Rules of Guilt
Folc4evernaday
Chapter 6
***
Lois reached the hospital room with the numbers ‘305’ printed on the wall beside the door. She was about to knock when she noticed the door was slightly ajar. She heard the sound of Clark’s very angry voice from inside and pushed the door open, listening to the tail end of the conversation before making her presence known.
“Then you show up and all of a sudden the DEA is involved with the Intergang investigation?” Clark was saying as she closed the door behind her.
“Look, Kent...” She heard Dan Scardino interject just as Clark cut him off.
“Don’t.” He barked angrily. “You and I both know you’re not here to help with Mayson’s Intergang investigation. What are you
really doing in Metropolis?”
Lois chose that moment to speak up. If what she’d discovered about Resurrection was true then they were all in danger. Clark and Dan Scardino could resume their pissing match later. Right now, they had bigger fish to fry. “He’s after something called Resurrection.”
“Where did you hear that name?” Scardino asked, staring at her dumbfounded.
“Don’t worry about it.” Lois cut him off, turning away when she noticed Clark’s surprised expression. She really didn’t want to be here any longer than necessary. She’d had some time to calm down from earlier but she was still upset. Not only had Clark basically abandoned her last night and disappeared with no indication whether he was okay or not but then he’d shut her down the minute she tried to bring it up this morning. She peered over at the corner of the room where Clark was standing, stealing a glance and then looking away when his eyes met hers. ‘Not now.’
“Lady, this is a matter of national security…” Scardino began but Clark interjected.
“Maybe it might help if we had all the facts.” Clark’s jaw tightened as he jutted his chin out in defiance.
Scardino’s mouth twisted for a moment, looking at her and then Clark and back again before letting out a defeated sigh. “This is off the record.”
***
Albie sat in the corner of Stanley Gable’s office listening as the recently resurrected convicts gathered around the desk, looking over the blueprints of STAR Labs. It unnerved him that Mr. Gables still thought he was going to get his hands on his Omega virus. After revealing his plans to infect the entire population of Metropolis with the virus Albie had reached out to his contacts within Intergang. He’d been assured Mr. Gables would not succeed.
He glanced at the clock warily. Two more days until the break-in was scheduled. One more convict to resurrect. Mr. Darryl had assured him Intergang would intervene but he’d yet to see or hear anything from them. Perhaps it was time to take matters into his own hands...
***
“It's a synthetic barbiturate. Taken in large enough doses, it produces a temporary state of suspended animation.” Dan Scardino explained, looking warily back at Lois and then to Clark.
“So making it appear the person that took it was dead?” Clark reasoned aloud.
“Hence the name ‘Resurrection.’” Lois added, glancing at Clark.
“Yeah, there was an incident in Gotham last month with Gables and Dr. Quinn. Let’s just say a lot of guys that belong in Arkham found a very unique way to escape.” Scardino gave a grunt of disgust. “I’ve been trying to track Gables down. We were at a dead end until we got the call from Mayson.”
Clark’s jaw tightened, debating on whether to believe Scardino or not. He still didn’t trust him but he could tell in this moment he was telling the truth. He glanced at Lois and saw from the expression on her face she also believed him.
“What do you think this Gables guy is doing here in Metropolis?” Clark asked, folding his arms over his chest and looking back at Scardino expectantly.
“That’s what I haven’t figured out yet,” Scardino said.
“So if someone was using this drug here in Metropolis how soon would they come out of the suspended animation?” Lois asked, seeming to be contemplating something.
“Hours if that.” Scardino shrugged. “It depends on the dosage.”
Realization seemed to dawn on Lois and she turned to leave, mumbling. “It’s the medical examiner. He’s in on it.”
“What?” Scardino asked at the same time Clark asked, “In on what?”
Before either of them could get a response she was already out the door. Clark quickly followed hearing Scardino rant from behind him, “Hey, get back here!”
“Lois, wait up!” Clark called after her, catching her at the elevator.
“Clark, the medical examiner is in on it. They get pronounced dead and then no one is looking for them.” Lois rambled in the hallway in front of the elevator. “Don’t you see? He did it before and he’s doing it again.”
“Who did what?” Clark asked, not following the last part of her rambling.
“Ryan,” Lois said hurriedly. “Molly called saying the prison had declared him dead last night.”
