‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
78
“Are you sure you guys know what you’re doing?” Rick asked as Isaac help Zac pack the car.
“Since when have we ever known what we’re doing?” Zac smirked.
“But taking off to Tampico? By yourselves?!”
Isaac reached for his phone as it rang, assuming it was Nikki calling. When he saw the screen he frowned.
“What is it?” Zac noticed.
“It’s a video call,” Isaac scratched his head, “from an unknown number.”
“So answer it,” Zac stepped over.
Isaac caught it just before it was about to cut out, taking a moment to realise who was on screen.
“Nate,” his eyes narrowed.
“Hello Isaac,” came Nate’s voice loud and clear, “how goes the search party?”
Isaac looked up as Zac came to his side. Rick immediately headed for his car.
“What do you want?” Zac demanded once he saw the screen.
“Zac?” Nate turned his head for a moment, “what an… unexpected surprise. Aren’t you supposed to be chained in a hole somewhere?”
“Someone doesn’t keep up with the news,” Zac couldn’t help himself.
“And speaking of news,” Nate suddenly turned the phone so that Taylor was clearly visible in the background.
“TAY!” they both exclaimed, Zac grabbing onto the phone but Isaac refusing to relinquish it.
“I swear to God if you hurt him…” Isaac let the threat hang.
“You’ll what?” Nate grabbed Taylor by the hair for emphasis as he struggled to keep his throat clear of the stagnant collar.
“I-“
“We,” Zac corrected.
“-will hunt you down. We will hunt you the rest of your miserable life. And we will find you,” Isaac had deadly intent in his eyes, “and we will kill you if we have to.”
Zac barely noticed Rick setting his laptop on the hood of the car, quickly opening it and typing away.
“I would love to see you try. In fact, isn’t that what you’ve been trying to do for the past… oh, eight years?” Nate taunted, not letting Taylor go.
“Not actively. But you’ve made one crucial mistake,” Isaac’s eyebrows rose.
“And what’s that?” Nate decided to humour him.
“You took MY brother.”
“Our, our brother,” Zac scorned.
“Keep him talking…” Rick muttered as his fingers flew over the laptop keys.
“I’m shaking, Isaac. Really.”
“So what, did you just call to gloat?” Zac’s eyes narrowed.
Nate hesitated, then smiled. It was an unnerving move that put Zac on edge.
“How about we say ‘hello’?” he suddenly turned to Taylor and ripped the tape from his mouth.
Taylor barely took a second to recover before yelling; “Ike get Nat out of Tulsa! They’ve been to the house-!“
He cut off when he realised Nate had disconnected the call, and received a blow across the jaw for his troubles. Nate immediately dialled another number and waited for an answer.
“Take the Hanson girl,” was all he said, looking Taylor in the eye as he hung up.
“Since when have we ever known what we’re doing?” Zac smirked.
“But taking off to Tampico? By yourselves?!”
Isaac reached for his phone as it rang, assuming it was Nikki calling. When he saw the screen he frowned.
“What is it?” Zac noticed.
“It’s a video call,” Isaac scratched his head, “from an unknown number.”
“So answer it,” Zac stepped over.
Isaac caught it just before it was about to cut out, taking a moment to realise who was on screen.
“Nate,” his eyes narrowed.
“Hello Isaac,” came Nate’s voice loud and clear, “how goes the search party?”
Isaac looked up as Zac came to his side. Rick immediately headed for his car.
“What do you want?” Zac demanded once he saw the screen.
“Zac?” Nate turned his head for a moment, “what an… unexpected surprise. Aren’t you supposed to be chained in a hole somewhere?”
“Someone doesn’t keep up with the news,” Zac couldn’t help himself.
“And speaking of news,” Nate suddenly turned the phone so that Taylor was clearly visible in the background.
“TAY!” they both exclaimed, Zac grabbing onto the phone but Isaac refusing to relinquish it.
“I swear to God if you hurt him…” Isaac let the threat hang.
“You’ll what?” Nate grabbed Taylor by the hair for emphasis as he struggled to keep his throat clear of the stagnant collar.
“I-“
“We,” Zac corrected.
“-will hunt you down. We will hunt you the rest of your miserable life. And we will find you,” Isaac had deadly intent in his eyes, “and we will kill you if we have to.”
Zac barely noticed Rick setting his laptop on the hood of the car, quickly opening it and typing away.
“I would love to see you try. In fact, isn’t that what you’ve been trying to do for the past… oh, eight years?” Nate taunted, not letting Taylor go.
“Not actively. But you’ve made one crucial mistake,” Isaac’s eyebrows rose.
“And what’s that?” Nate decided to humour him.
“You took MY brother.”
“Our, our brother,” Zac scorned.
“Keep him talking…” Rick muttered as his fingers flew over the laptop keys.
“I’m shaking, Isaac. Really.”
“So what, did you just call to gloat?” Zac’s eyes narrowed.
Nate hesitated, then smiled. It was an unnerving move that put Zac on edge.
“How about we say ‘hello’?” he suddenly turned to Taylor and ripped the tape from his mouth.
Taylor barely took a second to recover before yelling; “Ike get Nat out of Tulsa! They’ve been to the house-!“
He cut off when he realised Nate had disconnected the call, and received a blow across the jaw for his troubles. Nate immediately dialled another number and waited for an answer.
“Take the Hanson girl,” was all he said, looking Taylor in the eye as he hung up.