Déjà Vu
Chapter 14
Chapter 14
They were careful. If keeping their relationship hidden for safety reasons was important before, it was an absolute imperative now. After Lex’s visit to ISIS, Chloe knew that it wasn’t over. Oliver had been furious upon finding out Lex had gone there to question her, and Chloe had to convince him not to do anything rash, as it would only rouse Lex’s suspicions further.
Oliver knew she was right. She carried his child. This more than anything convinced him that neither Oliver Queen nor the Green Arrow should take any action against Lex for now. So they were careful. Played the charade. Only the League knew about the public deception, though they were not yet aware of Chloe’s condition. They’d tell the team soon about the baby but now it was more important to throw Lex off the trail. And so, Chloe Sullivan became Oliver Queen’s flavor of the month and nothing more. He’d returned to Star City, that weekend, attending a charity function sporting a statuesque brunette on his arm. Oliver hated it. Chloe thought it was funny.
“How are you feeling?”
“Going through caffeine withdrawal. Be nice to me.”
“I’ll buy you a huge double shot latte in about eight months,” he chuckled. “Any news yet on the fundraiser?”
“I’m holding you to that, and yes. Found some pictures on a few websites, I’m sure they’re already in today’s gossip pages. You could have smiled for the camera and at least pretended you were having a good time,” Chloe teased him over the phone as she sat in front of her laptop, perusing the gossip sites. She laughed lightly. “In one photo here, you look as though someone’s just told you that you’re about to have root canal work done.”
“I’d rather have root canal work done,” he groaned, sitting back in his chair, behind his desk in the Queen Industries building.
“You must have been a bad date.”
“I was a gentleman, as I always am…”
“Oh wait. Here’s a smiling one,” Chloe blurted as she clicked through the photos on the website. “But you’re talking to Bruce Wayne, and your date is… not even in this picture.”
“Tina was probably off rubbing elbows with anyone who could further her career. I’m sure she enjoyed herself. I think she had her eye on some French designer. What does it say? Anything about you?”
“Hmm…” Chloe grew silent as she clicked through more photos, skimming over the captions.
Oliver loosened his tie, and undid the top buttons of his crisp, white dress shirt. “I miss you,” he murmured, filling the silence as she searched.
“I miss you too, Ollie,” she whispered. He’d only been gone four days, but any time apart now seemed harder to bear for both of them. “Okay, here’s something,” Chloe cleared her throat and began to describe the photo. “This is a picture of you, appearing exceptionally handsome in a tuxedo by the way, with Tina, you’re looking one way and she’s looking another way, but she has her arm slipped through yours. That is some amazing dress she’s wearing.”
“What are you wearing?”
Chloe could almost see the goofy grin on his face, and laughed. “A white tank top, and black sweat pants. Nothing very sexy I’m afraid, it’s late here, and well… I’m just lounging.”
“Sounds very sexy to me.”
Chloe blushed, even though he wasn’t in the same room with her. “I’m glad you think so. Okay, want to hear this or not?”
“I’d rather be slipping my hands inside your sweat pants right now, but go ahead.”
A short giggle escaped her. “Easy tiger.”
He made a sensuous growling noise.
“Oh my,” she sighed. “Don’t do that.”
“Why not?” he asked mischievously.
“Because it’s turning me on, and you’re not here,” she all but whined.
“Is it? That’s hot, and now I’m turned on, so tell me what the site says before I don’t care and we end up having phone sex instead.”
“Heh. Anyway, it says, ‘Looks as though Oliver Queen has traded a petite blonde in Metropolis, for a tall brunette in Star City this month, as he’s seen here with model Tina Micelli Saturday night, attending a fundraiser for the construction of a new Star City children’s hospital.’
“That’s it?”
“That seems to be the only vague mention of me as far as I can tell…” her voice trailed off and she grew silent once more.
“Chloe… I don’t like doing this, hiding, pretending for the cameras, when the only place I’d rather be right now is anywhere with you.”
“I know,” she answered quietly. “How do you stand it, Ollie? I mean, the tabloid stuff, the gossip, and the labels they place on you. I don’t know if I could deal with that as well as you do. I’d rather investigate and write the story, not be the story.”
