---

It was clear in the moment that things could very well have taken a turn for the worst. The clicking sound reverberated in the room as Sam had pointed a live weapon at Whitney with full intention of shooting her. It would have been a hell of a mess to clean up. Imogen could only look at Sam with a concerning gaze. What was she here for if not to prevent this type of thing?

A plausibe story as any, a gas leak, she supposed. "Yes, there's been a gas leak and that is what's causing all of this. We have things under control but we need to get you out of here and safe. Are you okay to move?" She reached out a hand to offer Whitney some help, showing she had no weapons active and pointed at her.

"We'll have to move quickly so as to not breathe in any more. If you're hurt we can see about your injuries once we are safely out. But we need to be moving now." Though her gaze was directed at Whitney, the words were for everyone. Whatever was happening elsewhere did not matter in the moment for them. Getting Whitney out was her priority, if for no other reason than it would be easy to control the narrative if she could keep eyes on her.

Plus, as of right now, Imogen didn't trust Sam to not blow the girl's head off at the drop of a hat.

While the kitchen was safe at the moment, Kedem was ready to head out. It seemed like that would only last a short time with a scared woman appeared, and before he could say anything, after Enzo. A massive fist stopped any sense of peace, and Kedem as he brought his gun up to bear. He has seen stuff, but stuff like this is never easy to deal with, and surprises always suck.

As the monster entered the room, Kedem opened fire. Aiming for its head, "Shoot its head." Kedem yelled, hoping his fellows would follow suit. But in this small space, they needed more room, but for now. Shooting it in the face seemed like the plan, and Kedem would take a few steps back to get more room from the monster as he shot.

"Bella..." Fabio was just beginning his usual patter when the first burst through the door.

His weapon came up, flicking to automatic fire he paused for a moment, then decided to aim a half dozen shots at the monstrosity's groin on the general principle that it had been human once and that out to be a sensitive spot, before flicking up to open up on it's face. He backed up slowly as he did, ready to flee if it lumbered towards him, specifically. Most things died with enough bullets, but in case it was one of the things that did not, Fabio was a decent runner, probably not fast enough to outrun the monstrosity, but he reasoned he would, at the very least, be capable of outrunning some of his team members (which was what really mattered in the end).

Soraya took to the offered hand from Stokes to roll back up to her feet, looking angry and annoyed as she collected her glasses - which had fallen off - as well as her pistol, which she holstered. Collecting herself, the cursory nod she gave Stokes for helping her up was stilted in the fashion of someone acknowledging thanks despite being too pissed off to properly say anything.

Soraya's eyes looked from Sam, whose attempt to mow down the intern she'd noted, toward the intern herself. "You're lucky I am not the police. You threw a chair at me!" She exclaimed, the impact of said chair having apparently dialed her french accent up to eleven. Soraya promptly joined Imogen in flanking Whitney, going so far as to take control of Whitney's left arm forcibly at the elbow. "I just want to make sure you're extra safe! Now let's go." The words came through gritted teeth even as Soraya visibly took a moment to calm herself. Maybe calm was too strong a word. She was still clearly pissed, but far more composed than she had been as she started looking Whitney over, checking the intern for injuries as they started walking away. "Who's blood is this?" Soraya was still grumpy enough that the question sounded like an accusation. "Are you injured?"

As they moved Soraya gave a backwards glance over her shoulder at Stokes, saying nothing, but pleading with her eyes for him to cover them on their egress - clearly not trusting her own team for the task.

@Terrans @JFK @PatientBean

Obsidian Dynamics Research Facility
Utah
Fourth Floor

The Goliath that had battered its way into the break room didn't have much in the way of facial expressions. The glazed over features not giving any real modicum of emotion. But suprise might have been the best thing conveyed as it ducked its way into the doorway and into the panicked volley of the three Acheron shooters.

Three things occurred near simultaneously.

Kedem's and Enzo's fire took neat chunks of face and skull away causing the giant to stagger and grab onto the tall stainless steel fridge for momentary support.

Fabio's burst made a nasty splash of red over the groin area that caused an all too human exhaling of air from the overly muscled person. The Goliath dropping to an knee and toppling the fridge on top of it.

The combined weight of the dropping Goliath, the toppling fridge, and sub-par construction materials at competitive rates; resulted in a distinctive crack that resounded in the break room. The floor beneath the Goliath splintering open and allowing the up muscled being and its fridge companion to begin a multi floor descent.

The resounding cracking of the Golaith and massive appliance splintering through subsequent floors until reaching the bottom floor below with a definitive, distant sound of meat tenderizing against concrete.

