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 12
Red Hood caught Damian as he fell over. He picked him up and headed back to Scarlet.
"Is he all right?" Scarlet asked.
Damian had his head resting on Red Hood's shoulders and his arms around his neck. He clutched onto the back of Red Hood's jacket. "No. His head is bleeding. We need to get him back to Alfred."
Damian couldn't help but clutch onto his brother. 'Thank goodness he came for me. The guys kept pointing guns at me, holding them up to me. They enjoyed beating the hell out of me.'
"We'll get you back to Alfred and Bruce," Scarlet tried to soothe Damian.
"Where's Tim? Did they hurt him?" Damian asked.
"No, he's back at the resort setting a trap."
TDTDTDTD
Tim was taken south from the resort toward the village to a house set back among the trees. There was an open field nearby, the airfield where they had landed. He was brought before Nathan Devlin. "What did you do with my brother?" Tim demanded. He knew but Tim had to feign ignorance.
"I needed a bargaining chip, just in case," Nathan Devlin stated. "What they do with him is none of your business. My business is with you. I understand you are a computer genius. I want you to break into Wayne's company and transfer 100 million into my account. And if you don't your brother will die."
"I won't help you steal my father's fortune," Tim refused.
"That's too bad . . . See, I own this Island, the Village, and the resort. How far do you think you and your family will get if you try to escape?"
Tim didn't answer. He just glared at the man and looked for a way out.
"I didn't think so," Devlin went back to watching his favorite program, licking his lips in anticipation. "Tie him up and keep him quiet. My favorite little slut is busy persuading a client."
Tim's hands were tied behind his back and he was shoved into a corner. Two gunmen stood guard while Devlin turned back to what looked like a TV monitor to watch some sleazy program. Tim kept an eye on the door, waiting for a chance to escape.
SRSRSRSR
Scarlet and Red Hood made their way back to the resort and to Alfred's room without being seen.
"Master Bruce, you must lie still. They gave you a nasty bump to the head. With your cowl in place, it may have prevented a concussion."
"I have to get back out there, they took Tim."
Scarlet knocked on the door waiting for an answer. Damian was shivering and started to cry lightly.
"Coming." Alfred opened the door to see Scarlet and Red Hood holding Damian. "Master Red Hood, thank goodness. Come in, I was just helping Master Bruce . . . Please place Master Damian over there. May I ask what is going on here? I hate to say it, but since arriving in the Bahamas, I have been rather oblivious on what has been transpiring."
"Red Hood, get changed and go find Dick," Bruce said. "I know he can't help because of his leg, but we need him here."
Red Hood placed Damian down but he wouldn't let go. "Come on I need to find Grayson."
TDTDTDTD
Mr. Nathan Devlin was enjoying a refreshing drink and watching on the monitor his latest acquisition from the past two years to three years. 'She's good, but she could be better. She looks bored. I'm going to have to have a "talk" with her. And if she doesn't show any more enthusiasm, I'll let Benson have her.' One of his men approached him at that moment. It was the very man whom he thought about. Benson bent and whispered in his ear. "What? Batman here? How? Never mind. We may have to abandon this place. Get the helicopter ready. We'll take the Wayne kid with us."
"No!" Tim tried to rush from the room, trying to jump over chairs like hurdles. His leg got caught on one and he landed hard.
"Grab him. He's my ticket to Wayne's fortune!"
Tim scrambled to his feet and almost made it to the entrance when he was tackled from behind. Someone grabbed him by his hair and a gun was placed against his head.
"I don't want him harmed. Carry him to the copter. We leave now. And for that little escapade, kill everyone in the Village except the children. Move them to the hangar and to my private plane. They will be going elsewhere."
'No!"
DTDTDTDTDTD
"Damian . . . I'll stay with you," Scarlet said. "Jason has to find Dick . . . Please . . ."
"No . . . They tried to kill me . . . They're going to kill him, too. Don't let him go." Damian clutched harder.
"No one's going to kill him. Jason can take care of himself. Bruce, where's Tim? I thought he would be here."
Red Hood pried Damian's hands from him.
"They had two other men waiting," Bruce said bitterly. "They ambushed me from behind. They took Tim. I don't know where."
"Do you know where your friend is staying?"
"Nathan Devlin is no friend of mine . . . He owns this whole island and resort . . . He may have a place in the village . . . I think we've been set up."
Red Hood nodded. "I need to find Dick. He has his laptop with him. He should be in his room right?"
TDTDTDTDTD
Tim was carried over someone's shoulder. With his hands tied behind his back it was impossible for him to get any leverage. He was taken to a waiting helicopter and placed inside. He watched helplessly as they took off afraid he would never see his family ever again. Then he heard gunfire and the screams of the villagers.
