Author's Note: I forgot the name of the club Nolan owns now. For now, I'll label it as The Mariner s Club, and will correct it when I am able to find the correct information.
[CHAPTER II: STARLINGS IN THE HAMPTONS]
Oliver and Thea had returned to their suite at the Southfork Inn. Thankfully, they were not tailed by anyone suspicious. They had expected Darwin to pursue them. Oliver could not hold back his relief when they pulled up to the Inn without any confrontation. He worried for Thea's safety. Her accompanying him to New York was not part of the original plan. After their training in Lianyu, the island where Oliver had spent five years before returning home to Starling City, Thea and he met Malcolm Merlyn in Tokyo. There, they were able to build up their sword techniques to counter Ra's al Ghul's deadly skills. Their time there was interrupted when Darwin stormed the dojo they were training in and attempted to kill Malcolm.
The assassin, whose codename was "Darwin", after the founder of natural selection, had a lethality Oliver had not encountered before. Even Malcolm could not match his skills. His first instinct was to defend his sister, but Darwin had no interest in her, or him for that matter. Darwin's sole focus was Malcolm, who was shocked by his sudden appearance. When Oliver made the decision to go to Malcolm's aid, he experienced firsthand Darwin's uncanny reflexes and abilities. Every time Oliver got close to him, the assassin would evade his blows and grabs and maneuvered Oliver aside so he could return his attention to his primary target. Eventually, Darwin had Malcolm exactly where he wanted, poised to deliver the killing strike. It was luck that saved Malcolm. Thea had retrieved Oliver's bow and shot one of his stunning arrows at her father's attacker. Amazingly, the assassin caught the arrow, but the mechanism activated and delivered a small blast that knocked him back. This stroke of luck forced Darwin to retreat, disoriented.
As it turned out, Darwin was a lone enemy of the League of Assassins. Malcolm told them that Darwin had infiltrated the League four years ago, posing as a lost young adult in need of a reformation. Ra's al Ghul, seeing potential in the boy, recruited him. The name Darwin was using at the time was Derek Bolin, a fake American identity he had created. Within weeks of being in the League, Darwin had killed three officers. The work was surgical and discrete. If it had not been for his mistake in his fourth hit, the League would have never discovered his betrayal. Darwin was caught when he misjudged the security cycle in the League's prison wing. Before he could be contained, he escaped the League's premises and successfully exited Nanda Parbat's borders without delay. Apparently, he was assisted by another person, but the League did not discover who.
At first, Oliver doubted Malcolm's tale. Darwin only seemed in his early twenties, younger than most enemies he had encountered. How could Ra's al Ghul be fooled by some mere boy? But then he remembered Sara, all the things that she had been through on Lianyu with him, and how she ended up in the clutches of Ra's. Perhaps Darwin suffered a similar fate, having to face hostile conditions from a young age. Just as Sara had turned into the Black Canary, so did Derek Bolin, or whoever he was, turn into the man known as Darwin.
Unfortunately, Malcolm did not know who Darwin allied himself with, or who he was working for. All Ra's al Ghul could discover about him was that Derek Bolin, the identity, was generated by a hacker in Blacksburg, Virginia. It was only when Ra's tracked him down in Russia that he was discovered to be an assassin operating under the codename Darwin. His real name was untraceable.
Oliver, by suggestion of Malcolm, was tracking down Darwin to find out what he knew about the League and Ra's al Ghul. He was the only living person to do what he had done and still be alive. He could be a potential resource and ally. With the help of Felicity, Darwin was flagged in an inbound flight to New York. He planned to intercept him in the city. He did not expect Thea to tag along. Despite his reservations about having his sister join him on a risky mission, Thea made a good point that they needed to work together more as a team. Since Malcolm was viewed inimically by Darwin, a different Merlyn should accompany Oliver, just in case the assassin needed something to compel him to work with them. Her clever idea, not his.
"So, what's next?" Thea asked, plopping down to the couch in their common area.
"We wait," Oliver told her. "The ball is in Darwin's court right now. He could have cornered us today, but he has chosen not to. I believe he was just saying hello to us at the mansion we tracked him to. When he resurfaces, he will let us know, one way or another."
"He wants to be found?" Thea said quizzically. "Very strange for a killer."
