Lex opened a large soft-sided briefcase and dropped a handful of file folders in the bottom, then reached down to his desk drawer to pick up several more. He’d thought about taking only the ones he knew would incriminate him the most, but at the last moment he decided to take as many as he could and destroy those he didn’t need later. As long as he had the blackmail material on the state and local officials and judges, he could carve out a new life elsewhere.
A soft click told him that his office door had opened. He straightened up with the files in his hands and said, “It’s about time you got—”
He stopped when he saw, instead of Nigel or Mrs. Cox, someone he didn’t recognize holding a magnum revolver in his hand.
In a surprisingly high and thin voice, the young man said, “Don’t put the files down, Lex. Just keep holding them.”
“Young man—”
“If you drop those files I will shoot you.”
The voice didn’t match the image of a LexCorp parking attendant despite the uniform. “Who are you?”
He pulled his cap off and tossed it away with his left hand. “You mean you don’t recognize the woman you claim to love, Lex? I’m completely devastated.”
It wasn’t a young man. It was a woman – Lois?
This was Lois?
He stared, open-mouthed, as she yanked the fake mustache from her upper lip, flinching as she did so. Without the cap and with an unobstructed view of her face, he realized that it was, indeed, Lois Lane pointing a pistol at his chest.
“What – Lois? What are you doing?”
“To use Nigel’s phrase, I’m climbing the food chain. And guess who I find as the apex predator?” She lifted the pistol and aimed it at his head. “I find you.”
He took a deep breath and held it for a long moment before letting it out slowly.
Upon reflection, perhaps Nigel was correct in his assessment of Lois as a threat instead of being a potential asset. He didn’t know how she’d breached his security and entered his office without being stopped, but he was certain he could talk her out of doing him any harm.
He began a turn toward his desk so he could put the files down. “Lois, my dear, let me explain what – “
She pulled the hammer back on the pistol and quick-stepped around the desk for a clear field of fire. “I told you not to let those files go, Lex. You drop them and I will shoot you. And this time I don’t think I’ll aim for an arm or a foot.”
He froze in place, the stack of files just inches from the desktop. He could drop them and snatch his favorite thirty-two caliber gold-plated semi-auto pistol out of his desk within a second. But if Lois was speaking the truth and not just trying to alarm him, she’d have time to shoot him at least twice before he could aim.
He looked down the exposed cylinder of her weapon, trying to see if she’d reloaded since the last time she’d fired it.
“I reloaded at the top of the stairs, Lex,” she growled. “I needed the breather. And I put the magnum rounds in this time. No thirty-eight special bullets for you. You know what kind of hole a three-fifty-seven magnum will make coming out the other side, don’t you?”
He nodded slowly, because he did know. He might have risked a thirty-eight bullet, but the magnum round would produce a crippling if not immediately fatal wound at this range. His only weapon was his voice, his only hope of escape were his next words.
“Please, Lois, let me speak. If you’ll tell me why you’re so angry, perhaps I can explain the situation to you.”
“Really?” she asked. “Can you really explain it all? I wish you would, Lex. Just step back a little. Slowly, now. You don’t want me to twitch my finger at the wrong time.”
He took three slow steps back and stopped. She fished in her jeans pocket with her left hand and pulled out a microcassette recorder, then pressed a button on the recorder and placed it on the edge of the desk. “This is Lois Lane, recording Lex Luthor in Lex’ private office. I’ve been working on my last story, the best one of my career, and I’ve tracked the man called ‘The Boss’ to his lair. Now I’m going to get a full confession, or at least one good enough to keep the investigation going.”
“Investigation? What investigation?”
“The one that the DA and the Daily Planet are going to cooperate on. The one that will condemn you to prison and destroy your organization. The one that will be my epitaph!”
Lex opened his mouth and smiled, then leaned toward her. She moved her hand to her right and pulled the trigger.
