Previously On Contractually Bound (Chapter 15):
Kal leaned his head against the high back of his chair. His entire body felt numb and heavy. All of his energy had bled out of his body the second he read the ransom note. The demands were ridiculous; Kal was well aware of that. And yet, he would gladly pay any price to ensure that the others were safe. He'd give his own life if he had to. But, in this situation, he had the nagging gut instinct that this was a trap. Something told him that the abductors did not mean to follow through with their end of the bargain.
Kal closed his eyes in thought, the lids feeling too weighty to keep open. And though he did not mean to, for a short time, he dozed. He dreamed a little, a series of nightmarish flashes that seared through his fear-drenched brain like jagged bolts of lightning.
He was back at the tournament. Jak handing his drei to him. Lord Nor standing opposite him, battle-ready and hungry for Kal's blood. Dreis clashing in midair. Explosions of pain as Kal's body suffered blows at Nor's skilled hand. Fighting back and gaining the upper hand. Nor laid out on his back in the short green grass. Kicking Nor's drei away. The Master of the Tournament declaring Kal the victor. Kal reaching down to help Nor to his feet. The murderous look of hatred held within Nor's eyes. No. More than just hatred. Vengefulness.
Kal's eyes snapped open, the tattered remnants of his nightmare clinging to the edges of his mind. He gulped in a large lungful of air, calming his racing heart. But he knew. His dreams had not been just dreams. His subconscious mind had been showing him what he had missed so many months prior.
In an instant, Kal knew, without a shred of doubt, who had plotted against his family.
***
Hatching A Plot
"That's it!" Kal said, his voice taking on an excited edge as he tried to shake off the images his dreams had stirred up. "That has to be it."
But the room around the young prince was empty. His father was nowhere in sight. He stood and stretched, wondering where the Supreme Lord was. Kal felt himself suddenly recharged, however. His depleted energy levels had been topped off while his dreams had shown him what his waking mind had been blind to. The steel-stiffness of his depressed body fell away. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, powering his limbs in a way that he'd only ever felt in a battle before.
He knew that Lord Nor had his family; knew it with absolute certainty, though he had no hard proof. And Kal was determined to get them back.
He needed a plan in order for that to happen though. And he needed help. This was one battle he knew he could not fight alone. He began to pace as thoughts surged through his racing mind. He could almost feel the rapid firing of his synapses as he tried to slow his thoughts enough to make sense of them all. Pacing didn't seem to help any. If anything, it only seemed to fuel his brain into an even greater frenzy.
He knew that he needed to find his father. Needed to find Bilan. Needed, perhaps, even to seek out the friends that he had in Krypton's military. But would anyone believe him?
In the next moment, Kal left his father's study, completely focused on what he had to do. He stalked through the halls of the palace, like a wildcat searching for prey. His mind was entirely fixed on the knowledge that Nor had been the kidnapper. And, Kal knew, in all likelihood, so were Ran and Drull. The three brothers were rarely apart. What one did, the others almost always did as well.
His eyes saw nothing except Lord Nor's murderous, vengeful eyes. His ears heard nothing except distant echoes of sound from those he passed in the halls. As if spoken through layers of heavy cotton, the words directed at him were muddled and muffled until they were no longer intelligible and no longer had the power to divert his attention. He was only dimly aware that he was no longer on the tournament field, though his mind imprisoned him back on the field on that fair fall afternoon. He nodded distractedly as he walked, some tiny part of his mind registering the servants he was passing.
He was only pulled to full attention when he came across Gen Arry, one of Bilan's most trusted security officers. The man was on a patrol of the palace when Kal found him. He bowed when he saw the prince making a beeline for him.
"My lord," Gen said respectfully.
"Gen," Kal said, trying to muster up a smile for the man and knowing that he was failing miserably. "Have you seen my father?"
Gen nodded. "I saw him not ten minutes ago heading to the main receiving hall."
"The main receiving hall?" Kal echoed, wondering aloud. "For what?"
"Begging your pardon, my lord, but I don't know."
