Chapter 20

Gotham; August 23rd, 17:56 EST

The colorful lights of the carnival rides capture my attention as I draw closer, a faint flutter of nervousness beginning to stir in the pit of my stomach. Finding a parking place, I park the car, turning the engine off and drawing a deep breath.

I don't know why I feel anxious about seeing her. It's Diana. I see her every day now that she and J'onn have moved into the manor. We're teammates…close friends. I shouldn't be nervous about spending the evening with her.

But it's Diana.

The flutter in my stomach is now matched by a flutter in my heart that comes with just thinking of her. No other woman has been able to do this to me quite like this or to this extent. It's a remarkable feat in and of itself, one that's a testament to how fully she's been able to breach all my defenses.

The woman hasn't just breeched all my meticulously erected walls meant to keep anyone from getting close to me, but she's pretty much decimated them. She has me under her spell and I find that I never want to break free from it.

Exiting the car, I make my way to the information tent, knowing she'll mostly likely be there. I was hoping that we could arrive together, but she's been working out here all day, helping set everything up and I had meetings most of the day at Wayne Enterprises.

Approaching the information tent, I spot a raven ponytail and glasses. Drawing closer, I notice she's wearing the diamond pendant necklace I gave her. Aside from when she's on a mission, I don't think that she ever takes it off. It means a great deal to me to know how much she loves the gift I gave her. It gives me even more hope that she truly shares these intense feelings I have for her.

"Bruce," Maggie calls to me. "So glad that you could make it."

Diana looks up sharply from the brochures that she's laying out on the table, a smile instantly warming her face as well as my heart. "Bruce, you made it," she greets me.

"Hello, ladies," I suavely reply with practiced charm that comes as naturally to me now as breathing. "How are things going?"

"It's going great," Maggie says. "Diana has been an absolute God-send."

Truer words had never been spoken by anyone, though Pantheon-sent may have been more accurate. I glance at Diana, sharing a knowing grin with her. "She is pretty wonderful," I agree.

Diana shakes her head at my cryptic choice of words, biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing. "I don't know about that," she interjects.

"Now, Diana," Maggie scolds her with a twinkle in her eye that belies her rebuke. "You have been a huge asset. Without you, it would have taken me days to get all of this set up."

Maggie has worked with Leslie at the clinic for over ten years now, helping in whatever capacity necessary in order to make it work. She is a sweet lady with a heart of gold. I'm glad to see that she and Diana have hit it off so well.

"Well, would you mind if I steal Diana away for a while?" I ask.

"You go right head and take her for as long as you want," she replies with a knowing grin. "She's been working herself to the bone without a break all day. Just be careful, Diana. This one here is a real charmer. He's ornery too so watch him."

"Maggie," I groan her name, my hand clutching my chest as I give her a pained look. "You wound me."

"I am well aware of his mischeivious, charming ways," Diana assures her. "He can't get anything past me."

Maggie giggles as Diana moves out from behind the table to take my offered hand. "You two go have fun and don't you dare come back here."

As we begin to walk away, I hear her murmur something about us being positively adorable together. I glance at Diana and notice the rosy glow that suffuses her cheeks, knowing that she had to have heard her as well. She squeezes my hand and I caress the back of hers with my thumb.

"So are you hungry?" I ask.

"Starving," she replies. "I haven't eaten since breakfast this morning."

I turn to look at her in disbelief. "Why not?"

"I've just been so busy trying to get everything set for tonight," she confesses. "I lost track of time."

I glance at her, noticing for the first time just how tired she looks. "When was the last time you had a full night's sleep?"

She thinks about it for a moment, a sheepish expression gracing her face as she meets my concerned gaze. "Four nights ago…maybe five."

"Diana," I chastise her with a disapproving frown. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I've been busy," she replies with a shrug. "There have been a lot of missions lately and we're down one member."

