Fic: Don't Let Go (1/7)
Title: Don’t Let Go (1/7)
Author: gradgirl (aka Ali)
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: (slight) Luke/Noah, Luke/Reid, Ameera, Casey and OC
Summary: AU-When INS Agent Reid Oliver gets called to Oakdale, a simple case turns into the last thing he expects.
Warnings: None
Author’s Notes: Based upon this prompt. Thank you reilaroo for the wonderful prompt and your awesome beta work. Constructive criticism and comments are appreciated. Thank you for reading. ~Ali
Chapter One
Agent Reid Oliver quickly saved his document and sent it off to the right departments. Another successful case closed. He smiled softly to himself. Being one of the best meant he worked hard, but the rewards were worth it. Reid often assured himself that because of him, all of these people who tried to defraud the government with false marriages and fake identities were stopped. He was the best of the best and the INS knew that. If they didn’t, then Reid had no problem making sure they were well aware of it whenever he was up for promotion.
He glanced once more at the file, a couple who tried to convince everyone under the sun that they were really in love. But Reid knew better. One of his exes accused him of not being a romantic because of his work. Reid argued that it was because of his work that he was a romantic. If someone he loved, if someone he cared about was going to be sent away, then he would do anything, go anywhere, fight anyone and anything to make sure that the man he loved would be safe and able to stay in the country. This couple had been dating a few months and decided to get married. He grew up in Vancouver, Canada, for Pete’s sake, he mused. It wasn’t as if they would never see each other. But they’d gotten married and a few months into the union realized that what they thought was love was just sexual chemistry, which died out quickly. Reid was more than happy to send the guy back to Vancouver.
Letting out a sigh, Reid stood up. He needed a coffee break before going to check on another case. Sometimes going to these people’s weddings depressed him. He was grateful that the rest of his cases didn’t involve young married people. He couldn’t stand the idea of looking into the puppy-dog eyes of another teenager who tried to convince Reid that he knew what love was. The redhead shook his head. If they ever had it, they’d know it didn’t involve a justice of the peace and a green card.
*
“Do you Noah Mayer take Ameera Ali Aziz to be your lawfully wedded wife?” the justice of the peace asked Noah.
Luke swallowed and actually bit his lip to stop himself from saying what he was really thinking. He didn’t think he would ever see this day: his boyfriend-the guy he was in love with-was marrying another woman. When did his life become this way? Luke wanted to help Ameera, almost as much as Noah did, and he knew in his head that there was no way they could send Ameera back to Iraq. Luke knew that in his head, but in his heart, he felt like screaming and yelling that Noah was supposed to love him, and if the brunette was going to marry anyone, it would be Luke.
“I do,” Noah vowed.
“Do you Ameera Ali Aziz take Noah Mayer to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
“I do,” she murmured. She was so scared and nervous. She didn’t want to do anything wrong, and she hated the way Luke looked at her. He was always so kind, but she could see the betrayal and pain in his eyes. What was she getting herself into?
Pictures were taken, cake was eaten, and everyone was so kind, polite. Everyone made light comments about the nice ceremony and how lovely the couple was. They knew their part; they knew the role they were to play in this scheme. A young woman’s life was at stake, so they could pretend.
A couple of INS agents had come to them earlier in the week and started interviewing Noah and Ameera, asking so many questions… Noah answered questions about himself that he had never even thought about before. How was he going to learn these things about Ameera? It was like cramming for the worst final of his life. But he was so grateful that he had Luke, his boyfriend, Noah stopped that line of thought. He couldn’t think of Luke that way any more.
“Agent Jones,” Noah greeted one of the men assigned to his case. “I know it’s unusual, but thank you for coming to our wedding.”
The man was taller then Noah with broad shoulders, blonde hair and green eyes. Those eyes were narrowed slightly as he returned Noah’s shake. “Actually, it’s not that unusual. We find that when people we are investigating suddenly get married that we like to be there.”
Noah looked back behind him and saw Ameera standing close. He reached out his hand, and she reluctantly came forward. “I guess we’re just so lucky to have found each other then.”
The agent didn’t respond any further but simply walked away.
“Noah,” Ameera whispered urgently. “I do not like that man.”
The brunette chuckled softly. “I’m sure he gets that a lot.” He gently squeezed her hand. “But I promise I’ll protect you.”
Luke started to walk up to Noah to check if he was all right but seeing him and Ameera, Luke realized he couldn’t. There were two agents there, who seemed to know and see everything, and worst of all, it wasn’t Luke’s place to check on Noah anymore.
