Table of Contents
From Part 19:...someone trapped on the top floor - can't reach...With a sick feeling in his stomach, Clark realised that he had no choice. If a life was at stake, he had to leave. Superman was needed.
But what about Lois? he asked himself even as he was working out the easiest escape-route from the club.
Lois would tell him that she didn't need his protection. Only that morning, she'd complained again that he was too over-protective - and if she found out that Superman had been needed and he hadn't gone because of her, she'd be furious. He needed to show her that he did trust her to look after himself, he acknowledged. Superman would go to the fire. And Lois would be fine. Wouldn't she?
Casting his Charlie King undercover role to oblivion - he'd be fired for this, of a certainty - Clark ducked under the hatch and marched swiftly to the employee exit. Within seconds, he was airborne.
*********
Now read on...Lois noticed Clark's departure and couldn’t resist an inward smile. There were some times when Superman needed a partner, after all. She knew that he'd gone to some emergency - she'd seen the tilt of his head, the distant look in his eyes. All signs that no-one else would even notice, but which to her were now obvious. Superman was needed somewhere.
And so she was on her own, and it was up to her to find out whatever was there to be discovered. Unless, of course, Clark already had it - she hadn't missed his disappearance a few minutes earlier. Of course, it could just have been a bathroom break. Though she'd noticed that he'd been listening in on Luthor and Toni Taylor, and she couldn’t wait to hear what, if anything, he'd overheard.
For herself, though, the sooner she got off this darned stage and out of that abominable chicken costume, the better! They were on the last chorus now, and that was the cue for each 'animal' to take a bow, making its own sound - and just how she was going to make a chicken noise she had no idea - before leaving the stage. And
then, at last, she'd have a chance to snoop around backstage!
Luthor was still there, but she hoped to get into the dressing-room without being caught by him; she had no intention of letting him talk to her at the club. At least he hadn't blown her cover. If he had told Toni Taylor who she was, Lois had no doubt at all that she'd have been unceremoniously thrown out of the club by a bouncer.
But that was concerning. Luthor knew that she was onto him. So why would he protect her in this situation? That in itself was suspicious. He clearly had a reason for it, and she wanted to know what it was.
The routine over at last, Lois escaped to the dressing-room, quickly getting changed into the skimpy waitress costume she'd brought with her; all of the supporting dancers who didn't have other roles in the club's entertainment were expected to wait tables when they weren't onstage. Still, the outfit gave her an excuse to snoop around in the back area; she could always pretend that she was looking for the ladies' room or for supplies.
Toni Taylor's office had to be around here somewhere, Lois reasoned as she came back out into the corridor. The woman herself was no longer out front, so it was a little risky to be poking around now; on the other hand, there was always the chance that she might manage to overhear a conversation -
"Heading in the wrong direction, aren't you?"
The smooth-voiced question halted Lois in her tracks. She already knew who she would see even before she spun on her heel to confront the speaker. Lex Luthor's cultured tones couldn’t be disguised.
She summoned a confident smile. "Ladies' room."
Luthor gestured behind him with a lazy movement. "Back there."
"Well, then, I am heading in the wrong direction, aren't I?" She gave him a fake self-deprecating grin and began to move past him.
"Not so fast." Luthor's hand shot out and caught her arm. But, to her surprise, the grip wasn't tight. She could escape it easily if she tried. "I think we should talk, Lois, don't you?"
She shrugged. "I'll call you. Tomorrow."
"No. Now." And now the grip tightened, and he led her along the corridor and back out into the bar area. "You can get me a drink," he instructed. "And I'll make apparently casual conversation with you for a couple of minutes. With the music so loud, no-one will overhear what we're talking about, and that way your cover won't be blown."
Even more puzzled as to why Luthor was going to so much trouble to protect her cover - especially given that his presence in the employee-only area had been even more suspicious than hers - Lois did as he bade her. He'd taken a seat at a corner table, an area which was even darker than the rest of the room. As she placed his drink on the table, he gestured casually towards the empty seat with his cigar. "Sit."
"I can't. I'm supposed to be working."
"And I'm a big-spending customer. A good tipper too. Sit."
Lois subsided into the chair, waving away the pungent cigar-smoke as she did so. The direct approach was often the best. Taking the initiative, she asked, "So why protect my cover, Lex?"
"It's a temporary measure, believe me," he said, a note of warning in his voice. "I want to know why you're here, Lois. And if I don't like the answer..."
"I'm working," she repeated. "And I don't reveal details of investigations."
"If I'm not satisfied, there won't be an investigation," he countered. "Why are you here?"
Lois shrugged. "Why are you here, Lex? This is hardly the kind of upmarket establishment someone in your position would normally frequent. In fact, an observer could be even more suspicious about your presence here than mine."
