Chapter 10

This was the life, Felicity thought, as she reclined back in her lounge. There were a few hours left of good sun, and she was going to soak up every one of them. The pool area was just as beautiful as the rest of the hotel. From the covered bar on the hotel terrace, a wide path lined with tropical plants and rock formations led to the large round pool. In the center of the pool was yet another bar in the shape of a small hut.

Felicity chose a lounge closer to the hotel, since it seemed like the service was faster in that section. She took a sip of her drink before pulling her sunglasses back over her eyes. This was so much better than being stuck on a small jet and bouncing around in midair. Malcolm Merlyn was a monster, but Felicity had to admit he knew how to pick a great hideaway. If you're going to be a fugitive, might as well do it in style.

The radiating warmth from the sun made Felicity's skin tingle. She'd missed this. Starling was known for being constantly cloudy, but the weather before they'd left had been particularly dreary. It was like she couldn't shake the chill in her bones.

If Felicity was honest with herself, it probably had less to do with the weather and more to do with Cooper's failed hacking attempt. There hadn't been any other alerts since, but it was important enough to put Felicity on edge. The truth was she'd just started feeling more comfortable in her new life in Starling. Felicity enjoyed spending her days in the IT department at QC and her nights in the Foundry helping Oliver and Diggle save the city. She felt like she had a purpose again. Her spare time in between was spent at the loft. Oliver wasn't always around, but that was okay. Cooper had kept such a close eye on her that it was nice to have some time to herself. She didn't have to put on an act and think about how her actions would be interpreted. Felicity could just simply be.

The downside of getting into a routine was that it created a false sense of security. It would be so easy for Felicity to let her guard down. Oliver had promised to protect her, and Felicity didn't doubt that he could. Nevertheless, it didn't mean that she should rely on him. Cooper wasn't so much a physical danger as he was a mental one. Oliver could chase down criminals and beat them to a pulp to his heart's content, but it was Felicity he was depending on to safeguard their digital defenses. That's where Cooper could do real damage. After everything he'd done for her, Felicity couldn't let Oliver down.

Despite the unsavory reason for this trip, Felicity was glad to temporarily be out of Starling. Yes, she was once again pretending to be something she wasn't but it had nothing to do with her sordid past. She could leave that behind for now and focus solely on Oliver's mission. That's why she didn't feel the need to tell him about Cooper the other day. Oliver had enough to worry about, and it wasn't like he could do anything about it anyway. When she had something more concrete, that's when she'd let him know.

Banishing all thoughts of criminals and Cooper, Felicity let her mind drift to that hazy state between wakefulness and sleep. The long flight had knocked her for a loop, and it wouldn't hurt to take a little nap. Maybe she would feel more refreshed and could get a head start on how best to set up a surveillance on Merlyn. She'd started to doze off when she heard a sharp "Felicity!"

Felicity jumped in her seat, eyes opening to find Oliver and Diggle standing on either side of her. "Oh, hey."

"What are you doing down here, and what are you wearing?"

The way his eyes took her in from head to toe made her thankful it was so damn hot out. The blush wouldn't look so obvious on her face. "What does it look like?" Felicity nonchalantly replied. She frowned at Oliver's annoyed expression. "You told me to relax, so that's what I'm doing. I'm trying to get a tan, hence the bikini." She gestured to the colorful blue, white and black two-piece with a geometric design. "Now if you don't mind, you're kind of blocking my light."

"Felicity, we're meeting with the Bratva leader of Corto Maltese and the owner of this hotel here. You have to go."

"First of all, this is what happens when you exclude me from your plans. Second, I was here first." Felicity shoved her sunglasses onto her head, so he could see the displeased look in her eyes. "And third, what's the big deal? As long as you're not seen talking to me, then no one will even notice that we're-"

"Mr. Queen, there you are," said a short, balding man with a heavy Russian accent. He had a long black beard peppered with white and wore a thin off-white suit with a light blue shirt. Two tall, hulking men, probably his bodyguards, in dark suits stood several feet behind him. "When Alexi told me to expect a visit from an American captain of the Bratva, I almost did not believe him."

"Mr. Petrov," Oliver acknowledged, swiftly masking his irritation. "Please, call me Mr. King. I'd like to keep my business private while I'm in town."

"Yes, of course. My apologies." He looked to Oliver's companions expectantly.

"This is my head of security, J.D.," Oliver introduced.

Petrov shook Diggle's hand, barely sparing him a glance, before staring at Felicity. "And who is this beautiful creature?"

