A/N: Thank you all for your response to the story so far! A big thank you to my beta rebekah99 and also WinterRain36 for an idea of a scene in this chapter. Enjoy J
Time played on a loop; it was the one thing Oliver so desperately wished he could control. He was back on the Island again- stuck in purgatory, one step in heaven, one step in hell. The horrifying thought sent a shiver down his spine. If only he could go back to the perfectness of that afternoon, her golden hair tickling his chest as he held her in his arms, or even skip forward these torturous hours until Felicity is in his arms once again and Thea by his side.
Oliver had been pacing back and forth, wearing the foundry floor thin. The incessant vibrating of his phone showed yet another missed call from his probably now frantic mother. Dig, usually the voice of reason, had been cleaning his weapons, a fairly normal everyday act, although if you looked close enough, you would realise he had been scrubbing the same part for over an hour. Sara, on the other hand, spent the first half an hour battering the worn training dummies until not one still stood, the rhythmic clanging of metal on metal had been sounding ever since. The most surprising reaction was Roy. He had taken the news of the newest team members kidnapping harshly. If anyone asked, he would deny it, but he saw the team as the family he had never had and, when not only Felicity but also his girlfriend had been taken, he had shut down completely.
Hours passed by like months, minutes torturing the team, whilst each passing second managed to scrape away a small part of whatever hope they desperately clung to. The whirring of computers filled the cold basement- the team were helpless until the search had finished. There was nothing to do but wait. Felicity and Thea's life depended on these three machines and one small scan. It was a waiting game but, the problem was, no-one knew how to win.
…
Felicity glared at the man's huge frame, towering over her. Her mind whizzed, a thousand thoughts a moment, trying to piece together the insanity of the situation. Felicity couldn't be sure what finally triggered it but it felt as if something had clicked inside of her, the puzzle finally slotting together. Her clouded thoughts no longer clawed at each other in a battle of survival, now it made sense.
The dust cleared from the ground, revealing she had been standing above the answer all this time. The monotonous sound of dirty water leaving its trail down the stone walls and splashing against the ground now made her smile. The darkened figures who stood silently around her, watching their prisoners, now drew no fear. The dim artificial glow slipping underneath the heavy door now almost brought a smug happiness to her. Sweat poured from her, plastering the thin material of her clothes to her skin as she gulped nervously against her suddenly dry mouth. Her lips parted slightly, before closing once again in fear. Shaking away the terrifying stray thoughts of failure, Felicity began to speak.
…
A deafening beeping noise surprised the team, temporarily paralyzing Oliver to the spot. They reached the computers simultaneously, the atmosphere dangerously altering. A new bam of hope fell across the room, the team knew what the sound signalled; the search was complete. Grabbing possession of Felicity's central computer screen, Oliver clicked about the screen, his eyes, frantic with desperation, skimmed over the scan's results. Blood rushed through his ears, the pressure building behind his eyes and all he could see was Felicity.
''It's found a match!'' Oliver exclaimed briefly, his attention drawn back to the screen. His fingers flew across the keyboard, every action, every second passing by meant he was closer to seeing them again. Pulling up the slightly blurred surveillance, Oliver pointed towards the half hidden van, zooming in on the barely recognisable logo.
''Traffic cams caught the van one mile from the mansion between one and half one.''
Pushing Oliver to one side, Sara took control. After few clicks and tapping of keys later, the blurred image became clear. It was a small black triangle, the Greek delta symbol prominently in the centre whilst two thick lines sliced through the image; a company logo.
''The logo is registered to a company called Delta Industries. But hacking into their mainframe is going to take a while. I might have some experience on a computer but I'm no Felicity!'' After several minutes, Sara threw her hands up in exasperation, '' I can't do it! Even if I knew how, their firewalls too hard to breach, so unless anyone happens to know what program or algorithm Felicity would use then we're stuck.''
As Sara's hopeful gaze met the confused expressions, it was Roy how spoke up. ''We could always call Lance?''
Silently cursing under his breath, Oliver nodded. As much as he hated including Lance in their mission for fear of his identity being found out, he had no other choice; this was Felicity and Thea.
…
Felicity could feel a small bubble of hope spreading through her body. Although her body was a dead weight, she could feel the paralysis wearing off as she stretched her facial muscles into a smirk. A darkened figure approached her, his foul breath scorching her skin.
