TOC Check out this poll. From part 4:
“Well, here’s some good news that oughta cheer you up. While you were gone Jimmy found out that Marshall Holm worked with Malachi and Allyson Potter on something called Project Regenerate. It dealt with the effects of freezing on the brain, but that’s about all the information he could get on the project. Apparently Gendell Technologies is being very tight lipped about their findings.”
“So they did know each other?”
“Yep. It looks like they worked pretty closely together.”
“So somebody else they’ve been working with doesn’t trust them to keep their mouths shut about the project.”
“That’s my guess.”
“Well, I say we head down to Gendell Technologies and have a look around.”
“You read my mind.”* * * * *
**~Part 5~**
Lois and Clark entered the front door of the main Gendell Technologies building and stepped up to the receptionist desk. The woman behind it was a plump and in her late fifties, with a fierce stare fixed on her face, and she wore a nametag that read ‘Gladys.’ Lois sensed that the stare had been that way for so long that it would be that way for eternity.
Gladys was juggling files while answering a set of phone lines, and several messengers had dropped notes on her desk in the short span of time since Lois and Clark had walked through the front door. Lois boldly addressed her over the noise and chaos. “We’d like to speak to someone in your cryogenics department, please.”
She either didn’t hear Lois or was ignoring her. Giving her the benefit of the doubt, Lois repeated her request. This time the woman glanced at Lois through that fierce stare and then looked back at the files and blinking phone lines.
Lois opened her mouth a third time but Clark put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. “If this is a bad time, we can come back later,” he said.
Gladys stopped and glared at Clark. “Do you *see* what I’m doing here? They were *supposed* to hire someone to assist me with all of this, but so far it’s just me and I’m only trying to do about 284 things right now so you can just sit your rear ends down in those chairs over there and I’ll be with you when I’m good and ready for you. Okay?”
“Sure, that’ll be fine.” Clark smiled and pulled Lois toward the seating area, but as soon as Gladys’ attention went back to the chaos on her desk, Lois pulled him toward the hallway leading to the building’s interior.
“Lois!” he hissed. “What are you doing?”
“Oh, she’s never going to be any help. Let’s just take the self-guided tour.”
Trying to look nonchalant, Lois read the labels on the doors they passed, and she stopped when she reached one that read ‘Cryogenics Research Office.’ She opened the door slowly and peered inside.
The kid at the desk inside the office was the opposite of the woman they’d seen at the front of the building. He was young, scrawny, and wore thick coke-bottle glasses. Better yet, he looked bored.
“The Cryogenics lab is the next door on the left.”
Lois’ voice was all business. “Hi. Actually we’re from Human Resources. I’m Miss Manes and this is Mr. Way. Gladys at the front desk has requested that you help her with her duties.”
The kid looked puzzled, but shrugged and left the office to give Gladys a hand. Clark shook his head, smiled amusingly at his wife, and then lowered his glasses to search the files. “What exactly are we looking for, anyway?”
“Anything that would tell us someone else was involved in Project Regenerate, somebody that might have wanted to get rid of his coworkers.”
Clark lowered his glasses and scanned several of the file cabinets until he came across a manila file labeled ‘Project Regenerate.’ “Take a look at this,” he said, opening the drawer and pulling out the folder. It was thin and contained only two pieces of paper.
Clark looked over them. The first sheet contained the budget numbers for the project and the breakdown of its costs. The second one wasn’t much more helpful. It was the breakdown of duties for the project and completion deadlines. The only names listed on the second piece of paper were Marshall Holm and Malachi and Allyson Potter.
“Well, it looks like they were the only ones on the project.” Clark did another quick scan of the filing cabinets. “And it looks like that’s the only paperwork they’ve got on Project Regenerate.”
Lois sighed. “And it looks like we’ve come to a dead end.”
Lois and Clark slipped out of the office, back down the hall and past the front desk where a brazen Gladys was piling a huge stack of files into the young intern’s arms.
* * * * *
Lois and Clark had finished dinner and were sitting down to enjoy the evening with a bottle of wine. Clark poured two glasses and handed one to his wife. She leaned back against his chest and for a few minutes they sat together silently enjoying each other’s company before Lois spoke.
“Clark,” she began timidly.
“Yes, honey?” He gazed at her with loving concern in his eyes.
“Do you think we’re actually going to be *able* to have friends?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Well, we’re really getting along with Earl and Juliana, but I can’t help but be afraid that the Planet and *Superman*” Lois drew an ‘S’ on Clark’s chest with her finger, “will get in the way of us having a normal relationship with them. We’re always chasing down leads, putting ourselves in life threatening situations. How can we expect our friends to deal with us being so consumed in our work?”
“Honey, I thought that was the reason you wanted to start going out with people in the first place: you didn’t want work to keep us from a social life.”
“I know, but I also love my work, and it’s not like there’s anything you can do to plan your *super* activities.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“I know our professional life gets in the way of our personal life sometimes, but it’s the life we chose,” Earl told his wife, holding her closer to him as they sat on the couch in their living room sipping glasses of wine.
“I know. I just hate lying to people, especially Lois and Clark, and especially since I think we might be moving into Stage Three of our friendship.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Stage Three?” Clark asked.
“Stage Three is the final stage, Real Friendship. Maybe I’ll give Juliana a call and see if she wants to go shopping sometime.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Earl laughed. “Well, Clark and I are playing basketball again this weekend, so maybe Lois will be free then.”
