THE LUCKY DEVIL
Inside the lavish stateroom serving as her temporary prison, Jordan lay on the bed, anxiously awaiting her rescue. One of Luthor's men stood guard outside the door to prevent her escape, and given her injuries and their location at sea, she was unable to risk crawling out the window. Carefully easing herself upward to a sitting position, Jordan bit down on her lip to avoid gasping aloud. Despite her best efforts to defend herself, the beating by her original abductors had done some damage. Her left wrist had been fractured again and from the pain in her side she was guessing some ribs were either bruised or cracked. Trying to ignore her elevating claustrophobia, she released a ragged sigh as she contemplated her situation.
I hope to God Clark gets here soon, she mused. I never should have pursued PEACE's connection to the smugglers on my own. Now it may cost me my life.
Her train of thought was disrupted when the door to the stateroom opened and her guard stepped inside, shadowed by an armed companion. She instinctively tried to shift further backwards at their entry, but even such a simple movement aggravated her assorted injuries.
"Oh, damn, that hurts…" she moaned aloud.
"On your feet," the guard instructed. "Superman will be here any minute and Mr. Luthor wants you topside."
A curt reply died on Jordan's tongue, as she was not willing to risk further injury by antagonizing Luthor's henchmen. Sliding off the bed, she settled for shooting them an icy glare as they motioned for her to precede them. Cradling her injured arm against her side, she exited the room and headed for the stairs.
Meanwhile on the bridge, while a trio of armed guards kept watch, Reinken was arguing with Luthor about his plans for Jordan.
"I'm telling you this isn't going to work!" he snapped. "The longer you keep Jordan Kent hostage, the more likely we are to go down with her."
"Calm down, Franz," Luthor chided. "Your paranoia is beginning to wear on my nerves. I assure you that I have everything under control."
"Including Bruce Wayne?" Reinken retorted.
"Don't worry about Wayne," Luthor assured him. "Once Jordan Kent is out of the picture, he'll find himself a new toy to play with."
"On the contrary, Bruce Wayne is a very dangerous man with equally dangerous friends. Even if you succeed in taking out Superman and Jordan, I guarantee that Wayne and his allies will extract vengeance on their behalf."
"Your point?"
"My point is that the only hope we have of surviving this mess you created is to get rid of Jordan now and leave while we're still alive to do so."
Luthor gave him a sideways glance. "After all that you've done to secure our business interests, are you really going to abandon them now?"
"They won't do me any good if I'm dead."
"Maybe you should have thought of that before you initiated a deal with the devil," interjected a familiar voice.
The men turned around to see Superman hovering a few feet away and the guards immediately levied their weapons at him as Luthor broke into a grin.
"Hello, Clark," he greeted. "You look rather hearty for a dead man."
"Where's Jordan?" Superman demanded.
"Your charming sister will be joining us momentarily," Luthor assured him. "I have to say that she is quite the firecracker."
"I'm sure she's thrilled with your opinion of her," Clark retorted and gestured at the guards. "Is this the best you can do?"
"Less is more," Luthor replied. "And in any event, their ammunition is composed of a special alloy that contains traces of Kryptonite. So, while you may be 'faster than a speeding bullet', they'd still get enough in you to ensure you're no longer a threat."
The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Jordan and her guards and she flashed her brother a smile. "Glad you could make the party," she quipped.
"Are you alright?" Clark asked.
"Never better," Jordan muttered, the quiver in her tone countering the bravado of her words.
"I hate to break up this little family reunion," Luthor interjected sarcastically, "but I've had enough of idle chit chat. It's time Jordan paid the price for interfering in my business affairs."
Approximately half a mile away in the radar-proof Batboat, Batman had taken a quick survey of the yacht with his enhanced binoculars and was now discussing their strategy with Wonder Woman.
"So what's the plan?" Wonder Woman prompted.
"There are three guards on the main deck with Clark, Luthor and his partner," Batman told her. "Two more of Luthor's goons just brought Jordan out from down below, bringing the total number of guards to five. I don't know how many are sequestered in the lower decks."
"What about weapons?"
"I don't know what kind of arsenal the boat's equipped with, but all of the guards are carrying AR-15's and are wearing utility belts with various smaller weapons."
"Why don't we neutralize the guards on the main deck and then Clark can back us up to take care of any guards that are down below?" Wonder Woman suggested.
Batman nodded in mute agreement and they headed for the yacht. Pulling up behind the stern, Batman pressed a button on the control panel to put the boat in hover mode, then he and Wonder Woman carefully climbed on board. As they approached the bow, they could hear the conversation between Clark, Jordan and her captors.
"What are you planning to do, shoot me and toss my body over the side?" Jordan asked.
"Oh, I don't intend to shoot you all," Luthor replied, gesturing at his guards. "I'll leave that to my associates. I'm just here to make sure they hit the target."
"It's a pity it has to end this way, Jordan," Reinkin added. "You were truly an asset to the PEACE organization, but you just couldn't leave well enough alone."
"Pot, kettle, and black, Franz," Jordan countered.
