Chapter 18:
Felicity had keep tabs on the people she considered a family from the very moment she left. She had to. Growing up without a father and never having her mother around had taught Felicity to value the people you did have in your life and thanks to Oliver Queen Felicity had a lot of people who cared about her.
She knew when John and Layla became parents. She cried tears of lost and regret when Oliver and Laurel married. She watched Roy proposal to Thea online almost every day. Roy had obviously forgot how famous the Queen family where so when he got down on his knee in the middle of a busy subway cart of course someone filmed it. Thea had been yelling at Roy for something when Roy who was barely paying attention got down on one knee. The moment was so them. Keeping track of Sara was harder especially after she went back to the league but Sara sent detective Lance email regularly and although she felt bad for reading them she was glad to know that Sara was alive and happy.
When Felicity read about the birth of Thea and Roy's son Tommy she had cried with happiness, she wondered for a time if he would have called her Auntie.
When Oliver received the call that Tommy was back Felicity had jumped back on the back of his bike willingly eager to see if the young boy she never met was safe. When they got to the hospital everyone was already there standing round the bed of a young man who was the image of his father. Thomas Oliver Harper had his parent's dark hair and his father's eyes and cheeky smile.
"Uncle Ollie?" Tommy called. His voice so small and unsure.
Felicity walked forward and gave him a small smile. She can see guilt in his eyes.
"It's not your fault." Felicity tells him gently.
Tommy's eyes meet hers. Recognition shines in his eyes before he takes her hand.
"I didn't want to leave her, but she begged me to leave." Tommy states begging them to believe him.
Felicity gives his hand a reassuring squeeze.
"You did the right thing." Felicity tells him honestly.
From all the information they have on Joe Wilson, Felicity knows there is nothing he wouldn't do to get Katya to do what he wants, including hurting Tommy and knowing her daughter Katya would have done anything to keep Tommy safe.
"Can you tell us what happened?" Oliver asked softly.
Tommy nodded.
He told them about the man coming to house and how hard he fault but it was too late. Tommy talked about Katya walking into the trap.
"Do you know where you were?" Felicity asked but sadly Tommy shock his head.
Tears formed in Tommy's eyes.
"She came because of me." He told them.
Tommy sucked in a breath.
"She came because he told her he would kill me if she didn't." Tommy added.
"She doesn't even know me, not really and now she is stuck with a mad man because of me." Tommy cried.
Thea gathered her son into her arms.
"It will be ok." She repeated over and over again.
Jay followed Oliver and Diggle out of Tommy's hospital room.
"Now what?" Diggle asked Oliver.
Oliver shook his head.
They were glad to have Tommy back but they hoped with Tommy there would be some knowledge of Katya whereabouts. To find out Tommy had no idea where he was being held mean't that they were back to square one but more importantly Katya was alone with a mad man.
"Felicity is still searching for the taxi that dropped Katya off." Diggle added.
"She'll try to escape." Jay told them.
Diggle and Oliver looked over at him with wide eyes.
"Katya is a fighter, now that Tommy isn't there for Joe to harm she will fight to escape." Jay explained.
Diggle nodded slowly as Oliver rubbed a hand through his hair deep in thought.
"How likely is she to get away?" Oliver asked.
Jay thought for a moment. She knew some self-defence, he made sure of that especially after one of her ex's thought he could get away with hitting her. But her self-defence would be nothing against Joe's military training, so Katya would have to rely on her resourcefulness and hope to hell she didn't get caught.
"She is smart and resourceful, as long as she doesn't get caught Katya has a chance." Jay told him honestly.
Oliver took a deep breath. Katya would be taking a risk to escape, they knew that and if she got caught the consequence couldn't bare thinking about but it was better than doing nothing.
Felicity came out of Tommy's room Roy following closely behind.
"That was the taxi company they found the driver." Felicity told them.
Oliver walked towards her.
"What did he say?" Oliver questioned.
Felicity looked up at him.
