Chapter 4

"Take care of her," Lex overheard Lionel's voice through the air ducts. "This time, finish the job! You did right by her old man. When you're finished, bring me the head of the one who let her simply leave Edge City." He heard the click of his father's phone snapping shut, then slid silently from his room. There was only one thing he could have overheard: an order for Harmony Kent's murder. His silver Lexus remained in the driveway where he had left it that evening, a fact he was grateful for, as were the passageways through the castle his father didn't know he knew about. In a moment he was speeding down the road toward the Kent farm.

"Come on, wake up," he mumble impatiently into the ringing cell phone. He was about to hang up and try Clark's cell when he finally heard Jonathan's slurred hello.

"Mr. Kent! It's Lex. I'm sorry, but it's important. Listen, whoever was supposed to kill Harmony in Edge City was sent to your farm tonight to finish it." He could hear Jonathan shush Martha as he fumbled with clothes.

"Are you sure, Lex?"

"Positive," Lex answered in a rush. "They may already be there. Harmony's in real trouble, Mr. Kent. I'm on my way, but you're her best shot."

"Ok," the older man suddenly sounded wide awake. "Just hurry."

"I'm almost there," with that, Lex hung up.

"Martha, stay here," Jonathan pulled on his robe, kissing her gently.

"Jonathan, what's going on?" Martha's worried voice cut into Jonathan's heart.

"Lex just said that his father's hit man has been sent to kill Harmony," Jonathan answered, too scared to try to soften the truth. "Please, call the sheriff, and try to call to Clark. He'll hear you if you tell him Harmony's in danger. And stay here."

Jonathan slid silently out his bedroom door and down the hall to Harmony's room, then remembered with a curse that they had allowed Harmony to move out to the guest house. She hadn't slept in the main house in half a week, at least. So, he backtracked, checked that Martha was indeed on the phone in their room, and edged cautiously down the stairs. As he slowly snuck his head around the curve the shotgun mounted on the wall came into view. Hearing nothing, he kept his back pressed against the wall, crouched low as he could so he could see into the kitchen as soon as possible. When he got to the bottom of the stairs, he stopped. When he went for the gun, he would be exposed from all sides, seen from outside from just about any angle anyone chose to look. Unfortunately, Jonathan saw no other option. If he were to have any chance at all, he needed that gun. Hoping that silence would be his best ally, he crept to the hanging rifle and pulled it off the wall, then reached into the drawer below for bullets. He moved quickly back to his place against the wall at the foot of the stairs before loading the gun. Having determined the assassins weren't in the main house, he paused for a moment. Back to his wife, or out to his niece?

A rush of wind brought Clark into the kitchen, scaring Jonathan so that he almost shot him. "Clark!" Jonathan hissed. "You realized that I almost shot you?"

"It wouldn't have hurt me, Dad," Clark waved it off. "What about Harmony?"

"If whoever's here to kill Harmony knows we're up, they may kill her faster, which is exactly what woulda happened if I had fired this shotgun!"

Clark grimace. "Sorry, Dad. I just figured I should come inside when I heard Mom."

"Good. Now, any plans for getting Harmony?"

"Same?"

Now it was Jonathan's turn to grimace. "Lex is on his way. So, no powers."

"Oh no."

"Come on," Jonathan turned. "Maybe we're not too late."

They stepped out into the moonlit night, wary of every movement. Slowly, they made their way toward the guest house, roughly 500 yards from the main house. Clark had every sense on alert. Heightened hearing picked up every sound and listening for warnings from his mother, who was keeping an aerial watch of the grounds from her room, smell analyzed the smallest details, eyes seeing with x-ray accuracy.

Suddenly, Clark grabbed Jonathan's arm. They both froze. "What is it, Clark?" Jonathan's whisper was barely audible to the average ear.

"Mom sees something," Clark whispered back, mouth centimeters from his father's ear. "By the barn. I heard it a second before I heard her warning." He paused for a moment, focusing his eyes on the area where he'd heard the sound. "It's Lex."

Together, they moved as quickly and quietly as they could to the spot where Lex waited. Lex stepped out of the shadows to meet them. "Anything yet?"

"No, Lex," Jonathan answered. "Not even how you knew to warn us."

"Overheard my dad having a conversation with someone about finishing the job they'd started in Edge City. Reference to a 'her' and how someone 'did right by her old man', and a request for the head of the one who let her 'simply walk out of Edge City'. I figured the only logical conclusion was Harmony," Lex explained. "Just in time, too."

