Oakdale, Illinois, George S. Patton Military Base, 2008
When Luke invited Noah to live at Snyder Farm, it was because he believed all Noah needed was to feel surrounded by the unconditional love of a real family. Luke was determined to fill the void left by the colonel's rejection that day in WOAK.
And, yes, okay, he'd admit that it also was partly a selfish move. He loved having Noah close to him every day. He was scared sometimes how much he loved it.
It warmed him through to bare witness to the strong bond developing between Noah and Holden. Early one balmy morning, he went to grab a glass of orange juice from the fridge and overheard a conversation they were having outside on the porch.
"...I know I'm a poor substitution for the real thing, Son," Holden was saying, fondness clear in his voice. "But I want you to know that you can come to me, anytime you want. I'm always here for you."
Luke didn't hear Noah's mumbled response. But he knew what that sentiment would have meant to this young man, so starved of love and affection his entire life. From the very beginning Noah held Luke's father in high esteem and treated Holden with the utmost respect.
Then there was Grandma Emma.
The heart and soul of the Snyder family, she was brought to life from a storybook; round and apple-cheeked with cuddles to match. She cooked up a storm and engulfed those around her in an embracing cloud of warmth and love.
But even herconstant attention, as much as Noah soaked it up and gobbled down her famous oatmeal raison cookies, wasn't enough.
Luke could tell Noah missed his father terribly.
After Winston left that day in WOAK, Noah tried everything to reconnect with him. Desperate to speak with him, Noah drove over to the army base on so many occasions, Luke lost count. But Winston refused to see his son and ignored all of Noah's pleading phone calls.
Each rejection seemed to hit the poor guy harder than the last, eventually breaking something inside of Noah that Luke felt this strong urge to repair.
So when Senator Charles Marsden arrived in town promising Noah the world as far as this issue was concerned, Luke had to give it a shot... even though being invited over to the base in this open-armed kind of way troubled Luke.
If there was one thing Luke knew for certain, it was that he already disliked the senator before ever having met him. The man was a staunch and outspoken opponent against everything Luke believed in.
Marsden was proudly anti-gay; preaching his views like a priest from a pulpit. He had crazy ideas about how gay relationships de-sanctify and ultimately destroy heterosexual marriage; inevitably leading to polygamy and the downfall of Western Civilization.
Blah blah…
With these thoughts in his head, Luke spotted Noah sitting next to the senator in the facilities' empty main reception area.
Where's the receptionist?
To one side, framed by a pillar, was Marsden's bodyguard. He stood in a black suit and tie; legs forming a solid 'v' shape and hands folded neatly in front. Shades hid the man's eyes, but Luke felt sure they were staring right at him, watching his every move.
How very 'Men in Black'…
"Luke!" Noah waved happily, standing to make his way over.
Smartly dressed in business attire, Marsden smoothly followed. Luke coudn't help thinking of a shark.
Noah hugged Luke before turning, one hand on Luke's upper arm, to introduce the two men. "Senator, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Luke Snyder. Luke, this is Senator Charles Marsden."
"Very pleased to meet you, Senator Marsden. I'm sorry I'm so late." Luke replied, plastering a smile on his face and reaching out his hand.
The senator took it and shook vigorously. "Please, call me Charles. Noah has told me a lot about you, Luke."
"And you…" Luke replied. "He seems to think you can help him with his father?"
"Yes, yes!" The Senator waved that off as though the subject bored him and was of little importance. "We'll get to that!"
That worried feeling Luke was experiencing only intensified. "I'm sorry Senator…"
"It's Charles, please…!" Marsden insisted.
"Charles," Luke said, glaring now. "I'm sorry if I'm being blunt, but you contacted Noah because you thought you could help him repair the rift with Colonel Mayer. Right now, that's the only reason we're here…"
"Luke!" Noah chastised, staring at Luke like he couldn't believe what was coming out of his boyfriend's mouth.
"No, no." The senator smiled. "That's okay, Noah. Luke is entitled to ask." He turned back to Luke, "The colonel is in a very important meeting right now; which means we have some time before we meet with him..."
