Lana POV

As my mind screamed out Clarks name, Alexa roughly threw my body against the wall. I gasped out as the breath was knocked out of me. I dazedly watched as Alexa took out the duct tape she had rummaged for on top of the workbench.

I struggled to get to my feet once again only to have Alexa bang my head against the wall behind me.

"No! Stop!" I yelled.

Quickly, she ripped off a piece of duct tape and placed it over my mouth making sure to drag her hand across it to insure that it couldn't be removed. She lightly slapped my cheek and grabbed my face in her hand, squeezing painfully. Her eyes danced maniacally as she spoke, "If whoever is up there heard you, I will have no choice but to kill them just like I plan on killing you. Then, my little princess, their death will be on your head and you will die knowing that it's your fault they are no longer alive."

The knocking upstairs started to turn into banging.

Alexa's eyes lifted to the ceiling above her head once before bringing them back to me. "Hmmm, looks like they may have heard you after all."

Nooooo! CLARK

"Be right back princess. You may have a little company." With that, Alexa turned on her heel and walked toward the staircase where she placed her hand on the wooden banister and purposefully strode up the stairs.

I darted my eyes frantically back and forth trying to find something, anything to help me. Upstairs a muffled conversation began and I prayed that it was a door to door salesman trying to sell the psycho bitch a vacuum cleaner. I strained my ears in the direction of the staircase and made out a couple of words of the conversation.

"Rex…...not here…. back later." Alexa's voice was husky as she tried to sweet talk whomever it was out of the upstairs area.

"……really need this briefcase opened………lock broke……." A male voice filtered through the air with urgency. It seemed as if he didn't hear me after all, he just needed some help with…his….lock?

Wait a minute…didn't I hear Alexa say Rex? And that guy mentioned a lock

My eyes widened in recognition as I realized I had never even left Smallville. I was in the basement of Rex's locksmith shop. Not even two blocks away from the Talon. I let my head bang against the wall behind me as I took in the fact that I was so very close to salvation but so very far. I let one small tear slide down my face at the utter hopelessness of my situation.

Lana.

My head snapped up at the sound of my name being whispered in my ear. The voice was unmistakablyClarks. I looked around the room trying to figure out where the hell the voice came from when I heard it again.

….I….heard….

"What the-." I thought to myself.

……….hear me...

It couldn't be, could it? "Clark?"

Lana…..

His voice was getting even fainter and it was beginning to sound as muffled as the conversation upstairs. I shook my head trying to get the voice to be clearer.

CLOSE YOUR EYES. CONCENTRATE.

I jumped at the abrupt difference in volume and immediately obeyed Clark's demand.I slammed my eyes shut and concentrated on an image of Clark I put in my head. Immediately, I felt something. Some kind of a pull………..and then there he was, leaning against the oak tree we had just visited earlier today. It seemed like a lifetime ago…

Lana, can you hear me?

"Clark? Oh my god! Clark! How are you doing this?"

I don't think its just me. It's the both of us. But I'll explain later. Are you okay? Do you know where you are? Does Alexa have you?

He was firing his questions in quick succession and it was hard to keep up.

"I think I'm in Rex's locksimth shop"

Rex's Locksmith shop? You mean the one in downtown Smallville?

"Yes!"

Where's Alexa? I don't see her.

As Clark voiced the question, I heard footsteps leading to what must be the front door. Her voice cut through the air, "Sorry I couldn't have been more help to you sir." I didn't wait to hear the man's answer.

Alexa's upstairs but she's threatening to kill me Clark. Please you have to hurry! She'll be back down here any second!"

Shit! I'll be there soon. Try to hold on. Please Lana. I love you.

I felt more tears sliding down my cheeks partly in relief and partly in fear of what was going to happen if Clark didn't get here in time.

"I love you too Clark. Please hurry."

Instantly, I felt the connection break and I opened my eyes. The door to the basement opened and Alexa's feet appeared at the top of the staircase and she started to descend. I had no idea how fast Clark could get here but he had better get here fast.

"Lucky you Lana. You'll die with a clear conscience. That man upstairs was only worried about himself, just like most men are." Alexa let a smirk form on her face. "All men that is, except my Clark."

