FIC: The Harvest, Chapter Six [Birds of Prey-tv]
Title: The Harvest; Chapter Six
Fandom: Birds of Prey(TV)
Pairing: Barbara/Helena
Genre: Action, Drama, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 4734
Summary: A tragedy sends the three birds back to Dinah's hometown. Only things aren't what they seem. A dark secret that threatens not only the lives of Dinah's adopted family, but also the Birds of Prey.
Chapter Six
They needed new shocks. It was all Helena could think about. Big, fat, 2 inch titanium shock absorbers. The kind that would make the vehicle ride smoother than silk and softer than a feather. Sure, the van was brand spanking new. Still had that new car smell Helena adored. But, the shocks sucked. She felt every bump, every rock, crack and insect the vehicle rolled over.
The three broken ribs probably didn’t help. Her body still felt tender, and sore, and a whole host of other things all filed under the larger category of ‘pain’. The swelling on her face had already receded, but an angry patch of purple and red skin remained under her eye. Helena couldn’t remember the last time she’d gotten a black eye, if ever.
Another bump in the road and Helena winced. She reached into her coat pocket, pulling out a container of aspirin. Popped the lid open not bothering to count the pills as they fell into her mouth, dry swallowing them. Another bump and Helena secretly wished she were back at the hotel, a receiver of Barbara’s not quite legal pain remedies.
She had no idea when Barbara purchased the van. Maybe sometime between her ass kicking and regaining consciousness. A specialty vehicle built especially for them. Similar to a tv news van. Except, instead of electronic broadcast equipment, the walls were lined with various computers and monitors. All hooked up by remote modem to the Delphi. A tiny dish on the roof kept them connected to the larger computer system.
Barbara sat in a chair. The bottom, instead of wheels, fitted into a slotted groove imbedded into the floor. It allowed her to freely move from station to station.
“Damn.” Barbara muttered under her breath.
“What is it?”
“You remember that hunch I had? I was hoping I was wrong.”
“What hunch?” Dinah glanced from Barbara to Helena. The brunette shrugged her shoulders.
“It was just an idea.” Barbara explained. “I cross referenced the names on the missing persons list with the meta human database. So far, 27 of the missing are meta..”
“Jesus.” Helena grit her teeth.
“What does it mean?”
“I’m still in hunch territory but I’d say he’s protecting his territory. He may have an ability to sense meta humans.”
“But why take Charlie? Or the others?”
“I don’t know.” Barbara admitted. Right now, all she had were theories and hunches. Things Dinah didn’t need or want. While verbalizing her thoughts sometimes helped her sort them out, stating them aloud wouldn’t alleviate Dinah’s fears.
Helena slowed the van. A shift in her demeanor signaling they’d reached their destination. Cars and trucks littered both sides of the road. Word had traveled fast. She parked the van on the opposite side of the crowd. Right before the edge dipped into a large slope. “We’re here.”
“Wait,” Barbara slid towards the front of the cab. “Do both of you have your comm sets?” The two women nodded.
“Are they on?” She cocked a disapproving eyebrow towards Helena. “Until this is over they stay on. And no one goes anywhere alone. Got it.”
“Yes.” Dinah nodded.
“Yeah, I got it.”
“Okay then, let’s get to work.”
Dinah grabbed her knapsack. The bag filled with an assortment of tools and weapons, just in case. Helena watched as Dinah slid out of the van. She positioned herself between the two front seats. Dinah turned to the woman. A puzzled expression on her face.
“You are coming, right?”
“Could you leave us alone for a second?”
“You mean right after Barbara told us not to go anywhere alone?" Dinah stared suspiciously at the brunette. “Why?”
“I want to apologize to Barbara.”
Dinah leaned forward, looking for Barbara’s reaction. She sighed, her view blocked by Helena. “Okay.”
Helena waited until the door closed completely, sure Dinah was out of
earshot. She stepped into the rear cab, closing the door behind her.
“Apologize?” Barbara raised an eyebrow.
Helena shrugged. “I didn’t want her to hear what I have to say.” Helena paused, shifted uncomfortably. “There’s something I didn’t tell you.. about the attack.”
Barbara answered with silence.
“When I was attacked last night, he wasn’t trying to kill me. He was,” Helena paused again. Not sure how to find the right words. “He was.. he was trying to make me his bitch.”
Barbara’s hand reacted on its own, reaching out to touch Helena’s face. “Helena.”
“When you mentioned meta humans.. It just doesn’t make any sense.”
“No, it makes perfect sense, in a twisted Darwin kinda way. What are the rules of survival. The basic primal instincts we all carry within us?”
“Food, clothing, shelter.” The lights clicked on. “Reproduction.”
“Exactly, survival of the species. He destroys what he perceives as a threat, while searching for females he considers strong enough to continue his genetic line.” She paused, thoughts rolling through her brain. “I just can’t figure out why he’s killing humans.”
Helena shuddered. “This is just getting way too bizarre.”
“Helena.” Barbara sighed, placed a hand on Helena’s forearm. “Maybe this time you should consider a weapon.” Helena stiffened at the suggestion.
“Just consider it.”
“Okay, I’ll consider it.”
“Good,” She managed a smile despite Helena’s obvious lie. “Now kiss me.”
Helena needed no more prompting. She placed both hands on the armrests, planted a kiss. Longer than she should have, shorter than she wanted to. Barbara stroked her face, slid her fingers across the soft lips. “Tell me you love me.”
“I love you.”
“And the next time you’re feeling impulsive and self-destructive, you’ll pause for just a moment and think about how much I love you.”
“How much do you love me?”
Barbara leaned in, kissed Helena deeply. Poured every emotion and thought she could into the contact. “That much.”
The kiss broke. The two pulled away from each other no matter how much their bodies screamed for more. Helena moved towards cab, sliding open the door. She paused, turned back to Barbara. “You’re too good for me. You know that don’t you?”
“Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you.”
**
Dinah paced outside the van. Wondered what was taking the two so long. She hated feeling out of the loop. Alienated. Tired of the kid gloves used by both women on her. Suspicion and paranoia filled her brain. Couldn’t shake the feeling that Helena and Barbara were talking about Charlie, about the case. Considered her too young, too inexperienced. Worse, she couldn’t help feeling they also thought of her as too weak. She wasn’t strong, like Helena. Or smart, like Barbara. All she could do was invade minds and move ashtrays at will. Which would be great if she’d run away to join the circus rather than New Gotham with aspirations of becoming a super hero.
