Part 15
Lowering himself softly to the floor Batman man began to asses the kitchen he had lowered himself into through a sevice hole in the ceiling. The stench of death hit him straight away, it was an odor he had smelt many times before, but no matter how many murders he had witnessed, that odor always made him grimace, his stomach flipped as he crept forward and the source of the stench be came apparent.
The woman and child lay murdered, dismembered and disregarded in a corner...Arsenal had every right to fear what this animal would do to the woman he loved Batman thought, as he pushed the image to the back of his mind and cautiously made his way through a door to the living room.
Childrens toy's lay scattered on the floor, the furniture tossed around... blood was splattered over most of the room, and a large congealed pool of blood soaked the carpet at one side, this was obviously where the young mother and child were killed he noted, a sick sad feeling welled in the pit of his stomach as he thought of the family that had only a day or so ago lived happily here, he pushed it down again and continued on.
Moving forward he came to another doorway that lead into a short hall, a number of rooms branched off, and Batman slowly mowed towards the room on the end where he knew the objects of his search would be.
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"What the hell is taking him so long?" Arsenal said impatiently as he paced back and forth.
"C'mon Roy it hasn't been that long..." Nightwing started.
"I know, I know...It's just...I don't know man, the waiting's just getting to me is all."
"I understand bud...don't think I don't...He'll get this bastard Roy, don't doubt that for a moment, if he's gone in there, he's gone in knowing he can finish it...knowing this is the best chance of bringing Rachael and the others out alive..It'll all be..."
"Look at those vultures...How the hell do they find out these things?." Arsenal cut in, indicating a large group of journalists that had begun to form at the end of the street.
"Their just doing their jobs Roy...We mightn't like it but we all read the papers...This is news, news is important."
"Yeah, I know...As long as the cops keep them way back there, they ain't gonna be getting in the way."
The two heroes looked back towards the house in time to watch as the curtain was again pulled aside and Rachael appeared, Ryan held the gun to her head and again began to yell.
"Stupid bastard doesn't get that they can't hear him." Arsenal said quietly, his eye's fixed on the young woman in the mad mans arms.
"Doesn't matter, as long as he shows her face every now and then we know she's still alive." Nightwing replied.
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Batman stood near the door, listening carefully to the sounds from inside the room. A male voice inside began to yell, and he knew from the direction the voice was coming from that the man was at the window, which meant that the woman was with him, that had been Ryan's routine from the start, to drag the woman to the window as protection.
The yelling stopped and Batman could hear muffled crying, and a mans voice offering reassurance. The crying continued and the man, tiring of it began to yell again. The light from inside the room that shone under the doorway was broken by shadow. Watching it intently Batman soon realized the man was pacing back and forth in front of the door. Waiting momentarily for the shadow to appear in the light again, Batman sprang into action, kicking the door open with a tremendously powerful kick, the wood splintered and the door caved inwards.
Ryan screamed in fright as the impact of the door sent him flying across the room, he sprawled on the floor momentarily before scurrying into a corner. "DEMON...DEMON." he screamed horrified as the dark caped figure swooped in and ended his screams with one bone shaking punch to the jaw.
Rachael lay on her side watching the drama unfolding in front of her, too weak to move she could only stare, stunned, then realizing her nightmare had finally ended she began to sob.
"Your safe now." Batman said softly as he knelt beside her.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry..I didn't mean to cry." she whispered hoarsely.
"You have nothing to be sorry about." He leaned down and gently scooped her up. "There's someone waiting outside who's anxious to see you." he said as he carried her out the door.
end 15