The next day, Lois stood in Perry’s office, her feet planted and her hands gesticulating wildly. They’d been arguing for at least five minutes, but she was still barely able to believe that Perry was asking her to do such a thing.
“It's still boxing!” she argued.
“It's a civic event!” he countered.
“It's sports!” she insisted.
“Lois ... Just do the story!” She let her hands drop in defeat. There was no reasoning with him when he used that tone.
“All right. I’ll do it,” she conceded, “but not alone.”
Perry’s eyes went wide, and then he let out a frustrated sigh , the kind that said she was asking the impossible—again. “I can’t give you anyone from Sports. You know that. They’re all banned from the Menken gym. They’d be tossed out on sight. You’re the only one who even has a chance of getting to the fighters.”
“I know that, Chief. I’m keenly aware of why you want me on this story. I can get through the door and possibly get some information from the trainer and my…other connection. But I don’t know the fighters themselves. They might talk more freely with a man they think they can relate to. Someone who isn’t part of the sports press, but who can at least talk a good game.”
“Come on, Lois. Don’t give me that. You know more about sports than any two men put together.”
“Yes, but these are boxers, Perry. Super-aggressive guys. They aren’t going to take a five-foot-six woman seriously, no matter how much I know. And besides, a man can follow them into the locker room.”
Perry’s eyes narrowed. It wasn’t like Lois to imply that she couldn’t do everything any man could do. And to come right out and ask for a partner? That was unheard of. She was up to something.
Perry’s frown said ‘What are you up to this time?’ Out loud, he asked, “Who did you have in mind?”
Lois knew that Perry wasn’t buying her reasoning. She could only hope that his fondness for her and his curiosity would combine to make him acquiesce to her request. It was worth a shot. Looking him straight in the eye with her most innocent look, she said, “Caleb Knight.”
*****
“You’re kidding.” Caleb’s voice was strong and clear, even over the phone. “Lois, I can’t work with you. I don’t know how you pulled the wool over Perry White’s eyes, but you at least know the truth. I’m not really a reporter. I’ve never done anything close to the level of investigative work that you have. You have three Kerth awards, for goodness sake. You’re way out of my league.”
“Bull feathers.”
“Excuse me?”
Lois double-checked that the conference room door was closed. “Caleb, you’ve never told me what you really do for a living, but I know you’ve written several freelance articles, and you cannot convince me that you haven’t learned something about detective work from your…extracurricular activities. Besides, something tells me that your regular job also involves some investigative skills. How else would you have known about Lex Luthor? It can’t all be from his run-ins with Superman.”
He didn’t answer right away. Lois could just picture the wheels turning as he tried to think of a response that would be at least a partial truth. Not really wanting to hear whatever excuse he came up with, she played her trump card. “Look, even if you didn’t know the first thing about reporting or investigating, you’d still have a huge advantage. No one else I know can see through walls or hear a whispered conversation on the other side of a room.”
“Ah. So the truth comes out at last. You only want me for my hidden talents.” Luckily for Lois, he sounded more amused than annoyed.
“Not only,” she wheedled, “but you can’t tell me they wouldn’t come in handy now and then. Come on, Caleb. You wrote those freelance pieces for a reason. You must have liked reporting at least a little bit. And now you have a chance to do it for the Daily Planet instead of the Borneo Gazette. There are people all over the world who would give their eye teeth for an opportunity like this.”
“Not to mention a chance to work with the Planet’s Ace Reporter,” he teased.
“Not to mention,” she agreed. “So? Will you give it a shot? Just for one story?”
“All right. But only because you asked so nicely.” She could hear the warm affection in his voice. “When do you need me there?”
“As soon as you can get here. I want to get down to the gym this afternoon.”
“Okay. I’m in Honduras now. Give me a few minutes to say goodbye to the kids.” Kids? What was Caleb doing with kids in Honduras? And was he doing it as Superman, or as Clark Kent? Or as someone else entirely? “Then I’ve got to go home and find some work clothes…hold on a minute, there’s an ugly Honduran waving his hand in my face.” She could hear Caleb and another man conversing in rapid Spanish. “Lois? Ruben wants to know if you’re free on Sunday. And whether you have a sense of adventure.”
Ruben? She knew she’d heard that name before. “Tell Ruben my sense of adventure is about as strong as my sense of curiosity. And the Ultimate Street Fight is on Saturday, so I should have Sunday off.”