She could also feel eyes on her. The crowd seemed to hush the moment she stepped out of the van. Like they were expecting something. Anything. Some of them, Dinah hadn’t seen since she’d ran away. They nodded their hello’s to her. But, they all stared. Stared at her. The freak.
The crowd parted. Whispers and murmurs rose above the hush. Alex Redmond waded his way through the crowd. A grim scowl revealed under the brim of his cowboy hat. Dinah marched towards him. The anger came quickly. A hidden reserve exploded within her.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“This.” She pulled a folded piece of paper from her back pocket. Dinah didn’t know why she was angry at the man. It seemed undirected, without purpose. It just made her feel better to be angry. To have a some place to direct it. Right now, her foster father would do.
Alex took the paper from his daughter. The last drop of blood drained from his face. Jaw clenched. Alex folded the paper, handed it back to Dinah. “What difference does that make? It’s history.”
“The difference? He’s family. My, OUR family! The difference is I should have known.”
“Why? What could you have done? You’re a child!”
“I’m not a CHILD!!”
The air turned thick. Car windows began to rattle. Alex could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing on edge. The air crackled with energy. Seemed to gather around Dinah, from within and without.
“Dinah!” Helena stepped in front of her, between father and daughter. “Dinah!” She grabbed Dinah’s shoulders, shaking her. Blue eyes softened, the angry glare dissipated. Focused on the worried brunette standing before her. Helena turned her head towards Alex.
“What did you do?” She hissed accusingly.
“He didn’t do anything. Except, leave out the truth.” Dinah handed the paper to Helena. It was a copy of a newspaper clipping, dated 30 years ago. A school picture of a young boy positioned under the headline.
‘Search Continues For Missing Redmond Boy.’
“Okay Barbara,” Helena spoke aloud, not caring who heard. “Remember that communication thing you’re always talking about? It’s a two way street.”
“Yeah well, consider us even.”
“Daddy,” Dinah stepped around Helena. “Tell me what’s going on?”
Alex shifted his eyes from her gaze. More murmurs erupted from the crowd. Sheriff Devlin waded his way through. Ignored the stares and obvious questions. He looked pale, sickly even. As if this was the last place on Earth he wanted to be. He made a beeline towards the Redmonds.
“Is it him? Is it Charlie?” Alex asked.
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?” Dinah’s body began to tremble, a combination of anger and panic. “How could you not know?”
Helena could hear the pained exhale of Barbara. The grim reality of the situation plain to both of the seasoned trio. She placed a hand on Dinah’s arm.
Carl pulled off his hat, ran it through worried fingers. “We’ve called for the Coroner from Burnam. He’ll be in here in two hours.” Carl stepped closer to Alex, his voice barely above a whisper. “We’re going to need.. samples..from you and your wife.”
“Samples?” Alex paled.
“They can’t identify the body.” Barbara explained into their ears. “They need DNA to do a cross reference.”
Something twisted in Helena’s stomach. The verbalization of her thoughts seemed to make it all more real. She thought the day couldn’t get any worse. It pained her to realize she was wrong.
A slight whimper escaped Dinah’s throat. Nightmare. That’s what it all felt like, a nightmare. One Dinah wanted to end, one way or the other. If she had to do the unthinkable, then she would do it. Anything to end it all.
“You need someone to identify the body. I can do that.”
“I can’t let you do that.” Carl stated.
“So you’re going to rely on a DNA test? How long is that going to take, days, weeks? What if it’s NOT Charlie?”
“Dinah’s right,” Alex interjected. “We have to know now, Sheriff. So I’ll go.”
“Not without me.” Dinah huffed.
“Dinah.”
“No! I’m going.”
“Well,” Helena piped in. “Looks like we’re all going.”
“You?” Carl stared at the woman.
“Look at my face, Sheriff.” She spat the last word. Pointed towards the purpling marks on her face accusingly. “If you think I’m leaving her alone with him, or that I trust her safety to you, you’ve got another thing coming.”
They walked in silence. Carl led the way. Alex behind him with Dinah and Helena taking the rear. Carl attempted to fill the silence. Relayed how ‘the body’ had been found. Everything his department and the State Troopers had done. In the end, the silence seemed to overcome him. Words didn’t seem enough to lift the feeling of death in the air.
Leaves scrunched under their feet. Along with the occasional silence breaking twig. Helena felt uncomfortable. They weren’t walking stealthy enough. Every move seemed an annoyingly loud beacon to whatever darkness lurked in the forest.
She took some solace with Barbara in her ear. The steady breathing. Soft clacking of keyboards on fingers, a security blanket if she wanted to think of it that way.
They’d walked 10 minutes before reaching their destination. It wasn’t hard. Yellow police tape circled a small clearing. They passed several hunters talking quietly amongst themselves. Hound dogs on leashes. The animals padded nervously from foot to foot. Projected their unease. Something bad was out there. Could smell it in the air.
A trooper muscled his way past them. Face pale. He took several hurried steps before bending over, vomiting onto the ground.
“Dammit Jesse,” Carl barked. “You’re puking all over the crime scene.”
The young man, Jesse, stood on shaky legs. Embarrassed. He couldn’t have been a day older than Helena. His eyes lacked the steely reserve of someone used to the darkness of ‘the job’. A rookie, his greenness exacerbated by serving in small town Opal.
Several State Troopers, mixed in with Opal’s own, surrounded the clearing. Nervous hands on gun hips, they stood outside the police tape. Each and every one of them stood with their backs to the clearing. Some had the same sickly paleness of Carl and Jesse. They’d seen the show, now were ready to cash in their tickets and call it a day.
“Are you sure?” Carl looked towards Alex then Dinah. Giving them both one last chance to back away.
Helena stepped forward. “I’ll go first.”
“Helena,” Barbara called in her ear. “Use the goggles.”
Dinah opened the knapsack hanging from her shoulder, handed the specs to Helena. The view snapped into focus on Barbara’s monitor. It wasn’t the 3-D visual she was used to, but it would do. Helena’s hand waved back and forth.
“You getting this?”
“Yeah.”
