“Negative,” Foley ordered. “Stay on Batman.”

Blake spoke up.

“But the perp’s getting away!”

“Who do you want to catch?” Foley scoffed at Blake as if the young rookie was an idiot. “Some robber, or the son of a bitch who killed Harvey Dent?”

Ross kept his mouth shut.

Blake bit down on his tongue.

John Daggett’s luxury penthouse occupied the top floor of a skyscraper in a ritzy uptown neighborhood overlooking the park. Flashy gold trim and black leather furniture advertised his wealth. He paced restlessly back and forth across the king-sized living room while Stryver stood nearby, in case his boss needed him. Every television in the penthouse was tuned to the breaking news story.

“—police aren’t saying much,” a blonde anchorwoman reported. “Frankly, they’re too busy. But all signs suggest that what we’re seeing is in, in fact, the return of the Batman.”

Daggett glared at the screen.

* * *

Only a room away, behind the closed door to Daggett’s home office, Catwoman crouched in front of a safe, working the combination lock. Her lithe figure was wrapped tightly inside a sleek black body suit designed for stealth. Avid brown eyes gazed out from behind a thin black mask. High-tech goggles, raised away from her eyes, cast a shadow that bore a distinct resemblance to the ears of a cat. A black Utility Belt hung low on her hips. Knee-high boots boasted serrated steel heels.

The glow from a spare television set lit up the dark room. She glanced up from her labors in time to catch an aerial shot of a cloaked figure racing down the highway astride the coolest motorcycle she had ever seen. A news copter briefly captured the cycle with its searchlight. The masked cyclist was crouched low upon the wheels, tearing up the highway at high speed. Even from a distance, the rider looked an awful lot like a certain legendary Dark Knight.

“Well, well,” she whispered. “What do you know?”

Ordinarily, she would have enjoyed watching the live coverage herself, but unfortunately she had urgent business to attend to. Assuming that Daggett and his slimy second-in-command were busy watching the news, she cracked the lock and opened the safe. A thick steel door swung open. She reached inside.

There was nothing there.

She frowned, glaring angrily at the empty safe.

It’s not fair, she thought. It was supposed to be here!

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Lights flashing, sirens blaring, two black-and-white police cruisers zipped past Bane as he rode between them, racing in the opposite direction. Intent on joining the chase for Batman, the patrol cars paid no heed, and he appreciated the unexpected diversion. The Dark Knight’s return had only made his own escape easier.

Welcome back, Bane thought. I’ve been waiting for you to emerge from hiding.

Jumping onto a concrete barrier, Bane sped down the rail, leaving the increasingly hectic highway behind. An open drainage tunnel waited at the bottom of the slope. Bane glanced behind him, where it appeared that the entire Gotham City Police Department was closing in. Fleets of police cars screamed down the highway. Choppers tilted across the night sky. Searchlights and sirens disturbed the darkness.