Prodigal Son

Chapter 22

Oliver and Felicity slipped into the Applied Science complex unnoticed. Felicity ran her program to loop the local camera feeds once they reached the side entrance. It worked but she didn't like the initial lag time. Something to work on for next time she need to break into a high security building.

Making sure not to touch anything directly—not leaving fingerprints felt like a solid choice—she remotely popped the lock on the door. Carefully pushing it open, she peeked down the hallway and then beckoned Oliver to follow.

"We'll take the freight elevator down to the lowest level."

They waited a moment for it to arrive, squeaking and groaning with a floor shaking rumble. She winced over the noise. Perhaps the main elevator would have been the stealthier option, but the freight elevator was closer to where they were going and didn't have a camera she'd have to take the time to loop. As long as the guards kept to their schedule, no one should be close enough to hear it.

Somewhat surprisingly, the plan was going as planned–even if she'd never thought she'd ever actually execute it. She'd dabbled on the edges of the law and yes, skated well over them at times when it came to her hacking, but that was different. She was queen of the cyber world. Here in real life, well, this was probably the most reckless thing she'd ever done. And she was doing it with glitter in her hair. Her mother would be proud.

"Don't worry," Oliver reassured her as the elevator rattled its way down the levels, "if we get caught, I'm sure Mom will spring us by Monday."

"Cold comfort when it's your mother I'm worried will find out."

"Losing faith in her inner goodness?"

"No but God, it would be so fracking embarrassing." She'd had her Moira embarrassment quota filled for the month.

"We can turn back," he offered like it didn't matter to him either way.

"No," she shook her head. "This is a missing piece of the puzzle. We have to start somewhere."

"Ok, but if we're caught, let me do the talking."

"You think you can talk your way out of being found in the middle of the night in one of Queen Consolidated's secured facilities?"

"Wouldn't be the first time." A mischievous look twinkled in his eyes. "I'll confess to luring you in for lascivious purposes. I'll say I promised you a look at QC's new micro hadron collider."

Her head popped up from her phone screen. "QC's lab got a micro hadron collider like Palmer Tech?"

Oliver grinned. "No, but good to know that would work."

She mock scowled at him. "You are enjoying yourself, aren't you?"

He paused, considered and smiled again. "I think I am."

She smiled back. "Me too."

The freight elevator slowed, loudly thundering to a stop. They went on alert. "Sub level 4. We're here," Felicity announced. Lights came on in their section as the doors opened and the gate rose.

"Looks like a warehouse." He ran his finger through the heavy dust on one of the metal grates. "A neglected one. Where exactly is here?"

"This is where defunct tech and mothballed projects go to be forgotten. Once it gets here, usually it stays here. I was with Moira on an inspection not long after Walter took the book back. It was no more than a walk through since her auditors had already made their report. In one of the last rows in this section, there were two large wooden crates. I only saw the symbol as we leaving. Moira was right there, so I couldn't take a closer look. Without more information, I couldn't track it in QC's database and I've never had another excuse to check it out in person. It's been my white whale since."