‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
50
After they’d found Zac some water Isaac had managed to convince Carlson to let him take him back to the surveillance van – at least until the raid was truly over. He would still have to get to the hospital for a check over.
“When did you last see Taylor?” Rick asked as Zac sat in front of the screens.
“I’m not sure,” Zac replied honestly before spying a muesli bar someone had left in the van, “can I have that?”
Rick glanced over his shoulder, grabbing it and throwing it to him.
“Thanks.”
“Can you guess?” Isaac looked hopeful.
“A few days at least,” Zac said thoughtfully, “but I can’t be sure. He was in and out all the time.”
“How do you mean?” Rick asked cautiously, as if he felt he was touching an open wound.
“They were sending him for training sessions,” Zac revealed, making Isaac give him a shocked look.
“Training sessions?” Rick wanted clarified.
“Yeah,” Zac nodded, mouth full of muesli, “he didn’t want to talk about it much, but he always came back with new bruises. I think the first time they broke his fingers.”
Isaac covered his mouth with his hand, eyes to the screens again.
“Why?” Rick scowled, “why would they break his fingers?”
“To get his wedding ring off,” Zac informed them, not bothering to look at either of them, “something to do with ‘ownership’ or whatever. They said something about rushing him through the system. Nate has to have quite a hold on these people, because he was sold almost straight away.”
“They actually sold him,” Isaac could barely get the words out.
“I’d say within the first day,” Zac pulled a face, “but supposedly I had a couple of people that wanted me, so they had to bid.”
Isaac just shook his head.
“So we need to find out who bought him,” Rick said decidedly.
“Pretty sure these people don’t keep much of a paper trail,” Zac smirked.
“You’d be surprised,” Rick’s eyebrows rose, “not that we have much experience with this kind of thing. I mean we always knew this kind of thing was going on, but they always tend to take people that others won’t notice are gone, you know? You guys are an unusual case.”
“They messed with the wrong people, that’s for sure,” Isaac murmured making Zac smile.
A knock on the van door made Zac jump, and they looked up to see Carlson.
“Ready to go, Zac?”
Zac gave Isaac a glance before getting up to step out of the van again.
“Are you coming?” he turned back to Isaac.
Isaac gave the screens another glance, as if debating with himself that Taylor could still be there somewhere.
“Definitely,” he replied, getting up to step out.
“I’ll follow you guys, unless you want to come in my car?” Rick offered.
“Do you know where to go?” Carlson asked him.
“I can follow the vans,” Rick shrugged.
“Alright?” Carlson looked between Isaac and Zac, who both gave a nod.
Carlson closed up the van as they made their way back to Rick’s car, and were soon on their way to the hospital as part of a very long convoy.
“When did you last see Taylor?” Rick asked as Zac sat in front of the screens.
“I’m not sure,” Zac replied honestly before spying a muesli bar someone had left in the van, “can I have that?”
Rick glanced over his shoulder, grabbing it and throwing it to him.
“Thanks.”
“Can you guess?” Isaac looked hopeful.
“A few days at least,” Zac said thoughtfully, “but I can’t be sure. He was in and out all the time.”
“How do you mean?” Rick asked cautiously, as if he felt he was touching an open wound.
“They were sending him for training sessions,” Zac revealed, making Isaac give him a shocked look.
“Training sessions?” Rick wanted clarified.
“Yeah,” Zac nodded, mouth full of muesli, “he didn’t want to talk about it much, but he always came back with new bruises. I think the first time they broke his fingers.”
Isaac covered his mouth with his hand, eyes to the screens again.
“Why?” Rick scowled, “why would they break his fingers?”
“To get his wedding ring off,” Zac informed them, not bothering to look at either of them, “something to do with ‘ownership’ or whatever. They said something about rushing him through the system. Nate has to have quite a hold on these people, because he was sold almost straight away.”
“They actually sold him,” Isaac could barely get the words out.
“I’d say within the first day,” Zac pulled a face, “but supposedly I had a couple of people that wanted me, so they had to bid.”
Isaac just shook his head.
“So we need to find out who bought him,” Rick said decidedly.
“Pretty sure these people don’t keep much of a paper trail,” Zac smirked.
“You’d be surprised,” Rick’s eyebrows rose, “not that we have much experience with this kind of thing. I mean we always knew this kind of thing was going on, but they always tend to take people that others won’t notice are gone, you know? You guys are an unusual case.”
“They messed with the wrong people, that’s for sure,” Isaac murmured making Zac smile.
A knock on the van door made Zac jump, and they looked up to see Carlson.
“Ready to go, Zac?”
Zac gave Isaac a glance before getting up to step out of the van again.
“Are you coming?” he turned back to Isaac.
Isaac gave the screens another glance, as if debating with himself that Taylor could still be there somewhere.
“Definitely,” he replied, getting up to step out.
“I’ll follow you guys, unless you want to come in my car?” Rick offered.
“Do you know where to go?” Carlson asked him.
“I can follow the vans,” Rick shrugged.
“Alright?” Carlson looked between Isaac and Zac, who both gave a nod.
Carlson closed up the van as they made their way back to Rick’s car, and were soon on their way to the hospital as part of a very long convoy.