From the previous part:
She suddenly pulled his face down to hers, her sweet breath warm on his face. "Clark, I don't know who you are. I don't care. But will you make love to me tonight?" she asked, her hips swaying gently with his to the music.
...
Clark could no longer think rationally. He wanted to be a gentleman, he knew he should step back, step away from her... but he was lost.
And found at once.
"Come on. Back to your place?" she asked.
All Clark could do was nod.
And now, part 2:
~The next morning~
Lois stretched in the bed as she awoke. She felt... wonderful. Images came back to her of the night before. How gentle Clark had been, how caring, treating her like a precious and rare flower. She had *never* been made love to that way... it had been just what she'd needed. Not only physically, but her soul felt renewed. Perhaps she could face all the demons she knew she had to face, if she could keep last night's memory alive.
She stretched again and reached for his side of the bed. He was gone.
Had she expected anything more? Of course, he wouldn't stick around. What would be the point? He had *no* idea who he was involved with. And it was just as well that he didn't. She didn't want him to know, because then he would also be at risk...
The door to the bedroom opened, and she jumped.
Clark was back with breakfast. She tried to quell the warm appreciation she felt seeing him again. <<It would have been better if he *had* disappeared, though. Seeing him again... this was too much.>>
She felt tears clench her throat and tried to concentrate on accepting the breakfast tray.
Before she did, she strategically pulled the sheet up around her torso and prepared her heart to look in his eyes.
"I, uh, brought you breakfast," he said warmly.
Even his voice made her want to melt into butter.
"Thanks," she said, feeling her cheeks blush as she took the tray, her fingers barely brushing his.
"The Daily Planet?" she asked before she could stop herself as she noticed the paper on the tray. "I mean, how did you find an American newspaper here?"
She hadn't seen one in over a year. The logo still brought a warm feeling to her heart, and she surreptitiously caressed it as Clark looked out the window.
"Oh, I have my sources," he said, and then covered his remark. "I mean, when you've been here a while, you figure out where to find things like newspapers."
"Sure," she said absently, flipping through its pages and recognizing names of long-ago colleagues. Some of the names had changed as well, and it made her wonder what else of her old life she had missed during the last two years.
Clark turned to her, his attitude reassuring."Look, about last night?"
"Save it, Clark. It's fine. I mean, I don't expect--" she said, getting up from the bed, the newspaper tossed carelessly by the breakfast tray.
He walked up to her and stopped her with a kiss. "I wasn't finished," he said quietly, his gentle tone belying his words. "No need to make excuses. But, I have to tell you that last night was the most amazing night of my life."
She felt her cheeks flame, standing in his arms. Suddenly, she longed for a moment of truth in her a life, a moment she had been denied for the last two years.
"Me too. It meant a lot to me too," she said, and then let herself be pulled into his embrace.
"This is going to sound *really* crazy, but I'm just going to trust it," he said with a bracing breath. "Marry me."
She stepped away from his embrace absolutely flummoxed. "What?" she asked, utterly shocked.
He braced his hand against the wall, and shook his head. "Look, okay, that was uncalled for. I guess what I'm saying is, I don't want to lose you. I don't want you to walk out of my life and never see you again..."
"You know nothing about me, about what I've been through. And yet... you just asked me to *marry* you? Are you nuts?!"
She started searching for her clothes, suddenly desperate to get out of there.
*~*~*~*
Clark tried not to be distracted by the show of thigh peeking out through the layers of bed sheet she had wrapped around her as she gathered her things. He turned away to let her dress and tried to focus on why he had made the ridiculous suggestion that they get married.
"Now, look. I just said that because---I don't know. I felt the impulse and went with it. Don't you ever do that?"
She unexpectedly let out a warm laugh and the sound went straight to Clark's heart. "All the time. I'm known for jumping in without checking the water level first."
"What I'm saying is--I have to head back to Metropolis tomorrow."
"Metropolis?" she asked in shock.
He continued to stare out the window, unable to face her rejection. "I... I don't know. I guess I'm offering you a ride back to the US if you need it. Or even want it."
"No, I can't--I mean, I have a life here," she said dully. He turned to face her as he tried to determine the truth of those words. Clark nodded in defeat, uncertain if she had meant it, but not wanting to push her. "Okay. Well, *if* for some reason you change your mind. I'll be leaving from the Brazzaville airfield. It's a small company, and there's not much traffic there. I’ll be taking a helicopter to Gabon. So if you head out to the field, you'll find me. We fly at 20:20."
He leaned towards her, giving her a moment if she wanted to back away.
"You touched me deeply, Linda," he whispered, stroking her face gently. He searched her eyes for confirmation that she had felt the same, but instead he saw fear.
She stepped back from his embrace before he could say anything more, and dashed out the door.
She at least had the decency to look back at him before she left and said, "Thanks for everything, Clark. You're a... nice guy."
And he watched her walk away, never knowing if he'd see her again.
~Later that afternoon~
Clark was in a complete daze. Everywhere he went, he thought he saw Linda. She had invaded his thoughts and he couldn’t focus on anything else, let alone do anything constructive about finding this Lois Lane woman. He felt guilty about getting distracted from his mission, but Linda had left impressions on his soul that he thought would be with him forever. It was more than physical attraction, he knew, because he had never been susceptible to beautiful woman before. No, it was the vulnerable strength he had seen at once in her, something about her spirit that spoke to him, that made him wonder what was Linda’s story. As a man of secrets himself, he had suddenly become intrigued by hers.
