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"They need to go to law enforcement They’re already murderers," Zane said

"You’re one to talk, hero!" Redjacket yelled out

Ty stood suddenly, the action throwing the fli in backward, and he turned toward the twoover there to break things Earl grabbed hiet too far fro hi hied up and put hiot loose

Zane didn’tat Redjacket and then Earflaps, who had apparently chosen to exercise his right to reain, Zane pushed out of his chair and walked slowly over to the tree where the two men were bound

"I wonder now about your chances," Zane said conversationally as he knelt in front of them to speak to theot the Marine ready to skin you He was Recon, you know, discharged due to mental problems," he told them in a conspiratorial whisper Zane looked back over his shoulder at Ty, as barely staying in the seat with Earl right over hi you around That only leaves one in your favor, and he’s not really a nice guy"

"We’re four days’ hike from anywhere! You leave us here we’ll be dead in two!" Redjacket clai them!" Earl called out Zane had a better idea He stalked over to the table Earl had stacked with supplies and grabbed a roll of duct tape, pulling off a good-size strip as he approached the tree The twoto yank their heads away frohtly to do theood

"Believe me," Zanea single strip over theirthe tape around and around their heads "I could think of much more uncomfortable ways to shut you up" He turned his back on them and walked back over to the others, where he tossed the roll of tape on the table next to the first aid kit "So We should start thinking about hoe plan to get them out of here?" he said, falsely cheerful

Deuce cleared his throat "The ATVs are the only way," he said after an uncomfortable minute He didn’t seem to want to comment on Ty’s outburst or on Zane’s nonchalant reaction to it "We just tie them down and drive them out of here"

Ty sat with his eyes closed, Earl’s hand on his shoulder Earl’s knuckles were turning white fro to keep Ty where he sat Zane watched for a moment, partly moved because Ty’s violent reaction had been to defend him, partly surprised by the veheet his partner’s attention focused on so necks "Ty, we need to knohat you want to do If that’s leaving theo into the vote"

Ty took in a deep breath and finally looked up, seeave Ty’s shoulder a pat before he took a small step away When Ty answered, his voice was pitched just loud enough for the two prisoners to hear hirimly "We may need them if we run out of food"

A muffled series of protests emitted from the tied prisoners Zane had to turn his back on the, careful of jarring his nose Ty wasn’t too far gone if that jackass sense of hu

Deuce merely rolled his eyes and sank back into his chair "Shall we talk about dinner, then?" he asked wryly

Chapter 12

ZANE pushed through the brush, having escaped froht He stopped maybe twenty-five, thirty yards back down the yellow-brick road and off the path a little ways, shook the cigarette out of the package, and lit up before leaning his head sideways against one of the trees he’d taken shelter under He looked out into the dark, trying not to think, trying to shrug off the tension

God, he itchy After dealing with a long hike up into strange territory, the treasure hunters and their booby traps, Earl’s repeated verbal jabs at Ty, the capture and shon, and then the stressful walk to the ca to curl up in a ball and protect his head--was to try to calm and comfort his partner Ty would let hi when others couldn’t see But Zane doubted anything he could do at this point would help, if Ty would even let hi: that sure as hell wouldn’t happen with Earl around Zane had never seen Ty react to anyone like he did to Earl Zane had never even iined Ty had it in him to behave the way he did around his father: sedate and quiet and eager merely to follow orders

It was obvious that Earl Grady had been hard on his sons growing up, but it had been clear froreat deal They boys seeh love rather than abuse And the Gradys hadn’t struck Zane as a family that bickered and sniped to hurt each other until Earl had called Ty a coward

The anger still flaht The sheer audacity it took to even think that was stunning And the fact that Ty had so obviously taken it to heart just because his father had been the one to say itHe couldn’t help but wonder if Earl was being cruel because he was reacting in some way to Zane’s presence Had he picked up on their relationship? Was he taking it out on Ty because he’d realized what they were doing and disapproved? Zane sighed and shook his head He was pretty sure he was just being paranoid, and he knew he shouldn’t brood over things he couldn’t change Leaning his head back, Zane blew a long colu broke somewhere in the darkness as someone moved behind hiun as he whirled around

"Don’t shoot me," Ty requested quietly as he materialized out of the darkness Zane relaxed and huffed at his’ll kill you," Ty said softly as henear Zane He stared out over the dimly moonlit valley below theainst the tree as he looked down at his partner "I’hed with a hint of the downtrodden to hireement He looked down at one of his boots and pulled a stick from the tread of it They stayed quiet for a fewup?" Zane finally ed and looked off into the distance There wasn’t really much to stare at, as dark as it was It was obvious fro to talk about his father or his feelings orto think that we’re better off at work than we are on vacation," Zane mentioned after a few more quiet minutes

Ty was silent for a moment, but then he lowered his head and snorted He chuckled ruefully, the sound loud in the still, cold night

Zane sarette and stubbed it out carefully on an exposed rock before he put it back in the slightly crumpled pack "Next time we should tell Burns to send us on a case somewhere miserable Fate would hter trailed off He didn’t see to say, and Zane wondered why he’d sought him out He stared off into the ain It felt like a h Zane kneouldn’t have been drinking