“What?” Clark’s nerves went on edge. Ryan Wiley was the ex-fiance of Molly Flynn’s. He’d tried to take the world hostage by using a military weapon he’d developed before the project had been shut down. Wiley had tried to frame Molly for his destruction. Thankfully he and Lois had been able to stop him in time. If he was out…
“It’s no coincidence, right?” Lois looked at him pleadingly. “I mean you don’t just drop dead for no reason and he’s faked his death before. Why not now? Especially with the best escape method in the world. I mean, who’s going to look for you if you’re in prison.”
“Yeah, but why?” Clark frowned, following her train of thought. “Wiley was a pretty intelligent guy. He’s not going to plan an escape like this without an endgame in mind.”
“Prisoners...all dropping dead. Soldiers missing...What do they have in common?” Lois wondered aloud.
“Soldiers?” Clark looked at her with a quizzical look.
“Bobby said several soldiers were reported missing last night, but I've got a feeling they're connected to this. I can feel it in my gut. Ryan knows military protocol like the back of his hand. If he's involved in this whoever's behind this could be trying…”
“...to get on base.” Clark finished for her, finally catching onto where she was going with this. "I think we need to find out who these soldiers were and what exactly they had access to."
The elevator pinged and the doors opened, letting a few passengers off. Lois grabbed his arm and tugged him toward the empty elevator car, “Come on, let’s see if Perry can get the Admiral to…”
“Hold on! No one’s going anywhere until I get some answers.” They both turned to see Dan Scardino hobbling toward them with a pair of crutches. “Who the hell is Ryan Wiley and …?”
Lois hit the close doors button the elevator panel right before pressing the lobby floor button, cutting the rest of his question off. Clark turned to her with an amused expression, “You know he’s going to be waiting for us in the parking lot, right?”
“He can try, but last I heard he wasn’t discharged yet.” Lois said with a grin. All he could do was chuckle as the hum of the elevator moving filled the car. It seemed the anger she had at him earlier this morning had subsided...for the moment anyway.
***
Bill Church Jr tipped his cigar in his ashtray, allowing the ashes to fall before taking another puff on his cigar. He looked to his head lieutenant for the latest update, “Since when do we draw this much attention to ourselves, Darryl?” He laid the latest copy of the Daily Planet on his desk for Darryl to see the front page photo with Mayson Drake being loaded in an ambulance. “Ms. Drake is someone that’s off limits.”
“I understand that, Mr. Church. The call didn’t come from us though.” Darryl explained. “Mr. Leon was trying to take matters into his own hands. He’s been handled.”
“I see.” Bill Jr let out a sigh, “And the shooters?”
“Our contact in the police department has slipped something special into their morning meal. We should get news of their untimely deaths within the hour.” Darryl explained, tugging on his collar nervously. “I can assure you, Mr. Church, I have everything under control.”
“Do you?” He narrowed his eyes at Darryl and added, “Seems to me there’ve been an awful lot of mistakes on this venture of yours. Perhaps you’re not up to the job?”
***
Lois flashed her badge to the security guard in the parking garage before pulling out into traffic. She had to suppress a laugh when she caught the sight of Dan Scardino arguing with one of the hospital administrators when they drove by. “Looks like they caught him trying to make a run for it.”
“Something tells me we probably haven’t seen the last of him though,” Clark said with a light chuckle, looking out the window from the passenger side.
“Yeah,” Lois shared a look with him.
“Look, Lois, about earlier…” He began.
“Not now.” She cut him off, not ready to discuss his disappearing act from last night just yet. After having most of the morning to calm down a lot of her anger had subsided, but in its place remained hurt and disappointment. Discussing what had happened—what potentially could have happened last night wasn’t something she was ready to do just yet. “Later.” She said simply.
“Later.” He nodded, pulling back and turning to stare out the window as she made the turn down Main Street to head back to the Planet.
***
The dreary walls smelled of musk and old blood that had seeped into them over the years. Lex cringed as he came to a stop in the corner, staring straight ahead at the large brown stain in front of him. Blood perhaps? He didn’t want to imagine what else it could be. His trial date had been set.
Still no word from Nigel.
No word from Gretchen.
They’d had a plan...
***
TBC
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