You know that emoji with the big toothy grin that looks slightly guilty? That's how excited I am about this chapter.
Enjoy!
Caitlin launched off of the arm of the couch and took a stand in front of it, in front of Barry. Iris similarly leapt into action, diving for her purse and planting herself in front of Caitlin.
The door banged against the wall, shaking the house on its foundation. Through the doorway stepped Eiling, jarring Caitlin to her core.
"Get out," Iris said immediately. "Now."
"Am I interrupting something?" the General said smugly. "It was my impression that you were having a nice, quiet lie-in at home." He tilted his head slightly in order to look past Iris and Caitlin to Barry on the couch. Iris moved to block his view.
"Hey, I'm talking to you," she said. "I said get out."
"Do you treat all of your houseguests like this?" Eiling said.
"Generally we don't have houseguests as rude or ugly as you," Iris said. "We make exceptions."
"Oh, I don't plan to stay long," Eiling said. "I've got a car waiting. Mr. Allen, Ms. Snow, if you would please join me outside."
"Like hell," Barry said. He started to get up, but Caitlin pushed him back down.
"You're delusional," Caitlin told Eiling. "We know you took Rose Canton. Give it up."
"Let me rephrase that," Eiling said. "I strongly suggest that you and your fast little friend join me outside, or I will have to use force. I don't want to do that, believe me. But I have a dozen men just outside this house who will."
His boots clunked on the hardwood floor with each step. Caitlin's hand tightened on Barry's shoulder. She wondered if he could conjure up enough adrenaline to whisk them out of there. Probably not; and, besides, even if he could, he wouldn't be able to carry both Caitlin and Iris at the same time. Not to mention the fact that Eiling likely had more speed-traps ready at the touch of a button.
There was nowhere else to go.
Then, in a blink, Iris' hand dove back into her purse. With a steady hand and a trained resolve, Iris withdrew a gun and leveled it at Eiling's face. The man stopped in his tracks.
"Maybe I'm not making myself clear," Iris said. "Out. Now."
Eiling faltered, if only slightly, but turned it quickly into a smirk. "Look at you, the femme fatale after my own heart. Are you sure you know how to use that?"
Iris lowered her arms, pulled the trigger. A bullet hole opened up in the hardwood, inches from Eiling's feet.
"Pretty sure, yeah," she said coldly, and raised the gun eye-level once more.
"Ah, cop's daughter," said Eiling, lifting a finger condescendingly but stopping in his tracks all the same. "I don't suppose you ever had any interest in joining the military?"
"I'm going to give you ten seconds before I shoot you in your slimy mouth," Iris said. "I wonder what will happen first: that, or the entire police force showing up at the doorstep to take you down?"
Eiling raised his eyebrows, apparently impressed. "A silent alarm system?"
Iris didn't give any confirmation, but Caitlin glanced over at her purse again. Sure enough, the silent alarm beacon Cisco installed on all of their phones was flashing red at the top of the bag.
"Alright, here's how this is going to go," Eiling said. "You have one gun. I have one dozen. My men could kill you and take in Mr. Allen and Ms. Snow by force before my dead body hit the floor."
To Caitlin's discomfort, his eyes flicked to her.
"However," he continued, "I would prefer not to make a scene in such a lovely neighborhood. And I would prefer that everyone, myself included, remain undamaged. At least, for now. I suspect that in time we will be able to have a civilized conversation and come to some sort of agreement."
"I highly doubt it," Caitlin said icily.
Eiling smirked. While Caitlin couldn't say she'd ever found him uplifting, the expression knocked her confidence surprisingly askew all the same. "Maybe a few days," he said. "Be expecting my call."
Iris' arms tensed. Eiling held up his hands in mock surrender. One last look at Caitlin, at Barry, then he was gone. The door remained ajar, the dusk outside now absolute.
Once the sound of squealing tires was dispelled, Iris finally lowered the gun.
"Check outside, make sure all of them are gone," she instructed Caitlin. "I'm calling my dad. Eiling might be going to STAR if Cisco's there."
