Thank you so much to all of you who took the time to review my Chapter 6 – supernatfem76, alwayslovingsv, liasongh, MysticWolf1, smallvillegirl92, HermyGranger, pollypocket911, and Farmgt. You guys made a new record for me! Just for that, I stayed up until 1:00 in the morning last night just so that I could finish this chapter and have a new one up for you guys today!
Lana trotted through the deserted halls of Smallville High School, pushing open the door of the Torch to find Chloe in her usual position in front of her computer. "Hey," she said, "I got your message. Any news on Clark?"
Chloe frowned, but didn't look up. Lana could tell even without seeing her face that she was still worried. "No," the blonde reporter answered, "But I did finally get that background analysis on Derek Nixon. Take a seat and I'll fill you in. Pete should be here any minute."
"Pete's here," Pete said, stepping through the door behind Lana. He slipped off his jacket and grabbed a chair from an empty desk, sliding it next to the two girls and sitting in it backwards. "What's the intrepid reporter got for us?"
"Hopefully, something to start with," Chloe replied, standing and crossing the room to retrieve a small stack of papers from the printer. She returned, dropping them in front of her friends.
"You've been busy," Lana remarked, glancing at the stack even as Pete began thumbing through it. "What is all this?"
"Everything I could possibly find on Derek Nixon," she answered. "Look at that top page there, will you? It appears our mad scientist friend was a geneticist. Stem cell manipulation, cloning - you name it; he's had his hands in it. His last known project was…" she clicked a window on her computer and read aloud, "…DNA modification in concurrence with engineered development potential for LuthorCorp Laboratories."
"LuthorCorp," Pete repeated, disgusted.
"Wait a second," Lana interjected, her eyes scanning the report. "It says here that LuthorCorp pulled his funding three years ago and shut down the project."
"Bingo," Chloe replied, clicking on another window. "His career should have been over."
Pete furrowed his brows. "Why was his funding pulled?"
Chloe hesitated before answering. "Cruel and unusual studies. The guy was caught doing inhumane experiments on animals at LuthorCorp. The Metropolis P.I.T.A organization went ballistic when the information leaked and demanded an investigation. It was rumored that the government found evidence of human testing as well, but instead of addressing the problem there was a huge cover up – surprise, surprise – and LuthorCorp claimed to have no knowledge of his work."
The three fell silent, the news heavy and weighing on their minds.
Lana suppressed a shutter. Human testing? It was a few moments before she could find her voice. "What happened to Nixon?" she asked.
"He was let go, his Ph.D. and all credentials suspended indefinitely. After that he took a job at the Metropolis Juvenile Center for Boys."
"Wow. Super-scientist to Average-Joe in just one day. So what do you think he had against Clark?" Pete ventured.
"I didn't know at first," Chloe explained, turning back to her computer. She tapped a few keys and hit the PRINT button before continuing, "But I don't think it's Clark that Nixon really wanted. Remember back at the mansion when Lex said that Nixon wanted revenge for his brother's death? I did a search on the name Nixon and do you remember that reporter that Lex shot after the spring tornado?"
"Yeah, he'd been attacking Mr. Kent. It was self-defense."
"Not according to Derek Nixon. The reporter's name that Lex shot was Roger Nixon. Derek Nixon was his brother."
"Oh my god," Lana breathed.
"It gets better," Chloe said grimly. "Shortly after his brother's death, Nixon disappeared from the Juvenile Center where he'd been employed for the past year. The guy had been using his position to hack into institutions like Belle Reeve and Arkham Asylum. They found hundreds of stolen patient files on his computer. He's been missing ever since."
"So what now?" Pete asked, indicating to the stack. "In all this information there must be something for us to go on. A hint, a clue – something."
"That's actually why I called you here." Chloe grabbed the paper she'd printed and handed it to Pete. It was a map.
"According to the police report, this is the area where Lex shot Roger Nixon."
"You want us to check it out?"
"This place and an underground tomb nearby. It's somewhere in this area," she said, pointing. "It shouldn't be too difficult to find - there used to be a church there. The tomb is where the police report said that Mr. Kent and Roger Nixon were caught during the tornado."
Lana grabbed her purse and slipped on her jacket. "Are you coming?" she asked.
Chloe shook her head. "No. As much as I want to, I've got a few calls out to my contacts in the police department."
Pete smiled. "Contacts? You mean the officer who let you out of that last speeding ticket because he thinks you're cute?"
"Shut up," Chloe shot back. "I didn't get that ticket because of my clean record."
Not convinced in the slightest, Pete gave a light-hearted laugh, but chose to not pursue it. He was far too excited to finally be doing something about finding his friend. "What'cha got him looking for?" he asked instead, grabbing his coat.
