Live Another Day
Part 7
Chuck pulled the door of the van open. Lois blinked into the light and crawled out of the vehicle, ignoring the hand he offered to help her. Fear held her heart in an icy grip. In her mind, she recounted all the reasons why she could trust Chuck and all the reasons why she couldn’t. She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the daylight. Chuck had parked the van in an alley behind the Planet building. Her gaze darted around, hoping to see the one man who could confirm that she wasn’t just leaping from one nightmare into the next.
“Where’s Henderson?” She muttered uneasily.
Chuck gave her a shrug. “I don’t know. They should be here any minute now.”
As if on cue, a dark blue sedan came down the street. With bated breath she kept her eyes trained on the car that really pulled into the parking lot next to the van. The windows were tinted, making it hard to see who was inside. First, the passenger door was pushed open. The man who got out wore an aloha shirt and a black leather jacket. His hair was dark and wavy. A huge smile was plastered across his face as he approached Chuck and Lois.
“I’m Daniel Scardino, but please call me Dan.” He held out his hand and Lois gingerly shook it. “You must be the famous Ms. Lane. My, my – you look like he did quite a number on you.” With a smirk, he eyed Chuck whose cheeks looked deeply flushed.
“I barely touched her,” he grumbled, looking rather crestfallen. “I… she…”
It was rather strange to see Chuck squirm like this. Lois could hardly believe that just a short while ago, she’d been intimidated by the man next to her. Now he appeared so subdued that she actually felt pity for him. What was going on with her?
Trying to shake off her own irritation, Lois cocked her head. “It’s just a lot of eye-shadow and some blood! Chuck, he…”
Scardino bellowed with laughter. “Chucky?” To Lois it seemed like he was deliberately misunderstanding her. “The murderous doll? I kinda like that.”
Though Lois tried not to laugh, she couldn’t help but grin as she saw the sour expression on Chuck’s face. The strain and the fear of the past hours seemed to fade gradually. Lois sobered as she saw Chuck’s jaw work. His expression became even more impenetrable. She could sense his anger, but it wasn’t directed at her. There was something strange about the look in his eyes; some kind of hurt that he tried to hide behind the mask of his now carefully schooled features.
Scardino still chuckled as Henderson came around the sedan to join them. A sudden wave of relief washed over Lois. She was pretty sure that she’d never been happier to see someone in her life. Chuck had told her the truth. He was actually working with Henderson and that meant she was not going to die at the Daily Planet. Her heart started to race, and a rush of emotions ran through her that she wasn’t quite able to grasp.
“Oh, shut up, Dan,” Henderson growled. “The lack of sleep is obviously getting to you. It’s not that funny.” He shot Scardino a warning glance before he turned his attention back to Lois. “Hello, Lois. Good to see you again.”
This time, Lois had no qualms about shaking the hand he offered her. “It’s good to see you, too, Bill.”
Even despite his glasses, Lois could see the dark lines under Henderson’s eyes. His hair looked slightly tousled and he seemed to have slept in his suit. It was obvious he’d been working hard lately. Henderson stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants and gave Chuck a brief nod of acknowledgement that was returned in much the same manner. Chuck seemed to relax ever so slightly while Scardino became serious again.
Henderson put on a thin-lipped smile. “Okay, guys. What’s next?”
“Lois and I enter the building through the main entrance. Then the two of you take her someplace safe while I’m going to exchange the explosive devices,” Chuck said. “I’ve still got the pyrotechnics in the back of the van. The switch shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. It’s a good thing that Hank, Ray and Joe are no experts on explosives.”
Scardino furrowed his brows. “Why the main entrance?”
Chuck folded his arms in front of his chest. “Because someone’s got to see her inside the Daily Planet if anyone is to believe that she died in the explosion.”
Scardino grinned. “Looking like that? You’ve got to be kidding me! Anyone who sees her will call the cops before you’ve even managed to say make-up.” He winked at Lois. “You should clean up a little before poor Chucky gets arrested for aggravated assault.”
A frown of worry creased Henderson’s forehead, while Chuck looked so mortified that Lois couldn’t help but chuckle. Once again, she felt a strange pang of remorse as for the briefest of moments she spotted Chuck’s pained expression. Or was she just imagining this? Her breath hitched. Something about this man touched her in a way that she couldn’t quite explain.