The thought caused a swooping sensation in Caitlin's stomach, but she complied without comment. Staying close to the wall, Caitlin edged toward the windows and drew back the curtains. Sure enough, all of the military vehicles that had surely been parked outside a minute before were gone. She had to give Eiling that—he didn't leave a trace.
"Yeah, dad," Iris was saying into her phone. "Calm down. I'm fine. We're all fine. Listen, I need you to go to STAR. Cisco should be there, and you need to get him out. Eiling might be going there next. Yes. Yes, he was here. No, we're fine. Okay. See you soon."
Caitlin drew the curtains tight once more and shut the door. Based on how easily Eiling had broken it in, it was probably useless to lock it again, but she did so anyway. It provided the illusion of safety, at least. With the house secured and isolated again, the rattling and whistling of an over-boiling pot suddenly dominated the space. Caitlin, Iris, and Barry remained motionless, a still, quiet, tense exchange that needed no words.
"I'll get it," Iris finally said, softly. "Call Cisco."
Iris disappeared into the kitchen to stifle the screaming pot. Barry lowered the remainder of his banana to the couch, looking sick. Caitlin fumbled for her phone and hit the first button on her speed dial.
"I can go after him," Barry said lamely. "I can probably get my speed back up to…" He trailed off even before Caitlin could stop him.
With each ring of the phone, Caitlin paced a little faster. When the ominous Imperial March theme of Cisco's voicemail started playing, she planted herself on the couch.
"Cisco," she said. "When you get this, leave STAR immediately. Eiling's on the prowl. We're going to be staying put tonight. Please lie low."
She swallowed hard and hung up the phone but kept it clutched in her hand. Even with the call made, she didn't move from her perch on the couch.
She only looked up at Iris' entrance. The other woman stood in the entryway to the dining room, arms crossed, clearly trying to look casual but failing. "Anyone want pasta?"
But the question was met with quiet. And, again, they all understood.
The rattling of Joe's keys in the lock startled Caitlin so much she unconsciously moved for Iris' gun, which remained in arm's reach on the coffee table. The movement jostled Iris and Barry as well—while there were plenty of seats in the living and dining room, the three of them had crowded together on the couch for comfort.
"It's just me," Joe said. "Just me."
Caitlin and Iris stood immediately, Barry somewhat more slowly.
"Cisco?" Caitlin asked.
Joe held up his hands. "He must have gotten your message. STAR was empty, and his bike wasn't outside. I would've gone to his apartment, but I wanted to get home to you."
Caitlin nodded. "Thanks for checking."
"Of course," Joe said. "So, Eiling was here? Not that I'm complaining, but why did he leave you…unscathed?"
"Iris may have threatened him," Barry said. "Sounded like he didn't want to make things messier than they had to be."
"Yeah, he said he would give us a call in a few days," Caitlin said with a frown. "Whatever that means."
Joe planted his hands on his hips and nodded, clearly as puzzled as they were. "Okay. We'll figure this out. For now, there's no way you're going back to your place alone, Caitlin. Iris, do you have something she could wear to sleep in?"
"Of course," Iris said. "I'll make up a bed on my floor."
"And I'll make one on mine for Cisco, if he makes it over," Barry said. "Although it's probably safer if he doesn't travel alone."
"Fine, good." Joe, distracted, stationed himself in one of the chairs. "Barry, you feeling better?"
"Almost completely," Barry said. "That serum was a whammy, though. Eiling's serious this time."
"Like he wasn't last time?" Caitlin said, raising her eyebrows. Barry dipped his head in concession
"How do we stop him, though?" Iris said. "Especially now that he has Rose and Jason?"
Caitlin set her jaw, shrugged. "I guess we wait for his call."
Caitlin woke up the next morning with a pervasive cloud of dread in her gut. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, wondering why she felt like she could throw up any minute. Her bones creaked when she shifted on the floor, and that alone reminded her of her precarious footing. She rolled to her side, her legs tangled in the quilt, and reached for her phone.
No messages. No missed calls. No voicemails.
She levered herself to her knees and reached for Iris' arm. The other woman was face-down in bed, breathing deeply. Part of Caitlin felt bad disturbing her, when they all needed so much rest, but her dread compelled her.