Luthor motioned for the guards to position Jordan next to Superman and then they all lined up in front of Luthor and Reinkin as they leveled their weapons at the siblings.
"Gentlemen, fire at will," Luthor instructed.
"I don't think so," a raspy voice responded from the shadows.
Immediately the men shifted their aim as Batman materialized out of the darkness in front of them. The snipers immediately opened fire and Jordan ducked as Superman wrapped his arms around her and used his body to shield her from the gunfire. A golden lasso came flying through the air and wrapped around the shooter closest to Jordan, rendering him immobile and forcing him to drop his weapon. Pulling him to her, Wonder Woman quickly removed his utility belt with the smaller weapons and tossed it aside before looping the other end of the lasso around the ship's railing to secure the guard in place.
Grabbing the rifle from the thug closest to him, Batman turned it around and used the butt to strike the man across the jaw and then across the back of the knees, sending him tumbling to the deck. The other men turned their guns in his direction, but before they could fire, Batman took two mini-batarangs and sent them flying toward his adversaries, knocking the guns from their hands. Closing the distance between them, he sent one crashing to the ground with an elbow to the face, breaking his nose. The third man bolted for the stairs, but Batman extended his hand and a metal wire shot out from a small device in his hand to wrap itself around the man's ankles, sending him crashing to the deck with an audible thud. Once the guards were secure, Superman released his hold on his sister and began retrieving the rifles.
It proved to be a tactical error. As soon as he turned his back on Luthor, his nemesis swiftly bent down to withdraw a large dagger from an ankle sheath and stepped forward to grab Jordan by the hair, pulling her to him and pressing the dagger to her throat.
"Let her go, Lex," Superman instructed.
Luthor chuckled. "I don't think so, Clark. I have no intention of depriving myself of the pleasure of watching your face when I slit her throat."
"Try it and you'll be signing your own death warrant," Batman told him.
Their attention focused on Luthor, the group did not notice Reinkin casually making his way toward one of the downed guards. Moving very slow to avoid calling attention to himself, he crouched down just far enough to confiscate the small handgun attached to the guard's utility belt.
"Now then, Jordan," Luthor snarled in her ear, "let's see how long it takes you to bleed to death."
"Let's not."
Jordan shifted her head and bit down on Luthor's hand.
"Ow, you bitch!"
Letting out a howl of pain and rage, he used his free hand to strike her in the face, knocking her to the ground. Superman immediately charged him, but Luthor drove the dagger into his right shoulder. The wound was not lethal, but the Kryptonite-laden alloy that the blade was made of caused blinding pain to shoot through Superman's system, temporarily disabling him. At the same time, Reinkin lifted the gun and aimed it at Jordan, but Wonder Woman removed one of her bracelets and threw it at Reinkin, knocking the gun from his hand. On the ground, Jordan grabbed the gun and shifted position to face Luthor. After a quick glance to confirm her brother was not in the way, she fired the gun, and the shot struck Luthor in the center of his forehead. He barely had time to look surprised before he crumpled to the deck, dead before he hit the ground.
"That's for my brother and the victims of the Capitol bombing," she muttered.
GOTHAM MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
It took close to two hours for the authorities to arrive and secure the scene aboard Luthor's yacht. A combined task force of Gotham PD, the FBI and the Coast Guard had taken Reinkin and his henchmen into custody and prepared Luthor's body for delivery to the coroner. A quick search of the yacht had uncovered the terrified ship's staff huddled in the galley, unarmed, and a small cache of weapons locked in one of the staterooms. Wonder Woman and Superman had stayed on board to keep an eye on the prisoners, while Batman carefully loaded Jordan into the Batboat and headed for shore. He had contacted Alfred en route, informing him that Jordan was safe and asking him to alert the authorities. An ambulance was waiting for them on arrival, and Batman had stayed on scene long enough to ensure Jordan was safely loaded inside before going home to shower and change.
By the time Bruce reached the hospital, Jordan was in the ER's recovery room with a fresh cast adorning her left wrist and support bandages wrapped around her ribcage. The doctor in charge of her care was Leslie Thompkins, a sometime romantic partner of Alfred's and one of the few people who knew of Bruce's dual identity. A slender woman in her early 60's, Thompkins had green eyes and shoulder length silver hair and had proven her loyalty to Alfred and Bruce many times over. She was checking Jordan's vital signs when Bruce arrived and walked into the reception area to greet him.
"Hello Bruce."
"How's Jordan?" Bruce asked without preamble.
"She's fine," Thompkins responded. "Her left wrist was fractured again, but thanks to the pins that were in place from her prior injury, we only needed to realign the bones and replace the cast. She has also three injured ribs on her left side: one cracked and two bruised. Everything else is superficial scrapes and bruises that will heal in a few days."
"Is she free to go?"
"Yes, but she's on some fairly heavy pain medication. It kicks in rather fast, however, so she should be comfortable enough for you to take her home. Just make sure she takes it easy for a couple days."
