BAE Chapter 67

Barbara chooses to go with the tracker. The best way to sell it is to grab Lotte as though to punch her again, then feign having to run abruptly with Kate to respond to something else. It’s a simple maneuver and difficult to mess up.

Barbara and Kate grapple away, leaving Lotte in a pitiful state on the wet rooftop.

As they descend to the Batmobile, Barbara sees the way that Kate is angling to get into the driver’s seat. Barbara swings into her with her hip, body checking her out of the way, and drops behind the wheel. Kate awkwardly corrects her swing and lands on the hood, vaulting into the passenger seat.

“Bossy,” she accuses.

Barbara hits the button and the canopy hisses shut. “We won’t get much,” she predicts, strapping in.

“She has to go somewhere. If she doesn’t take us to her source, she’ll take us home,” Kate replies.

That’s true, but it’s not very efficient. Barbara drives away so that Lotte will believe that they’re gone. As Barbara drives, making the car as visible as possible, Kate watches the screen that follows the tracker that she hid in Lotte’s clothes. They won’t be able to track Lotte’s movements indefinitely; it’s only until she changes or does laundry.

Lotte moves slowly.

“She’s got to be on foot,” Kate says.

“The rain’s stopped,” Barbara notes.

“Just kidding. She’s taking the train.”

“Where?”

“Where else? The Narrows.”

Barbara nods. Lotte is a wanted criminal, and she was selling **** tonight, but it’s likely that she doesn’t have much in the way of resources. The Narrows is a cheap place to lie low. It’s also dangerous.

“She’s probably not alone,” she says to Kate, who nods.

The signal stops and Barbara moves in, crossing the Westhouse bridge drive among the tall, cluttered, tumbledown tenements. The streets are cramped, but bustling even late at night. People scatter and shrink back at the sight of the car.

Barbara pops the canopy and switches on the autopilot, telling the car to head back to the city. She and Kate grapple out, landing on the roof of a warehouse several blocks from Lotte’s location. Silently, they run across and leap to the next roof, and then the next.

Lotte’s building is a shabby, gothic, six-story motel. She’s on the fourth level, according to the tracker.

Barbara uses a remote to kill a nearby streetlight and Kate swings across to peer in through the window and place a microphone. Barbara sets up a camera to cover Lotte’s main window. Kate reappears beside her.

“Clothes on the floor, shower running,” she reports.

“Understandable. Alfred, do you read?”

“Yes, Ms. Gordon.”

“We’ve got surveillance on Lotte de Jong. Can you have the computer keep an eye on it?”

“Naturally. Do we have her phone?”

“No. Somebody lost it,” Barbara says, glancing at Kate.

“Sorry. Been a while since I’ve done the old, uh… kidnap a person thing,” Kate replies. “Sorry, Alfred. That was sloppy.”

“Not to worry. We’ll manage,” Alfred replies. “I have your signal.”

Kate’s bug on the window will pick up most of what is said in that motel room. If they’re lucky, someone will come and see Lotte there. If they aren’t lucky, it’ll be an old-fashioned stakeout and follow.

Barbara and Kate kneel on the rooftop, watching Lotte’s window.

“Barbara Gordon has work tomorrow,” Barbara says finally.

“And Kate Kane has no life at all,” Kate says with a sigh. “I got it.”

“Do you have a life right now? Are you still seeing that cop?”

“Would I be riding your girl pole every night if I was seeing anyone?” Kate replies.

Alred, still on comms, clears his throat.

“Sorry, Alfred,” Kate and Barbara say in unison.

“You may wish to know,” he says, a bit stiffly, “…that it would appear that Miss de Jong is retiring. There’s no indication that she’s contacted anyone.”

“Nobody else in there?” Barbara asks.

“Not that I see on thermal.”

Barbara and Kate exchange a look.

“Should we call it a night? I come back about dawn?” Kate asks.

BAE

There’s no reason to sit and watch Lotte sleep.

The car comes to a halt on the big, circular platform in the cave. The canopy opens and Barbara savors the quiet. Bats flap in the distant dark and water drips, but it’s cool and peaceful. It’s been a very long day. She and Kate clamber out of the Batmobile, pulling off masks and gloves. They shed bits of their costumes on the way to the shower, where they have to stop and struggle out of the main parts.

“I smell like the Narrows,” Kate moans. “We have a billion dollars to give Ivy her own floor, but half the people in that district don’t have clean water.”

“They still haven’t cleaned up that lead thing? It’s been a year,” Barbara replies.

“Don’t act surprised.”

“Maybe if we get Mayor Saxena, we can do better.”

“Is that the one where she’s sleeping with the girl that kills mob bosses?”

“Probably kills mob bosses,” Barbara corrects. “That’s the one.”

“I’m sure that’ll be better than Mayor Hill and his coke-dusted hookers.”

Barbara snorts and follows Kate into the shower, where the large, black room fills with steam and the omnidirectional showerheads come to life.

“That’s better.” Barbara has been dying to get clean ever since the hospital.

Kate comes over and slaps her bottom. “Are you still mad?”

“Can you be more specific?”

“About that giant super sausage.”

“OK, can we not minimize what that poor girl is going through?” Barbara asks. “I can’t even imagine.”

“But think of the porn career she could have.”

“Oh my god.”

“You are grumpy.” Kate appears in Barbara’s face. “I know what to do about that.”

“Can it wait until later? I want to wash my hair. I want to eat something,” Barbara says.

“I think you want to feed me something,” Kate says, dropping to her knees.

Barbara could tell her to stop, but she doesn’t. Her brain isn’t in the mood, but Kate’s hot mouth gets through to her cock easily enough. Barbara bites her lips as she feels herself getting hard and things waking up down there.

“Whoa!”

The sudden shriek startles her as she’s about to place her hand on the top of Kate’s head.

Barbara and Kate look over in surprise to see Stephanie. The blonde stands naked in the doorway. They all mirror each other with wide eyes. Stephanie is shocked by what she’s walked in on, Kate appears delighted, and Barbara’s just coping with the unexpected view.

She comes to her senses. “What are you doing here?”

“Yeah, you didn’t do fieldwork,” Kate adds.

“I felt left out! Oh my god!” Stephanie is getting redder by the second. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you two were a thing! I didn’t know! Whoa,” she says again, her eyes on the erection in Kate’s hand.

“We’re not a thing,” Barbara says quickly. “This is a…”

She and Kate exchange a look.

“This is a sports massage,” Barbara says.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Stephanie waves her hands and backs out of the shower.

Barbara and Stephanie stare at the empty doorway, hearts pounding, unable to process what’s just happened.

Another shriek makes them jump.

“Oh my god! Alfred!” It’s Stephanie’s voice. “I’m sorry. I’m naked.”

“Indeed,” Alfred replies. “One is customarily so in the changing area or in the shower, Ms. Brown.”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

Kate looks up at Barbara.

“Sports massage? Seriously?”