Hate Myself For Loving You
Folc4evernaday
Chapter 14: In Too Deep
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Death Pill Exposed – Scientist Linked to Attempt on DA’s Life!By Lois Lane and Clark Kent
Perry White set a copy of the Daily Planet’s mock-up for the evening edition on his desk, glancing over the photo and headline that had accompanied the article on Stanley Gables’ arrest. It still amazed him how something so intricate like faking an inmate’s death could be planned out in order to cause such chaos in the world. If these criminal masterminds would spend half their energy focusing on trying to make a difference in the world rather than destroying it such horrors like cancer might not exist.
He tapped his hand against his chin, skimming the mock-up and finding the article on Christopher Gomez’s rise from the dead. He let out a snort as he recalled his reaction when he’d first heard the news that not only were former criminals being given this drug - this resurrection drug - but also potential witnesses. There would be plenty of material for follow-ups and further investigation into just who had been behind the resurrection drug, but for now, he would call the arrest and exposure of the corruption of the Assistant Medical Examiner, Melissa Scott and former scientist, Stanley Gables a win.
“Chief?” Jimmy poked his head inside Perry’s office, resting a hand on the doorframe. “The photos from the bust on Gables’ arrest are ready.”
Perry waved Jimmy inside the office, gesturing to his desk for Jimmy to set the photos down. He unfolded the pair of eyeglasses that were tucked in the pocket of his dress shirt and put them on, leaning toward the stack of prints to examine them under his critical gaze.
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Lois kicked her foot against the tire of her Jeep, wincing slightly as she felt the bounce back from the rubber tire. Her sour mood had consumed her after the chaotic bundle of a mess the Metropolis P.D. had made of what should have been an open and shut case came to light. Not only was their star witness against this Albie Swanson dead but the two-star culprits and supposed ringleaders behind this entire scheme were nowhere to be found.
A shudder ran through her as she was suddenly filled with a sense of dread, wondering just how safe anywhere in Metropolis was - given the sociopath behind the threats and stalking was now on the lamb. 'One of them anyway,' she was reminded as her inner doubts and insecurities began to get the best of her. The turmoil from the last few days threatened to become too much for her as she blinked back the burning tears in her eyes.
The mixture of euphoric relief mixed with panic filled her mind. On one hand several of the conspirators behind this resurrection operation had been arrested. On the other, there were still some assailants out there. The assistant medical examiner was still missing. McCarthy and Albie Swanson, and apparently they had a very alive Rollie Vale. A chill ran down her spine at the realization that her other stalker could very well be one of the other criminals on the run. Why go to all this trouble to smuggle criminals out of prison?
“Lois?”
She heard her name and jumped, startled by the familiar sound of Clark’s voice behind her. “Hey, what’s up?” she quickly covered as he walked up to her with the file jacket they’d retrieved from Henderson. She pointed to the file jacket, “Was Henderson able to get us a copy of the personnel file on Melissa Scott?”
Clark nodded and pointed to the Jeep that was half a foot away, “Everything okay?”
“Fine,” she lied, turning away from her quicker than she needed as she busied herself with unlocking the driver’s side door. She could feel his gaze on her as she reached her hand out to grasp the door handle, hoping the retreat inside her Jeep would alleviate the overwhelming sense of dread and panic that threatened to consume her.
Clark’s hand reached around to rest on her shoulder and he offered up an acute observation with his knowing gaze, “No, you’re not.”
“Fine, you’re right,” Lois said hurriedly, yanking the door open and climbing inside. “Happy?”
The door hung open and Clark leaned inside, his head dipped low as he looked back at her with a solemn expression, “Lois, we’re going to catch McCarthy and whoever else is working with him.”
Lois stared down at her hands sitting in her lap, uncertain how to respond. She shouldn’t be surprised. He had always been able to read her so well. A trait that had both endeared him to her and yet unnerved her all at the same time. The static haze from the overwhelming ‘what-ifs’ that raced through her mind hung over her, taunting her with the reminder that despite all of their best efforts there were still several threats out there. Not only did they have more questions than answers but they had a dead witness on their hands and a murder to solve. The more they dug the more dangerous the situation became.