Bruce nodded and walked past Thompkins into the recovery room. He approached Jordan with a warm smile, settling himself on the edge of her bed.
"You're turning me gray before my time, Princess," he said with forced levity and took her hand in his. "How are you holding up?"
"About as well as can be expected," Jordan responded, exhaustion and residual pain evident in her tone. "Did Dr. Thompkins fill you in on the damage?"
"Sounds like you're in for another round of oatmeal pills," Bruce teased, but his grin faded when he saw her eyes well with tears. "Jordan…"
"I thought I was going to die," Jordan said in a wobbly whisper. "I really thought that they were going to kill me, and I would never see you or Clark or my mother again."
"Come here."
Bruce carefully pulled her into his arms and Jordan clung to him fiercely, sobbing in his embrace for several minutes before at last getting her emotions under control. Releasing a ragged breath, she pulled back far enough to meet his gaze and flashed him sheepish smile.
"I hope your sweater is waterproof," she said lightly.
Bruce gently brushed a stray hair from her face. "It's only water; besides I don't melt."
Jordan flushed at his remark, remembering the stirring kiss they had shared when she had said the same thing to him a few nights before. "Maybe I should remedy that," she responded softly.
Bruce returned her smile before leaning over to cover her mouth with his, the tender-rough kiss full of love and immense relief that she was alright.
"Please promise me that if heaven forbid you are ever in a situation like this again, you will come to me immediately and let me know what's going on," he requested evenly.
"Okay," Jordan said simply.
Her immediate agreement caught Bruce off-guard. "Okay?" he repeated. "That's it? No ranting about being able to take care of yourself?"
"It has become pathetically obvious just how incapable I am of protecting myself under these circumstances," Jordan responded. "From now on you and Clark get to be the heroes and I am just going to sit back and enjoy the show."
"Well…I may have to keep you on these pills permanently if they make you so agreeable."
"Uh-huh. If you're done tormenting me, I'd really like to go home."
Bruce smiled at her use of the word 'home'. "Your wish is my command, Princess," he responded.
Bruce slid off the bed onto his feet and helped ease Jordan onto hers, but instead of leaving the room, Jordan pulled Bruce to her and kissed him again.
"What was that for?" he asked when she pulled back.
"Just a small reassurance that not all of my brains have turned to cooked grains," Jordan quipped.
"Well thank God for that," Bruce deadpanned with mock seriousness.
Just as they started out of the hospital, they were met by an attractive man with dark hair appearing to be in his mid to late 20's.
"Dr. Jordan Kent?" he prompted.
"Yes."
"I'm Detective John Blake with Gotham PD," he said and showed them his badge. "Commissioner Gordon assigned your case to me."
"How may I help you, Detective?"
"I know you're anxious to get home, but if you can spare a few minutes, I'd like to ask you some questions about your abduction."
"Of course."
"Why don't you start by telling me when and where you were taken?" Blake requested.
Jordan explained about being abducted from the parking structure at Wayne Enterprises and taken to the warehouse, then being relocated to The Lucky Devil. She also gave him an overview of the conversation she had had with the kidnappers before they assaulted her, as well as her subsequent conversations with Reinkin and Luthor, concluding with her rescue by Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.
"We'll send some officers to the harbor and have them locate the warehouse with the bodies of your other abductors," Blake said. "So the attacks at the Convention Center and the zoo were in fact instigated by same men who kidnapped you – Lex Luthor and Franz Reinkin?"
"Yes."
"Hopefully you'll be able to tie them to the murder of Mark Ross as well," Bruce added.
Blake nodded as he made notes on a small pad. "I'll touch base with the DC police and see what we can come up with," he said.
"Will Jordan face any charges for killing Lex Luthor?" Bruce pressed.
"Not likely," Blake assured him. "I'll need to review the statements from the witnesses on the yacht, but it's pretty clear that it was a case of self-defense. And frankly you did the world – and Superman – a favor by getting rid of the guy."
"An interesting statement considering you're a police officer," Jordan remarked.
"I'm also a realist," Blake responded. "And the reality is that sometimes justice has to be granted in shades of gray, not just the black and white of the papers that laws are printed on. But of course, you know all about that, don't you, Mr. Wayne?"
The rhetorical question was not a challenge or a threat, just a casual disclosure that Blake obviously knew Bruce's secret.
As Jordan is so fond of saying, somebody's been doing their homework, Bruce mused silently.
Jordan watched in interested silence as the two men held each other's gaze for a moment before Bruce said, "It's always helpful to have friends in law enforcement."
"It's always helpful to have friends on both sides of the law," Blake replied pointedly, and returned his focus to Jordan. "I appreciate your cooperation, Dr. Kent. If I have any other questions, I'll be in touch."
"Not a problem. Thank you."
The detective headed down the street and Jordan glanced at Bruce.
"How does he know who you are?" she wondered aloud.
"That's something I intend to find out," Bruce replied.
"Speaking of which, thank you ever so much for coming to my rescue tonight," she said softly.
"You're very welcome."
They exchanged an affectionate smile, and linking arms, headed for his car.