The flash of fury that passes through her eyes with the reminder of Shayera's betrayal does not go unnoticed by me. "I'm telling J'onn he's not allowed to call on you tonight for any reason short of an alien invasion."

"It's all right, Bruce," she tells me, leaning into me. Her shoulder rests against mine and I fight the urge to wrap my arm around her and pull her fully into me. "After tonight's street fair, I'll have a little extra time."

I grumble my agreement under by breath, but I'm still not convinced. I'm going to talk to J'onn tonight about making sure she gets a full night's sleep for once. Even the resilient Wonder Woman needs a break once in a while.

"It's fine," she whispers in my ear, causing an unexpected shiver to race through me with the feel of her soft lips and warm breath against my skin. "Let's not talk about work. I just want to have tonight with you like normal people."

"Fine," I agree, loving her suggestion. "What do you want to eat?"

"Anything at this point," she replies.

I scan the area, searching for something halfway decent and somewhat healthy to eat. People are already starting to gather, kids of all ages running to try out the various games and rides that Diana had arranged to be there for the fair. She has once again done a remarkable job and I'm anxious to tell her, but I don't get the chance just yet.

"Diana!"

We turn to see Jason Trask approaching us, his smile momentarily faltering as his gaze settles on me. "Bruce," he dryly greets me with a frown before turning his attention to Diana. "You have done a fabulous job with the street fair, Diana."

"Thank you," she replies with a smile. "It was a lot of work, but I think it all came together."

Trask glances down at my hand holding hers, his expression hardening with jealousy before he seems to force himself to relax. "It couldn't have happened without you."

"I don't know about that," she graciously responds. "Let's just hope that it helps get the word out."

"I can't help but think that it will," Jason assures her. "Education is key."

"That's what I believe," she agrees, adjusting her glasses. "If we can get the facts about Ash out to the public and get parents talking to their kids, maybe we can finally put a stop to this madness before any more lives are lost."

I don't like the way that Trask is looking at her with love in his eyes, but I can hardly blame the guy. Diana is extremely beautiful and amazing in every way. It's partly my fault, though. I'm the one who introduced them to work together on this coalition. I just hadn't realized that I was falling for her as well at the time.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around," Trask awkwardly tells her, ignoring me all together.

"I'll see you Monday at the meeting," she tells him.

"See you then," he agrees with a nod, his eyes falling to her necklace before leveling me with an angry glare.

He must have guessed before that I was the one who had given it to her, but it was finally confirmed in his mind when he saw me and her together this evening holding hands. His jaw tightens as he turns to leave, giving me one last glance that speaks volumes.

If he wants a fight over Diana, then I will most definitely give him one. Diana, however, would be more than furious if she ever found out two men were battling over her affections. I internally grimace just thinking about her reaction.

"Jason didn't quite seem like himself," she thoughtfully murmurs.

I chuckle with her sweet innocence as we begin walking again. "You really don't know, do you?"

"Know what?" she asks with a frown.

"He likes you."

"I like him too," she admits, making my stomach lurch. "He's a good man."

While her words rankle me somewhat, I quickly realize that she doesn't mean it the same way I do. "No, Diana," I correct her. "He has feelings for you that go way beyond friendship."

She stops abruptly, causing me to stop too. "How do you know that?"

"A guy always knows when another guy is interested in a woman," I try to explain to her. "Trust me, Princess. He definitely wants to date you."

Her frown deepens as she thinks over what I've just told her. "He's never asked me out on a date."

It's my turn to frown as I try to decide if she's disappointed that he hasn't asked her out or not. "What about when you two went out to dinner after the coalition board meeting a couple of months ago?"

"That was just for work," she replies, gazing intently at me. "Was that supposed to count as a date?"

"To Trask—yes," I respond, growing more and more annoyed with this line of conversation. I don't want to put ideas in her head that weren't there before.

Her lips quirk into a mischeivious smile as she leans in close. "You aren't jealous…are you, Bruce?" she softly asks with an amused lilt to her voice.

