Cut and Run 2 - Sticks and Stones

through. They started setting up bombs set off by the kicks. That’s what this reminds me of. Must have been held taut by the weight of the can, and the release when it snapped triggered it. Takes a little bit a forethought, anyway, and sure as hell means they meant to kill.”
    Ty swallowed hard. The Vietcong weren’t the only ones who’d used those traps. He could still smell the stench of burnt flesh and dry heat surrounding them after that Marine had picked up that can. He breathed in the scent of the wet earth beneath him to calm himself and try to force his mind into remembering he wasn’t in the desert.
    “Whoever or whatever we’re dealing with,” he said slowly as he raised his head just enough to speak without eating dirt, “we need to concentrate on getting off this mountain safely and making sure the rangers close these trails off until we can get people in here and clear this shit out. God knows how many civilians come through here every year. That trap was intentionally set to kill a do-gooder.”
    “At least it’s the offseason,” Deuce whispered.
    “How many people come up this far, anyway?” Zane asked in disbelief.
    “Not many,” Deuce muttered.
    “Picking up litter on the mountain gets you killed,” Ty whispered in disgust. He reached up and carefully pulled a few dried leaves out of his mouth and made a face as he spit out some of the twigs and dirt he’d practically inhaled when he’d landed. He was careful not to raise his head above the log, though. And he was relieved to see the damp woods around him rather than dry sand.
    “Wait a damn minute. Are you saying we run?” Earl asked as he kept his face in the wet leaves on the ground too. Ty knew they both were dealing with memories of past battles, and Deuce and Zane followed their example.
    “Yes, Dad, we run,” Ty hissed in annoyance as he glanced sideways at Earl.
    “The hell you say,” Earl growled back at Ty. “The four of us is more than capable of taking on some pissant little backwoods pot growers, even if they do know how to lay trap. We know the signs, what to look for. Hell, we’d probably be back up here helping the search as soon as we report it!”
    “Yeah, with guns and bomb-sniffing dogs and a lot of people who are carrying first aid kits and food,” Ty argued.
    “Someone could get hurt up here while we run off with our tails between our legs,” Earl argued in outrage. “You remember those missing hikers the ranger told us about? God knows how many people already been hurt.”
    “Dad,” Ty said in frustration. “We have two weapons with minimum ammunition, we’re on unfamiliar ground, and we have very little supplies. If one of us gets hurt bad, we’ll never make it off the mountain in time. And you’re not twenty-five anymore!” he grated out, trying to keep his voice down.
    “I may be an old man, Beaumont, but at least I ain’t a coward,” Earl growled.
    The harsh words landed with force, knocking the breath from Ty’s chest and wiping away any argument he’d been about to put forth. He blinked at Earl in shock before forcing himself to look away, resting his forehead against the ground again to make certain Earl wouldn’t see the crushing impact the implication of the words had on him.
    “That’s enough, Earl,” Zane hissed.
    “No,” Ty muttered as he raised his head again. He reached up and plucked off a leaf that had stuck to his forehead, looking at it dejectedly. “He’s right,” he told Zane as he dropped the leaf to the ground.
    “You’re damn straight I am,” Earl told him angrily. “You and I both got enough deaths on the conscience. We can’t afford anymore.”
    “There’s four lives here to take care of,” Zane snapped as he motioned among them with one hand. “That ought to register loud and clear on your conscience.”
    Ty pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded, not speaking in response to either statement. He began to move, pulling himself toward Deuce while still staying below the level of the log. He reached for Deuce’s pack and gave him a shake of the head when Deuce opened his mouth to speak. Deuce snapped his mouth closed and glanced at the others. Then he closed his eyes and rested his cheek on the ground. Ty knew what Deuce was thinking. He was just as stunned as Ty was. They both loved and respected their father a great deal. He’d always been strict and expected the very best from his sons, but Earl had never been mean, and he’d