Author's Note: Heeeeeey guys, remember this fic? It's baaaaaack. *runs and hides*
….
Chapter 19: With Every Second that Passes, I Lose Myself a Little More
"What do you mean you don't know where she is?! It has been three days!"
Oliver just barely refrains from knocking his chair over in anger. They've been working with the Central City Police Department for seventy-two hours now and still have nothing to go by, nothing to lead them to Felicity. Every hour, every minute, every second that passes fills Oliver with dread until it's all he can feel. That and pain, pain like he's never felt before. He who has been through so much already, who thought he'd felt the worst of heartbreak and destruction.
Oh how very wrong he had been.
"Our IT specialist just got in from a Tech conference in New York. We gave him your girl's tablet first thing this morning. He's been working on cracking it for three hours now."
"That's not good enough."
This time Oliver can't resist the impulse, pounding on the desk in front of him with his fist before abruptly rising from his seat to pace the room.
"Oliver, calm down. Getting angry like this doesn't do Felicity any good."
Oliver merely shrugs away from the hand Diggle places on his shoulder and continues to walk back and forth in front of the detective's desk.
"Mr. Queen, I assure you the CCPD is doing everything it can to help find Ms. Smoak. Our forensics team has turned that hotel room upside down searching for something that could give us a clue as to where Teller took her. Unfortunately the security footage has all been wiped out and aside from the traces of chloroform on the bed, we haven't found anything new."
Stopping mid-pace, Oliver braces both hands on the desk and leans forward, voice lowered in anger and intimidation.
"I can assure you, Detective West, that the man behind this is Frank Bertinelli. Find him, bring him in, and question him. He knows where she is."
"You know we can't do that. Bertinelli is out of the country and thus out of our jurisdiction. We don't have substantial reason to call him back stateside."
In an attempt to prevent himself from breaking something, Oliver flattens his palms against his face and slides them along his jawline to cup the back of his neck. The action is meant to help him gain composure. It does so minimally but enough that Oliver's next words are more of a growl than a dull roar of anger.
"I understand how jurisdiction works. If you can't get Bertinelli, get his men. They're suspects with probable cause."
A quick rap on the door draws the attention of the room's occupants. Standing in the door is a man with flowing black hair and a bronzed complexion, relatively young in age. In his possession is a piece of technology connected to Felicity's destroyed tablet.
"Detective West, I found something."
Oliver goes stock-still at the words, attempting to suppress the swell of hope threatening to rise up in his chest.
"Come in, Reyes, and close the door behind you."
The younger man does as told, shutting the door and making his way across the office to where Oliver, Digg, and Detective West are gathered. He turns to Oliver and offers his hand in greeting.
"Hi. Jaime Reyes."
"Oliver Queen and this is John Diggle. You said you found something?"
There is no time for proper introductions. Every second that passes is an additional second that Felicity is in the grasp of Bertinelli's men. Time is a luxury they cannot currently afford.
"Right. I was finally able to override the software history to an extent. Ms. Smoak has some pretty heavy firewalls and backdoor security measures implemented so that made it harder to access. What I was able to decrypt is still incomplete data. However, I did a history check and looked into the most recent programs she ran before her disappearance. Are you familiar with the FBI's Next Generation Identification system, Mr. Queen?"
"I've heard talks of it. We used a few of the functional prototypes overseas."
"Yeah, well, your girl was piggybacking the system to run facial and audio recognition on the man you've referred to as a Mr. Robert Teller."
Oliver's eyes widen at this new information. The Next Gen system is supposed to be one of the most secure international identification programs, and Felicity was able to hack it from her personal tablet. Then the last part of Reyes' statement registers with him.
"The man I've referred to as?"
The words escape Oliver in a low rasp, the implication causing his anger to climb even higher. To his credit, Mr. Reyes continues on unaffected, the only sign of intimidation being the quick bob of his Adam's apple as he swallows.
"The search came up negative for a match. Whoever this guy is, he's not Robert Teller."
