The Last Straw (Dubois Chronicles 1.17)
DJ Dubois
Originally Written October 1986; Revised January 2005
Notes Part 1: This story is the whole version of
the flashback in “Genomex 1982.” (Dubois 2.82)
Notes Part 2: The characters from Xena Warrior
Princess belong to StudiosUSA and Renaissance Studios. The characters from
Smallville belong to DC and the WB. The characters from Mutant X belong to
Marvel. The characters from Forever Knight belong to Sony Tri-Star. All other
characters are mine. Please send comments to
dante0220@yahoo.com .
Prologue [Amazon Village c. 89 AD]
Gabrielle, Bard-Queen of the Amazons, writes….
The scene in Smallville, Kansas at the end of
December 1981 was a mix of hope and despair.
The Witch had cast her spell. The Child had staked
his claim to a piece of David’s psyche.
Despite that, David and Karen had pledged their
feelings and made new friends. Everything seemed to be on the upswing,
But then again, this is David we’re talking about.
Even as he finished his healing and prepared to
resume his time at the upper academy, Lionel Luthor and his father plotted with
a new enemy. Even twenty years later, when we fought him and his army, the
“Genetic Security Agency,” Mason Eckhart proved both a resourceful adversary and
an arrogant megalomaniac. And another familiar face—Gabriel Ashlocke—lurked
within its walls.
As I write this, Xena still shakes her head. The
fact that Eckhart kidnapped David, threatened his friends and not expect the
Child to exact his price was pure idiocy.
And to do it again years later to us…well that was
beyond everyone’s understanding.
But then again, Eckhart’s hate, Ashlocke’s cruelty
and Lionel Luthor’s blindness would leave a legacy, insuring that David and the
Child would have to fight together and coexist to live.
Chapter 1 [LuthorCorp—December 31, 1981 3:00 PM]
High above the streets of Metropolis, Lionel
surveyed the city from within his penthouse office. For much of the past two and
a half weeks, he had his secretary screening his calls to insure that no rabble
rousers would harass him. The police and Feds are bad enough. You’d think they’d
have enough to do without involving themselves in a relic like the Talon.
Just three weeks earlier, he had hit a new low
thanks to his associate’s son. If he thought the poisoning incident from two
years earlier had been bad, the fallout from the Talon standoff surpassed that
by a mile. For Stuart Dubois, their colleagues and himself, Smallville was to
have been their playground—the place where they made their dreams reality.
Granted, a few ants would have been squished along
the way but that really didn’t matter.
David, you’ll regret that! He mused on how Stuart
had nearly beaten the young man to a pulp. Then the latter turned the tables on
them all. He turns on us and they laud him as a hero! The ingrate!
The phone rang.
“Yes?” he answered.
“Good evening, Lionel. This is Mason Eckhart. I
trust you are getting matters back under control?” Eckhart wondered.
“Slowly but surely. This negative publicity is
killing us but we’ll pull through. Is everything ready on your end?” Lionel
inquired.
“Yes. I have the perfect arrangements made for the
young man,” the administrator replied. “He’ll be out of your way permanently.
Make sure there are no loose strings on your end.”
“There won’t be. Once your men take him, make sure
he’s dealt with,” the billionaire directed.
Eckhart scowled but kept his composure. I’m doing
him a favor and he lashes back at me like that! “Rest assured. My agents are
very good at what they do. Are we still on schedule then for the fourth?”
“That is when he and his friend will be back in
Amherst. I would like to have this taken care of by then if that’s acceptable,”
Lionel informed him.
“It shall be done,” Eckhart assured him. “Have a
good day, Lionel. I’ll let you know when everything is taken care of.”
As Lionel hung up, he looked back out over the
Metropolis skyline, feeling very good about himself. Yes, please do let me know
when everything is taken care of, Mason. Despite their shared hatred of the
younger Dubois’ activities, Lionel knew that Stuart wouldn’t dare kill his son.
No, this will be more fitting.
A rapping came from the door. “Yes?”
Mary stuck her head in the door. “This envelope
just came for you, Mr. Luthor.”
