Chapter 6
[Smallville's main street]
"Who? That was Summer Gleeson, crime reporter from Gotham City. Following up on the Wayne incident last month." The sooner she's out of town, the better, Clark thought
"Do you think the Luthors have anything to do with this? The Planet seems to think so."
Clark didn't want to believe that Lex was involved. His father, though, has a long-standing feud with the Waynes. "It may be a case of guilt by association. I don't think Luthor Corp. had anything to do with it."
"Still," Lana pondered, "there's a lot of money to be made in arms dealing. Do the Luthors know when to draw the line?"
She feared that Clark's friendship with Lex may catch him in the crosshairs of a brewing blood feud. Not to mention the scarier Russian mob angle.
Clark checked the town clock tower. "It's almost feeding time. The cows don't like to wait and get cranky."
He waved bye and dashed off.
"Umm, ok. Take care, Clark!" Between Clark's friendship with Bruce Wayne and with Lex, it seemed to Lana that Clark was getting in way over his head.
[Luthor estate]
Lex yelled at his cell. "I don't care! I want my attorneys here within the hour!! And call my lawyer in New York. I want all bases covered: the network, everything. We stop the bloodletting now!"
He glanced at the boxes of incriminating files. These should have been shredded a long time ago, yet they were left to haunt the Luthors. He switched on CNN.
"There are reports that the FBI and Treasury department agents have raided Luthor Corp Towers in Metropolis early this morning to seize documents relating to the Wayne attempted assassination last month."
Damn, Lex thought, this could – should – have been avoided. He pocketed one file, then carried the last of the boxes out of his office. They would be destroyed. Now.
Lex looked around anxiously in the driveway. He was nervous about the documents. He knew the FBI had a field office in Wichita. Agents could be here by noon. That wasn't worrying him as much as the box of military-grade explosives in the back of his car. He told his father that making such weapons just isn't good business in the heartland of America. They should have been made in, say, Virginia or Maryland – near a sympathetic military community. But he didn't listen. Now they could pay the price.
He remembered an old shed in a densely wooded area south of Smallville. Remnants of some long-forgotten Confederate camp. I'll go there, blow up the shed and be rid of these files. When he turned on the ignition, the radio was on: ".........goin' down ......... in a blaze of glory!!"
"Shut up, Bon Jovi," Luthor ordered and switched the station.
"... FBI agents seized documents relating to Luthor Corp.'s military contracts ... Luthor lawyers insist they are co-operating ..."
"I don't have much time," Lex told himself. He thought he heard ticking. My watch needs a new battery. He raced out of the estate, hoping to avert the collapse of the Luthor empire.
[Kent farmhouse]
Clark pulled into the garage. Summer's neon green Ford was already there.
His parents and Summer rushed outside. His mother hugged him.
"Did you hear, Clark? The FBI raided Luthor Corp. early this morning!"
Clark stared in bewilderment. He ran into the living room. On the TV was a Special Report from ABC: 'From what we can gather, the Attorney General's office has ordered the seizure of files, computers and related materials. Luthor attorneys are pursuing an injunction .....'
"There's something else," Summer added, "some files are missing."
No! Clark insisted, Lex couldn't be involved in this. Lionel Luthor ... maybe ... but not Lex. If Lex had those files ... the friendship they had developed over the past year would crumble to dust.
"I want to hear it from his face!" Clark ran to his truck.
"Clark!" Jonathan Kent yelled, "I know he's your friend, but ... if the feds don't find what they want in Metropolis, their next stop is Smallville. I don't ..."
Clark didn't hear the rest. His mind was racing. He switched on the radio: "...our correspondent in Wichita confirms that a convoy of unmarked vans, along with state troopers, left the FBI field office this morning. We can only guess that they'll be paying a visit to son Lex in Smallville ..."
Summer jumped into her car and followed Clark. Her instincts told her that she was on the tip of a very BIG story. If the Luthor empire was about to fall, she wanted to be its herald.
Jonathan and Martha Kent could only look as Clark raced headlong into the unknown.
[Grasslands surrounding Smallville]
Alexei spurred on his horse. He was paid handsomely for his services. He would be paid well again – if he could achieve his objective. He could have left the town and be overseas by dinner, but he wanted to personally see the results of his handiwork. "Soon, mother, you shall be avenged." He watched the state highway for his prey, who was oblivious to what would pass ...
