‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
02
“Long time no see, Taylor. What has it been… eight years at least?”
Taylor closed his eyes with a gulp, before turning back to face him.
“Who are you?” Zac just looked confused.
“Of course you wouldn’t remember me, Zac. I was probably a little hard to see through the blood spatter…”
“It’s Nate,” Taylor breathed, letting go of Zac’s arm finally, “what do you want?”
“I seem to be in a bind,” Nate shrugged innocently, “here I am, getting on with my new life, and then you guys walk in. The only guys who could possibly identify me as one of our original little rat pack…”
Zac turned his head as if to check that they definitely couldn’t get through the door, before his hand went to his jean pocket where his phone sat.
“I wouldn’t do that,” Nate stepped to the side a little and picked up a meat cleaver, before pointing it in Taylor’s direction, “and you know I know how to use these.”
Zac fought with himself for a moment, before Nate indicated the counter.
“Phones. And wallets. Now.”
The pause had given Nate time to acquire a second knife and begin to make his way around the counter, so Taylor decided quickly and stepped forward to put his belongings where indicated. He raised his hands in a sign of surrender before stepping back as Zac just gave him a questioning look.
“I’m waiting,” Nate’s eyes narrowed in his direction.
“Do it Zac,” Taylor said over his shoulder.
Not without an audible groan, Zac stepped forward and dropped his things onto the counter.
“So what’s the plan?” Taylor asked with surprisingly calm manner, “are you planning to kill us?”
“You literally walked back into my life five minutes ago. I need time to think. Move,” Nate waved the cleaver in the direction of the back door.
Taylor and Zac spared each other a glance before Taylor led the way.
“Take the door to your right,” Nate instructed.
Taylor felt the steel door with his hand as it was too dark to see, and struggled for a moment to pull it open. When he had it open a crack both he and Zac took a quick step backward.
“You’re kidding,” Zac glanced back.
“I’m not. Get in or start bleeding.”
“You’re putting us in the freezer?” Taylor asked incredulously.
“If you don’t, I’m going to put the pointy end of this really shiny thing here into the same spot your brother was bleeding from last time I saw him,” Nate said cynically.
Taylor didn’t need to hear any more, he stepped through. He flinched as the sensor light came on inside and took a quick look around at the animal carcasses adorning every surface along with the mostly whole cow hanging from the ceiling.
After shooting Nate a glare Zac had followed him.
“Oh and, Taylor?” Nate got his attention, “your car keys, please.”
Taylor groaned inwardly as his eyes fell to where Nate held his hand out. He tried not to look in Zac’s direction as he pulled them from his pocket and handed them over.
“Thank you. And goodnight,” Nate smirked before pulling the door shut on them.
They could clearly hear the seal locking into place from the inside, and then Nate’s footsteps heading back into the retail area. Taylor kept his ear to the door long enough to hear him walk past a second time as he presumably left the store.
Taylor closed his eyes with a gulp, before turning back to face him.
“Who are you?” Zac just looked confused.
“Of course you wouldn’t remember me, Zac. I was probably a little hard to see through the blood spatter…”
“It’s Nate,” Taylor breathed, letting go of Zac’s arm finally, “what do you want?”
“I seem to be in a bind,” Nate shrugged innocently, “here I am, getting on with my new life, and then you guys walk in. The only guys who could possibly identify me as one of our original little rat pack…”
Zac turned his head as if to check that they definitely couldn’t get through the door, before his hand went to his jean pocket where his phone sat.
“I wouldn’t do that,” Nate stepped to the side a little and picked up a meat cleaver, before pointing it in Taylor’s direction, “and you know I know how to use these.”
Zac fought with himself for a moment, before Nate indicated the counter.
“Phones. And wallets. Now.”
The pause had given Nate time to acquire a second knife and begin to make his way around the counter, so Taylor decided quickly and stepped forward to put his belongings where indicated. He raised his hands in a sign of surrender before stepping back as Zac just gave him a questioning look.
“I’m waiting,” Nate’s eyes narrowed in his direction.
“Do it Zac,” Taylor said over his shoulder.
Not without an audible groan, Zac stepped forward and dropped his things onto the counter.
“So what’s the plan?” Taylor asked with surprisingly calm manner, “are you planning to kill us?”
“You literally walked back into my life five minutes ago. I need time to think. Move,” Nate waved the cleaver in the direction of the back door.
Taylor and Zac spared each other a glance before Taylor led the way.
“Take the door to your right,” Nate instructed.
Taylor felt the steel door with his hand as it was too dark to see, and struggled for a moment to pull it open. When he had it open a crack both he and Zac took a quick step backward.
“You’re kidding,” Zac glanced back.
“I’m not. Get in or start bleeding.”
“You’re putting us in the freezer?” Taylor asked incredulously.
“If you don’t, I’m going to put the pointy end of this really shiny thing here into the same spot your brother was bleeding from last time I saw him,” Nate said cynically.
Taylor didn’t need to hear any more, he stepped through. He flinched as the sensor light came on inside and took a quick look around at the animal carcasses adorning every surface along with the mostly whole cow hanging from the ceiling.
After shooting Nate a glare Zac had followed him.
“Oh and, Taylor?” Nate got his attention, “your car keys, please.”
Taylor groaned inwardly as his eyes fell to where Nate held his hand out. He tried not to look in Zac’s direction as he pulled them from his pocket and handed them over.
“Thank you. And goodnight,” Nate smirked before pulling the door shut on them.
They could clearly hear the seal locking into place from the inside, and then Nate’s footsteps heading back into the retail area. Taylor kept his ear to the door long enough to hear him walk past a second time as he presumably left the store.