Lois forced her attention back on the conversation, trying to give herself a light tone. “We can’t let that happen. Give me a moment and I’ll be as good as new.”
Henderson visibly relaxed. “Glad to hear that.”
Chuck’s face didn’t give away what he was thinking, but Lois felt the sudden urge to make up for laughing at his expense. The thought was irritating. After all, Chuck hadn’t always been on his best behavior with her. In fact, he wanted her to sit by and play dead while others chased the story of the century. Well, she would show them that she wasn’t just a pawn in their strategy.
Lois straightened her stance. “You should also talk to Perry White. I’m sure he’d help us. If someone is ready to blow up the Daily Planet, he’ll want to bring down whoever is responsible.”
Half expecting to be told off, Lois raised her chin defiantly. But the argument she was quietly preparing for didn’t come.
Henderson even nodded. “Much as I hate to say it, but we can use any help we can get.”
Chuck let out a breath. “Okay. I guess it’d be a good idea for you to talk to him, Henderson. He knows you, doesn’t he?” At Henderson’s nod he continued. “Then I suggest we get to work, shall we?” He turned towards the van, opened the door and pulled out one of the dark bags Lois had seen the night before.
Lois suddenly remembered something Chuck had said earlier. “Just a moment. Do you really want to frame Jimmy Olsen for the explosion?”
Chuck stopped and faced her. There wasn’t a hint of anger in his features. “Yes. That’s what the Boss ordered.”
Lois was surprised how patient his reply sounded. His attitude toward her stood in stark contrast to the way he’d been talking to the Shamrock of Horrors. Nevertheless, her heart pounded nervously in her chest as she prepared to tell him what she thought about that part of his plan.
“You can’t do that,” Lois pleaded. “He’s a friend of mine and I’d hate to have him go through police questioning and being put in jail.”
“I can relate.” Chuck ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He really sounded sorry. “But we can’t tip off Luthor that I’m not abiding by his plan. Besides, Hank should already be on his way to plant the evidence in Olsen’s apartment. It’s too late.”
“It’s not,” Lois disagreed.
“What do you suggest?” Chuck asked.
To Lois’ surprise he still sounded curious rather than impatient. Her experience with men had told her that they tended to become condescending if a woman challenged their decisions.
Lois gathered her courage. “You could feign Jimmy’s dead as well. He’s the best researcher I’ve ever seen. Surely, he can be an asset to our cause.”
Scardino smiled. “Good thinking, Ms. Lane. I’m sure it’ll make look your supposed death more like an accident if there’s another victim. And as Bill put it, we can use any help we can get.”
Chuck was less enthusiastic. “That might work. But can we trust Olsen?”
Scardino wriggled his brows at Chuck. “I’m almost certain that you can’t. You trust no one. If Ms. Lane says he’s all right then he is, you worry-wart.”
Though she hadn’t quite made up her mind whether she liked Scardino or was annoyed by him, Lois felt grateful that she had an ally in this matter.
“I’d trust him with my life,” she said gravely.
Scardino’s expression turned smug. Lois couldn’t help but wonder about his role in this investigation. What Chuck had told her sounded rather mysterious. But now was not the place to analyze his motivation. Instead, she eyed Chuck and tried to gauge his reaction. He seemed preoccupied with whatever was going on between Scardino and him. It was a strange mix of sympathy and antipathy both at the same time.
Finally, Chuck looked at Lois and sagged a bit. “Okay. If he’s as good as you say-”
“He is,” Lois interrupted him.
“Then we need to find Olsen, too.” Chuck gave in.
Lois couldn’t believe her luck. “He’s currently working at the printing plant. It shouldn’t be a problem.”
Chuck nodded. “All the better.”
Henderson threw his hands up. “Is anyone interested in my opinion?” he grumbled. Scardino was bold enough to grin and shake his head. Henderson shot him an angry glance before he turned to Chuck. “I said we still had to talk about this insane plan of yours. It’s not as easy as you may think to make it look like someone died in the explosion. Assuming of course that no one will die, which I seriously hope won’t be the case. Because I won’t be able to support this investigation any longer if it ends up costing people’s lives.”