"I told his boss we could come to him." Felicity told him Oliver nodded.
Katya strained her ears to listen for any sound of movement but heard nothing. She was unsure what to do. Staying here and waiting to see what Joe would do to her was a scary thought but trying to escape and getting caught was just as worrying.
Jay taught her to fight and while she knows it won't be enough to overpower Joe it makes her slightly more comfortable with the situation. She smiles disparate the situation at the memory of Jay telling her she was going to learn to defend herself. He had just returned for his first tour.
FLASHBACK
Katya glared at Jay as he took her text book.
"Give it back." she ordered.
Jay laughed at her no nonsense tone.
"I'm bored come play." Jay begged.
She had missed him in the nine months he had been gone and there is nothing she wants to do more than laugh and joke with him but a recent argument with an ex resulted in a very painful black eye and make up can only do so much. Jay is fiercely over protective and she is afraid of what he might do when he sees it.
"Can't have a paper to write." She lies.
She turns to move away when Jay hand darts out and grabs on her arm turning her back round to face him. He stand quickly his hand darting to her face.
Katya looks down.
"What happened?" Jay demands.
All their life he has been the white night to her damsel in distress, but now he is gone for half the year, she is alone and somehow she needs to learn how to become how own white night.
Katya tares her face away from Jay's hand. Hurting herself just as much as she does him.
"Nothing." she lies and tries to walk away but Jay is quicker than her and is already stopping her again.
"Katya?" He calls his voice cold and determined.
Katya meets his eyes. His is angry and although she knows he is not angry at her Jay can still be very intimidating.
"The guy I was seeing thought that he could hit me and get away with it." Katya tells him honestly.
Jay eyes turn cold, furious.
"I'm going to kill him." Jay states.
Katya shakes her head.
"At some point you're going to have to let me fight my own battles." Katya points out.
Jay sighs frustrated.
"I just want to keep you safe." Jay argues.
Katya nods understanding. She gently places her hand on his arm.
"But you're not always going to be around and sooner or later I have to figure this out how to keep myself safe." Katya reminds him.
Jay nods.
"Let me teach you some self-defence, so nothing like this happens again." Jay offers and Katya smiles and nods.
END OF FLASHBACK
Her ex still ended up with a black eye of his own but somehow it brought her and Jay closer.
Katya looks around the room. Joe has been gone for a while now and she hasn't seen or heard a soul since. Maybe, just maybe she could get away before he returns.
She looks down around the chair she is tied too. The ropes are wrapped around both her wrists and the chair. Somehow she needs to break the chair. Katya begins rocking forwards and backwards gaining momentum until she can feel herself falling backwards she tucks her chin into her chest to stop herself from hitting the back of her head.
The chair hits the floor with a thud and thankfully the chair breaks. Katya moves slowly carefully not to cut herself on any of the broken pieces of chair. She moves her hand under her bum, under her legs then pulls her feet through the gap before bringing her bound wrists to her mouth. She pulls at the rope until her hands are free before moving on to her feet. Her wrists and ankles ache from being tied up but Katya knows she has no time to waste. She stands instantly ignoring the pain and heads quickly towards the exit that's when she hears it, the clapping.
She turns slowly to find Joe leaning against the wall, with a cocky smirk on his face.
"You tried to escape sooner than I expected." Joe tells her sounding impressed.
Katya curses, realising he was probably watching her waiting for her to attempt to get away.
She looks round her. She is not far from the exit, she could still stand a chance of escaping.
"I know you're not that stupid." Joe mutters realising her intentions.
Katya isn't stupid but she is desperate and she would do anything to get away from him.
She rushes to the door, his hard footsteps following closely behind as if mocking her. She's running with everything she has but somehow she knows it's not enough.
Joe's arms come round her waist and she being tackled to the floor.
Joe straddles her backside pressing her face into the ground.
"Stupid bitch." he growls in her ear.
Katya fights his hold but he is bigger and stronger than her, and all she is doing is exciting him. She can feel his length harder above her.
