting or even romantic relationships.

K-Mart crawled into the sleeping bag after folding up the blanket into a makeshift pillow. She kept her boots on but put one Glock, the shotgun, and the sword within arm's reach. She tucked the second Glock under the blanket like Claire had always done. K-Mart put in a single earbud from the headphones and started the mp3 player. She welcomed the music's distraction once she settled in the sleeping bag. K-Mart wasn't ready to think about what just happened between her and Casey.

Half an hour passed before K-Mart fell asleep with the music still playing in one ear. She had the other ear out for any noises or Casey's voice. She slept rather lightly due to her worries about the team. But she only slept for a few hours before Casey gently woke her up.

"K-Mart," Casey softly called again. She was knelt beside the human. She pulled her hand away when K-Mart sharply got up. "It's okay… we're fine."

K-Mart sighed in relief then sunk back down. She hastily removed the earbud and better focused on the clone.

"I need to do a perimeter check," Casey explained. "I didn't want to leave you here sleeping."

K-Mart nodded her understanding then started dissecting herself from the sleeping bag.

"It's going to take me a bit longer," Casey revealed. "I really want to check things since it's dark." She glanced at the moon, which was almost overhead.

K-Mart still didn't say anything since she was getting her gear back on. She shivered against the night chill but knew the campfire would warm her again. She tightened her belt after getting it back on with the sword. Lastly, she collected her Glocks and shoved them in her waistband then picked up the shotgun.

"You'll be alright?" Casey could tell K-Mart was still out of it.

"Yeah," K-Mart murmured. She wiped her face in hopes to get rid of her sleepiness. "I'll wait up for you."

Casey lightly touched K-Mart's arm but didn't say anything and hurried off so that she could get done sooner.

K-Mart went over to the stone and sat down in the same spot. She blinked a few times and finally worked the sleep away. Yet a yawn broke free. K-Mart rubbed her face then decided to fix her hair. She pulled out the hair tie then combed her hair a few times with her fingers. She twisted it back into a bun and used her hair tie to hold it in place.

K-Mart lifted her legs and propped her feet against the side of the stone. She folded her arms over her knees and leaned her body forward. She hoped that Casey wouldn't be much longer because she didn't like being alone. She glanced over her shoulder after a distant sound caught her ear. But it was too faint for K-Mart to really discern what it was other than maybe a small animal. The crickets' music was constant enough and the only comforting sound other than the campfire's crackle.

K-Mart looked at the helicopter and noted that Casey left on one light in the cargo bay. She imagined it was only one so that the battery wouldn't die out, but they could still see if they went into it. She furrowed her eyebrows at the sliding door being ajar until she realized that Casey's pack was gone. She figured that Casey must have taken it in and forgot to shut the door.

After gathering some energy, K-Mart slipped off the rock and decided to go shut the helicopter's door. She come up to the door yet went still instead of grabbing the handle. She had a perplex look from a sound not far behind her. K-Mart's heart quickened in fear, but she forced her body to turn and faced what caused her hairs to stand up.

K-Mart stared directly at the undead creature only a few yards away. She almost became paralyzed until he came running for her. K-Mart cried out and ripped a handgun from her waistband.

The undead was advanced than many others. His tentacle mouth whipped open and omitted a low growl. His wet stench filled the air and made the human's stomach twist in revulsion.

K-Mart flicked the safety off and pulled the trigger at the last second. She shot him perfectly in the head and had to jump back when he landed at her feet. She noted his wet, tattered clothes and realized he'd probably come from the lake. For good measure, she shot him in the back of the head then looked up. She scanned for more undead because they rarely worked alone.

From the shoreline, soft yet mushy footsteps started coming towards the camp. There were only a few at first but then more added to it.

K-Mart backed away from the helicopter and aimed the gun towards the lake. Slowly her eyes adjusted to the moonlight, and she took in the reflecting undead that were walking ashore. "Oh my god," she breathed in fear. She counted at least eight and there could be more. She grabbed her second Glock then furiously cried out, "Casey!" She started firing on the undead that immediately ran for her.

The undead continued rising out of the murky lake like a black wave. They all had tentacle mouths that they displayed once they found the lone human. Several of them fell at the start until they gained numbers and began pressing closer to the shooting human.

K-Mart back stepped again and shot another undead before he jumped on her. She was almost out of bullets and didn't have time to reload with a new magazine. She fired her last bullets and prayed for an extra bullet in the cartridge, but her guns fired air. "Shit," she cursed and locked eyes with an undead a few feet in front of her.

The undead seemed to realize it too and that she was going for the shotgun. He launched at her in hopes to get her face with his tentacles. But his leap was short lived when a sharp objected pierced his skull and threw him against the helicopter. He slumped on the ground in a bleeding pool.