Helena walked towards the police tape, almost casually. Carl Devlin close on her heels. A flash of blue caught her eye. The familiar form of a jacket revealed itself in the brush. It was small, a child’s. Tufts of cotton poked through vicious rips and tears.
“It’s Charlie’s.” Carl muttered. He kneeled down, lifted the collar. Charles Redmond stitched into the material.
“Where’s the body?”
“Over there.” Carl pointed.
Helena swallowed hard. She walked towards a safety orange flag sticking out of the ground. The smell hit her first. Faint, but unmistakable. Blood. She shouldn’t have been able to tell the difference between human and animal. She shouldn’t have been able to do a lot of things. Didn’t change the fact that she could. The scent lingered in her nose. Sharp, metallic.
“Jesus,” Barbara muttered in her ear. “Is that what I think it is?”
Flesh. It sat in a neatly arranged little pile, no higher than three inches. There was no other word for it, except maybe meat. Pieces and bits, almost indistinguishable from each other except the basic knowledge that the pile of flesh littering the forest floor used to be a living breathing human.
37 degrees and suddenly it felt like a sauna. Sweat popped onto Helena’s brow and it became hard to breathe. She’d seen much in her years. Seen the darkness and pain man could inflict upon man. It was nothing like this. As if in one instance the last of her innocence had been stripped away. She’d seen violence, she’d seen pain. This was carnage. A human being reduced to nothing more than bits and pieces. Her hand shot to her mouth. And then, when her eyes couldn't take anymore and her brain screamed at her to make it stop, Helena turned away.
“Barbara.” She stated weakly.
“I’m here.” Barbara offered reassuringly. The monitors allowed Barbara a semblance of detachment. It didn’t shake the reality. In reverse to Helena, she didn’t feel hot. Instead, a cold shiver ran through her body.
Dinah watched her friend. Saw the cold reality of death on her face. She felt a hand clasping around her own. Her father’s. They drew strength from each other. She didn’t want to love him, or need him. But, she did. Tragedy had a tendency to bring out the best in people, even her father. If she had to draw on his strength to get her through this, she’d sap the man dry.
“Helena?” Dinah called to her friend. Helena offered a weak smile before turning back around. She could hear them, Helena and Barbara, conversing directly to each other. Whether they’d forgotten Dinah could hear them or passed the point of sugar coating their conversations for her, she did not know.
She’d often thought the two spoke code. Particular phrases and words intentionally meant to go over her head. Dinah understood better now. At times like these, the short hand was their 'language'. One of two people so used to working together, they could literally become one.
Helena squatted onto her heels. Tried to lean in close without getting too close. Carl knelt down beside her.
“Has this been moved or touched?” She asked.
“Nope,” he shook his head. “Everything’s just like we found it. Truth is, everyone’s too damn scared to touch it.”
Helena glanced around the clearing. From the remains, to the jacket. “This was meant to be found. It’s too neat, too perfect. This guy hasn’t been caught because he’s careful. Look at where we are. There are trails everywhere. 15 minutes from the road.”
A spec of white caught Helena’s eye. She glanced back at the remains. Her eyes focused on the object, white, hard, half-way embedded in the remains. A tooth. Helena's stomach twitched hard. She quickly stood up, stifling the gag in the back of her throat. Her hand went to her ear, cut off the transmission to Dinah.
“Helena, what is it?” Barbara asked.
“I know what he’s doing with the humans,” she sucked in a large breath, shuddering reflexively. “They're food.”
Dinah could see Helena’s lips move, but the words didn’t come. She’d been cut off. Again. It felt like she was teetering back and forth between rage and insanity. Dinah threw herself towards rage. She marched towards Helena. Alex grabbed her arm, muscled his way in front of her.
“What are you doing?”
“I have to know. We have to know.”
“There’s nothing there. If they can’t tell..”
“I can.” Dinah stated firmly. “If I just touch it.”
“No!” Alex gripped her arms, his fingers digging into her flesh. “We’ll find another way. Get the DNA tests. Anything but..”
Helena charged towards the man. She didn’t know when the urge to hit Alex Redmond became a white hot need, it just did. She grabbed his shoulder, yanked him back until Dinah pulled out of his grasp and spun him around. A leaden fist connected with his jaw. The force tossed Alex onto his back. Hands balled into fists. She could feel Carl rushing behind her, his arms wrapped around her body, trapping her arms, feet temporarily off the ground.
“Don’t you EVER touch her again!” She screamed at the man.
“Helena!” Barbara yelled in her ear, practically in symphony with Dinah. The blonde rushed to her father’s side.
“Stop it!” She glared at Helena. “He wasn’t trying to hurt me!”
Carl grasped tightly to the bucking brunette in his arms. The woman jerked out of his grip with a strength that caught him off guard. “Will someone tell me what the HELL’s going on?”
“Nothing.” Dinah helped her father to his feet. “We need someone to identify the body. I’m doing it?”
“Dinah,” Barbara asked in her ear. “Are you sure?”
“No,” She admitted, “But it’s the only way to be sure, right?”
Dinah shouldered her way past the three ‘adults’ firing accusatory glances at each other. Helena walked behind her, maintaining a comfortable distance.
Helena watched the girl. She wasn’t sure what had happened between then and now, but Dinah had changed. More mature, more assured. Something seemed as off as the distance she put between herself and Helena. And somehow, Helena couldn’t shake the feeling that her status in Dinah’s life had changed. Uneasy from the realization of rather than going up, she’d moved down.
A tuft of white caught Dinah’s eye. She recognized the coat immediately. Charlie’s. She knelt down to the tiny coat. Could imagine her brother in it. Smiling, laughing. The two of them lobbing snowballs at each other. The coat once vibrant and full of life, now tattered, ripped to shreds. Large black red splashes of blood all over it.
Mouth tense. Teeth grinding against each other. Dinah reached for the coat. Could feel her fingers clasp around the material.
A collective hush fell over the scene. They watched and waited. Air thick with anticipation and apprehension.
A howl erupted from Dinah’s throat. Not a scream, but a blood curdling howl. One of pain, fear and death. Dinah recoiled from the coat, jerked onto her feet. Hand surreptitiously wiped on her jacket.
Helena reached out to Dinah. Her hand gently placed on her shoulder. Dinah jerked out of her reach, body shuddering.
