Chapter 128: S.T.A.R.S. New Member (Patreon)

September 2nd.

Barry, having settled his wife and daughters in Italy, made it back to Raccoon City safely. He'd brought souvenirs of local Italian specialties for everyone in Ivan's squad.

Makima was no exception. Barry didn't know her well, but his gift suited her taste perfectly: a bottle of red wine from a renowned Italian winery. He had obviously gotten advice from Jill or Rebecca.

Barry also gave Ivan a report on Chris's recent progress. Chris was every bit himself. In little more than a week, he had already uncovered several pieces of heavyweight intel:

1. As a world-class giant, Umbrella doesn't just have virus laboratories in Raccoon City. Its facilities are scattered all over the world.

2. Umbrella is riddled with internal factions. Besides the t-Virus, the company runs several independent secret research lines.

3. Based on the data he has, Chris has reason to believe Wesker isn't dead. He can't pinpoint where Wesker is now, but fragments of information suggest he is privately collecting high-performance virus samples.

4. Chris found a file on the Ashford family. It reveals that the family holds an independent research project and owns private facilities: an island (Rockfort Island) and the Antarctic Base.

5. From the records, the Ashfords' independent research project can be confirmed as the "t-Veronica virus." However, the materials Chris obtained are limited, so he still doesn't know what the virus truly is.

6. Chris obtained a partial list covering Umbrella's headquarters personnel structure, its supply shipping routes, and the distribution of its global facilities. The authenticity of this information will take some time to verify.

September 4th. The S.T.A.R.S. office welcomed a "new member."

She wore a blue-and-white checkered shirt and carried a big schoolbag. Her face still had traces of baby fat and a childlike innocence that hadn't yet faded.

"Hello there, Sherry."

"Hello, Brother Ivan."

Sherry Birkin greeted him politely, bright and sweet.

"Mama told me to listen to you carefully for the next while."

"Brother Ivan, I hope my coming won't cause you any trouble."

Born in 1986, Sherry Birkin was twelve years old. She didn't know why her mother had arranged for her to take a leave from school, or why she was to live with Ivan for the time being.

She had wanted to ask for the specific reason. But one look at the reluctant sorrow in her mother's eyes told her that something must have gone wrong with her parents' work. Sensible beyond her years, she fell silent and did as her mother asked, coming to the Raccoon City Police Department.

"Of course not. There's no need to be nervous. Just treat this place like home."

Ivan crouched down with a faint smile and rested his hand on top of her head.

Sherry Birkin instinctively shut her eyes, then peeked up at him. Thanks to Ivan's stunning looks and his otherworldly aura, her nervousness began to ease.

"Okay, Brother Ivan."

Ivan smiled and nodded at her, then withdrew his hand and stood back up.

He'd planned to take her to the cafeteria for a meal to welcome her properly. But seeing her pinch the hem of her shirt, clearly wanting to say something and hesitating, he crouched down again and asked gently.

"What is it?"

The question seemed to give Sherry Birkin a little courage.

"Brother Ivan, c-can you tell me what's really happened to my parents?"

"Don't worry. They're doing very well right now."

"They sent you to stay with me because they're worried about your safety."

As Ivan's hand stroked over her head, Sherry Birkin's anxiety eased. She nodded obediently.

"I understand."

He ruffled her hair and smiled.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to the other big brothers and sisters in S.T.A.R.S."

"They're all wonderful people."

Once she'd put down her bag, Ivan took her hand and led her around, introducing her to every member of S.T.A.R.S. in turn.

Jill, Rebecca, and the others all took to the well-behaved girl right away. The two women, who had known she was coming, each had a gift ready for her. Jill gave her a box of chocolates. Rebecca gave her a custom-made military cap printed with the S.T.A.R.S. emblem.

Barry, a father of two daughters, was completely charmed by the adorable little girl. He handed her one of the Italian plush toys he'd brought back.

The other members had also heard that S.T.A.R.S. would soon welcome a young recruit, so they all brought out the gifts they'd prepared. Faced with such warmth, Sherry Birkin smiled from the bottom of her heart.

After she'd put her gifts away, Ivan took her on a tour of the whole police station. At noon, he took her to eat at the cafeteria, which she was already getting familiar with.

Ivan also recruited Sherry Birkin into S.T.A.R.S. Because of her age, she was only an auxiliary member for now. But for Sherry Birkin, that was enough to keep her happy for a long time.

She had seen S.T.A.R.S.'s heroic deeds on TV and in the newspapers many times. At school, her classmates always took pride in playing S.T.A.R.S. members during games. She had longed for it, and never imagined her dream would actually come true.

The smile on her face never faded.

Ivan really did have a knack for winning over children. When Sherry Birkin first arrived at S.T.A.R.S., unease and nervousness had been the main notes of her mood. But after one morning of Ivan's attentiveness, she had already blended into the daily life of the Raccoon City Police Department.

That afternoon, Ivan was going through the documents on his desk when Vice Captain Enrico walked in from outside the office.

Seeing how grim his expression was, Barry, who'd just poured a cup of hot water and was heading back to his desk, stepped over and asked quietly.

"Did something happen?"

Enrico nodded.

"An emergency. Where's Captain Ivan?"

"Captain Ivan and Makima just left. The Chief seems to need to talk something over with him."

Enrico nodded slightly at Barry's answer. He took his file back to his desk, brow furrowed with worry.

Barry frowned as well. Everyone else in the office wondered what could have happened. But they also knew that Captain Enrico was a stickler for the rules. Unless Ivan gave the word, he generally wouldn't share intelligence he handled with anyone else.

Fortunately, it wasn't long before Ivan and Makima came back inside, one after the other. Sensing the solemn atmosphere and seeing Enrico stand up, Ivan knew something big had most likely happened.

In the Chief Captain's office, Ivan listened to Enrico's report, and his face turned just as serious.

Zombies had appeared in Raccoon City. The officers who took the call had rushed to the scene and found a family of four, all of them infected. The optimal window for injecting the antidote had already passed.

They followed the Raccoon City Police Department's protocol for dealing with zombies and opened fire without hesitation. Drawing on the combat experience they'd built up in the Arklay Mountains, the whole team resolved the situation without a scratch.