Chapter 6
"Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay"
- Ruth 1:16
For Felicity's 14th birthday, all she wanted was a pair of new ice skates. Her current ones were several years old and they were all worn out. It was getting harder and harder to skate with them on the ice, plus she was being teased for their dodgy looks by the other girls who used to skate at the same time. Felicity knew she could be so much better at the figure skating, than she already was. She had been enrolled in a few 'training competitions' and she had done very well.
One day, about a week before Felicity's birthday, she brought a catalogue with ice skates she'd to show Elena. Felicity had marked out the ice skates that would suit her best and she had also taken the prize in consideration, since she didn't have that much extra in her savings and despite the fact that Elena was working two jobs – her regular work at the hospital as a nurse and the extra job at an hotel – they didn't have that much to live on monthly after all the expenses had been paid. Felicity had been looking for a job too, mainly during the weekends, but no one was hiring a 14-year old and Elena had told her to focus on her studies instead. She did get to baby-sit the neighbours' children from time to time, though, which gave her a little bit to put away.
Matt sent a sum of money every other month, but that was mainly meant for Felicity's future, so it went to an account that was closed until Felicity's 18th birthday. It had taken a long while for Elena and Matt to get along and agree on issues surrounding Felicity, especially since he had moved to Poland, so Elena didn't want to risk that her ex-husband stopped sending the money at all.
Elena was sitting at the dining table reading the newspaper, when Felicity walked in, the ice skate broshure being in her back-pack. Elena looked at her. "Hi sweetheart."
"Hi mam." Felicity said and smiled back. She put her back-pack beside a chair and sat down. "Anything interesting in the news today?"
"Nothing more interesting the usual." Elena smiled. "How was practice?"
Felicity didn't know how to answer that, as she hadn't been allowed to train on the ice since her coach, Ms Kinsella, had seen the very poor conditions of her ice skates. She had told Felicity that she couldn't skate with them anymore, that they could damage herself and destroy the ice for other users.
"I didn't get the chance to skate, it was too crowded already." Felicity said and was about to bring up the subject of getting new skates for her birthday, when Elena all of a sudden said:
"How about we get you a new pair for your birthday?"
Felicity looked at her, stunned, not knowing what to reply. So instead she rushed up and wrapped her arms around Elena. "Thank you mam! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She then let go, smiling greatly at Elena. "I were actually going to ask you if I could get a pair for my birthday..." She started and picked out the catalogue. "I've marked out a few skates..." She opened it up and pointed them out for Elena, who showed interest by nodding. "It looks good, darling."
Felicity looked at her, smiling. "There is a pair I'd really want..." She looked in the catalogue, finding the page with her "dream skates": The Jackson Fit. It was the ultimate skates to have, the IT-to-have-brand (the prize was thereafter) and she knew that the other girls would be so jelous at her, especially those who had made fun of her old skates. "Ms Kinsella could probably help with ordering them and getting the perfect fit. They are quite expensive though, so I can pay them myself, I have money saved up and I can ask dad for the rest-"
"No, we won't ask anything off your father besides the sum he sends you for your college fund. I got the impression that his new wife wasn't too keen on him sending you money." Elena interrupted and shrugged. "I haven't even met the woman but I dislike her already. She might be his new wife and they might have their own children but he still has to be a father to you. If she somehow stops him from sending money, I will bring in the lawyers."
Felicity always felt uncomfortable when Elena talked about Matt, his new life in Poland, his new family and the fact that he might not support Felicity as well as he should. There was always hidden resentment in the tone of Elena's voice.
"I do think she knows that, mom. Besides, it's not like dad has abandonded us completely. He's still coming to visit in the Summer, he sends letters and cards... He hasn't forgotten about us." She smiled and hugged Elena one more time. "Thank you so much for this mom, it will be the best birthday ever!"
As Felicity looked through the catalogue with the ice skates, a smile appeared on her face and she started to imagine how bright her future would be, her mom's too. She would get the ice skates for her birthday and she would be able to start skating for real, getting better and better.
Elena smiled and looked at her daughter, who now was looking through the catalogue with such excitement. Elena loved that about her daughter, she was so full of life and joy, she had the best of faith in everyone... Even in her father, who had walked out on her and now had a new family in Poland.
