Chapter 11
StarlingCity
Laurel got out of her car and started to walk across the road to her job. "Miss Lance!" Laurel turned around and saw it was the investigator from Internal Affairs. "We really do need to talk about your father."
"Look, Lieutenant..."
"Lieutenant Jack Forbes."
"Lieutenant Forbes, I told you the first time we met and three more times after that. What my father does in his spare time is his business. Also, if you keep coming around me and harassing me, I will get a restraining order against you and you will have IA breathing down your throat." Laurel said.
"Miss Lance, will you please give me 5 minutes and let me explain. The first time you did not give a chance." Jack said.
Laurel crossed her arms, "Oh, I listen to you up to the point when you threaten to have my father arrested and try to use me to help you."
"Detective Lance is in real trouble and a dirty cop; he will be going to jail. I am just trying to help him." Jack replied.
Laurel just stared at him, was it his drinking causing problems at the police station? Laurel wanted to ask him was it because her father started to drink and gotten drunk. "What do you have on my father that could put him in jail?"
"Miss Lance, you know better than to ask me to disclose information on an open investigation." Jack said.
"Other words, you got shit. You're just fishing with no worm on the end of your line." Laurel said.
"I just need you talk with your father and ask him just talk with me. If he comes clean and tells me everything, I will see about cutting his time in jail in half. However, if I have to work and get the evidence myself, I will see that your father and his friends spend a long time in jail in the deepest hole I can find." Vance reached in his coat pocket and pulled a card out. "This is my card with my number, talk with your father and have him do the right thing. Hell, I be willing to make a plea bargin and you can be his lawyer if you like." Jack handed her his card and walked away.
Laurel stood there for a moment looking at the card, "Oh dad, what have you gotten yourself into?"
Laurel walked in her office at the CNRI. She sat there looking at her computer screen tapping her finger on the desk. She knew she needed to turn the computer on and get to work. However, she was having a hard time concentrating on work. Laurel heard a knock on her door; she looked up and saw Joanna De La Vega knocking on her door as she walked in. "Oh. Hi Joanna." Laurel had always admired Joanna. She always was well dressed and the outfits she had chosen had always complemented her dark skin. Even after her father's death, she did not let that stop her from becoming a lawyer. Laurel knew her hard work and success was a great motivation for her.
"I saw your door open. I was starting to worry there, I have not heard from you since yesterday. Are you okay?" Joanna asked.
"Yes, I am just fine. I just have a lot on my plate right now." Laurel replied.
Joanna stood there in Laurel's doorway with her arms crossed looking at her. "Un-hum."
Laurel looked down at her computer screen. "Just have a lot of work to do here."
"You know, hitting that button right there will help out a lot." Laurel looked up at Joanna and gave her a little smile. "It's called a power button. What you push to turn your computer on and do this so called work you are so hard at working on.
Laurel reached her hand over the keyboard and turned her computer on. "Smart ass."
Joanna walked over to the side of Laurel desk and sat on the edge. "Really Laurel, what is going on?"
"Really, everything is good." Laurel typed in her username and password and waited for her computer to boot up. She wanted the computer to hurry and log in so she could get to work. Even without looking up, she could tell Joanna was still staring at her. "Honest Joanna, I am fine."
"Un-hum." Joanna said again.
"You need to be careful, that Un-hum is going to be your trade mark." Laurel said.
"Hey, what is going on?" Laurel did not need to look up to know it was Anastasia. She could tell from her voice that it was her. Laurel looked and saw her walking in and stood next to Joanna.
Joanna turned her head and looked at Anastasia and said, "Miss Laurel Diana Lance is about to tell us what is wrong."
"You know, this past few weeks, she has been looking depressed about something." Anastasia said.
"UGH!" Laurel dropped her head to desk. "You're not going to give up, are you?"
"Laurel, we have been friends for a few years now. I know when you are troubled." Laurel could feel Joanna eyes staring at her again. "Now, you are going to talk with us."
"You know, I think it is a good time to go across the street and get some coffee and a bagel." Anastasia said.
"That is a great idea..." Joanna said. "Please help me drag this screaming and kicking girl from behind her desk."
Anastasia looked at Joanna, "It will be my pleasure."
Laurel looked up and saw each of the ladies walking toward her. "You would not dare."
Joanna just smiled at Laurel.
