Inspiration Point (15 page)

“Yes Dad, we separate and mingle with the crowd,” Emin
responded.  “When they ask us to take our seats for dinner, we all find a
way to excuse ourselves, and meet at the exit near the kitchen.”

“Exactly, and don’t forget, if anyone asks I'm
retiring and we are all going on an extended holiday, to celebrate,” he added.

We all nodded knowing this wasn’t going to be easy,
especially if people were watching us, which we expected was the case. 
Zeke came back from the garage and threw Emin the keys.

“All packed,” he said, and then stopped in his tracks
as he saw me standing across from him.  His face lit up with a beautiful
smile, and we couldn’t take our eyes of each other.  Neither of us said
anything so eventually Emin threw him a camera interrupting the moment.

“Didn’t you want a photo?” He asked.

“Yeah, I did,” he said still not taking his eyes away
from mine. 

We all stood in front of the fireplace and posed for
the photo like a real family.  Although, I wasn’t sure if that’s what we
were doing – posing.  Pretending, putting on a good show for those
watching us, or whether with the truth now known, we were unknowingly starting
to become a family again.

Zeke took a couple of pictures of us and then it was
time to go.  Dad walked over to Zeke and shook his hand.

“Do you mind keeping an eye on the place for me Zeke?”

“No worries Professor, Emin gave me the key already,
I’ll take care of everything,” he told him.

“And if anyone asks you about us?”

“All I know is you went on an extended holiday, and
you would call me when you are all coming home,” Zeke confirmed.

My mother put her arm around his shoulders. “Please take
care Zeke, they could start watching you too you know.”

“I’ll be fine Evelyn, you just make sure you all get
where you’re going safely.”

“As soon as we can we will be in contact with you
okay,” she said putting her hand on his face to reassure him.

He nodded as Emin moved towards him knowing I would
want my farewell in private.  They stalled for a minute neither of them
saying anything, then without words they just embraced.  At the end of the
day, they were brothers, who until now have never really been separated.

“Take care of them,” Zeke said solemnly.

“You know I will,” he confirmed.  “Could you do
me a favor though?”

“Of course,” Zeke said sounding a little intrigued.

“Call on Tasma for me, I couldn’t get hold of her to
explain, and I don’t want her to think I just skipped out,” he said a little
self-consciously.

“Sure, we can’t have you coming home single can we,”
Zeke teased.

“Well it’s only fair – you take care of my girl, and I
will take care of yours.”

They both laughed and patted each other on the
back.  They all looked at me then before my mother saved the day again.

“We will be in the car Hayln,” she said as she
gestured for them to leave.

From the corner of my eye, I could see them leaving
the room, but my focus was on Zeke.  How was I going to do this?

“You look….. breathtaking,” he whispered as he moved
forward to hold both my hands. 

“You were the inspiration actually,” I said pulling
him closer.  “The color reminded me of your eyes.”

“It’s not just the dress Hayln, it’s you.  You
are beautiful, I can’t believe it took me so long to see it.”

“I’m just glad you did.”

“Me too,” he said smiling softly.  “I have
something for you.”

I watched him as he reached into his pocket and pulled
out a photo and something silver.

“This was taken a few months ago,” he said as he gave
me the photo.

It was a picture of him and Emin in the garage at
Emin’s house, they looked happy.

“It’s perfect, thank you.”

“There’s one more thing, it’s something I’ve had for a
while, but I’d like you to have it now.”

He placed a silver chain into my palm, it had a
medallion on it.

“It’s my St Christopher’s medal, it’s meant to bring
you safe travel.  And since I want you back here safely, as soon as
possible, I thought it was appropriate.” 

My hand touched his face, gently tracing his smile.

“I had the back engraved,” he said.

I turned the medallion over to see the inscription on
the back.

Sweet
Dreams Hayln

I
Love You

Zeke

“I love it,” I said as I fought back tears.  I
reached around to put it on, but he held my hand.

“You don’t have to wear it tonight if you don’t want
to, it probably doesn’t go with your dress.”

“I'm not taking this off until I come home to you,” I
said as I lifted my hair and turned so he could put the necklace on
himself.  He secured the clasp and kissed me on the shoulder as I turned
around to face him.

“I have something for you too,” I said as I grabbed my
clutch.  I hadn’t thought of this when I took it earlier, but I knew now
it would be perfect.  I held the shiny little brass key in my hand.

“It’s the key to my jewelry box, I got it when I was
three.  Since then I have kept anything I have ever loved in there. 
When I looked inside it this afternoon to see if there was anything I should
take with me, I realized, what I truly love can’t be put in a box anymore.”
 
I placed the key in his hand and looked into his emerald eyes,
not knowing how long it would be before I would see them again.  “This
belongs to you now Zeke, because I love you.”

I couldn’t stop the tears now as he held me close to
his chest.

“Don’t cry Hayl’s, we will make this work. 
Whatever happens now you’ll have me with you.”  He pulled back, his eyes
looked alive, as if they were glowing.
 
“It might
sound crazy, but I feel like to am tied to you now, like even though we won’t
be together we won’t be apart either.  Does that make sense?”

I nodded wiping the tears from my eyes.  His
hands reached up brushing my hair back in place and then traced them across my
bare shoulders and down my arms.

We reached for each other at the same time, my hands
twisted through his hair while his slid on the satin of my dress to the small
of my back.  Our lips were urgent, knowing how little time we had
left.  But as our kiss slowed I could see the tears on his face.

