"No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly.”

- J.R.R. Tolkien

>>>·<<<

CHAPTER ELEVEN

>>> Aspen's P.O.V. <<<

Moments after Cisco tells us over the phone that Barry should be back any minute, and after Julian steps away to converse both on the phone with someone at the station and with the officers at the scene, Barry comes racing back into the parking lot. He stops behind a parked car so no one sees the Flash making a surprise appearance. 

"Just where the hell do you think you've been?" Tril asks, arms crossed over her chest.

Barry walks, at a normal pace, over to us. His face is flushed from running, and he places his hands on his knees, leaning over to catch his breath. "I just ran...all over the city. I checked every warehouse, school, stadium, office building, and library that I could find. I even...I even checked the streets and any suspicious cars." He pulls himself up, looking defeated. "I couldn't find Persephone anywhere."

I reach out to place my hand on his shoulder. "Thank you for looking, Barry, but I think we've found a suspect."

He looks at me with surprise. "Who?"

"A gym teacher," I reply. "While you were gone--"

"--She means while you ran off without telling anyone--" Trillium interrupts.

"--Julian found out that there were two other kids taken from the school. Both were in Persephone's gym class."

"So, give me the address, I'll go get him now."

I shake my head. "Joe said you would say that."

Tril pulls up two fingers on each hand to make air quotes as she talks in a deep voice, attempting to imitate Joe West. "'And whatever you do, don't let Barry run all over this gym teacher before we get there.'"

Barry rolls his eyes slightly. "That sounds like Joe. So, what now?"

"Now, we move out," Julian says, walking back over to us. "I have the address for the perp. His name is Frank Torres. He has a history of assault in the first degree in Keystone, where he spent three years in prison for the crime, and assault in the third degree in National City, where he spent a year in jail. Now he lives with someone named Maria Marcus on the outskirts of Central City."

Barry nods, and Joe joins us again. "I have a team ready. You have an address, Julian?" The blond Brit nods. "Then let's go."

>>>·<<<

"This is a terrible, terrible idea," Cisco says through the earpieces that Barry and I are both wearing as we walk up to the apartment door of Frank Torres. "You're gonna die if he's a maniac like the Trickster."

"Fransisco Ramone," Caitlin chastises.

"What? Just sayin'."

Our plan is simple. Barry and I are going to walk right into the lion's den wearing one of Cisco's devices under our clothing. We're going to stand there and talk to Mr. Torres about the camping trip he usually takes the elementary school kids on every spring. While we're talking, Cisco and Caitlin are going to remotely activate the device that scans for heat signatures, cold spots, and movement. They could do this using the S.T.A.R. Labs satellite  but the area where Mr. Torres lives is out of range for another ten hours and we can't wait that long. Just outside, Joe has a group of cops ready to break down the doors at any time. If Caitlin and Cisco find anything suspicious, we arrest Mr. Torres and find Seph.

"Piece of cake, right?" I mutter to Barry as he knocks on the apartment door.

Barry reaches over for my hand as he replies, "Oh, yeah. Piece of cake."

The door opens a few moments later, and we see a middle-aged man standing on the other side. He has dark hair with graying patches on his goatee. His eyes are dark, with equally dark under-eye circles. He wears gym short and a t-shirt that has the logo for the biggest basketball team in Central City. He looks between Barry and I with a look of confusion. "Can I help you?"

Barry is the first to speak, sensing my anxiety and anger heat up my powers through our holding hands. "Hi! My name's Barry Allen. This is my... fiancé, Aspen Penrose. You're the P.E. teacher at Central City Elementary, right? Frank Torres?"

Torres looks at me with uncertainty, just as I look at Barry out of the corner of my eye in the same way. "Yes, I am."

I hear Cisco's voice through the ear piece, saying, "Aaand we're in. Just keep him talking. We need at least a couple minutes."

Barry grins widely. "Oh, good! We just wanted to ask you a few questions about the camping trip you always take the elementary school kids on, the one next spring? I know Christmas Eve is tomorrow, but we'd appreciate a few minutes of your time." Barry nods to the apartment. "May we come in?"

Torres seems hesitant, which makes me even more suspicious, but he does let us into his house. It's about the same as everyone on the outskirts of Central City: small, old, and surprisingly clean. Torres offers us a seat on the sofa in the first room. "Who is the child you're asking questions about? I feel like I've seen you before, Ms. Penrose."

I answer, speaking for the first time since we arrived. "Her name is Persephone. She's a second grader."

Torres smiles. "Yes, I remember her. Small, short hair a bit lighter than yours, brown eyes. She looks like you." Torres turns to Barry. "She doesn't look anything like you, kid."

Barry is caught off-guard by the assumption of fatherhood. "Oh! Well...yeah, she takes after her mother." A moment pauses, and Torres raises an eyebrow. "She takes...a lot after her mother. Isn't that right, sweetheart?"

The name catches me by surprise. I reply slowly, "Yes...she does, my love."

Barry grins at me, trying to hide the color that fills his face.

Torres nods, seemingly convinced. "What kind of questions did you have?"

Barry starts to ask questions, but my attention fades to the apartment building itself. I look for any signs of someone who might've taken not only my daughter, but three children. I look for any weapons, anything that could've been used to take someone hostage. I listen intently to the sounds of the apartment, straining to hear anyone who might be kept here against their will.

Caitlin speaks through my ear piece. "Give us another minute, then we should be good. If you can, one of you should walk to a different part of the house. It'll help us triangulate the readings we're getting."

After the first of Barry's questions are answered, I smile at Torres and ask, "Excuse me, do you have a restroom I could use?"

Torres nods, pointing to the small hallway behind us. "Second door on the right."

I nod a thank you and head down the hallway as Barry continues to talk. Once out of view, I open each door slightly, peaking inside. The first is just a closet. The second is the bathroom. The third is the master bedroom. When I get to the forth, I hear the sound of a small child crying. In a hurry, I open the door completely.

Inside, I see a child around Seph's age. He sits in the middle of the floor of a room covered in Pokemon toys and posters, crying his eyes out. I enter the room and lean down to his level. "Hey, are you okay, little one?" I ask.

The child stops crying and looks at me with confusion in his dark eyes. "Where's my mom?"

"Who's your mom?"

"She left me here with Frank Torres. I don't like him."

Taken back, I ask, "Is your mom's name Maria Marcus?" The boy nods. "Oh, goddess," I say to myself.

"What's wrong?" Caitlin asks.

I turn my head away, replying to her. "Torres isn't just living with Maria. Maria has a son that lives here, too." I turn back to the boy. I sit down on the ground, crossing my legs and picking up one of his Pokemon toys with a smile. "My name is Aspen. What's your name?"

"Benji," he answers, picking up the counterpart to the toy I raised. "Benji Marcus."

"Why don't you like Frank, Benji?"

Benji shrugs. "He only likes my mom. He doesn't like me."

"Does he hurt you?"

"No, I just don't like him. He likes to pretend I'm not here when mom's working."

I turn my head and hear Barry finish asking questions with Torres. I hand Benji his Pokemon back and stand in a hurry. "Benny, I'm sorry but I have to leave. Don't tell anyone I was in here, okay? It'll be our secret."

Benji nods. "Okay, Aspen."

I pull the card for my Society of Animals from my pocket and hand it to Benji. "If Frank ever makes you scared or hurts you, you call my number, okay, Benji?" Benji gives another nod, and I smile. "Okay, then. Bye bye for now."

"Bye."

I leave, closing the door behind me. I walk back into the living room, linking my arm with Barry's. "Time to go, my love."

END CHAPTER ELEVEN