After hearing Javier's words, Davis felt like he was finally getting the recognition he deserved. Straightening his suit jacket, he grabbed his phone with a smug grin and began ranting to whoever was on the other end, acting like he had everything under control.
Meanwhile, Javier approached Claire and Rani to check on them.
There were seven people in the VIP lounge: Javier, Claire, Rani, the reporter Javier had rescued, a security guard from the airport, a waiter… and of course, Davis.
Once Davis ended his call, the room fell into tense silence as everyone waited for help to arrive.
"Relax, they'll come for us. Don't forget—I'm a congressman," Davis said, puffing out his chest with pride.
Outside, chaos had taken over. Night had fallen, and the airport was completely locked down by police and military forces. The wounded were being treated, but the situation was worsening by the second.
WillPharma had dispatched a medical team to assist. Shortly after, Javier's own company, Azure Corporation, also sent backup. For Javier, this was a golden opportunity to forge strong ties with the government.
Following Davis's call, the police contacted top authorities, who promptly assigned an agent to the rescue mission: Leon S. Kennedy, an old friend of Javier and Claire.
Upon arrival, Leon quickly drew up a plan. The priority was minimizing civilian casualties, so he decided to bring only two people with him.
The operation was placed under the command of the SRT—Special Response Team. Angela, a striking blonde captain, led the unit, accompanied by Greg, a burly man with a kind heart.
They entered through the airport's rooftop, as the other routes were swarming with zombies.
In the VIP lounge, Davis was sweating bullets. He couldn't hide how terrified he was of dying there, with so much life still ahead of him.
Gunshots rang out outside.
"They're here!" Claire exclaimed.
"You can thank me later," Davis bragged.
"If they didn't know I was here, you'd all be dead by now."
Claire raised an eyebrow, smirking.
"Funny... your own secretary left you to die, and you still think the world revolves around you?"
Davis swallowed hard. He made a mental note to fire that "traitor" the second they got out of this mess.
Javier stood and grabbed his gun.
"I'll check the situation and make sure the team gets here."
"Be careful," Claire said, a trace of concern in her voice.
Javier gently ran a hand over her head—and Rani's.
"Don't worry." With that, he stepped out. Claire shut the door behind him.
The corridor was pitch black, silent as a grave. Javier moved with steady steps. After a few turns, he ran into a group of zombies. Within seconds, they were down.
The gunfire drew Leon and the others toward him.
"Javier? Man, this is a good surprise!" Leon smiled at the sight of him.
"With you here, the mission just got a whole lot easier."
Javier spotted three people with Leon, one of them being Davis's secretary.
"I thought you were zombie chow by now," he said, locking eyes with the woman, who lowered her head in shame.
They all returned to the VIP lounge. Davis completely ignored his secretary, saving his judgment for later.
"Just the three of you? Where's the rest of the team?" Davis barked.
"It's just us," Leon replied.
"We'll be making our way out on our own."
"Do you even have a plan?" Davis scoffed.
"We're going straight through the corridor," Leon said calmly.
"Are you insane?! The lobby is crawling with those things!!" Davis shouted.
"I know. But the detours are even riskier," Leon added.
"I agree with Leon," Javier said casually from the sofa.
"Zombies are slow. If we're quick, we can get past them."
"Oh, of course… and since when do civilians chime in on tactics?" Davis sneered.
Leon smirked slightly. "You'd be right—if Javier were actually a civilian."
"What do you mean?" Davis snapped.
"He's a former S.T.A.R.S. member, one of the survivors of Raccoon City. After that, he joined the BSAA. He's faced bioweapons more times than you've walked into Congress."
"He's the strongest fighter I know. Practically a legend within the BSAA."
Everyone turned to Javier, stunned. Angela, in particular, couldn't take her eyes off him.
Javier noticed the look and gave her a slight smirk. Claire rolled her eyes.
"Now's not the time to flirt, Romeo," she said, pulling Rani by the hand and giving his shoulder a playful pat.
Javier cleared his throat and stood. The group armed themselves and began moving out.
Javier and Leon led the way, cutting down zombies with lethal precision. Angela and Greg guarded the rear, while the civilians stayed protected in the middle. Davis's secretary supported him as they walked, trying to make up for her earlier failure.
As they neared the lobby, the number of zombies increased. Gunshots echoed all around. Greg, while reloading, was nearly bitten a few times, but Javier acted swiftly, blasting the zombies' heads apart. Greg nodded in gratitude.
They finally reached the crashed airplane. From the top, they could see a sea of undead swarming below.
"What now?" Davis asked, pale as a ghost.
"I've already studied the airport's map. This is the most direct route. We just need to run across," Leon said, opening fire on the infected.
Javier joined in. But soon, a new threat emerged—zombies closing in from behind.
"Can you guys hurry up?!" Davis yelled, panic rising.
"Sure…" Javier replied with a mocking smile.
"You could go down there and ask them nicely to move. Maybe they'll recognize you. That way, we'll get through a whole lot faster."
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."