There were a lot of issues that Elena had kept from her daughter, things that she never could find out, things about the real reason to why Matt had left, why he didn't write them more often, why Elena hardly spoke about Matt... Elena knew it would break that beautiful girl if the many secrets that were being kept from her ever came out. Elena had done so much in her efforts to protect Felicity and she would continue to do so until the day she died.
Oliver was still searching for Felicity and he was getting worried. He had looked every where and she couldn't be found. He was right now in the ballroom, looking around if he could spot Felicity.
"Felicity, where are you?" He thought to himself, started to feel the panic and anger rising inside of him. All of a sudden, he felt a hand on his shoulder and Oliver turned around, only to face Diggle.
"Digg! What are you doing here?" Diggle didn't say anything but his face expression told Oliver everything he needed to know - and it didn't look good. "What's happened, is it...?"
"Not here." Diggle said with a low voice. "Let's go."
Oliver nodded. They then walked outside, leaving the Fairmont Hotel and getting into Diggle's car; the one he used when driving the Queen family around.
"What's going on, Digg?" Oliver asked again. "I can't find Felicity, I've been looking everywhere for her... I should keep looking for her-"
"Something came up on the radar at Verdant." Diggle said and pulled out a tablet. He then gave the tablet to Oliver, showing a profile of a woman. "This is Beatrycze Salomea. She workes at some kind of institution in Warsaw, I couldn't get out a name. She came here with a man, Misha Smolak. He works at the same institution. They came to Starling from Poland a few days ago. Now..."
"I don't understand, what does this has to do with Felicity?" Oliver asked.
Diggle then looked at him, gave him the tablet and Oliver looked at it. It showed another profile, of Misha Smolak. Oliver read it for a moment and then he looked up at Diggle in shock.
"Oh my God. He's... Where are they now?"
"That's the thing, Oliver. There are no traces after them since they landed in Starling, they're off the radar." Diggle said. "Immediatly when I found out who this Misha-guy was, I did everything I could to find them, but it's impossible."
Oliver felt a punch in his heart. Right then and there, he knew that Felicity was in danger and time might be running out for her. They had to find her – quickly.
Felicity's head was pounding and her eyes hurt when she slowly opened them. There was nothing surrounding her but darkness and she had no idea where she was. She tried to move but noticed right away, to her great despair, that both her hands and feet were tied with something sharp. The little she could move, resulted in a sound, which made her think she was chained. She pulled with her feet and she immediatly was restrained by a strong force, making her gasp with pain.
It was damp and cold in the small place where she was. She could feel the tears burning in her eyes, her whole body aching. She slowly started to remember what had happened before she blacked out: her and Oliver on the balcony, she kissing him, Laurel interrupting them and being a total bitch, Felicity running out on Oliver... Finding herself in the library/mirror-room and... The last image she couldn't let herself believe, it was impossible. She remembered the face so clearly, but it couldn't be – could it? The face she had seen... It had been the face of Matt, her father. But it couldn't be, right? What would he be doing back?
Oliver and Diggle were still sitting in the car, trying to process what they've learned just now.
"How can this be?" Diggle asked. "Did you know? I know you did your home work on Felicity before getting involved with her but... Did you know about this?"
Oliver shook his head. "I had no idea. I didn't find anything on Felicity's family... She has never mentioned her family either, atleast not to me." The panic started to re-appear again. "We have to find her, as soon as possible."
"They must have security on the hotel, especially for an event like this. I'll go talk with them, see if anything turns up in the security cameras... You go back to Verdant."
"I can't just sit around and wait, Dig..." Oliver said, annoyed. "I have to-"
"Hey. I know you want to get her back safe, so do I." Diggle said, calming him down. "I will do the best I can to see if I find anything, I'll let you know."
Oliver nodded. I can't lose you Felicity, I can't lose you, please be safe just be safe. All of a sudden there was a beep in Oliver's phone. Oliver quickly pulled it out, seeing he'd got a message from a hidden number. It simply read:
Cameron Lake, Glades Mid Islands. Tomorrow 9pm. Come alone or she is dead. We're watching you.
