‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
43
After serving the dinner and then being treated to the leftovers, Taylor found himself kneeling silently in the living room while Charlie took up some knitting and their master read the day’s paper over a glass of red. The silence was a new kind that Taylor wasn’t used to – it wasn’t unnerving.
It wasn’t overly late when the master decided to retire. Charlie took Taylor upstairs, quickly fussing about as Taylor watched him lay out some pyjamas and even a suit for the following day. When he led him into the main bedroom however, Taylor could tell exactly what was going to happen.
Charlie indicated the ensuite, insisting that Taylor get himself ready to sleep first. Taylor quickly used the bathroom before Charlie did himself, and then waited patiently at the end of the bed.
“This is where we sleep,” Charlie informed him, stating what Taylor found to be obvious already.
There wasn’t even a rug on the floor, but there was a length of chain secured to one of the bed posts with an open padlock on the end of it. Charlie ushered Taylor over to it, quickly securing the lock around the ring at the front of his collar and snapping it shut. Taylor pulled on it a little as if to test it, before sitting on the floor as they heard footsteps approaching.
Charlie rushed to turn off the main lights and light the bedside lamp before making his way to the other end of the bed, beside Taylor on the floor. He knelt with his head bowed, making Taylor think he should probably do the same.
The master entered a moment later and went about his business as he got ready for bed. Without a word or even a glance in their direction, he got into bed and turned off the lamp. Once the light was out Taylor heard Charlie lay down beside him, and he gingerly slid from sitting on his legs so that he was laying down as well. The chain attached to his collar rattled against the floorboards with a rather loud clatter, so he grabbed it with his hand and let it rest there to stop the noise. It wasn’t long before he heard both men falling asleep, and it wasn’t until he was sure that he closed his own eyes.
*
It was only when Zac was fed for the second time in a row that he realised Taylor hadn’t returned from his training session that day. Or the day before, he couldn’t tell. Before the man could leave the room, he cleared his throat.
“Can I ask where my brother is?”
He flinched as the flashlight shone in his eyes again, and braced himself in case there was a punch coming.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be your turn soon enough,” came the reply, before he was gone.
Zac hesitated at that, wondering if maybe he should have taken some of Taylor’s earlier advice.
“Come on Ike, where are you?” he hit his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.
*
“Can you tell us what stretch of the highway we need to be searching?”
There was silence on the other end of the line.
“Come on Davison, surely more pairs of eyes can’t hurt,” Isaac tried.
“And what happens when you get jumped?”
“He won’t be alone,” Rick leant toward the phone.
“I’m sure they won’t be either. We don’t know how many people Devereux has in on this one. Not to mention that he knows we’re looking for him.”
“Pretty sure he doesn’t know how close we actually are,” Rick mused, “we’re practically breathing down the back of his neck.”
“If only we were that close,” Isaac dreamt, “how much I’d like to strangle him…”
It wasn’t overly late when the master decided to retire. Charlie took Taylor upstairs, quickly fussing about as Taylor watched him lay out some pyjamas and even a suit for the following day. When he led him into the main bedroom however, Taylor could tell exactly what was going to happen.
Charlie indicated the ensuite, insisting that Taylor get himself ready to sleep first. Taylor quickly used the bathroom before Charlie did himself, and then waited patiently at the end of the bed.
“This is where we sleep,” Charlie informed him, stating what Taylor found to be obvious already.
There wasn’t even a rug on the floor, but there was a length of chain secured to one of the bed posts with an open padlock on the end of it. Charlie ushered Taylor over to it, quickly securing the lock around the ring at the front of his collar and snapping it shut. Taylor pulled on it a little as if to test it, before sitting on the floor as they heard footsteps approaching.
Charlie rushed to turn off the main lights and light the bedside lamp before making his way to the other end of the bed, beside Taylor on the floor. He knelt with his head bowed, making Taylor think he should probably do the same.
The master entered a moment later and went about his business as he got ready for bed. Without a word or even a glance in their direction, he got into bed and turned off the lamp. Once the light was out Taylor heard Charlie lay down beside him, and he gingerly slid from sitting on his legs so that he was laying down as well. The chain attached to his collar rattled against the floorboards with a rather loud clatter, so he grabbed it with his hand and let it rest there to stop the noise. It wasn’t long before he heard both men falling asleep, and it wasn’t until he was sure that he closed his own eyes.
*
It was only when Zac was fed for the second time in a row that he realised Taylor hadn’t returned from his training session that day. Or the day before, he couldn’t tell. Before the man could leave the room, he cleared his throat.
“Can I ask where my brother is?”
He flinched as the flashlight shone in his eyes again, and braced himself in case there was a punch coming.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be your turn soon enough,” came the reply, before he was gone.
Zac hesitated at that, wondering if maybe he should have taken some of Taylor’s earlier advice.
“Come on Ike, where are you?” he hit his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.
*
“Can you tell us what stretch of the highway we need to be searching?”
There was silence on the other end of the line.
“Come on Davison, surely more pairs of eyes can’t hurt,” Isaac tried.
“And what happens when you get jumped?”
“He won’t be alone,” Rick leant toward the phone.
“I’m sure they won’t be either. We don’t know how many people Devereux has in on this one. Not to mention that he knows we’re looking for him.”
“Pretty sure he doesn’t know how close we actually are,” Rick mused, “we’re practically breathing down the back of his neck.”
“If only we were that close,” Isaac dreamt, “how much I’d like to strangle him…”