The Matchmaker Files - An Unusual Proposal
Rated PG-13
G -
Story - TOC* emphasis*
<thoughts>
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Previously
When they were finally able to see the farm, in the distance through the foliage, Lois said, "Okay, here's the plan. We know that whatever they say they're doing there is not what they're actually doing. So, we stay here until we see them doing it." Thinking of something Lois frowned, "Maybe we should have brought lunch."
In a very dry tone, Clark said, "Great plan. Look, as I see it, we need to find out who's behind this. We need to spy on them until we know who that is."
Lois turned on him and said, "Yeah, like I said, we spy on them, now if you have a better one, speak up."
Just as Lois finished speaking an individual in a camouflage uniform, his face painted in a camouflage pattern and holding a Colt .45 automatic dropped out of a tree next to them.
Seeing this, Clark rushed the guy, shouting to Lois, "Lois, get out of here!"
A second agent appeared out of the bushes, this one was holding an M-16. Lois attacked him, getting in a kick that almost dislocated his knee.
One more, this one with a Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun with a pistol grip sprang out of the bushes and shouted, "Freeze!" so Lois and Clark stopped moving.
The agent that Clark had been struggling with took the opportunity to vent his anger by punching Clark in the stomach.
Clark was bent over gasping for a few seconds as a result of the blow. When he straightened up he said, wryly, "Well, there goes the picnic."
Under guard by this crew, Lois and Clark were hustled away and into the back of a cargo van. Two of the guards climbed in back with them while the third drove. A few minutes later they stopped and the back doors were pulled open.
As they were climbing out, Lois said to Clark, "Just in case you were wondering, this wasn't in the plan."
The guards started to manhandle them, pushing them in the direction that they wanted them to go.
Clark replied, "I had a hunch."
Lois started shouting, "Who are you guys? Who do you work for? Do you know who we are?"
As the guards stopped shoving them, Lois stopped shouting. When they stopped, they were facing a tent. Suddenly, Trask stepped from the tent. His men were in a mix of uniforms which was another indication of the rogue nature of his organization. Some, like the ones that had captured them, wore the camouflage battle dress uniform while he preferred the olive drab jungle fatigue which dated to the Viet Nam War era. He said, "So many questions and from someone in such a precarious position." He laughed as he spoke.
In startled recognition Lois said, "Trask! What are you doing in Smallville?"
Putting his hands on his hips he replied, "Now, here I was, wondering the same ... thing ... about ... you."
In an irritated tone, Clark replied, "We came here to celebrate the Corn Festival. Then we heard about an EPA cleanup. Our editor thought it could possibly be another Love Canal."
Smugly, Trask replied, "You're not here for your environmental virtue any more than I am. You know it and I know it.
The realization of just who they were up against finally hit them and they exchanged looks.
Clark challenged, "What have you done with Wayne Irig?"
Trask, with that malevolent grin said, "Why, I … let him go." He paused to let that sink in before he continued, "Yes, you see, small town ties mean a lot. Any other man would have given up their contact in a minute. But this man, this man took sodium pentothal and a couple of broken fingers and he still wouldn't talk. Then it came to me. Let him go."
Just then Ms. Sherman emerged from the tent behind Trask. Spotting her, Lois said, "You're not as clever as you think. I knew she was a fake all along."
Surprised by this remark, Trask asked, "Really? How?"
Lois spat out, "Too competent to work for the government." Lois directed her next question to Ms. Sherman, "How'd you get into this, Sherman?"
Trask moved over directly in front of Lois, so close that Lois could smell his bad breath. His exasperation was showing as he said to the guards, "You are really starting to get on my nerves. Get her out of my sight, now, please."
Lois glared daggers at him.
Trask started to raise his hand as if to strike Lois. Clark was almost mad with anxiety about Lois' safety and he struggled against his captors as he shouted, "Leave her alone, Trask. Don't you touch her, or …"
Lowering his hand, Trask asked, "Or what, Mr. Kent? Huh? What will you do?"
The guards were hustling Lois toward the tent and Clark continued to struggle against the ones holding him, but was powerless to break free.
