Someone To Watch Over Me Chapter 4

Someone To Watch Over Me
Chapter 4

Looking everywhere, haven’t found him yet
He’s the big affair I cannot forget.

He was being an ass, and he knew it. And now, he understood exactly why. Oliver sat at his desk winding up the last bit of phone calls and emails regarding Queen Industries business. When he had initially discovered that Chloe’s name was on the file of most wanted meteor infected persons, he’d dropped everything to come to Metropolis out of concern for her. Then, last night after seeing the video of her strapped to a table, there was the overwhelming surge of protectiveness for her that had overcome him. And finally, he knew deep down that there was something else. There was something else that had lain dormant just under the surface of every look, every touch, every conversation he’d ever had with her since he’d come to know her. Desire.

Last night it had taken nearly all of his will not to take her into his arms and hold her close. Instead, he simply cupped her shoulder in what he thought was a friendly, comforting gesture. But when he watched her walk away, he’d felt an inexplicable, and extraordinary void.

He was in no mindset for women. He had cared about Lois, but Lois hadn’t wanted to deal with his crime-fighting, alter-ego lifestyle. And Dinah, well, Dinah was an intense whirlwind affair that had lost its spark for both of them shortly after it had started. Oliver had begun to think that it was best if he removed himself from all romantic entanglements. It only complicated things, distracted him. Best to keep himself confined to socialites who could accompany him to charity events and parties. He didn’t think there was a woman out there who could really know, understand and accept every facet of his life.

The morning’s training session with Chloe was torture. He’d had to grab her, hold her, touch her, move her body in certain ways to demonstrate what she should do in the event of an attack. His mind had been more focused on the softness of her skin under his hand, the way the curve of her hip pressed intimately against him when he’d had her in a hold, the smell of her vanilla shampoo, and the incredible way she looked beneath him when he’d flipped her onto the mat. It was in that moment, that all subconscious thoughts of her had come rushing to the surface, and he’d realized that he was on dangerous ground. Oliver couldn’t deny the evidence against himself any longer. He wondered when it had all started to happen, and what he could do to stop it.

Don’t get attached. Don’t get involved. Don’t fall. It would only end badly and ruin a friendship. And so he closed himself off, backed away, and in short behaved like an ass.

“Everyone’s here, and Clark’s on his way,” Victor broke into his thoughts. “Shouldn’t Chloe and Bart be back by now?”

Oliver glanced at his watch, picked up his cell phone and called Bart.

“What’s up Boss?” Bart answered around a Snickers bar.

“You two almost finished? I want Chloe back here.” Oliver heard Bart call for her.

“Chloelicious. Let’s go. Chloe?” Bart paused checking the other rooms in seconds. “Chloe? What the… she’s not here!”

“What?”

“I said she’s not here. Her purse is here, and the files she wanted are all still here She’s not here! As in, gone!”

Oliver stood up from his desk. “Bart. I told you not to let her out of your sight!”

“The place was locked. I checked and there was no one here. No one!”

Oliver had the urge to ring his young friend’s neck. “Did you slip the GPS into her pocket, like I told you?”

Bart’s panic-stricken voice sounded on the verge of tears. “Yes. Ollie.. oh man, Ollie someone took her right from under my nose, I swear Ollie no one was here! I’m gonna get her back I promise, I …no.. not Chloelicious, I’ll kill whoever took her!”

“Bart! Just get back here. We’ll find her.”

Bart was back before Oliver closed his phone, and upon seeing the distraught young man, Oliver didn’t have the heart to berate him further. The poor kid was already beating himself up over it enough.

Oliver pulled up the GPS tracking system on the large screen as Clark entered the room. Oliver had already informed him about finding Chloe’s name on a list, and that she was being stalked before he’d arrived at the penthouse.

Clark was about to turn his rage onto Bart, when Oliver intervened. “We’ll get her back,” he assured, then Oliver left the room to suit up into his green leathers. He’d follow after Clark on his bike, she wasn’t far, and Clark could get there first while the others provided back up.

Clark whooshed from the penthouse. Seconds later he’d arrived at what looked to be an abandoned storefront. Clark x-rayed through various doors, finding nothing but empty storage rooms, before he listened for her heartbeat, and when he’d found it, he zipped to the basement. As soon as Clark arrived in front of the door where Chloe was being kept, he felt a wave of familiar pain and weakness wash over him. Kryptonite. Clark’s face contorted in agony as he fell to the floor.

“Clark. I thought you might come. You didn’t think I’d forgotten about your weakness, did you?” a voice sounded in the room, but Clark could see no one.

“Who are you?” Clark groaned, twisting on the floor. How did this person know who he was, and know his weakness? “What do you want with Chloe?” Another moan escaped him.

“You don’t remember me, do you? You saved my life once. As for Ms. Sullivan well, she’s going to bring me a very high price. Business had been slow for me for awhile, but now that I’m back on my feet again, I need some pocket change to start over.”

Just then, muffled sounds could be heard coming from the room where Chloe was kept, and for a brief second, Clark could see the figure of a man in dark clothing, wearing a ski mask appear, then disappear once again. The door seemed to open by itself upon a room with nothing more than a chair and bits of rope tossed carelessly to the floor. She had escaped through the window. Clark tried to x-ray through the wall, but his powers were fading fast, and he thought he’d caught a glimpse of her running with the Green Arrow toward his motorcycle. Shots were fired. Chloe screamed. And then Clark was being lifted by someone.

At Oliver’s direction, Victor carried Clark away from the Kryptonite, then tapped his comlink. He glanced over at Clark who appeared to be recovering. “Boy Scout’s going to be fine. What’s your status, Arrow?”

“Shot, I think.. grazed.. don’t know where it came from.. no one’s... Get Chloe out of here!”

End Chapter 4

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