“Thank you, Mary. I appreciate it,” he replied
pleasantly. Despite his issues with others at the moment, she was loyal to him.
She set the manila envelope down on the desk and
quickly left.
He carefully opened the envelope. Inside, he found
several photographs. Darrellson did his job well. Flipping through them, he
found several images of his nemesis with his friends from Smallville. In
particular, he was with his new girlfriend.
In one shot—from the Talon on Christmas Day—the
two teenagers kissed much to the crowd’s delight.
Lionel grinned with satisfaction. The two fools
are playing right into my hands! Let them have their affection for now. One day,
I’ll reveal what I know much to their chagrin. He walked over to the wall safe
and opened that. Taking out the manila folder there, he slid the photos into it
before putting it back. Yes, one day, David, you’ll rue what you’ve done.
And that day’s coming sooner than you think….
****
[Genomex—Upstate New York]
Even as Lionel plotted his future revenge, Eckhart
took a deep breath and mused over things. Despite what he had told Lionel, he
still debated the Dubois boy’s treatment. The perfect guinea pig but what to do
with him?
A knocking came from the door. “Mason?”
He recognized the voice as that of his Head Biogeneticist. “It’s open, Adam.”
Dr. Adam Kane stepped anxiously into the room and
shut the door behind him. The young man had accomplished a great deal for the
firm in his first six months. If anyone were to look at the skinny dark haired
shy young man, they might not take notice of him. Beneath that exterior lurked a
fantastic genius with an understanding of how molecular genetics worked.
And if there was one thing that Eckhart knew, it
was talent. “Adam, do you know that drug you’ve been working on? The
anger-manipulation chemical?”
“Yes. We’re almost ready to test it,” Adam
concurred. “I’d like to get someone beside Patient 0.0 to use it on.”
“Actually we’re in luck,” the administrator
declared. “It seems that there’s a teenager with extreme mood swings in
Massachusetts. Anyhow, the boy’s father has asked that we help him with the
situation.”
Recalling the last time that Eckhart had suggested
such a test, the geneticist winced. Gabriel Ashlocke reacted completely the
wrong way to our trial. Instead of being pacified, he actually got worse. Adam
knew that another patricide was the last thing he wanted lurking around the
complex. “With all due respect, Mason, I hope our facilities are up to the
challenge this time.”
Eckhart stared coldly at him. “Certainly you have
faith in your safeguards, Adam. I trust you worked out the kinks in the stasis
pods since last month?”
“I think so. When can we put Ashlocke back in?”
Adam inquired.
“Not yet. Mr. Ashlocke has his…uses…yet,” Eckhart
replied. Especially as an enforcer against potential threats such as Dubois.
“Leave him where he is for now.”
Adam nodded and headed out the door. There was
much lab work to do before their test subject arrived.
Eckhart smiled. Don’t worry, Lionel. I’ll handle
everything. Taking the folder on Dave with him, he headed for the briefing room
to meet with his agents.
There would be no mistakes on this particular
raid.
Chapter 2
[Metropolis—6:30 PM]
A few hours later, downtown Metropolis turned on
its lights in a dazzling New Year’s Eve display. Restaurants advertised
specials, drawing diners in for holiday delights of all kinds. In its center, a
giant celebration would kick off at the stroke of midnight, sending the entire
city barreling into 1982 with abandon.
People from all over Kansas and several bordering
states poured into the city for this celebration, filling hotels to capacity.
It was promising to be quite the celebration.
****
[Statemore Hotel]
Dave looked himself over, feeling a bit anxious
about the night’s events. While his outfit and coat would be all right, he
wondered if his leg would hold up okay. Even with an astounding week of
progress, he hoped that his legs would support him through the long celebration.
Of course, he would have back up if the legs gave
out. In this case, a certain brunette girlfriend would be ready to assist if he
needed it.
He sighed, considering how things had changed over
the past three weeks between Karen and him. If I had known it would be like
this, I would have told her sooner. Now I’m not alone! She even stared down the
Witch! He felt a cold shiver go through him while recalling the standoff at the
Kent Farm. Since the Empress has given her back the memories—or at least some of
them—she knows what she’s getting into.