Kal shook his head. "Thanks, Gen. You've actually been a great help. I appreciate it."
The royal prince quickened his step as he changed course, picking out the swiftest route to where his father would be. As he rushed through the palace, his mind began to work anew. What could his father want in the main hall? Had he chosen to give in to Nor's demands?
He shook his head again. His father would never do that without having Kal at his side. And although Jor-El feared what might happen to his children if they failed to comply with the ransom demands, Kal felt sure that the Supreme Lord was resolute on allowing Bil's team more time to try and find Ching and the others.
After what felt like a year of half-walking, half-running through the halls, Kal was finally in sight of the main hall. He reached the doors in record time, throwing them wide as he burst into the room, breathless. What he saw stopped him dead in his tracks. He wondered why that thought hadn't occurred to him before.
Jor-El stood talking with a small group of people. Kal needed only a split second to identify them. Lord Ra, Zara's esteemed father. Samm, Elle, and Luci Lyne, Lois' family.
It made perfect sense, Kal thought to himself, as he forced his legs to propel him forward once more. Why wouldn't the women's loved ones be with them now? Kal had been so preoccupied with his own worries that he'd quite forgotten Zara and Lois' families. The thought shamed him.
Still, he kept his head held high as he crossed the room. Jor-El broke off whatever he was saying to Lord Ra as soon as he heard the doors to the chamber open. He waved Kal forward. It was all that Kal could do to retain a dignified pace. He wanted to run screaming through the room that he knew who had their loved ones. But now that he had found his father, the idea seemed absurd to him; that a dream had given him the answers his waking mind hadn't been able to figure out. And yet, as bizarre as the idea now sounded to his mind, he knew that his father would listen to every word. He knew that his father would take him seriously. He only hopped the others would as well.
Luci Lyne broke away from the loose group of nobles. She headed straight towards Kal, for in the few brief times that they had met, the two had instantly gotten along. Samm Lyne called for his youngest daughter to come back, but the girl was heedless of her father's wishes. Kal picked up his pace to meet her, and engulfed her in his arms as soon as the distance between them had vanished. Luci was crying; tears stained her cheeks and her eyes were red and glassy. Boldly and unashamedly, she hugged the prince tightly and sobbed on his shoulder.
"Kal," she worked out between heaving sighs, "I'm so afraid."
"Me too," he admitted, his voice a whisper in her ear as he held her. "But I promise, I will do everything in my power to make sure that your sister is found, safe and sound. All right?"
"Who could have done this?" she replied, sniffling.
Kal knew the question hadn't been directed solely at him. Luci's tone suggested that she was asking anyone and anything around them. He rubbed her back a few times, trying to impart some fraction of comfort to her.
"That's what we're going to find out for certain," he vowed.
Luci pulled back and studied his face. "Thanks," she said, giving him a trembling smile.
Kal returned the smile with a tiny one of his own, hoping the gesture would further console the girl. Then he crossed the rest of the room, Luci by his side.
"Samm. Elle. My Lord Ra," he said, greeting each of them in turn. "We need to talk."
"I've just been telling them all that we know," Jor-El said, "little though it is."
"Can we sit down?" Kal asked, looking around the room. "Not here. Someplace more private."
"Is something wrong?" Jor-El asked, noting his son's unease.
"I think I might know who the abductors are," Kal replied in a hushed tone. "But I don't want to speak of it in the open. We already know that Jen Mai was a traitor and a spy. I don't know who else might be."
There was no one else in the room except for their small group. But that did nothing to alleviate the prince's sudden worry.
"My private chambers then," Jor-El said, nodding. "A wise call, Kal."
Kal could only nod back as his mind started to race once more. Together, the group of lords and ladies cut a path through the palace to the Supreme Lord's private living quarters. Jor-El bid them all to take a seat in his large living room. But Kal's nervous energy refused to allow him rest. He paced before the floor to ceiling windows, though he never once looked out over the view it afforded him of the snow and ice covered gardens, once so beautiful to his eyes but now seeming grotesque and misshapen.
