Curiosity Caught the Bat : Act I On the Waterfront

Curiosity Caught the Bat

Act I

On the Waterfront

Batgirl stayed in the shadows of the roof top as she stood close enough to the edge to look over. Below her was one of Cross World Transit’s dockside warehouses. A large metal shipping container with what appeared to be a refrigerator unit on the roof was placed so the doors that were open faced inside the open warehouse doors. She had counted at least two dozen men all dressed in black were busy moving about in and out of the warehouse. A crane was set up with a second container identical to the first ready to set it down at the doorway and pick up the first container when it was ready.

          I semi tractor trailer was parked alongside of the warehouse from which wooden shipping containers that appeared to be roughly 4 feet by 4 feet were being unloaded by a forklift and moved inside the warehouse. Besides the men working she had spotted at the very least another dozen men posted as perimeter security around the area as well as a small boat in the water. Whatever they were handling they were taking no chances with security. It was clearly very valuable to them. But what was it? It had to be something illegal. But again what?

          The scope of the operations seem too large for this to have been a drug smuggling operation. Weapons perhaps? This was her second midnight visit to this roof top since her dinner with Rudkar Cross.  And her third overall having attempted to use a drone during the day to look things over. Security had looked just as tight during the day as it had at night up till she lost the drone. Whatever it was that was being smuggled and going on down there, it was too big for Rudkar Cross not to know what was going on. This encompassed storage, manpower, plus just from what she has seen shipping by land and sea. More than likely by air as well. Sighing to herself as any doubts that Rudkar Cross was not directly involved in this smuggling operation vanished when she saw him walking out of the warehouse below.

          A surge of anger swept through her as she watched him below. He had been toying with her, getting her to lower her guard and trust him. But to what end? Surely there was no way even with having her checked out that he knew that Barbra Gordon was Batgirl. There was no possible way for him to have made that connection unless he had been on his radar far longer that he had been on her radar. Had Batgirl’s true identity been compromised? Not even her own father knew who she was. The only ones that knew outside of Wayne Manor were a couple members of this Justice League that Bruce and some others were working on starting some other for lack of a better term, Heroes, who worked to fight the criminal element and protect the innocent in other cities as they did here in Gotham. In fact, that was where Bruce and Dick were right now.

 

          Her mind went back to the dinner at Cross World Transit. There had to be something that she missed that would have given her a clue. She has let herself be distracted that night. She should not have had the wine or at least not more than one glass. It had dulled her wits. But every time that her glass was lower that half full, either Cross was signaling the waitress to refill it, or she came on her own to refill the glass. And speaking of the waitress, never in her life had she ever came across a woman so docile and utterly submissive in her like. It was almost as if she were a slave.  And with how he had her dressed she might as well been or a waitress in a strip club. She had only seen it for an instant, but it looked like the girl had a tattoo or birth mark on her left thigh just below the hip. It had kept peaking out of the slit in the side of her cocktail dress if you could call it that.

          Then the hairs on the back of her neck were standing up. There had been the faint sound of a boot scraping on the roof top behind her. Someone was behind her. She cursed herself for being so careless again.  It was not like her to be so distracted. She listened and waited pretending to be focused on what was going on down below them on the dock at the entrance to the warehouse. There were three, perhaps four men behind her. Yes they were all men judging by the heavier foot falls of the boots they wore.

          The important question now was were these men sentries that had been moving about and stumbled upon her. Or had she been spotted and these were the men sent up to secure her. The main difference being that if they were sentries then she might have a better than slim chance of neutralizing them and getting away before more arrived from below. If she had been spotted then it was very likely that there would be more men waiting for her should these fail.

          “It’s not polite to sneak up on a lady. Didn’t your mother teach you boys that.” She said with a smile without turning.

          “Neither is sticking your little nose where it doesn’t belong. Batbitch.” Came a gravely male voice from behind her. “Now be a good girl and put your hands behind your back and don’t move.”