K-Mart had her shotgun at the ready and knew she'd been too late. She jerked her head to the right and was relieved to see Casey. She glanced at the sai still protruding out of the undead's skull and silently thanked Casey for her skill and accuracy.

Casey was firing on the undead that came near K-Mart. She aimed her right gun at the undead that grabbed for her from the side. She shot him in the forehead. She noted his wet clothes and realized they'd come from the lake. She silently cursed because the goddamn undead were getting smarter. They knew that Casey wouldn't be able to smell them since they were underwater. Casey cussed at their well planned sneak attack, but she hurried to K-Mart's side.

K-Mart had gain enough time to sling her shotgun back on her shoulder and reload her handguns. She helped Casey hold off the horde of undead. "They came from the lake," she hollered over the shooting and growls.

"I know!" Casey kicked an undead in the stomach then shot him in the head. "We need to go."

K-Mart didn't argue, but she glanced at her sleeping bag, which still had the iPod on it. "Cover me."

Casey was shocked that the human was so foolish to return to the camp. "K-Mart!" she hollered in fear.

K-Mart ignored the clone's call and instead pressed forward until she made it to the sleeping bag. She scooped up the mp3 player in triumphant but once she stood up, she came eye to eye with an undead. She grounded her teeth and prepared for a fight.

Casey growled in frustration because she couldn't take a shot with K-Mart in front of the undead. "K-Mart!" she called and erratically searched for a way to protect the human.

K-Mart dropped down when the creature's tentacles came for her head. She snared the sleeping bag with her left hand and popped up with it. She swiftly tossed the bag over the undead and blocked both his mouth and eyes. What she didn't expect was the fire's flames roaring to life and suddenly came at the undead like a bird spreading its wings. K-Mart stumbled away but glanced at Casey, who was focused on controlling the flames.

The undead cried out when the fire engulfed the sleeping bag then scorched him. He fought to get free, but it was too late and the flames swallowed him.

K-Mart realized how focused Casey was on controlling the fire that she didn't see the undead nearing her. K-Mart retrieved her Glock and ran to Casey while firing on the undead. She shoved the iPod in her back pocket and grabbed her other handgun.

Casey released the flames after dragging the undead into the entire fire. She sunk down in exhaustion but bitterly looked up at the undead mob. Slowly her eyes returned to normal, and she forced herself to get up.

K-Mart stood next to Casey and shot any undead that made an attack. She was focused on keeping them at bay so that Casey could recover.

Slowly Casey rose and held both guns in hand this time. "Get in the goddamn chopper, K-Mart," she harshly ordered.

K-Mart fired a few more rounds despite she heard Casey quite clearly. She was slightly shaken when an explosion erupted and sent the wave of undead flying back into the lake like ragdolls. She instantly looked at the clone, who had dilated eyes again.

"Now!" Casey yelled at the stubborn human.

K-Mart unfroze her legs and hurried to the helicopter door. She forced it open wider and jumped into it. She blinked a few time until her eyes adjusted to the low light. She hurried to the dark cockpit but a low growl made her stumble backwards. She raised her guns at the undead that was blanketed by the darkness. But fast tentacles stole her guns, and they clanked on the metal floor in the cockpit.

"Shit," K-Mart yelled. She backed away and was forced to jump to her left when the undead attacked her. But she slipped on a small puddle of water in the cargo bay and slammed into the rows of seats. She groaned in pain. She sunk down into a chair but focused on the advanced undead that rushed for her. She sat up and reached behind for her shotgun with her left hand. K-Mart screamed when two of the undead's tentacles wrapped around her wrist. She couldn't move her left arm at all.

The undead snarled and growled that she almost had the human. Her wet clothes created a pool of water where she towered over K-Mart. She shot out her other two tentacles for the human's face, but the human ducked out of the way. The undead growled in protest and made another attempt.

K-Mart fought against the tentacles on her left wrist, but she wasn't strong enough. She didn't know how many more lucky chances she had before her face was going to be suctioned by the undead. But the reassuring weight on her left hip reminded her of a last ditch effort to get free. K-Mart grabbed the sword's hilt and extracted the renewed blade.

The undead faltered upon seeing the glinting blade under the dim light. She roared in protest when the sharp blade cut through two of her tentacles. She cried out with her bloody face pointed at the ceiling.

K-Mart swore the undead's roar was louder until she realized it was Casey using her psionic blast again. She refocused on her enemy that lunged at her, but she'd wasted time by thinking about Casey. The undead had K-Mart's arms locked down, and its face close to hers.

