Chapter 4: Lost

“Is that the car, Bill?” Clark Kent nodded towards the late-model blue Ford sitting abandoned in a junkyard.

Chief of Detectives William Henderson nodded. “We’re pretty sure based on the description from the witnesses. And there was a bottle of chloroform and a cloth in the back seat. They didn’t try very hard to cover their tracks.”

Clark glanced at his wife, who was staring at the car, her expression guarded. He turned back to Henderson. “Are your guys done? Mind if we take a look?”

Henderson waved his hand. “Help yourselves.” He turned to Lois. “Lane…” he began, his tone uncharacteristically gentle.

Lois shook her head. “Not now, Bill.” She grabbed Clark’s arm and tugged. “Come on.” She started marching across the slightly muddy junkyard, then stopped and turned back towards Henderson. “Bill?”

“Yeah?”

She sighed. “Thanks.” He nodded in acknowledgement; Lois started towards the car again.

When they were well away from Henderson she murmured, “Can you see anything? Footprints, maybe?”

Clark shook his head. “Too many people have been around the scene. I can’t tell any of them apart.”

“I hope the forensics guys had a look before it got trampled. We’ll have to wait for their report.”

The rear door of the car was fully open, and Lois stuck her head in and looked around. There wasn’t much to see except a large, slightly dirty blanket.

Kara had been on her way home from school when, according to witnesses, the car had pulled up alongside her. The driver had sprung out, run around the vehicle, slammed a door, run back, then hopped in and driven away, taking her with him. It had taken only moments, and there’d been no sound of a struggle.

Lois saw a tear fall and splash on the seat. “Damn it,” she muttered, and fished a tissue out of her purse. “I can’t afford to lose it.”

“Honey?” Clark inquired gently.

“Never mind me. See if you can find anything.”

She changed places with Clark, and watched while he looked around, his glasses lowered. Suddenly he pulled his head out, and shook it once.

“What?” asked Lois, excited. “Did you see something?”

“Not so much,” said Clark. “I just felt a tiny bit… dizzy for a second.”

“Why would you feel…” Lois trailed off as she felt adrenaline surge through her. “Let me look in there again!”

She leaned heavily on the door frame, carefully combing the floor, the seat, everything. She crawled slowly into the car as she examined every square inch. Suddenly she noticed a small bit of something, no larger than a piece of gravel, under the driver’s seat. It didn’t look like much in the light, but she shaded it with her hand and the tiny sliver of rock gave off a faint green glow. She wasn’t surprised Henderson’s men had missed it: they didn’t have their own personal Kryptonite detector.

Lois reached into her purse for another tissue to pick up the sliver. She whispered, knowing her husband would hear her, “Clark… there’s a tiny little fragment of green Kryptonite in here. I’m going to take it to Henderson, but you need to keep away from us until it gets bagged, without looking like you’re keeping away.”

She waited until she heard him walk off, then backed out of the car, prize in hand. She looked around and saw Clark talking to one of the forensics people. She walked back over to Henderson.

“Bill… take a look at this.” She held up the tissue.

Henderson peered at it. “What is it? A piece of glass?”

Lois shook her head. “Watch.” Using her hand, she shielded the fragment from the fading daylight.

Henderson sucked his breath in through his teeth. “So, whoever it was wanted to be prepared for Superman. This probably came off a larger piece. I doubt this little thing would stop the big guy.”

He looked up at Lois. “I know he’s been keeping his distance from your family, but I guess they bet he’d be interested if one of your kids was abducted. They were prepared. Maybe even using her as bait.” Not for the first time, Lois had a feeling that Henderson might know more about her family than he was letting on. “I’d say she was the target all along; it wasn’t just a random snatch.” He frowned. “That’s both good and bad. It means she’s probably OK, but your other kids…” He didn’t need to finish.

Henderson turned and yelled, “Corwin!” A young man with a shaved head looked up from a clipboard he was studying. Henderson waved him over.