Tommy's Apartment
Tommy lay there on the couch in his bathrobe sipping on wine while he watched the fire burn in the fireplace. Tommy was still feeling the pain of the death of his friend Oliver Queen and was worrying about Laurel. "Tommy?" Tommy turned his head and saw the young woman he had met last night. She stood there just wearing her thong bikini; she had long red hair that covered her breast. Tommy just love that look for some reason. There was something about long hair coming down just barley covering the breast that drove him crazy. He had always found that exciting and a tease. "Drinking wine this early in the morning?"
"Well, I am sure it is lunch time someplace or even dinner time." Tommy said.
The woman walked over to Tommy and lay beside him. "I hope you are not regretting last night."
"No. No, not at all. I still think about my friend who died at sea over a month ago and I just miss him." Tommy said.
"Hey..." She reached up and kissed Tommy on the lips, "...you are more than welcome to talk with me anytime you want. Who knows, talking with a stranger sometimes helps."
"Well, Christy, what we did last night and especially the trick you did with your tongue, I do not think we are strangers anymore." They both looked at each other and laughed. "Wow, I had not laughed in a while. Thank you." Tommy said.
"You're welcome, but I have to get ready to for work. Not all of us can afford not to work." Christy said.
Tommy reached up and grabbed Christy and pulled her back down and started to kiss her again as he squeezed Christy breast. "You know, you can call out sick today." Tommy suggested.
"Why, Mr. Merlyn, I am starting to think you only want me for my Double-D natural breasts." Christy said.
"Your huge breast is a bonus, but it is you, who I like the most." Tommy said.
"Well then, after work, how about dinner so you can get to know the real me and then you can decide if you really do like me or just if it is my talented tongue and my body that you like." Christy said.
"Deal. I will pick you up when you get off of work." Tommy said. Christy quickly got dressed and grabbed her purse and keys. She leaned over and gave Tommy another kiss on the lips and started out the door. "WAIT!" Tommy yelled. Christy turned and saw Tommy jumping up and running toward her. "I need to know where you work at."
Christy gave a smile and reached in her purse. She pulled a card out and placed it in Tommy's hand and then gave him another kiss. "Now you know where I work at." Again she gave Tommy a kiss and left.
Tommy looked down at the card, "Christy Donald, web developer and computer programmer." Tommy shut the front door and turned backed around and lay on the couch again. As he reached over to pick his drink up, his cell phone ranged. He put his drink back down on the table and looked at his cell phone to see who was calling him. As he saw the name, Tommy took a deep breath and rolled his eyes. Tommy looked at his cell phone as it kept ringing. Tommy just stared at the phone then the ringing had stopped. "Voice mail, you got to love it." As Tommy started to lay his phone back down, he heard his phone making a beep, letting him know he got a text message. Tommy opened his phone back up and pressed his message button. "Tommy, this is your father. I know you are there. Answer the phone." The phone started to ring again. Tommy pressed the button on his phone to answer it, "What do you need dad?"
Malcolm leaned back in his chair with a smile on his face. "Does your father need a reason to call you?"
Again Tommy rolled his eyes, "Normal fathers. You are not normal."
"Tommy, stop rolling your eyes." Tommy pulled the phone away just for a moment and looked at his phone. "I want to meet with you for lunch today."
"Dad today is not a good day."
Malcolm leaned forward on his desk, "I think it is. I need to talk to you about something important."
"Dad today is not really a good day." Tommy did not want to meet with his father and not care what he had to say. Tommy sat there and remembered his father left him just a short time after his mother was killed.
"I think you do, after all, the only thing you got to worry about how much of my money you can spend in one day. Not like you have to be at work." Tommy could feel his father having a smirk on his face. He wanted to be out from his father, but he did not want to give up the money and or the lifestyle it provided.
"Okay dad, I can meet you."
LIAN YU
Sarah watched as the man who shot Oliver leaned over him dressing his wound where he was shot by the arrow. Sarah leaned over to Felicity, "How can we trust him?"
Felicity looked at Oliver and then at Sarah. "Right now, we do not have a choice."
"Did he say why he shot Oliver?"
Felicity looked at Sarah, "He said to protect us."
Sarah looked back at Oliver. "As Oliver said, how does shooting him protect us?"
"Simple." Felicity said.
