Hey all! Been awhile hasn't it? Well, Life gets in the way of things and I honestly just didn't have the time to post this although i've hadit typed up for awhile. Anyway, Thanks so much for your comments! They mean the world to me and i appreciate you guys reading my little ol'fan-fiction.

But without further adieu...

Clark POV

When is there EVER a line inside the Mens bathroom?

I was sorely tempted to just wash my hands and leave to get out of here as quickly as possible. The look on Lana's face just before I left her outside the bathrooms had unnerved me. But that was silly right?

Silently prompting the line to move faster I practically screamed out "Finally" when it was my turn. Rushing to get out of there, I had to force myself to slow down. I desperately wanted to use my superspeed, but there were just too many people in the bathroom.

Still drying my hands, I stepped outside and looked around for Lana. The area outside the bathrooms was as deserted as when we got here. Using my x-ray vision, I muttered an apology to any women who might be in there besides Lana, and focused on the outside of the wall. Quickly, the inside of the bathroom came into focus.

Empty.

My eyes widened in surprise and fear. I supersped into the bathroom while stupidly calling out Lana's name. I scanned the bathroom and was ready to go outside and see if she had maybe decided to meet up with Chloe and Pete, when I noticed the water still running. As if whoever had been using it had left in a rush. I turned the knob and tested it to make sure it wasn't broken. It turned and shut off.

Not broken.

Lana, where are you? I thought to myself desperately my mothers earlier warning echoing in my head.

Danger lies ahead………………..

I lifted my head and my heart stopped as I looked into the mirror. For one second, I swear, I saw Lana struggling with a baseball capped Alexa. The image faded as quickly as it had come.

Was it real or a figment of my imagination?

Either way it didn't matter. I had to find Chloe and Pete. Lana was in danger. I was sure of it. We had to find her and fast.


Clark POV

"What! Are you sure Clark?" Chloe shrieked.

"Yes Chloe." I said impatiently. "We have to find her. I think…….I think Alexa has her."

Chloe, Pete and I were all huddled together in a corner of the parking lot. I had just finished telling them that Lana was missing. I was keeping the image that I had seen to myself for the moment. I would tell Pete later if need be.

Chloe was shaking her head at me rapidly. "Clark, Alexa is in a mental health facility hopefully being mistreated in all types of deviously good ways. There's no way she could have escaped in a matter of hours."

Pete nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah Clark. What makes you think Alexa kidnapped her?"

I narrowed my eyes at Pete trying to give him a look. "Pete, I can't explain it. But I just have this feeling."

Chloe snorted in amusement. "You have a feeling? Okay, excuse me Ms. Cleo, but the last time I checked you didn't have psychic powers."

I glared at Chloe, "Chloe, this is not the time for your 'witty sarcasm'. Lana's gone. Who else would want to kidnap her?"

Chloe rolled her eyes at me, clearly not deterred by my tone of voice. "Umm, Clark? Don't know if you've noticed this but Lana has a tendency to get kidnapped more often than not." At mine and Petes looks of disbelief at her attitude, Chloe held up a hand. "All I'm saying is exactly what Pete just pointed out. Maybe it's not necessarily Alexa that has Lana. Let's go back to the Torch and see if I can fire up the computer and check out the mental hospital database. In the meantime Clark, why don't you call Lex and see if he can put out some feelers into his own sources and see if anyone else that Lana has encountered in the past has either been let out or escaped their respective prisons."

I nodded my head in agreement and pulled out my cell phone. "Right. Chloe lead the way to your car, Pete use your cell phone to call the sheriff and let her know that Lana is…...missing."

At my hesitation, Chloe looked up into my face and obviously saw the turmoil there. Her face immediately lost the hard edge that she so often put out and softened. Finally, I saw the worry that she was trying so hard to repress. "Clark, we'll find her okay?"

I gulped down the emotions and nodded my head once and turned back to my phone. I dialed Lex's private line and waited impatiently for him to pick up.


"Hey, Lana? How ya doin' back there?"

Getting no response, Alexa shifted slightly in her seat behind the wheel of the locksmiths van to look behind her through the metal grate that separated the front seats from the open area of the back. Lana lay on the floor unconscious, sliding slightly due to the speed with which Alexa was driving. Alexa was trying to drive as quickly as possible back to the shop. Clark had no way of knowing where she was or how she got there, so the shop was pretty much safe territory.

Alexa turned her attention back to the road in front of her, unable to suppress the malicious grin that had taken up on her face. This was it. Lana Lang was going to learn why she never should have messed with Alexa. How dare she try to come between her and Clark? Alexa has been back in Smallville for more than two weeks and noticed Clark's handsome smile and delicious body right away. His kindness and integrity just flowed from him like water from an overflowing dam. He would make her good. He would keep her happy. He would make her feel normal. Clark was HERS. And if she had to get rid of Lana to make sure he only focused on her, so be it. Besides, Lana was a whiny bitch that should've been knocked off a long time ago.

