Calling Cardinal

Good Girls and Bad Girls

I walk through the precinct doors to find Lee in a striking smokey eye and strangely flirtatious. She holds a walkie-talkie in her hand. Harvey stands helpless beside her.

"Lee," I say, cautiously making my way up to her. "What have you done?"

"You," she growls. Her eyes turn completely black. Dark red veins pop out of her forehead. "I've done what was necessary. I've done what everyone here was too scared to do. Your brother is a killer, and so are you. How are you any different than—"

My eyes roll up to the tall ceiling. I've heard this lecture before from more threatening people. "Okay, I think that's enough."

"If you scream I swear to God, Sera, I will kill your brother right now."

"Where have you taken him?"

Lee laughs, "You'll never force it out of me. Jim Gordon has a choice to make."

"What choice?"

"He can either run out of air, or he can take the Tetch Virus. I left him a syringe with enough of the infection to escape."

"You buried him?" I grab her by the shoulders. "What the hell happened to you, Lee? This isn't you!"

"This is me." Those black eyes return. She kicks my leg, forcing me to the ground. "This is who I'm meant to be, Cardinal. We have that in common. We've both gone through a beautiful metamorphosis."

"Let me talk to him, please."

Lee moans and groans about it, but eventually gives up her walkie-talkie.

"Jim?" I ask.

"Hello, Sis. It's getting a little hard to breathe down here."

Jim's lost somewhere in this wide city, buried six feet underground with nothing but the Tetch Virus to free him. There's no way I can find him in time. Nobody can. No amount of search parties can find him before he runs out of oxygen.

"You're a doctor," Lee says while filing her nails from Jim's desk. "How long do you think he's got, Cardinal? An hour? Two, if he stops talking."

"I'm coming to find you, Jim. Save your air." I hand the device back to Thompkins.

Bullock shakes his head. "You'll never make it."

"I'll just pound Jim's location out of her head. Sound good, Lee? You ready to go a few rounds?"

Lee stands and drops the talkie onto the desk. "I told you I would kill him if you touched a hair on my head."

"I know a bluff when I hear one." I stride up to her, my fists curling into tight, white balls of bone and anger.

"You'll never get me to talk. You can scream and kick and fight, but I will never tell you where he is. Go ahead, throw a few punches if it makes you feel better."

"I'd throw a few to be sure," Harvey comments. "I'm getting the dogs ready. They're getting his scent as we speak."

"I'll go ahead. If he's buried, he won't be in the city. Focus your search in the wooded areas. I'll take Central Park."

"Good luck." Lee grins and waves as we leave.

As soon as we step into the winter air, I receive a phone call.

"Have you heard from Freeze?" It's Oswald.

"I have, but listen, Lee's buried Jim somewhere in the city."

"Oh my."

"I'm with Harvey Bullock, now. We're out looking for him. He doesn't have much time, Os. What's going on with you?"