Chapter Four
Jonathan had wanted Lana to stay in the car. She refused. She had said, she would cover his back.
He realised the sense of it, but he had a bad feeling about what would await them inside the barn. The doors weren't locked, not even properly closed. What if they were too late and Clark had been moved already?
Jonathan heard a voice, cursing loudly. Alarmed he opened the door of the barn and silently moved in. Lana followed him carefully, observing the surroundings of the interior. A coloured man, obviously Dr. Hamilton, stood at the far end of the barn, leaning over someone laying on a stretcher.
All Jonathan needed to see were blue flannels and he went into attack mode. Hamilton was doing something to Clark. He wouldn't let him.
Lana wanted to keep Jonathan from storming over. On the contrary to her friends father she had not forgotten Petes mentioning of a gun. She watched Jonathan come to sudden halt, as a bullet hit the ground in front of him.
Hamilton had turned, a syringe in one hand and the gun in the other. He triggered it at Jonathan, who looked as if he was willing to kill. She also saw, the Clark was seemingly unconscious. At least he didn't move or realise help was on its way. She knelt behind the tables, hoping that Hamilton hadn't seen her.
That was obviously not the case. He only gestured Jonathan to the far end of the barn, where he could see him. In his hand he now held a pair of handcuffs. Jonathan growled like a mad dog at the man, but even in this state of mind he realised, that he couldn't help or protect his son, if he was dead.
Hamilton threw the cuffs at Jonathan, who caught them by reflex.
"Chain yourself to the post, Kent. No wrong move, or I'll shoot your son."
By threatening Clarks life instead of his fathers Hamilton gained full co- operation. Seeing the blood on Clarks arm, Jonathan knew, that the essence of meteor rocks made Clark extremely vulnerable.
"Give up, Hamilton. A lot of people know, where I was headed. You cannot get away."
Even Lana could hear the despair in Jonathan's voice.
She looked out for something solid. She found a small post, obviously from a shattered table. Silently she creeped up to Hamiltons back and hit the post with all her strength over his head.
He cried, falling against the stretcher and then collapsing to the floor. Before Lana could prevent it, the bottle of green liquid tumbled from the table next to him and crashed beside his head. The green liquid sizzled and immediately vanished on his skin.
She stepped over the rocking man on the floor and felt for Clarks pulse. Relieved she smiled at Jonathan.
"He's alive."
Jonathan sighed. Since he had closed the handcuffs around his wrists, he couldn't come over to check for himself.
"Can you please free me? We have to get him out."
Lana considered searching Hamiltons clothes for the key but decided against. She didn't know, whether he would come to again. The risk was to high.
She grabbed his gun instead and moved over to Jonathan. He watched her warily. She told him to hold his wrists apart, so she could shoot the chain. It always worked at the movies. She didn't care for the sceptic expression at Jonathan's face.
She aimed, pulled the trigger, and Jonathan was free. He grinned, feeling like a moviestar and sped over at his sons side.
"Clark! Can you hear me? Everything's going to be alright. I'm bringing you home."
Lana watched father and son. He loosened the restraints that held Clark and cradled him in his arms. Lana followed them both out, for the first time seeing the little spaceship in the corner. She held her breath as Jonathan approached it.
Jonathan showed no reaction. He didn't care for the spaceship. Clark was more important now. He had been seriously polluted with the green liquid. Otherwise he couldn't have been hurt.
Outside the barn he watched out for a basin of some kind. There had to be a water supply. When he didn't find one, he called for Lana. She had followed him out of the barn without him realising it.
She looked at Clark questioningly. Jonathan put him down.
"We need to wash him."
Jonathan said. Lana seemed irritated. For her the most important thing seemed to clean and treat his wound. But she didn't feel like arguing with the worried father. He knew his son best.
She returned to the barn, finding Hamilton badly shaking. He rocked at the floor, then suddenly he was still, his body going limp. She assumed, that he was dead. But she didn't really care.
In the corner with the spaceship she found a hose. Outside she soon found the fitting water supply. When she returned to Clark and his father, the young man had been stripped off his clothes and only had his boxers on. He still was out of it.
Jonathan took the hose and started splashing water at his son. Lana thought that it was pretty cold water, but at least that was hopefully going to wake him. It took several moments until Clark finally moved. He groaned and tried to open his eyes.
"Sh, Clark. It's alright. You're safe."
Lana knelt next to him, as Jonathan stopped splashing water at him. Clark opened his eyes and met hers. She smiled, glad, that he was okay. Jonathan watched them from the distance and smiled, giving in to fate. There was no way, the girl would by any of their favourite lies.
"He killed Pete." Clark whispered, close to tears. Lana hugged him, not caring that her clothes became wet and soiled.
"Don't worry, Clark. Pete will be fine. Chloe brought him to the hospital. He escaped the mad man."
Clark turned, recognised his father, who nodded and then relaxed. He was exhausted, his strength still not returning, because some of the liquid had gotten in to his blood. He assumed that it would take him some time to regain his powers..
He looked up at Lana again and saw real concern. He saw doubt there as well. She had been guessing at his secret for weeks, and his lies were just that: lies. He had never been good at lying. Even though he had been doing so all his life.
"Dad, don't you think this is a good time for the truth?"
Jonathan sighed again, loudly.
"Yes, Clark. I don't think there will be a better one."