"Oh simple... well please tell me how that is simple?" Sarah asked.
Felicity could tell the pressure was getting to Sarah. "He shot Oliver because he was the logical choice. He was not sure if we are dangerous or someone who really needed help. So he shot Oliver to keep him from running away and took a chance that we would not run away without him. That is what I am thinking anyway"
"Oh..." Sarah crossed her arms and lean toward the fire. "...I guess that make sense."
Oliver opened his eyes again and started to lift his head and started to cough. "Take it easy Oliver." Sarah said.
"W-where is...?" Oliver tried to get the words out but he could not. Again he started to cough.
Sarah handed Oliver a bowl, "Here is some water. Drink. And to answer your question. Felicity went with Yao Fei."
"What?" Oliver rose up to his feet and looked at his shoulder. "What was she thinking?"
"Oliver, it is fine. Felicity can take care of herself and I believe Yao Fei means us no harm." Sarah said.
"We got to go and find them."
"Oliver, we need to stay here and wait till they get back." Sarah said.
"Wait for him to kill us?" Oliver replied.
"Oliver, Yao Fei is not going to kill us."
Oliver turned and looked at Sarah. "How do you know that? As far as I know, he could have already hurt Felicity or worse." Oliver reached out and grabbed Sarah's hand and started to head out the cave. Oliver felt Sarah pulling her hand free from his.
"Oliver, we need to stay here and wait for them."
"Stay here then. But I am going to go and look for Felicity." Oliver said. Oliver quickly ran out of the cave and could hear Sarah yelling his name.
Oliver ran through the trees he looked to see if he could find any sign where they might have gone. As Oliver ran through the trees he felt his feet give out under him and he fell to the ground. Oliver grabbed some of the ground and tightened his hand into a fist then loosens his hands. Oliver lifted himself up and dusted off the dirt and leaves that was all over him. Oliver slowed down and started to walk as he looked for Felicity. Oliver walked a few more feet and then stopped. He was not sure, but he could hear something moving the leaves on the ground. Before Oliver had time to notice what happened, a net came out of the ground underneath him, snagging him and lifting him off the ground. Oliver felt the net wrapped around his body, suspending him in the air as he swung back and forth. "Great Oliver!" Oliver grabbed part of the net with both of his hands and tried to break the rope. "Arrgh! This cannot be happening." Again Oliver tried to rip an opening in the net. Oliver tightens his hands around the rope and shook it back and forth. Oliver felt his shoulder started to pulse with pain. Oliver wanted to yell for help, but he knew he was too far away for Sarah to hear him. He also did not want the man who shot him with an arrow to find him either, just in case he was dangerous. His only hope was that Sarah changed her mind and followed him.
Merlyn Global
Tommy walked into his father's office and sat in the chair. Tommy looked around and did not see his father. "Figures." Tommy rose to his feet and walked around his father's office and looked at the photos he had displayed. As he walked around his father's desk, he saw a photo of him and his mother and father. Tommy looked up and heard someone coming in the office. Tommy placed the photo back down and walked around and sat back in the chair. Tommy heard his father talking with someone as they walked in.
"I do not care what they are telling you. Get...it...done." Malcolm said.
"Yes sir." Tommy could tell it was his father secretary.
"Tommy, you made it." Malcolm walked around to his desk and sat down. "Just give me a moment to put these away." Malcolm opened the side drawer and placed some folders in inside. Malcolm looked up and saw Tommy and smiled.
"What do you need to talk to me about?" Tommy asked.
"I just want to check on you to make sure you're okay." Malcolm said.
"You know, it has almost been two weeks since I was kidnapped. You just now call me? Dad, one thing I do know about you, there is a reason for everything you do, even if it is a simple thing, like calling your son. So, what do you want?"
"I want to know more about the people who took you." Malcolm said.
"Why? They're all dead."
Malcolm leaned back into his chair, "I think someone had hired them and they wanted something from me. This is not over yet."
"Well, whoever rescued me had not killed everyone; we might have gotten some answers." Tommy said.
Malcolm leaned forward putting his hands together and placed his hands on his desk, "Maybe whoever killed them was angry and the men had done something to him."
Tommy just sat there looking at his father. "I guess we will never know."
Malcolm gave a smile and relaxed leaning back in his chair. "Not from them. But whoever is responsible will poke their heads out. Then we will be able to get some information."