"Then what are you doing standing here, Reyes? Go run the system again and identify this son of a bitch."
Detective West barks out his orders before Oliver can get a word in, which is probably a good thing considering he's ready to throttle the next person who comes in here with information that fails to get them any closer to determining Felicity's location.
"I, uh, yes sir, Detective. I'll report back as soon as I get a hit."
The tech specialist hurriedly departs from the room, taking Felicity's tablet with him.
Sighing heavily, Oliver attempts to calm his anger, using the techniques he was quickly forced to learn overseas. Losing one's composure does nothing towards progressive action. All it succeeds in doing is encouraging rash decisions, fueling the flames of motivation, but never leading down the smartest of paths.
"Mr. Queen, I know this is an unthinkable circumstance, but I promise you my boys and I will do everything in our power to bring Ms. Smoak back."
What if everything in their power isn't enough?
Images of Felicity tied up, unconscious, and beaten flash across Oliver's mind unbidden. Is she waiting for him? Holding back her screams with every new bruise she receives in confidence that he'll find her? Did they keep her drugged or does she feel the fresh pain of every blow? Have they done worse things to her?
Is her heart still beating?
Oliver's eyes screw shut, fists clenched, as tears burn hot behind his eyelids. The rage he previously tried to suppress swells up in his chest and threatens to pull Oliver under, swallowing him whole. The room around him pulses an angry red.
"I need some air."
He strides out of the room, heading down the hall and towards a door that leads to an alleyway on the side of the building. Several officers cast empathetic looks in Oliver's direction as they quickly move out of his path. He doesn't care; in fact he barely takes note of them.
With each day that passes, his anger grows stronger, anger and all-encompassing fear. The fear is more powerful than any Oliver has ever felt before. It's liquid fire one second, flowing through his veins and nearly vibrating his entire frame, and the next it's paralyzing ice, a leaden weight consolidated in the center of his being and threatening to drag him under. But he doesn't let it. He grasps onto the anger instead because even that is safer then the dark depths of his fears.
"Damn it!"
A dumpster to his right experiences Oliver's anger first hand as he kicks at it harshly before slamming his palm against the metal surface.
"What did the dumpster ever do to you?"
Whirling around, Oliver finds Diggle standing a few paces away. His words were teasing; his gaze, however, is anything but. Concern clouds the older man's eyes as he cautiously approaches his friend.
"They don't have anything on her location. How am I supposed to sit here and wait while she's out there? How am I supposed to do nothing when she could be dying?!"
Oliver's voice increases in volume with each word until he's shouting in anger, subconsciously taking a step in Digg's direction.
"That's worst case scenario, Oliver. The CCPD is doing the best they can to find Felicity. We don't have the resources on our own that they do."
"I don't give a fuck about resources! I will scour every seedy part of this damn town, follow every lead we have, track down every low life with even an ounce of information on Bertinelli, do whatever is necessary to get her back. You think anybody in there will do the same?"
Digg crosses his arms in front of his chest as Oliver advances, refusing to shrink under his anger.
"I think they'll do whatever they possibly can."
"It's not enough."
Turning his back on Diggle, Oliver steps away, fingers coming up to press against his eyelids as he attempts to control his anger. The urge to hit something is strong, the physical exertion a coping mechanism he has developed to work off excess energy, but there's nothing around that wouldn't result in injury.
"What are you going to do, Oliver? We have nothing. Until that tech specialist identifies this guy we're fumbling in the dark. There's nothing you can do."
Oliver's jaw clenches at the statement, his mind refuting the truth in it as he gruffly replies.
"That's not true."
"Yes, it is, Oliver. You know that as well as I do."
The buzzing of his phone momentarily distracts Oliver from his anger, but not enough that he resists growling as he answers.
"Hello?"
"Ollie!"
The concerned cry of sister on the other line immediately causes his frustration to wane, replaced with concern and a minuscule amount of relief.
"Speedy."
