‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
52
“Stand up.”
Taylor flinched as the order left her lips, realising that having a different ‘master’ was going to take some getting used to.
He leant back on his feet a little and levered himself upward.
“He’s tall,” came a male voice from behind him.
“His height is irrelevant,” the woman stepped forward and took his chin in her hand.
She lifted his head and turned him to face the left as she studied a purple bruise on his cheek.
“They could have at least provided him in one piece,” she muttered.
“He has a bandage on one of his hands, too.”
The woman let his chin go and stepped around behind him. Taylor immediately returned his gaze to the floor.
“Hmm. It’s a splint. He must have broken a finger,” she realised.
She stepped around to the front again and pulled the gag down to his throat.
“How long ago were your fingers broken?” she demanded.
“I don’t know,” Taylor’s voice shook, “maybe two weeks?”
She nodded.
“Then it’ll be another three,” she said with finality before looking to the man behind him, “take him to the stables and make sure he’s comfortable. We’ll resume in the morning.”
Taylor said nothing as he was taken by the shoulder and led away. He couldn’t help but notice on the way through that the building was very large and open, almost looking like something out of an old time movie. The décor was lush and obviously expensive from the little that he could see before he was taken outside and down a dark and beaten path.
He could smell the horses before they came to the stables, and they passed some young people on the way. No one gave him a second glance. As they passed the row of horses, they soon came to an empty stall. His escort opened the gate and pulled a lantern from the outside wall in with him. Taylor followed only when he pulled on his chain.
Setting the lantern on a hook in the wall, his escort pulled him to the back wall where he attached the chain. Producing a key he unlocked the padlock on his wrist cuffs, before turning to take the lantern again. Without even another glance he closed the gate behind him on the way out and slid the bolt across.
Taylor stretched his arms out and rolled his shoulders, before feeling out the length of the chain in the dark. He took a few steps forward to test it and realised it gave him enough room to walk around the entire space. With a tired sigh he sat down against the side wall, holding the chain in his hand as he closed his eyes.
It was hot, but not an uncomfortable hot. He’d already guessed that he was somewhere very south, possibly even across the Mexican border by now.
His mind drifted to Zac as he thought about the cell he hadn’t seen in days. He hoped they would at least be giving him water now that they’d replaced his medication, even if they didn’t feed him every day. Hopefully they wouldn’t start training him just yet at least.
He opened his eyes and looked towards the door as he registered footsteps walking past. They didn’t stop. It was only once his eyes had adjusted to the dark that he recognised a soft golden light filtering through the cracks in the gate from the lanterns outside. They almost gave the illusion of a distant sunrise.
Taylor flinched as the order left her lips, realising that having a different ‘master’ was going to take some getting used to.
He leant back on his feet a little and levered himself upward.
“He’s tall,” came a male voice from behind him.
“His height is irrelevant,” the woman stepped forward and took his chin in her hand.
She lifted his head and turned him to face the left as she studied a purple bruise on his cheek.
“They could have at least provided him in one piece,” she muttered.
“He has a bandage on one of his hands, too.”
The woman let his chin go and stepped around behind him. Taylor immediately returned his gaze to the floor.
“Hmm. It’s a splint. He must have broken a finger,” she realised.
She stepped around to the front again and pulled the gag down to his throat.
“How long ago were your fingers broken?” she demanded.
“I don’t know,” Taylor’s voice shook, “maybe two weeks?”
She nodded.
“Then it’ll be another three,” she said with finality before looking to the man behind him, “take him to the stables and make sure he’s comfortable. We’ll resume in the morning.”
Taylor said nothing as he was taken by the shoulder and led away. He couldn’t help but notice on the way through that the building was very large and open, almost looking like something out of an old time movie. The décor was lush and obviously expensive from the little that he could see before he was taken outside and down a dark and beaten path.
He could smell the horses before they came to the stables, and they passed some young people on the way. No one gave him a second glance. As they passed the row of horses, they soon came to an empty stall. His escort opened the gate and pulled a lantern from the outside wall in with him. Taylor followed only when he pulled on his chain.
Setting the lantern on a hook in the wall, his escort pulled him to the back wall where he attached the chain. Producing a key he unlocked the padlock on his wrist cuffs, before turning to take the lantern again. Without even another glance he closed the gate behind him on the way out and slid the bolt across.
Taylor stretched his arms out and rolled his shoulders, before feeling out the length of the chain in the dark. He took a few steps forward to test it and realised it gave him enough room to walk around the entire space. With a tired sigh he sat down against the side wall, holding the chain in his hand as he closed his eyes.
It was hot, but not an uncomfortable hot. He’d already guessed that he was somewhere very south, possibly even across the Mexican border by now.
His mind drifted to Zac as he thought about the cell he hadn’t seen in days. He hoped they would at least be giving him water now that they’d replaced his medication, even if they didn’t feed him every day. Hopefully they wouldn’t start training him just yet at least.
He opened his eyes and looked towards the door as he registered footsteps walking past. They didn’t stop. It was only once his eyes had adjusted to the dark that he recognised a soft golden light filtering through the cracks in the gate from the lanterns outside. They almost gave the illusion of a distant sunrise.