He looked down at the picture he had of Lois Lane, the woman he was supposed to be looking for. Even with his special vision, it was difficult to make out her picture on the old and grainy newsprint. But it was all Perry had had to give him. That and the notes she had started about a gun running operation in the Congo, the story that had possibly cost her life. He had asked some questions in town, but no one had seen a female reporter there in a very long time. And those that may have seen her were vague in their description of her.
But the Planet couldn't afford to keep him there any longer to search for her. He had to go back to Metropolis. The last wire he had sent Perry had nearly broken his heart, <<She's gone forever, I'm afraid. I'm coming home.>> He didn't want to picture the Chief's face when he got that wire.
Clark's mind kept wandering back to Linda, if that was even her name. Something about her had gotten under his skin, and he wasn't going to be able to shake the sensation any time soon. He hoped she would take him up on his offer, and fly back with him to America. He got the feeling that she felt like she had limited options, and he wanted to offer her that lifeline, at least.
Besides, he didn't know what he'd do if he never saw her again.
~Gunrunner base, just outside Brazzaville~
"We have another mark for you, Ms. Lane."
She had long ago shut down feeling anything at hearing those words. In the early days, it had made her want to vomit. Now, she simply took a breath and asked for the information.
"A Mr. Kent, from Metropolis. Apparently, he's after one of our... men. You have to take him out tonight before he gets on a helicopter."
"Just show me the mark," she said, half-listening. All she could think of was Clark's face as she had left that afternoon. Heartbroken. Surely he had known that they couldn't have anything more than just that one night... had he been serious when he asked her to *marry* him? Either the man was naive or... she couldn't bear to think of what. Good. Decent. Brave. Those qualities just didn't exist anymore, she was certain.
"His file has already been uploaded to your communicator."
"Fine. I'll have it done by the end of the day," she said absently, not opening the file. She had to get out of that office, she had to think!
It had been such a mistake to sleep with Clark. He was too distracting, even if he was leaving, even if she never saw him again.
<<The airfield... I could say good-bye, at least.>>
But she knew that it would just make things worse. No, she had to do her job so they wouldn't kill her. So they wouldn't go after her family...
She went to her tiny room on their 'base.' In actuality, it was an old US military outpost that had been abandoned more than forty years ago, but it served its purpose.
She closed her door to her tiny room, which was more like a cell. They could lock her in here if they chose. She tried not to think back to when it had been her prison. As long as she did exactly as told, she wouldn't have to face that again...
They tossed her into a tiny room and slammed the door. She was alone at last. Her nose was bleeding and she thought she may have a bruised rib, but she was alive, for now. Lois tried to stand, but her feet were wobbly. She was terrified. She banged on the door, demanding that they open it.
"I'm an American reporter! You can't treat me like this!" she cried, her voice shaking.
A shot rang out, as a gunshot came in through her door and out the other side of the cell through the barred, but glassless window.
"Enough from you!" shouted the guard.
That could have hit her! She realized, instantly shutting up.
She waited for two whole days. They gave her little water, stale bread, and two green bananas. Her stomach was rebelling against everything but the bread. Besides, she was too terrified to eat. She had no idea what they planned to do with her next. She knew she'd have to cooperate if she wanted to stay alive, and that scared her all the more. What would she have to do to stay alive?
A day later, the answer came. The door opened and they dragged her into another small room.
A thug came in with dark hair, and even darker eyes. He wore military fatigues, but she didn't think he was really military. He chewed on the butt of a cigar, and she got the impression he'd had the same cigar for a few days. His breath reeked of tobacco.
"Miss Lois Lane. Intrepid reporter for the Daily Planet, huh? Well, you can bet that your reporting days are over."
She started to protest, but he slammed his fist on the table startling her.
"You will do exactly as we say, do you hear?" He didn't wait from a response from her before he continued. "You're good at sneaking around. It could come in very handy for our operations. I bet you have a good eye for a gun as well," he said judiciously.
“I will never work for you!" she spat.
He back-handed her across the face, hard. His ring scratched her cheek and knocked into a tooth. She felt her heart rate go up in fear and decided maybe it would be wise to keep her opinions to herself for a while.
"I don't play games, Miss Lane. Either you cooperate, or you will die. And we will go after every one you hold dear. Is that clear?"
She nodded.
"Good. Now, you will be trained over the next six months. You will work hard and learn everything our guys teach you. Then, you will work for me. If you so much as blink the wrong way, your ass is mine and we'll go after your family. Is that clear?"
She nodded curtly, terror suddenly seizing her throat.
She couldn't believe this was happening. She had been on a story, a *story*, just doing what Lois Lane does, and had been captured by the wrong guys.
She was lost, utterly and completely lost...
Lois pushed those memories aside, along with the pain. The last two years had been hell, but she hadn't looked back. She actually relished some of the training, as it gave her a little power. Someday she'd fight back. Someday, she'd get back to Metropolis...
She shook her head, thinking of Clark and the offer of a helicopter. She couldn't go back now... could she? Surely, it was too late. Surely, she was too mired into this operation. They'd hunt her and her family down for the rest of their lives. She couldn't do that to them.
Lois took a steadying breath and uploaded the file they sent her on her next mark.
The picture was in green encryption, so it was difficult to make out exact features at first, until they filled in. When they did, and she connected the name, her breath caught.
<<Clark *Kent*. They want me to kill Clark! *My* Clark!>> she thought with terror.
"No, no, no. There must be some mistake. This can't be right!" she said aloud. But she knew it was no mistake. These guys didn't make mistakes.
She had to kill Clark Kent, or end up dead herself.
