"Do you think Gianni meant it?"
"God, I hope so…"
"But?"
"I don't know. It just seems… it just seems a little too easy, you know?" Luke sighed and scratched his head as they sat end to end on the couch, sharing a bowl of potato chips between them.
"Well maybe the cops are right. Maybe he does care more about the smuggling business than he does about revenge. And now the police have the information Julius gave you. So they can watch them until they have enough evidence to bring down Gianni."
"Maybe…"
"But we're still left with no evidence to prove you didn't order the hit on Marco."
"No. But I think Detective Mullins believes me, so at least we have that right?"
"Well you're not exactly Donnie Brasco!"
Luke laughed, "No?" he asked, "Not even a younger Al Capone?"
Noah shook his head with a smile.
"Not even if I wear the hat?" asked Luke with mock disappointment.
Noah moved the bowl from the couch to the coffee table and crawled to lie over him, "I'm not sure whether the hat would turn you into Al Capone, but it would definitely make you look sexy!"
"Oh really? You like that idea, ha?"
The amorous kiss was confirmation that he did.
"I don't know." Mused Luke, once they'd pulled apart, "Maybe I should contact Anton Grimaldi? If he did order the hit then maybe he can help get me off."
"Yes, but that would mean getting yourself involved with the Grimaldi family. Is that what you want?"
"No, but it may just be my only option."
The phone rang, interrupting them and Noah jumped up to get it.
"Hello?" His face fell fast.
Luke sat up concerned.
"Look! I already told you Michelle! I'm not paying you! So that leaves you with two choices… Either you do the right thing and sign him over to us or we challenge your custody in court!"
Luke could hear the woman swearing down the phone line.
"Oh yeah?" yelled Noah, "Well you just do that then!" and he banged the phone down. "Sh*t!"
"What did she say?"
"She said our twenty-four hours is up and we either pay her or she's calling the cops."
"And what do you think?"
"I don't know. I think she really wants us to take the deal… pay her. So calling the cops kind of blows her chances, you know?"
"So, you don't think she will?"
"Only time will tell, won't it?"
Luke nodded and stood to hug him. "I'll call Gareth tonight just in case. Get him to look into our options as far as the child's concerned." and then checking his watch, "It's five o'clock already, we really should collect him from Jasmine's."
Noah made a move to fetch his keys but Luke grabbed his wrist and pulled him into a kiss. "On the other hand?" he said, "We could leave him for another hour…"
Noah rested his forearms on Luke's shoulders and caught his hands together behind Luke's head, "And why, pray tell, would we want to do that?"
"So that we can make love…" and Luke pushed Noah down onto the couch, "Right here!" He fell to pin him down.
"Right here?"
"Right…" a kiss "…here." He reiterated, and a hand pulled Noah's shirt free from where it was tucked into his jeans. "If we are going to do this thing… have a kid in the house? Then we'll have to learn to take advantage of moments like these…"
"Oh really?" And as Luke's fingers found his nipple he let out a loud groan. "AH!"
"Mm hmm…"
...
The following morning they were quickly wishing they hadn't been so complacent as far as Michelle was concerned.
Luke answered the doorbell and was greeted by a small and plump lady with a brown bob. She wore a long floral dress, buttons straining to stay closed around her wide hips, and thick black rimmed glasses that magnified her eyes, making her look somewhat bug like.
"Mr Noah Mayer?" She asked, examining the papers on the official looking clipboard she held against one arm.
"No, I'm Luke Snyder. Noah's my partner. Can I help you?"
"My name is Betty Hawke. I'm from Social Services." She handed Luke an identification card which he studied as his stomach fell to the floor, "I understand you have a child, a Nicholas Mayer, staying with you? I've come to pick him up."
Michelle followed through. She actually followed through on her threat.
"What?" Luke's head swam suddenly as though he were in a trance.
Nicholas. His name is Nicholas.
"I understand from Miss," she checked her notes, "…Miss Harris, that Mr Mayer took her son without her consent. Now if this is true Mr Snyder then you and Mr Mayer should consider yourselves lucky that she hasn't pressed charges."
Gathering himself Luke replied, "Lucky? We'd rather go to prison then send him back to that crazy woman, Ms Hawke. I mean you've met her right?"
She shook her head. "Mrs Harris called this in from Branson, Missouri where she resides. I have not yet interviewed her. I will do so when I hand over the child. We are booked on a flight this afternoon."
Luke's heart was racing. They weren't serious, were they?
"So you don't even know what she's like? You haven't even checked her out before coming here? Ms Hawke, you should have seen the state of the boy when he arrived here! She's not fit to care for him. Did you know she offered to sell him to us?"
"Be that as it may it is not up to you or me to make that decision. She is his legal guardian until the courts decide otherwise. Now we can log your complaint and a social worker will check it out. If they are unhappy with the child's environment or they think the child is in some kind of danger, then they will remove the child immediately."
