Slade and Oliver father around a table where Slade had laid several large images earlier. "Lian Yu," Slade said, quickly studying the image he's looking at.
"It's the name of the Island," Oliver said as Slade turns his head to him. "it's Mandarin for purgatory," Oliver knowledgeably.
"It is...wonderful," Slade replies with a hint of sarcasm. Slade moves around the table to another group of images, "A.S.I.S took satellite images of the whole island before our mission. Fyers main camp is here. Where I was held for almost a year," Slade informs touching the location with his finger on the satellite image.
"Yao Fei could be there. We could get a message to him, the way off the island."
"Forget about him," Slade said blankly and Oliver opens and closes his mouth. Slade moves an image over to them, "this is the airstrip and over here is the perimeter. This infrared image shows there's at least ten soldiers guarding at all times." Hovering his hand over the two locations.
"Too many for you Slade?" Oliver jokes with a smile.
"No," Slade said softly with a small open mouthed smirk, wiping the smile off Oliver's face. "Our problem is the tower here. The PTC," Slade informs, picking up a picture. "The Americans had these portal air traffic control towers setup, for example after the tsunami in Thailand."
Oliver's eyes shift side to side confused, "so what's the problem?"
Slade gives Oliver a blank look, "The glass is bulletproof."
"Oh," Oliver nods in understanding.
"I can't take up the guard with my sniper rifle," Slade explains. "If the guard suspects anything wrong and we're cancelled, dead." Slade said before studying Oliver's face. "It's up to you to eliminate him, Up close and personal...are you ready for that?"
Oliver looks at Slade uncertain, "do you think I'm ready?"
Slade blinks, "I think if you remember your training, then we'll be fine. But there's only a plane every three months. We get on the plane or die shortly afterwards."
"Then let's make sure we don't fail," Oliver said grimly.
Slade nods, "I agree. But you mean you don't fail." Slade nods, "get some sleep," turns and walks away. "We leave at 06:00." Oliver and Slade's beds are on either side of the plane. Sitting down on his bed, Oliver pulls out his picture of Laurel. "You'll be back with your girlfriend soon enough." Oliver looks doubtful.
Drifting off to Sleep, Oliver dreams of waking up next to Laurel. Turning over to face Laurel Oliver afraid, "please don't hate me"
"Why would I hate you?" Laurel asked, confused.
For cheating on you with Sara." Laurel's mouth opens with hurt.
"Did it hurt?" Laurel asked.
"What?"
"When they killed you," Laurel explains. Oliver dreams of a gunshot and blood dripping from his head. Oliver launches upright gasping for air terrorfied.
Slade pats Oliver's shoulder firmly, "rise and shine," Slade greets with a small brief smile. Oliver climbs out of bed onto his feet and only just catches the two bags thrown at him in time, the nightmare playing in his mind on a loop.
Slade pulls his sniper rifle strap over his shoulder before picking up his operations mask and briefly staring at it. He drops the mask back into the crate. "we're moving out." Slade said, walking out the plane. Oliver eyes the mask as he follows after Slade.
Oliver and Slade jog across the greenery and into the forest traversing through bushes and trees, over rocks and across small swallow streams. Luckily they hadn't come across any animals or soldiers so the going is smooth and quick.
Reaching a small river Slade's hand comes up in a closed fist and Oliver immediately stops behind him. Slade scans around the area and listens for any talking or footsteps. "All clear."
"Can we rest for a second?" Oliver asked.
Slade sighs, "there's no time for relaxing. Your training wasn't for nothing." Slade and Oliver continue down the muddy path.
"Really looking forward to the inflight movie," Oliver jokes before stopping at a sound of click beneath his foot. "What's that?" Slade stops turning to look at Oliver before following Oliver's stars at the floor. "Is it a mine?" Oliver inquires.
Slade lifts his hand motioning for Oliver to stay still and he carefully steps closer laying down on his side at the mine, "don't move." Slade digs the mud away with his hand tilting his head, examining the device, "yeah."
Oliver looks down at the mine incredulously, "they mined the island."
Slade removes more dirt from the mine, "probably Japanese from World War Two. It's still active. Impressive."
"Can you disarm it?" Oliver asked as Slade gets back onto his feet.
"Without disarming you?" Slade drawls. His eyes widen as he hears voices, "soldiers." Slade grabs the bags from Oliver and turns to escape into the trees. "They'll find you, not me."
"Stop, stop." Oliver calls out quickly but Slade doesn't come back. Reaching inside his pocket Oliver grabs his balaclava and pulls the black mask over his head.
The soldiers surround Oliver and the leader stops in front, "what you doing so far from camp?"
"Erm...I got separated from my unit," Oliver lies attempting a foreign accent.
"Come with us," the leader orders.
"Erm...actually I can't," Oliver gestures with his hand to the floor. The soldiers circle around Oliver inspecting the problem. "You know, kinda having a bad day."
