‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
06
“En route with Nate’s duo. Including male, blonde, approximately 6’3, thin build. Along with second male, brown hair, about 6’ and also thin build. Both mid 20’s. ETA one hour to point.”
A crackle came through the radio in response.
“Roger that. We’ll have them set up.”
Taylor glanced at Zac when man number one had said that, before putting the radio down.
“Gag them,” he indicated, making Zac sit up.
“Wait!” Taylor insisted, dodging as the man next to him raised his hand to hit him again.
The remaining accomplice had already grabbed a piece of rag and made for Zac, quickly grabbing him by the hair and pulling his head down so that he could tie it around the back of his head.
“Wait!” Taylor tried again, before taking the hit that came but struggling through it to grab the guy’s arm, “you can’t obstruct his airway like that! He had a lung transplant!”
The hitter grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back as the one standing looked down at Zac.
“Is that true?” he asked.
Zac gulped, but nodded, sparing Taylor a worried glance.
“That might change things,” he looked to the one who’d been on the radio.
“Want me to give them a call?”
“Do. In the meantime…” he pulled the gag out of Zac’s mouth and threw it to the man holding Taylor instead, who quickly obliged putting it onto him.
Zac gave his brother a sympathetic look before being distracted by the sound of a gun arming.
“Any noise out of you, lung-boy, and you lose a kneecap,” his captor dug the handgun into Zac’s knee for emphasis, “got it?”
He nodded in response before Taylor sat down heavily again next to him.
“Yeah. Yeah. No, it turns out the second kid’s had a lung transplant. Is that gonna be a problem?” the man who’d previously been on the radio was now on a cell phone, “should we just dump him at the river?”
Taylor’s head shot to Zac, whose eyes had widened.
“Okay. Right. No I understand perfectly. We’ll be there soon.”
He hung up and the boys held their breath.
“We’re taking him in. They can check him over and decide if he’s worth keeping on board,” he revealed before giving Taylor a pointed look, “but no… ‘airway obstructing’ or drugs until we know what we’re dealing with.”
“Speaking of…” the hitter stood up to head for the cardboard box.
Taylor reached over and grabbed Zac’s hand, giving it a supportive squeeze. Zac took a deep breath.
Their grips suddenly tightened when the man revealed a syringe and tested it for air bubbles.
Zac held back as hard as he could on saying anything, knowing what he was in for if he did. Predictably, the man went for Taylor, grabbing his other arm and using his thumb to find a vein.
Taylor had no room to pull away as the needle dove in and the clear liquid discharged. When it was over the man held his thumb over the small wound and threw the needle back into the box.
“Just a little something to help him sleep,” the radio man assured, noticing how wide Zac’s eyes were, “unlucky for you, you don’t get the same time out.”
Taylor groaned as he almost immediately began to feel dizzy, and Zac purposely stuck his shoulder out a little so that he could rest his head on it. Taylor did so before he could feel like falling.
Zac held onto his hand for reassurance right up until the moment Taylor passed out.
A crackle came through the radio in response.
“Roger that. We’ll have them set up.”
Taylor glanced at Zac when man number one had said that, before putting the radio down.
“Gag them,” he indicated, making Zac sit up.
“Wait!” Taylor insisted, dodging as the man next to him raised his hand to hit him again.
The remaining accomplice had already grabbed a piece of rag and made for Zac, quickly grabbing him by the hair and pulling his head down so that he could tie it around the back of his head.
“Wait!” Taylor tried again, before taking the hit that came but struggling through it to grab the guy’s arm, “you can’t obstruct his airway like that! He had a lung transplant!”
The hitter grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back as the one standing looked down at Zac.
“Is that true?” he asked.
Zac gulped, but nodded, sparing Taylor a worried glance.
“That might change things,” he looked to the one who’d been on the radio.
“Want me to give them a call?”
“Do. In the meantime…” he pulled the gag out of Zac’s mouth and threw it to the man holding Taylor instead, who quickly obliged putting it onto him.
Zac gave his brother a sympathetic look before being distracted by the sound of a gun arming.
“Any noise out of you, lung-boy, and you lose a kneecap,” his captor dug the handgun into Zac’s knee for emphasis, “got it?”
He nodded in response before Taylor sat down heavily again next to him.
“Yeah. Yeah. No, it turns out the second kid’s had a lung transplant. Is that gonna be a problem?” the man who’d previously been on the radio was now on a cell phone, “should we just dump him at the river?”
Taylor’s head shot to Zac, whose eyes had widened.
“Okay. Right. No I understand perfectly. We’ll be there soon.”
He hung up and the boys held their breath.
“We’re taking him in. They can check him over and decide if he’s worth keeping on board,” he revealed before giving Taylor a pointed look, “but no… ‘airway obstructing’ or drugs until we know what we’re dealing with.”
“Speaking of…” the hitter stood up to head for the cardboard box.
Taylor reached over and grabbed Zac’s hand, giving it a supportive squeeze. Zac took a deep breath.
Their grips suddenly tightened when the man revealed a syringe and tested it for air bubbles.
Zac held back as hard as he could on saying anything, knowing what he was in for if he did. Predictably, the man went for Taylor, grabbing his other arm and using his thumb to find a vein.
Taylor had no room to pull away as the needle dove in and the clear liquid discharged. When it was over the man held his thumb over the small wound and threw the needle back into the box.
“Just a little something to help him sleep,” the radio man assured, noticing how wide Zac’s eyes were, “unlucky for you, you don’t get the same time out.”
Taylor groaned as he almost immediately began to feel dizzy, and Zac purposely stuck his shoulder out a little so that he could rest his head on it. Taylor did so before he could feel like falling.
Zac held onto his hand for reassurance right up until the moment Taylor passed out.