Someone To Watch Over MeChapter 6
So I’m going to seek a certain lad I’ve had in mind...
“I know you’re here.” Lex and two of his guards stood in the middle of a cramped one room loft apartment. Books, clothes, dirty plates, ash trays, and other assorted mess were strewn about helter-skelter. Lex wrinkled his nose in disgust as he surveyed the room, noting the various wrinkled and worn Marilyn Monroe posters taped on the various walls. He thought good 'ole Marilyn would be just as disgusted by the way Garrett lived now. Garrett had at one time been a millionaire who enjoyed the finer things in life, having gained his wealth from anyone willing to pay a high price to the expert hit man. Garrett had decided to target Lex, thinking he’d do Clark a favor by getting rid of Lex, thereby making Lana available once again to the super-powered farm boy, turned Good Samaritan.
Lex had shot Garrett, but Lex was no fool. He saw the potential use Garrett had, and decided to have him airlifted to one of his private facilities where his best doctors saved Garrett’s life. On one condition. In exchange, Garrett owed Lex his service, and his loyalty. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, Graham Garrett no longer existed. And from the looks of his apartment, what existence he did possess was fairly bleak.
Lex waited. “You may as well show yourself. You’re not fooling me.”
Suddenly, Garrett’s form appeared a few feet away. He looked disheveled, in blue jeans and a dark t-shirt. Gone was the expensive black suit and polished shoes that he wore when stalking victims, and performing hits on the unsuspecting. He preferred to dress well for work.
Garrett eyed Lex suspiciously, then casually lit a cigarette, blowing the smoke in Lex’s direction.
Lex squinted against the smoke, but otherwise made no movement. “Tell me what you know about Ms. Sullivan.”
“Same as I told you before. I suspect that she has an extraordinary ability, and she is in fact, very close to the Green Arrow and his confederates.” Garrett paused, taking another drag. “But you knew that already, didn’t you?”
“I want you to find out what it is, and I want both Ms. Sullivan and the Green Arrow delivered to me. That was our deal.”
Garrett shrugged noncommittally. “Things change.”
Lex was angry now. “You owe me. And you will deliver. I killed you once, and as far as the rest of the world is concerned, you’re dead. I doubt you’d be missed.” He turned to leave, casting a meaningful, scathing glance around the room. “Do you miss the old life, Graham? I’d be willing to bet you’d be grateful for what I’m willing to pay.” With that, Lex and his bodyguards left the room.
Garrett wasn’t going to let Lex intimidate him. He’d already had a plan to get Ms. Sullivan and her Green Arrow friend, and Lex was wrong, he still had a few friends who’d help him put his plan into effect. With Chloe Sullivan under his control, he wouldn’t need Lex’s money. People would pay any price to have their own, or their loved ones illnesses healed. They’d be lining up for her to cure them, to heal their wounds. Garrett smiled to himself, the irony of the situation was not lost on him. He’d made millions killing other people. Now he’d make millions saving their wretched lives.
* * * * *
Oliver awoke later than usual. His room carried the scent of lovemaking, bringing with it recollections of the night before, and the early morning hours before the dawn. He stretched, his hand sliding over the cool sheets to the opposite side of the bed, frowning when he didn’t feel Chloe next to him. The smell of fresh brewing coffee wafted into the room and he smiled, then sat up, running his hand through his hair ruffling it. Tossing the sheets off of himself he made his way to the bathroom, grabbing up a pair of sweats along the way.
Chloe stood against the counter in her pajamas waiting for the coffee to brew. She knew that Oliver was usually up very early, getting in his morning workout, but he looked so peaceful and content, sleeping naked beside her that she didn’t have the heart to wake him. Twice during the night, after the first time they’d made love and she’d fallen asleep in his arms, he had reached for her, wanting her, needing her. Twice, she’d awakened to the feel of his hands caressing her most intimate places, the sensation of his lips and tongue on her body arousing her even in her drowsy state. Twice more, they’d given each other pleasure, and for a time there was no one else in the world but the two of them.
But that was last night, and Chloe didn’t really know what would happen now. She had told him that she didn’t expect anything more from him, and that was true. A relationship with Oliver would be difficult. Everything from his jet-setting, crime-fighting lifestyle to his past with her cousin Lois, made the entire situation a tenuous one at best. He had said that he didn’t want entanglements, and neither did she. She wasn’t ready for anything now, and she had her own life after all. Though Lex had fired her from the Daily Planet, she still wrote articles, and investigated stories, submitting them as freelance work to the Smallville Ledger, her work at the ISIS Foundation took up a good deal of time, as well as helping out Oliver, and the League. It was enough for now.
