Tap, tap. Lex looked up from his computer screen. It had been a week since he had last seen Rhone. He briefly wondered if it was her, but for some reason knew differently. "Yes?" he said. He looked at the clock, it was a little late. Mark must have been almost walking out the door…
The door opened and Mark entered, "Mr. Chade is here to see you, Sir."
Mr.? Who…?
"Lex, don't try to pretend like you don't remember meeting me?" Griffin walked through the door and clasped Mark's shoulder in a friendly way from behind. "I know you met a lot of Rhone's brothers that night, but I like to think if myself as one of the more memorable," he emphasized the word brothers. He had a large friendly smile on his face.
What was he doing here? "Of course I do…" his voice trailed as he stood. Should he call him Griffin?
Griffin knew that Lex didn't know what to call him. He protected the little military secret pretty well it seemed. "Griffin Chade, the most memorable of The Chade Clan," he joked. He removed his hand from Mark's shoulder and said to him, "Listen, man, you didn't have to walk me up here."
"It's my job, Sir," Mark quickly corrected himself, "Griffin." Mark started to back up; he didn't like to stick around after he announced company. He had been with Lex Luthor for a while now and knew if the company was welcome, he should make himself scarce. He hoped he had made the right decision bringing Griffin up to this office, it was late. However, his connection to Rhone made it seem like a good idea anyway.
Lex noticed Griffin didn't realize Mark was trying to leave, indicating that he really didn't understand Mark's – place in this house. Rhone seemed to have a similar problem. He briefly wondered if he considered it a problem because he just didn't like to share certain people.
"Goodnight," Mark quickly and politely made an exit.
Griffin looked at Lex and held up a hand as if to say, "What's with him?"
Lex ignored the simple question, "What brings you to Smallville?" He was extremely curious. He walked out from behind his desk and held out his hand to shake with Griffin.
"Well, you," Griffin said as he took Lex's hand. "Information," he clarified but yet still was vague.
"Are you alone?" Lex asked. Did those words come out of his mouth?
Griffin smiled mischievously – they were so oblivious. The smile quickly faded, however, and he became serious. "Actually, I wanted to talk about her," Griffin let go of Lex's hand and spied a couch that had his name on it. The last few days had been tiresome.
Lex wondered if this was the part where he had to explain his intentions with Rhone like a high school boy that had come to pick up his prom date. He chose the couch across from Griffin and sat on it. He noticed that Griffin looked like Rhone did when she sat on one of his couches. Very relaxed – taking it easy. However, Griffin's feet were on the ground – most likely it would only be a few moments until Rhone removed her shoes and brought her feet onto the couch. It was just was well, it probably wouldn't be as endearing if the man across from him did it.
"Has she…" Griffin hesitated, "Been around here lately?" He had no idea how else to ask.
Lex's back went straight, "Why?"
"Because I don't know where she is. No one does," he looked at the floor.
"What?" Lex creased his brow.
"Bishop used to do this shit to me all the time," Griffin raised his hand to the bridge of his nose. He was talking to himself just as much as he was talking to Lex.
Lex was trying to maintain his sophisticated exterior, "When was the last time someone saw her?"
"That's why I came here. She said she was coming here and then had something to do, but I didn't think anything of it," Griffin said.
"She said she was going to see someone," Lex offered. He wanted to help Griffin. If Rhone was in some kind of trouble and he didn't help, he would never forgive himself – he was carrying enough of that around.
"She told you where she was going?" Griffin looked up at Lex and leaned forward.
"She was going to visit a dying friend," Lex said. That was really all he knew.
"A dying friend?" Griffin repeated.
Lex knew that he was not being asked a question. He didn't like that Griffin had no idea about this dying friend. Did Rhone lie? That idea stung him a little. No, she just knows people that Griffin doesn't – she travels the world. …The world is a big place to be looking for someone.
It crossed Griffin's mind that this could be Paris all over again. He buried his head in his hands. It had occurred to him many times in the past few days. "This isn't Paris," he whispered to himself.
Lex barely heard what he said, but he heard it. He was about to ask about Paris when Griffin dropped his hands and spoke.
"I have the most sophisticated surveillance system the world has ever seen – can theoretically track anyone or anything, more resources than most countries," Griffin's voice was slightly raised, "I can watch a monkey scratch its god damn ass in the Amazon, but I can't find her."
