ch 13

The Kents truck pulled up at the mansion. However, instead of pulling up in front of the mansion, Lex had instructed Pete on a back entrance. They now bumped as quietly as possible along the narrow trail through the woods behind the mansion. Pete parked the vehicle amongst some trees that would provide some cover and hopefully prevent it from being spotted by anyone.

Everyone exited the vehicle trying to be as quiet as possible. Pete had gotten a few steps from the truck when an idea struck him and he turned back towards it. Chloe watched as he bent over the side of the truck and reached into the bed for something.

"What are you doing?"

Pete produced an old and very used wooden baseball bat. "I thought this might come in handy."

Chloe and Pete followed Lex's lead as he stuck to the shadows created by the trees as they approached the rear wall of the mansion. Chloe was confused when Lex suddenly stopped about halfway across the back wall. They were no doors of any kind nearly or any other kind of entrance. What is he doing? Has he heard something? "Why are we stopping now?" Chloe asked her voice barely above a whisper.

Lex didn't answer Chloe, much to her aggravation, he just extended his hand and pressed down on a stone that was slightly lighter than the surrounding ones. Chloe would never had noticed the difference if it hadn't been pointed out. She stood amazed as Lex pressed the stone and part of the wall began to move. Perfectly hidden hinges could now be seen as the door swung back revealing a narrow passageway.

Chloe looked over at Pete his eyes were also big, but he just shook his head and mumbled, "Should've known."

Lex broke Chloe's stunned silence. "Take the corridor. Go all the way down and you should find Clark."

Pete's eyes narrowed. He didn't like this. It felt like a trap to him. Lex was just tyring to get rid of them. "Where are you going?"

Lex looked at him seriously. "I have other things I have to take care of."

Chloe looked uncertainly between Lex and Pete. She knew what Lex was going to go do and didn't like the idea of him being by himself. She also wanted to find Clark. She was still trying to warp her brain around the fact that there was a real secret passageway under the mansion.

Lex tried to shoo them along. "Hurry up, before we all get spotted."

Chloe quickly grabbed Pete's wrist dragging him into the corridor. Lex waited until they were well inside before touching the stone again causing the door to swing shut and blend back seamlessly into the wall.

Pete watched as the door slid shut and they were now in almost complete darkness with only some fluorescent lights running along the both sides of the walls along the top for light. Pete snatched his wrist away from Chloe.

Chloe looked at him offended. "What did you do that for?"

"Why did you yank me in here like that?" Pete answered her very aggravated.

"Because I wanted to find Clark." Chloe was getting exasperated. What was his problem?

"Did it ever occur to you this could just be a trap and you just sealed us inside?" Pete voice raised somewhat as he was talking.

Chloe took a breath and tried to calm down. There was no way of telling who or how many people may be down here. She didn't want to get this close to rescuing Clark only to get caught because of any argument. "Pete, I know you don't like Lex and you don't trust anyone with the last name of Luthor. But, just trust me this one time. I really think that Lex is trying to help."

Chloe looked over at him hopeful that she was actually getting through to him. Pete let out a long breath. "Fine."

Chloe felt ecstatic and couldn't help but smile. Pete held up a finger. "But, if you're wrong. Don't hit me when I say I told you so."

Chloe nodded her head. "Agreed"