Jor-El quietly closed the door to his chambers, after alerting one of the palace security guards that they were not to be disturbed unless by Bilan Hend'son himself. The guard nodded his understanding, then moved off down the hall to patrol. Satisfied, the Supreme Lord turned, crossed the room, and lowered himself into his favorite chair.
"Now then," he said, clearing his throat. "Who is it that you believe did this, my son?"
Kal took a deep breath, like a diver about to plunge into a deep pool, then slowly released it. "Lord Nor and his brothers."
"Nor?" Jor-El repeated, as though unable to believe his ears. "Nor Uthor?"
The prince nodded. "I'm almost positive."
"How?" his father asked. "Have you come across some new evidence? Did Bil tell you something that he didn't tell me?" His voice was desperate, imploring Kal for some solid shred of evidence that could be used to justify a full-scale search of the Uthor's estate.
"No...not exactly," Kal stammered, now even more aware of how ludicrous his theory sounded. "I sort of...dreamed it." His face went crimson as he uttered the words, and he rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously.
"A...dream?" Jor-El asked, his prior hope deflating before his son's very eyes.
"I sort of...fell into a light doze earlier," Kal said, feeling ashamed of the admission, as he sank into a chair. "And I feel awful about that. I feel like I should have been doing...I don't know. Something more proactive. But when I was asleep, I kind of found myself back at the tournament that was held a few months ago. I could see the whole thing so clearly, in a way that I hadn't at the time. It was like the whole event was unfolding in slow motion. When I defeated Nor in the final duel, the way that he looked at me...I thought it was just hatred at first. But I know now that there was vengefulness in his eyes."
"So...my daughter is missing because...Lord Nor Uthor is upset with you for besting him in a duel?" Lord Ra asked gently, trying to puzzle out all of the pieces. He did not sound convinced, but his tone did not condemn Kal's words as fanciful imaginings, the way Kal had feared they would.
Kal shook his head. "No. At least, that's not his whole reason, though it wouldn't surprise me if it was a part of it. Nor holds grudges like you wouldn't believe. He's always hated that his father isn't the Supreme Lord. He's always despised the fact that there are no daughters in this family that he could have been promised to, thereby granting his family a toehold into the ruling family."
"And what of Lord Uthor himself?" Zara's father asked. Kal couldn't be sure if Lord Ra believed him yet, or if he was merely humoring him. "Do you believe that he is also involved?"
Kal shook his head again. "I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not. Lux has always been friendly with our family. He's even a friend of yours, my lord. I just don't know. And I won't know, until we bring in the whole family for questioning and search their estate."
"Lux can't have anything to do with it," Samm said with certainty in his voice. "He wouldn't dare harm Lois. His son, Nor, is promised to Luci."
Kal couldn't help it as his jaw crashed to the floor. He stared at the good doctor, wide-eyed and unblinking. His entire body went rigid as his blood turned to ice and froze in his veins. A ghostly, imagined dagger stabbed at his heart and twisted there, causing further agony. His mind skidded to a halt and, for once, he was incapable of forming a single thought. With an effort, he closed his mouth again.
"What?" he asked, hoping that he'd heard wrong somehow.
"I'm not proud of it," Samm admitted sheepishly. "You see, Nor's birth-wife died in the Red Fever epidemic. For whatever reason, Lux didn't arrange another one right away. But when we were expecting Luci, Lord Uthor approached me and offered his son up as Luci's birth-husband. I saw a good opportunity to secure a prosperous future for her, and accepted the contract that Lux produced. I realize now that I made a mistake. And I wish to Rao that I hadn't done it. But the contract is iron-clad, the same as yours to Lois. I can't undo it. Believe me, I've tried."
Kal felt himself growing ill at Samm's confession, felt as if the entire room had been slanted to one side, felt himself sliding closer to some vast, ominous abyss. He couldn't blame his old friend. There couldn't have been a way for Samm to know that Nor would grow up to be a sociopath. But his stomach roiled all the same. His head rang with phantom warning bells; a clamor of alarm and fear and an intense desire to protect the young girl seated before him.
