Injustice Folc4evernady
Chapter 3: Forgot I Had a Choice________________________________________
Four Years Ago…The bitter heat bore down on Dan Scardinos’ neck as he fumbled for the map he had picked up from the airport. The dry heat in Turkey was nothing compared to the stint he’d done in Qatar, but that fact didn’t make his sweat glands dry up any faster. He reached up to swipe his brow, noting the tractors hard at work amid the fields. He let out a dry cough as he finally reached his destination.
His brow furrowed as he examined the dark wooden farmhouse with rotting wood barely hanging onto the nails that kept them in place. The pit of his gut tightened as he stared at the long pebbled walkway leading into the farmhouse.
This was it.
This was where Jenna had taken her last breath.
He had poured over the FBI file for nearly three months, trying to find a clue as to what happened to his fiancée. He felt his gut twist as he stared down the farmhouse, flashing back to the black and white photos in Jenna’s file. This was where she’d last been seen. This was where they found traces of her DNA. This was where he had lost Jenna forever.
________________________________________
Lois looked around the city block that surrounded her Uncle Mike’s restaurant. She let out a low sigh as she closed the door to the passenger door, ensuring the door was locked and turned to where Clark was standing behind her with Jon in his carrier and diaper bag in tow.
“Lois! Clark!” Mike called out to them with a broad smile across his face as he pushed his way past the iron gate, separating his restaurant from the street passersby. His expression softened when he saw Jon, “Why hello, little guy…”
“He’s getting bigger and bigger by the day,” Clark commented proudly.
Lois reached over to give her Uncle Mike a hug as he leaned over to make silly faces at Jon. Jon blinked back at his great-uncle, unimpressed by the antics, and Mike let out a chuckle, “Everyone’s a critic, eh?”
They shared a laugh and she cast a quick glance toward the street his restaurant was on. “You weren’t kidding when you said Southside was changing…”
“These thugs think they can run me out of here,” Mike pointed to the gang of young teens standing across the street from them with their hats turned backward and pants hanging beneath their waists. “This place has been a staple here for years.”
Clark flashed him a weak smile, “This place has seen its ups and downs.”
“Well, if the police would just do their job…” Mike muttered, pointing toward the graffiti that had been etched on the side of his restaurant. “Anyway, this is what I wanted to show you…”
Clark frowned when he saw the red and black graffiti on the white brick siding of Mike’s restaurant. In large black and red spray-painted letters were the letters ‘S-K-I-N-S’ and beneath the letters was the image of skull spray painted black with the words ‘Get Out While You Can’ beneath it. Clark let out a sigh, looking around him and then back to Mike, “I’m no expert, but I’d say that’s a threat.”
“And the police won’t do a damn thing about it,” Mike advised, running his hand through his thinning hair. “If I was the suspicious type, I’d think they’re being paid to look the other way.”
“What makes you think that?” Lois asked, folding her arms across her chest.
“I call and report stuff like this, and it takes them an hour to show up. Of course, by then, the guy is long gone…” Mike shook his head in disgust. “You know, I remember when …”
The rest of Mike’s tirade was interrupted by Clark leaning over and whispering in her ear, “Get Jon and your uncle out of here now.” She looked back at him in surprise, taking Jon’s carrier with her as Clark pointed to the back door, “I’m gonna see if I can get some photos of this. We can take it to the police ourselves.”
She nodded and quickly jumped into protective mode and cleared her throat, interrupting her uncle, “Uncle Mike, I’m sure we can see what’s going on.” She rambled quickly, walking back toward the Jeep and opening the door to the back passenger door as she turned to continue talking to Mike, who had followed her to the Jeep, “I’m sure if we went to talk to Inspector Henderson, he could help us. Do you think you could come with us to see him? We can drop Jon off with Clark’s mom and …”
A loud pop came from behind the restaurant, and she let out a startled gasp when she saw Clark dressed in his Superman suit, exiting the back of the restaurant with a dark-skinned man with black sweats and a loose dark navy knit cap in his grasp.
Mike turned on the young man with a harsh scowl as the burnt remnants of an incendiary device was thrown on the ground in front of the restaurant, and Clark let out a harsh threat, “For your sake, I hope you don’t mind showering in groups.”
“Superman!” Mike gasped the name out in surprise as he looked suspiciously at the man in Clark’s grasp.
“Sorry to drop in on you like this, but I spotted this one here trying to plant this,” Clark pointed to the burnt incendiary device lying on the ground in front of them, “on your back door.” He looked pointedly at the man that was still struggling in his makeshift metal binds.
“A bomb?” Mike asked aghast, “Little punk, you tried to burn me out!” he accused, stepping toward the captive thug.
“Can’t prove nothin'.” The thug taunted as Clark forced him down on the ground with a firm hand on his shoulder. “Nobody saw a thing!”
“Clark!” Mike pointed to the back door. “He was just back there…”
“Ain’t nobody back there.” The gang member grumbled cockily.
“I, uh, think he was getting pictures of the graffiti,” Lois said, looking pointedly at Clark.
“Right,” Clark snapped his fingers, catching onto what Lois was hinting at as she pulled out her phone as Clark made a quick exit.
A split-second later, Clark was opening the back gate dressed in his business suit with a frantic expression on his face. He looked to where the thug was sitting on the ground in his metal binds and approached, “Is everyone all right?”
“We’re fine,” Mike pointed his index finger at the man struggling with his metal binds. “Superman stopped this thug from leveling the restaurant.” He looked to Clark, “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” Clark nodded, “I had taken a few photos from inside…” he held up the camera he had used to take photos with earlier.
“Man, you didn’t see nothin’!” the thug countered smugly.