“I’ve learned to ignore them, I don’t read them if I can help it. It’s not as bad as it used to be when my parent’s died. I became this poor, rich orphaned, golden boy of Star City. Cameras followed me everywhere. Everyone spoiled me, much to my detriment, actually. But I’m not the celebrity I used to be.” Oliver paused, remembering his Excelsior days. “I’m not that person anymore.” He was quiet for a moment, and swiveled lightly in his chair. “You know, it might get worse for awhile. Especially when little peanut starts growing, and we can’t hide your belly. The rumor mongers will have a field day with that, saying you’re a gold digger, who’s entrapped me, or that I was forced into marrying you, or being the reckless playboy that I am, I couldn’t keep it in my pants and now it’s caught up to me… but, as long as we know the truth, that’s all that matters. It’s all part of the façade, Chloe, the dual identity, keeping Oliver Queen and the Green Arrow separate. We’re simply fooling them. We can’t let it get to us, and I’ll do my best to keep us out of the tabloids when the time comes. It will die down after they see we’re still together. It’s simply going to take time.”
She understood and knew all of it. It was all about deception, public image, the whole playboy charade, all of it. But it didn’t make the photograph she was staring at right now, and the words she’d read any easier to swallow. She clicked out of the website, not wanting to see anymore. Suddenly it wasn’t as funny as it had started out to be. “Wait, wait… back up. Marry you?”
“Yes, marry me.”
“I’d never force you to do that.”
“I know you wouldn’t, which is why I need to start convincing you now.”
“No. No, Oliver. I won’t do that. You wouldn’t be wanting to get married now if it weren’t for…”
“Yes, I would.” He knew where she was going, and interrupted before she could finish her sentence. “I love you, Chloe. I’ve thought about a life with you, long before the baby.”
Oliver couldn’t see her expression, but she looked as thunderstruck as she felt. “You have?”
“Every single day that you were missing,” he admitted quietly.
Her heart ached with love for him, welling up within her, constricting her throat, reaching her eyes, until a single tear pooled and fell, slipping down her cheek. A pang of longing shot through her, and she wished she could cross the physical distance that separated them. “I-I don’t know what to say, Ollie,” she whispered hoarsely.
“Don’t say anything yet, until I can get back to Metropolis. This kind of convincing needs to be done in person, so that I can render you defenseless, and helpless against my charms.”
“Think your Queen charm is up to the challenge?” She smiled, wiping one tear away as another one fell.
“I’m up to the challenge of loving you any day, Sidekick.”
* * * * *
He sat waiting for his appointment in the back of the limousine, unable to keep the smirk from curving his lips. Lex set the Inquisitor copy down on the seat next to him. If Chloe thought she was something special to Oliver Queen, she’d been wrong. He’d warned her. Lex glanced over once again at the photograph of Queen with some tall brunette at a fundraiser. “I told you so, Chloe,” he murmured in satisfaction, enjoying the possibility that she’d be hurt over the photograph and accompanying caption that mentioned her being traded in by the blonde billionaire for an Italian model.
He fidgeted. Lex didn’t like having to visit Suicide Slums. But this was the meeting place agreed upon. Two black limousines were soon parked face to face in a dark alley, pavement still damp from an earlier rain, wanting only a thick fog to complete the look of an old-time mobster flick. The occupants exited, each of them with their own bodyguards, well armed and ready to act at a moment’s notice. Lex didn’t like dealing with the mob. It was beneath him, but sometimes a job was just tailor-made for them to handle, such as the disposal of Dr. Benson.
The two men approached each other; both well dressed in dark designer suits. One of them lit a cigarette before he spoke, the flame from his gold lighter permitting Lex a glimpse of the man’s face. “What can I do for you now, Mr. Luthor?” The man squinted against the curl of smoke that rose up before him, making him look even more sinister in the dimness. “The last job was done to your satisfaction, no?” He blew smoke in Lex’s direction.
Lex stared unflinchingly into the man’s eyes. “Yes. One problem has been solved. And I appreciate the fine work you’ve done in helping me tie up lose ends. But now I believe we can help each other.”
The man gave Lex a skeptical look. “Somehow I doubt that, Mr. Luthor.”