"I'm sorry," Kal uttered, unsure if he was expressing sympathy to Luci, asking Samm's forgiveness for opening that particular can of worms, or merely speaking as a way to hold onto his tenuous grip on reality.
"Kal," Jor-El said, looking his son in the eye, and jarring him back to the present. "These are serious accusations. You are accusing the Uthors of treason of the highest level. This isn't something we can treat lightly." There was no reproach in his voice, only an earnest hope that Kal knew the gravity of what he was saying.
"I know," the prince returned evenly and with all seriousness. "You know that I would never say anything unless I was more than one hundred percent certain. I know I don't have any actual, physical proof. And I know how absurd it all sounds. I can't explain it. But I know that I'm right. Please, you have to believe me."
"I do," the Supreme Lord sighed gently. "I know that, in your heart, you believe that you're right."
"I am right," Kal insisted. "And we're wasting time sitting here discussing it when we should be coming up with a plan to get our loved ones back."
"What did you have in mind?" Elle asked. She hadn't yet said anything, but now that she did, her words silenced the young prince for a long moment.
He shook his head again, trying to loosen his tongue, now that it had gone leaden. "I don't know yet. We could send a contingent of military officers to the Uthor estate to check things out. But without hard proof of wrongdoing, Lux has every right to turn them away. And I don't want to risk tipping Nor off that we're on to him."
"That's even if Nor has them stashed on his father's estate," Lord Ra said thoughtfully. "The Uthors have more than one estate and several buildings scattered all over this planet. And, they have Jen Mai on their side. He has far too many contacts. Who knows who else might be enticed by the thought of an easy victory?"
"Another good point," Kal conceded.
"But..." Elle said thoughtfully. All eyes turned to her. "Wouldn't it look strange if they suddenly just took off to one of their other homes, just as the royal family is abducted?"
"It would," Jor-El nodded, a tiny flicker of hope skittering over his features.
"What if we sent someone to the Uthors' estate?" Luci asked. "Someone innocent looking. Just to check things out."
"We can't risk them knowing that we're on to them," Lord Ra said, sounding much more inclined to listen to Kal's theory now. "They may hurt our loved ones...or worse."
"If they're even the ones to have them," Samm added gloomily.
"Luci's right though," Kal said after a moment. "We could possibly send someone over there...under another guise."
"Like what?" Jor-El asked.
"I don't know. Maybe someone looking for Lord Uthor's help in the search." He ran his hand through his hair as he thought.
"Or maybe someone in disguise," Luci offered. "Someone to poke around right under their noses, without the Uthors being aware they are even there."
Kal's entire face lit up. "That's not a bad idea. In fact, it's a great idea."
Jor-El looked dubious. "Breaking and entering?" he asked quietly. "It would be one thing if we had any sort of hard evidence..."
"It's not breaking and entering if the Uthors allow them to walk inside their estate," Elle offered, shrugging.
"Exactly," Kal said, nodding excitedly. He stood and began to pace again, and his hands flew as the words tumbled out of his mouth. "Lord Uthor always has a security detail patrolling his estate, ever since that group of drunk commoners tried to break in...nine or ten years ago. All I would need to do is disguise myself as one of the officers, and I could slip in unnoticed. I'm sure of it. Meanwhile, we can station some of our guys a discreet distance away. One call for help, once we have proof, and we'll have them."
"No." Jor-El's voice was soft, yet it rendered every tongue stiff and every vocal cord mute.
Kal shook his head. "No?" he asked after a long moment.
"No. This plan of yours...I admit that it has merit. So much so, that I am inclined to follow it through. But...you will not be the one to do this."
"I have to be the one," Kal insisted grimly. "I've been in the Uthors' manor before. I know my way around it. How many of our security officers can say the same thing?"
The Supreme Lord shook his head. "I said no. There must be another that we can send to do this task."
