Previously On Contractually Bound:
No one was aware of the black-suited figures as they slipped through the crowd.
Since Lois and the rest were towards the back, almost no one saw as the attack was launched. Needles flashed, coldly reflecting the numerous lights that were strung in the area. Ching, Jai, and Ruce fought hard. But there were simply too many of them. A blow to the back of Ruce's head knocked him out. He fell to the ground and one of the masked attackers kicked him to one side. Another jabbed a needle into Ching's neck. In the next instant, the Supreme Lord's heir crumpled to the hard packed snow, his eyes rolling in his head. Zara and Jai were the next ones down, though Jai managed to hit a few of the attackers. Lois heard the muffled "oomphs" as the half-prince made contact with the others. Lois did the only thing that she could think of. She started to scream for help, hoping to attract attention.
Several of the closest onlookers finally turned in the direction of the royal family. But the attackers were prepared. Five of them opened up canisters that had hung from their belts. Smoke immediately issued forth from the breaches. Then they threw the shiny metal containers into various parts of the crowd. People began to choke on the gas.
Panic ensued.
The screams changed from an enthusiastic cheer for the band into blood-curdling screeches of fear. Bodies began to run in every direction. The music came to an abrupt halt. Lois pounded on the chest of one of the attackers who was trying to subdue her. She clawed at him, trying to escape. A hand twisted in her necklace, choking her. A second later, she felt the sharp sting of a slender needle as it punctured the skin of her neck. Blackness engulfed her and she knew no more.
Kal, meanwhile, had finished obtaining the hot chocolate that he'd left to get. He heard the change in the screams and began to rush back towards where his family was, the cardboard tray of drinks clutched tightly in his hand as though it would help in some way. He fought his way back through the crowds as they swirled around him in a blind panic. Finally, he reached the spot were Lois and the rest of his family had been. They were gone. Ruce was starting to come to, miraculously not trampled by the crowd. Kal dropped the tray he was holding. Hot chocolate exploded in every direction as the cups hit the ground. He ignored it, though some splashed onto his pants and burned his skin. He bent down and helped Ruce to his feet.
Something glittering on the ground caught Kal's eye. He bent again and retrieved it.
Lois' necklace; the chain snapped.
***
In The Dead Of The Night
"Lois?" Kal cried, twisting this way and that, desperately looking for his wife. "Lois?"
He knew instinctively that the attack had been to kidnap her and the rest of his family. If it hadn't, he was sure that Ching and Jai would have gotten Lois and Zara safely to one side, and then would have plunged back into the crowd to help. They never would have just turned tail and ran with the rest of the crowd. The simple fact that he did not see his brothers, or the women, confirmed his worst fears.
Ruce shook his head as he stood. "No use," he said, wincing against a sharp pang of pain. "They're gone."
"What happened?" Kal demanded of his friend. "Where is everyone?"
"We were attacked," Ruce said.
"By who?"
Ruce shook his head again. "I don't know. They were all hooded and masked. I couldn't see..."
"Which way did they go?"
"I don't know." He gingerly shook his head again. "They knocked me out before they took the others."
"Did anyone else see what went on?"
"Maybe," Ruce said, biting his lower lip in thought. "Everyone was caught up in the music though, at first."
"Kal!" Jor-El's voice cut through the frigid air.
The last of the crowd was finally dispersing. Security guards were getting the stragglers under control. Others were approaching the gas bombs, though they had since stopped releasing their contents. It had been a precise, surgical strike. Kal had no illusions about that.
"Dad!" Kal called back as the Supreme Lord rushed to his side, Bilan Hend'son hard on his heels. He waved to his father, hoping to convey with the gesture that he was unharmed.
The Chief of Security jogged past, never stopping, though Jor-El did. Instead, Bilan continued on, rushing to speak with the members of the band who had been on stage. From their vantage point, it was possible that they had seen something of use, including which way the kidnappers had fled.
