NEW! "Say You'll Haunt Me" - Part Two (ATWT Fic/Angels Lie 'Verse)
Title: Say You’ll Haunt Me - Part Two of Three
What It Is: Oneshot in three parts/Songfic/"Angels Lie" 'verse
Pairing: Nuke/Lure/OMC
Rating: M for language
Prompt: Still another sequel to “Angels Lie”!
Disclaimer: Don’t own ‘em. Don’t make no money.
link
Hey, kids! Turns out Turo is really talkative, because this chapter is now up to three parts. Part One is here:
http://willwork4dean.livejournal.com/24155.html
Previous chapters of the Angels Lie ‘Verse include Angels Lie, My Favorite Disease, Taken, Persons Unknown, and Blue On Black. They can all be found at my LJ or at luke_noah.
Upcoming chapters include Headstrong (Casey), Can’t Find My Way Home (Jack), Lights Out (Noah), and The Lightning Strike (Luke). And after that, who knows?
Oh, and one more thing - I’m participating in the Lemonade Project, created by the lovely and talented Indigo. I may have even offered to write *cough*porn*cough*. Details here:
http://indigo-5.livejournal.com/77340.html
Sorry, don’t know how to do the fancy link thing. Now, on to the story!
***
Say You’ll Haunt Me - Part Two
Turo has an aversion to drama, and it goes bone-deep. He knows it’s probably the result of him being forced into the role of referee between his squabbling parents when he was a kid. They were always fighting, and he was always stuck in the middle. His dad finally left when Turo was eight. His parents reunited briefly, long enough to conceive Talia, and then his father was gone for good. Ever since then, his mom has played the grieving widow/scorned woman to the hilt. It’s been Turo‘s job to tend to her ever-shifting moods while also being a de facto parent to his younger brother and sisters.
There’s another result of his history, though, and it’s this: Turo is great in a crisis. He’s the guy people call from the ER, or from jail, or from the bar when they’re too drunk to drive or when it’s four o’clock on a January morning in Chicago and their freaking car won’t start. While everyone around him loses their head, Turo is the one who stays calm and does what needs to be done. It’s second nature to him, like breathing.
So when Troy holds out the phone, Turo feels himself sliding into crisis mode. His breathing evens, and his voice becomes calm and firm.
“Yes, hello?” he say clearly. “Who is this?”
The voice on the other end sounds panicked enough for both of them. “Turo? It’s Casey Hughes. Noah’s friend? I don’t know if you remember me.”
“Yeah, Casey, of course I do.” He glances at Troy, who gnaws on his thumbnail, eyes wide. Talia watches, too, still sipping her smoothie. “What’s up?”
There’s a pause. “Have you seen Noah tonight?”
Turo feels a pang of anxiety, but keeps his voice even. “No, I haven’t. We were supposed to get together for a beer, but he hasn’t shown yet.” He hears Casey curse under his breath. “Why? What’s wrong?”
“Shit,” Casey mutters again. Then: “Can I trust you?”
Turo frowns. “What do you mean?”
“It’s just...” Casey’s voice grows even more anxious. “Noah’s a private person, and he’d hate that we’re talking about his business, but his life could be at stake, so it’s gotta be okay, right?”
“Casey,” Turo says in his best big-brother/crisis-mode voice. “Just tell me what’s going on, man. Let me help.”
“Okay. Okay, you’re right.” Casey takes a deep breath and speaks more calmly. “Did you watch the news today?”
“Um, yeah, a little,” Turo says, surprised by the sudden change of topic. “But what’s that got to do with...” Turo’s voice trails off. Winston Mayer is considered armed and extremely dangerous.
Even as he puts two and two together, Casey speaks again. “Noah’s father escaped from prison.”
“Wait a minute. Noah’s father -- he's the guy who broke out of Statesville and killed those guards?” Troy and Talia’s eyes widen, and Talia stops slurping her smoothie.
“Yeah,” Casey says ruefully. “I guess Noah never told you his dad was in jail, huh?”
“No.”
“Well, he’s not exactly proud of it.” Casey sighs. “I don’t know how much Noah told you about his childhood, but his dad was a colonel in the army, a real hard-ass.”
“Noah mentioned being an army brat once,” Turo remembers. “And he said his dad would hate the tats.”
“Right.” Casey sounds relieved that Turo knows that much. “So when Noah came out a few years ago, his dad kinda freaked.” He pauses. “Did Noah tell you about Luke Snyder?”
Turo’s jaw tightens at the name. “He did, actually.”
“Okay, so Luke and Noah were together, and Colonel Mayer totally lost it. Went absolutely batshit psycho and hurt Luke really bad, put him in a wheelchair for a few months. And Noah being Noah, he blamed himself.”
Turo frowns again. “Did Luke blame him?’
“God, no. Nobody did. But you know Noah.” Casey sounds weary. “The guy has a guilt complex like you wouldn’t believe. He figured that if it wasn’t for him, Luke wouldn’t have been hurt. Anyway, the Colonel went missing and was declared dead, but then last year he came back and kidnapped him.”
“Who, Luke?”
“No, Noah. God, this is complicated. Anyway, the Colonel was injured and tried to escape but Noah turned him in to the cops. The Colonel got shipped to Statesville, and that was that. Until today.”
“Casey,” Turo rubs his eyes, trying to get his thoughts in order. “They said on the news he was in jail for murder.”
“Yeah,” Casey says reluctantly. “That was Noah’s mom.”
“Are you kidding me? Noah said his mother was dead, but...”
“Like I said, the guy’s a real psycho,” Casey says grimly. “He tried to kill some other people, too. Including my mom.”
“Your mom? What the hell?”
