How I Spent My Christmas Vacation: One Year Later -- 12/?
by Nan Smith
Previously:
"Are you all right?" he demanded.
She coughed, nodding as she attempted to suck air back into her lungs. Her face was white as she stared past him, wide-eyed, at the burning vehicle that had been their car.
Clark turned to look at the wreckage, and from somewhere he heard the wail of a siren.
"Oh boy," he said, unhappily. "This is going to be awfully hard to explain to the rental company."
Lois coughed again. "I think you can kiss your deposit goodbye," she said. "Cl -- Charlie, who do you suppose wants to kill us *this* time?"
**********
And now, Part 12:
Two hours later, Lois and Clark walked into the Daily Planet newsroom.
"Hey Lane! I hear you nearly bought the farm this morning!" Ralph smirked at her from the water cooler. "Wonder who you ticked off this time?"
"Word is they thought it was your car, Ralph," Lois said. "I'd watch my step if I were you. Never can tell when a scandal at the dog show will go big time."
Clark heard someone snicker, but couldn't identify the source. He crossed the room to his desk to retrieve the half-inch-thick manila envelope that lay prominently beside the computer and then made a beeline for the conference room. Lois followed.
"Looks like Jonetta didn't waste her time," she remarked, closing and locking the door behind her. "What have we got?"
Clark had opened the envelope and began to spread the papers out on the table. "Just a minute," he said. "I can't read as fast as I could with super powers." He scanned the sheet of statistics on Gene Newtrich. "Eugene Newtrich, age 53. Employed by Church Enterprises as a soil engineer ..."
"We know that much already," Lois said. "What else?"
"Background ... hmm ... that's interesting." Clark frowned thoughtfully at the paper. "He's got a criminal record."
"Oh?" Lois leaned over the table, looking down at the paper. "I guess that would figure. What did he do?"
Clark indicated the paragraph with one finger and watched her face as she read it. "Huh!" she said. "Fraud, no less. And manslaughter. Let's see ... violation of construction code such and such -- received kickbacks from two construction companies. Certified land as fit for major building projects --"
"That later collapsed, killing three people," Clark added, continuing to read. "Hmm -- parents deceased, two sisters, Cornelia, age 41 and Lucille, age 45." He flipped through the papers. "Ah! Photos." He held up the picture of a heavy man with greying hair, obviously taken for a police lineup. "Here he is."
"How about the sisters?" Lois asked.
Clark spread the photos out on the table. Lois examined the images of a thin flashily dressed blond woman, not in the first blush of youth and another, slightly younger, dark-haired woman wearing a shapeless, striped T-shirt and overalls. "These two don't have much taste in clothing, do they? Recognize anyone?"
Clark nodded. "They were the two at the mall."
"You're sure?"
"I may have lost my powers, but I still have my photographic memory," Clark said. "It was them. Let's see if Jonetta found anything else on them."
Lois was ruffling through the papers. "Here we are. Lucille's an accountant for Cost Mart and Cornelia's employed in laser research at Unitech."
"Unitech?" Clark said.
"Yeah." Lois flipped through the sheaf of paper. "I like Jonetta. She's thorough. Here it is. Unitech is a subsidiary of Church Enterprises."
"Why do I think the fact that Church Enterprises turns up over and over isn't a coincidence?" Clark muttered. He glanced at his watch. "We've got half an hour before we meet Bobby, so we'd better get going. Dr. Klein said to drop by some time after lunch."
Lois scooped up the papers, knocked the edges against the table to align them and stuffed them back in the envelope. "We can look at the rest of this later. I want to hear what Bobby has to say," she said. "Let's go."
Eduardo intercepted them as they left the conference room. "Can I talk to you two a minute?" he said quietly.
Lois paused. "Can it wait? We're meeting an informant in half an hour."
The editor hesitated. "All right," he said finally. "Accounting is having a fit about the rental car, though."
"Charlie and I couldn't help it if somebody booby-trapped it," Lois said.
"That's what I told them. Clark, you stay on your toes. If someone wants your partner dead, I expect you to stop him."
"I'll do my best," Clark said.
"How's King? He wasn't hurt, was he?"
"Charlie's fine," Lois said.
"Well, tell him to be careful, too," Eduardo said. "He may only be a sometime Planet reporter, but I'd rather not lose him."
"Neither would we," Clark said. "He's looking out for himself."
Eduardo grunted. "The three of you sure seem to have stirred up a hornet's nest. Any idea what's behind this?"
"Charlie and I were doing some snooping," Lois said. "Possible gang activity. We think somebody didn't like it. I got a hang-up call a few minutes before the explosion."
"So did I," Clark said.
"Why weren't you there?" Eduardo asked.
"Superman stuff," Clark said, a little uncomfortably.
"Oh. Well, I'm glad King somehow figured out there was a bomb," Eduardo said. "The boy's right on his toes. Tell him thanks for me, would you?"