Lois saw Chuck clench his hands into tight fists. “Do you think I want someone to lose his life because of me?” he said heatedly. His whole body trembled and he seemed a few inches taller as he stared Henderson down. “I already told you that I’d make sure that everyone will be out of this building before the explosion. And I’m not going to risk Lois’ life by dragging her any further into this whole mess than I already had to.”
Henderson appeared unfazed. “But I’d need both the firefighters and the coroner on my side to feign anybody’s death for any length of time. Don’t you see that that’s practically impossible?”
“Then keep them on the list of missing people for as long as you can manage,” Chuck suggested. “With any luck, we’ll have enough witnesses able to confirm that both Lois and Jimmy Olsen were in the building when the explosion occurred. Perry White could be one of them.”
Henderson’s shoulders slumped, indicating that he was ready to give in. “Great, just great!” he huffed. “Let’s hope we’ll manage to convince Luthor. This plan is so utterly hare-brained that it cannot possibly work. I’m already looking forward to explaining all this to my boss!”
“You don’t know Luthor like I do,” Chuck said quietly. “This blow to his ego will make him so mad he’ll hardly be able to think straight. My plan will work.”
A shiver ran down Lois’s spine as she heard Chuck talking about Lex.
Chuck closed the door of the van with a resounding thud and shouldered both the dark bag and his shoulder bag. “Now, let’s get going! We’ll meet here in twenty minutes at the latest.”
The bang of the door shook Lois from the stupor that had befallen her for a moment. Lois started to fumble for her hand bag. “Just give me a minute to wipe off the make-up.”
As a part of her policy to always have a change of clothing at hand, Lois carried not only a shirt but also make-up remover wipes in her bag. She took one out of her hand bag and used the wing mirror of the van beside her to clean herself up. Then she climbed into the van to slip out of her blouse and put on the clean shirt.
When she was ready, Lois and Chuck started towards the Daily Planet while Henderson and Scardino followed them in some distance. Chuck’s steps were still uneven, but neither Henderson nor Scardino seemed to notice that he was injured. For some reason, Lois felt rather relieved that she could stay with Chuck just a little bit longer. That was strange, because it had ultimately been Henderson’s presence that had convinced her that she could trust Chuck. Lois couldn’t deny that Chuck had gotten under her skin – and not just in a bad way.
***
As they left the safety of the small alley and arrived at the busy street in front of the Planet building, Clark felt exposed. The area around the Daily Planet was bustling with rush hour activity. Self-consciously, he adjusted his shoulder bag and cast a glance at the black travel bag that contained the explosives. He had the strange feeling that people were watching him, guessing exactly what he was about to do. His breathing quickened and - acting on impulse - he tried to make his steps more even. He wasn’t used to so many people. His missions had mostly been covert.
With a conscious effort, Clark reminded himself that he was doing all this things for a purpose - Lex Luthor needed to be stopped. He used his free arm to guide Lois around the building and toward the main entrance of the Daily Planet. In his mind he went through the steps that lay ahead of him.
Lois interrupted his thoughts. “Chuck? Don’t you think it was strange that the Shamrock of Horrors suddenly talked about how I might still be useful to them?” Clark needed a moment to recall what she was talking about. She went on, before he even had a chance to reply. “Do you think they might know that Luthor wants to marry me?”
Clark pondered that for a moment. Then he shrugged. “I hope not. But I guess it’s possible that one of them listened in on our conversation.”
Lois’ voice was trembling. “And what if they already know that you want to fake my death?”
Clark bit his lip. “In that case we’ve got to think of another plan to bring Luthor down. But right now, I think our best option is to stick to the plan and see how we go on from there.” He looked up as they approached the majestic globe that towered over the front door of the Daily Planet. Taking a deep breath, he gave Lois a slight push in that direction. “Here we go. If you see anyone you know make sure they’ll remember you.”
“Okay.” Lois replied.
Clark could tell by the way she straightened her shoulders that she was probably just as nervous as he was. They entered the building and Lois nodded toward a man who was running a booth in one corner of the lobby and sold newspapers, coffee and a collection of sweets and pastry. They headed for the elevators and pressed the button. As they waited for the car to arrive, Clark studied the people who hurried toward the lobby. Some were already leaving for their first assignment this morning, while others were coming to work. A couple of minutes passed before the elevator finally arrived. The door slid open and the next moment, Clark found himself looking at Lex Luthor.
