15Chapter 5
As Hellboy came to he kept his eyes closed to appear unconscious and because he had a bloody headache. He heard a noisy engine rumbling, other cars flying pass them and the sound of wood scraping the metal floor which was cargo sliding back and forth.
Hellboy knew very well he was in a box because when he opened his eyes he felt like he was staring at a pine top. How his kidnappers had found such a box for his size he did not know but they had his arms and legs both tied in rope and chained together. His mouth wasn't gagged so he could breathe; his kidnappers had only poked three small holes in the box: one by his feet, a second one over his chest and a third one right over his left eye. He blinked seeing a weak light source from a lantern bob in rhythm with the driver's reckless turns.
Hellboy had little space to wiggle which made him both irritated and claustrophobic. His tail was numb (hopefully it hadn't fallen off) and the back of his head throbbed with so much pain that he closed his eyes hoping it would make it better. Whatever they had hit him in the back of the head with had to be a very blunt object.
Hellboy wanted to swear out loudly to his kidnappers to make himself feel better but he did not want to give away the air of secrecy. Not that there was much; he couldn't move.
Licking his dry lips he tried collecting his thoughts. They were moving at least at 80 mph. he was in a box. They had his gun, his I.D. badge, the case papers and lastly the codes.
He rolled his eyes; how could be have been so stupid to leave his room while Alice was clueless and vulnerable in the shower? God he had been making some dumb-ass mistakes with Alice around.
It was like she kept him distracted from thinking logically and though he hated to admit it; it was true. He had the hearts for her. But he couldn't blame her for his stupidity; it was his fault he was bonded up and in a box. His heart raced faster because he didn't know what had happened to her or where she was.
SCCCCCRRRRRREEEEECHHHHHHHHHH!He slid forward half an inch slamming his numb hooves in the wood. Everything around him came to a screeching halt; the crash of numerous boxes and crates awoke both Hellboy and the man in the trailer.
"Ah shit!"
The man sitting in the corner of the 18 wheeler trailer was awoken by an alarming stop from the idiots in the front driving. He slid out of his chair and dreams onto the floor where crates were smashed and rolling.
Hellboy heard the sound of a rusty trailer door being opened as footsteps passed his prison box over to help the fallen gentleman.
"You alright Olavo? We heard you hit when we stopped."
Hellboy understood the language they were speaking. It was Portuguese. They were still in Brazil or another Latin country surrounding it.
"Yes I am alright. Your driving stinks Luiz. You need to practice more." Replied the man.
"We are not driving Olavo. It is them. The Romanians."
"Uh oh." Hellboy thought.
The three Portuguese men continued to chatter as they looked around seeing most of their cargo crushed by the Romanians careless driving.
Finally after another minute, Hellboy heard another set of footsteps approaching. The three Portuguese men stopped talking to look up.
"Do we got a problem sirs?" asked the Romanian in Portuguese. It was moderately odd hearing the Romanian speak such a different language. He sounded as if he was struggling with it but he had no other way to communicate.
"No we have no problem. Some of our merchandise is smashed to pieces."
"IT IS nothing my master cannot repay you for." Replied the Romanian. His voice sounded both raspy with a touch of impatience for his help.
The three Portuguese men looked at one another and nodded.
"Is my cargo harmed?"
"Of course not sir. It is chained down. There's no way it can be harmed."
"Did you touch it Olavo?"
"No sir."
The Romanian man walked over towards Hellboy. Hellboy quickly closed his eyes and opened his mouth so he would look unconscious. The Romanian man peeked in the hole above his left eye.
"Hmmm. Still out. I hope we did not kill him. It will be very smelly to dissect." with this he turned around and jumped out the trailer.
"Come. We are stopping for ten minutes at this diner. Get what you want and hurry."
The three Portuguese men followed him off, leaving the trailer door open.
Hellboy could smell the tropics around him; the fresh air was a cool touch to his hot and sweaty body trapped in a box. He heard the sound of the men entering some diner because the Brazilian music was loud.
No sooner had they entered the diner he heard her climbing into the trailer.
"Hellboy?"
Hellboy opened his eyes hearing Alice's shallow breathing.
"Alice!"
"Shh!" she whispered calmly, "I'm alright. Are you wounded?"
"Not that I can tell."
"What about your head?"
"It's throbbing but I'll live." Hellboy said trying to move. He then felt the chains around his wrists shrink which made him panic, "Holy shit! These things are going to cut off my circulation!"
"Then don't move!" Alice replied.
There was a crunch noise as Hellboy was now staring at Alice's forefinger and middle finger over his right eye. She pulled it out allowing more fresh air in and made three more additional holes so he wouldn't suffocate. Hellboy stared at Alice as her brown eyes met his.