“She’s a cop,” Casey explains. “She tried to arrest the Colonel, and he shot her.”
“Dios mio,” Turo swears. “Is she okay?”
“Hell, yeah,” Casey says. “It would take a lot more than Colonel Crazy to bring her down.”
Turo swats a hand at Talia, who by now is jumping up and down with curiosity. “Okay, so the guy sounds like a real asshole. How’s Noah? Is he scared, upset?”
There’s a pause. “That’s the thing,” Casey says, his voice hollow. “Noah’s missing.”
***
Turo sits down abruptly. “What do you mean, he’s missing?” Troy makes a small noise, and Turo shushes him.
“When Noah found out his dad broke out of prison, he went to find him,” Casey says. “Nobody’s seen him since.”
“What? Why?” Turo sputters. “How? Where?”
“Exactly,” Casey says. “It’s nuts. But Noah was convinced his dad would hurt Luke again, and he felt like it was up to him to stop him.”
“I thought Noah and Luke broke up.”
“They did. But Noah’s worried that his father will still go after Luke. See, the Colonel thinks if it wasn’t for Luke, Noah wouldn’t be gay.”
“That’s crazy.”
“Tell me about it.”
“But they said on the news there’s a manhunt in progress,” Turo protests. “Does Noah think he can find his father before the cops do?”
“Apparently. He figures the Colonel has been keeping track of him. The son of a bitch usually does. Last time, his dad had this crazy idea that they could just start over again, like he never did anything wrong. He tried to talk Noah into leaving the country with him.”
Turo rubs his eyes again. “So, if Noah does find his dad, he’ll what? Try to convince him to turn himself in?”
Casey hesitates. “It’s worse than that,” he says finally. “Noah’s got a gun.”
Turo’s stomach drops. “No.”
“Yeah. He’s gonna try to kill the Colonel before he can get anywhere near Luke.”
“Casey...” Turo feels sick.
“I know,” Casey says.
Turo jumps to his feet and starts to pace. “This is insane. The guy's a stone killer. Does Noah even know how to use a gun?"
"Of course he does," Casey says flatly. "The Colonel taught him."
"Dammit." Turo remembers that Noah is a badass who took on two armed robbers. "Okay, but what if his dad's still pissed at Noah for turning him in last time? I mean, he could...” He can’t bring himself to say the words out loud.
“I know,” Casey says again. “But I don’t think Noah cares about that right now. He’s just been so...” He fumbles for words. “So fucked up since Luke - I mean, since he and Luke broke up.” Casey sighs, and Turo can hear the remorse in his voice. “I don’t think any of us realized how bad it was. Noah’s always been quiet. He’s never really talked about his problems. He always seems like he has his shit together, and he does, in so many ways. But this...Luke was everything to him and now that he thinks Luke doesn’t love him anymore...” Casey’s voice trails off.
Turo leans against the wall to steady himself. “What can I do?”
"If you hear from Noah, if he calls you for any reason, just tell him he doesn’t need to do this. Tell him he’s got a ton of people who love him and want him to be safe.” Casey’s voice wobbles, and he clears his throat. “Just tell him to come home, okay?”
“I will,” Turo says. “I promise.”
***
Turo can’t sleep that night. He spends hours on the Internet, searching for information on Winston Mayer. There’s precious little, and most of it has to do with his criminal record. There’s no personal information, aside from a few lines on his distinguished military career. There’s nothing to indicate why he’s done what he’s done, or whether he’s likely to do it again.
Turo can’t stop thinking about the image on the news - the convict with the eyes of a killer. He finds the photo on the WGN website and holds up his pictures of Noah next to it, searching for a resemblance. There really isn’t any. The Colonel stares belligerently into the camera as if daring the viewer to look away. In contrast, Noah’s eyes are kind and shy and self-conscious, even when he’s smiling. There’s one candid shot where he doesn’t look quite as guarded. In it, he’s sitting on the back step of Hector and his partner Andy’s house, playing with their dog Spitz. Noah is giggling hysterically as Spitz licks his ear, the beagle’s tail wagging so fast it’s a blur. Noah’s eyes are squeezed shut, and his smile is wide and beautiful.
Turo opens the shop the next day and tries to go about business as usual. He leaves the TV on just in case and keeps his cell phone handy. The midday newscast has few updates on the case, just photos of the two dead guards. One had elderly parents at home; the other, a newborn son. Turo checks in with Casey afterward.
“They didn’t say anything about Noah,” he frets.
“Yeah, my mom’s trying to keep it quiet,” Casey says. “She figures the Colonel is monitoring the news reports. If Noah hasn’t found his father yet, the last thing we want to do is let him know he’s out there.”
After work, Turo goes over to his mother’s house, because he promised he would. As usual, the entire family and half the neighborhood have gathered, including his little sister Sofia, her husband Chet, and baby Alejandro. Chet works in corrections, and Turo manages to talk to him alone while he’s grilling in the backyard. Turo balances Alejandro on his hip, keeping him safely away from the heat, and tells Chet about Noah and the Colonel.
Chet puts down his tongs and stares at Turo. “Are you serious? The kid thinks he can talk his old man in?”
“Yeah.” Turo takes a pull at his beer, hoping Chet can’t read his expression. He’d left out the part about the gun.
“And the cops know about this?”
“Some of them do. But they’re trying to keep it out of the press.”
“I can’t blame them for that.” Chet shakes his head. “But there’s only one way this can end.”
“What do you mean?”
Chet picks up his tongs again and flips the barbecued chicken over. “After what Mayer did to those two officers, every cop in the state is gonna be gunning for him. If they catch him, they’re gonna shoot first and ask questions later. Anyone who gets in the way...” Chet shakes his head again.
