"When is she going to get up?" I hear HB growl.
"Leave her alone," answers Abe quietly. "She's very tired."
"Why's she so tired?" HB asks grumpily.
"I'm not entirely sure," Abe responds. "Her mind was jumble of different thoughts last night. I think it had something to do with one of the horses at the ranch though."
"If you two are going to talk about me, could you please do it out of ear shot?" I grumble.
"I'm sorry, love," says Abe. "We didn't mean to wake you."
"Says you," HB mutters.
"I heard that," I growl back at him.
I let out a yawn and stretch, twisting around on the cot so I'm now lying on my back. At lease I managed to stay in it this time. I stare at the ceiling trying to get the energy up to move myself into a sitting position. Abe comes over and looks down at me.
"You didn't wake me," I tell him. "My traitorous stomach did."
A rumbling sound is heard from my belly just to prove the point. Abe helps me sit up and then sits on the cot next to me.
"Manning wants to resume the meeting soon," he tells me.
Various unpleasant things run through my head, all of them very rude. Abe chuckles.
"That's not very nice," he says.
"And dragging me out of my nice warm bed to take me half way around the world to do heaven knows what is?" I snarl.
"You always this pleasant to be around when you get up?" asks HB.
"And I bet you're just a big cuddly teddy bear when you haven't had enough sleep," I counter.
"Red, would you please go get her a cup of coffee?" Abe interrupts.
"What do I look like? A waiter?" HB snarls.
"Please," Abe responds.
"Fine," HB growls as he storms off.
"Thanks," I say. "Things were probably going to get very unpleasant."
"I know," he replies.
He reaches behind his back and pulls something out. He hands me a square envelope with my name on it.
"What's this?" I ask.
"Open it and find out," he answers, smiling.
I look at him funny and then slide my finger under the flap of the envelope. I break the glue sealing the flap down and manage to give myself a paper cut. Giving out a hiss of pain, I quickly suck on the cut. Not enough sleep, an argument with HB and now a paper cut, could this day get any worse?
I pull the card out of the envelope. Obviously it can. It's a birthday card. I totally forgot it was my own birthday. I'm not sure if I should laugh or cry. Instead I read the card. It's a very sweet card from Abe.
"Thank you," I finally manage to say as I lean against him.
"You're welcome," he replies. He puts his arm around me. "Why are you so tired?"
"About a month ago the ranch got a mare that was badly neglected," I answer. "She had sores all over her body and was badly underfed and malnourished. If that wasn't bad enough, she was pregnant, too. We've spent the last month trying to get her healthy again so that she could actually survive the birth. Four days ago she started showing signs of going into labor. So the last few nights, I've been on baby watch. Last night she finally dropped the foal. I got to bed shortly after midnight."
I let out another huge yawn and I stretch again. When I open my eyes again, HB is standing in front of me with my coffee.
"Thank you," I say as I take the cup from him.
"Welcome," he replies. "Was it a boy or girl?"
"Huh? Oh, it was a colt," I answer.
Manning walks in with a case folder in his hand followed by John and a few other agents. He hands the file to me and I read it while I drink my coffee. There's not much in the way of new information in the folder other than the attacks all seemed to have occurred at just after sunset. I read the statements of the three victims. They were all on the outskirts of town just out for a walk when the attack came. Something just doesn't sit right with me, but I can't quite put my finger on it.
"Where, exactly, is Alice Springs?" I ask.
"It's almost in the dead center of Australia in the Outback," he answers. "The closest big city is about a two hour drive."
"So what were these men all doing out in the desert?" I wonder.
"They say that they were just out for a stroll when they were attacked," replies Manning. "There doesn't seem to be any set pattern to the attacks either. The first two happened over a month ago within a few days of each other and the last one happened about a week ago. So what are your thoughts?"
"I'm still not sure what I can do," I tell him. "But if Uncle thought I should go along for the ride, then I'm sure he had good reason. What about this specialist that we're supposed to meet?"
"Dr. Mark Taylor is a specialist in Australian folklore from the University of Sydney," Manning answers. "He'll be meeting us in Alice Springs. He doesn't have clearance to know about Abe or Hellboy, so I would appreciate you not mentioning them to him."
I nod my agreement as I finish my coffee. I check my watch. It's almost noon back home.
"Dr. Manning, I hate to interrupt the meeting again, but I haven't eaten since last night and I'm quite hungry," I say. "Is there something I could get to eat?"
"Agent Myers, please show Miss Cavendish where the galley is," Manning says to John.
A short time later, I'm finally quieting my stomach with food. As I chew, I keep thinking about the case. Why were these men out in the desert? It doesn't make any sense to me.
I finally give up trying to figure it out and go find my bag. I was at least coherent enough to throw a book into my bag before I left. I pull my book out and head back to the cot. On my way, I notice Abe in a small tank. He's playing with a Rubik's cube.
"Isn't it cramped in there?" I ask him.
"Yes, but at least I'm wet," he answers.
I place my hand on the glass and he mirrors my action.
"Thank you for remembering my birthday," I say.
"I had hoped to have a special dinner made for you," he says. "I guess the monsters of the world had a different idea."
"A dinner would have been nice," I tell him. "But as long as I'm with you, I really don't care what we do."
He suddenly pushes himself out of the tank far enough for our lips to touch. I relish his wet lips on mine, even if he is dripping all over me. I reach up and gently stroke his moist cheek. We finally part and I look into his beautiful eyes. I start getting lost in his eyes again when Manning walks by.
"Abe, please get back in your tank," he says. "You're getting water all over the floor."
Several more rude thoughts pass through my mind as I grab a near by towel and start wiping up the water. Abe resubmerges.
"Be nice," he admonishes.
I stick my tongue out at him and retreat back to my cot before he can perform any of the images he sends me that he'd like to do with said tongue. I curl up with my book, but before I can get more than a few pages, I feel my eyelids start to droop. I guess I'm still tired. I put my book down and go back to sleep.