"Sure thing," Lois said. "Eduardo, we have to go. We're going to be late."
Their editor nodded and they continued on toward the elevator.
"What about those hang-up calls?" Lois said, as the doors closed behind them. "You don't think someone knows about you, do you? The powers, I mean."
"I'm guessing somebody was just being sure we were out of the way, so they could plant the thing," Clark said. "I think the bomb was for you and Charlie."
Lois apparently thought that over for a moment. "I guess," she said finally. "By the way, how *did* Charlie know there was a bomb?"
"He heard it," Clark said. "Just faintly."
Lois stared at him. "How --"
"I don't know," Clark said. "He shouldn't have been able to hear it at all."
"Do you think your powers could be coming back?"
"Maybe," Clark said. "I hope so. I'm crossing my fingers."
"Me too," Lois said. "You know, in all the excitement I didn't think about it, but you were a lot faster than you should have been when you pushed me into the apartment."
"I didn't notice," Clark said, thoughtfully. "I was just in a rush to get you away from the car. I just acted -- but you might be right."
"Have you tried any of your powers since?" Lois asked.
"No. I didn't really think about it." Clark squinted at the doors of the elevator for a long moment. "Nothing," he said finally.
"Well, they might just be coming back slowly," Lois said. "As you pointed out to me, we haven't had that much sun exposure, and it *is* winter. Maybe the effect of the Red Kryptonite is only temporary." The elevator slid to a ponderous stop and after a moment the door opened sluggishly. Lois preceded Clark out into the Planet's garage.
Lois's Jeep, the damage to the front end very apparent, sat in her usual parking spot. Lois glanced sourly at the dent. "I told the insurance people I'd bring it in this afternoon," she said. "We can drop by after we see Dr. Klein."
Clark put a restraining hand on her arm as she started toward the driver's door. "Let me check it out first. We don't know if somebody decided to booby-trap it while we were upstairs." He took the key from her and approached the Cherokee with caution, but after opening both doors and popping the hood to check for anything that shouldn't be there, and then peering under the vehicle with Lois's mag-light to look for any foreign object, they concluded that whoever had targeted them must have decided that bombing the Cherokee wasn't the way to go.
**********
The alley was narrow, dirty and smelly. And empty, at least on first glance. Lois looked around. "I don't see him."
She saw Clark tilt his head to the side in a familiar way and felt her heart rate accelerate. "Do you hear something?" she asked, a little breathlessly.
"A heartbeat. He's here. This way."
She didn't comment, but followed him down the alley, glancing occasionally over her shoulder to be sure they hadn't been followed.
Clark stopped at the corner of an intersecting alley. "We're here," he said.
"I know," someone said, very quietly. Bobby's voice was so low that she could barely hear him. "Did anybody follow you?"
"I don't think so," Lois said. She glanced around once more to assure herself of the truth of the statement, straining her ears for any wayward sound that might tell her that someone else was about.
And suddenly she heard it, but it was coming from around the corner. A very faint, but very familiar thumping noise. It took a second for her to realize that she was hearing Bobby's heartbeat. She still had a little super hearing left, she thought in amazement. Or was it coming back?
"Okay. You want to know about the gang trying to take over Luthor's territory?" Bobby still didn't make an appearance. He must be really scared, she thought, dragging her attention back to their informant. "You better be sure. Once you hear it there's no goin' back."
"I don't think we have a choice," Clark said.
"No, probably not," Bobby's voice said softly. "One word. Intergang." A hand holding a small, flat square appeared from the other alley. "Take this. I got it from somebody that don't want his name brought into it. It'll tell you what you need to know. I wasn't here, either. Just phone me in a dinner at Ling's Chinese Buffet."
Lois took the CD jewel case. The hand disappeared and she heard his retreating footsteps. Then silence.
**********
"I've never seen him that scared," Lois said as they got back into the Cherokee. Clark had once more performed a check of the vehicle to assure their safety. "Or maybe that's the wrong word to use, considering that we didn't see him at all."
"Yeah," Clark said. "Whatever's on that thing, it must be pretty hot."
Lois clutched her shoulder bag a little more tightly to her side. "I hope no one figures out what he's done."
"Well, we didn't tell anyone who we were meeting," Clark said. "He's probably safe enough, but I think we should look at that in private. As far as anyone else is concerned, it doesn't exist."
"I'm with you there," Lois said. "From the way he acted, I think I'd be happier carrying around a vial of nitroglycerine. How about you? Any more signs of your powers coming back?"
"I'm not sure," Clark said. "My hearing seems to be getting better. At least I *think* it is."
"Maybe you should go to a tanning salon or something," Lois suggested. "That way you don't have to freeze your tushie off getting a good dose of ultra-violet."
Clark grinned faintly. "Or whatever it is in sunlight that I need. In the meantime, let's head over to STAR Labs."
Lois started the engine and backed out of the parking place. "Any sign of somebody following us?"
"I don't think so," Clark said.
