Short on Time

Chapter 61

"It's been two weeks since he disappeared," Jesse said pacing back and forth. "I mean, no one's seen or heard from him since."

"Slow down," Barry said calmly.

"Just start from the beginning," I encouraged.

"Okay, why did your dad go to Gorilla City?" Barry asked.

"Wait, can we slow down even further? What the hell is a Gorilla City?" Joe asked.

"Okay, so there are sentient, highly intelligent evolved gorillas in Earth-2. And they all live in a city deep in the heart of Africa," Jesse said.

"We sent Grodd there when he went after Fay Wray here," Cisco added.

"Grodd's there?" Joe asked in shock. "Why on Earth, any Earth, would your father want to go there?"

"I mean, we received a mathematical cryptogram at our STAR Labs. It was highly complex. It took a week to decode it, but my dad and I did," Jesse explained.

"What did it say?" I asked.

"It was an invitation from the gorillas to my dad," Jesse said.

"Why Harry?" Joe asked.

"They wanted to meet him. So he mounted an expedition with ten other people, and they went into the jungle. But they failed multiple check-ins, and a search party went in after them. But all they found were the bodies all of them beaten to death," Jesse said nervously. "but no one's seen my dad. I mean, is he-"

"No," I told Jesse firmly as I pulled her into a hug.

"No, he's alive. They they went to a lot of trouble to get him there. They need him for something. We're gonna figure out what that is," Barry reassured.

"Oh! There you guys are. I've been looking all over for you. Are we going for coffee or what?" HR asked walking in.

"Dad!" Jesse said happily as she flew out of my arms and ran to HR.

"Ah, oh. Yes, that's how you say good morning, people with hugs. Hi!"

"Jesse, that's not who you think it is," I told Jesse gently as she looked at HR confused.

"This is H.R. You met him briefly before you left last time," Cisco explained.

"At your service, madame," HR said with a bow.

"He's Harry's replacement," Cisco added.

"Some would say improvement," HR joked.

"Um, this is Harry's daughter," I told HR. "He's been kidnapped."

"I didn't know," HR said as a horrified look transformed on his face. "I'm so s-I thought ... Sorry about that."

"I'm sorry, too," Jesse said walking back to my side.

"I'm sorry I took the smile from your face," HR said.

"There's something," Barry told me as he walked out of the cortex. I followed after him confused as he led us to the training room and pointed at the board. "This headline from the future: the city's still recovering from a gorilla attack."

"So you're thinking this headline and Harry being taken are tied together," I stated.

"I mean, it can't be a coincidence, right? Harry getting lured to Gorilla City? Grodd must be planning something," Barry said.

"Seems like he's planning to come back to this Earth," Joe said.

"And not alone, by the sound of it," I added.