The undead was stronger than the human and was starting to prevail. She had an iron grip on the human's sword hand so that the blade didn't get her. She pressed forward and inhaled the human's strong blood. She roared in excitement and opened her mouth wider.

K-Mart cried out because she knew it was impossible to win. But a rush of adrenaline fueled her last attempt, and her left fist slammed into the undead's temple. K-Mart's victory was worthless as the undead's mouth latched onto her left arm. A painful wail erupted from K-Mart and grew louder. All she felt was immense fire flare in her arm then her skin and muscle were torn off. She elicited a few whimpers, but her anger came to life at being bitten. K-Mart slammed her knees repeatedly into the creature's chest and tore it free from her arm.

K-Mart screamed in rage and tears burned behind her eyes but didn't cloud her vision. She struck again and again at the undead's head hoping to break its skull. But it wasn't giving up and started for K-Mart's neck. K-Mart gritted her teeth when the tentacles caressed her cheek in haunting temptation.

The undead snarled and pushed up with her legs to get to the human's skin. Her tongue brushed across the human's moist skin and mixed with the blood she'd already sampled. She thrusted forward with her mouth wide open and knew she'd taste the blood again. But a sharp object slammed into the back of her head and poked out through the bridge of her nose. Dark blood oozed down a pointed end and crept onto the undead's nose. She softly groaned in protest then slumped against her meal.

K-Mart gave another cry then furiously shoved the lifeless undead off her body. She dropped her sword but slammed her boot's heel into the creature's bleeding skull. Her cries of rage shifted into sobs until strong hands were all over her.

"K-Mart, K-Mart," Casey hastily repeated. "Stop, K-Mart!" She barely subdued the chaotic human. "It's dead," she swore.

K-Mart dug her nails into Casey's shoulders and breathed, "And so am I!"

Casey was briefly caught off guard until she realized what K-Mart meant. She harshly stilled the human's wild movements and demanded, "You were bitten?" She listened to K-Mart's continued sobs. She frantically searched for the bite mark and followed the blood to K-Mart's arm. "No, no… god no," she whispered. Her own upset was clearly on her face. "This isn't your blood," she harshly insisted.

K-Mart shook her head and looked at the bloody gape in her arm. Her reddened eyes from the crying centered on Casey. She was breathing hard and couldn't think clearly.

Casey was knelt down and inspected the wound. There was no doubt that K-Mart had been bitten by the undead and the infection starting the process. "No," she murmured in a choked voice. But her upset thoughts were derailed by the booming around the helicopter. Casey cleared her mind and stated, "We have to go." She didn't want to leave K-Mart with the dead creature so she scooped up K-Mart.

K-Mart didn't make any protest and clung onto the clone, who took her to the cockpit. She was carefully lowered into the copilot seat.

Casey hopped into the pilot seat then ripped the checklist off the dash. She slightly jumped when an undead slammed into the side window. But she knew the windows were bullet proof and definitely wouldn't let the creature in. "Fucking bastards," she snarled at them. She hastily started the rotorcraft in record time.

K-Mart slumped in the seat and bitterly stared at the undead that tried getting into the helicopter. She wished she could kill them all despite it didn't change her pending future. She shut her eyes when the engines roared to life. Within seconds, she felt the aircraft lift off the ground and leave the protesting undead below.

Casey didn't bother turning on the navigation lights, too worried they'd be spotted faster. She kept the helicopter leveled and hastily adjusted the heading indicator to match the overhead compass. She checked the altitude and hoped it was close enough.

K-Mart dropped her head against the chair and refused to acknowledge the bite mark. She shut her eyes and grounded her teeth to hold down her emotions.

Casey wasn't sure where to go, and her racing mind wasn't helping. She started flying north for a minute but slowed the helicopter and allowed it to hover two thousand feet above the ground. She looked at K-Mart and thought over their options.

K-Mart swallowed hard and met the clone's lost stare. "We have to wait for them," she reminded the clone.

Casey started shaking her head and brought her attention to K-Mart. "You're going to die by then."

"I'm going to die regardless," K-Mart sharply reminded Casey.

"No… no." Casey continued moving her head in disagreement. "We can-"

"Go where?" K-Mart hotly fought, and tears rolled down her cheeks. "There's no help for us." She placed her hand over her chest. "We are the cavalry for the team." She angrily wiped her tears away and harshly stated, "There are no other options."

Casey snapped out of her thoughts and sharply yelled, "There are always options!"

K-Mart wanted to believe it, but she knew otherwise and whispered, "Not this time." She was forcing herself to accept what the infection would do to her.

