confusion.
“No, he’s alone—”
Bane lunged forward with surprising speed. Before the man could even complete his sentence, Bane seized his head and twisted it sharply. An unmistakable crack ended the unlucky henchman’s life. His lifeless body dropped to the floor.
Good Lord, Gordon thought. He stared at Bane in horror. What kind of monster is this? The masked killer turned toward the remaining thug. Then he nodded in Gordon’s direction.
“Search him,” he ordered. “Then I will kill you.”
His intended victim gulped. All the blood drained from his sallow features. His knuckles tightened on the grip of Gordon’s captured pistol. He glanced around anxiously, no doubt searching for a way out, only to see Bane’s guards hefting their weapons. The soldiers had the battle-hardened look of professional mercenaries.
Escape was not an option.
The man held onto Gordon’s gun for a momentlonger before meekly surrendering. He put it down, and a look of mournful resignation came over his face. Rummaging through the prone officer’s pockets, he took out Gordon’s wallet, badge, and several folded sheets of paper.
My speech, Gordon realized with alarm. Dear God, no…
The doomed felon handed the items over to Bane, who briefly examined them, one by one. They appeared to be of little interest to him, until he came to the papers. He skimmed the pages quickly, then paused and read through them more carefully. His eyes narrowed.
No one spoke. All eyes were on Bane and the poor stooge who was slated for execution. Nobody was paying any attention to Gordon as he lay sprawled on the floor of the chamber, not far from the edge of the platform. He could hear the water surging by several feet below. The spray from the twin cataracts rose up to spatter him.
He cautiously lifted his head to make sure no one was watching.
This is it, he realized. This could be my only chance. Adrenaline cut through the cloudiness fogging his brain, and he rolled frantically over the edge of the platform, splashing into the churning waters below.
Instantly he sank beneath the surface. He tried to hold his breath, but the cold water gushed into his mouth and nose. The current caught hold of him and started to carry him away.
Startled guards shouted and cursed, the sound muffled by the water. Automatic weapons blared loudly. Bullets slammed into Gordon’s body, tearing through flesh and bone. Searing jolts of pain rocked him from head to toe. He screamed beneath the water.
No! Gordon thought. I have to get away…sound the alarm.
Crimson foam spread atop the water. The current cleared it away.
Bane gazed down into the flowing river. His unworthy minion, who had been imprudent enough to bring Gordon into their base of operations in the first place, stared at the channel, as well.
“He’s dead,” the fool insisted, as though that might somehow excuse his poor judgment. The smell of gunfire hung in the air. The body of his comrade still rested on the ground, just a few feet away. “He has to be.”
Bane tucked Gordon’s papers into his belt, so that he could examine them at his leisure. His mind raced with ways he might put these revelations to use.
He spoke to the terrified man.
“Then show me his body.”
“That water flows to any one of outflows,” the man protested. “We’d never find him.”
Bane considered the problem. He turned to his lieutenant, Barsad. The loyal soldier had fought besidehim in so many conflicts over the years, all around the world. He owed Bane his life a dozen times over.
“Give me your GPS,” the masked leader demanded.
Barsad handed over the unit, and Bane tucked it into the terrified stooge’s leather jacket. He zipped the jacket up like a doting mother sending a child off to school. He patted the jacket to make sure the GPS unit was secure.
“Follow him,” he said.
The worthless fool stared at him with an utter lack of comprehension.
“Follow?”
Bane drew his gun and shot the man
“No, he’s alone—”
Bane lunged forward with surprising speed. Before the man could even complete his sentence, Bane seized his head and twisted it sharply. An unmistakable crack ended the unlucky henchman’s life. His lifeless body dropped to the floor.
Good Lord, Gordon thought. He stared at Bane in horror. What kind of monster is this? The masked killer turned toward the remaining thug. Then he nodded in Gordon’s direction.
“Search him,” he ordered. “Then I will kill you.”
His intended victim gulped. All the blood drained from his sallow features. His knuckles tightened on the grip of Gordon’s captured pistol. He glanced around anxiously, no doubt searching for a way out, only to see Bane’s guards hefting their weapons. The soldiers had the battle-hardened look of professional mercenaries.
Escape was not an option.
The man held onto Gordon’s gun for a momentlonger before meekly surrendering. He put it down, and a look of mournful resignation came over his face. Rummaging through the prone officer’s pockets, he took out Gordon’s wallet, badge, and several folded sheets of paper.
My speech, Gordon realized with alarm. Dear God, no…
The doomed felon handed the items over to Bane, who briefly examined them, one by one. They appeared to be of little interest to him, until he came to the papers. He skimmed the pages quickly, then paused and read through them more carefully. His eyes narrowed.
No one spoke. All eyes were on Bane and the poor stooge who was slated for execution. Nobody was paying any attention to Gordon as he lay sprawled on the floor of the chamber, not far from the edge of the platform. He could hear the water surging by several feet below. The spray from the twin cataracts rose up to spatter him.
He cautiously lifted his head to make sure no one was watching.
This is it, he realized. This could be my only chance. Adrenaline cut through the cloudiness fogging his brain, and he rolled frantically over the edge of the platform, splashing into the churning waters below.
Instantly he sank beneath the surface. He tried to hold his breath, but the cold water gushed into his mouth and nose. The current caught hold of him and started to carry him away.
Startled guards shouted and cursed, the sound muffled by the water. Automatic weapons blared loudly. Bullets slammed into Gordon’s body, tearing through flesh and bone. Searing jolts of pain rocked him from head to toe. He screamed beneath the water.
No! Gordon thought. I have to get away…sound the alarm.
Crimson foam spread atop the water. The current cleared it away.
Bane gazed down into the flowing river. His unworthy minion, who had been imprudent enough to bring Gordon into their base of operations in the first place, stared at the channel, as well.
“He’s dead,” the fool insisted, as though that might somehow excuse his poor judgment. The smell of gunfire hung in the air. The body of his comrade still rested on the ground, just a few feet away. “He has to be.”
Bane tucked Gordon’s papers into his belt, so that he could examine them at his leisure. His mind raced with ways he might put these revelations to use.
He spoke to the terrified man.
“Then show me his body.”
“That water flows to any one of outflows,” the man protested. “We’d never find him.”
Bane considered the problem. He turned to his lieutenant, Barsad. The loyal soldier had fought besidehim in so many conflicts over the years, all around the world. He owed Bane his life a dozen times over.
“Give me your GPS,” the masked leader demanded.
Barsad handed over the unit, and Bane tucked it into the terrified stooge’s leather jacket. He zipped the jacket up like a doting mother sending a child off to school. He patted the jacket to make sure the GPS unit was secure.
“Follow him,” he said.
The worthless fool stared at him with an utter lack of comprehension.
“Follow?”
Bane drew his gun and shot the man
Similar Books