"Mom and I just got to our hotel. Dad wanted to come but with both you and Mom gone he had to stay. What's happening? Have the police… Do they know if…?"
The desperation in his sister's tone is not lost through the phone and Oliver quickly swallows to keep the stinging behind his eyes at bay.
"They haven't found anything yet. All we know is that the man who took her isn't who he says he is. They're running facial recognition on him now."
"What if she's hurt, Ollie? What if she's dead?"
Having his own fears echoed back to him eradicates any semblance of calm Oliver retained at the initial sound of his sister's voice. The hand not currently holding his phone tightens into a fist once more as he attempts to maintain his equanimity for Thea.
"She's not."
"But how do you – "
"She's not, Thea."
Oliver's tone leaves no room for argument and he immediately regrets raising his voice at her. Exhaling loudly, he continues on.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you I just… I can't focus on that possibility right now, okay?"
"Listen, I get it. But Ollie, you're not the only one with something to lose here. Felicity is my best friend. She's my family, too."
With a sigh and a shake of his head, Oliver wills some of the tension to leave his body as he turns on his heels to walk back towards Diggle.
"I know. I just…"
"You love her. I understand that. But you're not the only one who does, so stop acting like you're alone in this."
As he approaches Digg, Oliver gives a jerk of his head towards the end of the alleyway, indicating that it's time to leave. The older man falls into step with him as they begin to make their way towards the parking lot.
"You're right. Diggle and I are coming to the hotel right now. Detective West or someone from the CCPD will call us once they get a hit on this guy."
"Okay. We'll see you soon then?"
"Yeah. See you soon."
….
They arrive at a different hotel from the one Oliver, Felicity, and Digg had checked into a mere four days ago. This one is located closer to the police department, should they receive any word on Felicity's whereabouts and need to head to the station immediately. Oliver and Digg quickly make their way to the private suite that Thea and Moira are staying in, the younger of the two briskly knocking on the door when they arrive.
"Thea? Mom? It's me!"
Footfalls sound behind the door as someone quickly makes their way over to answer it. The chain on the inside rattles and the deadbolt clicks open seconds before a small body careens into his chest.
"Ollie!"
Immediately, Oliver's arms move to band around his sister's tiny frame, one hand rising to gently cup the back of her head and stroke her hair as small soothing noises escape from in between his lips.
"Hey, Speedy."
Brother and sister hold the embrace for a moment longer before parting and venturing further into the suite. Diggle follows close behind, tightly shutting the door and locking it behind him. Thea silently leads them into the main room where Moira is perched on the edge of a large beige sofa. The older woman rises at their entry, making her way over to her son.
"Hi, darling."
His mother's voice is gentler, kinder than it was when they last spoke and as Oliver meets her gaze he can see that Moira is just as affected by the circumstances as he is. A warm, delicate hand cups his jaw and Oliver automatically leans into the touch, seeking comfort.
"No news then?"
"No. They're working on identifying her kidnapper now."
Moira's brow furrows softly as she takes a better look at his face, probably spotting the deep circles under his eyes. Sleep hasn't been much of an option these past few days.
"Are you feeling okay?"
"I'm fine."
Oliver shifts out of his mother's reach and travels over to the sofa, lowering himself down next to Thea where she now resides. He slouches forward, forearms resting atop trembling legs, and hangs his head as exhaustion settles in his bones. A small hand finds one of his and squeezes gently.
"Have you been sleeping at all?"
A huff of air leaves Oliver in a humorless laugh as he shakes his head.
"I don't think I could if I tried."
"Oliver…"
Moira softly admonishes her son as she seats herself on the coffee table across from him, concern evident in her tone. Oliver quickly glances up to give his mother what is meant to be a small, reassuring smile but even that is nearly impossible to muster. Instead he stares at her forlorn and weary, a child searching for consolation.
"Oh my beautiful boy…"
His mother moves with grace to gather him in her arms and for once Oliver allows himself to break, if not fully than at least the tinniest bit. He slumps into Moira's embrace as she holds him close, a single tear sliding down his cheek as she softly runs a hand over his hair and presses a kiss against his cheek.