But Casey refused to accept K-Mart's fate. She needed to move around so she could clear her head. She hastily put the V-22 into autopilot then forced it to remain hovering in its current position. She jumped out of the seat and entered the cargo bay. Her heavy boot steps boomed throughout the helicopter.

K-Mart dropped her head on the chair then looked down at her injured arm. She reached over with her right hand and gingerly touched the wound, but she hissed in pain. "Fuck," she whispered. She struggled against fresh tears.

Casey nearly ripped off the cargo door when she slid it open. She stomped over to the creature, yanked her sai out of the skull, and grabbed the dead creature by its ankle. She dragged it to the door and left a black blood trail across the cargo bay. She took some satisfaction in kicking it out. But it did nothing to truly calm her anger about what happened to K-Mart. Casey slammed and locked the door then hurried to the supplies. She dug out a medical kit and returned to the injured human.

K-Mart saw what Casey had in hand and argued, "That won't stop it."

"I know that," Casey hotly chewed off. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She set the kit down on the pilot's seat then knelt down near K-Mart. "The bleeding has to be slowed." She picked through the contents and decided to clean the wound despite nothing would kill the infection.

K-Mart relented and allowed Casey to tend to her wound. She watched how careful Casey was with it despite the searing heat that enflamed her arm. She fought not to think about death and whether or not she'd be aware of becoming an undead. Claire had told her that the undead didn't have any higher brain function, and their body merely moved from the T-virus. They were like puppets and being shot in the head cut the strings.

"Casey, you shouldn't be wasting…" K-Mart lost her words when bright green eyes lifted to her. She faltered but bravely suggested, "You should be using your gun."

Casey flexed her already aching jaw from all the stress. She was staring coldly at the wound, which wouldn't stop bubbling up dark blood. She found that caring for the wound gave her a moment to gather her thoughts. She hoarsely whispered, "Claire has a dose of antivirus."

K-Mart held her breath but the quick math dashed her hopes. "They won't make it out soon enough." She recalled that the virus could take between a few hours to nearly twenty-four hours, but it varied from human to human. "Casey, just shoot me now."

Casey had finished tying off a wrap around the injury. She jerked her hands away and snapped, "I won't shoot you." She stood up, grabbed the medical kit, and zipped it up roughly then returned it to the supply bag. Her duster snapped behind as if mimicking her rage.

K-Mart kept shaking her head and fought down the tears. She licked her dry lips then forced herself to sit up, yet the pain was nearly unbearable.

Casey jumped into the seat and didn't bother buckling up. She grabbed the nearest sectional chart and opened it up. She could gauge where she needed to go, but first she grabbed the plotter and estimated a location she had in mind.

K-Mart was breathing slightly harder than normal. She wished her heart would slow down to normal again. She looked at what Casey was doing and realized Casey was plotting a course. "Where are we going?"

"To somebody that can help you," Casey murmured. She was fast and soon had the heading for the destination. She prayed she would be able to see something outside despite there was only the full moon. The old sectional charts relied on city and town lights to determine where a pilot was located in the skies. But today it was different, and they only had the nearly full moon on their side.

K-Mart was confused and fought, "We have to stay and wait for the team."

Casey tossed the plotter into the dash and reclipped the sectional on the kneeboard. "The team can wait for us."

K-Mart was in disbelief and grabbed the clone's nearest arm despite the pain it caused her. "We can't let them die in that explosion."

Casey had the controls in her hands, but she hadn't turned off the autopilot. She sharply turned her head to the human. "And I can't let you die."

K-Mart dropped her hand thanks to the pain. She shut her eyes after Casey's words.

"Not when I can do something about it," Casey whispered.

K-Mart looked at Casey and read the guilt deeper in Casey's eyes. She should have been more careful when she entered the helicopter, but she hadn't been smart about it. K-Mart rolled her head away and gave up fighting with Casey about what was important.

Casey switched off the overhead light and shut down the autopilot. She wrapped her hands around the stick then glanced at the infected human. "There's no point to this mission if good people die." She increased the throttle and turned the helicopter to the north-west.

K-Mart stared out the side window and struggled with her racing thoughts. She swallowed against the forming lump then softly asked, "Who can help me?"

Casey was focused on changing the rotorcraft over to airplane configuration. She didn't respond until all the procedures were done. She finally answered, "The White Queen." She flicked two switches overhead then glanced at the heading indicator. She was thankful there was barely any wind tonight.

K-Mart jogged her groggy mind then looked at the clone. "You mean the AI?"

"Yes." Casey glanced at K-Mart but focused on her flying. She scanned the instruments until she came to the dead GPS. She bitterly cursed Alice for destroying it as Claire told her. Despite Casey sympathized with their choices, it would have done her a world of good and made their journey a lot easier.

