Watch Over You

Desperate Escape

It was eerily quiet as they made their way to the library. Juliet wasn't sure if that was a good sign, but she was just glad they didn't have to kill too many infected. Leon inserted the jack into the handle and hurriedly levelled the bookshelf while Juliet kept watch. Out of nowhere, the footsteps could be heard again. Juliet felt her heartbeat quicken as the faint footsteps begin to get louder.

"Leon," she called out quietly. Leon finally got the bookshelf on the ground before turning to her. "It's coming."

He urged her, "Go on up. I'll be right behind you."

She nodded. She went up the ladder quickly while Leon pushed the bookshelves to make a platform across. The door to the library slammed open. Juliet gripped onto the handrails, silently urging for Leon to hurry up. With one final push, Leon had successfully made a bridge. He quickly climbed the ladder before the tyrant could reach him. He grabbed her hand, then both of them rushed across the bookshelves. A zombie was blocking their path. Not wanting to risk their positions, Leon skilfully avoided the zombie then pushed it down to the first floor. They ran into the clock tower room and shut the door.

After catching their breaths for a moment, Leon shone his flashlight in the darkened room. They found the electronic part at the top of the clock tower which was way out of reach. Juliet inserted the gear in the panel which brought down the stairs. They climbed up, but the electronic part was still too far. It was situated in the centre of the platform, just underneath the bell. The platform was too far for them to make the jump. Ringing the bell was the same as suicide, so they have no choice but to think of another way. A crazy thought ran through Juliet's mind, but she relayed it to Leon anyway. As expected, Leon denied.

"You're going to get hurt. I'm not going to risk it," Leon said firmly.

"We're so close to getting out. I'm not going to spend another goddamn minute in here knowing that thing is just outside. Please just let me do it, Leon," Juliet pleaded.

Leon looked into her eyes and sighed. He agreed silently, even though his mind was yelling at him to do otherwise. He knelt down and readied his hands to give her a boost. She took a deep breath before running towards him. The boost got her to the platform but she missed her step. Luckily her instincts took over and she managed to hold onto the platform. She struggled to hoist herself up.

"You okay?" Leon asked as she slid underneath the bell and retrieved the electronic part.

"Yeah. Catch," she replied, tossing it to him.

Leon caught it with ease before putting it inside his pocket. Juliet, however, had mobility restrictions on the platform. She couldn't stand up without hitting the bell. It seemed that her only way out is for her to drop down. Leon caught onto that and hurriedly ran down the steps. He positioned himself right below Juliet to catch her. This time, he didn't need to ask for her to trust him. She closed her eyes and jumped. He caught her. She slowly opened her eyes, staring directly at his face.

"We should go," she breathed out, forcing herself to not get distracted. She removed her arms that were snaked around his neck.

Leon set her down. He went towards the door first and opened it slightly to make sure the tyrant was nowhere in sight. He beckoned her over once it was clear. They ran to the other side where it led them back to the staircase leading directly to the parking garage. They hurried to Ben's cell, managing to avoid lurking dogs in the area. Leon inserted the electronic part and fixed the circuit breaker. The cell door opened and Juliet entered first, crouching beside Ben's body. She stopped herself from tearing up as she removed the key card. She hastily stood up and handed it over to Leon. He rubbed her back, giving her a sense of comfort. She thanked him softly. Juliet then went over to the table and retrieved the evidence. She clenched her jaw, feeling her hatred rising. The bastard chief was going to get what he deserved.

Suddenly, the alarms blared. The circuit breaker must have triggered the system which opened up all the cell doors. Juliet hurriedly shoved the items into her jacket before running out of the cell. The zombies were flooding out of their holes, blocking their exit. She pulled the lever down, opening the side doors which gave them an alternate route out. Juliet screamed when the wall blasted ahead of them, revealing the relentless tyrant. Leon pushed her head down as they ducked underneath it. They barely made it back to the parking garage when the tyrant caught up to them. With a deadly swing, the tyrant sent Juliet flying across the room. Her back hit the other side of the wall with a sickening crunch. Leon tried to reach for her when the tyrant grabbed him and crushed him between his hands.

Like a knight in shining armour, Ada saved Leon by ramming a S.W.A.T truck into the tyrant. Leon escaped from its clutch and hurried next to Ada with his gun pointed at it. The tyrant tried to push the truck away, but it blasted into flames. Seeing that there was no movement from behind the fire, Leon breathed a sigh of relief.

"This is getting old," Ada said. "Saving your ass. That's twice."

Leon didn't reply her. Instead, he rushed over to Juliet. He knelt down, panicking as he looked at her unmoving body. He cradled her in his arms and pressed his forehead to hers. He prayed for her to wake up, saying her name over and over again like a mantra. Leon was almost losing hope when she groaned. Her eyes fluttered open but her sight still blurry from the sudden bright lights. When she did finally adjust her vision, she saw a worried Leon just inches away from her face. Leon broke into a tiny smile as he reached to caress her cheek.

"I thought I lost you, Juliet," Leon admitted. "How are you feeling?"

"I've had worse," she mumbled.

She got up with Leon's help. She coughed out blood but quickly wiped it away before Leon could see. She looked at Ada then at the burning truck. Leon wrapped his arm around her waist, making her look up at him.

"That thing won't hurt you anymore," Leon said, pulling her head towards him.

Juliet closed her eyes for a brief moment, feeling Leon's warmth. Ada, on the other hand, wasted no time in asking for the key card. She exited the parking garage, but Juliet pulled Leon back slightly.

"What's wrong? Does it hurt?"

She shook her head. "No, it's not that. We can't just leave without the little girl."

Ada turned back to them when she realised the two were far behind. "Are we going or not?"

"Yeah!" Leon replied, and Ada continued walking ahead of them. He sighed, turning back to Juliet. There was a sick feeling in his stomach, but he ignored it. "I hope she found Claire."