Arrow to the Heart {1}

Chapter 18

Lydia's in the bunker with Diggle and Oliver, watching the news on the computer. The reporter says, "Lawyers for John Nickels spoke to the press today. They say they're pleased the DA declined to indict their client on charges stemming from the recent fire in one of Nickel's buildings." Lydia looks up to see Oliver doing pulls up on the ceiling and he says, "John Nickel is one of the wealthiest real estate developers in Starling City. He's also one of the dirtiest. That building that burnt down last night. The wiring was not up to code." Lydia says, "Maybe he didn't know that." Oliver says, "I guess he also didn't know about the seven people who frozen to death in his other buildings over the past three years." Diggle says, "Yeah, he's a real man of the people." Oliver jumps down and says, "Not for long. The DA ignores this, and the police can't do anything because all these slums are on the Glades. So tonight, Lydia, we cross Mr. Nickel's name off the list." Oliver hands Lydia the small notebook with the list and Oliver continues to say, "You okay with that?" Lydia looks at the computer screen and the reporter says, "The scene outside of the courtroom where Nickel was released this afternoon was not surprisingly tense." Lydia says, "One hundred percent." Oliver then leaves and later, Oliver comes back to the bunker and tells Lydia and Diggle, and Nickel's wasn't home, and the place was trashed. Lydia says, "What? He was just gone?" Oliver says, "No! Not gone. Taken." Diggle says, "Looks like Nickel was on somebody else's list too" Oliver says, "After the fire last night, it's not entirely surprising. Lydia, I need you to get me everything you can on Nickel. Focus on his tenants, and anyone who might have filed a formal complaint against him or... people that lost something in the fire." Lydia says, "Well, it's going to be some list, I mean, slum lords aren't generally known for their popularity, plus..." Lydia doesn't finish her sentence and Oliver says, "What?" Lydia says, "Nothing, it's just... You went over there to kill him and now you want to rescue him." Oliver says, "I don't like the idea that somebody dangerous is out there." Lydia raises a brow at Oliver, and he sighs and continues to say, "Somebody else. Because typically... they don't show my level of restraint." As Oliver walks away, Diggle says, "So, you're going to cross Nickel off anyway?" Oliver says, "No. I'm finding somebody else who needs a talking to." Diggle says, "Wait, wait. You're going out there again, Oliver? Why don't you go home and be with your family, man?" Oliver says, "That's when the work is done, Diggle." Diggle says, "Okay, then I'll take you out to dinner." Oliver says, "I'm not hungry." Diggle says, "I'm not asking." Later, Lydia walks into her apartment to find her mom on the phone and to see a whole wall of articles and missing posters about Sara. Her dad walks in with two cups of coffee and says, "Hey, honey." Her dad hands her mom a cup of coffee and Lydia says, "What's all this?" Her dad says, "Well, you asked me to look into your mother's leads on Sara, so I made some calls." Lydia says, "It looks like you did a lot more than that." Her dad says, "Well, yeah, but you're the one who said we should do this, Lydia, so, you know if there's even a chance that your sister is--" Lydia cuts her dad off and says, "Yeah, but--" Lydia gets cut off by her mom who gets off the phone and says, "Hey, sweetheart, I'm, I'm sorry about the mess. Quentin, I just got off the phone with the consulate in Phuket. The secretary there's going to run Sara's photo against their database, see if there's a match." Lydia watches as her mom puts her hand on her dad's shoulder and her dad touches her mom's hand and says, "That's good work." Her dad notices the look on his daughter's face, and he says, "What?" Lydia says, "Well, I guess I just thought deep down that you were going to help mom... accept things. Things you and I accepted." Her dad says, "Um, yeah, but... you got to admit." Her dad shows her pictures, and he continues to say, "This girl, she looks a lot like Sara." Her mom says, "Sara had that same cap. The Starling City Rockets. Your dad bought it for her, remember?" Lydia gives a tight-lipped smile and says, "Yeah, I remember." Her dad says, "Stranger things have happened." Lydia softly says, "Yeah. I can see that." Lydia then turns and walks away. Lydia walks into her room and she opens her laptop, and it beeps with a message, and she gasps when she sees the video. Lydia pauses the video and then Lydia calls Oliver, and he says, "Yeah?" Lydia says, "I found Nickel. Click the link I just sent you. This came up on every screen with an IP address originating from the Glades." The man on the video shows the camera to a tied-up Nickel whose been beaten up. The man says, "If you make the Glades your home you know who this man is. John Nickel. He owns your tenements. Manages your slums. Provides the leaking roofs over your heads. The lead in your pipes, the asbestos in your walls. Basically, he makes money off our suffering. But the police aren't interested in helping us. They may have let us down, but I won't. John, I want you to give you the chance to state your case. Why shouldn't you be punished?" The man takes the tape of Nickel's mouth, and he