‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
29
Zac sat up when he saw them bringing his brother back. After spending the last couple of hours debating with himself whether he’d ever see him again, it was somewhat of a surprise that he would.
He watched as they chained his wrists in the same position before pushing him to the ground and turning to leave. He couldn’t help but notice his brother shaking.
Waiting until the men had left, he inched forward as far as he could.
“Tay?” he asked carefully.
Taylor jumped when he heard his voice, as if forgetting that he’d been there.
“Zac?” he looked over his shoulder, before quickly rubbing his eyes and turning to his brother.
Zac took note of the new cuffs on his wrists that actually gave his brother more movement, and of course the new addition to his neck…
“What happened?” he dared to ask.
Taylor seemed to be trying to catch his breath before he could answer.
“Training,” was all he got out when he could.
“Training?” Zac pulled a face, before noticing how Taylor was precariously holding his left hand.
“What happened to your hand?”
Taylor gulped, still panting a little and looking like he was about to have a panic attack.
“My wedding ring,” he finally got out, tears welling in his eyes, “they broke my finger and took my wedding ring.”
Zac’s hands immediately went to his throat where his own wedding ring sat, eyeing off the door as he did so as if to make sure no one had seen what he’d done.
“He said I didn’t belong to her anymore. Oh my God,” Taylor left his broken hand in his lap and used the other to cover his eyes as he finally let the fear overwhelm him.
Zac pulled on his chains in an effort to get closer to him, but it was pointless.
“Tay? Tay, come on man. Don’t lose it on me,” he shook his head, “they’re screwing with your head. It’s their job!”
Taylor took in a shaky breath as he looked up at the door, trying to avoid eye contact with Zac while he cried.
“I’m trying,” he said finally, his voice cracking, “but this was just day one.”
“This is just what Nate wants, okay?” Zac tried to reason with him, “he wants you to be a nervous wreck just so that he can torture you for whatever demented reason he’s work out in his head.”
“This isn’t about Nate any more, it’s bigger than him,” Taylor shook his head before wiping his eyes again, “this is about losing our lives without actually dying. And I didn’t realise until earlier that it’s actually already happened and now we’re just living it.”
“No, Tay, it hasn’t happened. And it’s not going to happen,” Zac insisted, getting a little worked up himself, “not as long as you don’t let it.”
Taylor just shook his head, not wanting to argue but not agreeing with him all the same.
“He treated me like a dog, Zac,” he said suddenly, “down to crawling to him on all fours. And I had to refer to him as ‘Master’. I’m even wearing a freaking collar.”
“Look, I get that this is supposed to make you feel like crap, okay?” Zac insisted, trying to catch his eyes, “but it’s what’s in here that matters.”
When Taylor finally gave him a glance, he tapped his head.
“No one can make you change your own mind, Tay. You have to do that yourself,” he insisted.
He watched as they chained his wrists in the same position before pushing him to the ground and turning to leave. He couldn’t help but notice his brother shaking.
Waiting until the men had left, he inched forward as far as he could.
“Tay?” he asked carefully.
Taylor jumped when he heard his voice, as if forgetting that he’d been there.
“Zac?” he looked over his shoulder, before quickly rubbing his eyes and turning to his brother.
Zac took note of the new cuffs on his wrists that actually gave his brother more movement, and of course the new addition to his neck…
“What happened?” he dared to ask.
Taylor seemed to be trying to catch his breath before he could answer.
“Training,” was all he got out when he could.
“Training?” Zac pulled a face, before noticing how Taylor was precariously holding his left hand.
“What happened to your hand?”
Taylor gulped, still panting a little and looking like he was about to have a panic attack.
“My wedding ring,” he finally got out, tears welling in his eyes, “they broke my finger and took my wedding ring.”
Zac’s hands immediately went to his throat where his own wedding ring sat, eyeing off the door as he did so as if to make sure no one had seen what he’d done.
“He said I didn’t belong to her anymore. Oh my God,” Taylor left his broken hand in his lap and used the other to cover his eyes as he finally let the fear overwhelm him.
Zac pulled on his chains in an effort to get closer to him, but it was pointless.
“Tay? Tay, come on man. Don’t lose it on me,” he shook his head, “they’re screwing with your head. It’s their job!”
Taylor took in a shaky breath as he looked up at the door, trying to avoid eye contact with Zac while he cried.
“I’m trying,” he said finally, his voice cracking, “but this was just day one.”
“This is just what Nate wants, okay?” Zac tried to reason with him, “he wants you to be a nervous wreck just so that he can torture you for whatever demented reason he’s work out in his head.”
“This isn’t about Nate any more, it’s bigger than him,” Taylor shook his head before wiping his eyes again, “this is about losing our lives without actually dying. And I didn’t realise until earlier that it’s actually already happened and now we’re just living it.”
“No, Tay, it hasn’t happened. And it’s not going to happen,” Zac insisted, getting a little worked up himself, “not as long as you don’t let it.”
Taylor just shook his head, not wanting to argue but not agreeing with him all the same.
“He treated me like a dog, Zac,” he said suddenly, “down to crawling to him on all fours. And I had to refer to him as ‘Master’. I’m even wearing a freaking collar.”
“Look, I get that this is supposed to make you feel like crap, okay?” Zac insisted, trying to catch his eyes, “but it’s what’s in here that matters.”
When Taylor finally gave him a glance, he tapped his head.
“No one can make you change your own mind, Tay. You have to do that yourself,” he insisted.