Chapter Eight: We have a deal
"This is amazing, Oliver." Felicity said. She was standing in the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. "I've never seen anything more breathtakingly beautiful."
"I have," She heard Oliver's voice. "You, on our wedding day."
Felicity reflexively let out a burst of laughter, "That was a good one," Felicity said through fits of laughter.
"Felicity Meghan Queen that was not a joke." Felicity felt a shiver go down her back at her name. Her new name.
Felicity felt Diggle's hand on her arm, "Perhaps it's time to recall why we are here." He was always the voice of reason in their little trio.
"Right." Felicity straightened her back. She placed her finger to her ear, "Stop being a distraction, Queen," She told Oliver through their Bluetooth communication devices.
"Really, nothing is even going down right now." Oliver whined.
"You always need to be vigilant, Queen." Diggle said sternly.
"Well, Deadshot should be here in ten minutes," Oliver answered as he stared at his watch.
Those ten minutes passed relatively fast as Felicity and Dig roamed the sides of the Eiffel Tower, admiring the site that was Paris.
"I see him," Oliver whispered, clearly trying to be as calm as possible.
"Felicity and I are headed back to our post," Dig answered. Dig guided Felicity back to the area of the Eiffel Tower where they could very vaguely see Oliver sitting indifferently on a bench across the street from them.
Oliver could instantaneously feel Deadshot's presence as he sat down next to Oliver. He made Oliver feel uneasy. His mood turned heavy, as he really began to feel the weight of what he was about to do to Felicity. To his wife.
"Oliver Queen, I presume." His voice was gravely.
"Yes," Oliver quickly cleared his throat. "Deadshot?"
"Call me Floyd, it's much less daunting."
"Well, Floyd. I have some business for you, as I'm sure you've gathered. If you look rather straightforward towards the Eiffel Tower, you may see my wife. She's standing next to my body guard, John Diggle. Her name is Felicity Queen, maiden name Smoak." Oliver pulled out his phone and showed him a picture of Felicity, hoping he wouldn't regret this in the future. "I want her dead."
Deadshot nodded silently. "You all just got married like a week ago." He began. Oliver looked at him confused, "I do my research," Deadshot answered. "I'm curious as to why you would take all the time to marry a girl, just to have her killed."
Oliver swallowed silently as he thought up a quick answer, "She worked in my company in the IT Department, and she dug into some things that shouldn't have been touched. She knows secrets she can't be allowed to know. I cannot trust her to keep them."
"Yes, that was in my research," Deadshot pondered, "That she worked in the IT department, I mean. I hear she knew something about the CEO's disappearance, before you."
"That is correct." Oliver nodded, "You've done a good amount of research."
"My research also seems to acknowledge that fact that wherever you show up, the infamous vigilante follows, and he is someone I would like nothing to do with."
"Well, I can assure you, I have no acquaintance with that man. I simply have someone that poses a problem, and I know that you can solve it."
"Well you are correct," Floyd answered, "I can solve your problem. I never miss."
"That's what I hear."
"Well, Oliver Queen, I suppose we have a deal."
"We will be at our condo for the rest of today and tomorrow, finishing off our honeymoon." Oliver slipped a paper into Floyd's hand that contained the address of their condo. "I'd like to go home without her."
"A quick and easy job."
"She's smarter than you think," Oliver began, "She will see you coming; you will have to catch her off guard. She's good at putting two and two together."
"Well, thanks for the concern, Mr. Queen," Floyd firmly patted Oliver's upper arm, "But I've had much bigger fish to fry than Mrs. Queen."
Floyd got up from the bench and walked away from Oliver, as if they'd never even been speaking. Oliver took a couple of minutes to gather his composure. He always hated it when the team saw him falter. He'd given Floyd a very large time frame to attack, in order make it seem as if he wasn't the one being attacked, but that left Oliver and the team with no definite time of his arrival. That meant they would have to be on high alert from here on out, and he didn't like that. Deadshot had all of the cards, and Oliver would have no way of know what was happening until it actually occurred.
Chapter Nine: It's Time Someone Stops him for Good
"So the plan of attack is to just wait?" Oliver asked hastily.
"You knew that was going to be the plan of attack since the very beginning, man. Nothing is changed, we just have to keep up with the players to win the game."