"Are you all right?" Jor-El asked, engulfing Kal in a relieved hug. Then he pulled back, concernedly looking over his son for any obvious signs of injury.
"I'm fine," Kal assured him. "I wasn't here when it happened. I was getting drinks for everyone." He gestured to the trampled ground around them, the once white snow now flecked with splotches of brown from the spilled drinks. "I heard the screams and ran back, but I was too late. They were already gone."
"They left me behind," Ruce said thoughtfully. There was a hint of an apology to his voice, as if he could have done more.
"Maybe they were only after my family," Kal said, looking down at the diamond star necklace in his hand.
He sighed, unzipped his coat, and put the gem in the breast pocket of his shirt, close to his heart. The organ gave out an ache of sadness at the motion and Kal's breath caught in his throat for the briefest of moments. Then he zipped up against the cold once more. He shoved his hands into his pockets as the realization settled in.
Lois was gone. His brothers were gone. And so was Zara.
Kal had no doubts that he would have also been taken if he hadn't left to get drinks. Only dumb luck had saved him from that fate. Part of him wondered if he should consider himself lucky for that, or if it would have been better if had had been taken with them. He finally settled on lucky. At least, by being free, he could do something to find his family's kidnappers. He swore to himself that he would find a way to get them all home safely.
Jor-El shook his head sadly, helplessly looking around. "I've always feared this."
"Dad..." Kal said gently, putting his gloved hand on his father's shoulder.
"I've always been terrified that one day my children would be targeted. But I trusted too much in how stable and quite the planet is. And now, my family is paying the price for my naiveté."
"Dad, we don't know exactly what the reason is for this." Inwardly, however, Kal had to admit that his father was probably right. Someone had targeted the house of El. But for what reason?
"I can imagine well enough," Jor-El said regretfully.
"Ransom." It was not a question.
Jor-El nodded. "Most likely."
"Then we have time," Ruce said, trying to be helpful.
"He's right," Kal said, nodding. "If it's ransom they're after, they won't dare to hurt them...whoever they are."
Bilan approached the Supreme Lord and the prince. The band members followed him in a tightly packed group, some of them still clutching their instruments, as though the various guitars, drumsticks, electric violins, and other items were a part of their own bodies. The Chief of Security waved over his lords to the side, away from the scene of the attack. As Kal, Ruce, and the Supreme Lord moved, security took over the area, carefully beginning the process of looking for evidence. Kal shook the hands of each of the band members in turn. The thought flashed in his mind that he'd always wanted to meet them, but he had never thought that it would be in a scenario like this.
"My lords," Caff, the lead guitarist, said, his voice infused with sadness. He bowed deeply to them. "I am terribly sorry for what happened here tonight. We will do anything we can to help."
"Thank you," Jor-El and Kal both said as one.
"Did you see anything?" Kal asked pleadingly.
Caff shook his head. "Not much. The lights are somewhat blinding up on stage. But when we noted the change in the crowd's mood, I saw about a dozen or so men dressed all in black far in the back. They were running, carrying bodies between them. I called out, but I'm afraid that even with the microphones, my voice got lost in the uproar."
Kal nodded. It had been impossible to hear anything above the panicked roar of the crowd.
"Which way did they go?" the stoic Chief of Security prompted. His voice held a note of deep impatience.
Caff pointed. "Straight out of the park. They were moving as fast as they could, I think. It was hard to tell from so far away. And then the crowd erupted into a panicked flight and I lost sight of them. But they definitely were heading out towards the streets when I last saw them."
"They could have gone anywhere with a vehicle," Kal sighed. "There's no way of knowing."
Since all of the vehicles on the planet had switched to hovercraft technology over two centuries prior, there would be no tracks to follow. There would be no impressions in the snow to distinguish any one vehicle from another. Kal's heart sank as his thoughts broadened.