As Lois was being led away she shouted to Sherman, "Did they recruit you? Did you think you were getting into government work?"
Trask shouted at her, "Shut up!"
Lois continued to shout at Sherman, "Instead, you're a thug. Is that what you went to college for? To be a thug?"
Trask, losing his patience completely, gestured at the holding tent and Lois was shoved inside.
As Lois disappeared into the tent, Clark, in anguish, shouted, "Lois!"
Trask stepped closer to Clark and said, "Relax, Mister Kent. My business is with you, not her."
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Clark interrupted this time, "I remember, Trask tried to give me the third degree. At the time, without my powers, there wasn't much I could do."
"Yeah, they dragged me into that other tent and tied me to a chair. I didn't know what Trask was after, but I knew it wouldn't be good. He had proved that in our first encounter."
"Trask is the same in almost every universe he appears in. His fear and paranoia overrule his good sense. He was totally fixated on the destruction of Superman. Of course, in hindsight we know that if he had succeeded, most of the human race would have been doomed to destruction when the Nightfall asteroid hit. It was only Superman's presence that prevented that global disaster."
And now
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Chapter 14
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A few minutes later Clark found himself sitting at a table in another tent, separated from Lois. Worry about what was happening to her was eating him up and the fact that without his powers he couldn't even hear her heartbeat to know her emotional condition had him in a state.
Remembering what Trask had done in their previous encounter put the lie to his assertions that he wouldn’t do anything to harm her. The last time he had caused her to be thrown out of an airplane, without a parachute. If he hadn’t followed her out, risking exposure when he was shot at by one of the thugs, she would have died.
Looking around and taking in his surroundings he saw that there were several of Trask's agents scattered around, each of them bearing weapons. Once he was seated and the guards had backed away, Trask had moved in and was leaning over the table at his side, his face close enough that when he spoke Clark snorted and almost sneezed to clear his nose of the offensive stench of his breath. Trask, using what he thought to be an ingratiating tone said, "I'm going to make you a deal, Mr. Kent, trusting that your stay in Metropolis has put some sense into your head. Give up the alien and I'll let you live."
Hearing this promise was not at all comforting. He knew that no matter what he said or did, Trask was planning on killing him and in his current state, powerless – in more ways than one, he realized that he had to play for time, as much time as he could gain and also try to deflect him from Lois, so Clark, heaving an exasperated sigh replied, "What makes you think I would do that even if I could?
Trask, as if proposing a solution to a puzzle said, "Kent, I’ve checked on you. You were born in 1966 and Superman came to Smallville around the time you were born. There has to be a connection. Tell me what it is and you live."
Continuing to play for time, by professing ignorance, Clark's reply was disappointing to Trask, "There's nothing to tell. I'm learning all this for the first time right now. What makes you so sure that he came to Earth in 1966 if he came to Earth at all? Are you sure he isn’t just an advanced human?"
Determined that he was right and unwilling to accept any other explanation, no matter how reasonable, Trask slammed his hand down on a stack of folders that littered the desk. Startled, Clark jumped and Trask almost shouted in his exasperation, "I'm trying to
save humanity from an
alien invader, Kent!"
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In the living room at 348 Hyperion, Lois interrupted Herb again, "If Trask had still been around when the New Kryptonians arrived, he would have been convinced that he had been correct all along. Even though he had actually been wrong in his assumptions. Clark wasn't the advance man, he was another victim. Clark was as much a victim as the rest of the people in Smallville when Nor took over and if it hadn’t been for Clark, Nor would be running things even now."
Clark offered, "Yeah, but you never could have convinced him of that. He would have been the one to fire that RPG with the Kryptonite gas and hoped that I died along with Nor."
Lois rebutted, "We're just lucky that Nor and his henchmen were there and that their bodies covered you, protecting you from the gas."
Lois turned back to Herb and asked, "You told us that in that other universe, Lois killed Trask. Is this one going to have to do that? I’m glad I didn’t have to do that. I don’t know if I could have lived with that on my conscience. It was bad enough when Luthor jumped to his death and I wasn’t even responsible."
Herb smiled and replied, "Why don't I tell some more of the story?"