She was tired. Her face was oily and seemed clipped by debris and wind; she was crouching over him on the coffin and if he did some magical powers he would have wished for it to disperse.
Alice then took a canteen and aimed it at his mouth, "Open up. You look parched."
Hellboy did so but the liquid missed squirting into his nose. He coughed; Alice shushed him.
"Then stop choking me! Hellboy hissed, "And break this damn thing open so we can escape."
"I cant. You're chained down and they have some kind of spell on them. Even if I poke ten thousand holes in this thing the chains will remain."
"Then how do we get them off?" Hellboy whispered.
Alice looked over her shoulder then took out a rubber band to pull her hair up.
She started to yank the chains, trying with all her might and inhuman strength to pull them apart. Her eyes began to water with pain; her face was red like a strawberry before Hellboy told her to stop.
"Apparently this is not going to work." Hellboy huffed.
Alice sat down on the side taking deep breathes.
"I read the rest of those codes ya know."
"You did!" Hellboy whispered, "Where—and how did you escape and—"
"The man I killed two days ago was named Anton Vulpes. He was one admired man in their cult—not the main guy but very important. The man driving is his brother, Gavril."
"Holy shit! What have I gotten us into?" Hellboy groaned.
"There's another Romanian guy with him. His name Petru Serban. He's a pretty good mystic Hellboy."
"Ya mean—"
"He's the one who's been tracking us and ya know how?" Alice twisted her fingers in her dangling ponytail, "He has a lock of my hair from my apartment. He has some power HB. I heard them talking about some of the things they've done. Their magic is serious."
"Damn." Hellboy swore turning his head to relax his stiff neck.
"So you mean to tell me I've been in this box for two days unresponsive and you've been tailing them by—"
"Sleeping on top of the truck at night." Alice admitted, "During the day I climb between the trailer and the truck or under it and hang on for dear life."
"Alice that's pretty amazing," Hellboy said highly impressed, "What if you would've slipped or fallen off or—"
"Yeah I thought about that." Alice said, "And they know I'm following them. We got into a little scuffle this morning."
Alice trailed the unsealed wound on her left thigh with her finger tips. It was still sore and tender; there was a paper thin scab trying to ooze over it but it wasn't holding good and for once Alice could not heal.
"What do you mean a scuffle?"
"I attacked the truck—they swerved off road and stung me with these lighting sticks."
"Huh?"
"They're long steel rods. The tips are blue. They produce electricity and one of em' got me in the thigh and it tasered the shit out of me. They left me to die."
"They must have not recognized you."
"Yeah they did. I saw Petru's face. He knew it was me." Alice said frowning.
"And they just left you?"
"They knew I'd come back."
"Okay…" Hellboy said collecting his memories, "What about the hotel?"
"I felt them coming." Alice said, "Just like I told you I would. I ran out of the shower, grabbed a towel and the codes and took out for the emergency exit. I fought some big guy but he was no trouble—snapped his neck and ran for the airport. I didn't think about you till I was halfway in the women's bathroom searching for clothes."
"Ouch. That hurts a little."
"I didn't think about the watches or how to go and help you I just—"
"You did the right thing." Hellboy replied, "It could've been both of us in this box."
Alice shrugged rubbing her eyes.
"Oh and by the way… I tore up those coded papers."
"WHAT!"
"I tore up the coded papers… I read everything with limited fainting out on top of the trailer… the stone's not here and its not up in America."
"Where is it?"
"Russia."
"Wait and how—"
"I'll tell you later once we figure out a plan." Alice said climbing back on top of the box. She gave the chains one more yank and crossed her legs Indian style.
"I think I have a solution." Alice whispered, "Let's get Petru to break them."
"And how are we going to do that?" Hellboy asked, "There are five men in there with guns and electric rods and one of them is a mad mystic."
Alice folded her arms looking up at the ceiling of the trailer.
"Well you need to figure out a plan fast because we're not in Brazil anymore. They're headed for San Juan, Argentina."
"Ah shit."
"They know some weirdoes who practice ancient Incan religion and they want to dissect you and sacrifice you after they look for the stone in your innards."
"What?"
"They think you're the stone." Alice whispered chuckling, "Petru has some odd theory that since you're demonic that you swallowed the stone and it lives in you and you must be dissected to get the stone and—"
"So how in hell did I become the new target of their operation?"
"That's what you get for hanging out with me, kid." Alice replied smirking. Hellboy saw some cheer in her face as she leaned closer to the coffin.