I narrowed my eyes at her in anger. Bitch.

Alexa laughed out loud as her mind invaded mine. "Is that all you got princess?" The laughter and mirth quickly faded from her face. "Oh yeah. That's right. I forgot you're all tied up with no place to go. You're mine to play with." She knelt in front of me and leaned in so close I could feel her breath against my chin. She grabbed at my hair and tugged hard enough to send unwanted tears to my eyes. "Are you ready to play princess?" She whispered.

Out of nowhere, a loud CRACK interrupted Alexa. Alexa stood up to face the source of the sound but before she could say a word, the wooden banister from the staircase was flying toward her and slapped her chest hard. She flew into one of the workbenches behind her and landed with a hard thud. She was dazed but not unconscious.

Quicker than my eyes could see, Clark's face appeared in front of me. His handsome features etched in concern. "Lana, are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

Quickly, he broke open the duct tape at my feet. Behind him, I could see Alexa shaking her head and trying to get up. I started to scream into the duct tape still occupying my mouth. Clark gave me a confused look before he reached for the duct tape at my mouth. "What's wrong?" He asked. Slowly, too slowly, he ripped off the duct tape.

"Behind you!" I yelled too late. Clark turned around and looked directly into Alexa eyes. She had gotten up from her place across the room and ran at us and knelt on the floor so she could grab Clark's face in her hands.

"Well, hello there baby. Looks like we're going to have our reconciliation celebration a little early." Alexa said without a smile. Clark's eyes started to glaze over and I saw him trying to fight off Alexa's power. The Kryptonite in her system was weakening him too fast. I started to roll over but Alexa grabbed my head and looked directly into my eyes. "SIT DOWN." She commanded.

As I struggled to disobey her I felt my body roll back into a sitting position. Alexa's mind kept her hold on me as she stood up and forced Clark to walk backwards toward the worktable that she had gotten thrown on. "Why don't we show the little princess over there what a good time you and I can have." I helplessly watched as she tried to get Clark to open his mind to her. Clark was mentally trying to kick Alexa out of his head and re-gain control but it wasn't working as well as it should have been. He was getting weaker and I could see him trying to force his legs to stay standing. His eyes were glazing over more and more as sweat started to slide over his forehead.

Frustrated with her inability to get as deep into Clarks mind as she wanted, Alexa huffed, "Well, Clark, looks like I'm going to have to try something different." Alexa grabbed Clark's neck to her and kissed him full on the lips forcing his mouth to open with her tongue. She caressed his body through his t-shirt and started to slide her hand down the front of his jeans.

Flaming bursts of anger coursed through me and I felt a strange energy course through my body towards my hands. Alexa's hold over me vanished and I felt my will come back to me. With my hands still duct taped behind my back I rolled onto my knees and stood up. "Get off of him, you bitch!"

Alexa slowly let her lips slide off of Clarks. It didn't seem to faze her to see that she no longer had a hold over me. She turned her head slightly towards mine and let her tongue run across Clarks bottom lip. "And what, pray tell, are you going to do if I don't?"

Alexa's blatant taunt was enough to send my anger onto a whole other level. My eyes burned with fury as my hands shook with some kind of force. Before I knew what was happening I ripped my hands apart and raised them both towards Alexa. A blue force shot through my hands and hit Alexa full on causing her to soar through the air and into the concrete staircase with a sickening thud leaving her unconscious or dead. I wasn't sure which. I glanced down at my hands but as quickly as the energy had come it was gone. But I could still feel traces of it there. Waiting.

"Lana?" Clark said softly. I lifted my head to see Clark looking at me with curiosity. "Are you….are you okay?"

I nodded my head and made my way toward Clark. "Yeah. Yeah, I think so." I reached Clark and helped him stand a little. Not that I really needed to. He was regaining his strength with each passing second.

Clark regarded me with open admiration. "What was that?"

I looked away for a second. "I'm not sure." I glanced behind me and regarded Alexa's still form. "Call the sheriff Clark. Tell her we have Alexa in custody….again."


End of Chapter Thirty-Three