Sirens ~Nika Mühl

Chapter 20

A/N: song for the chapter: All I Ask by Adele, enjoy :)

Harlem, New York
November 27th, 2017

Zeke was drunk. Drunker than he'd like to admit, his recent fight with his mom had send him spiraling out of control. It had started about a small argument with him joining the Police academy, but things escalated quickly. Words were exchanged, accusations were flung and by the time it was over, Zeke had stormed out of the house, his mother's angry shouts still echoing in ears. That familiar tightness gripped his chest, a mixture of rage and emptiness he couldn't quite shake. So he did what he always did when life felt too heavy; he ran. This time, he ran all the way to a small bar, using a fake ID to get in, in Harlem, New York, despite living in Connecticut.

How he ended up in the city on a Monday afternoon, sitting on a sticky barstool and nursing his sixth whiskey sour was beyond him. His buddies, all eager to run away from their own problems had met him there, their own bottles and drinks piling up around them. They were more than willing to supply Zeke with as much alcohol as he wanted, he was the Captain of the Police Department's son after all. He exuded confidence, he was absolutely untouchable. But beneath that carefully crafted exterior, something darker was brewing.

Zeke took another swig of his drink, the burn of the alcohol sliding down his throat, he smiled lazily to himself, he could get used to this kind of freedom, this kind of recklessness. It was also a plus that the women in New York were absolutely stunning, he'd seen one pass by the large window of the bar earlier. Long curly hair, light caramel skin and the most beautiful hazel eyes Zeke had ever seen, with a basketball tucked under her arm, she was effortlessly beautiful, like an angel. Zeke's eyes had followed her hungrily until she was out of sight, he sighed knowing he'd never see her again.

He swayed slightly as he stood, the room spinning in slow circles. He needed to pee before his two hour drive back to Connecticut. His dad would be furious if he what Zeke had been up to, drinking heavily and then driving home, but Zeke didn't care. His dad didn't control him, no one did. His entire life he'd gone unchecked, unsupervised, with his tall frame and handsome face, and charming personality, no one ever dared to challenge him.

After stumbling out of the bathroom, Zeke got into his large Ford truck, blinking several times as he tried to get his vision to focus. The world felt fuzzy around the edges, his vision blurring and doubling as he fumbled with his keys. His hands trembled as he finally managed to get his eyes in the ignition. He slapped himself across the face several times, trying to shake off the fog clouding his mind. He felt invincible, even as the world spun around him.

He decided to take the backroads, knowing the freeways were crawling with highway patrol at this hour, especially since everyone was getting off work. For the first fifteen minutes, everything seemed fine. Sure, he swerved in and out of his lane a few times, but it wasn't anything serious. Zeke laughed to himself, feeling that familiar rush of adrenaline as he drove faster, the wind whipping through the open window.

But then, out of nowhere he ran a red light. He hadn't even seen it, his mind was somewhere else, lost in the haze of alcohol. He didn't notice the small, light pink Honda that was speeding down the road, its driver unaware of the danger approaching. Zeke's truck slammed into the side of the car with a deafening crunch of metal and glass. The impact jolted him forward and for a moment, everything went silent.

Panic surged through Zeke as reality crashed down on him. He didn't even check to see if the other drive was okay. His mind screamed at him to leave, so he did. Without thinking, he put his truck in reverse, tires screeching as he sped off, leaving the mangled Honda behind. His heart pounded in his chest. The fog of drunkenness lifted instantly, replaced by cold, sharp fear. He kept glancing over his shoulder, expecting those flashing lights and sirens to appear at any moment. But they didn't.