K-Mart realized exactly where Casey was taking her. She had brief memory flashes of a fenced in facility surrounded by hundreds of undead. It was the last time she saw Alice before they took off in a helicopter bound for Alaska.

"Vegas is real far," the human murmured. She didn't know exactly where the Nevada facility was located, but she knew it was close to Las Vegas. K-Mart turned her head to Casey.

"It's about twelve hundred miles," Casey stated. She peered down at the airspeed indicator and estimated what their ground speed was right now. "I'll get you there in about four hours."

K-Mart realized she could turn by then. "Casey, I could-"

"Don't say it," Casey cut off. She let out a strained breath and wished her tone wasn't so cutting, but she'd made her choice to go to Nevada. "It's just after ten now so we'll get there at two. I'll leave you with Janus and the White Queen then fly back here to get the team."

K-Mart did the calculations and whispered, "It's too close." She studied the waves of stress flowing off the clone. "We can't do this… it's too risky."

Casey didn't want to hear anymore arguments. She flexed her grip on the stick and ignored K-Mart's comment.

"You're going to sacrifice their lives for mine?" K-Mart fought.

"I am sacrificing yours if I don't try!"

K-Mart jerked in the seat from Casey's ferocity. She looked away and didn't want Casey to see her upset. She choked down a small sob.

Casey angrily ran her fingers through her blond locks. She sent an unspoken apology to K-Mart for her harshness. She wasn't use to dealing with her emotions around humans. She'd seen plenty of humans die, and she hadn't cared about them. They were mindless soldiers that worked for Umbrella. But Casey had formed a relationship with K-Mart and rather enjoyed what they shared so far. Now it was about to become meaningless all because of the T-virus.

K-Mart glanced at the wrapped wound. Her blood had almost soaked the gauze and probably would continue to bleed. She bit her bottom lip and recalled how Carlos had been bitten in about the same spot. She bitterly shook her head and looked outside. She'd been stupid to think she could have helped on the mission.

"Alice was right," K-Mart sullenly muttered.

Casey broke from her long thoughts and looked at the human. She replayed what K-Mart had said and became confused. "Right about what?"

K-Mart didn't look at the clone but repeated what Alice told her. "I should be careful what I wish for."

Casey wasn't sure how to reply and fought not to punch something. She struggled staying focused on her flying but firmly stated, "The White Queen has the antivirus. We'll get you there, get it in your system, and I'll fly back to Houston while you heal." She needed it to work out that way. "Everything will be fine."

But even to K-Mart's ears it sounded quite hollow. Casey wasn't factoring in the amount of time the infection would be in her system nor the fact that the undead that bit K-Mart was an advanced undead. Nobody exactly understood what made them advanced, if not perhaps a different strand of the T-virus. If that were the case, then nobody could be sure whether or not the antivirus would work against the altered T-virus.

Casey took a few more breaths then was able to focus on the flight. After twenty minutes, she glanced at K-Mart, who had dozed off. She stole the open chance and touched the human's brow, which was damp and hot. She softly cursed and knew the virus was fighting against K-Mart's immune system. Casey prayed that K-Mart had blood stronger than the average human. Despite to Casey's nose K-Mart's blood was strong, that didn't mean the chemistry was right.

K-Mart slept almost the entire flight to Nevada. She only stirred awake when Casey changed the airplane back into a rotorcraft. She painfully shifted in the chair and found her body incredibly stiff. She couldn't feel her left hand even though her fingers still moved like normal. She didn't say anything to Casey and instead looked up from the bleeding wound.

"Are we there?"

"Almost," Casey confirmed. She was hunting for the facility, which would be easy to pick out once she saw it. There was nothing else like it in the middle of the desert.

K-Mart leaned to her right and started coughing. She made it through the spell, but her chest was now wheezing.

Casey heard the knowing symptoms. "Come on," she growled and continued scanning the empty desert. She caught the moon reflecting off metal slightly to the north. Her hopes lifted as she hurried the aircraft. She let out a relieved breath once the lone building in the fencing came into view.

K-Mart felt the helicopter hastily descending to the earth. She rolled her head away and watched the silver ground come up. She shut her eyes and waited until it was time to move. She started slipping into unconsciousness until Casey lifted her from the chair.

"Stay with me, K-Mart," Casey ordered. She'd already shut off the engines and opened the cargo door. She adjusted K-Mart in her arms then raced out of the helicopter. She inhaled the clean, cool night air but made a mad dash to the shack in front of them.

K-Mart slightly tightened her good arm around Casey's shoulders. She furrowed her eyebrows and quietly mentioned, "The undead are gone."

