Australian wilderness, 86 miles west of Townsville

2,16 PM, January 18 2006

"Something's wrong." Hellboy didn't think he'd ever herd Abe's voice sound as sharp as when the tanned bushman returned from the river, hat in his hand and sweat on his brow.

Even the demon - who'd often been blamed for being insensitive and rude - could tell that there was a change in the atmosphere, and beside him, Abe rose.

"Something's wrong", the amphibian repeated, lower, more to himself, "terribly wrong." He seemed to hesitate, whether or not to raise his hand and see if he could sense anything, even before Heathrow had returned. There was something tingling Hellboy's neck as well. A dull, gnawing feeling that told him Abe was right.

For a moment, Hellboy lost the world as he swiftly browsed his mind for what could've happened. Someone could've fallen into the river, they could have been trapped beneath a tree that the storm had ripped from the ground. Or something else. The look of things spoke for it.

Hellboy was roughly snatched out of his worried thoughts as Abe gasped, eyes wide, and he withdrew his hand like something had burned him.

"Heathrow!" The amphibian was striding towards the bushman, leaving no explanation to Red. "Heathrow, where's Kadë? Where are Kadë and Gloria?"

This was when Hellboy realised that their two fellow agents hadn't returned with the guide. He'd expected them to come a few moments after the man, talking among themselves about whatever mystery they'd laid their hands on. But they didn't.

"Mr Sapien", Heathrow had stopped as Abe approached him, and was now using his hat for a fan, panting slightly in the Australian heat. His brow was knit, and the lips withdrawn as he breathed like he'd been running all the way back to the camp. "You guys were right", he continued, gazing from Abe to Hellboy with narrowed eyes. "The cave is open."

"It was a cave?" Hellboy put over his weight to the other hoof. They'd now been sure what to expect when they investigated the scene of destruction, caused by the hurricane of the century.

"Yeah, barricaded from the outside for a hundred - two hundred - years, and within it.." this didn't sound to good, "The biggest one I've ever seen. Must've been thirty-five, no, forty feet long!" He was rapidly growing upset, breathing harder and harder, and now, Abe raised a hand.

"Mr Heathrow, please tell us what happened to our friends."

The calm and melodic, yet still urging voice seemed to have impact on the bushman, who instantly spoke slower.

"I'm sorry. We were standing on the shore when it came out. And, and.. Miss McTrevor, she.."

He looked for words, and now Hellboy was growing worried. And impatient.

"What happened to her?"

"There must've been loose soil under her, for when.. Imagine how huge waves there were when it swam! The ground just collapsed under her."

Now, things suddenly started to make sense.

"She fell in the river?"

"Yeah, and then.."

He could feel his own, immediate reaction. Hellboy's muscles tensed so much it hurt when he worked to keep himself from setting off in the direction of the river. Heart beat harder. Adrenaline was being pumped into his blood.

Gloria was in danger - grave danger - and Kadë had probably stayed to help her. Yeah, that must be what happened. Gloria was hurt, or shocked, or both, and Kadë was treating her back on the shore, and she'd sent Heathrow to get help.

There were no reason to get so worked up, Hellboy told himself. Kadë had been trained to handle dangerous and stressed situations, so she'd probably only sent Heathrow to get Hellboy to carry Gloria. But still.. Kadë was telekinetic, she could very well do that herself.

"What are you saying?!" Abe practically yelled at the poor man. Surely, Hellboy's wrath was horrible to deal with, but Abe was normally so gathered and calm, that it often shocked people more to see him upset.

"Miss Halosynde dove into the river, tried to help her, and it kept coming at them." Maybe he'd defined "it", but in that case, Hellboy hadn't noticed. Beside him, Abe was breathing heavily, and his hands were clenched into fists. This was definitely not good. And the next words from the bushman confirmed Hellboy's suspicions. "They swam for shore, naturally, but it was so fast. I didn't see very much - too much water and muck being tossed in the air, but I think the croc got them both."