Letting Go: Chapter 14
Author: Poetgirl925
Title: Letting Go
Rating: R, based on later chapters
Summary: When Chloe's life starts to unravel both personally and professionally, she decides some major changes and a fresh start may be the answer to her problems.
Pairing: Chloe/Oliver
Status: WIP, approximately 20 chapters
Warnings: Spoilers through Siren, but goes AU from there.
Disclaimer: I own only my original characters appearing in the story.
View photos of the original characters in the story. View dresses worn to events in the story.
Chapters: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7
Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Mike opened the door of the café and looked around for Ashlyn. When he spotted her, he couldn’t help smiling. She just had that effect on him. If someone had told him a couple of months earlier that he would be spending a large portion of his free time with Ashlyn Sinclair, he’d never have believed them. After all, on the surface they had little to nothing in common.
But underneath the money, the glamorous lifestyle, and the designer tags, he felt like he was getting to know the real Ashlyn. She was smart as hell for one thing, and she had a really logical approach to her fashion design business. She had a Business degree from UCLA, something that had surprised him, and she had studied fashion design at a school in Paris while she was modeling.
They both loved sports, particularly basketball. He’d begun attending games with her on a regular basis, and they both enjoyed the casual outings together. They both had tightly knit families. He’d been surprised by how down-to-earth Ashlyn’s parents were, and she had a younger brother who was still in college. Mike had three younger siblings, all sisters, so he knew what it was like to feel protective of family.
He’d been invited to family dinners at the Sinclair house, and he felt as comfortable there now as he did with his own family. Ashlyn’s father, Tom, was a sports nut, and her younger brother Ethan played baseball for UCLA. Ashlyn’s mother was also not what he’d expected, and he could see exactly where Ashlyn’s combination of beauty and brains came from.
Like Ashlyn, French born Aimee Laurent-Sinclair had done some modeling in her younger years. But she also had a love of baking, and after studying with some of the best culinary minds in France, she’d returned to L.A. and opened a bakery that specialized in wedding cakes and other designer baked goods for California’s elite. She had expanded as far as New York, and though she eventually put others in charge so she could concentrate on her family, she still loved creating dishes in the kitchen.
And just as he had fit in with her family, Ashlyn seemed at home with his. His parents and sisters adored her, and she even weathered the large extended family gathering his parents had recently hosted for his sister’s high school graduation. Mike had been concerned that the whole family together would be overwhelming for her, but Ashlyn had waved him away as she joined his mother, sisters, and aunts in the kitchen.
But despite the amount of time they’d been spending together of late, they were still keeping things in the friend zone. Mike suspected that this was a test run for Ashlyn as much as it was for him. He’d never been friends with, much less dated, anyone like Ashlyn. And with the media spotlight firmly trained on her in Star City, he knew that she didn’t often date, or at least not seriously. He was hoping to change her mind about that.
Ashlyn looked up at his approach, and her expression brightened immediately. “Hey, you. How were the interviews?”
She stood to greet him, and Mike felt the familiar wave of awareness hit him as he kissed her cheek. He waited for her to sit before joining her at the table. “They were great. And I saw your brother this morning. His fast ball is looking pretty good, so I think he’ll be moving up the roster soon.”
“Nice to know my help is paying off. Who do you think taught him to pitch?” Ashlyn grinned as she raised a hand to get the server’s attention.
They had just finished ordering when Mike’s phone buzzed. He pulled it from his pocket and saw Lanie’s number on the screen. He looked up at Ashlyn and said, “It’s Lanie. She called twice earlier, so I should probably answer this.”
She nodded her acknowledgement, and Mike answered quickly. “Hey Lanie - sorry I couldn’t talk earlier. What’s up?” He heard Lanie’s breathing hitch as she tried to speak, and he realized she was crying. Alarm shot through him. “Lanie? What’s wrong?”
He heard her sniffle again, and then she said, “I need you to come down to 5th and Knox - Chloe and I were following a lead and some men…. they took Chloe. I don’t know where. Can you come?”
Mike was already out of his seat, throwing money down on the table. “I’m leaving now. Are the police there? What about Harry? Did you call him?” A million questions were rapid firing through his brain, but he knew that he needed to keep them to a minimum until he could get to Lanie.
“They’re here. Can you hurry?” She didn’t have to say it, but he knew she was scared. And that frightened him more than anything because there were very few things in this world that Lanie really feared.
“I’m on my way,” he promised. He hung up and glanced at Ashlyn, who had already gotten the bill and was now following him out the door.
“What happened? Is Lanie ok?” Ashlyn asked, clearly concerned about his end of the conversation.
