‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
119
“You actually spoke to him?” Zac looked hopeful.
“I did,” the girl nodded, shakily.
It was early afternoon by the time Isaac and Zac had made it to Reynosa. They’d been led via Carlson’s directions to the Southern outskirts, and had soon met up with the young nurse at a police station nearby the hospital.
“What did he say? And I mean exactly, word for word?” Isaac was staring intently.
“He told me that I had to leave the hospital,” the girl hugged herself, “for at least a few days. Because if someone found out that I knew who he was they’d kill everyone in the hospital.”
“He? He definitely said ‘he’?” Zac confirmed.
She nodded.
“Nate,” Zac looked to Isaac, who ignored him.
“What else?” Isaac asked.
“He wanted me to tell someone that he was there. I asked who, and he said it didn’t matter. He said you’d find me,” she looked between them, “I guess he was right.”
“So you didn’t see where he went? You don’t know anyone that saw where they went?” Zac shook his head.
“He told me to get out, so I got out,” the girl said pointedly.
“That’s okay,” Isaac gave Zac a glance, “plenty of people saw them leave. There’s a description of the truck being sent out. We’ll find them.”
The girl nodded as Isaac stood to leave the room.
“Excuse me,” she got up to stop them, “I’m sorry to bring it up, but… is there any chance I could get an autograph?”
“If we find Taylor, we will personally fly you to every show on the next tour,” Zac insisted, getting a surprised look from Isaac.
“Oh my gosh are you serious?!”
“Deadly,” Zac looked to Isaac, shrugged, and led the way out of the room.
“We’ve gathered security footage from the hospital and identified the truck,” Carlson began as he met them in the hallway.
“And?” Isaac asked as they walked.
“And it was stolen a few weeks ago. In Tampico.”
“It’s gotta be Nate,” Zac said.
“Wait… security footage?” Isaac stopped in his tracks, “so you’d know if it was Nate, right?”
Carlson nodded.
“It is,” he revealed, “he brought your brother in, pretending to be his brother. He was treated for dehydration and malnutrition. He was there not even twenty four hours before Nate dragged him out again.”
“So he’s still not well,” Zac realised as he and Isaac shared a glance.
“He’d be better than when he went in,” Carlson offered.
“If it got to the point where Nate was willing to take him to a hospital and risk exposure…” Isaac shook his head worriedly, “it must have been bad.”
“Or Taylor talked him into it,” Zac suggested, “can we track the truck with traffic cams?”
“Sorry,” Carlson shook his head, “most of them aren’t operational here.”
“Of course not,” Isaac sighed, “so what do we do now?”
“I did,” the girl nodded, shakily.
It was early afternoon by the time Isaac and Zac had made it to Reynosa. They’d been led via Carlson’s directions to the Southern outskirts, and had soon met up with the young nurse at a police station nearby the hospital.
“What did he say? And I mean exactly, word for word?” Isaac was staring intently.
“He told me that I had to leave the hospital,” the girl hugged herself, “for at least a few days. Because if someone found out that I knew who he was they’d kill everyone in the hospital.”
“He? He definitely said ‘he’?” Zac confirmed.
She nodded.
“Nate,” Zac looked to Isaac, who ignored him.
“What else?” Isaac asked.
“He wanted me to tell someone that he was there. I asked who, and he said it didn’t matter. He said you’d find me,” she looked between them, “I guess he was right.”
“So you didn’t see where he went? You don’t know anyone that saw where they went?” Zac shook his head.
“He told me to get out, so I got out,” the girl said pointedly.
“That’s okay,” Isaac gave Zac a glance, “plenty of people saw them leave. There’s a description of the truck being sent out. We’ll find them.”
The girl nodded as Isaac stood to leave the room.
“Excuse me,” she got up to stop them, “I’m sorry to bring it up, but… is there any chance I could get an autograph?”
“If we find Taylor, we will personally fly you to every show on the next tour,” Zac insisted, getting a surprised look from Isaac.
“Oh my gosh are you serious?!”
“Deadly,” Zac looked to Isaac, shrugged, and led the way out of the room.
“We’ve gathered security footage from the hospital and identified the truck,” Carlson began as he met them in the hallway.
“And?” Isaac asked as they walked.
“And it was stolen a few weeks ago. In Tampico.”
“It’s gotta be Nate,” Zac said.
“Wait… security footage?” Isaac stopped in his tracks, “so you’d know if it was Nate, right?”
Carlson nodded.
“It is,” he revealed, “he brought your brother in, pretending to be his brother. He was treated for dehydration and malnutrition. He was there not even twenty four hours before Nate dragged him out again.”
“So he’s still not well,” Zac realised as he and Isaac shared a glance.
“He’d be better than when he went in,” Carlson offered.
“If it got to the point where Nate was willing to take him to a hospital and risk exposure…” Isaac shook his head worriedly, “it must have been bad.”
“Or Taylor talked him into it,” Zac suggested, “can we track the truck with traffic cams?”
“Sorry,” Carlson shook his head, “most of them aren’t operational here.”
“Of course not,” Isaac sighed, “so what do we do now?”