''Obviously you're enjoying this too much. We will have to put a stop to that, won't we?'' The snarl in his voice sent Felicity's fear into over drive. Collecting her scattered thoughts together, she inhaled shakily, dreading what would come next.
Letting the air fall out of her lungs, Felicity glared at the man. ''It was your men that broke into the mansion, wasn't it?'' The man's smirk faltered slightly at the corner of his lips, the slight hesitation in his voice told Felicity she was correct.
''You're a smart one, aren't you?'' As the man reached behind, Felicity gulped, recognising the flash of dulled metal. Running his fingertips along the jagged blade, Felicity watched, horrified, as a red droplets trickled down his fingers, staining the blade. Grasping onto whatever remains of courage and quite possibly insanity, Felicity continued.
''But you don't work for him, do you? I can tell by your suit. It's barely noticeable but the slight uneven stitching on the side shows someone has sewed it back up. My father's men wear custom-made kevlar suits that not even a bullet can penetrate, there's no way you'd be able to stitch it back up.''
The snarl across the man's lips was soon replaced with a scorching rage, his eyes now black with no remorse as he took a threatening step even closer to her. But Felicity continued, determined not to succumb to the fear crawling across her skin.
''The poorly structured walls and the cheap lighting in the hallway… My father knows what I am capable of and he would never leave me that unsecured. So who are you working for and what do you want me for?''
''SHUT UP!'' The man roared at her, his raucous voice silencing the room.
Dread enveloped Felicity's and she watched in horror as, one by one, the men who were once working at the lab tables exited the room by a silent order. Theories swam through her buzzing mind; the men had to be mercenaries, there was no other explanation. No, this was far worse than Felicity had thought, her father would only hire the best mercenaries and judging by the glimpse she had had of the gun tucked in his belt, she could tell immediately that it was a Cobra CA380, the cheapest hand-gun on the market.
Shaking her heavy head, the realisation dawned on her; if these untrained mercenaries had kidnapped her then that meant she was wanted. Her father must have been getting desperate and offered a high reward for her return. It meant that not only is it possible that every mercenary around is searching for her, but they also knew where she was.
It was the blinding pain of the jagged blade slicing open the skin on her arm that snapped her back to reality. The burning sensation in her arm shot its fiery talons across her now red stained skin. But the pain didn't frighten Felicity like it was supposed to; in fact, it gave her a new determination. She had the loose end now and no matter what happened, she was going to pull at it until the figure's whole world unravelled.
…
''I need information on Delta Industries and any reports of a stolen vehicle'' Oliver grumbled into the phone, any care for formalities gone.
''Just give me a minute…''
''I don't have a minute, Detective'' Oliver glared back.
''LISTEN, I know your girl or teammate or whatever has been taken, but you need to have some patience. I can't magic up the information from nowhere'' Sighing, Lance made his way over to Kelton's desk and began to call out demands. ''Okay, it looks like there was a van reported stolen three nights ago; it says the investigation is ongoing. There were no signs of break in and little struggle, the lock was still intact and forensics only tracked one pair of boot prints. It looks like an inside job, whoever took the van must have had access to a set of keys.''
''I need a list of all known employees past and present including security detail and cleaners, anyone who goes in and out of that building regularly.''
''You do realise that's over a thousand employees?''
''I don't care! I will meet you on Bernard's Café's rooftop in fifteen minutes.'' Hanging up the phone Oliver sighed, ''There has to be something else we can do.''
Roy pondered for a moment. He had begun to string together some form of plan, but had no idea how far it would work. ''So, I was thinking, what about the guard? Mr. Francis wasn't it? What if he phoned whoever he worked for at the mansion or nearby? If I had hired someone as a kidnapper, I would want them to check in and contact me before or even after they made the heist.''
''You're a genius, Roy Harper!'' Sara sung to him, reaching up and pressing a sloppy kiss on Roy's forehead, only to be slapped away by a smiling Roy. Stretching out the muscles in her hand, Sara got to work typing away frantically at the keyboard. She was considerably slower than Felicity, in fact, she had no idea how Felicity could even type that fast!
It took Sara roughly an hour before she had finally managed to hack into the nearest mobile mast and satellite in order to identify any mobile activity around the time of the kidnapping. Oliver had left and returned with a list of names and was slowly looking into each of them on one of the spare monitors, whilst Roy did the same on the remaining monitor. Dig had been contemplating whether to involve ARGUS or not. It would certainly help them find Felicity and Thea quicker, but Waller's help almost always came with a price and, even if it was one Oliver was willing to pay, once Waller learnt about the Mirakuru in Felicity, he feared that she would either become a prisoner or a test subject.
