Superman: Dawnbreaker (DC Icons #4)(62)

Lex took off his backpack, unzipped the main pocket, and pulled out a small gun.

“No way,” Clark said, reaching out and pushing the muzzle of the gun toward the ground. “We’re not going to shoot anyone.”

“It’s a dart gun,” Lex said, irritated. “It’s not going to kill him.”

Clark backed off and watched Lex take aim. A small green dot from the laser sight appeared on the guard’s arm. Just as the light caught the guard’s eye and he began to raise his machine gun, there was a burst of compressed air near Clark’s ear. A small dart lodged in the guard’s right shoulder, and he immediately collapsed to the ground.

“Jesus,” Lana said. “I’m officially a believer in LuthorCorp.”

“Is he okay?” Gloria asked.

“When he wakes up in a couple hours,” Lex said, “he’ll be a little groggy. But that’s about it.”

Clark was impressed. Why hurt someone if you can simply put him to sleep?

The moon was rising above them as they raced through the thick trees to the far edge of the dark grove, then stopped. In the clearing—the same one that had been an empty patch of weedy grass just a few days ago—Clark saw two single-story metal structures, just like Lex had said there would be. One was large, boxy, and windowless. A single door in front. The other was a smaller structure on wheels, with three jeeps parked outside.

The crater was just beyond, two tractors parked near its lip.

The rest of the massive clearing had been closely mowed and was marked with an array of spray-painted white lines. It looked almost like the setting for some odd sporting event, but Clark knew this wasn’t a game. Whatever was going on here was far more serious than he’d ever imagined. Clark scanned the area for potential dangers as they crept toward the side of the larger structure, to the left.

“Shit,” Lex whispered. “I assumed there’d be a window somewhere. These camera glasses are useless if we can’t see inside. Especially now that it’s dark.”

Clark stared at the exterior of the building in front of him until his X-ray vision punched through. The wall was made of a thick metallic substance, however, so his view was blurry. He believed he was looking at two dozen or so men sitting in folding chairs, watching a theater-sized movie screen. What was on the screen, he couldn’t tell. But all the men were dressed in brown and had shaved heads—like the guy who’d rammed the SUV into the retaining wall downtown.

The men sat completely still. Coming up out of the floor, Clark saw, were chains that connected to a leather belt around each man’s torso.

Clark’s vision soon cut out, but the image was seared into his brain. The men inside the structure were being kept against their will. They were prisoners. His thoughts flashed back to the night at the Wesco lab. He’d heard the sound of chains there, too. Inside the large conference room labeled Project Dawn. Whatever was happening here had begun at the lab.

“What’s in there?” Gloria whispered. “People?”

Clark almost blurted out what he’d just seen with his X-ray vision. But he stopped himself in time. Instead, he said, “There’s gotta be a window somewhere. At least some kind of ventilation shaft on the roof.”

“Hang on.” Lex pulled a small handheld device out of his backpack. He punched in a series of numbers and waited, saying, “Come on. Come on.”

But Clark was no longer willing to wait. He was sure the guards would walk the perimeter again soon. He peered around the building when he heard the sound of men speaking quietly. There were two, guns in hand. They stood beside one of the jeeps. It seemed to Clark that they were the only guards who stood between him and getting a look inside the structure now.

Lex tapped Clark on the shoulder and said in a quiet voice, “You were right.” He held out his device so Clark could see. And there, on the tiny screen, was a detailed satellite image of the compound where they were standing. Lex zoomed in so that Clark could see the single skylight on the roof of the structure before them.

“But how do we get up there?” Lana whispered.

Gloria was shaking her head now. “I don’t understand. Why not just call the police?”

“We already tried that,” Lana whispered. “This time we want to go to them with proof.”

Lex knelt and dug into his backpack. He pulled out three pairs of black gloves and fabric booties. They were made from a strange metallic material. “Put these on.”

The three of them slipped the gloves on and then slid the thick socks over their shoes. Buckles snapped them into place around their wrists and ankles. The material was soft but heavy, as if some kind of metal was mixed into the fabric.

“To make it cling,” Lex said, “just take a step. Or reach your hand out for the metallic surface. To release, slide right.” He switched them all on and, to Clark’s surprise, began scaling the side of the building, reaching up a hand or foot and sticking, then sliding right to release and climb higher.

Lana, Gloria, and Clark shared a look before following.

Clark was amazed at how the gloves and grip socks clung to the wall through some kind of magnetism when he secured a foothold, then released when he stepped to the right. It was awkward at first, especially remembering to slide right, but by the time he neared the top of the structure, he’d figured out the technique. He also noticed that there was a second button on the side that held the magnetic connection firm even when he tried to step or push right.