“I will be thinking of you every day,” I promised him.

“No, think about how to come back to me,” he insisted.

“I will.”

I heard the car’s horn beep and knew I had to go.

“I love you Zeke”

“I love you too Hayln, I still can’t truly believe how
much I love you.  Please stay safe okay, and listen to Emin.”

I nodded and took a deep breath - I had to
leave.  He held my hand in both of his and walked me to the car.  He
opened my door, and I got in.  He leaned in and kissed me softly on the
cheek.

“Good luck,” he said to all of us. “I will talk to you
soon.”

He closed the door, and we pulled away from the
house.  I couldn’t look away from him until the houses had completed
obscured my view and I suddenly felt lost, like I had left part of me with Zeke
and I wouldn’t feel complete until I was with him again.  My hand reached
for his medallion, and I read the inscription again and felt a little better.

The trip to the University was a blur, and we were
parked before I realized. 

“Are you okay Hayln?” Emin asked.  “We have to
pull it together now.”

“I’m fine,” I said.  “Let’s go.” 

I wiggled out of the car finding it a little difficult
in my dress but caught up with the others, who were a few paces away. 
Just as I reached my family, I felt something hard press into my back, and a
low, firm voice told me stop.

I froze, and my family turned and saw what I already
knew.  I had a gun held at my back - it was too late they had found
us. 

“Everyone stay calm and no-one will get hurt,” another
voice whispered sternly from my left.

I peered over my shoulder into the shadows, and saw
the man who had pushed my father out of the car on Monday.  He also held a
gun pointed toward my family.  He was a tall, burly man in his
mid-thirty’s I guessed, his hair was cut short and there was no expression on
his face at all.

I looked to my father and Emin but neither where
giving anything away.

“Good,” the man confirmed, happy not to get any
trouble from us. “Now let’s all get back in the car, and we will go from
there.”

He signaled for us to move and we did as
instructed.  Mum, Emin and myself got in the back, while the man nodded,
indicating for Dad to drive.  He got into the passenger seat with the gun
still pointed at the three of us on the back seat.  The other man got into
a van parked a few spots away and waited for us.

“What’s going on Davis?  You said I had until
tomorrow before we had to leave, and my son and wife weren’t to be involved,”
my father said desperately.

“That’s true Knox, but when we found out your little plan
to try to escape during the benefit, we decided all bets were off.”  He
waited for one of us to say something, maybe even deny our plan, but we didn't.

 "Now, head back to your house.”

“Why my house?” Dad questioned him.

“We’re going to wait there for Spencer, and he will
decide what we are going to do with all of you – now drive.” He was starting to
lose his patience.

Dad started the car and drove back home.  I
watched the van follow behind us, and caught a glimpse of the other man
inside.  He seemed to be dressed the same as Davis, in dark
clothing.   His hair was cut short like Davis too, and although it
was hard to tell because he was driving, I thought he looked a little shorter
and stockier.

We got home, and the house was dark.  We were
made walk back into the lounge, carrying our bags with us.  With their
guns still pointed at us, we sat down, huddled together all on one lounge.

“You might want to make yourself a bit more
comfortable, because no-one is moving until Spencer arrives, and that probably
won’t be until morning.”

“Can’t we get changed at least?” My mother asked.

“No Mrs Knox, my instructions were to bring you here
and make sure no-one moves from this room until Spencer arrives.  You have
a bag of clothes there in front of you, you can change here if you want to,” he
said pointing is gun at our bags.

“Now Knox, you better contact someone at the
University and let them know your family won’t be attending tonight – and make
it believable, for all your sakes.”  He tossed a mobile at him, and Dad
dialed.

While Dad spoke to someone on the phone, Davis
instructed us to stand while he searched us, and our bags for our mobiles and
anything else he thought might cause trouble.

He spoke to the other man, calling him Ian, and told
him to go over the rest of the house and disconnect the phone and internet
lines, whilst also looking for weapons.  This surprised me, did he
seriously think we looked like a family that had a stash of weapons.

Dad finished on the phone and handed it back to Davis,
who quickly dialed a number and starting talking.

“Spencer it’s me, I have all four of them back at
Knox’s house,” he reported.

“Already done, what time can I expect you?”

“I’ll see you then,” and he hung up.  “Settle in
people, he won’t be here until the morning.”

“Can I go to the bathroom?” Emin asked.

“Not until Ian comes back – so hold it.” Davis
responded sternly.

Ian came back a few minutes later with an arm full of
so called weapons.  It looked like our cooking knives and the fire
poker.  He told Davis that he had to go upstairs yet, Davis nodded for him
to continue. 

We were all watching each other quietly when we heard
what sounded like fighting.  Davis steadied himself at the base of the
stairs and called out to Ian.

“Everything okay up there?”

“Yeah,” Ian said puffing. “I just found a stowaway.”

We all looked at each other not knowing what to make
of it and then we saw Ian pushing Zeke down the stairs pinning his arms behind
his back.

“Let him go,” I stood up and yelled.  A shot of
panic went through me seeing Zeke being restrained by them, but at the same
time, I couldn’t help feel a little happy he was here.

“He was hiding in a bedroom – hers I think,” Ian
commented nodding in my direction.

“What’s this about?” Davis said prodding him with his
gun.

“Leave him alone,” I yelled again as Emin tried to
hold me with him.

“They didn’t know I was still here,” Zeke said calmly
to Davis.  “I saw the cars pull up, and I hid upstairs – I wasn’t sure
what was happening.”