Only Because I Need You Too

Chapter 14: Abduction

Iris felt the reassuring warmth of her daughter's hand in her own. The cold air nipped her nose and pricked her toes. Yet Nora giggled and skipped along the frosty pavement. The child's preschool was only a few blocks away from home, so Iris knew there was no point in taking the car. The powerful street lights shone down on them as they strolled along the quiet lane. A one way road sat to the left of them, cars drove past occasionally. A thin layer of muddy, mushy snow coated the pavement. Nora jumped up and splashed her feet into the mush. The child's mother let out an amused smile. Tall office blocks rose in either side of them. Only the occasional window was filled with yellowed light. "Did you have a good day?" Iris asked gently. A sign that read Hauber Lane was illuminated by the unnatural light from above.

Nora's dark eyes met her mother's as she nodded her head violently. The actions reminded Iris of the bobble head that rested on the dashboard of her car. "Yeah, we putted paint on our fingers," the toddler stretched out her free palm for emphasis. The repetitive sound of their feet hitting the ground drilled into her ears.

"Oh wow," Iris chuckled. "What colours did you use?"

Nora threw her hand up into the air, "all of them!" She shrieked in glee.

Iris opened her mouth to reply, but stopped abruptly when a dark van pulled up beside them. Iris pulled Nora behind her. The tinted window rolled down slowly. Iris's heart hammered in her chest, her lungs raced for air and her body broke out into a cold sweat. Behind that window, wearing a hat pulled over his brows, was Tate Johninng. Grasped in his hands was a gun, aimed directly at Iris and Nora. "Ladies, I don't believe we have met before." Tate spoke. Despite his voice being velvety smooth, it sent shivers of unease down Iris's spine. Just behind him sat Medusa. The short haired blonde sent the mother a thin smile. Nora squeaked in surprise, her bottom lip began to quiver and she buried herself into the long flaps of Iris's coat. Iris gently laid a hand on her daughter's head. "My name is Tate."

Iris swallowed hard, "Yes, I am aware of who you are." Her tone was even and low, her eyes trained on the barrel of the gun. Tremors of fear claimed her body, but she could also feel Nora vibrating underneath her fingertips.

Tate narrowed his eyes. "Get in the van." He commanded.

"Nora, run!" Iris yelled, throwing out a hand to protect her child. When there was no gust of speed or whoosh of air, Iris looked down at Nora. The toddler's frame was shivering, her eyes glued to Tate and completely clouded over. Pulling her daughter closer, Iris raised her eyes to meet Tate's. He was sending her a smug smile, displaying a row of perfectly white teeth.

"Get. In. The. Car." He hissed. Accepting her fate, Iris made her way towards the vehicle. Heart pounding in her head, she reached out for the handle, pulling Nora close. Despite knowing it would never be heard, Iris let out an internal scream for Barry.

*

Caitlin watched in alarm as Barry aggressively paced the length of the cortex. Ethan watched his counter part with gentle eyes. Cisco was working from behind the computer, his eyes flicking back and forth as he followed Barry's movement. "They have to be somewhere in the city, right? It's only been about six hours since they have gone missing... no, that's enough time to have left." The speedster placed his palms on either side of his head.

"I'm running through the security footage. I can see Iris and Nora leaving the preschool and entering Hauber Lane, but I can't find footage of them leaving it," Cisco hummed from behind his computer.

"So something must have happened to them on their journey through that road then," Nora crossed her arms over her chest. Her face was pulled into a sour frown. Iris and Nora going missing was the last thing the team needed, yet somehow Caitlin had a feeling the pair were going to be alright.

There was a whoosh of air. Barry disappeared for a few moments before rushing back in with a stream of lightning at his heels. "No, nothing. The road was completely empty for evidence and the security cameras have all been taken out," he rushed out in one breath. The speedster was aggressively cracking his knuckles. His face as white as a sheet. His eyes glazed over and glassy.

"Not time to panic yet, I can identify all the cars that went into the road just after Iris," Cisco told his friend, pushing away from his desk and taking up residence at one of the cortex's large computers. Barry clenched his jaw tightly, but held his tongue. Caitlin cast her eyes up to Ethan. His mismatched eyes were trained on Barry with a slight squint. Caitlin took the time remnant's warm hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Sending her a slanty smile, he clasped her hand tighter. The doctor couldn't even imagine what Barry was going through, to loose his family in one fell swoop all over again. She could never cope if both Ethan and Dawn up and vanished in the middle of the night. That would send her into overdrive. "Okay, I found the only vehicle capable of smuggling people that went into that lane around about the same time as Iris and I ran it's number plate against all the security camera's in Central City. The last ping was just outside of-" before Cisco could finish his sentence, Barry peered over his shoulder and vanished from the cortex in a blur.

Nora leaned against the cortex desk and wrapped her arms around herself. A distant look possessed the speedster's eyes. Caitlin traded a glance with Ethan. He saw it too. A rush of air filled the cortex as Barry arrived back once more. "The van was destroyed. Nothing but burnt metal," he hissed through clenched teeth.  Caitlin slowly began to twist the ring on her finger. Panic bubbled in her chest. Iris and Nora had seemingly dropped off the face of the earth. Barry threw his hands onto his head, "What if Tate got them?" His face was stricken with fear. "What if he killed them?" The speedster's eyes glittered.

"They aren't dead," Caitlin interjected, pointing to the female speedster. "Nora hasn't been erased."

Barry's eye's landed in his daughter. His face perked up just a little. "Nora is living proof that we are going to find them," Ethan's voice assured his twin counterpart.

The Scarlet Speedster nodded his head and inhaled deeply. "Yes, of course. Are you getting any new memories Nora?" Barry asked, quirking a brow but she only shook her head and pressed her lips into a thin line.

"Baby Nora is only three and a half. I doubt she will remember any of this into her adult life," Caitlin sat back into her seat. Barry nodded his head, his posture wilted. For the first time in a long time, the air of the cortex didn't feel as though it was crackling with energy. Instead it felt heavy.