‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
114
“Who are you?” the blue-eyed man demanded.
“Right, you probably don’t recognise me without the chains and the bruises,” Zac said absently.
“The younger Hanson brother…” the man realised, stepping forward as Zac lowered his hands.
“I don’t want any trouble,” Zac insisted, their eyes meeting in stride, “I’m just looking for my brother.”
“Then you’ve come to the wrong place,” the man stopped a few feet in front of him, “he’s not here.”
Zac frowned.
“Then where is he?” he asked.
“With the Mexican woman who owns him, I’d presume.”
“The house was raided, everyone got arrested,” Zac informed him, “weren’t you there?”
“Do I look like I’ve been arrested?” the man said condescendingly as he turned away.
Zac only realised the hairs on the back of his neck had been standing on end when they broke eye contact.
“I would suggest forgetting about him and getting on with your own life.”
“No,” Zac scowled instantly, “I’m not giving up on him. He’s my brother.”
“Suit yourself,” he indicated for the other man to continue loading the plane, “but my guess is that you will never find him.”
“What about Nate?” Zac was tempted to step forward but held himself back.
“What about him?” the man paused.
“Do you know where he is?” Zac had to check, “maybe he knows something about it.”
“I am the last person Nathaniel would want to know where he is right now,” the man said cryptically as he watched the plane being loaded.
“Why’s that?” Zac was honestly curious.
“Because I intend to kill him. As do a lot of other people.”
Zac blanched at how casually he spoke about it. Racing for the right thing to ask, he absently rubbed his face.
“What did he do? To warrant that?” he dared to ask.
“He took you and your brother into our program without informing us prior of your circumstances.”
“Our circumstances?” Zac frowned.
“Your status,” the man seemed to get agitated, “Nathaniel let personal issues and greed get in the way of doing his job correctly.”
“So he’s an ass, we knew that,” Zac shrugged, “but you really want to kill him because he brought us in just out of pure hate?”
“No. I want to kill him because you jeopardised the entire project by bringing in subjects who were in the public eye,” the man locked eyes with him again, “now kindly take your leave before I’m tempted to use you as a starting point for our next venture, 353.”
Zac immediately raised his hands in surrender, not expecting the option.
“Don’t need to tell me twice,” he assured, “thanks for your help.”
Without waiting for a reply, Zac bolted. He chanced a look over his shoulder once he was clear of the shed to make sure he wasn’t being watched or followed, then ran all the way back to the car.
It wasn’t until he was safely inside that Isaac ended the call.
“You heard all that, right?” Zac’s eyes darted.
“I did,” Isaac nodded, immediately starting the car and pulling back onto the road.
“Right, you probably don’t recognise me without the chains and the bruises,” Zac said absently.
“The younger Hanson brother…” the man realised, stepping forward as Zac lowered his hands.
“I don’t want any trouble,” Zac insisted, their eyes meeting in stride, “I’m just looking for my brother.”
“Then you’ve come to the wrong place,” the man stopped a few feet in front of him, “he’s not here.”
Zac frowned.
“Then where is he?” he asked.
“With the Mexican woman who owns him, I’d presume.”
“The house was raided, everyone got arrested,” Zac informed him, “weren’t you there?”
“Do I look like I’ve been arrested?” the man said condescendingly as he turned away.
Zac only realised the hairs on the back of his neck had been standing on end when they broke eye contact.
“I would suggest forgetting about him and getting on with your own life.”
“No,” Zac scowled instantly, “I’m not giving up on him. He’s my brother.”
“Suit yourself,” he indicated for the other man to continue loading the plane, “but my guess is that you will never find him.”
“What about Nate?” Zac was tempted to step forward but held himself back.
“What about him?” the man paused.
“Do you know where he is?” Zac had to check, “maybe he knows something about it.”
“I am the last person Nathaniel would want to know where he is right now,” the man said cryptically as he watched the plane being loaded.
“Why’s that?” Zac was honestly curious.
“Because I intend to kill him. As do a lot of other people.”
Zac blanched at how casually he spoke about it. Racing for the right thing to ask, he absently rubbed his face.
“What did he do? To warrant that?” he dared to ask.
“He took you and your brother into our program without informing us prior of your circumstances.”
“Our circumstances?” Zac frowned.
“Your status,” the man seemed to get agitated, “Nathaniel let personal issues and greed get in the way of doing his job correctly.”
“So he’s an ass, we knew that,” Zac shrugged, “but you really want to kill him because he brought us in just out of pure hate?”
“No. I want to kill him because you jeopardised the entire project by bringing in subjects who were in the public eye,” the man locked eyes with him again, “now kindly take your leave before I’m tempted to use you as a starting point for our next venture, 353.”
Zac immediately raised his hands in surrender, not expecting the option.
“Don’t need to tell me twice,” he assured, “thanks for your help.”
Without waiting for a reply, Zac bolted. He chanced a look over his shoulder once he was clear of the shed to make sure he wasn’t being watched or followed, then ran all the way back to the car.
It wasn’t until he was safely inside that Isaac ended the call.
“You heard all that, right?” Zac’s eyes darted.
“I did,” Isaac nodded, immediately starting the car and pulling back onto the road.