Chapter 32:
Laurel, Sara, Talia, and Nyssa arrived to meet with Oliver. They had been taking care of some League business, so unfortunately they missed the festivities at the hotel. They would all have to make it up with each other later. For now they had business.
"Wow, it seems like your family had just that one more secret."
Laurel summarized things quite well. Oliver sat down, as calm as he could be. And given what Shiva mentioned to them in passing, after returning back to the League's base in Starling to check out the progress of some promising new recruits, his mood had been very ugly.
"Yes," Oliver said.
"So, what are you going to do?" Sara asked.
"Well, I'm going to go forward with HIVE, and finishing them off," Oliver said. "That's the mission right now. Personal matters could wait. And I want to make sure I know everything about Emiko I can before approaching her. Because, I need to know how to handle her, because this is a very delicate situation."
"Yes," Talia agreed. "The sins of the father can often cause a strain between siblings."
Nyssa and Talia exchanged a knowing look towards each other. They knew how their father's nature drove a wedge between them years ago. They had united stronger than ever, but there had been times where their relationship had been all but dead.
And while Robert Queen and their father were different, and they did not have the full puzzle, there was enough to proceed with caution.
"Our sources believe Darhk moved his daughter to a safe house," Nyssa said. "She would be around your sister's age, beloved."
"So, he's panicking," Oliver said. "I must have him rattled."
"Rattled men can be both dangerous and make foolish mistakes," Talia said.
Oliver knew that. Which is why he needed to separate personal and professional matters before they complicated things.
"His wife has been sighted a few times, and meeting with several high ranking Starling City officials," Sara said. "A couple we have not been able to get to just yet."
"And they have just been moved up, once we get a good look at them."
Sara produced the footage of a grainy image of Damien Darhk's wife meeting with a very prominent city councilman. Who had a reputation among his voters for being an honest many. Of course, not honest enough, to accept a bribe. The audio had been out, and Oliver had been very curious about what they had been saying.
"What are they planning?"
"We'll find out once we get closer," Nyssa said. "I find it odd that Darhk's wife had not been moved to a safe house like his daughter was."
"Well, she's involved with HIVE," Talia said. "Security around her is discrete, but you can pick it up."
Perhaps it was discrete, but no security was foolproof. Oliver would have to track Ruve Darhk's movements and get a closer look at her. Perhaps the wife would lead him straight to Damien Darhk. Darhk had been always moving ,always meeting.
He had stayed a couple of steps ahead of Oliver. Scuttling about like a cockroach, something which Talia referred to Darhk as numerous times.
"Yeah, I figured out they weren't perfect people, but this, wow."
Thea and Oliver met each other for lunch at a cafe. He showed Thea the information and Thea hitched in a breath.
"So, he is...was my real father," Thea said slowly.
"Yes," Oliver said.
The marriage of her parents had not been a healthy one, full of infidelity and who knew what else. It had created a cycle, and who knew if it stretched back to their grandparents and beyond. Thea dipped her french fry in some ketchup and kept reading her real birth certificate, her true one.
"I never wanted to look him in the eye, after what he was responsible for," Thea said. "I'm glad he's gone."
"It's unfortunate it had to come to that," Oliver said.
"So, have you spoken to Tommy since it happened?" Thea asked.
"A couple times over the phone, although he's busy," Oliver said. "He told me he came to the conclusion it was best he would get out of Starling City. He was convinced his father was up to some shady business, and he told me he believed Malcolm was killed."
"Yeah, if only he knew," Thea said. "Are you going to tell him?"
"Not without a good reason."
Thea turned her neck back and could see that despite his calm demeanor, something had been eating away at Oliver's psyche. She knew it, knew it very well.
"This entire Emiko thing has got you a bit thrown off your game, isn't it? Are you going to meet her?"
"Not yet, not until I know what she's been up to since our father cut her off," Oliver said. "Of course, it was Mom who cut her off technically, and Robert did not want to cause any strife, especially when we were so young."
"And innocent," Thea said wistfully. "Well, I'm not sure you were ever innocent. A little hellion who gave our parents hell."
"Really, you have room to talk, Speedy?" Oliver asked her.
Thea stuck out her tongue.
"Well, who do you think I learned it from?"
The fact Thea could have had a sister, well that was something. Granted, they were not related by blood technically speaking, but Thea would have been happy with her. And Oliver would have as well, but there was a lot of friction and likely a lot going on.
Secrets Robert Queen took to him all the way to the grave. Secrets which haunted their family after he was dead.
"Are you still mad at Mom?' Thea asked.
"In a way, but she's going to have to understand how she can't be lying to me, to us like that," Oliver said. "We're not children who needed shielded from the world anymore."