The heat Felicity had felt from Oliver's stare was replaced with a sense of disturbing unease as Petrov's eyes greedily raked her over. Sensing that Oliver was none too happy with this encounter, and not wanting him to say something he'd regret, Felicity quickly tied her sarong back on and stood up to introduce herself. "Call me Megan."

"Isaak Petrov, owner of this hotel. Welcome to Corto Maltese," he said and kissed her hand.

It took everything inside Felicity not to immediately yank her hand back. "Thank you. Your hotel is beautiful," she complimented.

"Will you be joining us, Megan?" he asked hopefully.

"No." Oliver's voice left no room for argument. He motioned to the covered bar, "Shall we?"

Finally, Petrov released Felicity's hand. She smiled politely before retaking her seat. Oliver, shooting a look to Diggle to be on his guard, couldn't lead him away fast enough. They got a private booth by the bar. A waitress came over to get their drink order. Petrov gave her a suggestive wink before sending her on her way.

"So, what can I do for you Mr. Que-King? You are a long way from home."

"As I'm sure Alexi has already told you," Oliver began, "I'm looking for someone new to the island. Malcolm Merlyn."

"Yes, though he doesn't go by that name here. He's visited this hotel a couple of times. Mostly it's the bar in our main restaurant."

"Has he been here recently?"

"I'm afraid not. What do you want with him?"

"That's my business," Oliver dismissed. "Alexi managed to give me the address of Merlyn's estate. What I need from you, as someone who is familiar with the island, is any information about its layout and grounds. Does Merlyn travel with a security detail? Are there any other locations he frequents? Time is of the essence."

Petrov scratched his beard, watching Oliver with a shrewd eye. "This seems like an awful lot of trouble concerning one man. If he has wronged you in some way, wronged the brotherhood, then I can do one better than giving you information. I could have one of my associates deal with Merlyn." He tipped his head at one of the men standing a few feet away. "You wouldn't even have to get your hands dirty."

Oliver picked up his drink that the waitress had just set down. "I appreciate the offer, but my situation with Merlyn is not Bratva related. This is a personal matter, and I'd like to keep it that way." His warning for Petrov to not interfere was clear.

Petrov sat back in his seat, ruminating. "It's very rare for an American to hold such a high rank in the Bratva. Yet, Alexi says that Anatoly speaks very highly of you."

"He should. I saved his life."

"Be that as it may, Alexi also tells me that you go for long periods of time without checking in. Unusual for a Bratva captain to keep his distance."

Oliver, exchanging a discrete look with Diggle, knew that Petrov was testing him. No doubt Alexi had mentioned his concerns to raise suspicion. He probably figured Petrov, being from another Bratva chapter, could legitimately get away with questioning him. "I've been trying to figure out where to place my interests. I looked into pharmaceuticals, specifically Vertigo. That dealer is now out of commission."

"Ah, yes, some character in green. I've heard the stories."

Count Vertigo had been one of Oliver's worst foes. The drug had run rampant in Starling, resulting in several deaths. When Thea had gotten into a car accident one night and tested positive for Vertigo, Oliver made it his top priority to hunt him down. It was difficult, since there were no formal descriptions of The Count. The only way to draw him out wasn't through The Arrow but Oliver Queen. Using his Bratva connections to set it up, Oliver pretended that he wanted to purchase Vertigo to show his club clientele a "good time." Before he could make any real headway, the cops had arrived. Oliver had gotten away without his identity being compromised, but it had been harder tracking him down as The Arrow after that. Eventually, he did face The Count and injected him with a heavy dose of his own drug. The man should've been dead but ended up suffering brain damage. He was now locked up in a mental institution.

Giving nothing away, Oliver agreed, "He can be problematic, which is why I'm being much more meticulous this time around. Anatoly understands."

"Then I have the perfect alternative. There are many exotic plants that grow in Corto Maltese. One in particular that is very potent. The natives call it Cortana. It gives the individual a strong high while also making him susceptible to suggestion. With Vertigo out of the way, I believe Starling would be the perfect place for a test run."

The mere thought of another drug as bad as Vertigo in Starling made Oliver want to clench his fists. Luckily, he knew how to keep his real thoughts hidden. "I'll think about it."

"I will take you to one of my labs tomorrow and show you around."

"I can't tomorrow. I have other business to attend to."

"As brothers in Bratva, surely you will do me this courtesy." Petrov's voice sounded well-mannered, but there was a forceful undertone. "I am, after all, doing you a large favor even though it doesn't concern the Bratva."

