Previously:
Her drink. That was it. Her drink must have been drugged. Who? Why? Lois tried, but she couldn't think of anyone in the bar who had seemed either threatening or familiar.
She wondered how long it had taken Clark to realize that she was missing. Or had he finally returned and assumed that she had paid him back by leaving? Or - oh god no - was that why Clark had never come back from the restroom? Had he been taken as well, while she sat fuming at the bar? Was he somewhere nearby, locked up in the dark just like her? Her heart sank at the thought that no one was looking for them. The police - and, more importantly, Superman – didn’t even know that they were missing.
One thing was certain - she hadn't magically appeared in this dark prison. If there was a way to get her in here, there had to be a way to get her out. Lois stood up and stretched her arms out in front of her to begin feeling her way through the darkness.
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The Other Shoe 3/10
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Saturday morning
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The darkness was oppressive.
Lois could hear a steady plinkity-plunk of rain above her. That had to mean that the roof was metal, just like the walls. Was she in a shipping container or a railroad car? Whatever it was, the floor was wood, not metal. As near as she could figure, her prison was about seven feet wide and thirty feet long. It wasn't moving, so there was a scant amount of comfort in that. She had found what felt like a large sliding door but no amount of tugging or swearing could get it open. For a few panicked seconds she had wondered if it was soldered shut, but she told herself that whoever had left her here wouldn't have given her food, water and a blanket if they were intending to seal her up forever. Would they?
She combed her memory, trying to recall who had taken her, but everything after she realized her drink had been drugged was so hazy. Lois tried to think of reasons that someone would kidnap her, but grew depressed when she realized there were numerous people who might hold a grudge against her. Was this for revenge? For ransom? For kicks? Should she be grateful that she was alone in the dark and not tied to a bed while some pervert groped her? Or were they waiting for her to wake up first?
Lois cracked her knuckles, hating that she felt so helpless. She had yelled for Superman until she was nearly hoarse before reluctantly acknowledging that she was probably too far away for him to hear her. Her stomach growled - a reminder that she hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon. She and Clark were going to have a late dinner after the movie - that had been a poor decision. She should have insisted on dinner first. But how could she have known that meal would turn out to be so important?
What time was it, anyway? She pressed the night light button on her watch. Its blue-green glow seemed unnaturally bright and she had to blink a few times to be able to see that it was nearly ten o'clock.
Morning or night? It had to be morning now, didn't it?
She held the button down and lifted her wrist, trying to use the watch's light to peer into the blackness around her. It was no use. The dim glow did very little to reveal her prison. Discouraged, Lois tipped her head back against the wall behind her and fumed.
A couple of minutes later Lois loosened the tie on the bag of popcorn as her stomach gurgled in anticipation. She was on her third mouthful before it occurred to her that the popcorn might be drugged. Then again, why would they go to all the trouble of locking her up in this dark space just to drug her again?
Feeling thirsty, Lois closed the bag and set it aside. Her hand swept back and forth until she found the water jug. She took several long swallows, then wondered if she ought to ration the water more carefully since she had no idea how long she'd be trapped there.
Where was she? Was she sitting in the rail yard of Metropolis or had she been taken somewhere else? She had been out cold for over twelve hours. Assuming that her captors had driven at an average speed of 60 mph, she could be over 700 miles away now. It was Saturday morning and she had the weekend off, which meant it might be Monday before anyone knew that she - and possibly Clark - were missing.
Had Clark been taken too? If so, he wasn't anywhere nearby or he would have yelled to let her know he was there when she was calling for Superman. Wouldn't he? Or was he still out cold? Was he hurt? Her mind skittered away from that idea, not wanting to picture what might have been done to him if he had struggled.
It would be better for everyone if Clark wasn't missing. Lois allowed herself a grim smile at the realization that she was actually hoping Clark had decided to run one of his compulsive errands last night. If he had, it meant that he might already be trying to find her.
But what if he had gone to visit his parents this morning like he had planned? What if he thought she was paying him back by ditching him last night and he didn't bother to check before leaving town? Her chest tightened in panic. No! It couldn't have happened like that. The odds were much more likely that Clark knew she was missing. And if Clark couldn't find her right away, surely he would ask Superman to help?
Or did Superman have bigger fish to fry? If he was searching for anyone right now, it probably wasn't her. Clark was her only hope. He might have his faults, but she couldn't think of a single time Clark had let her down when it was really, really important.
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Wednesday morning
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It was just after 5 a.m. when she pulled up in front of Clark's building. She saw a dark figure detach from the shadows and stride towards her. Her entire body quickened in anticipation as she recognized that broad span of shoulders. Clark got in and leaned across the seat to kiss her. She turned her head and he got her lips instead of her cheek.
"Good morning," he murmured and kissed her again.