She was really doing the world a favor.


Lana POV

The pounding in my head was so fierce I felt as if little tiny midgets were banging hammers against it.

Hammer………

The memory hit me with the force of a tidal wave and my eyes immediately flew open and promptly closed as the pain in my head assaulted me once again. Taking slow breaths to try and ease some of the pain away, I slowly opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. It looked as if I was in some kind of basement. Not your regular basement though. It was a finished basement with a light blue color painted on the walls and plenty of track lighting to fully illuminate it.

I tried sitting up only to realize too late that I was bound at the hands and feet by duct tape.

Lovely……

After some shimmying, I managed to get myself into a sitting position and rested my back against one of the walls, my breath coming in heavy gasps as my exertion caused my head to pound even harder. My vision swam in and out of focus and I thought for sure I was going to pass out again. I closed my eyes in an effort to get the room to stop spinning and it seemed to work momentarily. Slowly, I opened them again and I looked around the basement. This time I noticed work tables filled with tools and what looked like locks and doorknobs all over the place. Directly to my right there was a table blocking my vision further into the basement but looking in between the legs I could make out more work tables and what looked like a pile of clothing further in.

What the hell happened? How did I get here? My last coherent thought was going into the ladies room, using the bathroom and washing my hands then…….Oh my god. Alexa. She was there in the bathroom with me. But suddenly Clark was there and I told him Alexa was there and we needed to find the police………………….

Shit.

Shaking my head, I realized that Alexa had used her power over me once again. The events immediately following that memory were jumbled. I remember being in front of some utility van and then I remember seeing a hammer before I blacked out. Obviously, Alexa had kidnapped me but I didn't know how long I had been out for and I didn't know how far out of Smallville Alexa had taken me.

Above me I could hear footsteps heading towards the door and I slowly started to panic. I took three deep breaths trying to get my nerves to calm down. Quickly looking around I saw a ton of possible weapons but no way to get to them or use them while my hands and feet were tied. Finally, I just decided to throw myself down on the floor and pretend as if I was still unconscious hoping to delay the inevitable. I slid my body closer to where I believed I had been lying down and closed my eyes. No less than three seconds later, I could hear the door to the basement open and soft footsteps descended towards the landing at the bottom.

Oh god, please leave when you see I'm not awake. Oh God, please leave when you see I'm not awake………..

I repeated it myself over and over like a mantra trying to block out my fear and just concentrate on pretending to be unconscious.

"Laaaaana." Alexa whispered in a sing-song voice. "Laaaana darling, are you awake yet? It's almost time to plaaaayy."

Alexa's footsteps grew louder until they were almost on top of me, yet somehow I kept my face relaxed and my breathing even.

"Awww Lana, you dissapoint me. Here I was hoping we'd be able to get this started. But it's no fun when you're not awake." Alexa continued to whisper and the malice laced under her tone made me want to shiver. "I guess I'll have to remedy that now won't I?"

Suddenly ice cold water was poured on my face and immediately I tried to sit up, gasping at the sudden cold. I rolled onto my side and I raised my hands to rub at my eyes only to be blocked by the tape. Groaning in frustration, I rubbed at them with my forearm and quickly focused on the person standing in front of me laughing at my discomfort.

"And the princess awakens!" Alexa shouted with a flair of her hand that held the bucket that, I assumed, had contained the water I was now drenched in.

I only glared back at Alexa, determined not to let her see how scared I was and how helpless I felt.

Alexa clucked her tongue against her teeth and tilted her head slightly to one side and placed one hand on her hip. "Oh come now, Lana. It's just a little water." Alexa lowered her voice slightly and took two small steps towards me. "I assure you it's child's play compared to what I have in store for you."

Looking into those maniacal eyes I couldn't help the involuntary shiver that raced up my spine. But my pride wouldn't let me be daunted by this psychopath. "Oh really?" I said sarcastically. "I just can't wait to see what little treats you have for me."

Alexa's eyes widened for a second before laughing. "You really are stupid little twit aren't you?" She laughed one more time before standing up straight and looking down at me, her expression once more serious. "When I'm through with you, you're going to wis-." Alexa's threat was cut off by a knock upstairs and my heart leapt in my chest. Narrowing her eyes, Alexa walked towards the nearest worktable and appeared to be looking for something on top of it.

Oh my god. She's going to hit me with something. She's going to cut me into tiny little Lana pieces that no one will be able to find much less identify.

Frantically, I struggled with the tape at my hands trying to get some leeway in them. I kicked out my feet trying to get the tape to loosen there as well. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Alexa coming towards me with something in her hand. Instinctively, I rolled away from her and tried to get on my feet. Even if I had to jump bunny style all the way to the top of the stairs, I was going to do it.

Behind me I felt rather than saw Alexa close in on me. When she grabbed at my hair I let out a scream for help, while my mind screamed out the one name I could always count on in a situation like this…

CLARK! HELP ME……………..please…………….


End of Chapter Thirty-One