Chapter 27: Ape-shit Crazy

Ace, Melissa, and Milo sped through the dimly lit streets, their destination set—Landon's Primate Shelter. Ace gripped the wheel of his beat-up convertible, the wind whipping through his hair, while Milo sat on Melissa's lap, his tongue lolling out in contentment.

For a moment, there was silence, just the hum of the engine and the occasional yip from Milo as he enjoyed the ride. Then, Melissa glanced over at Ace, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"So... how have you been these past couple of years?" she asked, a small smirk playing on her lips.

Ace grinned and adjusted his sunglasses. "Oh, you know, the usual—traveling the world, solving crimes, infiltrating secret societies… dating my fair share of cheerleaders, acrobats, and aerobic instructors."

Melissa raised an eyebrow. "Aerobic instructors?"

Ace nodded solemnly. "Yeah, that one didn't last long. Turns out, doing high kicks in spandex doesn't necessarily translate to deep intellectual conversations."

Melissa let out a laugh. "And the acrobat?"

Ace sighed dramatically. "Oh, she was great—until she flipped out on me. Literally. Left me hanging upside down from a trapeze for three hours. I had to gnaw my way through the rope like a beaver just to escape."

Melissa shook her head, laughing. "You are so full of it."

Ace gasped. "Me? Lying? Never! I am a beacon of truth, a paragon of honesty, a—"

"Pathological exaggerator?" she finished for him.

Ace grinned. "Tomato, tomahto."

Melissa rolled her eyes, still chuckling. "Alright, enough about your fictional love life. What about mine?"

Ace leaned back in his seat, feigning deep interest. "Yes, Melissa Robinson, tell me—have you found love? Have you walked down the aisle? Have you…" He gasped, "…settled?"

Melissa smirked. "Well, I did date someone for a while."

Ace wiggled his eyebrows. "Ooooh, do tell!"

"His name was George Taylor," she said, watching Ace's reaction. "He's an astronaut."

Ace blinked. "An astronaut?"

Melissa nodded. "Yep."

Ace drummed his fingers on the wheel. "So, let me guess—you guys broke up because he was overly obsessed with his out-of-this-world job?"

Melissa arched an eyebrow. "Something like that. He was so absorbed in his work, always looking to the stars, always preparing for his next mission. Kind of reminded me of… someone else I used to know."

Ace grinned. "Ree-hee-healy?" he said, elongating the word as only he could. "If he's an astronaut, what mission is he working on next? Let me guess, moonwalking lessons? Zero-gravity dance battles?"

Melissa smirked. "Actually, he's leaving in a few days for Mars."

Ace snorted. "Mars? Ha! Let me know when he sends back a postcard from the little green men."

Melissa folded her arms. "Not just Mars. After that, they're planning to continue on to the closest star."

Ace slammed on the brakes so hard that Milo flew forward, catching himself on the dashboard. Ace turned to Melissa, mouth agape. "Heh-heh-heh… That's impossible!"

Melissa leaned back, arms crossed. "Technology has made quite a few advancements since you went off into the jungle, Ace."

Ace pointed at her accusingly. "Oh-ho-ho, I see what this is! You're messing with me! There's no way NASA—or anyone—has a space shuttle capable of getting to another star!"

Melissa smirked. "It's called Liberty 1. But most of the crew just calls it Icarus."

Ace burst into laughter. "Icarus?! Oh, that's rich. They do realize Icarus is famous for crashing and burning, right?"

Melissa shrugged. "Guess we'll find out."

Ace shook his head, still chuckling. "Well, best of luck to Captain Taylor and his merry band of space cadets. Maybe they'll find a planet full of talking monkeys while they're out there."

Milo let out a bark.

Ace scratched his chin. "Or maybe..."

Melissa laughed. "Come on, Ace, let's focus. We have a primate to rescue."

With that, Ace revved the engine and sped off into the night, a glint of intrigue in his eyes.