says, "I knew there was bad stuff in my buildings." Oliver then goes back to speaking, to Lydia and he says, "Track him, Lydia." Lydia's already on it and says, "I'm looking." Nickel says, "Okay, yes, I made a little profit! At least they had a place to live. Without me, people like that would end up on the street." The man says, "People like that. That's all we are to guys like this." The man puts the tape back on Nickel and he continues to say, "I find you... guilty." Then the man shoots Nickel and he continues to say, "There are plenty more people who need to answer for their crimes against us. So, who's next?" Later, Lydia's back in the bunker still trying to find the mysterious man's location when Oliver walks up to her and says, "Anything new?" Lydia says, "This guy's definitely got more than a subscription to "Wired." His website's protected by some very serious encryption." Oliver says, "Well, use that air magnet thing. You said that it could trace--" Lydia frustratedly cuts Oliver off and says, "Oliver! No offense. Do I tell you how to sharpen your arrows?" Diggle walks in and says, "I spoke to my friend at the NSA. The website code matches a cyber crusader who's been on their radar. He hacks into fringe sites under the username The Savior. NSA believes he's a former resident of the Glades." Oliver says, "Former?" Diggle says, "Yeah. Well, a year ago, he hacked himself right of the radar. He erased all traches of his existence." Lydia says, "So, what happened a year ago?" Then the mysterious man is back and says, "We're back. I have with me an assistant district attorney Gavin Carnahan. Now, DAs are supposed to go after bad guys. But this one can't even be bothered to bring them to trial. Like the ones who killed my wife in a bodega." Oliver says, "Lydia." Lydia says, "I'm already on it." The man says, "They said there wasn't enough evidence. You think evidence would have turned up if she'd been killed in one of Starling City's nicer neighborhoods?" Lydia pulls up an article about said wife not getting the justice she deserved. Oliver reads off the screen and says, "Emma Falk. Grieving husband is Joseph Falk. What do we have on him?" Lydia says, "Not much. Forty-two, former city worker. Department of transportation, computer technician left his job when he was killed. On year ago, today." Diggle says, "No current phone. No current address." The man known as Joseph Falk says, "Gavin, you're a lawyer. You're used to making a case. So, go ahead. I'm gonna give you ten minutes to deliver the closing argument of your life." Oliver says, "Come on, Lydia." Lydia says, "I'm trying to get a lock on his wireless signal." Joseph says, "Ten minutes to convince me not to blow you away." Lydia then found the location and she says, "I got him!" Oliver says, "Shut it down." Lydia says, "I can't, he has a firewall protecting his wireless signal, but he's working off an IPX located at 23rd and Mira." Then Oliver walks away. Joseph takes off the tape and DA Carnahan says, "Look! Listen. Listen to me. Okay. I have 53 cases on my desk right now. I don't always have time--" Joseph cuts him off and says, "You should have made time." DA Carnahan says, "Yes, I know." Oliver speaks through the Bluetooth and says, "How's Carnahan?" Lydia says, "Not making a very persuasive argument." Oliver says, "I'm almost there." Lydia says, "See anything?" Oliver says, "I'm only on the first floor." Lydia says, "Just six more to go." DA Carnahan says, "There aren't resources. I tried." Then Joseph points a gun at the DA, and the DA Carnahan says, "Oh, my God! I'm sorry!" Lydia says, "Ollie, hurry." Oliver says, "Can't find him! He's not here, Lydia!" Lydia's confused and says, "What?" Oliver says, "I searched every office on every floor! He's not here. Is this the right place? Are you sure?" Lydia says, "Yeah, I... Oh, crap." Oliver says, "What?" Lydia says, "How is this possible? This can't happen! He's..." Oliver says, "Talk to me!" Lydia says, "Wait. He moved. Just north of you. Ocean and Grand." Oliver says, "On my way!" DA Carnahan says, "I took on cases that were, that I thought I could--" Joseph says, "Win." DA Carnahan says, "Yes. I'm sorry." Joseph says, "Gavin Carnahan, I find you guilty of crimes against the Glades." DA Carnahan begs, "Don't do this! Don't do this!" Joseph says, "And I sentence you to death." Oliver says, "I'm at Ocean and Grand, Lydia. That's just a vacant lot." Lydia doesn't understand and says, "How is this possible? This can't happen, he's--" Lydia gets cut off by Joseph shooting the DA, Oliver angrily says, "Fine the right address, now!" Lydia takes off her Bluetooth and says, "He's..." Lydia doesn't finish her sentence and walks away with tears rolling down her cheeks because she failed at finding where Joseph is, and the result is the DA getting killed. A few moments later, Oliver walks in and sees just Lydia and he says, "Where's Diggle?" Lydia says, "I asked him to leave me alone. In my loud voice." Oliver says, "This wasn't your fault." Lydia says, "I was the one who was supposed to find Carnahan and I was the one who sent you that bogus location. I've never seen anybody die." Oliver softly says, "Hey, this is the thing with what we do. Sometimes we lose." Lydia slowly nods and softly says, "I know that we can't save everyone, but I hate feeling like this."