Angel Face - Oliver Queen 🌷

08 || Close Encounters 🧨

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I was back at the station the next night before the Stock Auction Oliver invited me to. I should get off with two hours to spare to get ready and then wait for Oliver to pick me up. I tapped my pen against the sleek table top as my eyes scanned the news article - word of Oliver's new club was already starting to circulate.

Suddenly a folder was tossed down onto my desk and I jerked back to the present to see Lance standing in front of me. "Got ballistics back on the Holder murder. They pulled two 7.62 millimeter bullets out of him,  according to stippling and size of the entry wound they estimate shots were fired from 100 yards away."

"A hundred yards?" I echoed incredulously and he looked away. "So, what? The Hood went through all the trouble to take out his security and fire a few Arrows just to go across the street to another building and shoot him?"

"And according to his tox screen, his blood contained a kind of poison; Curare."

My eyebrows shot up mockingly, "so, now it's not arrows - it's bullets and poison. Wow, you ever know a serial killer to change up their M.O. like that?" I asked. Of course, I never viewed the Hood as a serial killer, but it was the point I was trying to get across that someone like the Hood wouldn't just suddenly change their routine like that.

"Okay, maybe you were right," he admitted. "The Hood isn't the killer this time, but Pike's adamant about it. We still found arrows on the scene. Solid evidence the hood was there."

I nodded, my lips pursed, "Alright, come on." I jerked my chin for him to follow, slipping my jacket off the back of the chair and over my shoulder.

"Where are we going?"

"To get our own evidence." I told him, leading the way out of the station and to my car.

We made our rounds with the list of prospective buyers questioning them to see if it was possible they were putting hits out on the competition and then letting them know to be careful when I figured it wasn't them. Of course, that eventually led to the Queen Mansion seeing as Walter wanted to buy Unidac Industries for Queen Consolidated.

I had to put on my best face, because despite how much they were like family to me I couldn't let that interfere with my job or make the decision if they were guilty or not for me before looking at the facts.

Of course, Lance didn't seem to have the same kind of restraint.

"Carl was a titan."

"A titan who was looking to buy out a company called Unidac Industries?" I asked, sitting on the couch beside Lance and across from Moira and Walter.

"Well, industries are something of a misnomer," Walter pointed out. "Ul's recent activity was actually looking into alternative energy."

"The point Lieutenant Merlyn is trying to make is that Rasmussen was the second bidder - to lose his life." Lance specified for me, giving the two a pointed look that almost made me roll my eyes.

Moira straightened, defensively, immediately, "Are you implying something, detective?"

"Only that your husband's looking into buying Unidac and the competition seems to be dropping like flies."

"And I'm sure your veiled accusation has nothing to do with how you feel about my family."

Walter placed a hand on his wife's thigh to calm her down, a calm look on his face as he glanced from me to Lance. "Unidac's in receivership, detective. Ownership is subject to a liquidation auction so that means there are many prospective buyers, and the auction's tomorrow so if I was taking out the competition I have a lot of killing to do in a very short amount of time."

I cleared my throat, throwing on a winning smile, "We're just making rounds with interested buyers. Letting them know to be careful."

"Oh, yes, and I'm overwhelmed that Detective Lance is concerned for our safety." Moira drew out sarcastically and I could practically taste how bitter Lance was in that moment.

Walter stood then, fixing the button of his blazer, "Well, thank you for your concern, Detective Lance, Lieutenant Merlyn. Our security consultant, Mr. Diggle is taking all the necessary precautions."

"Of course," I stood as well, smiling sincerely between the two of them. "If you hear or see anything weird, go ahead and call me. We just want to see you make it to the other side of this." I shook Walters hand and then gave Moira a quick hug and a parting kiss on the cheek.

I took Lance back to the station seeing as he was still on the clock and I was off it now. I immediately went back to my house and got my hair and makeup down - my hair half pinned back and in loose curls while my makeup was light. I was still in my dressing gown as I laid out my dress and the heels I picked to go with it when the lights around me flickered in and out before turning off completely.

I immediately went for my gun, raising it steadily as my eyes worked to adjust to the darkness. I felt my heart quite literally flip, stop, jump, and drop all at once at seeing the shadowed figure standing in the corner of my room.

The Hood.

I let out a shaky breath of shock, slowly lowering my gun. "Oh, my God. It's you."

"Harleen Merlyn," his voice was deep and rough, the darkness and the hood over his face making it impossible to make out any distinct features. "We need to talk." He took a slight step forward and my gun shot back up, causing him to raise his hands and bow up in surrender. "I'm not going to hurt you. I need your help."

This time, not only did I lower my gun, but I clicked on the safety and set it on the stand next to me. "What do you want?"

"Floyd Lawton's the one targeting the buyers interested in Unidac," he told me and I perked up at that - I knew that name. He took even steps towards me, the shadows dancing across his concealed face. "Interpol calls him Deadshot because he never misses."

I swallowed audibly as he got closer, "there're about a thousand cops in Starling City, why're you coming to me?"

"Because, Harleen, you're the only one I can trust to help me with this," his voice was low as he walked right passed me, but I could still feel his presence right up behind me and it kept me rooted in my spot. "To put who I am... what I am aside and help the innocent. Warren Patel hired Lawton. I can't be sure who they're targeting, might be the buyers and I can't protect them in a space that big. I need your help."

"How am I supposed to trust a man, hiding behind a mask?" I cocked my head to the side to try and peek over my shoulder at him, but didn't dare turn anymore.

"Because you do, because it's who you are. Because I put my trust in you," he said like it was that simple, like he'd known me my whole life. He took a big risk coming here alone, I could've shot him, trapped him, anything. But, I didn't, and I didn't know why. He's killed people, he's a criminal, but still, somehow, he didn't feel like one. "Lawton laces his bullets in Curare. Tell your men to wear Kevlar."

I heard the sound of a drawstring snapping as he shot off an Arrow and I whirled to see him launch out and off my balcony. I ran over to the edge, catching myself on the railing to see him swing from the building and into the darkness.