He was doing it on purpose, she decided. Or maybe not. Probably not. There was no mistaking the concern in his voice. The annoyance she felt grew from the hormones wreaking havoc with her sanity and the fact she couldn't stare him down through the comms.
"Can you please focus on the mission, Arrow?" That came out harsher than she intended. But if he asked one more time if she'd taken her vitamins or if the snack he'd left for her was okay, she was going to stick one of his arrows in a very uncomfortable place when he'd get back. Then twist it. "The vehicle should be heading in your direction."
"Copy that, Tower."
Her software would make quick work of isolating the traffic lights in the area. Chloe typed a command and let the database worked its magic. The pillow Olive had insisted she put in her back bothered her so she sent it careening across Watchtower floor. Without the space-eating bugger, she had the latitude to curl onto the chair the way she wanted to, legs bent sideways so she could rest the keyboard on her lap. After a minute, the position made her feel bloated to she sat with her legs crossed in front of her, and put the keyboard back onto the desk.
"No van in sight, Watchtower. What was the ETA?"
She glanced at one screen. On the other, the system was still working the search she'd set. "It's turning on the Rose-Bloom Avenue. You should be able to see it in a minute or two."
"Rodger."
The right screen lit up with the command box of the traffic cams and lights. Bingo.
"Tower, you're aware you're having me chase an ambulance, right?"
"Yes, Arrow, I'm aware. The lights will be turning red in four seconds. When the van stops I want you to plant a tracker they won't find out. Can you do that?"
"No problem."
She had a feeling he had another reply in mind, a cockier one. Chloe was glad he reined in his ego for once. She was tired, and uncomfortable, and hearing Oliver gloating about his archery skills was not on her list for the evening. He didn't explain how he was to do it either. A small part of Chloe feared he attempted something incredibly stupid, like jumping on the top of the ambulance or shoot an arrow at the mud-cap above the tire, or—
"Still with me, Tower?"
Chloe released the breath she was holding, and forced her fingers to relax on the keyboard. "I'm here."
"Oh good. I thought someone had fallen asleep on the job."
Chloe swallowed a growl. She narrowed her eyes at the green dot on her screen. "Smart ass comments are about as welcome as the hovering, Arrow."
She heard a scratching noise, midway between someone clearing his throat in shame and a chuckle. For his health, it was better not be a chuckle. "Duly noted, Watchtower. The tracker is in place. Do I follow them?"
"Give me a second."
She typed another command and a second dot appeared next to Oliver's green mark. It inched away from his position slowly as the lights turned on, she assumed. "It's working. They're heading south now. I can guide you so you're not spotted."
"Understood. Mind to tell me why we're after paramedics? I thought those were the good guys."
Chloe shifted in her chair. The armrest was digging in her side now, and she regretted getting rid of the pillow. She could have used it under her elbow. She sighed. If this was an example of the next eight months, this pregnancy was going to be Hell…
"The hospital reported discrepancies in their pharmaceutical stock twice in the last three months. The chemicals are delivered and accounted for, but somehow the stock depletes faster than it should when the inventory is compared to the prescription logs."
"What kind of chemicals? Steroids?"
"Bull eye, Archer. Take Riverside on your right. That's the third crossing."
"Got it."
She sensed he wanted to ask how she was—he hadn't in the past five minutes, so probably felt he was overdue— but the gunned engine covered his mumble. Instead, his next question picked up where they'd left off. "So you think someone disguised as a paramedic is stealing their stuff?"
"It's one explanation that makes sense. On your left on Marilyn. Oh shoot, they stopped, Arrow!"
The screech of tire on asphalt took over the comms. Chloe gasped a little, the green dot spinning before her eyes. Oliver's signal blinked and crept sideways. She forced herself to inhale and released slowly. Her strained ears failed to pick the shuffling tale tells of a fight. He had to be safe. Please be safe…
"I have a visual, Watchtower." Thank god. Her heart started beating again. "They seem to be waiting for something. The driver got down and he's opening the rear doors. Guess you were right, Tower. We found the thieves."
"Yeah…"
A window opened in her secondary screen. She reviewed the information quickly. Oliver caught on her silence at once. "Something's wrong, Sidekick?"
Chloe scanned the document a second time, then a third. "No, nothing's wrong. Just another coincidence."
"I'm all ears."
"Your paramedic served time for forgery."
