Summary and Disclaimer in Chapter 1

A/N: Thanks to everyone who's asked for links to the other chapter. Hope you enjoy it, guys!

Robyn - Thanks for the review, chica! Here's a kind of answer.

Chapter 9

Relief and a sense of foreboding flooded through Lex's body, and he sank into his desk chair. Of course, he gave none of this away to the person on the other end of the line.

"Are you alright, Chloe?"

"Fine, thank you, Mr Luthor." She sounded as unruffled as he, and the sense of impending unpleasantness fixed itself in Lex's stomach and refused to move.

"So, we're back to last names, now. I thought we were past that stage."

"I think its more appropriate, given the circumstances. I'm sure you'll appreciate that, when you hear what I have to say."

"Well then, Miss Sullivan, please do tell me what this is all about."

"Perhaps this will illustrate my point more effectively." Lex heard a click on the line, and then his own voice saying,

"Chloe, are you sure this is what you want?" in the midst of some very heated sexual noises. He felt anger building in his chest, but held on to his control.

"Mr Luthor, as I'm sure you can imagine, with a little creative editing this tape is worth a lot of money to any newspaper in the world." Her voice became a little snide. "Perhaps you should be more careful about which teenage virgins you choose to deflower."

"What do you want?" His voice was resigned, but his mind was working overtime planning his next move.

"What does anyone ever want you for? Come now, be serious." He had to bite his tongue at her patronising tone, but let her continue. "I want money. A steady supply, for the rest of my life. I'll call you again with the details."

The phone went dead, and the anger and adrenalin he'd been holding back so effectively rushed over him, causing his hand to shake as he put down the receiver. Fighting it down, he made some notes on a nearby pad and started to make calls, trying not to look at the heel marks on his desk.

Looking up from his desk twenty minutes later, Lex was unsurprised to see Clark Kent burst into his office.

"Ah, the cavalry."

"Lex, I'm sorry to disturb you, but its really important." Clark managed to look slightly sheepish, worried, pissed off and like a Levi's commercial all at once. "Chloe's gone missing, and I've been searching all night. I've been all over town, but I can't find her anywhere. Have you seen her anytime since this afternoon?"

"Calm down, Clark. I know exactly where she is."

"How do you...." The confusion was writ large over Clark's features.

"She was here earlier." Lex was hoping that he wouldn't have to explain too much about the events of that evening.

"Why was she...."

"That's not important now. The point is that your friend has been playing some very dangerous games indeed, and she's likely to get herself hurt. Maybe its best if she leaves town." He added darkly.

"Umm, Lex, I think there's something you should know. Chloe isn't herself at the moment." Clark hurried on at Lex's derisive snort. "Its some kind of parasite affecting her brain, something to do with meteor rocks, I think."

"I am finding it increasingly difficult to blame everything on those accursed rocks, Clark!" Lex snapped, anger finally breaking through. "Its about time you realised that most people will screw you over if you let them. People are not inherently good, as you seem to believe, and everyone will abandon you in the end. Its a fact of nature." Taken aback by the sudden outburst, Clark couldn't find his voice for a heartbeat, then forced himself to continue.

"Lex, please, the parasite is making her behave like an entirely different person. A crazy person. Pete already nearly drove off a cliff tonight! If I don't find her she could kill herself somehow." Searching for a reaction in his friend's eyes, he found only cold indifference. "Look, if you know where she is, then at least tell me. She needs to get to the hospital."

"Very well. Here's the address." Lex wrote it down on the back of a business card and looked down as he passed it to Clark. "If you'll excuse me?"

"Yeah, ok." Clark backed away, confused by Lex's veneer of coldness. He had just turned and was about to leave the office when Lex's voice stopped him short.

"Weren't you supposed to be going on a date with Lana tonight?" It was a low blow, and he didn't really know why he'd said it, maybe just because he was in a temper, and he wanted to hurt the boy who already had everything Lex had ever wanted.

Clark's back straightened and his shoulders tensed. He didn't reply, just walked away.

Lex waited until he heard the mansion door close and walked upstairs to dress. Grabbing his car keys and cell phone, he drove away from the mansion in the opposite direction to Clark.