Chapter 81: Job Done

The gigantic B.O.W. was more than intimidating. It was terrifying. The size alone could strike dread in the heart of most people. Then there were the huge, disgusting and thick tentacles coming from its sides. Thankfully, neither Chris nor Rick were most people.They were veterans in the war against bio-terrorism and the enemy right in front of them, while worrying, didn’t paralyzed them in fear.

“Chris?! Chris, what’s going on?!”

Jill’s voice came through the BSAA’s radio on the shoulders of the three members present. It sounded panicked, she had felt the tremors and the Queen Zenobia shake. Everyone and anything on the ship had felt it. Chris’ sudden speechlessness, however, told her that there was a huge issue at hand.

Rick grabbed his radio and pushed the button to talk. “Don’t come up to the bridge. Go back to the Coast Guard boat.”

The B.O.W. raising one of its tentacles to attack the landing helicopter, drowned out Jill’s reply. The chopper, their way of getting out was squashed which resulted in a massive explosion. Another swing of a tentacle and the wreck was sent flying right into the bridge. Chris pushed Jessica down, making her scream in pain from her wounds. Rick had done the same with Raymond and just in time. The burning ruins of the chopper went through the bay window and went over their heads. It crashed against the end wall.

Rick used his axe to cut the redhead free. “Carry the bitch. Chris, go with them to the boat.” He walked to the disregarded shotgun and picked it up.

“What about you?” The former star was already on his feet, helping Jessica to get on hers.

Raymond massaged his wrists and without thinking twice went straight to the seductive traitor to carry her like a potato bag.

Rick’s lips formed a thin line. He had absolutely no idea about what to do. With a full shotgun, his pistol and his axe, there wasn’t much he could do against such a titanic monster.

“I’ll be an annoying fly.” He ended up choosing, caching a possible solution inside the wreckage. “Focused on me he won’t leave the area to who knows where and with a bit of luck the self-destruct of the ship may take it down.”

“That’s insane!” The redhead turned around, knocking Jessica’s head against the edge of the console. She let out a loud “OW” and swore up a storm but nobody cared.

Jogging to what was left of the helicopter, Rick grabbed a mini-gun through the fire. He had survived the sterilization of WilPharma institute, it wasn’t some weak flames like this that would hurt him and as expected it didn’t. He tore away the heavy weapon from its stand and checked for any damages. There were none.

“I guess that will do.” Chris was a bit dumbfunded when Rick turned around holding the mini-gun easily in a single hand. He was well aware of what Rick was from their time in Antarctica but that was seven years ago. Clearly things had changed since then.

Raymond quickly recovered from the shock. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What are you?”

Rick gave him a vague answer before jumping through the destroyed window. “The guy that allows you to live. Now go.”

As he began firing at the big monster, Chris put his hand on the redhead’s free shoulder. “Lead the way and no funny business.”

The suspected triple agent didn’t need to be told twice. He immediately jogged towards the nearest elevator. The one leading to the Promenade. Jessica protested for him to be gentler but her drama didn’t phase him nor Chris when she complained she would have prefered the latter carried her instead.

The Oozes on their way weren’t put down. Chris aimed his machine gun at their legs to bring them down and let them wiggle on the ground. He didn’t have the time to kill them for good, nor the ammunition. Getting out of the ship was a priority and incapacitating enemies was easier and more efficient.

The group crossed the Main Hall in record time to reach the Casino. Thankfully the area had remained closed and untouched by the Oozes and they stepped inside the VIP Room without issues.

When it was time to take the ladder, Chris made the decision to let Raymond go first, trusting him to not run away on his own. He was proven right to do so when he dropped Jessica through the hole into the redhead’s arms.

Soon enough they arrived at the elevator that would bring them back up to the Crew Quarters Deck. As they exited it, multiple explosions made the ship swing to all sides. Chris didn’t lose his footing but Raymond, with Jessica on his back, did. Quickly getting them up, Raymond climbed up the stairs and after going through the storage area stepped outside.

“Almost there.” The man said and pointed down at Jill and Rachel sliding down a steel cable attached to a Coast Guard boat.

Another explosion almost made him and his charge topple over the rail but Chris has been vigilant and caught them in time. They went down another set of stairs and reached the steel cable.

“Jill, we’re here. I’m sending Jessica first. She’s a mole don’t—”

“I know. We’ll tie her up. Hurry!” She was waving from the boat with urgency.

Using the strap of her knife’s holster to carry her weight, Jessica was pushed over the ship and slid the wall distance. To Chris' surprise, Rachel punched the woman without a second thought. From the way the blonde woman dragged his former partner like a ragdoll on the deck, he could tell the latter was unconscious.

Raymond went next and was welcome with a gun aimed at his face. Chris wondered how much Jill and Rachel knew about what was going on behind the scene but it was obvious they knew more than he did since they were aware of Jessica’s betrayal and possibly Raymond’s. Once they’re out of this mess, he’ll have answers to the questions he had.

Putting the strap of his machinegun over the cable, he jumped over the rail and let gravity do its job. Twenty feet to his destination, more explosions surged and the hook on the ship’s rail was detached from the shockwave. Chris’ heart went to his throat at the sudden feeling of free falling.

“CHRIS!”

Jill's shout of worry reached him but it couldn’t do much when he hit the water violently. Thankfully the fall wasn’t very high and he broke nothing in the process. Quickly swimming back up, he saw the boat making his way towards him, Jill hunched over the guard rail, arm extended. He grabbed her hand and with both their efforts, he was pulled up onto the deck.

