‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
11
It must have been hours later when Taylor heard his door being opened again. He prepared himself for the invasion of light this time, but he automatically tried to shrink backward when he recognised the laugh he heard. The chains held him practically straight.
Nate clapped his hands as he walked forward.
“Oh, Taylor. The amount of times over the past eight years that I have pictured this exact moment in my head… of course your hair was longer and there was none of this…”
Taylor flinched back as Nate tapped his chin, indicating his stubble.
“I really need to take a photo and send it to Trent. I’m sure he’d appreciate the irony.”
“You… you’re selling us?” Taylor’s voice shook.
“Correction,” Nate held up a finger, “I sold you. Apparently you made quite a first impression on the lady that was in here earlier. She’s signing the first papers as we speak.”
“Why?” Taylor shook his head, “why didn’t you just kill us?”
Nate shrugged.
“It’s a lot cleaner,” he reasoned, “when you kill people there are bodies to dispose of. Which more often than not end up being found. Along with a lot of convicting evidence. This way there’s no mess to clean up, and as a bonus I get a cut of what you’re worth.”
“What about Zac?” Taylor tried not to give him the satisfaction of seeing fear in his eyes, but knew he was failing.
Nate held his hand out and shook it.
“It’s still 50/50 on whether he enters the program. You don’t need to concern yourself, you’ll probably never see him again.”
Taylor gulped at that, diverting his eyes. Nate reached out to ruffle his hair, before grabbing it suddenly and pulling his head down. Taylor hissed through his teeth before he laughed and let go.
“I told them I’d handle your debrief, but you know… I don’t think I’m going to bother,” he taunted.
“Just tell me what’s going to happen to me,” Taylor’s eyes were to the floor.
“Well once you’re in the lady’s custody, who’s to say?” Nate shrugged, “but the real fun happens before that, when they ‘train’ you. I’m going to make a personal effort to make sure I see you in electroshock therapy. And by that I mean seeing you tasered.”
Taylor tilted his head back, trying to stop his eyes welling up.
“Why do you hate me so much?” he asked finally, “all I ever wanted was to get away from you.”
“Exactly,” Nate smirked, “and now you’re in a place you’ll never leave. Thus, the irony. Which reminds me…”
He pulled out a cell phone and quickly managed to take a photo before picking up the gag.
“Usually the kids are hanging from those hooks. You’re lucky you’re tall and can touch the ground,” he murmured as he went about saving the picture.
“Besides…” he picked up his earlier train of thought as he put the phone away, “you really are responsible for Bernard’s death, whether you see it that way or not.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Taylor finally made eye contact, “it was suicide by cop! He didn’t have to run!”
“See I knew you’d see it that way,” Nate stepped closer to him, making him try to step back again, “because that’s what they told you, isn’t it?”
Taylor frowned as Nate slipped the gag on again, tying it tighter than it had been previously.
“Goodnight Taylor,” he slapped his cheek with a smile before turning to leave the room.
Nate clapped his hands as he walked forward.
“Oh, Taylor. The amount of times over the past eight years that I have pictured this exact moment in my head… of course your hair was longer and there was none of this…”
Taylor flinched back as Nate tapped his chin, indicating his stubble.
“I really need to take a photo and send it to Trent. I’m sure he’d appreciate the irony.”
“You… you’re selling us?” Taylor’s voice shook.
“Correction,” Nate held up a finger, “I sold you. Apparently you made quite a first impression on the lady that was in here earlier. She’s signing the first papers as we speak.”
“Why?” Taylor shook his head, “why didn’t you just kill us?”
Nate shrugged.
“It’s a lot cleaner,” he reasoned, “when you kill people there are bodies to dispose of. Which more often than not end up being found. Along with a lot of convicting evidence. This way there’s no mess to clean up, and as a bonus I get a cut of what you’re worth.”
“What about Zac?” Taylor tried not to give him the satisfaction of seeing fear in his eyes, but knew he was failing.
Nate held his hand out and shook it.
“It’s still 50/50 on whether he enters the program. You don’t need to concern yourself, you’ll probably never see him again.”
Taylor gulped at that, diverting his eyes. Nate reached out to ruffle his hair, before grabbing it suddenly and pulling his head down. Taylor hissed through his teeth before he laughed and let go.
“I told them I’d handle your debrief, but you know… I don’t think I’m going to bother,” he taunted.
“Just tell me what’s going to happen to me,” Taylor’s eyes were to the floor.
“Well once you’re in the lady’s custody, who’s to say?” Nate shrugged, “but the real fun happens before that, when they ‘train’ you. I’m going to make a personal effort to make sure I see you in electroshock therapy. And by that I mean seeing you tasered.”
Taylor tilted his head back, trying to stop his eyes welling up.
“Why do you hate me so much?” he asked finally, “all I ever wanted was to get away from you.”
“Exactly,” Nate smirked, “and now you’re in a place you’ll never leave. Thus, the irony. Which reminds me…”
He pulled out a cell phone and quickly managed to take a photo before picking up the gag.
“Usually the kids are hanging from those hooks. You’re lucky you’re tall and can touch the ground,” he murmured as he went about saving the picture.
“Besides…” he picked up his earlier train of thought as he put the phone away, “you really are responsible for Bernard’s death, whether you see it that way or not.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Taylor finally made eye contact, “it was suicide by cop! He didn’t have to run!”
“See I knew you’d see it that way,” Nate stepped closer to him, making him try to step back again, “because that’s what they told you, isn’t it?”
Taylor frowned as Nate slipped the gag on again, tying it tighter than it had been previously.
“Goodnight Taylor,” he slapped his cheek with a smile before turning to leave the room.