Troy bursts out the back door of the house, slamming the screen door behind him. “Just shut up, old man!” he bellows. Alejandro wakes with a start and whimpers.
“Hey, hey,” Turo shifts Alejandro to his shoulder and rubs soft circles on his back. “Keep it down, man,” he says as Troy storms across the tiny back yard. “You’ll wake the baby.”
“Sorry,” Troy says automatically, but his face still looks like a thundercloud.
“What’s wrong?” Turo asks.
“It’s just Eddie. I’m so sick of his bullshit.” Turo folds his arms, his bulldog tattoos stark against his straining muscles.
“What did he say?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you so pissed off?”
Turo shrugs one shoulder. “It’s just his usual crap,” he says finally.
“Hey,” Turo says gently. “It’s nothing I haven’t heard before.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Troy shakes his head mulishly. “You shouldn’t have to listen to that bullshit, especially now.” He finally looks Turo in the eye. “Did you ask Chet? About--”
“Yeah, we talked about it.” Turo doesn’t want his little brother to hear what Chet just said. He lays a hand on Troy’s shoulder. “I know Eddie’s an ass, but he’s still our elder and he’s still Ma’s brother. So you gotta respect him, okay?”
Troy makes a face.
“Okay?” Turo asks again.
Troy sighs, but gives in. “Yeah, okay.” He passes a hand over his face. “Gimme the baby, wouldja?”
Turo hands Alejandro over. Troy snuggles him close and kisses the soft downy black hair on his head. Alejandro gurgles happily and clutches the fabric of Troy’s t-shirt in his tiny fist.
“Want a beer?” Turo asks.
“Yeah, okay.”
“Chet?”
Chet holds up his bottle. “I’m good, thanks.”
“Hey,” Troy says softly as Turo turns away.
Turo turns back. “Yeah?”
“I talked to Abuelita this morning. She’s gonna pray for Noah.”
Turo can’t help but smile. Everyone knows their grandmother has serious pull with the Lord. “That’s good, man. That’s real good.”
Little variations on my page
Little doors open on my cage
Little time has come and gone so far
Little by little who you are
I can see the patterns on your face
I can see the miracles I trace
Symmetry in shadows I can't hide
I just want to be right by your side
I will give you everything to
Say you want to stay, say you want me too
Say you'll never die, you'll always haunt me
I want to know I belong to you
Together, together, we’ll be together forever
When Casey calls and tells Turo they found Noah’s truck, he can’t stand it anymore. He closes up the shop and goes over the Hector and Andy’s house.
Hector is Cuban-American and male-model-gorgeous. In contrast, Andy is one hundred percent Irish-American, with red hair and eyelashes and skin so milk-pale that Hector’s pet name for him is Tres Leches. Hector is known and feared everywhere for his sharp tongue, but it’s the soft-spoken Andy who is a seasoned crime reporter for the Chicago Tribune. Or as Hector calls it, “Mainstream Sellout Corporate Journalism, AKA Working for The Man.” Andy calls it, “The Job That Actually Pays The Bills Plus Benefits.”
Sometimes Hector and Andy remind Turo of his parents.
When Turo tells them the whole story, Andy’s eyes narrow and he rubs his chin thoughtfully. “What do you want to know?”
Turo shrugs helplessly. “Whatever you can find out.”
Andy nods. “I can’t promise anything, but I’ll make some calls.”
The next day, Hector texts and asks Turo over for coffee. When he gets there, Andy is practically bouncing on the balls of his feet, he’s so excited.
“This story is explosive,” he says. “Why the hell hasn’t anyone written about it?”
“I don’t know,” Turo shrugs, absently accepting a cafecito from Hector.
“This Mayer guy went on a total crime spree.” Andy sits and puts on his glasses, then pulls a yellow legal pad out of a thick file folder and glances at his scribbled notes. “In the space of a few weeks, he killed his ex-wife and framed another guy for the murder, then tried to off that guy, then put this Snyder kid in a wheelchair, and when they finally caught him a year later, he shot a cop. But none of it made the papers. Why?” Without waiting for an answer, he flips the page over. “Ever hear of a woman named Lucinda Walsh?”
“No.” Turo politely waves away a heaping tray of pastries. Hector always cooks too much when he’s worried.
“She’s Luke Snyder’s grandmother,” Andy says with relish. “She’s a multi-millionaire. Very influential, both in politics and in publishing.”
“Maybe granny didn’t like having a gay grandson,” Hector says sourly, curling up on the love seat with Spitz.
“She’s made major donations to gay causes, including his foundation, so I don’t think that’s it,” Andy says.
“Wait a minute.” Hector interrupts. “Luke Snyder as in the Luke Snyder Foundation? The one we covered in the Rainbow-Times?”
“Precisely,” Andy says.
Hector’s eyes widen. “So Noah’s ex is loaded. Interesting. Go on.” He waves imperiously to Andy.
“Okay, here’s where the story gets weird. Turo, did you know Noah’s mom was a prostitute?”
“What?” Turo gapes. “Are you sure?”
Andy nods and flips another page. “Mayer was on the fast track to success in the military, right? So he finds out his wife is cheating on him, throws her out of the house, and tells everyone she’s dead. Tells his kid she’s dead. She drops out of sight and becomes a hooker.”
“How very East of Eden of her,” Hector remarks, feeding a scrap of buñuelos to Spitz.
Andy, on a roll, ignores him. “Fast forward fifteen years later. She shows up hoping to find her son, but Mayer kills her before they can meet. First thing the kid knows about it is when he gets a call from the cops.”
“Hang on.” Hector waves for silence. “So Noah grows up thinking his mom’s dead, then finds out she wasn’t really dead but now she is, and by the way, she’s a dirty ho?”
