Trapped : The Island of Torment

Chapter 29 : The Night Watch

Night descended, as I kept watch over the crackling campfire in silence. I have decided to take over the night watch, despite protests from almost everyone. Dinner consists of grilled fish and surprisingly, a young deer, which Kate and Candice caught while out hunting for dinner. I tossed a stick into the flames, just as Bruce emerged from the tent. When the effort was not enough I tossed three to four more sticks into the campfire to keep it alight. A coat enveloped my shoulders as Bruce sat down, wearing a white shirt and jeans, which raised my eyebrows because it wasn't the outfit he had worn just hours ago. "I don't need it..." I whispered. 

Bruce sat down next to me, and held me close in his arms, seemingly ignoring my whispers of protest. "I know that what Selina did still pains you, but I can assure you, I will never leave you for her." he said, still holding me close. "I understand that you did not wish to damage the relationship between me and the Batfamily, but I must say, that my trust in them, even though still there, has changed." 

"I only feared for the repercussions that lay ahead, even though I hoped that you could still trust members of your family, all of you have been fighting as a unit." I say. "I'll admit, some of them are..."

"Criminals." Bruce said it for me. 

"... but I know most of them are on the good side." I say. "They are good people."

"When I discover what they did, I know what to do, but I didn't expect you would leave the family." 

"Like Alfred used to say, you're an adult, you can make your own decisions, just make sure they're the right ones." 

"Using Alfred's sayings, huh?" Bruce smiled. "At least our love and marriage was one of the few good decisions I've ever made." 

"I'd rather not ask about the bad ones." I say. 

"Yeah." Bruce said, brushing a strand of loose hair behind my ear. "I'd rather leave them in the dust." We then fell silent, as the campfire raged on, creating a soft but warm glow. I extended my hands, warming myself in front of the campfire despite Bruce's coat. Bruce held my hand in his, wrapping my bony fingers in his. He was constantly by my side when I rested from the crude method of wound cauterization performed by Candice. He only went to rest when my condition stabilized and I could walk normally. But I am aware that my relationship dynamic with members of the Batfamily had been torn to shreds when news of them trusting what Selina had told them, reached me. It was already a year of heartbreak for me when my biological father died, even though we've grown apart since mom died, I am still grateful for the few years of happiness he gave me when I was still a child. 

I was three months pregnant with Bruce's child when I received the news of my father's death. News outlets were quick to pounce on the fact that I was absent from his funeral, as well as mom, but how dad treated mom and me, didn't win him any sympathy. The doctors had told me to avoid negative news like these, but the news reached me at the same time as well. I spent the afternoon shedding tears in silence, and when I saw Bruce again... I was already in Gotham General. The doctors had to tell me the heartbreaking news that my children is no more, and another round of crying ensued. It remains one of the few times that I have seen Bruce cried, as in the dead of night, I often saw him standing by the window and wiping something from his face, which he admitted to be tears. 

My aunts and mom came by as much as they could in my aunts' case, to offer me emotional counselling. Even though he sheds tears Bruce also had anger burning inside him, that he contained beneath his stoic expression. He did not leave my bedside as I recovered, ordering a fresh bouquet of white roses to be sent to the room every day. Aside from him, mom and dad, the children we have together also helped me through the difficult period, through hand-drawn cards and teddy bears that Bruce bought together with them. 

Bruce took out a folded piece of paper from the folds of the jacket he had placed on my shoulders just now. It was the map we obtained from the man who tried to shoot Bruce with an arrow. Unfolding the map we looked at it together, hoping that we can at least glimpse a clue on Elliot's whereabouts. It was a hand-drawn map, with locations marked on the map, as well as symbols. "Why would guys like Elliot pass out hand-drawn maps like these?" I ask. 

"Maybe he wasn't the one who drew them?" Bruce said. "You still okay in reading them?"

"Not all of us travel around the globe to learn skills like these. You can learn them while serving in the military." I say. Taking the map in hand I began to pour through the details. "Where did you left the compass?" 

"Here." Bruce said, giving me the requested item. 

"Would people believe that Bruce Wayne is capable in pulling of a change of clothes in situations like this?" I asked. 

"Before he was 'abducted', Bruce Wayne made sure that all the Secret Service agents patrolling the compound knew that he is wearing this ensemble before Alfred Pennyworth was found unconscious in the study, courtesy of a stun gun attack." Bruce offered his explaination, which I fretted about Alfred's well being. "He should be fine Elizabeth, don't worry."

"I know but..."

"Yeah." Bruce said, kissing me on the forehead. "It was his idea." I was alarmed but continued to study the map. 

"Our location is here, this cave." I say, pointing at the cave, as another one had been crossed out. "If we trek north from here, there is a beach, or if we go east, we might stumble upon this place." I added, first tracing the route from the cave to the beach, second to a campsite. "It doesn't say much, so, we might be heading into a danger zone." 

"No signs of a command post or headquarters." Bruce pointed out. 

"Elliot's a smart guy, so he wouldn't have printed that big bold title on the map. So it is either he didn't print it out like the map we have now, or he can label all of the campsites on the map as command post or headquarters." I say. "And if we can find the place we shouldn't go in boldly, we should be strategic about our plan." 

"For now, we'll do the night shift until dawn breaks." Bruce said. "Then we'll get down to business in taking Elliot down."