Chapter Three

'thoughts'

Glancing at his watch, Sam eyed the building across the street from where he was and sighed. It was almost ten at night...time to head in. The security guard had probably started to change shifts, so it was best that he got started now while the new guard wandered around on his rounds. Pulling out his lock pick set, he crossed over swiftly using the shadows to hide his lanky frame as he glanced around cautiously. He silently strode across the front walkway and went around to the side door and where the security system was set up. He found the box and opened it nimbly before examining it. As he had suspected, it was a standard alarm system. Taking out his Swiss army knife, he jimmied the circuits easily until the system was off. He glanced over towards the doorway and noted that the camera was no longer blinking, so he quickly went to the side door, picked the lock, and snuck inside the darkened building, being careful to make sure the door shut without a sound.

Once inside, he looked around slowly as he let his eyes adjust to the darkness, then headed down the hallway at a rapid, yet alert pace as he proceeded towards the accident area. He found the room easily, but noticed that things had been cleaned up already. 'Shit,' he thought as he pulled out the EMF meter and his flashlight. He turned them both on and flicked his light around as he walked around the perimeter of the room slowly while waving the meter around to detect any readings. He stopped as he came to an alcove that looked like it had once held a large machine when the meter went off, whining as its lights glowed red with warning and discovery.

He ran his light slowly over the alcove and stopped as he found the edges of what looked like a hidden door. Very curious, he went over and ran his fingers over the border before stepping back and tapping his chin thoughtfully. He shone his light along the 'doorway' and stopped again as he saw a small panel. Smirking, he went over and used his knife to pry the thin metal off of the wall and found a bunch of circuit wiring inside. He studied them, then reached in and grabbed a thick black wire that was labeled 'door' very faintly along the edge of the wire. He cut it and smirked again as the door slid up out of his way, letting out a small draft of stale air. Carefully, he stepped over to the opening and flashed his light along the room as he went inside the secret room.

The EMF meter was constantly whining and lighting up as he walked along the center of the room with his flashlight shining on every wall as he passed it. He began to notice that there were sections that were separated by broken down walls and looked to be either cubicles or...cells. He stopped before one of them and held the meter inside it. If it could go any higher, it would, the readings were so high. He frowned lightly. Definitely disturbed spirits.

He looked over suddenly as he heard a soft sound and quickly moved behind one of the pillars while pulling out the gun he had in the back of his pants and shutting off his flashlight in one move. He listened intently as the unmistakable sounds of cautious footsteps crunched towards him. Suddenly, lights flickered on around him and he felt his heartbeat pick up. He was so caught! 'Shit!' he cursed himself before taking a silent breath to steady himself as he reaffirmed his grip on his gun while looking for a way out. He could just try and sneak out when the person passed by his hiding spot, but that was just asking to be caught. He wasn’t exactly hard to miss and even *he* could mess up and make some noise that would give him away. He frowned and took another deep breath as he slid his gun back into its place in the small of his back.

“I know you’re here...come out and you won’t get into too much trouble.”

The voice was soft and almost haughty, but it held a cultured tone to it that Sam knew came from a rich upbringing. Double damn! It was one of the Luthors for sure! He swallowed hard as he saw the figure move gradually past his hiding spot. Bald...so, it was the son. He could handle the son...

Stepping out, he held his hands up in front of him sheepishly as the man swung around immediately and pointed a gun and flashlight at him. Sam blinked as innocently as he could as he ducked his head and held his hands up higher. “Hey...thanks for finding me,” he said as he smiled charmingly at the suspicious man.

“Finding you, huh? What were you doing in a police investigation area?” the young man asked as his eyes narrowed at Sam.

Swallowing hard, Sam put his hands down slowly then brought them up when the gun tilted warningly at him. “Um, I kinda got lost on the tour and um...found myself here?” he tried lamely as he smiled as disarmingly as possible.

Obviously the guy was immune to the Sam Winchester charm for the gun merely came up even higher and took aim at Sam’s head as the bald head tipped to the side in disbelief. “Right. There were no tours and they all are in the main part of the building anyways, not the laboratory area. Care to try again? The truth perhaps this time,” the man retorted and Sam had to admit that he admired the guy’s perception.

But it was also cramping his style. “Ok, you got me. I was just researching for an article for the Planet on these attacks and I guess I got lucky,” Sam lied smoothly and smiled sheepishly, pulling an ‘Aw shucks’ move as he ducked his head and then tilted it coyly. It was a move that always worked in getting his way other times.

This time was no different. The man frowned a bit before lowering his gun, though it was obvious he was ready to shoot at any sign of trouble. “How’d you find it anyways?” he asked and Sam was rather pleased to hear the impressed tone in his voice.

He struggled to find a good enough answer as he shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’d like to call it a reporter’s intuition, but people always say I’m just damn lucky,” he finally said as he grinned winningly at the other man.

A snort was his reply, but he could also see a small smile on the other man’s lips. “Yea well, your luck’s out.” He nodded behind Sam and Sam looked over to find a couple of burly security guards coming towards him. He groaned inwardly and sighed as he nodded. “Take him off the premises,” the man ordered and the two guards grabbed Sam by the elbows.