Even over the thunder of the discharge and the flash of heat and residue from the blast, the bullet whispered ‘wheet’ as it whipped past Luthor’s head and smashed into the wall behind him, destroying two shelves and most of the pieces of art on each one. “You don’t move unless I tell you to!” she screamed.
Lex knew his expression matched the one he’d worn the day Superman had fired his prized Colt .45 at his chest and then caught that bullet before it hit him during the days when Lex had been testing the hero, but he didn’t care. Lois was all but unhinged in her quest to bring him down, and he had to try something.
Then he realized – she’d referred to the investigation as her epitaph.
She still thought she was dying!
That was his ace in the hole, his leverage into her psyche, his escape pod. His get-out-of-jail-free card, if you will.
Lex relaxed and smiled warmly. “Lois, my dear, you don’t have cancer.”
She blinked once but the pistol didn’t waver. “What?”
“You don’t have cancer or anything else terminal. You’re at least as healthy as I am, perhaps more so.”
She tilted her head to one side. “I am, huh?”
“Yes, you are. Perry White told me himself. He said that your doctor confused your diagnosis with that of a comatose patient in a retirement center.”
Her eyes narrowed and she sidled closer to him. “Perry told you I’m not sick? That I don’t have terminal pancreatic cancer?”
“No, my dear, you don’t. Isn’t that wonderful news?”
“It would be fantastic news – if it were true.”
Lex’ mouth fell open. She didn’t believe him? “But – but it’s the truth! You aren’t sick at all!”
She shook her head slightly. “That’s pretty weak, Lex. You found out that I was on the warpath and you found out why, so you’ve been holding this in reserve just in case I got to you.”
“No, Lois, it’s really the truth! You can call your doctor and ask him!”
“Like I’d believe anything you told me right now!”
He lowered his voice and put as much charm in his next words as he possibly could. “My darling Lois, surely you believe that I love you.”
She straightened her head and the pistol barrel lowered – until it was pointing at his groin. “I think, Lex, that I’m going to shoot you right in the gonads for that particular insult.”
The phrase “Bad move, Space Cadet!” rang out in his head, complete with the original distorted computer-generated tones from the Phoenix arcade game. “No!” he cried out. “That – isn’t necessary!”
“Then you’d better answer my questions when I ask them. I’m not very patient these days.”
Before Lex could respond, a soft knock sounded at the door. “Lois? Is that you?”
“You come in here and I’ll kill your boss!” she snapped.
“It’s Clark. And I’d rather you didn’t shoot Luthor just yet, even if he sort of does still own the Planet and kind of still is my boss.”
“Clark?” she breathed. “Is – is it really you?”
“It’s me. May I come in?”
Lex was astounded to see her dash sudden tears from her eyes with her free hand. “Yes. Yes, Clark, come on in. But make it slow and easy, okay?”
“Nothing but.”
He slowly pushed the door open and stepped into the office, then eased the door shut behind him. His smile seemed to light up Lois’ face and she sobbed once. “Hi, partner,” he said softly. “You have this interview all wrapped up yet?”
Lex took a slow step toward his desk, hoping for a chance at his pistol, but Lois’ weapon snapped up again. “Last warning, Lex. Start talking or I just might pull this trigger until I hear a click instead of a bang.”
Clark lifted his hand. “That’s not necessary, Lois. We don’t need his testimony.”
“What?” snapped Lois.
“What?” blurted Lex.
Clark smiled at Lex. “Sorry, old man, but we just want you arrested. Nigel St. John is on his way to the hospital, and I’d guess he’s already made a deal with the DA to save his own skin. He’d much rather see you in prison than go to the gas chamber himself.”
Stunned, Lex asked the only question that occurred to him. “Hospital? What happened to him?”
“Oh, I shot him,” Lois offered. “Do you think he’ll live, Clark?”
Kent ignored Lex’ shocked expression. “The paramedics thought so. It was just his shoulder, but I doubt he’ll be able to fight as well as before. Especially at the age he’ll be after he serves out all of his sentences.”
