PART EIGHT


Kneeling down, Lex picked up the thin, nearly transparent fabric. "What the hell?" he muttered, as he touched the wire that had been punched through one corner of the cloth. His eyes tracked the wire up to the tree branch it had been tossed over, then down the other side. With an angry shake of his head, Lex tossed the fabric to the ground and stood up. He wondered briefly if this…rig had something to do with Chloe, then decided it didn't matter. What mattered was finding her.

Eyes squinted against the sun reflecting off the water, Lex walked to the edge of the lake.

After he woke from the dream, Lex called the Sullivan house, but got no answer. As he hung up, his mind was already compiling a list of people who might know where Chloe was. Clark. Or Lana. Lex was even willing to call Pete Ross, to endure the teen's antagonism, if it would help him find the young reporter.

Then, he'd remembered what she'd said this morning.

"I'm going ghost hunting this afternoon."

From what she said as she left, he'd assumed she was going straight from the mansion to the lake. Perhaps she'd gotten into some kind of trouble while investigating her story. If he could really believe the dream, she was lying out here somewhere, injured and unconscious.

Sighing, Lex pinched the bridge of his nose. He'd walked halfway around the lake and, so far, had seen no sign of Chloe. Just trees, rocks, a few old soda cans and, eventually, the fabric and wire.

He just hadn't considered how big the area was. All he could think of was following the dream. Proving that he wasn't losing his mind. That his senses were going crazy for a reason. That the animal he saw in his bedroom wasn't a delusion.

Now, he realized it could take hours to search these woods. Especially alone.

"Damn it!" Lex cursed through gritted teeth. His fists clenched in frustration. "You brought me here. What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

But the cougar didn't magically appear to lead him to where Chloe was. He was all alone, and feeling more like an idiot with each passing minute.

Taking a deep breath, Lex closed his eyes. Maybe he was going crazy after all. The Sentinel myth was pure fiction, and he'd been a fool to believe it for even a second. The dream had been a lie. At this very moment, Chloe Sullivan was at home. Or at the school, working on her precious paper. She was safe and sound and…

Suddenly, Lex's head cocked to one side. There was something there. Something soft and faint, at the very edge of his sense of hearing.

Standing up straight, Lex listened, focused. And the sound grew louder, stronger.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

Opening his eyes, Lex turned towards the sound. "Chloe," he said, voice filled with certainty.

Pushing away all of his doubts, Lex followed the sound. As he reached the trees, he saw a path, narrow and overgrown, but there.

Mouth set in a determined line, he entered the trees. He ignored the rocks that scuffed his handmade shoes, the branches that pulled at his jacket, scratching the leather. He followed the heartbeat down the path, up the hill, until…

"Chloe!" he called, eyes searching in vain for some sign of the young woman. Bending down, Lex picked up her bag. The one he'd seen her routing through for Tylenol just yesterday.

Instinctively, like it was the most natural thing in the world, Lex focused on the heartbeat.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

It was louder, closer. She had to be here, somewhere.

A soft groan, one most people wouldn't have heard, made his head whip to the side. Standing, Lex reached out, pushed aside the canopy of leaves that he'd mistaken for a bush. He found a sharp drop, a short incline. And lying at the bottom of that incline was Chloe Sullivan.

Cursing under his breath, Lex hurried towards her. The girl was lying on her back, unconscious. And a patch of her golden blond hair was matted to her head by blood.

Dropping the bag on the ground, Lex knelt at her side.

"Chloe," he said. "Can you hear me?"

There was no response.

Eyes narrowed, Lex bent closer to study the wound…

And that's when the smell of her blood hit him. It was coppery and sweet and sharp. And overwhelming.

Lex could feel his other senses vanishing one by one. His vision dimmed, darkness starting at the edges and spreading to the center. Sounds faded; the heartbeat that led him here grew faint. He was getting lost again, but he couldn't seem to stop it. He was losing touch with the outside world, leaving nothing but the smell of blood.

"Pull…back."

The sound of that weak, halting voice was like someone snapping their fingers in front of his face. The dimness clouding his vision receded. The sound of Chloe's heartbeat returned. But the smell of blood was still so strong.

Gasping for air, Lex looked down. Chloe's eyes were open, but only partially. She was looking at him, but her eyes were glazed. And, somehow, she was holding his hand.

"Pull back," she mumbled, sounding for all the world like someone talking in there sleep. When she blinked, it seemed to be a struggle to open her eyes again. "You'll zone if you don't…pull back."

"Chloe," he began. "Can you…"

"Which one?" she interrupted.

"Smell," Lex answered, without even thinking. Then frowned at the word that had popped, unbidden, out of his mouth.

Chloe's eyes were closed again, but she was nodding slowly.

"Don't breathe through…your nose," she mumbled, every word an effort. Pausing, she wet her lips. "Cut the smell…off."

It was so simple, Lex almost rolled his eyes. As he followed her instructions, he found he was no longer overwhelmed by the smell of her blood. No longer in danger of getting lost.

His gaze thoughtful, Lex looked down at the young woman. At the most, she was semi-conscious. In her current condition, she couldn't possibly be aware of what she was saying. Yet, somehow, she'd managed to help him. To guide him.

Pushing his thoughts aside for later consideration, Lex started to sit back.

"No!" Chloe said, her voice the strongest it had been. As she struggled to open her eyes, her grip on his hand tightened. "Don't leave."

"I won't," Lex promised. "I'm just going to call for help."

With his free hand, Lex reached into the inner pocket of his jacket. As he pulled out his cell phone, he saw something out of the corner of his eye.

It was the cougar, standing next to the largest tree in the clearing, watching with its wise, feline eyes. And standing by its side was the fox. It was awake, and uninjured. And seemingly unafraid of the larger, more powerful beast that towered over it.

A groan from Chloe drew his attention. Turning, Lex saw that she'd lost consciousness again.

A worried frown puckering his brow, Lex dialed. As he pressed the phone to his ear, Lex looked towards the tree. And wasn't even surprised to find that the cougar and fox had vanished.


(TO BE CONTINUED)