The Lone Knight (Under The Cowl Book #1)

CHAPTER 8

"DA Lee, you came!" Garret Furroni shouted with a slight pip in his step as he entered the conference room on the 40th floor of GothCorp.

"Mr. Furroni." the DA greeted reluctantly, his tone soft yet hard; proof he didn't want to be here. 

Henry Lee could barely find himself able to look at Furroni. In the company of a known criminal was not good for optics, even among the guards they have around them. He felt ashamed.

"You know, I had good money on the fact you wouldn't show up. Looks like I'll be making that back today." Garret grinned. "You made a wise choice."

Henry tightened his fist to quell his boiling discontent. His eyes like daggers, sharp and aimed to kill.

"And how is my favorite lawyer doing?"

"I'm doing well, Mr. Furoni, thank you. Mr. Lee and I were talking about the next steps towards creating a better Gotham City like you and I discussed a few days ago."

"You mean your daddy." Garret teased. "Good." he then pulled the chair out from under the table to sit down, his eye drawn to the suitcase cuffed around Henry Lee's wrist. "I take it that's your and your father's investment for the betterment of Gotham inside that suitcase?"

"How about we get this over with. Because unlike you, Mr. Furroni, I have a respectable job and I'd rather not be here any longer than I have to be."

"Look, I understand you don't want to be here, Henry, but what other choice do you have? The city is falling into debt fast and there have been no solutions to that problem. The founding families of Gotham trust me. People are losing their jobs and families are leaving their homes because they can no longer afford to pay their bills on time. I'm offering people jobs, a chance for them to live a better life than the one they're living now. Your contribution helps."

"So a better life means profiting off the backs of those you force into the sex trade?" Henry finally spoke. "Taking advantage of the weak willed who will do anything for their next fix. I heard about the shares in S.T.A.R. Labs you privately acquired. Do you think I don't know what you plan on doing there?"

Garret teased a smirk. "I know what you're thinking. And yes, I plan on doing exactly what you're thinking with the S.T.A.R. Labs branch in Gotham. Why, because that's business. I'm the only man in Gotham who sees the potential in this city. Are my methods gross? Yes. Is my money as green as yours? Yes. Tell me, Henry, do you love where you live. Does it make you happy to provide a roof over the heads of your wife and daughters? Don't answer, because I know what you're going to say. I know you love your job. You've put away dozens and dozens of criminals while working at the DA's office, some of them were my men. I hold no grudge. How good does it feel to get that recognition from your superiors every time you did your job? Praise is a wonderful feeling. But so is the comfortable life you've been living. And I'd say your family would agree."

"If this is your way of saying we're anything alike-"

"We are alike. The problem is you don't want to see it. But you will. I love this city. You care about this city too. Otherwise you would've quit your job a long time ago. I want to help you realize our goals are the same Mr. District Attorney. We carry out different methods, but still reach the same end result. You can't do this alone. That's why you are here, and why you haven't left."

~

Stephanie continued to study the GothCorp blueprints but turned to look at her phone during every momentary break she had.

She didn't want to miss a single moment of her live drone feed of District Attorney Henry Lee's late night meeting in the conference room of GothCorp's 40th floor with Garret Furroni.

Nice if she could hear whatever they are talking about. Another one of Batman's tools Stephanie knew would be handy at this moment. Not like it really mattered anyway. Whatever's being said could easily be translated through the District Attorney's heavy head and look of disgust, shame, or anger pointed Furroni's way.

Not like the DA was there against his will. His family was in no danger, his fiances are not in the red, nor was there any dirt on him that would kill his political career.

He's in that room talking to a known criminal, behind closed doors and under the secrecy of the night, because he wanted to be there.

She watched Henry Lee remove the cuffed suitcase from around his wrist. And Garret Furroni sitting across from him couldn't get to the suitcase fast enough in order to see what's inside.

Stephanie's zoomed in on the suitcase on her tablet. 

Out of nowhere the feed suddenly cut to black.

Her phone too.

Stephanie turned to look over at the GothCorp building and found all the lights off. 

One by one she found the streetlights posted on the sidewalk turn off too.

This was not blackout. 

With GothCorp the only building without power Stephanie knew exactly what was happening.

The masked shooter, he's inside. 

And he's likely after the DA.

It was now or never Stephanie rushed, checking her break-away staff and grappling gun both anchored on her utility belt.

With little time to pack up her things or go over the blueprints in her mind one last time, Stephanie tossed aside what she couldn't take with her and raced to the center of the roof across from GothCorp. 

This was going to be a bigger jump than the last time.

Deep breaths...

Mask on...