In a frustrated tone, Lois said, "Okay, but don't keep stopping this way. I hate it when you stop."
Realizing that it was Lois that stopped him, but deciding to not point it out, Herb smiled and continued.
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In response to Trask’s assertion, Clark's reply was succinct, "You have no proof of that Trask!"
To Clark's relief, Trask moved around so that he was on the opposite side of the table from him. At least his bad breath would be diluted by the intervening air. Trask pointed a finger at him and said, "There's another possibility. Perhaps this alien has taken over your mind. Perhaps it has infused you with its power."
Clark shook his head in disbelief, "Nobody's infused me with any power. Nobody's taken over my mind, Trask, not even you." The depths of the insanity of this man continued to frighten Clark.
As Clark finished speaking, Sherman entered through the tent flap. Trask noted her arrival and walked over to receive her report.
When he approached, she said, "We got a location on Irig." She looked significantly at Clark before she continued, "He's heading down the access road to the home of a Jonathan
Kent."
Trask turned and looked again at Clark and when he did he addressed him, "Clark, why didn't you
tell me this was a family affair? I would have gone easier on you." Trask swung into motion, shouting orders, "Put him in the van with me. Make sure the phone lines are cut at the Kent house. I'll take two men with me. The rest of you break camp. Meet at Delta rendezvous at 1800."
Sherman addressed Trask with a question, "What about me?"
Trask was contemptuous as he replied, "What about you? You'll stay and help move the operation."
Sherman, with a resigned expression, turned and left the tent. She didn’t like the situation she had gotten herself into and was trying to think of a way to extricate herself and do it in such a way as to preserve her life and freedom, for her daughter’s sake. As she left the tent a plan started to form and this move might give her the opportunity she was seeking. It would all depend on her being accepted as one of the gang. She would have to play along, until she could do what needed to be done. Accordingly she headed for the tent in which Lois was being confined. She needed to pass along the order to start packing up.
After Sherman had departed, trusting that his orders were going to be followed, Trask turned to his guards and selecting two of them, he said, "You and you, let's go. Bring him!"
The guards, some of which had been recruited from the dregs of humanity and given a rudimentary military training were not gentle with Clark as they hustled him to the van. Before even allowing him to stand, they applied shackles to wrists and ankles.
All the time that the guards were applying the shackles Clark had been wishing for his powers and worrying about Lois and her welfare. Trask had said that he was the one he was interested in, but based on what he had seen of Trask, that was no guarantee of her safety. However, Clark had no options. Without his powers he was utterly powerless in the hands of his enemy.
As the guards were placing the manacled Clark into the back of the van, Jimmy was in the bushes at the side of the clearing. He had been eating an apple as he was taking pictures using a long telephoto lens. When he saw the guards bring Clark out he shoved the apple in his mouth to hold it while he took pictures. He got snaps of Clark wearing shackles and being hustled into the back of the van. He also got a shot of Trask as he came out of the tent. When Trask appeared Jimmy recognized him immediately, his mouth dropped open in shock and the apple he had been eating fell to the ground. He now realized that this situation was worse than it appeared on the surface and he knew he had to get help.
One of the guards entered the back of the van and rearranged the shackles so that Clark was even more helpless. And then moved to a seat.
After the van pulled away, Jimmy grabbed his equipment and high-tailed it for his rental car. Jumping in the car he drove with abandon for town.
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A short time later at the Kent farm, Jonathan and Martha were standing in the shed. The old tool box was sitting atop a bale of hay, open and the green crystals were visible. Even with sunshine streaming in through the windows the sickly, evil green glow of the crystals was still evident.
Jonathan was staring at the offending rock as he addressed Martha, "I don't know what to do with it. I can't give it to anybody but I sure as heck don't want to keep this anywhere near Clark."
Martha expressed her confusion, "Sometimes I don't understand why things happen. How all his life he's always talked about being 'normal.' Now he is. It's what he says he wants, but ..."
"Martha, it doesn't feel right, because Clark's not normal. Normal for him is being super. Until I opened that box ... Just yesterday, while we were working, he was saying how he had never gotten a blister before or sweated from working in the sun.""
