A/N: After weeks of interruptions, illnesses, and other crises, plus having to handle a succubus determined to take Tim's life force, the Bat Family finally gets a vacation, to the Bahamas, but is it the trip of their dreams? Warning some chapters contain explicit mature themes!
Serpent in Paradise
Part 10
Tim heard someone calling his name. He didn't know how long he was out. He tried to rise, but blacked out a second time.
"Tim, where are you!' Sasha cried out, but Tim didn't respond. "I've got to find Jason." She had gone to look for Tim to see if he was all right. She knew Jason didn't want to talk and just needed time. Damian had gone after him. When she got to Tim's room something was wrong. The door had been smashed in and the room had been ransacked. She raced back to toward dining hall. "Jason! Jason!" She was sure her voice sounded panicky. Instead she ran into Dick.
"What's wrong Sasha?"
"Come quick . . . Something's happened," Sasha led Dick back to Tim's room. As they got closer, Dick's eyes became wide. "Look . . . I called for Tim, but he didn't answer."
Dick could not believe what he saw. The room was destroyed. 'What is going on?' Dick walked into the room and searched. "Tim's right here, lying on the floor behind the headboard of the bed." Dick knelt down and felt for a pulse, stealing himself inside and yet afraid of what he might find. He breathed a sigh of relief after finding a steady beat. Tim was just unconscious.
"We better get him up on the bed."
Dick leaned down, and went to pick up his brother. He was about to put him down until Tim started to wake up, swinging wildly.
"Damian!" Tim cried out.
"Tim calm down!" shouted Dick.
"Damian!"
"Damian's not here."
"I couldn't stop them. They came in too fast. Damian . . . No."
Dick placed Tim down on the bed. "Where's Damian? Who took him? Do you remember what they look like?" Dick didn't like giving Tim the third degree, but anything he could tell them would be helpful in knowing who took Damian.
"There were three of them. They were masked," Tim tried to think. "They were dressed in black. They didn't speak any English. I couldn't stop them." Tim turned on his side feeling helpless.
"Who were they and why would they take Damian?" Dick asked
"Oh no . . . I've got to find Jason . . ." Sasha ran out the door leaving a confused Dick behind. "Jason, where are you?" Sasha would know where Jason was at home, but here, it was another story. 'Oh god . . . We should have tried getting out of there sooner.'
Jason was sitting on the beach watching the waves. He felt his spirit ease listening to that powerful force of nature. The sound was loud enough to drown out any other noise, including that in his head. 'I probably should be heading back. Sasha might be worried.'
Sasha finally spied Jason sitting on the beach. She was surprised he hadn't heard anything. Perhaps the sound of the surf prevented it. She ran up to him, calling his name. "Jason . . . I've been trying to find you." Tears were streaming down her face. "It's our fault, he's gone."
Jason looked up to see she had tears in her eyes. "What's wrong? What's our fault? Who's gone?"
"They took him," Sasha cried through her tears. "We should have told the others as soon as we got back."
"Took who?" Jason questioned then his heart skipped a beat. 'My god, please let it not be Tim. My heart would shatter. He's been through too much. Jason's heart was racing.
"They took Damian . . . And Tim's hurt . . . He said he tried to stop them."
"Shit! How did they find them? Does Bruce know yet?"
"No," Sasha explained.
"He's going to be pissed. Were they the same guys from earlier? Did Tim tell you?"
"He described them perfectly. They didn't speak English." Sasha had seen something that Dick had not. "Jason . . . They were going to kill Tim. There was a bullet hole low on the wall. Damian must have prevented him from being shot."
Jason's eyes widened. He felt terrible. 'If I hadn't ran off Tim and Damian wouldn't be in trouble,' he thought. "Come on." He needed to find Damian and apologize to Tim. "I need my gear."
"Did you bring it? Wait, the large truck I saw that Alfred put in the cargo hold of the plane. You don't suppose . . ."
"Alfred always packs our gear even if we don't need it."
