Breaking Free

Chapter Twelve

Finally updated!

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"To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing." 

- Leo Buscaglia

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Thea 

Zeke landed us about few miles away from the city limits giving us a hide out until we figure out our plan. Unsurprisingly the landing wasn't that great, I think we destroyed a few trees.

Right now Zeke and I are hovering over the layout of Black's house trying to figure out where he might have stashed the plans. It's actually more like a mansion than a house, the building is medieval fashion with bricks and towers. He has about twenty bedrooms, five office rooms, six bathrooms and it's about eight thousand square feet.

Zeke bangs his head on the table and groans. "Who the hell would want to live in a house that could fucking fit the whole country?"

"He's rich."

He glares at me. "Really? I did not know that," he says sarcastically.

I roll my eyes. "Does he have a safe or anything?"

"He does and I could probably get into them, he may be the devil but he's smart. Stashing plans that could be worth over a million dollars in an open safe isn't smart."

I nod my head. That is true, he finally has what he has been searching for about fifteen years. Then a thought comes to mind scaring me.

"Zeke," I say slowly.

"What's wrong Shorty?" he asks still staring at the plans.

"What if... What if he already sold them?" I whisper.

His head snaps up to mine and he shares the same freaked out expression as I do.

If he did then millions of people will suffer from my slip up. All their innocent lives would be on me because I screwed things over. I grab the table and stop myself from hyperventilating. Zeke walks over to me and stops when he is about a few inches away. He puts his hand on back and tries to calm me down.

"Shorty listen to me. If he sold them to the armies or to the black market I would have found out the second he did. We will get them back I just need you to calm down okay?"

His voice has a soothing tone to it that it brought ease to my static mind. It scares me that he has that kind of effect on me. I look up at him and stare into his eyes.

Can I actually trust him?

Like he knew what's going through my mind he let out a breath and walks closer. Before I can comprehend the little space between us he wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his chest. My head fit in the crook of his neck like it is a missing puzzle piece and without thinking I bury my head into his neck while wrapping my arms around him. We stay like this for a few minutes with me just in his arms and those few minutes feel like heaven to me. You don't know how much you need someone just to hold you until you don't have anyone for a year.

"Shorty, I don't like hugs or any of the lovey dovey bullshit so you should feel very special if I am hugging you," he mutters through my hair.

I smile at his words and laugh a little. "Awww is Zekey saying he cares for me?"

He pulls away from me and looks into my eyes. "Never, and I mean never call me that goddamned name ever again."

I smile sweetly at him. "No promises... Zekey."

He gives me a glare and I laugh at his seriousness. I pat his chest and pull myself away from his arms.

"Thank you," I say after a few minutes. I am truly grateful for that hug because I really needed one.

"No problem Shorty. You're lucky that you're hot."

I chuckle at his statement and continue to look over the layout of the mansion. I can feel Zeke leaning against the table next to me looking through the layout as well.

Three Hours Later

The room is filled with coffee cups and food all over the floor. Zeke is sprawled across the couch sleeping with a hand on his face. I am still staring at the layout trying to use my special staring powers to find a secret place Black could have kept the plans.

Unfortunately, I didn't have any special starring powers. I bang my head against the table with frustration.

This is hopeless.

Look around you and sometimes not everything is what it seems to be.

My mother's voice rings in my ears as I bang my head in frustration. Once again I look up at the layout and run my fingers against the paper.

Not everything is what it seems to be.

As my fingers trace along the layout of each room it stops in the library. A very small gap that could hardly be seen unless you look very closely is between the walls. I take a pencil and circle the gap and look closely at it. This layout is drawn by professionals, they wouldn't have made that gap unless it means something.

Like a secret room.

My eyes went wide and a huge smile appears on my face. I jump up and scream at the top of my lungs. I literally start doing a happy dance around the room from happiness. Zeke hearing my screams jumps up from the couch. His clothes are wrinkled up and his hair is sticking in different directions. Zeke looks at me in confusion and then in horror.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Stop smiling like that you like the Joker!!"

My smile grows wider and I start laughing.

"Um... Shorty.... you okay? You're not possessed or anything are you?"

"Nope."

I pull out the layout and shove it up his face.

"You found it?"

I nod.

"Where?"

"See that little gap. Well unless the architects just forgot to connect the lines there it could mean that there is a room there."

He looks up at me like I am a child. "You're telling me that you started screaming and woke me up from my sleep thinking that we are under attack because you think this microscopic gap might lead to a secret room?"

I nod.

He gives me a look and starts shaking me.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Oh I am trying to get rid of whatever is possessing you."

I glare at him. "Okay I know it's a long shot but it's the only lead I have."

He stops shaking me and looks at the layout again.

"I guess we have nothing to lose," he grumbles.

I smile in satisfaction and turn to leave.

"We go in tomorrow night," I announce.

"Wait I have a few conditions." Zeke says looking serious. "First this is my territory now Shorty. You may have stolen the Mona Lisa but stealing is what I do and I am made to do."

I shrug. "As long as we get the plans."

"Second once we get the Plans I want to destroy it," he says. "I steal but I don't mess with people's lives."

A small smile appears on my face. Guess there is hope in humanity after all. 

***

Again this book is completely fictional and I am not an architect so my reasoning might be wrong but this is my story so if I wanted to make unicorns real then I will.