She lets out a whimper before going still.
Joe laughs in her face before standing up and taking her with him his hand gripping her hair.
"We'll get to the fun soon enough." He whispers in her ear making her skin crawl.
Oliver listen intently to the taxi man as he talked about Katya.
"The young girl came out of the club, she looked pale and nervous." the cab man states.
"She told me to take her to the docks." The cab man adds.
He shakes his head. He is an older man probably thinking of Katya like his own daughter.
"I didn't want to leave her but she was adamant but I watched her as she went into the last dock on the left." The cab driver told them.
Felicity is already bringing up a floor plan of the docks on her tablet.
"This one?" Felicity asks the cab driver.
The driver looks at the map on Felicity tablet closely before nodding.
"Yeah that is." The cab driver says.
Oliver is already moving towards Diggle.
"Take Felicity to the lair I'll go check this out." Oliver ordered his friend.
Diggle put a hand on his shoulder.
"You can't go alone Oliver it could be a trap." Diggle pointed out but at this point Oliver didn't care all he care about was getting his daughter back safe.
"He won't be alone I'm going with him." Jay muttered.
Oliver could see how on the edge the man was and the words from Felicity letter ran through his mind.
Other than me Jay will be your greatest ally when it comes to keeping Katya safe.
Jay had proven that time and time again.
Oliver nodded.
"But you do everything I say." Oliver ordered and Jay gave a nod of acceptance.
Oliver looked over at the cab driver and thanked him before gently pulling Felicity to her feet.
Felicity looks pale and tired. She is still weak and Oliver wants nothing more than to make her rest but he knows with their daughter missing it won't happen. The best he can hope for is for Felicity to stay at the lair.
"Jay and I are going to check it out and Digs going to take you back to the club." Oliver told her.
In their younger days Felicity would have argued demanding to be there, but now she simple just nodded.
"Please bring her back." Felicity begged the desperation in her voice matching what he felt in his heart.
"I'll do everything I can." Oliver promised.
Felicity nodded.
Oliver turned to leave when Felicity small hand grabbed on to his arm.
Oliver turned back to look at her.
"Be careful." She ordered softly.
She used to say that every time he went out on a mission.
Oliver bent down slowly and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"I promise." He whispered before he left following Jay out the door.
Katya tripped as Joe shoved her into a cell, hitting the stone cold floor with a thud.
"What the hell are we doing here?" Katya demanded.
About an hour ago Joe had dragged her from the chair by her hair and shoved her into the boot of his car.
Joe smiled down at her.
"Soon we are going to give mummy and daddy a show." He told her with a smirk.
Katya blood ran cold. That very thought terrified her.
"What are you talking about?" Katya demanded.
Last she knew her mum was still in a coma.
"Mummy dearest is awake." Joe informed her.
Katya heart jumped for joy despite the situation but it still didn't explain why he moved them.
"Why move us?" Katya demanded.
Joe bent down so he was eye level with her.
His gently raised his hand and caressed her cheek. Katya turned away from his touch and Joe laughed.
"You'll find out soon enough." He promised.
Felicity booted up the computers. Turned the comms on and waited.
Oliver and Jay were on their way to the docks Roy and Thea were still taking care of Tommy and Diggle stood behind Felicity a supportive hand on her shoulder.
She had missed Diggle so much and she knew she had hurt him just as much as Oliver when she left.
"I'm sorry." Felicity whispered quietly.
Diggle squeezed her shoulder.
"I understand why you did it Felicity." Diggle told her honestly.
She knew he would after all Diggle and Layla had done everything they could to keep their children out of their damaging and tiring world.
"If it had been one of my kids I might have done the same thing." Diggle added.
Felicity nodded.
She closed her eyes. She was tired, her whole body ached but all she could think about was Katya and what that man could be doing to her. Slade was crazy but that was because of the island and everything that went along with it but Joe was mad by choice he let his anger at the loss of his father fuel his life and now Katya was going to suffer because of it.