Clark pointed to the back window looking directly out on the back door. “Except, I had a perfect view from there.”
The thug’s expression went sour as Lois let out a huff, dialing the number to the police station, “Yes, I’m reporting an attempted arson. My name is Lois Lane, and…” She stopped short, looking up at Clark. “They put me on hold.”
The thug sneered at her with a chuckle, “Lois Lane? You’re Lois Lane?”
“Watch it, pal,” Mike warned as Clark took a protective step in front of her.
“I’m sorry, have we met?” Lois asked, peering over Clark’s shoulder.
“No, we ain’t met. It’s just funny to me, ‘cuz you dead.” He sneered with a laugh.” I know you're walkin' around, but trust me, lady, go pick out a nice grave. And from what I hear, pick it out fast.”
________________________________________
Dan Scardino skirted his foot across the dirt floor of the barn, toeing his foot against the loose gravel and dirt as he scanned the scene with a grimace. The yellow and black tape had long since worn away and flew across the ground, floating its way into the crevices of the old barn’s worn out supporting beams.
He let out a labored breath, turning to leave the barn before making his way toward the farmhouse, preparing to find the worst of the worst behind the rickety old doors. He had been prepared for a gruesome scene. A bloody wall or signs of a struggle but he hadn’t been prepared for this. An empty barn with no sign of life outside of the obvious telltale signs from the FBI’s investigation. Not that it mattered much now, but the lead they had on this drug being smuggled into the country had surely dried up the second the FBI made its presence known here in Turkey. A scowl crossed his face as he recalled his last conversation with Jenna.
<<“Any word on the girl?”
“She didn’t make it….Just be careful, Jenna.”
“When am I not careful?”
“You sure you’re up for this, Jenna?”
“Hey, Danny boy you getting sentimental on me?”
“Dan’s right, Jenna, if you’re not up for this…”
“We’ll waste another week training another agent up. I can do this.”
“Be careful.”
“I’m always careful, Dan. You’re the one that needs to tighten the reigns before jumping in head first….I’m fine. I still have a ring to pick out.”
“Count on it.”>>A sick churning in his stomach threatened to overtake him. He could have stopped her. He could have told her not to go and made her get another agent. But he didn’t. And because of that, Jenna had paid for his mistake with her life…
________________________________________
“You okay?” Clark asked, handing Lois a cup of coffee from the drink machine. The police station was littered with police officers who appeared to have nothing better to do other than stand around and shoot the breeze. In the time it had taken the police to arrive, Lois had been able to drop Jon off with his mom and begin typing up the story for Perry to begin editing the piece on the city’s lack of response to emergency calls for help. Three hours. It had taken them three hours to show up at Mike’s restaurant. Three hours of looking over his shoulder and ignoring all calls for help for fear that the thug that had threatened Lois would make good on his threat. The way the thug had thrown around the threat…It seemed as if it was some sort of game to him.
“I’m fine,” Lois said, taking the paper cup from him and flashing him a quick smile. She gestured to where Mike was seated in the corner, pinching the bridge of his nose. “He’s really torn up about this.”
“I know,” Clark sighed heavily sinking into the chair next to her. “I left a message with Henderson but he’s in court right now so I’m not sure how soon he’ll get back to me.”
Lois nodded, recalling the case Henderson was testifying on today. “Yeah, he had that case against Kyle Griffin today.” She let out a long breath, shaking her head. “How said is it that he’s the only useful police officer in here?” She pointed toward a group of officers that were huddled around a box of doughnuts, “All that crime in the city and look what we’ve got in here—a doughnut commercial.”
Clark chuckled, tightening his arm around her shoulders, throwing a concerned look toward Mike who was pacing in the corridor in front of them. “Mike, everything go okay?”
Mike nodded, throwing a cautious look toward the police nearby. “Everyone’s fine. No major injuries.”
“Good.” Lois smiled back at her uncle.
“I’m sorry I had you bring Jon out here and got you all mixed up in this.” Mike apologized, running a hand across his features. “Who knew an afternoon visit to his great uncle’s would have ended up with a bomb of all things?”
“Mike, this is not your fault,” Clark soothed gently.
“Excuse me?”
Clark turned toward the corner where the feminine voice had come from and spotted a blonde woman in her late twenties standing in the doorway of an office marked ‘Interrogation 3.’
“Is one of you Clark Kent?”
Clark turned and nodded, “I am.” He waved a hand at her.
“Mayson Drake, Deputy DA.” She held out her hand to shake his. “I’d like to see if you’re willing to testify against Baby Rage.”
Clark opened his mouth to respond but found his attention pulled to the corner of the station where the thug in question was kicking, yelling and screaming as the police officers were searching him. Clark watched the scene unfold, closing his eyes for a moment to process the insanity that had escaped out of the thug before turning his attention back to the ADA in front of him.
“
Baby Rage?” Clark smirked, sharing a look with Lois, “Gee, I wonder why they call him that.”
Lois thwacked him on the chest with a grin and let out a groan. “That was bad.”
“Maybe someone else can bully him for a change,” Mike added, shaking his head in disgust.
“You must be Mike Lane?” Mayson inquired, glancing down at the intake report in front of her. “I’m sorry about what happened to your restaurant. We’re going to do what we can to make sure he pays for what he tried to do.
Mike smiled, “Thanks, but they’re gonna have to do a lot better than that to scare me. I’ve been in business for fifteen years on that block and seen thugs like that come and go. No Skins or Roughnecks are gonna scare me off.”
“Skins?” Lois practically snickered, echoing the name in disbelief.
“It’s the name of the gang Baby Rage is connected to.” Mayson responded hurriedly as she glanced at the report in front of her. She frowned and looked at Lois inquisitively, “I’m sorry. You are…?”