Mistake, Lois, she told herself as soon as the remark escaped her. She didn't need the flash of anger in Luthor's eyes to tell her how careless she'd been. Okay, Luthor already knew that she was suspicious of him, but she hadn't needed to confirm it.
"I won't waste my time trying to protect you again, Lois," he snapped. "For your information - not that it's any business of yours - Toni Taylor is an acquaintance of mine. She has been asking my advice about expanding and improving her operation here. Naturally, under the circumstances, I would spend some time on the premises." He got to his feet, stubbing out his cigar, and tossed a twenty down on the table in an insulting manner. "I think we'd better forget next Friday's interview, in the circumstances. Goodnight, Ms Lane."
***********
The Toasters had struck again, and it was in West River once more. They - and, of course, Lex Luthor, who he now had proof was funding them - clearly had a callous disregard for human life. The building they'd incinerated this time was a flop-house, and it had been half-full. Most of the residents had managed to escape unhurt, but a few had needed to be brought out by firefighters, and some were suffering badly from smoke inhalation. Clark had got there in time to rescue the man who was trapped on the top floor, but not before he had suffered badly from the smoke and had a couple of burns to his hands.
No-one had died. But that was no thanks to Lex Luthor.
Furious and itching to march straight down to the police station with the evidence he had, Clark flew back to the Metro Club to find Lois. They needed to talk. He had to tell her what he'd overheard, show her what he'd found.
They'd done it - they had Luthor cold. Okay, not for the Messenger crash, or the murder of Antoinette Baines, or the robotic boxers; not even for the arson attack on Lois's apartment and the deaths of Craig Allen and the biker. But they had him red-handed for funding and directing the Toasters. It was a start. Once Luthor was in custody, Clark had absolutely no doubt that Henderson - and Lane and Kent - would be able to pin more on him.
He halted in mid-air, staring down at the building below him. Lois wasn't in the club.
<Don't panic> he told himself. She had probably just gone home. Her shift was probably over.
Luthor wasn't there any more either, he noticed, and a chill ran down his spine.
There was no need to worry, he told himself firmly. Lois was well able to look after herself. Of course she'd just gone home.
He zipped into flight again, heading across the city to Clinton Street. His apartment was in darkness. And Lois's bed was empty. A faint hope made him check his own bedroom; empty too.
Where was she?
Luthor. The name invaded his mind with cold certainty. Luthor had her.
No, he was over-reacting, he told himself. Or, at least, he tried to tell himself. But still the dread filled him. Luthor had her. That had to be what had happened. Lois wouldn't just disappear. She'd know that he'd be looking for her. Why would she have left the club? It was still open, albeit only just. And even if she had left, why wouldn't she have gone home?
But Lois wouldn't have left of her own volition anyway. She was hot in pursuit of a story, and desperate to be able to pin something on Lex Luthor. He'd known that she planned to try to snoop around backstage and in the management offices once her shift was over. Of course, he'd planned to be there to keep an eye on her and cover her if necessary.
Only he hadn't been there. And now Lois was missing.
Luthor had definitely recognised her. He would have known, of course, that she was undercover. Given what he had to hide, he must have decided that he couldn't take the risk of Lois finding out what was going on. And he must have grabbed her. Lured her away. Had her kidnapped... or something.
He would find her, Clark resolved. He had to. Even if he had to search the whole city, from top to bottom, end to end, he would find her. Just as long as Luthor hadn't... killed her...
No. No, he wouldn't let himself think that. He couldn't. Lois had to be alive.
After everything they'd been through together; after all of his caution around her, how he hadn't allowed himself to hope for more than friendship with her, the way he barely even allowed himself the luxury of touching her in case he hurt her, to think of her being hurt in any way by Lex Luthor, let alone killed, was too painful to contemplate.
Think, Clark! he told himself. Where else could she be? Where should he start looking?
The Planet, he realised. She just might be there. Stupid of him not to have thought of it sooner.
Leaving a gust of wind in his wake, he headed for the Daily Planet.
***********
So, the Toasters had struck again. Lois jotted down some notes based on what her contact at the fire department had told her, then leaned back in her chair and rolled her eyes. It was all so obvious: Lex Luthor wanted to demolish a chunk of the West River area to build a luxury development, and simultaneously, coincidentally, huge swathes of the West River area went up in smoke. Why on earth was nobody else making the link?
Not that she really wanted anybody else to make the link. This was their story - hers and Clark's. The only problem was that they had no way of proving a link between Luthor and the Toasters. Sure, Luthor had been at the Metro Club - but he'd provided an explanation which, had she still believed him to be an upright, law-abiding businessman, she wouldn't have questioned for a second. He was friendly with Toni Taylor. But there was nothing to link Taylor or the Metros with the Toasters, other than speculation - and nothing at all to link Luthor with the Toasters.
