‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
76
The following morning Taylor was woken up by the sound of his gate opening. When he looked up and saw that it was the woman instead of Ibby, he hurriedly got to his knees as he brushed himself off.
“Taylor,” she nodded as she walked in.
“Good morning Miss,” he held back a yawn.
He flinched back a little as she unexpectedly released his collar from the leash, rather than the chain from the wall. He looked up at her in surprise.
“I think you’ve proven yourself with yesterday’s antics that you don’t need to be led around,” she said in a soft tone, “just don’t make me regret the decision, okay Taylor?”
Taylor nodded, if a little unnerved by the whole thing. He knew she must have been referring to his return to the children after he was taken by the raiders.
Feeling slightly naked without the chain constantly attached, he followed her back to the house and into the breakfast hall.
The children were glad to see him at their tutoring session, the boys both giving him big hugs. While they perhaps weren’t aware of the enormity of the situation at the time, they nonetheless knew that he’d helped them in a significant way.
As the day wore on he began to gradually get used to his newfound freedoms. He still had an escort everywhere, but not having to be led around like a dog trained to heel was like a large victory for him. Which at another point in his life, he never could have imagined.
Other small things also changed over the next couple of days, including a razor appearing in the bathroom. He gladly shaved his beard off the moment he was able to, and it made him realise how long his hair was starting to get again. It now covered the burn scars on the back of his neck at least.
As he was returned to the stables at night, the chain was replaced. Thankful for the days free of it, he didn’t dare complain.
*
“We have a lead.”
“What?” Isaac sat up in bed, rubbing his eye.
“We have a lead. Your brother was taken to Mexico.”
“What?” Isaac’s tone was lower.
“We managed to track some satellite footage around Fort Worth and Waco about the time of the raids. We didn’t see it before, but a light aircraft was spotted heading South-“
“Why did this take so long?” Isaac was out of the bed and had turned the light on, “did no one think of this earlier? Wasn’t the airport monitored?!”
“It was, but too late. We had to go back a few days,” Davison responded calmly, “we’re lucky we spotted it as it was, it was a very small plane. Also I should inform you that since we haven’t been able to track it to a destination so far and we have no further footage to monitor, we can’t guarantee a hundred per cent that Taylor was on that plane.”
“It’s a lead, and I’m taking it,” Isaac was already getting dressed, “now where did it go?”
“It was headed for Tampico.”
“That far?” Isaac frowned.
“We haven’t confirmed a landing site, but there’s not really anywhere else to go on that side.”
“Thanks Davison,” Isaac hung up abruptly and immediately dialled Zac’s number.
“Zac? Get up. We’re going to Tampico.”
“Taylor,” she nodded as she walked in.
“Good morning Miss,” he held back a yawn.
He flinched back a little as she unexpectedly released his collar from the leash, rather than the chain from the wall. He looked up at her in surprise.
“I think you’ve proven yourself with yesterday’s antics that you don’t need to be led around,” she said in a soft tone, “just don’t make me regret the decision, okay Taylor?”
Taylor nodded, if a little unnerved by the whole thing. He knew she must have been referring to his return to the children after he was taken by the raiders.
Feeling slightly naked without the chain constantly attached, he followed her back to the house and into the breakfast hall.
The children were glad to see him at their tutoring session, the boys both giving him big hugs. While they perhaps weren’t aware of the enormity of the situation at the time, they nonetheless knew that he’d helped them in a significant way.
As the day wore on he began to gradually get used to his newfound freedoms. He still had an escort everywhere, but not having to be led around like a dog trained to heel was like a large victory for him. Which at another point in his life, he never could have imagined.
Other small things also changed over the next couple of days, including a razor appearing in the bathroom. He gladly shaved his beard off the moment he was able to, and it made him realise how long his hair was starting to get again. It now covered the burn scars on the back of his neck at least.
As he was returned to the stables at night, the chain was replaced. Thankful for the days free of it, he didn’t dare complain.
*
“We have a lead.”
“What?” Isaac sat up in bed, rubbing his eye.
“We have a lead. Your brother was taken to Mexico.”
“What?” Isaac’s tone was lower.
“We managed to track some satellite footage around Fort Worth and Waco about the time of the raids. We didn’t see it before, but a light aircraft was spotted heading South-“
“Why did this take so long?” Isaac was out of the bed and had turned the light on, “did no one think of this earlier? Wasn’t the airport monitored?!”
“It was, but too late. We had to go back a few days,” Davison responded calmly, “we’re lucky we spotted it as it was, it was a very small plane. Also I should inform you that since we haven’t been able to track it to a destination so far and we have no further footage to monitor, we can’t guarantee a hundred per cent that Taylor was on that plane.”
“It’s a lead, and I’m taking it,” Isaac was already getting dressed, “now where did it go?”
“It was headed for Tampico.”
“That far?” Isaac frowned.
“We haven’t confirmed a landing site, but there’s not really anywhere else to go on that side.”
“Thanks Davison,” Isaac hung up abruptly and immediately dialled Zac’s number.
“Zac? Get up. We’re going to Tampico.”