Chloe felt rather than heard Oliver come up behind her, placing his arms on either side of her, resting his hands on the counter, his body brushing up against her back lightly. He didn’t say a word. Chloe turned within the confines of the small space between them that he’d created, tipping her head back to look up at him. Neither of them broke the silence, but the looks that passed between them spoke of all that had transpired the night before. Brown eyes, gazed intently into green ones for long moments, saying all without words. It was all there in his eyes; his tenderness, his passion, his wonderment. The corners of his luscious mouth then curved up in a small smile, and Chloe smiled back at him. Oliver lifted his hand to caress her cheek with the backs of his fingers, and then the moment was gone when they both heard the rumbling sound of the elevator on its way up to the penthouse.
He pressed his lips to her forehead. “Get dressed, Sidekick. Unless you want the entire team to see you wearing those skimpy pajamas.” He grinned, moving out of her way.
“But, my coffee…,” she whined playfully as she made her way to her room.
“Will still be here, unless Bart drinks all of it. Which, I’d rather that, then let him see you wearing next to nothing.”
“True,” she said, but still couldn’t keep from screwing up her face at him, causing him to smile at her, admiring the view as she walked away.
The elevator doors opened. “What? No breakfast?” Bart barreled into the kitchen first, followed by A.C. “Hey, boss, shouldn’t you be dressed by now? As in, put on a shirt, dude!”
Oliver smacked Bart in the back of the head lightly and ruffled his hair, as he passed him. “Check the refrigerator, make your own breakfast. Don’t leave a mess, and save some coffee for Chloe.” He turned to A.C. “Is Vic almost ready?”
“They were upgrading him all last night, he should be here soon.” A.C stopped in his speech, glancing at Oliver’s chest. “Hey, what happened? You were grazed by a bullet yesterday and now…”
“We’ll talk about it later,” Oliver interrupted, grinning. “I need to get dressed.”
When Oliver left, A.C. and Bart exchanged glances. “Someone’s in a much better mood today. I wonder why,” A.C. mused, crossing his arms over his chest, and leaning against the wall.
“If Chloelicious was staying at my place every night, I’d be in a good mood too,” Bart waggled his eyebrows as he headed for the refrigerator, taking out some eggs and orange juice.
An hour later, the team was assembled, sitting in Oliver’s living room. Earlier, Oliver had taken Chloe aside and told her that he would let it be her decision whether or not she wanted to tell the team about her ability. Chloe thought that for the sake of everyone’s understanding, they should know. Not only that, but both Bart and A.C. had seen that Oliver was no longer wounded and there’d be too many questions. She decided to tell them. They took it in stride, but realized that if Chloe were to end up in the hands of someone like Lex or anyone else, there was a good chance that her abilities would be abused, or used for ill gains.
“The problem is that Garrett can render himself invisible. Not even Clark can see him,” Chloe said. “So, how can we stop him?”
“That’s easy,” Victor spoke for the first time. “Oliver knew that this guy’s ability is to refract light, so Queen Industries developed a method to un-refract iris photographs. Model the iris using the Subsurface Texture Mapping representation which allows to describe the relieves of the human iris. Then introduce a refraction function for accurate real-time rendering of the eye, accounting for the refraction of the light at the corneal interface.”
The entire group looked at him stupefied, and dumbfounded. “Huh? Want to say that in English, amigo?” Bart gaped at him.
“It means that with the new Queen Industries upgrade, Vic’s eye can take rapid succession photographs, unrefract the light, and see our invisible assassin.” Oliver translated. “Basically, Victor can see him.”
“Well, why didn’t you just say that, man?” Bart rolled his eyes.
“I did,” Victor defended.
“Guys,” Oliver began. “The real problem is not knowing when this man’s going to strike. If we’re not alert at all times things can happen at any moment. As of right now, none of us will be able to see him except Victor.”
“Use me as bait.” Chloe spoke up suddenly over their murmurings. “Let him kidnap me.”
Oliver turned to her in disbelief. “What?” he shook his head. “No.”
“It’s the best way, Oliver. It gives us an advantage. If we don’t, then I’m merely a sitting duck just waiting for the moment he’ll carry me off. But if it’s planned, and we’re ready for it, we’ll have the whole team there, and we can catch him.”
“I have to agree with Oliver,” Clark piped in.
“But Clark, he knows about your weakness to Kryptonite. If we can entrap him without his knowledge, he won’t even think that you’ll be there. But if he simply catches us unaware, there’s a greater chance he’ll know you’re coming, and have prepared for it.”
“I won’t allow it, Chloe,” Oliver said with finality.
“You can’t not allow me to do something, Oliver.”
“Yes, I can. Especially where your safety is concerned.”
She knew he was going into overprotective mode. As much as it bothered and annoyed her at times, she tried to reason with him. “Oliver. Think about it, you can better protect me when we are the ones in control of the set up. It will be harder to protect me, when we have no idea how or when this guy will strike.”
“She’s right Ollie.”
“Yeah.”
“I think it’s worth a shot.”
Oliver lowered his head. He didn’t like it one bit. God, but she was so stubborn. And too smart for her own good, and beautiful, and brave, and amazing…. He looked up at her with an expression of reluctant acquiescence, combined with fear and concern. “Fine. Let’s plan for it.”
End Chapter 6
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