‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
15
“How long was I out?” Taylor asked.
“I don’t know when you woke up,” Zac shrugged, “but it took a long time to get here. Wherever we are.”
“I don’t know either, it was a while ago,” Taylor eyed off where the chain he was connected to led away into a dark corner.
“What happened?” Zac asked.
Taylor hesitated, thinking of how to word it.
“You know why we’re here, right?” he checked, his voice low.
“I have my suspicions,” Zac admitted, “you would not believe what they have subjected me to.”
“I think I would,” Taylor thought back to his ‘viewing’ with the woman, “Nate decided to sell us.”
“Sell… us?” Zac took a moment.
“Yeah,” Taylor sighed, “instead of killing us. So he could make money from our disappearance.”
“Asshole.”
Taylor smirked.
“Ike’s gonna kill him.”
“I hope he finds us before he does,” Taylor reasoned.
He turned his head sharply to the side again when he heard chains move once more.
“Who’s here?” he whispered.
“There’s a few of us,” Zac replied just as quietly, “and there were more this morning.”
“What do you mean?” Taylor frowned.
“What, you can’t smell that?”
Taylor blanched, suddenly catching his meaning.
“Oh gross,” Taylor’s hands covered his mouth and nose.
“Ten for hospitality, huh?”
Zac suddenly froze, his eyes toward the door. Taylor watched him, before he heard the footsteps himself. They held their breath as someone walked past and just kept going.
“So this is what, a holding cell?” Taylor turned back.
“I guess,” Zac shrugged, “some of these guys have been here a long time. And I mean long.”
“Well, apparently I won’t be,” Taylor rubbed his face.
“Huh?”
“I’ve already been sold,” Taylor’s voice lowered again, “some woman came in earlier and… yeah.”
Zac stared at him until Taylor making eye contact broke him off.
“Then Nate showed up,” Taylor went on before Zac could ask anything.
“Nate was here?” Zac looked confused, “I figured he’d stay in Tulsa.”
“Maybe he just wanted to make sure we got here,” Taylor pulled his legs in to his chest and looped his arms over them, resting his chin on his knees.
“What’d he say? Besides the obvious.”
“He said I’d never see you again, so I’m glad he was wrong about that,” Taylor’s eyebrows rose, “but he was basically blaming me for Bernard’s death. And… gloating, I guess. I spent so long trying to get away from him – from them – and now…”
He lifted his wrists for emphasis.
“He just reiterated that there was no way out this time.”
“Jerk.”
“I don’t know when you woke up,” Zac shrugged, “but it took a long time to get here. Wherever we are.”
“I don’t know either, it was a while ago,” Taylor eyed off where the chain he was connected to led away into a dark corner.
“What happened?” Zac asked.
Taylor hesitated, thinking of how to word it.
“You know why we’re here, right?” he checked, his voice low.
“I have my suspicions,” Zac admitted, “you would not believe what they have subjected me to.”
“I think I would,” Taylor thought back to his ‘viewing’ with the woman, “Nate decided to sell us.”
“Sell… us?” Zac took a moment.
“Yeah,” Taylor sighed, “instead of killing us. So he could make money from our disappearance.”
“Asshole.”
Taylor smirked.
“Ike’s gonna kill him.”
“I hope he finds us before he does,” Taylor reasoned.
He turned his head sharply to the side again when he heard chains move once more.
“Who’s here?” he whispered.
“There’s a few of us,” Zac replied just as quietly, “and there were more this morning.”
“What do you mean?” Taylor frowned.
“What, you can’t smell that?”
Taylor blanched, suddenly catching his meaning.
“Oh gross,” Taylor’s hands covered his mouth and nose.
“Ten for hospitality, huh?”
Zac suddenly froze, his eyes toward the door. Taylor watched him, before he heard the footsteps himself. They held their breath as someone walked past and just kept going.
“So this is what, a holding cell?” Taylor turned back.
“I guess,” Zac shrugged, “some of these guys have been here a long time. And I mean long.”
“Well, apparently I won’t be,” Taylor rubbed his face.
“Huh?”
“I’ve already been sold,” Taylor’s voice lowered again, “some woman came in earlier and… yeah.”
Zac stared at him until Taylor making eye contact broke him off.
“Then Nate showed up,” Taylor went on before Zac could ask anything.
“Nate was here?” Zac looked confused, “I figured he’d stay in Tulsa.”
“Maybe he just wanted to make sure we got here,” Taylor pulled his legs in to his chest and looped his arms over them, resting his chin on his knees.
“What’d he say? Besides the obvious.”
“He said I’d never see you again, so I’m glad he was wrong about that,” Taylor’s eyebrows rose, “but he was basically blaming me for Bernard’s death. And… gloating, I guess. I spent so long trying to get away from him – from them – and now…”
He lifted his wrists for emphasis.
“He just reiterated that there was no way out this time.”
“Jerk.”