Martha picked up on just what her husband was feeling and moved over to comfort him, "Don't blame yourself, Jonathan. You didn't do this to him."
In a gesture of disgust, Jonathan flipped the top of the tool box closed.
The echoes of the sound of the box closing bouncing off the walls of the shed had barely died when suddenly they were interrupted by a banging on the window and a shout, "Jonathan! It's Wayne Irig!"
Surprised at suddenly seeing his friend and feeling some relief at actually seeing him after having been told by Lois and Clark that they thought he was in trouble, Jonathan shouted, "Wayne! Where have you been?"
Wayne entered the shed and that's when Jonathan got a good look at him. He looked battered and beaten. There was a bandana wrapped around his hand which he cradled in his other hand. He was obviously in a lot of pain. Jonathan blurted out, "Wayne! My God, look at you. What did they
do to you?"
Typical of Wayne Irig, a man of few words, he cut right to the chase, "We've got a problem, Jonathan, a bad one."
Jonathan was very solicitous of Wayne's condition and tried to assist him to sit on a bale of hay.
Instead of sitting, Wayne started to pace with nervous energy, Jonathan was sure that if one of his hands hadn't been injured somehow, Wayne would have been flinging his arms around.
Trying to calm his friend down, Jonathan said, "Okay. All right. I'm with you. Calm down, Wayne." Then aside, he said to Martha, "Martha, get a doctor."
Before Martha had a chance to move toward the door, Wayne, in an agitated tone said, "No, I'm all right. But, there's
men up at my place.
Men with
guns. They're looking for that blasted
rock I gave you." Looking around in something as close to panic as Jonathan had ever seen in Wayne Irig he continued, "We've got to get to the police,
now."
Jonathan didn't like this turn. He had just been talking about disposing of the rock in order to protect Clark and keep it a secret, now Wayne wanted to bring in the police. He had to use what influence he had with Wayne to control the situation. "Wayne, we've been friends for years. You trust me, don't you?"
Wayne looked at Jonathan with a question in his eyes. He couldn't figure out why Jonathan would ask a question like that. There was actually only one answer he could give, "Sure."
Nodding at Wayne's answer, Jonathan pressed ahead, "Then believe me. That green rock is
dangerous. But we
can't call the police and we
can't let those men have it either."
Wayne was confused. Jonathan was saying something, but it didn't match up with what he had seen. "What do you mean, 'dangerous'? What does it do?"
"Wayne, you're gonna have to trust me when I say it makes some people sick, that's all I know. So no more red tape, you and me, we're going to go destroy it right now. Somehow ..."
They had been so centered on the conversation they were having, that they hadn't heard the van drive up and the first indication that they were not alone was when Trask kicked in the door of the shed. He was followed by the two agents as he stepped in.
He took in the tableau and then, obviously having overheard, said in response to Jonathan's statement, "I don't think so."
Trask spotted the oversized tool box where it was sitting atop a hay bale. He stepped over to it and opened it. The sickly green glow permeated the entire shed once again.
Jonathan and Martha shared a worried look.
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After Jimmy left to get help the camp became a flurry of activity. Sherman started going from group to group, relaying the order to pack up and move out that Trask had given. The workers immediately started packing up equipment. Calls were made on walkie-talkies and flat beds started arriving for the bulldozers and other heavy equipment to be loaded on. Other agents started removing tables, chairs, file cabinets and other office paraphernalia from the tents and loading them onto trucks.
Ms. Sherman entered the tent where Lois was being held and addressed the guard, "You need to help pack up. We're leaving."
The guard glanced at Lois and saw that she was still bound, but hesitated. When the guard glanced in her direction, Lois stopped moving, but as soon as he turned away she resumed her attempts to get free of her bonds.
Sherman said, "Trask said that everyone needs to help. We have to load all of the heavy equipment. You can go. I'll watch her."
The guard believing that the order was from Trask and simply being relayed by Sherman nodded and left.
Lois addressed Sherman, in a sarcastic tone, "Social call or business?"