“Don’t touch me!” She choked. Helena jerked her hand back in uncertainty. She wasn’t sure what to expect, just knew this wasn’t it. Dinah’s eyes were wide open in horror. The last drop of blood drained from her face.
Dinah.” Alex cautiously stepped towards his daughter. “Is Charlie..”
“He’s alive.” Dinah began to giggle. A strained choking laugh. As if it were the only thing she could do to grasp onto the last shred of her sanity. She coughed again, the laughter turning to tears. “He’s alive.”
She trudged past Helena, past Carl, walked towards her father. Allowed Alex to envelope her in his arms like he used to. Like when she was little. When her father was the biggest bravest man on the planet, and his arms were the safest place on earth.
Alex wrapped his arms around Dinah. Wondered what price they’d have to pay for the return of his son. Wondered if it was too much, the burden too heavy. His eyes pleaded with Devlin, voice barely above a whisper. “We have to get him back Carl.”
“I know Alex.”
A shiver ran down Helena’s spine. In tandem with the hairs on the back of her neck now standing on edge. Her body tensed on instinct. She spun on her heel, faced the dense forest. Her eyes scanned back and forth.
“Barbara.” Her voice was hard. Determined.
“What is it?”
A scent in the air. Dank. Musty. Unmistakable. The hound dogs, once docile and silent on their leashes, caught the scent. Growls, barks, whimpers filled the air.
“Barbara.” Her eyes changed hue. “He’s here.”
Whether it was her words, the dogs, or the feeling of dread now palpable in the air, they all tensed. One right after the other, the men pulled their guns. Pointed towards the forest.
A dog jerked from his leash. Rushed into the forest. Carl grabbed its owner. Kept him from chasing after the dog into the forest. They watched, listened. The sounds of barking came from the dense foliage. A yelp cut through the air. Then silence. Suddenly, a black shape exited the forest, arced high above the trees. Landed on the edge of the clearing. The dog, dead, landed with a thud on the grassy floor.
A shape moved.
Gunfire erupted. Nervous, sweaty hands on trigger fingers pulled. Troopers, officers, civil servants fired into the forest. Everyone else, dove to the floor.
Alex pushed his daughter to the ground. Pulled his arms over her head. Carl, still in the center of the melee, did the same out of fear of getting his head blown off.
Helena clutched her hands over her ears. The gunfire exploded her eardrums silencing anything and everything else, including Barbara.
“Hold your fire!” Carl screamed at the men. “Hold your fire!”
Just as quickly as it began, the firing stopped. The gunmen nervously looked around. Thankful to be alive, fearful it was not for long. They could hear footsteps, dozens of people judging by the noise, rushed towards the clearing.
Helena rolled onto her feet. She pressed her hand to her ear, attempting to cut through the ringing of her eardrums.
“Barbara? Barbara, can you hear me?”
**
“Helena!” She yelled into her microphone. The connection was dead.
Something thumped on the roof of the van. Large, heavy. She grabbed the edge of the desk as the van swayed. Could feel her heart hammering in her chest. There were only two reasons why the van would sway, accidental or intentional. She wasn’t taking any chances on an accident.
Barbara grabbed her escrima stick. Clasped it in one hand as her other grabbed a can of mace.
The van began to lurch heavily to one side, tilted on its edge. Metal creaked viscously. She could see the horizon through the windshield, slowly tilting from horizontal to vertical. Barbara leaned down, reached for both straps to her seat belt. Her fingers quickly tried to latch the metal pieces together. Only, it was too late.
The van tipped over. And over. Gravity took over. Pulled the van down the hill, increasing in momentum. Her body tossed inside the tiny room like flotsam. Up, down, left, right, her body flailed about. Computer equipment exploded and hissed. Anything not nailed down flew about the cabin. Thrashed against her body.
**
“The next person who fires a round is fired!” Carl barked again for good measure, brushing bits of grass off his chest. “Before you shoot someone you don’t intend to.”
“Barbara?” Helena held the comm close to her ear. People streamed outside the clearing, filled every available space. They seemed to be everywhere, like every last person waiting by the road had streamed into the forest. And then it clicked in her brain. Jolted her system.
Followed closely by faint slivers of fear.
“It’s a trap.” She stated aloud.
“What?” Carl blinked at her.
“He meant for us to find this,” she explained, trying desperately to put the pieces together. “Wanted us to be here.”
“But why?”
“I don’t hear her.” Dinah clutched her ear.
“Oh God,” Helena’s heart froze. “Barbara.”
**
Throbbing. That’s all she could feel. What she could feel. Her head span. She could feel something wet on her forehead. Blood. Dazed and disoriented, Barbara tried to get her bearings. Nothing was like it was before. Up was down and vice versa, except all skewed at an odd angle. Her chair hung from the ceiling. She pushed papers and broken bits of computers off her, trying to find a weapon.
The doors exploded outward. Daylight flooded her eyes, blinding her, then quickly disappeared as a large shape filled the entrance. He grabbed Barbara by the leg and yanked her out of the cab. Pounced on her, quickly pinned her arms by the wrists with his hands. His face hovered over her, sniffed around her. He lifted his head until their eyes met, pupils blazed red, a smile etched across his mouth.
“You smell like her.” He growled, the smile still stretching his mouth. “She smells like you.”
**
Helena tore through the crowd. Pushed and shoved anyone in her way. Her wounded chest screamed, bruised legs burned. Still, she ran wildly through the forest, ignored the pain. Cursed her body for not being healthy enough, for not being FAST enough. Branches snapped at her face, tore at her legs. Could hear the others behind her.
The trees parted. A whimper escaped her throat, catching sight a car. She was close. So close. Helena launched herself over the first vehicle in her way. Had to get to the van. Had to get to Barbara.
Helena skidded to a stop. Could see the empty space where the van USED to be. Black skids marks and deep grooves in the dirt led towards the edge of the road, towards the edge of the hill. She ran towards it. Eyes scanned the slope below. A square of white sat at the bottom, leaning against a tree. Frame dented and bowed, the doors to the cab ripped open.
She charged the vehicle. Climbed into the cab. Tossed the broken pieces of equipment over her shoulder. His scent was everywhere. Permeated the van. So was Barbara’s. Her heart thumped wildly in her throat, the fear edged ever closer to a state of panic. Despite her best efforts, despite everything, Helena couldn’t change the stark cold reality chilling her veins and freezing her soul.
