......
"So you're saying the government is involved in this?" Claire asked.
"Well... maybe they are, and maybe they aren't," Allen replied.
He deliberately chose not to reveal everything.
For now, it was better if Claire didn't know the full truth.
After that, the conversation gradually faded away as they continued driving toward the R.P.D.
They were almost there.
The journey was eerily quiet.
The streets were almost empty—too empty.
Nearly half of the city's population had already been evacuated during the early stages of the outbreak, while countless others remained trapped, desperately waiting for helicopters to extract them.
In the distance, military helicopters belonging to the federal forces hovered above the city, their rotors cutting through the rain-soaked air.
Soldiers were being deployed onto rooftops and open streets, escorting civilians toward temporary evacuation zones.
Powerful spotlights swept through the darkness, briefly illuminating ruined buildings, abandoned vehicles, and the occasional shambling figure wandering the streets below.
The sight only made the situation feel heavier.
For the first time since entering the city, Claire truly began to grasp the scale of the disaster unfolding around her.
This wasn't some isolated incident.
Raccoon City was becoming a war zone.
"Allen…" Claire finally spoke, her voice low but firm as her fingers tightened around the revolver resting in her lap.
"Can you tell me what's really happening here?"
She asked because she barely recognized this place anymore. The Raccoon City she remembered and the one she was seeing now felt like two completely different worlds.
Allen glanced at her briefly before returning his eyes to the road.
His expression remained calm—but serious, far more serious than before.
"It's a long story, and the short version is that everyone in this city is being evacuated," he said after a moment. "But for now, the less you know, the better."
Claire frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"This whole thing involves a very large corporation," Allen continued, his tone steady but cold. "And they don't like loose ends. People who know too much tend to disappear—permanently."
Claire felt a chill crawl up her spine.
"I don't want to risk your safety," Allen added. "If they find out you know the truth, they won't hesitate to come after you. Killing witnesses is easier than cleaning up a scandal."
The rain intensified, drumming against the windshield as the city loomed closer around them.
Claire looked down at her revolver before turning her gaze back toward Allen.
She didn't like the answer.
But she could tell he wasn't lying.
"…Fine," she said quietly. "But if things get worse, you promise you'll tell me."
Allen didn't answer immediately.
After a brief pause, he gave a single nod.
"I promise."
Not long after, they finally arrived near the R.P.D.
The area had been heavily fortified. Police vehicles, temporary barricades, and armed officers occupied much of the surrounding streets as emergency personnel worked tirelessly amid the growing crisis.
Allen parked the car and stepped out.
Claire followed close behind.
Together, they made their way toward the barricaded checkpoint, preparing to enter the restricted zone.
But suddenly—
From behind them, a truck came speeding out of nowhere, completely out of control, heading straight toward them.
"Claire, move!" Allen shouted.
Claire spun around just in time to see the truck barreling toward them. Her heart skipped a beat as she instinctively leapt aside, narrowly avoiding the impact.
The truck slammed into their car.
The collision sent the vehicle flipping violently before it erupted into a massive explosion. Flames and debris were thrown into the air, followed by a deafening blast that echoed through the empty streets.
Claire hit the ground hard.
Her ears rang as she slowly pushed herself up, her vision blurry from the shockwave. Smoke and fire filled the air as she looked toward the wreckage of the car, panic gripping her chest.
"Allen! Allen!" she screamed desperately. "Are you okay?!"
Not far away, Allen groaned as he regained consciousness. The explosion had thrown him several meters across the street. Before he could even fully stand up, a zombie staggered toward him from behind.
Without hesitation, Allen turned and drove his knife straight into the creature's head, dropping it instantly.
"I'm fine, Claire!" he shouted back. "How about you?!"
Hearing his voice from the other side of the chaos made Claire's legs feel weak with relief.
"I'm okay!" she replied, though her voice trembled slightly.
Still, she looked around anxiously. The explosion and wreckage had separated them, and thick flames now blocked the direct path between them.
"Good," Allen called out. "Stay where you are. I'll get to you."
Allen had no intention of staying separated from her—not now, not here. Ignoring the heat and the burning debris, he broke into a sprint, heading straight for the damaged wall near the barricade.
With a powerful leap, he vaulted over it, clearing several meters in a single motion and passing straight over the flames raging below.
Claire watched the entire thing in stunned silence.
"…Whoa."
Her face flushed red as she stared at him, genuinely impressed by what she had just seen. Her heart raced—not from fear this time, but from something far more familiar.
Thankfully, the darkness of the night hid her expression.
And luckily for her, Allen didn't notice at all.
Allen moved closer to Claire and carefully checked her condition, his expression tense but controlled.
"Are you really okay, Claire?" he asked softly as he looked her over. "You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"
"I'm fine, Allen," Claire replied, shaking her head. "Besides, Chris always made me exercise. He trained me in some basic self-defense moves."
Claire looked genuinely happy seeing Allen worry about her like this. The way he paid attention to her, even in a situation this dangerous, made her heart feel strangely warm despite the chaos surrounding them.
Hearing her answer, Allen smiled faintly in relief.
"Alright, that's good to hear. If you're okay, then we should keep moving."
He glanced around cautiously as the distant groans grew louder. The noise from the explosion had begun to attract several zombies, their silhouettes slowly emerging from the darkness, drawn toward them by instinct alone.
They moved quickly into a narrow alley that led toward the R.P.D.
"This way," Allen said. "We just need to go through this street to reach the R.P.D."
As they advanced, several zombies staggered into their path. Allen raised his weapon and fired without hesitation.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Each shot echoed through the alley as the infected bodies collapsed to the ground, but more of them continued to fill the streets ahead.
