Chapter 2
Dinah raised her head and blinked several times, trying to figure out where she was. Her head hurt like hell. She raised her fingers to her forehead and suddenly pulled them away as her head stung. Her fingers were covered in blood. Dinah tried to remember what had happened. She remembered talking with Barbara about school and..Dinah thought hard. The car. She suddenly remembered; they had been in the car when a van pulled out in front of them. She remembered Barbara slamming on the brakes, but nothing after that. She must have hit her head on the windshield with the impact.
Dinah undid her seatbelt and turned towards Barbara. Barbara was still buckled in her seat, but her head was slumped over. She was unconscious.
"Barbara?" Dinah asked as she maneuvered herself into a position where she could get to Barbara. She shook the redhead's shoulder. "Barbara wake up!"
Barbara Gordon coughed as she fought to open her eyes. She looked over at Dinah. "Dinah.the car. are you alright?" she asked, a little disoriented.
"I'm fine," Dinah answered. "You okay?"
"I'll live. That vehicle appeared out of nowhere. What was it thinking; I clearly had the right of way. Did you see what happened to it?"
Both women looked through their shattered windshield to the other car, which had skidded to a stop a couple of yards away. The side door of the van suddenly slid open and three men with painted faces jumped out.
"Oh God," Barbara exclaimed, drawing a breath. "It's him."
Dinah looked at the men coming towards their car and then turned back to Barbara, "We have to get out of here!"
Barbara looked down then back up at Dinah. "No, there is no way I can make a run for it." She stared Dinah in the face. "You have to go without me. We're only a few blocks from the Clocktower and Helena should still be there. I need you to go and get her."
Dinah shook her head, "No! I'm not leaving you."
"You have to Dinah. You have to go get help."
Dinah's eyes began to fill with tears as she glanced back at the approaching men. She saw the passenger side door of the van open and a shock of green hair appear. "I can't just leave you here," she said tears brimming in her eyes.
Barbara gripped Dinah's shoulder. "You have to," she said trying to put on a brave front though she was terrified. "I'm not asking you Dinah, I'm ordering you to get out of this car and run. Now!"
Dinah nodded. She didn't want to leave her mentor, but Barbara was right. There was no way that she could get Barbara out of the car and both escape. She had to get away and get Helena. It was the only way. With one last look, Dinah opened the car door, jumped out, and raced off down the street. She didn't look back; she just kept running, tears streaming down her face.
Barbara watched as Dinah sprinted down the street. She prayed that the girl could make it to safety. Two of the men started to run after her, but a voice yelled, "Let the girl go. We'll get her later. We got what we came for."
Barbara knew that voice all to well. It was the voice that haunted her dreams, her nightmares. It was a voice she had last heard seven years ago, and she prayed she would never hear again.
Suddenly the driver's side door swung open and Barbara saw the all too familiar shock of green hair. "Hello, Babs," the voice said, "miss me?" And then Barbara's world went black.
Dinah raised her head and blinked several times, trying to figure out where she was. Her head hurt like hell. She raised her fingers to her forehead and suddenly pulled them away as her head stung. Her fingers were covered in blood. Dinah tried to remember what had happened. She remembered talking with Barbara about school and..Dinah thought hard. The car. She suddenly remembered; they had been in the car when a van pulled out in front of them. She remembered Barbara slamming on the brakes, but nothing after that. She must have hit her head on the windshield with the impact.
Dinah undid her seatbelt and turned towards Barbara. Barbara was still buckled in her seat, but her head was slumped over. She was unconscious.
"Barbara?" Dinah asked as she maneuvered herself into a position where she could get to Barbara. She shook the redhead's shoulder. "Barbara wake up!"
Barbara Gordon coughed as she fought to open her eyes. She looked over at Dinah. "Dinah.the car. are you alright?" she asked, a little disoriented.
"I'm fine," Dinah answered. "You okay?"
"I'll live. That vehicle appeared out of nowhere. What was it thinking; I clearly had the right of way. Did you see what happened to it?"
Both women looked through their shattered windshield to the other car, which had skidded to a stop a couple of yards away. The side door of the van suddenly slid open and three men with painted faces jumped out.
"Oh God," Barbara exclaimed, drawing a breath. "It's him."
Dinah looked at the men coming towards their car and then turned back to Barbara, "We have to get out of here!"
Barbara looked down then back up at Dinah. "No, there is no way I can make a run for it." She stared Dinah in the face. "You have to go without me. We're only a few blocks from the Clocktower and Helena should still be there. I need you to go and get her."
Dinah shook her head, "No! I'm not leaving you."
"You have to Dinah. You have to go get help."
Dinah's eyes began to fill with tears as she glanced back at the approaching men. She saw the passenger side door of the van open and a shock of green hair appear. "I can't just leave you here," she said tears brimming in her eyes.
Barbara gripped Dinah's shoulder. "You have to," she said trying to put on a brave front though she was terrified. "I'm not asking you Dinah, I'm ordering you to get out of this car and run. Now!"
Dinah nodded. She didn't want to leave her mentor, but Barbara was right. There was no way that she could get Barbara out of the car and both escape. She had to get away and get Helena. It was the only way. With one last look, Dinah opened the car door, jumped out, and raced off down the street. She didn't look back; she just kept running, tears streaming down her face.
Barbara watched as Dinah sprinted down the street. She prayed that the girl could make it to safety. Two of the men started to run after her, but a voice yelled, "Let the girl go. We'll get her later. We got what we came for."
Barbara knew that voice all to well. It was the voice that haunted her dreams, her nightmares. It was a voice she had last heard seven years ago, and she prayed she would never hear again.
Suddenly the driver's side door swung open and Barbara saw the all too familiar shock of green hair. "Hello, Babs," the voice said, "miss me?" And then Barbara's world went black.