Chapter Nine
Black Canary walked her motorcycle on the sidewalk, parking it beside an illegally parked beige Ford. The inside of the car was clean, save for a fast food bag on the front floorboard.
"Oracle," Canary said, "I found Reece's car. He's parked in front of the Aparo Suites Inn."
"That's close to where the other deaths took place," Oracle replied.
"I'm going it to take a look around and ask some questions," Canary said. "Maybe someone's noticed something – wait."
In the dim alley across the street, she could see a figure climbing up the fire escape of one of the taller buildings. She pulled a pair of small binoculars from the bike's front pouch and trained them on the figure.
"Oracle, I found him. He looks like he's headed to the roof of one of the other buildings. I'm going after him."
Canary sprinted across the street and started up the first set of steps on the fire escape. Reece was already well above her, moving at a steady pace. She hurried upwards, yelling, "Reece! Stop!" but he either didn't hear her or was just flat ignoring her. They were on the last story before the roof by the time she caught up to him. She called to him again but he still wouldn't acknowledge her.
"Got to get on top. Get over the city. Stay over the city," Reece was muttering under his breath. He was on the roof and headed to the front of the building when she grabbed his arm and turned him around. His fist caught her off-guard as it knocked her in the side of the head and she stumbled back a couple of steps.
"Can't be under," he said to her, yet not to anyone. "Got to stay above the city."
"What's going on?" Oracle asked.
"He's incoherent," Canary said. "Crane must have gotten to him. I think he's planning to jump."
"If that's the case, you need to incapacitate him. The effects will wear off but it takes a couple of hours."
"Great. I get to punch out a cop. That should win me a lot of brownie points."
Canary ran forward and grabbed Reece's arm again, ducking as he took another swing. She hit him in the stomach. He doubled over, stumbled and fell. Mumbling, he started to get back up. She grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him to a ladder set outside the inner stairwell room, which jutted up from the center of the roof. She hadn't gotten him very far before he was able to wriggle out of her grasp and stand.
"Come on, Reece; do us both a favor and stay down."
"Stay over the city," he said. "Can't be underneath."
"You need help. I can help you but you've got to focus."
He suddenly bolted to the left. She ran after him and dove, catching him by his ankles. He hit the rooftop hard. He started kicking his feet and caught her under the chin. She bit her tongue and tasted blood inside her mouth. She spit it out and managed to get to her feet just before he did.
"That's enough," Canary said and hit him with a hard right cross as he was lifting his head. It knocked him off his feet and onto his back. He moaned for a moment then his body went slack. She dragged him back over to the ladder and handcuffed him to it with his own handcuffs. She took the keys and a piece of paper from his pocket. She also noticed his shoulder holster was empty.
"Oracle, Reece is down. You may need to get someone up here to get him. If he comes to, he's liable to gnaw his arm off to get away."
"Where are you going?" Oracle asked.
"According to this paper I found, across the street. Aparo Suites, room 802," Canary replied, reading the note she'd pulled from Reece's pocket. "I'm betting that's where he was going. If we're lucky, that's where Crane is."
"Be careful."
A few moments later, Black Canary walked into the lobby of the Aparo Suites Inn. It was decorated in tasteless Egyptian, pyramids in the center fountain and gold leaf hieroglyphics edging the tables and front desk. Canary pushed past a couple waiting to check in and grabbed the clerk's wrist.
"Madame, please," the stick-like clerk said, "I shall be with you in a moment."
"How many rooms on the eighth floor?" she asked, ignoring his protest.
"There are two apartment suites on the eighth floor, but only one is currently occupied," he answered, slightly ruffled. When she turned to head for the elevator, he asked, "Shall I call up and announce you?"
"I wouldn't advise it, Slick."
Instead of taking the elevator, she darted up the stairs. They opened onto the eighth floor hall, midway in between two golden doors. She walked up to room 802 and knocked.
"Who is it?" a raspy voice called through the door.
"Housekeeping," she said loudly. "I was told to deliver some fresh towels to your room."
"We didn't ask for any-" the voice was saying as it turned the knob. As soon as she heard the latch click, Canary kicked. The door flew open, stopping only to slam into the man's face. He stumbled backwards, tripping on his own feet and landing hard on his back. Canary ran in, eyes darting back and forth to take in the entire scene.
The eating area looked like the classic monster movie lab; vats, Bunsen burners, beakers and cork-screwing tubes cluttered the tiny area. To kitchen stood to the side of the eating area and it too was littered with bottles and jars, filled with powders and liquids. Jonathan Crane stood to one side of a long table, filling a cylinder with a yellowish liquid. The guy on the floor moaned and tried to sit up but Canary kicked him on the side of the head. He went back down and laid still.
"You!" she said, pointing at Crane. He looked at her calmly. "You've done enough damage for one week. We can do this the hard way or the easy way, your choice. Personally, I'm leaning in favor of hard."
"Indeed," Crane said, "I may be forced to agree with you."
Canary ran a few steps towards him but stopped when she was only a few feet away from him. Crane had picked up a strange looking gun from the table behind him and was pointing it at her head. She bent her knees and dropped into a fighting crouch. Before she could launch herself in any direction, he shot her full in the face. As the gas hit her, she heard him say, "Now let's see what you fear."