Disappeared – 2

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"There's no trace of her…" Lionel said going into the house after Clark had opened him the door. " They haven't even found her car…"

"How can someone disappear like this?" Clark said letting his body fall onto the couch, devastated.

"The question is who would make your mother disappear like this" Lionel pointed. "This is a professional thing… but we should have already received a call or a note…"

"What are you talking about?"

"A kidnapping" Lionel told.

"What?" and the boy almost let go a laugh "Who would kidnap my mother?"

Right then the doorbell rang. Clark ran to the door and without asking he opened it and surprised himself.

"Granddad?"

"Hello, Clark" he said "May I come in?"

"Sure, please…" Clark let the man go inside and closed the door after him "Oh… this is…"

"Lionel Luthor, everybody knows who he is. Nice to meet you"

"This is my grandfather, Lionel…"

"William Clark" and both men shook their hands.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Mr. Clark"

"My mom's not home, granddad, but if you wish…"

"I know she's not home, Clark… that's the reason of my visit"

"Wh-?"

"Here…" and the man took out a DVD from his pocket "I was sent this a couple hours ago, you should watch it".

Wondering what was in that DVD, Clark play it and the three men sat together in front of the TV screen, which suddenly showed an almost-crying Martha, trembling of fear, looking at them from the other side of the crystal.

"Dad…" she suddenly talked "I… I know we don't have a good relationship… but… we do love each other, right? … These guys say you're the only one who can take me out from here… I don't know what they want you to do but… I'm scared…" she said breaking down into tears "… please… I can't leave Clark alone yet… he needs me…"

"Ok, that's enough" said a guy who suddenly appeared in front of the camera with his head covered.

"Dad, please, tell Clark I love him and… and Lion- AH!"

"Enough I said!" the man yelled out standing behind Martha and grabbing her hair making her scream. "You have a very pretty daughter, William… I'm sure you don't want me to send you her body in pieces"

"What's this about?" Clark said after the video was finished.

"Who are these guys, what do they want?" Lionel added.

"A couple days ago it started Harry Taylor's trial…"

"Who's that?" Clark wondered.

"One of the biggest drug dealers of the city, he's accused of many crimes, such as murder and prostitution"

"Exactly… and I'm the one defending him"

"How can you…?" Clark replied, but Lionel stopped him so William could continue.

"The thing is, I told him he wouldn't be able to get rid of going to prison this time because there are too many proofs against him… he got mad. He said he would destroy my life, I told him I would do my best but…"


A few days ago…

"I don't want you to do your best, William… I want you to crush that fiscal attorney and make me go back home after the trial…"

"Mr. Taylor, I can't assure you that…"

"William, William, William… You know it's not good to upset me, especially when my boys have been watching your daughter for days…"

"Martha?"

"Yes… You never told me about her? Is it because you're ashamed that she left with a farmer instead of following her daddy's steps?"

"How did you find out?"

"I have my ways… you know it…"

"Stay away from my daughter"

"I will… if make me get rid from going to prison"


.

"I thought he was just trying to scare me… It never occurred to me he would actually do something like this…"

"So they won't let my mother free until you win the trial"

"That's what they say but… there's no way I could win that trial… unless we find a way to destroy the fiscal's proofs against Taylor"

"Let's destroy them, then…"

"Wait" Lionel interrupted the silence stopping Clark "You can't destroy some FBI evidences so easy… it may have taken years to collect them…"

"We're talking about my mom's life, Lionel… I thought you had feelings for her"

"I do… but… that guy has killed a lot of people, thanks to that guy there are lots of teenagers drugging themselves in the streets… do you really want him to win? Do you really want to help a guy like that?"

"I just want to help my mother, she's scared, she's waiting for us to do something"

"She is" Lionel said, with a strange emphasis on his voice. "Mr. Clark" he turned around to Martha's father "I'm sure you need to prepare that trial… and while you do that, we'll investigate a little on our own… if you receive any news from Martha, let us know"

"But…" he hesitated "Ok… I'll do…"

"Here" and Lionel handed him a piece of paper "That's my Metropolis' apartment address… we'll meet there at dinner time"

"Ok, see you later. It's been a pleasure, Mr. Luthor… and, I've loved seeing you again, Clark"

"Bye, granddad" Clark waited until Mr. Clark was gone to turn back to Lionel "What do you have in mind?"

"Let's listen to that video again…" he said.

"What do-?" but Lionel ignored Clarks reply and just play the DVD again.

"Dad… I… I know we don't have a good relationship… but… we do love each other, right? … These guys say you're the only one who can take me out from here… I don't know what they want you to do but… I'm scared…" she said breaking down into tears "… please… I can't leave Clark alone yet… he needs me…"

"There" Lionel said.

"What?" Clark wondered "I don't see anything weird"

"You don't need to look, you need to listen, and with your powers, please…"

"What?"

"When she stops talking… looks like her lips are trembling, but she's whispering something… you can listen to it, Clark, only you can… it must be a message for you"

Clark took the remote from Lionel's hands and played it again, this time, concentrating his hearing power on his mother's voice…

"Dad… I… I know we don't have a good relationship… but… we do love each other, right? … These guys say you're the only one who can take me out from here… old farm"

Clark suddenly stopped the video.

"So?" Lionel asked.

"You were right, she's saying something to us… She said 'old farm'"

"They must have taken her to an old farm… Let's watch some more…"

"I don't know what they want you to do but… I'm scared…" it was then when she began to cry, but… among her sobs, Clark could listen something else "two hours far… please… I can't leave Clark alone yet… he needs me… find me"

And then he noticed that look, his mother was looking at him… she was asking him to find her… she didn't trusted his granddad to help her.

"Ok, that's enough" Clark was taken back to reality with the guy's voice… then he stopped the video, there was something on that moment… he played it once again, this time, trying not to listen the man's voice.

"we took the expressway, direction to Kansas" she said so fast he had to play it twice to understand every word. After that, she gave no more clues.

"Does she say anything else?"

"She's in an old farm, about two hours far, going to Kansas, by the expressway"

"Smart girl, Martha" Lionel whispered.

"There are thousands of farms in Kansas, Lionel… Do you really think we can find her?"

"She wants us to do it…" he answered, and then looked at his worried look "What's wrong?"

"There's something… I think you should know"

"What is it about?"

"This morning… I looked through my mother with my x-ray vision and…"

"What's wrong, Clark?" Lionel asked, getting worried.

"Nothing… I guess… I mean… I saw… I think… she's pregnant…"

"Pregnant? Are you sure?"

"I know I saw something, I don't know if… but I'd swear it was… a little person"

"Ok…" Lionel said getting some air and breathing hard "Go with Chloe, I'm sure Mrs. Sullivan we'll be able to help you find that farm… We'll meet at my apartment at dinner time, ok?"

"Where are you going?" Clark asked, surprised that Lionel had taken those news so calmly.

"We'll need to know where those evidences are just in case something goes wrong" he said "We can't let anything happen to her…"

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TO BE CONTINUED…