CHAPTER 11
Lois Lane sat there re-reading the article that had arrived via news lines 20 minutes ago. The world newspapers and online media were starting to place the story on their front pages across the world. A first-hand view of a modern day atrocity by one of the most respected journalists with nothing left out was what in media circles was considered a "slam-dunk". It was going to fill several broadsheet pages but she didn't think too many papers would be editing any copy from this article.
For once the Daily Planet's bullpen was silent as all the reporters read Clark's article on the atrocity in Afghanistan. She could feel the pain and anger in his words and without the awful subject she knew that this could possibly be Clark's finest article.
Clark had been gone nearly 4 weeks when the article arrived. He had obviously not wanted to do it piecemeal; it was clear he wanted the world to know it all when they read the article. Lois knew that people were fickle and this story did not deserve fickle. The background work needed on this story was staggering. Lois just wished she could have been there to help him.
Clark had collected names, family history, army history, country of origin of the mercenaries and had written each of them as pitiless killers that had started out as small boys until the time they stood over defenseless people pulling the triggers. He spared none of them with his hard-hitting factual account of their lives. For once his lack of hyperbole gave the facts a black and whiteness that she knew she could never copy. There was no sympathy for them in his account.
The man who led them and ordered them to create this atrocity was demonized by the bare facts. For this individual, anyone reading the article could see, here was a man with a pitiless cowardly soul.
The words coward and gutless were used like weapons to vilify these men.
Clark had followed the trail all the way back to Philla Industries, one of the biggest arms manufacturers in the world, with dealings in so many areas of business. Clark had tracked down and found written evidence of the order to create anarchy in the area to allow the Taliban access to Afghanistan. He had demanded action across the world against Philla Industries by international Governments.
Clark had found out the history of the tribesmen and their families and had written about them as individuals to humanize the account. The part about the mother of the twins had her crying as she tried to imagined Clark's pain as he lived through it.
It dovetailed perfectly into his story about the advancement of the Taliban and the breakdown of law and order in Afghanistan. Railing against the ideology of ignorance at the cost of humanity. It was powerful, compelling and life changing to those who would read it. People would not be able to pretend or hide from the suffering of the innocents in the pursuit of profits. The sheer human cost was clearly outlined and those responsible were shown for what they were – cowardly and pathetic.
She could only imagine what this had done to Clark.
Hearing a clapping starting to come from the front of the bullpen she looked up and saw Clark standing in the door. The clapping swelled but Lois couldn't clap, she knew this was the worst thing to do for Clark. She quickly got up and started to walk towards Clark. Seeing the anger on his face and never ever, not even when Alicia was killed, had Lois seen a look of such fury on Clark's face.
Moving swiftly to Clark, she raised her hands to his face and slowly brought his face down to look at her. "Just, look at me Clark, just look at me, don't react, don't think, just look at me," she whispered for his ears only.
The clapping died as the bullpen realized the effect it was having on Clark.
"Clark, come with me," never taking her hands off his face, Lois started to walk backwards towards the nearest conference room. She was so scared for him seeing the fury in his eyes but way more scared at the huge depth of nothing in the back of his eyes.
"It's ok, just look at me, just look into my eyes, Clark." She was not going to back down from this, her friend was in agony and no one but her was here right now to help him. Reaching behind her she opened the door and walked in taking Clark with her. Pushing the button by the side of the door to bring down the curtains, she closed the door.
She reached around Clark with her arms and put her head down on his chest, not sure what else she could do. His body felt like steel and his arms were staying by his side as Lois started to rub up and down his back and repeated over and over "Clark it's ok, they didn't mean anything, it's ok."
Slowly, oh so slowly, Lois felt Clark's body change as he started to breathe again. His arms slowly came up around her and she felt a sob deep inside his chest. His arms tightened almost painfully around her, but she was not going to complain, because he needed this. She could feel the sobs start in his chest and she just knew that tears were falling down his face. She pushed her head back and pulled his head down into her neck and put her arms around his shoulders, pulling him into an embrace. Feeling Clark sag down she moved down to the floor with him and cradled him in her arms as he started to cry into her shoulder. Stroking him as he repeated over and over "I couldn't save them, I couldn't get there in time, I failed them," her heart breaking at the sheer sense of helplessness she heard in his voice.
For a long time Lois held Clark, wondering why this felt right and why being here for Clark seemed like the most important thing in the world she could do.