I can feel the warm brush of her breath against my face, the scent of her hair making my pulse race. My eyes settle on her lips that I'm aching to kiss, but I hold myself back. "What if I am?" I quietly ask, carefully watching for her reaction to my response.

Her blue eyes briefly widen before darkening, my breath catching as she begins to lean in towards me. Before our lips can touch, the sound of a gun firing forces us to pull away from each other. I tighten my hold on her hand as I quickly scan the area, spotting a couple of teenage boys throwing cherry bombs in a metal trash can.

They're swiftly apprehended by a couple of plain-clothed cops who escort them away before they can cause any more trouble. I turn to look at Diana, noticing the tension that has settled over her. "It's all right," I softly murmur. "It was just some kids playing pranks."

"I'm sorry," she replies with a sigh. "I'm just really worried there's going to be another attack."

"I've already talked to Jim and he brought in extra reinforcements to patrol the area," I tell her. "I've also got…others…waiting in the wings in case we need them."

She turns to fully face me, fear reflecting in her eyes. "Bruce, this was all my idea…I organized this. If something happens and someone gets hurt…I'll never be able to forgive myself."

"Don't, Diana," I sternly state as I grab her by her shoulders. "None of this has been your fault. You have done an incredible job with this whole coalition project, exceeding all my expectations. I couldn't be prouder about what you've accomplished so far."

Her eyes grow bright with emotions as she abruptly wraps her arms around me, pulling me into her embrace. "Thank you, Bruce," she whispers in my ear.

I hold her for a few moments, wishing I didn't have to let go of her, but I don't want to create a scene. I want whatever this is that's growing between us kept private for now, just for us. I'm not ready to share her or anything going on between us with the world yet.

"Let's go find you something to eat before you pass out on me," I tease her. "What sounds good to you?"

"Pizza," she readily decides as she begins to pull back, pausing to kiss my cheek. Flashes of the kiss she graced me with in Gorilla City fills my mind and causes my pulse to race.

It sends tingles through my whole body as I capture her hand in mine once more. If we had been in a more secluded area, I would have kissed her senseless. Instead, I settle for ordering each of us a couple of slices of pizza and drinks before finding a table to eat at.

She hums her pleasure as she eats her pizza, a smile on her face. "This is so good," she decides. "Of course, anything would probably taste good right now…including my own cooking."

I look at her in surprise as I take a drink of my pop. "You don't know how to cook?"

"Not at all," she confirms. "I never had the need to learn. We had Amazons assigned to the kitchen at the palace that enjoyed cooking and were excellent at it. On the Watchtower, I usually just microwave frozen meals or Wally always shows up with pizza or hamburgers from Central City."

"Alfred has banned me from the kitchen," I somewhat sheepishly admit. "I'm not allowed to touch any of his appliances or risk physical harm."

Diana bursts into laughter, her hand moving to cover her mouth in attempt to stifle her amusement. "I'm sorry," she apologizes. "I just can't help picturing Alfred chasing you out of the kitchen with a rolling pin in his hand."

I laugh with her, knowing how close to the truth that scenario actually is, but I don't tell her that. It's far too embarrassing to think about let alone talk about it. "He looks innocent, but he's far from it. He's a very dangerous man."

"Alfred?" she asks in surprise, sitting up straighter.

I slowly nod my head as I take a bite of my pizza. "He used to be in the British Secret Service."

"I had no idea," Diana mutters in shock.

"He taught me some of what I know," I reveal.

"He is definitely a man of many hidden talents."

"You should have him tell you some of his escapades while in the British Secret Service…at least the ones that he can actually talk about," I tell her. "You will never look at him the same again."

She looks at me with an affectionate expression lighting her face, a gentleness filling her eyes as she tilts her head slightly to the left. "I'm heartbroken for your loss at such a young age, but—" she begins, but her voice cracks with emotion.