Lex knew his mouth was hanging open again when Kent snorted quietly. Then the younger man continued, “Not only does the DA have Nigel’s testimony, he’s got Dr. Leibowitz’ confession.”
Lex saw Lois’ mouth spread into a cruel grin and he blurted out “But Nigel said he stopped the delivery of—“
Both Clark and Lois nodded in unison as Lex shut up – eight words too late. “That’s good news, Clark. What about Alan Robertson’s tape?”
“The DA’s office has it, and the prosecutors there would really like to talk to him. But it might be a little difficult to get him to testify. According to the FBI, he slipped onto a flight out of St. Louis International Airport yesterday afternoon. The flight went to New Orleans, and then on to Haiti. We have an extradition treaty with Haiti, but it’s a little hard getting people out of there at times.”
Lois chuckled. “Guess I scared him more than I thought.”
“Oh, you scared him, all right. He didn’t like talking to me at all, but I think he would have moved in with me and become my butler and personal toilet-scrubber to avoid another encounter with you.”
No one spoke for a long moment. Then Lois asked, “So what do we do with the Boss here?”
Clark slowly walked around the far side of the desk from Lois and her deadly aim. “I think we should tie him up and call Bill Henderson to come get him.”
Lex shook his head. “No police officer can enter this building without either an invitation or a warrant. And I’m not inviting them in.”
Clark slipped a cell phone out of his pocket. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll just tell him that someone tried to shoot you and poof! The police have their probable cause to enter the building in force and come up here.”
“But no one tried to shoot me!”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure Lois tried. That big hole in the wall behind you is proof of that.”
Even with Kent in the room, Lex could weasel out of this. Lois wouldn’t risk hurting her precious partner and friend. “No, no, that’s not what happened at all! Lois was showing me a weapon she’d found outside and it accidentally discharged. No one tried to shoot anyone.”
Lois lifted both eyebrows. “Well, I think I can fix that.”
She lowered her aim again and pulled the trigger.
The bullet slammed into the floor and exploded the carpet and wooden parquet under-flooring between Lex’ ankles. He went down in a painful heap and dropped the handful of files he was still holding.
As he curled into a ball and grabbed at his legs to check for missing or bleeding body parts, he heard Kent say, “Lois, don’t! You don’t have to do it this way!”
“Yes I do!” she almost wailed. “I have to do this! I have to take down the Boss! I have to stop him while I still can!”
Kent’s hands were suddenly on Lex’ legs, apparently also checking for injuries. “Yeah. About that, Lois, um – you don’t have cancer.”
“What? What do – wait a minute, that’s what he said!”
“It may have been the only truthful thing he’s ever said to you, but for once he was being truthful.” Kent stood. “You don’t have cancer. You’re fine.”
Having determined that he’d suffered no serious wounds, Lex opened his eyes and looked at Lois. The pistol was drifting downward and her hand was relaxed.
This might be his last chance. Lex rolled slowly to one side. If he could grab –
The sudden pain in his right wrist from a size eleven loafer stopped him. Kent looked down at him and said, “You be still, Lex, or I just might grab one ankle in each hand and make a Jean Claude Van Damme wish.”
“What?” grunted Lex.
“Think about splitting the turkey’s wishbone at Thanksgiving and you’ll get it.”
Van Damme’s signature move was the horizontal side splits. His legs could spread out to a straight line underneath him. Lex’ legs couldn’t do that without ripping and shredding muscle and sinew.
The image chilled him and he decided that resistance was futile.
He looked up at Lois and sighed when he saw her expression. Her tear-filled eyes were gazing at Kent as if he were the second-richest man in the world and had just offered her the moon. If only the man’s foot wasn’t cutting off all the blood flow to his hand, he might be able to snatch Lois’ pistol from her and shoot them both.
Then Lois lifted the weapon and pointed it at his face. “Go ahead and tie him up, Clark. I’ll make sure he doesn’t bother you.”
