Hey, guys!
This is a much shorter chapter than normal, but I hope y'all still like it! (I had to end it early cause I knew the next chapter was gonna be big.)
This is one of the last chapters in part one. Only two chapters left!
Chapter Ten.
For the first time since Lex had rescued the child, he was alone at the mansion.
When Martha had shown up that morning, both she and Lex had decided that it would be a great day for the child to spend some time at the farm. Lex had a number of conference calls throughout the day and the child could use some fresh air.
Though between calls and emails, Lex wished the child was there. He remembered earlier that morning when the child had left for the farm, the velveteen rabbit held tightly in his arms. Lex could tell that the child was excited to go to the farm, but he missed him.
He sighed, then looked down at his computer and began to compose another email. It was one of those days where it felt like everyone needed him.
Suddenly, the door banged open. Before Lex could react, there were four men in the room. None of which he recognized.
He stood up and put on his most-perfect Luthor smile, but his heart beat wildly inside of his chest. With each beat, his heart threatened to stop or explode. Where was his security? How had these men gotten inside?
"Gentlemen," he greeted. He was shocked at how calm and smooth his voice was.
"Where is it, Luthor?" One of the men demanded.
Lex frowned. "Where's what?"
"Where's the damn alien?" The man all but shouted.
Lex looked at them and stayed quiet for a minute. They all wore black suits, they all wore their hair styled back, and they all looked angry. Bloodthirsty even. A pit feeling began to form in Lex's stomach as he remembered the letter.
After a moment, he began to recognize the men. He recognized them from security footage and a folder full of employees at the lab. He recognized one of them as the man who would tease the child with food, another one was in charge of the meteor rock supply. None of them were the head scientist though.
Suddenly, a fire began to burn in Lex's chest. These men had hurt his son. They weren't getting him back.
"Oh, the kid?" Lex said, then laughed. "Sent the brat away with Child Protective Services days ago. Couldn't stand him, he was so whiny and deserved a good beating. Maybe if you guys had come a few days sooner I would have given him back to you. No idea where he is now."
It was the most painful lie Lex had ever told. His stomach churned from guilt of saying those awful things about his son, but he needed to get them off of his tail. If he could make them believe that he had given him away, then he might have time to come up with a plan before they went to the farm.
"Do you remember the name of the social worker?" One of the men asked, and Lex looked over at him. He instantly regretted it though. The man had been one of the most brutal to the child. He was one of the few who actually beat up on the child and tended to use the meteor rock as a weapon against the child when the two of them were alone. It took every fiber in Lex's being not to bash the monster's head in.
"Nope," Lex lied again. "Paid the worker good money for neither of us to ask any questions. Worked pretty good."
The men looked at each other, then back to Lex. Lex was sure that they were going to figure out that he was lying.
"If we find out that you're lying…" One of them warned, breaking the silence.
Lex held up his hands. "There's no kid here," he said. "Trust me, the last thing I wanna do is raise a brat. Thank god for abortions."
"Well, thank you for your time, Mr. Luthor," the man who beat up on the child said, then turned to the other men. "Let's go."
Lex sat back down at his desk. "I hope you find what you're looking for," he told them, though every word was a complete lie. He hoped they never found the child.
He pretended to work on an email until he was convinced that he had heard every vehicle pull out of his driveway. He could hear the ticking and tocking of the grandfather clock beside him, he could hear the beating of his guilt-ridden heart. It was silent in the mansion, more silent than death itself.
He couldn't believe the things he had said, but he knew that every word had made up a lie that had temporarily saved the child. It hurt, but it had kept him safe.
As soon as he was convinced that it was completely safe, he grabbed his suit jacket and his wallet before running as fast as he could to his car.
He turned the key in the ignition and sped off down the road. For the first time in his life, he felt like he had a justifiable reason to be speeding.
He had to make sure that the child would be safe. He couldn't let anyone hurt him.
He had a phone call to make.
Lex finally stopped driving when he reached the bar that was right outside of town. Yes, it was too early in the day to be drinking, but he knew that they would have a phone. That was all he needed, no matter how tempting a shot sounded right now.
He walked up to the man behind the bar. He really hoped this would work.
The man looked up at Lex and smiled. "Come here for lunch or a beer?" He asked. His tone wasn't condescending, instead it was a friendly welcome.
Lex shook his head. "This is really stupid, but I forgot my phone back at my place," he said. Technically he was only bending the truth a little. He had left his phone, but it had been on purpose. "Mind if I borrow yours?"
The man shook his head. "Go ahead," he told him. "The phone is in the back."
Lex nodded, then walked as calmly as he could to the phone. He wanted to run, but he knew that he couldn't cause such a scene. Especially since he was one of three people in the building. If he worried the owner, he might be forced to explain himself.
Thankfully, he had the money for the payphone. Barely, but he did. He made a mental note to carry more than fifty cents in his pockets from now on.
He quickly dialed the number and hoped that someone would pick up.
The phone was picked up after the second ring.
"Hello?" Martha answered.
"Martha? It's me, Lex," he said. "Grab Jonathan and the kid and drive to the motel outside of town. I know this sounds weird, but I need you to do it now. I promise I'll explain everything."
Martha stayed quiet for a minute, and Lex wondered if she was going to hang up and call the police. "Is everything alright?"
"No," he said. "Not at all."
"We'll be there as soon as possible," she said.
Lex felt a fraction of his anxiety go away. She trusted him. She didn't think he was crazy. "Whatever you do, don't bring any attention to yourself."
"Are you in danger Lex?"
At the memory of the men in his office and the letter that he had received the day before, the anxiety that was settling in his chest tripled. No one who was involved with the child was safe. Not him, not the Kent's, and not the child himself. Nobody. He had to fix this.
"We all are."
Okay! There's chapter 10! Please follow, fave, and review! I would love to know what you thought!
Thanks for reading! Love y'all!