“That’s my niece, Lois Lane. She was with me when all this happened.” Mike explained. “She’s a little on the over-protective side.”
“I see,” Mayson nodded, glancing over at Lois and then Clark with uncertainty written on her face.
“Yes, I’m the one who called the police and was placed on hold….for three hours.” Lois glared around the police station filled with officers shooting the breeze, “I’ve seen paint dry faster than the police responded to my uncle’s restaurant. I mean…”
Clark noted the look of disbelief on Mayson’s face and then added, “Also, that kid threatened Lois.”
Mayson’s eyes widened ever so slightly and glanced in Lois’ direction who shrugged it off, “I’m sure he was just trying to scare me.”
“Well, now it's my turn to scare him.” Mayson threw a stern glare toward where Baby Rage was being escorted into a holding cell. She then turned back to Clark, “With your help?”
“Whatever I saw, I’ll tell in court, Ms. Drake,” Clark reassured her, placing a protective arm around Lois.
“Mayson,” she corrected.
Clark spotted the look of disbelief cross his wife’s face as she rolled her eyes at Mayson as a slow flirtatious smile spread across the ADA’s face. He stifled a groan as Mayson reached over to jot something down. Mayson reached over to hand him her card, “Call my office in the morning so we can arrange a deposition. And if you need to reach me during off hours, my home phone's on the back.”
“Great,” Lois cut in, taking the card from Mayson, “I’m sure the next time those thugs show up at my uncle’s restaurant you’ll help make sure the police show up to help him?”
“Well, I can’t help with the politics of police response times,” Mayson chuckled, flashing an uneasy expression in Clark’s direction.
He bit his lower-lip, suppressing a chuckle when he saw Lois place a possessive hand across his knee, ensuring her wedding band was visible. Clark patted her hand with his and interjected gently, “I think what my wife is hinting at here is how exactly is the DA’s office and the Police department that…” he glanced over his shoulder with a stern gaze toward the officers still surrounding the doughnut box, “don’t seem concerned with responding to citizens in distress…going to assist to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again? Possibly as retaliation for pressing charges?”
“I can appreciate your concern,” Mayson replied carefully, seeming to be processing the question at the same time she was connecting the fact that he was in fact the victim’s son-in-law. “Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee anything. I suppose we could try to arrange some protection…”
“I don’t want to put anyone out. I just would like the police to show up when I call,” Mike pleaded with her in concern. “Are you going to have Superman testify too?” Mike asked, scratching his chin.
“Oh, Superman, right.” A pensive expression crossed Mayson’s face, “I’ll have to talk to him too, won’t I?”
Lois crossed her arms over her chest and mused quietly. “I mean, he only caught the guy red-handed before Baby Rage was able to demolish my uncle’s restaurant. But yeah I guess you’ll have to talk to him too.”
“We can get him to stop by the DA’s office if you need, Ms. Drake,” Clark interjected, attempting to diffuse the rising tensions that were growing between Lois and Mayson.
“I’ll let you know,” Mayson smiled, moving past him. “Clark, we’ll talk soon?”
He nodded, and she smiled back at him before heading into the station toward the holding cell Baby Rage had just been escorted into. He turned his attention back to Lois who was rolling her eyes.
“Unbelievable,” Lois turned toward the officers who were still surrounding the doughnut box. “All these cops in here. How many calls for help do you think they’re ignoring to sit around and do nothing?”
Mike pointed to the short statured officer in the corner. “That one did take some fingerprints…. after he cleaned out the doughnut box over there.”
“Looks like that one’s filling out some paperwork…” Clark pointed out with a hopeful tone. He saw the officer set the paperwork across his chest and lean back in his chair with his feet on the desk. “Yeah, never mind.”
“It takes all kinds, sweetie,” Mike placed a hand on Lois’ shoulder, “At least I know it wasn’t personal … the police ignoring me.”
Clark shook his head in dismay as he looked around the crowded police station. “Something tells me this isn’t the first incident and won’t be the last.” He tapped his hand on his chin, pondering aloud, “Which makes you wonder why we haven’t heard about this before now.”
“Maybe it’s selective?” Lois shook her head, reaching over to take Clark’s hand in hers, “Come on, let’s see if we can find out why these cops are taking extended lunch breaks around the water cooler all of a sudden.” She leaned in to give Mike a peck on the cheek, “Bye, Uncle Mike. If you need anything, give me a call.”
“I will. Go get ‘em.” Mike cheered her on. “Clark, take care of her.”
________________________________________
The dimly lit office emitted a light blue light on the receiver, and Bill Church reached his hand over to answer the call. A screen slid up from the table in front of him, revealing one of his lieutenants from Qatar. “
Alsayd. Church, I take it your gift arrived in one piece?”
Bill Church looked to the side, seeing the tall blonde in a long pink dress seated on the corner of her seat. A pleased smile spread across his face, and Bill nodded to his lieutenant, “Anwir, your gifts are a strain on my heart condition.”
“You only live once,” Anwir responded with a light chuckle.
“Well,” Church responded with a shrug, “I can’t argue with you there, my friend. What exactly are you trying to butter me up for?”
“Well, we might have a problem, Mr. Church,” Anwir explained hesitantly. “It appears we have some competition in the trafficking ring we set up outside of Al Wakrah.”
“I see,” Church noted with dismay, tapping his hand on his chin. “Any idea who is behind the operation?”
“That’s what’s most distressing,” Anwir responded with a frown. “No one knows.”
“A lone gunmen?” Church mused aloud. “Perhaps I should send Billy over to check things out and see what he can surmise of the situation.”