"Not at all," Oliver countered, pouring them two glasses of sparkling water. "Assassins like Darwin exercise a huge degree of control over their lives. When they encounter variables like you and me, they would often manipulate the situation to where it will suit their advantage. He's not after us, but he's after something here in this city. When he discovered our presence at the mansion, he initiated a calling card. Throwing that dagger at us, intentionally missing, without showing himself, was him saying, 'Hey, wait and see what I do next.' He knows we want to meet with him, but it will ultimately be on his terms."
"So, we're just going to sit around until he feels like talking?" Thea said with a hint of incredulity.
Oliver grinned at her sardonicism and handed her a glass of water. "That would be correct. We can't make a move until he moves a piece on the chessboard."
"Very reactive of you, Ollie," Thea spoke, feigning poignancy. "But, don't you think it would be more productive to do something while we're waiting for this D-bag to holler at us?"
"What do you mean?" Oliver queried.
"How about not focusing on what we can't control and focusing on what we can," Thea stated sumptuously. "Darwin may control his interactions with us, but we control what we do outside that interaction. For starters, we should do something about that woman who was abducted from her glamorous home. The Arrow would not let something like that slide by in Starling City. It should be the same here."
Oliver paused for a moment to think. Then it dawned on him the genius of his little sister. "Thea, you're more clever than I give you credit for. Either the abductor or the abductee was Darwin's target. He would not have bothered to be at that mansion otherwise. If we find either of them, we're bound to cross paths with Darwin anyway. It may be intentional on his part, but you're right: we need to help that woman. A vigilante has no boundaries. We just need to find out who they are."
Thea's face gleamed with an idea. "I don't know about the abductor, but there's one place where we may find information on the woman. She comes from substantial wealth. Where do the one-percenters like to hang out?"
"We're in the Hamptons. Everyone is a one-percenter here," Oliver pointed out.
"Oh Ollie, if you had actually acted as the owner of Verdant, you would know that information tends to slip past lips at exclusive places with premium alcohol."
With that, a plan blossomed in sight.
Ben sat at Emily's dining table, staring vacantly at the cold food that Emily had prepared two hours before. Ever since he had woken up from the effects of the tranquilizer, the detective had been emotionally punishing himself for failing to defend his romantic interest. He was a detective for Christ sakes! It was his duty to protect the people. Now, he felt he had failed both as a detective and as a boyfriend. He was supposed to have a lunch with her, but ended up with an empty table and uneaten food.
He knew that a relationship with Emily would be unconventional. Knowing that she was actually Amanda Clarke, daughter of David Clarke, and the vast web of plots she was involved in, Ben knew that Emily Thorne's life was complicated to say the least. Despite all the deceits, discord, and blemishes, he wanted be the man to be there for her. He knew from the first time he met her that she was a rare beauty, and he wanted her to be his.
A replay of the events earlier today kept racing through his mind. When he had arrived to the manor, he let himself in as Emily instructed. He immediately heard the commotion going on inside. He instinctively withdrew his pistol and held it at ready, advancing into the foyer. Then, he saw Emily run toward the doors to the courtyard in the living room. He quickly rushed after her and saw the bulky man in the grey tactical in pursuit. The man noticed him before he could fire a shot, ducking behind one of the lounge chairs. At least he was able to stall him. He checked to make sure Emily was okay, told her to stay at her location, and discharged multiple shots into the lounge chair, hoping to hit the intruder. The intruder was too fast, managing to barrel to the side and toss a porcelain lamp at him. Before he knew it, he was on the floor, disarmed and dazed.
The rest was history. The intruder had bested him. He had no idea why he was still alive. The intruder was about to kill him with the switchblade before Emily interfered. Why did he not kill him after managing to knock her out? Regardless, Ben was grateful to be alive, but now he had all sorts of questions. Was the intruder an associate of the deceased Malcolm Black? Was he a part of the Grayson conspiracy, looking to settle loose ends with David and Amanda Clarke? So much was unknown. He could not even begin to fathom the possibilities as to why the intruder kidnapped Emily. He only hoped that the intruder showed her the same mercy as he had shown him. He hoped Emily was safe and alive.