"So you are hoping whoever hired those men to kidnap me will try again so your men that you had hired to follow me will be able to catch them." Tommy said.
Malcolm stood there for a moment and gave a huge smile. Tommy was not sure what to think. He had never seen his father smile like this before since he came back to Starling. "So, you knew about the security detail I have for you."
"It was not hard to figure out dad. It is the kind of thing you would do." Tommy replied.
Malcolm gave out a laugh, "You are my son. Does not matter what you think of me, but your safety will always come first. Now, did any of those men tell you anything at all who could have been behind this?"
Tommy looked at his father, Argus came to his mind. It was the word that Kirill had said before he died. "No, nothing at all. They just told me they were going to use me to get you to do something and then let me go once you have completed whatever they needed you to do."
"Hmmm, well I guess that is it. Good, now that is finish, let us be going. I have us a reservation for lunch."
"Dad, I did not come to have lunch." Tommy said.
"Lunch. Now please." Malcolm stood up and walked to front of his desk. With one motion, Malcolm lifted his hand giving Tommy the gesture to head out the door. Tommy rose to his feet and started to walk toward the door. Malcolm walked back behind his desk and grabbed his coat. As Malcolm started to leave, he looked down and moved the photo of his wife and son on his desk a few centimeters. Malcolm looked up and gave a smile.
LIAN YU
Oliver sat there trapped in the net with his eyes closed. How long he wonders had he been stuck in the net. He laid his head against the net with his eyes close. As soon he opened his eyes, Oliver jumped and quickly leaned back. Before his eyes, he saw Yao Fei standing in front of him hold a knife toward him. Oliver started to think every evil thing that was going to happen to him.
"Shǎzi." Yao Fei lowers his knife down. "Yīgè rén dúchǔ" Yao Fei walked over the tree and cut the rope. Oliver felt himself dropping to ground hard. Oliver was still weak from the arrow wound and felt ever pain running through his body. Yao Fei turned and looked at Oliver and yelled, "Tāmen huì shāle nǐ" Oliver climbed his way out of the net and rose to his feet. Yao Fei walked up to Oliver and looked him in the eyes. " Nǐ bǎ nǐ de liǎng gè nǚ bàn wéixiǎn" Yao Fei turned and started to walk off. Oliver grabbed his arm from the side which the arrow had hit him and started to follow Yao Fei back to the cave.
Moments later Yao Fei walked in the cave with Oliver behind him. "Oliver!" Felicity and Sarah called out. The two ladies went over to Oliver and helped him sat down.
"What the hell do you think you were doing? Felicity asked. "I went looking for you. I thought you were..." "Oliver, I had told you. Yao Fei is helping us. I was not in any danger." Felicity said. " Shǎzi." Oliver looked over at Yao Fei. "What did he say?" Oliver asked. "He called you a fool you stupid idiot." Felicity responded. I told you Felicity was okay." Sarah said. "I should have listened to the both of you." Oliver lean back against wall and closed his eyes and fell asleep. When Oliver opened his eyes, he saw them sitting next to the fire place eating. "God, I am so hungry." Oliver got up and walked over to them and started to reach for some of the meat on the stick. Yao Fei quickly grabbed Oliver wrist and threw him back. Sarah started to get up but Felicity stopped her. Sarah looked at Felicity and saw her slowly shaking her head, letting Sarah know not to interfere.
"But he just refused to let Oliver eat." Sarah said.
"Sarah, things are different here now. There are some things we are going to have to learn and do. And some of those things we will not like." Felicity said.