“Hey, Grouchy,” Karen called, shaking him. “Are
you in there?”
“Hmmm?” he asked, looking up into her dark eyes.
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“Good. I thought I was going to have to shake you
awake,” she countered. “We need to meet Lewis and Laura.”
He nodded, getting up slowly. “Sorry. The hardest
part is still standing up.”
She smiled at him. “Hey, you can walk, Dave. Let’s
not look a gift horse in the mouth, all right?”
He smirked at her. “Right. Come on.”
****
[11:45 PM—Downtown Metropolis]
The quartet enjoyed the dinner buffet with its
fine meats and veggies. Amidst the other revelers, they had sat and talked about
things. Over the course of the conversation, one thing became clear: each couple
was coming together more and more. Even as they enjoyed the time with their
friends, each person felt passion for their date—an unfamiliar feeling for each
one.
There was no doubt about it. This would be a new
year to remember.
****
After filling themselves on the chocolate mousse
cake, the quartet went to the center of the city. There, along with ten thousand
others, they looked up at the Casler Building and its giant clock tower. When
the chimes struck midnight, the place would erupt in a frenzy of celebration.
“Let’s hope next year turns out better than this
year did,” Dave declared.
“Oh, I don’t know if this was a bad year,” Karen
disagreed. “We spent that summer with my family. Remember?”
He rubbed her hand. “Yeah I do. Thanks.”
“Besides you two finally got together,” Laura
interjected from where she sat with Lewis.
“And you’re alive and walking, Bud,” her date
added. “Talk about miraculous.”
Especially given what we’re all up against.
“That’s Dave being Dave. Mr. Moody is in full swing,” Karen told them. “But I’m
going to let him do that.”
“You aren’t?”
She shook her head. “You, Mr. Dubois, are going to
lighten up a little at least for tonight.” She kissed him, savoring the contact
as if it were a delicacy. “There.”
He grinned. “Better.”
“I thought so,” she supposed. “Besides, we have
good friends to share this with.”
Just as that moment, the clock hands came together
and the chimes struck midnight. Like that, 1981 was gone and 1982 took its
place.
“Happy New Year,” Karen declared as the confetti
exploded everywhere.
“Happy New Year, Karen. May this be the best year
for us both,” Dave agreed, as they kissed again.
As such things went, it was a beautiful night all
the way around.
****
[Althanor]
Keira watched the events through her view portal
carefully. Since Pauline had informed her of the Witch’s presence in Smallville
and the spell’s failure, she wanted to be sure that everything went all right
for the two teens. The boy enjoys himself on this night. Do not fear, David
Dubois, for the goddess wishes you to savor this moment.
“You called, Mother?” Cybelle asked, walking into
the chamber.
“I trust you know about what’s going on in the
city called Metropolis?” the High Priestess supposed.
“I know my brother is happy. He and his friend,
Karen, have feelings for each other. Beyond that, I can’t say,” the novice
recounted.
“Then look into the portal and see,” Keira bade,
ushering the girl so that she could get a closer look.
Cybelle stared at the image of her brother kissing
his girlfriend. She didn’t know what surprised her more: the fact that he had
admitted his feelings for Karen, that he was feeling good about himself and her,
or that he was kissing a girl.
“Imagine that. Even your brother can find love.
Aphrodite wishes him to be happy,” Keira told Cybelle. If for nothing else to
keep that inner darkness at bay.
Cybelle nodded. I don’t care what Dad thinks.
Maybe Karen has an attitude but she does wonders for Dave. I hope they can keep
it up!
Chapter 3 [Smallville—about noon that day]
[Kent Farm]
Ricardo flipped through some paperwork at the table, carefully reading every
word on the pages. He gave a heavy sigh. I wish
Social Services would get off of its ass and do something! Just two nights
earlier, he and Jeannie had another of their discussion/arguments about this
topic. The message was clear: while the system respected his concern, he hadn’t
presented enough evidence to justify taking Dave out of the situation.
“Bad news?” Martha wondered, pouring him a cup of
coffee.
