‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
91
“At nineteen years old Taylor Hanson – middle brother of the multi-platinum selling pop group Hanson – married eighteen year old Natalie Anne Bryant…”
“That’s him,” the woman frowned, as Taylor felt both their eyes on him.
He closed his own, begging the tears not to fall as he heard the media coverage of his wedding play out on the laptop.
“We need to be sure,” the man took charge of the computer, stopping the video and starting another.
“He’s mentioned the name Natalie before,” the woman sounded almost worried.
Taylor clenched his teeth as he heard the video for Give A Little start to play.
“That’s his brother on the drums. The one I saw,” she pointed to the screen as the vocals came in, “and that is definitely him singing.”
Taylor’s eyes slid open as he worked himself up a little.
“Search for Taylor Hanson…” he said softly, “and Bernard Holmes.”
There was a pause as the two looked at each other, before the master did so. It wasn’t long before Taylor could hear the audio from a police report, a voiceover clearly over the scene at the border where Bernard was holding him hostage.
“Why this?” the master demanded as Taylor’s red eyes met his.
“Because Nate was there,” he revealed, “and he hates me for getting his friend killed.”
Just as he said the words the gunfire played out on the laptop.
“That’s enough,” the master closed the laptop, stopping the video.
The woman sat back abruptly.
“This is a problem,” he said to her, “one of which I wasn’t aware. I do apologise for it.”
She waved her hand indeterminably.
“You’ll need to keep him out of sight for the time being. We can’t chance any visitors you may have recognising him.”
“Of course,” she nodded, standing from her seat.
Taylor’s eyes darted between the two before another tug on his wrists made him stand up. The man handed her the chain and she gave Taylor a pointed look before leading him out of the study and down towards the kitchen.
“What does this mean?” he asked the moment he was clear of the study – and the master’s hearing range.
“It means Nathaniel was not completely honest with his superiors,” she replied.
“But what does this mean for me?” Taylor was trying to stay calm and failing.
“For now? Nothing.”
They made it into the kitchen and she led him to the cellar. He glanced at the door before raising his eyebrows.
“Go,” she instructed.
Taylor swallowed as he looked around, but wasn’t willing to test her while the master was anywhere around. With a great amount of difficulty he turned around and slowly made his way down the ladder. When he reached the bottom he looked up in time to duck away as she threw the chain down, then closed and bolted the door behind him.
He quickly looked around to make sure that he was alone, before walking over to the single lamp that stayed lit down there and once again using it to light a few more.
“That’s him,” the woman frowned, as Taylor felt both their eyes on him.
He closed his own, begging the tears not to fall as he heard the media coverage of his wedding play out on the laptop.
“We need to be sure,” the man took charge of the computer, stopping the video and starting another.
“He’s mentioned the name Natalie before,” the woman sounded almost worried.
Taylor clenched his teeth as he heard the video for Give A Little start to play.
“That’s his brother on the drums. The one I saw,” she pointed to the screen as the vocals came in, “and that is definitely him singing.”
Taylor’s eyes slid open as he worked himself up a little.
“Search for Taylor Hanson…” he said softly, “and Bernard Holmes.”
There was a pause as the two looked at each other, before the master did so. It wasn’t long before Taylor could hear the audio from a police report, a voiceover clearly over the scene at the border where Bernard was holding him hostage.
“Why this?” the master demanded as Taylor’s red eyes met his.
“Because Nate was there,” he revealed, “and he hates me for getting his friend killed.”
Just as he said the words the gunfire played out on the laptop.
“That’s enough,” the master closed the laptop, stopping the video.
The woman sat back abruptly.
“This is a problem,” he said to her, “one of which I wasn’t aware. I do apologise for it.”
She waved her hand indeterminably.
“You’ll need to keep him out of sight for the time being. We can’t chance any visitors you may have recognising him.”
“Of course,” she nodded, standing from her seat.
Taylor’s eyes darted between the two before another tug on his wrists made him stand up. The man handed her the chain and she gave Taylor a pointed look before leading him out of the study and down towards the kitchen.
“What does this mean?” he asked the moment he was clear of the study – and the master’s hearing range.
“It means Nathaniel was not completely honest with his superiors,” she replied.
“But what does this mean for me?” Taylor was trying to stay calm and failing.
“For now? Nothing.”
They made it into the kitchen and she led him to the cellar. He glanced at the door before raising his eyebrows.
“Go,” she instructed.
Taylor swallowed as he looked around, but wasn’t willing to test her while the master was anywhere around. With a great amount of difficulty he turned around and slowly made his way down the ladder. When he reached the bottom he looked up in time to duck away as she threw the chain down, then closed and bolted the door behind him.
He quickly looked around to make sure that he was alone, before walking over to the single lamp that stayed lit down there and once again using it to light a few more.