Sarah looked over toward Oliver and saw him rolling over on his back to sit up. "What the hell? I am starving." Oliver yelled out. Yao Fei walked over the side and picked up cage made of sticks with a bird in it and set it down beside Oliver. "Shēngcún". "What?" Oliver said. "Shēngcún". Yao Fei made the motion with his hands to break the bird's neck. "You want me to kill the bird? I'm not going to kill a bird." Oliver said. "Oliver, we both had to do it or you do not
"Shēngcún". "What?" Oliver said. "Shēngcún". Yao Fei made the motion with his hands to break the bird's neck. "You want me to kill the bird? I'm not going to kill a bird." Oliver said. "Oliver, we both had to do it or you do not
"What?" Oliver said. "Shēngcún". Yao Fei made the motion with his hands to break the bird's neck. "You want me to kill the bird? I'm not going to kill a bird." Oliver said. "Oliver, we both had to do it or you do not
"Shēngcún". Yao Fei made the motion with his hands to break the bird's neck. "You want me to kill the bird? I'm not going to kill a bird." Oliver said. "Oliver, we both had to do it or you do not
"You want me to kill the bird? I'm not going to kill a bird." Oliver said. "Oliver, we both had to do it or you do not
"Oliver, we both had to do it or you do not eat." Sarah said. "I...I just cannot do it." Oliver said. Felicity got up and walked over to Oliver and lean down toward him. "You can do this." Oliver looked up at Felicity, "What do you mean?" "I
"I...I just cannot do it." Oliver said. Felicity got up and walked over to Oliver and lean down toward him. "You can do this." Oliver looked up at Felicity, "What do you mean?" "I
Felicity got up and walked over to Oliver and lean down toward him. "You can do this." Oliver looked up at Felicity, "What do you mean?" "I
Oliver looked up at Felicity, "What do you mean?" "I
"I seen what you can do and if we can survive the raft, pirates and killers, you can do this." said Felicity. Oliver looked at the bird. He took a deep breath and reached in and grabbed the bird. "I am so sorry." Felicity watched as Oliver twisted the bird's neck.
Oliver looked at the bird. He took a deep breath and reached in and grabbed the bird. "I am so sorry." Felicity watched as Oliver twisted the bird's neck.
StarlingCity
Laurel sat there looking at the screen. "Laurel..." She looked up and saw Joanna at her door. "You have a visitor." Laurel saw the man from internal affairs.
"Thank you Joanna." Laurel watched as Joanna left and the IA sat down in front of her desk. "How can I help you Lieutenant Forbes?
"Please, call me Jack. We are all on the same team here." Jack leaned back. "Now, that little thing we talked about dealing with your father."
Laurel just looked at the Lieutenant for a moment. "Mr. Jack Forbes, I do not know what you think you have on my father, but I can tell you right now you are full of it. What do you really want?"
"Well since we are not going to be on first name basis here. Ms. Lance. Your father is in a lot of trouble and I am trying to help him. However, if I have to go through with my investigation and turn in my report to my boss, your father will loose everything. His job, his pension and there might be some jail time." Jack rose from the chair. "Have your father come and talk to me. I am his only hope."
Laurel watched Jack walk out of her office. Laurel sat there imagining throwing her stapler at him and hitting him in the back of the head. "Joanna?" Joanna lean her head in,
"You called?"
"Shut up and get in here. I knew you were outside the whole time."
"So I take it, that is the reason you have been stressed out?" Joanna asked. She saw Laurel biting her lips together. "I will take that as a yes. Is your father in trouble?"
"It's just..." Laurel stoped herself from saying anything else.
"What?"
"Just... something does not seem right with him." Laurel looked at Joanna for a moment then looked at the card she was given by Jack. "I'll be back in about an hour. I have something I need to do." Laurel rose from her chair and grabbed her purse and walked out the door. "Joanna, cover for me please." Laurel yelled out as she left.
LIAN YU
Oliver sat next to fire with Sarah and Felicity eating the meat off the bird.
"Oliver? You okay?" Felicity asked.
Oliver took another bite. "Not really. I had never killed anything before just to eat."
"Shēngcún". Oliver turned around and looked at Yao Fei.
"Shēngcún". Yao Fei said again.
"I know, bird. Thank you." Oliver responded. Felicity started to say something, but Yao Fei walked up to Oliver, "Shēngcún not mean bird. It
Felicity started to say something, but Yao Fei walked up to Oliver, "Shēngcún not mean bird. It means survive". Yao Fei said.
"You speak English?" Oliver asked.
"Oh shit, I did not see that coming." Sarah said.
"You will not survive if you do not learn how to kill." Yao Fei said.
Sarah looked at Felicity, "I guess you knew he spoke English?"
"I had my suspicions, but I was not sure." Felicity replied.
Yao Fei picked his bow and arrows up and pointed to Oliver. "Come. We will hunt for dinner tonight."
Oliver rose to his feet and looked at the girls. "What about them?"
"More people outside more danger. Come." Oliver watched Yao Fei started to walk out the cave and stopped at the entrance. "If you want to survive, you will come."