Lex knew Griffin wasn't yelling at him. He knew how frustrating a situation like this could be – he had felt that way at the museum before Griffin brought him into the fold. …He was too worried about Rhone to care anyway. …Did his father have something to do with this? If he hurt Rhone…
Griffin noticed Lex's face harden. He felt guilty – he had scared the guy. He didn't want to admit it, but in a life with Rhone Chade – Lex better get used to it. Griffin began, "She did say that she was going somewhere."
Lex just looked at him.
"She went of her own free will," Griffin tried to assure him in some way, "And I've only seen one other person that could take care of themselves like she can. …Even he wasn't as good."
Somehow Lex knew the other person – it was Bishop. He couldn't help thinking that the man was dead now. Don't think that, Lex said to himself.
After a pause, Griffin said, "Maybe I shouldn't even bother." He was speaking to himself.
Lex decided to include himself in Griffin's private conversation, "Why not?" He certainly wasn't going to follow suit. He would try and look for her, but considering what his initial search for information about her had turned up, he had little faith in what he could find out. …It was an odd feeling.
Griffin leaned his head back on the couch and looked at the ceiling. "Great minds, great leaders…" He said absently. No, he told himself. She would find you, would look for you – quest for you, for any of the guys. He got up, "I should go."
Lex looked at Griffin; the soldier looked exhausted. Lex knew that look, normally he wore it. About ninety-nine percent of Lex told him to push Griffin out the door to find or save Rhone. However… "Why don't you sit down and rest for a minute," Lex suggested, "You look like you could use a break." The guy really did, and he had a feeling a half hour or so either way wasn't going to make a difference. Hell, it would probably help him do a better job if he got his mind off of it for a few minutes.
Griffin bowed his head. If Rhone were here, she wouldn't let him work if he were like this. Well, not all of us can basically give up sleep, he thought mockingly.
Lex could tell he was thinking about the idea. "You don't have to," he said lightly, "I'll just have to work on that expensive scotch alone."
They really are good together, Griffin thought. He looked at his watch and after a brief pause said, "Where is it?"
The door swung open so fast it banged loudly against the adjacent wall. "Bishop!" he exclaimed when he stepped through the door. It was late, but for this it wouldn't matter.
"Settle down, Boy!" the faint regal accent said from around a nearby corner.
Griffin ignored the fact that he called him Boy. …He hadn't called him that in years.
Bishop stepped out into the multipurpose room of his apartment. He was dressed as he always was; dark t-shirt and dark cargo pants – standard issue. For the most part, they all dressed that way most of the time. "What is it?" he asked. He just might have been getting angry – that was undesirable.
Griffin stopped to compose himself. "There was this girl," he started.
"You can keep that to yourself," Bishop said in an exasperated tone and rolled his eyes.
Griffin shook his head quickly. He was taken already, but there was no need to discuss that… "No," he started, "At the fight – in the fights." Hopefully, Bishop would know what that meant.
Bishop leaned his head forward and really looked at Griffin. "What? Where is she now?" Bishop grabbed his long coat off the back of a chair and was walking out the door. Griffin followed.
"I – I don't know," Griffin stuttered, walking at his heals.
Bishop snapped around fast and Griffin almost ran into him. "You don't know!" he repeated loudly – it echoed slightly in the hallway.
"I… would never do anything without consulting you, Sir. I got her license plate number," he hoped that would be good – please let that be good. It might not be enough to find her, he knew. All kinds of low-quality people showed up at those things, the car could be stolen…
Bishop started walking very quickly again, "Tell me about her." His voice was slightly calm. If there is a God, I owe you one. Well, in addition to the whole creation of everything thing.
"She's fast and strong and," he didn't really know what to say about her. "She took like three hits through the whole thing," Griffin could hardly describe it.
Bishop looked at him quickly and sharply.
"She won," was all Griffin could say.
"I want you over with the boys on that long term recon in the middle east," Bishop said suddenly.
It took Griffin a moment to process it, "Sir?"
"If we don't find her," he said harshly, "I suggest you take that plane and keep going."
A piece of Griffin withered. He had always considered Bishop the closest thing he had to a father – despite all the things that had happened, good and bad. He started to slow down, Bishop kept walking – the distance between them widening.
"And Griffin," Bishop tossed over his shoulder, "I also suggest you leave now – I can be quite persistent when I focus." The older man's trench coat trailed behind him as he receded down the hall.