Barbara was gone.
End Chapter Six
Fandom: Birds of Prey(TV)
Pairing: Barbara/Helena
Genre: Action, Drama, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 4734
Summary: A tragedy sends the three birds back to Dinah's hometown. Only things aren't what they seem. A dark secret that threatens not only the lives of Dinah's adopted family, but also the Birds of Prey.
Chapter Six
They needed new shocks. It was all Helena could think about. Big, fat, 2 inch titanium shock absorbers. The kind that would make the vehicle ride smoother than silk and softer than a feather. Sure, the van was brand spanking new. Still had that new car smell Helena adored. But, the shocks sucked. She felt every bump, every rock, crack and insect the vehicle rolled over.
The three broken ribs probably didn’t help. Her body still felt tender, and sore, and a whole host of other things all filed under the larger category of ‘pain’. The swelling on her face had already receded, but an angry patch of purple and red skin remained under her eye. Helena couldn’t remember the last time she’d gotten a black eye, if ever.
Another bump in the road and Helena winced. She reached into her coat pocket, pulling out a container of aspirin. Popped the lid open not bothering to count the pills as they fell into her mouth, dry swallowing them. Another bump and Helena secretly wished she were back at the hotel, a receiver of Barbara’s not quite legal pain remedies.
She had no idea when Barbara purchased the van. Maybe sometime between her ass kicking and regaining consciousness. A specialty vehicle built especially for them. Similar to a tv news van. Except, instead of electronic broadcast equipment, the walls were lined with various computers and monitors. All hooked up by remote modem to the Delphi. A tiny dish on the roof kept them connected to the larger computer system.
Barbara sat in a chair. The bottom, instead of wheels, fitted into a slotted groove imbedded into the floor. It allowed her to freely move from station to station.
“Damn.” Barbara muttered under her breath.
“What is it?”
“You remember that hunch I had? I was hoping I was wrong.”
“What hunch?” Dinah glanced from Barbara to Helena. The brunette shrugged her shoulders.
“It was just an idea.” Barbara explained. “I cross referenced the names on the missing persons list with the meta human database. So far, 27 of the missing are meta..”
“Jesus.” Helena grit her teeth.
“What does it mean?”
“I’m still in hunch territory but I’d say he’s protecting his territory. He may have an ability to sense meta humans.”
“But why take Charlie? Or the others?”
“I don’t know.” Barbara admitted. Right now, all she had were theories and hunches. Things Dinah didn’t need or want. While verbalizing her thoughts sometimes helped her sort them out, stating them aloud wouldn’t alleviate Dinah’s fears.
Helena slowed the van. A shift in her demeanor signaling they’d reached their destination. Cars and trucks littered both sides of the road. Word had traveled fast. She parked the van on the opposite side of the crowd. Right before the edge dipped into a large slope. “We’re here.”
“Wait,” Barbara slid towards the front of the cab. “Do both of you have your comm sets?” The two women nodded.
“Are they on?” She cocked a disapproving eyebrow towards Helena. “Until this is over they stay on. And no one goes anywhere alone. Got it.”
“Yes.” Dinah nodded.
“Yeah, I got it.”
“Okay then, let’s get to work.”
Dinah grabbed her knapsack. The bag filled with an assortment of tools and weapons, just in case. Helena watched as Dinah slid out of the van. She positioned herself between the two front seats. Dinah turned to the woman. A puzzled expression on her face.
“You are coming, right?”
“Could you leave us alone for a second?”
“You mean right after Barbara told us not to go anywhere alone?" Dinah stared suspiciously at the brunette. “Why?”
“I want to apologize to Barbara.”
Dinah leaned forward, looking for Barbara’s reaction. She sighed, her view blocked by Helena. “Okay.”
Helena waited until the door closed completely, sure Dinah was out of
earshot. She stepped into the rear cab, closing the door behind her.
“Apologize?” Barbara raised an eyebrow.
Helena shrugged. “I didn’t want her to hear what I have to say.” Helena paused, shifted uncomfortably. “There’s something I didn’t tell you.. about the attack.”
Barbara answered with silence.
“When I was attacked last night, he wasn’t trying to kill me. He was,” Helena paused again. Not sure how to find the right words. “He was.. he was trying to make me his bitch.”
Barbara’s hand reacted on its own, reaching out to touch Helena’s face. “Helena.”
“When you mentioned meta humans.. It just doesn’t make any sense.”
“No, it makes perfect sense, in a twisted Darwin kinda way. What are the rules of survival. The basic primal instincts we all carry within us?”
“Food, clothing, shelter.” The lights clicked on. “Reproduction.”
“Exactly, survival of the species. He destroys what he perceives as a threat, while searching for females he considers strong enough to continue his genetic line.” She paused, thoughts rolling through her brain. “I just can’t figure out why he’s killing humans.”
Helena shuddered. “This is just getting way too bizarre.”
“Helena.” Barbara sighed, placed a hand on Helena’s forearm. “Maybe this time you should consider a weapon.” Helena stiffened at the suggestion.
“Just consider it.”
“Okay, I’ll consider it.”
“Good,” She managed a smile despite Helena’s obvious lie. “Now kiss me.”
Helena needed no more prompting. She placed both hands on the armrests, planted a kiss. Longer than she should have, shorter than she wanted to. Barbara stroked her face, slid her fingers across the soft lips. “Tell me you love me.”
“I love you.”
“And the next time you’re feeling impulsive and self-destructive, you’ll pause for just a moment and think about how much I love you.”
“How much do you love me?”
Barbara leaned in, kissed Helena deeply. Poured every emotion and thought she could into the contact. “That much.”
The kiss broke. The two pulled away from each other no matter how much their bodies screamed for more. Helena moved towards cab, sliding open the door. She paused, turned back to Barbara. “You’re too good for me. You know that don’t you?”
“Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you.”
**
Dinah paced outside the van. Wondered what was taking the two so long. She hated feeling out of the loop. Alienated. Tired of the kid gloves used by both women on her. Suspicion and paranoia filled her brain. Couldn’t shake the feeling that Helena and Barbara were talking about Charlie, about the case. Considered her too young, too inexperienced. Worse, she couldn’t help feeling they also thought of her as too weak. She wasn’t strong, like Helena. Or smart, like Barbara. All she could do was invade minds and move ashtrays at will. Which would be great if she’d run away to join the circus rather than New Gotham with aspirations of becoming a super hero.
