Bat Boys in Quarantine

Part 11 - Two Weeks With Timbers

              The steps to the manor loomed ahead of me as I peered through the car window. My stomach twists and writhes like a cat in a bag as I step out of the car. I grab my luggage from the passengers side floor before turning to give my surroundings a look. There's no need to squint through the darkness when I look at the entrance to the manor, it's well lit from ground-level spot lights that are hidden behind giant pillars. The gravel makes little plunking sounds as rain drops begin to hit it. This place is familiar but it feels like I've only seen it in my dreams. Or nightmares.

I head up the stairs and don't even get a moment to prepare myself because I hear one of the huge doors creek open. I unconsciously take a step back and grip my luggage tighter. Anything's a weapon if you try hard enough. A dark haired, pimple faced, glasses wearing nerd steps out and grins at me.

"Hey Timbo, how's it hang...." He wraps his arms around me and tense a bit before I roll my eyes and chuckle.

"You gonna let me go from your death grip?" I ask after a minute, giving him a tap on the shoulder. He lets me go and takes a step back, a grin lighting up his sleep deprived face.

"Did you get the car ok? I was worried you might want to bring your bike or something but I didn't think there'd be room for your luggage. Oh right your luggage! I got a room set up for you upstairs and I got a mask for you and oh yeah did the temperature thing work on the car? Iwasworriedyoumightnotseeitandthatwouldntbe-" I stop his yammering by putting my hand across his face.

"Oi Tim, you're gonna give me a headache. One thought at a time kid."

"Sorry, I've had a lot of..."

"Coffee? Yeah I can tell by your squirrel brain." I chuckle, ruffling his messy hair.

"Hey I do not have a squirrel brain! You must've just gotten old since I last saw you."

"Oh you better take that back punk!" I fake gasp and waggle my finger at him. He laughs and I grab my luggage again.

"So you gonna let me in or should I just sleep on the porch?"

"Oh shit sorry Jay. Yeah there's a room for you upstairs. Just uh.. can you put this on first?" He holds out a medical mask and I frown at him.

"Dude I'm not sick I didn't even take a plane back here, we used Kori's jet."

"Yeah I know it's just... well I've been reading a lot on this virus and even though there's no solid proof that it's airborne, there's still a chance it could be. I mean we barely even know anything about it." I look at him sceptically.

"Is that why the old man's not here? Is he hiding from me or something cuz he thinks I've got the black plague?"

"Jay, no. I was gonna wait until we got upstairs to tell you this but the government made it mandatory for everyone coming back to the states to quarantine for two weeks." I take a step back, suddenly feeling trapped.

"Hey, breathe Jay, you don't look so good."

"Fuck off I look great." The problem is I don't feel that great. This feels like a set up. A trap. An ambush. There's no reason for Bruce to set me up like this is there? He knew I was coming back from across the border, he knew I had nowhere to stay, and he knew I had to stay in one place for two weeks. Maybe it wasn't a bad idea to leave my guns with those dimwits.

"Jay, are you still in there?" I focus back on Tim's voice, and the hand he waves in front of my face.

If Bruce really wanted me out of the way he wouldn't have invited me here. He's got too much of a moral compass for that. He would've cut ties completely and not even bothered calling in the first place. I don't know what to call this but I know this isn't a set up.

"Two weeks?" I ask, trying my best to push down the wave of dread that washes over me. It's not like I have any better options. Or any options for that matter.

"Two weeks." He answers. I take a deep breath and put on the mask.