Sherman decided that she needed to give the guard sufficient time to be out of earshot so she played her part. She had seen that Lois was trying to escape her bonds, but didn't move to assist and at least didn't try to prevent her as she replied, although reluctantly, "You talk like someone who doesn't understand the trouble she's in," just in case the guard was listening.
Lois replied, sarcastically, "I know exactly what's going on. I know that if Trask hasn't killed somebody yet, he's about to. And that'll make you an accessory to murder."
Sherman, had been in the process of arranging the files that were scattered over a table prior to putting them in a box for transport, she stopped, walked quietly to the tent flap and checked. When she saw the guard’s retreating back, she heaved a silent sigh of relief. She then turned to Lois and said in a defeated tone, "You're right. Trask is a madman," as she walked over to her.
Lois challenged, "You just now figured this out?"
"No, but I have a daughter to worry about." As she was saying this, now being assured that the guard had left, Sherman started to remove Lois's bonds.
Lois betrayed her surprise when Sherman started to release her.
Sherman noticed this and said, "Trask
is a madman. Look, I’ve got a little girl depending on me. If he kills me or if I go to jail as an accessory, it's all the same. You want to know just how mad he is? He has your friend's parents. He's going to make it look like a fire burned the place down with them in it."
Horrified at this prospect and thinking of the older couple and the man that she had so recently, she had to admit to herself, come to rely on, in an anguished tone, Lois almost shouted, "Martha and Jonathan! And Clark?"
Nodding her head, Sherman said, "Yes, but Trask has other plans for him."
As Sherman parted the last of the ropes, Lois asked, "Like what?" Lois started rubbing her wrists where the ropes had chaffed.
"Trask thinks that Clark knows how to find Superman. He thinks some rock they found here can kill him."
Hearing this Lois became worried, worried for Clark and worried for Superman. Spotting the field telephone, she asked, "Does that thing work?"
"I guess. I saw them using it."
Picking up the handset Lois heard a dial tone. She looked for a rotary dial and didn't find any. She saw a crank on the side and remembering some old movies decided to try it. She gave the crank a twirl and listened. Finally an operator came on the line, "Number please."
Speaking into the handset, Lois said, "Operator, I don't know the number. I need to talk to Sheriff Harris."
"I'll connect you." There was a pause and then Lois heard, "Smallville Sheriff's Office."
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Unbeknownst to Lois or Clark, Jimmy Olsen had been sent to get pictures and had seen a manacled Clark being man handled into the back of a van and had recognized Trask. He had high tailed it in to town to alert the Sheriff.
Jimmy ignored a dozen traffic regulations on his way into town and once in town he spotted a police patrol car parked at the town square. He skidded to a stop and jumped out of the car. As he did, he realized that in his haste he had neglected to remove the camera bag, the strap of which was still over his shoulder. The thing that reminded him of it was the fact that it caught on the steering when and almost caused him to fall flat on his face as he exited the car. He had barely remembered to shut the engine off, but once out of the car and on his feet, he sprinted to a man in uniform and addressed him, "Sheriff, we’ve got an emergency!"
Rachel had watched with concern as this mad man drove into the center of town and then with amusement as he extricated himself from his vehicle. Then overhearing this and somewhat protective of her position said, "Over here."
Jimmy did a double take as the deputy smiled and pointed at Rachel.
Rachel stepped over and took the keys from Jimmy's hand and flipping them to Deputy Cooper said, "Coop, would you put this car somewhere legal, please?"
Snagging the keys from mid-air, Coop nodded and headed for the car to move it.
Turning back to Jimmy, Rachel said, "If this is some kind of emergency, you'd better start talking … fast."
Jimmy was so excited he was almost totally incoherent as he launched into a Lois-like babble, "Okay, right. There's a guy, his name's Trask, he thinks there are UFO's, I mean, there
are UFO'S, but this guy collects them. Anyway he's here in Smallville and he's got my friends and we gotta go save them now or they're gonna be toast. Do you know how to call the Army? The National Guard? We're gonna need some kind of helicopter ..."
Rachel gave this very excitable and excited young man a close appraisal trying to decide whether to believe him or arrest him. She was torn. Finally she decided to get more information. "You're not from around here, are you?"
