HOLDING OUT pt6

Pairings - Not sure yet, Clark and Chloe most likely
Spoilers - It would help if you've ever Watched Smallville
Disclaimer - As much as I'd like to, I own nothing and will in no way make profit from this piece of fiction from the depths of my imagination.

NOTE – Okay, so I have a few hours to kill before I get all tuxedoed up. The Mrs. Is asleep and my visiting best friend's off to a softball game. And my little dog is too sleepy to play ball. Sounds like prime time to fire off an update. Enjoy!

September 26, 2013
1:43pm
The woods around Smallville

"Come on, Shelby" Chloe wheezed, leaning against an old oak tree with both hands on her knees and sweat dripping off her nose. "Just give me a minute. Okay?"

The aging red dog paced back and forth nervously, whining softly.

Chloe shook her head tiredly. No more table scraps for you, dog.

The unseasonably humid September air was not helping for stamina. Her borrowed blue and white flannel shirt was soaked down the back and under the arms. Dirt and soot now smudged her face, and caked her boots and pant legs.

Is that a blister? Ow.

Straightening up to a standing position, she motioned for Shelby to follow and began moving forward again. This time a stately, yet steady walk.

Don't think about it. Get to the caves.

Fingering inside her tote bag (That now feels heavier than an anvil!) for her pistol, she reassured herself for possibly the tenth time that it was still there.

Shelby trotted ahead slightly, sniffing the ground and the air continuously. More alert and aware than Chloe had ever seen the dog.

How does she know?

In the distance behind her, Chloe thought she heard the sounds of doors slamming and cars starting up. It was hard to be sure. Looking back over her shoulder she tried to make out the sounds, but the cover of trees muffled the noises too much.

Determinedly, Chloe picked up her pace and caught up to the dog at a slight jog. "Come on girl."

1:47pm
Kent Farm

Smallville

Bill Eadie gathered his brother and the two other men that worked for him together and began to stalk towards the car parked at the far end of the Kent pasture. When Senator Kent had called him a few minutes ago, giving him the okay to try and get these intruders off her property he'd been excited.

Back in his youth, Bill Eadie was known as a rough and tumble sort of man. On more than a few occasions he'd been tossed out of the Wild Coyote for drunken and disorderly behavior. On a few more occasions, he'd even spent his share time in the Sherriff's drunk tank.

But some things change over time. AA meetings, family interventions, the love of a good woman and a third baby on the way change your perspectives on life. Turn some of your baser instincts around. Make you want to be a better person.

Having the opportunity to take over and earn the land provided on the Kent Farm was more of a privilege than the Senator likely knew. Her family's legacy in Smallville had been bordering on legendary for it's generosity and consideration for others even before Jonathan had run for office. After his terrible and early death, Martha Kent's ascension into her husband's position had earned her more admiration than she would ever know. Especially with Bill Eadie.

One of the initiatives that Senator Kent had helped initiate in the State of Kansas had been an Addiction Rehabilitation and Re-Evaluation facility in Metropolis. Bill was one of the first graduates of their program in 2008, allowing him to start over fresh and make up for the mistakes of a misspent and lecherous youth.

Now a successful farming man, having taken over his uncles property and with the opportunity to one day own and operate the land around the Kent Farm, Bill was happy to finally be leaving his bar brawling and drunkenly debaucherous days behind him.

But when Senator Kent called him, asking for this favor, Bill had smiled like the wild man Bill of old. Been too long since I've had a good dust up anyways, he thought while his hands gripped the spade he carried tightly.

As the dark colored Cadillac came into view at the top of the rise, Bill heard his brother Tommy chuckle gleefully. "These boys ain't gonna know what hit, eh Bill?"

Bill smiled thinly.

As Bill and his crew stepped out of the cornstalks, three large men in dark suits stepped out of the Cadilliac. One of them was holding a pair of binoculars, while the others seems to be keeping their arms close to their sides.

Bill kept walking forward. "Sorry boys, but Senator Kent wants you away from her property." His brother Tommy chuckled softly.

"I wasn't aware that this road was a part of the Kent property," binoculars-man declared calmly, reaching into his coat. "Why don't I call the Sheriff and see what he has to say?"

"Go ahead, call the Sheriff." Bill laughed, bouncing the spade against his palm. "But by the time he gets here, you boys'll be long gone."

The man smirked. "You've got that part right," He pulled his hand out from the inside of his coat.

He wasn't holding a cell phone.

"Jesus."

Martha was just stepping into Clark's old pickup truck when she heard the distant popping noise. Her face framed in shock, she looked across the field toward where the glinting was and pulled out her cell phone. Punching in Bill's number, she pressed the phone to her ear and tried to ignore the distant shouting and screaming.

