Chapter 9- Mission Plans and Moral Complcation
Oliver didn't have to tell anyone that his mission to talk Anna and Felicity out of going after James had failed. "They're going to do it. Anna feels that since Cayden James is her father, she has to. She even asked me if it was my father, would I do anything to save him," Oliver said dejectedly.
"Oliver, that little girl is in way over her head. I know she loves her father and he is all she has left, but Cayden James is dangerous. He could kill her without meaning to," Lyla said.
"I know, by we can't talk her or Felicity out of it. And if James really has made a biometric scanner, Anna wants to use it to find Chase," Oliver said and Lyla went to a map she had laid out.
"This facility has eight ingress points. I've got six-man teams stationed at each, perimeter squads keeping watch, and drones flying surveillance," Lyla said.
"Helix has to be ready for all of that. And if it's true, Anna knows how to hack into A.R.G.U.S. drones," Diggle said.
"That's why we're here. Added support and the element of surprise," Oliver said with a hint of forced smugness.
"You think Felicity and Anna will be surprised that we're trying to stop them?" Curtis asked with a laugh, already dressed in his Mr. Terrific outfit. "Actually I am kind of surprised. I mean, you and Felicity have a history. Just kind of like "Oh, we're against each other" and Anna is your ward," Curtis rambled on.
"Let's have you and Dinah patrol the southwest. Stay on comms, okay?" Oliver asked, choosing not to say anything to what Curtis was asking.
"Uh, quick question," Curtis said, raising his hand like an elementary-school kid.
"Mmm-hmm. What do we do if they show up tonight?" Curtis asked.
"We stop them," Oliver said with finality.
Diggle stood with his wife as they watched the security cameras that panned the whole area. "Logistics calculates a 46% likelihood they'll try to breach through here," Lyla said, pointing at a spot.
"Okay. Then we'll be ready for them," Diggle said gravely, with his arms over his chest.
"We're not expecting Helix for another seven minutes, so would you like to use that time to tell me what I've done that's got you so angry?" Lyla asked, turning to look at him.
"Lyla, I'm not angry. But I am concerned. What did Felicity mean when she made that crack about you crossing a line?" Diggle asked. Lyla laughed mirthlessly.
"I can't even begin to fathom the amount of crap that Helix has put into Felicity and Anna's heads, Johnnie," Lyla said.
"But, Lyla, holding Cayden James without due process, and his daughter worried sick over him, that's not a bunch of crap. Anna will go over us just to save him," Diggle said.
"Cayden James is 20 times more dangerous than Snowden. We caught him trying to hack and A.R.G.U.S. transponder. If he got in, every NOC agent we have could be at risk," Lyla said.
"That sounds a whole lot like Amanda Waller," Diggle said, smacking his hands with his gloves.
"Waller's decisions seem a lot less wrong from this side of the desk, Johnnie. You can't judge me for that," Lyla said sadly.
"I'm not judging. I'm just worried. And I am worried what Anna will do because of this. Anna has lost her whole family, not counting her father. It was all done right in front of her. Felicity Smoak and Anna James are two of the best people I have ever known, and they've gone over to the dark side. I don't want that to happen to my wife," Diggle said. Lyla walked away without an answer, leaving Diggle at a loss on how to stop Anna and Felicity from saving Cayden and how to stop his wife from turning into Amanda Waller.