“Qatar can be a great region to help build up for Intergang but the trafficking ring is crucial, Mr. Church.” Anwir grew hesitant before speaking up, “If you’re sure Billy is up to the task we would welcome his help.”
“I’ll send him over next week,” Church advised, nodding his thanks as Anwir ended the call. He reached over to press a button on the screen to slide it closed.
He turned to the young blonde sitting across from him and smiled, “I believe we were interrupted…”
________________________________________
Clark whistled quietly as he tossed the freshly chopped vegetables into the pan in front of him. He glanced over to the television he had set up within his line of sight catching sight of the news anchor, Russell Jackson as he read through the nightly news on Stern Media News Network’s station. He and Lois had tried to make a habit of tuning in on the evenings for the occasional segments Alice would have. More and more she seemed to be given bigger assignments to investigate and cover for the televised news station. A fact that Perry rarely let anyone at the Planet forget. Not that anyone would, given how much Perry proudly touted his wife’s newfound success in what he commonly referred to as her “second act.”
Though it had been met with uncertainty by Perry shortly after the Planet’s grand opening Alice and Perry seemed to have found their groove in balancing their work lives with one another. Perry had begun delegating some of the duties he’d taken on over the years as editor-in-chief out of necessity to some of the more seasoned staff members that could step up and help so he could leave at a reasonable time. Now of course like with any news circuit there were exceptions that sometimes kept Perry at the Planet later than he planned but those were a rarity compared to an everyday occurrence that had become his norm over the last few years. The change seemed to have brought Perry and Alice closer together and he couldn’t be happier for them.
“With gang activity on the rise one has to wonder just what the city is going to do about it.” Jackson remarked as coverage from Southside and Hobb’s Bay filled the screen. “Superman can’t save everyone.”
Clark sighed, silently agreeing with the anchor and feeling mildly frustrated with the reminder of just how much was out of his control. He reached for the remote, clicking the television off. “I think that’s enough of that, don’t you, buddy?” he turned to the sleeping figure of his son that was nestled snuggly in the bassinet of his play yard. He smiled down at him, then turned his attention to the pan in front of him, adding the chicken into the mixture with a light application of olive oil. The pan fizzled and he flipped his wrist to toss the mixture together and alternate the vegetables and chicken over the heat from the stove.
Jon had just turned nine months old last week. Lois had taken the full twelve weeks of leave and transitioned back into the office effortlessly within the last month of her leave. Chasing down stories without her had left him feeling as if he was missing a half of himself when working through the cases that came up from his Superman duties. He had come across situations that left him conflicted on what to do and of course Lois was no longer there in the office to turn to nor could she really help when it came to figuring out how to write up an article on a story he truly didn’t want told to the world.
He had found himself in the unique situation of facing off with an accidental hero he’d inadvertently created when reducing the man in the middle of an electrical storm. The temporary situation had put him in a tight spot of being directed to find the answer while at the same time not wanting the real story to come out. Thankfully the toll eventually became too much for the new superhero as well and he worked with him in the end to transfer the powers back. With the help of Dr. Klein of course. He suspected Perry wasn’t completely buying the story Waldecker had pandered his way, but their editor hadn’t said anything. With Perry though, he never could tell.
There had of course, been the occasional lone ranger criminal setting his sights on proving himself by taking on Superman and attempting to take over the city in one way or another. Lenny Stokes had stirred up a craze a month after Jon had been born and brought Clark to his knees as he figured out his next step. Working with Dr. Klein on how to combat the wall of sound Stokes had built had been one of the first projects outside of LexCorp leftover criminals they had worked through. Then of course, there had been the Prankster and his vendetta against Lois. Thankfully when he had scurried into town Lois and Jon had been out of town visiting her sister.
Lois being there to help him explain away his exits throughout the day had been a welcome change when the Planet had been rebuilt. After she had gone on maternity leave, he had discovered just how many times she was left juggling between covering for his exits and keeping his fellow colleagues in the dark about his alter-ego. Simple questions about where he’d been or what story he was working on or why something wasn’t turned in were hard to keep up with on the three to four hours of sleep he’d been awarded the last few months. Thankfully Perry had been understanding and not pressed the issue, but he knew it would only be a matter of time if he didn’t do something.
He looked over to the pan in front of him, noting the crisp brown on the chicken and removed it from the stove to allow it to cool. He smiled proudly, adding in the sauce he’d made. “Looks like dinner’s just about ready, buddy.”
“Smells delicious,” he heard Lois whisper from behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder as she leaned over to kiss him.
He glanced back at her with a smile, “Everything go okay getting Mike settled at your mom’s?”
“As good as it can be expected, but I think having him stay with mom is safer than leaving him prey to those gangs roaming the block he lives on. Who knows, maybe they’ll find something they can agree on,” she responded with a frown as she smoothed her hands up over his shoulders, connecting them behind the back of his neck as she wedged her fingers together. “Thank you,” she leaned in to kiss him. “For making dinner.”
He grinned back at her, leaning in to kiss her once more, “Selfish motivation really. I don’t want to eat pasta again.”
“I thought you liked my pasta,” Lois retorted with a teasing grin, fingering the loose collar of his blue dress shirt.
“I do,” he murmured against her lips, “just not every day.” He reached over to stroke her cheek with his palm and brushed his lips against hers, lingering a moment longer to savor the hint of chocolate that hung on her lips. “Fudge Castle?” he teased.
“Emergency stash of Double Fudge Crunch bar after chasing down half the police officers in Metropolis and coming up with nothing,” Lois said with a low groan as she looped her arms around his neck. “And Henderson hasn’t gotten back to me either.”
Clark shrugged his shoulders, “It’s only been a few hours.”