It makes my stomach clench with the reminder of my parents, panic seizing my chest with apprehension. I don't want to talk about this, not here and not now with her. I want to run…to escape. I'm not ready for this, not prepared to traverse down that gut-wrenching road with her that I prefer to travel alone no matter how much I long for her in my life.

She seems to sense this, reaching across the table and taking my hand firmly in hers. It instantly calms me. "I wish I could have been there for you, Bruce, but I'm so happy that you've had Alfred all these years," she continues and I feel my muscles relax slightly.

I stare into her eyes, wondering how in the world this amazing woman found her way into my life. How could she possibly have any interest in someone like me let alone share in this mutual attraction that I know she has to feel? It fairly fills the air around us, charging it with an electrical tension that is almost palpable.

I turn my hand over to clutch hers, our fingers lacing like the invisible threads that have been steadily weaving around and between us, drawing us together in a bond unlike anything I've ever felt before. It's as if we've just reached a newfound level in our relationship, whatever this is that is growing and deepening between us.

Unable to come up with anything to say in response to her compassion, I say the first thing that comes to mind. "Would you like anything else to eat?"

She squeezes my hand in understanding, a soft smile on her lips as her eyes brighten with excitement. "Actually, I was eyeing this pink, fluffy stuff that I spotted earlier," she confesses, releasing my hand.

I think for a moment, trying to figure out what she's talking about when it hits me. "Cotton candy?" I ask with a chuckle of surprise, the tension swiftly melting from my body.

"If cotton candy looks like pink clouds, then yes. That is definitely what I want to try," she readily decides as she stands up and begins to gather our trash.

I stand as well, taking the trash from her like the gentleman that Alfred groomed me to be. "It's pure sugar, Diana."

"And?" she asks with a smirk.

"I'm just warning you."

We make our way to the cotton candy, where one pink bag of fluffy confection finds its way into the princess's hands. She eagerly unties the bag, pulling out a fluffy wisp of sugar. She closes her eyes and pops the cotton candy into her mouth with a soft moan of delight.

"Well?" I ask a little more huskily than I had intended as I watch her lick the remnants of cotton candy from the tips of her fingers.

A pleased smile slowly spreads across her face as she opens her eyes to look at me. "That is awesome," she replies. "Want some?"

"No, I'm good," I tell her as I hold up a hand, chuckling at her. My princess and her sweets. I should have known she'd love cotton candy if her addiction to chocolate and iced mochas is any indication. "What now?"

"How about some popcorn?"

"We can do that," I decide, amazed by her appetite and yet she still has such an amazing figure.

On the way to the popcorn stand, we pass a shooting game, stuffed animals of every imaginable color lined up, waiting to be taken home. "Come on," I tell her, leading her to the game.

"What is this?" she asks, coming to stand beside me.

"It's a shooting game," I explain, paying the carnie five dollars before taking the plastic gun. "If you hit all the targets, you win a prize."

"Really?"

"Didn't you pick out the carnival games?" I ask, pointing my plastic gun at the target.

"No, Maggie helped with that part," she replies. "I was in charge of—"

Each target falls in quick succession before she can finish her sentence. I turn to look at her with a smirk on my face. I can't help the very male hope that I had just impressed her with my skill. "Pick out a bear, Diana."

We walk away hand in hand, Diana's arm wrapped around a large, black teddy bear. "You picked black over pink or purple?" I ask.

"Let's just say that I've discovered a certain fondness for the color black over the last several months," she ominously replies with a mischeivious grin.

I feel my stomach flip with her confession, my heart beginning to beat a little harder. The need to kiss her becomes nearly overpowering, but I manage to tamp down on it as we make our way through the street fair holding hands. This has been one of the best dates I've ever had.

I can't wait to see where this path with her takes us.