          “Now I know that your mother had to have taught you better that to insult a lady by calling her nasty names.” Batgirl sighed in exasperation. “I guess I am just going to have to teach you all again.” Spinning about she reached out and grabbed the night vision goggles of the man closest to her, pulling them away from his face then letting go so that the elastic bands of the head harness strained and cause the goggles to snap back against his face when she let them go. Not a disabling blow but it would disorient him for a few seconds to give her time to go after the other two she now saw.

          As the man stepped back away she swung the back of her hand around to strike at the side of one’s neck as she shifted her balance to high kick to the upper chest or face. Then might actually work out she thought for a split second until she felt three stabbing pricks in her left butt cheek as three darts penetrated the skin of her batsuit and sank into her flesh.

 

          Barbra cursed herself. Did she miscount her attackers, or did the first one recover quicker than expected? Either way she was in a bad place now. Spinning away from them, she swept one hand behind her to knock the darts from her for all the good it would do. They had already bitten into her flesh and delivered their drug to her system. She stumbled and her knees felt weak. Whatever they had just used on her was fast acting. She slowly backed away from them towards a small retaining wall that led to a higher level of the building’s roof.

          She shook her head attempting to clear it, but they slowly walked towards her knowing she was not going anywhere. She threw a weak punch that not only missed but propelled her away from the wall forward and into their waiting arms. Their hand groped and touched her as her cape and utility belt were taken.

          “Shall we take the mask off too?” Asked one of them as she was lowered to the rooftop onto her belly. Helpless to stop them as her wrists were pulled to the small of her back and locked in cuffs.

          “No, I am sure that the Boss would be pissed if we deprived him of the honor of unwrapping Batgirl.” As she felt her feet being pulled back towards her butt, she heard one radioing in that they had captured her. At the same time, she felt a cuff locked about one ankle and held as a chain was looped through the connecting chain of the handcuffs then another cuff locked about her other ankle. She was hog-tied and helpless. The drugs they had used on her would prove to be a blessing as she slipped into unconsciousness before what was to come next. 

There was little chance of the sedatives wearing off before they would have their prize better secured in the warehouse below. But to be safe, a piece of cloth was wadded up and pushed into her mouth then bound in place with a strip of duct tape. It was still unclear if she was alone or not yet. Batman and Robin had not reportedly been seen in the last 48 hours. But that did not mean they were not close by or that one of the other costumed do-gooders. The other sentries and lookouts had been alerted.

          “I have heard that this one is tricky and prone to escape.” One of her captors stated as he knelt on one knee beside her. “I wonder if she is a real fire crotch. I guess we will find out soon enough.” He laughed as he rolled her to her side and started running his hands over her body. Even unconscious, a whimpered moan escaped her as his hands checked around her the plate of her suit.

          “Stop playing with her, damnit!” cursed one of the others.

          “I am not playing with the slut. I am checking her for weapons and lock pick tools.” Then running his hand lower so that he was pressing against the outside of her suit where it covered her pelvic area. This cause the drugged heroine to whimper and squirm more. “She is juicing already, I bet she test paga hot when she is processed.”

          “What makes you think that we won’t just cut her throat?”

          “Have you ever known the Boss,” taking hold of her and pulling her up with him as he rose to his feet. Effortlessly, rotating and placing her over his shoulder with her head to the rear and ass facing forward. Then he continued, “to waste a prime piece of merchandise like this one.”

          With that he turned and carried her to the door leading back into the building.

 

          Rudkar Cross was not pleased when his limo pulled up at the warehouse once more. He had left instructions for Christa to be silked, perfumed, and chained to his bed when he returned from the docks. So, his mood soured when the call came in that something had happened as he was leaving that required him to return to the loading of the cargo for shipment. All that was said was the code for unwanted guest over the radio, so the details were sketchy at best as to what had happened. The radios were scrambled and coded on a secure radio frequency, but he didn’t like to leave anything to chance. No matter how new or good your equipment was, soon as it was out the company that marketed it was working on a way to counter it for your competitors as well as an update to fix what they just sold or something new and better. Whatever it was, had to be important for them to call him, asking for his return, he had good solid lieutenants that didn’t need to be micromanaged.