After he had awakened from the tranquilizer's effects, Ben resumed being a detective and searched the place for clues. He searched for anything that the intruder may have left behind. He first inspected his dismantled gun, hoping for some visible fingerprint he could lift. All he could find was a botched partial, which was probably useless. He then checked for the bullets he discharged for blood from a possible graze. No luck there as well. Frustrated, he walked through the vast manor, looking for signs where the intruder may have entered. No signs of forced entry was detected. No items were disturbed. The intruder was solely after Emily.
"Hello?" A voice called from the front door.
Ben snapped out of his reverie. "In here, Porter!"
Jack Porter, Ben's former partner in the police force, hurried to the dining room. "Hey, I came here as soon as I got your message. What's going on? What's so urgent?" He noticed the untouched food and unopened bottle of sparkling cider on the dining table. "Where's Emily?"
Ben looked up at Jack with immense guilt. "She was kidnapped by a man. I was meeting her here for some lunch, and when I got here, Emily was in an altercation with some brute. I tried to intervene, but the assailant got the best of me. Knocked me out with a damn tranquilizer. I can't find a god damn clue how he got in. I have to assume he went through the front door, because Emily instructed me to let myself in when I got here." His anger and self-loathing was building, each word he spoke getting more and more heated.
Jack hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, hey, don't blame yourself, Ben. It sounds like it was an ambush. Did you report this?"
"No. Before I went out, the intruder made it clear that if I went to anyone, Emily would pay the price. I only called you, because you're someone I can trust. Someone who knows her situation better than I do. I know you quit the police force, but can you help me?" Ben sighed and put his face in his hands.
"Of course," Jack said. "Emily is important to me as well." He thought for a moment, pondering ideas. "Hey, did you check the security system?"
"I have no idea where it is," Ben replied, looking up with a spark of hope. "Do you think it's still active? She must have disarmed it before I got here."
"The physical security may have been disarmed, but I know Nolan installed cc video throughout this place. Come on, let's check it out."
Jack led Ben to the second floor to the location of the security system screen. He touched the window, causing the screen to light up instantly. Scanning the screen with haste, he clapped, "Yes! The surveillance system is still up and running." Ben exhaled with relief. Jack pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "I'm going to call Nolan and see if he can come check out the footage. Maybe he can derive the intruder's identity from it."
"Oh, thank God," Ben breathed heavily, his heart pounding with excitement and anxiousness at the same time.
Jack's call reached Nolan's voicemail. He immediately hung up. "He's probably at his new club right now. Let's head over there and catch him before it gets too busy."
They quickly made their way down to the driveway. Ben's phone rang. He glanced at it and groaned. "Oh shit, it's my partner." He answered. "Hunter. Yes. Uh huh. I'll be there shortly. Thanks." He hung up and put the phone in his shirt pocket. "There's a lead on a case that we're working on today. You'll have to talk to your friend without me. Are you sure he won't say anything?"
"I'm sure. Nolan is the master of keeping secrets. I'll call you when I have more information."
With that, they parted ways.
Oliver and Thea entered the Mariner's Club. The upscale exclusive leisure club contained a decent crowd of bankers, entrepreneurs, and other executives who mattered. They both navigated the place for an optimal place to sit. Most people were sitting at the tables with friends or with their networks. They needed a spot that would provide ample opportunities to strike up conversations with the locale.
They mutually decided the bar was a good place to start. They took their seats beside a demure woman in a bustling white dress. She looked up and gave them a charming smile, then returned to her newspaper. One of the headlines described a Congress candidate's campaign fund troubles. "This feels like old times," Thea commented to Oliver. "Remember Dad's work functions? He would drag us with him to show what a family man he was."
Oliver remembered those times distantly. Being in the Hamptons was a reminder of an old life he no longer lived. He shared that old life primarily with his father and his best friend, Tommy Merlyn. He used to be a playboy with a billion dollar trustfund. The suits, the parties, the social immersion, all of it was no longer a part of him. It was enlightening to see how far he had come.