“She’s ok, I think, but she said some men took Chloe. She’s at 5th and Knox now, so I need to get down there.”
Ashlyn looked shocked. “Took her? As in kidnapped?”
“That’s what it sounds like, but Lanie was too upset for me to get all the details on the phone,” Mike explained, feeling frustrated by his lack of knowledge. “I’ll call you later and…”
“No,” she interrupted. “I’m coming with you. Chloe’s my friend too, and my family has a lot of pull in Star City. I’ll call my father, and he can start making calls - the police commissioner, the D.A., the mayor’s office, and the governor if necessary. Does Ollie know?”
“I’m not sure. Lanie did say the police and our editor were already there.”
With Mike setting a new speed record, it took less than ten minutes for them to arrive. The entire area around 5th and Knox seemed to have been cordoned off, and Mike had to park one block up. He and Ashlyn hurried to the center of activity. Two officers were stationed near the mouth of the alley, and yellow tape had been strung up to keep out the curious onlookers. When Mike flashed his press pass, the officer shook his head. “No press allowed in.”
“Look, I know my editor is back there, and it was my friend who was taken. I’m coming in,” Mike said insistently.
The officer looked doubtful, but after speaking with someone on his radio, he waved them through. Mike hurried through the throngs of police, eyes scanning the crowd for Lanie. He finally spotted her sitting on the back of an ambulance. “Lanie!”
Lanie looked up as they approached. “Oh my God, Mike,” she said as she stood up and threw her arms around him.
Mike hugged her tightly. “Are you alright?” He pulled back to look at her. The knees of her pants were torn, and both of her pants legs had been cut open to reveal bloody scrapes on her knees and left shin.
Lanie nodded as she pulled back and sat down to let the medic continue cleaning the nasty looking scrapes on her left leg. “Road burn - when they grabbed Chloe and pulled her into their car, I tried to go in after her. But one of the men pushed me out, and then they started driving. I was dragged for a couple of seconds before I let go.”
“But why were you down here? And who were these men? Were they sources?”
“We were meeting one of Chloe’s sources, and I think they must have followed us here. I saw the woman give Chloe a file, but then when those men came after them, Chloe shoved the file back at the woman and she ran. Chloe just didn’t have enough time to get away, and I was too far away to get there before they dragged her into their car.” Lanie started sniffling again for a moment. “It’s related to Helen Jenkins, I’m sure of that. But I have no idea where to start looking.”
“When it comes to dirty politics, someone always knows something,” Mike replied. “Ashlyn has already called her father, and he’s busy putting pressure on everyone straight up to the governor. And you and I are going to put our heads together and figure this out, ok?”
Lanie nodded, glancing at Ashlyn. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Lanie,” Ashlyn answered, stepping forward to hand Lanie a cool, damp cloth. “Here, hold that to your head for a minute and take a few deep breaths. Does Ollie know about Chloe?”
“I don’t think so. His assistant said he was in a meeting until twelve, and she wouldn’t put me through. I tried his cell, but it’s turned off.”
Ashlyn pulled out her phone. “He needs to know.” She pressed a number from her contacts list and waited for an answer. “Hi, Mary Anne, it’s Ashlyn. I know that Ollie is in a meeting, but I need you to get him on the phone. There’s an emergency that he needs to be aware of.”
***
Oliver scanned the new documents that Bruce’s legal team had just faxed over. “Looks good on my end,” he commented.
Bruce looked up from the sheaf of papers he was reviewing. “I’d still like to have the blueprints for the new satellite you’re using.”
“I’ll compromise and let you have access to the feed if you join the team,” Oliver said with a raised brow.
“I’m definitely considering it, especially after meeting the lovely Ms. Sullivan,” Bruce murmured as he glanced over at his friend. He fought to keep the grin off his face when Oliver gritted his teeth but refrained from responding. In other circumstances Bruce thought he might have seriously pursued Chloe. But ever since he had seen her with Oliver, he’d known that wasn’t truly an option. However, it didn’t stop him from aggravating Oliver whenever the topic of his lovely sidekick came up because his friend made it all too easy.
There was a knock on the door, and Mary Anne opened it, looking apologetic. “I’m so sorry, but Ashlyn is on line 1 - she says it’s an emergency.”
“Thanks,” Oliver said, reaching for the phone with a concerned expression as Mary Anne closed the door behind her. “Ashlyn, what’s wrong?”
Bruce felt a sense of foreboding when Oliver’s expression shifted to a mix of anxiety and disbelief. “Whoa, back up. How long ago did this happen?”
