Hellboy: Unnatural Selection(76)

A blackened patch on the floor was all that remained of the portion of Leh which Gal had sent through to their father.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Richard said, talking to the man he had not seen for fifteen years. "I really hope you know."



* * *



They stayed down there until morning, and then Richard helped Gal hobble up out of the tunnel. The Jerusalem sun felt good. On Gals shoulder, beneath his singed jacket, was a wound that would never heal.



* * *





American Embassy, London — 1997



"HEY, JIM. A BEER would be really good about now."

"I happen to have a few bottles of Abbot Ale in my office. You two wait here, and I'll be right back. Liz? Drink?"

"Whiskey?"

Sugg smiled. "Glenlivet." He left the room, and the door swung shut behind him. Fray had already gone to try to set up a meeting with the British minister of defense.

Hellboy ached. His muscles were sore, and his bones felt abused. He wished this were the end of something, not just the beginning. He could not remember the last time his stamina had been pushed so far. "Got to say it about the Brits," he said. "They do know a good drink when they see one."

"God bless them and all who sail in them," Liz murmured. She was lying on a leather sofa, while Hellboy had taken a huge floor cushion. He was not quite sure what to call the room — entertainment suite? — but it was tastefully furnished and pleasing to the senses. He could stay here, given half the chance.

Jim came back within a couple of minutes with their drinks, and the three of them shared a few silent moments. But that was all. Hellboy knew it was coming, and he knew that Jim knew, so it was no surprise when their peace was broken.

"They're scared of you," Jim said.

"Who?"

"The British government. They don't know what to think of you. You're ... strange. Out of the ordinary. They can't trust that, especially now, today, when all this shit is going on and Heathrow has just taken a battering."

Hellboy frowned. "Any casualty figures yet?"

Jim shook his head. "Too early. It'll be four figures, for sure."

"Damn." Hellboy closed his eyes, but his mind was full of flames. It was too hot in there. He looked at Liz and smiled, wondering how she could live with what she had.

"Don't they realize we might have an answer?" Liz asked.

Jim nodded. "Of course they do. Tom Manning has been on the phone for the past couple of hours trying to find someone who'll listen. So far as I can tell, he's been promised that a couple of helicopters will scout the approaches to London on land and sea, see what they find."

"A couple of helicopters?" Hellboy said. "London is hosting a huge gathering of international leaders, its main airport is fried by dragons, and they can spare the BPRD a couple of helicopters?"

"They're scared, Hellboy. Petrified. They don't know what the hell is going on, or who's doing it, or why. And think of the responsibility ... a major disaster here could leave half the countries on the globe without a leader!"

"Yeah," Hellboy said.

"We don't have time for this," Liz said. "We — "

"Why's he killing so many people?" Hellboy said.

"What?"

"You read the message from that psycho Blake, Liz. His stated aim is to put the world to rights. Give it back to those who should really rule. Cleanse the planet. Not your average psycho raison d'etre, granted ... but think about what he's doing here. A thousand dead at Heathrow? The kraken that took that cruise ship? What possible good is all this doing him?"

Liz frowned, bit her bottom lip. "None."

"None," Hellboy said. "Maybe he's losing control of his little pets."

"They're a diversion," Liz said. "This stuff has been happening all over the world for the past few days as a diversion away from his main attack, here and now. The environmental conference. Wipe out a load of world leaders, cause chaos and anarchy, giving the world's rightful owners their chance to take control."

"Dragons and kraken?" Jim asked.

"And more," Hellboy said. "Plenty more."

"But now they've launched their first attack in Britain," Liz said, "and soon he'll go for the conference. He doesn't need the diversion anymore."