If she and Clark wrote a story right now - assuming Perry would even print it - the Planet would get sued. And they'd lose in court.
There had to be something - some chink in the armour, some loose end
somewhere that Luthor hadn't tied up. Because Henderson was right: all that they had so far was speculation and circumstantial evidence. That wouldn't even get them as far as an arrest, let alone a decision by the DA's office to prosecute. Luthor was just too powerful for anyone to risk a wrongful arrest suit. He'd sue the city for millions, and the citizens of Metropolis would be right behind him: to most of the city, Luthor was a benevolent saviour.
She went through her notes yet again, in the vain hope that she'd missed something. Maybe she needed to do another search for any financial connection at all between Luthor or any of his companies and - well, anyone suspicious. Craig Allen. Toni Taylor. The Toasters. Max Mencken. Antoinette Baines.
Anyone!
Lois had just booted up her computer and was contemplating calling Jimmy to get him to come in and do some more searching for her when a faint whoosh came from behind her. She turned, just in time to see Clark spinning from his Suit into the clothes he'd been wearing behind the bar of the Metro Club. She glanced down at herself, glad that she'd taken the time to go back to Clark's apartment first and get out of that awful chicken costume.
"Lois!" Clark exclaimed. "Do you know how worried I've been about you?"
She frowned, puzzled. "Worried about me? Why?"
He took a few steps closer, stopping at the edge of her desk. "I went back to the club. You weren't there. And you weren't at the apartment either."
"I decided to come here and see if there was anything we'd overlooked. We
have to get Luthor, Clark! I can't
stand seeing him walk around acting so superior all the time..."
To her surprise, he placed a hand gently, comfortingly, on her shoulder. He even squeezed lightly. She must really have been sounding hysterical, she thought, for Clark to overcome his dislike of touching. "We'll get him," he promised. "And I know how you feel. When I couldn't find you, I thought he had you."
"Oh." Clark had thought... But Luthor wouldn't be so stupid as to come right out in the open, would he? On the other hand, given the attempt on Clark's life earlier, it was perfectly possible that Luthor could have given instructions for her to be kidnapped or otherwise removed from his path.
No, it wasn't at all a far-fetched idea. And Clark had clearly been very worried. The harsh, anguished note in his voice when he'd told her what he'd imagined...
"He didn't get me, Clark. We did talk, and I think I probably said a bit too much, but I'm fine. You can see for yourself - I'm fine."
Clark smiled. "Yes, I can see. And I'm glad. So - what have you been doing? Have you found anything?"
"Not yet. I was just about to have a try at searching for financial records, if I could figure out what it is that Jimmy does - "
Before she could finish, Clark had leaned over her shoulder and taken her mouse away. "Let me take a look." He clicked on several menus, then stopped, his brow furrowing. "There." With his free hand, he gestured towards something on the screen.
"What?"
"A Trojan. As far as I can make out - and I'd have to ask Jimmy or one of the IT department people - this file is intended to record keystrokes, commands given, pages printed and anything else that might be of interest. And it would either store the information in a file on the network or email it somewhere."
Lois stared at her partner. "You mean someone's spying on me?"
Clark nodded. "I should have checked it earlier. Henderson telling me to check my apartment for bugs made me think that, if Luthor was willing to put you in a bugged apartment, he might try to have some devices planted here. I meant to take a look when we got back to the newsroom, but I forgot." He picked up Lois's phone and stared at it, concentrating. "That's bugged too." Unscrewing the end of the receiver, he added, "It activates when you use the phone."
Lois frowned. "How did he - whoever did the bugging - know what desk I was going to use? With this stupid policy, I could've been using any desk."
"Good point." Clark side-stepped to the next desk and examined the phone there - and quickly saw that it was also bugged. "I'll say this for Luthor: he's determined," he commented. "Probably every phone in the bullpen's been tampered with. And every computer too, I'd bet."
Lois whistled. "Perry would hit the roof if he knew!"
"And he'll get a chance, too," Clark said. "We'll tell him, when the time is right. For now, though, I'd prefer it if we went back home."
Lois shrugged. "We might as well. I'm not getting anywhere here anyway. We can start again in the morning."
But Clark gave her a grin. "Actually, we are getting somewhere. I have something to show you - back at my place."
She looked at him expectantly, but he shook his head, his eyes alight with enjoyment. So she stood and raised her eyebrows at him. "Then what are we waiting for?"
"Let's go, partner. The Jeep downstairs?"
"Yup."
He offered her his arm. "Then lead on."
************
...tbc
