‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
49
Isaac and Rick watched, barely breathing, as the raid took place. The situation seemed to be contained relatively quickly, but as the SWAT members sought out everyone else in the building there was still an air of tension.
From viewing the screen in the van Isaac and Rick had made out five separate rooms with hostages, numbers ranging from three to six per room. It wasn’t until the first room began to be emptied that Rick heard Carlson’s all clear through the radio and gave Isaac the nod.
The two of them left the van and ran for the building. They immediately spotted the main doors where the SWAT team were bringing people out – dirty, ragged, but alive. Isaac darted forward and quickly searched the faces.
“Isaac stay back,” he heard Carlson’s voice nearby.
Quickly registering that neither Taylor or Zac were in the first group, Isaac stood back with his hands on his head.
“Are they here?!” he called out.
“I don’t know. There’s plenty more where these came from.”
“Where’s Nate?” Rick demanded.
“He’s not here,” Carlson said regretfully.
“Dammit!” Isaac exclaimed, biting his fist.
A moment later the second group of hostages came through the doors, and Isaac’s eyes immediately widened.
“ZAC?”
He rushed over to him and grabbed him into a tight hug.
“Ike?” Zac sounded confused.
“Yeah Zac, it’s me.”
Zac let out a sound of relief, before ducking his head to lean on Isaac’s shoulder. His hands were still awkwardly chained together making it impossible to hug him back. It wasn’t until an officer put a hand on Isaac’s shoulder as an indication that they needed to move that he let him go.
“Where’s Taylor?” was Isaac’s first question.
“I don’t know,” Zac’s eyes were welling up, “Ike… they broke him.”
“What?” Isaac frowned, “what do you mean?”
“Over here please Zac,” came Carlson’s voice gently as he gestured for him to move against a van.
Zac couldn’t answer Isaac’s question, and instead followed Carlson. He was lined up with the other two ‘hostages’ that had been in his cell, had a quick photo taken of their state, and then tended to with bolt cutters.
“Zac?” Isaac was on him again the second the chains were off.
Zac didn’t give him a chance to continue before grabbing him into his own hug. He cringed as his arms screamed at him in pain, but ignored it.
“Zac tell me what happened,” Isaac insisted, not even trying to push him away, “what did he do to you? What’s going on here?”
Zac gulped as he pulled himself together in an effort to get it out.
“He sold us,” he said finally.
“What?” Isaac demanded, finally ducking out of Zac’s arms and staring him down.
“Slave trade. Human trafficking, whatever you call it,” Zac shrugged dejectedly, “Ike, this is… this is huge. I had no idea how big this was.”
From viewing the screen in the van Isaac and Rick had made out five separate rooms with hostages, numbers ranging from three to six per room. It wasn’t until the first room began to be emptied that Rick heard Carlson’s all clear through the radio and gave Isaac the nod.
The two of them left the van and ran for the building. They immediately spotted the main doors where the SWAT team were bringing people out – dirty, ragged, but alive. Isaac darted forward and quickly searched the faces.
“Isaac stay back,” he heard Carlson’s voice nearby.
Quickly registering that neither Taylor or Zac were in the first group, Isaac stood back with his hands on his head.
“Are they here?!” he called out.
“I don’t know. There’s plenty more where these came from.”
“Where’s Nate?” Rick demanded.
“He’s not here,” Carlson said regretfully.
“Dammit!” Isaac exclaimed, biting his fist.
A moment later the second group of hostages came through the doors, and Isaac’s eyes immediately widened.
“ZAC?”
He rushed over to him and grabbed him into a tight hug.
“Ike?” Zac sounded confused.
“Yeah Zac, it’s me.”
Zac let out a sound of relief, before ducking his head to lean on Isaac’s shoulder. His hands were still awkwardly chained together making it impossible to hug him back. It wasn’t until an officer put a hand on Isaac’s shoulder as an indication that they needed to move that he let him go.
“Where’s Taylor?” was Isaac’s first question.
“I don’t know,” Zac’s eyes were welling up, “Ike… they broke him.”
“What?” Isaac frowned, “what do you mean?”
“Over here please Zac,” came Carlson’s voice gently as he gestured for him to move against a van.
Zac couldn’t answer Isaac’s question, and instead followed Carlson. He was lined up with the other two ‘hostages’ that had been in his cell, had a quick photo taken of their state, and then tended to with bolt cutters.
“Zac?” Isaac was on him again the second the chains were off.
Zac didn’t give him a chance to continue before grabbing him into his own hug. He cringed as his arms screamed at him in pain, but ignored it.
“Zac tell me what happened,” Isaac insisted, not even trying to push him away, “what did he do to you? What’s going on here?”
Zac gulped as he pulled himself together in an effort to get it out.
“He sold us,” he said finally.
“What?” Isaac demanded, finally ducking out of Zac’s arms and staring him down.
“Slave trade. Human trafficking, whatever you call it,” Zac shrugged dejectedly, “Ike, this is… this is huge. I had no idea how big this was.”