No matter how hard the youngest member of Team Arrow tried to hide it, Sara could still see the small drooping of his eyes, the way they stared, unfocused, at the screen. The team needed a rest. She and Oliver may be used to pulling all-nighters from the Island, Dig may have some experience from the military, but Roy had none. This insane amount of stress was not doing any of them good and, when she finally broke into the satellite's frequencies, Sara almost let out a squeal. God she was spending too much time with Felicity!
The computer screen filled with a satellite view of the mansion.
''What are those?'' Oliver gruffly pointed to the five energy pulses on the screen.
''Cell phones emit an RF energy signal when making and receiving calls. These five spots show three different calls in the mansion earlier today. If we subtract the calls you made to Felicity and Thea, then that leaves three traces and I'm willing to bet one of them is our guy.''
Glancing away from the screens, Dig strode backwards, snatching his gun from the table and clicking the safety lock in place.
''Where are you going?'' Roy raised his eyebrows at him.
''There has to be something we can do to narrow the signals down to one so I'm going to find out which staff made or received calls and where they were positioned at the time.'' Looking towards Oliver for confirmation, Dig retreated to the foundry steps at the slight head nod Oliver returned.
Coming forwards to lean his weight against the desk, Roy looked towards his team, ''if we find the signal, we'll be able to trace it, right?''
A brief silence met his question, a pause in time.
''Hopefully'' Sara muttered under her breath to avoid Oliver's death stricken glare.
…
Felicity shot daggers at the looming figure in front of her. She knew her next words would push him over the edge but that was what she wanted. Years being taught by her father showed her that making your opponent break and show emotion meant you had all the control.
''You think you scare me, but you don't. It's pathetic, really. How you call yourselves mercenaries yet you can't even afford a decent weapon?''
An explosion of flames erupted in his eyes, a new wave of rage vibrating off him. The sound of his fist connecting with her paled cheek bounced off the walls. Spitting a mouthful of blood onto the floor in distaste, she glanced up at the fuming man, an innocent smile playing on her face.
''I'm sorry, did something I say upset you?'' Felicity teased the man, knowing every second she drew away from his mission gave Oliver a handful more precious time to find them. An empty weight had filled her chest at the sight of the men leaving the room, she knew that the figure was running out of time and if Oliver didn't arrive in the next few minutes, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Tears clouded her vision at the thoughts of Oliver turning up too late and finding only his sister's lifeless body to greet him. Time could drag on, every minute feeling like a torturous hour, yet hours could pass in the blink of an eye. It only took one second, if Oliver to turn up a second or an hour or day too late, the aftermath would still be the same.
The nervous ticks in the man's posture, the agitated fidgeting, the continuous glancing behind him, and the thin beads of sweat, gave away his impatience to her. It was almost as if he was afraid, and that could never be a good thing! Felicity guessed that he was waiting for someone, someone to make the trade with, but there was still one question that made the insides of her veins freeze; what about Thea? She knew he could sell her off- there would be plenty of eager buyers looking to make money from a ransom. A cold fear settled in her as she glanced over at Thea's still unmoving body.
Felicity knew that she had to escape now, she had waited too long for Oliver and now their time had run out. Every moment she had been holding onto the hope of Oliver and the team rescuing them, but it had been one maybe two days and it was time to face the harsh reality. Oliver probably hadn't even noticed they were gone or simply didn't care. A sharp pain stabbed itself in Felicity's chest; Oliver wasn't coming, if he was, he would be here by now. Felicity could feel the hope slipping through her clutched fingers, now grasping at thin air. Shaking away the cold emotionless thoughts, Felicity tried to piece her broken self together. She had to for Thea's sake.
…
As the phone began to vibrate, Oliver reached forward, instinctively snatching up the phone before the first ring had even finished. A minute later, he ended the call, glancing upwards he saw four hopeful eyes burning into him.
''Dig came through, he's sent over a copy of everything he found out.''
Nodding quickly, Sara's attention returned to the busy computer screen in front of her. Pulling up the information of when and where phone calls were made by various staff in the mansion, she quickly identified the remaining RF signal that hadn't been accounted for. ''There,'' her finger pressed up against the cool glass of the screen, she pointed to the only red flickering circle left on the screen, ''That's the signal.''