She could also feel eyes on her. The crowd seemed to hush the moment she stepped out of the van. Like they were expecting something. Anything. Some of them, Dinah hadn’t seen since she’d ran away. They nodded their hello’s to her. But, they all stared. Stared at her. The freak.
The crowd parted. Whispers and murmurs rose above the hush. Alex Redmond waded his way through the crowd. A grim scowl revealed under the brim of his cowboy hat. Dinah marched towards him. The anger came quickly. A hidden reserve exploded within her.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“This.” She pulled a folded piece of paper from her back pocket. Dinah didn’t know why she was angry at the man. It seemed undirected, without purpose. It just made her feel better to be angry. To have a some place to direct it. Right now, her foster father would do.
Alex took the paper from his daughter. The last drop of blood drained from his face. Jaw clenched. Alex folded the paper, handed it back to Dinah. “What difference does that make? It’s history.”
“The difference? He’s family. My, OUR family! The difference is I should have known.”
“Why? What could you have done? You’re a child!”
“I’m not a CHILD!!”
The air turned thick. Car windows began to rattle. Alex could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing on edge. The air crackled with energy. Seemed to gather around Dinah, from within and without.
“Dinah!” Helena stepped in front of her, between father and daughter. “Dinah!” She grabbed Dinah’s shoulders, shaking her. Blue eyes softened, the angry glare dissipated. Focused on the worried brunette standing before her. Helena turned her head towards Alex.
“What did you do?” She hissed accusingly.
“He didn’t do anything. Except, leave out the truth.” Dinah handed the paper to Helena. It was a copy of a newspaper clipping, dated 30 years ago. A school picture of a young boy positioned under the headline.
‘Search Continues For Missing Redmond Boy.’
“Okay Barbara,” Helena spoke aloud, not caring who heard. “Remember that communication thing you’re always talking about? It’s a two way street.”
“Yeah well, consider us even.”
“Daddy,” Dinah stepped around Helena. “Tell me what’s going on?”
Alex shifted his eyes from her gaze. More murmurs erupted from the crowd. Sheriff Devlin waded his way through. Ignored the stares and obvious questions. He looked pale, sickly even. As if this was the last place on Earth he wanted to be. He made a beeline towards the Redmonds.
“Is it him? Is it Charlie?” Alex asked.
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?” Dinah’s body began to tremble, a combination of anger and panic. “How could you not know?”
Helena could hear the pained exhale of Barbara. The grim reality of the situation plain to both of the seasoned trio. She placed a hand on Dinah’s arm.
Carl pulled off his hat, ran it through worried fingers. “We’ve called for the Coroner from Burnam. He’ll be in here in two hours.” Carl stepped closer to Alex, his voice barely above a whisper. “We’re going to need.. samples..from you and your wife.”
“Samples?” Alex paled.
“They can’t identify the body.” Barbara explained into their ears. “They need DNA to do a cross reference.”
Something twisted in Helena’s stomach. The verbalization of her thoughts seemed to make it all more real. She thought the day couldn’t get any worse. It pained her to realize she was wrong.
A slight whimper escaped Dinah’s throat. Nightmare. That’s what it all felt like, a nightmare. One Dinah wanted to end, one way or the other. If she had to do the unthinkable, then she would do it. Anything to end it all.
“You need someone to identify the body. I can do that.”
“I can’t let you do that.” Carl stated.
“So you’re going to rely on a DNA test? How long is that going to take, days, weeks? What if it’s NOT Charlie?”
“Dinah’s right,” Alex interjected. “We have to know now, Sheriff. So I’ll go.”
“Not without me.” Dinah huffed.
“Dinah.”
“No! I’m going.”
“Well,” Helena piped in. “Looks like we’re all going.”
“You?” Carl stared at the woman.
“Look at my face, Sheriff.” She spat the last word. Pointed towards the purpling marks on her face accusingly. “If you think I’m leaving her alone with him, or that I trust her safety to you, you’ve got another thing coming.”
They walked in silence. Carl led the way. Alex behind him with Dinah and Helena taking the rear. Carl attempted to fill the silence. Relayed how ‘the body’ had been found. Everything his department and the State Troopers had done. In the end, the silence seemed to overcome him. Words didn’t seem enough to lift the feeling of death in the air.
Leaves scrunched under their feet. Along with the occasional silence breaking twig. Helena felt uncomfortable. They weren’t walking stealthy enough. Every move seemed an annoyingly loud beacon to whatever darkness lurked in the forest.
She took some solace with Barbara in her ear. The steady breathing. Soft clacking of keyboards on fingers, a security blanket if she wanted to think of it that way.
They’d walked 10 minutes before reaching their destination. It wasn’t hard. Yellow police tape circled a small clearing. They passed several hunters talking quietly amongst themselves. Hound dogs on leashes. The animals padded nervously from foot to foot. Projected their unease. Something bad was out there. Could smell it in the air.
A trooper muscled his way past them. Face pale. He took several hurried steps before bending over, vomiting onto the ground.
“Dammit Jesse,” Carl barked. “You’re puking all over the crime scene.”
The young man, Jesse, stood on shaky legs. Embarrassed. He couldn’t have been a day older than Helena. His eyes lacked the steely reserve of someone used to the darkness of ‘the job’. A rookie, his greenness exacerbated by serving in small town Opal.
Several State Troopers, mixed in with Opal’s own, surrounded the clearing. Nervous hands on gun hips, they stood outside the police tape. Each and every one of them stood with their backs to the clearing. Some had the same sickly paleness of Carl and Jesse. They’d seen the show, now were ready to cash in their tickets and call it a day.
“Are you sure?” Carl looked towards Alex then Dinah. Giving them both one last chance to back away.
Helena stepped forward. “I’ll go first.”
“Helena,” Barbara called in her ear. “Use the goggles.”
Dinah opened the knapsack hanging from her shoulder, handed the specs to Helena. The view snapped into focus on Barbara’s monitor. It wasn’t the 3-D visual she was used to, but it would do. Helena’s hand waved back and forth.
“You getting this?”
“Yeah.”
Helena walked towards the police tape, almost casually. Carl Devlin close on her heels. A flash of blue caught her eye. The familiar form of a jacket revealed itself in the brush. It was small, a child’s. Tufts of cotton poked through vicious rips and tears.