"And he's agreed to this meeting then, has he?" Luke asked.
"Luke!" Noah said firmly, "Stop it!"
Luke crossed his arms and huffed.
"I understand your anxiety, Luke." Marsden assured him. "But we will resolve everything by the end of the day. You have my word. Right now you two are my very special guests and I'd like to show you around. If you agree."
"That would be great," Noah said, turning to Luke, looking stern and speaking through his teeth, "Wouldn't it, Luke?"
"Peachy!" Luke hissed under his breath.
They left their jackets in the reception and walked with Marsden down a serious of long corridors and closed doors, followed closely by the senator's bodyguard. Luke couldn't help but wonder why everything was so quiet.
Where is everybody? Shouldn't there be people working here?
The bodyguard punched an entry code and pushed open a metal door after it beeped loudly at them.
They entered a practice shooting range; back wall reinforced with a sloped earthen beam and baffles additionally situated along the roof and side walls. A set of four booths crossed the room a quarter of the way down; each one perfectly aligned to a paper target set in the back.
Luke was astonished and wondered at why they'd been brought there. But when he looked over at Noah, he saw a smile forming on the brunette's lips.
"Just like the good old days, hey Noah?" Marsden exclaimed.
Noah nodded, walking into one of the booths and smoothing his hands over the wooden surface.
"Noah and I used to go shooting every Saturday, when Winston was stationed in Fort Bragg. Didn't we, Son?"
"Yes, Sir," Noah replied.
"Noah is quite the shot!" The senator winked.
Luke's mouth gaped open. "You know how to use a gun?"
Noah nodded. "Well yeah…" He grinned at the look on Luke's face. "Duh, Luke! Army brat! Of course I know how to use a weapon!"
"Guess I just never thought about it." Luke shrugged.
"Would you like a go?" Charles asked.
"Who me?" Luke pointed a finger at himself.
"Well yes," Marsden laughed. "I don't need to ask Noah if he wants to."
"Hell yes!" Noah exclaimed gleefully. "It's been too long!""
Garrett?" Marsden nodded at his beefy bodyguard, who turned to a cabinet and removed two handguns, handing one to Noah along with a box of bullets.
As the man stretched his arm out, the cuff of his jacket rode up; revealing a sinister looking snake tattoo coilling around the man's wrist. It gave luke the chills; reminding him of the 'deatheater' symbol in his little sister's Harry Potter books.
But Noah's eyes were sparkling in a way Luke hadn't seen in a while. He suddenly realized Noah felt at home here amongst the stark green and grey of military life. Even the way the senator barked orders and demanded respect appeared to be something familiar and comforting to Noah.
"Come over here, Luke," an excited Noah said, already loading the barrel with bullets.
"I don't know, Noah. I'm more a lover than a fighter…"
Noah snorted with a sideways grin. "Idiot… come closer…"
An uncertain Luke moved forward.
Noah laughed. "Don't look so worried. Stand here."
Luke squeezed passed Noah to stand inside the booth, looking out at the black full-body paper targets in the distance. Noah stood close behind him and Luke had to admit the position felt good; sexy even.
Luke settled himself between Noah's arms while Noah handed him a pair of plastic goggles to wear.
"There," he said with a smile in his voice, as soon as Luke donned the eye-wear. "Now you look like a bug…"
"Well..." Luke responded. "...we can't all be as cute as you, now can we?"
Luke was rewarded with a bright smile that warmed him through.
"This here is your safety," Noah explained over the back of Luke's shoulder; flipping the switch on the side of the gun back and forth. "On, off, on, off… Got it?"
Luke nodded, taking hold of the gun handle as Noah slipped it in his hands. He was surprised by the weight of it, stretching out his arms and bobbing them up and down a little to get used to the feel of the gun.
"Okay, hold the barrel in your palm… That's it… Close one eye and look through the sight until you see your target. Then squeeze the trigger, when you're ready."
Luke felt Noah slip a pair of headphones over his ears. It was a strange sensation, like being sealed off from the world.
