Chapter two: Going Rogue
I woke to the sound of soft knocking on the door, my small digital clock that shined in the dark told me it was 6:42 am. Stumbling up I tripped over my disregarded bag I'd left by the bed the night before. "Damn it," I grumbled. "Coming!"
Assuming it was Abe I swung the door open and was taken aback to instead see Kate waiting in the way. "Oh um, good morning, Kate." I fumbled trying to not act surprised. "What brings you around so early?"
Kate half smiled. "I wanted to give you your ID card," I took the card she held out and thanked her.
"Most likely the Dean would like to see everyone's legit before allowing a full investigation.
"Yeah, but honestly it seems like a bust to me, Kate." She raised her eyebrow. "Some college kid hazing rituals, you know."
"They can't all be can they?" She concluded. I shrugged. "Nah, guess not, I'll just be happy to get back in the field. Thanks again Kate."
Kate lingered a moment, as if she had something to say but wasn't quite sure, finally she clapped her hands together and moved away. "Your Welcome. Breakfast starts in 15, downstairs in level C."
I closed the door quietly after having thanked her again for the information my groaning stomach sorely appreciated.
6:47, too early. I grabbed my B.P.R.D uniform and phone and ventured off in search of the showers.
As I wandered I tried to reason out where the most likely place would be, Level A was the Armory, B was the gym and training area, C had the mess hall, D offices and E was residential.
"Jeez they should give someone a freaking map..." I complained.
"Agent Zander." I spun sharp. My phone slipped out of my hand ans flew across the floor. "Jesus Devon!" I breathed. "Scared the hell out of me, didn't even hear you coming."
He picked up my phone and walked closer to me, and I recalled what Abe had told me yesterday. "You shouldn't be hanging around with Agent Sapien." He said up front.
I looked him up and down. "Abe is my friend." Devon shook his head slightly. "He want's me fired, because of what I presented to the committee about him."
"Look he told me about everything..."
"Did he?" He asked eyebrow raised. "Did he tell you he's an advanced specimen of the frogs, that he's hailed as the King of the New World?"
I grabbed my phone back. "Yes he did! Look I might have just got here but I ain't the new girl, I know how everything works. When I started here in the 40's before Hellboy was an agent I had only humans to work with, humans who didn't trust me, that thought I was a danger to have on the team because of what I was. Well you know Devon I am nota monster, and neither is Abe." I stepped closer to him. "We all have choices, and we chose to fight for the good side didn't we and just because some crazy psycho lunatic at the center of the earth tells you something doesn't make it so. And if you believe that rubbish your a complete thick headed git." I moved away. "I second Abe's motion, you should be fired."
I rounded the corner leaving him to himself. I breathed out deeply in frustration as I noticed on top of the lovely day this was turning into my phone had cracked. "Just bloody brilliant, cheap as piece of..."
"You need help finding something?" I voice half laughed from behind me.
I turned towards Abe. "Yeah I'm looking for the nearest AT&T store, you know where I might find that?" I handed him my phone and he examined the crack.
"Don't worry about it, I'll talk to Kate get you a new phone." He said handing it back. "As for the showers there down on level B."
I raised my eyebrow. "What are you stalking me?" I joked.
"Lucky guess, also not many people walk around in sweatpants and t shirts while carrying their uniforms unless their headed to the showers."
"Tushe." I pointed my phone at him. "Feel like walking me down, I don't want to chance another run in with Devon."
Abe's look turned serious. "Devon? What did he want?"
I waved my hand around. "Told me not to be hanging around we you, that you wanted him fired and were the frog king, blah blah blah, to sum it up I told him to get bent, that he's a git and should be fired."
"Maybe you shouldn't hang around me..."
I snorted. "Ha fat chance, your the only person here that seems to get me."
"Well we did exchange life stories last night."
I put my arm around his shoulders. "Yeah... from what I can tell you and my brother were close. He trusted you, I trust you. That's how it gos, I trust his judgment and I'm going to stand by you, anyway being popular is overrated."
A group of agents walked towards us casting us weird glances at my arm around him.
"Thank you, it really means a lot." Abe said softly
I smiled. "No problem," I turned to look at the agents as they passed. "All hail King Abe!" Then bust out laughing, jerking a thumb at the staring agents. "Humans, they take things wayto seriously."