"Hmmm… it looks like things are getting worse," Allen muttered, scanning the surroundings as the number of zombies steadily increased, flooding the roads and closing in from multiple directions.
They rushed through a metal gate and quickly shut it behind them. Allen locked it immediately, preventing the zombies from following as their hands slammed against the bars from the other side.
Moments later, the sound of rotors thundered overhead.
Six transport helicopters bearing the Umbrella logo flew above them. Inside, large containment tubes were visible, each one seemingly carrying Tyrant units—T-103 models and even Nemesis—being deployed toward the northern area of the city.
It was a clear sign that the situation in Raccoon City was far worse than it appeared—and that the time he could remain in this city was rapidly running out.
They entered the R.P.D., and the atmosphere inside was eerily quiet.
"Allen… where did everyone go?" Clair asked.
Allen glanced around the empty hall, unsettled by the silence. Earlier that morning, there had still been several people inside.
"They might— Claire, watch out!"
Allen lunged forward and pulled Claire into his arms just as a Licker leapt toward her. The creature missed its prey and slammed violently into a desk and the floor, the impact echoing loudly through the hall.
Suddenly—
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Gunshots rang out from the other side of the room.
The shooters revealed themselves to be Svetlana and Ada, both firing at the Licker with precise movements. It seemed they had been waiting for Allen inside the R.P.D.
Claire looked toward them, still held firmly in Allen's arms.
"Darling," Ada said as she approached, firing another shot at the Licker as it tried to move again, "how long are you planning to keep holding that woman?"
Clair immediately felt embarrassed and stepped out of Allen's embrace. She kept her eyes on the two women for a moment, then looked back at Allen, clearly expecting an explanation.
"Hey, sweetheart. Oh—let me introduce her," Allen said. "This is Claire Redfield, a friend of mine from school. She's Chris's younger sister. Claire, these are Ada Wong and Svetlana Belikova. They're both my women."
"Ohhh, so she's your school friend," Ada said. She smiled warmly and shook Claire's hand. "Nice to meet you, Miss Redfield. Just call me Ada."
Svetlana did the same, offering a faint smile as she greeted her. "You can call me Svetlana."
"Ah, it's nice to meet you both," Claire replied politely. "You can call me Claire to."
Allen cut in, glancing around the empty hall. "Oh, right—by the way, sweetheart, where did everyone else go? Why is this place so quiet now?" he asked Ada and Svetlana.
"The others already left to evacuate civilians to a safer location," Svetlana replied. "Not long after you went out, this place suddenly turned into chaos. Marvin was forced to order everyone to be moved somewhere more secure."
"I see… and what about the other girls?" Allen asked. "Are they all okay?"
"They're fine," Svetlana said calmly. "Right now, they're waiting for you at the apartment. They've already prepared everything and are ready to leave the city. We should head there soon so we can get out of Raccoon City as quickly as possible."
Allen then looked toward Claire. "Alright. We'll leave—but only after Claire finishes what she needs to do first," he said firmly. There was no way he was going to leave her alone in a place like this.
Hearing that made Claire feel relieved, even a little happy.
"We should check the room that used to belong to S.T.A.R.S," Allen continued. "There's a chance Chris left something behind there."
"Okay… thanks, Allen," Claire said sincerely. She was genuinely glad he wasn't abandoning her here, especially since with Allen's help, it would be much easier to find out where Chris had really gone.
Ada and Svetlana didn't say anything. They simply watched quietly and followed them at a relaxed pace.
The S.T.A.R.S office wasn't far from Chief Brian's room. Allen stepped inside and looked around the once-luxurious office. While searching, he found a garage access key card.
"Well, this might come in handy later," Allen muttered, slipping the key card into his pocket.
He then moved toward the room where Claire was standing and saw her holding a note—one clearly written by Chris himself. The note explained that Chris planned to go to Europe to investigate Umbrella through its overseas branch. Staying in Raccoon City had become too dangerous, since they were already being watched, and gathering evidence about Umbrella's involvement in biological weapons there would put everyone at serious risk.
Clutching the note, Claire looked up as Allen walked in. "So, Claire… did you find anything?" Allen asked.
Claire held the note tightly in her hand.
"Yeah… I found a note," she said. "Chris wrote that he went to Europe. He's investigating Umbrella's branch over there, trying to gather evidence about their biological weapons."
Allen just glanced at the note, "Well, I told you," he said casually. "Chris is in Europe."
Claire lowered her gaze, guilt clearly written on her face.
"I'm sorry. I thought you were lying to me. I thought you just wanted me to leave the city as soon as possible."
"It's fine," Allen replied without hesitation. "But if you really want to apologize, you can treat me to a meal sometime."
Claire looked up, surprised for a second, then smiled. "Sure. Deal."
"Good," Allen said. "Then we should get out of this city."
Before anyone could move, Allen's phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and frowned slightly at the unfamiliar number.
"Hello? Who is this?" he asked.
A tense, hurried voice came through the line.
"Allen, it's Brian. I need your help. Can you come to the orphanage? I need antivirus—now."
Allen paused, his expression unreadable.
"Hm… alright," he said calmly. "Wait there. I'll be on my way."
The call ended.
Allen slowly lowered the phone. He didn't look worried—if anything, his calm felt unsettling.
He wasn't particularly concerned about Brian's safety.
But there was one thing he needed to confirm.
I should check it myself, he thought.
And make sure that man is truly dead this time.
He turned back toward Claire, while Ada and Svetlana remained silent behind him, watching closely.
"Looks like we have one last stop before we leave the city," Allen said.
Outside, the distant echoes of gunfire and inhuman screams reminded them that Raccoon City was already beyond saving.