The first time she had been alone with Slade he had simple rattled on about all the things Oliver did wrong and how Oliver had to pay. The second had been much more scary and had terrified Felicity enough to leave the man she loved more than life itself and the only true family she had ever known. But somehow compared to what they know new about Joe Wilson Felicity knew what she had felt at the hands of Slade would be nothing compare to what Katya might end up feeling at the hands of Joe.
"We're in." Oliver's voice calls through the comms.
Felicity shakes her head to rid herself of the terrifying thoughts and she focus on the task in hand.
"Where too?" Oliver asks.
Felicity takes a deep breath and looks at the blue prints.
"According to city hall this is private property and there are no cameras so you will be going in blind." Felicity tells him reluctantly.
She could hear is worried sigh.
She listens intently as Oliver and Jay go over plans. Their plan is simple and the safest. They search the rooms one by one together covering each other's back.
For the next ten minutes Felicity hears nothing but Oliver and Jay's deep breaths as they clear each room finding nothing.
"Dam it." Oliver yells in annoyance as the reach the last room and find nothing yet again.
Felicity's heart sinks a little.
Joe knew they would be coming for him and he had moved Katya because of it.
"Shit now what?" Oliver asks.
Felicity can hear the panic in his voice, its echoing the own one in her head searching for something that may lead them to finding Katya.
"I found something." Jay voice calls through the comms.
In all the years the Felicity has known him she has never heard him sounds so worried before.
"What is it?" Diggle asks.
"A computer." Jay mumbles unsure.
A computer Felicity can work with. Computers are what she does best.
"Bring it here." She orders.
Joe opened the cell door and Katya winced at the light. She had been in the dark for what felt like hours.
"Get up." Joe ordered.
Katya wanted to fight him, argue maybe even throw in a sarcastic comment or two in but she was afraid of what Joe might do if she did.
Standing on shaking legs Katya moved out of the room.
Joe grabbed her arm and led her threw a maze of rooms.
"What is this place?" Katya demanded.
Joe touched the wall as they walked.
"Used to be a prison until the glades went down." Joe told her honestly. That meant the probability of her getting out of here was getting less and less likely.
When they finally came to a stop they were in a large open stone room. Katya imagined this may have been the mess hall at one stage.
"Move." Joe ordered shoving her further into the room.
Katya tried not to trip as she moved forward.
In the middle of the room stood a camera on a tripod facing towards a chair, chains dangled from the ceiling above the chair.
"What's all this?" Katya asked.
Joe smirked.
"I told you there was going to be the show." Joe reminded her.
Katya heart rate sped up as Joe pushed her towards the chair. He picked up the sliver chains and tied them round her wrist.
"Stand on the chair." Joe ordered.
Katya looked at him confused.
"Why?" She demanded.
Joe frowned at her.
"Now." He yelled making her jump.
Katya did as he ordered.
Joe moved off somewhere and the next thing Katya new her arms were being pulled above her head making her wince in pain.
Joe came back into view. Flashing her once last creepy smile before moving over to the camera.
"What are you doing?" Katya demanded.
"Say hi to mummy and daddy." Joe said cruel laughter filling his voice.
Felicity looked at the laptop in her hands there was nothing on it. Nothing.
"Well?" Oliver asked and Felicity shook her head.
Everyone was here in the lair even Tommy waiting, praying that Felicity would find something.
Felicity opened her mouth to explain when a browser on the screen opened up.
"What's happening?" Jay questions.
Felicity found she tried to move the mouse but nothing worked she no longer had control of the computer.
"Someone is remotely controlling it." Felicity told them as they all gather round her.
Someone typed something into the browser and when it finished loading Felicity was staring at her daughter standing on a chair arms chained above her head.
That sick arsehole was filming her.
"Oh god." Felicity cried out as Joe figured moved towards Katya.
Katya looked terrified.
Joe smirked at the camera before turning towards Katya and kicking the chair from underneath her.