Cut and Run 2 - Sticks and Stones

computer.”
    Earl wrinkled his nose. “Computers,” he repeated with a shake of his head. “Can’t wrap my mind around them.”
    “They’re the new frontier,” Zane told him wryly. “Not many places like this left,” he said, pointing his finger up and circling.
    “Mountains, they got their dangers, just like anywhere else. I been a lot of places. So has Ty. But these mountains are in my blood, and they’re in Ty’s blood too.” Earl went quiet, looking around them speculatively. “They’ve served Tyler well,” he finally decided. “If you can survive here, you can survive just about anywhere,” he claimed.
    “I guess I’ll find out then,” Zane finally answered. “But you won’t be carrying my ass out,” he said with a slight smile, echoing a comment Earl had made about one of Ty’s Recon friends.
    Earl snorted. “We’ll see shortly,” he said with a smirk.
    A little bothered, Zane slid his empty sandwich wrapper in his bag and stood up, pacing away to the edge of the clearing. He didn’t like the constant air of doubt Earl exuded, as if he wasn’t quite sure Zane—or any of them, for that matter—was capable of doing what needed to be done. It was similar to the attitude Ty’d had toward him when they’d first met.
    He stood in place for a while, arms crossed, looking down the hillside at the thick undergrowth that rambled over rocks and broken trees about ten feet below them, doing his best to zone out and listen to the woods around him. After several minutes, he took a slow, deep breath, sighed, and went to move, but he paused as a small mouse darted out of the brush and dodged around his feet before disappearing again. Zane nearly chuckled until more movement caught his eyes, and he looked down.
    “Earl?”
    “Yeah?”
    “Come here, please.”
    Earl walked up behind him, and Zane pointed down.
    There was a snake sliding out of the brush, its nearly camouflaged brown body stretching out as it slithered near one of Zane’s boots, intent on the mouse it had been stalking. It kept moving, and Zane’s eyes widened as the snake got longer and thicker.
    ”Never seen a snake before?” Earl asked as he frowned and squinted at it. “Cold for her to be out.”
    Zane turned a disbelieving glare on him. “Is this particular one dangerous or can I kick it away?”
    “That’s a rattler, boy,” Earl said with a careless wave of his hand. “You just wait ’til she decides to move and hope she don’t startle,” he advised, as if it were the easiest thing in the world to just stand there while a poisonous snake slid around your ankle. “She knows you’re there already; she can see heat.”
    Just at that moment, the snake coiled itself and raised its head, its tail moving and emitting the rattling sound Zane was all too familiar with from growing up on a horse ranch in Texas.
    “Now she’s pissed,” Earl observed calmly, taking a cautious step backward. “Them boots of yours leather?”
    “Leather and canvas,” Zane answered, swallowing. But that wasn’t going to help if she bit above them. She was within easy striking distance of his knees.
    “That there’s a timber rattler. Pretty rare. Not usually mean, but you must have interrupted her dinner,” Earl said, keeping his voice down. “Real poisonous. But don’t worry,” he was sure to add. “Usually when a snake strikes defensively it’s a dry bite.” Zane glanced at him quickly. “Means they don’t load up no venom before they bite,” Earl explained, as if he was teaching a class rather than talking to a man about to be bitten by a snake.
    Zane grimaced. “I don’t really want to take that chance, thanks. So what now?” he asked as he eyed the snake that was coiled in front of him and still rattling. “I can’t shoot the damn thing.” He very slowly uncrossed his arms, his right hand settling at his left wrist. He was pretty sure his knife wouldn’t help either, but it made him feel better regardless.
    “No, they’re endangered. Can’t kill her. Don’t move,” Earl warned. He moved closer and circled behind the snake as the rattling became louder, but Zane wasn’t about to turn his head to see what the man was doing.
    “Fucking vacation,” Zane said under his breath.
    “Move,” Earl barked suddenly.
    As Zane shifted his weight and jumped sideways, away from the snake, it went after him, striking fast. Earl grabbed at it as it lunged through the air, its momentum making it impossible for the