Tension ran extremely high as the men returned to the Foundry, where Sara awaited them. She noticed instantly that there was a problem.
"What's going on?"
Oliver went right to the computer bank and began to type furiously without answering.
"Diggle?" Sara asked.
"We were just at Felicity's. She's missing," he said heavily, crossing his arms.
Sara paled. "What?"
Dig nodded, his eye on Oliver, who sat rigidly in Felicity's chair. "We don't know who took her or why, but I don't think it's related to the Arrow."
It was then Oliver spoke up, so furious he could barely get his words out. "I don't care who took her," he growled. "They will give her back or die."
Sara and Dig exchanged glances. "The vow's off the table," Dig whispered.
"I heard that Diggle," Oliver snapped.
"I wasn't trying to -"
A savage growl cut him off.
"Ollie," said Sara, trying to take the softer approach. "Getting mad won't help us find her."
Oliver sighed, his emotions tangled so thoroughly he couldn't separate them. "I know it's just-" he looked over at them and for the first time, both Sara and Dig saw terror and despair in his eyes. "I need her back."
His increasing desperation over the next few hours had all of them on edge.
"Can't it go any faster?" He growled, indicating a search the computer was currently executing.
"Take a pill Oliver," said Dig. "It's doing the best it can with what we gave it. Why don't you and I do some canvassing? Sara can stay here and monitor the search."
Going out and pounding people was better than staying put. With a snarl, Oliver snatched his bow from the case and stalked out, Dig on his heels.
The sensation of cold metal was the first thing Felicity was aware of when she regained consciousness. The second was the shake-inducing chill to her skin.
She opened her eyes then and was horrified by what she discovered.
Her hands were tied behind her with zip ties and she was gagged. Worst of all, she was not only naked, she was also secured to the wall behind her with a heavy chain and neck manacle.
Besides death and rape, it was the worst scenario she could imagine.
At least her glasses were still on, so she was able to see. The room she was in was dark and small; a grungy man with long hair sat in a chair a few feet from her. She glared at him.
He noticed she was awake and laughed at her expression. "Hang on to something babe," he slurred, grinning like an idiot. "You're in for a wild ride."
He got to his feet and, stumbling a little, left the room, still chuckling.
Felicity strained against her bonds as terror consumed her.
O-LIV-ER!
Dig and Oliver returned to the lair several hours later, empty handed and without any new information as to Felicity's location.
Sara was sitting at the computer station, nails tapping the desktop, deep in thought. She turned to face them as they came in.
"Doesn't Felicity have a tattoo?"
"What?" The men said together rather distractedly.
"Felicity, she has a tattoo, right?"
Oliver shook his head, trying to remember if he'd ever heard mention of one. "I don't think so."
Sara swung back around toward the screen and began to type. Within a few moments, she'd brought up Felicity's personal file.
"Where did you find that?" Oliver asked tightly, staring at the screen over her shoulder.
"I've seen files like this," said Sara evasively. "I figure you guys might have something similar. Dig's in here, so are you, Oliver."
The three of them scanned the file intently, looking for a clue. After a few moments, Dig let out a soft "Aha," and pointed toward the bottom of the screen.
"What?"
"Look here."
At the very bottom of the first page, under the heading 'scars tattoos etc' there was a picture of Felicity's leg, marked with a small green arrowhead.
Pride and love bloomed in Oliver's chest at the sight of the mark. Of all the things she could have gotten, she'd chosen his symbol and colour.
"Oliver?"
More than anyone else, John Diggle knew how his friend felt about Felicity. He noted Oliver's expression of love before it vanished under yet another of his masks.
"Let's find her." There was no room for argument in his tone.
Sara scrolled back to the top of the page and was about to go to another window when Dig noted a flashing symbol in one corner. "What's that?"
She clicked on it and up popped a notice. It consisted of three words.
'Tat ink tracker'
"Click on it," came Oliver's urgent voice from behind Sara.
When she did so, a map of Starling and the surrounding area appeared. Just outside the the city's limits was a blinking red signal.
"Oh Felicity, you are brilliant!" Oliver crowed.
"Dig and Sara didn't appear to understand. "What? Oliver, what is it?"
He was grinning now. "She's given us a way to track her. Her tattoo is embedded with a microchip."