"Then what are we waiting for."
Jason got up and headed back towards Bruce's room. That's where Alfred more than likely stowed the trunk. It wouldn't be anywhere else.
'I'm not helpless. Come on Tim snap out of it. You have to save Damian.' Tim got off the bed feeling the anger flow through him. 'He's my brother and I vowed to protect him.'
"Tim, what are you doing? You could have a concussion," Dick protested.
Tim ignored Dick's pleas and headed to Bruce's room. No one answered. He had to find Alfred. He saw Sasha and Jason approach. "Do you know where Alfred is?"
"No," Jason answered. "We were heading to Bruce's room."
"There's no one there. We need a key."
"I think Dick has a spare. Where is he?"
"He was in my room. Why would Dick have a spare?" Tim questioned then realized why. Bruce probably gave everyone else a key in case there was trouble. Dick wouldn't be able to help but he could hold a key. "Let's go. We need to look for clues to know where they've gone."
They went back to Tim's room to talk to Dick. They found him kneeing on the floor near the base of the headboard. Sasha realized that Dick must have seen the bullet hole and was examining it.
"Do you have a spare keycard to Bruce's room?" Tim asked.
Dick pulled out the card and handed it to Tim. "Yeah, but why do you need it?"
"Thanks." Tim took the card and headed to Bruce's room without answering Dick's question. Dick, Sasha, and Jason followed. Tim went inside and found the large trunk. It had a combination lock with a finger print reader. Tim added his code RR13BTM. It opened and he pulled out his Red Robin gear. "Don't try to stop me Dick." Of course that wasn't going to prevent him from trying.
Dick wanted to stop Tim, to tell him no, but they needed all the eyes they could get. Instead he said, "I'm not going to. Just be careful."
Tim looked over at Dick and gave him a slight smile. "I will." He looked over at Jason and Sasha. They were getting dressed as well. He would not be alone in his search. With his gear on Tim felt less helpless more in control. He immediately took the leadership role.
"Ready? Let's check for any clues. Hood, you check the beach. You have night vision in your helmet. See if you can see three sets of footprints. Even two. They might have split up. They may have seen you on the beach and took Damian another way. Scarlet, you check the resort and all the exits. I'm going to inform Bruce in my own way."
Of the four of them, Dick and Tim gravitated to leadership positions. Even Jason with the Outlaws would do leadership duty, even though he wasn't all that comfortable with that role. Tim needed to take that position now in order to keep his head clear.
Jason put on his red mask and helmet and headed to the beach.
Red Robin watched as Scarlet went to explore the exits. Then Red Robin headed to the dining hall to talk to Bruce and Alfred. Rather than walk straight through the dining room, Red Robin climbed to the roof and through the rafters. It was dark enough to hide his movements. Red Robin moved so he was just above Bruce. Alfred was nowhere in sight. He might be talking to the chef in the kitchen, trying to acquire recipes for the unique dishes they serve. Red Robin was pretty sure that Bruce was aware of his presence. He knew better than to draw Bruce's attention if there were others around and at that moment, a man approached Bruce's table. Red Robin waited for his moment to give Bruce the note.
"Well, well Bruce Wayne."
"Nathan Devlin. I thought you were in jail for embezzlement."
"They freed me on a technicality. Someone put down the wrong information. They had me down for extortion. Of course since the police couldn't prove anything they let me go."
"They never recovered the funds you stole either. I'd like to get my hands on you for what you . . ."
" . . . Now, Mr. Wayne, that's not nice to threaten me in my own resort. Someone might get hurt."
"Your own resort?"
"I bought this little island and created my own little paradise. I have another little place on another island not far from here. So you see, the money . . . It's no longer available."
"What do you want Devlin?" Bruce demanded.
"Oh that depends."
"Depends on what?"
"Depends on whether you cooperate."
"What do you mean?"
Devlin grinned. "For now, all it means is to enjoy the time while you are here. You won't be leaving any time soon."
Continues with Part 11