Sapphire (Book One, Arrow)

chapter 22 ⚔ Darkness on the Edge of Town

Oliver, John, Felicity and I were in the basement of Verdant at the hideout.

Felicity was sitting at the computer.

"I've been watching your mother for days, now, Oliver, and nothing," John told him. "She goes to work, she comes home. Occasionally, she goes out for dinner. She seems to particularly like the salmon tartar at Table Salt."

"I'm linked into her home and office phone," Felicity told us. "Nothing out of the ordinary. No mention of Walter's abduction or the Undertaking. Just a few innocuous calls to Malcolm Merlyn."

"Why wouldn't she call him?" Oliver asked sarcastically. "They're old friends. We're all old friends."

I walked closer to Oliver in concern. "Are you okay?"

"My mom and my best friend's dad are involved in a conspiracy that may have dire consequences for the city," Oliver told us. "And I'm pretty sure they murdered my father. I'm not planning on using the word 'okay' again any time soon."

"Listen, all we know for sure is that Malcolm and your mother are planning something for the Glades," John told him. 

"And that Walter and I were getting too close to it, and that's why they had him kidnapped," Felicity told us. 

"We have to find out what this Undertaking is," I told them.

"I got to ask her," Oliver told us. 

"Well, no," Felicity told him. "The last time the hood paid your mom a visit, you got shot, and Jill got to play doctor with you." She groaned in frustration. "My brain thinks of the worst way to say things."

"This time it'll just be me asking," Oliver told us. "Friendly mother-son chat."

Oliver walked upstairs.

I looked at John and Felicity.

John gestured for me to go after him.

I sighed, following Oliver upstairs. "Oliver..."

"I need to talk to my mother, Jill," Oliver told me.

"I get that," I told him. "Believe me, I do." I grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving. Oliver turned to me, sighing. "I just want to make sure that you have your head clear of any... opinion of your mother before you see her. I know that you're angry with her, and I know that you're betrayed. But you need to let that go to get the answers that you need. Don't let it cloud your judgement."

Oliver nodded in understanding, sighing, taking a deep breath, walking out, leaving.

I watched him go, sighing heavily.

⚔

Flashback

The soldiers that had taken Oliver, Jill, Slade and Shado were driving with them across the island into their camp.

The rocket launcher was spinning around behind them.

The soldiers forced the four of them to stand, dragging them along, pushing them into the tent where Yao Fei and a man was waiting.

Oliver and Jill recognized the man as Alan Durand, the man that they had left in the cave.

Oliver lunged at Alan angrily. "You!"

The soldiers held Oliver back.

"We on't have the luxury of indulging in vendettas," Slade told them.