"They will find her. She's out there and they will find her."
A light weight lands on Oliver's shoulder as Thea lays her head against him, lending support as much a she is taking it from the embrace. The three of them remain this way for a moment as they use the silent consolation to ease some of their burdens. Oliver pulls away a beat later. It's not nearly long enough but it's as much time as they can spare.
"Thank you, both, for coming. I don't know what I would do without you here."
"Felicity is family."
He meets Moira's gaze for a moment, detecting the unspoken truce in her words. Whatever reservations she holds about his relationship with Felicity, whatever disapproval exists within her, are far outweighed by the gravity of the current circumstances. They are family first and foremost, and Moira Queen has only ever strived for the happiness and wellbeing of her family.
With a small nod to his mother, Oliver shifts in his seat, further disrupting their embrace. Moira rises to her feet once more and he does the same shortly after, turning to offer Thea a hand once he has righted himself. She accepts it and pulls herself to standing as Diggle steps forward once more, having drifted into the background during the previous familial exchange.
"Are you two hungry? I can't imagine you've had much time to eat while traveling all morning and afternoon."
"I don't think we're the only ones who could use the nourishment, Oliver. You look like you haven't eaten or slept in days."
She wouldn't exactly be wrong. On top of the lack of sleep, Oliver's stomach has been in knots, his appetite nonexistent. Digg practically had to force him to put something in his system before going to the station this morning.
"It's been… hard."
There's really no other word for it. Everything has just been so unbelievably hard.
"Why don't we get something in our stomachs then, and we can go to the station after? I would like to meet the people in charge of the search to see what they're doing myself."
"I was going to go back in an hour or so anyway. They should have something on the kidnapper soon."
A small hand slides around the crook of Oliver's elbow to clutch at his bicep as a warm body pushes against his side. Without a second thought Oliver wraps an arm around his sister's waist, pulling her further into him.
"But first, lunch. Mom is right, you look terrible."
It's the first time he almost cracks a smile in days. Almost, but not quite.
Oliver leans down to press a tender kiss against Thea's forehead, clutching her to him tightly.
"But first, lunch."
….
Detective West accosts the group the second they set foot in the police station nearly three hours later.
"This your family?"
Oliver nods his head, quick to notice the man's gruff tone of voice and underlying urgency.
"My mother, Moira Queen, and my sister Thea."
"Detective Joe West. I wish we were meeting under better circumstances."
The detective shakes hands with Moira first, and then Thea, offering the younger girl a small, comforting smile.
"Would you all please come with me?"
Oliver gives Detective West a nod of assent and begins to follow as the older man makes his way through the precinct, down a hall, and into a private room towards the back. Two men are already seated inside, both of whom Oliver recognizes from his time spent in the station these past few days. Felicity's tablet rests on the table along with a multitude of documents.
"Mrs. Queen, Miss Queen, my partner Detective Eddie Thawne and our IT specialist Jaime Reyes. Jaime here has been scouring through Miss Smoak's tablet since his return to Central this morning and we think we have something. But first, we need to ask Oliver a few questions."
Oliver tenses at that but instantly takes a step forward, willing to do whatever he can to help determine Felicity's whereabouts.
"Should we step out for a moment, Detective?"
"That won't be necessary, Mrs. Queen. This isn't an interrogation. We just need to confirm a few things on record before we can proceed with our next course of action. If you don't mind taking a seat at the table, Oliver."
"Of course."
The room's occupants shift positions, settling in for what is about to come. Moira, Thea, and Digg seat themselves at one end of the wooden table, opposite Oliver and the detectives. Detective Thawne places a tape-recorded on the table in front of Oliver and turns it on.
"This conversation will be recorded from here on out for official use in the Missing Persons Case of Felicity Meghan Smoak."
