‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
113
“That’s got to be it,” Zac pointed up ahead.
It was late afternoon by the time they’d found the airport. Once again, they easily spotted the Cessna pulled just off the runway and not even tucked away in a shed yet.
“Think he’s still around?” Isaac looked worried.
“Probably,” Zac nodded, “we just have to be more careful this time.”
“Or do we?” Isaac said thoughtfully.
“Huh?”
Isaac glanced across at him as he pulled over onto the side of the road.
“We want to find this guy, right?” Isaac pointed out, “maybe we should… I don’t know.”
“Offer ourselves as bait?” Zac finished for him.
“Doesn’t sound good, does it?” Isaac winced.
He looked across when Zac didn’t answer, seeing a thoughtful look on his face… “What?”
“We shouldn’t both go,” Zac gave him a quick glance before returning his attention to the Cessna.
“You want to go by yourself?” Isaac frowned.
“I’m the one they know,” Zac pointed out, “apart from Tampico they’d never seen you before. You could probably get away with walking right by them.”
“So really, I should be the one to go,” Isaac decided.
“No,” Zac frowned, “because if you do get caught, they’re going to know I’m here somewhere anyway. And they’ll come after me.”
“But then…” Isaac trailed off, not knowing how to word what he wanted to say.
“Just stay here,” Zac insisted, getting out of the car.
“Zac! Wait!” Isaac called as he rounded the car, stopping beside Isaac’s window.
“Turn your phone on and mute it,” he suggested.
“Good idea,” Zac was obviously nervous as he got it out.
He called Isaac’s number, waited until Isaac answered, and then hit the mute button before slipping it back in his pocket.
“Good luck,” Isaac said sincerely.
Zac turned his back and began to make his way to the nearby fence. He found a hole to slip through and cautiously made his way to the nearest shed, sighting the Cessna in the distance. From experience he checked the sheds first to make sure there was no one in them before continuing on.
When he came to the shed that the Cessna was parked in front of, he ducked back behind the wall when he heard voices.
One he immediately recognised as the blue-eyed man. The other he didn’t know.
He listened carefully to the conversation that followed which involved the blue-eyed man instructing the other how to pack the plane. The name Charlie was mentioned but he wasn’t sure who it was in relation to. When he heard their footsteps coming closer to the door, he slipped further down the side of the shed so that he couldn’t be seen from where the plane was.
Digesting that there was only the two of them there, he wondered if Taylor was still on the plane… or if he was actually there at all. Closing his eyes and trying to psych himself up, he took a deep breath before stepping out into the shed.
“Hey guys,” he greeted, hands in the air in surrender.
The two men looked up in surprise, and Zac gulped when he saw the collar on the second one. It was the same style collar Taylor had been wearing at the base.
It was late afternoon by the time they’d found the airport. Once again, they easily spotted the Cessna pulled just off the runway and not even tucked away in a shed yet.
“Think he’s still around?” Isaac looked worried.
“Probably,” Zac nodded, “we just have to be more careful this time.”
“Or do we?” Isaac said thoughtfully.
“Huh?”
Isaac glanced across at him as he pulled over onto the side of the road.
“We want to find this guy, right?” Isaac pointed out, “maybe we should… I don’t know.”
“Offer ourselves as bait?” Zac finished for him.
“Doesn’t sound good, does it?” Isaac winced.
He looked across when Zac didn’t answer, seeing a thoughtful look on his face… “What?”
“We shouldn’t both go,” Zac gave him a quick glance before returning his attention to the Cessna.
“You want to go by yourself?” Isaac frowned.
“I’m the one they know,” Zac pointed out, “apart from Tampico they’d never seen you before. You could probably get away with walking right by them.”
“So really, I should be the one to go,” Isaac decided.
“No,” Zac frowned, “because if you do get caught, they’re going to know I’m here somewhere anyway. And they’ll come after me.”
“But then…” Isaac trailed off, not knowing how to word what he wanted to say.
“Just stay here,” Zac insisted, getting out of the car.
“Zac! Wait!” Isaac called as he rounded the car, stopping beside Isaac’s window.
“Turn your phone on and mute it,” he suggested.
“Good idea,” Zac was obviously nervous as he got it out.
He called Isaac’s number, waited until Isaac answered, and then hit the mute button before slipping it back in his pocket.
“Good luck,” Isaac said sincerely.
Zac turned his back and began to make his way to the nearby fence. He found a hole to slip through and cautiously made his way to the nearest shed, sighting the Cessna in the distance. From experience he checked the sheds first to make sure there was no one in them before continuing on.
When he came to the shed that the Cessna was parked in front of, he ducked back behind the wall when he heard voices.
One he immediately recognised as the blue-eyed man. The other he didn’t know.
He listened carefully to the conversation that followed which involved the blue-eyed man instructing the other how to pack the plane. The name Charlie was mentioned but he wasn’t sure who it was in relation to. When he heard their footsteps coming closer to the door, he slipped further down the side of the shed so that he couldn’t be seen from where the plane was.
Digesting that there was only the two of them there, he wondered if Taylor was still on the plane… or if he was actually there at all. Closing his eyes and trying to psych himself up, he took a deep breath before stepping out into the shed.
“Hey guys,” he greeted, hands in the air in surrender.
The two men looked up in surprise, and Zac gulped when he saw the collar on the second one. It was the same style collar Taylor had been wearing at the base.