Kent’s foot slowly came up and released his arm. The bones felt as if they’d been bent to their limit, and his fingers wouldn’t obey his instructions. Even if Lois had placed her pistol on the desk and walked away, he couldn’t have made his move now.
Kent came back with what looked like drapery cords. “Best I could find on the spur of the moment, Lex,” he said. “Hope they aren’t too expensive.”
“Do you care?” Lex growled.
“Not really. Now roll over on your stomach – come on! There, that’s a good criminal, good boy. Now put your hands behind your back if you don’t want me to pull them back there.”
Lex obeyed. Kent seemed to take an extra bit of pleasure securing the restraints on Lex’ wrists. “That’s – ow! – a little tight, don’t you think, Kent?”
“Nope. I think they’re just about perfect. Oh, Lex, you’ll need to see a doctor about those splinter wounds on your feet and shins. Most of them have already stopped bleeding, but we don’t want you to get an infection, now do we?”
Lex ignored the younger man’s sarcasm. “May I sit up?” he asked.
Lois shook her head. “I think you’ll be fine right where you are. Clark, could you call Henderson now?”
Kent smiled at her in the same misty-eyed, soft-hearted way that she’d beamed at him. “Of course. Would you mind putting your pistol on the desk? I doubt you’d want to get accidentally shot by the police now that you know you’re not dying.”
Wonderful, thought Lex. Bested by a mere woman. It was most humiliating.
He didn’t care how long it took, but he vowed in his heart that he’d have his revenge against Lois Lane and Clark Kent.
*****
Lois watched the police come in through the door, snickered as they replaced the woven silken cords on Lex’ wrists with metal handcuffs, saw them lift Lex up and take him away, and felt Clark’s hand on her shoulder the whole time. When it finally got down to just Bill, Clark, and her, Clark looked at Bill and said, “Can you give us a minute? I think she has some questions she needs answers to.”
Bill gave them both his patented world-weary glare. “I have some questions for her, too.”
“You have her tape recorder. It was running almost from the time she came in until you knocked on the door. There’s a lot of dead air in there, unfortunately, because Luthor wouldn’t answer any of our questions about his real businesses.”
“I can’t let a prisoner out of my custody, Kent. You know that as well as she does.”
“Have you arrested her?”
“Well, no, but that’s just a technicality at this point. She has to come with me, one way or another.”
Clark straightened and looked directly into Henderson’s eyes. “I give you my word that she won’t leave this office without you.”
Henderson hesitated, then shook his head. “Fine. Talk to her alone. Just don’t spread this part around, okay? I’ve got a reputation to maintain.”
She smiled at him. “Thanks, Bill. I’ll be a good girl, I promise.”
Henderson turned and walked toward the door. “That’ll be a first. I’ll put it in my journal, save it for my memoir. Lois Lane was a good girl today.” He paused with his hand on the knob. “One minute. That’s all I can give you. I need to get some people in here to collect evidence, so don’t touch anything.”
Clark nodded. “That’ll be enough time. Thank you.”
As the door closed, they turned to face each other. She looked into his deep chocolate eyes and smiled, unable to think of anything to say.
He touched her cheek. “You’ve lost some weight.”
“Yeah. Haven’t been eating very well.”
He gave her a lop-sided grin. “I’m not surprised. And you’ve lost some hair, too.”
She tilted her head to one side. “Now that I’m not facing chemotherapy, I’m pretty sure it’ll grow back out.”
“I’m looking forward to that.”
“Hey, I kind of like it short. I may keep it cut back.”
“That’s your choice. Personally, I think you look good in hair whether it’s long or short.”
She giggled. “Thank you. It’s good to see you, too, Clark.”
He leaned toward her and kissed her on the forehead, then lowered his head to touch hers. “Lois, I can’t tell you how scared we all were.”
She closed her eyes and tried to hold back the tears. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t think I could take being fussed over by all of you, being treated like fine crystal, having everybody be so – so nice!” She looked up at him. “Even Cat would have been kind to me. I didn’t want to put her through that.”