Oliver nods his head once, slowly in acknowledgement, signaling for the detectives to continue. West is the one who begins asking the questions.
"Mr. Queen, how long has it been since Felicity Smoak went missing?"
Oliver takes a glance at the watch on his wrist before quickly doing the math in his head.
"Roughly seventy-six hours as of ten minutes ago."
"Where did she go missing from?"
"Her hotel room at the Rosewood."
Sifting through the photographs strewn across the table, the older man pauses at a particular image and slides it towards Oliver.
"This the hotel you're talking about?"
"Yes."
"Okay. You had an extra security detail on Miss Smoak, provided to you by an outside party. Can you identify the individual from the provided images for us please?"
Oliver leans forward, forearms pressing down on the gleaming surface of the conference table. His gaze carefully wanders over the images laid out in front of him. It doesn't take very long to spot the profile of one Robert Teller in a shot that appears to have been pulled from some sort of security footage or traffic camera. Oliver pulls the photograph from the bunch and hands it to Detective West.
"That's him. Robert Teller."
Nodding once, West hands the photo to his partner before signaling to Reyes, who is seated on his other side. The IT specialist taps and swipes at the screen of Felicity's tablet a few times before handing it over to Oliver. Detective West gives him a few moments to look over the shattered screen before continuing with his questions.
"A facial recognition was run on this man using a hacked FBI database on Miss Smoak's tablet prior to her disappearance. Is this the same man as the one in the photograph you just showed us?"
"Yes, it's the same guy."
The ring hanging on the chain around his neck seems to grow heavier and heavier with each question Oliver answers. The cool gold metal presses against his skin, weighing down on his chest and causing a chill to spread throughout his body. And yet, his heart begins to pound faster within its boney cage. Oliver's breathing threatens to increase but he quickly fights to get his body under control. He has been trained to withstand the worst of tortures; a simple gathering of evidence should not render him so unsteady.
"Last question, Mr. Queen. We just need you to identify the possible suspect one more time for us on record. Reyes, the results from the facial recognition software you ran please."
The dark-haired man passes a manila folder over to Detective West, who then shuffles through its contents before extracting another photo. Oliver accepts the offered file, minuscule tremors in his hands causing the paper to shake slightly in his grasp.
"Is the man in that photograph the same one you are claiming to be Robert Teller?"
"Yes. That's the man who took Felicity."
"Alright, Eddie, you can shut that thing off. Take the recording and the rest of the evidence and put an APB out. Then I want you to contact that legal firm that hired the man, specifically Jean Loring, Karen Smoak's attorney. Tell them we have a suspect with probable cause and that you need to speak with her personally. Get any information you can from them."
The sandy-haired detective does as directed, scooping the small recorder from the table and turning it off. He then begins to gather up the files, organizing them into separate piles and stuffing said piles into various file folders. Thawne hastily exits the room as Detective West begins to address the Queens and Diggle.
"Thank you for that, Oliver. We just needed a confirmed identification of the guy in order to take out a search warrant. Mr. Reyes will talk you through what he has been able to find so far."
Oliver shifts in his seat and watches out of his peripheral as his mother and sister do the same. Digg catches his eye from across the table and the two men quickly exchange a stoic look. Just because the police have found something substantial enough to warrant further investigation and an ABP doesn't mean they will be able to determine Felicity's whereabouts.
"Mrs. Queen, I'm sure Oliver has informed you of the information we have so far. What he doesn't know is that after running a few images of Mr. Teller through a federal facial recognition database we were finally able to uncover the man's true identity."
"I'm sorry, true identity?"
The IT specialist nods to Moira before handing a file over to Oliver.
"Everything we've been able to dig up in the past few hours is in that folder for your review. Robert Teller is a member of a security firm who transferred to Central from Washington. He's just not the man in these photographs."
Anger courses through Oliver, making it nearly impossible for him to focus on any of the information in front of him.
"So then who the hell is he?"
