Lear turned around to find Victor standing behind him, followed by Brad and Katherine.
"Victor, what do you mean by that?" Lear's voice was filled with agitation. "Sherry will face countless dangers if she stays by my side. Besides, I'm going to find the cure for Jill; I won't be able to look after her at all."
Victor pressed his hands down, signaling him to calm down and indicating he meant no harm.
"Look at the expression in this little girl's eyes. She would rather face danger with you, even die, than be left behind. Do you really think she'll give up? If you don't take her with you and something happens to you, this girl will likely live her entire life in regret."
Lear looked at Sherry's tear-filled eyes and wanted to say something more, but Victor spoke again.
"As for her safety, you don't need to worry. You helped us, and I will never let you go off on a dangerous mission alone."
Victor beckoned behind him, and Carlos emerged from the subway with Tyrell and Murphy.
"These are my best men. I'm going to have them assist you."
Victor paused and said sincerely, "Lear, I know you are very strong, but there is an old saying in the East: 'Even a hero needs three to help him.' Besides, you can't carry Jill the whole time while searching for the cure. While you're occupied, you'll need someone to help you watch over her."
Listening to Victor's words, Lear gradually calmed down.
Seeing that Lear was no longer so agitated, Victor gestured to Tyrell.
"Furthermore, do you actually know where to look for the cure? You can't exactly flip the entirety of Raccoon City upside down."
Tyrell walked over to Lear and opened a laptop. "We previously received orders from Umbrella to secure a T-Virus researcher named Dr. Bard. He has samples of the T-Virus as well as the vaccine. According to the intelligence, he should have been at the Raccoon City Police Department."
Lear shook his head. "No. The civilians at the Police Station have already been evacuated. I'm certain he wasn't there."
"I know," Tyrell said. "Right before you arrived, we were still receiving orders to locate him, which means he never left Raccoon City. That implies he can only be hiding in one place—the hospital."
Seeing Lear remain silent, Tyrell adjusted his glasses and looked at him.
"Although I don't know Bard's exact location yet, as long as we enter the hospital, I can access the internal system to lock onto him. Lear, you need our help."
Carlos suddenly racked the slide of his weapon, chambering a round.
"Lear, the old man is right. You helped us, which makes you one of us. We don't let our own take risks alone!"
Murphy feigned a suave gesture, brushing back non-existent bangs, and said with a smile:
"I know our combat strength can't match yours, but we're no pushovers either. With more hands on deck, Jill's chances of being saved are higher, right?"
Lear looked at their sincere expressions and saw no trace of deception. Recalling what Victor had just said, he slowly nodded and looked at them, his voice carrying a hint of gratitude.
"Thanks."
Victor simply waved his hand, saying nothing more.
Then, Sherry spoke up timidly:
"So... Lear, you won't leave me behind anymore, right?"
"I won't." Lear shook his head helplessly, his expression turning solemn. "But you must promise me: you'll listen to everything I say."
"I will!"
Sherry nodded vigorously, her voice filled with joy.
Next, Lear looked toward Brad and Katherine.
"What about you two?"
Brad had a submachine gun slung over his shoulder, his yellow vest filled with spare magazines.
He took a step forward and replied with a smile, "Even little Sherry refuses to back down; how could I run away? Besides, Mr. Victor has to evacuate immediately; he can't wait here for you." He shook the aircraft keys in his hand. "In the end, we'll need a plane to get out. Without me, you're not going anywhere."
Seeing his forced lightheartedness, Lear said no more, only patting him gently on the shoulder.
"Thank you."
Lear turned toward Katherine, but before he could speak, she cut him off:
"I can't help with much, I just came to say goodbye."
As the words fell, Katherine stepped forward and gave him a brief, light hug before quickly letting go.
"Don't overthink it. It's just a thank you."
With that, she turned and headed toward the subway car. Halfway there, she suddenly stopped, looked back at Lear, pursed her lips, and spoke with a serious gaze.
"Come back alive. Our plan hasn't even started yet."
Lear watched Katherine's retreating back. She had only mentioned the plan, but he could clearly hear the hidden concern in her words.
At that moment, Victor walked up and lightly thumped Lear's chest.
"Lear, your friend is right. We still have to escort these civilians through the evacuation; we can't wait here for your return. Take care."
Lear gave a solemn nod.
Victor turned and gave Carlos and the others a crisp Russian military salute. Without waiting for them to return it, he walked briskly back into the subway car.
The train soon restarted and slowly pulled away, gradually disappearing at the edge of his vision.
After seeing the subway off, Lear turned to look at the group beside him.
"Let's go. To the hospital first. We find Dr. Bard and get the cure."
The group wasted no more time.
Carlos and Murphy led the way, guns raised in a watchful stance. Sherry and Lear, who was carrying Jill, were in the middle of the group, while Tyrell and Brad brought up the rear.
Moving quickly, the group soon left the subway and reached the surface.
Brad scanned the surroundings and immediately recognized their location.
He pointed his hand toward the bridge spanning the river ahead:
"The hospital is very close to here. Just cross this bridge and it's a short walk away."
Lear nodded slightly.
Once they crossed this bridge, they would be right where Jill faced the second-form Nemesis in the original story.
The zombies along the way posed no real obstacle to this squad.
The group moved quickly through the streets and stepped onto the bridge deck.
Just then, a distant clock tower chimed. Twelve o'clock.
Lear, carrying Jill in the center of the formation, cast a glance at Sherry beside him, his mind drifting into thought.
It was currently September 28th. Tomorrow, Leon and Claire would enter Raccoon City. Based on the timeline, William should have already mutated into his G1 form by now, frantically searching for Sherry.
It would be best not to run into him. No matter what, he didn't want Sherry to suffer any more harm.
When Victor was persuading him earlier, he had said that if something happened to them, Sherry would live with regret for the rest of her life.
But in Lear's heart, he would rather Sherry have regrets than drag her back into the vortex of Raccoon City.
Yet the moment he had been ready to refuse, a thought had suddenly surged into his mind.
If Sherry were allowed to leave alone, she would quickly be targeted by various factions.
Whether she was kidnapped to blackmail her mother or used as a bargaining chip for the G-Virus, her future would be miserable.
Even if his group managed to escape Raccoon City, by then, in the vast world, it would be nearly impossible to track her down.
She wouldn't have his protection, and she didn't know Leon or Claire yet.
Once they separated, her fate would likely be even more tragic than the original ending.
As Lear's thoughts wandered, the group had already left the bridge and entered a small alleyway.
(Translated by yourtl.app)