A/N: Next section! Chapter 4, Part 3. Thanks everyone for your reviews and support.

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Chapter 4: Take A Chance On Me

Part 3:

The late evening once again took sleep away from both Lex and Lana. I'm sure we've done this before, Lana thought sourly, aware that just twenty four hours ago, they were sitting in Lex' office back in Metropolis, gazing endlessly at security camera videos. It was a dreadful task that took them deep into the wee hours of the morning. Yet this time, instead of black and white images across a screen, Lana's eyes bore into blueprints and pictures of a dozen or more buildings. According to Lex's instincts, Peterson was sure to have Lois. A bold conclusion that only he could make, and one Lana did not mind putting faith in. Because he has been right in the past.

The main problem still remained, however. Where was she?

Honestly, Lois could be anywhere, in any part of the country or the world. If Peterson took her, however, the search could be downplayed to a certain few hotspots, and Las Vegas was one of them. Odds were, and odds were what to play in Vegas, Lois should be located somewhere in this city. That is, if Boxer was indeed working for Peterson, and if he kidnapped her and brought her here as the evidence suggested. But, as Lex warned, once Boxer dropped her here, it would be anyone's guess as to where she might have been taken from there.

The latter was a scenario they chose not to pursue, however. Especially as precious time began to tick away. Each second taking away a chance she might still be alive …

At the moment, Lana would have to depend on their evidence, and on the direction their investigation has taken them. Something that was not easy to do, knowing full well if they were wrong, grave ramifications would follow.

I only hope Clark and Chloe have gotten further …

Though she was originally upset with Chloe because she did not involve her in the investigation, Lana did understand why her friend was so hesitant. Considering the past, Chloe's reservations were expected. And, at the moment, if she felt more comfortable with Clark, mainly because of their success as a partnership, then that was okay. Their involvement, though difficult for them personally, was a real asset to the investigation as a whole, and certainly something worth much more than Lana's hurt feelings. Especially when I was never really angry with her - only worried for Lois.

Lana sighed deeply now. The soft glow from the lamp on the table next to her seemed to spread a feeling of warmth across the entire living room, a peace she has craved since their search for Lois began. Lex's suite, located in the Venetian, was breathtaking, to say the least. Larger than any other room in the resort, not to mention the numerous rooms, the luxurious, crafted furniture and fixtures, as well as the balcony, Lex certainly chose the best. And though Lana is used to his glamour and riches, sitting in this unbelievable hotel room caught her in awe. An admiration she did not expect. Maybe it's because he's done so much thus far …

Yet what Lex did two years ago – the pain he caused, the happiness he took away so recklessly – quickly reminded her of the numerous reasons she had to be angry with him. His accomplishments in this case, though appreciated, still did not outweigh the heartless act he committed towards two of her best friends.

At least … not yet. Lana was sure her opinion might change the second she saw Lois alive again. Maybe … maybe he agreed to do this to make up for what he did. Maybe … he isn't as bad as all of us think.

"Anything?" Lex asked, his voice a break in the silence.

Lana sighed again, unable to hold in her frustration any longer. That's all I've been … frustrated. Why does everything in this case have to be so difficult? How does Chloe ever do this, day in and day out?

"Nothing yet," she whispered, forcing her eyes to focus on the mixture of drawings and images on the blueprints in front of her. Blueprints of every building Peterson owned lay on the desk in front of Lana and Lex, a pile of work initially intimidating. With two hours already gone by, the task felt just as helpless and impossible. And Lana continued to battle with the idea that their time could be best spent somewhere, doing something else to help Lois.

Lex seemed to feel the same way.

"Maybe the answer isn't right in front of us," Lex admitted sourly, as he gazed casually up at Lana. "Knowing Peterson has Lois is good, but not great. He owns too much, and it would take us months to look through every building he has."

The facts Lex decided to share quickly dropped like a weight in Lana's stomach. Because he was right. Peterson could have hidden Lois anywhere. And suddenly, their investigation came to a crossroads. Do they concentrate on his Las Vegas property, and search that thoroughly, giving in to what they thought they saw on a security camera? Or would it be time wasted?

If time were not such an issue, such decisions would not hold so much weight.

"I think we should stay on Vegas," Lana declared, rather confidently. Because what they saw in the security cameras … despite where Lois could have been taken, should mean something. Especially when Boxer, apparently, has not left Vegas since he arrived. According to Lex's spies, anyhow.

Lex nodded. "Okay. Since the blueprints have given us nothing definitive, I guess all we can do now … is look."

"It's going to take awhile," Lana reminded.

"I know," he added quickly, "but it's all we can do now. We've traced her this far, and considering our lack of hard evidence, that's investigating even Lois Lane herself would be proud of."

Lana grimaced. "Maybe."