Not even a boot print would be recoverable to help in identifying the culprits. The entire area was trampled into an indistinguishable mess. Kal's head drooped to his chest for a few seconds. He steeled himself, then looked back up at his favorite band. Using sheer willpower, he kept his voice even, pushing aside the tears that threatened to manifest in his speech.
"Thank you," he said. "You've been most helpful."
"Is...is there anything that the gang and I can do? Anything else at all?" Caff looked as heartbroken as Kal felt.
Jor-El shook his head thoughtfully. "At the moment, no."
"We can get the word spread around," Caff said with a shrug. "See if anyone else has any information that they can come forward with. Although, you undoubtedly have better resources then we do."
Jor-El thought for a long moment before replying. "Not just yet," he finally said. "I need time to think. But I'm most grateful for the offer. And I may yet take you up on it."
"We're here for you if you change your mind, my lord," Caff said, nodding. By some unspoken agreement, it seemed that he was the spokesman for the group, just as he always was when the band performed. "Please, let us know if there is anything further that we can do."
"We'll keep it in mind," Kal promised, forcing a smile onto his lips. "Thank you again."
"Our pleasure, my lord," the guitarist assured him.
The group turned and took their leave. Kal stood rooted in place, completely numb. He no longer felt the cruel bite of the wind. He no longer felt the stiffness in his freezing fingers and toes. He no longer even saw his surroundings. He knew only the shattering of his fragile heart as it lay torn and bleeding within his chest. His shoulders slumped in despair. He tried to force his mind to work, but it was as if it had frozen solid.
"Kal?" his father asked. The worried tone suggested that the Supreme Lord had called his name more than a few times already.
"Huh? What?" Kal said as he broke from the daze that had crept over him.
"I said let's reconvene at the palace," Jor-El said gently. "There's no more that we can do here."
Kal shook his head. "No."
"Kal..."
"I want to stay. I want to help Bil and the others look for clues."
Jor-El frowned. "I can't allow that."
"But..."
"Kal, no. We don't know who else might still be in the area looking to snatch you away as well. I won't risk it. I can't." His voice was desperate, terrified.
"I'll be fine," the prince began to protest. "There's a ton of security guards here."
"No." The Supreme Lord's tone brooked no argument. Then, after a few seconds, he softened. "Let Bil and his team work. They are the best. I'm sure they will find something." There was confidence in the Supreme Lord's voice, but his haunted features belied the feigned poise.
Kal knew his father well enough. Arguing would be a fruitless venture. Nothing would change his father's mind. He hated when Jor-El so stubbornly made up his mind.
"Ruce?" Kal asked, looking towards his old friend for help.
The man nodded, knowing the unvoiced question immediately. "I'll come with you."
"Thanks." Kal shot a pleading look at his father.
"All right," Jor-El relented. "Come on."
"I'll report back as soon as I have more information," Bilan swore.
Jor-El nodded his assent. Then, trailed by Kal and Ruce, he left the area. As they retreated, Kal threw a forlorn look over his shoulder. Bilan's team was diligently combing the area, looking for the slightest clue. Many were on their knees, attempting to make some sort of sense out of the trampled mess of snow. Kal trusted them completely. And yet, he would have given anything to be with them, helping. He felt utterly useless, knowing that he was headed back to the palace to await further word. He knew that the waiting would be one of the hardest things that he would ever have to do.
An hour later, Kal found himself back in the palace. He was in his father's private study, pacing before the large windows. A nervous energy gripped him, though he felt bone-weary in every way. He could not force himself to sit still. He was a caged animal, a stalking wildcat, though no bars imprisoned him. On some primal level, he felt as though sitting down would somehow bring him further and further away from finding his family's abductors. He knew the idea was ludicrous, and yet, he could not shake it. He looked towards his father and lines of concern creased his brow.
