Part 17

Carla looked up when she heard Hunter return. She gasped when she saw Iris thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He dropped the young woman to the floor and tied her to the pole that David had been.

"She dies slow and painfully if you don't make my drug now!" said Hunter

Carla just nodded. Not that she was expecting for her or Iris to get out of this alive. Hunter untied her holding a gun on her. Carla slowly got to her feet. She walked across to the lab equipment that had been set up. She logged into the computer bringing up the instructions on the velocity drug. She also made sure she tripped the alert to let Caitlin know that she was working on the drug. She carefully followed the instructions. She knew that this drug was very dangerous. That if this monster actually used it that he would gain super speed for a short time. But the more he used it the more rapid the drug would kill him.

"How long is this going to take?"

"I can't rush this. If I don't follow Caitlin's instructions carefully the first time you take it, this drug will kill you."

"Like you care if I die."

"Personally I don't in fact I hope you will rot in hell when you do die."

"You have motive now to keep me alive at the moment. She dies if you try and kill me."

Carla glanced at Iris before going to work.

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Eddie walked into the cortex looking scared. Caitlin was the first to notice him.

"Eddie what is wrong?" asked Caitlin

"He has Iris."

"Are you sure?"

"He was caught on the security cameras in the parking lot of our apartment building taking her."

"Eddie, we will get her back. We know where he has my mom. We are working out the plan to rescue her. We just need to add Iris to it."

"There is something else you should know. We just found out that she is pregnant."

"Eddie, it is going to be ok. We will bring Iris home safe." Said Barry

"I just can't lose her."

"You won't." said Oliver

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Carla heard a groan as Iris work up.

"You should let me check her for a concussion." Said Carla

"You try anything then I will kill her do you understand?"

"You have made it very clear."

Carla walked over and knelt next to Iris.

"Iris, I need you to look at me. Do you know who I am?"

"Dr. Tannhouser. Caitlin's mom."

"Good. How many fingers am I holding up?"

Iris looked at the older woman's hand. It was a little blurry. But she could tell it was three fingers.

"Three."

"Good."

"Dr. Tannhouser, are you ok?"

"I'm fine. My daughter may deny it. But she gets that stubborn streak of hers from me. This monster is not going to win. I have confidence that Flash, Frost and their friends will find us and stop him."

"She is fine. Now get to work." Growled Hunter

Carla got up from the floor and headed back to the make shift lab. As she studied the formula for the speed drug she saw a message come up.

Lightning and ice are coming soon. Arrows will fly with the cry of the bird. The girl of steel will lend a hand too.

Carla hid a smile at Caitlin's message. They were coming. Even if this drug works with the team that Barry and Caitlin have put together Zolomon was not going to be able to stop them.

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The group suited up that was going on the mission. Cisco who wasn't ready yet to head out in the field was going to stay behind to run coms, as well as any other tech support they were going to need. Barry kissed Caitlin before grabbing her and running off with the rest of the team following.

"They will be ok right?" asked Jacquie

"I hope so. Not going to lie. This is going to be dangerous. Getting to hostages out makes it more dangerous." Said Cisco

"I understand that. Cisco all of you have already done so much for me."

"Wish we had been able to save David."

"His death is not your fault. David knew that when he told the police what Hunter wanted him to do, what would happen to him. Hunter is dangerous. He has been dangerous for a very long time. I was seven teen when he put me in this chair. I still don't remember what he did to me. I don't know if that is better or not."

"Caitlin still has nightmares once in a while. Jacquie, I know that if she could forget she would."

"But if I had been able to remember then Hunter would never have hurt Caitlin."

"Jacquie, Caitlin doesn't blame you. You have a head injury. She knows better than anyone of us that memory is effected by that. If you are going by your logic than Harrison Wells wherever he is. Is to blame for hiring Hunter. Had Hunter never worked at STAR Labs they most likely will never have ever met. There are a million what ifs. The past can't be changed. Jacquie, don't blame yourself for what Caitlin went through. One good thing did come of it. It made Barry and Caitlin realize what everyone else already knew. That they were in love with each other."

"I am surprised by that. I would have thought they had been together forever."

"One would have thought that. They met when they were ten. Not long after Caitlin's dad died. Barry was the first person to pull Caitlin out of her shell. He didn't push her just was there. Story has it and this is coming from Barry's mom the two of them bonded over a bird with a broken wing they took care of."

"That is cool."

"Yeah it is."

Jacquie smiled. Cisco was a really nice guy. He didn't treat her like a lot of people did. He didn't pity her.