Abe slid his arm around my waist. "Did Kate give you your ID?"
"Yeah, woke me up." I said. "Yeah, but really, why do we have to investigate this 'cult', I mean its obviously a bust."
He nodded. "with the U.N. control we have to investigate every bump in the night they say we have to... "
I eyed him. "We're not going to investigate this are we?" He turned his head slightly. "Not exactly..."
"One day and I already feel like I'm being a bad influence on you." I smirked. "Well, were you go I go your majesty."
He shot me a look. "Whatever, Princess." He retorted earning him a slap on the arm.
"Ok, you crossed the line!" All he did was laugh slightly.
We approached the locker rooms a few minutes later. "Here's the woman's shower." He unnecessarily told me as I eyed the signed that read 'Woman's Showers' on the door.
"There aren't women in there is there?" He shot me a look as if that was the stupidest question ever asked. "No Nyaida, there's a bunch of sweaty over paid football champions in there." He replied sarcastically, I couldn't help but laugh.
"Sexy over paid football champions?"
He pointed at the door. "Go take your shower, I'll be in the mess hall waiting for you, seeing as you can't seem to find your way around here without me."
"Well then how do you expect me to find the mess hall, smartie?"
He crossed his arms over his chest. "How old are you?"
"Old enough to be you mother and more, and that's all you need to know."
He sighed. "Do you want me to wait here for you?"
I waved him off. "Go eat I'll be fine."
"I'm not going to eat until your up there, its rude." He replied.
I pushed the door open and went inside. "Abe, your a piece of work you know that!" I called back.
Thankfully there were no women in the room, which to my surprise was pretty nice. The walls were stainless steel, the floor gray tile with drains set into it. The showers were steel and clean which surprised me the most. I slipped in one of the far showers and let the warm water caress me.
After I'd washed and gotten dressed I was in the process of towel drying my hair when two girls walked in. Great.
"...he's just standing outside..." One said.
"Yeah, freak."
I turned. "If your talking about Agent Sapien," I said coolly. "He's waiting for me."
I could feel them sizing me up and the beast inside me was growing tiresome of it.
"Oh, um... I didn't know.." I held up my hand.
"Don't even go there, I don't know the lay out of the building he's showing me around, and I would appreciate it if you didn't call my frienda freak." I tossed the towel in the bin and stalked passed them pushing the door open roughly in frustration.
Outside the cool air washed over me, making me wish I'd have dried my hair completely. But sure enough there was Abe waiting outside the door, like a complete gentlemen.
"Why don't they make more men like you?"
He laughed slightly. "Well if you listen to Devon, they do and in a few thousand years there will be a bunch like me..."
I smiled. "But we can't let that happen." He nodded as I shrugged. "Anyway that would take away from how special you are by yourself."
"You think so?"
"Yep, damn straight I do, I mean what other guy would wait outside of a woman's locker room for them? Hmmm? Not the guys now adays that's for damn sure."
"Its like you said, don't wanna risk you running into Devon."
I snapped my fingers. "That is a good point." I laughed." But I'm starving and I need food before you start looking like Abe Sapien Tempura."
I couldn't believe Devon would say all that to her, was he really trying to make every mistrust me that much? Then again why should I be surprised, like Nyaida had said, Humans take things way to seriously. They are quick to judge.
Her arm was back around my neck as a group of agents walked by us, I slid my arm gently around her waist.
"What are you looking at?" She asked as they passed. Then she laughed and turned towards me. "I'm sorry I just love weirding people out. I mean their going to stare anyway might as well give'em something to look at, right."
"And your a princess?" I asked.
She frowned and waved it off. "Pssh, after having spent all those years next to Hellboy fighting monsters, that life, it seems like a dream, you know? Like this is who I am, I ain't no prissy barbie doll, I guess I never was..." She faded off thinking. "Anyway as far as I'm concerned I'm just a field agent like anyone else."
She gave a two fingered wave to a passing secretary fumbling with papers. "How you do'in." The woman blinked but remained silent.
Nyaida sighed as we rounded a corner and leaned more into me. Her hair was cool and wet against my neck, man did she smell great. Jeez, what the hell's wrong with me?
We entered the mess hall and grabbed some food before sitting down at a deserted table in the far corner. "So frog king," She laughed. "When exactly are we leaving?"
