by Evelyn Glass
“That’s awful. I can’t imagine what it must be like for you to remember that.”
He took a deep breath. “I’ve learned how to process it,” he said, offering a smile to diffuse the tragic air. “There isn’t a day when I don’t think about those guys – my friends and colleagues – but I carry on working to try and do them proud.”
“I’m sure they would be,” she said, longing to reach out and place her hand on his, but not wanting to cross the boundary, especially with Stephan by her side.
“If everyone but you was killed,” Stephan said,” then how do we explain the fact this bomb is new? The serial numbers on the cables are from this year. Whoever made this inscribed that unit logo on the bomb.”
Zeke’s face grew pale. He shrugged. “I have no idea. I’ll start making a list of everyone involved in the unit. Maybe there was confusion over the death toll. I’ll have to contact all the families involved.”
He downed the last of his beer with a grimace and Sophie saw him shudder.
“Hey, if you want help contacting them, I’m here.” She turned to Stephan. “I have a few days off don’t I? You can’t do this alone.”
Zeke looked at her, and his hard frown softened as he nodded. “Thanks. That’d be good.”
She caught his eye for a second too long, and a rush of nerves forced her to glance back at her beer bottle. She looked up again, just in time to see him sweep some hair back off his brow. He looked tired, which Sophie thought was kind of cute. Zeke, the club leader, the guy who guarded people’s lives, looking weary was like a knight with a chink in his armor. She grinned.
“What?” Zeke asked her, with a weak smile. “Did I miss something funny?”
Her cheeks burned hot; she knew she must be cherry red. “Um, nothing,” she stammered, laughing. “Just something I remembered. Girls stuff. You two wouldn’t find it funny.”
Relief washed over her. She’d learned early on working in the garage that whenever she to conceal something she simply had to utter the words “girls stuff” and the guys instantly backed off.
Zeke downed the last sip of beer from his bottle and looked over just in time to catch her watching his neck tip upwards, baring the dark shadow of stubble. God, she was awful at hiding her feelings. She vowed to pull herself together. The self-assured look he gave her sent a shiver through her chest. She glanced over at Stephan who raised an eyebrow at her. Damn.
“Another?” Zeke asked, holding up his empty bottle.
“Go on then,” Stephan said with a wry smile. “I can walk home from here.”
“OK,” Sophie agreed, glancing at her watch. She had nothing to go home for, so why not?
Zeke headed for the bar but was intercepted by a brunette in tight jeans and a cropped ACDC T-shirt. Sophie couldn’t tear her eyes from the scene as the women rubbed Zeke’s arm affectionately, throwing her head back in laughter at something he said. They were clearly closer than just casual acquaintances. Either they had a history, or this brunette was determined to create history with him.
“So, the kids are off to camp this summer,” Stephan said as he sat back and placed his hands behind his head with a sigh.
“Oh yeah?” Sophie asked, unable to tear her gaze from the encounter. Zeke had walked over to the bar by now, but the brunette followed. She was talking enthusiastically and stroking her long hair, which was now pulled across to one side as she tilted her head at an angle, baring her tanned neck. Zeke ordered the drinks and occasionally nodded at something she said. Was it just polite nodding, Sophie wondered, or was he loving the attention. Her “player” alarm was ringing, but she hit snooze until further notice. She’d give him the benefit of the doubt. He seemed interested in Sophie; she was sure of it. And they’d definitely been flirting with one another, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t flirt with other women. She had no claim to him. Her heart sunk as she attempted to tune into the monologue Stephan was delivering to her right.
“... so Ruth thinks they’re old enough to be away for three weeks, but I’m not so sure. I’m worried Alana will be open to bullying. She’s so sensitive. It’s so hard being a parent. Give me a rusty old engine any day. At least I know how that works.”
Sophie smiled at him. “I can’t imagine what it must be like. I’d be a terrible mom.”
“No, you wouldn’t. It’d just come naturally. You’re a sweet girl. One day, you’ll be awesome.”
She shrugged. “We’ll see.”
She looked back at Zeke who was now heading back to the table, his hands clasped together to hold the three beers. He shot her a smile, which sent a ripple of excitement through her. The brunette was still at the bar, watching Zeke walk away, a scowl on her face. She caught Sophie’s eye with a sneer, tossed her hair and walked off. Brunette 0 – Sophie 1.
“You could have asked your... friend... to join us,” Sophie said, testing for a reaction.
Zeke choked on a sip of beer. “Her? God no. She’s a stalker. I might get you to have a word with her,” he replied with a wink.
She blushed, remembering how he’d helped with Greg.
“Have I missed something?” Stephan asked, sitting forward.
“No,” they both said defiantly at the same time, before laughing.
“Cheers,” Zeke said, and put his bottle up, and the other two followed suit, clinking bottles with his. “Here’s to making new friends after your attempted murder,” he said with a wry smile.