Casey barely heard the human, but the observation wasn't important to them right now. She kicked open the front door then noted the empty table in front of them. She shifted to her right and gently urged, "K-Mart, I need your help. Can you lift the small flap on that keypad?"

K-Mart shook off the dazed sensation and focused on what Casey was talking about on the wall. She stretched out her arm and was able to flip the cover up.

"The code is two six nine one," Casey informed the human.

K-Mart opened and closed her mouth once then tempted, "Two." She furrowed her eyebrows and struggled to get the first button. "Six…" She barely hit the number six. She watched as the backlit keypad became blurry. "Nine…"

"Come on… it's nine," Casey reminded.

K-Mart's breathing became ragged with panic. "I can't… I can't read the numbers." She was obviously scared now because the virus was taking over.

Casey barely remained calm and explained, "It's just like a phone keypad. One two and three are on the first row."

K-Mart caught onto the clone's explanation, and she hastily hit the number nine then number one out of mere habit. Behind her, she faintly made out the sounds of metal grinding against metal. She felt exhausted and slumped against the warmth around her.

Casey jumped onto the elevator and slammed the down button with her elbow. "K-Mart." She shifted the human in her arms. She received a weak moan back. "K-Mart!"

K-Mart vaguely heard Casey's cry, but it was rather distant. She could only clench Casey's duster in a weak reply.

Casey peered up and saw how deep the elevator had traveled so far. "Can't this go any faster!" Her voice echoed up the shaft. Even though the elevator was rather speedy, it seemed to crawl now. Finally the elevator hitched then the sealed door slowly drew open.

Casey rushed off the platform and nearly yelled for her twin. However, she was caught off guard by seeing her mirror image standing before her. "Janus," she breathed in relief. But her eyes flickered to the two strangers on either side of Janus. One stranger's face quickly became familiar, and Casey sucked in a breath. Casey sharply looked at the other stranger's face, who jogged Casey's memories about the Hive. She didn't have a name, but she knew the face from the Hive.

Janus was wearing a simple black shirt and holey jeans. She sharply looked from the injured human to Casey and worriedly stated, "She's infected." The T-virus was strong under Janus's nose.

Casey's eyes cut from the two humans behind Janus. She clenched her jaw and demanded, "She needs the antivirus."

Janus gingerly touched the infected human then shook her head. "It's too late." She peered up at Casey and read all the emotions deep in Casey. "She's starting to turn."

"She'll contaminate this facility," a familiar voice stated. She took a step back but looked at Janus. "We need to get her out of here."

"I need the antivirus!" Casey yelled at them.

Janus fisted her hands and realized what she may have to do to protect the facility, research, and two humans. Her right hand slipped behind her back. "Casey, you know-"

"Don't, Janus," Casey fairly warned. "Her blood is strong!"

"You don't know that," Janus hotly whispered. She freed a handgun from her waistband. "You're jeopardizing everything we've worked for."

Casey was shaking her head and bared her teeth at her twin. "No."

"Don't do this," Janus advised this time. She flicked off the safety behind her back.

The other female human behind Janus saw the handgun in the low light. She wore a white robe that fluttered when she stepped forward. She held out her hand towards Janus, but her words hung in her throat.

"Give her the antivirus!" Casey yelled at Janus. She predicted Janus's next move and dropped down just before the shot rang out.

"Wait!" The robed human hastily latched onto Janus's arm and halted her next attempt. "Please stop!" She found Janus's head turned to her, and she pleaded, "There may be a way."

Casey stood back up and looked at the familiar, robed woman. "She needs help."

Janus glanced once at the infected human in Casey's arms. She felt every ounce of Casey's desperation to save the girl. She growled and jerked her arm free. "You better put on a goddamn suit now!" Her eyes burned at the robed human, but she looked at Casey and ordered, "Get her to the medical lab and tie her down."

Casey nodded but urged, "Help me."

Janus put her gun away then directed her twin into the facility. She saw that the two humans were already racing off. "Who is she and what happened?"

"Long story," Casey replied. "But she's one of the survivors from Claire Redfield's convoy."

Janus raised a thin eyebrow and glanced at the girl. "I don't know what Doctor Green has in mind, but it better work or I will shoot her, Casey."

Casey accepted the clone's oath and understood how dangerous it was to bring K-Mart into the facility. She hastened to the medical lab and entered a sterile room where a clean bed waited. She lowered K-Mart onto it and discovered K-Mart still clung to her duster. She clutched the burning hand and tried freeing herself, but was surprised by K-Mart's grip.

"Casey," K-Mart weakly called.

Janus was getting the straps setup. She faltered at hearing the human's voice and was surprised she wasn't unconscious. Maybe Casey wasn't that far off about the girl having a strong blood.

