‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
88
“Get AWAY!” Taylor yelled, kicking some mud towards the nearest vulture.
He was sure it would have been more convincing if he’d been standing on dust rather than thin mud.
One of the birds that was sitting on the fence had begun to inch closer, and Taylor knew without use of his arms that he wouldn’t be able to fight that one off if it got too close. He tried to concentrate on scaring the one at his feet away, but every time it jumped back from a kick it simply hopped closer. When it started pecking at his ankles Taylor tried swinging the chain at it but it just wasn’t long enough.
“Oh come on,” he clenched his teeth as he saw the one on the fence was almost within reach of his back.
He watched with wide eyes as it began fluttering its wings, before a sudden gunshot rang out and they finally took off into the sky.
Taylor leant a shoulder against the pole as he watched them fly West, before he lowered his eyes to see the woman standing there with her pistol.
“I forgot about those,” she said in a tone that made him wonder if she really had or not.
She said something to Ibby in Spanish and he made his way over.
“Better get you back to the stables where it’s… safe,” she mused as Ibby managed to detach the chains.
Taylor took one last look around to make sure the vultures weren’t still watching before Ibby pulled him forward by the wrists. He stumbled as his legs had to get used to walking again before he was led back to his stall.
Once there the chain was secured to the wall again, the other end still around his wrists.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” the woman told him, before nodding to Ibby to follow her out.
Taylor watched them leave, hearing the bolt in the door being secured on their way out. While there was still a little light in the stall he studied the chains on his wrists. He’d been pulling on them since Carlos had first chained them, and while they were nowhere near as tight as they had been in Texas they were still holding his shoulders at an awkward angle.
With a sigh he fell to his knees in the hay, soon settling down onto his stomach. His back was still in too much pain to even lay on his side, so he crossed his ankles over each other and leant forward onto his elbows while wondering how long he could stay in that position without his arms falling asleep on him.
*
“So Tampico,” Zac nodded, moving his sunglasses onto his head as the sun disappeared.
“We should find a place to hold up, and start in the morning,” Isaac suggested, already on the lookout for a motel.
“Start what, exactly?” Zac rubbed his eyes tiredly, “we don’t even have a game plan. Are we supposed to just go up and down all the streets in the hopes that hey, maybe Tay’s hanging out a window somewhere?”
“My how things change when I’m the one that gets the sleep,” Isaac mused.
“Sorry,” Zac grumbled, looking out the window again.
“We’ll sleep on it and work something out in the morning,” Isaac assured, “when we can think straight.”
“That sounds like a plan.”
Isaac soon found a motel and pulled in to book a room.
He was sure it would have been more convincing if he’d been standing on dust rather than thin mud.
One of the birds that was sitting on the fence had begun to inch closer, and Taylor knew without use of his arms that he wouldn’t be able to fight that one off if it got too close. He tried to concentrate on scaring the one at his feet away, but every time it jumped back from a kick it simply hopped closer. When it started pecking at his ankles Taylor tried swinging the chain at it but it just wasn’t long enough.
“Oh come on,” he clenched his teeth as he saw the one on the fence was almost within reach of his back.
He watched with wide eyes as it began fluttering its wings, before a sudden gunshot rang out and they finally took off into the sky.
Taylor leant a shoulder against the pole as he watched them fly West, before he lowered his eyes to see the woman standing there with her pistol.
“I forgot about those,” she said in a tone that made him wonder if she really had or not.
She said something to Ibby in Spanish and he made his way over.
“Better get you back to the stables where it’s… safe,” she mused as Ibby managed to detach the chains.
Taylor took one last look around to make sure the vultures weren’t still watching before Ibby pulled him forward by the wrists. He stumbled as his legs had to get used to walking again before he was led back to his stall.
Once there the chain was secured to the wall again, the other end still around his wrists.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” the woman told him, before nodding to Ibby to follow her out.
Taylor watched them leave, hearing the bolt in the door being secured on their way out. While there was still a little light in the stall he studied the chains on his wrists. He’d been pulling on them since Carlos had first chained them, and while they were nowhere near as tight as they had been in Texas they were still holding his shoulders at an awkward angle.
With a sigh he fell to his knees in the hay, soon settling down onto his stomach. His back was still in too much pain to even lay on his side, so he crossed his ankles over each other and leant forward onto his elbows while wondering how long he could stay in that position without his arms falling asleep on him.
*
“So Tampico,” Zac nodded, moving his sunglasses onto his head as the sun disappeared.
“We should find a place to hold up, and start in the morning,” Isaac suggested, already on the lookout for a motel.
“Start what, exactly?” Zac rubbed his eyes tiredly, “we don’t even have a game plan. Are we supposed to just go up and down all the streets in the hopes that hey, maybe Tay’s hanging out a window somewhere?”
“My how things change when I’m the one that gets the sleep,” Isaac mused.
“Sorry,” Zac grumbled, looking out the window again.
“We’ll sleep on it and work something out in the morning,” Isaac assured, “when we can think straight.”
“That sounds like a plan.”
Isaac soon found a motel and pulled in to book a room.