“Okay, sounds like a plan. You’re going to love him. And vice-versa. Anyway, I should be there in about twenty minutes. Is that okay?”
“That’s perfect. I’ll see you then.”
As Lois hung up the phone, she wondered what one wore for an adventure in Honduras. Maybe she shouldn’t have packed those summer clothes up after all.
*****
Clark followed Lois out of the Menken gym into the bright October sunshine. He’d seen her at work before, of course, when she was interviewing Clark Kent and later when he’d brought her supper while she was working on the invisible man story. But to be at her side, introduced as her partner, watch her navigate the tricky path between taking advantage of Allie Dinello’s obvious affection for her and being tougher with Garrison and Menken…he’d seen an entirely new side of Lois Lane. He’d even thrown in a question or two of his own. He still didn’t feel anything like a real reporter. It seemed more like playing a part, like when he did his research for his books. But it was a fun part , and it was a delight to watch Lois work.
Lois leaned close to him. In a low voice, she said, “Great acting job in the ring with Garrison. Even I almost believed you were frightened toward the end there.”
Caleb’s reply was little more than a whisper. He wasn’t going to let anyone else overhear their conversation. “That’s because I was. If Garrison had actually landed a punch he might have broken his hand. Then my cover would have been blown and Caleb Knight could never be seen in public again. Not only that, but anyone who knew you’d been dating him would also know you’d been dating you-know-who.”
Lois was taken aback. “I hadn’t thought of that. You can’t ever let anyone actually hit you? You must spend a lot of time running away from fights and looking like a coward. Doesn’t that bother you?”
“No, it doesn’t happen very often. How many grown men do you know who get into fist fights on a regular basis ? Most guys grow out of that stage by high school.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Up to this point they had been walking very slowly due to their almost whispered conversation, but, at least to any outside observer, they’d kept up the professional manner in which they’d treated each other at the gym. So Clark was a little shocked when Lois suddenly grasped him by the back of the neck and pulled his face towards hers, landing a slow but firm kiss on his lips.
“What was that for?” he couldn’t help asking when she finally pulled back.
She took his hand in hers and swung his arm in lazy arcs while they continued to saunter as slowly as possible down the sidewalk. At this pace they’d reach the end of the block by Thursday at the latest. “That was for the benefit of the man in the green sweater across the street,” she said in the same quiet voice.
“Okay….” His tone said that he was more confused than ever.
“His name is Alex Alston. He writes sports for the Star. He’s obviously casing the gym.”
“And you obviously want him to know that we’re more than work colleagues. But why?”
“Because the best defense is a good offense. Alex is friends with half the reporters who saw Superman fly off with me last week. And he’s a notorious gossip.”
“Ah,” Caleb smiled, “so you wouldn’t mind if I were to, say, put my arm around your shoulder,” he suited actions to words, “and maybe give you an affectionate squeeze now and then.”
“Don’t let it get out of hand, farm boy. I do have a certain dignity to maintain in public.”
“Oh, really? You’re worried about your dignity?” His face held an exaggerated innocence, but a wicked gleam danced in his eyes. “So it would be a bad idea if I were to…”
“Don’t even think about it, buster.” The scolding effect of her words was ruined by the smile that broke out as she prepared to defend herself from whatever mischief Caleb might have in mind.
He took a playful swipe at her ribs as if he wanted to tickle her. She grabbed his wrist and twisted it behind his back in one deft move. Of course he was letting her best him; it was all in fun. “Say Uncle,” she demanded.
“Not so fast,” he countered, freeing himself from her grasp and turning to catch her from behind in a playful embrace, pinning both of her arms at her side. “Aha! The tables are turned, my sweet,” he said in his best melodramatic villain voice. “Now you say it.”
It had all happened so quickly, a physical version of their normally verbal banter, neither of them was paying any attention to the curious looks they were attracting from the other pedestrians, nor to the taxi which pulled up in front of the gym and disgorged one well-dressed middle-aged man.
“Come on, Lois. You started it. Say Uncle,” Caleb prodded, both of them grinning from ear to ear.
Lois opened her mouth, prepared to give in with good grace. But what came out of it was not ‘Uncle.’
“Daddy!”
“Huh?”
“Lois?!” The two men spoke at once.
Clark instantly released Lois and the two of them stood up straight, self-consciously straightening their clothing. No one spoke for what felt like a very long time. Finally, Clark could stand the tension no longer.
