Chapter Four

Huntress -- sans comm set -- stood on the bike path that lay just below the Old Stone Bridge in Central Park. Tall streetlights lining the sides of the bike path bathed the path in soft white light.

Where are you, Darryl? she thought. Are you not man enough to face ME? She glanced around nervously, feline senses keyed up. Wooded embankments lined either side of the bike path. I'm being watched, she thought.

Dinah -- clad in a black hooded sweatshirt, black sweat pants, and black combat boots -- lay on top of an embankment. Her presence was concealed by the shadows that lay underneath the forest canopy. She watched Huntress through a pair of night-vision binoculars.

"Dinah to Oracle, do you copy?" she said into her comm, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Oracle, here. Over," came the reply.

"I have Huntress within visual range," said Dinah as she peered through the binoculars. "So far, nothing's happening."

"Roger. Keep me posted."

"Hello, Huntress," cried a Southern-accented voice from out of nowhere.

Huntress turned towards the voice. Darryl Pitts emerged from underneath the bridge carrying an AK-47 with its distinctive banana clip on the bottom. He stopped a few feet from Huntress.

"Darryl Pitts," said Huntress icily in reply.

"I coulda just taken my huntin' rifle and plugged ya' from the bridge," said Darryl with a drawl.

"Why didn't you?" Huntress shot back. "As if I wanted to know."

Darryl pointed the gun at Huntress. "I wanna watch you die … up close … and personal," he said.

"He's carrying a rifle," said Dinah to Oracle over the comm as she peered through her night vision binoculars.

"What kind is it?"

"Looks like an AK-47 … there's a banana clip on the bottom," Dinah replied. "Right now, he's waving it at Huntress." Dinah paused. "I'm goin' in."

"Guess this is good-bye, Huntress," said Darryl. With that, he leveled the rifle at Huntress and prepared to fire.

As if it had developed a mind of its own, Darryl's shooting arm -- and rifle -- suddenly shot straight upwards. The dumbstruck Darryl found himself aiming towards the sky.

Huntress stared goggle-eyed at Darryl in bewilderment. "What're you doin'?" she exclaimed.

"IT'S NOT ME, DAMMIT!" screamed Darryl in frustration as he struggled to lower his arm.

Dinah? Huntress thought. Is SHE here?

Darryl screamed in agony as he suddenly found his shooting arm being bent back behind him. His knees buckled, causing him to fall facedown onto the ground. Huntress could only stand and stare at the sight of Darryl writhing in agony on the ground before her.

"HUNTRESS!" called a voice -- Dinah's -- from the distance.

Huntress turned towards the voice just in time to see Dinah sliding down the embankment and running towards her. Upon reaching Darryl, Dinah immediately went to work. She stepped on Darryl's shooting arm and grabbed the rifle out of his hand.

"Dinah," asked Huntress incredulously. "Was that … YOU?"

"Yeah," Dinah replied. "Cover him," she said as she handed Huntress the rifle.

Huntress took the rifle and aimed it Darryl's head as Dinah produced a pair of small plastic handcuffs from the pocket of her jacket. She then cuffed Darryl's hands behind his back.

"Does Oracle know you're here?" Huntress asked.

Dinah stopped and stared up at Huntress. "Oracle SENT me," she exclaimed, seemingly stating the obvious. She then turned Darryl over on his back, forcing him to face her. "Remember ME?" said Dinah to Darryl.

Darryl's face contorted with rage as he recognized Dinah. "YOU…" he growled. "You sent my brother to prison!"

"Your brother sent himself there," replied Dinah flatly. "He didn't want to go to jail, he shouldn't have been dealing drugs and molesting kids."

It was at this point that Darryl spit in Dinah's face. Huntress responded to the insult by tightening her grip on the rifle and making threatening gestures at Darryl.

"Huntress," said Dinah, wiping her face and raising a hand in a gesture of supplication. "That's enough." Dinah paused, gasping for breath. "I'm OK." She then touched her comm earring. "Dinah to Oracle, do you copy?"

"Oracle, here. Over," came the reply over the comm.

"Contact Reese. Tell him we've got Darryl Pitts. Also, tell him that we may have The New Gotham Slasher as well."