"Except this isn't a game, Dig," Oliver heaved. He was angry, just like he'd been for this entire mission. The plan had always involved putting Felicity in danger, but the further and further he got into the plan, the more he realized that it was all just a major mistake. There was no plan of attack. There was no way to keep Felicity safe. There was no real thought behind the entire procedure. But there was also no real way of escape now. Oliver lowered his voice as to not disturb Felicity who was in the other room sleeping, soundly, "This is Felicity's life we are talking about here. It's not a game. She's not just a bystander. She's not just a face. We know her. She's…" He trailed off not knowing where to go with that thought.
"You think I don't know this already? Oliver, she is a capable women. Sara trained her a little, and she's shown us time and time again, that she can get out of the stickiest of situations. She's gone undercover, she's been kidnapped, and she's helped us take down Slade. Oliver, I know, she's not just some random girl. She's not. She's Felicity, and she is strong. She will make it through this. We aren't going to let anything happen to her. You are the one that told me we could protect her, and we have. We aren't going to stop now, man. I get it. She means different things to both of us, but don't act like I don't worry about her too. I do. I know this is going to be the hardest thing we've ever had to do as a team, but we will make it through this."
Oliver exhaled sharply, trying to release his anger with himself for allowing all of this to happen. There had to be another way to stop Deadshot.
Oliver felt Dig place a firm grip on his shoulder, this was his way of offering condolences to Oliver. "We're going to make it through," He said as he walked away from Oliver, towards the room where Felicity was still sleeping.
Oliver stayed behind a little. He needed to gather his thoughts and composure before joining Felicity. She may be sleeping, but she knew him well enough that she would wake up the instant he sat on the bed if he was anxious. Many months ago, Felicity had taught Oliver these breathing exercises as a way to calm down when he was angry. He knew she had meant it as a joke, merely to amuse herself, but he actually found them helpful. He used them frequently when he was alone. He breathed in, and then breathed out. In and then out. In and then out. In and then—
"Oliver, we have a problem." He heard Dig, interrupting his breathing. He sounded frantic, something that wasn't common among Dig's composure.
"Can it wait?" Oliver asked as he exhaled again.
"Not unless Felicity being gone is unimportant to you."
"Dig, what the hell are you talking about? That's not even funny," Oliver began as he waltzed into the room where just minutes ago he'd seen Felicity. "She can't be gone we check all the," Oliver froze midsentence when he saw the empty bed. The sheets were sprawled around, and she was gone. Felicity was gone. "Well maybe she just went to get a glass of water," Oliver muttered.
"Oliver." Diggle responded, "You know that isn't true."
"Well, why the hell would he kidnap her? It doesn't make sense."
Oliver began to pace, trying to form any possible solution. Where could she be? Where would he have taken her? Why would he have taken her? None of it made any sense, until his phone rang.
"I really don't like being lied to Oliver," He heard Deadshot's voice the moment he picked up. Oliver swallowed loudly, this could not be happening.
"I told you to kill her, not kidnap her," Oliver answered trying so desperately to hold onto this situation the best that he possibly could.
"Oh, I know you did, but I don't work for you. I work for myself. I do as I please, when I please. I will never follow any instructions someone else gives me, especially not if I'm being lied to. And I believe you told me that you had no acquaintance with this vigilante fellow, and I'm sorry to say this Mr. Oliver Queen, I do not believe you. We are playing by my rules now."
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Oliver spoke firmly.
"Oh, you may have married Mrs. Felicity for reasons other than love, but it is very clear to me that you do love her, your Felicity here. Oliver, I almost believed you, but my research got me too curious. You should really check your person for bugs more often."
Oliver cursed loudly, as anger began to bubble up inside of him. "I am going to kill you if you touch her," Oliver began before Dig promptly made him stop.
"Ah ah ah, I'm the one with the hostage remember," Floyd's voice was sly, "And just to show what a good person I am, I'll let her see that she's alive. No funny business now, Mrs. Queen." Oliver heard him speak to Felicity.
"Oliver don't give him anything." Felicity spoke quickly and shallowly. Oliver heard a smack from through the phone, and Felicity fell to the floor with a grunt.
"You have twenty four hours before I kill her. Lucky enough for you, Oliver, I don't care about you, I only care about your friend the vigilante. He comes, and she will go free. It's time someone stops him for good."