“It’s my fault too,” Frankie said. “We both should have been looking behind us once Splat left.”
“Nah, Frankie, it’s my fault,” said Splat. He looked down, kicking the ground. “I should have followed orders and stuck with you two.”
“We’re heading back now,” said Noah. “When we reach them, nobody is to berate Bates for his performance. Am I clear?” If Zeke’s confidence was low before, he’d surely be a nervous wreck after this. He attempted to glare at Habib through his helmet. “Let’s go.”
When they burst through the treeline into the road, Noah let out a breath of relief—he’d half-expected Zeke to be curled in a ball on the floor. Instead, he was standing with Aoife and Savannah. Noah headed straight for him, wishing more than anything he could wrap his arms around him, tell him it was okay. Protect his little fledgling from the others, from himself, from the world.
Zeke’s eyes remained downcast until he saw Frankie emerging last, supported by Vitt.
“Zeke!” Frankie cried, flinging her arms around him and Noah tried to suppress a smile. Frankie truly was one in a million. “Are you okay?”
“AmIokay?” he repeated in a monotone. “Frankie, I’m so sorry. Shit, I’m so,sosorry.”
“Don’t worry.” But Frankie’s wobbling legs gave out, and she sank to her knees, with Zeke following. She took several deep breaths, inspecting her outstretched arms as if checking she was still alive. “That was… intense. But I’m fine.”
“I don’t think anything about this isfine,” Habib snapped, his voice laced with fury.
“Enough,” Noah said, using his most authoritative voice as he stepped towards him.
“This is utter bullshit. You can’t keep babying him, Noah. He’s going to get us all killed,” spat Habib.
Zeke surrounded his body with his arms, hugging himself. “He’s right,” he said, looking so broken Noah almost broke in two himself.
“I’m the one that almost died, Habib, and I’m telling you to back off,” said Frankie. She was as close to anger as Noah had ever seen her. “Can’t you see how upset he is?”
“You were the one that almost diedthis time,” said Habib.
“Drop it, Habib. That’s an order. We need to get back and debrief. Everyone, with me.” Noah stalked off, leaving little time for the rest of them to arrange themselves in formation. His head pounded from the embarrassment of Habib’s open defiance. He’d always enjoyed a relaxed approach to leadership, but the squad usually knew when to draw the line. This time, Habib must be really pissed. As they reached the bikes, Noah snuck a glance at Zeke. The vacant expression he saw there chilled him.
“Are you okay to drive?” Noah asked Zeke quietly.
Zeke gave Noah the tiniest nod and slid into the front position.
“Everyone back to their assigned posts. Once we’re there, I’ll send over the details for you to record statements.”
“Got it, boss,” said Splat.
The squad peeled off in different directions. Zeke was slow to start the engine and get the bike moving; Noah resisted the temptation to hurry him along—the last thing they needed now was another ambush.
The journey back was uneventful. Zeke remained stoically silent, and Noah felt the awkward tension rising until its boiling point almost choked him. When they were through the gate with the bike reparked, Noah jumped straight off and headed towards the spiral staircase of the tower. But looking behind him, he saw Zeke hadn’t left the bike. He sat there, helmet still on, staring straight ahead.
“Zeke, ar—”
“I need a minute.”
“I’m not just going to leave you here in this state.”
But when it was clear Zeke wasn’t going to move or talk any further to him, he reluctantly walked back up to the tower. Really, he should have ordered Zeke to follow him up. He should shout at him for disobedience. He should shake him and lecture him on how he almost caused someone’s death. He pictured Tobias’s mocking sneer.You’re about due to lose another one, Forrest.
Zeke didn’t come up after a minute. Nor ten. Noah completed the debrief without him, stating that Zeke was ‘unavailable to make his statement’ several times before the operator on the other side finally gave up. When it reached thirty minutes, he couldn’t wait any longer. He couldn’t concentrate, his thoughts haunted by Zeke’s harrowed eyes.
He headed back down the stairs, freezing in his tracks when he saw an empty bike. He eventually found him back at the obsolete water fountain.
“Zeke,” he said as gently as possible, “we have to remain in our assigned tower.” Noah expected him to either ignore him or have a meltdown. Instead, Zeke slowly stood up and headed back, with Noah trailing behind him.
The afternoon passed in mundane tedium. Noah busied himself with observing the feeds and completing admin work. Zeke sat on a chair, staring intently at a monitor.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Noah said, when only five minutes remained before handover.Please say something. Anything.
