"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.

***

When Caroline and her three and a half year old son Trevor left Mrs. Burns apartment Monday night, it was just to go down and get Mrs. Burns car warmed up for them. But, after she was in the hallway with Trevor, Caroline heard Mrs. Burns' apartment windows being broken open with someone crashing into them--and Mrs. Burns shrieking inside her apartment. So Caroline fled with Trevor and their overnight bag that they had taken with them. This was no small feat since Caroline is still basically one handed due to her injured left hand. So, she had to wake Trevor up so he could walk and they quickly took the fire stairs down to the garage. Caroline hurriedly left a twenty dollar bill with a note for Thomas on her car and she and Trevor drove away in Mrs. Burns' car. She hated leaving her beloved friend Mrs. Burns to the attackers, but Caroline had to put her little three and a half year old son Trevor's safety first.

And Caroline could not be sure that Mrs. Burns wouldn't be made to talk about her car in the storage unit by whomever was attacking them. So, Caroline decided to follow her original escape plan that she had put into place three years ago after she had Trevor. She just hopes that Thomas will be able to find them. But, she does take the storage unit and car keys with her out of the glove compartment of Mrs. Burns' car just in case they need it later. Then she abandons the car near a downtown restaurant--a mile from her final destination.

Caroline and Trevor take a taxi to Union Station to hopefully wait for Thomas to find the clue and join them. Happily, Trevor is very sleepy and he does not question why they are moving around a lot late at night. Trevor just moves when she tells him to and then he sleeps [(3)] when they are in the taxi and now in Chicago's Union Station train station. Caroline caresses Trevor's mussed up hair and his relaxed sleeping face, praying to keep him safe from any harm or psychological trauma. And she also worries about Mrs. Burns, praying that she will be alright as well.

It is an agonizing two and a half hour wait because Caroline knows that Thomas will probably try to go to Mrs. Burns storage unit first. And, there is no guarantee that Thomas will find her clue—though she clings to that hope. So, Caroline and Trevor sit on a side bench at Chicago's Union Station train station across from the storage locker that she had put the key for in the Memory Book--waiting and hoping for Thomas to find them. Thomas coming with the storage locker key is important because she has $50,000 in small bills--as well as false identity papers and some necessities--in a bag in the locker. Then, Caroline hopes that she and Trevor and Thomas can get lost somewhere until this can all be sorted out.

***

Thomas ditches his stolen car a mile away from Chicago's Union Station--as it happens, in the opposite direction that Caroline had fled. Then he walks on foot as he wends his way past late night revelers. It is 11:00pm late Monday night, May 23rd and he hasn't seen Caroline and Trevor for a little over two hours. Thomas clings to the hope that he will find them at the train station. Thomas has already changed into one of Mr. Burns' outfits to try to disguise himself a bit. Happily, Mr. Burns had a little paunch. So, Thomas stuffs his other clothing items in his pants--well Mr. Burns' pants--and he carries the Memory Book still in the plastic bag. Thomas is also wearing a hat. So, his attire and now his demeanor make him appear older than he really is. At 11:30pm, Thomas enters Chicago's Union Station train station [(4)]. He buys himself a soda and sits down. He looks around to see where the storage lockers might be.

To Thomas' relief, he spots Caroline and the sleeping Trevor across from what he thinks are the storage lockers. Caroline doesn't see Thomas yet. Thomas knows that he can't actually meet up with Caroline and Trevor if Trevor is awake, or Trevor might blow their cover in his excitement to see him. So, Thomas goes to a ticket window and buys a private sleeper cabin for two adults to head to the Seattle—on the Northwest Limited Amtrak train [(5)]. If someone is looking for them, they will be looking for two adults and one child. They can pay for Trevor when they get on board.

Thomas walks over to Caroline and tips his hat as he passes in front of her. She looks up at him in brief astonishment and relief. But Caroline does not move. Caroline continues to caress the sleeping Trevor soothingly--for him and for her. Then Thomas crosses to the lockers, opens the locker, takes out the medium sized bag that he finds is not all that heavy and he closes and locks the now empty locker door. Then he crosses over to Caroline and hands her the light weight Memory Book and their pictures in a plastic bag and the medium sized bag that he just got out of the locker. Then Thomas picks up their sleeping son Trevor and he also lifts the large and heavy overnight bag Caroline had brought with her. Then Thomas and Caroline walk to the train terminal and board their train that will take them to the Northwestern United States, on the Northwest Limited train.

***

Once inside their private sleeper cabin and bathroom compartment, Thomas and Caroline can breathe a brief sigh of relief. They are together, safe for now, and they have the financial means to keep them safe for a year of hiding if necessary. After that, they can access Thomas' $800,000 in multiple offshore accounts as needed. Thomas had also thoroughly planned for an escape scenario. They make sure Trevor goes to the potty before they put him to bed. As their son Trevor sleeps, Thomas and Caroline embrace and kiss each other in relief.

Thomas gazes searingly into his beloved Caroline's eyes as he caresses her face to reassure himself that she is real, and that he hasn't dreamed that he found she and Trevor safe.

Thomas: "Caroline my love. I was so worried. I love you and Trevor so much, Caroline."

Thomas rocks the softly crying Caroline in his arms. In truth, Thomas is also crying. They are letting their guards down, however briefly, because they must get control of their emotions if they are to save their family.

Caroline: "Oh Thomas I love you so. I was so afraid that we would never see you again." Then she asks the question that she has been afraid to ponder since she left Mrs. Burns' apartment. "Mrs. Burns ...?"