“Yes.” He sighed. “I don’t know how Social
Services can overlook what happened here or that man’s record with his son.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I take it you’re talking
about a certain houseguest and his father. Certainly the hospital records speak
for themselves.”
“They don’t feel the situation’s unstable enough,”
he countered, quoting from the document. “As much as I hate to say it, I might
need to pull in that social worker from the Medical Center to dispute that.”
She exhaled deeply while pouring herself a coffee
and sitting down beside him. “Things will work out, Ricardo. Just be patient.”
“I know. I mean I have three kids of my own. Yes,
we have our moments but I would never treat them that way,” he declared
morosely.
“I can see that. You know, if it’s a matter of
keeping David stable, Jonathan and I could take him in,” she offered. “I know
that’s not your first choice but….”
“I appreciate that, Martha, and no offense. It’s
just that…I’ve come to think of Dave as my own kid during these past two years.
With his grandmother getting worse, he’s going to need all of the help he can
get. Lillian’s working on things from her end but why do I get the feeling that
her husband’s holding things up?” he wondered.
“He might be given how close he and Stuart are.
Henry Small told me that they’ve been close associates for years. This could be
quite the fight, Ricardo,” she advised.
“Si. But I have to go through with it. Besides,
Karen’s counting on success too,” he replied. “I have to admit that I’ve never
seen her this happy in a long, long time.”
“David’s her first boyfriend,” she guessed.
“That’s right. I’ll need to chat with him about
ground rules soon but I know he knows the drill. Still, I’m her father and so….”
“The speech,” she said, finishing his thought for
him. “Give this all time. I understand how you feel. Just remember; you have
more friends in this than you realize.”
“Thank you, Martha,” he expressed.
****
Meanwhile, Dave rolled out of bed and shook the
sleepiness from his head. While he wanted to stay in Metro, Laura’s shift that
morning meant that they needed to get back to Smallville. At least, Lewis let us
all sleep going back. He recalled how it felt to have Karen sleeping next to him
during that ride and smiled. “I definitely should have told her sooner.”
After putting on his sweats, he eased his way down
the stairs to find Martha and Dr. Alvarez talking at the table. “Good afternoon.
Sorry I overslept.”
”That’s no trouble, David. You didn’t get in until
really early this morning,” she noted.
“Have a good time last night, Amigo?” Dr. Alvarez
inquired.
“Yes, sir. Don’t worry; I made sure nothing
happened other than a…well…kiss at midnight,” Dave replied anxiously, feeling as
though he were on the spot all of a sudden.
She smiled warmly. “Sounds like a perfect start to
a new year.”
“A kiss? And that’s it?” the older man teased.
“I don’t want to take advantage of her nor your
trust,” Dave noted. “I respect both of you too much to do that.”
“I know that. Just keep that in mind, all right?”
he requested.
“I’ll do that,” Dave agreed.
“Excellente! Thank you though for making this
easier on me too, Dave. I thought I was going to have to broach the subject. You
just took care of it.”
The teenager shrugged while taking a sip of his
coffee. “As I said, friends don’t take advantage of friends. Promise me
something though?”
The superintendent replied cautiously, “That
depends. Go on.”
“If I have a question about anything, can I ask
you? Sorry, Dad and I never…well…talked about certain things such as dating and
relationships. I’d rather ask than do or say something to hurt Karen,” Dave
requested.
She commented, “Looks like the situation’s
resolving itself.”
Dr. Alvarez nodded. “Most certainly you can ask
me. In fact, I would be delighted if you would.”
“So you can keep tabs on us?” Dave jabbed.
“She is my daughter, Dave. Remember that too,” Dr.
Alvarez added.
“Oh I know that. I’m very well aware of that.
Thanks,” Dave expressed, feeling secure for the first time in a while. Maybe
things might be working out. If so, then why do I have this bad feeling?
Chapter 4 [Smallville Airport—Two days later]
After eating a hearty breakfast in town and
spending time with their new friends, Dave, Karen and her father needed to get
on the plane. For all concerned, the previous two weeks were unforgettable,
forging new friendships and, in Dave’s case, reestablishing old ones.