After only a few seconds of shaking, Iris sucked in a breath and lifted her head. She squinted at Caitlin. The sleep crusted to her eyes, her face momentarily smoothed by the obliviousness of slumber.
"What's up?" she said. "Is something wrong?"
"Cisco still hasn't contacted me," Caitlin said. "I've sent him five texts. Two voicemails. I know he's bad about responding to messages, but this is unusual."
Iris pushed herself up to a sitting position. "Have you checked Barry's room yet? Do you think Cisco could've come here after we went to bed?"
"It's possible," Caitlin said, but her heart reminded her that possible didn't mean true. "I'll check. Can you wake your dad?"
"Sure." Iris, bless her, vaulted out of bed as if she hadn't just been shaken awake from a deep sleep. "What time is it?"
Caitlin checked her phone. "Eight."
And almost a full twenty-four hours that she'd been at the West household. The weight sunk lower in her gut.
Iris disappeared down the hall toward Joe's room, and Caitlin padded toward Barry's. She paused outside of his door, listening for signs of life, staring at the lines in the oak. Tiny holes dotted the outside of the door, pinpricks where Barry had undoubtedly pinned up signs or pictures as a child to mark the room as his own. Such signs of habitation, of life, seemed exceedingly dangerous now. She wished she could erase herself, her friends, off of the grid, with no record of vibrant living for Eiling to track.
After another breath, she finally knocked and was met with a murmur of assent. Terrified of what she would find on the other side of the door, she pushed her way into the room.
Barry sat up in his bed, palming at his eyes. The mess of blankets and pillows he had set up on the floor lay empty, unused.
"Cisco never came," Caitlin said.
Barry looked down at the empty pile of blankets and blanched. "No." His mobility was back in full—sheets flew as he scrambled out of his own bed and launched himself toward the door.
Downstairs, Iris paced in the kitchen while Joe turned off the stove and put away a carton of eggs. Clearly he'd been in the middle of making breakfast, but by the look on his face, all of Caitlin's fears were confirmed.
"He's not down here either," Joe said. "Either he stayed at his place last night and hasn't looked at his phone, or…"
"Or what?" Caitlin said, though she knew the answer. "We need to check his place. Check STAR. It's possible he left his phone there when I told him to vacate."
"Right. That's probably what happened," Barry said, obviously clinging to whatever slim hope there was remaining. "My speed is back. I can go right now and be back in a minute."
"Take me with you," Caitlin said. "There's no way you're going alone."
"But Eiling is targeting you both," Joe said. "You can't both go."
"Joe." Caitlin's single word was enough to stall the other man. In the tenseness of the room, they all realized there was no room for further protest. Reluctantly, Joe nodded.
"If we're not back in ten minutes, well…" Barry winced, imagining the possibility. "Send in the cavalry."
Iris raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"
Barry shrugged. "You guys, I suppose."
Then he gathered Caitlin up in his arms and swept her away.
The sensation of being sped through the city would never cease to take Caitlin's breath away. Although it was only a few seconds, Caitlin felt as if an entire world passed through her vision. The lights, the color, the sound—it was all deafening in the best way possible. While she was always ready to be put back down to solid ground, she could understand why Barry might find it appealing to run for the rest of his life.
After that instant, a rush of warm air passed over her, and the landscape slowed. It took her a long moment of disorientation until she recognized that she was in the cortex at STAR, a still-empty cortex. Barry lowered her to the floor, and her head swiveled like an owl's.
"Place is deserted," Barry said, the two of them branching off to peek into different rooms connected to the cortex. "I can scour the rest of the building, but…"
They continued to look, their steps hesitant, their movements slow. Caitlin looked to the main console in the center of the room, trepidation building, and began walking toward it as if drawn by a magnet.
"I don't think there's any need," Barry continued. "Looks like Cisco hasn't come back."
"No." The apprehension crested, crashed. Caitlin reached the center console and reached out. "It looks like he never made it here." With shaking hands, she picked up the note she'd left on the table for him—and the uneaten granola bar that sat beside it.
Let the hell party begin! Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for your outraged comments.
Keep an eye out-the next chapter may be coming a bit earlier than usual!
Till next time,
Penn