"Anthony Corallo. I did some digging. Corallo has worked on a few business deals with a company belonging to a Mr. Frank Bertinelli. One of those deals just so happens to be the failed partnership with Kord Industries."
"That's the same assignment Felicity's mother worked on, the one that led to her arrest."
The pieces quickly fall into place for Oliver. He had already fit the edges of this particular puzzle together in his mind, but now the centerpieces begin to align. Bertinelli had one of his men pose as Felicity's temporary bodyguard to keep an eye on her and to see if she knew about Karen's involvement. But if he was planning on abducting her, why even show his face? Why allow the chance for a connection to be made?
Moira gives voice to her son's thoughts.
"Why would this Anthony Corallo leave a trail, Mr. Reyes? The Italian mob excels in discretion."
"We don't know ma'am. Could have been sloppy work, could be part of something bigger. This does, however, give us grounds for further investigation. Corallo is now officially a suspect and with the tie to Bertinelli, we can look further into the lead your son provided."
Finally. Finally.
This news does little to eradicate Oliver's fears. They still don't know where Felicity is or what the people who abducted her want exactly. It does, however, allow Oliver to take the deep breath he needs in order to calm himself physically. The shaking in his hands stops and breathing becomes easier, permitting Oliver to relax his rigid posture.
"So what's our next course of action? How are you looking into Bertinelli if he's out of the country?"
Detective West replies to Oliver's question.
"Right now our main focus is to determine Miss Smoak's whereabouts and to get her back to you safely. You told us earlier that Felicity met with her mother's attorney the morning of her abduction to speak about Bertinelli, correct?"
"That's right. We had reason to suspect Bertinelli as being responsible for the attempts on Felicity's life after finding multiple records of under the table transactions between him and Karen."
Oliver glances in Moira and Thea's direction to see their reactions. If this news comes as a shock to either one of them, it doesn't show. His sister looks concerned above all else where she sits attentively in her seat. Moira, on the other hand, keeps her composure reserved and steady, ever calm in the face of chaos. The only outward sign of distress is the tightening of her grip around Thea's hand where the two rest intertwined in her lap.
"Detective Thawne is currently on his way to speak with Ms. Loring about releasing the information for investigation. It might give us some insight as to where Miss Smoak is being kept."
For a moment Oliver considers what would happen if Karen and her lawyer refused. Would the police be able to seek further legal action in order to obtain the information Felicity provided them with? Is there a digital copy of it encrypted on Felicity's tablet somewhere? But then Oliver remembers the look on Karen's face when she saw her daughter for the first time in months, the way she held onto her tightly as they said their goodbyes, and he knows Karen will do whatever is necessary to bring Felicity home safely.
"Karen will want you to have the information."
"That's what we're counting on, Mr. Queen. Mr. Reyes here will continue to decode Miss Smoak's tablet incase any of the files with the information can be recovered. Aside from that, there's nothing else we can do but wait."
And now they're back to doing nothing. Oliver tries not to let the frustration he feels show but his mother must somehow detect it because she addresses Detective West before he can.
"So what do you suggest we do, Detective?"
"My advice to you is to go back to your hotel and get some rest. I'm sure both you and your daughter are exhausted from your travels. We will call you the second anything changes."
The detective stands from his seat, signaling to the room's occupants that the conversation is over. Moira and Thea follow his lead, helped out of their chairs by Diggle who has been silently observing for the entirety of the exchange with Detective West. Oliver, however, remains seated, lost in thought.
They're closer than they were before this day began, yet still so far from getting Felicity back where she belongs. Not to mention the state they might find her in. Every second that passes could mean another injury, another scar that should never be there. Or she could remain untouched. That's the problem, there's no way to tell what is happening to Felicity right now.
In the back of his mind a voice whispers to Oliver, echoing his deepest fears, if she's still alive.
A gentle hand on his shoulder pulls Oliver from the continuous downward spiral of his mind, preventing him from falling back into the panic and anger of this morning.
"Oliver, sweetheart, it's time to go."
