Missing
By
AJ
Part 12: Discovered Attack
"Come we must leave."
"What?"
"Hurry. Put on the cloak. Do not say a word."
Dick Grayson did as he was told.
"They will be here within the hour."
"I don't understand."
"If you wish to get home, you must do as I say and without question."
Dick was confused. Someone was coming. Was it Ra's al Ghul's men? Dick thought after all this time he had thought he evaded them. How could they find him?
"Where's the horse?" Dick asked.
The man who helped him did not say anything, but continued to pack. He tossed the bag of coins to Dick and then tossed another pack containing food and medicines. Dick watched as he also stuffed a third pack full of clothing. Then Dick watched as the man knocked over a brazier full of coals into a pile of straw. It caught fire immediately. Both raced to another small building nearby. The man opened the door to reveal the horse that Dick had road in on. The horse was now sporting a saddle and bridle.
"I took a coin and bought what the horse needed," the man said.
"That's okay," Dick replied. "I would have done the same. Let's get out of here."
Both men mounted the horse and rode off, leaving the burning house in ruins and the farm behind.
"I liked being a farmer," the man said. "It was what my wife wanted."
"You were married once," Dick asked.
"Oh yes," the man said wistfully. "She was the love of my life."
"What happened to her?"
"She was taken from me," the man stated. "There was nothing I could do. Ever since then, I swore to help all those who escape from Ra's al Ghul's wrath."
"How many have you helped?"
"You are the first."
The two rode in silence, letting the horse move at an easy trot.
"This horse isn't going to stand up against the two of us much longer. We're going to need different transportation or another horse," Dick said.
"There is a village to the south, but it is several days away. It is larger than the village you escaped. I know someone who may be able to help. He will be able to get us to the coast. We best travel at night. The heat from the day will become unbearable at this point."
Dick nodded, understanding what they were up against. If only they could do more than just run. He'd been running ever since he escaped. There had to be at least some point where they could make a stand, even if it meant . . . " No, he wasn't going to think like that. After all, he and Batman had fought against tougher odds.
"Is there a rock formation near here?"
"Do you wish to hide?"
"Not exactly," Dick said. "I am thinking that the horse is going to have to rest at some point." He could sense that the animal was beginning to tire. Since the horse was their only means of transportation, they can't risk losing the horse from straining it to its limits. "And we're going to need water."
"I know of a place. It is not far. We can rest and there is water. You will find two canteens inside the first pack that I handed you."
They rode for another twenty minutes until the rock formations came into view. There were small clumps of trees as well. They slowed the horse to a walk and as they drew closer they could see more vegetation as well as openings within the rocks that might lead to some caves to get out of the heat. Dick looked over his shoulder then saw two trucks coming in their direction. He recognized their shape as one he saw climbing the narrow track that led up to Ra's al Ghul's fortress.
"We better get under cover," Dick said. "I think we're going to have company in about ten minutes."
They both dismounted and pulled the horse into the outcropping. There were plenty of places to hide and small trails that would prevent a vehicle from entering. That also meant that those who where after them had to go on foot. It was a perfect place to make a stand, but not quite yet. Dick followed the man as he led the horse. He needed to first make certain that they saw him, because what he had in mind, he did not want the older man to be involved. Ra's al Ghul's men wanted him, not the farmer, but he could not risk the man getting hurt just because he aided Dick in his escape. Going deeper into the rocky area, they found a small cave deep enough to hide in.
"Why don't you see if there's another way out if we have to make another run for it. I'll keep an eye out for our trackers," Dick said. Dick removed the cloak he was wearing. Right now, it was just too large and it hampered his movements. He grabbed another strip of cloth used as a bandage. He wrapped it around his hand then started searching for loose stones.
"What will you do? You cannot face them alone."
"Keep the horse safe. Believe me, I've handled men like them before," Dick exited the cave, taking note of the landscape just in case he had to lead the men away from the area. 'I just hope I can pull this off. I wish I had my utility belt. Having a few smoke pellets right about now would help a lot. I'll just have to make do with what I have.'
Dick climbed over some of the rocks to get a better view. His estimation on the time was spot on. Within the ten minutes the trucks came to a halt right at the base of the outcropping and six men climbed out of the vehicles. Four of them carried automatic weapons. Two of them looked unarmed. The first thing Dick did was use the strip of cloth like a sling and taking aim, he was able to hit one of the men right along the right temple, felling him where he stood.
"There he is," one of them with the automatic aimed and started firing. Dick didn't give them a chance to get a bead on him. He was swiftly moving to another spot and once again throwing another stone, this time knocking one of the weapons from one of the four men and following up with another stone to the man's temple. He didn't know how long he was going to keep this up, but for his sake, at least he could even the odds.
"Do not waste your weapons," one of the remaining men said. "Get up there and kill him."
Three of the four remaining men climbed through the rocks, which turned out to be a big mistake. As each man passed one of Dick's hiding places, he was able to knock them out one by one. Using the skills that he learned from Batman, Dick Grayson proved that he could be a formidable foe. Just as he dealt with the third man, leaving the leader for last, the farmer approached him his eyes wide with what Dick Grayson had done.
"You astound me," the man said.
"This is why I was able to escape. They underestimated me. Tie them up. There's one more I've got to go after."
The farmer took care of the three men that Dick incapacitated among the rocks.
"Where is he you fools? You should have killed him by now."
Dick suddenly launched himself at the remaining man below, driving his legs into the man's chest and knocking him off his feet. The man scrambled back up, pulling a scimitar from the back of his shirt. "My Master wants you dead. As prove. I shall bring back your head."
"I don't think so," Dick said.
The two combatants squared off. Each time the man sliced with his sword, Dick was able to dodge out of the way, using the rocks as a springboard to flip over the man's head or cause the man to slam into the rocks. With one more slice, the man came close to slicing through Dick's midsection, tearing the fabric of his shirt and leaving a thin line across his stomach. Finally Dick jumped up and kicked the sword from the man's hand sending it flying. He then followed up with another kick to the man's jaw, dropping him to the ground. Afterward, Dick was panting heavily from the heat and he nearly collapsed.
The farmer rushed to his side and brought him a canteen of water. "Drink this. What you did was foolhardy. You could have gotten yourself killed."
"No kidding, but I had no choice. They would have killed me anyway if I hadn't."
"Ubu is not easy to defeat," Dick's friend and companion said. "The only reason you did is because of the heat."
"What did you call him?"
"He is Ubu, Ra's al Ghul's body guard. He is an expert with the scimitar."
"Glad I didn't know that. He may be able to use that sword, but it has its limits. I noticed he can only slice with it. I was able to use that against him. He would leave himself wide open. Let's get the rest taken care of," Dick said. "Oh, by the way, do you know how to drive?"
"Let me tend to that, then we shall see about our transportation."
"Looks like they'll have a long walk back," Dick quipped.
Continues with Part 13: Waiting