Prior to arriving to this club, Thea and he stopped by other exclusive locations throughout the Hamptons. They were able to learn bits and pieces about the woman who lived in the mansion on the waterfront. Her name was Emily Thorne. Her residence used to belong to the Grayson family, a former powerhouse name in the Hamptons. Lots of unconfirmed rumors were about town concerning how she obtained possession of it. What Oliver was able to discern for sure, with the help of Thea's lightning phone skills, was that Emily married into the Grayson family by way of Daniel Grayson, only to have went through a scandalous divorce involving a feigned pregnancy. She was kicked out of the Grayson manor, living at the beach house down the shore from it. When the Grayson empire was crumbling due to the scandal with Conrad Grayson, the Grayson fortune and company plummeted dramatically. With the mysterious disappearance of Victoria Grayson, and her two children no longer living in the manor, the property came under ownership of Emily Thorne.
Apparently Emily Thorne was a socialite in the area, hosting parties on her extravagant estate. The Hamptons sure loved to talk about the parties that went on in the Grayson manor. Never a dull moment to be had. Oliver wanted to know who Emily Thorne's enemies were, but no one seemed to dislike her, at least not to the extent to want to do her harm. However, they were able to find out names of people who she was friends with. She recently hosted a reception for her friend Nolan Ross, former CEO of NolCorp, and his spouse, Louise. This piqued Oliver's interest, for he figured that this Nolan would be an extremely close friend to Emily Thorne. Thea was able to find out that he owned the Mariner's Club.
"Whoa!" A man in a navy two piece suit said ecstatically, coming up behind them. "Oliver Queen, right?"
Oliver winced from hearing his name, but had to engage in the pleasantries. He turned to face the man and smiled. "That would be me. And you are?"
"Oh, I'm Blake Trudeau," the man responded with enthusiasm, shaking his hand vigorously. "I did some work for your father, may he rest in peace! What brings you here from Starling City?"
"Pleasure mostly, as you can see," Oliver said, indicating the beverage in his hand. "Mr. Trudeau, this is my little sister, Thea. She's accompanying me, learning more about the club business. She's currently running the club I opened."
"Well, color me amazed!" Trudeau squealed with delight. "I remember when you two were small! Now look at you! Two fine looking adults! Well, enjoy yourselves in the Hamptons! Maybe I'll come visit you in Starling." He patted Oliver on the shoulder before he departed.
Oliver and Thea exchanged quizzical looks before returning their attention to the bar at hand. The woman in the white dress looked up from her newspaper and inspected them closely. "I'm sorry, I could not help but overhear. You're from Starling City? Where 493 people were killed in a bombing?"
Oliver and Thea nodded, unsure of how to respond. The undertaking was a sore subject to talk about. The woman took their initial silence critically. "Oh I'm sorry, where are my manners? My daddy taught me better. I'm Louise Ellis. I mean, Louise Ross. I'm married now. Pleasure to meet you two, Oliver and Thea."
Oliver and Thea perked up at hearing her name. Louise Ross, wife of Nolan Ross. Oliver sat on the other side of Louise and smiled his most charming smile. "Pleasure to meet you too, Louise. I hear a lot of great things about your husband. His entrepreneurship as the CEO of a tech company is nothing short of groundbreaking. Thea and I were hoping to be able to meet him while we're here in the area. Is it possible you could put in a good word for us?"
"Oh, I'm sure Nolan would love to meet you," Louise assured them. "He is supposed to meet me here soon. Why don't you stick around with me for a spell, tell me about yourselves."
Oliver and Thea ordered another round of drinks, not taking for granted this godsend opportunity.
Nolan wrapped up his tech work for the day and glanced at the clock on his wall. He had to see his darling wife at the club very soon. He closed his laptop and made sure everything at his place was in order. He checked his phone and saw a missed call from Jack. No voicemail. Must have been a casual call. He put it in his pocket and made his way to his front door. When he opened it, an unexpected redhead surprised him.
"Hello, Nolan," the man said with a dapper smile, his arms folded in front of him. Nolan gasped and backed away, not believing who he saw. The suave honey brown eyes. The blushed pink face. Where there once was average toned frame, there was a muscled physique. It wasn't the redhead he was about to see. It was Tyler Barrol, the man who was supposedly killed by Lee Moran. Tyler was alive. Phased by shock, Nolan did not move when Tyler entered his home on his own accord. "Long time no see." Tyler smiled that trademark grin and shut the door behind him.