"I'm here," Casey assured the infected human. She didn't move and was actually pulled down by K-Mart. She lowered her head close to K-Mart's face and held tightly to the white bed. "You'll be okay, K-Mart." She prayed her promise was true.

K-Mart wanted to return the soft kiss to Casey's cheek, but she couldn't move her neck. She only had her lips so she softly whispered, "My real name is Dahlia."

Casey went still and wasn't sure if she actually heard K-Mart. Her ears were far more sensitive than any human's, but K-Mart's words had been nearly inaudible to her. She lifted her head some and stroked K-Mart's cheek that she'd only kissed hours ago. She reached down and took K-Mart's good hand from her duster. "Ssssh… just relax, K-Mart." She couldn't hide all her emotions or the quake in her voice. She glanced at Janus, who was strapping K-Mart's legs.

Janus had K-Mart lashed down except for her one arm due to Casey holding hands. She looked up from the infected human when Doctor Green entered the lab in a fully protected suit. She didn't like this, but she trusted the doctor's judgment.

"I'll need help," Doctor Green informed the two clones. She wore a full white suit that reminded Casey of Umbrella scientists. But she noted the well-recognized Umbrella logos were blacked on the helmet and suit's chest.

"What you need?" Janus prompted first.

"Her blood needs to be tested," Doctor Green ticked off. "I have to know her blood type." She then looked at Casey after Janus set to work. "And she needs to be tied down fully, Casey."

Casey shut her eyes, but she freed her hand from K-Mart's grip. She straightened up and hastily lashed K-Mart's free arm.

"Get that bandage off," the doctor commanded. "Hurry too." She was moving about hastily in the room and preparing different types of equipment.

Janus had already drawn blood from K-Mart's good arm. She was testing it to determine the blood type.

Casey tossed the infected bandage into a biohazard container.

"Cut off her shirt, Casey." Doctor Green handed the clone a pair of scissors.

Casey wiped her duster's sleeve over her face then went to work on K-Mart's shirt.

"Her blood is AB," Janus reported from the opposite side of the room. She ran her finger down the chart and added, "Positive."

"Thank God," the doctor murmured. She didn't think she'd have that kind of luck, but it made her job slightly easier. "Casey, I need you to either clean up or get out." She couldn't have any possible germs getting into K-Mart's blood stream.

Casey wasn't annoyed and understood the doctor's demand. She moved away from the bed and deposited the bloody shirt into the biohazard container. She hastily removed her duster, dropped it, and went to the nearby sink so she could wash up.

"Janus, can you get two doses of the antivirus?" Doctor Green was inspecting the ugly bite mark on the K-Mart's left arm.

Janus was on her way out of the lab and broke into a sprint to the special containment room for the antivirus. She breezed past the only other human in the facility, but didn't spare her a glance because time was running out.

Doctor Green drew a waist high table over to the bed and claimed a scalpel off it. With steady hands, she quickly cut open the wound so it bled more freely. She started widening her cut so that she dug into the clean skin.

K-Mart jerked against the restraints from the pain in her arm. She gave a low cry.

Casey hastily returned and saw what was happening to K-Mart. She fought not to stop the doctor from inflicting more pain on K-Mart.

The doctor detected the clone's upset and explained, "The wound has to be reopened." She glanced at the unit off to her right. "Bring that here, quickly."

Casey wheeled the odd IV therapy over to the doctor. "Do you need a needle?"

"Yes, a sixteen gauge," Doctor Green replied. She received the hypodermic needle then carefully slipped the point into the central spot of the wound. She then hooked the needle to the evacuation tubing and switched on a pump. She grabbed a small roll of tape and started sticking the clear tubing to the girl's pale skin.

Casey watched how the machine pumped out K-Mart's blood and deposited it in one of three bags in the tubing system. She neared the first bag that was slowly filling up and realized just how dark it was compare to normal human blood. Casey gingerly touched the bag, and her bonded blood was instantly excited by the infected blood in the bag.

"You're extracting the blood out of her," Casey summarized in surprise. She lowered the bag and looked at the doctor, who was now on the other side of the lab.

Doctor Green didn't respond because Janus arrived with the antivirus. "Put those into needles, Janus."

The clone went to the nearest counter and careful set the vials down. She grabbed two needle guns and prepared to transfer the antivirus to them.

Doctor Green retrieved filled blood bags from a cool draw near Janus. She put four onto a moving table and pushed it over to an IV machine. She setup the IV therapy and hooked up a first bag. "Casey, I need another needle but eighteen gauge."

Casey searched through the sterile needles until she found the right size on the tool table. She went around the bed and handed it to the doctor.