“I’m sorry,” he offered. “I guess we got a little carried away.” Glancing at Lois, Clark saw her blushing furiously. He was sure he looked about the same.
“What are you doing here?” Dr. Lane addressed his daughter.
Still fighting to regain her dignity, Lois tried to act as if nothing had happened. “The Ultimate Street Fight,” she answered.
Dr. Lane seemed happy to play along. “Right... Right. What else?”
“Trying to... you know... get to the fighters,” Lois continued.
Dr. Lane looked at Clark. “And this is…” he began, his tone betraying nothing of his opinion of their earlier silliness.
“Caleb Knight, sir. I’m Lois’s…partner…on this story .” The two men shook hands, each looking the other directly in the eye.
“I’m sorry, where are my manners?” Lois put in. “Dad, this is Caleb. He’s working with me on the Ultimate Street Fight story, and he’s also my boyfriend . Caleb, my father, Dr. Sam Lane.”
Dr. Lane looked back at Clark with a new level of scrutiny. Clark desperately tried to project an air of quiet respectability.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Knight,” Dr. Lane said.
“Please, sir, call me Caleb.”
Dr. Lane nodded silently in response. Then, addressing both of them, he went on. “Well, I wish I could help you, but the press is not my department.”
“Sure, we know that.” Lois answered, more quickly than she would have for anyone else.
“And of course, you've got to understand... the fighters are jumpy,” her father offered.
“And need protection from us wicked reporters,” Lois joked, rather lamely. Her father gave a sad little half-laugh.
“You going to have some time, Lois? And Caleb? For dinner...”
“Sure,” Caleb began, but Lois talked over him.
“Maybe... soon... We’re so busy...”
Her father looked resigned. “Well, when you get out from under...”
“Sure...” Lois was already backing away, waving vaguely in her father’s direction, pulling Clark along with her. Clark gave Dr. Lane a parting wave and a friendly smile. He thought the older man looked very sad.
*****
It was a little crowded having two people working at Lois’s desk, but Lois wanted access to her computer. It was late, and the rest of the staff had gone home, leaving only the night editor on duty, so at least Lois and Caleb could talk freely.
“You know, I thought I was being so clever, asking you to have a good look around the gym, but now I’m not so sure. Robotic limbs on boxers —this is big news. But I know Perry. ‘I know they’re in the secret compartment behind my dad’s office, but I can’t tell you how I know,’ is not going to cut it. So now I have a huge story that I can’t print because I can’t prove a thing.”
“Welcome to the club,” Caleb mumbled.
“Huh?”
“Never mind. I always have Luthor on the brain. What you need is a way to prove what you already know.”
“That means either getting a confession out of my own father or breaking into his office and getting pictures.”
“Lois, are you sure you want to…” Caleb began, but was interrupted by the ringing telephone. Lois picked it up.
“Lois Lane...” She listened for just a moment before waving at Caleb and pointing to the phone. “Allie, calm down. What's wrong? Just tell me where and when...Okay.”
Hanging up the phone, Lois turned to Caleb. “You heard?”
“Yeah. Let’s go.” They both stood up and started toward the elevator.
After three steps, Lois stopped and turned to face Caleb. “You know, maybe I ought to go alone.”
“Okay.”
“I think he'd be more...”
“…more comfortable talking to someone he knows. I get it. Go.”
Smiling her appreciation for his understanding, Lois gave Caleb a quick kiss goodbye and headed on her way.
Alone in the darkened office, Clark headed for the stairs. He needed to talk to a man in Smallville.
*****
Pete and Lana were clearing the supper dishes in their downtown Smallville apartment when their doorbell rang. “I’ll finish up here,” Pete offered. “It’s probably Joan or Amy wanting a little company.”
“Put a pot of coffee on,” Lana called over her shoulder on her way to the door. Pete heard the door open, then Lana’s surprised exclamation. “Clark! What are you doing here?”
“Hey, is that any way to greet a poor, wayfaring stranger?” Not waiting for an invitation, Clark wrapped Lana in a friendly hug before turning to shake Pete’s hand and give him a one-armed side-hug.
“Poor, my foot! But stranger is right,” Lana said. “We didn’t expect you back in town for a while.”
“Decaf?” Pete called from the apartment’s small kitchen.