          Soon as the limo came to a stop two security men flanked and opened the door. Stepping out, Cross paused to scan the area to see if he could spot what the problem was. The forklift was bringing the last wooden shipping crate from the semi that was already having the doors secured and ready to pull away. His eyes followed the forklift to where it lowered the crates before backing away. Soon as it was clear two men stepped up with crowbars and pried open the crate. Once the side panel was removed and taken to the side with the others. A medic was kneeling inside to check the condition of the merchandise within.

          There didn’t seem to be any problem there as the medic stepped back and two handlers took her place and exited the crate with two Latin beauty’s, both nude and still deeply sedated from there trip. There olive skin and black hair they could almost pass for Turian slaves till they spoke. Despite, all the technology and toys available to them, something so simple as being able to deliver the merchandise to the markets already able to speak and understand standard Gorean was still not possible. But then there was always the psychological factor of the slaves not only learning that they were now slaves but also forced to learn the native language of their masters to be considered. That tool in itself could be enough to stop any work on subliminal training for the slaves while still in hibernation chambers for shipment. He had to admit that he preferred the hands on training and breaking of a new slave to her collar himself.

          The two newly uncrated slaves were carried over and laid out on the floor of the warehouse with the eighteen other new slaves already laid out and waiting to have their anklets scanned and checked in and then sedated again if needed before being loaded into the transport chambers. Once in the chambers a mixture of oxygen and sedative would be pumped into the chamber for their trip ensuring that they did not wake up till their masters wished them too. The chambers would then be loaded into specially constructed steel shipping containers that would carry six chambers each. The containers would be loaded onto the deck of ship with others like it listed as carrying farming equipment for a distant country.

          Cross World Transit was a legitimate shipping cooperation and very successful. But it was also a great cover for the movement of slaves around the world and other places. This particular shipment of slaves was part of a larger consignment. This part was going to the markets of Cos. While the rest was destined for the Steel Worlds, which he did not wish to think about.

          “Everything seems to be going as it should.” Turning to one of his lieutenants.

          “The intruder our sentries caught is secure over there away from the others, Mr. Cross.” The man pointed to a group of men standing in a group a short distance away. Cross had noticed them and was about to ask about them next. The lieutenant motioning the way, Cross followed him over. When they reached to group of men, they parted like the Red Sea for Moses for him. In the center of circle of men was a lone figure. A woman. Chained in a hogtie configuration on her belly still wearing her form fitted latex body suit, was the flame haired crime fighter that he had been hearing about known as Batgirl.

Seeing their boss one of the men watching knelt down the sedated heroine and broke a smelling salts capsule under her nose. Almost instantly the chains of the restraints with tight as the cuffs locked on her wrists and ankles pulled to the limits allowed and muffled muted cries erupted from her taped mouth as she wiggled and squirmed on the concert floor for their entertainment. Cross himself thought that the batsuit she wore for the moment showed off the sweetness of her assets very nicely. The laughter and comments of those watching only infuriated their guest even more.

 

          Cross knew that now she had seen their operations that she would have to be neutralized. Meaning that she needed to vanish without a trace as they would start looking for her. The sooner the better, given that there was no way of knowing if others were with her or knew of her location and activities. He was standing behind her, so she was not aware of his presence yet. The most human thing to do to such a talented heroine would be to simply slit her throat and the dump her body in the ocean from one of the ships scheduled to sail in the next hour. The cruelest being to ship her to one of the Steel Worlds to be added to the herd of human cows, there her best hope would be to found pleasing enough to become the pet of one of the Kurii masters or slave one of their human mercenaries. It that didn’t happen she would eventually find herself in the slaughter pens as food for the Beasts. Looking at the promise hidden by her clothing, he decided that it would be a waste of a flame hair. He stepped around so that she could see him and noted that she had involuntarily gasped as she recognized him. Interesting he thought.

