Do Unto Others...

Chapter 11: Man or Monster

The Clocktower, July 1st, 9:10 p.m.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, announcing my presence in her secure room.

Without flinching, Barbara looked away from a surprisingly blank screen and over her shoulder at me, "Tim and Cass are juggling patrols and touring all of the high target areas, trying to keep an eye out for him. Issuing a suspect has dropped activity in the clubs considerably, but they said there are still plenty for the picking."

"And Dick?"

Her gaze returned to her screen, bringing up the scanned journals I had uploaded into the crays, "I think you know where he is… or at least where he is heading."

Not wanting to press further on the subject, I continued, "He's not in the city. From what I've read, he's never liked it here, never felt safe. No doubt he had fled to Rockledge to get away from it all, not knowing that there was no escape."

Barbara nodded, "I was thinking the same thing. With the task force adamant that he's still around, this is exactly where they're looking for him. They're not seeing the big picture."

After a moment, she tapped a control on the keyboard and the main display lit up with a map of Gotham City. In white, markers indicated where the victims had been found over the summer. Red showed the streets that Robin and Batgirl had been that night and yellow showed where they had yet to check. Even though it was just after nine, the digital fire looked to be evenly placed throughout the city's most populated areas.

There was a pause before Barbara asked, "I know you'll probably just yell at me and walk out for asking but… what happened with Selina? She booked a flight for Rome. For one."

"I have no say in what she does or where she goes."

"Bruce," Barbara looked up at me, her green eyes vibrant despite her exhaustion, "I know it's hard, but saying 'I'm sorry' doesn't hurt that bad."

Ignoring her comment, I asked, "Anything from forensics?"

She sighed before turning back to her workstation, "Nothing exciting. They see the information from his childhood journals as a prime foundation for a sexual predator, along with aggression over his mother's violent death…"

"That's not why he's doing this."

"Then why?"

"It has to do with the step-mother. She plays a role in all of this."

Barbara sighed before admitting, "Still can't believe Caffery took over that house, announced his name… Placido will never come back now. And it'll be searching for a needle in a haystack, no, a hay field to find him.

I nodded slightly. When criminals ran, they did so as fast and as far as possible to the safest possible location. Although not the average, Placido was still a criminal, a man on the run. And he definitely needed a safe place to hide. With such a small window of time since his last appearance and seemingly unyielding ties to the area, it was a safe bet that he had yet to flee entirely.

My mind flashed back on Selina, nearly running down the stairs that morning, running away from me because our relationship was no longer safe.

I then thought of myself, much younger, bleeding to death following my first act of crime fighting.

There was only one place that felt safe when you were threatened…

"Robin checking in," I heard a voice come over the speakers.

Barbara smiled and activated her mic, "How's the night life?"

"Lack there of, you must mean. There wasn't even a line to get into Romano's and that place usually has a waiting list well into next week. The city is practically dead."