He laughed softly. “And you’re so compassionate toward those healthier than you think you are.”
After a moment she joined him. “Yeah, that does sound pretty dumb, doesn’t it?”
“A little.”
She pulled back but kept her hands on his arms. “How long have you known I wasn’t dying of cancer?”
He tried to put on a frown, but she could tell his heart wasn’t in it. “Your doctor tried to call you at home and at the office the same day you disappeared. You didn’t answer, so he ended up calling Perry and told him you’d gotten a wrong diagnosis.” He straightened his arms and held her there. “And you owe Bobby Bigmouth big time. That was his friend Walt whose little toe you shot off.”
She felt her eyes widen. “What? Oh, no! I shot his toe off?”
“Yes. But before you panic, listen. The orthopedic surgeon on call repaired his foot and he’s walking just fine now, as long as he has his therapeutic shoe insert. Henderson talked to him about testifying against you, but Walt realized he’d have to reveal who sold you the pistol, so he declined to provide testimony. And none of your other – ah, ‘interview subjects’ – are in any position to press charges against you. Big Mike insists he accidentally shot himself. Alan Robertson is in Haiti and isn’t coming back any time soon. You didn’t shoot Jenna Leibowitz or Karen Carter, and their memories are still scrambled by whatever you gave them. So nobody is going to testify against you. Except maybe Lex, of course, and you didn’t actually shoot him.”
“Huh. How about that?” Another thought came to her mind. “What does Perry think of me now?”
“I think he said something about you being dumber than a box of rocks and that you’d better bring in the story of his career – and he said his, not yours – for him to talk the suits upstairs into keeping you on the payroll as a researcher. Assuming, of course, you stay out of jail.”
“Researcher?”
His face grew sad. “I think you’ve worked yourself out of investigative reporting, Lois, at least on the undercover side.”
She knocked his arms apart and dove against his chest. “Oh, Clark, I’m such an idiot! Can you ever forgive me?”
His arms enveloped her, warmed her soul, and pressed her against his solid body. “Maybe. Probably, even.”
She sniffed once and pushed her face further down into his embrace. “Thank you! Oh, thank you!”
“Hey, what are partners for, anyway?”
She squeezed him for all she was worth for a long moment, then leaned back. “That’s something we need to get straight, and this is as good a time as any. I’m not just your partner, Clark. I’m in love with you.”
She felt him grow still. “Lois – do you know what you’re saying?”
“Yes. I know exactly what I’m saying. And I’ve had lots of time to think about what you said to me in the park, too. I think you love me almost as much as I love you.”
His body relaxed slightly. “Well, there might be some disagreement there.”
She laughed. “I don’t care who loves who more! I love you and I want to marry you!”
His head rocked back and he laughed. “This is not at all how I expected this to go.”
“What did you expect? A romantic dinner, a walk in the park, a sudden shower drenching both of us, you kneeling in front of me in the rain, you offering me a ring, me saying something completely stupid like ‘not now’ and totally messing everything up—”
“What? What do you mean, ‘not now’?”
“No, Clark, no! That’s just what’s in my mind and I have no idea why it would be there. I’ve been thinking about this ever since I got that diagnosis. I was trying to wrap this up as quickly as I could so we could spend just” – she sniffed – “just a few weeks together. But now we can spend a lifetime together! I want to marry you as soon as we can find someone to ask me if I want to take this man.”
He nodded. “That sounds wonderful. But can we delay the public announcement until we get a chance to talk some more? There are a few things you need to know about me.”
She pulled his head down and kissed him softly. “I already know everything I need to know.”
His head slowly rose from hers and his eyes eventually opened. “Yeah. Well, there may be a couple of things you’ll want to hear before we buy the matching rings.”
“If you say so, darling.”
She pulled his head down again, but before their lips met, a knock sounded at the door. Reluctantly, she pulled away from him and called out, “Come on in, Bill.”
