Catwoman: Soulstealer (DC Icons #3)(84)

But as he beheld the explosions at Arkham, as he beheld the inmates pouring down the bleak road, past the weather-worn Statue of Saint Nicholas, and into the city…He had a second suit at the offices. Changed into it and was out within minutes, soaring between the buildings. A veritable army of cop cars flew down the streets.

Faster. He had to be faster. Lives depended on it.

Luke caught a sharp wind, rising high, spearing for where smoke stained the horizon, gunfire already ringing out along the hill on which Arkham squatted, a hulking Gothic beast.

Chaos. Utter chaos.

And every criminal in the city would be heading there, to get their people out, to engage in what seemed to be all-out war— She’d orchestrated this. Somehow he knew that “Holly” had gone into Arkham so that this melee could happen.

Weaving between buildings, he spotted Gordon’s car and a small circle of police vans and armored trucks a few blocks from the road that would take them to the foothills—to Arkham. Luke soared for them, pushing his wings to the limit.

Gordon seemed to sag in relief as he landed. Startled, some of the other cops went for the guns at their hips. The commissioner motioned them to lower their weapons and pointed to the arc of video screens before him, the live feeds off of several city cameras. “Shut that road down now!” he barked into the walkie-talkie in his hand. Someone on the other end asked how to do it. “Barricades!” Gordon roared.

Luke scanned the screen, the feeds from the road. Too late. Too many of Arkham’s worst had made it into the city. Into the streets. People were fleeing—into shops, into apartment buildings, going anywhere to escape their path.

“The hospital,” Luke breathed, pointing to the building just a few blocks into the Coventry district, right in the path of the road. “Get them to the hospital—”

He braced himself to take off, suit humming.

But Gordon swore.

And Luke looked at the feed of the security cameras right outside the hospital.

They stalked around corners. Down the streets. Armed with baseball bats, brass knuckles, lead pipes. Anything they could get their hands on. Their claws on.

Luke’s heart stopped as the Leopard girl gang prowled for the vulnerable, unguarded doors to the hospital.

“I need backup at GC Medical Hospital immediately!” Gordon roared into the walkie-talkie.

Luke stopped him with a hand on the shoulder.

Because the Leopards…

That was Mika Ikedo. Alpha of the Leopard Pack.

Taking up a defensive, guarding position at the hospital doors.

Flanked by Ani Hernandez, her Second.

Tiffany McBride, her Third.

And at every door, in front of every low-hanging window…Leopards stood watch.

Leopards held the line.

“These people are unbelievable,” Gordon hissed. “They’re guarding the drugs at the hospital for Falcone’s men.” He reached for his walkie-talkie again.

“No, they’re not,” Luke said softly as those girls, some as young as fourteen and some as old as twenty-eight, faced ahead, unafraid and unbowed as the chaos of Arkham barreled for them down the streets. “They’re answering a call for aid.”

Gordon blinked at him, walkie-talkie lowering. “Catwoman.”

Luke nodded.

“Why?” Gordon scanned the screen for any sign of her. “Why not go to Arkham to get her?”

Luke didn’t answer as Gordon began ordering his men into positions across the city.

A nickname, she’d said of her getup. The cat thing had come from a nickname the other assassins had given her.

Leopards inked their victories on their skin. If anything had led to a cat-based nickname…

He’d never seen Holly’s arms. Even in the heat of early fall, she’d worn long sleeves. Every outfit.

To hide the tattoos.

The leopard spots inked there.

“I need your computer,” Luke breathed, not asking for permission as he yanked the nearest laptop to him and had himself in the GCPD database in a few clicks. Had a web browser pulled up beside it.

A state science fair. She’d won a statewide competition.

A veritable glass slipper.

Articles scrolled past. Winners of every science fair, their photos— And there she was.

Not Holly Vanderhees, socialite and heiress.

Selina Kyle, inner-city kid and gang member.

Fourteen years old, dark-haired and unsmiling as she held her statewide science fair trophy. More clippings of various gymnastics competitions. Victories. The dates matched, and the face…It was her. Fierce and focused.

He typed the name into the GCPD database. Selina Kyle. Her record had been scrubbed clean. Luke used a few backdoor hacking codes, and it reappeared.

Born and raised in the most dangerous, underprivileged part of Gotham City. Druggie mother, absent father. The mother who had beat her. That part of her story had rung true, at least. Currently serving a life term in prison for attempted kidnapping and murder, among other things.

But Holly—Selina…top of her class. Top percentile of all exams. Smartest kid in her school district. In every district. Skilled gymnast. And known member of the Leopards.

Theft. Aggravated assault. The charges went on and on.

Undefeated fighter in Carmine Falcone’s underground ring. Vanished two years ago, at age seventeen, after a third strike to her record.