Rules of Guilt
Folc4evernaday
Chapter 4
***
Darryl sat at his desk, watching the news coverage of the shooting in front of City Hall. The newscaster kept recounting the tale of heroism on the DEA Agent’s part and the miraculous save by Superman. He grimaced, shaking his head as he reached for his scotch. Mr. Church wouldn’t be pleased.
A shadow crossed his doorway and he turned to see Nigel with a grim expression on his face, “I’m sure you saw the news.”
“Yes, all this publicity and they’re still alive.” Darryl groaned.
“I believe it’s time to cut our ties with Mr. Leon. He’s proven himself to be more trouble than he’s worth.” Nigel suggested, strolling casually into Darryl’s office.
“Yes, this shipment of nuclear warheads isn’t worth it.” Darryl shook his head in disgust.
“Well, no reason to get hasty.” Nigel countered, “I’m sure there’s a way to get the warheads and frame Mr. Leon.”
“How?”
***
Lois ran her hands over her arms, feeling a slight chill in the room with Clark’s absence. Had that really just happened? Had Superman really gotten called right when they… What? She took a deep breath, trying to push that thought out of her mind.
‘It had to be serious.’ She thought to herself.
‘The way he left…’She stared blankly around the living room, trying to catch her breath. She glanced at the clock. It had been half an hour since he disappeared. A half hour since whatever disaster had pulled him away. Surely whatever it was would be on the news now. She reached for the remote on the coffee table, flipping the channels until she found the twenty-four-hour news station.
The red ticker running across the screen caught her attention as the announcer announced, “Police are still surveying the scene of tonight’s shooting. ADA Mayson Drake and Agent Dan Scardino are in critical condition…”
“Oh, my God...”
***
Five.
There had been five gunmen.
All with a Russian accent.
All refusing to talk.
All had been aiming rifles at Mayson Drake and Dan Scardino when Clark arrived on the scene. He still wasn’t entirely sure who the actual target had been. It was Lucky Leon. He knew it. Henderson knew it. He just couldn’t prove it.
“Superman!” Bill Henderson waved at him as he was about to leave.
***
“Yes, I understand you can’t give out medical information, but can you at least…” Lois heard a loud click on the other end of the phone and sighed, running a hand through her hair. She’d been at it for hours, trying to find out what she could about Mayson’s condition. It had been four hours since Clark had left and there was no sign of him. She glanced around the apartment, toying with the idea of staying just a little longer before heading home.As it was she wouldn’t be getting any answers tonight and for whatever reason Superman seemed to have disappeared altogether since the shooting.
‘He’s avoiding me.’ Lois thought to herself in disgust. Any other time he would have been back by now. She grimaced to herself, staring at the second hand as it ticked past the nine on the clock.
‘Or he’s wallowing.’ She thought for a moment.
‘Or both.’Either way, Clark wasn’t here. She’d opened herself up and made herself completely vulnerable to him and he disappeared. Yes, Superman was needed, but that was hours ago. Hours that he could have come back and finish their conversation instead of leaving her hanging like this. The longer it took him to come back the angrier and more hurt she had become.
She glanced at the news coverage once more and shook her head in disgust before turning off the television. Last week Mayson’s life had been threatened and now this. Surely the two had to be connected. Intergang. It seemed to be a common theme this year. Lucky Leon was working with them. Mayson had been threatened by them. Even with Bill Church’s recent heart attack the criminal organization still found a way to strike fear into Metropolis.
‘Enough of this.’ she thought to herself, standing up and gathering her notes. “I need to get out of here.”
***
Albie looked over his shoulder, checking to make sure he wasn’t followed as he entered the Metro Club. Inside the smoky atmosphere, the music was loud and the smell of liquor and grease hung in the air. He spotted an empty table in the corner and took his seat.
“Mr. Swanson I presume?” a voice from behind him called out as a man with salt and pepper hair and a thinning hairline took a seat across from him.
Albie looked up in surprise, “How did you…?”
“You didn’t think you’d really make a deal like this without us knowing where to find you, did you?” the man asked.
“Look, I don't want any trouble. I just don’t want to see anyone get hurt.” Albie pleaded. “You said you could talk to Mr. Church?”
“In exchange for your cooperating with Intergang’s plan, yes.” the man pulled out an envelope and passed it to him. “Inside you’ll find the names of four soldiers that need to be replaced by noon tomorrow. Make it happen or Mr. Gables’ plans for Metropolis will be the least of your worries.”
