Semper Fidelis

Untitled Part 23

Felicity pulled her leather jacket tighter around her as she and Slade walked into the COS office in Star City. The fact that they had a branch there made her skin crawl, but she tried to ignore it. They had a job to do and they had to be convincing. He led her to the 5th floor and down a corridor to a non-descript door where several things caught Felicity's attention.

The office looked like it was just closed for the day. There was no one inside but there were computers and phones and other office equipment and Felicity wondered how many people this office had housed before being shut down. Was this thing bigger than they had thought? She made a mental note to talk to Lyla.

Slade led her to the nearest office and motioned for her to have a seat before he picked up the phone and made his first call. Felicity was surprised when she heard him address General Davis. He had been stationed at their base here in town and she had met him a few times while with Bravo Squad. The thought that he had been complicit in COS made her blood boil. Who else was going to surprise her?

As Slade continued to call his contacts Felicity became more uncomfortable. This thing went way beyond just the Marines and even though she had known that, hearing just how far it did go made her nervous. She motioned that she was going to step out and make a call as Slade continued to talk and he nodded as she stepped out of the room.

She took a deep breath and immediately called Oliver. He had not been happy about her going alone with Slade this morning. But there were things he needed to do at the gym and she had assured him that she could handle Slade. Also, Lyla had promised them that the chip had been implanted and was working properly.

"Felicity? Is everything ok?" Oliver immediately answered the phone when he saw Felicity calling, his nerves on alert.

"I am fine Oliver, but after hearing the names that Slade is calling.........Oliver this thing goes way higher than I ever imagined. General Davis is one."

"Shit!"

"There are some other names I have heard before but not met."

"Do you think there are some Senator's involved?"

"It would not surprise me."

"Have you talked to Lyla?"

"No, I was going to call her next."

"Ok. Felicity, please be careful."

"I will Oliver."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Felicity walked back into the office and Slade was just hanging up the phone. "Everyone has been notified that I am here with you." He gave her a quizzical look.

"So, Smoak, do you think this plan is going to work?"

Felicity sat across from him, "I know it will work. These guys are worried about their names getting out in connection with COS that is why they had you take the fall." She gave him a curious look. "Which makes me wonder. Why did you get involved in this in the first place Slade?"

Slade's eyes flickered with something and then he looked her in the eye, "The death of my wife."

Felicity looked at him in surprise, "Your wife?"

Slade nodded, "Yes. She was my high school sweetheart and we married right before I enlisted. The marines sent me to China to work with a group there about two years into my Marine career. Everything was going well until I got sent on a mission to Germany. I was gone four weeks and while I was gone our house got burglarized and my wife got caught in the upstairs bedroom. They shot her."

Felicity felt a twinge of sympathy as she saw the pain in Slade's face. "I came back, and they had already buried her. Unfortunately, the Marine's were not able to get a hold of me due to my mission being top secret." He paused and looked at her. "I never got to say goodbye."

"I am sorry for your loss Slade, but what does that have to do with you working for COS?"

"When I was recruited they promised me that COS would help me track down the men that killed her. The police had been working the case for over a year and had nothing. I was angry because there was nothing I could do. Then General Davis contacted me and told me that they had information on who killed my wife. If I worked with COS they would make sure those men paid, and I could be there to make sure they did."

"So, you were recruited by General Davis?"

"Yes." Felicity found that interesting.

"Slade is Davis the head of COS?"

Slade paused. If he talked too much and they found out, they would make sure he never talked again. However, the fact that they were all running slightly scared right now gave him pause. He might as well tell her everything. Maybe it would favor him a little more leniency when time for his trial came around.

"Yes. He started the squad because he wanted a covert group that worked under the radar. Ran by higher ups but no government interference. As long as his squad had results they were left alone to do as they pleased."

"No regulation whatsoever?"

"None. So, he brought me in to make sure the squad ran smoothly."

Felicity was surprised at what Slade was telling her. She still did not forgive him for what he had done to her and the time she had lost, but she could feel a slight sympathy for the man that had lost his wife.

"Now that we have called everyone we need to figure out a mission to undertake." Slade sat back and entwined his fingers on his chest.

"Lyla said she can help with that. She had a small mission that needs to be handled for A.R.G.U.S., except no one will know it is for A.R.G.U.S. She said it will be in Central City."

"When does she need us to go?"

"Three days. Bravo Squad will be helping out under cover." She wanted him to know that Bravo Squad would be with them. So far, he was behaving but she did not trust Slade in the slightest.

She stood, "Let's plan on meeting up tomorrow and you can let us know if you have had anyone contact you about me or about COS starting back up." Slade nodded and stood as well. He walked her to the door and waited for her to leave before closing the door behind them.

"I will get you the details as soon as I get them from Lyla." Felicity talked as they walked down the hallway and as they reached the front door shots rang out. Felicity and Slade ducked as a hail of bullets exploded all around them.

"Where are they coming from?" She yelled over to Slade who was against the wall on the other side of the door.

"I think the street." He yelled back to her and peeked around the wall. They both heard tires squealing and by the time they were outside the car was gone. Shit!

"Did you see anything Slade?" She could see he as just as surprised as she was, and he shook his head no.

"Damn. Well maybe the cameras from the building caught something. I am going to have Lyla's team come and take the tapes." She got on the phone and immediately dialed Lyla. As she hung up the phone she knew the next call was not going to go as well.

The next person she had to call was Oliver.