“Pretty much.”
“That sounds like a soap opera.”
“Well, it’s not,” Turo snaps. “It’s someone’s life.”
Hector looks abashed. “I’m sorry, sweetie. You know how I am.” He holds out the tray. “Please eat something.”
Turo rubs his eyes. “Andy, what else did you find?”
“Lucinda Walsh is not the only one who wanted to keep this story quiet. The military considers Mayer a major embarrassment, especially after he resurfaced last year. When he was convicted, not only did he get sent to Statesville, they put him in the roundhouse.”
“Are you kidding?” Hector asks. “That’s where they put Speck. And Gacy.”
Andy shrugs. “The guy shot a cop.”
“So who cares that he crippled a gay kid, right?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“Guys.” Hector rubs his eyes again, wondering if his headache will ever go away. “Please don’t fight.”
“Sorry, sorry.” Hector waves his hands in apology.
Andy continues. “In Statesville, Colonel Mayer was a model prisoner. And he must still have some pull somewhere, because after six months, he was transferred to a medium-security facility.” Andy glances at his notes again. “Where he led exercise and Bible study classes for other inmates.”
“BIBLE study? Like what, 'God hates gays'?” Hector subsides as both Andy and Turo glare at him, then makes a motion of zipping his mouth.
“Mayer starts to gain a following in prison, mostly ex-military guys. They all become model prisoners, too. Disciplined, respectful, don’t make trouble.”
“Lemme guess,” Hector mutters. “He found Jesus.”
“Found Jesus, felt remorse, wanted to atone for his sins by helping others, the whole enchilada,” Andy says. “The prison chaplain thinks he’s a gift from God and recommends that Mayer be given even more privileges. Now we get to the escape.” Andy pauses. “My source tells me Mayer had help when he bounced, at least two guys on the inside plus one on the outside. The most likely suspect is some kid named Jimmy Moloney. He was in the Marines, came back from Iraq pretty messed up, and ended up serving a year for assault. Guess who got transferred in as his new cellmate.”
“Winston Mayer.”
“Precisely.” Andy nods. “Moloney got out two months ago. The day of Mayer’s escape, he didn’t show up for work. His family has since reported him as missing.” Andy looks up from his notes. “This part gets pretty gruesome.”
“Hang on.” Hector covers Spitz’s ears and nods for Andy to continue.
“The morning of his escape Mayer killed the two guards with a homemade blade. Sawed their throats open, to be specific.” He smiles thinly. “The Army taught him how to kill quietly. By the time the alarm was sounded, Mayer was long gone. Moloney must have been waiting with a car and a change of clothes, because they found Mayer’s prison uniform in a dumpster outside of Joliet.”
“Why hasn’t any of this been on the news?” Turo demands. “I’ve been watching nonstop.”
Andy shakes his head. “The Department of Corrections made major mistakes with Mayer,” he says. “The last thing they want to admit to the public is that this whole thing could have been prevented. Speaking of which...”
Andy picks up file folder and looks Turo straight in the eye. “Officially, you never saw any of this. Hell, I never saw any of this. If my editors found out I was sitting on a story this hot, they’d fire my ass. As it is...” He hesitates. “It’s only a matter of time before the media gets wind of it."
“Casey said the police were trying to keep Noah’s name out of it,” Turo explains.
“I know,” Andy says sympathetically. “But if another paper starts poking around...Turo, I can’t let anyone else scoop us. It’s my job. Do you understand?”
Hector butts in. “So what you’re really saying is, who cares if another gay kid dies as long as the Tribune gets an exclusive?”
“Like you wouldn’t do the same thing!” Andy snaps. He holds up his hands to mimic a headline. “'Hot Gay Kid Kills Homophobic Dad To Save Boyfriend.'”
“Ex-boyfriend,” Turo says.
Hector and Andy stop sniping and turn toward him. “What?”
“Ex-boyfriend,” Turo says, feeling himself blushing under their scrutiny. “Luke and Noah broke up.”
“I see,” Hector says. He and Andy exchange a smug smile.
Turo frowns. “Wait a minute,” he says to Andy. “You think Noah is hot?”
“I’m married,” Andy says. “Not dead.” He removes his glasses and tucks them in his breast pocket, then stands and hands the file to Turo. “I have to ask you not to take this out of the house,” he says. “Or to make copies of anything.”
“I won’t, I promise.”
Andy gestures to Hector. “Come on, lover boy.”
“Where are we going?”
“For a walk.”
“But I wanna see-"
Andy raises his eyebrows in that silent communication thing that couples do.
Hector gets his meaning. “Oh. Right. Walk.” He gets up. “Come on, Spitzie!”
Spitz goes nuts, hopping off the love seat and running for the mudroom. Hector follows, and Turo can hear him talking to the puppy as he puts on his collar.
Andy fidgets for a minute. “Noah seems like a really nice guy,” he says finally. “When Hector and I met him at the brunch, we were kinda hoping...”
“Me, too.” Turo smiles sadly. “Now I’m just hoping he’s still alive.”
Andy nods, then hesitates. “You do know that, in cases like this, the longer you go without hearing any news-"
“I know,” Turo says quickly. “I’m just not ready to give up yet.” He holds out his hand. “Thanks for everything, man. I really appreciate it.”
Andy smiles and shakes Turo’s hand. “De nada.”
Turo waits until the front door closes, then peeks out the window. Hector and Andy walk down the sidewalk. Spitz trots behind them, biting and tugging at his leash. As he watches, Hector leans into Andy, and Andy puts his arm around Hector. When they’re out of sight, Turo sits down at the desk. With shaking hands, he opens the file.