*
Two weeks later…
“This is Oliver,” Reid picked up his cell phone. He was just about to wrap up a case. Another reason he was one of the best and respected so much was the quick turn around on his cases.
“Hi Reid.”
The redhead almost dropped his phone. But he did drop his pen and lean back into his chair, relaxing a bit. He knew that voice anywhere, even though he hadn’t heard it in almost a year.
“Sam,” Reid returned the greeting.
“Glad to know that even after all this time you still recognize my voice,” the man answered good-naturedly.
“Keen observational skills,” Reid countered. The image of the other man worked itself out of his mind. Sam was slightly taller then Reid. He had dark brown, almost black hair. The last time Reid had seen the older man he was starting to gray at the temples, and he assumed it was more pronounced now. Sam also had light green eyes that never gave anything away. It was a trait Reid admired and tried to emulate. “You know that’s what makes me the best.”
“No,” Sam argued. “I trained you, which makes you the best.”
Reid chuckled and Agent Kline, who had a desk opposite Reid’s, sat in shock. Rarely had he ever heard Oliver chuckle, and he could count on one hand the number of times he’d seen the man smile (when it wasn’t related to proving a case).
“What can I do for you, Sam?” Reid asked.
Sam Franklin had been Reid’s mentor since his days in the academy. The older man had seen something in Reid, not just his intelligence, but his gut instincts were never wrong. Sam wanted to foster that, bring out the best in Reid. Reid had allowed it up to a point, but once he proved himself to be as great as he was, he looked to Sam as a coworker and confidant. There wasn’t another person in the world that Reid trusted more.
“Well…” Sam sighed. “We’ve got a case here, and it looks suspicious.”
“Don’t they all?” Reid noted dryly. “Tell me the details. I assume those ridiculous people who work for you in Podunk, Illinois doesn’t think it’s suspicious.”
Sam loved living in Oakdale, and he would put up with Reid’s insults, even if it meant getting the brilliant agent’s help. Or even better, Sam thought, to actually get Reid to come to “Podunk” to help. He knew the younger man well enough to know just what to say to make that happen.
“I’ve got two agents trailing this couple: young kids. An American boy and an Iraqi girl.”
Reid immediately leaned forward over his desk. He picked up a pen and a pad of paper. He was ready to take notes. “Tell me more,” he instructed.
Sam swallowed his smile. “She’s been in Oakdale about a month. They claim its eternal love.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Reid muttered. He didn’t know the couple, but his gut already told him this was suspicious. The redhead had learned long ago to listen to that suspicion. If nothing else, what would an Iraqi girl be doing in the middle of nowhere?
“I’ve got two of my best agents on this case.”
Reid snorted in response. “That’s not saying much.”
“You know, Reid, some of us like to have a life outside of work.” Sam was trying a different track now. Not only was he going to seek Reid’s help. Sam wanted to help his friend as well. “Some agents have friends, family, we go out.”
“I…” Reid hesitated for a moment. “Date.”
“You have conquests,” Sam countered. “I’m talking about a guy that you can come home to after a long day, share a beer, and watch a game.”
Reid sighed. None of that sounded like a good idea. Because of his work, there was a lot he couldn’t share with another person. He wasn’t the type of guy who liked to spend hours going over his day, share his feelings, and talk about the future. Actually, the last guy he had been “dating,” Reid had called the relationship quits about a week earlier. The guy had started to talk about introducing Reid to his parents and maybe going away for a long weekend. None of that sounded appealing to Reid, and he ended things.
“So what do you think?” Sam asked.
The redhead squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn’t believe he’d let his mind wander and missed part of what Sam was telling him. Maybe he did need a break, he thought. He had some vacation time. He could find a beach, a hot guy; sun, sex, and alcohol sounded really good to him. But Reid knew that Sam wasn’t calling about that. They hadn’t spoken in a year, Sam wasn’t calling him to offer advice or suggest he take a vacation.
“What?” the redhead asked.
“I need you on this case, Reid,” Sam told him. “The agents at the wedding claim it all looked real.”
“That’s their first mistake,” Reid countered.
“My thoughts exactly. What do you say you take a break and come to Podunk, Illinois?”
Reid looked around the office. Most of his cases could be handled by Kline. They weren’t that difficult and if he kept in constant touch with Kline, make sure that he was asking the right questions, Reid could make the trip. And it wasn’t as if he was going to stay in Podunk. It would just be a few weeks; he could wrap up this case in Illinois, come back, and maybe even take that vacation he was just pondering.