She then turned back to the blueprints on the table in front of her. If they were going to search Las Vegas, then they should have a pretty good idea of the area they would be looking through. And though they stared at these blueprints quite a bit already, Lana wanted to look again. To ensure that there was nothing that should be highlighted above the rest… or, perhaps, a spot that called to them. Somewhere, anywhere, they should look first, for any plausible reason that might surface. "I just want to look one more time, though. Because you were right … if Peterson hid her here, there must be a spot somewhere on his property that he would be more likely to hide her, right?"

Lex sighed, clearly a little aggravated. "The sooner we get moving, the faster we'll find her."

"But you already admitted searching for a person in this city is like looking for a needle in a stack of needles," Lana pointed out quickly, her voice rising in defense.

"Well, I guess I want to start digging," Lex shot back. However, he quickly caught himself, aware of his rising emotions. And after a second spent to calm himself, he explained candidly, "You know very well, especially since there has been no sign of a trade or ransom for Lois, that Peterson has probably already disposed of her. That the longer we sit here, the more time she has to die."

But Lana quickly interjected, her anger dripping from her voice, "Don't you think I know that, Lex? I guess what I want, before we go gallivanting around Vegas, is a plan. Something to guide our search."

"I don't think that something exists," Lex said regretfully, his anger kept at bay by his understanding. I know why Lana is angry … I know why she's upset … but she may have to accept the fact that we may be, in the next few days, attending Lois' funeral. A dismal thought, but a truthful one.

A realistic one.

But Lana replied coolly, "I disagree." Though she originally thought looking at blueprints might be a waste of time, she was now driven, fueled, by the new acceptance that Lois was here, in Vegas. And she was waiting to be saved. Forget where she could be, or who might have actually taken her … or even if she was still alive. They were only possibilities, a false reality rooted in the questions they've had throughout the investigation.

But instinct brought them this far … both hers and Lex's.

And Lana would follow it through.

She looked away from him then, and gazed back down at the dreadful blueprints, certain the answer was floating in front of their eyes.

Lex, after a second, finally admitted in a soft whisper, "I just don't want to waste any more time."

Lana countered, but with a reassuring smile, "I know." Because she knew his passion for this case was the same as hers.

Lex finally gave in, aware that Lana's point was a valid one. Well, both had a point, really. He did not want to waste any more precious time on something that gave them nothing in return, whereas she did not want to search without having some idea of what they might be looking for. Both of them, in their own way, were trying to save time. Frankly, Lex still could not shake the belief that Lois was probably dead by now anyway. That Lana's attempts were probably ill fated, and, sooner or later, she would be disappointed.

In that case, Lex planned to be there. To help pick up the pieces.

However, in the meantime, he would pick up one of those blueprints and study it intently. Because despite their failure over the past two hours, Lex still believed the blueprints could tell them something rather valuable. If they had the time to study them thoroughly, that is. And over the next half hour or so, they continued to look at blueprints under the soft glow of that table lamp alone, along with the lights of Las Vegas as their background just outside the long window that lined the entire length of the wall.

And they did so in complete silence.

When the first few minutes of that time came and went, Lana felt her will begin to shake. Maybe I did make a mistake. Maybe Lex is right. Looking at blueprints and pictures of the buildings will only help so much. If this guy is a professional, then he will hide Lois in the best place possible. Some place neither of us would think of. And before too long, though she continued to hope, Lana knew she might have made a mistake.

Then her eyes fell on a set of blueprints she did not remember seeing before.

"Did you look at these?" Lana asked, her curiosity heightened with the drawings before her.

Lex leaned over slightly to catch a glimpse. "Which building is it?"

"Lyman Trucking," Lana recited from the blueprints in front of her.

Lex seemed to pause for a second, as if trying to remember where the building was and what it meant to Peterson. And after thirty seconds or so, he finally explained, "That's a small business he bought a few years back. It's a building on the very outskirts of Las Vegas."

When Lana did not respond to him, her eyes glued to the pictures before her, he finally asked, "Why? Did you catch something?"

Lana nodded, though slightly unsure. "Maybe. The first set of blueprints of the building indicates there's a staircase that leads to a floor below the ground level. Almost thirty feet, I would say. If not more." She then flipped to another set. "But this later set says the staircase and the level are gone."

Lex shrugged, and insisted, "Well, that's not too strange. Buildings change all the time."

"But why would it have a level below ground in the first place?" Lana asked, her stare turning from the blueprints to Lex.

"The military has done tests in the desert, especially around World War II. And there's still bases," Lex explained, though he knew his answer could be far fetched. The stories he told were true, but that was only his best hypothesis. Yet he continued, and insisted, "Perhaps it was a bomb-shelter of sorts." Actually, there would be a number of reasons for someone to build a structure like this, and not all of them were legal. A scenario he knew all too well.

But the fact remained … the level could still be there.

And if Peterson owned the building …

"What if these later blueprints are wrong? What if that lower level is still there?" Lana asked, her heart beginning to race with what this might mean. With what this finding could promise them.

And though Lex clearly did not like to admit when he was wrong, he acknowledged with a smirk, "Then Lois has been underneath our noses the entire time."

In seconds, Lex and Lana were gone.

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