"Can you hurry?" Chloe asked, needling Vic to get the door to the warehouse open sooner.
"Relax Tower, I got this." He spoke pointedly. They were both on edge, Oliver had been rescued and was being cared for by Bernard Klein, they wanted to know what really happened and the police report was very vague. Access was made and they followed the schematic Chloe had down loaded to the place where Ollie had been held captive.
"You sure you want to go in?" he asked. "I mean, I…"
"I need to see it, I need to know." She spoke with confidence although her face didn't reflect it. Vic nodded and opened the door, they slid into the room.
"He had been counting the days" Chloe spoke, her voice filled with grief as she took pictures of the hash marks on the wall. Her expression was grim and she was barely keeping her emotions below the surface. She wanted to scream, cry, and vomit all at the same time. Who could do this?
"What the hell have they done to him?" Victor asked, his stomach churning. He saw the makeshift bed, which was really some blankets on the floor, chains on the wall near the floor. He had scene the medical table and the surgical equipment and had steered Chloe away from the site.
"I'm gonna be sick, look" Chloe pointed to small hearts all over the walls just about his bed, "O 3 C" is all it read.
"This wasn't your fault Chloe," Vic spoke putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Really?" she stood and looked over at Victor with tears running down her cheeks. "So me telling him I couldn't join the League full time and then having Jimmy put in the paper that we were getting married before I had a chance to tell Oliver anything had nothing to do with this?" She ranted at full steam.
"No," Victor spoke cold like the computer he sometimes looses himself to. "Oliver Queen missing for 5 weeks wasn't your fault." He cocked his head. "Someone's coming, come on let's scram." He spoke and scooped her and ran with her out of the room.
Star Labs, Star City
"So how is he?" Chloe asked Doctor Klein. She was outside the heavily guarded room at Star Labs.
"Physically?" the doctor removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I don't know where to start? It appears he'd been tortured; the most heinous type of carnage that can be perpetrated on one man.
"God!" Chloe squeaked, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Mentally, we still can't reach him. He had moments of lucidity and all he'd do was scream in agony, at least we think its agony. We have him heavily sedated at the now."
"Chloe!" A.C spoke coming into the hall from the elevator, his face was grim. She ran into his arms and he held her.
"Did you find anything?" she studied his face hoping he had been lucky in his mission. He shook his head and guided her back to where the doctor was, "Bernard." He encouraged the doctor to continue.
"As I was saying, he's heavily sedated. He had surgery this morning, we're desperately trying to save his left hand, the amount of tissue damage was…."
"Enough," Chloe spoke angrily. "Bernie, you have to let me see him. I can help him or at least I can try. I haven't even gotten to see him. Please?"
A.C looked from Bernie to Chloe and shook his head, "I don't think that's a good idea Chlo,"
"Are you kidding me?" She spun and turned pointing a finger into his chest, "Don't you dare; he's been there for all of us one time or another, and has Never asked for anything in return. I owe him my life a hundred times over. I think at least once when it really counts I can do the same for him."
"Believe me I understand. If it weren't for him I wouldn't have my Alexa. It's not just the physical wounds. Based on the bruises and the drugs that were in his system, he was abused both mentally and physically as the same torture. I know I'm not making sense, I just don't think you'll be able to heal him." He spoke trying to get his point across.
"You're a good man Bernie, but I have to try."
"Listen Tower, I really don't think it's a good idea, I've seen him," A.C was almost green.
Chloe shot him a look that made him take a step back. It was a fierceness that he had not ever seen in her before. A.C shook his head as if seeing her for the first time. She turned to Bernard and gave him the same look, "Let me see him Bernie or as God as my witness you will Never be able to Love your wife in the manner to which you are accustomed, do you hear me!" Bernie Klein went pale and nodded. He slowly went to the door of the guarded room and pressed a code in, the door slid open, and then silently all the while willing her courage not to fail her Chloe entered. A.C just watched as the door closed, he sent a text that he hoped reached who it needed to quickly or they would all be in trouble.
6 Months Earlier
"Have the jet fueled and ready to go, I want the wheels up in 45 min." Ollie spoke as he headed to the elevator. He hung up his phone as he opened the door for his guest. "Right on time!" he smiled. Chloe entered the exclusive penthouse. She had a huge grin on her face; she had a garment bag hanging off her shoulder. She set it down as she entered.
"So Mr. Queen are you sure you want me to do this?" she asked biting her lower lip.
"Absolutely, you'll be great," he spoke as he led her to the Green Arrow room. He hit a code on the pad that opened the slider door and locked out the elevator so there wouldn't be any unwanted guests. He sat at the console and pulled up a screen. "See the office is just below the ball room. If we gain access, to this stair case, all we need to do is simple recon."