I checked my watch. "Should be in about 45 minutes." She nodded and took a bite of undercooked steak. "Steak for breakfast?"
She shrugged. "Steak, its the breakfast for champions," She joked as I took a drink of water. "Oh and speaking of which where are those over paid football stars?"
I choked almost spitting water everywhere, which made her bust out laughing, and made everyone else turn towards us. "Will you drop it!" I said hoarsely. "Jeez... princess."
"Ha ha, Ok alright , go hop on a lily pad why don't ya."
"Shut up and eat your damn steak."
She smirked and bit into the meat, blood leaked from it and dripped onto the plate.
In many ways I could she her and Hellboy hitting it off, they were similar in their personalities. But the thing I liked most was how she acted as if we had know each other forever. I certainly knew I felt drawn to her, it wasn't necessarily a physical attraction it was more of an understanding between the two of us, know she knew my story and I knew her's and we accepted each other, no questions asked. I liked that.
I took a bite of my toast, plain with just butter, as I watched her brush her fiery red hair away from her face. "Don't choke." She teased smiling, and for the first time I really noticed her teeth. Two elongated fangs on either side, she must have realized this and closed her lips.
"The fangs, right... guess you noticed." She said flatly. "Yeah, sucks if I bite my tongue."
I chuckled slightly. I didn't want to make her self conscious. "Yeah, I can imagine that would hurt."
She finished off her steak and with a full mouth said. "Watch out behind you..."
Frowning I turned and saw why. Devon had entered the mess hall and from where he was sitting you could plainly tell he was watching us. "God Dammit." I muttered.
She pointed at my watch. "We should be leaving anyway right?" I nodded.
As we stood up Nyaida put her arm back around me and started laughing loudly. "Jeez Abe you are freaking hilarious you know that!" I laughed lightly as people stared but I couldn't help but feel satisfaction from the almost angry look on Devon's face. "Man you sure know how to show a girl a good time!" She faked wiping a tear from her eye.
I smiled and pulled her closer to me playing it up. "You know it babe." And I shot a death glare at Devon.
Bellingham, Washington
The cloud cover was thick when we landed at the small municipal airport just outside of Bellingham. Abe and I met up with another two agents who had already arrived. Agent Giarocco and Agent Harvey. They briefed us quickly on what they had found out so far, still seemed like a huge bust to me though. Afterwords Abe took one of the Humvees and we drove to a small motel not far from the airport.
"Gee thanks Abe..." I joked. "I though we were friends."
It was hard to contain my laughter as he looked at me confused. "What? What's wrong?" His voice laced with concern.
I crossed my arms. "Bringing me to some sleazy motel, couldn't you swing for at least a Holiday Inn." I said, still amused at the look on Abe's face as he realized what I meant.
"Oh Jesus Nyaida!" He said loudly. "I'd never! You thought I..." He gasped pointing at him self.
I broke out laughing. "I'm kidding Abe, jeez only kidding..." I said hopping out of the Humvee slamming the door behind me. Abe hustled out. "Dammit Ny, jeez..." He massaged his forehead. "Well I'm going to feel stupid suggesting this now..." I raised my eyebrow as he leaned back against the jeep. "Do you want to share a room?" He held up both hands to stop me from saying anything. "Now before you think anything hear me out, I sleep in the bathtub anyway so the bed will be vacant and if you wanted to we could just stay together." He said quickly.
"I've stayed in rooms with Hellboy before, Abe," I said. "And he snores something horrid, so staying with you will be a walk in the park."
He breathed out looking relieved. "Yeah I know..." He half laughed.
That night we sat together and watched old reruns of shows neither of us really cared about. I had placed my gun on the bedside table, Abe said I was crazy, but you never know. "Someone could break in you wouldn't hear them cause your submerged and I'd have to fumble around to find my gun. This way I got it right there." He had looked suddenly worried. "Maybe I should sleep on the floor?" I had waved him off. "I'm not 12 jeez..." Giarocco had call to let us know to meet at Musgrove college instead of the Unitarian church. I knew it was just some college kids.
We ordered Chinese food from the local restaurant, Abe bought. And as we had ate we reminisced about Hellboy. "You know in '64 we were in Romania, now we'd been drinking," Abe laughed. "Yeah, yeah well we got to walking through the woods and a werewolf," I stressed. "A Were-WOLF bit me on the ass." I said definitely. "Really? Wow..."