Jor-El was standing before the rightmost window. His right shoulder was pressed into the window's frame as he leaned against it and gazed out into the black night beyond. The twin moons had long since set. But stars twinkled overhead, a multitude of distant diamonds set into the heavens. Kal had always sought comfort in the familiar sight. Now, they seemed cold and unfeeling, oblivious to the pain in his heart. Jor-El held a cup of tea in his hand as he absently stared out into nothingness. The drink had long since gone cold, but he clutched the mug as though it were his only lifeline. His finger tapped incessantly against the side of the black mug. It was the only move that the Supreme Lord made. The rest of him was alarmingly still, as though he were nothing more than a disturbingly lifelike sculpture.
To the side, Ruce sat slumped in an oversized armchair. The red crushed velvet seemed to swallow up even his muscular form. His eyes were riveted to the deep red carpet on the floor. His right hand stroked and rubbed his chin without pause. He looked every bit as haggard as Jor-El did. He looked every bit as terrified as Kal felt.
No one spoke. It was as though they had all gone both deaf and mute. The very air in the room seemed somehow heavy and oppressive. Kal felt as though it was a physical weight against his body. And though the room was more than spacious, he could not help but to feel claustrophobic. That set his pacing to an even greater urgency. At every pass of the wall clock, he glanced over to check the time. All the while, he had to bite back the terrified tears that had taken up residence in his eyes. Every once in a while, he would nearly lose the battle. His vision would become obscured as he tried to see through a prism of unshed tears, and he'd have to wipe them away with a trembling hand.
Two hours later, there was a soft knock on the door. But within the study, it was so dead quiet that the knock sounded as loud as gunfire. All three men in the room started at the unexpected noise; so accustomed they had become to the uneasy silence. Each rap of knuckles against wood brought simultaneous hope and dread to Kal's destroyed heart. He stopped his pacing in mid-step. He glanced over at his father again. The Supreme Lord had the same dueling emotions of hope and fear written on his face. He stared at the door, but did not move. He looked incapable of speech. Kal dutifully moved to the door and opened it.
A disheveled and exhausted looking Bilan Hend'son entered the room along with Par Whyt, the Public Relations Manager for the palace.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, my lords," the Chief of Security apologized. His gaze did not meet theirs. "I know it is late."
Kal's heart bled anew. This was not good news, he instinctively knew.
"Nonsense," Jor-El said, his voice thick with dread and exhaustion. "What have you found?"
"Nothing yet, my lord," the man said, his voice slightly quivering with his unease.
"Nothing?" the Supreme Lord repeated, as though unable to comprehend the word.
Bil shook his head. "I'm afraid there's no trace left behind. At least, none that we've been able to uncover yet. It may be that we might have better luck once the sun is up. My men have their orders. We've cordoned off the entire area so that no one can enter and tamper with the scene. I've posted guards to ensure that no one comes near to the place, as unlikely as that prospect is. We'll start fresh at first light, if it pleases you."
"Yes, yes. Of course."
Bil hesitated for a moment. He looked ready to say something else, but it was clear that he was biting his tongue.
"Yes? What else is there?" Jor-El asked with a sigh. He looked nearly ready to collapse.
Bil and Par shared a brief glance. But, though the look lasted only a second, an entire conversation took place within it.
"My lord, I know that it is late. I know that you must be exhausted. But we must give thought to how we are going to handle this," Par said gently. "The public will demand an explanation for what happened during the festival."
"We need an official story," Kal said, understanding immediately.
His tongue felt leaden as he spoke the words. He slumped into a second overstuffed armchair, across from Ruce. He felt completely drained, now that Bil had admitted to finding no evidence of who had stolen the prince's loved ones. His stomach twisted into knots and he fought down the taste of bile in the back of his throat.
Jor-El took a seat on the black leather couch in the room. He motioned for Bilan and Par to do the same. The two men did as they were bid. They both wore looks of apprehension on their faces, though the Supreme Lord had never once done anything to cause them to fear him. But, Kal knew, never before had the two men been in such an extraordinary circumstance.
Jor-El seemed to be weighing his words, and everyone waited for what he would say. "I'm torn," he finally said.
"Torn, my lord?" Par asked.