Jimmy, calming down somewhat replied, "My name is Jimmy Olsen. I'm from Metropolis. I'm with the Daily Planet and my friends -"
Rachel interrupted him at this point and her face brightening up said, "Clark Kent."
Jimmy brightened up, she knew them, he added, "and Lois Lane."
Rachel's face fell as she said, "Oh, her," her face looked like she had just bitten into a particularly sour lemon as she did.
Not picking up on Rachel's attitude, Jimmy continued, "The guy who's got them, Trask, he could do anything, including murder them."
Rachel, seeing how agitated and yet sincere he was decided that immediate action would be needed. She turned toward the patrol car and said, "Get in."
There was some confusion as they tried to move past one another with Rachel heading for the driver’s seat. All she could do was shake her head at this very excited city boy.
As soon as Jimmy was in and the door closed Rachel pushed down on the gas pedal and peeled away. As they started to head out of town, Rachel asked, "Where are they?"
"They were at a farm. I think the name started with an ‘I’.”
"Would it be the Irig farm?”
“Yeah, that’s the one.”
Rachel picked up the microphone of her two-way radio and keying the microphone said, "Unit one to Base. This is the sheriff. I need back-up. Have all cars report to the Irig farm, ASAP."
After receiving acknowledgements from her deputies, Rachel put the microphone in its clip and then said to Jimmy, "By the way, my name is Rachel Harris."
"Pleased to meet you, Sheriff."
She paused for a few seconds before she asked, "How well do you know Clark Kent?"
Jimmy smiled and said, "Me and CK? We're best buds."
"Has he ever mentioned me?"
If Jimmy answered it was drowned out by the roar of the engine. Seconds later, before she could ask him to repeat his answer, a call came in on the police radio for the sheriff. The dispatcher said, "Sheriff, I've got some woman talking about UFOs and the government and Superman. It's probably a crank. Should I blow her off?"
Rachel realized, from the description, just who it was and said, "No, it's okay, patch her through." Then keying her microphone again she said, "Go ahead Lois."
Lois was frantic as she said, "Sheriff, you have to get to the Kent farm, immediately."
Rachel replied, "Copy that. I'm on my way to the Irig farm to check out the disturbance there."
Lois said, "Forget that! That's where I am. They're packing up to leave. You need to get to the Kent farm …
now. The Kents are in danger."
"I'm on my way!" Rachel put on her lights and siren because to this point she had been code 1, no lights, no siren. A short time later she was halted at the railroad crossing by a freight train.
She picked up her microphone and keying it sent, "All units, I need units 3 and 4 to report to the Irig place, all others respond directly to the Kent farm. The freight has me blocked. I'll get there as quick as I can."
Jimmy, seeing that they weren't moving and probably wouldn't be for some time thought that now would be an appropriate time to try the signal watch and try to get Superman's help. He leaned out of the car window and holding his wrist up triggered the signal while muttering to himself as if speaking to the superhero he said, "I'll apologize later, big guy."
While they are waiting, Rachel removed her revolver; a chrome-plated western style six-shooter, from its holster and checked to make sure it was loaded.
Jimmy could see that her hands were shaking somewhat so he asked, "You ever fire that before?"
Rachel had a nervous smile to go along with her shaking hands as she replied, "Of course I've fired it, but, only on the range. Smallville's not exactly what you would call the crime capitol of the world."
Jimmy quipped, "Not exactly a confidence builder."
When she finished checking the revolver, she replaced it in its holster and returned to the other topic, "This, Lois. Does she love Clark and does he love her?"
"Gee, Sheriff, I don't know. It was only a couple of days ago that we all heard that they were getting married. Nobody knew anything about it before then. I kinda thought that they were getting very friendly before they were promoted to the editor’s office, but then she sort of took the office over and things weren’t the same. It came as a surprise, I tell you. He might have some feelings for her, but who can tell?"
Rachel smiled and nodded her head. The caboose came into sight and Rachel shifted back into drive. As soon as the intersection was clear they were moving.
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"This is getting exciting. Did Rachel get there in time?"
Herb's answer wasn't comforting, "Sort of."
Clark let out a groan, "Oh, no."
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