Henderson opened the door and slipped in. “Okay, Lois, it’s time to go downtown and answer some questions.” He looked at the bullet hole in the wall, the wrecked shelves around it, the broken ceramic pieces littering the floor, and he sighed deeply. “A lot of questions, actually. Come on.”
She nodded and followed him to the door, then stopped and turned. “Clark? I forgot to ask you what the doctor said was actually wrong with me.”
He smiled back. “You were a bit run-down and needed a couple of days of rest. That’s it.”
Her jaw dropped. “That’s it?” she barked.
Clark nodded.
“That’s all that was wrong with me?”
His smile faded a little and he nodded again.
“You mean that I did all this – this – this stuff because I thought I was dying and all I really needed was a good night’s sleep?”
Clark’s face smoothed over and he stood perfectly still.
Lois took two dangerous steps toward her partner. “Are you joking? Because if you are I’m going to rip something very precious to you from your anatomy! I will make you pay if this is some kind of gag!”
Clark actually looked alarmed. He lifted his hands in surrender, took a step back, and said, “Lois, I promise you that’s what the doctor told Perry. You’re fine, or at least you were before you started sleeping in fleabag hotels and eating who knows what out of the neighborhood trash cans.”
She stuck out her index finger and started forward again, but Henderson grabbed her arm and turned her around to face the door. And he didn’t let go of her until after Lex’ office door closed behind them.
“I’m getting you out of there, Lane, before you really do hurt someone badly enough for me to arrest you.”
“What? You mean – I’m not under arrest?”
“Not yet. But you are a material witness and you need to meet with the DA about your recent activities. So if you come along quietly, I won’t put cuffs on your wrists.”
She growled audibly and crossed her arms as they faced the elevators, but the absurdity of her emotional flip-flop with Clark got to her after a few moments. She started laughing softly.
Bill glared at her for a moment, then he broke into a thin smile, which for him was practically the equivalent of a full belly laugh. “Yeah, Lois, it’s funny now, but I don’t think Kent sees the humor yet.”
The elevator car arrived and the doors ghosted open. “He will, Bill. He will.”
As Henderson pressed the button for the ground floor, she leaned back against the wall and said, “I’ll make sure Clark sees a lot of things I’ve hidden from him up to now.”
Just before the doors closed, Lois threw her hand against the edge and forced them open again. “Bill! Please, fifteen seconds more.”
He took a breath and Lois was sure he was about to refuse, but instead he sighed and seemed to collapse in on himself. “You know he hunted for you the whole time you were missing, don’t you? I don’t think he slept more than four hours straight during that time. Perry told me that Clark would walk on water for you or drown trying to do it. I believe he would, too.” Bill tilted his head toward Luthor’s office door. “Go ahead. But if you don’t come this time I will have to arrest you for real.”
She grinned grabbed him in a quick hug. “Thanks! Be right back.”
She sprinted across the open office area and dashed a tear from her eye. Just as she reached for the doorknob, the door opened inward and Clark stood there with a startled look on his face and a cellphone in his hand. “I’ll tell you the rest later, Perry,” he said to the phone. Then he closed it and eyed her cautiously.
“You haven’t come back to yell at me again, have you?”
She answered by leaping against his body, locking her arms around his neck, and plastering her lips against his. After a moment, he wrapped his arms around her and melted into the kiss.
After about ten seconds and fifteen all-too-brief years, Lois lowered her head to his massive chest and squeezed tight. “I have to go, Clark. Will you wait for me?”
“Of course I will. You shouldn’t even have to ask.”
“No. I mean – “ she pulled back and looked him in the eyes “ – I might have to go to prison for what I’ve done. I don’t know how likely it is that I’ll end up behind bars, but it might be some time before I’m free. In a legal sense, that is.”
“Lois, you don’t – “
“I need to know if you’ll wait for me. Even if I have to spend several years in prison! I can serve whatever sentence they give me if I know you’ll be waiting for me when I get out.”