I nodded. Abe had pulled out a flask he had hidden away filled with bourbon and we had both gotten a bit tipsy. "Yep right on the ass, and my brother, pssh whats he do? He starts laughing his ass off, finally like five minutes later pulled the beast of me!"
Abe nearly choked again on his egg roll. "That's Hellboy for you..." I smirked and grabbed his flask away from him, taking a big drink from it I nearly fell over.
"Save some of that will you! It's not like I can drive out and get more." He said snatching it away and bringing it up to his lips only to find it was empty. He glared at me and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Princess," He said sitting up straighter. "You are going to have a headache tomorrow."
I looked over at the clock. 12: 14 am. "Guess what frog king, it is tomorrow!"
"Crap, I'm supposed to be up by seven, Kate's going to call." He looked at the clock and then me. "Can I trust you to wake me up at six?"
I nodded. "Yes Abe I will wake you up!" I said. "I promise."
Six a.m came and went, Nyaida was still sleeping like a baby. I had to laugh as she snored softly. Grabbing the computer I looked up the story I had been following. The head line read, 'The return of Bigfoot', reading more into the story it read, 'pale white as any snow you ever laid eyes on', 'ten feet tall', in my mind it meant one thing, Wendigo.
Nyaida rolled over he hand settling inches from her hand gun. The computer suddenly went of and an icon popped up reading, 'Headquarters calling'. I clicked off it as fast as I could but Nyaida was faster she jumped up grabbing her gun as if she'd been waiting all night to shot something and fired a shot right though the door.
"Jesus!" Kate's voice came though the speakers.
Nyaida looked around. "Oh man...I'm so sorry." She clicked the safety on and set the gun back down on the table and clasped her hands together in my direction. "Sorry...sorry..."
I laughed lightly. "Well good morning sleeping beauty." She flipped me off.
Kate cleared her throat loudly making me look over at the web cam. Her eyebrow was raised and when Nyaida closed the bathroom door it was question time. "You slept together?"
"No! I slept on the floor, because I knew she wouldn't have woken up in time to wake me up in the bath tub."
The bathroom door slammed open and Nyaida pointed at the clock. "The alarm clock is apparently broken, ain't my fault!" She shot passing the blame to the small electronic device.
I sat up straighter. "That's funny because it woke me up." She frowned.
"It did?"
I nodded and she grunted and closed the door again. Back to Kate.
"You still aren't sleeping well are you?" I asked. I could here the shower turn on behind me.
"Not much. Anything new?" She asked jerking her eyebrow up again and smirking slightly.
I frowned. "No Kate, I told you we wouldn't start canvassing until eight o'clock. You're the one who insists on calling at seven." I set the computer down on the table and stood up.
"This is supposed to be a conference call debriefing Abe. I can't do it later if I want to include the two squads we have in Europe."
I when over to the desk and poured some water into my glass as Kate said, "No shows. Both of them." I smirked slightly as I hear a crashing, like shampoo bottles falling and Nyaida voice voice swearing from with in the bathroom. "Third time this week isn't it?" I replied to Kate.
"I could call earlier if you want? And sit back down I don't want to keep talking to your ass!"
I laughed. "Sorry. And no don't call any earlier or you'll have three no shows."
"Where's the canvass today?"
I grabbed some papers and shuffled through them. "It was supposed to be at the Unitarian church but Giarocco called last night, we're meeting at Musgrove College instead. Thirty miles outside of town." I looked back at the camera. "You know this 'Doomsday cult' is a dead end right?"
"They can't all be dead ends." Kate said stirring her tea. "So how are you doing, Abe? You feeling Ok?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I feel... Aww come on! This isn't still that crap with Devon, is it?"
"He's a member of the B.P.R.D core committee, Abe..."
"Yeah who needs to be fired." Nyaida's voice said from the door way. "Telling me to stay away from Abe, that I shouldn't hang around with him..." She went on before mumbling. "Dumbass."
"Look do you want to know my solution for his, 'core membership'?"
Kate smirked. "I believe you've already aired that proposal and the committee is taking it under advisement." She laughed. "I'll ring you guys at eight. So long."
And the screen went blank. I turned to Nyaida who pointed at the bullet hole in the door. "I ain't paying for that."
I stood up. "Let be get dressed and we'll leave off," I answered. "I'm not paying for that either."