"The normal stuff – records, credit cards, parking tickets, large purchases. Probably nothing that I haven't been able to find myself, but I've also got another contact at the State looking for any land or property owned or leased by the Nixon family," Chloe answered. "If Roger Nixon was a local to Metropolis, it's possible his brother was too."
"Girl – you are amazing!" Pete beamed. "Come on Lana, let's go play detective."
"We'll let you know what we find," Lana added. She gave a meaningful nod in Chloe's direction. Though she and Chloe were often at odds when it came to their feelings about Clark, they had become very good friends and Lana was grateful of that. "He's gonna make it," she said.
Chloe pursed her lips. "We just can't give up hope."
Without another word, Lana followed Pete out the door.
"Your car or mine?" Pete asked once they were outside.
"Yours," Lana answered, but her mind wasn't on the drive. It was on Clark…and Chloe.
Was it wrong of her to be envious of Chloe?
Lana climbed into the passenger's seat of Pete's car, the old and familiar feeling of inadequacy nagging at her. This wasn't the first case she and her friends had set out on to solve, but the "team" that they usually formed was now split and Lana found herself wondering just what good she'd ever done for them anyway.
Chloe was the brilliant researcher, often digging up facts and clues and putting them together like pieces of a puzzle. Clark had the knack for finding things, clues that were invisible, forming scenarios that were seemingly impossible, but always in the end seemed to be right. And Pete, Pete did the groundwork, always lagging behind, searching for the things that both Chloe and Clark had missed. Me? Lana thought bitterly. I'm the tag-along. I'm the one they bring along for the ride. What do I really contribute?
A single tear coursed down her cheek. She thought of all the times Clark had rescued her from all the oddities of Smallville. There was the time Tina Greer ambushed her in the cemetery, imprisoning her in a tomb; then the time a brilliant young student named Ian had captured both her and Chloe and attempted to throw them over the Smallville dam in an effort to keep his secret of being able to be in two places at once. And even though she couldn't prove it, she knew that Clark had somehow been involved in her rescue with the tornado. There was no possible way she could have survived; yet right before the twister picked up her truck she saw him there, standing in the road. Swept up into the twister she thought for sure she was going to die as she huddled on the floorboard of Whitney's truck, but suddenly Clark was there, covering her with his own body.
The nurses at the hospital later told her that Clark had brought her in, but he denied having anything to do with her rescue. "I heard the twisters had touched down near the bus station where you and Whitney were heading," he had said, "I came to find you and I found you lying in a field next to the road."
"You all right, girl?" Pete asked, jolting her from her thoughts.
"Yeah," she lied. "Just thinking."
After Lana and Pete left, Chloe sat for the longest time at her desk, lost in thought. She wasn't really sure what to do next, and waiting was so not her style. But she couldn't risk leaving, not until she had heard back from her contact.
I should probably fax everything I've found so far to Sheriff Ethan, she thought distractedly. And probably Lex.
Gathering everything, she composed a brief cover page and sent it first over to the Sheriff's office, then to the Luthor mansion. When she had finished, she sat back down at her computer.
No, waiting definitely wasn't her style.
With nothing to concentrate on, she found her thoughts drifting back to Clark. Where was her friend now? Was he still alive? Was she doing enough?
Her stomach growled and she realized she'd been too busy researching to remember lunch. But the thought of food only seemed to make her stomach curl even more. Who could eat while Clark was still missing?
Who could think clearly?
The fax machine beeped next to her, jolting her in her seat.
She picked up the printout, feeling her heart begin to beat faster with every word she read…
Forget her contact at the police department…
She grabbed her cell phone and dialed Pete, only to snap it shut again before it had the chance to ring. She didn't have time to wait for them to turn around and drive back. Beside, they needed to check out all leads. To have Pete and Lana turn around now would only slow down their investigation, she reasoned. She'd handle this one herself.
She grabbed her jacket and keys. She didn't know why, but something told her she finally knew where Clark was!
Two hours later, Chloe parked her car on Lee Road, several miles away from where the map said that the old sawmill was supposed to be. Very few ventured out this far in the Smallville countryside. There wasn't much out here, or at least, there wasn't supposed to be. It was amazing that she had found her way here at all. The roads had been nothing short of a tangled maze; roads that had fallen into disrepair and hadn't been used in so long that the overgrowth had gotten thick and difficult to maneuver in.
There looked to be, however, a small set of car wheel tracks embedded in the ground going in the same direction. The tracks looked recent; maybe a day or two old.
Chloe's heart beat faster.
She followed the road on foot, trying her best to keep alert. If a car suddenly came down the road she would have to make a break for the woods to hide or risk being seen.
Soon, the sawmill came into a view. Chloe suppressed a shiver; were her nerves really that shot, or was it really that creepy? The large, abandoned structure was visibly deteriorating. What walls of the building that had not been covered with creeping vines had wasted away and sections of the roof had long ago caved in.