Moira lightly squeezes his shoulder, offering her son a sad smile as she gestures towards where Diggle and Thea are waiting in the doorway.
"Sorry. Just got lost in thought."
The ride back to the hotel is spent in almost complete silence, aside from the occasional question to Digg from Moira about the investigation proceedings.
At some point, Thea slips her hand into Oliver's and leans to rest her head against his shoulder. He turns his head to the side to place a gentle kiss against her hair, eyelids sliding shut as he allows himself this moment of comfort. They lean against each other for the remainder of the car ride, offering and taking support from one another in kind. Even as they exit the car and make their way up to the hotel suite, the siblings don't move far away from each other.
Diggle addresses Moira as they enter the suite.
"If you don't mind, ma'am, I'd like to do a sweep of the rooms. Just to be safe."
"Of course, Mr. Diggle. If you think that's necessary then by all means go ahead."
The bodyguard nods once to Moira and then makes eye contact with Oliver, silently asking if he's okay. Olive gives a nod of his own before Digg makes his way toward the bedrooms. It doesn't take the older man long to check the area out and deem it safe. When he returns a few minutes later, the Queens are all seated around the television, watching the news.
"In a rare turn of events, the trial of Karen Smoak versus Kord Industries has been postponed. Three days ago Ms. Smoak's only daughter, eighteen-year-old Felicity Smoak, went missing from her hotel room here in Central City."
A picture of Felicity is displayed on screen; the one Oliver had provided the police with when he and Digg first filed the Missing Persons report.
"Sources say Miss Smoak was visiting with her mother and her mother's attorney, Jean Loring, the morning of her abduction. No word yet as to who may have taken the young girl but police are urging anyone with information on her whereabouts to come forward."
Oliver quickly mutes the broadcast before standing abruptly from the couch he had been seated on.
"Mom, Speedy, I think I'm going to lie down for a bit. Try to clear my mind if that's okay with you."
Moira grasps at her son's hand and gazes at him sympathetically, unshed tears shining in her eyes.
"Of course. Take all the time you need. We will come get you the second anything changes."
"Thanks."
With one last glance in Thea's direction and a solemn exchange of looks with Digg, Oliver leaves the main living area and enters the nearest bedroom.
Quickly shutting the door behind him, Oliver doesn't even bother turning the lights on as he trudges over to the large bed in the center of the room. Toeing his shoes off, he falls back on the bed, a hand coming up to pull on the chain around his neck. Oliver maneuvers it until the ring is in his hand, clutching onto it like a lifeline.
He doesn't sleep. He lays on his back, stares at the ceiling, loses himself in thought, but he doesn't sleep.
He can't.
….
The call comes at three in the morning while Oliver is wearing a hole in the rug of their hotel suite.
"Mr. Queen, Oliver, you're going to want to come down to the station as soon as you can. We may have found where they're keeping her. We may have found Felicity."
….
Author's Note: I owe all of you two things.
One, an apology. I am so, so, so incredibly sorry it took me this long to write and post this chapter. A chapter that, in my opinion, in no way makes up for the amount of time you spent waiting for it. This semester at school was a crazy one for me. I had a lot going on with schoolwork, family issues, my sorority, dance, etc. Any time I had to myself was spent either sleeping or detoxing from my heavy course load. The hard work paid off though so I'm happy to say it wasn't all for nothing.
Second, a huge giant THANK YOU to everyone who has stuck with me and this story despite the unintentional hiatus. There were times where I started to worry that people had become disinterested since I hadn't updated in months. But then every once and awhile someone would message me on Tumblr or leave a review and it put a huge smile on my face. I cannot stress enough how much it meant to me to see that people were still eager to read this.
And now, I feel as if I should warn you all. We are coming up on our closing chapters very soon, as in one or two more and an epilogue. So prepare yourselves.
Alright, thank you all again for your continued support and I really hope to get the next update out within a much timelier fashion. Please leave me your thoughts. They really are the driving force for a project of this size.
Love you guys!
- Bri