Bruce watched as Oliver stood up, already shoving papers into his briefcase. “No, I’m coming now. Keep everyone there until I get there.” He ended the call and immediately dialed another extension. “Mary Anne, I need you to cancel everything I have for the rest of today and tomorrow as well. I’m going to be out of the office. Ashlyn told me that Chloe was abducted this morning while meeting one of her sources. If anyone from the media calls, refer them to Jay.”
Bruce stood, adrenaline already coursing through his veins as Oliver hung up and turned to him. “Chloe was abducted? Where?”
“Ashlyn said 5th and Knox,” Oliver replied grimly as he pulled out his cell phone and hit a number. “Vic, I need you to round up the team and get everyone here to Star City ASAP. Chloe was abducted this morning from the alley behind Café Firenze at 5th and Knox. She was apparently meeting a source, so it’s likely related to the Helen Jenkins case you’ve been looking into. Start pulling video as fast as you can from that whole area. I’m headed down there now to get more details, and I’ll call you back.”
Oliver hung up the phone and stood for a moment, fist clenched against the back of his chair, before he looked up at Bruce. “You’re in?”
“Of course,” Bruce replied. He stepped forward and clapped Oliver on the shoulder. “I have an extra set of gear stored on my jet - we’ll find her, Ollie.”
“Damn right we will,” Oliver said grimly. “I’m going down to talk to them now. You get what you need, and I’ll meet back up with you when the team arrives. We don’t need to call attention to your involvement here, especially if Batman will be making an appearance in Star City tonight.”
Bruce nodded. “Just tell me where you need me and I’ll be there.” He watched as Oliver strode out the door, aggression rolling off him in waves. He called his driver quickly and started mentally prepping for what was coming. He had a feeling he’d need to help keep Oliver grounded on this mission.
***
Oliver slammed on the brakes as he got close to 5th and Knox, the throngs of media and police making it impossible for him to continue. “Dammit!”
He backed up and parked one street over before jogging toward the center of activity. Police were everywhere, and tape had been strung up to block the alley. Oliver could see some forensic technicians photographing the street and taking measurements. Tire treads, he thought.
He scanned the crowd quickly for a glimpse of Ashlyn, Lanie or Mike. He moved under the tape but was immediately blocked by a burly policeman.
“Sir, you can’t go back there,” the man advised but faltered when he got a clear look at Oliver. “Mr. Queen, I’m sorry, but…”
“Get out of my way,” Oliver said shortly as he stepped up nose to nose with the officer blocking him.
The officer hesitated briefly before moving out of Oliver’s way without further protest. Oliver walked toward the alley and finally saw Mike and Ashlyn standing near an ambulance. Lanie was seated on the back of the ambulance, and two plainclothes detectives were making notes as they spoke to her.
Ashlyn saw Oliver first as he approached the group, and she stepped forward to hug him, relief evident on her face. “God, Oliver, the media is all over this. My father has already started making calls to see what help he can give us, but he kept it quiet. I don’t know how everyone found out so quickly.”
“Chloe’s a reporter with a well-respected newspaper,” Mike said. “And once people at the office found out, there would have been no keeping it under wraps.”
“And it happened in broad daylight - and I screamed so loudly that half the people in the area businesses came outside to see what was going on,” Lanie commented. Her eyes were still red rimmed as she bent her leg gingerly, testing her balance as she stood.
“Whoa, you need to stay off that leg. You have a minor sprain,” the medic warned.
Lanie’s voice rose as she replied, “My friend was abducted, and it’s already been two hours. I am not going to just sit here and wait around for her to show up.”
Oliver stepped forward and put a hand on Lanie’s arm. “Lanie, we’ll find her, I promise. Right now I need you to tell me everything you can about what happened.”
Lanie nodded, taking a deep breath as she began speaking. “We came here to meet Samantha Sutton. And Chloe said she had promised you that she wouldn’t meet anyone alone, so I came with her. She tried to call you and a couple other people, but she couldn’t pass it up, you know? She’s been looking for this woman for months.”
Oliver sighed as he tried to tamp down his frustration. He knew Chloe well enough to know Lanie was right. Chloe would never have given up an opportunity to meet with that source - not when she’d been looking for her for so long. “I know.”
“I was at the end of the alley. I saw Samantha come from behind Chloe - there,” she said, pointing to a faded red door with peeling paint. “She gave Chloe a big file folder, and they spoke, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. And then this dark sedan came tearing around the corner. Chloe shoved the folder back at Samantha, and Samantha ran, but this man got out of the car and grabbed Chloe before she could get away. I started running and screaming. I saw him hit her before he pulled her into the car.”