Doctor Green received the needle and searched K-Mart's left arm for a good vein. She picked out one and first wiped it clean. She gently pushed the needle into the vein and taped it down. But this time she didn't start the IV therapy and instead went back to the left arm. She observed the infected blood filling the bag.

Casey joined the doctor and asked, "Is this going to really work?"

Doctor Green couldn't see Casey that well due to the helmet blocking her view. But she touched the filling bag with her gloved hand. "It's a theory I've had since the Hive." She faced the clone and explained, "The first Doctor Green never had a chance to test it in the laboratory." She looked at the infected girl and added, "I just hope she's right."

Casey was only confused for a moment until everything made sense to her. She hadn't stepped into an odd universe, but instead the real Doctor Green and real Doctor Addison were both cloned since Casey's departure from the Nevada facility. She suspected that the White Queen had done it to so that the research could be furthered at a fast pace. She held down her questions for later.

Janus joined the pair with the antivirus loaded in two needles. "Here."

Doctor Green took the needles and placed them on the table. She then observed her patient's current state. She saw the darkness under the girl's eyes, the pale skin, and the wound was inky black with thin lines spreading out.

"Janus, stand by the IV." Doctor Green turned to the evacuation pump and increased the speed. "I want you to start it so that the blood feeds down the line, but shut it off before the blood enters her system."

Janus nodded and primed the IV. She watched the scarlet blood hurry down the tube, but its trip was cut short by the IV going off. "Alright it's set." She looked over at the doctor.

Casey looked from the IV needle to the evacuating needle in the ugly bite mark. "She's already lost a lot of blood."

Doctor Green shook her head and kept watching the wound. "If we feed the clean blood in too soon then it'll just get contaminated too."

Casey fisted her hands and argued, "If she loses anymore blood then she'll die." K-Mart's breathes were already too shallow for her liking.

Doctor Green glanced at Janus, who was ready to flick the IV on any heartbeat. She focused back on the wound and to her amazement the black lines around the wound were receding. She noted that the second bag was nearly full.

"Her organs are going to start shutting down," Casey fought. Her panic was returning, and she didn't see how the wound was actually improving each second.

Doctor Green heard the clone, but stayed focused on her job. She caught a very faint color change in the blood being evacuated from the patient's arm. "Turn it on, Janus."

Casey let out a breath when the IV started pushing the clean blood into K-Mart's vein. She touched her forehead but looked at the infected blood still filling the second bag. Then the infected blood poured into the third bag at the top of the rack. Casey now noticed how the blood was a shade lighter and getting lighter.

Doctor Green retrieved a needle of antivirus and decided where to inject it. At first she almost put it near the wound itself, but she decided against it and instead went to the right arm. She concluded that if she injected it opposite of the wound then the antivirus would be forced to travel through the patient's entire system rather than be immediately evacuated at the wound.

Janus shifted out of the way and watched the doctor inject the blue serum into the human's vein near the IV needle. She lifted her head and studied Casey, who was trying to stay in control. Janus recognized what was going on with her twin yet planned to ask later.

Doctor Green returned the spent needle to the medical tool table. She looked at Casey and suggested, "You should go rest… or at least sit down."

Casey considered it but looked at K-Mart, whose coloring was improving some.

"We can only wait it out," the doctor informed Casey.

Janus quietly came around and touched her twin's bare arm. "Come on." She led Casey out of the lab and into the quiet hallway. "You need to tell me what's happened." That last she knew of Casey was that she'd left with Alice to destroy the Tokyo headquarters. She certainly didn't expect Casey to arrive in an Umbrella V-22 with only an infected human from Claire Redfield's convoy. There were a lot of missing pieces.

Casey stepped away from her twin and mentioned, "I have to go." The team popped into her mind and the promise she'd made to K-Mart that she'd go back for them.

Janus grabbed her twin's wrist and insisted, "You have to sit down." She read Casey's stubbornness. "You can spare a few minutes, Casey."

Casey wasn't sure if that was true so she glanced at the digital watch hooked to her belt loop. She read that it was two forty-three in the morning. She had to leave by three o'clock even though the winds would be on the V-22's tail.

"Please, Casey," Janus tried again.

Casey faltered then nodded at her twin's plea. She owed Janus this much after everything Janus risked for her.

Janus released the other clone then made their way to the small mess hall. She figured a hot drink would sooth Casey's jumpiness so that they could talk better. She had dozens and dozens of questions, but she wasn't sure she'd have all the answers tonight. Whatever happened was fairly serious by how Casey was so rattled tonight. Janus frowned at all the possibilities that came to mind, but she wasn't totally prepared for what Casey would tell her.

Continued.