‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
96
Taylor struggled to get down the ladder with the chain in the way now as well as his wrists being bound, but eventually made it. He looked up in time to see Ibby give him an apologetic look before closing and bolting the door.
“You appear to be in a fair bit of trouble,” he jumped when he heard the voice behind him and immediately spun to see Nate emerging from the shadows, “I hope it has nothing to do with me.”
“It has everything to do with you and you know it,” Taylor scorned, stepping to the side so that Nate couldn’t corner him.
“And your back?” Nate shadowed his movements, greatly enjoying the game.
“Stay away from me!” Taylor moved faster, backing behind some wine barrels after quickly making sure he had a way out.
“Not that I mind playing cat and mouse, but do you really think you can outrun me when we’re both locked down here?” Nate felt the need to point out as he followed him around and out the other side.
“Why are you here?” Taylor demanded, knowing he was right but it not deterring him.
“I thought you’d like to know how your little wife is going in the training program,” Nate smiled.
“You’re a liar,” Taylor’s eyebrows rose, “they never got her.”
“So you’ve spoken to them,” Nate stepped closer making Taylor duck around a rack of cheeses, “that means they’re here already.”
Taylor paused to catch his breath as Nate stopped to lean against the rack.
“You knew?” he frowned.
“I keep tabs,” Nate looked him up and down.
“How long have you been stalking us?” Taylor’s face lost colour as the realisation hit.
Nate just smiled unnervingly before stepping forward again. Taylor took a step back, tripping over the edge of the frame. The split second he took to turn his head and steady himself meant that Nate was on him.
“Let me GO!” he yelled, struggling against Nate’s arms before Nate managed to grab the chain.
His right hand held the end near Taylor’s wrists in order to keep his hands out of the way, while the left crept up to the collar to hold it in place.
“A while,” Nate responded to Taylor’s earlier question.
“Let me go,” Taylor repeated.
“You know… Natalie has been getting on fine without you,” Nate ignored the plea, “the kids have been going to school as usual. The same route every day.”
Taylor closed his eyes until a sharp tug on the collar made him open them again.
“Not trying to block me out, are you Taylor?” he tilted his head, “I was just about to comment on how well your daughter has been doing in math class.”
“You asshole,” Taylor said between his teeth.
“Name calling now?” Nate mused.
He shoved Taylor away, who easily lost his balance and fell to the ground. Glad to be free of his grip Taylor sat up and backed against one of the racks.
“Why would you follow them?” his voice shook, “why do you feel the need to involve them? This should have been it. You succeeded in taking my life away from me. From my angle it’s over.”
Nate sighed, crouching down beside him.
“Not from mine,” he shook his head.
“You appear to be in a fair bit of trouble,” he jumped when he heard the voice behind him and immediately spun to see Nate emerging from the shadows, “I hope it has nothing to do with me.”
“It has everything to do with you and you know it,” Taylor scorned, stepping to the side so that Nate couldn’t corner him.
“And your back?” Nate shadowed his movements, greatly enjoying the game.
“Stay away from me!” Taylor moved faster, backing behind some wine barrels after quickly making sure he had a way out.
“Not that I mind playing cat and mouse, but do you really think you can outrun me when we’re both locked down here?” Nate felt the need to point out as he followed him around and out the other side.
“Why are you here?” Taylor demanded, knowing he was right but it not deterring him.
“I thought you’d like to know how your little wife is going in the training program,” Nate smiled.
“You’re a liar,” Taylor’s eyebrows rose, “they never got her.”
“So you’ve spoken to them,” Nate stepped closer making Taylor duck around a rack of cheeses, “that means they’re here already.”
Taylor paused to catch his breath as Nate stopped to lean against the rack.
“You knew?” he frowned.
“I keep tabs,” Nate looked him up and down.
“How long have you been stalking us?” Taylor’s face lost colour as the realisation hit.
Nate just smiled unnervingly before stepping forward again. Taylor took a step back, tripping over the edge of the frame. The split second he took to turn his head and steady himself meant that Nate was on him.
“Let me GO!” he yelled, struggling against Nate’s arms before Nate managed to grab the chain.
His right hand held the end near Taylor’s wrists in order to keep his hands out of the way, while the left crept up to the collar to hold it in place.
“A while,” Nate responded to Taylor’s earlier question.
“Let me go,” Taylor repeated.
“You know… Natalie has been getting on fine without you,” Nate ignored the plea, “the kids have been going to school as usual. The same route every day.”
Taylor closed his eyes until a sharp tug on the collar made him open them again.
“Not trying to block me out, are you Taylor?” he tilted his head, “I was just about to comment on how well your daughter has been doing in math class.”
“You asshole,” Taylor said between his teeth.
“Name calling now?” Nate mused.
He shoved Taylor away, who easily lost his balance and fell to the ground. Glad to be free of his grip Taylor sat up and backed against one of the racks.
“Why would you follow them?” his voice shook, “why do you feel the need to involve them? This should have been it. You succeeded in taking my life away from me. From my angle it’s over.”
Nate sighed, crouching down beside him.
“Not from mine,” he shook his head.