          “You didn’t need to go through all this trouble Batgirl. I would have been more than happy to give you the deluxe tour and arranged passage for you.” Cross smiled as he squatted down and placed a finger under her chin lifting and holding it so that she had to look at him. “Now there are two ways for this to go, pretty one. You answer my questions immediately and honestly and I will not have to use methods that you will not enjoy to get the answers. Either way you will tell me what I need to know. You may whimper once for yes and twice for no. Do you understand?” He smiled. Batgirl only glared back at him. At least till she felt the sharp painful bite of leather strap striking her left buttock. Which caused her to scream into her gag. “Now, let’s try this again, Do you understand?”

          Batgirl refused to respond after two more bites of the leather upon her body. Tears were rolling down her face as she breathed heavily through her nose determined not to whimper for Cross even though she knew she was on her own and at his mercy. Cross eyed her with admiration and a little respect, many would have submitted and obeyed after the first taste of the leather. But then did he really expect anything less from the masked heroine that had found herself at the mercy of some of the most vindictive and vicious criminal masterminds in the world. He glanced at his Rolex, a little over an hour had passed since she was captured. If others were present then they would have attempted to rescue her by now. Intelligence had her male counterparts out of the city for the next two day. Leaving her the sole caped crusader in Gotham at the moment.

          His information could be wrong. But his instincts told him that it wasn’t. She was enduring the punishment and humiliation while she bought time hoping for a weakness she could exploit to escape. One of his lieutenants leaned in to inform him that her Batgirl cycle had been located not far from the front gate to the docks. Everything pointed to she came in alone not knowing what she was getting herself into. Shame, shame Batgirl he thought.

          “One thing that I have never understood,” Cross said as he squatted down and lifted her chin once more looking at her. “I know that you and your two male counterparts have been captured many times in the past. Yet no one has unmasked any of you as of yet. It seems to me that once your true identity is known that your career is over.” Now the fear showed in her jade eyes as she cried no into her gag pleading for him not to as a booted foot held her in place as the cowl was peeled off her head revealing her to all present. Cross laughed and grinned. “Well, hello, Barbra.”

Brabra’s heart sank and she was sick to her stomach. In a instant she had went from being helplessly chained in a hogtie that she couldn’t get out of as long as she was watched. To having her identity exposed to the world or soon would be. Her career as Batgirl was done. She looked up at Rudkar Cross and wondered if he would be content with exposing her to the world or if he would have her killed as well. Who was she kidding, he was a smuggler kingpin, even with her identity exposed she could still testify against him and put him behind bars for a long time if she was allowed to live.

          “I must say that this is a pleasant surprise, Barbra.” Cross smiled in satisfaction. “But I think that it is safe to say that your cavalry is not going to ride in to save you. So, I think we can remove your muzzle.” He chuckled as he carefully pealed back the tape that covered her mouth. Then he pulled the cloth from her mouth as well.

          “Don’t count on that, Cross!” she snapped back.

          “I think I am fairly confident that the money I am paying to those criminal lunatics the Joker and the Riddler to stay out of this part of town as well to report on the movements of your friend Batman are accurate. You were the wild card that I underestimated. I didn’t think that you were even on to my operations yet. Nor that you would be come after me on your own if you did.” Looking over to one of his men. “Sedate her just enough to take the fight out of her. Then strip her and resecure her in the chains. I will be back in thirty minutes. I have something to arrange, I don’t want her or that batsuit damaged.” Barbra started to say something but a cloth soaked with something was placed over her mouth and nose and fight as she might her resistance quickly gave way to feeling like she was moving through water or living in slow motion.

 

          Barbra was not sure how much time had passed when she shook off the groggy feeling that had came over her. However, when she did she was slumped as far forward as she could given the way she was restrained, looking down at her own naked body that was kneeling on the cold concrete floor. A wooden dowel had been placed between her teeth and held in place by what felt like a leather thong against the sides of her face. She saw that leather cuffs had been fastened about her lower thighs just above the knees to which a metal spreader bar had been attached forcing her to keep her thighs painfully wide and open exposing her more intimate region for all to see. Her ankles had been crossed and bound by some sort of cord. Finally, she found that she was held upright by her arms being passed over a metal bar placed against her back. Her wrists had then been pulled back forward and locked in leather cuffs held before her body by a light metal chain that pressed into her stomach. The metal bar was sit in brackets on post placed to her left and right.

