"Fire & Ice" by Gratiana Lovelace (Revised for Wattpad, 2015) (Completed)

Ch. 13 (PG-13, D): Thomas Hunts for his Family

"Fire & Ice" (Revised for Wattpad), Ch. 13 (PG-13, D): Thomas Hunts for his Family, August 29, 2015 Gratiana Lovelace

(An original story copyrighted by Gratiana Lovelace, 2015; all rights reserved)

[From time to time, I will illustrate my story with images of actors representing my dream cast--including Richard Armitage as Thomas Kane and Anne Hathaway as Caroline Walters, Doris Roberts as Mrs. Burns, Tim Gamble as Peter Wendt, Brian Protheroe as Martin, Mary McDonnell as Mary, Seth Green as Todd, Raven Symone as Fiona, and Logan Lerman as Allen, Andrew May as Paul Foster, and others as noted in the image credits.] [(1) "Fire & Ice" story logo]

Author's Mature Content Note:  "Fire & Ice" is romantic thriller story with mature themes (D for drama, S for sensuality, and V for violence) of love and relationships. Most chapters will be PG or PG-13. However, if you are unable or unwilling to attend a movie with the ratings that I provide, then please do not read that chapter. This is my disclaimer.

Author's Recap from the previous chapter:  The stakes are high, several people have been injured or already lost their lives this Monday evening--including, their friend and neighbor Mrs. Burns who was killed by a heart attack brought on by the unexpected attack. After fleeing Mrs. Burns' apartment separately from the unknown attackers--when Thomas had gone back to Caroline's apartment by himself to retrieve the memory book and their new family photos--Thomas anguishes over finding Caroline and Trevor before anyone else does.

"Fire & Ice", Chapter 13 (PG-13, D): Thomas Hunts for his Family

Thomas races down their apartment building's fire exit stairs down to the underground garage parking area. He looks around for Caroline's car and sees that it is still in its parking spot. But he notices that Mrs. Burns' car is missing. He knows this because all of the parking spots are neatly arranged and labeled according to the apartment that they belong to. Thomas looks under Caroline's car—to see if there is a bomb underneath it left by the attackers, or if she left him something to guide him to she and Trevor--bread crumbs. Thomas finds one of the Burns' twenty dollar bills tucked up under the license plate in back—a standard way of passing messages back and forth that he and Caroline had used when they were in the field as undercover operatives. The twenty dollar bill has two words written on it—first tooth. And Thomas clutches the Memory Book to him in relief.

But Thomas will have to look up that clue later in the Memory Book. Right now, he needs to get away from the building. So, he finds a car in another row, opens its door and wires the vehicle to start. Then he drives away into the night. Since the special unit team Thomas called earlier wasn't able to get there in time tonight, he goes to their rendezvous location fifteen minutes away. But, they don't show up. So, Thomas can only suspect the worst--that they've been killed also. Thomas and his family are on their own. But, for now, Thomas doesn't even know where Caroline and Trevor are--and he is frantic to find them and to keep them safe. So, Thomas drives toward the pier and the Acme Storage unit that Mrs. Burns mentioned her husband's car was stored in a round about way. If he is being followed, he doesn't want anyone to have a chance to find Caroline and Trevor.

Thomas [(2)] parks the car he stole in a dark secluded spot where he can visualize everything at the storage units--but remain unseen himself--and he pulls out and opens the Memory Book and turns to the page about Trevor's first tooth. Thomas reads the seemingly innocuous caption as he did the other day and doesn't draw any clues from it. But now, he also opens up the small envelope taped to the page—and inside, in addition to his son's tooth, Thomas finds a small Union Station Storage Locker key.

Thomas realizes that Caroline has obviously thought ahead to the day when her past work for the government might catch up with she and Trevor. And Thomas marvels at and admires Caroline's field operative stealth. Thomas waits two hours and watches the storage units, but there is no sign of Caroline and Trevor--nor any other activity there. So, he heads to Union Station in Chicago.