"And you think I'm a good enough date for this?"
"Sidekick, Clark really did a number on you. Yes, you are the perfect choice; none of the guys could carry off that dress like you can." He smiled. She hadn't been aware her hands were on his shoulder until he stopped and looked up at her. She blushed and removed them. "And if we have time, I would love to show you Dublin." He smiled and she sighed.
"Now are you ready? The plane will be ready for us in about 45 min." he spoke looking at his watch.
"Yup, all ready." She smiled. He could tell that she was still nervous but he just let it go. He re entered the code for the Green Arrow room and the door shut and locked, and the elevator was out of lockout mode. He picked up her bag and hung it off his shoulder. She tried to protest and he just smiled cheekily.
"Where's your bag?"
"In the limo that's waiting for us." He smiled as they made there way down stairs.
The flight was long and when they reached Ireland it was mid afternoon. They were staying at a 5 star hotel, and they had an upper lever presidential suite. Ollie began making some business calls while Chloe went into the bathroom to start getting ready. Ollie hit a speed dial on his phone.
"It's me. What do you know?" he listened. "Stay on it, and not under any circumstances do you mention this to anyone. This is big and I can't run the risk of anyone knowing until I'm sure." He listened for a few moments longer and hung up. He hoped he was wrong. He really, really didn't want to be right about this.
He opened his laptop case and pulled out his computer. He opened it, booted it up and then hit the code for encrypted transmissions. He looked at the email he was waiting to receive and he shook his head. He replied quickly and then disconnected from that line.
'Now for the task at hand,' He thought as he opened the schematics again and cross referenced with what he knew about the castle. He also viewed the guest list to see if there were any targets for Green Arrow to get to at a later time. Satisfied with the plan he went to the other bathroom to shower and change. It didn't take him long. He was sitting at the desk, dressed to the nines in a cut tuxedo, reading over a business proposal when Chloe entered the room.
She was wearing a black full length silk gown with a slit on the side that tastefully revealed leg when she walked. On either side of the slit was an intricate hand embroidered Celtic knot work pattern. Her hair was down, her make up light, and she was toying with a pendant around her neck.
"You realize you are staring Queen." She tried to snark him out of his trance.
"My god you're beautiful, I thought that dress was perfect for you when I bought it, I just, wow!" he spoke smiling as he stood and went over to her.
"The pendant is beautiful!" Chloe spoke blushing slightly.
"Well, my father taught me the fastest way to a woman's heart is with jewelry." He smiled.
"Are you trying to win my heart Queen?" she asked.
"Well we'll just have to wait and see" he smiled.
Chloe reached for the pendant as she moved the curtain that had been pulled across Oliver's cubicle. Nothing could have prepared her for what she saw. She covered her mouth stifle the gasp. Tears began to slide down her cheeks. 'Oh god Oliver, who did this to you' she thought. She heard the hollow beeping of the heart monitor and it sent chills down her spine. He looked so…helpless. That word was the furthest descriptor for Ollie. His cheeks were gaunt and big black bruises were present on his face. He had a scruffy beard and mustache. His hands were wrapped in casts and were held elevated in traction as were his legs. He had multiple IV's and was on a breathing machine.
"He was severely dehydrated and had multiple sedatives present in his blood stream." Bernie Klein spoke from behind her. "It appears who ever did this had a curiosity for internal organs. He had a surgical incision on his left upper abdomen. Our ultrasounds have shown nothing out of the ordinary with his organs. It's his mind we're worried about. Along with the sedatives in his system there was also a bunch of psychotropic drugs; who knows what they did or tried to do to his psyche."
:Sob: "He trusted you Bernie do have any idea what he was working on?" Chloe sniffed.
The young Doctor and trusted friend of Oliver's only shook his head. "I wish I had some news or information for you, right now. Listen, I know you want to try and heal him, I get that, but I have to tell you I don't think it's a good idea."
She wiped some more tears away and stepped to Ollie. She wanted to hold his hand, but couldn't, kiss his cheek and couldn't, her heart was breaking at the site of him.
"I have to try," She whispered. Bernie sighed and nodded. He shook his head and then left the room. "Hey there Green Bean," she whispered. "You are in soo much trouble," she sniffed, "And don't think that this gets you off the hook for buying me that dress you promised. You big jerk, keeping secrets, I had no idea, I shouldn't have left town. I'm going to try to fix this, and when I'm in bed recovering and you're hovering, remember I love those chocolate chip pancakes you make." She whispered. She leaned over and kissed his lips, her tears splashing on his face…