Kal balled his fists. "I need to be the one," he said again. "I won't ask someone else to put their life on the line for my family."
"And I will not allow you to put your life on the line," Jor-El said, his temper flaring in his worry. "If all is as you say, then Lord Nor isn't to be trusted. What if he discovered what you were up to? If he is capable of kidnapping my children and threatening me with their deaths, do you really think he would hesitate to harm or kill you as well? Look at how badly he wounded you in the duel, under what should have been friendly circumstances." His voice softened a notch. "I can't lose you, Kal. I just can't."
Kal opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it again. He could hardly breathe around the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. His father was pallid white, all of the blood drained from his face. Never before had his father been so scared before. The look on the Supreme Lord's face went beyond terror to some new dimension of fear, so vast, so uncharted, so unexplored that there was no word for the depth of fright that was written in the man's features. Kal's heart bled anew for his father.
"Dad..."
"No," Jor-El firmly repeated. "I will not lose you. I will speak with Bilan, and ask him to find someone well suited to the task."
"How soon can we get this going?" Samm asked, fidgeting in his seat. "Kal's right about one thing. We're wasting valuable time."
Jor-El nodded thoughtfully, though distractedly. Kal knew his father was still worried about his insistence that he be the one to go undercover into the Uthors' estate. Kal avoided his father's gaze, and instead, studied the plush crimson carpeting on the floor.
The Supreme Lord rose from his chair even as Kal sat back down in his. With a few long strides, Jor-El crossed the room. He picked up his phone and had Bil on the other end just a few short heartbeats later. He instructed the man to come to his chambers, alone, and with all speed.
Bil must have been close by, for less than fifteen minutes later, there was a soft knock on the door. Jor-El admitted the man into his chambers. The Chief of Security looked even worse to Kal's eyes than he had that morning. It seemed a miracle that he was still on his feet. His eyes were bloodshot and half drooping, staring at everything but seeming to see right through the world. His hands twitched and trembled. Kal guessed that Bil's jitteriness came either from a lack of sleep, far too much coffee, or a twisted combination of both. As he had earlier, Kal felt a stab of sympathy for the man.
"My lords and my ladies," Bil said, greeting them all in a voice that was thick, tired, and heavy with worry.
"Bil," Jor-El greeted him. "Come in. Come in. Take a seat."
Bil did as he was bid, taking Kal's seat after much prodding from the prince. The Chief of Security sank down into the overstuffed armchair with a sigh. Kal wondered when the man had last sat down. He looked bone-weary and on the verge of collapse.
"I don't have many new updates to report," the man said, casting his eyes to the floor. "I am so terribly sorry. But we did track down the gas canisters."
"And?" Jor-El asked, his entire being perking up the slightest bit.
Bil shook his head. "There isn't much to go on. They were stolen from the armory. It must have been last night, before the festival. We tracked down everyone with access to it, but they all still have their key cards."
"And can we account for where these people were when the canisters were stolen?" Jor-El asked.
Bil nodded. "Unfortunately, we can. Everyone was either at the festival or at their own homes surrounded by guests. Every single one of them has an alibi."
"So someone...short circuited the locks?" Kal asked.
Bil nodded again. "Only long enough to take what they wanted. The locks were reset afterwards, which is why no one thought to check to see if anything was missing."
"And they only took the canisters?" Samm asked, unable to hold his tongue.
"It looks to be that way," the Chief of Security confirmed. "I'm sorry that I don't have better news."
The Supreme Lord shook his head. "I know you've been working hard," he said, his voice gentle and understanding, despite the fleeting look of disappointment that flashed across his features. "We all appreciate your efforts. But my son thinks he may have a lead."
Bil's exhausted eyes snapped open, wide and staring. "Oh?" he asked.
Jor-El nodded. "Tell him, Kal."
Encouraged, Kal related his entire tale from the start. Bil listened intently, all his focus on the prince's words. He nodded thoughtfully as Kal spoke, though he did not interrupt to ask questions. He simply waited until Kal was done speaking, then carefully examined each piece of information that had been offered up. Once Bil was certain of all that Kal had said, the prince laid out the tentative plans they had come up with.