“Sure. Thanks,” Clark replied, taking a seat in the proffered arm chair.
“So, what’s up?” Lana asked without preamble. “And where are your glasses?”
“Oh! I completely forgot about them.” Clark was momentarily distracted from his mission. “I forgot I wasn’t Caleb here.” He shook his head to get back on track. “Anyway, I need Pete to do some research for me.”
“What do you need?” Pete asked, carrying in a tray with three mugs of steaming coffee.
Clark reached for the one with the lightest coffee. He knew it would also be the sweetest. “I need to know where Dr. Sam Lane is getting the funding for his research into robotic limbs. He’s working for the Menken Gym, but no single promoter could possibly afford to fund that kind of research, no matter how many champions he’s got in his stable.”
“So someone bigger must be bankrolling the project. Anything else to go on?” Pete asked.
“No. The parts were in a secret compartment in a basement office. I was looking through several walls. There were files as well, but I couldn’t focus long enough to read any of them. There were other people around and I wasn’t in the Suit.” It took the Rosses a moment to realize that he was referring to Superman. The caped hero was not a part of everyday life in Smallville as he was in Metropolis. Clark was still talking. “This has to be done very quietly. The people at the gym think the artificial limbs are still a secret. I’ll let you know if that changes.”
“You haven’t given me a lot to go on,” Pete pointed out.
“I know, but since we’re talking about Metropolis, I’d start with Lex Luthor. If there’s something dirty going on in Metropolis, you can bet that Luthor has a hand in it. I’m checking into it from the front end on the ground, but if you could work your computer magic, it would give us another angle of attack.”
“You got it. I’ll give you a call when…” Pete was interrupted by the ringing sound coming from Clark’s backside. Pete gave Clark a sardonic look and raised one eyebrow.
“Excuse me.” Clark stood and reached into his back pocket for his cell phone. “This is Caleb,” he answered in a friendly voice. “What?! Oh, honey! Are you hurt? Are the police there? Where are you? I’m on my way.”
Hanging up the phone, Clark looked grimly at his friends. “I have to go. Get on that as soon as you can, Pete, but be careful. A man was killed tonight to protect this secret.”
*****
Caleb sat on Lois’s loveseat, her head cradled against his shoulder, handing her tissues as necessary. Only one small lamp was on. It was easier to cry in the dark.
“I’ve known Allie…almost my whole life. To see him like that…”
“I’m so sorry, Lois. I wish I’d been there.” He stroked her hair in a slow, soothing rhythm.
“No, Caleb. It wasn’t your fault, or mine. I had good reasons for meeting him alone. We’ve talked about this before—you can’t save everyone .”
“I know, but it feels different…”
“…when it’s someone you know,” she finished. “Yeah, it does.”
They sat in silence, listening to the sounds of the city and watching the light from passing cars sweep across the room. Just about when Caleb thought he might be able to coax Lois into getting some sleep, she said, “I’m going to talk to my dad.”
He didn’t argue. It was the right move for the investigation, if a difficult one for Lois. God, he admired her courage. “Okay,” he said. “Do you want me to come with you?”
She thought about his question for a moment. “Yeah. I think I’d like that.”
*****
Sam Lane walked into the End-o-the-Line Diner at 10:00 Wednesday morning. He spotted Lois and her new boyfriend/reporting partner sitting together in a back booth. He wasn’t sure what had made her change her mind about getting together. Maybe the shock of Allie’s death, which the morning papers were calling a hit-and-run. Whatever the reason, she’d volunteered to be in the same room with him for one meal, and he wasn’t going to question his luck. It was probably more than he deserved.
He slid into the seat across from Lois and Caleb. “Good morning, Pri …Lois, Caleb.” It had been a long time since Lois had welcomed being his Princess. He knew he only had himself to blame.
Lois offered him a wan smile. “Thanks for coming.”
“You heard about Allie.” It wasn’t really a question—more of an explanation for everyone’s depressed mood.
“Not only heard, Dad. I saw.”
Sam looked sharply at his daughter. “What exactly did you see?”
Lois leaned across the table, her voice quiet but her eyes boring into her father’s. “Allie’s murder. I was there, Dad. I saw the car coming at him—straight and fast. It wasn’t a drunk, and it wasn’t an accident.”
“What were you doing there?” It was bad enough that Sam was caught up in this sordid enterprise. Now Lois was in danger as well.
