‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
72
Taylor’s tutoring had resumed two days after he’d finished work on the piano. While his regular schedule had always involved all three of the woman’s children for a few hours each morning to teach them English, he now also had Gabriela in the afternoons for piano lessons. Thankfully she already seemed to be a fast learner, and she picked up the scales he taught her very easily. Also much like the mornings, he was never left alone with her. Instead of her mother as the escort though, she had a man about Taylor’s age who was evidently – by the physical features – a relative. He didn’t say a word to Taylor while he was in the room, which had him slightly unnerved.
The day he began tutoring again was also the day he returned to the stables at night. The damaged ones had been cleared out and tentatively rebuilt, but his had been barely touched. The first night was spent restless as he worried about Carlos and Juan making a repeat attempt before he finally managed to convince himself that it may have been their plan all along – just to give him sleepless nights. In the end, he slept.
It had been almost a week of the new schedule when he was working with the boys on some translations from an old exercise book. Gabriela was sitting by the window using the light to do some colouring when they suddenly heard gunshots off in the distance. Gabriela went to the window to look out, her mother quickly flanking her. There was no mistaking the worried look on her face.
“What is it?” Taylor asked nervously, trying not to worry the twins.
“A raid,” she breathed.
She rushed back to the desk, grabbing her pistol from the top drawer and slipping it into her belt.
“Raid?” Taylor frowned, looking towards the window.
She returned to rush Gabriela over to Taylor before unhooking the leash from his collar. Definitely worried now, he stood.
“I need you to take the children down to the cellar. Under the kitchen. Keep them safe,” she said sternly.
“Yes Miss,” Taylor nodded, still frowning.
“Go. Now!” she indicated the door.
Taylor’s protective instincts immediately took over, and he rushed Gabriela to the door while taking the twins’ hands in his own. As he glanced over his shoulder he saw the woman following as he led them down to the kitchen.
He found the cellar door and jumped down the ladder, looking up to catch the boys as they came down and then helping Gabriela make her own way down. As he looked up again he saw the woman close the door after them, a heavy bolt being slid across the outside cutting off their main source of light.
“Taylor? What’s happening?” came David’s voice meekly.
Taylor looked over to where a single flame-lit lantern sat, and quickly made his way over to grab it. He used it to begin seeking out other lanterns he could light.
“I don’t know,” he admitted, trying to think of how to word it so that they would understand, “we just need to stay here for a while, that’s all.”
As he lit the second lantern he found, he looked up as he heard footsteps overhead. Gladly they didn’t stop.
Gabriela said something to the boys in Spanish, making them shake their heads. Even underground they could hear the gunfire getting closer.
“This is gonna be a long day,” Taylor said to himself under his breath.
The day he began tutoring again was also the day he returned to the stables at night. The damaged ones had been cleared out and tentatively rebuilt, but his had been barely touched. The first night was spent restless as he worried about Carlos and Juan making a repeat attempt before he finally managed to convince himself that it may have been their plan all along – just to give him sleepless nights. In the end, he slept.
It had been almost a week of the new schedule when he was working with the boys on some translations from an old exercise book. Gabriela was sitting by the window using the light to do some colouring when they suddenly heard gunshots off in the distance. Gabriela went to the window to look out, her mother quickly flanking her. There was no mistaking the worried look on her face.
“What is it?” Taylor asked nervously, trying not to worry the twins.
“A raid,” she breathed.
She rushed back to the desk, grabbing her pistol from the top drawer and slipping it into her belt.
“Raid?” Taylor frowned, looking towards the window.
She returned to rush Gabriela over to Taylor before unhooking the leash from his collar. Definitely worried now, he stood.
“I need you to take the children down to the cellar. Under the kitchen. Keep them safe,” she said sternly.
“Yes Miss,” Taylor nodded, still frowning.
“Go. Now!” she indicated the door.
Taylor’s protective instincts immediately took over, and he rushed Gabriela to the door while taking the twins’ hands in his own. As he glanced over his shoulder he saw the woman following as he led them down to the kitchen.
He found the cellar door and jumped down the ladder, looking up to catch the boys as they came down and then helping Gabriela make her own way down. As he looked up again he saw the woman close the door after them, a heavy bolt being slid across the outside cutting off their main source of light.
“Taylor? What’s happening?” came David’s voice meekly.
Taylor looked over to where a single flame-lit lantern sat, and quickly made his way over to grab it. He used it to begin seeking out other lanterns he could light.
“I don’t know,” he admitted, trying to think of how to word it so that they would understand, “we just need to stay here for a while, that’s all.”
As he lit the second lantern he found, he looked up as he heard footsteps overhead. Gladly they didn’t stop.
Gabriela said something to the boys in Spanish, making them shake their heads. Even underground they could hear the gunfire getting closer.
“This is gonna be a long day,” Taylor said to himself under his breath.