The workshop lights flickered as the heavy door groaned shut behind the stranger. Their breath was ragged, and blood seeped through their fingers as they clutched their side. Wesker could see the torn remnants of expedition gear—a deep blue jumpsuit, scratched and dirtied, marked with a faction insignia too tattered to identify.

  Garrick grabbed a rag from the workbench and tossed it to them. "You’re bleeding all over my floor."

  The stranger pressed the rag against their wound, barely acknowledging the remark. Instead, their frantic gaze locked onto Wesker. “You need to hide. Now.”

  Wesker’s heart pounded. “What? Why—”

  BOOM!

  The street outside exploded in flashing red lights, and the low hum of power armor thrusters sent vibrations through the ground. The sound of boots—heavy, deliberate, and far too many—closed in fast.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Garrick cursed under his breath. “Hell no. You brought CorpSec to my shop?”

  The stranger tried to push themselves up but stumbled, their strength failing. “Not CorpSec,” they gasped. “Worse.”

  Wesker didn’t wait to find out what worse meant. He rushed to the front window and pulled the blinds apart just enough to get a look outside.

  His stomach twisted.

  Through the neon haze of the streetlights, five armored figures stalked toward the shop. Their exosuits gleamed with sleek, high-grade plating—nothing like the standard-issue security forces. These weren’t officers. They were hunters.

  “Shit.” Wesker turned back to Garrick. “We need to move.”

  But Garrick was already ahead of him, wrenching open a hidden hatch in the floor. “Get in.”

  The stranger hesitated. “If they find you helping me—”

  “We don’t have time for debates, kid,” Garrick snapped. “Get your ass in there, or we all die.”

  A second explosion rocked the street. Dust and debris rattled from the ceiling. The shop’s door handle glowed red—something on the other side was heating it up, preparing to melt straight through.

  Wesker grabbed the stranger and shoved them toward the hatch. “Move!”

  As they dropped into the hidden tunnel, the last thing Wesker saw before pulling the hatch closed was the door bursting inward—

  And the thing stepping inside was not human.