Oh God how he wished he could make things disperse. Her lips may have been chap from the torturous winds of riding on top of a trailer but they were beyond kissable. And he could see some cleavage—oh he'd give anything to make objects disperse—
"Oh shit they're coming!" Alice hissed standing up.
"Alice listen to me!" Hellboy said, "What time is it?"
"Just about eight."
"When ten o'clock hits and we're on some secluded highway or road, I want you to blow out one of the tires." Hellboy ordered, "Blow out one and try and scare off the Portuguese guys first and get Petru so he can get these damn chains off of me!"
"Got it!"
"And be careful!" Hellboy said hearing Alice slipped out the trailer quietly before anyone could see her.
The Portuguese men returned to the trailer with their food. Hellboy caught a whiff of some Churrasco, the Brazilian equivalent of Barbecue, and his stomach went nuts. It gurgled so loud that the three Portuguese men stopped talking and commenced to shout for Petru.
Crap. So much for not giving away the element of surprise.
Petru climbed into the trailer asking what was wrong.
He was the guy Hellboy had heard speaking earlier with his Romanian accent.
"What? What is wrong?"
"Mister—the box growled at us!" said Olavo.
Growled?" Petru said and bent over to look at Hellboy. Hellboy blinked and glared at Petru, "Morning, sunshine."
"Aye, I see." Petru said speaking English.
"The beast which I have imprisoned is awake now." Petru said calmly in Portuguese, "he will not hurt you for these chains are blessed with holy water from the Catholic Church."
"Ah! That's bull shit." Hellboy shouted.
"Quiet beast." Petru whispered. Hellboy felt the chains around his body shrink. His ribcage was squeezed now, he let out a breathe feeling too constricted.
"Let me out of this box you coward! Let me rip you a new one since you're so magically delicious!"
"How licentious." Petru said leaning closer to look into Hellboy's eyes.
Hellboy could see that Petru had a shaved head and wore all black as well. The tattoo of the Black Hand was on the back of his skull and it was large. He made no secret he was in a cult.
"Beast of Apocalypse. Favorite Son of the Fallen One."
"What?"
"We have stumbled upon a spectacular find. Such a creature chasing after immortality as well—I must say even the Gods are envious of what we desire."
"What?"
"So tell me creature, where is that little girlfriend of yours, Virtus? Is she here right now watching over you?"
"What are talking about?" Hellboy said through clenched teeth.
"So you do not know of her, hmm? Then let me refresh your memory. She is blonde, tall and deadly with her hands. Such a profound deity and now a prostitute to some pitiful demon."
"What did you call her?!" Hellboy shouted trembling with anger.
"Virtus where ever you are we have your boyfriend. He is a pathetic excuse for a demon—a pathetic excuse for the Beast of the Apocalypse. I see frolicking with such company means you have lost your place amongst the deities and gods in the heavens? Have they no place for your kind in Hades?" Petru asked as if he were talking directly to someone. He waited for a response then chuckled, "I see she has remained silent. Pity."
Petru stood up taking his leave for the truck.
"Let's see if the old magics of the Incan ruins have any effect on a Roman goddess. Come," Petru said switching to Portuguese, "We have a long way ahead of us. Drive for me Luiz."
"Yes sir." Luiz said as Olavo took his place in the corner of the trailer with his food, drink and an electric rod.
The 18 wheeler was fired up and the engine rumbled. They were on a move and Hellboy's blood still boiled hearing another man call Alice a whore. And who was this Virtus?
Hellboy remained awake waiting for Alice to strike. He listened and counted in head the minutes that passed by; he also tried to sweet talk Olavo into feeding him.
"Churrasco, please, Churrasco." Hellboy repeated a hundred times.
"Shut up beast." Olavo would reply.
"Churrasco, good for the soul."
"Shut up beast."
Around ten thirty Hellboy began to snooze but he heard the loud footsteps. Alice was up on the roof deliberately making noise. Olavo glanced up from his grape soda, and grabbed the electric rod and his walkie-talkie.
"The crazy blonde woman is back, Rui. Tell the mister." Olavo whispered in the walkie-talkie.
"Eh how you know?" replied Rui.
"Cause she's on the roo—"
Before Olavo could finish his sentence, the 18 wheeler swerved and lost control. Hellboy's box shook him up and down as the remaining crates smashed into damaging his box. Olavo was thrown into the wall again, this time much harder, and slid down unconscious.
"Olavo! Olavo!" Hellboy heard a voice call over the walkie-talkie a minute later, "Olavo! You alright!"
"There's a spare somewhere in the back get it!" Petru was shouting at the Portuguese men to move.
