Broken Trust: Little Bird Lost
By
AJ
Part 2: A Safe Haven
I set my next phase into motion. I thought that Billionaire Boob would throw Dickie boy out on his ear. Imagine my surprise when the bird flew the coop on his own. I had a feeling I knew where he was heading. Had to get there first to keep him from learning whom it was that's stalking him. You see, I look so much like my father it's scary. My Mother told me once that what finesse my father had could fill a teaspoon. Me, I had it in spades, like my Mother. What money my father would give her, he was expecting her to buy the finer things in life. She would just to put up appearances. Most of it she placed in an account using her maiden name. And when it looked like Father was going to lose everything, she changed my name as well and enrolled me into a new school. I didn't understand at first, but she really wanted to make a fresh start. Of course being married to a mob boss, it's not that easy to escape that life. Even so, I adored my father despite what they said about him. To him, it was just business. Anyway, I digress. Seems Dickie Bird is searching for his own answers. That's fine with me. He'll find his own answers for sure, and I can't wait to see his face when he does, because it will be the last thing he ever sees.
#
A flash of light caught Dick Grayson's eye. Someone was approaching the school. He had to get out of the office. Was it possible he might have set off a silent alarm? He took a quick peek. It didn't look like a police car. Even so, Dick swiftly left the way he came, back through the transom and up to the top floor to the roof. He didn't wait for the person to discover his presence. He moved quickly back to the corner where he climbed up and rigged his bat rope so after climbing down he could retrieve it. He didn't want to leave it as evidence that he'd been there. His bike was hidden in the bushes. That also worked in his favor. By the time he climbed down and retrieved his bike it was 3:00 am. It had taken an hour to search for what he needed to know, but one piece of information was still missing.
'Actually more like two,' he thought. He needed to find out what relation Matthew Malone and his mother were to Tony Zucco. Matthew's father was written as deceased, but no name was given. The other information was not so clear. It was one of those "why" questions that could not be answered, not unless the pieces were put together.
'I just hope I can put them together,' Dick thought.
Right now he needed to find a place to stay, some place out of the way and from prying eyes. There was one other thing he brought with him. Bruce had shown it to him during some of their training sessions. Dick remembered his words.
"If we're ever separated and you need a safe place to hide, drop one of these," Bruce held up a small metal batarang, different than the ones they used in crime fighting. "You will notice there are coordinates on the back. I've divided the city into six coordinates like a tic-tac-toe puzzle. Notice these letters, TL, TC, TR, CL, CC, CR, etc."
"Yeah, I see them," Dick answered.
"Now look at these," Bruce pointed to another row. "Those give an address and street. The street name's in code."
"And the third row?"
"It opens a lock. There are 12 of these," Bruce said.
"One set for each of us," Dick replied. "Thanks."
Dick had pulled out one from his utility belt and left the others behind. He felt the carving on the back. He had to be careful in this part of the city. It wasn't really a place for a boy of 15, and this time a night was reserved for those who were thinking of committing a crime or other nefarious activities. Dick did his best to keep to the shadows. It wasn't easy riding his bike. He kept his eye on the street signs and addresses. He moved into the industrial area, which made things much simpler, no people to contend with. It took him two hours to find the address. It was on the edge of the industrial park where it turned into a residential neighborhood. He found the unassuming house in between two commercial buildings. The house appeared to be occupied. Dick watched it for a few minutes before he realized the figure in the window hadn't moved. Dick moved to the back of the house where there was a set of stairs going down to the basement. He noticed an eerie glow coming from behind a small mailbox. He flipped it up and found a keypad with numbers and letters. Dick pulled out the small throwing bat and keyed in the combination. The combination was a series of letters and numbers also in code. Dick had figured out the codes early on. They were no different from figuring out a puzzle or a riddle in his mind. Once he typed the combination, the door opened and Dick was inside. He shut the door and the combination automatically randomized to prevent others from entering. Dick breathed a sigh of relief and could feel his energy drain. He had been operating on pure adrenaline. For now, he could allow himself to collapse and replenish his energy. Then afterward, he could begin to search for Prudence Malone.
#
Bruce waited for Alfred down in the batcave. While there he made some interesting discoveries. Alfred arrived about 20 minutes later.
"I gave Mrs. Cooper some tea just as you asked. She is still adamant about wanting to call the police."
"It may come down to that, Alfred," Bruce said. "But I don't want to treat Dick like a criminal. I've already done that, and I owe Dick an apology."
"We all do, Sir."
"I let myself be blinded by what was in front of me than remembering Dick's character. He would never intentionally do anything to hurt us. On the other hand, I've intentionally hurt him. And if something happens to that boy, I shall never forgive myself."
"Please, Sir," Alfred said. "I was as much to blame . . ."
"No, Alfred. You were just following orders . . . "
"That is no excuse, Sir," Alfred argued. "My duty toward you and Master Dick is more than just your butler. It is much like a parent and grandparent, but we are getting nowhere Master Bruce. We must stop feeling sorry for ourselves and concentrate on finding Master Dick."
"You are right Alfred. Tell me what you have learned and I'll tell you mine."
Alfred explained that Dick Grayson had only taken enough clothes for several days, and only clothing that was older and worn. 'I believe he is hoping to return. The money in his bank was about $3000 dollars. He kept track."
"Dick received a monthly allowance of about $50.00 a month. He must have saved every penny. I wonder what he was saving it for."
"A motorcycle, Sir," Alfred said. "He told me that once he received his license, he could purchase a motorcycle and use it for going on patrols when you were not available."
"And now he's taken it to help him in his search." Bruce said.
"What did you find out, Sir?"
"Dick has taken some items from his utility belt. He hasn't taken his Robin uniform, which tells me this has to do with Dick and his past."
"Someone from the circus?"
"Or something that happened at the circus," Bruce said then stared at the computer punch card containing Zucco's information.
"Will you go after Master Dick?"
"No Alfred," Bruce said. "I don't know where he is anyhow. He'll find a way to contact me if he needs help."
"You know Mrs. Cooper will not stand for it," Alfred pointed out.
"I know, but until I hear anything, there is nothing I can do. You can at least do something for me. Take what you can to this address. The place probably needs a good cleaning and restocking."
"Very good, Sir," Alfred replied. "But what about Master Dick?"
"I'm certain we'll learn something real soon."
Continues with Part 3: The Search for Prudence Malone.