The Bat and the Jester

Chapter Two

The security at Falcone Manor was typically rather tight, but after the news announcement concerning the 'rogue' faction's abduction of Harleen Quinzel, the Victorian style gothic mansion looked more like Ft. Knox than a crime-lord's home. There were armed guards at every entrance, several patrolling the grounds, and two at the main gate. As the day went on, the main gate guards had to keep the media at bay, along with any police officers or detectives that tried to gain entry without a warrant; something that was unlikely to happen considering Penguin's friends in the judiciary. But life went on, and one of the guards spotted a FedEx truck weaving its way up the long single-car drive.

The exterior gate guard nodded toward the one within. "Hey, we gotta delivery from FedEx out here," he spoke into his hand held radio.

"Check 'em, first," came the reply from the front door.

"Copy." He turned back the guard that stood just outside the gate. "Check his ID."

The man in the dark suit approached the white truck, where the driver was waiting within. "What'cha got?"

The driver grabbed his electronic clipboard. "Five packages... I don't know what's in them though. It looks like they may be from a tobacco company."

The guard snorted approvingly and stood up on the truck's open step and grabbed the driver's ID badge, which did indeed match his face. The man in the suit then took the badge back to the guard at the inner gate who promptly radioed the man at the mansion's front doors.

"Okay, gotta Gary Evans, DOB two-fifteen-seventy three. Five eight and one twenty. Call it in." The inner-gate guard called into this radio.

The guard at the front door picked up the phone and called the local distribution center, verifying the man's credentials. Ten minutes later, he radioed the information back to the main gate. The inner-gate guard nodded toward the outer guard who was still standing by the truck's open door.

"Alright, they said you're good to go. Drive straight to the front door, drop your packages, and come right back here. No dickin' around... got it?"

The driver nodded in acknowledgement and started his truck.

The large ornate iron gate was opened, and the truck went through as the outer guard kept the reporters at bay.

Falcone Manor's courtyard contained a meticulously manicured lawn and several fountains, most of which contained cherubs pouring water onto the koi below. A perfectly-trimmed rectangular hedge ran along the drive, ending as the pavement circled up to the front steps. The oval drive surrounded a large central fountain, which once contained a beautiful nude woman pouring water from a vase, but now contained a marble penguin holding an opened umbrella which sprayed water a good twenty feet into the air. The white delivery vehicle truck pulled up to the front door, as the servant and delivery entrance was closed due to security concerns. As the driver killed the motor, he was approached by one of the two front-door guards.

"What'cha got?" The pudgy man in the dark suit asked.

"Five boxes for a Mr. Cobblepot."

"Alright, gimme your clipboard and I'll sight for them."

"I have to scan them first. Meet me at the back of the truck."

The guard sighed. "Fine... whatever." He then walked from the driver's door to the roll up door at the rear of the vehicle. As it rolled upwards, he was suddenly face-to-face with a man who had a deranged smile, and a large, silenced handgun.