Mayor Prosser presented Dave with a key to the
city, inviting him and Karen back anytime they wanted; a fact that the other
citizens agreed with heartily.
Most importantly though, Dave looked warmly at his
girlfriend, knowing that he could be honest with her about his feelings at last.
For her part, she felt the same way. Pinch me. I
can’t believe I’m not dreaming! Dave’s holding my hand and Daddy’s not having a
fit? Wow!
****
Lillian inspected the commuter plane carefully,
making sure everything looked sound. After everything they’ve been through, they
deserve a good flight. Hearing a noise behind her, she saw Ricardo standing
there. “Oh! You’re being efficient.”
“I wanted to give the kids a minute with the
others. Besides, I was hoping to talk to you and this seems like as private a
place as any,” he commented.
Seeing the concern on the other’s face, she
agreed, “All right. What’s wrong?”
He took an envelope out of his satchel. “It’s
Social Services. They don’t understand what Janet’s illness means for Dave.
After this, I’m convinced that he needs to get into a stable home.”
“As am I,” she agreed. “I think I know your mind
on this, Ricardo. I smell Lionel’s influence on this. Let me deal with that. You
stand by David.”
“All right. Thank you, Lillian,” he expressed. “I
mean that. You’ve been gracious with your assistance.”
She waved it off. “It is me who should be thanking
you. I can’t be up in Amherst to watch the situation. At least you can. As for a
couple of flights, having you both and April here helped David out immensely.
Seeing a smile on his face is worth any expense. Let me know if anything
happens.”
“I will,” he agreed earnestly.
“Everything checks out in here. Let’s get back to
the group,” she agreed.
****
Meantime, Dave and Karen made their way around
their hosts, thanking them for everything.
“I really appreciate how you opened your home to
us,” he told Jonathan and Martha. “I know it’s been an inconvenience. It’s been
an enlightening three weeks.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Jonathan declared,
shaking his hand. “You both earned your keep as far as we’re concerned. You just
worry about healing completely, all right?”
“I’ll try and make sure he does that,” Karen
agreed.
“You do that,” Martha agreed while embracing them
both. “It’s going to seem so empty without you being there. Keep in touch and
remember, you’re both welcome to stay anytime you want to come back out here.”
“We will,” Karen agreed.
“Take care,” Lewis expressed, shaking their hands.
“The other night was fun.”
“It is better when you tell someone how you feel,
isn’t it?” Karen asked him.
“Yeah it is,” he admitted, rubbing Laura’s
shoulder. “Thank you both for everything.”
“Take care of each other,” Laura added, hugging
them both. “Please come and visit. That is if you can tear Dave away from his
studies.”
“I like my reading. What can I say?” Dave retorted
with a grin.
“We’ll try to get him lightened up,” Karen
promised. “Our professor here needs a balance and I can give it to him.”
“Professor Dubois, I like the sound of that,”
Laura surmised.
“Some day I’d like to be that,” Dave noted
wistfully. “Grandpa said I had it in me.”
“You do and you’ll make it with your drive,”
Jonathan agreed. “Just keep believing.”
“Thanks for the good thoughts. Tell you what, if I
get to that point, I’ll make sure your kids get a good education. Mr. and Mrs.
Kent, talk to Aunt Lillie, I’m sure she can help you with adoption.”
“We will at some point,” Martha agreed, looking at
her husband.
“We want to keep trying if you get my drift,”
Jonathan indicated.
“Yeah I think I do. Still that’s a promise. I
don’t forget my friends,” Dave indicated, looking them all over before stopping
his eyes in front of Lex. “Do I?”
“Nope!” the red headed boy exclaimed. “Wish ya
didn’t have to go.”
“Me neither but I gotta go to school,” he replied,
giving the boy a tight squeeze. “You make sure Auntie’s okay.”
“Yeah,” Lex agreed.
“Okay and watch that shoulder. Got it?”
The boy rolled his eyes. “I got it.”
“Good. Thanks again, Lex, for the save. I mean
that,” Dave reiterated. He took a deep breath and held it, wanting to stop time
and keep this moment. “Same to all of you.”
Karen asked, “Are you okay?”
“I will be,” Dave assured her.
