Chapter 5 Rats on the Move
Security at Gotham museum was generally knows to be a joke. Even the most amateur burglar gave the place a miss because owning up to robbing the museum made you a laughing stock. Everyone in the underworld knew that anything worth lifting had been taken years ago and most items had been replaced by forgeries. Gotham Museum had had its fair share of crooks running the place over its 100 year history.
Traveling exhibitions were different, most of these wisely avoided Gotham, and those that were foolish enough to come had enough sense to provide their own security. Usually high tech, with round the clock armed guards as well just to be on the safe side.
'Typical of Rupert Thorne to think his security system would be so good that he could dispense with having to pay his own guards. He'd spent millions on obtaining the rat, thousands on a security system and yet begrudges less than 10 an hour for a security guarded. The guy deserves to loose his prize possession!' Catwoman thought.
The mark being Rupert Thorne and the fact that this wasn't really stealing, she was after all just returning the Rat to its rightful owners had persuaded Catwoman to come out of retirement. Mind you the 200,000 fee would be very useful; a girl had to live after all.
Catwoman found the videos feed from the cameras in the West Wing Display Area and tapped into them. Using a small hand held computer and interface she recorded the cameras views. Then fed the images back down the line to the control room. Now what the lone guard monitoring the security screens would see was the image from Catwoman's computer, that's assuming he was awake.
Isis was removed from her comfortable bag and placed on top of the roof next to the computer. The small cat rubbed contentedly against her mistresses legs.
"You're my eyes on the outside Isis, keep watch! Any unwanted visitors just howl!"
Isis knew her job well; she settled down next to the ventilation duct that Catwoman was removing the cover from, to watch unseen.
This was a well known route into the Museum's West Wing; it was jokingly know in the underworld as the 'Museum Freeway'. Joker had had it constructed when there had been a display of Medieval European Jesters costumes on show. One of the costumes joker had stolen that time had become the prototype for Harley's costume.
Catwoman followed the well trodden path until she came to a hook in the roof of the vent. Shining her flashlight on to the floor she saw a trapdoor. Catwoman slipped on a harness and clipped its line securely to the hook above her. She placed a pair of night goggles on before carefully unbolting the trap door, she swung it up into the vent, exposing a two foot square hole in the ducting that ran the full length of the exhibition hall. Thirty feet directly below was the central display case containing the fabulous Jeweled Rat. Lady Luck had been on Sliena's side the night she'd visited the exhibition with Bruce, not only had Rupert Thorne shown her how to deactivate the alarm, she'd seen that her target was directly underneath Jokers trap door. It was suspiciously like Rupert Thorne had set the whole display up with the intention of it being stolen! Catwoman laughed off the notion. Rupert was too fond of this fellow rat to want to lose it. After all he was fighting a Multi-million dollar law suite to keep the Rat and had paid out further millions, so she'd been reliably informed, to bribe the judge in the case. No mere insurance would compensate Rupert for the loss of this symbol of his life, once a rat always a rat.
Catwoman lowered herself down to the display case. Turning the key in the same way Rupert Thorne had done had deactivated the alarm and opened the case. Cautiously she slipped her hand inside the case for a few seconds she waited with baited breath, when nothing happened she lifted the rat clear of its case. Gently she placed it in her back pack. Then nimbly climbed back up the rope to the vent. She closed the vent's trap door and returned to where Isis was keeping watch.
Catwoman stroked the little cats back. "Everything alright up here?" she asked. Isis rubbed against her mistress's leg. "Good."
There was no danger close by. But on the wind she could discern Batman's scent. But he wasn't close enough to be a threat. While Catwoman gathered her equipment Isis stayed alert making sure Batman remained just a faint scent on the wind.
Catwoman scooped up the small cat and gently hugged her, Isis purred in response. Then Catwoman placed her friend securely in her carry bag.
"Time to meet Mr. Delgrodi from the Maquitchu embassy and collect our reward, Isis. I think it'll be Salmon for supper tonight!"
Batman watched Catwoman take off she was heading for the Casino Car Park.
Catwoman waited near bay S14, as instructed. She saw the figure stood in the shadows. She had circled the building twice and as far as she could discern there was nobody else around.
"You have the Rat?" a heavily accented voice asked.
"Yes of course," Catwoman stated, "You seen surprised"
"I am sure you know its value?"
Catwoman nodded. "Then I'm pleasantly surprised you brought it here after stealing it. You could make 10 times what we can pay."
"Seignior firstly I didn't steal this item, I liberated it so it could be returned to its rightful owners. Secondly a deal is a deal."
Catwoman handed over the Jeweled Rat and in returned received a bag of money. "A pleasure to do business with you especially when depriving Rupert Thorne is involved."
Suddenly the elevator doors slid open.
"Arrr my female nemesis! So good of you to help me with my plan. Now thanks to you, I keep my Rat, get the insurance payout and dispose of a pest who has thwarted too many of my plans."
Catwoman turned towards Seignior Delgrodi." The man was wiping make up off his face and removing a false mustache.
"Lovely acting Ben, you almost had me believing you were Delgrodi!"
Rupert Thorne signaled to two of his henchmen. Both of whom pointed their guns at Catwoman. "A sad way for a master criminal to die, shot, while escaping after robbing the casino safe of a mere 200,000." Thorne laughed.
Two shots rang out, a high pitched cry filled the air and Catwoman fell to the ground.
