Zeke

 

As soon as Zeke heard Sophie’s news he knew they had to leave Woodbrook and get on with facing their problems. He wanted the whole shitty ordeal over and done with so he could get on with planning his life... their lives.

 

Sophie went back to work, and the first thing Zeke did was visit Nathan.

 

The kitchen window was already replaced. It was as if nothing had happened. But a lot had happened.

 

“Your buddy Stephan had some interesting news from the coroner’s office,” Nathan explained before even sitting down. “Turns out, they had a visit from Troy just after Gary’s autopsy. They said he was quite unstable and refused to believe his brother was dead.”

 

Zeke listened in silence, his brow furrowed and his arms folded.

 

“They gave me some addresses, which I’ve used to track down his current address.”

 

Zeke stiffened and locked eyes with Nathan. “Shall we?”

 

Nathan nodded gravely. “232 Sanderson Drive, Davidson.”

 

Zeke called Sophie to explain where they were going. Something drove him to tell her every detail... in case something happened to him.

 

“I’m coming with you,” she said on the other end of the phone.

 

“No, Sophie, it’s not safe. Not now that... you know. I don’t want to put you in any more danger.”

 

“I’m coming,” she demanded. “I’ve been with you every step of this. I can help. I know the story so far. Plus, it might help to have a female with you, another dimension to the visit, maybe he’ll behave differently, or open up more to me.”

 

She had a point.

 

They went to pick her up at the shop. When Zeke arrived there, Sophie was waiting, already changed into jeans and a shirt.

 

“Hey,” Stephan said casually. “Be careful on this visit. You don’t know what state he’ll be in.”

 

“We will,” Zeke said gravely. “Has Sophie told you our news?”

 

Stephan frowned and looked from Zeke to Sophie, who was burying her face in her hand.

 

“What the hell?” she muttered under her breath.

 

“I’m sorry, baby,” he whispered. “I can’t wait to tell people.”

 

She looked at him with narrowed, scornful eyes.

 

“Surely, we can tell Stephan,” Zeke continued, in hushed tones. “No one else, until you’re ready. I promise.”

 

She sighed and looked at Stephan with hesitation written all over her face. “We have some pretty big... news. Damned big.”

 

Stephan’s eyebrows shot up in wonder. “Well... who’s gonna deliver it then?” He looked at Sophie, then Zeke, then back to her. “Come on, don’t leave me hanging.”

 

“I’m pregnant,” Sophie said flatly, looking at the ground.

 

Stephan leaped two feet backward. “Oh my God, that’s amazing, Sophie. Wow. I... I can’t believe it.” He looked at Zeke with a wide grin. “Congrats, man. You have no idea what’s about to hit you.” He began laughing and rubbing his hair with one hand.

 

Sophie scowled and crossed her arms, which made Zeke feel terrible for blurting out their secret when she clearly wasn’t ready.

 

He nudged her arm and ducked down to peer into her eyes with a meek smile. “Come on, he was always gonna be the first to know, wasn’t he?”

 

She smiled at Stephan finally. “Yeah.”

 

Stephan embraced her with a huge hug. “I’m so happy for you. I really am. I think you’ll be great together... even jumping right into the deep end like this.”

 

“I’ve asked her to marry me too,” Zeke said.

 

“Jeez, you can’t keep that shut, can you?” Sophie said, looking at his mouth with a laugh.

 

“Wow. So, when’s the wedding?” Stephan asked.

 

“I haven’t said yes yet,” Sophie said scornfully.

 

“But you will,” Stephan said, with a questioning tone, then turned to Zeke and said with authority, “She will. I know it.” He suddenly began dancing around the garage, calling out:,“Whoop whoop, there’s gonna be a wedding, whoop whoop, there’s gonna be a baby.”

 

Stephan’s wife Ruth appeared at the door. “What? Oh my God!” She ran towards Sophie with arms outstretched. Zeke watched as Sophie’s face burned red as she sent him a furious look. He mouthed the word “sorry” but couldn’t help laughing at the same time.

 

Ruth launched into a monologue of advice about choosing a dress and moved right the way through birth to breastfeeding at lightning speed.