“I’m thinking we may need to talk to Bobby tomorrow,” she let out a soft sigh as she tightened her arms around him. She tapped her index finger against the top button of his dress shirt, “What was up with that ADA? Was it just me or was she annoyed about having to get Superman’s statement?”
“She definitely seemed…
different.” Clark allowed, uncertain how to describe the behavior from the ADA. Truth be told he had his own concerns about ADA Drake after the brush off she’d given Mike but was still mulling over the encounter to determine if it was just a bad introduction or if there was more to it. Though he didn’t expect anyone to fawn over themselves to meet his alter-ego the fact that the potential interview was met with indifference made him hesitant on just how much they could trust her with Mike’s case. “I think we give her a chance and see where it goes. Worse case scenario Mike can ask for someone else to take over his case.”
“I guess,” Lois pursed her lips, resting her head against his chest. Her gaze shifted to the basinet he had moved into the dining room just within eyesight from where he was cooking. “I see someone is tuckered out.”
“Well, eating peaches and peas really takes it out of a guy,” he replied sympathetically, feeling her body vibrate against his as she leaned into him.
“Is that so?” Lois grinned back at him, stealing a glance to where Jon was sleeping peacefully. “I suppose we should get him to bed.” She let out a long sigh, “I hate his visit with Uncle Mike got cut short.”
“Me too,” Clark agreed, linking his arms around her waist. “Maybe we can try and meet up with him this weekend.”
“Maybe,” Lois responded, fingering the collar to his dress shirt. “If he’s not tied up with this court case now.”
Clark pulled her closer, resting his hands on her lower-back, “I think we all could use a break from everything. You’ve been burning the candlestick at both ends lately, and with the sudden demand Superman’s been in lately…” He let out a long breath, “Even if we’re not able to connect with Mike, I think an afternoon away from everything is needed for all of us.” He leaned in to press his lips against hers. “Anywhere you want.”
“Anywhere?” She grinned against his lips, tightening her arms around his neck.
“Anywhere.” He repeated, allowing his lips to linger against hers, feeling the heat from her breath tickle his lips. A soft moan escaped her throat, and her lips parted, granting him access as the tip of his tongue brushed against hers, tasting the sweet hint of chocolate that lingered from her. He moved his hands to cup both sides of her face as he smoothed his lips across hers. Each caress of his lips grew with intensity as he lost himself in the art of kissing her.
Dinner was long forgotten as her hands roamed up and down his chest, exploring the soft cotton of his shirt. “Lois…” he let out a deep moan as she leaned into him, tightening her arms around him. “God, you’re beautiful.” He murmured, running his hand against her cheek, outlining the frame of her face with his palm.
“I love you.” She sighed against him, reaching her hand over to cover his.
A hard rapping knock echoed through the living room and they both turned toward the doorway.
“And there goes the evening,” Lois muttered.
Clark let out a defeated sigh as he lowered his glasses to x-ray the front door and see who it was. “It’s Bill Henderson.”
“Of course, it is,” Lois sighed, shaking her head.
________________________________________
The light red bricks had long since worn themselves down and the wooden floors had seen better days. Ingrid reached her hand up to stroke her long blonde hair, twisting her index finger nervously around the strands that framed her face. She took in a deep breath as she steadied herself, making her way to the hallway which led into the main room where one of the sisters were setting up a snack area.
Ingrid felt her stomach churn as she looked on, watching the simple cheese and cracker slices be laid out on the tray, feeling her mouth salivate at the thought of scrounging up the salty snack. She looked around, noting the long line that had already begun to form and quickly found her place behind a middle-aged man that appeared to be in his mid-thirties. The man turned to her, flashing a half-smile in her direction, “Last time I didn’t get in line in time and they ran out.”
“Yeah, it gets crowded here,” Ingrid commented, twisting her mouth into a round ‘o’ as she looked around the room uneasily. She’d only spent two nights here at the mission but still couldn’t really make head or tails out of the sisters that kept the place running or the other patrons being helped that resided here.
A thick Arabic accent came from the man as he continued to press her for conversation, “You should let your hair down.”
She looked back at him with a perplexed look and he pointed to the ponytail holding her hair in a tight bun with a few strands of hair loose framing her face. “Your hair. You should let it down.”
“I like it this way,” she replied coolly, crossing her arms over her chest as she moved with the line.
________________________________________
Bill Henderson set his mug of coffee down on the table in front of him, looking around the dimly lit dining room he was seated at. Clark was calmly cleaning up the kitchen while they waited for Lois to settle their son Jon down for the evening. He tapped his hand on the table, looking around the room, noting the collection of photographs that covered the walls and shelves on display. How easily all of these moments could have been drummed into nothingness had even one thing gone wrong with their investigation into Lex Luthor. The admiral sacrifice he had seen both Lois and Clark make as they worked tirelessly to expose the criminal mastermind, Lex Luthor for all of his misdeeds had made him look at both of them in a new light.
To both of them, it wasn’t just a story.
It wasn’t just a headline.
It was so much more.
Many of the reporters he’d come across in his years on the force had that fire but many of them did not share the burning desire to do what was right and help those that couldn’t help themselves. That was what set both Lois and Clark apart from the rest. Which was why he knew he was making the right decision in trusting both of them.
“Out like a light,” Lois commented, holding up a white and blue baby monitor in her hand, returning to the dining room as she took a seat across from Bill.
“He’s gotten big,” Henderson said softly, offering her a half-smile.
“He’s still growing,” Lois grinned. She glanced over at Clark who was standing behind her with a protective hand on her shoulder. She then looked back at Henderson, “So, something tells me this isn’t a social call?”
