The Starling Vigilante [Watty's 2015 Award Winner]

Chapter 71

I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't believe it.

Sara and Oliver couldn't be dead.

I wouldn't mourn them. I wouldn't say my last goodbyes at some makeshift grave. I knew they were alive. I could feel it.

But then again, I was too upset not to mourn them. So I broke down.

As I looked down to the ground, knelt in despair, I saw a shadow cast from behind me.

'It was their wish,' Anatoly said, laying a hand on my shoulder. 'Oliver wanted you to survive, more than anything. He was inspired by you to fight Ivo. And fight Slade.'

'But I didn't want them to die!' I shouted, tears streaming form my face. 'I wanted none of that! And now they're both dead. All because of me.'

'If you want to blame anyone, blame me,' Anatoly suggested. 'I was the one that shot the torpedo.'

'No, it's not your fault,' I shook my head. 'You didn't want any of this either.'

'No one did,' Anatoly added. 'They both gave their lives. For us.'

'Sara didn't,' I cried again. 'She was taken to that boat, unwillingly!'

'But she also wanted you to survive, more than anything,' Anatoly told me. 'Just before you and her climbed out of sub, she told me to look after you. She knew, all along, that she wouldn't make it. But instead, she fought til end. She didn't tell you she was in danger because she wanted you to get away.'

I couldn't believe this. No, she didn't die because of me. It was Slade who sealed her fate, not me.

'She... Knew?' I gasped. 'She knew Slade was coming for us?'

Anatoly just nodded.

---

'To Oliver and Sara,' Anatoly said as we lit the small bonfire we had assembled in their memory.

'To Oliver and Sara,' I whispered, trying to hold back more tears.

'They were brave, courageous, and fought for what they believed in,' Anatoly preached. 'They inspired me, and they were two of the nicest people I ever met. I only knew them for few weeks, but I glad I did.'

'I knew Oliver and Sara for, well, about two years,' I managed to say, starting my small speech. 'But I feel like I've known them for all my life. Oliver was like family. They made me see the light when I was in darkness, and they saved me when I needed to be saved. They-'

I couldn't say any more. Choking on my words, I rubbed my eyes and tried not to break down again.

'They are at peace,' Anatoly tried to comfort me. 'Now, we should fulfil their wishes. We should get off island.'

'But, how?' I asked doubtfully. 'We got rid of our only chance of getting home!'

'That is where you are wrong,' Anatoly told me. 'I have plan. Oliver told me about communications tower on island. We could try and get hold of plane. Ask them to land.'

'Okay,' I nodded, trying to be as enthusiastic as I could through my sadness. 'But, how are we supposed to know when the next plane is?'

'We can try,' Anatoly said optimistically.

Even though I really doubted the plan, I knew it was the only plan we had.

---

'He gave me coordinates,' Anatoly said as we got back to the hideout, which we had found almost too easily.

'For the communications tower?' I asked.

'Yes,' Anatoly nodded. 'He said it would be next to... Where's arrows?'

Scanning the place, I found that much of the weapons we had stored in the hideout were gone, including the box Oliver kept his bow, arrows and hood in.

'Everything's gone,' I said quietly, raising my gun. 'Someone's here.'

'I see no one,' Anatoly shook his head.

As he stepped back, two suited men appeared behind him through the doorway. They seemed very professional, and not to be messed with.

'Er, look behind you,' I said nervously, feeling intimidated.

Anatoly turned his head, looking up to the tall men.

'What can I do for you both?' Anatoly joked to hide his fear, but receiving silence as they  looked at him in judgement. 'Nothing, I take it?'

'Put the gun down,' one of the men instructed to me.

'Not until you tell us who you are!' I exclaimed, refusing to put my gun away.

'We will when you put the gun down,' he repeated louder.

'No!' I exclaimed. 'You-you could be here to kill us!'

'Suit yourself,' the other man said.

He took a device from his belt, and before I knew it, I fell to the ground and blacked out.

---

When I woke up, I found myself on a jet, its decor suggesting it was made for the military. The two suited men were gone, but instead a woman sat opposite me. She was smartly dressed herself, as though she worked in some kind of office or as the head of a department. It was all so confusing, my blurred vision making it even harder to figure out my situation.

'Good morning, Miss Coleman,' she said without a smile, expressionless, as though she had been toughened through the years.

'Where are you taking me?' I shouted immediately, too angry for social niceties. 'And where's Anatoly?'

'We just dropped Mr Knyazev off in Russia,' she said. 'And we're taking you home.'

'Why?' I asked impatiently. 'Why are you doing this for me?'

'We've been tracking Mr Queen on this island for a while now,' the woman explained. 'And we realised that you and Mr Knyazev were still alive. That you wanted to get off the island.'

'What about Oliver?' I asked. 'Did you find his body? And what about Sara?'

'Its best that you don't know what happened to them,' she said mysteriously, probably just to annoy me further.

'Oh, is it 'classified'?' I jeered sarcastically.

'Yes,' she said, clearly not getting sarcasm.

'Who are you?' I asked, not really knowing how else to say it. 'Why would you help me like this?'

'It's for all our best interests, Miss Coleman,' she said rather coldly. 'And my name is Amanda Waller.'

'Thank you, Amanda,' I bowed my head. 'You said that you're taking me home? To Starling City?'

'No,' Amanda said. 'We're taking you to your real home.'