It had taken two days to track the signal to the southwest, another day to narrow it down to New Mexico, but after that, only half a day to find the city, building, and unit. They'd nearly been ready to move in when the man keeping observation on the building reported urgently that Lex Luthor, not just Clark, was living there.
Lionel had immediately called for them to regroup. This was unexpected and unwelcome. Of course, Lex was hardly the same type of problem as Clark, but he was a complication. What was the best solution? Offer him payment for continued silence and staying out of things? Or best to take him with them as well? Or the solution which, each time he rejected it, seemed to whisper more strongly, withdraw entirely, leave them alone unless they seemed as though they were going to cause problems?
He drove that thought to the back of his mind, telling himself it was the weak and lazy response. A man couldn't react to circumstances, he had to create them.
By the time he'd made up his mind to take Lex with them, it was already nighttime. Better to fetch them during daylight. Even though the element of surprise would be stronger during the night, there would be more people in the building, more likelihood of somebody hearing if either boy kicked up a fuss. True, he didn't expect that anybody would interfere or even call the police, but better that way. Also, the boys would be far less likely to panic during the daytime; coming for them at night would only seem menacing.
He explained the new situation and left two more people on watch. The whole situation was in many ways deplorable. *I panicked myself then, when I thought Clark was dying. But if he'd been reasonable from the beginning about being examined, then I wouldn't have thought that was my last chance.* No, rationalizing wasn't going to do a thing. He'd be able to take things more slowly now, ask for cooperation, though admittedly he'd be asking from a position of far greater and more overt strength. But despite all their flaws, and his own mistakes, they were his family. He only hoped that they understood.
***
The sound of a fist hitting the wall, followed by muffled, incoherent shouts, woke Lex up. *Another nightmare.* The noise continued. *Bad one.* Another thud as Clark's thrashing struck the wall, and then the sound of wide-awake swearing.
Clark appeared in the doorway. "Lex? You awake?"
"I am now."
Clark turned on the light and as Lex blinked, came closer, cradling something in his hand. "This was in the ring. What is it?" His voice was wounded and subdued. Lex held out his own hand and Clark put what looked like the fragments of a cheap sterling claddagh ring and an intact, tiny piece of circuitry.
"I don't know. Where did it come from?"
Clark wasn't blinking back tears, was he? "Her ring. The ring she gave me."
"Who?"
"Lana," Clark whispered.
"She gave you a ring?" He didn't think that even with coffee, this would make any sense.
"Yeah. But...there was this in it...do you think..."
"I can't tell what it is. But I don't like the look of it. Why would she give you a ring?"
Clark took the piece of battered silver back, turning it over in his hands. "I...I was leaving her flowers. I wasn't doing anything wrong, just leaving flowers, it's not like I was you know, stalking her, I just left notes saying things like how pretty she is, and that I wished we were friends, and all that, I didn't even sign them, since, well, she'd think that I was dead and that would be pretty creepy, you know? But she must have guessed or something, because last Tuesday, she left a note for me, and a ring...but I can't believe she'd do anything like..."
Lex couldn't believe it himself. He thought for a moment. "So she didn't actually give it to you in person."
Clark shook his head.
"And the note was addressed to you, by name, right?"
He nodded.
"So whoever left it had to know you weren't dead."
"Yeah, I guess so." Lex looked meaningfully at him for a moment until he saw that Clark was realizing the most likely explanation.
"You think it was Dad?"
"Who else?" Clark nodded, slowly. "What made you think to look inside it?"
"I, uh, didn't. I was having another one of...those dreams again, and I guess I tried to hit out. Broke the ring. That woke me up, and I was trying to see if it could be fixed, and then saw..." Lex wished that Clark would stop turning the ring over and over in his fingers, as though it were still something he treasured.
"Did it make you feel any different? The ring, when you put it on?"
"Just happy." Clark swallowed hard.
*Keep thinking.* "Then it's probably some kind of transmitter. I think Dad's trying to locate us. This was Tuesday, you said?"
