Walking Dead: Unlock the Umbrella Corporation Hive Begins with Hunting Chapter 108 108: 108 Bunos Chapter

Wu Fan leaned back in his chair, staring at the nas displayed on the screen.

Alpha Team.

HUNK.

Miguel.

Kirkpatrick.

Derek.

Luke.

Goblin Six.

Nighthawk.

He knew these nas all too well.

The Grim Reapers of Umbrella.

The legendary special operations squad from Resident Evil—the elite team that supposedly left no witnesses alive.

His finger hovered over the confirmation button.

For a brief mont, he hesitated.

Then he pressed it.

[Alpha Team: Redeeming... 100,000 points consud.]

[Remaining Points: 334,720.]

Without pausing, he opened the next nu.

Bravo Team.

Lupo.

Vector.

Bertha.

Ghost.

Four-Eyes.

Beltway.

Six mbers.

Another 100,000 points.

Two teams.

Two hundred thousand points gone in an instant.

Wu Fan gritted his teeth and hit confirm.

[Bravo Team: Redeeming... 100,000 points consud.]

[Remaining Points: 234,720.]

Scrolling further down, he selected another option.

UCRD Security Force.

Sixty personnel.

Sixty thousand points.

They weren't elite soldiers, but they were better trained than ordinary survivors.

Most importantly, they ca in numbers.

He pressed confirm.

[UCRD Security Force: Redeeming... 60,000 points consud.]

[Remaining Points: 174,720.]

The control panel vanished.

Wu Fan lit a cigarette.

The cloning facilities required protection.

The bioweapons laboratories required protection.

The Hive itself required protection.

Although the Red Queen monitored everything, Wu Fan still preferred having an extra layer of security.

He trusted neither rcenaries nor ordinary recruits with his secrets.

The Hive's entire security force would be replaced with clones.

Guillermo's police force and the external guards had already been reassigned to surface duties.

Only clones were truly reliable.

They wouldn't betray him.

Wouldn't ask questions.

Wouldn't grow curious.

And they certainly wouldn't sneak into laboratories to steal samples in the middle of the night.

The events of Resident Evil were proof enough of what happened when security failed.

Wu Fan flicked ash into a nearby tray and stared out the window at the darkness beyond.

Twenty-four hours from now, those clones would erge from their incubation chambers.

They would stand before him and await their first orders.

They would beco Umbrella's sharpest blade.

And its strongest shield.

The wind swept across the prison yard.

The rope on the flagpole snapped loudly against the tal pole.

Rick stood beside Carol, watching a tiny baby suck contentedly on a bottle filled with goat's milk.

Her tiny mouth moved rhythmically.

Her eyes remained closed.

Long eyelashes rested against her cheeks.

Rick extended his arms.

Carol carefully handed Judith over.

He cradled the infant gently, supporting the back of her head as he pulled her close against his chest.

"Thank you, Carol."

His voice was rough.

Carol shook her head.

"You still have Carl to take care of."

Her eyes softened.

"And now Judith too."

She glanced at him.

"Don't fall apart."

Rick didn't respond.

He simply looked down at his daughter.

Judith released the bottle.

She yawned.

Then drifted back into sleep.

At that mont, the distant sound of an engine echoed from outside the prison walls.

A Humvee appeared around the bend in the road.

The gates opened.

The vehicle drove straight through without slowing and ca to a stop only a few yards away.

The driver's door opened.

Sean stepped out.

Today, he wasn't wearing his military uniform.

Instead, he wore the black jacket he had favored before everything changed.

His face was unshaven.

His eyes were bloodshot.

For several seconds, he simply stared at the baby in Rick's arms.

Judith looked impossibly small.

Wrapped in a pink blanket, only her tiny face remained visible.

Her lips moved occasionally, as if she were dreaming about feeding.

Sean finally spoke.

"What's her na?"

His voice was quiet.

"Judith."

Rick answered.

Sean repeated the na softly.

"Judith..."

His lips twitched slightly, as though he wanted to say sothing else.

In the end, he swallowed the words.

His eyes drifted across the yard.

Carol stood nearby with folded arms.

T-Dog cleaned his shotgun in the distance.

Glenn leaned silently against a wall.

Sean looked away.

"Can we talk?"

Rick handed Judith back to Carol.

Then followed Sean toward the center of the yard.

The two n stopped several feet apart.

