The Making of a Monster

Chapter Six

Using her netbook she jacked into the keypad and found the code. She opened the door quietly and checked to see the way was clear before she went in and closed it behind her. She found herself in a short corridor. To her left was a staircase and an office, to her right there were two more offices and straight ahead was a final, unmarked door. The sound of two gunshots nearly sent her running back to her car, but she couldn't leave Clark here.

Chloe headed up the stairs, hoping to get a birds eye view of what was happening. She hid behind a stack of pallets as she scoped out the upper level. The stair case led up to a walkway that surrounded the warehouse. Three guards were posted up there. She guessed they were supposed to be watching for intruders but all three were focused on what was happening below.

She crawled forward to the railing, praying that the guards didn't look in her direction and below she saw her worst nightmare unfolding.

Clark was bound to a chair with a rock of kryptonite hanging from a chain around his neck and what looked two bullet holes, one in either shoulder. The pain on his face made her heart wrench.

Lex was pacing in front of him, a gun held casually in his left hand.

"It's a shame Chloe wasn't with you," Lex said. "First you break her heart, then you watch her die. Oh, didn't I tell you? That letter from Lana was actually from me."

"How..." Clark managed to gasp through gritted teeth,

"Did I find out?" Lex finished. "I've been watching you for months, Clark, just looking for an opportunity. I imagined I'd have to create one, imagine my surprise when I discovered that you betrayed her all on your own."

"Why'd you wait so long?" he rasped.

"Know your enemy. I had to fire a few warning shots to see what you were capable of but I saved the big guns for the real fight."

"Leave Chloe out of this," Clark managed to say. "It's me you want."

"You really care about her, don't you?" Lex sounded surprised.

Just then a security guard approached.

"Mr Luthor, Miss Sullivan isn't at home or at the school."

Lex looked pissed, he raised the gun and shot Clark again.

"Find her!" he yelled. The security guard hurried away before any bullets could be aimed in his direction.

"Lex, no, please. Let Chloe go."

Lex took a deep breath, Clark's pleading seemed to help abate his anger.

"I'm sorry, Clark, but I can't do that." Lex walked to the side of the room and got a second chair, which he placed in front of Clark. He sat down, looking quite relaxed.

"You know, Clark, it's not that I don't like you, you and I are more alike than you know.

"Lex don't do this."

"I know you had no say in who adopted you or in how Lionel raised us, but this is war, Clark, Lionel saw to that. It's kill or be killed, survival of the fittest."

"Lex, please."

"This is getting old." Lex shook his head and stood up.

Something told Chloe to crawl back behind the pallets so she had to strain to hear Lex from her hiding place.

"I want everyone on this. Find Chloe Sullivan. Whoever finds her gets a generous bonus, the rest of you will be fired."

Chloe watched through the pallets as all three security guards from the upper level descended the stirs.