"Lionel
"Lionel." Martha said. She made to run to him but Hooshnak reacted quickly and caught her up with his tail. She hung there in mid-air as she watched Zamon circle Lionel in a predatory manner.
"What do we have here?" Zamon asked as he gave Martha a knowing look.
"Please don't hurt him." Martha pleaded, her voice becoming thick. She could feel Hooshnak's tail grow tighter around her waist when she spoke.
"Why?" Zamon asked.
"He can help us find Kal-El." Martha thought up quickly. "He's got influence and connections, things that could help you."
Zamon stopped circling and stepped closer in order to scrutinize Lionel. It was one of the rare times that Martha was glad he could lie so well.
"She's right. Whoever this Kal-El is, I can help you find him."
"I never said Kal-El was male." Zamon caught Lionel's mistake. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest and surveyed Lionel with distrust.
"Of course he would be a male, why else would you see him as a threat?" Martha explained hurriedly before any more blood was shed. Zamon turned to give her a hard stare and she returned it, willing herself not to break under his intense scrutiny. She could tell that he didn't believe her but she was relieved that he let it drop.
"Alright, if you want to help you have to pledge your loyalty." Zamon demanded.
Lionel looked disturbed for a brief moment but reminded himself that he had, on more than one occasion, made promises that he never kept. This was no different. Except for the fact that Martha's safety hung in the balance.
"You have it, just don't hurt her."
"We never intended to hurt her." Hooshnak defended crossly.
"Enough of this, how can you help us find Kal-El?" Zamon said.
Lionel seemed to think for a moment. "I'll need to call my assistant so that he can start searching."
Zamon nodded as he crossed his arm. "And what does this 'call' mean?"
Lionel reached into his coat pocket and retrieved his cell phone and held it up for inspection. "It's a device we use in order to talk to one another."
He punched in a number and Martha held her breath. This could either work or they were both doomed.
"Hello Carl, I need to look up some information for me." Lionel began. Martha tried not to let her surprise show, seeing as Lionel never started a phone conversation with 'Hello'. She knew that he was up to something she just didn't know what. Everyone was watching Lionel as he continued. "His name is Kal-El. Gather and bring any information to my penthouse in Metropolis. I have some friends here who need to find him, and they want him fast."
He shut the phone abruptly and looked to Zamon for more directions.
"Excellent. You may be of great use to us after all."
Without warning, Hooshnak started to make his way out the door, following Zamon. Lionel looked ready to kill and Martha gave him a warning glare.
"Where are you going?"
Zamon turned around. "We are all going to this penthouse you spoke of."
Clark got off the phone with Lionel and faced the group gathered before him.
"We're going to meet Lionel at his penthouse."
Chloe looked confused. "Why? Aren't we going to the farm to meet him?"
"That was him on the phone. He sounded tense and ordered me to go. I think that they brought my mom to the farm and Lionel found them there."
Chloe paled. "But Lana was there too."
"She was supposed to be out shopping. Hopefully she wasn't there. Besides I need to focus on getting my mom back safely."
"Well don't worry, we're all here for her." Bart spoke up. Clark looked over to his friends and nodded.