 

“Hey, sorry, but we’d better go,” Zeke interrupted, which judging by the look of relief on Sophie’s face, was the most sensible thing to come out of his mouth since he’d arrived at the shop.

 

She dragged herself over to his side and apologized to Ruth. “You’ll have to tell me all your best secrets when the baby’s closer,” she added politely.

 

Ruth and Stephan hugged and grinned at the new parents-to-be, which caused Sophie to let out a groan as they turned to leave.

 

“First thing I’m going to do is buy a padlock for that mouth of yours,” she joked to Zeke as they got to the car where Nathan was waiting.

 

“What was going on in there?” he asked. “Looked like fun.”

 

“Don’t ask,” Sophie said immediately.

 

He shrugged and smiled. “OK.”

 

Zeke smiled apologetically at his friend before they all hopped in and drove off towards the small town where Troy lived.

 

They arrived soon after in a small, ordinary-looking street of modest one-story houses. The three of them exchanged nervous glances.

 

“Let’s see if we can talk this live wire around and end this once and for all,” Zeke said, opening the driver’s door and stepping onto the sunny street.

 

They walked up the path together, Zeke ushering Sophie to the back.

 

He rang the bell, and after only a few seconds they could hear someone approaching the door on a hardwood floor. It opened, and there stood someone who looked exactly like Zeke’s former colleague Gary.

 

He had on camouflage pants, a dark green T-shirt, and heavy leather boots, as though he really was a soldier. But he wasn’t built like a soldier. He was skinny and pale. His pale blue eyes fixed immediately on Zeke, and he clenched both fists.

 

“I think you know why we’re here,” Zeke said calmly.

 

Troy said nothing. He looked past his visitors onto the street suspiciously, before moving to one side to let them in.

 

Zeke glanced at Nathan in surprise. They hadn’t expected this.

 

“Go through to the right,” Troy said in a flat, emotionless voice.

 

Once they were all in the living room, Troy stood in the doorway awkwardly. “It’s hot out. Do you want sodas?”

 

They all shook their heads. “No thanks. We just want to talk to you. We’re here as... friends,” Zeke said.

 

“Friends?” Troy said, shuffling his boots from side to side. “You’re not my friends. You let me down.”

 

Zeke stood up. “Listen, it’s OK. We just want to talk. We can help you… before someone gets hurt.”

 

“Before someone gets hurt?” Troy asked, punching his fist into his palm.

 

“Troy...” Nathan began.

 

Troy paced up and down in frustration. “I’m not Troy. I’m Gary,” he said. “Troy’s my brother. He died.”

 

Zeke swallowed hard and said softly, “Why are you following us? And more importantly threatening us?”

 

“I’m not. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

Nathan spoke again. “Listen, it’ll all be OK if you stop now. If you get some help. We know you took Gary’s death badly, we understand. But you need to stop blaming us. You need to move on.”

 

“I need to get something,” Troy said and turned to run down the hall.

 

“Troy, wait,” Zeke said, rushing to the doorway.

 

Zeke, Nathan, and Sophie looked at each other with wide eyes.

 

“A gun?” Sophie whispered.

 

Nathan got up and pushed past Zeke quickly to run after Troy.

 

Zeke called out, “Nathan! No! Stick together!” But Nathan was already halfway down the hall when there was an almighty blast. Zeke carefully forced Sophie to the ground as the hall was engulfed in flames. They lay on the floor in silence for what felt like a long time, just staring into the inferno with desperate pain in their eyes. In reality, it was just seconds before Zeke’s survival instincts kicked in and he jumped to his feet, scooping Sophie up with a fireman’s lift, and ran out the door.

 

On the lawn outside, Sophie buried her face into his chest. “Nathan. Oh my God. Nathan,” she kept repeating in a whisper. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

 

Zeke could feel the warmth of tears on his own face too as he watched the fire sweep into the living room, where they’d been standing only moments before, and burn one of his heroes with its ferocity.

 

Zeke slammed his fist down on the roof of his car in anger. “Why did he have to take Nathan with him? He was a great man.”

 

They hugged and watched the flames in stunned silence until the police and fire service arrived. At least this mess was over with Troy out of the picture.