"Let me guess. He's part of the reintegration program, and his mentor seats on the City Council. Maybe we should take a deeper look at that program."
Chloe could see the pattern, if not the complete portrait so by the time Oliver suggested it, she'd already hacked Star City Legal Department for the list of the parolees and crime offenders who'd benefited from the program, and their paperwork. "I'm on it."
His grin put a proud hint in his tone. "Of course you are. Another truck is parking next to our friend with the sticky fingers. It looks like they're going to switch their cargo. I'm going in."
"Wait!" Breathe… Think rationally rather than react. "I'd rather you put a tracker on the other truck."
"I only had one with me."
She shook her head, remember he couldn't see her. "We know how they operate, so let's not tip them off."
"We have no idea when the next shipment will be, Tower. There are a lot of boxes in that truck. They will do a lot of ravage with what they have in there…"
Guilt tickled the back of her throat. But they had a plan in place, and if they had a chance to stop the whole traffic instead of just one deal… "Stick with the recon, Arrow."
Oliver didn't acknowledge her for the longest time. Chloe tensed behind the desk. He longed for action after three long weeks out of his uniform. If he jumped in the middle of their transfer, if they had guns…
"They're done. I'll see if I can follow the truck."
The band around her ribcage eased a fraction. Really, she needed to get a better handled on her emotions. Vigilante work was dangerous in essence, she'd always known that. Getting worked up about it or trying to stop Oliver from doing what they both knew was right was ridiculous. "Copy that Arrow."
The earpiece crackled as he went radio-silent. Chloe rubbed her eyes, a little annoyed to feel her eyelids drooping. It was barely after midnight, early for her. Being banned from coffee sucked. She yawned, eyeing the pillow she'd flung on the training mats.
Her back twinged when she stretched her legs. She'd get back to her station in a minute. Oliver was fine for now. If he needed her help, she would hear him through her earpiece. The mat felt wonderful under her, firm but not too firm and fresh against her bare arms. Her eyelids fluttered shut.
"Arrow to Watchtower, do you copy? Tower? Chloe!"
The urgency pierced through the dreamy haze she basked in. The earpiece pinched the shell of her ear when she moved, startling her away for good.
"I'm here, Arrow, what do you need?"
Chloe ran a hand through her hair as she pushed to stand, blinking rapidly to accommodate again. Her head felt full of cotton.
"Everything's okay?"
Walking to the desk once more, she pressed her knuckled into the small of her back to massage the discomfort away. "Everything's fine, Arrow. I was…" The monitors had gone to sleep. 'As I did…' "distracted."
"Okay. The truck turned south on Grand."
Drawing in a deep breath to wake up, she called upon the traffic cameras in the area. Oliver knew the city much better than she did, and something in his tone told her he was hinting at something. She was just too out of it to get it. Chloe waited for him to explain.
"The school we investigated the other night is ten blocks from here."
Oh. Oh!
"Do you have time to go there before they do?"
All she heard in return was the loud purr of his engine. Chloe yawned. Next time, she was monitoring his patrol from her laptop. While she waited, she turned in the search she'd set up for the Social Reintegration Program, surprised it was still rolling. Either her parameters were too wide, or Star City had more criminals she'd thought in the first place. Or she'd forgotten to start the program entirely. Chloe sighed heavily and moved her mouse to the appropriate button. She was more tired than she thought.
"Have you fallen back asleep, Tower?"
"I am working. Where are you?"
"On the gymnasium's roof. No sign of the van… Ah, I stand corrected, here they are. They just parked on the back."
"I'll call Star City PD."
"Hold it, Watchtower. We have the source and the lab. I want Zlythe. If we gave them out now, we'll never be able to blow the whole ring up."
Chloe mulled over it and nodded to herself when she remembered her previous reasoning. "All right. At least we know where the lab is. Are you heading back now?"
"I do. And you better be in our bed by the time I get there."
The way he said "our bed" made her heart thud. Chloe allowed a fond smile to blossom on her mouth. "Presumptuous, much, Arrow? Should I be sans clothes, too"
"I am all for you sleeping in the nude, Gorgeous, though I am pretty sure you'll be asleep before I get out of the shower to do anything about it."
The idea of Oliver naked and wet shot a spark of awareness up her spine. Chloe licked her lips without raising to the bait.
"ETA twenty minutes. Arrow out."