To be continued...
***
**Lyrics by Stone Sour**
What It Is: Oneshot in three parts/Songfic/"Angels Lie" 'verse
Pairing: Nuke/Lure/OMC
Rating: M for language
Prompt: Still another sequel to “Angels Lie”!
Disclaimer: Don’t own ‘em. Don’t make no money.
link
Hey, kids! Turns out Turo is really talkative, because this chapter is now up to three parts. Part One is here:
http://willwork4dean.livejournal.com/24155.html
Previous chapters of the Angels Lie ‘Verse include Angels Lie, My Favorite Disease, Taken, Persons Unknown, and Blue On Black. They can all be found at my LJ or at luke_noah.
Upcoming chapters include Headstrong (Casey), Can’t Find My Way Home (Jack), Lights Out (Noah), and The Lightning Strike (Luke). And after that, who knows?
Oh, and one more thing - I’m participating in the Lemonade Project, created by the lovely and talented Indigo. I may have even offered to write *cough*porn*cough*. Details here:
http://indigo-5.livejournal.com/77340.html
Sorry, don’t know how to do the fancy link thing. Now, on to the story!
***
Say You’ll Haunt Me - Part Two
Turo has an aversion to drama, and it goes bone-deep. He knows it’s probably the result of him being forced into the role of referee between his squabbling parents when he was a kid. They were always fighting, and he was always stuck in the middle. His dad finally left when Turo was eight. His parents reunited briefly, long enough to conceive Talia, and then his father was gone for good. Ever since then, his mom has played the grieving widow/scorned woman to the hilt. It’s been Turo‘s job to tend to her ever-shifting moods while also being a de facto parent to his younger brother and sisters.
There’s another result of his history, though, and it’s this: Turo is great in a crisis. He’s the guy people call from the ER, or from jail, or from the bar when they’re too drunk to drive or when it’s four o’clock on a January morning in Chicago and their freaking car won’t start. While everyone around him loses their head, Turo is the one who stays calm and does what needs to be done. It’s second nature to him, like breathing.
So when Troy holds out the phone, Turo feels himself sliding into crisis mode. His breathing evens, and his voice becomes calm and firm.
“Yes, hello?” he say clearly. “Who is this?”
The voice on the other end sounds panicked enough for both of them. “Turo? It’s Casey Hughes. Noah’s friend? I don’t know if you remember me.”
“Yeah, Casey, of course I do.” He glances at Troy, who gnaws on his thumbnail, eyes wide. Talia watches, too, still sipping her smoothie. “What’s up?”
There’s a pause. “Have you seen Noah tonight?”
Turo feels a pang of anxiety, but keeps his voice even. “No, I haven’t. We were supposed to get together for a beer, but he hasn’t shown yet.” He hears Casey curse under his breath. “Why? What’s wrong?”
“Shit,” Casey mutters again. Then: “Can I trust you?”
Turo frowns. “What do you mean?”
“It’s just...” Casey’s voice grows even more anxious. “Noah’s a private person, and he’d hate that we’re talking about his business, but his life could be at stake, so it’s gotta be okay, right?”
“Casey,” Turo says in his best big-brother/crisis-mode voice. “Just tell me what’s going on, man. Let me help.”
“Okay. Okay, you’re right.” Casey takes a deep breath and speaks more calmly. “Did you watch the news today?”
“Um, yeah, a little,” Turo says, surprised by the sudden change of topic. “But what’s that got to do with...” Turo’s voice trails off. Winston Mayer is considered armed and extremely dangerous.
Even as he puts two and two together, Casey speaks again. “Noah’s father escaped from prison.”
“Wait a minute. Noah’s father -- he's the guy who broke out of Statesville and killed those guards?” Troy and Talia’s eyes widen, and Talia stops slurping her smoothie.
“Yeah,” Casey says ruefully. “I guess Noah never told you his dad was in jail, huh?”
“No.”
“Well, he’s not exactly proud of it.” Casey sighs. “I don’t know how much Noah told you about his childhood, but his dad was a colonel in the army, a real hard-ass.”
“Noah mentioned being an army brat once,” Turo remembers. “And he said his dad would hate the tats.”
“Right.” Casey sounds relieved that Turo knows that much. “So when Noah came out a few years ago, his dad kinda freaked.” He pauses. “Did Noah tell you about Luke Snyder?”
Turo’s jaw tightens at the name. “He did, actually.”
“Okay, so Luke and Noah were together, and Colonel Mayer totally lost it. Went absolutely batshit psycho and hurt Luke really bad, put him in a wheelchair for a few months. And Noah being Noah, he blamed himself.”
Turo frowns again. “Did Luke blame him?’
“God, no. Nobody did. But you know Noah.” Casey sounds weary. “The guy has a guilt complex like you wouldn’t believe. He figured that if it wasn’t for him, Luke wouldn’t have been hurt. Anyway, the Colonel went missing and was declared dead, but then last year he came back and kidnapped him.”
“Who, Luke?”
“No, Noah. God, this is complicated. Anyway, the Colonel was injured and tried to escape but Noah turned him in to the cops. The Colonel got shipped to Statesville, and that was that. Until today.”
“Casey,” Turo rubs his eyes, trying to get his thoughts in order. “They said on the news he was in jail for murder.”
“Yeah,” Casey says reluctantly. “That was Noah’s mom.”
“Are you kidding me? Noah said his mother was dead, but...”
“Like I said, the guy’s a real psycho,” Casey says grimly. “He tried to kill some other people, too. Including my mom.”
“Your mom? What the hell?”
“She’s a cop,” Casey explains. “She tried to arrest the Colonel, and he shot her.”