“Where’s Rick?”

Chris was barely back on his feet that Rachel was upon him. “He stayed behind to give us time to evac’.”

Even Jill blinked when she heard that. She was faster than the blonde and spoke up first. “What do you mean? Why would he—”

Another explosion at the back of the ship made the boat rock to the side. It gave a small view of the huge B.O.W. at the front of the Queen Zenobia that both women couldn’t have seen because they had been too close.

“What the fuck?!”

Rachel skipped the shock part and went straight for Chris. “And you left him—”

“I didn’t! He chose to distract that thing so we could all go!” The heat in his voice revealed how much he hated the idea and going through with it.

Jill walked inside the cabin to go take the helm. “We’re moving! I’m not letting him blow up with the ship or fight that thing alone!”

“I agree but unless you have heavy weapons stashed somewhere, we won’t do shit with—Wait!” Chris suddenly realized something and ran inside to replace Jill. “Jessica and I came on a small raft with two mini-guns. It may not be much but it could help.”

Instead of going left, like Jill did, Chris steered the wheel to the right to go to the right side of the Queen Zenobia. The small flat boat was right there, anchored way up to the guard rail. Rachel was already boarding it and so did Jill.

To Chris’ surprise Raymond followed them and went to start the engine so both women could work the mini-guns. More and more he wondered if Rick hadn't been wrong about his assessment of the F.B.C. agent. He had been compliant and helpful so far. He hadn’t fought, he hadn’t resisted. To Chris it felt like he had been wrongfully accused and was rolling with the punches knowing he was innocent and would be proven innocent by an investigation. The only black mark was Rachel and Jill agreeing with Rick from what he was able to see.

Picking up the outcold Jessica behind him, he jumped onto the other boat. Raymond immediately departed for the front of the Ship where the fight was happening. Both ladies began to fire at the tentacles sprouting from the side of the beast to catch its attention. Looking up he saw Rick dodging a tentacle, heavy weapon in hand and firing too.

Raymond expertly piloted the ship, making sure to not go too fast that the speed would impair Jill and Rachel’s aim but also not too slow that they would get caught by one of the tentacles.

Things took a bad turn when Rick had nothing more to fire and so did Jill who shouted her status. “OUT OF AMMO!”

Soon enough Rachel was in the same situation. Neither gave up however and pulled everything else they had. From the brunette’s 9mm to the blonde’s MP5. Chris went to help with his own assault rifle.

The explosions were now more numerous and violent. With not much of a choice left, Rick ran from his position to jump overboard to get into the sea. It was the right decision to take as the ship completely blew up.

Unfortunately for everyone the destruction of the Queen Zenobia didn’t really damage the B.O.W. Worse it raised a tentacle from the sea with Rick in its clutch. He kept fighting however, using his tomahawk to cut the mass of flesh.

As the constriction became stronger and began to crush his body a rocket hit the appendage and blew it up. Rick fell to the sea and both Jill and Rachel immediately dived into it to get him back. Chris looked up to see a helicopter coming their way. The sounds of its blade having been covered up by the sound of the cruiser’s explosion.

Squinting his eyes, trying to see who was holding a RPG and shooting from the chopper, he recognized his old friend Barry Burton.

“Sorry, we’re late! We didn’t come empty handed however!”

As the helicopter lowered his altitude and Barry fired another rocket to the side of the giant which began to turn, Chris saw that Parker was piloting. Looking at Raymond he called out to him.

“Take Jessica and get on!” then turned to Barry. “Three men overboard!”

Barry tossed his RPG to Chris and grabbed something from behind him. Crouching down he attacked it to the floor and kicked it. A ladder unfolded and Raymond immediately grabbed on it after handing Jessica to Barry.

Chris aimed at the B.O.W. and fired. Not waiting to see if the projectile had it, he got on the chopper. He exchanged his empty RPG with a loaded one Raymond had in hand.

“Parker!” He called out to the pilot.

The former F.B.C. turned BSAA after the Terragrigia panic was already pulling up. “I see them! Wait! Is that Rachel?”

Barry fired another rocket that hit the creature’s carapace and didn’t do any damage. “Shit! That thing is tanking everything!"

Chris aimed at an unprotected part, the belly, while Parker flew left to avoid a tentacle. Down, Rachel grabbed the ladder while holding onto Rick. Jill did the same on the other side.

“GO!” She yelled onto her radio, hoping she’d be heard.

She was. The helicopter took some distance from the B.O.W. and both Raymond and Barry, who had discarded his RPG, used all their strength to pull up the ladder. Not an easy feat. The three hanging in the air weighed more than 400lbs. Thankfully, Rachel helped Jill secure Rick to the ladder and climbed up on her own to make it easier.

Chris shot a rocket right into the mouth of the monster, completely bypassing its hard shell and blowing its brain partly. The tentacles stopped moving and the huge body fell dead onto the sinking wreckage that was the Queen Zenobia.

Turning around to see the situation, he saw Jill breathing into Rick’s mouth while Rachel made chest compression. After three cycles, the drowned man finally reacted. He coughed sea water everywhere, emptying it from his lungs.

Rachel and Jill gave him space for him to breathe, sitting on their asses while keeping an eye on him.

Once he could breathe normally, Rick laid flat on his back and looked at Rachel. With a tired and deadpan face, he gave her a thumbsup.

“Job done.”

The blonde woman let out an exhausted and involuntary laugh before dropping on his torso in relief and exhaustion.

“Asshole.”