As Ace pulled into the parking lot of Landon's Primate Shelter, a gnawing sense of unease settled in his gut. The place looked like it had been hit by a hurricane. The front door hung open, swaying slightly in the wind, and several windows were shattered.

"Something tells me they're not open for business," Ace muttered.

Melissa stepped out of the car, her brow furrowed. "Be careful," she warned as they cautiously made their way inside.

The interior was a disaster zone. Papers, broken furniture, and overturned cages littered the floor. Deep scratch marks covered the walls, and a lingering scent of something wild and musky filled the air. It looked less like an animal shelter and more like a battlefield.

"This place is a mess," Melissa said, scanning the chaos.

Ace took in the destruction with wide eyes. "Whoa! I think these chimps must've gone Ape-shit!"

As they moved deeper into the shelter, they came upon the chilling sight of a man sprawled lifeless on the floor. Melissa gasped. "Oh my god… It's Landon's son."

Ace bent down, inspecting the body. "Looks like he didn't make the VIP list for the great monkey escape."

Melissa shuddered. "I'm calling the police." She reached for her phone, but before she could dial, a voice rang out.

"Caesar isn't here."

Ace and Melissa whirled around. A man emerged from the shadows, gripping an empty canister labeled ALZ-113. It was Will Rodman.

Ace squinted at the label. "Isn't that the same stuff the guy back at Gen-Sys said not to open?"

Will shook his head. "Not exactly. This is an advanced formula. Caesar found it in my fridge." He sighed heavily. "If he used it on the other chimps… they could be smarter than before. And more dangerous."

Melissa's eyes widened. "Where do you think they went?"

Will ran a hand through his hair, visibly distressed. "I don't know."

Ace snapped his fingers, a sudden realization hitting him. "If they're smarter, then they're not just running… they're recruiting."

Melissa turned to him. "Recruiting who?"

Ace pointed at Will. "The same place you took Caesar the first time—"the Edge City Zoo."

Ace gripped the steering wheel, his eyes darting between the road and the increasingly worried look on Will Rodman's face. Melissa sat in the passenger seat, Milo perched on her lap, his ears twitching with every bump in the road.

"So let me get this straight," Ace began, glancing at Will in the rearview mirror. "You kept a hyper-intelligent ape in your house, and he just so happened to stumble upon a highly classified, intelligence-enhancing super drug in your fridge?"

Will sighed. "It wasn't supposed to be this way. Caesar was special, but I never expected him to—"

"Throw a frat party with a bunch of other apes hopped up on brain juice?" Ace finished. "Because that's exactly what happened."

Melissa turned to Will. "How dangerous is this stuff?"

Will hesitated. "ALZ-113 is more advanced than its predecessor. It doesn't just increase intelligence—it makes them more aware, more strategic, more human."

Ace let out a slow whistle. "Great. Just what we need. A bunch of hair-covered Einsteins planning the next big revolution."

Melissa shot him a look. "This is serious, Ace."

"I am serious," he quipped. "The last time I had to deal with an animal uprising, it involved a flock of very aggressive pigeons and a bread truck. I barely made it out alive!"

Will ignored him and rubbed his temples. "If they really did go to the zoo, it means they're looking to expand their numbers. This isn't just a jailbreak. It's an uprising."

Ace smirked. "Dun-dun-dun!"

Melissa swatted his arm. "Focus!"

Ace sighed and steered the car toward Edge City Zoo. "Fine. But I'm telling you, if this turns into The Planet of the Apes, I'm expecting a 'thank you' card when we save the day."

Will frowned. "Ace, this is serious. If they get enough apes on their side, there won't be a day to save."

Milo let out a small whimper.

Ace sighed. "Alright, alright. Let's go save the world from a monkey revolution."

As the car sped toward Edge City Zoo, Ace couldn't help but shake his head. Just another day in the life of a Pet Detective.

To be continued...