"Holy Crap!!!!" The Direct Action team in the lobby inadvertently let out over the radio net as nine hundred pounds of appliance and muscle came to rest among debris. Narrowly missing two of his shooters.

If the four people gathered in the newly renovated break room looked through the hole they would see the cautious head of a Acheron shooter in the lobby; glancing up at the newly created hole through the four floors.

@Dyelli Beybi, @Theyra, @PrinceAlexus

******

Whitney had not initially replied to Imogen. Taking in the rather telling lack of gas masks among the self proclaimed gas company personnel.

Though she did at least take the spin-woman's hand. Grabbing on for an extra half second to make sure it wasn't skin over the metal limbs that she had been fleeing from.

"Who...who are you-" Whitney's question interrupted by a newly recovered Soraya; the accent and the guiding grip on her arm causing the intern to stumble slightly. "Wait if you're not cops why do you have guns?"

She tried to dig her heels in. Converse squeaking on the floor as the distant explosions of Grave's firefight were joined by the roar of gunfire from their level. In the direction that Kedem, Enzo and Fabio had gone off to.

"Wait stop. Let me go!!" She began to struggle then. Finding Soraya's grip at least stronger then a woman of her size should have been. "They're still out there!!!"

@Tesserach, @PatientBean, @JFK

The Tech who lifts.

Enzo first response was to fire, and his reaction was just to unload into whatever part of this monster he could hit with whatever he had. It turns out that impulse was a good one and luck just shined on them, how the fuck had it shined he did not complain but the brute monster staggered to a damage to a area that made him wince, but it slowed them!

More shots slammed into its head and upper body, but that was not gonna stop it…

Crash. Slowly. The monster just fell away… it dropped…and began to fall with a crack vanishing in an almighty crash and a boom of faintly rising dust. “What the fuck.” Was all he could say looking at a hole like someone dropped an acme anvil though the building looking down to see the lobby below.

“Hostile… has fallen through the floor… it just gave way..” He said over Radio bemused. And looked nervous about edge pulling back and pushing the civilian far away from it as possible. “Stand clear. We need to go now.” He said as he reached for his gear and took the breaching hammer to make a door way into the corridor as the way they went in dropped down. He was decisive in this however and shoved the chair aside and made a hole though the break room wall manually. It was not difficult and he did act without asking but he saw that weak floor and knew they had getting away from it ASAP.

“Come on, we need to get you safe. “ He said calmly to the civilian as he scanned the corridor through the hole “Stick with us, they are good at their jobs, those two, will get you home.” He had to kneel to talk to her face and pulled the mask off as he did it. Resealing his mask, he stood and pushed through making a hole for everyone to follow and made out the two shooters to be good to help try and reassure.

On the whole team net he added. “This is Grande. Floor failed on 4 down to Lobby.. One of the big ones. Recommend to minimise or halt any use of explosives outside the basement. Recommend to get non essential personal out.” He was a trained engineer and what he saw did not make him feel good. That floor should be rated to take at least a ton, probably minimum. Whatever happened. That floor was not up to code.

"That... happened," Kedem said in the aftermath of the Goliath and the fridge falling through the floor. A lucky break for them and an unlucky break for that thing. Looking down the hole, as he cautiously approached the edge, and seeing the Acheron in the loddy looking back at them.

Kedem mustered a small wave at the shooter and regardless of the shooter's response. He would walk back from the edge, realizing that they should be careful if another of those things showed up, and given the quality of the floor. It may happen again. Kedem let out a small morbid chuckle. The lowest bidder wins today, it seems.

As Enzo did his thing and reported what had just happened. Kedem felt the need to speak as well. Turning around to the civilian, "what he said, we will get you out of here." He said in a reassuring tone. Kedem got on the radio, "we found a survivor, not a VIP, but will escort them back out over." He then stepped out into the hallway and, after checking to make sure it was clear. He was prepared to move. "Ready to go when you all are ready," Kedem said as he gripped his rifle. What else is going to happen today, he thought as he kept his eyes open for any more of the things in this place.

Soraya had to shift her footing but held Whitney firm as the intern swayed squeakily on the floor. "Easy now. We are here to help you. You are still confused. You were exposed to a gas called trichloroethylene." Soraya paused and keeping hold of Whitney with one arm, giving a sideways glance to Sam that suggested she was underwhelmed by the cover story while retrieving a flashlight from one of her pockets with her free hand. "It is like taking drugs, in extreme cases it even causes hallucinations, paranoid psychosis; even amnesia." Soraya shined the light blinding light in both Whitney's eyes, observing the dilation in her pupils. "Did you experience anything like that? You remember where you last saw your colleagues?"