“Reid?”
“Book a ticket for me. I need to clean up some things here, but I can leave in a few days.”
“Great,” Sam replied, although he knew Reid wouldn’t be able to turn down this case. More than that, Sam missed his friend and wanted to work with Reid. “I know how you feel about hotels. Do you want to stay with me and Tricia?”
“Uh, no,” Reid countered. “Find me an apartment.”
“All right. I’ll send you the case notes.”
Reid hesitated for a moment. Normally, he would say yes, but if he had any questions, he wanted to get them answered right away. “No, we’ll talk when I get to Podunk.”
“Thanks, Reid.”
“Of course.”
“Oh, and Reid?”
“Yes, Sam.”
“If you’re going to spend time here, you’re going to have to start calling it Oakdale.”
“I’m not there yet,” he replied before hanging up. Reid always had to have the last word.
*
The local INS office had set Reid up with a furnished condo. Knowing his utter disdain for the germs found in hotel rooms, Sam’s wife, Tricia, got fresh linens and towels. Reid grunted his appreciation before unpacking a bag and asking Sam to order a pizza so they could get started on the case.
Tricia, who was used to Reid’s behavior-well as much as one could be-gave her husband a hug and brief kiss before leaving.
“You know, sometimes if you actually use the words ‘thank you’ instead of grunts, you might do better with those men of yours,” Sam commented as he watched Reid move around the apartment-adjusting to his surroundings.
“You’ve been married to the same woman for 15 years. What do you know about dating?” he questioned. “And…” He crossed his arms over his chest. “What do you know about dating men?” Reid asked cocking an eyebrow.
Sam refused to be goaded into an argument with Reid. The younger man played dirty, and Sam wanted to focus on this case. He didn’t like the idea of sending a sweet girl back to a war-torn country, but he couldn’t let people break the law either. That gut instinct that Reid had, the one that made him the best, Sam had one as well. Something about this case told him he needed Reid.
The redhead walked over to the kitchen. Sam had ordered a pizza, but it could still take a while before it would arrive. A snack beforehand couldn’t hurt anything. He opened the fridge and let out a sigh of appreciation. “Thank you, Tricia!”
Sam smiled softly. His wife had stocked the fridge. Everyone who knew Reid knew that if you wanted anything from him, give him food. It would help while Sam picked Reid’s brain about this case.
Quickly grabbing a couple of beers and some food, Reid turned and dropped his items on the table. “So tell me about this case.”
“I thought you wanted to eat,” Sam commented.
“I can multitask,” Reid pointed out. “Can you?” He cocked an eyebrow.
The older man shook his head and smirked. “Don’t forget who trained you, boy.” He went over to get his briefcase. He picked up the file and set it out on the table. He gave Reid a pointed look, and the redhead sheepishly moved some of his food out of the way.
“So who are the players?” Reid asked.
“Ameera Ali Aziz and Noah Mayer. They’ve been married about three weeks,” Sam began. “Aziz is an orphan. Her father died when she was a child and her mother within the last six months.”
“How’d she end up in Podunk?”
Sam looked at Reid. “Remember what I said. Now that you’re here-”
“Okay, okay.” Reid held up his hands. He took a sip of beer. “How’d she end up…here?”
Sam chuckled softly. Of course, Reid would find a way to get around that. “Noah Mayer.”
“The husband,” Reid supplied.
“Yes. In their initial interview they claimed that Aziz knew Mayer’s father.”
“Are we checking into that?” Reid asked. After seeing Sam nod, he added, “How did she know Mayer’s father?”
Sam sighed. He’d forgotten that Reid voiced every opinion and every question that popped into his head. “Mayer’s father was a decorated Colonel in the Army. Winston Mayer, apparently he had some sort of romantic relationship with Ameera’s mother.”
“Nice of them to keep it in the family,” Reid muttered.
The other man shook his head but remained silent. Sometimes it was best to let Reid work through this stuff on his own.
“What about Mayer’s family?”
“His mother is dead, and his father is in prison.”
Reid, who had been about to take another sip of his beer, slowly lowered it to the table. “Why?”
“Murder.”
“Well, he’s a catch,” Reid said sarcastically. The more he heard about this case, the more he wanted to prove the fraud and move on. “Who’d the Colonel kill?”
“Noah’s mother, he tried to set up another man for the crime. Also, he tried to kill some other kid, a friend of his son’s, Luke Snyder.”