But before they could go anywhere, the lights began to flicker around them before one by one sparking and exploding. The guards let Sam go in their shock and Sam reached for his gun. But before he could do anything, he saw a couple of derelict examination tables suddenly float up and fly towards them. He dove to the ground and rolled, then quickly tackled the bald man as the screams of the two security guards shot out before they were silenced unexpectedly with a sickening crunch. Panting, Sam looked around wildly before standing up and dragging the other man with him. “Run!” he shouted as he yanked out his gun and trained it around him after pushing the other man ahead of him. The other man didn’t protest as he ran ahead of Sam towards the doorway. Looking forward, Sam saw the door was starting to slide shut, so he turned on the speed and shoved the man through before diving again and rolling into a wall with a grunt of pain as he felt pain shoot up his back and into his skull, causing his head to throb and swim. He managed to stay conscious long enough to see that they were safe before blacking out.

When he came to again, Sam found himself in a hospital bed hooked up to an IV and a raging headache. He groaned as he clenched his eyes shut, then blinked his eyes open again as he heard shifting next to him. He was shocked to find the bald man next to him in the seat by his bed. He was so used to Dean being there that having someone else was just weird and he had a momentary surge of panic before remembering what had happened. He grunted as he swallowed, trying to get some kind of moisture in his cotton dry mouth and scratchy throat and heard the man shift again as well as what sounded like liquid being poured into a glass. Suddenly a glass was put to his lips and he opened his mouth to greedily drink down the cool liquid. He cleared his throat painfully before smiling weakly at the man. “Thanks,” he managed raspily.

“No thanks necessary. You saved my life...I owe you,” the man replied with a crooked half smile which Sam returned with a full smile of his own.

“Nah...I just didn’t think that you’d wanted to end up like those guards,” Sam responded with a shrug as he picked at the blanket that was covering his lower body.

“Still...you could have left me. I owe you,” the man repeated as he watched Sam’s hands briefly before looking at him. “My name’s Lex...Lex Luthor,” he finally said after a minute of silent contemplation.

“Sam...Sam Winchester,” Sam replied honestly as he mentally kicked himself for not giving an alias. But the trust in the wary blue eyes made him *want* to be honest to this man. He could see a reflection of himself there in the loneliness and the need to prove something about himself...that he wasn't what people assumed he was. It was strange...but he felt a kindred spirit in this man named Lex Luthor. Shaking himself from his thoughts, Sam smiled again. “So, what happened after I passed out?” he asked sheepishly.

“I called the paramedics and they brought you here. The cops found the two dead security guards and want your statement when you’re ready,” Lex explained before grinning. “Though I don’t think they believed me when I told them that the lights exploded and how those two tables crushed my security guards before we escaped,” he added with a slight chuckle.

Chuckling himself, Sam sighed. “Yea, that’s normal,” he agreed sarcastically, but it was the truth as well for him. A hunt didn’t go by where he and Dean were thrown into walls, piles of debris, or things were thrown at them. It got a bit old after a while... “How about you? Any injuries?” he asked as he looked Lex over for any signs of damage.

“A bump on the head and a bruised shoulder, but nothing I can’t get over. I’ve had worse,” Lex answered with a smirk, but Sam noted that it was sad. He wondered briefly on it, but stopped as Lex stood up. “I should let you rest and let the doctor look after you,” he said as he pulled on a sports jacket before holding his hand out to Sam. Sam engulfed the bald man’s hand in his own and shook it with a smile, which was mirrored on Lex’s face. “I won’t forget what you did, Sam. I never let a debt go unpaid. Call on me anytime and I’ll help you however I can,” he stated and Sam felt just a touch overwhelmed. To have as powerful a man as Lex Luthor owing him was something he never thought would happen.

“Don’t worry about it, Lex. Just...just live your life,” he finally replied after a second and felt sorrow well up in him. They were words he wished he could live by, but he was always helping others and desperately trying to save his brother. He forced himself to remaining smiling as Lex nodded and left the room. Watching the other man leave, Sam felt a pang of regret. He felt something towards Lex that he’d never really felt with anyone. Lex felt seriously like a kindred soul and that made him wonder on the reasons for their having met.

He didn’t think on it long as his doctor came in with a warm smile. “Well, Mr. Gordoni...so glad to see you up and about. How do you feel?”

Smiling back wanly, Sam remembered what his alias was. Barry Gordoni. “Fine thanks. Can I get out now?” he asked as he picked at his blanket.

“Just need to give you a final check-up and then you can fill out your paperwork before you’re free to go,” the doctor replied easily as he came over to the bedside and started checking Sam’s reflexes as well as his injuries which, to Sam, were standard fare. Once he'd been given the go-ahead, Sam filled out the information with his phony identification and gave them a fake credit card to pay for the medical bill, signing it as B. Gordoni.

Then, with only a slight twinge of guilt over having scammed them, Sam strolled out and headed for the city records. There was some hacking he had to do before he hit up Luthorcorp again. He knew for certain that the spirits in that room had a definite thing against Lex. He just had to find out what exactly and quickly before more people were killed.

TBC

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