Chapter Eight: Batgirl

Riding in the Jeep had its good points and bad points. Good point was the openness of the Jeep and the cool night air was driving the cobwebs from Hanna's mind. Bad point was: no break from that same wind and it was getting cooler as they neared to the docks.

Street lights gave way to darkness before the security lights on and around the docks took effect. The lights seemed to be holding their own in their battle to hold back the darkness. They passed "The Lunch Box" without stopping; if it hadn't been for a few lights left on for security, one would think the diner had been deserted along with the rest of the neighborhood.

They began a block by block grid search for the elusive apartment building; finding it only two blocks away, it may have been attractive when new, now it was just another old, deserted building. Velma thought that if the city did have it condemned they would never be able to tack a condemned sign on it; the wall would fall down taking the rest of the building with it.

It did have two redeeming qualities. One, it was on the list of possible addresses and second and most important, it had a dim light shinning through a bottom floor window. Shaggy drove on for a block before turning left, making a 'U' turn. Turning off the lights and engine, he let the Jeep coast to a stop, the engine pinging and making strange noises as the hot metal cooled in the night air.

"Hanna, you have a right to be angry and disappointed in us, but I need you and Velma to stay here. I'll take Scooby and get a closer look. We don't need to be raiding the wrong building now."

"Don't worry, I may stretch my legs, it's cramped back here but I'll be here' Hanna said behind a yawn.
"Sorry, that bag is from when Scooby and I played a little fly ball with the neighborhood kids. Guess I forgot to put it away."

Shaggy and Scooby walked away, Velma and Hanna got out of the Jeep and crept to the corner where they could see Shaggy and Scooby crossing the street, making their way back up the side of the building.

"Are you still angry with us?" Velma asked.
"I was…not anymore…what hurts the most is Tommy not telling me…I feel I had the right to have been told."

"You did but don't be too hard on Tommy. He had nothing to do with the decision; he was told after the fact. He's going to be a fine young man. On the tape he said he loves you. One day he'll say those same three words only it will be different. There will be a maturity behind them that is missing right now. I can't say when that will happen, only that if your love is true, it will happen."

"Is that what you had to do…with Shaggy?" Hanna questioned. Velma laughed, leaned back against the wall. Shaggy and Scooby were crossing the street toward them.
"Hanna, to answer that would involve telling most of our life history and the story of the Iron Maiden…maybe it's time to pass the torch…to you. I'd like to tell you that story sometime."

"He's there all right" Shaggy interrupted their conversation "Scooby confirmed it. Time to call in the Calvary." Velma reached for her cell.

Less than an hour later SAC Brand parked behind the Jeep with Fred and Daphne right behind him. "Hey, couch potato, I thought you'd be relaxing on the couch" Shaggy verbally jabbed Fred. "This will do me more good than sitting on the couch, watching a dumb movie!" Fred shot Daphne a look.
"'Lady and the Tramp' is not a dumb movie! I love the scene where they are eating spaghetti! It's so cute!" Daphne shot back.

"Can we get down to business…I hate having civilians on a case!" SAC Brand groaned.
"He's in that building in the room where the light is" Shaggy pointed out the building and light.
"Everyone in position…report" SAC Brand ordered. Five teams reported as "in position, standing by."
The rising sun had turned the sky an array of reds and pinks and the first of the morning dock crews began to filter into the diners for breakfast.

"That's why I hate civilians on a case!" Agent Brand pointed at a figure walking up the side of their target building. "Teams one through four, no one move, don't even breath! Move on my order only! Team five move to position Bravo then stand by!"

"What does she think she's doing?" Shaggy shot Velma a look that said 'I don't believe this.' "She's got one of my baseball bats!" "Don't be angry with her, she's only doing what I'd have done." Velma said to Shaggy. "I know! That's what scares me!"

"No one move! I think all hell is about to break loose" Agent Brand said into the walkie-talkie.

Hanna had slipped the bat out of Shaggy's bag. No one had paid any attention to her as she moved along the path taken by Shaggy and Scooby earlier. She slowly twirled the bat, drawing wolf whistles and stares from the men in and around the diner. She ignored them, moving purposely toward the old entry door of the building. She then did something that surprised everyone…she knocked politely on the door with the bat.

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Inside the building, one of the men heard the knock on the door. It startled him and he opened the door out of habit. He saw a good looking girl but never saw the bat come up between his legs. He did feel the first contact and screamed, bending forward, backing away from the girl twirling a bat.

"You coming Buck!?" Velma yelled. Velma and Daphne had also grabbed bats and were running toward the door. "Come on Fred, Let's go save the kidnappers!" Shaggy yelled as he tried to catch up with the girls.

"MOVE! MOVE!" SAC Brand screamed into the walkie-talkie.

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The man held his hands between his legs but his eyes never left the twirling bat. The second man in the room decided discretion was better than valor, breaking away to run down the hall into a room and out the window. Fred followed.

"Baton, first place three years running" Hanna told the man "I'm also a magician! I can make this bat disappear!" The bat came to a sudden halt, the man stared at it.
"Now you see it" she hit him between the eyes and he dropped like a fallen tree in the forest. "Now you don't!"

"Go see about Tommy, We'll take care of this trash" Daphne said and Hanna ran down the hall, closely followed by Shaggy. The man in Tommy's room had also taken the window route. "One went out the window. About time conch, what took so long; you're dumb as a conch!"

"Shut up starfish! I'm not the one that got him self kidnapped off the beach!" She was kissing his face while trying to untie him at the same time.
"You still my conch?"

"Yes! Or my name isn't Hanna Love!"