They spread out in a fan formation and started north, Albert and Phineas on Ferb's left, Isabella and Phinello on his right. Isabella could smell burning fuel and wisps of smoke curling through the foliage.

They moved quickly through the wooded area, visibility dropping off sharply beneath the needled branches. The warm scents of pine and earth were overshadowed by the burning smell, the acrid odor growing stronger with each step. From the dim light filtering toward them, Isabella saw that there was another clearing ahead, high with brittle grasses.

"I see it, dead ahead!"

Isabella felt her heart speed up at Ferb's shout, and then they were all running, hurrying to catch up to their point man.

She emerged from the corse of trees, Phinello next to her. Ferb was already at the downed 'copter, Phineas and Albert right behind him. Smoke was still rising from the silent wreck, but it was thinning. If there had been a fire, it had died out.

She and Phinello reached the others and stopped, staring, on one speaking as they surveyed the scene. The long, wide body of the 'copter was intact, not even a sing scratch visible. The port landing rail looked bent, but besides that and the dying haze of smoke, there seemed to be nothing wrong with it. The hatches stood open, the beam from Albert's penlight showing them an undamaged cabin. From what they could see, most of the Bravo's gear was still on board.

It didn't make any sense. It hadn't been fifteen minutes since their last transmission; if anyone had been injured, they would have stayed. And if they had to leave, why would they leave their equipment behind?

Albert handed the light to Phinello and nodded toward the cockpit. "Check it out. The rest of you spread out and look for clues. Tracks, shell casings, signs of struggle, you find anything, let me know. And stay alert."

/

Isabella joined the search as Phinello stepped out of the cockpit, looking as confused as she felt. She waited to hear his report as he handed the light back to Albert, shrugging nervously.

"I don't know what happened. The bent rail suggests a forced landing, but other then that and they electrical system, everything looks fine."

Albert sighed, then raised his voice so the others could hear. "Circle out, people. Three meters apart, widen as you go."

Isabella moved over to stand between Phineas and Ferb, both men already scanning the ground by their feet as they slowly moved east and northeast of the helicopter. Albert stepped into the cabin, probing the darkness with his penlight. Phinello headed west.

After mere minutes of searching, Isabella stopped, listening. The sighing, crackling steps of the others, the far away drone of their 'copter-

-and nothing else. Not even a chirp, a twitter. Nothing…

They were in the woods, in the middle of summer; where the hell were the animals, the insects? The forest was unnaturally still, the only sounds human. For the first time since they'd set down, she was afraid.

She was about to call out to the others when Phinello shouted from somewhere behind them, his voice high and crackling.

"Hey! Over here!"

Isabella turned and started jogging back, Phineas and Ferb following suit. Albert was still in the helicopter and had drawn his weapon at Phinello's cry, pointing up as he broke into a run.

In the murky light, Isabella could make out Phinello's shadowy form, crouched down in the high grass near some trees. Instinctively, she pulled out her own sidearm and double-timed, suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of encroaching doom.

Phinello stood up, holding something, and let out a strangled scream before dropping it, his eyes wide with terror.

A S.T.A.R.S. handgun, a Beretta- and a disembodied human hand curled around it, hacked off at the wrist…

There was a deep, guttural snarl from behind Phinello, from the darkness of the trees, an animal growling-

-Joined by another rasping, throaty shriek-

- And suddenly dark, powerful shapes erupted from the woods, lunging at Phinello and taking him down.

"Phinello!"

Isabella's scream ringing in his ears, Phineas drew his weapon and stopped in his tracks, trying to get a good shot at the raging beasts that were mauling Phinello. Albert's penlight illuminated the scene, revealing a nightmare.

Phinello's body was all but hidden by the three raging beasts that tore at him, ripping at him with gnashing, dripping jaws. They were about the size of German Shepard, except they had no fur, no skin. Wet, red sinew and muscle flashed between Albert's wavering light, the dog-creatures shrieking and snapping in a frenzy of bloodlust.

Phinello cried out, a burbling, liquid sound as he flailed weakly at the savage attackers, blood pouring from his multiple wounds. It was the scream of a dying man. There was no time to waste; Phineas targeted and open fired.

Three rounds smacked wetly into one of the dogs, a forth shot going high. There was a single, high pitched yelp and the beast went down, it's side heaving. The other two continued their vicious assault, indifferent to the thunderous shots. Phineas watched in horror as one of the slavering hellhounds lunged at and ripped out Phinello's throat, exposing bloody gristle and the glistening sickness of bone.

The S.T.A.R.S. opened up, sending a rain of explosive fire at Phinello's killers. Red splatters burst into the air, the dog-things still trying to get at the spastic corpse while bullets riddled their strange flesh. With a final series of harsh, barking mewls, they fell-and didn't rise again.

"Hold your fire!"

Phineas took his finger of the trigger but continued to point the handgun at the fallen creatures, ready to blow apart the first one that so much as twitched. Two of them were still breathing, growling softly between panting gasps. The third sprawled lifelessly next to Phinello's mutilated body.

-They should be dead, should've stayed down after the first shots! What are they?

Albert took a single step toward the slaughter in front of them-

-When all around them, deep, echoing howls filled the warm night air, shrill voices of predatorily fury coming at them from all directions.

"Back to the 'copter, now!" Albert shouted.

Phineas ran, Ferb and Isabella in front of him and Albert bringing up the rear. The four of them sprinted through dark trees, unseen branches slapping at them as the howls grew louder, more insistent.

Albert turned and fired blankly into the woods as they stumbled toward the waiting helicopter, its blades already spinning. Phineas felt relief sweep through him; Baljeet must have heard the shots. They still had a chance…

Phineas could hear the creatures behind them now, the sharp rustling of lean, muscular bodies tearing through the trees. He could also see Baljeet's pale, wide-eyed face, through the glass front of the 'copter.

Another fifty feet, almost there-

Suddenly, the helicopter jerked into the air, accelerating wildly. Phineas caught a final glimpse of Baljeet's face and could see the blind terror there, the unthinking panic that had gripped him as he clawed at the controls.

"No! Don't go!" Phineas screamed, but the wobbling rails were already out of reach, the 'copter pitching forward and away from them through the thundering darkness.

They were going to die.