Henderson shook his head, burying his face into his hands and looked back up at the couple with a weary expression, “I got your messages…All eight of them.”
“And?” Clark prompted, taking a seat next to Lois.
“And I don’t have answers,” Henderson responded uncertainly. “But I think you’re right to be concerned.”
“Well, gee, thanks for confirming I’m allowed to have feelings, Bill. I didn’t know I was allowed.” Lois snorted, frustrated with his response.
“Lo-is…” Clark chastised, turning to her with a groan.
“No, she’s got every right to be frustrated,” Henderson brushed the comment off. “I know I am.”
“So...Southside. Lower Eastside.” Clark listed off the areas off, looking at Henderson for confirmation.
“All areas in the Southside and Lower East Side are having slower than normal response times from Metropolis units. Areas in the central downtown and Upper Class are overpopulated with patrols.” Henderson hung his head in shame, “And I don’t know why.”
“But how is that even possible?” Lois practically shot up out of her chair. “You are the Inspector!”
“That’s what I thought too,” Henderson grumbled, shaking his head. He let out a heavy sigh, “What I’m about to tell you doesn’t go beyond these walls.” The couple looked at one another and then nodded. Henderson tapped his hand on the table nervously and then began to explain, “It started as just small stuff. Tickets not being written. Calls being made and officers not showing up. Now it’s ballooned into entire sectors of the city being ignored.”
“Selective protection,” Lois summarized.
“And I don’t know who’s doing it or how to stop it.” Henderson fumed, shaking his head in dismay. “There have been …grumblings about some new criminal force making a move for the city for a few months. You know as well as I do how crazy this city’s been since Luthor was brought down. Everyone wants to prove themselves and take on Superman to make a statement.”
“And fail,” Lois interjected.
“Thankfully,” Clark supplied gently.
“Yes,” Henderson agreed and then turned to the couple. “From what I’m able to gather, this organization is like nothing we’ve encountered before with Luthor. Orchestrated crime down to the second in mass proportions.” Henderson shook his head in dismay, “From what I’ve been able to figure out, it's all focused on the neighborhoods with less funding. Allocated funds that should be going to help maintain units’ presence in those areas have up and disappeared. Officers transferred. Equipment sabotaged. Cops paid to look the other way.”
“Running the neighborhood value down and making people want to move,” Clark muttered in disgust as he put the pieces together.
“And then someone swoops in and makes a big purchase for pennies on the dollar,” Henderson added his own disgusted grunt. “But, you’ll have a hell of a time proving it.”
Lois glanced next to her, meeting Clark’s gaze. They shared a silent moment, seeming to be silently communicating with one another before turning back to Henderson. “So, what do you want us to do about it?” Lois asked, tapping her hand on the table.
“I want to help. I want to stop this…whatever it is that’s going on, but I can’t fight a disease that’s happening inside my own department. I’ve got too many stiff shirts breathing down my neck. I don’t know who to trust.” Henderson met Lois and Clark’s gaze and added, “I can’t investigate this without drawing suspicion from these guys, but you two can.”
Lois and Clark shared a look and then Lois nodded before speaking up, “I suppose we should start digging and figure out what to do next.”
________________________________________
Lois sunk back on the couch, shaking her head as she leaned her head against Clark’s shoulder. Bill Henderson had left a few hours ago and she and Clark were still reeling from the explosive conversation they had had with Henderson. Clark reached over to stroke the frame of her face, “You okay?”
Lois let out a shaky breath, trying to process everything that Bill Henderson had confided in them tonight, “Well, we found something even Bill Henderson isn’t sure how to combat.” She reached her hand over to stroke Clark’s cheek. “Who could be so powerful they can reach an entire police force and bypass Henderson like that?”
“I don’t know,” Clark shrugged, wrapping a protective arm around her.
She glanced over at the baby monitor, noting the quiet snores escaping the speakers, smiling as she watched the red and yellow lights flicker. A heavy breath escaped her throat and she reached up to wipe the tears that had escaped the corners of her eyes. She and Clark had come up against criminals before and brought down corrupt politicians over the last few years but this felt different. Having her uncle’s life and livelihood threatened hit home. It was supposed to be a brief visit and a time to catch up with one another and let Jon meet his great uncle. What could have happened had Clark not warned her…
“Hey,” Clark reached a hand over to outline her jaw, looking back at her intently, “We’ll figure this out and stop them. I promise.”
“I know we will,” Lois gave him a watery smile. “I just keep thinking what could have happened if that bomb had gone off…”
“I know,” Clark pressed his lips against her forehead, cradling her in his arms. “Jon’s safe. Mike’s safe. The bomb was diffused before it could cause any damage. Baby Rage is sitting in jail awaiting his bail hearing…”
Lois nodded her agreement, leaning into him, “Maybe we can try and reach out to Agent Davenport and see if he might have heard of these guys at least.”
“We don’t even have a name,” Clark reminded her, cupping the side of her face as he leaned in to kiss her.
“Well, if this is as big as Henderson is saying then there’s got to be at least something the FBI knows about…” Lois reasoned aloud, leaning her head back against the couch cushions as Clark smoothed his lips across hers, snaking his arms around her waist as they sank further into the couch. She let out a soft giggle, “I know what you’re trying to do…”
“Taking advantage of the fact that our nine-month-old son is sound asleep,” Clark murmured as he brushed his lips against the nape of her neck.
“Trying to distract …me,” she let out a shuddered breath as she sank further into the couch cushions. “We should reach out to Davenport and see if he knows anything.”
“Are you sure Davenport would even take our call? It’s not like we’re working to bring down a mutual enemy anymore.” He brushed his lips against her jawline, grazing against the sensitive flesh with the edge of his teeth. “You know how the FBI likes to close ranks.”
