Crossfire

Chapter 14

    "Ahhhh!" He screams. I look away until he finally passes out from the pain. I started to feel dizzy and tired so I went back to the condo for the rest of the night. I'm not putting my kids at risk just to help them save a city. My phone rang and woke me up.

    "Hello?" I answer.

    "So, you're still alive?" Rebekah asks.

    "Of course I am. What gave you the idea that I'm not?" I ask.

    "Well, you haven't checked in at all since you left and my brothers are freaking out." She states.

    "I'm so sorry. So much has been going on that I didn't even think about it." I apologize.

    "How have things been? Are you staying safe?" She asks, quickly.

    "Things have been great. This has got to be the safest place I've ever visited." I lie right through my teeth.

    "Just check in more often." She says before hanging up.

    "Well, that was one way to start a morning." I mumble, getting dressed.

    "Yes it was." I whip around and see Ariana standing there.

    "How long were you standing there?" I ask, nervously.

    "Long enough. Why did you lie?" She asks.

    "Imagine if they find out that I've been living in a city full of meta humans. What do you think is going to happen?" I ask her.

    "Good point." She shrugs.

    "What are you doing today?" I ask, curiously.

    "I'm creating designs for the nursery. What about you?" She asks.

    "Probably see what the others are up to." I say, leaving the condo. It was an oddly quiet day outside but that didn't bother me one bit. From now on, I've decided to not have the illusion up so everyone can tell I'm obviously pregnant. Walking out of the elevator, I bump into Barry who seems to be in a rush.

    "Sorry, Mandy, I have to get to work." He says, quickly.

    "Can I go with you?" I ask, sweetly. He sighs but nods.

    We finally get to the crime scene and the dead body is charred. As Barry starts investigating, Joe and Eddie arrive on scene.

    "I hope you didn't eat breakfast." I tell them.

    "What the hell could do that?" Eddie asks, staring at the body.

    "2400 degrees give or take." Barry says.

    "This area is filled with combustibles. How come nothing else burned up?" Joe asks. Barry walks over to the construction equipment and starts climbing until he reaches the platform.

    "What are you doing?" I ask from below.

    "You see the soot on the ground where the cement is burnt?" He asks.

    "Yeah." Eddie answers.

    "That's evidence of archblast. The victim was electrocuted." I realize.

    "There's no live wires, no utility poles..." Joe trails off.

    "So, How was this guy electrocuted?" Eddie asks.

    "The first thing we need to do is I.D. him." Joe informs us. Barry walks over and starts taking photos of his face.

    "His face is melted off. How are this pictures going to help I.D. him?" Eddie questions.

    "I got mad skills." Barry says, making all of us cringe.

    "Please don't ever say that again." I tell him. He talks to Joe a little and Barry heads back to S.T.A.R. Labs. I decide to stick around a bit and end up at the police station talking to a crazy dude with weird glasses. The lights start to flicker and I get a really bad feeling which makes since because I just heard a gunshot.

    "Put your guns down." The crazy dude says, holding a gun.

    "It should take you less than three seconds to discard any chance of rebellion and comply." He taunts. Everyone complies. He walks over to the three of us and looks straight at me.

    "What do you want?" I question, quietly.

    "You're coming with me." He says, pulling me to him by my arm.

    "Amanda!" Iris screams.

    "Just let her go. Can't you see she's pregnant?" Joe asks.

    "That's why I chose her." He says, cynically. The guy walks over to the window, dragging me with him and opens the blinds. I see S.W.A.T. and news reporters all over the place. Lights start flashing as soon as they see us.

    "What are you doing?" I ask, nervously.

    "That's a national news station out there. I'm sending a message." He says, creepily. Before I could blink, he put the gun up to my head and pulled the trigger. I don't know if it is the shock or the surprise but I collapse to the ground. I know the bullet didn't hit me so why did I fall.