Resurrection

chapter 2

"Claudia, nice seeing you again." Deputy Ramirez smiled as she filed through a stack of papers on her desk.

"Nice to see you Anna." Claudia smiled back, "Do you know where I can find Gordon, I gotta talk business."

Ramirez pointed down the hall, "Where he always is."

Claudia shot her a smile and a nod before making her way to his office. Approaching the door as she slowly opened the door while tapping on it.

As she peered in, Harvey Dent and Gordon both glanced at her. "Oh, sorry I didn't know this was a meeting." Claudia felt her cheeks heat up.

"No not at all I was just debriefing with our future district attorney Mr. Dent." Gordon stood from his chair.

"Ah, Claudia Bishop. Long time no see. I'm hoping that you would join me for one of my hearings this week. I've heard you've taken a liking to the court room aesthetic." Harvey chuckled before buttoning his suit.

Claudia nodded, "Yes, indeed I have."

"Mrs. Bishop knows more about the law than I think our own mayor does." Gordon laughed as he embraced her.

"Well I ought to get going I have a court hearing in fifteen minutes and if I'm not there Rachel with kick my ass." Harvey muttered gathering his stuff.

"Make sure to say hi for me. I haven't seen Rachel in forever." Claudia smiled again.

Harvey nodded as he headed towards the door, "I'm sure she wouldn't be against a little catching up."

As Dent left, Gordon turned to Claudia, embracing her again. "Finally back from your hiatus, I see."

Claudia nodded, "Eh, I got bored."

Jim chuckled as he sat in his chair, Claudia sitting across from him. She looked around the office, books scattered everywhere, empty desks in the corner and papers littered the floor.

"So, how is everything going?" Gordon asked slipping off his glasses and wiping them on his shirt.

"Um, it's going. I don't know where but, um, it's going." Claudia muttered crossing her legs.

"Well, all I can say is that we're happy you're back." Gordon nodded, slipping his glasses back on.

"I don't know if that's the case for everyone in this precinct but feels good to be here."

Gordon leaned back in his chair, tilting back and fourth. "You still don't trust my men do you?"

Claudia stood from the chair, walking to the massive window behind them and peering out at the street below. Cars and people sliding between one another like ants.

"Not after what happened when you first found me, no. I trust people who believed me. Anna. Rachel. Harvey. You. Bruce." Claudia spoke, her voice raspy from the cold.

"Everyone wanted me dead or in jail."

Gordon sighed, "That isn't true, Dia."

"I think Deputy Commissioner Foley would disagree." Claudia responded sitting across from Gordon.

Gordon frowned as he shuffled through the papers on his desk nervously.

"I can sleep peacefully at night knowing that I must be doing something right if middle aged men want me dead."

Gordon sighed again as he stood from his chair, walking over to a nearby bookshelf. "Barbara still asks about you. So does JJ."

Claudia tilted her head up as Jim handed her a picture frame. "How old is junior now?" Claudia asked as she glanced at their faces.

"Almost twelve." Jim smiled, his mustache partially covering his grin.

Claudia's eyebrows raised as she chuckled to herself, "Wow, its been that long has it. Is he still obsessed with homicide as much as you are Jim?"

Gordon let out a hefty laugh as he sat back down behind his desk. "He still begs me to let him ride along with me."

"Aw, common Jim. You gotta let the kid have a glimpse at the crime that goes on here in Gotham. It's only getting worse people are saying."

Gordon pinched his lips together and nodded slowly. "Barb keeps telling me about Staten Island PD and how the school systems are down there."

"That's the one thing her and I connected with. Our hatred for Gotham." Claudia laced her fingers together and rocked back and fourth in her chair.

"I was always baffled by the fact that you make it your life mission to help the people of Gotham b-but at the same time you despise it just as much." Gordon peered through his glasses, making his eyes grow.

Claudia chuckled and sighed, "I've never hated the people here. No. I've hated the scum that plagues Gotham at night. The cowards who wait till no one is looking. They're the reason why I'm not in Arkham anymore."

As Gordon opened his mouth to speak, the door flew open. "Sir, there's been a robbery on first and second." Ramirez alerted him.

Gordon stood from his chair, "Get all available troops down there as soon as possible. Notify the bomb squad we don't know what we're dealing with."

Anna nodded before turning back down the hallway. Gordon slipped on his bullet proof vest and threw Claudia an extra as the two headed towards the door.

"That bank is in the middle of town and it's four o'clock in the afternoon." Claudia stated as she followed behind Gordon closely.

"Nothing will stop a crook from getting what he wants."

———

"What do we have so far." Gordon asked as the two of them entered the bank, a deputy following closely behind.

"Suspects stole up to 200k in cash. Victims say they were wearing clown masks and suits." The deputy spoke.

"What did they have? Guns, knives, bombs, machetes?" Claudia asked, maneuvering her way around the debris scattered along the floor.

"Hostages we holding grenades when first responders arrived, bomb squad is taking care of it."

As they proceeded through the bank, dollar bills flapped along the granite floor. Claudia pinched a bill between her fingers and turned to Gordon, "We need to trace the money as soon as possible."

"We already tried, nothing has come up yet. We have no location." The deputy replied.

"Goddammit." Claudia scoffed.

The two made their way to the back of the bank, entering the massive vault. "They raided this thing in under..."

"Twelve minutes. Police weren't notified until one of the victims hiding in the bathroom called 911." Gordon muttered. His blood was boiling and his face growing red.

Walking out of the vault Claudia looked at the door. A hole about an inch wide drilled into it.

"How many people here know the combination to the vault?" Claudia asked as she turned to Gordon.

"The bank owner but he was shot in the chest and taken to GGH." Gordon stated, looking at the door. "Why?"

"I'm wondering why they didn't have the owner come and do the combination for them instead of drilling a hole through the door."

Gordon furrowed his eyebrows as he scanned the door. "These doors are usually voltage hazards when trying to be broken into. How did it not stop them?"

"They cut the power." Claudia stated.

"Call Dent, see if we can get a warrant for this fuckin money." Gordon ordered.

The men nodded before scurrying away. "We gotta catch these guys Gordon. We can't just let people think we let them do this." Claudia begged.

Gordon nodded and took a breath, "They won't get away if you're on the case."