“True,” Lois acknowledged leaning her head back to allow Clark better access to her neck, running her fingers through the dark locks of his hair. “I guess the press and the FBI don’t really make a habit out of working together.”
“But it doesn’t hurt to ask,” Clark murmured in her ear.
“Something we can add to the list of things to worry about tomorrow,” Lois agreed, hooking her arms around his neck and sliding her leg across his backside. “We have more pressing matters to attend to.” Her hands moved to stroke his face as she leaned into him, brushing her lips against his as her other hand moved across his chest. Her index finger brushed across the cotton fabric, tracing the length of his tie as he folded the silk fabric over her hand until she reached the knot of his tie.
________________________________________
Martin Snell walked down the long corridor and into the office across the hall from Bill Church’s office. He knocked on the door frame before entering. Inside, he found the young Bill Church Jr. on the phone.
“I see you have a daughter, Mr. Senator. A very young and impressionable daughter that may not like to find out about how easily you liquidated her college fund? How about you block that bill and be a good little soldier or Intergang will make sure your daughter and wife know all about your transgressions at the casino, the bars…the backroom of those VIP strip clubs… I know where you live. I know where your kids go to school. I know where your wife gets the car worked on. It’d be a shame if something happened to her….Oh, you do? That’s very wise.” Bill Church Jr. grinned as he lit his cigar. “I’ll send my attorney over to finalize the deal.”
Church set the phone down on the receiver and turned to Snell, “You’ll be making a trip out to Washington later.” Bill Church Jr. wagged his finger at his face, “You can take care of it after you finish up the testing with Superman.”
“Ready when you are, Mr. Church,” Snell said with an evil grin.
“Good. Make sure the guys are in place and have it all on video for analysis.” Bill Church Jr. ordered.
“Anything you say, Mr. Church.”
________________________________________
Present Day…Ingrid felt a strong force push back against her, knocking her to the ground as a white light lit up the dimly lit sky. The hint of chemicals burning hung in the air as she stared into the dimly lit sky. The magnesium flash of the explosion lit up the dimly lit sky as chaos surrounding the innocent patrons of the Foster building. A soft whine echoed in the distance and everything around her slowed down as she stared up at the ceiling as it began to tumble. Dust and debris hung in the air and a soft whine rung in her ears.
She glanced over to the line that had begun to form near the train station, silently cursing her luck as everything turned dark.
________________________________________
Clark waved at Jon, standing in the doorway to the playroom where Jon was happily babbling to himself. He glanced over to Lois who was crouched down next to Jon, stealing one last kiss. A warm smile spread across his face as he watched the exchange. It filled his hear with such an immense amount of joy to watch Jon share these quiet moments with Lois. The way Jon’s face lit up when looking back at his mother struck a chord with him, reminding him just how blessed he and Lois were.
“You have a good day, buddy,” Lois whispered, leaning over to hug Jon goodbye. “Try not to talk when the teacher’s talking.”
Clark bit back a chuckle and leaned down to hug Jon one last time, “Have a good one, buddy.”
“Bye daddy,” Jon giggled and leaned up to give him a peck on the cheek and turned to his mom to give her a quick kiss. They turned to wave goodbye, watching him leave to go play with his friends and then he let out a sigh, turning to Lois who was tucking Jon’s jacket into his cubby for him.
“He’s going to end up with a cubby full of notes from Ms. Lisa, isn’t he,” Clark chuckled, taking Lois’ hand in his.
“He can’t help it,” Lois smirked back at him as they walked down the hallway leading to the elevator that led up to the Daily Planet newsroom. Though they had done their research as any couple did in the early months of Lois’ pregnancy with Jon the convenience of having Jon just a few floors away with the flexibility to drop in and see him whenever they wanted to was too good of a benefit to turn down. The teachers and curriculum offered were of high caliber as well.
“Well, we’ve got about ten minutes before Perry starts yelling for this morning’s stories.” Clark looped his arm around Lois as they reached the end of the hallway and saw the brightly painted red elevator leading up to the other floors at the Daily Planet.
“Wow, ten whole minutes before the staff meeting, huh?” Lois grinned, reaching up to loosen the knot of Clark’s tie. “What will we ever do with all this time?”
He leaned down, brushing his lips against Lois’ and grinned as she wrapped her arms around his neck. His hands moved to cup her cheek as he reached over to press the call button on the elevator. The elevator car pinged and they stepped into the elevator car, arms still tangled up with one another. His hands reached up to trace the frame of her face, whispering featherlight kisses against her lips, forgetting for a brief moment that they still didn’t have anything more for Perry on the Mayor’s Tax Increase campaign.
“These Monday meetings are beginning to lose their appeal,” Lois let out a long sigh, tracing the length of his tie down from the knot of his tie to his belt buckle. “I’ll be glad when something other than politics is covering the front page of the Planet.”
“It is an election year,” Clark reminded her, resting his forehead against hers as the elevator reached the newsroom.
“Olsen!” Perry’s voice boomed across the newsroom floor and Clark let out a low groan, pulling away from Lois.
“I think that’s…” Clark found himself unable to finish his thought when an onslaught of cries for help reached his super-enhanced hearing. He felt his entire stature freeze up as he heard the percussion of distant explosions echo from afar.
Lois placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to get his attention, “What’s wrong?”
“I’ve got to go,” he whispered, leaning over to kiss her before darting toward the stairwell to tend to the cries for help that began to multiply tenfold over as he flew through the sky at super-speed.