Suddenly there is a loud battle cry and as Slade comes flying out the trees with a sword in hand. Oliver immediately ducks down without taking his foot off the mine as Slade slices up and spins on his feet slicing the third's chest before anyone could react. Slade drops onto his knees preparing to push the soldier, "don't move." Slade orders before swiftly shoving the dead soldier as he headbutts Oliver off the mine.
Oliver grunts in surprise and Slade lays still before letting out a deep breath of relief. Oliver pulls off the balaclava and looks at Slade with gratitude, "thanks." Not fully being able to comprehend how he just survived.
Meanwhile Yao Fei walks into Fyers tent and sits down in a chair opposite the leader. Fyers removes Yao Fei's bow from a crate, "when I first saw you use this contraption, I thought you looked ridiculous. Then you took out three of my best men." Fyers sits back down, "twenty five compound bows are arriving on tomorrow's shipment. That's all."
Yao Fei gets up as the masked assassin walks in and circles him, never taking their eyes off the other. "For her sake, I hope you are committed to our cause," Fyers asked.
"I am," Yao Fei said before leaving.
Olive and Slade had continued travelling through the forest until dark. Now Oliver and Slade prepare to camp out until time for their mission. Slade sits down and picks up his sniper rifle and starts to clean the scope lens with a cloth, while Oliver gets to work on a fire.
Oliver is having trouble getting the fire to start as it's now raining and the wood is damp. Two hours later Oliver is still working on the fire and Slade had finished cleaning his rifle over an hour ago.
"Clearly you were never a Boy Scout," Slade states.
"What tipped you off," Oliver jokes. "I've done this already a few times since I arrived on this island. But the woods damp."
"Hurry, the wolves come out at night," Slade casually mentions.
"Wolves?" Oliver repeats. "Of course there's wolves on this hell on Earth."
Slade leans closer amused, "they will only stay away with fire."
Oliver briefly looks at Slade, "you're welcome to help." Slade pulls out a lighter and sparks the lighter on his thigh, lighting the wood with a grin.
Oliver glares at Slade exasperated, "what the fuck. I've been working on this for hours."
"I know," Slade smirks. "Thanks for the entertainment." Slade attaches the scope to his rifle with a loud click. Slade goes off to check the perimeter and Oliver sits back and pulls out the picture of Laurel, staring at her face.
"You're going to fade that thing just by looking at it," Slade jokes, coming to sit down opposite Oliver. Oliver doesn't say anything, continuing to gaze at the picture. "Don't worry, she'll be waiting with flowers and a box of chocolates."
"I doubt that. Remember I told you I was shipwrecked?" Slade nods, "her sister was with me on the boat."
"That's funny," Slade said humourlessly. "I never took you as a bad boy. You lack the backbone."
Oliver looks at Slade pointing at the picture, "that's why I've gotta get home, fix this," Oliver declares ignorantly.
Slade chuckles, "you think you can sleep with your girlfriend's sister and return without her, dead and make it right?" Slade grins amused, "you're dumber than I thought kid. That saying something."
"You don't seem like the type to accept apologises," Oliver retorts, hugging himself.
Slade leans slightly forwards, "you think she'll accept an apology after you cheated and got her sister killed?" Oliver stares at the fire and Slade gives him a hard truth," everybody is in this life for themselves."
"You learn that in spy school?" Oliver asked sarcastically.
Slade's face turns to stone, "no. Here. You remember telling you of my partner?"
Oliver nods his head grimacing, "yeah." The memories of his torture coming to light.
"The man who tortured you was my partner," Slade said coldly.
"That psychopath was your partner?"
"His name's Billy Wintergreen." Slade informs.
"Oh great," Oliver drawls before becoming sarcastic, "he has a name….that makes it so much better."
Slade ignores him, "our mission was to exfiltrate Yao Fei and find out why he's so interesting. But our bird got shot out of the sky before we even saw the runway."
"That's where I found you" Oliver realises. "Why haven't they come for you then?"
Slade shrugs, "they either think it would be stupid for me to stay at such an obvious location or Wintergreen wants to do it himself after their mission is completed." Oliver nods but is confused.
"Now as I was saying. When Fyers took us prisoner, he offered us a place with him and his men. Billy accepted but I declined." Slade's face becomes cold as his eyes start to show anger, "he was the godfather to my son, Joe. But he turned his back on me without a second thought." Slade stands up leaning closer, "everybody is in this life for themselves." Slade hooks the rifle strap over his shoulder and storms away into the trees. Oliver stares at the campfire thinking over Slade's words.
Later that night Slade returned without his rifle having set it up for the operation. He comes to sit down by the dying flames seeing Oliver looking at his girlfriend's picture again. "Look kid, I'm gonna give you some advice. "Forget her. The past is the past, you need to be focused on the here and now. If you are to survive, you cannot be distracted. Surviving and forgetting is the only way moving forwards."
Oliver nods in understanding and stares down at the picture becoming emotional, memorising every inch of the picture. He reluctantly lets go and the picture falls into the flames, Oliver and Slade watch it burn silently until there's only ash.
"I know it's hard kid," Slade tries to comfort.