He stifled a gasp.
Clark felt Lois flinch. “Lex!”
His heart started to race as he realized that one word from Lois could ruin his whole plan. After all, he was carrying enough incriminating evidence with him to be sentenced for several years. Clark broke out in cold sweat and watched Lois as she obviously tried to collect herself.
Lex Luthor didn’t seem to share his panic. His lips split into a disarming smile. “Lois. It’s so good to see you. I was worried when you didn’t answer my call yesterday.”
“Something came up,” Lois replied. She managed to sound almost calm. “I had to meet a source.” It was close enough to the truth that her voice didn’t tremble. “What brings you here, Lex?”
“Well, I was asking Perry to assign you to the mayor’s press conference this morning,” Luthor said jovially. “A little bird told me that he’s got quite an intriguing announcement to make. And of course I wanted to ask if you’d like to join me for lunch? By the way, who is your company?”
Lois shrugged. “Just an old friend from high school, who is helping me with a story. This is Chuck…”
“Fox,” Clark chimed in. He held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Luthor.”
Luthor shook Clark’s hand with a polite smile. “Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Fox.” He hadn’t quite finished his sentence when he focused his attention back on Lois. It was obvious he wasn’t all that interested in Clark. “So, how about lunch?”
“Lunch sounds great, Lex.” Lois smiled at the man in a way that made Clark’s insides burn. “Do you know when the press conference starts?”
“At ten o’clock. It’s supposed to take an hour. But knowing our dear Mayor and how much he likes to hear himself talk, my guess is that it’ll be closer to two hours. I do realize I’m putting you on a tight schedule. We could postpone, if you have too much on your hands,” Luthor offered.
“Oh, no. I’d love to have lunch with you,” Lois said sweetly. “How does half past one sound?”
Luthor’s face lit up. “Perfect. I’ll have my driver pick you up.”
Lois furrowed her brows, but her tone was playful, bordering on flirtatious. “We’re not going to Italy again, are we? I mean, it’s just lunch, isn’t it?”
Clark wasn’t sure if he was reassured by the way she handled meeting Luthor, or if his alarm bells should ring. His instincts told him that Lois was on his side, but he couldn’t know for sure. Once more, he wished that he hadn’t given up his powers so readily. Clark tried to keep his emotions in check and schooled his features even more carefully. Scardino had been right in at least one aspect. Trusting someone wasn’t easy for him.
Luthor chuckled softly. “Don’t worry, my darling. We’ll stay in the same state, if that’s what you wish.”
“We better. I’ve still got a lot of work to do.” Lois winked at him.
“We should be going, Lois,” Clark said quietly. He didn’t want to press his luck. “I have an appointment I wouldn’t want to miss. Goodbye, Mr. Luthor.” He pushed the button to call the next elevator. The car that arrived was empty.
“Goodbye, Lex. See you later,” Lois chirped.
She flashed a brilliant smile at Luthor before she and Clark stepped into the elevator. Luthor waved at them. Then the doors slid shut and they were on their own again.
Lois shivered. “Yuk. Can you believe the nerve of that guy? He all but confirmed your accusations. If he wants me out of the building, he’s not being very subtle about it. Let me guess, you’re supposed to blow up the Daily Planet at ten o’clock. ”
Clark nodded glumly. Inwardly, he felt a pleasant sense of relief.
Lois threw her hands up in frustration. “I can’t believe I didn’t see any of this before.”
“People tend to see what they want to see. Luthor spends quite a fortune on his philanthropist act.” Clark tried to soothe her. “It’s not your fault. He manages to fool a lot of people.”
“But a lot of people don’t think about accepting his proposal,” Lois huffed.
The elevator stopped after a short ride and they stepped out as they had reached the printing plant in the basement. It was relatively quiet since the machines weren’t running at the moment. The morning edition had already been printed and the evening edition was currently a work in progress. Still, there were employees maintaining the machines. Clark looked around, mentally going through the adjustments he had to make to turn the explosion into a convincing firework. He let go of Lois’ arm.
“You go find Jimmy Olsen and I’ll take care of the explosives,” he whispered.