Oliver exchanged a quick look with Diggle. He could tell that his partner didn't like this at all. Oliver didn't either, but he had a part to play if he wanted Petrov's help with Merlyn. "Fine," he conceded. "We will go first thing tomorrow morning."

"Excellent. You will not be disappointed," Petrov stated and peeked over at Felicity. "Perhaps you would like to bring the woman with you."

Oliver followed his line of sight and saw Felicity drying herself off with a towel. She had gotten out of the pool. When Oliver had first seen her lying there in her swimsuit, he'd been in mid-conversation with Diggle and had completely stopped in his tracks. Trying to overlook her form-fitting, stylish dresses at home was easier, because Felicity always appeared put together and professional. They had a job to do, and Oliver wouldn't let his mind go there. But in this tropical setting far removed from their usual boundaries at home, seeing her toned and curvy body in that bikini-which left little to the imagination-was very hard to ignore.

On top of it, if he'd known Felicity would be by the pool, Oliver would've never met Petrov there. His astonishment at seeing her had quickly morphed into frustration-mostly with himself. He'd been serious in telling her that these men were dangerous. They might have been posing as a married couple to keep the hotel staff and guests from gossiping about the high rollers in the presidential suite, but there was no way Oliver planned on introducing her to anyone in the Bratva. His name would be enough to protect her, but she would still be ignorant to the brotherhood and its dealings. Felicity didn't need another target on her back if something went down. Unfortunately, meeting Petrov shot that all to hell.

"That won't be necessary. She is not involved in Bratva business," Oliver was firm in this.

"I've been informed by my hotel staff that she is your wife. Curious," Petrov offhandedly remarked, "since I did not notice a ring. A man in love would not overlook such a detail." He was watching Felicity again with that hungry look in his eyes.

Not even bothering to hide the menacing threat, Oliver retorted, "Whatever she is to me, she is under my protection and off limits." He met Petrov's determined stare with one of his own, not backing down an inch.

"She will be safe here in my hotel. You have my word," Petrov finally promised, getting the message loud and clear.

"Good." There was still no way he'd let her be without himself or Diggle while they were on the island, but the line had to be drawn just the same.

With their business concluded, Oliver excused himself and went to join Felicity. Diggle sat on her other side. Unlike his partner, Oliver didn't bother taking his shirt off before sitting on the lounge next to her. It wasn't that he was ashamed of his scars. It was just that they would most definitely draw a lot of unwanted attention.

"Did you get everything you needed?" Felicity questioned them.

"Almost," Diggle answered as he gestured to one of the servers.

"Good." She squirmed in her seat. "Because that guy's a total creep."

Diggle let out a laugh while Oliver grinned in amusement. He couldn't agree more.

"Oh, ow!" Felicity griped as she nearly lost her balance and fell into a bush. Skulking around the outside perimeter of Malcolm Merlyn's compound and getting beat up by the wild vegetation was not her idea of the perfect evening. Unfortunately, it was the best time to set up the surveillance cameras. The setting sun gave her just enough light to see what she was doing without them being completely exposed.

Felicity wasn't sure she really had a right to complain. She'd at least been able to sleep in this morning while Oliver and Diggle had to tour a shady Russian drug lab. That was only after Oliver took the liberty of waking her up, if only briefly, to remind her not to let anyone into the room while they were gone. She'd replied with a sleepy, sarcastic, "Yes, Dad." After her uncomfortable encounter with Isaak Petrov yesterday, Felicity really didn't need to be told twice.

Once the tour was over, Petrov had given Oliver the information he promised. They had blueprints of the compound, names of guards, a couple of shoddy surveillance photos and a list of the places on the island that Merlyn liked to frequent. It was a solid start, but what Oliver really needed was a better view of the activity at the compound. Lucky for him, Felicity had come prepared with plenty of fun, high-tech gadgets-mini cameras included.

Diggle helped steady her. "You okay?"

"I'm fabulous," Felicity sarcastically mumbled as she finished setting up the small hidden camera. "I've got one camera left." She looked to Oliver. "Where do you want it?"

Glancing around, Oliver pointed to a tall tree ten feet away. "I need one higher up."

Felicity gulped as she took in its looming height. "Right."

"I'll do it," Oliver offered, picking up on her trepidation. He remembered her fear of heights that she'd mentioned on the plane.

They walked over to the tree with Diggle trailing behind to keep a lookout. Oliver took the case of equipment and started to climb.

"Be careful," Felicity called after him.

Her concern made him smirk. "I was stranded on an island remember? This is nothing." Hell, he'd scaled rooftops higher than this.

