Ghostwriter

Chapter 34

Barbara crosses her arms and scowls at the image on her computer screen. Found you.

It's a 87% facial match. The picture, stolen from the Piggly's security camera, focuses on a parking lot, but at the edge of the lot a run-down apartment building stands. 

Zoom in on one of the dark windows, and Hilton Grey's face comes into view. He looks like he's carrying a bundle in his hands as he stares out the window, but there's no way of telling. The image is too grainy. 

Nonetheless, Barbara's got a hunch.

She records the address, closes her screen, and plots her next course of action. She could call anyone in the Batfamily, but that's not applicable. 

The Birds of Prey are scattered. Cass is in Hong Kong. Stephanie is training in the Himalayas. Jason's supposed to be on bedrest, plus she would rather him not kill anymore criminals. 

The others....Barbara kept face for Bruce and the others, but nothing else.

Jason was right, in some ways: they all abandoned him. Sure, the other stuff definitely took priority, but there were four of them. One  of them could have stayed behind to help. Situations like this were a major reason why they grouped together!

It made Barbara want to scream. When she was Batgirl, this kind of thing didn't happen.

How could she trust them to get the job done if something else came up? 

In short, she's out of reasonable options, which leaves her with one, final crazy route that makes her squirm to even think about: Manon.

It's true that she's tip-toed the line between good and bad for a while now. Manon helped Jason interrogate Black Mask . She even took down a couple human trafficking rings here and there (though whether she was paid or not to do it remains undetermined). Considering her rearing and situation, that's not terrible.

Maybe Antigone gave Barbara hope for Manon. Ever since Antigone came along, things have turned up. 

It's not to say that she's tamed Jason, not by any means, or that he's all the sudden stopped murdering people... but there's been a slight change. Sometimes he thinks twice about killing the minor goons. 

He's also more open to family outings now: Jason hadn't been to a Wayne party in years. Well, Alfred forced him to do that, but still. He could have not come and just dropped off the grid like usual.

Maybe if Antigone influences Jason to be better, then Dick influenced Manon the same way. Enough that she would help save a kidnapped baby, at least. 

Manon seems to have a code of honor, anyhow, which Barbara could play off of, too. If not, Barbara has a substantial load of blackmail at ready. She could probably convince Manon not to kick other's buckets around, too.

Barbara sighs and types a number into her cell phone, which wires into her computer. Because yes, she knows exactly where Manon is and what her current hotel room number's phone is. 

In Barbara's correct opinion, Manon could become a major threat one day if left unchecked and therefore needed to be monitored at all times.

"If zis is ze room service, I told zou I did not want za sheets cleaned twiz already!"

"This is the Oracle, actually. I'm calling to clean up a different sort of mess." Barbara loves how the computer makes her voice low and scary.

"I don't want Nightwing, zou can have him! Leave me be!"

Barbara drums her fingernails on her desk and her lips curve into an annoyed scowl. She forces a tangent down and refocuses.

This is business, Barbara, not a sitcom. Get yourself together. "This isn't about Nightwing. This is about a job."

"Oh?" The tone is so sweet that it's bitter.

Barbara's fingers stop drumming. "Not your kind of job. You owe Red Hood two favors, correct?"

There's a tense pause and Barbara prays that Manon doesn't hang up.

Finally, finally, "What does ze need?"

It's cautious, but demanding, each syllable hesitating before sharpening its knife.

So, Manon Roux has a code of honor confirmed. Barbara stockpiles that for later.

"Someone close to him needs a rescue. Someone important."

"Who?"

"That's private, but you'll know him when you see him. He's a baby. Call him Hottie Tottie for now."

"What idiot kidnapped Red Hood's child? Do zey want to die?"

Well, she connected those dots fast. Barbara wonders if denying it will only make it more apparent, so she leaves it be, neither confirming the tidbit nor turning down.

"Black Mask. But it's imperative that he doesn't die, or anyone else on this mission. Killing people around kids can have lasting negative neurological effects. We don't want that for Hottie Tottie."

(Well, that, and it's plain wrong, but Barbara knows by now that morals alone will do her no good in persuading Manon to not murder)

"Fine. For ze child's health only."

Barbara lets out a breath of air. Thank you, God.

"You're in Burnside right now. The safehouse where they're keeping him is in New Gotham, Shade Apartments, Floor 5, Room 59. We don't have much intel, so you'll have to seek it out yourself. We do know that Black Mask will likely be there with a man named Hilton Grey, who is Hottie Tottie's caretaker. Try not to hurt them too much for Hottie Tottie's sake."

"I will try."

Barbara doubts that, but she'll take what she can at this point.

"When you recover the child, call 866-740-4531. It's my burner phone, I can set up a drop off point with a fri--"

"No. I will give zou ze child in person. I do not trust lackeys."

Barbara's anger flared again—could Manon not just take an order?!—but she pushes it down. It was reasonable, she guessed, given her situation. Still, she would probably have Jason come as backup, just in case. "Still call the number. We'll meet immediately afterwards."

"Any deadline?"

That better not be a pun. "By Friday." 

That gives Manon three days to collect intel and move in.

"I will have ze child by tomorrow."

With that, Manon hangs up.