“Nice sentiment,” Sophie said sarcastically.
Stephan laughed. “You make friends in the strangest of circumstances... and this has to be the strangest one I’ve been in.”
Chapter Seven
Zeke
Staring at the list of names on the sheet of paper on the table before him, Zeke felt sick. As he read each name... Brad, Scottie, Gary... he visualized their faces as he remembered them. He’d had some of the best days of his life with these guys—sunbathing in the hot sun, cooking food on a barbecue, talking about women and hopes and dreams. He’d also had some of his worst times with them too.
Injuries. Shootouts. Seeing dead children by the side of the road in the desert. They bonded like a family through all the good and bad. When he found out they were all wiped out his heart ached like a burning ball of fire about to burst out of his chest. The pain lingered for months.
He dreamt of the blast every night at first. He could remember a huge noise. It was more than a bang, it was like an almighty roar so loud it hurt his ears. His brain still imagined the pain in his ears during his dreams, which made it seem all the more real. The only other thing he remembered was a surge of heat as he was thrown against a wall, several bones in his body cracking at the force.
He’d missed the funerals as he was in a coma, which made the hurt worse. He never got to say goodbye. To pay his respects. To thank them for the ultimate sacrifice – their lives.
It had been two years since the explosion, yet his emotional wounds were still raw. Some days he felt guilty for enjoying life and so took on more work and devoted himself to saving others. It was as if he felt he no longer deserved happiness as these men were stripped of theirs so brutally. Counselors explained, over the course of several months of sessions, he needed to live and enjoy his life. It wasn’t his fault. He shouldn’t take his life for granted. He was given a second chance, and he should use it. He’d began to think that way over the past few months, but seeing the unit’s logo on that wire reminded him of the loss. But he couldn’t let whoever was trying to kill him win. Were they trying to finish the job by striking off the last unit member once and for all? For the sake of his friends who died, there was no chance he would let them win this battle. He had to fight. He had to find out who was to blame and take them down.
There was a knock on the door.
As he opened it, his breath caught to see Sophie in a crisp, pale blue blouse and skinny jeans. Her golden hair flowed past her shoulders, and as she smiled, he noticed how pink and soft her lips looked.
She came in and followed him through to the living area. She hesitated for a moment before turning to him and saying tenderly, “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“Yeah,” he replied, looking her in the eyes with determination. “It has to be done.”
“You’re right. You need to speak to these people. I’m here for you.”
He smiled, and she looked away like it all felt too much, and emotional displays weren’t her forte.
She glanced at the frames of motorcycle art on the walls.
“It’s a bit of a bachelor pad,” he said, pulling on his leather jacket.
“I like it,” she replied with a grin. “That’s some awesome paintwork,” she added, admiring one particular bike. He watched her smiling up at the poster. She was her own species, nothing like any women he’d met before. He imagined her in goggles and gloves bent over a bike, spraying and concentrating. Imaginary Sophie wore tiny denim shorts and a white vest, with multi-colored paint spots all over as she sprayed up a rainbow mist around her. He had to shake the image from his head because she’d started snapping her fingers to break his daydream.
“Earth to Zeke. You OK?”
“Yeah, sorry, just thinking about something... the list,” he said, regaining control. He held out a piece of paper with names and addresses written on it. “First up is Tina and Jeffrey Graham. They live about forty-five minutes away from here. They are, they were, Rick’s mom and dad. Rick was my second in command. A great guy. Really great. Like a brother to me in some ways. It’s gonna be tough seeing his folks.”
Sophie placed one hand on his upper arm and smiled as if to reassure him. “I’m sure they’ll be glad to see you. You were so close to their son.”
***
They hopped into Zeke’s pickup – one of his more practical vehicles. “How many do you own?” Sophie asked in amusement.
“How many pairs of shoes do you own?” Zeke retorted with a grin.
“Uh, hardly any. I’m not a girly girl, remember?”
“True. I like that.” They grinned at one another.
Zeke flicked on the radio, and a country and western channel was in full swing. They sang along, giggling and forcing over-the-top Texan drawls to join in with the theme.
Through his laughter, Zeke almost forgot what journey they were on until they pulled up at a perfect suburb in peaceful small town America. The street was quiet, apart from the soundtrack of sprinklers replenishing the perfect bright green lawns.
Zeke switched off the engine and sighed.
“It’ll be fine,” Sophie said, placing her hand on his forearm then removing it quickly.
He shot her a forced smile, hoping she couldn’t read his dread and got out of the truck.
They rang the bell, his heart pounding as they waited for a response.
Tina opened the door with a huge, warm smile. She was a curvy woman, with soft, curly brown hair framing her face and a wide smile.
“Zeke,” she said fondly, holding out her arms. “It’s so good to see you. It was so unexpected to get your message, but of course you can visit us, any time.”
Zeke let out a breath he’d been holding a little too long and smiled. “Thanks. It’s great to see you too.”