PRESENT DAY

Gotham; October 6th, 23:06 EST

Exiting the Batmobile, I silently slip up behind the dumpster to get a better view of the storage unit. There's a man standing outside the unit smoking a cigarette and talking on his cell phone. It's a guy I've never seen before, but I'm more than determined to get to know him up close and personal.

"We got her," the man states, clearly annoyed. "No…you don't got to come down here. We got it taken care of."

If there's any chance of getting to Ariel before they hurt her, I need to move fast. I noiselessly creep closer, a shadowy part of the darkness that surrounds us. I draw closer, but I'm forced to stop when the door leading into the storage unit opens.

"Are ya ready or not?" a second man impatiently demands to know. "We gotta finish this now before he comes or we're all as good as dead. I'm not about to end up like Jax and Tony."

"Hold on!" the first guy snaps at him before continuing his phone call. "Don't worry…consider it done."

He shuts his phone off before slipping it into his pocket, turning to face the second man. "We need to get rid of her now," the guy in the doorway states.

The first guy drops his cigarette, using the heel of his boot to grind it into the gravel. "We ain't gonna end up like Jax and Tony," he tells him. "They couldn't keep their mouths shut. That's what got 'em killed and their tongues cut out."

"I still don't wanna take any chances," the second guy counters.

The sound of a glass bottle clanking loudly as it rolls along the broken concrete causing both men to freeze. They immediately pull out their guns, scanning the area and looking in my direction. A cat's meow soon follows, both men relaxing minutely.

The guy in the doorway holsters his gun, ducking back inside. "Let's get this done and get outta here."

The first guy takes one last glance around, his gun still cocked and ready to fire. He finally holsters his gun before turning to head back towards the storage unit. I decide to make my move, catching him with an arm around his throat. He struggles, opening his mouth to cry out, but I stop him before he can call for help.

I let him slide to the ground before slipping closer to the storage unit. I press my back against the wall, peering inside to find the second guy standing before a woman cuffed in the chair that Samantha and, most recently, Diana had both been in.

I can't see who it is because of the thug standing before her, but I know it's got to be Ariel. "Time to go, sweetheart," he tells her, reaching for her with meaty hands that could easily crush her windpipe.

I silently enter, anxious to get to Ariel before she's dead. I need the information that she can no doubt provide. He abruptly turns before I can reach him, a stunned expression flickering across his face a moment before my fist connects with his jaw. He drops like a rock, revealing a barely conscious Ariel behind him.

I rush to her side, dropping to my knees. "Ariel," I growl her name. "Talk to me. Where is Diana Prince?"

She is badly beaten, numerous cuts and bruises all over her face and arms. Her left eye is swollen shut, blood tricking from her nose and the corner of her mouth. She tries to lift her head to look at me, a low groan slipping free. She begins to cough violently, crying with the pain that it causes.

"Ariel!" I shout, moving to kneel in front of her, my gauntleted hands gripping her shoulders. "I have to know, Ariel! Who has Diana?"

"Help me…" she softly moans the barely audible words. "Please…help me."

"I will help you, but I need to know where Diana is," I growl, desperation clutching my throat.

"I'm so sorry…I…I didn't know they were going to take her," she murmurs, tears streaming down her face.

"Who, Ariel?" I demand as I begin to pick the locks on the cuffs holding her prisoner in the chair, desperation rising up to choke me.

"I can't say…they'll kill me," she mutters between gasping sobs now.

"Did Ryan tell you to come here?" I ask, hoping that changing the subject will help me get her back on track.

"No…no…" she repeatedly utters, her head rolling from side to side. "I thought it was him, but…but it wasn't him. It was…them. They tricked me."

Her sobs are coming harder and faster. I need her to calm down before she passes out; her breathing ragged as I open the cuffs on her arms before moving to her ankles. "Talk to me, Ariel. Tell me who has Diana."

"No one can take him down…not even you," she whispers.

"Is it the Butcher? Is it Ian Callahan?"