"No hostiles spotted. Exterior area clear of threats. If you have evacuees, bring them to the extraction point, over." Redecker Krueger replied over the radio before continuing his surveillance. The outside of the building was quiet. Other than the occasional snake or lizard, there was no movement that he could see. "I see someone crawlin' towards the perimeter. I don't know if she's infected, but we can't take the risk. Adjustin' for change in wind direction. Takin' the shot." Redecker said over the radio before pulling the trigger, the target's head lifelessly falling to the ground. "Target is down. Resumin' surveillance. Nobody is gettin' in or out of the Area of Operations without our say-so." Krueger said over the radio as his attention returned to the surrounding area.

Fabio stepped carefully to the hole in the floor, peering over, while acutely aware that this might have caused some structural instability in the building.

For a moment he imagined how he must look from below, posed heroically like Hercules over the fallen Nemean lion. Such a tragedy that the people down below weren't taking photo, "Looks like he just got downgraded," he remarked gruffly,. Great line, Fabio.

He turned to face the woman who had led the creature in here, stepping away from the hole as he did... toppling backwards down it would probably be fatal. It would definitely be fatally embarrassing. There were no more zombies that he could see. Good work, Fabio.

"My lady," he said, sweeping off his sunglasses and offering his most potent blue steel gaze, "You are safe now."

Obsidian Dynamics Research Facility
Utah
Fourth Floor

"Thank....Thank you." The reporter said as she seemed to get her breathing under control. Tacking a moment to brush back hair flecked with debris before she addressed her rescuers. The office they had hammered their way into appeared truly abandoned. The reporter taking the time look over the trio of Acheron contractors. "I'm Melissa Henricks" She stuck her hand to the tank topped man with oddly slicked back hair.

Seemingly oblivious to the gunfire that echoed distantly now that a whole had been opened through four floors. The crump of a distant grenade echoing even from the ongoing fight towards the basement.

"So are you guys like special forces or something? I did a piece on Rangers a year ago. "

A crackle as a radio echoed with the rasp of Graves. Gunfire clear in the background through his transmission.

"Someone get me a machine gun down here now!!!! And as much demo as we have left. I need that door open yesterday!"

A fresh roll of gunfire accompanied a scream before the transmission ended.

@Dyelli Beybi, @Theyra, @PrinceAlexus

*******
" We were on the tour.. Then... Then the massive guys came out..." She stopped as she took in the Acheron team. Her mind seeming to jump around with her eyes. "If its gas then why don't you have any masks?"

The sound of a hasty breaching maneuver by an oversized tech had Whitney jump. Trying to break from the grips on her limbs she stumbled and tried to flee.

"They're still out there!!! We have to go!!!! We have to go!!!" She began to repeat the words like a mantra.

Sam watched in open mouthed curiosity as she watched the desperate scrabble. She motioned for Soraya and Stokes attention. Gesturing hastily at the panicking partially restrained intern. Making a sharp motion with a closed fist at head level.

Graves radio transmission, audible over Sam's handset, just caused the intern to freak out more.

@Tesserach, @PatientBean, @JFK

The Tech who lifts.

Enzo was a little twitchy after the last encounter, how many things were loose in the place and how many types of monster had they made? Please not dogs..oh god not the resident evil dogs.

“We are here to do a job, but we will get you out safely. Our man here is good, even if he uses way too much after shave like it lasts one use.” He said diplomatic and careful, also trying to lighten the mood by slapping Fabio on the arm and making this like a normal situation as it could be.

“We might have to avoid the main stairs, maybe south fire exit side or back track, it's probably wall to ceiling zombie salsa on main. " He asked quietly over the radio trying to solve their new civilian problem. “Mellisa, Our people can compensate you for lost gear, and dry cleaning etc, just get you safe, we can buy you a new camera and so, I know how expensive that can be, we will cover it. Just stick by us. You'll be out here soon.” He tried to be gentle, reasonable, make exit the easy option out and the company would handle any losses and costs. They had the funds to buy some new clothes and a camera etc. He directed that part to their journalist, the massive European was doing his best to not seem as scary as someone who benched her weight like it was light work out knew he could seem to be.

“If our team is able to hand off a civilian, I can head down assuming DA ok it, got most of my stock still.” He replied to Graves message and looked to the other two of the shooters, they knew the shooting bit and if they could make the call if they could make it to the basement. He directed this one to both, but Kadeem had seemed to become their unofficial team leader, he was steady and held together very well under pressure.

If they approved and they could make it, he definitely had slow, fast and even cutting charges available in his pack along with a selection of various accessories and detonators for a multitude of door and wall related problems.

He was the expert at blowing things up, the other two could handle the military decisions.