Something about having the gun in his hands made his heart thumb hard in his chest. He could hear the muffled voices, as Noah said something to Marsden and the senator responded.
He briefly turned around; and caught a look on Marsden's face that made him feel a little cold. It was a mixture of disgust, but also a lot of what might have been regret.
Regret for what?
His brain released a shiver down his spine. But he ignored this to take a deep breath and turned back to the job at hand; positioning the sight where he thought it would hit and eventually pulling the trigger.
The kick shocked him, flinging him backward. But Noah expected it and was standing solidly behind him.
Luke caught his breath for a moment, leaning back into Noah's warm body. Then he removed the earmuffs and whooped. "That was awesome!"
He turned in Noah's arms to find the boy grinning madly at him. "I know! Right?"
"Well done Luke!" Marsden clapped. "It's a kill shot!"
They all looked over to find the target had moved forward, allowing them to see where the bullet had pierced the area of the heart.
"You're a natural!" Noah smiled, slapping Luke on the back.
Despite his doubts, Luke found himself grinning. "Or it's first time luck!"
After a few more goes under Noah's instruction, Luke quickly got the hang of it. They spent 30 minutes shooting individually before Marsden suggested they try different weapons.
Luke had to admit that target shooting was fun. He never realized how enjoyable it could be. He was just reloading 15 minutes later, when he noticed that he and Noah were alone. He waited for Noah to empty his round and then tapped him lightly on the shoulder.
"Hey!" Noah smiled, removing his headgear. "Still having fun?"
"Yeah," Luke replied, smiling seductively. "You look totally hot with a gun by the way…"
Noah blushed and smiled shyly, bending his long neck down to grab a kiss from Luke.
"Where did the senator go?" Luke asked once they broke for air.
Noah looked around and shrugged. "I'm sure he'll be back. Maybe he had to take a call or something."
"Yeah… maybe…"
Luke must have sounded as unconvinced as he felt because a worried Noah looked at him. "Are you okay?"
Luke shrugged. "I guess… It's just… something doesn't fit."
"Doesn't fit?"
Luke shook his head. "Never mind… I'm sure it's-"
A huge explosion shook the building so hard, both young men stumbled into the corner of the room; impacting hard against the concrete wall. For a moment, completely disoriented, they were so utterly tangled Luke couldn't work out where Noah ended and he began. They clung to each other to get back to their feet.
"What the hell?" Noah exclaimed.
"What happened?" Luke asked him, fighting a flittering sensation in his stomach.
Noah ran to open the door. He pressed the exit button, but it remained locked. Noah hammered his fists on it.
"Hey!" he yelled again, hoping somebody was on the other side. "We're locked in!"
"What's going on?" Luke asked, feeling trepidation take hold.
"I don't know," Noah replied.
They locked concerned eyes for a second, before the lights went out with a loud-echoing click.
They listened to the sound of the air-conditioning fans grinding to a halt. Soon all they could hear was their own heavy breathing.
Then they started to smell the smoke.
"Noah…?" Luke was scared.
"I know…"
They were whispering and Luke had a misplaced thought at how stupid that was. They were on a US military base in Oakdale for Christ's sake! This wasn't Basra! Most likely it was just a power outage.
Then what was that bang? And why all the smoke?
"Luke," Noah called as though he'd suddenly hit on an idea. "The power's out…"
"I hadn't noticed…" Luke replied sarcastically.
He heard Noah huff in irritation. "No, idiot!"
There was a click and then Luke caught on. No power meant no electronics, and Noah was able to fling the door open.
They both exploded into a fit of coughing as acrid smoke flooded the room.
"Come on!" Noah's hand grabbed for Luke in the dark, missing at first; just brushing his chest and then grabbing Luke's shirt in a fist. "Keep low and stay close!"
For a while, he stumbled blindly behind Noah, assuming Noah knew what he was doing. But eventually he had to make sure. "Noah, where are we going?"
"We can't go back the way we came; that's where the smoke's coming from." Finding Luke's hand, Noah continued running down the dark corridor, keeping to the wall as a guide and pulling Luke along behind him.