She slowly nods her head, biting her trembling lip as I crouch before her. "He's going…to kill us," she ominously utters, her right eye wide with terror. "We're going…to die."

As if on cue, bullets suddenly barrage the storage unit. I instinctively reach for Ariel, but several have already found their intended target, taking her and any more information she might possess away from me. A bullet tears through my chest near my shoulder as I hit the ground. I grit my teeth against the fiery pain that lances through me, knowing that I'm a sitting duck in here with no way out except the open doorway.

Bullets besiege the makeshift torture chamber, ripping it and everything inside of it to shreds. I glance down at the guy lying on the floor, noticing blood seeping from a bullet wound to his head. I'm not going to be getting anything out of him. I'm sure the guy outside has also been taken care of as well, leaving me with no more leads except for a deadly phantom that I can't find.

After nearly two full minutes of gunfire, the shooting stops. I cautiously lift my head, ignoring the feel of warm, sticky blood oozing from my upper chest and shoulder. I struggle to get to my feet, my head spinning as dizziness forces me back to the ground.

I can feel myself beginning to lose consciousness, but I try to fight it as I spot a shadow moving just outside the door. I quickly reach for a batarang, my vision momentarily blurring as I struggle against the blood loss that's threatening to drag me into unconsciousness.

The dark shadow pauses outside for a moment as I struggle to sit up only to fall back down with a grunt of pain, my head rolling to the side as I stare at the entrance. My breathing is growing more and more ragged, sweat breaking out across my brow. I watch as the shadow grows larger, a black boot coming into view.

I fight to clear my blurring vision, desperate to see who it is. An enormous black shadow fills the entire doorway like the Grim Reaper himself coming to take my very soul away. I grit my teeth, attempting to lift my hand to throw the batarang, but my hand falls limply to the ground, my strength seeping from my body as swiftly as my blood.

"You won't find her," the shadow utters as I lose the battle with consciousness. "This is just the beginning."

Wayne Manor; October 7th, 08:32 EST

I groan as awareness begins to push away the darkness that grips me, pain lancing through me as I try to sit up only to feel firm hands on me forcing me to lie back down. I release a ragged growl that sounds far from fearsome as I try to figure out what is going on.

"You're not going anywhere, Master Bruce," Alfred firmly states. "You try it and I'll be forced to resort to drastic measures."

I snort my lack of belief, but I know that he is a man who is always true to his word. He would definitely try something to keep me from getting up. I force my eyes open to find him and Dick standing by my bed, Tim sitting in a chair to the side.

"What happened?" I hoarsely ask, my throat as dry as the Sahara.

"I found you bleeding to death in that storage unit," Dick states, his arms folded against his chest in obvious irritation.

"I thought…I thought you were taking the evidence to Barbara," I respond, my eyes falling closed against my will. My brain feels like it's filled with cobwebs, my tongue thick and refusing to cooperate.

"I started to, but changed my mind," Dick replies with a frown. "I had a gut feeling you were heading into trouble so I turned around and followed you. It's a good thing I did. You were losing a lot of blood by the time I got there."

"One of the bullets nicked an artery," Alfred explains, the worry more than evident in his voices as well as his eyes. "I removed two bullets and sewed you back up while transfusing six units of your own blood. You should be good as new in a couple of weeks."

"I don't have a couple of weeks," I growl as I sit up, rubbing my face with my hands and regretting the movement as pain steals my breath.

"Master Bruce," Alfred begins to admonish me. "You are in no shape to—"

"Bruce, I'm taking over the investigation and the search for Diana," Dick adamantly declares, interrupting Alfred before I can begin to argue.

"No, you are not," I heatedly state with a sneer, matching his stubbornness with my own. "I'm going after her myself."

"Bruce—" Dick starts to reprimand me, but I'm in no mood right now.

