"S. D. Perry - Resident Evil 02 - Caliban Cove" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry S. D)

PROLOGUE

Raccoon Times, July 24, 1998

SPENCER MANSION DESTROYED IN EXPLOSIVE FIRE RACCOON CITYтАФAt
approximately 2 A.M. Thursday morn-ing, Victory Lake district residents were awakened by an
explosive blast that thundered through northwest Raccoon Forest, apparently caused by a fire that swept
through the abandoned Spencer mansion and ignited chemicals stored in the basement. Due to delays
from the police barricade set up at the forest perimeter (in connection with the recent string of murders in
Raccoon City), local firefighters were unable to salvage any part of the estateтАЩs grounds. After a
three-hour battle against the raging fire, the thirty-one-year-old mansion and adjacent servantтАЩs quarters
were deemed a complete loss.

Built by Lord Oswell Spencer, European aristocrat and one of the founders of the worldwide
pharmaceutical com-pany, Umbrella, Inc., the estate was designed by award-winning architect George
Trevor as a guest house for Umbrella VIPs and was closed down shortly after completion for reasons
unknown. According to Amanda Whitney, spokesperson for the Umbrella Corporation, parts of the
estate were still being used to store a number of industrial cleaning agents and solvents used by Umbrella.
Whitney said in a statement yesterday that the company would take full responsibility for the unfortunate
incident, calling it тАЬa serious oversight on our part. Those chemicals should have been cleared out of the
Spencer house a long time ago, and weтАЩre just thankful that no one was hurt.тАЭ At this point, the cause of
the fire is undetermined, but Whitney went on to say that Umbrella will be bringing in their own
investigators to sift through the ruins in hopes of determining the fireтАЩs point of origin. . . .

Raccoon Weekly, July 29, 1998

S.T.A.R.S. TAKEN OFF MURDER INVESTIGATION RACCOON CITYтАФIn a surprising
announcement by city officials at a press conference yesterday, the Raccoon City branch of the Special
Tactics and Rescue Squad (S.T.A.R.S.) was officially removed from the investigation into the nine brutal
murders and five disappearances of city residents that have occurred in the last ten weeks. City council
member Edward Weist delivered the statement, citing gross incompetence as the primary reason for the
S.T.A.R.S. removal. Readers may remember that the S.T.A.R.S.тАЩs first action upon being assigned the
cases last week was to search the northwest area of the forest for the alleged cannibal killers. Weist
stated that it was because of their тАЬblatantly unprofessional conductтАЭ that their mission ended in disaster,
re-suiting in the crash of a helicopter and the loss of six of their eleven team members, including the
S.T.A.R.S. branch commander, Captain Albert Wesker.

тАЬAfter [the S.T.A.R.S.тАЩs] mishandling of the Raccoon Forest search,тАЭ said Weist, тАЬweтАЩve decided to let
the RPD see this investigation through to its conclusion. We have reason to believe that the S.T.A.R.S.
may have been ingesting drugs and/or alcohol prior to their search, and have suspended the use of their
services indefinitely.тАЭ

Weist was joined by Sarah Jacobsen (representing Mayor Harris) and Police Commissioner J.C.
Washington to make the announcement and answer questions. Neither Police Chief Brian Irons nor any
of the surviving S.T.A.R.S. could be reached for comment... .

CuysKto, August 3, 1998

SOURCE OP ESTATE FIRE DEEMED ACCIDENTAL
 RACCOON CITYтАФAfter an exhaustive investigation by fire officials working with Umbrella, Inc.тАЩs