“Dios mio,” Turo swears. “Is she okay?”
“Hell, yeah,” Casey says. “It would take a lot more than Colonel Crazy to bring her down.”
Turo swats a hand at Talia, who by now is jumping up and down with curiosity. “Okay, so the guy sounds like a real asshole. How’s Noah? Is he scared, upset?”
There’s a pause. “That’s the thing,” Casey says, his voice hollow. “Noah’s missing.”
***
Turo sits down abruptly. “What do you mean, he’s missing?” Troy makes a small noise, and Turo shushes him.
“When Noah found out his dad broke out of prison, he went to find him,” Casey says. “Nobody’s seen him since.”
“What? Why?” Turo sputters. “How? Where?”
“Exactly,” Casey says. “It’s nuts. But Noah was convinced his dad would hurt Luke again, and he felt like it was up to him to stop him.”
“I thought Noah and Luke broke up.”
“They did. But Noah’s worried that his father will still go after Luke. See, the Colonel thinks if it wasn’t for Luke, Noah wouldn’t be gay.”
“That’s crazy.”
“Tell me about it.”
“But they said on the news there’s a manhunt in progress,” Turo protests. “Does Noah think he can find his father before the cops do?”
“Apparently. He figures the Colonel has been keeping track of him. The son of a bitch usually does. Last time, his dad had this crazy idea that they could just start over again, like he never did anything wrong. He tried to talk Noah into leaving the country with him.”
Turo rubs his eyes again. “So, if Noah does find his dad, he’ll what? Try to convince him to turn himself in?”
Casey hesitates. “It’s worse than that,” he says finally. “Noah’s got a gun.”
Turo’s stomach drops. “No.”
“Yeah. He’s gonna try to kill the Colonel before he can get anywhere near Luke.”
“Casey...” Turo feels sick.
“I know,” Casey says.
Turo jumps to his feet and starts to pace. “This is insane. The guy's a stone killer. Does Noah even know how to use a gun?"
"Of course he does," Casey says flatly. "The Colonel taught him."
"Dammit." Turo remembers that Noah is a badass who took on two armed robbers. "Okay, but what if his dad's still pissed at Noah for turning him in last time? I mean, he could...” He can’t bring himself to say the words out loud.
“I know,” Casey says again. “But I don’t think Noah cares about that right now. He’s just been so...” He fumbles for words. “So fucked up since Luke - I mean, since he and Luke broke up.” Casey sighs, and Turo can hear the remorse in his voice. “I don’t think any of us realized how bad it was. Noah’s always been quiet. He’s never really talked about his problems. He always seems like he has his shit together, and he does, in so many ways. But this...Luke was everything to him and now that he thinks Luke doesn’t love him anymore...” Casey’s voice trails off.
Turo leans against the wall to steady himself. “What can I do?”
"If you hear from Noah, if he calls you for any reason, just tell him he doesn’t need to do this. Tell him he’s got a ton of people who love him and want him to be safe.” Casey’s voice wobbles, and he clears his throat. “Just tell him to come home, okay?”
“I will,” Turo says. “I promise.”
***
Turo can’t sleep that night. He spends hours on the Internet, searching for information on Winston Mayer. There’s precious little, and most of it has to do with his criminal record. There’s no personal information, aside from a few lines on his distinguished military career. There’s nothing to indicate why he’s done what he’s done, or whether he’s likely to do it again.
Turo can’t stop thinking about the image on the news - the convict with the eyes of a killer. He finds the photo on the WGN website and holds up his pictures of Noah next to it, searching for a resemblance. There really isn’t any. The Colonel stares belligerently into the camera as if daring the viewer to look away. In contrast, Noah’s eyes are kind and shy and self-conscious, even when he’s smiling. There’s one candid shot where he doesn’t look quite as guarded. In it, he’s sitting on the back step of Hector and his partner Andy’s house, playing with their dog Spitz. Noah is giggling hysterically as Spitz licks his ear, the beagle’s tail wagging so fast it’s a blur. Noah’s eyes are squeezed shut, and his smile is wide and beautiful.
Turo opens the shop the next day and tries to go about business as usual. He leaves the TV on just in case and keeps his cell phone handy. The midday newscast has few updates on the case, just photos of the two dead guards. One had elderly parents at home; the other, a newborn son. Turo checks in with Casey afterward.
“They didn’t say anything about Noah,” he frets.
“Yeah, my mom’s trying to keep it quiet,” Casey says. “She figures the Colonel is monitoring the news reports. If Noah hasn’t found his father yet, the last thing we want to do is let him know he’s out there.”
After work, Turo goes over to his mother’s house, because he promised he would. As usual, the entire family and half the neighborhood have gathered, including his little sister Sofia, her husband Chet, and baby Alejandro. Chet works in corrections, and Turo manages to talk to him alone while he’s grilling in the backyard. Turo balances Alejandro on his hip, keeping him safely away from the heat, and tells Chet about Noah and the Colonel.
Chet puts down his tongs and stares at Turo. “Are you serious? The kid thinks he can talk his old man in?”
“Yeah.” Turo takes a pull at his beer, hoping Chet can’t read his expression. He’d left out the part about the gun.
“And the cops know about this?”
“Some of them do. But they’re trying to keep it out of the press.”
“I can’t blame them for that.” Chet shakes his head. “But there’s only one way this can end.”
“What do you mean?”
Chet picks up his tongs again and flips the barbecued chicken over. “After what Mayer did to those two officers, every cop in the state is gonna be gunning for him. If they catch him, they’re gonna shoot first and ask questions later. Anyone who gets in the way...” Chet shakes his head again.