________________________________________
Lilith Kirsch fingered her light blonde hair as she paced in front of the small coffee shop, waiting for her name to be called, feeling her stomach churn with apprehension as she counted the cracks in the pavement she was standing on. She wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing the sides of her lavender cotton covered arms nervously. She bit her lower-lip, pondering momentarily if she had the stomach to make this leap of faith.
“Lilith?”
The barista behind the counter held up the green and white cup and set it on the counter with her name on it. She nodded her thanks, putting a few dollars in the tip cup as she took the cup and began putting the finishing touches on her coffee.
She could do this.
She had to.
For Esma.
________________________________________
Clark streaked downwards, soaring toward the blast that had nearly wiped the Foster building to rubble. He felt his heart jump into his chest as he flew onto the scene, noting the remnants of brick and glass piled to one side of what used to hold the small office complex. He landed on the broken pavement, letting out a blast of freezing breath, snuffing out the flames from the recent explosion. The sound of sirens in the distance could be heard as he surveyed the debris to check for injured victims.
Beneath the rubble and debris of brick and mortar was a guard struggling to breathe beneath the pressure from the weight bearing down on him. Clark knelt down beside him, offering reassurance as he checked him for internal injuries, hearing the arrival of ambulatory workers. “You’re going to be okay,” he said softly.
The older man opened his mouth to speak but nothing other than a soft croak escaped his throat. He frowned, squeezing the man’s hand and nodding quietly. He knew his words were empty and the man had just a few short moments left before he would succumb to his injuries. But he couldn’t bring himself to tell him that. He bowed his head down, kneeling watching as the man’s life drifted away. The sound of sirens and voices from the distance approaching reached his ears and he let out a shallow breath, knowing at least one life had been lost. He knew he couldn’t be everywhere at once, but still, he mourned whenever he found himself face to face with that reality. Losing a life had become a part of the day to day responsibilities of donning the cape and ‘S’ over the years but it didn’t get any easier.
________________________________________
Lois took a sip from her coffee cup, reaching up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she made her way to her desk after the staff meeting. She glanced across the aisle, noting Clark still hadn’t returned from his rescue and let out a heavy sigh, wondering if his absence meant the rescue had taken more of a toll on him emotionally or physically. It didn’t look like finishing up their follow up on the Mayor’s new tax plan would happen this morning.
“Lois?”
She looked over her shoulder, seeing Jimmy standing behind her with a young blonde-haired woman that looked to be in her mid-twenties, dressed sharply in a lavender button-down top and navy pencil skirt. Lois noted the worry lines around the young woman’s eyes as she took her seat behind her desk, “Yes?”
“Sorry to bother you, Lois,” Jimmy apologized, gesturing to the young woman in front of her. “I know you’re busy, but Taylor brought Ms. Kirsch here up while you were talking to Perry…”
Lois frowned, “I’m sorry, I don’t think I had any appointments today…”
“Oh, no, Ms. Lane, I didn’t have an appointment with you.” The young woman said, tucking a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
There was so much about this young woman that struck a chord with Lois. She watched as the young woman nervously twisted the tissue in her hand and glanced over at Jimmy who appeared to be realizing whatever lie this woman had told to get on this floor could mean trouble. After the bombing a few years ago, Mr. Stern had taken extra precautions to make sure security kept outsiders away from the newsroom and especially Perry. He had had a few threats over the years. But this woman didn’t seem threatening. She seemed to be seeking help from the only place she thought could help her.
Jimmy nodded to Lois, “Sorry, I just assumed…”
“You know what, it’s fine,” Lois said, waving him off. “I’ll take it from here.” She looked to Jimmy and said, “Thanks Jimmy.” She pointed to the chair by her desk, gesturing to it and noted, “You managed to talk your way into the newsroom past security and even Jimmy. Whatever this is about must be pretty important.”
“It is,” the young woman said, gently fingering the top button to her shirt. “I’m sorry I lied, but I thought if I waited one more day I would lose my nerve. I’ve been going over this again and again wondering how to say this for a week now and I finally got the courage to just come here and say it.”
“Must be pretty scary news if you have to talk yourself into going to the press,” Lois observed, pulling out her notepad and pen. She noticed the nervousness in Ms. Kirsch’s hand and reached over to take her hand. “How about we just start with your name?”
The young woman nodded, biting her lower lip as she spoke with a shaky breath, “My name is Lilith Kirsch.” She reached her hand up to swipe the tears from her face. “I’m twenty-four years old. I’ve been raising my sister for the last eight months since the car wreck that killed my parents.” The words spilled out flooding Lois with the details of her parents’ death and simultaneous role as sister and guardian. “I’ve been talking to the police for three days and they do nothing. I know Esma wouldn’t just disappear like this.”
“Whoa,” Lois set her pen down and gave the young girl’s hand a squeeze. “Take a breath, Lilith. Let’s just start at the beginning. Who is Esma?”
“My sister.” Lilith reached up to dab her eyes with the tissue in her hand. “She’s just sixteen. She hasn’t been home in three days and the police…”
“Have you filed a missing persons report?” Lois asked gently.
“I tried to file it when she was missing but they wouldn’t do anything until it had been more than twenty-four hours.” Lilith cried. “Who knows where Esma is now. She did not runaway!”
“I believe you,” Lois reached over to squeeze the young woman’s hand. “What exactly do you want the Daily Planet to do though? We don’t exactly search for missing people.”
“No, but you do investigate and expose the truth.” Lilith dabbed her eyes. “Please, Ms. Lane, I need your help. I need someone to help tell Esma’s story and keep her from becoming just another number. She’s more than just a missing person poster. She’s more than just another face. I can’t lose her too.”
Lois felt the corners of her eyes burn as the young girl’s plea tugged at her heartstrings. “I’ll do what I can. I promise.”
________________________________________
TBC...
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