‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
74
As Taylor walked with the rebels out toward the stable yards, he couldn’t help but get the feeling he was being watched. In a way other than the obvious.
He looked over his shoulder back towards the main house but still couldn’t see anyone he knew. One of the rebels took his shoulder in their hand, making him turn back. A moment later and close gunfire was heard, a man nearby falling to the ground dead.
Taylor was pushed down to his knees as the rebels with him armed their rifles and fired in multiple directions overhead. He watched as more men fell, soon deciphering where the shots were coming from. One set from the stables, one set from the third floor of the house. His new captors were yet to realise the direction, but Taylor easily locked eyes with the stable sniper.
Juan.
Realising where his aim sat next, Taylor simply watched as the man to his right was gunned down. When the other rebel spun to fire towards the stables, Taylor leapt to his feet. Barely registering what he was doing he went for the rifle, managing to wrench it from the rebel’s grip with surprise to his advantage. Now that he had his height working for him as well, he easily pulled the man into a headlock as he heard another round of ammunition fire and hit their target dead on.
Barely breathing he dropped the body, looking up in time to see Juan nod before readjusting his aim. As he realised he was now alone in the stable yard, Taylor ducked off to the side where there were trees to cover him. He watched as the fighting played out from the very spot that Ibby had taken him to that first night, before he carefully began to make his way back up to the house. Making sure to keep out of sight he managed to get himself back to the kitchen and to the cellar door.
With a quick check to make sure that no one was watching, he made his way down and closed the door behind him again. When he reached the bottom of the ladder he almost fell over when he was enveloped by arms from both sides.
“Hey guys,” he said quietly, smiling as he rubbed the twins’ heads.
“Where you go Taylor?” Javier asked in broken English.
“Never mind. We need to go and hide,” Taylor insisted.
He took them back over to the corner, relieved to see that Gabriela was still there. He turned his back and sat down, scooting back into the dark corner, before letting the boys sit in his lap.
He stayed with them like that until well after night fall. The next set of footsteps they heard on the ladder were that of the kids’ mother.
She called to them in Spanish and they ran to her, leaving Taylor sitting in the dark corner. He waited until they’d had their little reunion before sidling out of his hiding place.
“Taylor?” she seemed a little surprised when she saw him.
“Yes Miss,” he bowed his head.
“Juan told me what you did,” she gave him a sideways look, before giving Gabriela a pat on the back and nodding toward the ladder.
Gabriela made her own way up, but Javier and David ran back to Taylor’s side. Taylor couldn’t help but smile a little before kneeling so that David could climb onto his back. Once he was up he walked over to the ladder, lifting Javier up so that he could climb out himself. Then he carried David up himself. At the top their mother told them to run off and play while she led Taylor back to the study.
“Where were they taking you?” she asked the moment the door closed.
“I don’t know Miss,” Taylor answered honestly, kneeling in his place on the rug.
As she asked him what had happened, he opted to leave out that they’d known who he was.
He looked over his shoulder back towards the main house but still couldn’t see anyone he knew. One of the rebels took his shoulder in their hand, making him turn back. A moment later and close gunfire was heard, a man nearby falling to the ground dead.
Taylor was pushed down to his knees as the rebels with him armed their rifles and fired in multiple directions overhead. He watched as more men fell, soon deciphering where the shots were coming from. One set from the stables, one set from the third floor of the house. His new captors were yet to realise the direction, but Taylor easily locked eyes with the stable sniper.
Juan.
Realising where his aim sat next, Taylor simply watched as the man to his right was gunned down. When the other rebel spun to fire towards the stables, Taylor leapt to his feet. Barely registering what he was doing he went for the rifle, managing to wrench it from the rebel’s grip with surprise to his advantage. Now that he had his height working for him as well, he easily pulled the man into a headlock as he heard another round of ammunition fire and hit their target dead on.
Barely breathing he dropped the body, looking up in time to see Juan nod before readjusting his aim. As he realised he was now alone in the stable yard, Taylor ducked off to the side where there were trees to cover him. He watched as the fighting played out from the very spot that Ibby had taken him to that first night, before he carefully began to make his way back up to the house. Making sure to keep out of sight he managed to get himself back to the kitchen and to the cellar door.
With a quick check to make sure that no one was watching, he made his way down and closed the door behind him again. When he reached the bottom of the ladder he almost fell over when he was enveloped by arms from both sides.
“Hey guys,” he said quietly, smiling as he rubbed the twins’ heads.
“Where you go Taylor?” Javier asked in broken English.
“Never mind. We need to go and hide,” Taylor insisted.
He took them back over to the corner, relieved to see that Gabriela was still there. He turned his back and sat down, scooting back into the dark corner, before letting the boys sit in his lap.
He stayed with them like that until well after night fall. The next set of footsteps they heard on the ladder were that of the kids’ mother.
She called to them in Spanish and they ran to her, leaving Taylor sitting in the dark corner. He waited until they’d had their little reunion before sidling out of his hiding place.
“Taylor?” she seemed a little surprised when she saw him.
“Yes Miss,” he bowed his head.
“Juan told me what you did,” she gave him a sideways look, before giving Gabriela a pat on the back and nodding toward the ladder.
Gabriela made her own way up, but Javier and David ran back to Taylor’s side. Taylor couldn’t help but smile a little before kneeling so that David could climb onto his back. Once he was up he walked over to the ladder, lifting Javier up so that he could climb out himself. Then he carried David up himself. At the top their mother told them to run off and play while she led Taylor back to the study.
“Where were they taking you?” she asked the moment the door closed.
“I don’t know Miss,” Taylor answered honestly, kneeling in his place on the rug.
As she asked him what had happened, he opted to leave out that they’d known who he was.