She had been in dangerous situations before. Taken down the corrupt and sadistic but this felt different. Much like the times when Kyle Griffin had set his sights on torturing her with his sick pranks, this felt personal. The stalking and the threats weren’t directed at Metropolis or a group of individuals but at her personally. Now with McCarthy on the run and still not being any closer to identify her second stalker she felt exposed. There were names for them to look into but no leads on where this Albie or even Rollie Vale had disappeared to.
Clark extended his hand to her, tossing the file jacket inside the Jeep, “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Lois raised an eyebrow at him with and offered him a quizzical gaze as she took his hand, “Where?”
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Dan Scardino set the folder in front of him, waiting for the suspect in custody to be brought in for questioning. Diego Martinez had been one of the terrorists he and Jenna had taken down at the time of McCarthy’s arrest. He had also been one of the supposedly dead criminals to be resurrected by Stanley Gables’ resurrection pill. Now that he was back in custody he planned to use Diego to get to the bottom of what McCarthy’s plans were and where the sociopathic leech was lurking.
The door buzzed and the metal door slid open revealing a very agitated Diego Martinez jangling the secure chains that were wrapped around his waist and ankles as he entered the room with a sneer. “Scardino.”
“Martinez,” Scardino glared back at the prisoner in front of him. “I’m disappointed. You had a reunion with the old gang and I didn’t even get an invite.” Dan shook his head. “Tsk, tsk, tsk, I’m hurt.”
“Well, Scardino, you always did crash the parties with your rules and laws you expected us to follow, " Diego snorted back.
"Yeah, silly me, " Scardino scoffed, "I don't want you killing innocent children and families."
"You're not gonna find him, " Martinez narrowed his steely gaze at Dan Scardino. "He was long gone with that rat Albie well before you and your caravan came breaking in. McCarthy won't be found unless he wants you to find him." Martinez let out a light chuckle, "And I think we both know that by then it'll be too late."
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The cool air blew through Lois' hair as Clark cradled her in his arms, flying them higher and higher until they had reached the altitude where he felt they were safe from the intruding outside world. Even flying through the sky at super-speed he found himself overwhelmed by the sometimes overwhelming sounds from the world below. Radio frequencies, airline pilots and military jets all soaring through the air at an alarming rate. But here. Here above the clouds all of the distractions from the world below came to a grinding halt.
"You okay?" Clark asked, wrapping his cape over her shoulders as he held her close.
She nodded, looking around the clouds that surrounded them, “It’s beautiful up here.”
Clark nodded, raising his eyebrows as he gazed up at the dark blue sky above them. “This place – I come here when I just need to clear my head.” He shook his head. “Think without the intrusion of … the entire world.” A smile peaked across the corners of his mouth and he shrugged, “You seemed like you needed the distraction.”
Lois let out a short breath, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “Well, it certainly beats sulking behind the wheel and yelling at idiot drivers.”
“Probably safer too,” Clark commented with a light chuckle. A pause fell between them and he tightened his arms around her, uncertain if he should continue the conversation or let the silence fill the void between them.
Lois’ smile spread and she turned her head to look at him, looping her arms around his neck, “I suppose everything with McCarthy and the threats may have gotten to me more than I let on.”
“You don’t have to explain,” Clark reassured her. He could feel the strain from the emotion he was attempting to hold back continue to bear down on him. What he wanted to do more than anything was to take Lois with him and find a place where she would be safe from these threats, but he knew he couldn’t. Instead he opted to accept the cards handed to him and suffer in silence as he waited for the day when he could bring the lowlifes lurking in the dark corners of the world to justice.
“They killed her,” Lois said numbly. “Right in the middle of a police station.”
