undulating beneath that carved, stone hand.
His entire body trembled, then tore apart, separating into a flock of birds. Sparrows. Dozens, perhaps hundreds of tiny sparrows. They fluttered their wings, then flew off above the village and into the sprawling evening.
Hellboy stood on the balcony alone, watching the birds fly as though Anastasia might be among them.
He couldn't stop the self-mockery that came to his lips. "Oh, that went well." But panic seethed inside him.
Whoever they were, the Obsidian Danse were no poseurs. They had Stasia. The question was how long they would keep her alive.
Chapter 5
"C aves," Hellboy said.
The helicopter rotors chopped the air, and he had to raise his voice to be heard. He glanced at Abe and Anastasia. Abe stood and peered out the window without leaving his seat. Stasia leaned over Hellboy to get a look at the valley below them. Her hair smelled like mangoes.
"I didn't see them when we were up here," she said.
"You weren't in a helicopter."
Anastasia nodded, knitting her brows. Hellboy knew what she was looking at. They were above Nakchu village, and from above they could see the cave mouths that dotted the face of the mountain just to the north of that settlement. From the ground, and at a distance, they would have looked like outcroppings of rock, or just shadows.
The guide, Tenzin, sat quietly in the back of the chopper. He seemed anxious, and Hellboy figured maybe this was his first time flying. His eyes were wide, and he clutched his rifle tightly.
Abe settled back into his seat, his heavy leather jacket creaking. It was cold up in the chopper. Though his amphibious body could endure great variations of temperature in the water, he preferred to be warm.
Hellboy wore his long coat and the heavy belt he always used on missions. The belt had a dozen or so pouches filled with various things he might need, from occult artifacts to silver bullets.
Anastasia put up the hood on her parka.
Out the window, they could see people coming out of their dwellings--they were too nice for him to think of them as huts or shacks--and staring up at the helicopter.
"Redfield, bring her down to the north!" he called. "Between the village and those caves."
The pilot raised two fingers in a kind of salute and guided the helicopter around and set it down. Brown grass bent with the air pressure from the chopper's approach; then the rotors began to slow, and go quiet.
"Keep her primed," Hellboy said. "You know SOP."
Redfield pulled off his headphones, smiling through his bristly beard. "Course I do. I just don't know why we didn't bring the whole team."
Hellboy frowned. This was what he got when Professor Bruttenholm was leading the investigation instead of him--Redfield questioning the plan. The guy was the ultimate professional and one hell of a pilot. Hellboy knew he was just cautious. But the only person giving orders on this op was Professor Bruttenholm.
"We don't know what's going on at the lake, or if the people at the dig are still in danger. We don't know a damn thing, yet. Someone's gotta look out for Anastasia's crew and do a new search of the dig area for the missing girl. Everyone's got their job, pal."
Hellboy didn't have to add any emphasis to his last statement. Redfield got it. His job was to fly the chopper.
"SOP," the pilot said, nodding.
Anastasia slid back the door with a rattle and clank, then she and Abe dropped to the ground. Hellboy climbed out after them, Tenzin behind him, rifle slung over his shoulder, and the four of them started toward the village.
"We're coming at this from the opposite side from my last visit. They weren't too thrilled before. They're not going to like this," Stasia said.
"All that concerns us is Kora Kyichu," Abe replied.
The morning sun shone on his blue-green flesh, making him glisten. Hellboy had seen him take a swim in the lake just after sunrise, which was good. Abe always seemed more focused after immersion.
"Agreed," Hellboy
His entire body trembled, then tore apart, separating into a flock of birds. Sparrows. Dozens, perhaps hundreds of tiny sparrows. They fluttered their wings, then flew off above the village and into the sprawling evening.
Hellboy stood on the balcony alone, watching the birds fly as though Anastasia might be among them.
He couldn't stop the self-mockery that came to his lips. "Oh, that went well." But panic seethed inside him.
Whoever they were, the Obsidian Danse were no poseurs. They had Stasia. The question was how long they would keep her alive.
Chapter 5
"C aves," Hellboy said.
The helicopter rotors chopped the air, and he had to raise his voice to be heard. He glanced at Abe and Anastasia. Abe stood and peered out the window without leaving his seat. Stasia leaned over Hellboy to get a look at the valley below them. Her hair smelled like mangoes.
"I didn't see them when we were up here," she said.
"You weren't in a helicopter."
Anastasia nodded, knitting her brows. Hellboy knew what she was looking at. They were above Nakchu village, and from above they could see the cave mouths that dotted the face of the mountain just to the north of that settlement. From the ground, and at a distance, they would have looked like outcroppings of rock, or just shadows.
The guide, Tenzin, sat quietly in the back of the chopper. He seemed anxious, and Hellboy figured maybe this was his first time flying. His eyes were wide, and he clutched his rifle tightly.
Abe settled back into his seat, his heavy leather jacket creaking. It was cold up in the chopper. Though his amphibious body could endure great variations of temperature in the water, he preferred to be warm.
Hellboy wore his long coat and the heavy belt he always used on missions. The belt had a dozen or so pouches filled with various things he might need, from occult artifacts to silver bullets.
Anastasia put up the hood on her parka.
Out the window, they could see people coming out of their dwellings--they were too nice for him to think of them as huts or shacks--and staring up at the helicopter.
"Redfield, bring her down to the north!" he called. "Between the village and those caves."
The pilot raised two fingers in a kind of salute and guided the helicopter around and set it down. Brown grass bent with the air pressure from the chopper's approach; then the rotors began to slow, and go quiet.
"Keep her primed," Hellboy said. "You know SOP."
Redfield pulled off his headphones, smiling through his bristly beard. "Course I do. I just don't know why we didn't bring the whole team."
Hellboy frowned. This was what he got when Professor Bruttenholm was leading the investigation instead of him--Redfield questioning the plan. The guy was the ultimate professional and one hell of a pilot. Hellboy knew he was just cautious. But the only person giving orders on this op was Professor Bruttenholm.
"We don't know what's going on at the lake, or if the people at the dig are still in danger. We don't know a damn thing, yet. Someone's gotta look out for Anastasia's crew and do a new search of the dig area for the missing girl. Everyone's got their job, pal."
Hellboy didn't have to add any emphasis to his last statement. Redfield got it. His job was to fly the chopper.
"SOP," the pilot said, nodding.
Anastasia slid back the door with a rattle and clank, then she and Abe dropped to the ground. Hellboy climbed out after them, Tenzin behind him, rifle slung over his shoulder, and the four of them started toward the village.
"We're coming at this from the opposite side from my last visit. They weren't too thrilled before. They're not going to like this," Stasia said.
"All that concerns us is Kora Kyichu," Abe replied.
The morning sun shone on his blue-green flesh, making him glisten. Hellboy had seen him take a swim in the lake just after sunrise, which was good. Abe always seemed more focused after immersion.
"Agreed," Hellboy
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