Chapter 30
"So you think this'll work?" Kara asked, referring to the plan they'd concocted while on the flight. The shape of the island of Malta came into view through the plane's windows. They were getting close.
"Well we have two options, we jump out of the plane, and parachute in, or we land in Malta and use Bruce's boat…" Kate let the thought hang there.
"Pretty sure jumping out of the plane would cause the pilots to ask lots of questions…" the blonde pointed out.
"Which is why I told them to land in Malta. We're lucky that Bruce kept a boat and a home there. They weren't part of Wayne Enterprises and they had been willed to Alfred, who is busy using it as his vacation home right now. Lucky for us, we know Julia," Kate winked. While her friend hadn't actually met Julia, Alfred didn't need to know that.
"Do I want to know why Bruce had a house and boat here in Malta?" Kara asked as they felt the plane begin its descent.
"He once wrote in his journal that Malta was one of the few places he could go without people swarming him. Having to keep up his playboy persona, he went to places like Monte Carlo and Paris. Wasn't much of a vacation though when you spend the whole time dodging the paparazzi," her friend explained. The Maiden of Might nodded.
"Besides, he liked to keep an eye on Coryana. While he didn't have much business there, he often ran into cases where people were using the Many of Arms of Death to make arms sales in Gotham," Kate told her.
"Dual purpose. Seems like your cousin had it all figured out," Kara said as the plane touched down on one of the two runways at the Malta International Airport. It was a tiny airport for a tiny island.
"Which is what makes his disappearance so strange," Kate said as the plane started to taxi to the special hangar for private planes. Despite being a small airport, it was a busy one and they had to get out of the way of the larger seven-forty-sevens and the occasional seven-seven-seven airplanes.
After they disembarked and went through customs, Kate hailed a taxi and the two ladies were soon traveling the streets of Luqa, the city where the airport was located. It didn't take long to get to the house and Kate paid the taxi driver before they headed for the front door. Kate knocked on the door but found that no one answered. She frowned as Julia said her father was there and that she'd call him. Kara did a quick scan of the home with her x-ray vision and discovered a senior citizen on his way to the door.
"Ah Miss Kate, it is good to see you. Julia said to expect you," Alfred smiled as he let them into the house a minute or so later.
"It's good to see you too, Alfred. Did Julia fill you in?" Kate wondered.
"That you and a Miss Danvers had a mission? Yes she did. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Danvers," Alfred smiled at the blonde.
"Nice to meet you as well," Kara smiled back.
"Now as far as operational success I would suggest you wait until dark. Any boat approaching Coryana in the daylight will stick out like a sore thumb," Alfred told them as he offered them seats on a sofa in the comfortable living room. Bruce had good taste and the home followed the traditional Maltese look without spilling any of the secrets that lay behind the walls.
"We should avoid that. The last thing we need is the Maltese Maritime Squadron breathing down our necks," Kate said.
"I would concur. Now would you like some sleep before you head into danger or would a cup of tea be more to your liking?" He asked.
"I'll have some tea please," Kara smiled.
"You got anything stronger than that?" Kate wondered, hoping it would steel her nerves.
"I think we can arrange that," Alfred winked.
To Be Continued…