"This is really weird," Lois said. "First they attack you at the mall, and as far as they know it doesn't work, and then they try to blow up Charlie and me, and now there's no sign of them. What's going on?"
"We'll find out," Clark said. "I'm sure there's a method to their madness, to misquote the Bard of Avon, but I don't want to wait for them to make the next move."
"Neither do I. I'm just hoping that Dr. Klein can give us some answers," Lois said. "I want to see Superman back to full power. I'll feel a lot safer that way."
They pulled into the visitors' lot at STAR Labs twenty minutes later. The Security man at the entrance definitely recognized them by now, for he nodded to them in a businesslike fashion as they stopped beside the guard shack. "Ms. Lane and Mr. Kent," he greeted them, extending a clipboard and pen to Lois. "Dr. Klein notified Security you'd be coming. Sign in, please."
Lois scribbled her name in the indicated space and the guard took the clipboard back, exchanging it for a visitor's placard for the windshield of the Cherokee. Lois took it, laid it on the dashboard and eased forward as the metal arm that regulated the entrance of cars into the lot was raised. There was an open parking space near the lot entrance, and she had no hesitation in pulling the Cherokee into it. "There," she said, as she set the parking brake. "At least the guard can see the car from where he's at."
Dr. Klein was sitting at his desk, apparently reading a report, when they arrived at his office a short time later. He looked up when Lois knocked on the glass wall enclosing the office, and they waited while the scientist set the sheaf of papers on his desk and carefully placed a ceramic coffee mug on top of it to hold it down.
"Mr. Kent, Ms. Lane," he greeted them a moment later. "Come in." He stood back while they entered and then closed the door and locked it.
"Hello, Bernie," Clark said.
Dr. Klein waved them to chairs. "I was glad you called," he said without preliminary. "I had intended to call you today if you hadn't."
"I take it you have some results from your tests?" Clark asked.
Bernie Klein nodded vigorously. "Definitely. First, I have to ask if you've seen any sign of your powers returning yet."
"My powers?" Clark said. "You mean you do expect them to return?"
Dr. Klein nodded vigorously. "The blood samples I took -- I ran several tests on them. I'm still running tests, actually. It's amazing -- the similarity of Kryptonian DNA to human. It's not exact, obviously, but --" He broke off. "Well, never mind that. I noticed something, yesterday afternoon. I exposed one sample to a sunlamp --"
"And?" Lois said eagerly. "You mean, they turned super?"
Dr. Klein's eyebrows flew up. "I wouldn't phrase it quite like that, but essentially, yes. They appeared to absorb the energy from the light. Of course I'm not certain, but from what I've been able to observe, the Red Kryptonite laser drained your powers, transferring them to Ms. Lane, but it didn't take away your ability to generate them, once your solar battery was recharged." He cocked his head. "*Have* you seen any sign of them returning?"
"We think so," Lois said.
"I wasn't sure if it was my powers returning or just that my hearing was a little better than most people's, anyway," Clark confessed.
"What happened?" Dr. Klein asked.
"A lot," Clark said. He looked at Lois. "I think we should tell him."
"Well, he's your doctor," Lois pointed out. "He can't help you if he doesn't have all the facts."
Clark nodded and began to talk, recounting the significant events of the last two days, leaving out only the actual identity of Charlie King. Lois chimed in when she thought he had omitted important details. When they finished, Dr. Klein's eyebrows were resting where his hairline must once have been. He turned to Lois. "So, your powers are completely gone? You have no abilities at all?"
"Umm --" Lois hesitated. "I'm not actually sure of that."
"What do you mean?"
"I thought they were all gone, but when we met our informant earlier today," Lois said, "once we got closer to him ... I could hear his heartbeat. I must have some super-hearing, or I wouldn't have been able to."
"Could her powers be coming back?" Clark asked, a note of excitement in his voice.
Dr. Klein shrugged. "I have no idea. I doubt it, but I could be wrong. Ms. Lane received a full charge of Superman's powers initially but she apparently drained the charge with the use of the powers and exposure to the Kryptonite. There may be some residual energy left. I suppose it's barely possible the abilities could come back. We don't know what other effects the Red Kryptonite could have had, but it doesn't seem too likely."
"Oh," Clark said, obviously deflated.
Lois put a hand on his arm. "It's okay, Clark."
"I could perform a few tests to be certain," Dr. Klein said hopefully.
"Not," Lois said, "if it involves drawing blood. I can always just wait and see."
"That works too," Dr. Klein said. "You'll let me know, though, won't you?"
"Naturally," Clark said. "In the meantime, what would you recommend for me to speed things up? It's pretty cold out there to do any sunbathing."
"I'd suggest a tanning booth," Dr. Klein said. "Ms. Lane might give it a try, too. You never know." He smiled at Lois.
"I guess we could try it after we visit the insurance company," Lois said.
"All right," Clark said. He got to his feet. "Thanks, Dr. Klein."
**********
tbc