"Whatever you say, Tarzan." Oliver shook his head as he grabbed on to another branch and easily hoisted himself up. That Salmon ladder was obviously paying off for him, Felicity noted. His athleticism never ceased to amaze her.

When Oliver found a good vantage point, he pulled out the mini drill and started to set up the camera. He quietly called down to her when he was finished. Felicity turned on her tablet to make sure the video feed was working. "Frack," she groaned when the screen was blank.

"Technical difficulties?" Diggle surmised.

"Oliver, I'm getting nothing."

Oliver attempted to adjust the camera and wriggle the lens. "Now?"

"Nope. Nothing." Reluctantly, she handed her tablet over to Diggle and approached the base of the tree. "I can't believe I'm doing this." She was going to have to climb up and check the wiring herself. The camera was so small that it would take a trained eye to figure it out.

Diggle gave her a helpful boost as Oliver met her halfway. She grabbed onto his hand and let him guide her the rest of the way up. Once they'd reached the camera, he maneuvered her in front of him so that she was pressed between Oliver and the tree. The frightening height wasn't the only reason for her lightheadedness as she felt his strong, hard chest brush against her back.

Doing her best to keep her voice steady, Felicity instructed, "I need a flashlight and some pliers." Oliver grabbed them from the case and placed them in her hands. Felicity got to work quickly. If it got any darker, the illumination from the flashlight would be that much more noticeable. Plus, she really wanted to get out of that damn tree.

"Okay, I think I got it," Felicity proudly announced. "You're going to have to see if Diggle's giving us the thumbs up, because I'm pretty sure I'll puke if I look down."

He patted her hip in confirmation. "He says we're good."

Oh, it felt good alright. "Uh huh," was all she managed to say.

"You ready to go back down?"

Felicity squeezed her eyes shut and took a shallow breath. "Um...no," she squeaked.

"You'll be fine. I'll help you," Oliver reassured her. He had Felicity shift so that she was facing him and part of her body was leaning on his. "Felicity, hold on to me tight."

Felicity laughed nervously. "I imagined you saying that under different circumstances." Oliver looked up at that. Realizing what exactly she'd blurted out, Felicity hastily added, "Very platonic circumstances." Maybe she should just let herself fall, since she wanted to die of embarrassment anyway.

Oliver, keeping his promise, guided her the whole way down. Once they were several feet off of the ground, he jumped down. Felicity, needing to get a little lower, stepped onto another branch. It must not have been the right move, because she heard a snapping sound before her body went flying. She closed her eyes tight and let out a small yelp, totally prepared to hit the hard dirt. The impact never came as she landed in Oliver's strong, outstretched arms instead.

"Whoa," she breathed. "Nice reflexes."

"You okay?" Oliver asked, concerned.

Felicity nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment. This was the closest she'd been to Oliver since that night they'd danced, and it felt just as good now as it did then. It wasn't until Diggle lightly cleared his throat that they both realized they'd been staring and he still hadn't put her down.

Once Felicity's feet were firmly set on the ground, the two pulled apart. Oliver then muttered for them to stay put while he did one more sweep of the perimeter. She watched him grab his bow and arrows-he'd had to bribe someone at the airport not to check his luggage just to sneak it aboard- before taking off.

"What?" Felicity said when Diggle caught her staring after Oliver.

"I didn't say anything," Diggle innocently replied.

Felicity crossed her arms over her chest and mumbled under her breath, "You, technically, didn't have to."

Diggle shrugged with that knowing look in his eyes and the hint of a smile. For someone with his mouth shut, he was speaking volumes.

Letting out a yawn, Oliver rubbed his eyes and continued to stare at the computer screen. It was nearly midnight. Normally, Oliver wouldn't consider that late at all but after waking up so early that morning, his body was starting to crash. Felicity had set him up with the feed from the cameras, and Oliver wanted to watch as much as he could tonight.

Oliver had been so engrossed in the video that he barely noticed Diggle placing a cup of coffee down next to him. "Thanks."

"Felicity said she's recording this if you want to take a break."

"Not yet. I think I've about got their security routine down." It was more than studying the guards that had Oliver concerned. He had yet to see a glimpse of Merlyn in any of the footage. He didn't doubt that Merlyn was inside the compound-the Bratva wouldn't have gotten that information wrong-but the estate was huge, and Oliver needed to get a hint of where Merlyn spent most of his time inside. He needed to figure out the best way to get to his target while minimizing Merlyn's chance of escape. There was also the Dark Archer to take into consideration. Oliver couldn't be sure if the man had accompanied Merlyn to Corto Maltese.