Lex smirked. “About eight months ago or more, the Green Arrow and his crew destroyed a warehouse belonging to you, and notified the authorities who confiscated a large quantity of your… merchandise. Am I right?”
The man didn’t answer right away, simply sizing Lex up for a moment, taking another drag on his cigarette. “Cost us millions, and some of my most trusted men are still in prison. But he’s an elusive one. Chased him down, shot at him, but he got away on his motorcycle. We can’t seem to find him.”
Lex nodded once. “Then we have a common enemy. And I think I know how to get to him.”
“And how would that be?”
“There’s a woman,” Lex began.
The man laughed humorlessly. “Isn’t there always?”
“She’s his weakness.”
“Of course. Poor sap.” The man dropped his cigarette butt, stepping on it. “You want us to… take care of her?”
“No. I want the Green Arrow. He’s disappeared, and I want to use her to lure him out. I don’t want anything to happen to her, not one hair on her head harmed, do you understand? There’s a lot of money in this for you, and you won’t see a penny if she’s hurt. That’s the deal.” Lex gestured to one of his bodyguards to hand him a manila envelope. He gave it to the man.
“Kid gloves on the woman. Got it. And what happens when we catch the Green Arrow? I’d like a piece of him myself after what he’s done to my business.”
“I merely want him unmasked. I want to see his true identity. Once I’ve seen him, you can… take care of him, if you’d like. Consider it an added bonus to your payment.”
“What if he’s already dead? Maybe that’s why he’s disappeared.” The man said, opening the envelope to find photographs of Chloe along with information about where she lived and worked. There was also a wad of cash in large bills, rubber-banded together.
“I don’t believe he’s dead. She’s keeping something from me. If he’s alive, he’ll come out of hiding for her.”
“What should we do with the woman?”
“Leave her to me.”
The man glanced at the various photographs again. “She’s a looker. Little thing. Kind of sweet on her yourself?”
“Let’s just say, she needs to stop something she’s put in motion. She owes me.”
“This about that Met U business?”
“Just get the Green Arrow. We’ll settle up then.”
* * * * *
Tulips. Every week there was a delivery of tulips at the ISIS foundation. It wasn’t hard to pay off the deliveryman, make an early delivery before any patrons arrived, hold the blonde woman at gunpoint, tie her hands behind her back and lead her to the rendezvous. A vague, mysterious note was left in the tulip arrangement with clues left for the Green Arrow. They told her she wouldn’t be harmed, all they wanted was the Green Arrow and once he arrived she could go home. She cooperated for the most part, but she refused to divulge any information about the Green Arrow, claiming she didn’t know him. It was too bad they had orders, because if they could rough her up a bit, maybe she’d squeal, maybe not. She seemed like a tough little blonde. So they waited for Mr. Luthor’s orders and kept her tied up and gagged for over two hours.
Chloe’s eyes thinned as Lex entered the dimly lit basement room where she was kept in an abandoned building in Suicide Slums.
Lex told one of the men who guarded her to remove her gag.
“Untie me,” she ordered.
“You’re in no position to be giving orders Chloe.”
“If you untie me, I’ll tell you everything you want to know about the Green Arrow.”
“You don’t get it. I want him here. I know he’ll come for you.”
She shook her head. “He won’t. But if you untie me, I’ll tell you what happened to him.”
“Is he dead?”
“Untie me first.”
Lex appeared dubious, but allowed it. It was his mistake. As soon as the guard untied her, Chloe reached for the back of the metal folding chair, swung it at the armed guard’s head, knocking him down and out, and quickly retrieved his gun before Lex could reach it. She backed away toward one of the exits, the gun now trained on Lex.
“Hands up where I can see them, now behind your head, interlace your fingers.” Lex followed her orders. She was breathing heavily, and suddenly felt a tremendous wave of nausea overcome her. Oh dear Lord, now was not the time for morning sickness to strike. “Move against the wall.” Beads of sweat broke out on her forehead, as another wave of nausea assailed her. She swallowed against the bile that rose in her throat, fighting the urge to bend over and let her breakfast go. Please baby Queen, don’t make mommy barf now. “Come near me, reach for anything, breathe the wrong way, and I swear to God, Lex, I’ll shoot you where you stand.”
End Chapter 14
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