‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
32
“It’s true. He had a lung transplant seven years ago,” Taylor assured, not yet sure what reaction he was getting.
A flashlight shone in Zac’s eyes, making him squint.
“Do you have any on you?” the man asked.
“Yeah,” he admitted, reaching into the pocket of his jeans where he kept them.
The man stepped forward and took them from him as Taylor watched on worriedly.
“Have you taken any yet today?”
“Not yet,” Zac shook his head.
The man used the flashlight to look at the details on the bottle, before opening it and tipping the contents into his hand. Four pills came out and he replaced two of them.
“Keep these and we’ll see what we can do,” he handed the two he’d taken out back to Zac.
Taylor dared not look too hopeful, but he gave Zac what he hoped was a reassuring look. Zac gave him a nod of thanks before he was pulled out of the room again.
The man who’d taken the bottle from Zac escorted them back to the training room, only waiting while Taylor was taken in before leaving again. Taylor watched as the door was closed behind him before turning to face the ‘master’ again. And almost jumping out of his skin.
“Taylor,” Nate nodded from behind the table.
“What did I tell you?” the master gave him a pointed look.
“Sorry. ‘352’,” Nate couldn’t help but smirk.
“Kneel,” the master ordered, indicating a spot on the floor.
Taylor’s eyes didn’t leave Nate, but he stepped over to the spot and knelt obediently. The master snapped his fingers, garnering Taylor’s attention.
“Nathaniel would like to speak with you,” he kept his eyes locked on Taylor’s as if daring him to look away, “I would like you to be on your best behaviour while I leave the room. Do you understand?”
Taylor swallowed nervously, but nodded.
“I can’t hear you.”
“Yes, Master,” Taylor closed his eyes for a moment.
He hung his head as the man stepped past him, and he and Taylor’s escort closed the door on their way out. Taylor’s eyes followed Nate’s shoes as he stepped up to the table and curiously looked through the box that sat there.
“So I spoke to your brother yesterday,” he began, immediately making Taylor look up, “the older one, not the one we have here.”
“Ike?” Taylor frowned, “…how? Why?”
“You know, I’ve been given permission to ‘punish’ you for speaking out of turn,” Nate mused, picking up what Taylor knew was a taser.
He flushed red as he knew that he’d both done it, and that Nate had previously mentioned his longing to see one used on him.
“I went back to work at the butcher store. He came in asking questions about the two of you,” Nate looked the gun over thoughtfully, “he must have traced your phones or something. Never mind.”
He looked up and made eye contact with Taylor.
“Funny enough, he didn’t even recognise me. We had a nice chat.”
“Please, please don’t hurt him,” Taylor shook his head desperately.
Nate suddenly aimed the gun and shot Taylor directly in the chest.
A flashlight shone in Zac’s eyes, making him squint.
“Do you have any on you?” the man asked.
“Yeah,” he admitted, reaching into the pocket of his jeans where he kept them.
The man stepped forward and took them from him as Taylor watched on worriedly.
“Have you taken any yet today?”
“Not yet,” Zac shook his head.
The man used the flashlight to look at the details on the bottle, before opening it and tipping the contents into his hand. Four pills came out and he replaced two of them.
“Keep these and we’ll see what we can do,” he handed the two he’d taken out back to Zac.
Taylor dared not look too hopeful, but he gave Zac what he hoped was a reassuring look. Zac gave him a nod of thanks before he was pulled out of the room again.
The man who’d taken the bottle from Zac escorted them back to the training room, only waiting while Taylor was taken in before leaving again. Taylor watched as the door was closed behind him before turning to face the ‘master’ again. And almost jumping out of his skin.
“Taylor,” Nate nodded from behind the table.
“What did I tell you?” the master gave him a pointed look.
“Sorry. ‘352’,” Nate couldn’t help but smirk.
“Kneel,” the master ordered, indicating a spot on the floor.
Taylor’s eyes didn’t leave Nate, but he stepped over to the spot and knelt obediently. The master snapped his fingers, garnering Taylor’s attention.
“Nathaniel would like to speak with you,” he kept his eyes locked on Taylor’s as if daring him to look away, “I would like you to be on your best behaviour while I leave the room. Do you understand?”
Taylor swallowed nervously, but nodded.
“I can’t hear you.”
“Yes, Master,” Taylor closed his eyes for a moment.
He hung his head as the man stepped past him, and he and Taylor’s escort closed the door on their way out. Taylor’s eyes followed Nate’s shoes as he stepped up to the table and curiously looked through the box that sat there.
“So I spoke to your brother yesterday,” he began, immediately making Taylor look up, “the older one, not the one we have here.”
“Ike?” Taylor frowned, “…how? Why?”
“You know, I’ve been given permission to ‘punish’ you for speaking out of turn,” Nate mused, picking up what Taylor knew was a taser.
He flushed red as he knew that he’d both done it, and that Nate had previously mentioned his longing to see one used on him.
“I went back to work at the butcher store. He came in asking questions about the two of you,” Nate looked the gun over thoughtfully, “he must have traced your phones or something. Never mind.”
He looked up and made eye contact with Taylor.
“Funny enough, he didn’t even recognise me. We had a nice chat.”
“Please, please don’t hurt him,” Taylor shook his head desperately.
Nate suddenly aimed the gun and shot Taylor directly in the chest.