@Dyelli Beybi@Flarbinia@Terrans

Kedem stood by and listened to Grave's radio transmission and the talk between Enzo and the reporter. Which he realized the group now had a choice to make. Now they have the reporter in tow, they can either escort them out, or regroup downstairs in the basement to aid Graves. Which it would be awkward to have the reporter with them if they go to the basement. Though Kedem had the thought of them splitting up to do both. Or just drop off the reporter and get to the basement as fast as they could.

But, splitting up in a place like this with those tech zombies and goliaths. Going alone seemed like asking to die or worse, given the state of those tech zombies they killed earlier. If there were one more fighter with them, then it would be an easier decision. Which, since Kedem seems to be the unofficial leader of this makeshift fireteam. Perhaps he should make the call.

"I suggest we get the reporter out of here and go help the others after we are done," Kedem spoke to the group. "Unless you two have a better idea of what to do?"

Obsidian Dynamics Research Facility
Utah
Sector Null Zero

Those that had chosen to descend to the basement found their path descending corpse and blood strewn stairs. The after-effects of DA's clearing having left multiple tech-zombies, a pair of Goliath's and five of their own number in varying levels of death and dismemberment over the four flights.

The bottom yielded no prettier a sight. Two more shooters having been hastily bodybagged off to the side a stark comparison to the macabre scene of what had been four dozen tech zombies. Their augmented limbs shiny and visible amongst the puddled gore their physical bodies had been reduced to by the machine gun team. The pile of .338 cartridges massive compared to the dull sheen of carbine and pistol casings that interspersed the space.

Graves was taking a knee, talking to one of the helo pilots on the surface.

"... Get Mike and November spun up. We're going to need a second wave at this rate....No Norr didn't authorize it. I did. Graves out!" His attention turning to the odd assemblage of personnel that had come down from the fourth deck.

"I don't care how you do it. Someone get this door open." He jabbed his thumb behind him. Beyond the gruesome killing ground and a sad, unmanned security deck, sat a door. More befitting a bank vault then a research facility. Its card read gave a furtive angry beep as a shooter frustratedly ran a confiscated key card through.

The continuous denials added to the din of the surviving shooters reloading and collecting themselves. Graves' annoyance visible even through his gas mask. A feeling apparently shared by another DA shooter.

"Zavala, if it didn't work the first fifty times why would work the next eighty?"

"What's wrong about it?" The reply accompanied another angry beep.

@Tesserach, @PatientBean, @JFK

@Dyelli Beybi, @Theyra, @PrinceAlexus

The Tech who lifts.

Enzo followed the team as they dropped their journalist they found off prior to going deeper into resident evil level. He really really did not want to find zombie dogs…

Resident evil soundtrack was lodged in his mind as he let the direct action do their thing and he followed along.

The signs of battle were intense, the lingering smoke of gunfire, bullet casings, dead humans and zombies. It all was a sobering experience as he began to see the whole vista before the large main door. A huge steel reinforced door that probably could be used to hold back a charging rhino without much damage.

What the hell were these people up to with this level of construction underground? It was done properly, unlike the floors he could instantly tell this would not be cut or scrimped on. Everything down to the corners, not chipped by gunfire and zombies was crisp and all done to the book.

He did a quick and concise evaluation and came up with 3 options, roof, wall and door or floor.

Spotting the commander he nudged his shoulder to get his notice. “Boss, this thing looks like we need an anti tank system. I have 3 proposals. We hope the ceiling was under-built like rest and try blasting down, we can try the wall or door, with everything I have, or we can risk delays having to find a service tunnel that may not exist, and blast from below. If you want more control of the breach we can try blasting down, if you want quick, we can try the wall.”

He finished and laid the options out for Graves. He could decide how. Enzo could make it happen.

@Terrans@Dyelli Beybi@Theyra

After making the trip to deliver the reporter to safety and returning inside the facility. Leading the way with his group, Kedem could not ignore the signs of battle. The way to the basement was littered with bodies, both of the human and tech zombie kind. Even some of the bigger ones were found dead as they made their way there. "What were they doing in here?" Kedem said in a hushed tone as he finally made it to the basement.

Kedem did not speak when it became clear to him that Graves was pissed at their lack of progress in opening the vault. Which seemed off to him, what looked like a bank vault door rather than something more in line with a research facility. What were they doing that needed that, he wondered, though he would likely never know for sure.

He has nothing to say that could help with the situation. Rather, he let the resident demolition expert Enzo speak his mind. Meanwhile, he took to keeping a watch around the area. Just in case more tech zombies or maybe more Goliaths show up. Who knows with this place.