“It’s Charlie’s.” Carl muttered. He kneeled down, lifted the collar. Charles Redmond stitched into the material.
“Where’s the body?”
“Over there.” Carl pointed.
Helena swallowed hard. She walked towards a safety orange flag sticking out of the ground. The smell hit her first. Faint, but unmistakable. Blood. She shouldn’t have been able to tell the difference between human and animal. She shouldn’t have been able to do a lot of things. Didn’t change the fact that she could. The scent lingered in her nose. Sharp, metallic.
“Jesus,” Barbara muttered in her ear. “Is that what I think it is?”
Flesh. It sat in a neatly arranged little pile, no higher than three inches. There was no other word for it, except maybe meat. Pieces and bits, almost indistinguishable from each other except the basic knowledge that the pile of flesh littering the forest floor used to be a living breathing human.
37 degrees and suddenly it felt like a sauna. Sweat popped onto Helena’s brow and it became hard to breathe. She’d seen much in her years. Seen the darkness and pain man could inflict upon man. It was nothing like this. As if in one instance the last of her innocence had been stripped away. She’d seen violence, she’d seen pain. This was carnage. A human being reduced to nothing more than bits and pieces. Her hand shot to her mouth. And then, when her eyes couldn't take anymore and her brain screamed at her to make it stop, Helena turned away.
“Barbara.” She stated weakly.
“I’m here.” Barbara offered reassuringly. The monitors allowed Barbara a semblance of detachment. It didn’t shake the reality. In reverse to Helena, she didn’t feel hot. Instead, a cold shiver ran through her body.
Dinah watched her friend. Saw the cold reality of death on her face. She felt a hand clasping around her own. Her father’s. They drew strength from each other. She didn’t want to love him, or need him. But, she did. Tragedy had a tendency to bring out the best in people, even her father. If she had to draw on his strength to get her through this, she’d sap the man dry.
“Helena?” Dinah called to her friend. Helena offered a weak smile before turning back around. She could hear them, Helena and Barbara, conversing directly to each other. Whether they’d forgotten Dinah could hear them or passed the point of sugar coating their conversations for her, she did not know.
She’d often thought the two spoke code. Particular phrases and words intentionally meant to go over her head. Dinah understood better now. At times like these, the short hand was their 'language'. One of two people so used to working together, they could literally become one.
Helena squatted onto her heels. Tried to lean in close without getting too close. Carl knelt down beside her.
“Has this been moved or touched?” She asked.
“Nope,” he shook his head. “Everything’s just like we found it. Truth is, everyone’s too damn scared to touch it.”
Helena glanced around the clearing. From the remains, to the jacket. “This was meant to be found. It’s too neat, too perfect. This guy hasn’t been caught because he’s careful. Look at where we are. There are trails everywhere. 15 minutes from the road.”
A spec of white caught Helena’s eye. She glanced back at the remains. Her eyes focused on the object, white, hard, half-way embedded in the remains. A tooth. Helena's stomach twitched hard. She quickly stood up, stifling the gag in the back of her throat. Her hand went to her ear, cut off the transmission to Dinah.
“Helena, what is it?” Barbara asked.
“I know what he’s doing with the humans,” she sucked in a large breath, shuddering reflexively. “They're food.”
Dinah could see Helena’s lips move, but the words didn’t come. She’d been cut off. Again. It felt like she was teetering back and forth between rage and insanity. Dinah threw herself towards rage. She marched towards Helena. Alex grabbed her arm, muscled his way in front of her.
“What are you doing?”
“I have to know. We have to know.”
“There’s nothing there. If they can’t tell..”
“I can.” Dinah stated firmly. “If I just touch it.”
“No!” Alex gripped her arms, his fingers digging into her flesh. “We’ll find another way. Get the DNA tests. Anything but..”
Helena charged towards the man. She didn’t know when the urge to hit Alex Redmond became a white hot need, it just did. She grabbed his shoulder, yanked him back until Dinah pulled out of his grasp and spun him around. A leaden fist connected with his jaw. The force tossed Alex onto his back. Hands balled into fists. She could feel Carl rushing behind her, his arms wrapped around her body, trapping her arms, feet temporarily off the ground.
“Don’t you EVER touch her again!” She screamed at the man.
“Helena!” Barbara yelled in her ear, practically in symphony with Dinah. The blonde rushed to her father’s side.
“Stop it!” She glared at Helena. “He wasn’t trying to hurt me!”
Carl grasped tightly to the bucking brunette in his arms. The woman jerked out of his grip with a strength that caught him off guard. “Will someone tell me what the HELL’s going on?”
“Nothing.” Dinah helped her father to his feet. “We need someone to identify the body. I’m doing it?”
“Dinah,” Barbara asked in her ear. “Are you sure?”
“No,” She admitted, “But it’s the only way to be sure, right?”
Dinah shouldered her way past the three ‘adults’ firing accusatory glances at each other. Helena walked behind her, maintaining a comfortable distance.
Helena watched the girl. She wasn’t sure what had happened between then and now, but Dinah had changed. More mature, more assured. Something seemed as off as the distance she put between herself and Helena. And somehow, Helena couldn’t shake the feeling that her status in Dinah’s life had changed. Uneasy from the realization of rather than going up, she’d moved down.
A tuft of white caught Dinah’s eye. She recognized the coat immediately. Charlie’s. She knelt down to the tiny coat. Could imagine her brother in it. Smiling, laughing. The two of them lobbing snowballs at each other. The coat once vibrant and full of life, now tattered, ripped to shreds. Large black red splashes of blood all over it.
Mouth tense. Teeth grinding against each other. Dinah reached for the coat. Could feel her fingers clasp around the material.
A collective hush fell over the scene. They watched and waited. Air thick with anticipation and apprehension.
A howl erupted from Dinah’s throat. Not a scream, but a blood curdling howl. One of pain, fear and death. Dinah recoiled from the coat, jerked onto her feet. Hand surreptitiously wiped on her jacket.
Helena reached out to Dinah. Her hand gently placed on her shoulder. Dinah jerked out of her reach, body shuddering.
“Don’t touch me!” She choked. Helena jerked her hand back in uncertainty. She wasn’t sure what to expect, just knew this wasn’t it. Dinah’s eyes were wide open in horror. The last drop of blood drained from her face.
