6.

Bruce watched Alfred chase after three Crime Scene Tech's as they traipsed through his flower garden. Flowers he had planted himself last week. Flowers that were his pride and joy and meeting their end underneath boots.

"There is nothing in there. Nothing. Just books."

From the bed of one of the bedrooms in the estate that Bruce and Athena had hid away in, Athena rubbed her neck, "What would they be after that they thought was in there though. What are you doing at work?"

He sighed while pacing.

Unable to be still, with a shrug he looked over at her while she rested. Tried to stay awake.

He ran his fingers through his hair.

"What were those people protesting against a few weeks ago?"

Bruce did not pause, "Negly's people. They are unhappy with me for several reasons…I think they were protesting the fact that I had dealings with military contracts…or that I did not donate to his cause. The man doesn't like me." Bruce thought about it and asked, "They weren't professionals?"

She shook her head, "Nope."

With a peek back out at Alfred who was following around the police like a clucking hen, pointing out various flowers and plants, Bruce noticed a dark sedan pull up to the estate.

Just down the hall was the study where his things were hidden beneath the manor, in the caves.

The police had shown no interest in it and he was glad.

A million thoughts raced through his head. "Lieutenant Gordon said the alarm tripped…did you hear it?"

For a moment she was puzzled. She made a face and sat up, "What alarm?"

His thought process was on the right track. "That's what bothered me. They must have disabled the main alarm and not known about the silent one I installed."

Her brain worked quickly. "They installed it…or took a class on how to dismantle the alarm system." Then another thought raced through her head, "You have an alarm system? Why?"

Bruce peered out the window, "Your brother is here."

She made a face, "That's not funny."

"The cops outside don't seem to think so either."

In the flash of a second her feet were on the floor and she was beside him. She peeked out the window. Saw her brother with three men who were quite large, well dressed, and obviously armed: not exactly PTA type men. "Oh my God," she murmured and ran across the room. Panic filling her chest cavity.

"Calm down. The police don't have any warrants out on your brother. He'll be fine, those guys I'm not so sure about, do you know who they are Athena?"

Silence.

Bruce glanced over his shoulder and saw an empty room. With a rush of air from his lungs he peeked at Alfred again who continued to berate a female CSI as she dug up his rose bush, he then ran after Athena.

Meanwhile…

The masked man ripped the knitted ski mask from his face and wiped the flowing blood from his broken nose where the bitch had kicked him, twice, to be precise. Blood dripped from his nose like a fountain while he peered up and down the deserted road.

Chest heaving from the run from the manor he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and hurried across the road to where a shack stood. He ran behind it and dropped to the ground, hitting the speed dial as he collapsed.

He was the only person to escape.

With a trembling hand he put the phone to his ear and waiting for Negly to answer.

On the third ring Negly answered, "Did you succeed?"

He wheezed, "I…found…the…office…nothing…was…there…"

Negly sighed in frustration, "What do you suspect?"

"Fox…handles…everything…"

"Very well, I'll send some men to his apartment. Stay there. I'll have a car come for you when the police leave Wayne Estate."

Meanwhile…

Just as Athena reached the front door Bruce caught her, he wrapped his arms around her and twirled her clear of the door.

She was not happy.

Her dark eyes widened and quite possibly grew darker with rage, "What are you doing! My brother is out there!"

Bruce looked around.

The front hall was clear of the CSI Techs. They had worked through the room already. He was really hoping the weren't contaminating anything. But, no one had stopped him on his mad dash down the stairs after Athena. "Why would he be here," he quietly demanded.

For a moment she glowered. Then she thought about it and hesitated, still in his arms. "Exactly. Either your brother has a police scanner which is within the realm of possibility. Or, your brother got word through his connections about this. Or, your brother is here for something because he never just stops on by for a visit."