The ringing in her ear cut off abruptly. Replacing it was a sudden elevation of the screaming, and the sadly familiar sound of gunfire coming through the earpiece.

"Bill?" Martha screamed. "Bill can you hear me?"

The voice on the other end was ragged, and barely audible over the rest of the havoc on the other end. "Sena …. Mrs. Kent….. Need to …. Go …."

As his voice faded out, the other sounds disappeared as well. An eerie silence overtook the farmland.

Barely able to breathe, Martha held onto the phone, unsure of what was happening or what to do.

"Senator Kent?" a harsh voice asked, startling Martha out of her stupor.

Assuming her most authoritative tone, she replied. "What do you want?"

"You know who we're looking for. Tell us where she is."

Her hands were shaking, but her voice remained as steady as it did the day she appeared before Congress to debate the plight of underprivileged children. "She's not here."

"So where is she?"

"I don't know."

"So that wasn't her we saw running across the field behind the farmhouse?"

Martha held her breath.

"Tell us where she's going Senator Kent."

Snapping the phone shut, Martha threw the cell down on the passenger seat and gripped the steering wheel furiously. Tears of frustration welling up in her eyes, she thought frantically for a second and tried to find a way out.

At the very end of her driveway, she could see the tell tale dust trails of someone coming up the driveway.

Making her decision, she cranked the ignition on the truck. The 8 cylinder vehicle roared to life at the first touch of the accelerator and kicked dirt all across the front porch as she whipped the back end around.

As the black Cadillac exited the driveway and came to face her, Martha's truck rushed past them and flew down the driveway towards safety.

1:53pm
The woods around Smallville

A loud ringing erupted from her tote bag, surprising Chloe so much that she stumbled forward and pitched face first to the dirt.

Shelby stopped and trotted back, whining needfully. Wordlessly prompting her to get up and start moving again.

Scarmbling onto her backside, she rifled through her bag before finally pulling out her cellphone. With Oliver's reminder to NOT use the cell ringing in her mind as loudly as the phone was ringing in her ears, she checked the call display name.

Martha Kent.

Oh my God.

"Mrs. Kent?"

"Chloe you have to get to the caves now!"

"Mrs. Kent where are you?"

The sounds of gravel spinning and engines roaring dominated the cell for a minute. Chloe could hear Martha grunting with effort. Shelby whined fitfully, sniffing at Chloe's cell phone.

"Mrs. Kent?"

"Just get to the caves! They saw you crossing the field. I don't ..." Gunshots? "I don't know if there are more of them."

"Mrs. Kent are you …"

"Just Find him Chloe. Get to the caves and find …."

Martha's wordless scream cut through the line. A horrible sound of metal folding against itself and glass shattering split the air before the line finally went dead.

Her hands trembling uncontrollably, Chloe dropped the cell to the ground and stared frantically off into the trees. Tears welled up in her eyes and she turned her head from side to side, searching the underbrush.

Is that rustling?

Shelby's attention suddenly focused off to the left, her nose pointed upwards so she could sniff the air. She started growling softly.

Move Sullivan!

Lurching to her feet, Chloe turned on a dime and ran. Her fatigue was washed away as the adrenaline rushed through every fiber of her being. Her legs moved like pistons as she barreled forward. Shelby kept pace with her, her red furred nose pointing the way.

Leaping over fallen brush and ducking under low hanging branches, Chloe never slackened her pace. Off in the distance, she could see the entrance to the caves, taunting her with it's proximity.

"There she is!"

Not even sparing a glance over her shoulder, Chloe found the energy to move even faster. Tucking her head down she scrambled towards the cave opening and lurched inside. Bullets ricocheted off the rocky entrance, sending chips of stone and sparks flying.

"Come on, girl" Chloe wheezed, yanking the octagonal disk from out of the pocket in her jeans. Without wasting even a moment to get lost in the memories swelling all around the Kawatchee Caves, Chloe stumbled forward in the near pitch blackness.

Abruptly, the disc began glowing a faint white light. Startled, Chloe stopped all motion and looked at the disk in her hands.

As she stood there, a number of the symbols began to glow on the walls. One in blue, another in red and a third in yellow. The main symbol on the wall began this glowy, swirly pattern right before her eyes.

Whoa.

From behind her came the sound of footsteps and guns being reloaded.

Frantically, Chloe held up the glowing disc before her. How do I get into the …

With a guttural scraping sound, one side of the cave wall lurched open. A startled memory of the first time she saw this room came hurtling back to her, nearly freezing her in place.

"What in the hell …"

The startled masculine voice behind her knocking her out of her reverie, Chloe lurched forward into the chamber. Holding the disc as she remembered, she rushed forward – with Shelby hot on her heels – and slammed the key home into the slot on the altar.

Everything went white.

END of Pt6-