‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
24
Covering his eyes with his hand as he leant his elbow against the window, Isaac was taking deep breaths to try and calm himself down already.
“I can’t believe I let that happen,” he said softly.
“You’re not psychic, Ike. How were you supposed to know?”
“I should have at least checked what the guy looked like,” Isaac insisted.
“You never saw him face to face. In fact I believe that’s the reason that you’re even still here and able to look for your brothers,” Rick pointed out, “and photos are always different to real life. Especially mug shots. I should know. How were you supposed to figure out that the butcher’s assistant was a wanted criminal?”
“The fact that he was the last person to see them was probably a big hint,” Isaac said sarcastically.
He looked up as they saw Davison’s patrol car turn into the street, just turning off their lights which they’d obviously used to get there faster.
“Oh no…” Rick said suddenly.
“What?” Isaac’s eyes shot to him.
Rick quickly turned the phone’s screen off.
“You don’t want to see that,” he gulped slightly, soon seeing for himself that Davison had arrived.
“See what?” Isaac frowned as Rick got out of the car.
He quickly followed him as Davison pulled up behind them.
“Rick, what is it?! I think I have a right to know!”
Rick went straight to Davison’s window before the sergeant could even turn the car off.
“I wired his cell phone before he left,” he brushed over quickly.
“You did what?” Davison’s eyebrows rose.
“I know it’s not exactly legal, but I picked up that the guy was covering for something,” Rick shook his head, “anyway after the tap and hearing the phone call I started going through the phone’s files. I just found this. It was sent as a picture message sometime in the early hours of yesterday morning.”
Davison took the phone from him, and Isaac couldn’t help but see his face lose a little colour.
“Rick, I swear. If you don’t tell me what’s going on…” Isaac looked like he was about to start throwing punches.
Davison handed the phone to his officer as Rick ignored Isaac before picking up his radio.
“Mike this is Davison,” he called, “we need a court order to obtain the CCTV footage from the butcher on Seventeenth. And we need it now. Fax it through once you get it.”
Isaac had rushed around to the other side of the car, knowing the officer now had the phone. Rick quickly followed him and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back from the car.
“Calm down,” he insisted, grabbing him by the shoulders and looking him in the eye.
“Tell me what it is,” Isaac shook his head.
“It’s a photo,” Rick said carefully, “of Taylor.”
“I need to see!” Isaac tried to push him off, but Rick had a firm grip on him.
“Not before you calm down,” Rick insisted.
“Is he even alive?!” Isaac asked incredulously.
“He’s alive,” Rick confirmed, “or he was at the time the photo was taken.”
He looked over as the officer stepped out of the patrol car, handing him back his phone. Rick gave Isaac a cautious look, making sure he was calm enough, before handing it to him. But it didn’t matter how calm Isaac could have been, the moment he saw it he began hyperventilating.
“I can’t believe I let that happen,” he said softly.
“You’re not psychic, Ike. How were you supposed to know?”
“I should have at least checked what the guy looked like,” Isaac insisted.
“You never saw him face to face. In fact I believe that’s the reason that you’re even still here and able to look for your brothers,” Rick pointed out, “and photos are always different to real life. Especially mug shots. I should know. How were you supposed to figure out that the butcher’s assistant was a wanted criminal?”
“The fact that he was the last person to see them was probably a big hint,” Isaac said sarcastically.
He looked up as they saw Davison’s patrol car turn into the street, just turning off their lights which they’d obviously used to get there faster.
“Oh no…” Rick said suddenly.
“What?” Isaac’s eyes shot to him.
Rick quickly turned the phone’s screen off.
“You don’t want to see that,” he gulped slightly, soon seeing for himself that Davison had arrived.
“See what?” Isaac frowned as Rick got out of the car.
He quickly followed him as Davison pulled up behind them.
“Rick, what is it?! I think I have a right to know!”
Rick went straight to Davison’s window before the sergeant could even turn the car off.
“I wired his cell phone before he left,” he brushed over quickly.
“You did what?” Davison’s eyebrows rose.
“I know it’s not exactly legal, but I picked up that the guy was covering for something,” Rick shook his head, “anyway after the tap and hearing the phone call I started going through the phone’s files. I just found this. It was sent as a picture message sometime in the early hours of yesterday morning.”
Davison took the phone from him, and Isaac couldn’t help but see his face lose a little colour.
“Rick, I swear. If you don’t tell me what’s going on…” Isaac looked like he was about to start throwing punches.
Davison handed the phone to his officer as Rick ignored Isaac before picking up his radio.
“Mike this is Davison,” he called, “we need a court order to obtain the CCTV footage from the butcher on Seventeenth. And we need it now. Fax it through once you get it.”
Isaac had rushed around to the other side of the car, knowing the officer now had the phone. Rick quickly followed him and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back from the car.
“Calm down,” he insisted, grabbing him by the shoulders and looking him in the eye.
“Tell me what it is,” Isaac shook his head.
“It’s a photo,” Rick said carefully, “of Taylor.”
“I need to see!” Isaac tried to push him off, but Rick had a firm grip on him.
“Not before you calm down,” Rick insisted.
“Is he even alive?!” Isaac asked incredulously.
“He’s alive,” Rick confirmed, “or he was at the time the photo was taken.”
He looked over as the officer stepped out of the patrol car, handing him back his phone. Rick gave Isaac a cautious look, making sure he was calm enough, before handing it to him. But it didn’t matter how calm Isaac could have been, the moment he saw it he began hyperventilating.