Breaking Free

Chapter Seventeen

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"Family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what." 

- Unknown 

***

Thea 

I pace back and forth trying to calm down my nerves as I wait for Zeke to come out and tell me what he had meant. The boys were restless as I am but honestly I think I am making them more anxious from my pacing.

"Cahill please sit your ass down," Asher grumbles.

I ignore him and continue to pace around just because he had said that. The thing I missed the most about him is how easily I can annoy him. Tired from walking I sit down next to Leo and a blanket of silence falls on us. You would think after months of being apart we would have something to talk about, yet we all sit in silence. 

"Where's Caleb," I ask desperately trying to break the ice.

Leo stops texting on his phone, Asher glares at the ground, and Raph's eyes cloud over with a mix of sadness and anger.

Really Thea?!

I know exactly what has happened to Caleb, but a small part of me wants to think that he is okay. For some reason, I tend to do that to everyone that leaves me. I guess I have a problem with coping with other people's death.

"He's alive but not- "

Raph gets cut off by Zeke entering the room with a laptop in his hands. I walk over to him as he plugs in the computer to an outlet. All of a sudden a map flashes in the middle of the table like a hologram.

"What is this," Asher asks.

"This my friend is where our little thief is," Zeke says pointing at a dot. "Every priceless painting like the Mona Lisa has a tracker attached to it. However, the only way you can access it is through the database of the government and luckily for you guys I know how to do that."

"How?" Raph asks.

"I am a thief remember."

Raph shakes his head and I look at the diagram of the map. The dot is blinking in Chicago and I wonder why he chose there out of all places.

"But it only gives us a broad visual, he can be anywhere within those streets," Leo says.

My eyes widen as I realize how close it is to a familiar street and right then I knew exactly where he is.

"Looking through each street will just waste time," Asher grumbles.

"We don't need to look through each street," I say looking at the boys. "I know where he is."

"Care to elaborate Shorty," Zeke says spreading his arms.

"The only reason why he is staying close to Chicago is for a specific reason, otherwise he would have been thousands of miles from there," I explain. "The only thing that is close to that area is the house that I grew up in."

"That would make sense. He's probably trying to figure out the clue there," Leo says.

"Well mates Chicago it is," Zeke says.

"Wait," Asher grumbles.

We all turn towards Asher who is looking at his phone with scrunched up eyebrows.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Walker wants to talk."

I snort. "Since when do we listen to him?"

"If we don't then he will spill everything to the authorities and we don't need them looking for the Tech as well."

"He's bluffing why would he tell them?" Leo says.

"His company is already getting millions of dollars, losing the chance of getting the Tech won't really affect him."

"What do you suggest we do then?" I ask.

"Leo and I will go talk to Walker, the rest of you go to Chicago and track down Woods," Raph says.

"Why can't we all go?" I ask not liking the idea of splitting up.

"Woods won't stay in the same place for long and I guarantee that either you or Asher would snap his head off even before he says a single word."

I would have argued with him, but I knew that he's right. Even if my father isn't my favorite person right now somehow Walker tops him off.

***

I lean my head against the bed and close my eyes. We leave Leo and Raph about two hours ago and are going to Chicago with one of Asher's private planes. It takes a lot of convincing to let Zeke hand over the ship to them, personally I think he has an unhealthy relationship with that ship. A sudden weight on my lap makes me snap my eyes open and look down to stare at certain pair of silver eyes.

"May I help you Archer?" I say raising an eyebrow.

"I am bored," he whines.

I roll my eyes. "Exactly how does this concern me?"

"Entertain me."

Again I roll my eyes but this time I ignore him. I plug back my earphones and try to zone him out which is hard, since he is playing with the strings to my jacket. Getting annoyed I rip out my earphones and pull my legs out causing Zeke's head to hit the bed.

"Hey!"

I stand up facing a dazed Zeke, but before I can yell at him to leave a sudden turbulence makes me stumble forward. Zeke grabs me before I hit the ground and we fall backwards towards the bed with me under.

"Get off of me," I say pushing his chest.

"I don't know I like the position a lot," he says smirking.

I am going to slap him up the head when the door bursts open.

"We are about to land-"

Before Asher can finish his sentence he looks at us with a blank expression. Regaining my strength I push Zeke off making him land on his ass on the ground. I quickly stand up and clear my throat hoping it won't get awkward. He looks at me with a hurt expression, but it quickly morphs into a cold emotionless face. Taking me by surprise he walks out and slams the door on the way.

"What crawled up his ass this morning?" Zeke says rubbing his back.

I glare at him and walk out of the room slamming the door as well. Asher is sitting in one of the seats looking straight ahead and gripping his hands together. I walk towards him to explain myself but I stop when I am a couple of seats away.

Why do I have to explain myself?

There's no reason too. Changing my mind I turn my body the other way and sit a couple of seats away from him. As I walk towards the other side a sense of deja vu hits me but I quickly shake it off. Zeke comes out of the room and sits next to me while flashing me a smirk and a wink. At the corner of my eyes I can see Asher burning death glares at Zeke.

What the hell is his problem? 

***

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Loved the comments on the last chapter by the way. Glad to know you guys love Asher just as much as me. 

Also comment if you like the Pirates of the Caribbean. No one I know shares the same craziness to the series like me :(