‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
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The hairs stood on the back of Taylor’s neck and he knew they were getting close.
“I need a gun,” he said suddenly, leaning forward.
“Excuse me?” Carlson’s eyebrows rose.
“I need a gun!” Taylor reiterated, “give me a gun!”
“Tay-“ Isaac grabbed his arm in an attempt to calm him down.
Taylor shook him off, his eyes diverting to the window.
“Do you know how to use one?” Carlson checked.
“Of course I do,” Taylor scorned.
“Then I don’t see why not. You’re not getting involved, remember?”
Taylor didn’t reply. Moments later the trailer came into view and the SWAT team was out of their vans and surrounding it before Carlson even pulled up. Taylor tried to open the back door, panicking for a moment when he realised it was locked. Carlson was soon out of the car and opened it for him.
“Here, take my spare,” he handed him a pistol.
Taylor was taken aback at the sight of it, flashbacks from the last time he held one overpowering him for a moment. When Isaac got out behind him he managed to snap out of it and he slid the gun into the back of his jeans.
They watched as the SWAT barked orders, presuming that Nate was still in the trailer. When there was no response they waited to check with Isaac – he couldn’t hear anything over the phone – before bursting in. Taylor jumped as the door was broken in and watched like a hawk as the scene played out. When the SWAT called that the coast was clear, he felt the panic rising in his chest again.
It took a few minutes for the SWAT members to emerge with Zac in tow. He still had a cable tie wrapped around one of his wrists. Once Isaac saw him, he darted forward.
“ISAAC!” Carlson called after him before turning back to Taylor.
“You wait here!” he ordered as he took off after Isaac.
Taylor held himself back from following after, but it was hard. He folded his arms across his chest as he wondered how far Nate could have gone.
When Isaac reached Zac in time for Zac to look up, a wave of relief washed over his face.
“Ike,” he grinned, grabbing him into a hug, “I knew you’d find me.”
“You made it pretty easy,” Isaac reassured, “but where’s Nate?”
“I don’t know, he said he was going to go look for Taylor,” Zac shook his head.
He frowned when he saw the car.
“He didn’t take the car,” he said suddenly, making Isaac turn.
“Why wouldn’t he?” Isaac looked confused.
“He only walked out a minute before you guys showed up, he must have ducked off into the trees,” Zac realised.
“Where’s Tay?” Isaac turned.
“I told him to stay by the car,” Carlson reassured as he indicated for Zac to follow him to a van.
“Where?” Zac frowned, making Isaac turn to look.
The back car door was still wide open, but Taylor was nowhere to be seen.
Isaac immediately darted back for the car.
“TAYLOR?!” he called out when he reached it, seeing he definitely wasn’t in the back seat.
Carlson appeared by his side, flashlight in hand. As he switched it on and sent it to the ground, they spotted two sets of unclear footprints leading back behind the car.
“I need a gun,” he said suddenly, leaning forward.
“Excuse me?” Carlson’s eyebrows rose.
“I need a gun!” Taylor reiterated, “give me a gun!”
“Tay-“ Isaac grabbed his arm in an attempt to calm him down.
Taylor shook him off, his eyes diverting to the window.
“Do you know how to use one?” Carlson checked.
“Of course I do,” Taylor scorned.
“Then I don’t see why not. You’re not getting involved, remember?”
Taylor didn’t reply. Moments later the trailer came into view and the SWAT team was out of their vans and surrounding it before Carlson even pulled up. Taylor tried to open the back door, panicking for a moment when he realised it was locked. Carlson was soon out of the car and opened it for him.
“Here, take my spare,” he handed him a pistol.
Taylor was taken aback at the sight of it, flashbacks from the last time he held one overpowering him for a moment. When Isaac got out behind him he managed to snap out of it and he slid the gun into the back of his jeans.
They watched as the SWAT barked orders, presuming that Nate was still in the trailer. When there was no response they waited to check with Isaac – he couldn’t hear anything over the phone – before bursting in. Taylor jumped as the door was broken in and watched like a hawk as the scene played out. When the SWAT called that the coast was clear, he felt the panic rising in his chest again.
It took a few minutes for the SWAT members to emerge with Zac in tow. He still had a cable tie wrapped around one of his wrists. Once Isaac saw him, he darted forward.
“ISAAC!” Carlson called after him before turning back to Taylor.
“You wait here!” he ordered as he took off after Isaac.
Taylor held himself back from following after, but it was hard. He folded his arms across his chest as he wondered how far Nate could have gone.
When Isaac reached Zac in time for Zac to look up, a wave of relief washed over his face.
“Ike,” he grinned, grabbing him into a hug, “I knew you’d find me.”
“You made it pretty easy,” Isaac reassured, “but where’s Nate?”
“I don’t know, he said he was going to go look for Taylor,” Zac shook his head.
He frowned when he saw the car.
“He didn’t take the car,” he said suddenly, making Isaac turn.
“Why wouldn’t he?” Isaac looked confused.
“He only walked out a minute before you guys showed up, he must have ducked off into the trees,” Zac realised.
“Where’s Tay?” Isaac turned.
“I told him to stay by the car,” Carlson reassured as he indicated for Zac to follow him to a van.
“Where?” Zac frowned, making Isaac turn to look.
The back car door was still wide open, but Taylor was nowhere to be seen.
Isaac immediately darted back for the car.
“TAYLOR?!” he called out when he reached it, seeing he definitely wasn’t in the back seat.
Carlson appeared by his side, flashlight in hand. As he switched it on and sent it to the ground, they spotted two sets of unclear footprints leading back behind the car.