Yes, Lois thought. It was a very good morning. It was a glorious morning to be alive. Its only flaw was that she couldn't spend the whole day in Clark's arms. She reluctantly broke off their kiss and started driving.
"So you never did tell me why you decided Herman Twitchell is involved with Intergang," Clark said.
"Well, as near as I can tell, Twitchell is living in the Alliance Tech warehouse down by Pier 11."
"I'm not sure I see the connection. Maybe he's trying to save money?" Clark suggested. "After all, he's getting divorced. Maybe he can't afford both a mortgage and a lease?"
Lois shot him a sideways glance. "Oh, please. The guy is loaded. It's not the money. His wife thinks he's a front for Intergang's smuggling operations. I think he's living there to keep an eye on things."
"Any things in particular? What's he supposed to be smuggling?"
"I don't know yet. Actually, I think he's smuggling stuff in for them, not out. See, Alliance Tech gets shipments all the time from overseas. They come in off the ships in those huge metal containers."
"Customs has to check those containers before they're cleared to go on to Alliance Tech," Clark pointed out.
"Ah, but what if Twitchell has an insider who can get to the containers before Customs sees them and send them on as if they have been checked? I've been watching the docks the past few days, getting a feel for the process. Do you have any idea how many hundreds of containers arrive each day? And how easy it would be for one or two of them to slip through the cracks?"
Clark shrugged, apparently conceding her point.
"So we're going to watch the warehouse today and see what gets delivered. Every container is numbered. We take down the numbers and then check them against what actually cleared Customs."
Lois stopped the Jeep and then backed into an alley between two warehouses. The position gave her a front row seat for the Alliance Tech warehouse across the street. The alley had been a godsend - she could park there and not be out in the open.
Clark stretched out his legs and settled in. "How many containers have been delivered this week?"
"Sixteen so far. I gave the list to Jimmy last night and he's going to check the Customs database for me today."
A couple of minutes of silence went by while Lois dreamily remembered the night before. What might have happened if his phone hadn't rang? How far had she been willing to go? How serious was Clark about their relationship? How serious did she want him to be?
Her palms became clammy as she realized that what she really wanted wasn't just Clark's kisses. She wanted him. His smile, his touch, his laugh, and the simple comfort of his company. She wanted to spend every minute possible with him. She was - although she hated to admit it - falling for him.
How was it that an uncomplicated farm boy could exert such a hold on her? Hadn't she always pictured the man she fell in love with as being urbane and sophisticated? Someone who was more like… well, Lex? Lois shuddered at the memory of her former fiancé - now back from the dead and locked away on Stryker's Island. She looked over at her partner and wondered if Clark had any idea of the emotional turmoil he was causing her.
He must have sensed her gaze because his head turned and he gave her a smile. For half a second she thought he looked nervous, but she quickly dismissed that as a trick of the dim lighting in the alley.
Clark cleared his throat. "What are your plans this weekend?"
Wasn't he going to Kansas? Or was he looking for a reason to stay in Metropolis? Lois berated herself for being far too optimistic. Clark was making conversation, nothing more.
"It depends on how this stakeout goes, I guess." Lois hesitated and then added. "Aren't you going out to visit your folks?"
"Yeah." Clark nodded and shifted uncomfortably in the seat. His right knee began to bounce.
The thought crossed Lois' mind that, if he was already feeling cramped in here, he was going to be absolutely miserable in another hour.
"Maybe," Clark added quietly.
"Maybe?" Her ears perked up. Was he thinking about staying in Metropolis instead? Please, god, let him want to spend the weekend with her. "You're not sure?"
His knee began to bounce even faster, setting the Jeep to rocking slightly. What in the world was up with him? It was way too early in the morning to be this anxious, especially for Clark, who was usually maddeningly calm. Even his words were jumpy. "No. I mean, yes. I'm going to Kansas. I just thought that, maybe, uh, you'd like to come with me?"
Lois was shocked into silence. He wanted her to come out to Kansas with him this weekend? In the space of a single second she comprehended just how monumental a step forward in their relationship this would be. Her joy at his wanting to spend time with her was quickly replaced by terror that he wanted to spend time with her. They'd be on his turf, not neutral ground. If things turned sour, she couldn't simply go home.
He turned in the seat to fully face her, his expression earnest. "You don't have to worry about the airfare--."
Another wave of panic washed through her as he spoke - did she really want to be beholden to Clark because he paid for her ticket too?
"I don't know," she blurted out before he could complete the offer. "This is kind of a huge step, isn't it? I mean, yeah, I've already met your parents, but this would be different. Your mom tried to put us in the same room last time, remember? God, I think I'd die if she did that again."
