Earle stared out the window.

The view of Vale from Wayne Tower was always pleasing for him. It gave him the feeling of control. As if he was king of the kingdom of Vale.

He heard the door to the boardroom open as someone walked in.

"Sir," said the man who walked in. "We have a situation."

Earle was frustrated with his interruption, but he let the man explain. "Alright."

He noticed the man's nervous expression, and the shaky way he talked as he explained what happened.

"The Coast Guard picked up one of our cargo ships last night. Heavily damaged, all crew missing, probably dead. The ship was carrying a prototype weapon. It's a microwave emitter. It's designed for desert warfare, but it . . ." He paused, having trouble explaining. "It looks like somebody . . . turned it on. It uses focused microwaves to vaporize the enemy's water supply. The damage to the ship was catastrophic. The weapon itself is . . ."

Again, the man paused. But Earle finished for him.

"Missing?"

He nodded.

"Yeah. . ."