“We have to go,” she reminded him.
“Right,” he agreed, taking her hand. “See you all
around.” With that, he followed Karen and her father up the stairs and into the
plane. Once they were secured, the plane took off, climbing like a graceful bird
as it disappeared into the eastern sky.
“There they go,” Martha indicated. “I hope they’ll
be all right.”
“They will be,” Lillian replied. “Thank you once
again, Jonathan and Martha, for your help. On what David said, when you’re
ready, just give me a call. I’d be more than happy to help you find that child
you deserve.”
“We appreciate that,” Jonathan indicated, shaking
hands with her. How can she be a Luthor and be so generous?
“Definitely. And it was our pleasure,” Martha
concurred. “Let us know if we can be of any help with David again.”
“I’ll do that. Thank you, everyone. Come along,
Alex.” Lillian led her son back toward the limo.
“And how are you both doing?” Jonathan inquired of
the other couple on the scene.
Lewis looked at Laura and gave her hand a squeeze.
“I think we’re doing very well.”
“If you don’t mind starting on a long distance
note,” Laura commented. Seeing the look in her new boyfriend’s eyes, she could
tell that wouldn’t be a problem. “Somehow, I think we’re going to be fine.”
Martha and Jonathan smiled knowingly. Things
seemed to be turning up for the best.
****
[In the terminal]
Even as everyone said their good byes and watched
the plane depart, a man in a nondescript pair of coveralls and a white shirt
kept an eye on things through a set of binoculars. As soon as the passengers had
left, he walked over to a nearby payphone and dialed a special number.
“Yes?” a voice asked.
“Sir, this is Robbins. The birds have flown the
coop,” he reported, giving the prearranged coded phrase.
“And they suspect nothing?”
Robbins shrugged. “Not a thing, sir. They have no
idea of what’s waiting for them.”
“Good. Return to Metropolis and get yourself back
up here. The operation will proceed as planned,” the Voice indicated.
“Yes, sir,” Robbins concluded, hanging up before
heading for the blue pickup truck. Maybe it isn’t much but it does help my
cover. With that, he headed for the big city.
****
[Granville—Cowache Reservation]
Joseph Willowbrook sat in a trance, meditating on
the universe and its secrets. In the previous three weeks, his experiences at
the caves had left him curious as to his people’s future. Who is Nuam? One might
have thought the Dubois boy would be him but the priestess said no. I will be
watchful.
Hearing the roar of engines, he looked up to see
the aircraft streak by overhead. Even though he knew they couldn’t see him, he
waved to them.
Safe journey, my friends. We shall meet again,
David Dubois. In the meantime, may the Great Spirit guide and watch over you.
Chapter 5 [January 4, 1980]
[Genomex—Upstate New York]
Eckhart sat in his office reviewing reports.
Everything in the complex hummed along with top efficiency. His staff made
breakthroughs seemly daily in genetic research. The few “waste freaks”
languished in Section 77 far out of view of the general public. After watching
the tape of the Talon standoff, he decided to put the Dubois boy there. Ashlocke
and his gang of thugs will kill him. He grinned at the thought.
The phone rang on his desk. “Yes?”
“Mr. Eckhart, we’re in position around the school.
Should we move in?” his head agent—a man named Reynolds—reported.
“Negative. Wait until the students are inside.
Then proceed,” the boss commanded.
****
[Minutes earlier—right out in front of Amherst
High School]
Dave walked through the snow and up to the doors
of the school. Granted, he was still feeling a little of the jetlag from the
flight on the previous day from Smallville. Still, after spending almost three
uninterrupted weeks with Karen, he couldn’t complain. The thought made him smile
to himself. I can’t believe it’s really happening!
“Now there’s a sight for sore eyes,” Karen sassed
as she walked up to him. “You should smile more, Sir.”
“Love your smile,” he replied.
“Just that?” she supposed.
“And well…the rest of you too,” he retorted.
She kissed him and then took his hand. “We don’t
want to be late for home room on our first day. Now do we?”
“I guess not,” he agreed reluctantly.