"It's a risky plan," Bil finally said, rubbing his chin, after a long silence blanketed the room. It had taken him a few minutes to digest everything that had been discussed. "But...I like it. We can get this going right away. I'll need some time to assemble a team, and to get the logistics down. But...we should be able to get this done tonight."
"It must be done tonight," Jor-El countered. "We're running out of time. The note that was sent to me...I do not wish to see if they are bluffing. I won't risk my children's lives."
"And we'll need time just in case Nor, Ran, and Drull aren't the abductors," Lord Ra said, shooting Kal an apologetic look.
Kal nodded back, not offended by the man's remark. Although he knew in his heart that he was right about Nor, he also knew he had to be open to the possibility that he could be mistaken.
Jor-El stood and moved to one of the bookshelves that lined the far wall of his living room. He reached out, almost blindly, and plucked a map from the cherry-colored wooden unit, so familiar he was with his books. He brought it to the coffee table, unfolding it as he walked. He placed it down, smoothing out the creases where the paper had been folded. Bil studied the map silently, though he nodded to himself, in response to some inner dialogue that he did not share with the rest.
Kal tried to be patient. But every second that Bilan did not speak was pure torture, like a knife thrust into his guts and twisted around, tightening them as it continued to move. It was all Kal could do to remain still, standing just behind the man's left shoulder, looking at the map as Bil's finger lightly traced a line here or tapped a spot there.
At last, mercifully, Bil spoke. "This will work," he declared, the faintest hint of a pleased smile tugging at the far corners of his mouth. It was, Kal thought, the happiest look he'd ever seen on the overly stoic man's face before. "I'll place troops here, along the eastern edge of the Uthor estate. This line of trees and brush will conceal them a bit, though it would be better if it wasn't winter and everything was in bloom. Still, we can make this work. I'll have some men patrolling here in the south as a decoy. To draw their eye elsewhere. We'll send in one, maybe two men to have a look around."
Jor-El nodded his approval, a slight look of relief ghosting over his face. He let out a heavy sigh that spoke of how glad he was to be doing something proactive. Kal's feelings matched those of his father.
"Do it," the Supreme Lord instructed.
"At once," Bil said, standing. He seemed to be completely recharged by the turn of events, all prior weariness gone from his body, as though it had never been.
"If they find nothing..." Jor-El said, letting his voice trail off.
"We'll pull the men out of there right away," Bil agreed, finishing his lord's thought.
"And if they do find something?" Samm asked.
"We'll have the men secure the area while we move the rest of the troops into position. We'll take Lord Nor and anyone else we find, place them under arrest, and question them until we can sort this whole mess out. In the meantime, the rest of the men that we have will continue to search other places, just to cover all our bases." He stopped and cleared his throat. "For the time being, my lords and ladies, I suggest that you stay within the confines of the palace. There is no telling what else may happen."
Jor-El nodded. "I want you to arrange a security detail to guard each of our personal chambers. I'll have the staff prepare the guest rooms for you," he said, looking at Lord Ra and the Lynes. He shifted his eyes back to Bil. "Ensure that a careful watch is kept on my son's chambers. He is not to leave them for any reason."
"Dad!" Kal sputtered in disbelief.
"I'm sorry, Kal. But until this threat is over, you are confined to your quarters. I want to be extra careful that you stay out of trouble." He gave his son a knowing look.
"I want to help!"
"This isn't up for discussion," Jor-El said sharply. "I cannot lose you."
Kal reluctantly nodded. The stark, naked fear on his father's face was like a bucket of ice water thrown directly into the prince's face. Jor-El was terrified that Kal would find a way to put himself in danger. The Supreme Lord was petrified of having all three of his sons taken from him. So he was exercising the only power that was left to him, mistrustful that the headstrong young prince would ignore his wishes.
"As you...wish," Kal managed to choke out, remorse peppering every word.