TDTDTDTDTDTD
"Dick might have gone to the lobby to the media center. They have wi-fi connection there. Alfred, go check the plane at the airfield. I just hope it hasn't been sabotaged otherwise we're stranded here until we can make repairs."
Red Hood headed over to Dick's room first to check. He found him standing on the balcony. He was looking up. "What are you doing?"
"I just came back from the media center. I needed to take a painkiller for my leg. I heard something. I didn't know the Village offered helicopter rides."
"They don't. There was nothing in the brochure about it," Red Hood watched as a helicopter flew over the resort. Then he noticed. "They have Tim! Where are they headed?"
TDTDTDTD
As they flew over the resort, Tim saw Red Hood on the balcony along with Dick, but he was too high to jump. And with his hands tied, the fall could kill him. 'I'm going to have to find another way to let them know where I am once we land.'
"Don't even think about jumping out over the ocean. You won't live very long. You're family will stay alive so long as you cooperate. One word from me, and one of your family members will die. They won't be going anywhere."
DTDTDTDTD
"They must be heading to another part of the resort."
"No, they're not. That's toward the water. There are over 700 islands out there, a lot of them un-inhabited," Red Hood stated. "They have to be heading to one that's large enough to have a lot of people."
"Damn it . . . We need to find them."
"What does Devlin want with Tim?" asked Red Hood
"Tim does work for W.E. That means he knows how to get into the computer system. He might want money from Bruce."
"Damn, Bruce said we've been set up . . . .He might have been after Tim all along . . ."
"I think he's right," said Dick.
"We better go see Bruce. Damian is with him."
"How is he?"
"He's badly shaken up," Red Hood explained. "They beat him up. He may have a concussion as well . . . When I get my hands on that man . . . He's dead."
'Devlin has Tim, and Damian's hurt. I'm deeply pissed that I can't do anything.' When Dick and Red Hood entered the room Damian reached out for Jason, but Alfred was patching him up. He looked horrible. He developed two black eyes.
Bruce could see that Dick looked pissed. 'I know he's wishing he can help,' he thought. "We'll get through this. We'll get Tim back."
Dick took Bruce's word for it. He trusted his adopted father. 'My brother was beaten and I don't know what they're doing to Tim. He's already suffered enough.'
"Master Bruce . . . It seems we are surrounded . . ."
"Surrounded?" Bruce questioned.
"There are at least a dozen men out there. They are watching this room. It seems we are the hostages."
"So long as we don't try anything . . . They have to keep us alive. Jason, Sasha, better change back into your regular clothes. Dick, you better leave your laptop here. If they get wind that we have a way to communicate with the outside world, they might take it from us."
"Okay, will do."
"Have you been communicating with Barbara?" asked Bruce.
Dick nodded.
"Let her know our situation. Send her the coordinates of this Island. Maybe we can rally the Birds of Prey. They might be able to help us get out of this situation."
"Alright," Dick immediately got
"Jason, did you recognize the type of helicopter they were flying?"
"It was a Hughs 500 . . . Doors were off."
"That helicopter has to refuel after 3 hours. It can't go very far. I don't think Devlin will take Tim any further than that, maybe one of the larger islands. He needs an Internet connection."
Dick stepped into the bathroom with his laptop to text Babs.
#Hi Dick . . . What's up? Enjoying your vacation?#
#We're in a sticky situation.#
#What's the matter?#
Dick explained then sent her the coordinates. #Someone has taken Tim and we are surrounded.#
Babs was shocked, but she kept her head. #What do you need Man Wonder?#
#Batman wants to know if the Birds will be able to help.#
Babs went into Oracle mode. #I can dispatch them at once.#
#Thank you Oracle.#
#Any thing else Man Wonder?#
Dick started to stumble over his words. He didn't know if he should say it. His fingers hesitated over the keys for a few moments.
#Man Wonder, you there?#
#I . . . I love you# Dick texted.
#Love you to . . . And I will kick your butt if you don't come home to me safe and sound.#
Dick smiled even though Barbara couldn't see it. #Don't worry I will.#
#Good . . .I'll be waiting.#
Dick started to miss her. "I'll come home to you, promise." Dick said out loud besides sending.
"Dick, we need to appear that nothing is wrong," Bruce called to Dick who was still in the bathroom on his laptop. "We better head to the dining hall. We should bring some food for Damian. He should stay here. Devlin may not know that he's been rescued, which could work to our advantage. Even so, if they find out he's been rescued, we don't want to take any chances that someone may snatch him again."
Dick closed his laptop and headed out to Bruce. "Okay, be right with you."