"Yeah."
Lex smiled slowly. "Which means we don't have much time--but we can think of some place interesting to leave it."
Lionel had immediately called for them to regroup. This was unexpected and unwelcome. Of course, Lex was hardly the same type of problem as Clark, but he was a complication. What was the best solution? Offer him payment for continued silence and staying out of things? Or best to take him with them as well? Or the solution which, each time he rejected it, seemed to whisper more strongly, withdraw entirely, leave them alone unless they seemed as though they were going to cause problems?
He drove that thought to the back of his mind, telling himself it was the weak and lazy response. A man couldn't react to circumstances, he had to create them.
By the time he'd made up his mind to take Lex with them, it was already nighttime. Better to fetch them during daylight. Even though the element of surprise would be stronger during the night, there would be more people in the building, more likelihood of somebody hearing if either boy kicked up a fuss. True, he didn't expect that anybody would interfere or even call the police, but better that way. Also, the boys would be far less likely to panic during the daytime; coming for them at night would only seem menacing.
He explained the new situation and left two more people on watch. The whole situation was in many ways deplorable. *I panicked myself then, when I thought Clark was dying. But if he'd been reasonable from the beginning about being examined, then I wouldn't have thought that was my last chance.* No, rationalizing wasn't going to do a thing. He'd be able to take things more slowly now, ask for cooperation, though admittedly he'd be asking from a position of far greater and more overt strength. But despite all their flaws, and his own mistakes, they were his family. He only hoped that they understood.
***
The sound of a fist hitting the wall, followed by muffled, incoherent shouts, woke Lex up. *Another nightmare.* The noise continued. *Bad one.* Another thud as Clark's thrashing struck the wall, and then the sound of wide-awake swearing.
Clark appeared in the doorway. "Lex? You awake?"
"I am now."
Clark turned on the light and as Lex blinked, came closer, cradling something in his hand. "This was in the ring. What is it?" His voice was wounded and subdued. Lex held out his own hand and Clark put what looked like the fragments of a cheap sterling claddagh ring and an intact, tiny piece of circuitry.
"I don't know. Where did it come from?"
Clark wasn't blinking back tears, was he? "Her ring. The ring she gave me."
"Who?"
"Lana," Clark whispered.
"She gave you a ring?" He didn't think that even with coffee, this would make any sense.
"Yeah. But...there was this in it...do you think..."
"I can't tell what it is. But I don't like the look of it. Why would she give you a ring?"
Clark took the piece of battered silver back, turning it over in his hands. "I...I was leaving her flowers. I wasn't doing anything wrong, just leaving flowers, it's not like I was you know, stalking her, I just left notes saying things like how pretty she is, and that I wished we were friends, and all that, I didn't even sign them, since, well, she'd think that I was dead and that would be pretty creepy, you know? But she must have guessed or something, because last Tuesday, she left a note for me, and a ring...but I can't believe she'd do anything like..."
Lex couldn't believe it himself. He thought for a moment. "So she didn't actually give it to you in person."
Clark shook his head.
"And the note was addressed to you, by name, right?"
He nodded.
"So whoever left it had to know you weren't dead."
"Yeah, I guess so." Lex looked meaningfully at him for a moment until he saw that Clark was realizing the most likely explanation.
"You think it was Dad?"
"Who else?" Clark nodded, slowly. "What made you think to look inside it?"
"I, uh, didn't. I was having another one of...those dreams again, and I guess I tried to hit out. Broke the ring. That woke me up, and I was trying to see if it could be fixed, and then saw..." Lex wished that Clark would stop turning the ring over and over in his fingers, as though it were still something he treasured.
"Did it make you feel any different? The ring, when you put it on?"
"Just happy." Clark swallowed hard.
*Keep thinking.* "Then it's probably some kind of transmitter. I think Dad's trying to locate us. This was Tuesday, you said?"
"Yeah."
Lex smiled slowly. "Which means we don't have much time--but we can think of some place interesting to leave it."