Jor-El sighed. "Thank you," he whispered.
Unable to speak, Kal only nodded, then quietly left the room. Bil was on his tail as he went, stopping only to instruct two of the palace security guards to escort the prince to his living quarters. Then the Chief of Security turned down a different section of hall, all but running in his haste. Kal, on the other hand, walked slowly. His limbs felt sluggish, as though he were attempting to walk through some vast, unseen wall of syrup. The very air around him seemed to protest his every footstep even as it crashed against him, threatening to squeeze out the very breath from his lungs. Anger and fear dueled within him. He felt a cold knot twist in his stomach and he could taste the coppery tang of it in his mouth, like that of blood.
He was aware of the looks that the staff gave him as he passed; glimpses of pity and raw fear laid unashamedly open on every face. No one tried to stop him to offer a word of condolence. No one made so much as a halting step forward. Kal sighed inwardly. He couldn't imagine how grim and pained his face must have looked. And his security detail wasn't helping things. He tried to remember when the last time had been that he'd had security tailing him, but remained unsuccessful. Krypton was such a stable planet. There had never been fear of any rebellions, uprisings, wars, or takeovers from neighboring planets, not for at least a thousand years or so.
Kal frowned as he reached the corridor where he and his brothers had their chambers. He slowed his step, then halted before Jai's door. Behind him, the two security officers took two more strides that blended together, then stopped and waited for his lead. Kal gulped around the lump in his throat, then reached out and touched the shiny brass doorknob that lead to his younger sibling's chambers.
"I'm going to take care of my brothers' cats," he informed his escorts, without so much as a backwards glance over his shoulder.
He knew that he was stalling for time. His brothers' personal attendants could always step into the chambers to ensure that the cats had enough fresh food and water. But Kal would have done anything to prolong being shut up in his quarters. He took a deep breath, twisted the knob, and stepped over the threshold into Jai's rooms.
He made his work short, aware that if he took too long, his guards would, in all likelihood, come looking for him. And Kal didn't want that. He wanted a moment alone. When he finished, he moved on to Ching and Zara's rooms and repeated the same series of tasks. Scooping a generous helping of dry food pellets into the cat's dish. Dumping out the water and replacing it with fresh, cold water. Cleaning the cat's litter box. Petting the animal so that it didn't feel so lonely.
It was eerie, to be in his brothers' quarters without them there with him. The rooms were too quiet, too still. It made them all but unrecognizable. A chill ran up the prince's spine and an even greater heaviness settled onto his already squashed and struggling heart. He wondered distractedly if it was possible for so much emotional weight to cause the overworked organ to literally falter and pop like an overripe fruit or overfilled balloon.
When he could no longer put off heading to his own chambers, Kal did so with his head hung, his chin resting on his chest. He saw only his feet as they plodded the remaining distance to his rooms. The resistance in the air was a force that threatened to turn him back. Every step forward left Kal wondering how on Krypton he'd managed to make any headway. His fingertips brushed the knob to his chambers and his stomach flip-flopped in his abdomen. Dread suffused every part of his mind and body. There had been a time, in the early days of his marriage, that the same feelings had washed over him every time he had reached his door. But never once had it been so soul-crushingly difficult to summon the willpower to grasp the handle and open the door.
Kal bit back the anguished cry that had begun to form in his throat. He fought off the shudder of dread that threatened to wrack his entire body. He inched his fingers forward so that their loveless caress of the metal allowed his palm to come to rest on the doorknob. He took a deep, calming breath and gathered his courage, aware, so painfully aware, of the eyes of the two security guards on his back. Their gazes were unwanted additions to the already overwhelming amount of weight he was carrying within his tattered heart and shredded soul. With an effort, he opened the door to his chambers, slipped inside, and shut the door behind him.