[White Knight homeroom]
Miss Jenkins sat at her desk, waiting as the
students tromped in and took their seats. They still had six minutes before the
bell rang. Still, she prized punctuality above all other things. The slender
African-American teacher looked at the faces around the room, hoping to see
Dave’s there. According to Dr. Alvarez, he’s coming today.
Adrienne Mitchell put her hand up. “I saw him
walking here. He should be in soon.”
“Thank you, Adrienne,” the teacher answered,
fighting back the irritation over the younger woman’s attempts at being the
teacher’s pet.
April McKenzie came in with a big grin on her
face. “They’re here!” She stuck her head out into the hallway. “Come on in here,
you two!”
Karen came in first. “Hey, guys! How was Christmas
back here? Funny, I found a hitchhiker between here and Kansas. Get in here!”
“Hitchhiker? Hitchhiker?” Dave cracked, entering
right behind her. “You’re funny, you know that?”
“I bet you say that to all the girls,” she
countered.
“Just you.” He grinned. “Hey, guys. How’d things
go back here?” He made his way slowly up the aisle and to his seat. He winced
while sitting down. “Ribs still hurt. Sorry, Miss J.”
“It’s good to see you standing and walking, Dave.
I’m grateful you aren’t dead,” she told him.
“With all of you pulling for me and…with the
little drill sergeant here on my case, not a chance,” he informed her, looking
at everyone’s faces.
“Drill sergeant, huh?” Karen asked while sliding
into her seat next to April. “I’ll remember that, Mr. Dubois.”
“Anyhow. Back to work, guys. Next meeting’s this
afternoon. We have a paper to put out,” he announced.
That got the usual chorus of groans from everyone.
In the front, Garth Singleton, Steve Petersen and
Frank Landers looked at each other knowingly and then at the couple. The
stratagem had worked. Dave and Karen had found the chemistry. Judging from their
bantering and body language, they definitely had the spark.
At that moment, the wall phone buzzed.
“Who could that be?” Miss Jenkins wondered. “Yes?
Oh, Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. Yes, he’s here. I’ll send him down right now.” She
hung up. “Dave, you’re needed at the front office.”
Dave looked strangely at Karen and the others. Now
what? This didn’t smell right to him. “Okay. I’ll be right back.”
The teacher wrote out the pass and handed it to
him. “Good to have you back.”
“Thanks,” Dave accepted. “See you all in a few
minutes.”
As she watched him go, Karen shook her head. This
is weird.
****
Dave walked down the corridors and descended the
staircase. His instincts screamed for him to go back. What is going on? Then he
saw a shadow behind him. Turning, he found two men in gray raincoats standing
there. “Hi, guys. You look lost.”
“Nope, we want you, Dubois,” one of them, a
well-built blonde agent, replied. He brandished what looked like a crowbar.
“Come quietly.”
“Sorry. Principal needs me,” he retorted, rushing
away from the threatening men and heading toward the office as quickly as his
legs would let him go. What is it with me and idiots like these? I haven’t been
here for fifteen minutes and they knew I’d be here? He needed to let the school
officials know about these nutcases. Just out of sight of the Principal’s
office, he found three more of them waiting for him there. “What the heck?”
“You are stupid, Dubois. You can’t run from us!”
another of the raincoats challenged, advancing on him.
Dave evaded him but something hit him from behind,
sending a large amount of electricity through him. Not again! He fell to the
floor unconscious.
“Get him to the car. Mr. Eckhart wants him,” the
blonde agent ordered as they carried Dave away.
*****
Meantime back in their home room, Karen gasped.
She felt a burning sensation coming from Dave and heard him screaming in her
mind. Her face went white.
“Karen?” Miss Jenkins asked.
“Miss Jenkins, I don’t know how but Dave’s in
trouble,” she told her.
“Karen, come on,” Adrienne scoffed.
“Hey!” April interjected. “Miss Jenkins, Karen’s
usually got a good sense of these things. Can you call the office and make sure
he got there? Humor us please?”
“Certainly if it’ll make you all feel better,” the
teacher agreed, knowing that these students wouldn’t do this without a valid
reason. “Hello, yes, this is Miss Jenkins in 245. I sent David Dubois to see you
about 10 minutes ago.”
