‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
61
Zac had been confined to the motel room for days on end and he was going absolutely stir crazy. Davison and Carlson had been giving them updates from both Dallas and Tulsa, but the brothers along with Rick had stayed in Fort Worth. The task force along with forensics had cleaned out the facility where Zac had been found, but the building was under guard and still off limits. With everything accompanying them, the force had headed back into Dallas – Carlson with them.
Isaac was just returning to the room with take out when Rick’s phone rang.
“Astley,” he answered, “oh hey Carlson…”
Zac looked up from where he was sitting at the table as Isaac dropped the food there.
“Yeah, sure, I know. Uh huh. No, I don’t think we were expecting that at all. I’ll let them know, they might want to head on over…”
Isaac gave Zac a questioning look. He just shrugged.
“Thanks Carlson,” Rick hung up.
“What was that about?” Zac asked, knowing by the lack of reaction on Rick’s part that it wasn’t a lead.
“They’re lining up the personal effects they found at the base,” Rick revealed, “in Dallas. Carlson thinks they might have found your brother’s wedding ring, but someone needs to go down and verify it before…”
He trailed off, not wanting to say ‘before it can be returned to Natalie’. Zac started tapping his fingers on the table.
“Should we split up?” he suggested.
“No,” Isaac insisted, “we don’t exactly have the best history when it comes to that.”
“Touché. So then… I guess we should go to Dallas.”
“Really?” Isaac’s eyebrows rose.
“It’s been almost a week,” Zac shook his head, “I don’t know that spending another week in this room is going to help any. And at least if we go to Dallas we’re doing something productive.”
Rick looked between them as Isaac sighed and sat down across from Zac.
“You’re right,” he nodded, “as much as I hate to say it. As much as I hate to have to come here and not leave with Tay…”
“Hey you and me both,” Zac insisted, “I either expected to leave with Tay or not at all.”
There was a moment of silence as a sombre mood hit the room. Isaac broke it by starting to give out the food.
“I should probably head back to Tulsa anyway,” Rick suggested, “for one, we need someone near home. And another… I’m sorry, but I just need to get home.”
“We get it, it’s okay,” Zac assured, “it’s killing us not being home with our families too. There’s no reason we should all suffer for it.”
Rick hesitated awkwardly, not wanting them to think that he was giving up.
“We should hire a car,” Zac suggested.
“Sounds like a plan,” Isaac nodded.
“Are you guys sure you don’t want to come back?” Rick asked suddenly, “I’m sure the girls would appreciate having you back around at the very least. And you’ll still get updated constantly.”
“I’m not ready,” Isaac shook his head, making Zac look up.
“Not ready for what?” Rick frowned.
“I’m not ready to go back and face Natalie, knowing that I’ve failed,” Isaac admitted sullenly.
Isaac was just returning to the room with take out when Rick’s phone rang.
“Astley,” he answered, “oh hey Carlson…”
Zac looked up from where he was sitting at the table as Isaac dropped the food there.
“Yeah, sure, I know. Uh huh. No, I don’t think we were expecting that at all. I’ll let them know, they might want to head on over…”
Isaac gave Zac a questioning look. He just shrugged.
“Thanks Carlson,” Rick hung up.
“What was that about?” Zac asked, knowing by the lack of reaction on Rick’s part that it wasn’t a lead.
“They’re lining up the personal effects they found at the base,” Rick revealed, “in Dallas. Carlson thinks they might have found your brother’s wedding ring, but someone needs to go down and verify it before…”
He trailed off, not wanting to say ‘before it can be returned to Natalie’. Zac started tapping his fingers on the table.
“Should we split up?” he suggested.
“No,” Isaac insisted, “we don’t exactly have the best history when it comes to that.”
“Touché. So then… I guess we should go to Dallas.”
“Really?” Isaac’s eyebrows rose.
“It’s been almost a week,” Zac shook his head, “I don’t know that spending another week in this room is going to help any. And at least if we go to Dallas we’re doing something productive.”
Rick looked between them as Isaac sighed and sat down across from Zac.
“You’re right,” he nodded, “as much as I hate to say it. As much as I hate to have to come here and not leave with Tay…”
“Hey you and me both,” Zac insisted, “I either expected to leave with Tay or not at all.”
There was a moment of silence as a sombre mood hit the room. Isaac broke it by starting to give out the food.
“I should probably head back to Tulsa anyway,” Rick suggested, “for one, we need someone near home. And another… I’m sorry, but I just need to get home.”
“We get it, it’s okay,” Zac assured, “it’s killing us not being home with our families too. There’s no reason we should all suffer for it.”
Rick hesitated awkwardly, not wanting them to think that he was giving up.
“We should hire a car,” Zac suggested.
“Sounds like a plan,” Isaac nodded.
“Are you guys sure you don’t want to come back?” Rick asked suddenly, “I’m sure the girls would appreciate having you back around at the very least. And you’ll still get updated constantly.”
“I’m not ready,” Isaac shook his head, making Zac look up.
“Not ready for what?” Rick frowned.
“I’m not ready to go back and face Natalie, knowing that I’ve failed,” Isaac admitted sullenly.