"Hmm?"
Adam also came to the map and studied it before asking Sean, "Chief, is something bothering you?"
"There was an accident in this mine fifty years ago." Sean frowned deeply, then turned and hurried toward the equipment room.
"Both of you, attach the snowplow to the pickup. I'm going to get the equipment issued by the company. Get ready to move out!"
Andy had just picked up his cold-weather gear and was halfway into it when he heard they were gearing up completely. He asked in confusion, "Chief, isn't the signal just bad because of the blizzard? There's no need to..."
"Shut up." Sean unlocked the equipment room door, glanced back at the two officers, and said coldly,
"We're company field agents. We have to be prepared for any incident to be an abnormal phenomenon.
"And you"—he pointed at Andy—
"If I hear one more question from you, I won't hesitate to upload my evaluation of you to upper management. If you're demoted to D-class personnel..."
"You know what happens next."
"Yes, Chief!" Andy gave Sean an impeccably sharp salute.
Sean's gaze lingered on Andy for several seconds before he approached the equipment room and began collecting the gear.
"Whew—" Andy breathed a sigh of relief.
"All right." Adam, now dressed in his cold-weather gear, lightly punched Andy on the shoulder and laughed. "You know what the chief's temper is like. Besides, the missing-children case isn't a minor matter, so don't let your guard down.
"Once the case is over, I'll take you to a bar and buy you drinks all night. How does that sound?"
"Thanks, buddy." Andy gave a bitter smile. "You just joined the company and don't have much money yet. Let me treat you instead."
"Haha, it's all the same. Let's finish the chief's assignment first."
"Okay."
Adam and Andy then worked together to install the snowplow on the front of the police pickup.
Once the vehicle was ready, Sean loaded all the equipment into it as well.
Andy drove, Sean sat in the passenger seat, and Adam, the youngest of the three, took the back seat.
The three of them then set off in the pickup, equipped with a snowplow and snow tires, maintaining a safe speed as they headed toward the abandoned mine.
Half an hour later,
Sean stared grimly at the navigation device in his hand. After comparing it with the map, he took out his phone and dialed Umbrella's agent hotline.
"Beep—beep—"
After only a few rings, the call connected.
Operator: Hello, Agent. How may I assist you?
Sean: Yes. I need a UBCS squad for support. Coordinates: 54°54'23.6"N, 103°20'57.4"W.
Operator: Agent, are you certain you've discovered an abnormal phenomenon?
Sean: I'm not certain, but... my instincts tell me I need the support of advanced combat personnel.
Operator: (After a brief silence.) Agent, you know the penalties for requesting A-class personnel for containment before an abnormal phenomenon has been confirmed.
Have you... thought this through?
Sean: (Firmly.) Yes.
Operator: All right. Coordinates confirmed: 54°54'23.6"N, 103°20'57.4"W.
Your support request has been accepted. They are expected to arrive at the coordinates in thirty minutes.
Agent, good luck.
Sean: Thanks.
The call ended.
"..."
Silence settled inside the vehicle. The only sounds were the violent howling of the wind and the grating screech of the snowplow scraping against the ground from time to time.
The pickup had long since left the town and was driving along a narrow road between the trees.
"Chief..."
Adam, sitting in the back, couldn't help asking, "It's just an abandoned mine. The children's phones might have run out of battery, which is why no one can reach them.
"Was it really necessary to call in UBCS?"
"Right..." Andy had initially wanted to agree, but quickly clamped his mouth shut and focused on driving.
Sean turned to look at Adam. After a moment, he said calmly, "You're still young. There are many legends you've never heard of.
"According to the stories my grandfather told me, a massive deposit of high-grade tin was discovered on Blackwood Mountain. A group of capitalists seized the land and developed it.
"But the mountain was a sacred mountain and forbidden ground to the Native Americans. Any act that desecrated the gods would bring a curse."
Adam stared at him in disbelief. "Blackwood Mountain? Isn't that the mountain range where the mine is located?"
"That's right." Sean nodded heavily and continued,
"More than fifty years ago, during another unusually heavy blizzard, this mine collapsed for no apparent reason, killing thirty miners.
"In the end, only the bodies of eighteen miners were recovered. Twelve are still missing to this day, but everyone knows what became of that group of miners.
"Afterward, to conceal the government's various atrocities against the Native Americans, the authorities dealt with the accident as quietly as possible."
"Chief, are you saying..." Adam couldn't help growing tense.
"That's right." Sean's expression was solemn. "As Umbrella agents, any case connected to a legend must be handled as if we're facing an abnormal phenomenon."
"Yes..."
"Chief." Andy brought the vehicle to a stop and reminded everyone, "We... have arrived."
Through the windshield, whose visibility was still fairly good, they looked ahead.
At the front of the vehicle stood the sealed entrance to the mine. Beside it was a huge, abandoned two-story building.
It was probably the dormitory where the original miners had lived. What put the three agents on alert was...
The dormitory's main entrance stood wide open.
Seeing this, Sean removed his cold-weather gear and ordered, "Agents, change into combat equipment."
"Yes, Chief!"
As Sean gave the order, Andy and Adam also removed their cold-weather gear.
The three of them took out their equipment, put on bulletproof vests, inserted ballistic plates, then fastened their tactical belts and equipped themselves with magazines and grenades.
They put on Fast Helmets and Holographic Glasses, installed personal cameras, and completed the rest of their preparations.
Several minutes later,
"Clang—clang—" The sounds of the vehicle doors opening and closing rang across the empty grounds.
The three agents, now fully equipped for combat, advanced briskly toward the dormitory in a staggered formation.
When they reached the entrance, they lined up against the wall on the right, one after another.
Sean, at the front, held his gun in his right hand and raised his left, signaling with his fingers.
Three,
Two,
One!
Sean was the first to charge into the dormitory, followed closely by Andy, while Adam remained outside to cover the rear.
The viewpoint shifted to Sean's perspective.
The floor of the lobby was in complete disarray, covered in numerous snowy footprints. Judging by their appearance, they had been made in a state of extreme panic.
After confirming that there were no visible enemies, Sean spoke quietly over the radio in his earpiece. "Clear. Regroup on me."
"Yes." (x2)
Once the team had gathered around him, Sean ordered, "Search the first floor first. Report anything you find to me."
"Yes." (x2)
Following the order, Adam and Andy proceeded together into the corridor extending from the lobby, checking the rooms one by one.
Sean, meanwhile, crouched down and carefully examined the footprints.
One set was highly unusual...
They were barefoot, and the feet were abnormally large.
And there were... palmprints?
Before Sean could continue thinking, Andy's slightly trembling voice came over the radio. "Chief... you should come take a look."
?
Hearing the call, Sean stopped dwelling on the floor and hurried toward the room where his teammates were, guided by the position display on his glasses.
What he saw next was so horrifying that even the police chief was shaken.
"Delicious... delicious... Huh? Aren't you going to try some? It's really delicious..."