Oliver made a conscious effort to swallow his anger. “Was she conscious?”
“I don’t think so,” Lanie answered, fresh tears welling in her eyes. She wiped her face before she continued. “I tried to go into the car after them. I saw two men in the back, and there was the driver. I’m not sure if anyone was sitting in the passenger seat up front. They pushed me out and started driving; I tried to hold on but I couldn’t. I’m so sorry.”
“Lanie, it’s not your fault,” Mike said, placing his arm around her shoulders.
Oliver turned to the detectives. “Did anyone else see anything?”
Whether it was Oliver’s authoritative manner or his standing in the community, the detectives didn’t question his right to the information. “A few witnesses saw the sedan leaving the alley. Dark, four-door, no make or model. Partial California plate number 4NZZ. One man looked out the window of the café storage room when he heard the screaming, and he confirmed that the man who grabbed Ms. Sullivan hit her. Said it looked like she bit him first. She apparently fought back pretty hard, but the witness said it looked like she was unconscious when the perp pulled her into the car. We’ve got officers canvassing the area and trying to get video from security cameras.”
Oliver knew Victor could get the video much more quickly, and he could also access traffic cams to find out where the car went after turning out of the alley.
“Ten to one says that sedan will turn out to be stolen,” the other detective remarked. “The city just installed new traffic cameras, and they cover every city block downtown and most blocks as you move into the residential areas. Perps around here know that, and grabbing a woman in the morning with witnesses tells me they weren’t worried about the car being seen.”
“What about Helen Jenkins?” Oliver asked. “Chloe has been on this story for months, and the source she was meeting was tied to that case.”
Glancing at his partner, the first detective replied, “We don’t have any evidence that the councilwoman had anything to do with this.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Oliver’s voice held a dangerous edge. “That woman’s career is off the rails because of Chloe’s investigation into her organization. She’s looking at an indictment. You don’t think she’d want to stop Chloe from meeting with someone who could connect her to weapons trafficking?”
“Mr. Queen, we understand that you’re upset about your girlfriend, and the department is putting all available resources into this matter.”
The detective’s placating tone infuriated Oliver. “All available resources. Right. Let me be very clear about something here, detectives. Ever since Jenkins’ dirty laundry came to light, I’ve been hearing some interesting things about dirty politics in Star City. And where the politicians are dirty, dirty cops aren’t far behind. So if something happens to Chloe and I find out that your department didn’t turn over every damn rock from Helen Jenkins on up, I will make it my personal mission to clean house.”
“And the Gazette will help him do it. Whether you want to admit it or not, Jenkins is in this up to her ass.”
Oliver turned to see a tall man who appeared to be in his early sixties standing near Lanie. A shock of salt and pepper hair fell over his brow, and his craggy face was set in hard lines. He held out his hand to Oliver. “Harry Kiesler, Chloe’s editor. Don’t think we’ve officially met.”
Oliver shook his hand. “Chloe speaks highly of you.”
“Chloe is a damn fine reporter,” Harry replied gruffly. “And a good kid. I’ve got every one of my reporters checking in with sources.”
“I know you have a budget for sources. I’ll personally cover it if you have to go over,” Oliver said.
Harry nodded before turning back to Lanie and Mike. “You two are relieved of your regular stories today - I know you’d be working this angle even if I told you not to.”
“Yes sir,” Mike answered. He glanced down at Lanie. “We need to start with your sources Lanie. You’ve got contacts with the city, but mine won’t be as helpful since they’re largely in the sports field.”
“Ok.” Lanie began going through her phone’s contact list, brow furrowed in concentration. “Maybe this guy…”
“Ollie, my father has been making calls. He’s talked to the police commissioner, the D.A., and the governor so far. He’s made it very clear that priority number one should be finding Chloe. The mayor was unavailable earlier, but Dad said he’d keep trying.” Ashlyn met Oliver’s eyes, her expression serious as she continued quietly, “I’ll let you know if he finds out anything new. And Ollie - whatever you’re planning, please be careful.”
Oliver kept his expression contained though her last words startled him. It was almost as if she knew he had his own plans to get Chloe back. He dismissed the idea just as quickly. “Right now I have to go back to the office. But I’ll be checking in regularly.”
“You’re leaving?” Lanie’s tone was incredulous as she stood to face Oliver.
“I left a client at my office, so I have to wrap that up. But I’ll be working things from my end, and I’ll check in.” Oliver could see that his explanation was only serving to anger Lanie further. He turned to the detectives. “I’ll be in touch with the police commissioner today. I trust we understand each other?”
