‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
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When Isaac finally made it to Taylor’s house, he saw Rick’s car parked on the sidewalk. Not seeing Rick anywhere, he cautiously pulled up behind it.
It wasn’t long before a dark car came hurtling down the street, coming to a stop across the road. Not until the occupants stepped out did Isaac leave his own car.
“Thanks for coming!” he called across as Davison and another officer in plain clothes made their way over.
“Where’s Astley?” Davison looked up to the house.
“I don’t know, I just got here myself,” Isaac admitted, “no sign of him.”
Davison gave his officer a glance as Isaac noticed him subtly check that he had his weapon.
“Stay out here in the car,” he said to him, “we’ll check the house over and give it the all clear.”
“Thanks,” Isaac nodded, heading back for his car.
Davison headed up the driveway as the officer made his way around the side of the house. Davison waited until the officer was long out of sight before knocking on the door. Isaac watched as the door opened and he stepped inside, one hand poised near his handgun as he did so.
The door closed and Isaac sighed. A moment later his phone rang.
“Yeah?”
“Hey Ike,” came Rick’s voice, “we’re here. So far so good. Figured I’d wait until backup arrived before we moved out, just in case.”
“Is everyone okay?” Isaac’s eyebrows rose.
“Everyone’s fine, Nat’s a little shaken. I could only tell her what I knew. You guys will have to fill her in.”
“We will,” Isaac looked up the road, watching the cars coming and going for anyone who might have been watching the house, “but first we need to get her out of Tulsa. Have you heard from Zac?”
“No but Nat said he called just before I got here,” Rick replied, “apparently Georgia is the plan?”
“For now,” Isaac nodded, “once she’s out of the house and we’ve had time to think we might come up with something better.”
“Have you thought about… what if this isn’t a short-term thing?” Rick had worry in his voice.
“I’m assuming we’re going to hear from Nate again in the near future if this doesn’t pan out the way he expects it to. We don’t know exactly what he was planning, we just know Nat was involved somehow.”
“What did Taylor say? Exactly?” Rick asked.
“Just to get Nat out of Tulsa. Nate cut us off before he could say why.”
“Damn.”
“Have you tried the trace again?”
“Doing that as we speak, now that Davison’s here. I couldn’t get an exact location, but it definitely came from the Tampico area.”
“That means Tay was on that plane after all,” Isaac realised, his eyes settling on a white station wagon that had slowed down on approach to Taylor’s house.
As it passed by he locked eyes with the driver. An older man with a shaggy blonde haircut and scraggly beard. It lasted mere seconds before the driver picked up speed and left the street.
“Trent,” Isaac realised.
“Huh?”
“It was Trent,” Isaac frowned, “he just made me and took off. In a white wagon. I have the plate.”
It wasn’t long before a dark car came hurtling down the street, coming to a stop across the road. Not until the occupants stepped out did Isaac leave his own car.
“Thanks for coming!” he called across as Davison and another officer in plain clothes made their way over.
“Where’s Astley?” Davison looked up to the house.
“I don’t know, I just got here myself,” Isaac admitted, “no sign of him.”
Davison gave his officer a glance as Isaac noticed him subtly check that he had his weapon.
“Stay out here in the car,” he said to him, “we’ll check the house over and give it the all clear.”
“Thanks,” Isaac nodded, heading back for his car.
Davison headed up the driveway as the officer made his way around the side of the house. Davison waited until the officer was long out of sight before knocking on the door. Isaac watched as the door opened and he stepped inside, one hand poised near his handgun as he did so.
The door closed and Isaac sighed. A moment later his phone rang.
“Yeah?”
“Hey Ike,” came Rick’s voice, “we’re here. So far so good. Figured I’d wait until backup arrived before we moved out, just in case.”
“Is everyone okay?” Isaac’s eyebrows rose.
“Everyone’s fine, Nat’s a little shaken. I could only tell her what I knew. You guys will have to fill her in.”
“We will,” Isaac looked up the road, watching the cars coming and going for anyone who might have been watching the house, “but first we need to get her out of Tulsa. Have you heard from Zac?”
“No but Nat said he called just before I got here,” Rick replied, “apparently Georgia is the plan?”
“For now,” Isaac nodded, “once she’s out of the house and we’ve had time to think we might come up with something better.”
“Have you thought about… what if this isn’t a short-term thing?” Rick had worry in his voice.
“I’m assuming we’re going to hear from Nate again in the near future if this doesn’t pan out the way he expects it to. We don’t know exactly what he was planning, we just know Nat was involved somehow.”
“What did Taylor say? Exactly?” Rick asked.
“Just to get Nat out of Tulsa. Nate cut us off before he could say why.”
“Damn.”
“Have you tried the trace again?”
“Doing that as we speak, now that Davison’s here. I couldn’t get an exact location, but it definitely came from the Tampico area.”
“That means Tay was on that plane after all,” Isaac realised, his eyes settling on a white station wagon that had slowed down on approach to Taylor’s house.
As it passed by he locked eyes with the driver. An older man with a shaggy blonde haircut and scraggly beard. It lasted mere seconds before the driver picked up speed and left the street.
“Trent,” Isaac realised.
“Huh?”
“It was Trent,” Isaac frowned, “he just made me and took off. In a white wagon. I have the plate.”