Something was nagging at Reid. His instincts told him Mayer and Aziz didn’t marry for love. He knew something wasn’t right. But it was more than the marriage fraud.
Sam, seeing Reid’s mind working overtime, decided to plow on. “You’ll probably want to meet the Snyder kid. Mayer has been close to him and his family since he got here. In fact, until they got married, Noah was living at the Snyder Farm. The Snyders are prominent in the community. In fact, Mayer and Aziz recently moved into a house owned by the Snyder boy’s grandmother, Lucinda Walsh, of World Wide Enterprises.”
Reid let out a low whistle. The kid definitely came from money. That troublesome feeling started to get stronger. Reid wanted to know more about this Snyder kid. Why was his family so keen on keeping Mayer close? His father tried to kill their son, and yet they take the kid in?
“And despite the fact that two of our agents were there at the wedding, the loving couple provided us with photographic evidence,” Sam commented. He tossed a couple of pictures in Reid’s direction.
The one on top was of a photo of three people: two young men and a woman. Reid’s eyes were immediately drawn to one of the men. He had blond hair, and the bangs fell gently across his forehead. Reid’s fingers itched to reach and brush the hair aside, trying to get a better view of the intense hazel eyes. He had to stop himself from actually tracing the photograph. They were young, probably ten years younger then Reid, but there was something in the blonde’s eyes. It was as if they knew too much and felt even more. Reid swallowed, even in a photograph, he felt like the blonde could see right through him. It was comforting, which unnerved Reid. He’d never had such an intense and immediate reaction to anyone like this before.
“The blonde’s, uh, the Snyder boy,” Sam noted quietly. Reid who usually had an opinion about everything, and he always let you hear, it was uncharacteristically silent. This was different and Sam wasn’t sure what was going on with the younger man. “He was best man at the wedding. It was even held at the Snyder Farm.”
Finally moving away from Luke, Reid looked at the couple in the photograph. He’d seen hundreds of these types of photos. The couples always look the same, this was no exception, he realized. Luke was standing a little too close to Mayer; Reid made a mental note to keep track of that.
“What else?” Reid asked. “Tell me more about…Snyder. What’s the kid’s first name again?”
“Luke,” Sam supplied, eyeing Reid carefully.
“Luke,” the redhead repeated softly.
“The notes indicated he’s a good kid. Like I said, his family is prominent, money,” Sam emphasized.
Reid glanced at the photograph again. The suit was nice, but the kid didn’t appear to have an air about him. He didn’t seem like the type who would throw his money around, the redhead deduced; otherwise, Reid figured they would have tried to buy Ameera a place in the country.
“He and Mayer met several months ago. They interned at a local television station. They’ve been close friends ever since,” Sam continued.
It was on the tip of Reid’s tongue to ask if they were “just friends.” But he wondered if maybe it was wishful thinking. He knew better then to get too close to anyone involved in one of his cases, but the blonde was attractive. Reid knew keeping an eye on Luke wouldn’t be difficult, but he would have to maintain his objectivity. And after his reaction to just a photo of the guy, Reid knew he’d have to keep himself in check. Look but never touch.
“So Luke and his family take in Noah and Ameera? Do you think they’re hiding anything?” Reid asked. He had his own suspicions, but Sam was one of the few people that he actually trusted.
“Not sure what the relationship is between the three of them. They’ve been practically inseparable since she came to town. Mayer and Aziz claim it’s been a whirlwind relationship.”
Reid snorted. “If I had a dollar for every couple that said that, I could have retired by now.”
“Yeah, me too. They also claim that despite all the damage he’s done, they think that Noah’s father brought them together. Maybe the Mayer kid needs to believe there is some good in his dad.”
“The guy murdered his mother? There’s nothing good in that. And I doubt the Colonel would support them defrauding the government,” Reid said. He clearly didn’t like the Mayer kid.
Sam didn’t say anything for a few moments. Sometimes it was best to let Reid work out these thoughts, listen to his gut, and get to the truth. “There’s another boy, Casey Hughes,” Sam continued. “He recently got out of prison.”
Reid’s gaze was finally torn away from the photograph. “What?”
“Stealing. He was in jail for about six months.”
“Where does Hughes fit into all of this?” Reid questioned.
Sam hesitated for a moment. Since he’d shown Reid the wedding picture, the other man hadn’t touched his beer or picked up one piece of food. Sam thought it might be able to work in his favor; the case had Reid’s interest. They could get this taken care of quick. But even at the height of tracking a suspect, Reid ate. Something was going on with the redhead. Sam’s gut was trying to tell him what.