Jeffrey appeared behind Tina and patted Zeke on the shoulder. “Good to see you, kid.”
Zeke was a bag of nerves. With a shaky voice, he turned his gaze to Sophie and said, “This is my friend Sophie. She’s my road trip buddy today.”
Sophie smiled and shook hands with Tina and Jeffrey before they led everyone through to the lounge area.
There was a pitcher of lemonade and a plate of cookies already prepared on the large coffee table in the center of the room. Zeke felt a huge wave of relief flush through him. It was easier than he thought to face the parents of his second in command – the wonderful soul he left behind in the desert.
“So...” there was a long pause while Tina searched her visitors’ faces for clues, “what brings you out here?”
Zeke swallowed hard. “I’m getting in touch with everyone who was involved in the... attack... because I recently had my life threatened by a bomb and I have evidence to suggest it has something to do with my time in 4LBX... mine and Rick’s unit.”
Tina’s jaw dropped. She was speechless. “That’s terrible, Zeke. I can’t believe it. But I don’t know how we can help. We wouldn’t know where to begin with something like that. Neither of us has a military background.” She looked at her husband, who sat forward and said softly, “What is it you want from us, kid?”
Zeke looked down at his hands and paused for a moment. “This is going to sound weird, but I was out cold for months – I missed all the funerals and investigations. Do you know if there was any confusion over the number of survivors? Did anyone else make it?”
Jeffrey put his arm around Tina. “Only you, Zeke. Only you.”
Zeke nodded. “Thanks. I just needed to check.”
“Of course,” Tina said. “It must have been hard for you too – waking up in all that trauma. Hearing second hand about the fate of your colleagues... your friends. It was bad enough for the rest of us, having to go through all the goodbyes, but you didn’t get that. We know how much you cared about those guys. You were like family. We know you would have done....” Her voice trailed off as emotions took over and tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She placed one hand up over her mouth and said in a muffled voice, “I’m sorry.”
Zeke got up from his seat and knelt on the floor next to Tina. “No. I’m sorry. This is what I didn’t want to do today. I didn’t want to come here and bring up this bad stuff all over again. I shouldn’t have come.”
Tina grabbed his hands. “Yes, you should have. You need help. We’re here. Rick would have wanted us to help in any way we can. Even if it’s just to talk to someone, at any time. It’s good to talk about the past,” she said, still fighting back the tears. “We tried not to talk about Rick for a while. It was too painful. But then it backfired.” She looked at Jeffrey. “Things got a bit... difficult... for a while, but we’re getting through it. We know we can’t bury the past. It’s healthy to acknowledge what’s happened. In some ways, you’re our last link to Rick. Even if we can’t help with this awful bomb thing, we’d like to keep you in our lives.”
Jeffrey nodded and placed a hand on his wife’s knee.
Zeke smiled at her. It was nice to know that they didn’t hold a grudge over his survival and not their son’s.
“We stayed in touch with several other parents for a while,” Tina continued, “but after a few months, it was like we didn’t need that crutch anymore. We could remember our Rick in our own way, without having to meet people to talk about the attack. It was sort of pulling us back into grief. We cut ties.”
“We did keep in touch with one person, however,” Jeffrey said, leaning forward. “Admiral Kurt Stone. He lost his son in the attack too. He was a great friend of mine for many years. He’s turned over every single piece of evidence about that explosion. If there’s anything you need to know, I’m sure he’d be the guy to ask.”
Zeke looked up at Jeffrey hopefully. “Really? Great. Do you think he would mind me getting in touch?”
“Of course not. I’ll give you his number.”
Jeffrey got up to fetch some paper and a pen while Tina poured a drink for Zeke and Sophie.
“So, let’s get onto slightly easier topics... How long have you two been an item? You look so comfortable together, I’m guessing nine months... a year?”
Sophie looked at the floor and laughed, trying not to spit out the sip of lemonade she’d just taken.
Zeke’s knees danced up and down. Was it nerves? Why did that question strike such a reaction in him? Ignoring his jumpiness, he replied, “Oh, we’re not a couple. We’re just... friends.”
Tina smirked. “Whatever you say.”
“Hi
s bike broke, he took it into my shop, there was a bomb inside it... and here we are,” Sophie said, smiling.
“Well, that’s quite a story to tell your kids one day,” Tina said, reaching forward for a cookie.
“Really. We’re not together,” Zeke said, but couldn’t help wishing he didn’t have to keep saying that. He didn’t want Sophie to think he was offended by Tina’s comments. He’d be proud to say she was his. But she wasn’t. It was as simple as that.
Jeffrey returned with the information written on a bit of white paper. “He doesn’t live very far from you actually. He’s in an apartment on the outskirts of town. Retired. He’d be happy to see you I’m sure.”
Zeke took the note and examined the writing with a twist of nerves in his gut. It was hard bringing all these emotions to the surface again, for him... and everyone on his list.