The Umbrella Conspiracy

Prologue

 

  Latham Weekly, June 2, 1998

  BIZARRE MURDERS COMMITTED IN RACCOON CITY

  - The mutilated body of forty-two-year-old Anna Mitaki was discovered late yesterday in an abandoned lot not far from her home in northwest Raccoon City, making her the fourth victim of the supposed cannibal killers to be found in or near the Victory Lake district in the last month. Consistent with the coroner reports of the other recent victims, Mitaki's corpse showed evidence of having been partially eaten, the bite patterns apparently formed by human jaws.

  Shortly after the discovery of Miss Mitaki by two joggers at approximately nine o'clock last night, Chief Irons made a brief statement insisting that the RPD is working diligently to apprehend the perpetrators of such heinous crimes and that he is currently consulting with city officials about more drastic protection measures for Raccoon citizens.

  In addition to the murderous spree of the cannibal killers, three others have died from probable animal attacks in Raccoon Forest in the past several weeks, bringing the toll of mysterious deaths up to seven. . .

  Raccoon Times, June 22, 1998

  HORROR IN RACCOON CITY MORE VICTIMS DEAD

  - The bodies of a young couple were found early Sunday morning in Victory Park, making Deanne Rusch and Christopher Smith the eighth and ninth victims in the reign of violence that has terrorized the city since mid-May of this year.

  Both victims, aged 19, were reported as missing by concerned parents late Saturday night and were discovered by police officers on the west bank of Victory Lake at approximately 2 A. M. Although no formal statement has been issued. by the police department, witnesses to the discovery confirm that both youths suffered wounds similar to those found on prior victims. Whether or not the attackers were human or animal has yet to be announced.

  According to friends of the young couple, the two had talked about tracking down the rumored wild dogs recently spotted in the heavily forested park and had planned to violate the city-wide curfew in order to see one of the alleged nocturnal creatures.

  Mayor Harris has scheduled a press conference for this afternoon, and is expected to make an announcement regarding the current crisis, calling for a stricter enforcement of the curfew. .

  Cityside, July 21, 1998

  S. T. A. R. S. SPECIAL TACTICS AND RESCUE SQUAD SENT TO SAVE RACCOON CITY

  With the reported disappearance of three hikers in Raccoon Forest earlier this week, city officials have finally called for a roadblock on rural Route 6 at the foothills of the Arklay Mountains. Police Chief Brian Irons announced yesterday that the S. T. A. R. S. will participate fulltime in the search for the hikers and will also be working closely with the RPD until there is an end to the rash of murders and disappearances that are destroying our community Chief Irons, a former S. T. A. R. S. member himself, said today (in an exclusive Cityside telephone interview) that it is high time to employ the talents of these dedicated men and women toward the safety of this city. We've had nine brutal murders here in less than two months, and at least five disappearances now-and all of these events have taken place in a close proximity to Raccoon Forest. This leads us to believe that the perpetrators of these crimes may be hiding somewhere in the Victory Lake district, and the S. T. A. R. S. have just the kind of experience we need to find them.

  When asked why the S. T. A. R. S. hadn't been assigned to these cases until now, Chief Irons would only say that the S. T. A. R. S. have been assisting the RPD since the beginning and that they would be a welcome addition to the task force currently working on the murders full-time.

  Founded in New York in 1967, the privately funded S. T. A. R. S. organization was originally created as a measure against cult-affiliated terrorism by a group of retired military officials and ex-field operatives from both the CIA and FBI.

  Under the guidance of former NSDA (National Security and Defense Agency) director Marco Palmieri, the group quickly expanded its services to include everything from hostage negotiation and code breaking to riot control. Working with local police agencies, each branch office of the S. T. A. R. S. is designed to work as a complete unit itself. The S. T. A. R. S. set up its Raccoon City branch through the fund-raising efforts of several local businesses in 1972 and is currently led by Captain Albert Wesker, promoted to the position less than six months ago.