Duncan's movements had been under surveillance ever since he'd walked out of Umbrella Corporation's headquarters, so he'd never dared to do anything without holding back.
In a world doomed to lose all order, his bottom line kept dropping. If it got him what he wanted, Duncan didn't mind doing things in the "most efficient" way.
Put simply, he didn't care about the consequences or what might happen afterward.
The easiest way to stop a break-in was to blow up the house. The best way to stop Umbrella Corporation from doing evil was to blow them up, too. Drop a Nuclear Bomb on every Umbrella underground base around the globe and leave nothing behind; then there'd be no need to worry about Resident Evil.
Six modified SUVs and a box truck drove out of the Umbrella Security Company grounds. Besides those vehicles, a helicopter emblazoned with the Umbrella logo also lifted into the sky. Duncan was sitting aboard it, watching the city below grow smaller.
Before long, the helicopter reached the warehouse Susan had rented.
Susan had rented a warehouse of several hundred square meters in a relatively secluded area on the outskirts of Raccoon City, as Duncan had requested.
There was a large open area outside the warehouse, just right for the helicopter to take off and land.
The blonde beauty lounging inside the warehouse heard the helicopter and came out to greet them.
Duncan climbed out of the helicopter, followed by four members of Umbrella Corporation's Security Force. Clad in full tactical gear and carrying TAR-21 assault rifles, they looked intimidating from a distance.
The helicopter's engine shut off. The pilot stayed aboard, waiting for orders from the control tower or Duncan.
Susan stood at the entrance, stunned by the imposing presence of the four men Duncan had brought with him. She froze, unsure what to do, and only came back to her senses when Duncan reached her.
"Boss, here are the warehouse keys. Would you like me to show you around?"
Susan had done her job diligently, as if she were afraid Duncan would fire her if she didn't do it well.
After renting the warehouse, Susan had already taken a look around so she'd be able to show her boss the place when he arrived.
Duncan took the heavy ring of keys and weighed it in his hand before slipping it into his pocket. Then he pointed at the warehouse. "Show me around."
The warehouse was simple: a spacious hall, a few conveyor-belt loaders, a pile of miscellaneous items in one corner, several empty rooms, and an office.
There was also a backup power system in the basement, and all the facilities and equipment were in good order. Most importantly, there weren't any of those annoying cameras!
"Susan, nice work. Now go to KFC and buy me twenty family buckets!"
After inspecting the warehouse and finding it satisfactory, Duncan made up an excuse to send away his secretary, whose eyes turned mournful.
In the vast, empty warehouse, only Duncan and the four armed security guards remained, facing one another.
All four members of the Security Force were tall, blue-eyed blond men. Their combat gear made them look even more imposing, but their eyes were filled with curiosity.
When they'd left the grounds, their only order had been to follow the instructions of shareholder Duncan. They'd boarded a helicopter and flown here, but still had no idea what they were supposed to do.
Surely he hadn't brought them along just to show off for the major shareholder?
"Introduce yourselves. Your names, your backgrounds, and why you joined the company."
Duncan stood in front of the four men, looking them over. The people he'd requested from Umbrella weren't particularly trustworthy, but he didn't have many options right now.
Time was precious. Taking a little risk in exchange for a bright future was worth it.
The four exchanged glances. The man on the far left began.
"Rob Smith. I served in the U.S. Army... I joined the company to realize my potential!"
The first man wore a serious expression and sounded convincing, but Duncan took the claim with a grain of salt.
"Buck Kane. I served in the army. Obviously, I joined the company for the money."
The second man was clearly more honest. He spoke with a grin, as if it were only natural.
The third man was named Kevin. Like Buck, he said he'd joined for the money.
The last man was named Snow. He shrugged. "I just needed a job. Give me any assignment you have, boss. I still have basic professional standards."
The four men weren't exactly elite. Their abilities were only on par with ordinary soldiers. Duncan shouldn't expect to find some super commando drifter in the Security Force.
He didn't expect much from their abilities. Until the rest of his people arrived, these four would be the vanguard exploring another world, so he needed to confirm a few things.
"Do you have any family?"
The four men paused. Their answers were much the same: none of them were orphans. Buck was married and had a son, while the other three had parents and siblings.
After hearing that they all had family, Duncan nodded and said seriously, "The job I'm about to ask you to do is full of uncertainties. You could face danger and lose your lives in an instant. I can tell you now that if you die on the mission, your families will receive a million dollars in compensation. If you survive, you'll still receive rewards beyond an ordinary person's imagination. What do you choose?"
At Duncan's promise, the four men's breathing caught. Their expressions turned serious.
They'd have to work at Umbrella for more than a decade to earn a million dollars. It was already enough money to make an ordinary person willing to take a risk.
But that money came with the risks Duncan had mentioned!
He'd offered a million right off the bat, so the mission had to be dangerous. Setting aside those "unimaginable rewards," whether a million dollars was worth the risk was the key question.
"Boss, can you tell us what the mission is?" After thinking it over for a moment, Buck was the first to ask.
After all, he was the only one of the four with a family of his own, so he had more to consider.
Duncan merely shook his head, revealing nothing about the mission.
Silence fell again.
At last, Rob gave a wry smile. He was the first to succumb to the temptation of the money. "Shit... that's a lot of money! I'm in."
With someone taking the lead, the other three hesitantly agreed as well. Even Buck, who'd been wavering, chose to accept the mission.
Buck explained, "With that money, my son won't have to sell his body for a living like I do."
"Good!" Duncan was pleased with their choice. The world was about to end, and if these four didn't join him, Umbrella would simply discard them. Going with him, on the other hand, gave them a chance to find a way out.
The phantom doorway that had been hovering before his eyes finally began to take shape. Duncan focused, turned around, and followed the method that had appeared in his mind, attaching the illusionary door to the office door in the warehouse.
The process was silent. The once ordinary office door would now open onto a doorway to another world.
"Get ready. I recommend you load your weapons and put on the masks at your waists. I don't want anything bad to happen."
As he spoke, Duncan reached into his pocket and took out a gas mask he'd gotten from the Umbrella Security Company, then put it on.
The four men looked around in confusion. Nothing about their surroundings suggested danger, but Duncan's serious tone affected them. They loaded their weapons and put on their masks.
Duncan placed his hand on the doorknob, pressed it down gently, and pushed the door open. Beyond it was no longer the office, but a wide road.
The sound of cars driving carried clearly into the warehouse. All five of them stared in shock.
Even Duncan, who had caused this, was dumbstruck by a sight that seemed like a glitch in the world.
"Go on, my four brave explorers. Explore the new world. This is one of the rewards I promised you." Once he'd recovered, Duncan stepped aside, letting Rob, Buck, and the others see the other world.
The four men were completely stunned. They looked at Duncan as if he were a god, but at his command, they remembered their duty and slowly regained their composure.
"Let's go!" Buck, the oldest, took temporary command. He gripped his gun and stepped through the doorway into the new world first.
It was a new world in the literal sense. The instant they crossed the threshold, they had arrived.
The four passed through the doorway without any discomfort. The biggest difference was that it felt like stepping out of an air-conditioned room into the blazing heat outside.
As soon as they crossed, all four men did the same thing: they turned to look behind them.
But when they turned around, they didn't see their boss. They saw only a car approaching, and the terrified expression of the Black man inside it.
Screeech!
The shrill scrape of tires marked Umbrella Corporation's great leap into another world.
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