“I know,” Clark felt the tension in his vocal chords give away as his voice cracked beneath the strain.
“Which means there’s probably someone inside the police department that helped them,” Lois mumbled aloud, not really directing her comment to him. “We could have gotten some answers from her.”
“Maybe,” Clark agreed, tightening his arms around her instinctively. “We will find them, Lois.”
“You don’t know that,” Lois shook her head. “No one knows where McCarthy is or who this other stalker is.” She let out a snort, “How long do you think Henderson is going to keep a patrol outside my apartment before he just up and gives up?”
“I’m not giving up,” Clark clarified.
“You can’t be everywhere at once,” Lois pointed out.
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he said, reaching his hand out to cup her cheek. His eyes met hers and for a brief moment he could feel the electrical storm pulse through him, tempting him with the memory of being this close to her – able to act on how he felt without balancing between giving her the space she asked for and being the friend he always had been.
What he wouldn’t give to just throw caution to the wind and close the distance between them – the unbearable distance that he knew he had put there. He wanted – needed to feel that closeness again – but he knew things were far too fragile for him to allow a moment of impulsive weakness to shatter everything. For now, he would have to find contentment with the occasional close moments between them - letting Lois set the pace and taking her lead.
"I know, " she murmured softly, reaching a hand out to touch his cheek.
He swallowed hard and his eyes fluttered closed as he savored the sweet caress of her touch. A turmoil of mixed emotions tumbled within him. He wanted more than anything to forget every reason he’d given himself not to just lean in and kiss her so he could brush every fear and anxious plea from her mind and then hold her close and never let go. His forehead rested against hers for a long moment, contemplating his options before he cowered back, turning to look around the white array of light tones beneath them where the clouds covered all visibility into the world below.
“You know, I discovered this place by accident. Dumb luck testing how high I could fly. I used to come up here and just sort of drift…not really part of the stars…not knowing where I fit in…”
A saddened expression filled her eyes and she placed a hand on his chest, “Clark?”
He let out a long sigh, “It wasn’t until I came to Metropolis that I really figured out where I fit in. My purpose…to help those in need...but what good are all these gifts if I can’t keep those I care about safe?”
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Albie Swanson set his keycard down on the desk and then turned to look around the room with a critical gaze. The cash he had smuggled out of the Gables estate would deplete soon but it had been enough to get him a new identity and the proper papers to remain under the watchful eye of law enforcement.
He tapped the face of his watch checking the time as if it could have changed in the last few seconds. The phone in his room rang and he jumped, startled by the break in silence. He crossed the distance in his room to answer the phone.
"Hello?"
"I trust you've checked in successfully?" The thick middle eastern accent came through the telephone earpiece.
"Me. Muunour, " Albie breathed with a sigh of relief. "Have you had time to examine the package I sent?"
"What exactly would Lebanon have to gain from such medical experiments, Mr. Swanson?"
Albie let out a light chuckle, "The entire world thinking your enemy is dead while you hold their life in your hands isn't a good enough incentive?" Albie shrugged dismissively, "if you're not interested, I'm sure I can find a buyer who is…"
"Wait!"
"Yes?"
"If we go forward with this deal, I need assurances."
"What kind of assurances?" Albie asked.
"That it won't interfere with another project I've invested my time into." Muunour's time dropped to a deadly whisper as he uttered the name, "Valhalla."
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Dan Scardino shoved his hands in his pockets, unsure what to make of his confrontation with Diego Martinez earlier. He was right. McCarthy was in the wind and any lead he could have had was more than likely gone with the ADA that had disappeared on him. McCarthy never did like loose ends. A scowl crossed his face as he recalled how badly McCarthy’s last loose end had ended.
The gunfire erupting in the Assistant District Attorney’s office had been no small feat to overcome. Where McCarthy had gotten his hands on such powerful artillery when he was supposedly trying to lay low he wasn’t sure. Someone was helping McCarthy and now that they had Gables and Martinez in custody the circle in which McCarthy could operate in was becoming smaller and smaller. His entire old crew was still behind bars and this Albie Swanson was one of the few that might still be helping the convict.