"And how long is THAT going to take? What happens in the meantime? Are you telling me you'll just dump him back with her? So he has to endure that treatment because of some fucking red-tape?"
"I'm afraid it is not a perfect system, Mr Snyder, however it is the system and the rules are in place for a reason, to protect children from being unnecessarily taken from their homes."
"Ms Hawke, please. What about the children that NEED to be taken. That NEED to be taken right away?"
She sighed, "I'm sorry Mr Snyder. I realise this is difficult. You and Mr Mayer may feel that you are acting in the child's best interest, but this is the law. I have a directive telling me to take Nicholas today and if you stand in my way I will have to call the police in to help me action it."
Luke looked back over his shoulder at Noah who was listening to the whole conversation from the lounge. His face was lined with worry. He had obviously grabbed the child the moment the woman said 'Social Services' because he had the boy held protectively against his chest. Even from where he stood Luke could tell that his breathing was rapid. The boy, sensing trouble, clung to Noah. Not understanding what was happening, his tiny frame trembled.
Luke's mind whirled as it tried to come up with solutions.
"Please…" There was desperation in Luke's plea as he turned his head back to the visitor.
"Mr Snyder if the police ARE called in, then this will become a criminal matter regardless of whether Mrs Harris presses charges or not. You are treading on extremely thin ground already."
There was a two minute standoff between them. Luke stood determinedly, with his arms gripping the doorframe. He puffed his body up so that it filled the doorway.
"Please step aside Mr Snyder. It would be better for the child if you don't make this harder then it has to be!"
Finally Luke shuddered and accepted defeat. He stepped back so that she could enter the house.
As Noah came into her view, her seemingly large eyes zeroed in on the boy in his arms and Noah shook his head, "No."
She seemed genuinely remorseful for them, "I'm sorry Mr Mayer, but there really is nothing I can do."
He continued to shake his head and increased his hold on the child. Finally he did the only thing left to do… he ran.
He flew down the passageway with Luke and the woman close on his heel.
"Noah!" Luke yelled.
"Stop!" she called out.
...
Two men were parked in a black SUV, awaiting further instructions. They had been there for five hours already and they were starting to get fed up. They were itching to go! It was while they were on their ninth takeaway coffee that the phone finally rang.
"Everything's ready. Do it." came their instructions.
Without replying the phone was disconnected, their hoods were pulled down to hide their identities and the driver was pulling the car out into the road.
He checked the rear-view mirror through the slit in his ski mask and ensured that their colleagues were following in the cars behind. They were.
...
Noah slammed the bedroom door and turned the lock. He stared around the room, looking for an escape he knew didn't exist. Finally there was nothing left to do except sit on the floor and lean up against the bed, watching the door, holding the baby that he knew to be theirs. He was theirs.
"Nicholas." He said to the boy, trying to calm them both down. "That's your name. Did you know that?"
The little head shook against his neck but the boy didn't come out of his embrace.
For as long as Noah had known Luke he'd wanted him by his side. Even during those dark days when he'd pushed Luke away… he had wanted him. It had always been the thing he treasured more than anything! And he never thought he'd find something to treasure just as much! But this child? His blood? Noah would die for him….
Luke banged on the door, "Noah. Noah, open up!"
"Nicholas Mayer." he paused for a moment after saying the name out loud and then he smiled softly through his tears, "Nicky... Luke and I love you very much, okay?"
Nicky nodded. "And we want you to stay here with us so much!"
"Stay…"
"But…" Noah's voice caught in his throat, "But that lady outside, she has to take you back to your Mommy..."
"NOOOOO!" Usually so quiet the boy's scream shocked Noah causing him to slacken his hold, and as he did so the child scrambled free from his arms and into the closet. The door slammed after him.
"Noah?" Luke's worried voice asked from outside the door. He had stopped banging, presumably because he knew it would do no good. "Is he okay?"
"What do you think?" It was said in anger and Noah regretted the tone right away but he couldn't help feeling annoyed that Luke was so calm, even though he knew how hard Luke must have been fighting to stay that way.
"Please open the door. We knew this might happen. You know we can't keep him right now… But we will fight for him, okay? We won't give up! I promise!" Luke's voice had that wet quality that usually came when he held back tears.
"I know." Noah replied feeling bad. "It's just… I can't…"
"Please open the door."
Finally resigned to the inevitable Noah said, "Just give me a minute okay?"
On the other side of the door Luke looked pleadingly at the Social Worker. She checked her watch and then nodded. "Ten minutes."
"Noah, you have a few minutes. We'll wait out here, okay?"
Noah felt like he was in quicksand with no hope of rescue. How was he supposed to do this? Explain to a four year old why he was being taken back to hell.
In all the time the boy had been with them, neither of them had ever violated the child's privacy within the closet. They both understood it was his safe zone. A place he knew nobody could reach him if he didn't want them to. Not even Luke and Noah. So Noah didn't open the door. Instead he knocked lightly on it and asked, "Can I hide inside with you?"
Nothing.