"No," Thea said. "So, how's Artemis doing?"
"Very well," Oliver said. "We're heading out to patrol tonight, to get a lead. Maybe you would like to join us?"
"Got an essay I've been putting off," Thea said. "Due tomorrow...oh, don't give me that look Ollie, I know you procastricated on your schoolwork, when you bothered to do it at all. And it's because of my work advocating for keeping drugs off the streets of Starling City that I put it off."
Oliver's expression softened. He understood how important this was to Thea and it was very important due to her having so many friends suffering, often tragically.
"Got to give a speech on Saturday," Thea said. "To a youth center in the Glade."
"You need protection?" Oliver asked.
"No, don't worry, Aresia's agreed to bodyguard me," Thea said. "You don't mind me borrowing your bodyguard for the day?"
"Not at all. You'll be in safe hands. Besides, Lexi's got her covered, and there are others who will have my back."
Artemis and Oliver suited up and perched on a hotel balcony across the street from an office building. They had been posing as a daughter and father on an outing, and Artemis just smiled at the roleplay potential.
Still, business before sex, she imagined.
"I know now's not the time, but I think Emiko is living in the Glades, and she and Jade, they were friends when they were younger, so I know her," Artemis said. "Although, I'm surprised Jade didn't tell you anything."
"Worry about it later,," Oliver said. "Here's the woman who owns that building. Her name is Ruve Adams, but she's just using her maiden name."
An attractive dark haired woman dressed in business professional clothes stepped out of the building. She had been talking on a cell phone and had turned to a city councilman. The two had a brief conversation and documents exchanged hands. A small group of men appeared and escorted Ruve in.
"Damien Darhk's wife?" Artemis asked.
"Yes."
"Well, say what you want about him, but he has a good taste in women," Artemis said. "Is she on your list?"
"Let's move."
Artemis was not getting anything out of Oliver. The city Councillor disappeared into one limo and Ruve disappeared into another. Both of them drove off, with Ruve circling around the block and stopping at the same hotel.
"I've got the papers," Ruve said. "No, I don't think so. But, I'll be waiting for you to arrive. Don't forget to meet with them. Yes, Friday evening. No League members, not yet."
Well, not yet. Ruve disappeared into an elevator and Oliver and Artemis moved up the steps to the floor where she would likely have been through.
"In here!"
Artemis had been taken by the hand and pulled into a side room. Several members of the Starling City Police Department moved into the room across the hallway. Oliver recognized a very prominent mob enforcer being dragged out of the room and slapped in handcuffs. The police secured the drugs.
"Can you believe it?" Artemis asked. "We lost her."
Oliver and Artemis exited through the window of the room they entered. An unfortunate break of arriving at the same hotel with a drug bust, with the Starling City Police Department blocking off their route to Ruve.
"Look!"
The city councilman's limo had been crashed. Oliver and Artemis dropped down and noticed the driver laying against the windshield, throat slashed. They opened the back door of the limo and the grisly sight of the decapitated city councilman.
They had a use for him and HIVE then had him killed when the use was finished.
One more thing. The briefcase the man had was not in the limo. Whatever was in it had been claimed by HIVE and the Ghosts faded into the night.
Still, the councilman's phone still was present, although smashed. Oliver snatched it, hoping it would get some clues.
"You had your reasons."
No anger, good. An icy cold stare which chilled her soul, very bad. Isabel Rochev took a deep breath.
"I promised your father. And while we both know he was flawed, I intended to keep my promise that I would not breath a word about Emiko to anyone, even his son."
"As I suspected."
Moira arrived. She noticed Isabel and the two women locked eyes.
"You wanted to see me?" Moira asked.
"Yes, I did," Oliver said. "In a matter of days, this company will acquire some new assets, and I'm going to need to have the two of you put your differences aside. It's what's best for business."
One thing he could get Moira and Isabel to agree on was they did not like having to play nice with each other. Another thing Oliver got them to agree on was they had no choice.
"You both want this company to thrive, right?"
"Correct."
"Yes."
Isabel and Moira locked eyes with each other. They shook hands, and Oliver noticed the female version of the typical male power play while the other tried to crush the hand of the other. Isabel, with her training, won that particular battle, although Moira did not betray her pain or strained bones with any more than a slight wincing.
"You are going to work alongside each other, whether you like it or not," Oliver said. "And Moira, I've figured out the perfect punishment for you."
Still with the first name, but why would he not? Oliver had called them here, not as her son, but as Ra's al Ghul. Oliver motioned Moira and Isabel to follow him into a hallway behind the main conference room.
The Shameless Smut Commences In the Next Chapter.