The wind blew between them.

Dead leaves skittered across the ground.

Neither spoke.

Sean lowered his gaze.

There was dried mud on the toe of one boot.

He didn't rember where it had co from.

Finally, he spoke.

"I'm sorry."

His voice was low.

"I think Lori's death was partly my fault."

He swallowed.

"If I hadn't—"

"Enough."

Rick cut him off.

Sean looked up.

Rick's face showed neither anger nor grief.

Only exhaustion.

A deep weariness that seed to reach his bones.

"Stop saying things like that."

His voice remained calm.

"They don't change anything."

He t Sean's eyes.

"And I don't want to hear it again."

The silence stretched.

Then Rick added quietly:

"Judith is my daughter."

His gaze never wavered.

"Rember that."

Sean opened his mouth.

Then closed it again.

Finally, he nodded.

Rick turned and began walking away.

After several steps, he stopped.

Without looking back, he said:

"If you want to visit her soday..."

He paused.

"That's fine."

Another pause.

"But don't do it too often."

Sean stood motionless.

Watching.

Rick returned to Carol.

Took Judith back into his arms.

Then gently kissed her forehead.

Sean lowered his head.

Turned around.

And walked away.

The Humvee engine started.

The vehicle made a slow U-turn and drove toward the prison gate.

A few monts later, it disappeared down the road.

Becoming nothing more than a black dot on the horizon.

Rick remained where he stood.

Holding Judith.

Watching the road long after the vehicle vanished.

The wind continued to howl.

The flagpole rope continued to snap.

Eventually, he looked down.

Judith slept peacefully in his arms.

Her breathing was soft and steady.

Rick held her a little tighter.

Then headed back toward the dormitory.

Carl sat on the steps outside.

An open book rested on his lap, though he clearly wasn't reading it.

When he saw Rick approach, he imdiately stood.

"Dad."

He leaned forward.

"Is my sister asleep?"

Rick nodded.

Carl carefully peeked at Judith's face.

Then reached out and gently touched her hand.

Judith's tiny fingers imdiately wrapped around one of his.

Small.

Warm.

Fragile.

Like a flower that had only just begun to bloom.

"She's really cute."

Carl smiled.

Rick crouched beside him.

Judith rested securely in one arm while his other hand settled on Carl's shoulder.

"Yeah."

For the first ti that day, a faint smile appeared on his face.

"She really is."

The Next Morning

The Hive – Level Seven Underground

Rows of cultivation chambers filled the laboratory.

Pale green fluid circulated slowly through transparent tanks.

Inside floated the mbers of Alpha Team.

Seven figures suspended motionless in the liquid.

Their eyes remained closed.

Their expressions peaceful.

As if trapped within an endless dream.

HUNK occupied the first chamber.

Short gray hair.

Sharp features.

Even unconscious, he radiated a cold, intimidating presence.

The remaining mbers floated nearby.

Miguel.

Kirkpatrick.

Derek.

Luke.

Goblin Six.

Nighthawk.

On the monitoring screens, their brainwave activity remained stable.

Manufacturing Progress: 37%

Across the room stood another row of chambers.

Bravo Team.

Lupo.

Vector.

Bertha.

Ghost.

Four-Eyes.

Beltway.

Their progress displayed the sa percentage.

37%

Beside them stood sixty additional incubation chambers.

Six rows.

Ten chambers per row.

Perfectly aligned.

Sixty future security officers.

Sixty absolutely obedient soldiers.

The Red Queen's calm voice echoed through the empty laboratory.

"Manufacturing progress: 41%."

"Estimated completion ti: fourteen hours and twenty-two minutes."

Wu Fan stood before the monitors for several monts.

Watching.

Thinking.

Then he turned and left.

The elevator doors closed behind him.

The display climbed steadily.

Level -6.

Level -5.

Level -4.

Level -3.

Level -2.

Level -1.

Ground Level.

The doors opened.

Wu Fan stepped into the familiar corridor and made his way back to his office on the third floor.

Amy sat behind the reception desk organizing docunts.

When she noticed him, she imdiately stood.

"Where's Beth?"

Wu Fan asked.

"She went to the cafeteria to pick up breakfast."

Amy smiled slightly.

"Should I have her bring sothing for you too?"

Wu Fan shook his head.

"No need."

He pushed open the office door.

Then stepped inside.

The door closed quietly behind him.