Troy bursts out the back door of the house, slamming the screen door behind him. “Just shut up, old man!” he bellows. Alejandro wakes with a start and whimpers.
“Hey, hey,” Turo shifts Alejandro to his shoulder and rubs soft circles on his back. “Keep it down, man,” he says as Troy storms across the tiny back yard. “You’ll wake the baby.”
“Sorry,” Troy says automatically, but his face still looks like a thundercloud.
“What’s wrong?” Turo asks.
“It’s just Eddie. I’m so sick of his bullshit.” Turo folds his arms, his bulldog tattoos stark against his straining muscles.
“What did he say?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you so pissed off?”
Turo shrugs one shoulder. “It’s just his usual crap,” he says finally.
“Hey,” Turo says gently. “It’s nothing I haven’t heard before.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Troy shakes his head mulishly. “You shouldn’t have to listen to that bullshit, especially now.” He finally looks Turo in the eye. “Did you ask Chet? About--”
“Yeah, we talked about it.” Turo doesn’t want his little brother to hear what Chet just said. He lays a hand on Troy’s shoulder. “I know Eddie’s an ass, but he’s still our elder and he’s still Ma’s brother. So you gotta respect him, okay?”
Troy makes a face.
“Okay?” Turo asks again.
Troy sighs, but gives in. “Yeah, okay.” He passes a hand over his face. “Gimme the baby, wouldja?”
Turo hands Alejandro over. Troy snuggles him close and kisses the soft downy black hair on his head. Alejandro gurgles happily and clutches the fabric of Troy’s t-shirt in his tiny fist.
“Want a beer?” Turo asks.
“Yeah, okay.”
“Chet?”
Chet holds up his bottle. “I’m good, thanks.”
“Hey,” Troy says softly as Turo turns away.
Turo turns back. “Yeah?”
“I talked to Abuelita this morning. She’s gonna pray for Noah.”
Turo can’t help but smile. Everyone knows their grandmother has serious pull with the Lord. “That’s good, man. That’s real good.”
Little variations on my page
Little doors open on my cage
Little time has come and gone so far
Little by little who you are
I can see the patterns on your face
I can see the miracles I trace
Symmetry in shadows I can't hide
I just want to be right by your side
I will give you everything to
Say you want to stay, say you want me too
Say you'll never die, you'll always haunt me
I want to know I belong to you
Together, together, we’ll be together forever
When Casey calls and tells Turo they found Noah’s truck, he can’t stand it anymore. He closes up the shop and goes over the Hector and Andy’s house.
Hector is Cuban-American and male-model-gorgeous. In contrast, Andy is one hundred percent Irish-American, with red hair and eyelashes and skin so milk-pale that Hector’s pet name for him is Tres Leches. Hector is known and feared everywhere for his sharp tongue, but it’s the soft-spoken Andy who is a seasoned crime reporter for the Chicago Tribune. Or as Hector calls it, “Mainstream Sellout Corporate Journalism, AKA Working for The Man.” Andy calls it, “The Job That Actually Pays The Bills Plus Benefits.”
Sometimes Hector and Andy remind Turo of his parents.
When Turo tells them the whole story, Andy’s eyes narrow and he rubs his chin thoughtfully. “What do you want to know?”
Turo shrugs helplessly. “Whatever you can find out.”
Andy nods. “I can’t promise anything, but I’ll make some calls.”
The next day, Hector texts and asks Turo over for coffee. When he gets there, Andy is practically bouncing on the balls of his feet, he’s so excited.
“This story is explosive,” he says. “Why the hell hasn’t anyone written about it?”
“I don’t know,” Turo shrugs, absently accepting a cafecito from Hector.
“This Mayer guy went on a total crime spree.” Andy sits and puts on his glasses, then pulls a yellow legal pad out of a thick file folder and glances at his scribbled notes. “In the space of a few weeks, he killed his ex-wife and framed another guy for the murder, then tried to off that guy, then put this Snyder kid in a wheelchair, and when they finally caught him a year later, he shot a cop. But none of it made the papers. Why?” Without waiting for an answer, he flips the page over. “Ever hear of a woman named Lucinda Walsh?”
“No.” Turo politely waves away a heaping tray of pastries. Hector always cooks too much when he’s worried.
“She’s Luke Snyder’s grandmother,” Andy says with relish. “She’s a multi-millionaire. Very influential, both in politics and in publishing.”
“Maybe granny didn’t like having a gay grandson,” Hector says sourly, curling up on the love seat with Spitz.
“She’s made major donations to gay causes, including his foundation, so I don’t think that’s it,” Andy says.
“Wait a minute.” Hector interrupts. “Luke Snyder as in the Luke Snyder Foundation? The one we covered in the Rainbow-Times?”
“Precisely,” Andy says.
Hector’s eyes widen. “So Noah’s ex is loaded. Interesting. Go on.” He waves imperiously to Andy.
“Okay, here’s where the story gets weird. Turo, did you know Noah’s mom was a prostitute?”
“What?” Turo gapes. “Are you sure?”
Andy nods and flips another page. “Mayer was on the fast track to success in the military, right? So he finds out his wife is cheating on him, throws her out of the house, and tells everyone she’s dead. Tells his kid she’s dead. She drops out of sight and becomes a hooker.”
“How very East of Eden of her,” Hector remarks, feeding a scrap of buñuelos to Spitz.
Andy, on a roll, ignores him. “Fast forward fifteen years later. She shows up hoping to find her son, but Mayer kills her before they can meet. First thing the kid knows about it is when he gets a call from the cops.”
“Hang on.” Hector waves for silence. “So Noah grows up thinking his mom’s dead, then finds out she wasn’t really dead but now she is, and by the way, she’s a dirty ho?”