The silence within his chambers deafened him, staggered him, almost brought him to his knees. Kal leaned his back against the solid wood, glad, at the very least, for the barrier it provided between himself and his security detail. The closed door turned his chambers into a refuge and a prison simultaneously. He felt instantly relieved and claustrophobic, the two emotions fighting each other for dominance. In the end, loneliness won out, and fear. He sank to the floor, his back still to the door. He felt both drained and bursting with an overabundance of energy. He was lost, adrift on some immeasurable, volatile ocean of raging emotions, with no lifeboat, no driftwood to cling to, no life jacket to keep him afloat. And he was sinking, as surely as a stone tossed into a lake made its rapid descent to a permanent, watery grave.
Fasa sauntered over to him, stopping to yawn and stretch just before he was within Kal's reach. The cat meowed at him, eyes searching his master's face, as though he could read the emotions written upon it. The tabby came closer, until he finally climbed onto the prince's lap so that he could nuzzle Kal's face with his head. Kal obligingly scratched the cat behind his ears and under his chin, eliciting an immediate start to the cat's purring. But Kal took no notice, no joy, no comfort from the tabby's presence. He wanted only to know that his brothers, his sister-in-law, and his wife were safe. He wanted only for this nightmare to be just that, a nightmare relegated to the past, unreal and lacking the power to hurt him and his family in any way.
How long he sat there, propped against the wooden barrier between himself and his guards, Kal couldn't tell. Minutes, hours, days - time lost all meaning, all influence on his life. But eventually, he stood, letting Fasa scamper away from him as he did so. It amazed Kal that he hadn't shed a tear while he sat there. He wanted to, needed the sweet release that it offered, needed to unburden some of the painful weight that sat on his heart and in his chest, crushing him, driving the air from his lungs, slowly killing him as he struggled against it. But none would come, as though his entire body had gone completely dry, making it physically impossible for any moisture to pool in his eyes to spill wastefully down his cheeks.
He moved to the living room and began to pace before his windows. The short winter day was coming to a close beyond the massive windows, though the hour was still early enough. Only the barest rim of the horizon was still awash in a bold orange that stood defiant of the encroaching purple-black of night. Kal gave up pacing when he found that it only made him feel even more trapped than before. He looked after Fasa's needs, though the distraction was far too brief. He attempted to read, but after reading the same line ten times and still not knowing what it said, he gave up. He flipped through the channels on his video screen, but found the sudden influx of sound to be unsettling without Lois' presence to offset it. He flicked the monitor off again and tossed the remote to the far end of the couch. He went back to pacing.
He was trying to obey his father's wishes. He was attempting to place his faith in Bil and his team. He was doing his utmost to keep to his word that he would do as his father commanded - to stay within his chambers until the threat was over and the abductors brought to justice. But every moment spent doing nothing was agony, torture unlike anything that Kal had ever experienced. It clawed at him from the inside out, tearing his guts and organs into bloody shreds. It made him want to scream out in frustration, in hurt, in terror. It filled him with such adrenaline that made him feel as though he could move mountains, divert rivers, tear down walls, and fly into the heavens to snuff out the stars.
He tried to rationalize with himself. He tried to convince himself that Bil and his team would be successful. He tried to make himself see that there was nothing that he could do that the others could not. And yet, he knew, even as he thought these things, that they weren't true. His gut instinct told him that he was the one who needed to explore the Uthors' manor. He'd been there before. Not many others had. Lux was very particular about who he allowed into his home. Kal felt certain that his foreknowledge was an advantage that would mark the difference between the mission being a success or a failure.
Resolve grew in him. It washed over his body; a cleansing wave that took away his fear, took away his depression, took away his feeling of being hopelessly lost. It gave him a purpose, a reason to continue to fight. He knew what he had to do, though the knowledge filled him with guilt.
"I'm so sorry, Dad," he whispered to the empty, lifeless room around him, his voice barely audible to his own ears.
He crossed the room, then picked up his phone. His fingers glided easily over the buttons, without him even needing to guide them with a conscious thought. He listened as the phone sprang into life, dialing the one person he could trust. After a long moment, the other end picked up and Kal let out a soft sigh of relief.
"Ruce? It's me, Kal. I need your help."
To Be Continued...