"I'm just going to come inside with you and close the door, okay?" It was a lie and Noah hated himself for it.
The door opened a crack and Noah took that as invitation. When he opened the door fully Nicky stretched up to him, his large blue eyes expressive with confused emotion and Noah lifted him up. But he didn't enter the closet instead he increased his grip on the child and made for the bedroom door. The child screamed a bloodcurdling cry of anguish when he realised what Noah was doing. He struggled angrily to break free, to reach the closet that had served so well as a refuge many times before.
"I'm sorry." Noah whispered in his ear. "We'll come and get you as soon as we can. I promise. I promise baby, okay?"
He opened the door and stared at Luke who was sitting on the floor. Luke stood as he passed and the child caught sight of him over Noah's shoulder. Knowing where Noah was heading the boy held his little arms out to Luke, hoping Luke might save him from his fate. But Luke didn't move.
As Noah reached the social worker the child clung piteously to him; yearning clouded his eyes. His cries were like nails being driven through their souls and they had to fight their natural instinct to protect him. There was nothing they could do. They both knew that.
"This is a very nice lady. Her name is Betty. She won't hurt you." But your mother will. He swallowed at the thought and kissed the boy's head. He held the child for a long moment.
"Mr Mayer?" she asked.
He took a step back as she reached towards them, "Luke… I can't…"
Luke stepped beside him and held his arms out for the boy who fell trustingly into them. The awful look of terror on his sweet face caused Luke's heart to bleed for him.
"It's okay, baby. Shh…" He rocked the child gently for a while. The boy made loud gasping noises as he struggled to breathe through his sobs. "It's all going to be okay. We love you and we will fight to bring you home." That amazing quality he had. That amazing quality that made a person feel safe and loved… protected… immediately went to work on the boy and his lids closed as he relaxed. Exhaustion took him and he fell asleep on Luke's shoulder, making it easy for Luke to reluctantly hand the tiny body over to the woman's waiting arms.
As the front door closed behind her Luke placed his hands on Noah's back, but the moment they made contact Noah turned violently and shoved both hands hard against Luke's chest, pushing him back so that he stumbled against the couch.
"We should have fought harder!" he yelled and raced out the house through the glass sliding doors only to come to a halt on the top step of the decking.
Luke sank to the floor and sat against the back of the couch. The tears fell freely now as he kept his eyes glued to Noah's back.
Noah stood there for quite some time. His shoulders heaved up and down as he stared off into the distance. Finally they sagged and he turned to walk back inside, where he sat down next to Luke and drew the sobbing man into his chest.
"I'm sorry." He said.
"I know. It's okay."
...
Adam was now seriously bored! Jeez! How much longer? He knew Anton felt something was up and Anton was rarely wrong, but so far… NOTHING!
He sighed deeply and clicked a button on the car stereo so that the multi-changer flipped to a new CD. God! You really knew you'd been sitting in a car for too long when you'd overplayed ten CD's in your changer!
The front door to Luciano's house opened and he sat up, preparing himself in case they were leaving to go someplace. So far their visits had at least been interesting. He'd been extremely surprised the day before, when he'd followed them and watched them walk right into the lion's den, Gianni's restaurant. He wondered what they had discussed inside. So had Anton once he'd called the information in.
But it was just the fat woman who had entered the house a while ago. She had their kid with her. Probably a good thing if Anton was correct in his predictions. She placed the kid in a child seat in her car and drove off.
He yawned and prepared for another few hours of nothing….
...
"Thank you Gareth… Yes, anything you can do to help us would be appreciated… and if you can arrange the flights to Branson as soon as possible that would be great!"
Noah stood anxiously by Luke's side as he spoke. He couldn't seem to stop his body from shivering. He had tried to contact Michelle on the number she'd called him on but figured it must have been a payphone. It was the worst form of frustration, knowing she was bad for the boy and yet held all the power to keep him.
"Yes, "continued Luke, "If you could travel with us that would be even better. I'm sorry to ask, I know you're really busy setting up the new office and every…" He was startled out of the conversation by a distinctive popping sound... He lifted his eyes to the window.
"Luke… Luke… are you still there…" Noah could hear Gareth on the other end of the line, but his eyes were also drawn to the scene outside.
"Jesus!" Luke yelled.
It was like a scene from the many cop shows he had watched as a boy. The two police cruisers had their doors flung open. The four police officers cowered behind them under a rain of bullets descending from two parked Mercedes further up the road. Whenever they had a moment one or two of them would poke out of their hiding place and shoot a few rounds before ducking back for cover.
"Holy shit!" exclaimed Noah in shock.
"The back!" Screamed Luke, dropping the phone and pushing Noah towards the kitchen, "Head for the back…"
They ran for the kitchen, skidding on the hardwood floor and heaved their bodies towards the kitchen door. Noah reached it first. He flung the door open only to be greeted by two gun wielding assailants with ski masks. Noah immediately moved in front of Luke holding out his arms.
"Just where the hell do you two think think you're going?"
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