“I’ll give her a call tomorrow and find out.” Juliana smiled at the thought of a fun afternoon with a real friend.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“I think that’s a great idea. Clark winked and smiled at her. “You should definitely give Juliana a call.”
The two of them finished off their glasses and then Lois raised an eyebrow at Clark. “Anyone… need you?”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Earl checked his beeper and his cell phone before answering her. “Nope. Everything’s pretty quiet tonight.”
“Good.” Juliana gave Earl a mischievous grin. “We have the evening to ourselves, then.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“I see,” Clark replied suggestively. “Did you have any particular activity in mind?”
“Oh, I can think of something.” Lois turned to face Clark, loosened his tie, threw it aside, and hastily reached for the top button of his shirt.
* * * * *
Early the next morning, Seth Wenchel entered the laboratory at Gendell Technologies and began his research the same way he’d done every day for the past six years. After fiddling with test tubes and mixing chemicals for the larger part of the morning, Seth left the lab for lunch. Instead of heading straight to the employee cafeteria, however, he detoured into a seldom-used wing of the building to make a phone call to his wife. As he turned the corner, he nearly ran right into a large, gray-haired man in a tan sweat suit.
“Oh! I’m sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going.” Seth apologized.
“Quite all right, young man, quite all right.” The old man’s voice was booming, but friendly. “What’s your name, son?”
“Seth Wenchel.” Seth reached out to shake the man’s hand. “I’m a chemist in the research department.”
“Grant Gendell.” He shook Seth’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Grant Gendell!” Seth’s jaw dropped slightly as he tried to conceal his surprise. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”
“The pleasure’s all mine, son, but if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a meeting to attend.”
“Of course, sir—uh Mr. Gendell, sir.”
Grant Gendell hurried off down the hallway and Seth Wenchel stared after him, still in awe at the rare meeting. Seth picked up his phone and began to dial his wife, still not believing that he’d actually met *the* Grant Gendell.
* * * * *
Down the hallway, unbeknown to either of the men, was another man watching through a cracked doorway.
Eric Denzler’s anger welled up inside of him at the most recent example of his boss’s carelessness. Gendell had no business wandering around the Gendell Technologies building. Gendell was perfectly capable of making all necessary decisions from the safety of his own home. He had no right to put himself in danger by wandering aimlessly around a building that had not been properly screened and secured.
On his way over to Gendell’s house, Denzler reasoned with himself. His anger was not misplaced. Gendell’s money made him the target of numerous lawsuits, insurance scams, thefts, and murder attempts. Safety and security was only achieved through caution, and Gendell was not using any.
His anger, while not misplaced, was also not useful. Gendell would not be persuaded by harsh words or a raised voice. The situation had to be dealt with delicately. Denzler would have to be gentle, but stern.
* * * * *
The meeting was not going according to plan.
“She *is* a reporter, Mr. Gendell, and therefore is not to be trusted. I still stand by my previous recommendation.”
“But the pre-interview went well? No glaring defects in her employment history?”
“No sir, but—“
“Her medical history is acceptable?”
“Yes sir, but—“
“Gregg, what’d you think of her?”
“My wife and I have been out with her and her husband a couple of times and have found them both to be very pleasant. Lois has integrity and is boldly honest.”
“Well, then there’s no problem. I’ll expect you to set up an interview as soon as possible. Okay, is there anything else, gentlemen?”
“I do have one other concern, Mr. Gendell.”
Gendell sighed. “What now, Denzler?”
“With all due respect, Mr. Gendell, I must admit that your lack of concern for encounters with company employees worries me.”
“Oh Denzler, you worry too much. I’m coming out into the open. Reemerging to the world. There’s no harm in shaking hands with a couple of employees.”
“I caution you that introducing yourself to random people without so much as checking their employment and medical histories and their personal beliefs is dangerous. Mr. and Mrs. Potter and Mr. Holm have are not on the approved list and—“
“List? What list? Who’s on this list?”
“Mr. Gregg and myself, sir.”
Gendell let out a hearty laugh. “Boy, that’s some list, Denzler! You got that written down somewhere?”
Denzler was not amused. “Mr. Gendell, if Ms. Lane is found to be untrustworthy, you may not be emerging at all. I urge you to use caution at all times. You really should not roam the hallways of the company building without the direct supervision of either Mr. Gregg or myself.”
“Denzler, you’re too paranoid. Relax. Have some fun once in a while. Now, if there’s nothing else? Good. See you both tomorrow evening.”
Denzler sulked as he left the meeting. This would not do. If Gendell would not listen to him, he would be forced to continuing taking care of matters by himself.
* * * * *
“Morning, Jimmy,” Lois said brightly as she exited the elevator.
“Morning, Lois.”
“Oh! Hey Jimmy, Clark and I thought Marshall Holm and Malachi and Allyson Potter might have been involved in something that wasn’t work related that could have made them targets. Can you see what you can find about their friends, family, groups they were members of, that sort of thing?”
“You got it. Where is CK, anyway?”
“He had to, um, go… to… the post office.” Lois finished her sentence quickly. “We needed stamps.”
“Oh, okay. Well, I’ll let you guys know what I come up with.”
“Thanks, Jimmy.”
Lois walked over to her desk and sat down to sort out a rough agenda for the day’s work, when her phone rang.
“Lois Lane,” she answered.
“Ms. Lane. Eric Denzler here.”
“Mr. Denzler! Hi. It’s so nice to hear from you.” Lois grabbed a note pad and a pencil out from underneath the mess on her desk.
“I have the specifics for our meeting.”
“All right, I’m listening.”
tbc...