"They'll be watching us to make a move. Keep an eye out on where the men are located."
Bruce and Dick made their way to the dinning hall. As soon as they walked in both could see two of the men sitting at a table closest to the exit.
"We need to put Damian in a safe place. I don't want him or you hurt. I know you can still fight, but I need you to protect Damian. Can you take him to the butterfly garden?"
"Okay, I'll have him bring his sketch book. It will help him to take his mind off of things."
"Good idea. We better get some food . . . We're beginning to look suspicious."
Dick started to put food onto his plate "Are we going back up or eating here?"
"You and I will sit here, then take a plate for Damian and Alfred. Jason and Sasha can come and eat. It's going to take several hours for the BOP to get here, even if they take the . . . fastest transportation. I think it's time that Jason and Sasha do some distracting."
"Oh . . . goodness . . . okay," Dick could imagine just what kind of distraction Sasha and Jason might do.
"Those two are our only hope to be able to reduce the numbers and even up the odds," Bruce took a quick bite even though he really wasn't all that hungry. His mind had a tendency to shut his hunger down when he was working on a case or in any stressful situation that required his wits.
Dick took a bite of food and nodded. His stomach was hungry, but at the same time, he didn't want to eat a whole lot. He needed to keep alert.
"As we go back . . . take note where more men are and inform Jason and Sasha. They can figure out which ones to take out. I should have realized something was up with this place the moment we landed. There were no other tourists. Most of the people at the resort were men. And when I went to the village earlier, their faces appeared afraid. I tried to dismiss it as my imagination. I should have paid more attention."
"Don't berate yourself," Dick stated. "It was an honest mistake."
"A mistake where Tim could pay with his life," Bruce said, softly. "Damian has already paid part of it."
Dick looked around and noticed that one of the men at the table got up and headed out of the dining hall. "At least they can't stop us from talking to each other. They think they have us over a barrel."
"We'll prove them wrong. Ready to go back?" Bruce asked.
"Yes, my leg is throbbing right now."
"Let's grab a couple of plates. Then you can get off that leg."
Dick got up with Bruce to grab more food before heading back to the room. As Bruce gathered more food he noted two men near the butterfly garden entrance and one near the kitchen. The other man that left returned a few minutes letter. That's four. They exited the dining hall and Bruce saw four men in the lobby. There were four around their rooms and then he spied four more on the roof of the resort, 16 in all. As they walked along the boardwalk and drew closer to the room, Bruce turned to Dick. "Did you count 16?"
"I counted 17. The maid down the walkway off to the side...she was watching us."
"Good eyes . . . we need to find out whose side she's on. Maybe Alfred could strike up a conversation. He needs to feel a part of this."
"Yes, she was watching us closely."
"Have Alfred come with you when you take Damian. He can request that the room be made up. That will give us a chance to question the maid."
Dick didn't voice his thought, but he hoped she was on their side.
Alfred opened the door for Masters Bruce and Richard when they gave a quick wrap in the door in a specific sequence.
"We're forming a plan," Bruce said as he handed over the plates. He was proud of Dick for spotting the maid. He moved over to Damian and knelt down beside the bed. "Damian, we brought you some food. After you eat, I need you to go with Dick."
"I'm not very hungry," Damian stated. "Um, where are we going?"
"Dick is going to take you to the butterfly garden."
"Do I have to?" Damian questioned. 'My head was hurting . . . and I think moving will make it worse.'
"Your head is hurting, isn't it?" Bruce asked as he looked into Damian's pinched face. "How is your stomach? Do you feel like throwing up when you move?"
"A little," replied Damian.
"Dick, maybe it's best that you stay here with Damian. Alfred, could you ask the maid to come and bring clean sheets and towels."
"Very good, Sir," Alfred went to the maid and made the request for fresh towels then returned to the room to take care of Damian's headache. The maid grabbed the towels and followed Alfred to the room. She knocked on the door and entered. She placed the towels in the bathroom and was about to exit when Bruce stopped her.
"I need to ask you something. Why were you watching us?"
"You are not like the others who would come here."
"How so?"
"You are a man of action," the maid stated. "You do not let a child being taken break you," she said, 'as I did.'
'Is she referring to Tim's kidnapping?' Bruce thought. "Are you aware who owns this island?"
"Yes. He is a serpent, and you should be weary of him. I must get back to my duties before they discover I have been talking to you. It is best that you do as Devlin wants."
"And if we don't?"
"Innocent lives will suffer." The maid exited the room.
"Wait, what do you mean?" Bruce went after the maid, but when he went back out to the hallway, there was no trace of her.
Continues with Part 13