Descent

Chapter 42

Harleen glanced in Pam's direction. "What the hell does that mean?"

She grabbed her hand and tugged her out into the hall. "It means we got to go."

The hall was illuminate by the emergency lights, they cast an eerie blue shadow over everything they came into contact with.

Stumbling behind Pam, Harleen run right into Ozzie and Eddie. All three of them made a circle around her. Blocking her from the view of any passing guards or other inmates. They had been given strict orders from the Joker to keep her safe at all costs.

"Ok, let's get the doc to safety." Eddie started off down the hall.

"You all need to get back in your cells. I can't keep you out if trouble if you try to escape." Harleen tried to reason with them.

Pam patted her shoulder. "Sorry. No can do, doc. We like you, but freedom has its advantages."

Harleen felt a knot form in her stomach. Something bad was coming, she just knew it. There was no way this side of hell that this was going to end well.

For a moment she feared that they were taking her hostage. That the inmates she had come to think of as friends were going to use her as a human shield or a bargaining ship.

"But, Batsy will only catch you again."

All three of her chaperones laughed, but it was Ozzie how spoke. "You make that sound like a bad thing, dear."

Eddie chimed in, "What's the fun in life if the Bat isn't chasing us?"

"Nothing gets my blood pumping faster than a run in with that over grown man child." Pam sighed.

Harleen's eyes widened in disbelief. Where they all nuts? Scratch that, they were in an asylum, nuts came with the territory.

"He'll hurt you."

That was it her last ditch effort to make them see reason. Harleen cared about them and didn't want Batsy to hurt them. She understood that they made things hard for the Bat. That the things they did when free were not very lawful, but that was no reason to use excessive force.

"Nothing we can't handle, my dear. Now, come on before the shooting..."

It was too late. Harleen could hear the sound of machine gun fire. A hail of bullets rained down from the far end of the hall. Her heart hammered in her chest at the sound. For a brief moment Harleen feared that she would have a panic attack right in the middle of this escape.

"We are going the wrong way." Harleen hissed as she tried to pull Eddie to a stop.

He patted her arm, "Easy doc, the Joker's men aren't going to hurt us."

"You can't be sure."

Pam shot her an odd look. "Yeah, we can. He would gut them if they harmed one hair on your head."

Harleen took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "Well, what about you?"

"We're your protection." Ozzie smiled wide, causing his eyes to sparkle with mischief, in that moment he reminded her of a little kid.

"Well then let's get out of here."

Eddie moved off down the hallway, "That is the best thing you've said all day, doc."

Her three bodyguards laughed as the navigated the halls. Bypassing any corroded that had guards down it. They snaked further into the heart of Arkham, it was the only way to avoid the firefight and get to the front doors.

Gunfire erupted behind them, as a group of guards rushed past them. Harleen could just make out Briggs in the lead.

She was so busy watching where there were headed that she didn't notice where her three patients disappeared to. Wonderful she thought to herself, she was now separated from the three people who could keep her safe.