The End
Jonathan had wanted Lana to stay in the car. She refused. She had said, she would cover his back.
He realised the sense of it, but he had a bad feeling about what would await them inside the barn. The doors weren't locked, not even properly closed. What if they were too late and Clark had been moved already?
Jonathan heard a voice, cursing loudly. Alarmed he opened the door of the barn and silently moved in. Lana followed him carefully, observing the surroundings of the interior. A coloured man, obviously Dr. Hamilton, stood at the far end of the barn, leaning over someone laying on a stretcher.
All Jonathan needed to see were blue flannels and he went into attack mode. Hamilton was doing something to Clark. He wouldn't let him.
Lana wanted to keep Jonathan from storming over. On the contrary to her friends father she had not forgotten Petes mentioning of a gun. She watched Jonathan come to sudden halt, as a bullet hit the ground in front of him.
Hamilton had turned, a syringe in one hand and the gun in the other. He triggered it at Jonathan, who looked as if he was willing to kill. She also saw, the Clark was seemingly unconscious. At least he didn't move or realise help was on its way. She knelt behind the tables, hoping that Hamilton hadn't seen her.
That was obviously not the case. He only gestured Jonathan to the far end of the barn, where he could see him. In his hand he now held a pair of handcuffs. Jonathan growled like a mad dog at the man, but even in this state of mind he realised, that he couldn't help or protect his son, if he was dead.
Hamilton threw the cuffs at Jonathan, who caught them by reflex.
"Chain yourself to the post, Kent. No wrong move, or I'll shoot your son."
By threatening Clarks life instead of his fathers Hamilton gained full co- operation. Seeing the blood on Clarks arm, Jonathan knew, that the essence of meteor rocks made Clark extremely vulnerable.
"Give up, Hamilton. A lot of people know, where I was headed. You cannot get away."
Even Lana could hear the despair in Jonathan's voice.
She looked out for something solid. She found a small post, obviously from a shattered table. Silently she creeped up to Hamiltons back and hit the post with all her strength over his head.
He cried, falling against the stretcher and then collapsing to the floor. Before Lana could prevent it, the bottle of green liquid tumbled from the table next to him and crashed beside his head. The green liquid sizzled and immediately vanished on his skin.
She stepped over the rocking man on the floor and felt for Clarks pulse. Relieved she smiled at Jonathan.
"He's alive."
Jonathan sighed. Since he had closed the handcuffs around his wrists, he couldn't come over to check for himself.
"Can you please free me? We have to get him out."
Lana considered searching Hamiltons clothes for the key but decided against. She didn't know, whether he would come to again. The risk was to high.
She grabbed his gun instead and moved over to Jonathan. He watched her warily. She told him to hold his wrists apart, so she could shoot the chain. It always worked at the movies. She didn't care for the sceptic expression at Jonathan's face.
She aimed, pulled the trigger, and Jonathan was free. He grinned, feeling like a moviestar and sped over at his sons side.
"Clark! Can you hear me? Everything's going to be alright. I'm bringing you home."
Lana watched father and son. He loosened the restraints that held Clark and cradled him in his arms. Lana followed them both out, for the first time seeing the little spaceship in the corner. She held her breath as Jonathan approached it.
Jonathan showed no reaction. He didn't care for the spaceship. Clark was more important now. He had been seriously polluted with the green liquid. Otherwise he couldn't have been hurt.
Outside the barn he watched out for a basin of some kind. There had to be a water supply. When he didn't find one, he called for Lana. She had followed him out of the barn without him realising it.
She looked at Clark questioningly. Jonathan put him down.
"We need to wash him."
Jonathan said. Lana seemed irritated. For her the most important thing seemed to clean and treat his wound. But she didn't feel like arguing with the worried father. He knew his son best.
She returned to the barn, finding Hamilton badly shaking. He rocked at the floor, then suddenly he was still, his body going limp. She assumed, that he was dead. But she didn't really care.
In the corner with the spaceship she found a hose. Outside she soon found the fitting water supply. When she returned to Clark and his father, the young man had been stripped off his clothes and only had his boxers on. He still was out of it.
Jonathan took the hose and started splashing water at his son. Lana thought that it was pretty cold water, but at least that was hopefully going to wake him. It took several moments until Clark finally moved. He groaned and tried to open his eyes.
"Sh, Clark. It's alright. You're safe."
Lana knelt next to him, as Jonathan stopped splashing water at him. Clark opened his eyes and met hers. She smiled, glad, that he was okay. Jonathan watched them from the distance and smiled, giving in to fate. There was no way, the girl would by any of their favourite lies.
"He killed Pete." Clark whispered, close to tears. Lana hugged him, not caring that her clothes became wet and soiled.
"Don't worry, Clark. Pete will be fine. Chloe brought him to the hospital. He escaped the mad man."
Clark turned, recognised his father, who nodded and then relaxed. He was exhausted, his strength still not returning, because some of the liquid had gotten in to his blood. He assumed that it would take him some time to regain his powers..
He looked up at Lana again and saw real concern. He saw doubt there as well. She had been guessing at his secret for weeks, and his lies were just that: lies. He had never been good at lying. Even though he had been doing so all his life.
"Dad, don't you think this is a good time for the truth?"
Jonathan sighed again, loudly.
"Yes, Clark. I don't think there will be a better one."
The End