Oliver's phone went off. It was another text from Tommy. There had been an electrical problem at the club, and they had to stay closed for a couple of days while it was being fixed. His best friend had also not-so-subtly asked how the trip was going. Oliver knew that Tommy was specifically referring to Felicity, but he couldn't help but think of Merlyn. His conversation with Felicity on the flight to Corto Maltese replayed in his mind. For a second, Oliver questioned why he was really doing this. That was all it took for the doubt and guilt of lying to his best friend to take hold and fester. It was the last thing he needed right now.

As if sensing his discontent, Diggle questioned, "What's on your mind, Oliver?"

Oliver glanced at Felicity from his spot on the balcony. She was laying down on one of the long couches in the living room. She'd been watching some romantic comedy earlier, but it looked as if she'd dozed off halfway through. Her breathing was calm and steady. Even in sleep she looked at peace.

"Do you think I'm wrong, Diggle?"

"What do you mean?"

"Felicity asked me if I would be able to face Tommy every day knowing I'd killed his father. She said letting the ends justify the means is the first step to becoming him."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. Because I don't know. I..." he struggled to put his jumbled thoughts into words. "After my mother's death, I guess I became so obsessed with finding Merlyn that I didn't really think about it like that. Now we've tracked him down, and I'm so close...but I can't get her words out of my head." Oliver rubbed his hands over his face in frustration. "Do you think she's right?"

"Yes. But so are you. The truth is there is no right answer, Oliver," Diggle explained. " At this point, it's not about who Merlyn is or what he's done. Merlyn is Tommy's father, and he's a murderer. Plain and simple. What you need to decide is who you are and what you can live with. If you can't kill him and want to take him back to Starling, then that's fine. But we're both soldiers, and we know that sometimes tough decisions need to be made. If you face that man and you know deep down that the threat of letting him live is too great, then you do what you have to do. Either way, I've got your back, man."

Oliver met his friend's stare and saw the honesty and understanding of what he said reflecting back at him. The anxiety Oliver felt lessened, despite not knowing what exactly he was going to do. What was important was that he had the support of his partner. "Thanks, John."

Diggle gave him a pat on the back before glancing over at Felicity's sleeping form. "Women have a way of complicating things."

It wasn't all women, Oliver thought to himself. Just Felicity. When Oliver had been on Lian Yu, someone once told him that he wasn't the first man to learn the hard way that women were a distraction. He'd been talking about Shado at the time, but it had also made Oliver think about the picture of Laurel he had in his pocket. After a while, Oliver had stopped looking at it altogether. His focus couldn't be on home or the ones he'd left behind. Surviving was what mattered. Oliver cared about Shado, but there were parts of himself he'd managed to conceal from her, too. No matter where he was or what he was doing, the mission had to come first.

Since returning to Starling, Oliver only had a couple of real relationships. None had lasted long. He supposed part of the problem was that The Arrow always took precedence over Oliver Queen. Juggling two identities was difficult, but the line was clearly drawn between the two. No matter how much he'd cared for those women, Oliver never let himself become distracted.

Felicity was different. It could be that she was the first woman he'd let see both sides of himself. Technically, her knowing the truth had more to do with Felicity's brilliant research skills than Oliver voluntarily opening up. She'd been the one to expose him, and not the other way around. Regardless, Oliver asking her to become a part of the team, even just temporarily, was a big step for him. He'd learned the hard way over the years what happened when you put your trust in the wrong people. Not even his own parents had been who Oliver thought they were.

Oliver knew the team dynamics would change with the addition of Felicity, but he hadn't anticipated just how much. It went beyond her technical skills and bubbly personality. Oliver found that he valued her opinion, despite their differences. When Felicity spoke, Oliver couldn't help but listen. She just had this way of cutting through the noise and shining a light on what really mattered. Oliver couldn't remember the last time anyone had thought, let alone challenged him to be better. There was a constant push and pull between them, of which Oliver was very aware. He didn't know what it meant, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Oliver had told Diggle that he couldn't afford any entanglements, and he still believed that. Felicity said that his soul deserved to be protected, and that's what Oliver was doing. They simply disagreed on the "how" of it.

Diggle, in that uncanny way of his, seemed to know exactly what Oliver was thinking. "Complications are not always a bad thing."

Oliver looked back at Felicity. She'd shifted positions but continued to sleep soundly. "They're not just bad," he said, thinking of Petrov's interest in her yesterday and how much it had bothered him. The thought of Petrov laying so much as a finger on her made Oliver want to break the guy's neck. He would do it, too, if it meant keeping her safe. The realization haunted him. "They're dangerous."