***
After a final patrol over Metropolis Clark flew back home to his apartment. It was after midnight. He had gone from one emergency to another tonight in the midst of the investigation into Lucky Leon’s death. A suicide note and confession were found by his body along with the pieces and parts to the Desk Friend dart that had been used to kill Borges. It appeared to be an open and shut case. Jimmy’s name was cleared, but he knew better.
It was too convenient.
He spun out of his suit and into his sleeping shorts then sunk down into the bed with a sigh. The last twenty-four hours felt like a lifetime ago. Mayson and Dan Scardino had been shot. He hadn’t heard anything from Henderson on how serious the injuries were but he knew he probably wouldn’t hear anything back until morning. He let out a defeated sigh. Tomorrow had to be better, right?
***
Lois made her way through the crowded lobby of the Daily Planet the next morning, coffee in hand. She was exhausted. She spent most of the night trying to track down information on the shooting. She’d called in the story to the night editor but still hadn’t had a chance to talk to Clark last night. She’d written up a rough sketch of the story just before falling asleep.
“Hold the elevator!” she called out, seeing the closing doors as she pushed past the newsstand and raced to the elevator. A hand slipped between the elevator doors, stopping them from shutting and forcing the doors back open. “Thanks,” She said, stepping inside the elevator, coming face to face with Clark and the newest mail clerk from the third floor whose name escaped her. “Hi.”
“Hi,” Clark said, meeting her gaze. She felt a flutter in her abdomen, staring back at him. The conversation from last night replaying in her mind.
<<“So, you were waiting for…?”
“Just the right person.”>>
<<“I don’t want either of us rushing into anything unless we’re both ready.”
“What if I was...ready?”
“Well, I…”>>“Hi, Ms. Lane!” the blonde-haired mail clerk cheered happily.
“Uh, hi,” Lois managed a weak smile at the young clerk who seemed oblivious to the uncomfortable air between her and Clark at that moment.
“It’s amazing who you run into in the elevator here, isn’t it? I never knew the Planet had this many celebrities working here. I mean, sharing the elevator with the famous Lane and Kent duo. Then just last week I was in the elevator with the Perry White….” the clerk rambled on at a rate that put even Lois’ worst babbling moments to shame.
“Yeah, well, he
is the Editor-in-Chief.” Lois managed, looking over at the panel that read ‘2’ and sighed. A soft ping rung and the doors opened.
“That’s me.” The chatty clerk said, stepping off the elevator and into the mailroom.
Lois and Clark waved a polite ‘bye’ as the elevator doors closed behind him. “Oh, my God,” Lois muttered, turning to Clark.
“Yikes,” Clark shook his head with a chuckle.
Lois shared a smile with him, “Guess they let just about anyone in here.”
“Yeah, they should look into security.” He grinned back at her, but she could see the tiredness in his eyes and hear the strain in his voice.
She looked at him, her smile falling. “How are you?” She moved toward him, closing the distance between them.
“Okay,” He nodded with a shrug. “I guess.” He let out a low snort, “I really don’t want to talk about last night, Lois.”
<<“I don’t want either of us rushing into anything unless we’re both ready.”
“What if I was...ready?”
“Well, I…”>>“Oh.” Lois glanced toward the panel on the elevator wall. “Right. Well, then we won’t talk about last night...
at all.”
“No, Lois, I didn’t mean…” He began to backtrack as the elevator pinged, announcing their arrival in the newsroom.
“That’s our floor.” She said hurriedly. “We should get to work.”
“Lois...” she heard Clark call after her, but she was already making a beeline for her desk.
She took a seat at her desk, booting up her computer as she began to ramble hurriedly. “I’m going to reach out to Bobby and see what he’s heard on Lucky Leon. There was no way his collusion with Intergang wasn’t connected to his supposed suicide.”
“Okay, yeah, but look…” Clark tried to interject but her warning glare told him to drop it. He nodded, moving to his desk. “I’ll work on writing up the story on last night’s shooting.”
“Great,” Lois said, reaching for the phone at her desk that rang in her hand before she could dial. “Lois Lane,” She answered.
“Lois?” She could hear Molly’s sob from the other end of the phone. Her aggravation with Clark quickly dissipated as she listened to her friend try and get out what she was trying to say in between sobs.
“He’s gone.” She sobbed uncontrollably. “He’s really really gone this time.”
“Who?” Lois asked.
“Ryan.” Molly squeaked out.
“What?”
***
TBC...
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