Hellboy then heard the sound of crunching metal as the trailer door opened and the sound of footsteps followed.
"It's her!"
"Get her! Gavril! Get her!"
"Stop em' Alice!" Hellboy cheered on.
He could hear nothing but grunts and footsteps but then he heard a gun go off.
Alice let out a terrible scream, "Ah! My face!"
There were three more gun shots and everything became quiet.
Hellboy's eyes grew wide as he shook around the box, "Alice! Alice!"
"Is she dead, Petru?"
"I believe so…" Petru whispered, "Go… Gavril pick her up."
"No!" Hellboy protested from the box, "No! LEAVE HER ALONE! LEAVE HER ALONE!"
"Silence!"
The chains around his wrist tightened again as Hellboy tried squirming out of them, "I'll kill you if you put a hand on her! I will!"
But vengeance was hers. As Gavril picked her up, Alice grabbed him twisting his arm and placing her fingers into his neck. He let out a scream of pain as Alice pressed her fingers into his neck, "I will rip out his jugular—I swear I will."
"Go ahead and do it." Petru said in Romanian.
"Petru! No!"
"So you don't care about your own kind? You don't care if I kill him?"
"He is just another sacrifice for the Black Hand. He has served us well."
"You're a monster."
"You're an exile, Virtus."
"Don't call me by that name."
"Why not? I know what happened between you and Mars."
"Stop it."
"Kill him."
"Let my friend in the box go." Alice demanded.
"Why should I?"
"This doesn't include him." Alice said with angry tears pouring down her face. Her teeth were clenched even though a bullet had just went through the left side of her mouth, "He isn't apart of this."
"But he is here and he is following you, right?" Petru asked, "He has the stone. He is all I want."
"No he doesn't." Alice shouted in English.
Hellboy now knew what they were talking about and shouted, "Alice no!"
"Then who does?" Petru asked.
"If I tell you where it is… will you let him go?"
"How do I know you are speaking the truth?"
"The second coded paper you had… it only spoke of Sweeney finding the stone and his personal examinations of it… it did not tell you where it was."
Petru tried to keep his face blank but his soulless eyes said it all. Alice chuckled knowing she had the upper ground, "Am I right?"
"Perhaps."
"Well the first coded paper—the one my friend beat you too… it had all the answers—it told me where the stone is."
Petru stared into Alice's eyes and saw she spoke the truth. He became a little disgruntled at the current situation, "Well tell me!"
"Let my friend go!" Alice shouted, "And don't you dare try and hurt him when he is released."
Petru frowned and nodded. He turned his head towards the overturned trailer and gave a small nod
Hellboy felt the chains around his body loosen up as he took a deep breathe, tearing the wooden box apart as he came out of it.
"Well I have let your friend go now tell me."
"Hellboy come here." Alice ordered. Hellboy jumped out of the trailer rubbing his sore muscles.
Gavril was a short muscular man with the Black Hand tattoo tattooed above his right ear.
Petru was slim and pale and had an aura around him that was pure evil. Hellboy jeered at him, "Where's my gun?"
"In the front seat with the rest of your belongings Red Monkey."
"Hey I—"
"Get the stuff Hellboy we don't have all day!" Alice barked.
Hellboy retrieved all his items after he found them scrambled about in the overturned 18 wheeler. He returned to see Alice and Petru in a stare off.
Alice had a bullet hole in her left cheek, jaw, and right shoulder. Hellboy winced seeing her; she had to be in some kind of pain.
"Give your gun to Hellboy." Alice ordered Petru. He handed him the gun and Hellboy took his spot standing next to Alice with folded arms.
"Now tell me… where is the stone?"
"I say we kill him now and let the corrupt authorities cover his murder."
"No. I'm going to tell him." Alice hissed, "And I want him to go back to his little Black Hand buddies and give them this message. Tell your leader—whoever he may be—that I'm sick of running. The next time we meet will our last and the Black Hand shall fall and be no more. Tell him he will die at my hands and that I'm not afraid anymore."
"Not afraid…"
"I'm not afraid." Alice repeated.
She pushed Gavril down into the dirt and began to search Hellboy's waist belt for a grenade. She ripped the ring out of it and threw it into the trailer.
"What the hell!" Hellboy screamed running. Alice, Gavril and Petru did too and ten seconds later the 18 wheeler exploded.
Petru and Gavril fell over into the dirt as debris flew into the air.
"See you in Russia." Alice shouted as she and Hellboy disappeared into the night.
Author Notes: The grenade part... was not my idea. This is what happens when you let tipsy college kids help you write while watching Transformers. Sigh... read, enjoy and review.