He looked up at the dark brick apartment complex, spotting the patrol unit out front. His lead with ADA Drake might have dried up for now, but there was still another lead he could follow up on.
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A thousand thoughts filled Lois Lane’s mind as the hot water drummed against her back, washing away the suds from the shampoo that had drizzled down from her scalp. Her mind was still swimming from the day. Clark had given exactly what she had needed and then more at exactly the right time. Just like he always did. The flight above the clouds had left her breathless and her mind swimming with thoughts of anything but their investigation or her stalkers lurking in the shadows. A blush crossed her face as she recalled just how close she had been to closing the millimeters of distance between them and indulging herself in a moment of indulgence. But she knew it wouldn’t have been fair to Clark. Though she was growing more and more at ease with herself and him with the revelation she still wasn’t sure where their relationship stood now.
<<“You'll be wearing something elegant. Not too dark…charcoal suit and I'll be dressed in deep violet.”
“Burgundy.”
“Burgundy?”
“Or violet.”>>A smile crossed her face as the memory from their first date came flooding back. The entire evening had been wonderful. She had seen a glimpse of what was possible if she were just honest with herself about her feelings for Clark. He was no longer just her friend. He was no longer just her partner. He was no longer this intangible hero she allowed herself to become mooney-eyed over. With every barrier down and the secret – the big secret – no longer providing a cover to hide from one another she was forced to face the reality of how deep she had fallen. There was no slowly dipping her toe in or testing the water level.
Everything felt so complicated now. Even though the panic and anger were no longer coursing through her fresh off his revelation she still was no closer to feeling as if she knew him – the real him. She supposed in a way it was an ironic twist of fate. Just a few days ago she was conflicted over her relationship with Clark due to how well she thought she knew him. Now here she was faced with how little she actually did. She was slowly coming around but there was still so much she didn’t know- or felt she didn’t anyway. She still had countless questions that she was sure would arise but the more time she spent around him the more she became comfortable with the knowledge that her friend the superhero and her friend the farmboy from Kansas were one and the same.
She stepped out of the shower and wrapped her towel around her, as she patted herself dry. She padded her way into the bedroom, pulling out a pair of dark violet pinstriped pajamas from her dresser drawer. She grabbed the hairdryer from the counter and turned it on, aiming it at her damp hair as she leaned over to dry it. She moved the hairdryer back and forth, aiming the warm air at her damp hair when the sound of glass shattering followed by a sharp creak reached her ears.
She set the dryer down, clicking it off and reaching for the toilet plunger hidden under the sink. She heard another creak and what sounded like footsteps coming from the living room.
A rush of adrenaline pulsed through her as she flattened herself against the bedroom wall, brandishing the bathroom plunger as a weapon. Who was it? McCarthy? The other stalker? She felt her heart thumping against her chest at an alarming rate as she peeked over the corner of her bedroom wall, checking the living room where she saw a figure move beneath the veil of darkness.
Panic rose up inside her as her mind screamed at her over how this shouldn’t or couldn’t be happening. A patrol car was just outside. How had they missed this? And of course, she had shrugged off the concerns Perry and Clark had expressed over her returning to her apartment so soon.
The footsteps moved further in the living room and she tightened her grasp on the plunger she held in her hands. Summing up all the inner-strength she could, she tightened her grip on the end of the plunger and took a hard swing as she lunged her way into the living room. The sound of a muffled yelp and a hard thud filled her eardrums as she felt her would-be assailant beneath her and smiled to herself. ‘I’ve got you now.’ She prepared to deliver a hard blow with the end of the plunger when she heard a familiar voice cry out.
“Wait, wait, wait!”
The light flickered on and fury flashed in her eyes as she held the plunger in her hand and stared at the familiar face in shock,
“Scardino?!” ________________________________________
TBC...
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