Crossroads - Chapter 32

by a campbell

Clark Kent/Lex Luthor, PG-13

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Leaves blew and whipped across the pavement. Darkness fell early in November; reflections of the street lights glistened in puddles on the near-deserted Metropolis street, rain threatening to turn to sleet by morning. The tower of Lionel Luthor’s new townhouse rose into the storm-darkened sky.

Lex scanned the building exterior from top story to street level, having chosen the blackest car in his fleet for the night’s errand and parked at enough distance down the street from the building to avoid any building security cameras scanning the street outside.

"Where is he, Lana?" Voice low and tense, he didn’t turn to look at her.

In the passenger seat, Lana kneaded gloved hands together. "In the lower level," she said. "Guarded. They’ve had him there for about a week, now, I think."

"Longer than that," piped Chloe from the back seat, leaning closer. “Almost two.”

"Maybe," Lana drew a deep breath. "I guess I’ve lost track of time."

Chloe could tell that Lex was holding in his anger with an effort, and prayed inwardly that he’d be able to do so. “What brand of security system controls the doors?”

Lana thought a moment. "Oracle. Or maybe AVS. One of those two. But I’m not positive."

Lex drummed fingers on the steering wheel with a quick shake of his head. "It wouldn’t be Oracle. Dad hates the CEO--he’d do everything to avoid lining his pockets. AVS, then. I have diagrams."

Lana glanced down at the briefcase between them. "A complete set?"

A curt nod.

"How did you get them?"

"I don’t share my methods." And Chloe could almost hear the unspoken words: Especially with you.

She leaned over the seat again. "Come on, you two. If this is going to succeed, we have to work together." She paused to let it sink in; the two of them needed to quit acting like pouty kindergartners posthaste and lay their animosities aside. "So, Lana-- where would the illustrious Luthor Senior be, this time of the dank, dark evening?"

Lex thinned his lips. Lana hesitated, casting a worried glance out the rain-spattered window.

Lex indulged himself in an exasperated sigh. "Come on, Lana. Not only do you know more than we do, but right now my father trusts you, at least as much as he ever trusts anyone. You have to get us inside without his knowing."

"That’s not going to be easy. You know better than anyone how hard it is to get the better of your father."

"But it can be done." Lex was shaking his head. "How you could--"

Chloe put a hand on his shoulder. She’d spent an hour and a half the evening before persuading Lex to forget both past and present deceptions and join forces with Lana again--that he’d agreed, however reluctantly, was evidence enough of his desperation. "Guys. Let’s not waste time and energy arguing. We have to stay focused and back-burner whatever petty--"

A bitter snort from Lex, under his breath. Chloe steadied herself and continued, undeterred.

"-- animosities we may still harbor. Regardless of our differences, we all care about Clark. And we have to get him out of there."

They waited. Chloe checked her watch.

"By the way, has anyone talked to Martha?"

Silence.

"I thought about phoning her," said Lex slowly as he shifted in his seat. "But she’s in Washington; the Senate is in session. She’ll know soon enough if--" His voice trailed off.

Chloe put a reassuring hand on Lex’s coat-clad shoulder. "No one will have to break any news to Martha--other than, soon, that she’s a grandmother-- because Clark is going to be fine." A forced chuckle. "I mean, he has us for friends! So let’s get busy and get him out of there!"

"Getting back to Lex’s question,” Lana spoke with exaggerated patience as she stared straight ahead. “Lionel left for Beijing this morning. He’s scheduled to return tomorrow afternoon."

Lex exhaled on a long breath. "So now’s the time to move."

"Staff have instructions to watch me," Lana continued, "but they aren’t quite as devoted to the job as their employer might think. Several of them were more than agreeable to an evening off and a generous amount of spending money. And it wasn’t that hard to find and disable the security cameras that had my name on them." A grim smile.

Lex drummed fingers on the steering wheel. "We need more facts. How many staff does he have guarding Clark?"

"Four guards: two in the hall, one in the doorway, one inside." Lana drew a deep breath, staring straight ahead as she continued. "A security system."

"And what sort of schedule do they have?"

"They wake him up about 7:30 for an examination. The doctors bring him food twice a day, at 8 and then again at 5. They examine him again in the evening. They report to Lionel after each one." She glanced at the digital dashboard clock. "The next examination will be around 7:30 p.m., and they'll send the report to Lionel immediately. It’s 6:10 now." She hesitated, staring straight ahead, through the windshield and down the rain-swept street, lowering her voice as she continued. "I’m afraid for him. Each day he seems a little paler, a little weaker--"

Lex gripped the wheel. "We’re wasting time, here. Let’s get going."

Chloe gazed across the street at the townhouse, where the lights of the entryway glowed golden through the gloom. "If we could get hold of even one of those doctors, maybe we could find--"

Lana thinned her lips. "No, we’d have to take them both out."

"If we could just disable the security system--"

"We’d stand a better chance with the doctors."

Chloe realized that Lex had been silent for several moments. "What do you think, Lex?"

Lex considered a moment more. "I have a couple of guys on my security team that should be able to overpower Ramani and Gabrielov with no trouble. I have a pretty good idea where to find the controls to the service entrance. If you two could slip in and wait near where Clark is being held, I’ll give Chloe a call when I pinpoint the location of the control bank. Then if Lana could telephone Dad overseas and keep him occupied" and Lana had the grace to blush-- "we could stand a good chance at getting Clark out of there."

"I have a better idea," said Lana. "One of the guards--is a friend of mine. He cares about me."

"There’s always someone like that, isn’t there?" It wasn’t hard to detect the edge of bitterness and something bleak like envy in Lex’s tone.

Lana continued unruffled. “He’s been trying to convince me to leave Lionel. If I ask him to arrange it so that Clark remains unguarded for a short span of time so we can get in, I’m sure he will."

Chloe aimed another worried glance across the street at the forbidding building and the armed guard that flanked the entry. "If only there were some way we could warn Clark we’ll be coming in."

Lex nodded. "I don’t want him upset."

Lana was staring straight ahead. "Lionel stripped him of everything: wallet, cell phone--even his own clothes. He’s done everything possible to break Clark’s spirit. And he may have come close to succeeding."

"Not for long." Lex shoved the gear lever into drive. "He’s about to look failure in the face."

Chloe gazed out the window at the rain, which was falling harder now. Lionel had had a good spell of striding the world like a Colossus, but Fortune smiled on no one forever. She glanced at Lex and slowly turned to glance searchingly at her erstwhile best friend. "You’re sure you’re okay with this, Lana? Because there may be no turning back--"

Lana drew a deep breath and nodded. "Let’s go."

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