Jor-El nodded. "We need to tell people the truth of what happened. I'm just torn on how much we should actually say."
"Dad?" Kal asked. "Shouldn't we admit the whole truth?"
"I'm not sure that is the wisest course of action," his father replied thoughtfully. "We will let the people know there was an attack during the Winter's Deep festival. Word about that will have spread by now, regardless. We will give them the details on what happened - that it took place as the music began, that gas canisters were thrown into the crowd, and that black-suited and masked suspects were seen at the time of the attack."
"And what about the fact that they abducted your children?" Ruce asked gently.
The Supreme Lord sighed wearily. "I'm not sure if it is wise to let the planet know about that."
"What?" Kal demanded, aghast. "How could it possibly be a bad thing? Maybe someone saw something. Maybe someone knows what happened. Shouldn't we be spreading the word and encouraging people to step forward with any information that they have?"
"Yes," Jor-El admitted. "But there are risks to that. What if we get inundated with false leads? We'd be wasting precious time."
"That's better than sitting here spinning our wheels fruitlessly," Kal argued. "Right now, we have zero leads."
"What if we cause the kidnappers to get spooked?" Jor-El said softly, his eyes dropping to his lap.
"What do you mean?" Kal asked.
"I mean, what if asking the public for information scares the people that have Ching, Zara, Jai, and Lois? What will they do? Will they panic and hurt...or kill...them? I'm not willing to take that chance."
"What if they do that anyway, Dad? Are you willing to risk their lives?"
"Of course not." Jor-El sighed again. His hand raked through his salt and pepper hair, in a perfect mirror to his son's habit.
"Both are risky paths, my lord," Bil said gently. "But we must decide on a course soon. We should get the information out to the public in time for the morning's news reports."
"What course would you take, if it was your child's life on the line?" the Supreme Lord asked, looking and sounding as vulnerable as a child himself.
Bil sighed and thought carefully. "I think...I think that I would put the information out there. But I would word it carefully. I wouldn't use the word abducted...at least, not yet. Whoever has your children must want something from you. Let us be patient and see what it is that they want. Sooner or later, they will seek us out. I'm sure of that."
"I won't just sit here and wait to have demands made of me," Jor-El argued. "Too much is at stake."
"It may be our only choice," Bilan said sympathetically. "We may not find any clues at the scene of the attack, even with daylight on our side."
"So what would you say then?" Kal asked, growing impatient.
Bilan looked towards Par. The Public Relations Manager squirmed uneasily in his seat.
"Well," Par said after a moment. "We could say that the young lords and ladies went missing in the attack. I think Bil's right in reserving the word abducted until we know more. We could ask the public to keep an eye out and to report anything that they might have seen to us."
"The military will help," Kal swore, his mind racing. "I'll talk to a few of my buddies to make up a plan to search for them. Send them the gas canisters. I'm sure someone must know something about them."
"Yes," Jor-El said, looking determined once more. "Tell them they have my permission to tear apart the entire planet if they need to. So long as they find my children."
"We can't use them all," Ruce said thoughtfully. "We can't leave the palace undefended. What if this abduction is part of some greater plan?"
"You think it's a diversion?" Kal asked, the thought taking him off-guard.
Ruce shrugged and shook his head. "I don't know. It's possible."
"Good point. I'll have the First through Fifth Legions put on protection detail."
Jor-El nodded his approval. "Exactly what I would suggest," he said. "Par, I want the information posted in every public place and delivered to every private home by dawn. Can you do it?"
Par nodded determinedly. "It'll be a close one, but my staff can do it."
"Good. Let's get started," the Supreme Lord said.
"I won't fail you, my lord," Par swore, taking his leave.
"My lords, you've been through a lot tonight," Bil said, his usually stoic voice thick with pain for the Supreme Lord and prince. "Let me contact the military leaders for you. You have enough on your minds."
"I'd appreciate that, my friend," Jor-El said.
"We'll find them," the Chief of Security vowed.