“Pretty much.”
“That sounds like a soap opera.”
“Well, it’s not,” Turo snaps. “It’s someone’s life.”
Hector looks abashed. “I’m sorry, sweetie. You know how I am.” He holds out the tray. “Please eat something.”
Turo rubs his eyes. “Andy, what else did you find?”
“Lucinda Walsh is not the only one who wanted to keep this story quiet. The military considers Mayer a major embarrassment, especially after he resurfaced last year. When he was convicted, not only did he get sent to Statesville, they put him in the roundhouse.”
“Are you kidding?” Hector asks. “That’s where they put Speck. And Gacy.”
Andy shrugs. “The guy shot a cop.”
“So who cares that he crippled a gay kid, right?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“Guys.” Hector rubs his eyes again, wondering if his headache will ever go away. “Please don’t fight.”
“Sorry, sorry.” Hector waves his hands in apology.
Andy continues. “In Statesville, Colonel Mayer was a model prisoner. And he must still have some pull somewhere, because after six months, he was transferred to a medium-security facility.” Andy glances at his notes again. “Where he led exercise and Bible study classes for other inmates.”
“BIBLE study? Like what, 'God hates gays'?” Hector subsides as both Andy and Turo glare at him, then makes a motion of zipping his mouth.
“Mayer starts to gain a following in prison, mostly ex-military guys. They all become model prisoners, too. Disciplined, respectful, don’t make trouble.”
“Lemme guess,” Hector mutters. “He found Jesus.”
“Found Jesus, felt remorse, wanted to atone for his sins by helping others, the whole enchilada,” Andy says. “The prison chaplain thinks he’s a gift from God and recommends that Mayer be given even more privileges. Now we get to the escape.” Andy pauses. “My source tells me Mayer had help when he bounced, at least two guys on the inside plus one on the outside. The most likely suspect is some kid named Jimmy Moloney. He was in the Marines, came back from Iraq pretty messed up, and ended up serving a year for assault. Guess who got transferred in as his new cellmate.”
“Winston Mayer.”
“Precisely.” Andy nods. “Moloney got out two months ago. The day of Mayer’s escape, he didn’t show up for work. His family has since reported him as missing.” Andy looks up from his notes. “This part gets pretty gruesome.”
“Hang on.” Hector covers Spitz’s ears and nods for Andy to continue.
“The morning of his escape Mayer killed the two guards with a homemade blade. Sawed their throats open, to be specific.” He smiles thinly. “The Army taught him how to kill quietly. By the time the alarm was sounded, Mayer was long gone. Moloney must have been waiting with a car and a change of clothes, because they found Mayer’s prison uniform in a dumpster outside of Joliet.”
“Why hasn’t any of this been on the news?” Turo demands. “I’ve been watching nonstop.”
Andy shakes his head. “The Department of Corrections made major mistakes with Mayer,” he says. “The last thing they want to admit to the public is that this whole thing could have been prevented. Speaking of which...”
Andy picks up file folder and looks Turo straight in the eye. “Officially, you never saw any of this. Hell, I never saw any of this. If my editors found out I was sitting on a story this hot, they’d fire my ass. As it is...” He hesitates. “It’s only a matter of time before the media gets wind of it."
“Casey said the police were trying to keep Noah’s name out of it,” Turo explains.
“I know,” Andy says sympathetically. “But if another paper starts poking around...Turo, I can’t let anyone else scoop us. It’s my job. Do you understand?”
Hector butts in. “So what you’re really saying is, who cares if another gay kid dies as long as the Tribune gets an exclusive?”
“Like you wouldn’t do the same thing!” Andy snaps. He holds up his hands to mimic a headline. “'Hot Gay Kid Kills Homophobic Dad To Save Boyfriend.'”
“Ex-boyfriend,” Turo says.
Hector and Andy stop sniping and turn toward him. “What?”
“Ex-boyfriend,” Turo says, feeling himself blushing under their scrutiny. “Luke and Noah broke up.”
“I see,” Hector says. He and Andy exchange a smug smile.
Turo frowns. “Wait a minute,” he says to Andy. “You think Noah is hot?”
“I’m married,” Andy says. “Not dead.” He removes his glasses and tucks them in his breast pocket, then stands and hands the file to Turo. “I have to ask you not to take this out of the house,” he says. “Or to make copies of anything.”
“I won’t, I promise.”
Andy gestures to Hector. “Come on, lover boy.”
“Where are we going?”
“For a walk.”
“But I wanna see-"
Andy raises his eyebrows in that silent communication thing that couples do.
Hector gets his meaning. “Oh. Right. Walk.” He gets up. “Come on, Spitzie!”
Spitz goes nuts, hopping off the love seat and running for the mudroom. Hector follows, and Turo can hear him talking to the puppy as he puts on his collar.
Andy fidgets for a minute. “Noah seems like a really nice guy,” he says finally. “When Hector and I met him at the brunch, we were kinda hoping...”
“Me, too.” Turo smiles sadly. “Now I’m just hoping he’s still alive.”
Andy nods, then hesitates. “You do know that, in cases like this, the longer you go without hearing any news-"
“I know,” Turo says quickly. “I’m just not ready to give up yet.” He holds out his hand. “Thanks for everything, man. I really appreciate it.”
Andy smiles and shakes Turo’s hand. “De nada.”
Turo waits until the front door closes, then peeks out the window. Hector and Andy walk down the sidewalk. Spitz trots behind them, biting and tugging at his leash. As he watches, Hector leans into Andy, and Andy puts his arm around Hector. When they’re out of sight, Turo sits down at the desk. With shaking hands, he opens the file.
To be continued...
***
**Lyrics by Stone Sour**