Both men nodded. They looked irritated by Oliver’s high-handedness but wisely refrained from commenting on it as they turned away to confer with the forensic technicians. Harry’s phone rang, and he excused himself from the suddenly tense group to answer it.
Mike looked at Lanie, who was still staring at Oliver. “Lanie, he can probably be most helpful by putting pressure on the city officials. He and Ashlyn’s father have clout that we don’t have and you know that.”
“He could be most helpful by being here,” Lanie retorted angrily. “Is your client more important than Chloe?”
“Of course not,” Oliver said, struggling to hold onto his temper. “But I have responsibilities. My assistant is busy rescheduling everything as we speak, but I have to update my PR people on this situation so they can prepare a response for the media. I’ll also be meeting with the police commissioner and anyone else I think might be able to give us more information on Jenkins. She must have a network of informants and dirty city officials. She’d never have gotten away with this for so long otherwise.”
Lanie’s mouth tightened and she shot Oliver a dismissive look. “Fine, you do whatever it is you need to do. I’ll find her myself.” She turned away and limped off to make a call.
Mike ran a hand over his jaw as he shrugged at Oliver before following Lanie. Oliver sighed, wondering how much he was going to have to work at it to get on Lanie’s good side again.
“Oliver, Lanie’s just upset right now. She’ll come around.” Ashlyn’s soft voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Yeah,sure,” Oliver replied flatly. He somehow doubted it would be that easy. “I’ll call your dad and get an update. Are you staying here?”
Ashlyn glanced at Mike, biting her lip somewhat anxiously. “For now, I’m staying. My driver is here waiting in case I need a ride home. I’ll call you if we find out anything that can help you.”
Oliver reached out and squeezed her hand. “Thanks, Ash.”
He turned and walked quickly back to his car, dialing Vic’s number as soon as he slid behind the wheel. “Tell me you guys are already here.”
“We’re at the penthouse,” Victor confirmed.
“Good. I’m on my way now, and we’ll be up one team member for this one. Did you manage to reach Clark?” Oliver knew that Victor would have called Clark right away for something like this.
“He’s not answering, but I’ll keep trying.”
“Alright, I’ll be there in twenty.” Oliver disconnected the call and sent a message to Bruce to meet him at the penthouse before pulling into traffic. He tried to clear his mind. Focus on the mission, he thought. He knew that was what he needed to do, but the problem was that Chloe wasn’t just a mission. Her abduction was very personal, and he knew his emotions were getting in the way of clear thinking.
He and Chloe had been walking a fine line with their friendship lately. He knew it, and she was also aware that they were drifting ever closer to a new phase in their relationship. He’d been debating it in his head for weeks, wondering if going any further with her was really the best idea. But his concerns aside, he wasn’t sure he could stop what he was feeling for her now. Little by little those feelings had crept up on him, and he wanted her more intensely than he could ever remember wanting another woman.
Oliver wrestled with his thoughts as he sped through the downtown traffic, mindful of the hours that had already passed since Chloe was taken and praying that he wasn’t already too late. The one thing he was sure of was that he could no longer ignore what he was feeling for Chloe. And when he got her back, he was going to tell her how he felt.
A/N: So I know you guys are probably wondering about Chloe. I’m going to try to edit the other half of this and get it up this week, but I wanted to go ahead and post what I edited this weekend (Thursday and Friday are my weekend days now.) This whole part was just really too long for one post, and I didn’t have time to edit it all anyway. As most of you know, I moved to Saudi Arabia for a teaching job about a month ago, so life has been slightly chaotic. I’ll get to all updates (Letting Go, Shadows, and the Baby Queen series) as time allows, so sorry for delays. Just know I’m working as much as I’m able on them!
At my LiveJournal page I now have a Master Fic List. There you will find links to all stories, as well as summaries for two new Chlollie stories I’ve begun outlining. I also have a blog about my life here in Saudi Arabia if you’re interested. First entry is up and linked on my Master Fic List, second entry coming in the next day or so.
If you visit the page for Letting Go, you will find photos of the original characters. I’ve now added photos for Mrs. Chandler and some new ones for Ashlyn. You will also find links for dresses that I’m considering for events coming up in the story such as Chloe’s birthday party and the QI Charity Gala. If you have an opinion on who should wear what, please share!
Up Next: Batman joins Ollie and the JL boys to search for Chloe as Mike and Lanie follow their own trail. When they run across each other in the field, sparks fly between Lanie and the Bat. Meanwhile, Chloe finds out who’s really behind the weapons trafficking and just how much danger she’s in as Oliver races against the clock to get to her before it’s too late.
Thanks to all my readers and reviewers - I hope you’re still loving the story!