"I hope so," Jor-El replied, his gaze shifting to the windows, out into the darkness beyond the glass. "I can't lose them."
Bil stood and silently made his way out of the room. Ruce also stood. He crossed to Kal's side and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. With a gentle squeeze, he tried to reassure the prince. Kal looked up at him, his brown eyes glossy behind a sheen of unshed tears. And yet, despite his pain, there was genuine gratitude held within those soft brown orbs.
"Kal, if there's anything I can do, don't hesitate to call me. Day or night, I'll be there for you. Even if it's in the middle of the night and you just need a friendly ear. You know that, right?"
"Of course I do," Kal said, managing a weak smile for his friend. "And thanks."
"Anytime," Ruce assured him.
With that, the young noble exited the room, leaving Kal and his father alone. Kal ran his hand through his hair and sighed in despair. The silence in the room was oppressive, making Kal more uncomfortable. Part of him wished that Ruce had stayed. And yet, the greater part of him was grateful to be alone with his father. He'd tried so hard to keep his tears in. Now, perhaps, he would finally have the opportunity to shed some of them in private.
The Supreme Lord stood from his seat and paced to the window. As he had before, he leaned into the window frame, looking out at the sleeping planet that he ruled over. Kal watched in silence, looking for something to say. But every time he tried to open his mouth, a lump formed in his throat, rendering him speechless.
"Kal," Jor-El said, his voice sounding years older than he truly was.
The prince was instantly on his feet and at his father's side.
"We'll find them," Kal said, echoing Bilan's promise.
"My son. Oh, my son," Jor-El said, hugging Kal close. "I'm so glad that at least you are safe. My heart couldn't bear it if you had been taken too."
"I'm here," Kal said, holding his father close and rubbing soothing circles on the older man's back. "I'm here. I'm safe."
"I'm terrified for your brothers," Jor-El said. Kal felt the first of his father's tears splash onto his neck as they fell. "And for Zara and Lois. I've failed them."
"No," Kal said, a hitch in his voice. Only once before had he ever seen his father shed tears, when Lara, his one great love, had passed away. It unnerved Kal to see the strong, gentle ruler of Krypton reduced to a sobbing, heartbroken man. "You haven't failed them."
"I have," Jor-El said, clutching his son still. "I should have done...something. Anything to prevent this from happening."
"You couldn't have known," Kal said gently. "None of us did."
He knew that Jor-El had a tendency to blame himself for things, even when they were not his fault. He knew also that until Ching, Zara, Jai, and Lois were found, his father would obsess over what he saw as some failure on his part. As though he should have been able to see into the future to prevent this tragedy from happening. As though he were some sort of superhero that should have been able to swoop in and save the day.
With a sudden start, Kal knew this to be true of himself as well.
He felt as though he should have been there. He felt that he never should have left Lois' side. He'd failed to keep his wife safe. He'd failed to protect his brothers. He'd failed to defend Zara. Shame burned Kal's heart. Logically, he knew that he should believe the very things that he was telling his father. Logically, he knew that there was probably nothing he could have done to alter the outcome of events. Being with the others would have only gotten him captured as well. It was a struggle to remind himself that his freedom now gave him the ability to find out who had taken his loved ones. And when he did find where they were, he would rescue them. He would make sure that the guilty parties paid for their crimes.
But for now, he had to be a rock for his father. He had to be a pillar of strength for the Supreme Lord to lean on. He was the only one that Jor-El had now.
"What if we don't find them?" Jor-El said, unashamedly airing his fears. "What if something happens to them?"
"We'll find them," Kal said again. "We've got to."
His voice broke as his own tears finally began to fall. For a long time, they both stayed as they were. They clung to one another, each the other's only lifeline to the world. Both men let their tears flow, unchecked. Neither one spoke another word. They didn't have to. They didn't have the strength to.
It was just before dawn when Kal finally collapsed into the armchair in the study and fell into a troubled sleep.
To Be Continued...