Taking a breath, Sam locked his eyes on Reid, wanting to judge the younger man’s reaction to the next piece of news. “Apparently he’s dating Luke Snyder.”
Reid’s lips drew together in a thin line, and his eyes narrowed slightly.
“Well, at least, that’s the impression the field officers got,” Sam reported. “When the two couples are out together, Snyder and Hughes sit close, sometimes they hold hands when they walk around.”
Reid found he was both surprised and disappointed. He had thought-and maybe even hoped-that Luke was gay, but he didn’t like the idea of him being in a relationship. There were no pictures of the Hughes kid, so Reid was even more curious as to what the relationship really was. A gay guy could be friends with a straight man without it meaning anything, he reminded himself. But most college guys didn’t voluntarily hold hands unless they were in some sort of relationship.
Stop it, Oliver, he told himself. You’re being ridiculous. You’ve seen one photo of this kid and you’re thinking… He shook his head.
“So what’s the plan, Sam?”
The older man watched the emotions play across Reid’s face. He was a little concerned. Reid was the best agent he had ever seen. One of the reasons he was so good was his amazing poker face. He never gave anything away, but in that moment, when he found out Luke Snyder was gay and dating someone, there was a flash. It might have been brief, but something had gotten to him. Sam was concerned because he knew another reason why Reid was the best, he didn’t let his emotions get in the way of his job. Granted, Sam would like to see Reid settle down with a guy, maybe have a couple of kids, and be happy. Reid would argue with him, Sam knew, claiming that his work made him happy. But if that was the case, then what was that look in Reid’s eyes when he looked at the wedding photo?
“Sam?” Reid asked, reaching for his beer. It had gotten warm and flat. He really wanted something to eat, but as much as he wanted food, he couldn’t eat until he figured out what Sam expected of him.
“What do you think of this case?” Sam finally asked.
“My gut is telling me, yes, there’s something there. There’s more to the story. Noah may want to find the best in his father, and maybe this Ameera girl can help. But-”
“The gay best friend,” Sam finished Reid’s thoughts.
“Luke’s not Ameera’s best friend,” Reid pointed out.
“You think Mayer’s gay?”
Reid picked up the photo, and he had to force himself not to look at Luke. “Not sure,” he admitted. “We need to get close to these kids. I know you got field agents and two assigned to the couple.” It was standard procedure, but standard procedure wasn’t going to work with this case.
“Undercover is what I was thinking as well,” Sam admitted.
Reid had suspected as much. You didn’t bring in the best to sit in an office. “What do you want me to do?” he asked.
“Well all four of them: Mayer and the girl, Snyder and the Hughes kid, they’re students at Oakdale U. We worked it out with the chancellor; they’ve all signed up for the same English lit. course.”
The redhead groaned again. He’d studied literature and criminology in college. He’d been recruited by INS right from college. Since he didn’t have too many friends, he got lost in the world of fiction. He couldn’t believe Sam was going to use that against him. “You want me to be a professor?” he asked as though Sam were asking him to kiss a woman.
“The guy you’ll be replacing had the whole semester mapped out. Just follow his assignments and lectures. We’ll get you a TA to help with the grading. Reid, this will be a great way to observe them, get close without drawing suspicion.”
Reid found himself nodding his head. He knew Sam was right. “Okay. When do I start?”
“Two days. We’ll get the materials to you first thing tomorrow.” Sam stood up. “I know you’re not going to listen, but when it comes, eat that pizza, put on a game, and relax tonight,” he instructed.
“Not unless you take the file with you, and we both know you won’t.”
Sam nodded his head. “Yeah.” He headed for the door. “Well, some of us have a family we actually want to see. A novel concept for you, I know,” he admitted.
Reid smirked in response.
“And one more thing,” Sam added. “I have a meeting with the chancellor tomorrow. I’m going to talk the guy into making you an advisor as well, try and get you assigned to Mayer or Aziz.”
“You want me to be the advisor to college students?”
“Well, generally, no, but for the sake of the case, yes.” Sam looked at Reid for a moment. “Thanks for doing this.”
“You needed the best,” Reid said. “That’s why I’m here.”
Sam rolled his eyes in response and headed out.
Reid picked up the wedding photo again. “What are you guys hiding?” he murmured, his gaze once again drawn to Luke.
================
Thank you for reading. This was my first AU fic, hope you enjoyed it. ~Ali
Onto Chapter Two...