Missing

By

AJ

Part 9: Isolated Pawn

Dick Grayson woke to the sound of chanting and the smell of strong curry. He was also aware that he was sweating. A cool cloth was placed on his skin. Then soft hands were applying what felt like lotion along the wounds that crisscrossed his back that Ra's al Ghul had inflicted, punishment for trying to escape. He was no longer dressed in his Robin costume, but a simple pair of pants and tunic. The tunic had been lifted to expose his back. He was also blindfolded and his arms splayed out and tied above his head.

"Where am I?"

The person didn't answer him, but continued to apply the cooling ointment to his back. He heard the sound of tinkling bells and other metallic objects.

"Where am I" Dick asked again. Dick struggled against the bonds, but he could not make any headway.

"Do not struggle. You will hurt yourself," a woman's voice said.

Dick could tell it wasn't coming from the person applying the ointment. The voice sounded further away. "Who are you?" Dick demanded.

"My name is Talia al Ghul, daughter of Ra's al Ghul.

"What do you want with me?"

"I only want to see that your wounds are healed and your heath restored."

"What do you mean, my health restored?" Dick asked confused.

"You were with fever for three days," Talia explained.

"Can you tell me where I am?"

"What does it matter? You cannot escape anyway. My father has plans for you."

"What do you mean, what plans?" Dick asked, dreading the answer.

"He does not wish to harm you . . ."

"You could fool me," Dick said sarcastically.

Talia continued, ignoring the interruption. "My father was impressed with your skill. Obviously you received some of your training from a former student."

'She must mean Bruce," Dick thought, which piqued his interest. "Go on."

"You have other skills that are unfamiliar to my father. He wishes to know where you learned them. They are unusual and quite acrobatic in nature."

"I learned them from my Mother and Father."

"That is highly doubtful," Talia said.

Dick could not help but smirk at her comment. "Well then I'll let you figure it out. I told the truth. Now untie me."

"I don't take orders from a child."

"I'm not a child, I'm a teenager."

"Little difference. I will send someone in to give you food. Do not remove the blindfold."

Dick heard Talia's footsteps fade as she walked away. The faint sound of a door closing could also be heard. Once alone, Dick inched his knees forward, trying to pull on the ropes as tight as possible then create some slack to be able to get his legs out from under him to position them in front. It would give him the leverage to try to break the ropes. He could feel his wrists were being rubbed raw, but the thought of remaining in this position didn't appeal to him, and he had to work as fast as he could before someone came back. Though his body craved food, he wasn't about to allow being force-fed anything that might contain something that would keep him compliant.

Dick finally worked where his backside and his legs were against the headboard. He grasped the ropes with his hands to relieve the rubbing against his wrists then started to push against the headboard. The ropes were tied to the post, which proved to work in his favor. As he strained against the ropes and adding his legs into the mix, he suddenly heard the dry brittle wood begin to crack. He was beginning to sweat as he continued to push his body beyond his limits. He rested for only a moment to reposition his legs into a wider stance giving him more leverage. He lifted his body off the bed, and leaning away from the headboard, he pushed with his legs as he pulled at the same time. With sudden force he was launched toward the end of the large bed as both posts snapped in two. With his arms free he could concentrate on finding out where he was and how he could escape.

Dick examined the room after removing his blindfold. He didn't care what Talia thought or said. He needed to see to know where he was. The room had several windows one going out to a balcony. The room looked ancient, with ornate carvings and painted frescoes on the walls. It was obvious he was no longer in the mountains, but somewhere in the Middle East. He didn't know how much longer he had before someone would come. He heard the faint sound of tinkling bells and knew the person who applied the ointment was returning. He saw the broken bedposts and knew he wouldn't be able to pretend he was still tied up. Before dashing back to the bed, Dick spied something he knew he might need later and snatched it up. He bounded onto the bed and rested his back against the headboard and almost regretted it. No wonder he had been lying on his stomach. His back felt like it was on fire. He was going to need more of that ointment. Not only that, the exertion he put on his body trying to break his bonds had caused his temperature to rise. Within moments, he was falling asleep. When he woke the blindfold had been replaced. His arms had been left free, but this time, his feet had been chained.

'Lovely' Dick thought. 'Looks like they don't want me leaving this part any time soon. But they don't know me very well.'

Removing the blindfold once more, Dick noticed a tray of food was by his side. Thinking about the food he had been given in the mountains, he ignored the food and decided it was time to make his escape. Dick slipped out of the lining of his pants a small lock pick he had found earlier. He used that to release the shackles on his ankles then relocked them.

'Let them figure out how I got out of that.'

Dick searched the room one more time and discovered a trunk hidden behind a curtain. Opening the trunk, he found just the right clothing to aid in his escape. He covered himself with a hooded cloak. It reminded him of Batman and he swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. Buried underneath the cloak he found what looked like a bag of coins. He lifted it up and opened the pouch. It looked like gold, but in the low light, he couldn't be sure. He hated to steal from the woman, but he needed a way to get home, and in order to do that, he needed money. He'll return it if and when he might meet her again some day. If he was going to see Bruce ever again, now was the time to make his escape. He made his way to the balcony and examined his surroundings. He found several footholds where he could climb down and his acrobatic skills would also come in handy. He was grateful for one thing. At least it was night, which gave him a greater advantage. Dick looked back at the bed. He wished he had found out more of what Talia's father wanted from him so he could tell Bruce. Without another thought, Dick climbed over the balcony and made his way to the waiting village 100 feet below.

Continues with Part 10: Escape Square