Jonathan and Clark whirled. Lex passed them. His gun was raised, pointed toward the guest house, the most dangerous and angry look on his face that Clark had ever seen. Next to Clark, Jonathan swung up the rifle, cocking it as he swung to Lex' right. Clark placed himself square in the abductor's path, fists clenched, ready to fight.

Between the three of them and the house, they had formed a circle Harmony's captor would not escape. He stood on the small porch, grasping the shaking girl as he pressed the blade to her throat. She did not whimper or cry out as he'd hoped, but he was sure she would before he was finished with her.

Instead, Harmony locked eyes with Clark, saw the power there, and drew strength from that power. Her fear vanished, shaking stopped. She began to think of a way to escape. Wary of the knife blade at her throat, she kept her chin high, but her eyes fixed on Clark.

"I'll kill her!" The deranged man behind her shouted. "Either here in front of you or later, where I choose, but I will kill her! But I don't think you want to watch!"

He spoke with an English accent. Odd, thought Harmony. Wouldn't expect an English accent in a place like Smallville.

"Let her go!" Lex shouted back. "Whatever my father is paying you to kill her, I'll double it!"

"If you don't kill her, I won't kill you!" Jonathan hollered from Harmony's other side.

Through the debate, Harmony stared at Clark. "Clark," she whispered, barely audible. "Hold on to me. Please, Clark, be my strength." When she saw him nod that he heard her, she continued. "I'm afraid, Clark. I'm very afraid. Clark, he has a gun, strapped to his left ankle. Lex won't see you shoot it."

Clark took note of it, but he refused to shoot it when he knew that it could easily cause the assassin to jerk his hand and accidentally slice his cousin's throat. Instead, he focused on her, concentrating on trying to at least look as strong as she perceived him to be. So far, it seemed to be working.

"Put the guns down!" the man shouted. "Put them down! NOW!"

"Put the knife down!" Jonathan shouted back. "Put it down!"

"Three times as much!" Lex pleaded. "Just let her go!"

Instead of answering, the man switched the knife from his left hand to his right and, in a flash, snapped his left ankle up. A moment later, the gun that Harmony had warned Clark about was suddenly jammed in Harmony's temple. "Now, put the guns down."

Clark stared. He'd had a chance to destroy that gun. He staggered, stepping back.

"Clark," he heard Harmony's bare whisper. "Help me, Clark, please. Clark!"

He raised his eyes back to hers to find they were filled with terror. She really does need me, Clark thought with wonderment. Even if I screwed up. I can still help her now. He squared his shoulders, hardened his eyes, and knowing that man couldn't hurt him, and wouldn't hurt his cousin, stepped forward.

"Hey, hey, back off, Hero!" the guy waved the gun at Clark, backing around the side of the house, unconsciously towards Lex as he did so.

Seeing an opportunity, Jonathan pressed from his side as well. "Let her go, Hot Shot, and maybe you'll walk away from this!"

Fixed on the Kents, the man had forgotten all about Lex. He moved the gun back and forth between Jonathan and Clark, who continued to press their sides. Harmony's kidnapper was becoming increasingly more frightened. This was not going according to plan! He pressed the blade even harder against Harmony's throat. Harmony began to choke, grasping at the man's wrist. She tried to pull it away from her neck, only marginally succeeding. "Knock it off!" he shouted, hitting her in the head with the butt of the pistol.

All three aggressors shouted and jumped. Having forgotten about Lex, the attacker had inadvertently allowed him to get closest. However, Lex's shout sacrificed his advantage and subsequently infuriated Harmony's captor. With a snarl, he slid the blade across Harmony's throat, dropped the blade and bolted for his truck parked behind them.

The scene froze, then moved as if in slow motion. Harmony gasped, clutching her throat as blood seeped through her fingers. She fell to her knees. Slowly, her eyes focused on the fallen knife, covered in her own blood. Wrapping her fingers around the handle, her other hand pressed against her neck, she forced herself to her feet. Even as her vision began to blur and her breaths came in gasps, she lifted the knife. Together with Lex and Jonathan, she took aim at her attacker's retreating back and threw the knife. A moment later, he went down, knife buried to the hilt in his spine, 9-guage hole on one side, 9-mil hole on the other.

Curiously, there were also two small scorch marks at the base of his neck, like someone has burned matching holes into him.

Then, Harmony fell.