Chloe remembered reading about the sawmill when she was first moved to Smallville. It was a small, gasoline-powered mill, run by some local entrepreneur; but though small, it provided jobs for the community in the early twentieth century. The removal of the creamed corn factory by LuthorCorp and the introduction of the fertilizer plant had shut the operation down due to lack of help. Everyone left their jobs at the mill to work at the plant, which was closer to the city of Smallville and paid more.
The doors of the mill were closed and hadn't been opened since.
A chain-link fence had been set up around the perimeter of the building to keep out all trespassers. Climbing's out, Chloe thought as she looked up at the barbed wire encircling the top. I'll just have to find another way inside…
Clark stepped off the porch just in time to see the cloud of dust that only a few seconds ago had been his ride to school. Pete and Chloe were no doubt laughing their heads off that he'd missed the bus for the third time this week.
Bus? I haven't taken the bus since Pete got his car.
Momentarily angry with himself for taking too long again, a small, smirk of a smile crept across his face. Looking behind him to make sure his parents weren't looking, Clark took off past the barn and into the cornfield beyond. His parents hated it when he used his super speed to get to school. It was too risky, they said. He knew they worried about his safety, but speeding across the countryside was no great risk, especially if he stayed away from the highway. Besides, he always felt so free when he ran; like he was flying.
When the school came into view he slowed. He didn't want anyone seeing his sudden appearance so he stopped behind the gymnasium and made his way around.
Smallville High was bustling with movement. There was still about ten minutes before the first bell, so students were lagging outside, talking and even laughing. Several students were huddled together in the grass on the lawn, no doubt trying to do some last minute cramming before class. The jocks crowded around the flagpole, the red and yellow of their letter jackets making them stand out like some sort of club. Among them were Whitney, Joey, Matt, and a few others Clark knew of but didn't quite know their names.
Wait a minute. Whitney's gone. He left to join the military. What's he doing here again?
He involuntarily searched the crowd, and then there she was…
…Lana Lang. She was dressed in her cheerleading uniform and, like usual, hanging on Whitney's arm.
This can't be right. Lana quite cheerleading when she was a Freshman.
She looked bored, distractedly playing with the pins and medals adorning Whitney's letter jacket as if she had nothing better to do. When Lana saw Clark, however, her expression changed. Her face lit up and her eyes sparkled with delight. She left Whitney with his friends, who didn't even seem to notice she had gone, and came straight to him.
Clark was rooted to the spot. Lana put her arms around him and said, "I'm glad you're here."
This isn't right. It can't be real.
Whitney's face, when he finally noticed he had been ditched, flashed red with anger. Clark returned Lana's embrace, letting his book bag slip to the ground. Her necklace jingled as she moved, the green stone catching Clark's eye.
This is all wrong. I can't go near Lana when she's wearing that. It's meteor rock!
Lana stood on her tiptoes and planted a soft, sweet kiss on his forehead. He had to bend down slightly in order for her to reach, but he was glad he did so. Her lips were so soft…she smelled like Jasmine…
Stark fluorescent lights flickered inside the abandoned sawmill. Chloe followed a dark hallway, cautiously peering into every room, quietly moving from one hallway to the next.
After she had managed to squeeze her way through the gate she quickly found the door and started her search for Clark. The main warehouse where most of the lumber had been handled was empty. Most of the machinery still remained, though rusted, crumbling, and forsaken amongst the piles of debris from where the roof had caved in at certain points.
For the most part, the mill looked as if no one had tread inside it for years. The deeper, however, she got into the building, the more the rooms began looking used. When she had first entered the building beyond the warehouse, the rooms in which she'd searched were not only covered with layer upon layer of dust, but looking like they hadn't been accessed in ages.
It was a huge facility. Perhaps she should have waited for Pete and Lana to get back…
No, she scolded herself firmly. They're following a lead, just like you. They didn't have time to hold each other's hands in the search for Clark. There was too much at stake.
When she at last arrived at a hallway that looked like it had been recently maintained, Chloe gave a start. The door ahead and directly to her left was shut, but a beam of artificial light spilled out from the crack beneath.
Shadows moved across the floor. Someone was inside.
Chloe fought down the urge to panic and held her breath. What if Clark's in there with them?
The memory of her friend being tortured gave Chloe a new wave of courage. She knew she should leave, get out now while the door was still closed and find help, but she had come too far.
There were several more rooms on down the hall. She'd search them. Then, if she still found nothing, she would hide and wait for that door to open. She'd hide as long as she needed to.
Hiding was soon wiped from her mind, however, when she slipped inside the last room and spotted a slender, brown-haired figure lying unconscious atop what appeared to be a medical examination table. She recognized the prisoner instantly.
Clark!
Her breath left her. He wasn't moving.
I apologize if your mouths are hanging open going, "Huh?" - the Clark/Lana thing is a dream sequence. It'll come together in the next chapter.