"Oliver, me and Sarah will be okay. Go and help him." Felicity said.
Ivo climbed on top of the cliff and looked around. For miles all he could see was the woods and the rocky mountain in the center of the Island.
"Can anyone hear me?" Ivo looked down at his radio and heard Andrew voice and gun fire.
Ivo lifted his radio. "Andrew? What the hell is going on?"
"Sir, Mack is dead and I am under fire by some men dress in black and a ski mask. I need some..." Next thing Ivo knew the radio had gone dead.
Ivo lower his radio down and tightened his hand. Ivo was not expecting this. Who else was on the island and what are they doing here? Ivo got back on the radio. "Attention everyone, meet back now. Mack is dead and Andrew might be too. We are not alone." As Ivo and the two men worked their way down the cliff, Ivo could see three men in black coming out of the trees. Ivo's men quickly raised their guns and started to fire at the men as they moved behind some rocks for protection. One of the men in black fell to the ground as the other two quickly duck behind a tree and then started to fire at them.
"These cannot be the same men that kill Andrew and Mack. Shit, who are they?" One of Ivo's men asked.
"I do not know, but I do know one thing, whoever they are. They are dead." Ivo rose up just enough to be able to fire off a few rounds and then quickly duck back down. In moments after the firing had stopped. Ivo and his men looked at each other and wondered what they were waiting for.
"IVO!" Ivo could hear the Butcher calling his name out. "All clear." Ivo and the two men rose to their feet and saw the Butcher and 5 other men standing over the bodies of the two other men. "Look, guns, grenades, ammo and few other nick knacks. You men search them and take anything that can be used."
"Butcher, you could have at least left one alive so we could have found out who they are working for." Ivo said. "
"Then I think you will want to come with us. Ross and Corwin had found something very interesting. -
(15 minutes ago)
Yao Fei stood there breathing slowly as he pulled the arrow back on his bow. As he steady his hand, he looked ahead at his target. Slowly he let out a breath and released his fingers. The arrow flew through the air and then hit its target. "Dinner."
"Come...Hey, I've got an idea." Oliver pointed at Yao Fei bow, "Why don't you let me shoot that thing and you can go pick up the bloody, dead, disgusting animal?" Yao Fei looked at Oliver and raised his bow. "What?"
"Try." Yao Fei looked at Oliver, "Breathe. Everything breathe." Yao Fei lifted the bow up and pulled the string back, "Aim. Fire." Oliver took the bow in his hand and looked at Yao Fei.
Oliver took the bow in his hand and looked at Yao Fei. "Yeah." Oliver said.
Yao Fei pointed ahead of them,"Aim that tree. Breathe." Oliver took the arrow and pulled back on the string and took a deep breath and let it out slowly and then released the arrow. The arrow fly through the air passing the tree. "Nǐ huì sǐ yánzhòng." Said Yao Fei.
"What does that mean?" Oliver asked.
"You will die badly. Nǚrén de qìxí bǐ nǐ gèng hǎo de, tā bù huì sǐ yánzhòng" Yao Fei said with a smile.
"What does that mean?" Oliver asked.
"Girl with glasses knows how to breathe and will not die badly." Yao Fei said. Before Oliver could respond back, the sound of gunfire fill the air. Oliver quickly dropped to the ground. Yao Fei reached down and picked Oliver up.
"What is going on?"
"I think your friends have met my friends." Yao Fei said. "Come, we must return quickly." Yao Fei started to run back toward the cave with Oliver right behind him.
"I take it your friends are the same kind of friends we have? This is what you mean it was dangerous." As Oliver and Yao Fei got closer to the cave, Oliver looked down the ridge and saw Ivo and two of the men hiding behind some rocks. Yao Fei quickly grabbed Oliver and threw him to the ground. As they watched, they could see the two men firing at Ivo suddenly stopped and fell the too ground. Yao Fei pointed at the tree lines and saw a few men coming out. Oliver saw they were part of Ivo's crew.
"Come while they are looking over the dead men. We must go. Other men will not be far behind and we do not want to be caught." Yao Fei grabbed the back of Oliver shirt to help up off the ground. "Quickly!" Yao Fei said. Oliver looked back at Ivo and his men real quick before running off behind Yao Fei.