Thomas: "She didn't make it." He slowly shakes his head sadly.

Caroline: "No!" Caroline [(6)] whispers in a quietly sorrowful wail so as not to awaken and distress Trevor. But the tears streaming down her distraught face convey her devastation.

Thomas: Thomas tries to comfort Caroline in a hushed caring voice. "I know my love. But, she kept you and Trevor safe—which is what she had told me earlier tonight that she was willing to do. Although, we didn't know then that she was foreseeing her own death. She died after letting me know that you and Trevor had gotten away safely." Though Thomas does not tell Caroline the manner of Mrs. Burns' death at this time. And Caroline does not ask, her heart is too heavy with grief to know more.

Caroline: "She didn't deserve to die. Mrs. Burns was a wonderful friend to Trevor and I and we will always treasure her memory."

Thomas: "Yes, she was. .... Caroline, it may be even worse than we think." Caroline tenses up and looks at him fearfully. "I had contacted a special unit comprised of some of our old field colleagues who called themselves The Rangers. But the three of them that were supposed to intervene, didn't show up at the apartment nor at the rendezvous. So, they might also be dead."

Caroline: Caroline stares at Thomas for several moments in stunned incredulity. "Thomas, what happened tonight? Who could want to get to us so badly that they would kill four people to do it? And why?"

Thomas gazes at Caroline uncertainly, his jaw firmly clenched in anger for the danger his family is in [(7)]. He is as much in the dark as she is. His life the past two and a half years while working for The Company in Chicago has involved top security clearance international projects. But none that Thomas would deem to have the potential for violence. Thomas' analysis on the projects he analyzes involves possibly taking down powerful people who don't want to lose their hard won--not hard earned--power, prestige, and wealth. And Thomas has the clues to this mystery with him--around his neck on his Division flash drive attached to his lanyard--if he were to guess that this attack was caused by his analysis probing too deeply, which certain parties would rather he not do.

Thomas: I don't know. So we're on our own for now. We can only trust ourselves. I assume the bag that I retrieved has money and ids in it."

Caroline: "Yes. There is $50,000 in twenties and tens in there." Caroline nods, glad that she had the foresight to plan for possibly her past--their past--catching up with them.

Thomas: "That's my girl!" He smiles at her gratefully. "I also have nearly a million dollars in off shore accounts, but we'll have to wait to access them. I don't imagine that you have a false id in there for me, so ..."

Caroline: But Caroline cuts him off. "Yes Thomas, I do."

Thomas: "You do?" He asks her incredulously.

Caroline: "Yes. I knew that if Trevor and I ever had to run away somewhere, I could only envision us doing it with your help."

Thomas: "Oh Caroline!" He embraces her in love and relief.

Thomas and Caroline kiss tenderly, then passionately, then adoringly for several minutes. Thomas and Caroline are their own true loves and soul mates, forever. Although, under different circumstances Thomas and Caroline would have made love at this moment—in love and relief for their safe escape--they have to stay alert. So they content themselves with watching their little son Trevor sleep as they cuddle and kiss each other in their loving arms. At some point, the exhausted Caroline falls asleep in Thomas arms and he gazes at her lovingly. But Thomas cannot sleep. He has to keep watch over his family. Then, around 4:00am, Caroline awakes again and she insists that Thomas sleep a little bit while she stays awake to keep watch and he does so grudgingly.

This night has seen Thomas' and Caroline's world shatter around them. And the life they knew, is no more. And the life that they had hoped to build together--is still in question. Thomas' and Caroline's only thought is survival--for themselves and for Trevor. And somehow, together, they must find a way to do that.

To be continued with Chapter 14

References for "Fire & Ice" (Revised for Wattpad), Ch. 13, August 29, 2015 Gratiana Lovelace

1) The "Fire & Ice" 2015 story logo is a combination of the following elements edited together by Gratiana Lovelace:

a) Upper left image of Thomas Kane image is Richard Armitage as John Porter and Caroline is Shelly Conn as Dani in Strike Back series 1, epi 5 found at http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/StrikeBack/album/series1/Episode5/ep5_034.jpg;

b) Lower right image of Thomas Kane image is Richard Armitage as Lucas North in Spooks series 7 promo found at http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Spooks/spookspromo/album/series7-67.jpg

2) Image representing Thomas Kane (cropped and darkened) is that of Richard Armitage portraying Lucas North in Spooks, series 8 Promo (pix 26) and was found at http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Spooks/spookspromo/album/slides/series8-26.html

3) Trevor sleeping is a painting of a boy by not stated (but uploaded 2010) found at http://abstract.desktopnexus.com/wallpaper/453476/

4) Image of the interior of Chicago's Union Station train station was found at http://www.planetware.com/i/photo/chicago-il779.jpg

5) The Northwest Limited is a fictional Amtrak train heading from Chicago's Union Station to Seattle, WA based on the route for the real Empire Builder (but not its time tables) and was found at http://www.amtrak.com/train-schedules-timetables

6) Image representing Caroline Walters crying is that of Anne Hathaway in the movie "Love and Other Drugs" and was found at

http://www.pajiba.com/seriously_random_lists/is-that-supposed-to-be-cute-totally-unlovable-love-interests.php

7) Image representing Thomas Kane is that of Richard Armitage portraying John Porter in the 2010 Sky miniseries StrikeBack, epi1,pix17 found at http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/StrikeBack/album/series1/Episode3/ep3_017.jpg