Abe hurried off to take a quick shower and I took this chance to snoop around his computer. I pulled up the page he'd last been looking at. "Return of Bigfoot?" I muttered. "British Columbia?"
I became to enthralled in the story I didn't even hear Abe walk up behind me. "You used all the hot water." He said deadpan. I jumped and almost knocked the computer on the floor. "Oh jeez, you scared the hell out of me!" He laughed slightly and pointed at the computer. "That's were we're going."
"Bigfoot hunting?" I said. "Look I'm all for giant apes in the forests and yada yada but I mean is it worth our time?"
He shook his head and sat down, and I noticed he was only wearing his shorts, his skin still semi wet from his shower. "It's not Bigfoot, its a Wendigo." He said simply.
"A cursed ghost..." I said in realization. "Pure white, normally found only in Canada... they usually only target murders. And once they kill, their soul is free and the soul of the person they killed is trapped."
Abe nodded. "I have a hunch, its silly really but I have to look."
"I understand, Abe."
We drove into Canada without much difficulty, Abe phoned Giarocco and signed the Humvee out, told her he'd ran it by Kate and that we're headed north. I had the radio on until Abe couldn't stand the Canadian pop music any longer and had threatened to shoot the radio if I turned it on again.
The town of Marekeos, British Columbia was small, seemed like everybody would know everybody else, except for one problem, where was everybody? The town seemed abandoned, deprived on life as if the rapture had taken place and the whole town had been taken up, the place had likely been abandoned for maybe a little over a day.
"Abe?" I asked. "What would do this?"
He kept his eyes on the road and didn't say anything.
"It can't be a Wendigo?"
He slowed the car and stopped in the middle of the street. "Stay here."
Before I could object he got out and walked into the deserted laundromat. I turned the radio back on.
When he finally did come back he slammed his fist into the button that turned it on and off so that it stayed in and wouldn't turn back on. "I warned you." He said before driving off towards the outskirts of town.
"Where are we going?" I asked as I glared at the now useless radio.
"There should be a map in the glove compartment, look for service road #217. The last sighting was made there there nights ago."
Three hours after we left the town night had fallen. Nyaida shifted next to me in the passengers seat. "Go go sleep, I'll wake you when we're there. If you promise not to shoot me."
She shot me a look. "Maybe if the radio wasn't broken I would have something to do. I hate silence."
I looked over at her. "Then talk to me. What's your favorite band?" I asked.
She frowned then smiled. "I have to many to choose."
"All crappy pop singers, huh?" I joked.
She slapped my arm. "No... I'll listen to anything." She replied. "But you broke the radio."
I slammed my fist into the radio again and the button popped out and the radio came on. "There now find a decent alternative station."
She just looked at me and didn't to anything.
"What?" I asked.
"I kind of like this song." She laughed. "Lady GaGa is Ok right?"
I punched the radio again. "There... so what's your favorite movie?"
"Wait a minute I get to ask you something." She said. "What's your favorite band?"
I thought. "I like Sting or the Dire Straights are good too."
She nodded satisfied then had to say something sarcastic. "What no Motley Crew?"
"Shut up."
She laughed and punched at the radio but only succeeded in cracking the clock.
"Good job." I said, though I couldn't help but laugh.
"Whatever frog boy."
By the time we stopped the car and got out my legs were killing me. "I swear Abe you hit every pothole in that damn road." I said cracking my back.
He grunted and continued scanning the map. I sighed and began to wander around.
"Ny!" Abe called. "Don't go off, stay with me, please."
"What are you scared?" I joked.
He shot me a look that said he wasn't screwing around, and I noticed I couldn't hear anything.
"Abe? Do you notice there is no sound? I mean like really, its dead silent."
Abe pulled out his gun and walked towards me, I drew mine as well. "Come on lets just stay together."
As we walked a bit deeper Abe began muttering. "What they hell's the matter with me, coming out here." He said. "Bringing you out here. I mean what was I expecting to find?"
Just as I was about to answer a gun shot crackled through the air. Abe and I both spun and aimed at the man who stood very near behind us. Atop a mound of earth he stood unshaven, wearing what appeared to be an old army camouflage uniform, completed with the hunting rifle he held. Though, it was not aimed at us.
"What the fuck are you doing here, fish man?"