His smile softened and his hand found her hair. “I waited more than a quarter of a century to meet you, Lois. I’ve waited almost a year to hear those three wonderful words from you, and I would have waited many more if I had to. If it means that we’ll be together, I can wait for you as long as I need to.” He drew her close again and put his lips next to hers. “I love you, Lois Lane.”
She felt the tears come again. She felt his lips on hers. It was the nearest thing to Heaven she could imagine. She was on top of the world.
Then she felt Bill Henderson standing next to her. A quick glance to one side confirmed it – she’d run out of time. His face spoke volumes about her abuse of his generosity.
Well, that and the handcuffs he was brandishing.
She almost giggled as she brushed away her tears. “I have to go, Clark. Wait for me.”
He planted a quick kiss on her mouth and stepped back. “As long as it takes. No matter how long it takes.”
Bill took her hand and moved the cuffs toward her wrist, then stopped. “Do I need these, Lane?”
“No,” she smiled. “I’ll come peacefully, Inspector.”
As she entered the elevator again, she turned to see Clark enter beside her. “You shouldn’t be here, Kent,” Bill muttered. “We usually allow only attorneys to go downtown with material witnesses.”
Almost unconsciously, her hand entwined with Clark’s. “Don’t worry, Inspector,” Clark smiled. “You have her for the duration of the investigation. But I’m going to have her for the rest of our lives.”
She leaned against the man she loved and put her other hand on their joined ones. Her eyes closed of their own accord and she blessed the day she’d barged into Perry’s office so he could see her. Then she heard Bill try to stifle a chortle and fail. “I never thought I’d see the day when Lois Lane wrapped up a story holding hands with a man she claimed to love. Let me be the first to wish the two of you the best of luck. I have a feeling you’re both going to need it.”
Lois didn’t voice the thought, but it still ran through her mind. She loved Clark. Clark loved her. And she wasn’t dying any time soon. How could she possibly be any luckier than she was at this moment?
“Bill,” Clark asked, “what do you think will happen to Lois? Will she serve time?”
Bill sighed. “I don’t know and I don’t want to get your hopes up. But I’ve seen a couple of other cases similar to this, and the DA is usually willing to make deals with citizens who pull stupid stunts like this as long as it’s the first time and there’s a low probability of repeating the behavior. Of course, you shot a bunch of people, Lane, and that might change things.”
She shrugged. “Nobody died, Bill, and I didn’t keep anything I took.”
“Those may be the only things that keep you out of prison. But I wouldn’t be surprised if you get a long probation and maybe some hefty fines.”
“She probably saved a lot of lives doing this.”
“You know that’s no excuse, Kent. She’ll still have to face the music.” The elevator stopped and the doors slid open as Bill shook his head. “Maybe if you get the right judge and the right attorney and the Iron Maiden isn’t mad enough to lock you up and lose the key.”
“Who’s the Iron Maiden?” asked Clark.
“Deputy Assistant District Attorney Mayson Drake. She hasn’t been there eight months and that’s her reputation. If she gets your case, Lane, you’ve got a real tough uphill battle to fight.”
She felt Clark grip her hand tighter as he led her across the building’s entrance lobby. “We’ll get through it together, Bill,” he said. “I told her I’ll wait for her and I meant it.”
“Yeah, you just remember that when Drake files a notebook full of charges against your girlfriend. Worst case scenario, she’ll face trial for grand theft auto, multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon, vigilantism, illegal possession of a handgun, trespassing, intimidation, interference with police investigations, unlawful restraint, and who knows what else. That can add up to a lot of years behind bars.” Bill paused and looked into Lois’ eyes. “I’m not trying to scare you, Lois, but you need to know what might happen to you.”
Lois turned to Clark and smiled again. “I’ll face it, Bill, whatever it is. With Clark in my corner, I can face anything.” She lifted their joined hands and kissed his knuckles. “I’m the luckiest woman in the universe.”