The young man trotted over and peered at the Kryptonite fragment. “Sea glass?” he asked.

Henderson leaned over and murmured something Lois couldn’t make out. Corwin’s eyes widened, and he nodded. He reached into a bag slung over his shoulder, searching around inside. He pulled out a small lead foil pouch, then used a pair of tweezers to pick up the Kryptonite and drop it in. He made another entry on the clipboard, peeled off a small sticker and stuck it on the pouch, then dropped the pouch into a different bag.

“I’m going to see if Clark’s found anything.” Henderson, his attention already elsewhere, waved her off casually. She went to join Clark, who was again standing near the car.

Clark smiled joylessly at Lois. “I didn’t really need to stay away from a piece that small, honey.”

“I know that, but I didn’t want to take a chance on anyone noticing that it affected you.” She shook her head. “Now we know why Kara didn’t put up any kind of a struggle, or scream.”

Clark nodded. “I still remember my first exposure.” His jaw clenched. “She was probably already unconscious before they used the chloroform on her.”

Lois balled her fists and whispered furiously, “If I ever get my hands on the bastards who used Kryptonite on our daughter…” She trailed off suddenly, pale. “Clark… whoever it was… they know about Kara now.”

Clark nodded grimly.

Another idea struck Lois. “Clark… do you think they brought the Kryptonite for you… or was it for her all along?”

• • •


“So bad people took Kara, Daddy?” asked Laura, cuddled on her father’s lap. The seven year old shivered slightly, and Clark squeezed her gently.

“I’m afraid so, pumpkin.”

“Is she going to be OK?” She looked up into her father’s eyes, her lip trembling.

He tried to project a confidence he didn’t feel. “We think so, but we’re not completely sure.” He hugged her a little tighter, and the family sat in silence for a few moments, everyone thinking of the missing member.

Jordy, fourteen, was sitting on the sofa next to his mother. “So why do we need to go somewhere else?” He absently stroked the family cat, who was curled up in his lap.

Lois looked around at her family. “We know whoever took Kara was looking for her specifically. That means they’re trying to get at your father and me, probably for something we did in the past—”

Jordy snorted. “Like put them in jail…”

Lois nodded. “Very likely. Anyway, since we know they’re targeting our family we want to move you two someplace safe.”

Jordy shook his head. “But why can’t we just go stay with Grandma and Grandpa in Smallville?”

Clark caught his son’s gaze. “We think that the kidnappers… know more about our family than the average criminal. We think they might know where your grandparents live. Among other things.”

Jordy looked back at him quizzically, and Clark nodded slightly. The boy’s eyes widened. He’d been let in on the family secret when he was about Kara’s age, as his powers had started to develop. Laura was still too young to be told, but Lois and Clark had been planning to tell Kara soon.

Clark continued, “With the number of enemies your mother and I have made over the years, we knew we might need a place for you kids to hide out someday. We found a place in Maryland we can use as a safe house. Your Grandma and Grandpa Lane are going to be there and take care of you while Mom and I try to find your sister and the people who’ve taken her.”

Laura made a face.

“Laura!” scolded Lois.

“Sorry,” Laura apologized. “I don’t like how Grandma and Grandpa yell at each other.”

“Dad, can’t I stay here and help get Kara back?” Jordy already had his father’s powers, though he was not as strong and wasn’t flying yet. Like his father he wore glasses, which had helped him control his developing vision powers.

Clark shook his head. “I’m sorry, Jordy. I appreciate it, but this kind of thing requires experience, and…” He motioned with his eyes at Laura, and Jordy understood the message. It’s too dangerous, and you need to help take care of your sister.

Jordy nodded reluctantly. “What about school?”

Lois answered, “You won’t be going while you’re at the safe house…”

“Yay!” cried Laura.

“…but your schools have given us some homework and study materials. Grandma and Grandpa will be home schooling you while you’re there.”

“Oh,” pouted Laura.

• • •