𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐳𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭

𝟑𝟒

Valerie Ace Monroe

"He's crazy," Seth whispers, continuing his back and forth pacing.

"He's old," Allen quips, "I was expecting some middle aged, Harvard graduate. Not little Frankenstein."

Rubbing the ache between my brows, I say the same words I've told everyone for the past 10 minutes, "he's the best we got."

"I understand how his skills can benefit us, Val, but Dr. Doofenshmirtz in there is talking more crazy than Sister Elizabeth during mass," Matteo says, nodding his head towards the closed door beside him where Henry, the chemist, is in the room on the otherside, talking out loud as he writes down whatever it is he's thinking.

I'll admit, the man is crazy. But crazy is good. We need this guy, and if his crazy, weird, nonsense science gets me a bomb that will kill Leo Santerzos last heir then I don't care if he even thinks the world is flat. As long as I get what I want.

Ezra seems to be the only one who agrees with me on this as he says, "I know you two dumbasses don't know anyone else that can make a bomb, so if you have any other ideas other than complaining for another 10 minutes," his eyes set into a stern look, "then say something, or shut up. Henry is the only chemist we got right now, deal with it."

His gaze shifts to mine as I give him a grateful look.

I nod over to Athena and Quinn, "look at the Ghost Hill building and find how much has been built. Make a plan with the ghosts and Hunters," I look back at Allen, "try understanding what Henry is saying, and get a look at where the bomb will be the best to place."

Ezra leans back on the wall, pushing his hands in his pockets, "talk with the Hunters and tell them the plan with Athena and Quinn. I'll talk with you both later about the layout."

Matteo and Seth both nod at their leader, giving the rest of us a nod and a grin before leaving the room to do as they were told.

Athena, Quinn, and Allen do the same shortly after, leaving Ezra and I finally alone after what feels like forever.

I stagger over to the sofa, flinging my self on and sighing at the relief my body feels at finally laying down.

I open my eyes as Ezra sits on the coffee table, letting out a low chuckle at my patheticness before taking my foot by the ankle and beginning to unzip my boots for me, "I don't understand why you wear heeled shoes as often as you do when they are clearly uncomfortable."

"Being unfashionable I can't tolerate, being uncomfortable I can. Plus, I love these boots."

His thumbs begin to kneed into my sock covered foot, the feeling amazing enough that it almost makes me sleep.

But a nagging question is still working it's way into my head. "Do you think Henry will betray us?"

Ezras eyes are unflinching, "no, I don't. I do think he's going to be difficult to work with, since he's already ordering the Hunter's around."

I laugh, remembering the look on one of the Hunters faces when Henry told him to buy him coffee, threatening his head if he got it wrong.

"If this doesn't work out..." I say, thinking my worries aloud, "if this plan fucking goes wrong, there's nothing else we can do. Micheal will just move locations again, and rebuild. We can't just make another explosive, he'll have anticipated it already, leaving me with nothing else up my sleeve and another mission failed, broken promises that I made to the Ghosts-"

"This plan will work. This mission, our mission, will not be another fail, Ace, because this time we have more to loose. More to put up a fight for."

"And what's that, what do we have to loose," I ask, my eyes meeting his, searching them.