          Barbra marveled and cursed the system that held her at the same time. She marveled at how efficient the system was as she was helpless to do anything. While cursing that there was literally nothing that she could do to free herself. She couldn’t stand to lift herself off the brackets. She couldn’t reach the cuffs that held her to work the locks even if she wasn’t stripped and had nothing to pick a lock with.

          A sudden chill ran down her spine as something that she had not considered before came to mind. She has assumed that Cross and his people were snuggling something of value such as drugs, weapons, even bootlegged merchandise. But given the effectiveness and expertise they had used to secure her. They very well could be dealing in a softer, more fragile, and perishable form of goods. She remember the woman that had been serving their dinner that night in his private dining room. She had been extremely subservient almost, slave like.

          “My Barbra you are even more lovely than I imagined.” Cross smiled as he walked back to where she was restrained on her knees. “I will not lie. When you left the dining room that night your name was placed on a target of opportunity acquisition list. Given your father’s position just abducting you would cause problems.” He smiled and paused. “But then you served yourself up to me on a silver platter.”

          Barbra growled and mumbled something into the bit gag in her mouth that could not be understood. At a nod from Cross one of the men stepped up and loosened the thong holding the dowel rod in her mouth and removed it.

          “What are you going to do with me!” Barbra demanded.

          “Do you remember at dinner when I mentioned an old saying where I come from?” Cross smiled.

          “Yes, What does that have to do with anything?”

          “Curiosity is not becoming in a kajira.” Taking two items from one of the men at his side. He walked to the restrained girl before him. Squatting down with some sort of red grease pencil, he made a couple marks on her left breast. The adjusting himself snapped and locked a steel anklet on her left ankle. Her eyes went wide as she recalled the girl that had served them had a steel anklet on her left ankle as well.

          “What is a kajira?” she asked not sure she wanted to know.

          “See still curious, but we will break you of that at my villa.” At that moment, the bar she was bound to was lifted from it’s brackets and she was lowered to her belly on the floor. She felt a stabbing pain in her left buttock as she saw several of the men carrying a clear plastic tube across the warehouse towards a shipping container. Inside was a naked sleeping woman. Then she saw another as her eyes grew heavy.

          Barbra Gordon was in no condition to resist as she was freed of her restraints and then loaded into a transport chamber of her own. She saw everything that was happening, but the drug had robbed her of the ability to speak or control her own body as she laid inside the tube and watched herself being loaded with the others. Inside the container hoses were attached to her tube and a mixture of oxygen and sedative were pumped in as she drifted off.

          “What about her stuff?” asked a Lieutenant.

          “You strip now!” Cross pointed to one of the female operatives with blondish red hair.

          “But..” she started to protest.

          “Do you want to join them?” He pointed to the shipment of slaves. The woman shook her head no. “Good them get naked and put on the Batgirl costume now!”

          “What do you have in mind?” the same lieutenant asked.

          “From a distance, it’s possible that none will suspect that she is not Batgirl. Have her ride the Bat-cycle around for at least 30 minutes. Dump it in one of the known crime bosses areas where it will be found. Take the wench to a different bosses area and leave the outfit there to be found. I want Batman and the Police Commissioner to think they killed their precious Batgirl and did something to Barbra Gordon.”

          “What about her?” he pointed to the woman putting on the Batgirl suit.

          “She has not been with us long enough to be properly vetted. She’s a liability and lose end. So, once she is naked in the van, process her like a new capture. She can wake up in the slave pens too.” Rudkar Cross thought for a moment. “Male or female, anyone that has not been vetted gets shipped. One wrong word and our house of cards will crumble. I want nothing that will tie Barbra Gordon or Batgirl to us.” He let out a long sigh. “Much as I would love to keep her cowl and belt as trophies. It’s best that they end up as evidence against the Riddler or Joker that drawing questions here or in Cos.”

          Beside, Rudkar thought to himself, why do I need them when I will have her as my slave.