Lois folded her arms in front of her chest. “And what if someone sees you?”
“Let that be my problem,” Clark said grimly.
Once more he glanced around and made sure that no one except Lois was watching him. Then he ducked into a narrow corridor between the large machines. It was a good thing he knew exactly where the explosive devices were hidden, since he couldn’t count on his enhanced vision. He hurried down the corridor as quietly as his hurt leg would let him. Clark kept his ears trained on every sound around him, straining that ability to what he hoped was an above-human level. Within some thirty seconds, he reached the first charge and began to work.
While Clark’s hands were busy, his super-hearing picked up the sound of Lois’ footsteps. She wandered through the printing plant in search of her friend.
“May I help you?” a man asked her.
“I’m looking for Jimmy Olsen,” Lois replied. “He was transferred from the newsroom after Lex Luthor bought the Planet-”
“He’s in the break room,” the man said. “You return to the elevators and go to the right. Then it’s the second door to your left.”
Clark imagined Lois’ warm smile. “Thank you very much.”
Even the mental image threatened to become his undoing. Her footsteps softened as she followed the directions the man had given her.
Clark was done with the first charge and concentrated on getting to the second one. It wasn’t far, and Clark hurried on, being careful to stay out of everyone’s sight. But that was something he’d been trained to do half his life. It was second nature, and he felt almost comfortable as he eased back into this ghost-like existence. Moments later, Clark knelt down beside the second charge.
In the meantime, Lois had obviously reached the break room. Clark heard her speaking again. “Jimmy? Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Lois?” Olsen sounded quite thrilled. “What are you doing here? Do I get my old job back?”
“I’m afraid not,” Lois replied. “But if you don’t mind, I could use your help with a story I’m working on. Can we talk somewhere private?”
“Of course,” Olsen said enthusiastically. For a while Clark only heard their steps.
He was done with the second charge. Three more to go. He cast a glance around, but still no one was looking his way. Clark took a deep breath and moved on, trying to ignore the dull ache in his leg. The third charge was hidden on the far side of the printing plant and this time, he took a bit longer to get there than he previously had.
“What if I told you that Lex Luthor is responsible for nearly every crime committed in Metropolis?” Clark heard Lois whisper as he crouched down next to the third charge.
His leg screamed in protest against the motion and he could barely stifle a yelp. Black dots danced before his eyes and he quickly shifted his position until the pain receded to a more tolerable level. Clark cursed himself for being so incautious. Beads of sweat covered his forehead as he started exchanging the third charge.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Jimmy was speaking so loudly that Clark winced. “Luthor?”
It took him a moment to realize that his enhanced hearing was playing tricks on him. Just because he thought something was loud didn’t mean that everyone else in the printing plant had heard it too. But he didn’t seem to be the only one who had become nervous.
“Shush,” Lois admonished Olsen.
“I always thought he was dirty,” Olsen claimed.
“You didn’t,” Lois called his bluff. “You’re just angry that he transferred you to the printing plant.”
“Okay, you’re right. But what are you going to do with that piece of information? I see a Pulitzer for you right there.” He sounded excited.
Clark put the wires of the detonator back in place and hid the explosive device under the large machine. Then he slowly made his way back into the shadows to move toward the next charge. He cast a glance at his watch, seeing that he was making good time. Just two more charges were left and then he was ready to get Lois. He just hoped that she would soon convince Olsen to join them. He stealthily moved to the next charge and continued to listen in on Lois’ conversation with Olsen.
“Maybe, but we’re not there, yet. And Luthor is going to destroy the Daily Planet,” Lois continued. Perhaps she’d been checking the watch, too, Clark thought. Or she was tired of tiptoeing around the subject. Whatever reason she had, Lois had obviously decided to go for the frontal attack. “And he’s going to frame you.”
Olsen gasped for breath. “What?”
“I can’t tell you everything right now, but we could use your help,” Lois said urgently. “Luthor is supposed to think that the two of us died in the explosion.”
“Explosion? Die?” Jimmy squeaked.
Clark was just finished exchanging the fourth charge, as his hearing picked up another sound.
“Do you see them?” The sound of the voice let Clark’s blood run cold. It was Ray.
“No,” Joe whispered back.
To be continued...
