Tricks of Fate

Chapter 23

Wrote this chapter a little differently. It's a third person narritive so that we can get both the characters views. I hope you like it. Cliffhanger warnings apply. And please note that most science facts in these next few chapters are completely made up. 😂
XOXO

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[West-Allen]

Barry found Iris in Nora's room, curled into a ball on their daughter's bed and trembling from the amount of crying she'd done. She'd cried herself dry, then cried some more and now all that was left were empty sobs. Barry felt his heart ache a little more. Not only was his little angel missing, but the love of his life was reduced to a bundle of limbs and pain. She was hurting and there was nothing he could do to fix it. So he settled for what he could do. He walked over to her and laid down beside her holding her close to him. Every time she trembled, he tightened his grip on her, reassuring her that he was there and that it was all going to be OK. No matter how much he doubted that, he had to stay strong. For her. Iris was thankful for his presence. The little cocoon of affection he had created around her made the pain of their daughter's disappearance lessen. With him there she didn't feel alone. Sure her siblings and her parents were there but Barry's presence was different. He was Nora's father. Her other half. So the pain she felt was equaled in him and it was that thought that made his being there comforting for her. They laid there in silence. Each lost in their own thoughts yet thinking about the same thing. Hours passed and with each ticking second, the pain seemed to grow stronger until eventually, they were both completely numb.

The doorbell downstairs rang and flickers of hope fluttered through them both but it was soon snuffed out by the lack of relieved sighs and cheers that would have accompanied Nora's arrival. A knock on the bedroom door brought them both back out of their separate daymares and when they turned to greet the unexpected visitor they found H. R. standing at the door.
"I'm sorry to interrupt Iris I just came to bring you your suitcase and see if you were alright. I got worried when you just vanished," he said, his voice careful and soft.
"I'm sorry H. R. I didn't mean to worry you, I had a family emergency that couldn't wait," Iris responded, her voice noticeably hoarse. Barry simply sat there in silence. At the sound of her voice, he rubbed her back and planted a kiss on her forehead, almost as if he were trying to touch the ache away.
"Is there anything I can help with?" H. R.  offered and Iris simply shook her head.
"Thank you for the offer H. but unless you know a really good psychic that can help me find my daughter then I don't think there's anything you can do."
"Well. I don't know about the psychic but I might know a way that you can track your daughter," he said. At this, the couple looked up, hope igniting within them once again.
"How?" Iris asked.
"Well, I have two brothers who happen to be mega scientists and have a laboratory Ummm..."
"S. T. A. R. Labs." Barry suggested, recognizing the man's face once he'd had time to carefully study it.
"Yes, thank you. As I was saying. They have a laboratory filled with all sorts of modern computers and gadgets and it just so happens that they have some sort of facial recognition software that might help you pinpoint your daughter's location." he explained.
The couple felt their spirits lift as they reached out for a new hope, a new solution, a new way of bringing their baby home.

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The building, that resembled a stadium from the outside, seemed like an endless maze of doors and corridors. They hastily followed H. R. to a room that seemed to be at the heart of it all and was decorated with screens. The first thing they saw, when they entered the room, was Harry hunched over a structure that seemed to be some kind of control panel.
"Harrison, H. R. is here!" he announced without turning his attention away from whatever it was that he was doing.
"Ah yes, the sweet familiar feeling of being ignored." H. R. remarked sarcastically. Harrison wheeled in from an adjacent room to their left and stopped in the center, taking them in with a blank expression on his face.
"Mr. Allen, I don't believe we have a scheduled meeting. What is this visit in connection with?" he asked with his elbows on the armrests and the tips of his fingers pressed together.
"Our daughter is missing and we need your help," Barry answered.
"I don't exactly see how we can be of assistance, would the police not be a more adequate type of help?" He countered.
"The police are doing everything they can but it's taking too long and I can't wait any longer," Iris whispered, her voice almost gone. She looked up at Harrison and even from across the room he felt her eyes on his.
"Please. Help me find my baby." She pleaded. A shock wave of sympathy came over him. He did feel sorry for her but for the briefest moment, he actually felt her pain. That was enough to convince him.
"Harry, see if you can help the young couple find their child." He almost ordered.
"Harrison, I'm..."
"I'd prefer it if we did this without arguing Harry. You can carry on with your simulations after the child has been safely retrieved," he cut Harry off and made his way behind the control panel.
"Do you have a picture of the infant?" He asked holding out his right hand, while his left typed away on the screen. Iris fumbled for her phone and gave it to him. Harrison then sent the photo to his database and initiated the search. After a few minutes, he spoke.
"Well, she was last spotted in the back of a car driving east out of the city. The road to the next city is practically deserted and she wasn't spotted in any of the cameras in the nearby city so unfortunately, that road is your best bet."
"Is there no way you can narrow down that search? I mean that road may seem small on a map but it's at least a two-day drive." H. R. lamented.
"I might be able to help with that," Harrison announced.
"You see our satellites have been picking up some strange activity for some time and I got an alert from an abandoned mansion in that area. It might be completely unrelated but I figured you have nothing to lose anyway." He explained.
Barry looked at Iris and her eyes told him all he needed to know. His mind was consumed by one thought and one thought only. 'Bring Nora home.' That thought fueled his determination  and he asked,
"What's the address?"