24 Capture

Carlos was momentarily taken aback, his voice tinged with concern as he asked, "What's going on?" The others reacted swiftly, their hands instinctively reaching for their guns, their faces etched with vigilance.

"It's too quiet," Luke mused, feeling a touch puzzled. Was their leader being overly cautious?

"Perhaps we just made a bit of noise when we landed, and it startled the local wildlife," he suggested, trying to find a rational explanation for the eerie silence.

"No, there's something more ominous lurking here," Jill asserted firmly, already having her pistol loaded and scanning the surrounding trees vigilantly.

Anna, the youngest among them, tugged at the edge of her clothing, drawing everyone's attention. She pointed ahead, her expression revealing her unease. In front of them, a group of soldiers clad in combat uniforms adorned with the distinctive umbrella logo held firearms trained on them.

Lukes's frustration was palpable. "Damn it, there's no escaping this time. We need to find another way!"

"Stay put; they don't seem to be the same as the others," Carlos cautioned, sensing that these newcomers were different from the umbrella corporation personnel they had encountered earlier. While their combat uniforms bore a resemblance, closer scrutiny revealed subtle distinctions.

"Hey, who are you? What do you want?" Carlos demanded, his tone firm.

Andre, the leader of the group, assessed the situation and noted that all the individuals the doctor had requested were present. With a wave of his hand, his team disarmed everyone and created a path for them to follow.

Footsteps echoed from outside, and the individuals inside the room anxiously awaited the arrival of the person who held their fate in their hands.

"Is this Alice?" Varion, one of Andre's team members, crouched beside a lifeless body on the floor.

"What are you doing?" Jill shouted when she saw Varion's actions. If Carlos hadn't restrained her, she might have rushed at him.

"Don't worry, I don't intend to harm you. As for who I am, maybe Alice will explain later."

"What do you mean? Alice is already dead..." Jill's voice wavered as she spoke.

Varion shook his head. "Alice? No, no, she won't die. We'll take some samples and then..."

His gaze shifted to Anna, who could maintain a delicate balance within her body to manage her condition while carrying the T-virus. This could prove useful. Additionally, Carlos, who had been infected for an extended period, displayed no symptoms or lesions, which suggested that his blood might be valuable.

"Take this little girl and Carlos with you, and let the rest go."

"No, you can't do this! She's just a child," Jill protested vehemently. She couldn't fathom the consequences if young Anna fell into the hands of the umbrella corporation.

"Soldier, are you trying to dictate my actions?" Andre brushed Jill aside with an elbow, but she remained unfazed. She had no time for vain threats. If it weren't for the doctor's reluctance to kill, she wouldn't even have had the chance to speak.

"Insanity," she muttered under her breath, realizing the perilous situation they were now in.

Carlos found himself in a tense and eerie silence, surrounded by a multitude of firearms and individuals who had been injected with the R-1 type medicine.

He calmly inquired, "Have the samples been collected?"

The assistant in the white coat nodded in response, "Doctor, we've gathered enough samples. But why don't we take them all back?"

"A small sample is sufficient; we can clone them," Carlos replied, his eyes narrowing with determination.

"You mean you want to clone Alice?" the assistant inquired, expressing a hint of disbelief.

"Umbrella's personnel have dared to study the T virus; why wouldn't they dare to clone it?" Carlos stated with conviction.

As the conversation continued, Carlos couldn't help but contemplate his and Anjie's fate in this bizarre situation. "So, what's your plan for me and Anna? We shouldn't be of any use to you. Are you suggesting you want to recruit me?"

His question elicited laughter from Andre and the others in the room. Carlos was momentarily taken aback. Did he genuinely believe that he held a significant role here? It occurred to him that he might just be another experimental subject. After all, their capture didn't necessitate such an elaborate operation, and the Umbrella Corporation had the means to acquire numerous test subjects, not to mention their cloning capabilities.

"You seem to have quite the high opinion of yourself," Andre remarked, regarding Carlos with a quizzical expression.

Carlos responded confidently, "Well, I am a commando captain, after all. I've got some strength in me. Don't judge a book by its cover. If you're looking for a fight, I'm ready."

Andre shook his head, appearing somewhat amused. "Why don't you give it a shot, then? If you manage to defeat me, you can take this young girl with you."

Carlos turned to Varion, seeking confirmation. Varion simply replied, "Trust me, it's just a bit of post-dinner entertainment. The doctor need not concern himself with such matters."

Outside the valley, Carlos and Andre prepared for their face-off. This moment was pivotal; if Carlos emerged victorious, both he and Anna might secure their freedom. At the very least, they wouldn't have to live in fear of becoming experimental subjects. Carlos hoped that these enigmatic individuals would honor their word.

"Come on, let's see just how strong a commando captain you really are," Andre taunted, exuding unwavering confidence.

Among the onlookers, a speculative discussion unfolded. One person pondered, "What do you think the captain will do to ensure the safety of the kid?"

Another chimed in, "It's hard to say. The captain has already been injected three times; that strength... impressive."

"I'll wager a thousand on Carlos, one move," someone declared.

"Two thousand, two moves," another countered.

"Three thousand, five moves," the stakes continued to rise.

Carlos couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. Did they truly underestimate him?

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