Dinah.” Alex cautiously stepped towards his daughter. “Is Charlie..”
“He’s alive.” Dinah began to giggle. A strained choking laugh. As if it were the only thing she could do to grasp onto the last shred of her sanity. She coughed again, the laughter turning to tears. “He’s alive.”
She trudged past Helena, past Carl, walked towards her father. Allowed Alex to envelope her in his arms like he used to. Like when she was little. When her father was the biggest bravest man on the planet, and his arms were the safest place on earth.
Alex wrapped his arms around Dinah. Wondered what price they’d have to pay for the return of his son. Wondered if it was too much, the burden too heavy. His eyes pleaded with Devlin, voice barely above a whisper. “We have to get him back Carl.”
“I know Alex.”
A shiver ran down Helena’s spine. In tandem with the hairs on the back of her neck now standing on edge. Her body tensed on instinct. She spun on her heel, faced the dense forest. Her eyes scanned back and forth.
“Barbara.” Her voice was hard. Determined.
“What is it?”
A scent in the air. Dank. Musty. Unmistakable. The hound dogs, once docile and silent on their leashes, caught the scent. Growls, barks, whimpers filled the air.
“Barbara.” Her eyes changed hue. “He’s here.”
Whether it was her words, the dogs, or the feeling of dread now palpable in the air, they all tensed. One right after the other, the men pulled their guns. Pointed towards the forest.
A dog jerked from his leash. Rushed into the forest. Carl grabbed its owner. Kept him from chasing after the dog into the forest. They watched, listened. The sounds of barking came from the dense foliage. A yelp cut through the air. Then silence. Suddenly, a black shape exited the forest, arced high above the trees. Landed on the edge of the clearing. The dog, dead, landed with a thud on the grassy floor.
A shape moved.
Gunfire erupted. Nervous, sweaty hands on trigger fingers pulled. Troopers, officers, civil servants fired into the forest. Everyone else, dove to the floor.
Alex pushed his daughter to the ground. Pulled his arms over her head. Carl, still in the center of the melee, did the same out of fear of getting his head blown off.
Helena clutched her hands over her ears. The gunfire exploded her eardrums silencing anything and everything else, including Barbara.
“Hold your fire!” Carl screamed at the men. “Hold your fire!”
Just as quickly as it began, the firing stopped. The gunmen nervously looked around. Thankful to be alive, fearful it was not for long. They could hear footsteps, dozens of people judging by the noise, rushed towards the clearing.
Helena rolled onto her feet. She pressed her hand to her ear, attempting to cut through the ringing of her eardrums.
“Barbara? Barbara, can you hear me?”
**
“Helena!” She yelled into her microphone. The connection was dead.
Something thumped on the roof of the van. Large, heavy. She grabbed the edge of the desk as the van swayed. Could feel her heart hammering in her chest. There were only two reasons why the van would sway, accidental or intentional. She wasn’t taking any chances on an accident.
Barbara grabbed her escrima stick. Clasped it in one hand as her other grabbed a can of mace.
The van began to lurch heavily to one side, tilted on its edge. Metal creaked viscously. She could see the horizon through the windshield, slowly tilting from horizontal to vertical. Barbara leaned down, reached for both straps to her seat belt. Her fingers quickly tried to latch the metal pieces together. Only, it was too late.
The van tipped over. And over. Gravity took over. Pulled the van down the hill, increasing in momentum. Her body tossed inside the tiny room like flotsam. Up, down, left, right, her body flailed about. Computer equipment exploded and hissed. Anything not nailed down flew about the cabin. Thrashed against her body.
**
“The next person who fires a round is fired!” Carl barked again for good measure, brushing bits of grass off his chest. “Before you shoot someone you don’t intend to.”
“Barbara?” Helena held the comm close to her ear. People streamed outside the clearing, filled every available space. They seemed to be everywhere, like every last person waiting by the road had streamed into the forest. And then it clicked in her brain. Jolted her system.
Followed closely by faint slivers of fear.
“It’s a trap.” She stated aloud.
“What?” Carl blinked at her.
“He meant for us to find this,” she explained, trying desperately to put the pieces together. “Wanted us to be here.”
“But why?”
“I don’t hear her.” Dinah clutched her ear.
“Oh God,” Helena’s heart froze. “Barbara.”
**
Throbbing. That’s all she could feel. What she could feel. Her head span. She could feel something wet on her forehead. Blood. Dazed and disoriented, Barbara tried to get her bearings. Nothing was like it was before. Up was down and vice versa, except all skewed at an odd angle. Her chair hung from the ceiling. She pushed papers and broken bits of computers off her, trying to find a weapon.
The doors exploded outward. Daylight flooded her eyes, blinding her, then quickly disappeared as a large shape filled the entrance. He grabbed Barbara by the leg and yanked her out of the cab. Pounced on her, quickly pinned her arms by the wrists with his hands. His face hovered over her, sniffed around her. He lifted his head until their eyes met, pupils blazed red, a smile etched across his mouth.
“You smell like her.” He growled, the smile still stretching his mouth. “She smells like you.”
**
Helena tore through the crowd. Pushed and shoved anyone in her way. Her wounded chest screamed, bruised legs burned. Still, she ran wildly through the forest, ignored the pain. Cursed her body for not being healthy enough, for not being FAST enough. Branches snapped at her face, tore at her legs. Could hear the others behind her.
The trees parted. A whimper escaped her throat, catching sight a car. She was close. So close. Helena launched herself over the first vehicle in her way. Had to get to the van. Had to get to Barbara.
Helena skidded to a stop. Could see the empty space where the van USED to be. Black skids marks and deep grooves in the dirt led towards the edge of the road, towards the edge of the hill. She ran towards it. Eyes scanned the slope below. A square of white sat at the bottom, leaning against a tree. Frame dented and bowed, the doors to the cab ripped open.
She charged the vehicle. Climbed into the cab. Tossed the broken pieces of equipment over her shoulder. His scent was everywhere. Permeated the van. So was Barbara’s. Her heart thumped wildly in her throat, the fear edged ever closer to a state of panic. Despite her best efforts, despite everything, Helena couldn’t change the stark cold reality chilling her veins and freezing her soul.
Barbara was gone.
End Chapter Six