The corridor turned and suddenly there was light drifting in through high skylights that ran down one side.
"Noah," Luke asked, panting from the lack of oxygen as well as the panic. "Where is everybody?"
"I don't know... Keep going… I think I know where we are now."
"What are you looking for?" Luke asked.
"My dad's office… the corridor is somewhere along here. "I'm sure of it!"
Noah came to such an abrupt stop that Luke slammed into the back of him. Ignoring Luke's cry of protest, Noah frowned down a long dark corridor in consideration, then looked back the way they'd just come.
"Noah…?"
"It's this way!"
"Are you sure?" Luke was reluctant to leave the sanctuary of the light. Noah had only visited his father on the base a few times, before the two had their falling out.
"Yes," Noah replied, waiting a thoughtful beat and then repeating with more certainty. "Yes!"
He grasped Luke's hand once more and flew down the darkness; counting the doors they passed quietly under his breath and finally stopping before one.
Luke found himself continually looking back, searching for the faint but comforting beam of light from the main corridor.
As long as we can see the light we won't get lost.
"This is the lab… I think. My dad's office is inside."
Luke fumbled in the dark, until his fingers found the door handle. He pushed down and the door opened. He was the first to enter. He could see nothing and his heart was thumping so hard that his senses were elevated. He felt an eeriness in the air.
"Hello?" Noah called out.
Silence.
"What's that smell?" Luke asked.
"I don't know." Noah pressed him forward and Luke stretched out his arms; feeling his way in the darkness; connecting with the surface of the lab table and following it deeper into the room.
"Hello? Dad? Anybody?"
"There's nobody here, Noah. Maybe we should-"
Luke stepped in something slimy and slipped, falling hard on the base of his spine and groaning at the sudden pain.
"Luke?" Noah called in alarm. "You okay?"
Luke tried to stand up. But his feet kept skidding on the linoleum floor; hands slipping through some kind of sticky substance.
"Luke?"
The lights turned on suddenly in a whirr of generators, temporarily blinding him. But when he could see, Luke screamed.
It was suddenly very clear what that metallic smell was; the floor was flooded in human blood and he was staring under the table into the dull green eyes of a pretty lab technician lying haphazardly where she'd fallen.
"Noah… Noah… Noah…" he gasped repeatedly as he heaved for air. His shoes and the back of his jeans were soaked through with blood; his hands red with it.
This isn't happening!
He managed to scurry back toward the doorway; and use the wall to leverage himself to standing.
"Noah!" he screamed again; wide eyes scanning the wrecked laboratory. It seemed there was a body in every corner; lying in twisted heaps. A man wearing a white lab coat sat up against one wall; his face frozen in the shock he must have felt as the bullet hit him right between the eyes.
This isn't happening! This can't be happening!
His gaze finally found Noah.
The brunette stood stone still and silent in the doorway to his father's office, gazing inside; hands clenched.
Oh God, no! Please no!
"Daddy?" The word left Noah's lips like glass breaking.
Luke wanted more than anything to comfort Noah but his feet wouldn't move. His entire body simply refused to cooperate, shaking violently. His insides heaved, forcing him to recoil against the wall, bent over and gripping his stomach.
Multiple footsteps and voices seem to come from nowhere. Everything happened so quickly. Men with rifles bust through the doorway. They were yelling things at him, but he couldn't process thought at all.
He followed instructions on auto-pilot; eyes glued on Noah across the lab; watching in horror as the cops tackled the heartbroken brunette to the floor; cuffing him.
Luke found his chest being pressed against the wall; his legs kicked apart, until they splayed so wide it hurt. Hands patted him down from arms to ankles.
"Be careful of the evidence, people!" A tall thin FBI agent entered the room; scanning it with the satisfied air of a job well done.
"Found the weapons, Agent Marsh!" Somebody yelled.
Luke was only vaguely aware of his rights being read to him and his wrists being cuffed.
"You're under arrest on suspicion of arson and murder," another voice was saying. "You have the right to remain silent…"