The Lone Knight (Under The Cowl Book #1)

CHAPTER 47

     Waiting out in the hallway Haywood watched Jack leave the interrogation room with a smile on his face, the kind of smile sparked by love at first sight. "Is someone smitten?"

Jack lifted his head to find Haywood standing in the hallway. He then quickly closed the door behind him. "You didn't have to wait for me."

"I wouldn't necessarily say I was waiting for you, I was curious."

"Curious, about what?"

"How long do you think it would take for Stephanie Brown to pull you into her web of charming deception?"

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"I don't? She's a skilled fighter, expert escape artist, and quite savvy with computers. Do you think she can't charm the pants off a prudent man with her looks?"

"Clearly you're immune."

"I'm serious."

"There's not much she can do while cuffed to a table. And have you forgotten that she's locked inside an impenetrable room."

"Oh how cute." Haywood mocked. "Is that what you believe?"

"Apparently you think otherwise, Collector Haywood."

"You think I was going to give that criminal my real name after you were foolish to do so?"

"What does it matter?"

Haywood's eyes narrowed before he gave Jack a sideways grimace. It sure would feel gratifying to slap Jack across the back of the head for his insubordinate backtalk. Only if Jack knew he was his superior in the way it counted. But Jack had a point. It wouldn't matter at all to Jack whether Stephanie knew his name or not.

Quickly something caught Jack's eye as Haywood watched the young Collector step aside and move forward. Jack fixed his posture and straightened out his uniform coat in the front and back. He was readying himself to greet his superior who just came from around the corner.

"Collector Stein."

Haywood quickly followed suit.

Professor Martin Stein, one half of the nuclear superpower Firestorm. "Collector Wheeler, Collector-"

"-Haywood." Jack answered.

"Excuse me?"

"That's who he's choosing to go by now, it's what he told Miss Brown when we were interrogating her."

"Really, that's interesting." Stein said, but in a way that did not ask why but because Stein knew the very reason for the ruse.

"I think he did it because he's afraid of her."

Stein chuckled. "Well, it is common practice for Collectors to give an alias to prisoners in order to protect the timeline in case they happen to be close."

"That's when we are out in the field."

"Not always Collector Wheeler. And if you had read Stephanie Brown's file properly, carefully, not missing a single word, then we wouldn't be having this conversation. I take it Stephanie Brown's transport is all set for tomorrow morning?"

"It is sir." Haywood answered.

"Uh sir," Jack interrupted, "I was wondering if I could join the transport team?"

"I don't think that will be possible. The transport team is very particular about who goes with them while transporting a prisoner."

"He just wants more time to talk to the pretty girl." Haywood outed.

"Not true!" Jack shrieked, practically giving away what Haywood hit on the nose. "She's from the prime earth, and we never get one of those here. So I thought it would be interesting to know if she's aware of a Jack Wheeler on her earth."

"Sure, sure." Haywood not at all buying the story Jack is trying to sell Stein. "You can always go into the archives."

"Not everyone can read from the archives."

"Collector Wheeler, can I have a word with Collector... Haywood."

"Yes, sir."

Alone, Stein gave Haywood a look that allowed Haywood to lower his guard in front of his fellow Collector, something he would not normally do in front of anyone else. "You didn't want her to know who you are, so you give her your mother's last name."

"Or him."

"No Collector but those in the top brass knows who you really are."

"Well there's a chance she may know me on her earth, couldn't risk it."

"You don't know that? You two come from two different earths. It's possible she may or may not have heard your name in passing. But what are the chances your earth and her earth mirror each other exactly? Zero."

"I looked in the archives for her name. And there is a gap as wide as this hallway."

"No." Stein didn't believe.

"Yeah, and the crazy part is that she ages maybe less than a year. What's up with that? The only way that's possible is with our technology. And last I checked she's not a Collector."

"I think you might be too close."

"You make it sound like I'm crazy."

"Your words, not mine."

Haywood turned to look at the closed door where Stephanie sat alone on the other side. "It's been a long time since I've seen her. And to see her like this, wearing the batgirl suit, sort of hard to believe she actually turned out like this with Batman in her life."

"Bruce Wayne."

"What?"

"That's how Stephanie Brown turned out with Bruce Wayne in her life, not the Batman who works with the Collectors of the Fifty-Two, not with the Batman who stands in front of me..., Jason Todd."

Jason lowered his eyes with a heavy headed thought of what Stein meant. "... It doesn't hurt to think what if when given the chance."

"No, as long as that 'what if' doesn't force you to do something stupid." Stein looked over his shoulder and whispered, "Like going to Renee Montoya and giving her a heads up of our intent to apprehend Stephanie. I know it was you."

Jason's eye widened with surprise.

"You might want to work on your sneaking around. That girl is not the Stephanie Brown you knew from your earth. She may look like the same girl, sound like the same girl. But she is not. It was stupid, reckless, and cause for immediate dismissal. Do you understand that? Now are we finished with this conversation, never to speak of again?"

"Yeah, we are." Jason answered solemnly.