Every lead I've had has wound up dead, but at least I know this time that Ian Callahan is the one who has Diana. It makes my gut lurch with sick dread at the thought of that monster anywhere near her, touching her…hurting her. I've seen his handiwork up close and personal and it definitely ranks up there with some of the worst I've encountered in Gotham in all my years as Batman.

"I am not going to stay here in this bed while that madman Callahan has her," I snarl, whipping the covers back and moving to sit on the edge of the bed. "I've already lost too much time being in this bed, time that she doesn't have. Now, you two can either help me or get out of my way."

"You don't even know where to find this guy," Dick points out, watching my every move to see if I'll pass out or not.

I draw a ragged breath, fighting to clear the thick fog in my brain. "No, but I'm going to find him if it's the last thing I do."

"Bruce…please," Tim calls to me and keeps me from trying to stand up. "Can't you just let Dick and I handle it this one time?"

I look up at the boy sitting in the chair, his eyes filled with sadness mingled with worry. He suddenly looks so young…so small. "I'm sorry, Tim," I softly say, my voice losing a measure of the anger that it had just held. "It's Diana."

He seems to understand, not offering another protest, but I can see that he's still worried that I won't survive this. I stand to my feet, my hand automatically moving to the thick layers of bandages covering my upper chest and shoulder.

"What did you find when you arrived at the storage unit?" I turn and ask Dick.

"Besides you bleeding to death on the floor?" he sarcastically responds with a glare. "Nothing much except for the other three that were already dead."

"Did you see the shooter?" I question him.

"No," he confesses with a shake of his head. "When I arrived, the place was quiet…the storage unit riddled with bullets. I approached and found the guy outside dead. I waited for a moment to enter, peering inside in time to see you unconscious on the ground. Did you see this Ian guy?"

"Maybe," I admit, furious with myself for not being able to stay conscious long enough to catch a glimpse of the face of the man in the doorway.

"He was in there with you?" Dick nearly yells. "Bruce, you're lucky to be alive. He could have sliced you to shreds."

"No, I don't think so," I tell him, reaching into the dresser draw to get a t-shirt.

"You don't think so?" Dick spits out the question. "You told me before they call him the Butcher. Doesn't that tell you something?"

"He told me that I'll never find her," I reveal as I walk out of the room, ignoring the wave of dizziness that washes through me, swallowing back the nausea that rises in my throat. "He also said this is the beginning."

"Beginning?" Dick questions me, following close behind me. "Beginning of what?"

"I have a feeling it's the battle for Gotham," I reply, no longer interested in talking.

"Did he say anything else about Diana?" Tim asks from behind.

"No, but I he knows I'm looking for her," I tell them. "He doesn't think that I'm going to find her."

"Boy, he doesn't know you," Tim mutters as he follows behind us.

"Do you think he's behind Ash too?" Dick asks.

"He has to be," I state as I start heading down into the cave. "There's no other reason for him to take Diana."

"Why would a hit man with the name the Butcher be involved in producing and distributing a street drug?" Dick asks. "That doesn't make any sense."

"It does if someone hired Callahan to do the dirty work," I reveal.

Dick comes to stand behind me along with Tim and Alfred as I slide into my chair at my computer station, drawing a ragged breath. "You think there's someone holding Callahan's leash?" Dick questions me.

"Yes, I do," I reply as I begin typing. "Someone with money is calling the shots and running the business while Callahan takes care of loose ends like Ryan Selnar and Ariel Nelson."

It grows deathly quiet behind me as I begin pulling up files that Barbara sent me while I was unconscious, all three of them trying to process what I had just told them. I start reading through the information Barbara has gathered so far, hoping to find some sort of clue as to where I can find the Butcher.

I know if I find him, I'll find Diana.

A/N: Dun-dun-dun! We're getting so close! I'm dying to post the last seven chapters all at once, but Dinasis will kill me. BTW, another big thanks to him for the Beta! You've only made this fic better, my friend! Now, leave a little review and let me know what you're thinking! :)