“Why? We didn’t call for him,” the secretary told
her.
“Yes you did. I got the call from this phone,” the
teacher argued.
“We have no idea of that, Miss Jenkins. The
Principal isn’t even here yet,” the secretary noted. Then she saw one of the
counselors come running in. “Mr. Williams, what is it?”
“Is this Alice Jenkins on the line?” he asked. “I
need that and call the police.” Taking the line, he asked, “Miss Jenkins?”
“Yes? Mr. Williams, what is it? Where’s David?”
she inquired, feeling really nervous by now.
The students all stared incredulously at her,
wondering how Dave could have gotten himself in trouble after only five minutes
back at school.
Karen put her head down on the desk and shuddered,
knowing that it was true.
“Five men in raincoats just carried him out of
here. I saw them as they pulled away. I did get a plate number but he’s gone.
I’m sorry.”
This would have to happen today. Miss Jenkins gave
Karen a sympathetic look before replying, “I’ll let the others know. Meantime,
call the police and notify Dr. Alvarez and the Principal immediately! Thank
you.” She hung up and took a deep breath.
“Miss Jenkins, what is it?” April asked from where
she was comforting Karen.
“He’s been attacked! That’s what!” Karen replied
knowingly. “I should have went with him.”
“That’s right. How did you know that?” the teacher
inquired.
“Call it intuition. Lionel Luthor’s been waiting
for his shot at Dave since the Talon incident. He’s got to be behind this!”
Karen accused.
“You just can’t accuse someone without proof or
motive!” Miss Jenkins retorted.
“Oh trust us, Mr. Luthor hates Dave,” Garth
responded. “I agree with Karen. Meantime, can Karen and I be excused? We need to
let his grandmother know.”
“The police can handle that, Garth. Right now, I
want you all to go to class. Karen, I’m sure your father will want to talk with
you at some point,” Miss Jenkins indicated before hearing a rapping on the door.
“Dr. Alvarez!”
Ricardo entered the room with a grave look on his
face. “With all due respect, Miss Jenkins, I think Garth’s request is a valid
one. The police are waiting downstairs and I’d like some of Dave’s friends with
me when we let Janet Dubois know what happened. I’ve taken care of the paperwork with Mr.
Wilson downstairs. April, I need you as well.”
April stood up and supported Karen. “Come on.
Let’s get our things. Then we can let her know. All right?”
“Sure. Sorry, Daddy,” Karen sighed.
“You didn’t do anything, Karen. It’s okay,” he
assured her. After they left, he told them, “Make sure everything goes as
normally as possible.”
“Of course, sir,” the teacher agreed. “If you hear
anything, let us know.”
“We will,” the superintendent promised.
****
[Janet’s house]
Janet supported herself on the cushions on the
sofa. In the three weeks since Karen and her father had left for Smallville, the
cancer had ravaged her body, eating away at her. Her fears and anxiety sped the
disease faster through her. While she had been careful to hide it from Dave and
his friends, the pain ate at her. She ground her teeth and pulled herself to her
feet. I have to look my best when Dave comes in later.
Then a knock came from the door. “Yes?” she asked,
hobbling over to the door. “Ricardo! What are you and the kids doing here?” She
saw the upset looks on their face. “Come in.”
As he helped Karen to a chair, Garth asked, “Gram,
what is it? You’re limping.”
“Arthritis, Garth,” she declared, comforting the
distraught girlfriend. “Karen, what happened?”
“He’s been kidnapped,” she sobbed. “The police
will be here in a minute.”
“Do you know where Sarah is?” Dr. Alvarez asked.
“She’s out of state again,” Janet replied, shaking
like a leaf. “We’ve got to call Stuart.”
“Why?” Garth asked. “How do we know that he wasn’t
behind this?”
“Garth, cool it,” Dr. Alvarez told him pointedly.
Although that’s not an unreasonable suspicion. “Keep that under your hat when
the police come. Got it?”
The two kids nodded.
He hugged his daughter, guessing that she was
going through Hell with worry. Why does this have to happen now?
Onto Part 2