Arrow ~ The Devil's Greatest Trick ~ Part One

***

A helmeted head poked around the corner of a hallway, then Dig emerged, followed by Oliver, their weapons drawn. "We're clear," Dig reported.

"Clear here," Kara added from where she was hovering above the building. "Way too clear."

"All right, keep moving," Oliver nodded at Dig.

His friend opened the double doors they were approaching, and Oliver led the way in. Dig took one last look down the hallway, then followed Oliver in, both looking around the very empty IT room. "I guess Cayden James and his friends knew we were coming," he muttered.

"Oh, yes," Cayden's voice answered, and the two vigilantes turned to see several screens turn on, broadcasting Cayden to them. "Once I learned of Mr. Sobel's treachery, I had to assume this location was compromised." The monitors shut off, but his voice continued to speak, and Oliver looked over his shoulder to see another set of monitors show Cayden. "Speaking of which, I didn't appreciate your alliance with him. Made me think we no longer have an understanding."

"You need to know something," Oliver began to say.

"Many things, I'm sure," Cayden drawled, and as the monitors shut off again, Oliver and Dig rotated as Cayden's image appeared on a large monitor behind them. "But I doubt very much that you're the man to teach them to me."

"We almost have proof that I didn't kill your son," Oliver said.

Cayden chuckled bitterly, shaking his head. "A desperate gambit."

"Cayden, give me more time!"

The monitor shut off, and once again, Cayden's voice came from behind, from one last monitor. "Time, I'm afraid, is a commodity you and your city have run out of," he declared coldly. "Mr. Sobel's betrayal convinced me that there's little good in delaying matters further. Accordingly, I will be detonating the thermobaric bomb over Star City at midnight. My son will find justice in the ashes of your beloved city."

Oliver swallowed hard as all the monitors switched off, Dig looking at him worriedly.

***

"Cayden is going to detonate the bomb in four hours," Oliver ground out as he, Dig, and Kara hurried back into the bunker. "Where are we with the video?"

"Well, we're running our photographic analysis algorithm to reveal the original footage," Felicity answered.

"How long will that take?" Dig asked.

"Unknown," Querl answered. "This algorithm works quite impressively on a still image, but this video is 24 fps."

"Right," Oliver blew out his breath. "Cayden just told us that we are running out of time." He paused, seeing Querl fidget uneasily. "What is it?" he asked.

"Uh," Querl cleared his throat. "If I may be blunt?"

"By all means," Oliver gestured.

"Yes," Querl turned to face him, steepling his fingers. "Correct me if I am wrong, because I do not believe I am, but we are putting all of our chips on a bet, so to speak, that Cayden James will spare Star City if he thinks you are not responsible for his son's death."

"That's because it's the only play we have, Brainy," Dig nodded.

Querl frowned, then sighed. "Very well," he nodded. "I am simply informing you that you could be trying to reason with a man who is beyond reason."

Oliver just nodded, watching the Coluan return to work with Felicity.

***

"As you are well aware, Arclight is now in its final phase," Cayden announced from the staircase at his new base that evening. "And now it's time for us to take our leave."

"Words much appreciated," Anatoli raised an eyebrow. "But how are we to get out of city?"

"Stay close to your phones," Cayden answered. "You will be airlifted from the city before the bomb goes off. After it does, your individual shares of the ransom will be wired into offshore accounts that have been set up for each of you."

"Sounds fair," Anatoli nodded, then muttered, "Lucrative."

Talia's lips quirked up in a smirk from where she and Diaz were leaning against the table; from where she was sitting atop crates of equipment, Evelyn barely looked up from her clasped hands, which she rested her chin on. "Thank you for helping to see this project to fruition," Cayden looked around his four remaining loyalists. "I don't think I need to stress – " He swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat. "How important this has been for me. Thank you for all you've done to get justice for my boy."

Evelyn barely reacted.

***

"Yes!" Quentin exclaimed from where he sat on Captain Hill's back table, he on his cell phone, Hill on her own desk phone. "Yes, exactly! Please!" He took his phone down, looking up at Thea and the man she was speaking to. "Listen, we need SCPD radios linked with emergency services right now, OK? Now!"

Thea's phone buzzed, and she stepped away to answer as the other man turned away to make the call. "Where the hell are you?" she demanded.

"Did you get my message?" Oliver asked in return.

"Yeah," Thea sighed, nodding and giving her report. "OK, we rallied the troops, and everyone's panicking a little."

"Gather a list of essential personnel, clergymen, doctors, as many people as you can mobilize," Oliver ordered.

"Wait, how – " Thea lowered her voice as others passed her by. "How are we gonna explain how you have access to the Arrow's bunker?"

"We have bigger problems right now, Speedy," Oliver sighed. "Besides, this is the only place in the city I can think of that could possibly withstand that blast, aside from evacuating everyone to Earth-38."

"Which would probably cause even more panic," Thea closed her eyes, nodding. "OK."

Oliver sighed in relief. "You have eyes on – "

"William, of course," Thea nodded. "I got it."

"Thank you," Oliver said gratefully.

***

Evelyn flinched when the sound of metal stabbing wood ripped through the air again. Thankfully, someone else said something before she could. "Do you have to keep doing that?" Anatoli growled.

"It keeps me calm," Diaz answered as if he was speaking of the weather, pulling his knife out of the table and examining it.

"Do not worry," Anatoli said. "Cayden James will not let his friends die with the city."

"You're damn right," Diaz agreed, standing up and heading for the stairs. "But I'm not gonna stick around to find out."

Evelyn paused, her form stiff as he walked past her. "Where are you going?" she asked, proud of herself for keeping a tremor out of her voice.

"Someplace I won't get blown up," he answered, turning around to face his allies. "The three of you haven't noticed? The airlift that Cayden promised? It's more than a little late."