''What now?'' Roy asked, feeling completely useless. Stick him in a fight and he could hold his own but put him anywhere near a computer and it was like a strange new language to him.
''I'm hacking back into the satellite, it shouldn't take anywhere near as long now I've already one it once. Okay, right now I just need to… DAMMIT!'' Slamming her fists explosively on the desk in frustration, Sara felt the last straw of hope finally falling to the ground. ''He used a burner phone, I can't trace it. The one time we come up with a criminal that's actually smart enough to dump any evidence, Felicity is not with us to do one of her techy back-up things!''
''There has to be another way, I don't care what it is.'' Oliver spat through gritted teeth, his anger beginning to show.
''Can't you connect the signal with the list of employees somehow?'' Roy suggested.
''That could work! I guess we will need to ask Dad for a favour again''
''That will take too long. By the time I have even arranged a meeting, they could be dead.''
''Well what do you suggest then Oliver because I certainly don't know how to hack into phone records?''
''I do.'' The team looked towards Oliver in shock, ''Felicity taught me.''
Moving to one side, Sara watched Oliver take over, typing away at the keys as if each touch left a burn mark, sizzling his skin.
…
''You think your Robin Hood wannabe friend is going to save you, but it looks like even that psycho has abandoned you now.'' Menace dripped from the figures voice, the vile manner in which he spoke chilling Felicity to her bone.
''You're wrong,'' she growled back, her emotions escaping her.
''And you're delusional!'' he snapped at her.
Refocusing on her escape, a blinding flicker of hope lifted away the dread and terror strapping her down, her trapped body now moments away from freedom. She subtly rubbed her fingertips together, the paralysis now wearing off. Hearing the man voice her greatest fear made something sinister click inside of her.
''HE WILL COME AND YOU'RE GOING TO WISH HE KILLED EVERY ONE OF YOU!'' Felicity roared at him, her temper now slipping beyond her control.
The man stepped backwards, a sick smile spreading rapidly across his face.
''You're going to pay for that,'' he spoke softly, but the threat was very real. Following his gaze, a clench of fear punctured her as his eyes landed on Thea's helpless body. ''The dealer was very specific in his instructions for your life, but he never said anything about hers...''
Felicity watched, terror gripping her, as the man bent down over Thea's body. Unable to move from her chained prison, Felicity looked on, a sick churning rising in her throat. The man grabbed Thea by her neck, pinning her against the wall. Trails of tears gushed down Thea's paralysed body, a terrified expression frozen on her face. All Felicity could do was watch her best friend gasping for breath, knowing that everyone could be her last, and it was all Felicity's fault.
Fury shot through Felicity at the thought, so powerful it blinded her temporarily. Its strength was something more powerful than she had ever felt before and, for the first time, Felicity truly feared herself. Wrenching her body forward, she pulled on the steel chains, forcing every last ounce of her energy into it. Gritting her teeth together in pain, her eyes filled with red, her vision no longer human but that of a rabid animal running on revenge and instinct. A slow creaking filled the empty room, as Felicity gave in to the Mirakuru fully. Hate, revenge, and rage fuelled her movements as she broke free of the chains, dropping them to the floor. Traces of the loyal, happy, babbling girl were long gone; in her place was a cold, empty killer with no remorse.
A look of shock fell upon the man's face, quickly replaced with pure fear. Dropping his hold on Thea's neck, the man rushed towards the door screaming for back-up, desperate to escape, but Felicity was upon him.
…
It took another hour but eventually Oliver came through. The team had been working solidly for nearly 40 hours straight and exhaustion was finally starting to take over. Sara had sent both Roy and Diggle to get some rest but both had refused so they had compromised on the foundry's pull out sofa bed to avoid missing anything. It came as a revelation when Oliver's search came through.
''Pete Anderson,'' he stated simply after waking the others up.
Typing away once again, Sara could have kissed the screen when her search came up.
''He owns a factory in the glades, and, surprise surprise, it's abandoned!''
''They are there, they have to be there!'' Roy's whispered, now fully alert.
''We found them!'' Grabbing his bow, Oliver charged out of the foundry, the rest of the team hot on his heels. A small smile lit his face. They had found them, and soon Felicity and Thea would be safe in his arms.
A/N: So pre-warning, the next chapter is going to be a bit different so it will be slightly shorter as it will be written all from Thea's perspective which I am really looking forward to writing! Reviews and feedback are welcome, I love to hear all your thoughts on the chapter :)