“Allie asked me to meet him.”
“Did the driver see you?” Sam was already wracking his brain for ways to get Lois out of harm’s way.
“No.” So there was still hope.
“Lois, I want you to stay away from this.”
“I can’t do that. I’m a reporter. This is my job.”
“No job is worth your life, Lois!” Sam hissed, trying to impress the seriousness of the situation on his daughter without drawing the attention of the other patrons.
“I know that, Dad. That’s why we’re here.” At Sam’s confused stare, Lois went on. “We’re concerned for your safety. Whoever is behind Allie Dinello’s death most likely knows that you were talking to us in front of the gym yesterday. Chances are they know who I work for and what my relationship is to you. You could very well be next on their hit list.”
Sam tried to appear calm, to give the impression of a man with nothing to hide. “I appreciate your concern, but I think it’s misplaced. There is no reason to believe that Allie’s death had anything to do with the gym at all, let alone with me.”
“We know about the surgeries, Dad.” Sam froze, but only momentarily. He made one last effort to bluff his way through. “Of course I’ve performed surgeries on athletes. I’m a sports surgeon—that’s my job.”
Lois nodded silently at Caleb. The young man addressed Sam. “Dr. Lane, I’ve seen the hidden compartment behind your office. The models of arms, legs, hands, jaws, chest plates on the walls, samples of artificial skin in various colors, diagrams of artificial limbs, even the motors to drive them. It’s brilliant work, sir. Unfortunately, it’s also illegal. When this comes to light, as it must, you will be in the center of it.”
“They’ve already killed once, Dad. They won’t hesitate to do it again.”
Sam looked from Lois to Caleb and back again. He’d known that Menken was shady. He’d known that the surgeries he’d performed could cost him his license. He’d never meant to get in so deep. It had just happened, a little at a time. Like the way he’d let his family slip away. Only now did he realize exactly how deeply entangled he was. And he still couldn’t see the way out. But maybe Lois could.
“What do you want me to do?” he asked.
*****
Standing in front of Perry’s desk, Caleb at her side, Lois watched Perry scan the pile of documents she’d gotten from her father. She could see his anticipation of a front-page story growing by the minute. When he finished, he looked up and, with only a half-hearted attempt to hide his delight, asked, “This is for real?”
Lois beamed back at her boss. “Every bit of it.”
“Does Henderson know about this?”
“Yep, and he has a copy of the tape.” Pulling her recorder from her shoulder bag, Lois pressed the play button. Dr. Lane’s voice could be heard, followed by Menken’s:
‘I want out of this.’
‘Sure, Doc. At the end of your contract.’
‘We don't have a contract.’
‘Yeah, we do. Lifetime.’
‘Dinello have the same contract?’
‘It's a dangerous business.’
‘You killed him...’ Sam Lane sounded shocked.
‘Who'd you think? I'd hate to waste you, too.’ Lois turned the recorder off with a click.
“Nailed him cold!” she crowed.
A worried frown crossed Perry’s brow. “What about your father?”
Lois’s face fell. “He’ll probably lose his medical license. But that’s the least of his worries. Henderson’s got him in protective custody for now. But this is bigger than Menken and a handful of fighters. Someone with deep pockets is behind this.”
“Your dad doesn’t know who financed the project?”
“No. And if we can’t find out by the time Menken’s trial is over, Dad may have to go into the witness protection program.”
A small sound from Caleb drew Lois and Perry’s attention.
“Knight? You have something to add?” Perry asked. “You know something we don’t?”
“Maybe.” Lois turned to Caleb, obviously as surprised as Perry.
“It’s not really an answer. More of a lead. I have a…source…who’s been looking into the funding question. He just called a few minutes ago, which is why Lois hasn’t heard about this yet. Whoever’s behind this is savvy. The trail leads through three or four subsidiaries and shell companies, but it ends at…”
“…Lex Luthor,” Lois finished. Perry’s jaw dropped, but Caleb held up one hand in a cautioning gesture.
“Not quite. It would be nice if it were that simple. It leads to a Limited Liability Corporation called High Ground Enterprises. The attorney of record is Sheldon Bender.”
“Like I said, Lex Luthor. ” Lois said the name as if it belonged to a known criminal, not Metropolis’s greatest benefactor.
Perry looked at his star reporter and her new accomplice. “I think you two had better sit down,” he said. “You’ve got some explaining to do.”