[Smallville's main street]
"Who? That was Summer Gleeson, crime reporter from Gotham City. Following up on the Wayne incident last month." The sooner she's out of town, the better, Clark thought
"Do you think the Luthors have anything to do with this? The Planet seems to think so."
Clark didn't want to believe that Lex was involved. His father, though, has a long-standing feud with the Waynes. "It may be a case of guilt by association. I don't think Luthor Corp. had anything to do with it."
"Still," Lana pondered, "there's a lot of money to be made in arms dealing. Do the Luthors know when to draw the line?"
She feared that Clark's friendship with Lex may catch him in the crosshairs of a brewing blood feud. Not to mention the scarier Russian mob angle.
Clark checked the town clock tower. "It's almost feeding time. The cows don't like to wait and get cranky."
He waved bye and dashed off.
"Umm, ok. Take care, Clark!" Between Clark's friendship with Bruce Wayne and with Lex, it seemed to Lana that Clark was getting in way over his head.
[Luthor estate]
Lex yelled at his cell. "I don't care! I want my attorneys here within the hour!! And call my lawyer in New York. I want all bases covered: the network, everything. We stop the bloodletting now!"
He glanced at the boxes of incriminating files. These should have been shredded a long time ago, yet they were left to haunt the Luthors. He switched on CNN.
"There are reports that the FBI and Treasury department agents have raided Luthor Corp Towers in Metropolis early this morning to seize documents relating to the Wayne attempted assassination last month."
Damn, Lex thought, this could – should – have been avoided. He pocketed one file, then carried the last of the boxes out of his office. They would be destroyed. Now.
Lex looked around anxiously in the driveway. He was nervous about the documents. He knew the FBI had a field office in Wichita. Agents could be here by noon. That wasn't worrying him as much as the box of military-grade explosives in the back of his car. He told his father that making such weapons just isn't good business in the heartland of America. They should have been made in, say, Virginia or Maryland – near a sympathetic military community. But he didn't listen. Now they could pay the price.
He remembered an old shed in a densely wooded area south of Smallville. Remnants of some long-forgotten Confederate camp. I'll go there, blow up the shed and be rid of these files. When he turned on the ignition, the radio was on: ".........goin' down ......... in a blaze of glory!!"
"Shut up, Bon Jovi," Luthor ordered and switched the station.
"... FBI agents seized documents relating to Luthor Corp.'s military contracts ... Luthor lawyers insist they are co-operating ..."
"I don't have much time," Lex told himself. He thought he heard ticking. My watch needs a new battery. He raced out of the estate, hoping to avert the collapse of the Luthor empire.
[Kent farmhouse]
Clark pulled into the garage. Summer's neon green Ford was already there.
His parents and Summer rushed outside. His mother hugged him.
"Did you hear, Clark? The FBI raided Luthor Corp. early this morning!"
Clark stared in bewilderment. He ran into the living room. On the TV was a Special Report from ABC: 'From what we can gather, the Attorney General's office has ordered the seizure of files, computers and related materials. Luthor attorneys are pursuing an injunction .....'
"There's something else," Summer added, "some files are missing."
No! Clark insisted, Lex couldn't be involved in this. Lionel Luthor ... maybe ... but not Lex. If Lex had those files ... the friendship they had developed over the past year would crumble to dust.
"I want to hear it from his face!" Clark ran to his truck.
"Clark!" Jonathan Kent yelled, "I know he's your friend, but ... if the feds don't find what they want in Metropolis, their next stop is Smallville. I don't ..."
Clark didn't hear the rest. His mind was racing. He switched on the radio: "...our correspondent in Wichita confirms that a convoy of unmarked vans, along with state troopers, left the FBI field office this morning. We can only guess that they'll be paying a visit to son Lex in Smallville ..."
Summer jumped into her car and followed Clark. Her instincts told her that she was on the tip of a very BIG story. If the Luthor empire was about to fall, she wanted to be its herald.
Jonathan and Martha Kent could only look as Clark raced headlong into the unknown.
[Grasslands surrounding Smallville]
Alexei spurred on his horse. He was paid handsomely for his services. He would be paid well again – if he could achieve his objective. He could have left the town and be overseas by dinner, but he wanted to personally see the results of his handiwork. "Soon, mother, you shall be avenged." He watched the state highway for his prey, who was oblivious to what would pass ...