Clark simply stared at her, his mouth still open to speak, but it appeared that his enthusiasm for the idea was gone now. Lois wanted to kick herself. It had only been a month since she had promised Clark she wasn't going to run from the idea of them together, but here she was running like her life depended on it. She might as well have literally fled the car when he made the offer. She had hurt him. Even the dim lighting didn't hide how deflated he looked.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Can I think about it and get back to you?"
Clark's attention shifted to something outside the window behind her. Lois turned her head to see why. The unexpected sight of a grinning face mere inches away from her own made her jump. "Dammit, Bobby!" she yelled as she realized who it was.
Bobby Bigmouth laughed and opened the back passenger door to get in.
"How did you know where to find us?" Lois asked.
"Please. You think it's a secret that you've been parked here every morning for the past three days? If you want to go incognito, Lois, you should lose the vanity plates."
She saw Clark turn his head, no doubt so she wouldn't see him laugh, and it sent a flicker of irritation through her. "Great. So I've been sitting here for nothing? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"This way was so much more entertaining." Bobby gave her a smug grin in the rear view mirror. "I'd have let you sit here all week but I have something important to pass along. And, before you ask, this one is gratis. But you should probably give me whatever's in that bag on spec."
Clark handed him the white paper bag containing the pastries that she'd brought. "What do you have?" he asked.
"A list of names." Bobby popped half a doughnut in his mouth but was still able to speak distinctly as he chewed. "Jim Harward, Terry Wilson, Boyce Edgemont, Leo Madsen. What do they all have in common?"
Lois thought about it and then shook her head, absolutely clueless. The names only sounded vaguely familiar to her.
After several seconds, Clark spoke up. "They've all been apprehended by Superman. Harward and Wilson were with the Toasters. Edgemont was robbing a bank. Madsen was fencing stolen goods."
"Bingo. You should buy the man another doughnut, Lois. Those guys, and several others who our caped friend has had personal contact with, have all been offered a million dollars if they could come up with something big and juicy about Superman."
"A million dollars?" Lois sputtered. "By who? And why?"
"Got me. There's an 800 number to call, if you have something to say. Here." Bobby handed a business card to her. The words 'Information Wanted' were printed on it along with a toll-free phone number. "I just thought, seeing as you guys have ways to contact Superman, you might want to warn him that someone's gunning for him."
Bobby crumpled up the pastry bag and reached between the seats to grab Lois' coffee. He took a sip and wrinkled his nose. "Ugh. Where did you get this from?"
Clark's knee had started bouncing again. Lois knew just how he felt - this was upsetting news, to say the least.
"Who gave you the card?" Clark asked.
"A guy I know." Bobby let out a small belch and opened the car door. "He's between jobs so he's definitely not the one behind it. If I hear anything else, I'll be in touch."
The back door wasn't even shut yet when Clark practically ripped the business card from her hand. "I'll take this one," he said as he opened the door and got out of the car. "You stay and watch the warehouse. I'll meet you back at the Planet later and let you know what I find out."
"Clark?"
He ignored her and shut the door. Thoroughly irritated with him now, Lois yelled his name again but Clark continued to walk away. She hit the horn and he turned around, his expression startled. Lois rolled her window down to talk to him.
"Get back in the car. If Bobby knows I'm here, then Twitchell probably does too. There's no sense in sticking around here. Besides, how were you planning on getting back to the Planet? It's not like there's an abundance of cabs in this part of town."
Clark hesitated, but got back in the Jeep. There was a heavy silence as they drove in the direction of the Planet. Was Clark angry with her because she had turned him down? Did she dare to ask him about why he was going out there in the first place? All she had caught last night was that his mom thought it was important. It had to be important, didn't it? Sure, there were cheap fares to be had, but he couldn't very well afford to fly out there on a whim, could he?
Lois wondered if she had blown her chances with Clark. She should have said 'yes, I'll go to Kansas with you'. She wanted to explain to him that she had been caught off-guard by his invitation, but Clark's brooding demeanor only increased her anxiety so she said nothing.
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Saturday morning
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In the end, the subject of her going to Smallville had not come up again. Lois was still conflicted about whether spending the weekend out-of-town with Clark was a good idea or not. It would be wonderful to spend so much uninterrupted time with him. It would also mean trusting Clark with far too much power in their relationship.
Now, stuck in this chilly, oppressively dark prison, Lois would much rather be sitting next to Clark on a plane. Hell, she would be happy to be sitting in the cramped confines of her car in the midst of another interminable stakeout. Anywhere would be better than here - wherever here was. Lois picked up the edges of the blanket, wrapping them around herself in an attempt to keep warm.
Then she blinked a couple of times, disbelieving her eyes as a tiny shaft of daylight shone through the floor.
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End 3/10
Anyone wanna go to Kansas this weekend? Let me know in the FDK thread and I'll send Clark by to pick you up.
