Cut and Run 2 - Sticks and Stones

didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut. Earl glanced over his own shoulder to look back at the FBI man doubtfully. He wasn’t certain why Ty didn’t just demand Richard find him a new partner. He couldn’t imagine how Zane was an asset to him.
    Ty stopped and held up his fist to halt their progress. Earl slowed and watched as Ty stood with his head lowered, listening. Finally, Ty turned and looked back with a deep frown. Earl followed Ty’s eyes; Ty wasn’t looking at him. Ty was watching his partner. Zane patted Deuce’s shoulder and walked forward, passing Earl without comment and joining Ty at point.
    “What’s up?” he heard Zane say quietly.
    “This feels wrong,” Ty responded with a shake of his head. He lowered his head closer to Zane’s as they spoke. “A toddler could follow this trail. Why aren’t they being more careful?” he asked.
    “It’s not like they’re expecting trained Recon Marines to be tromping around,” Zane said, just a touch of humor in his voice.
    “But they know someone’s close,” Ty argued. “Someone who recognized that can for what it was.”
    Earl watched them silently, not intruding in the conversation simply because he was so fascinated to see them actually working together.
    “And you said they dismissed it,” Zane reminded Ty.
    Ty looked at Zane for a long, silent moment before he lowered his head and rubbed at his eyes. “It just feels off,” he murmured as he looked around almost nervously.
    Earl frowned as Deuce came to stand beside him. Ty’s behavior reminded him too much of the times he himself had seen ghosts in the shadows. An explosion like that could easily have triggered a few flashes. Earl knew something about those. He thought Ty would mention having that problem, though. His boy knew how dangerous they could become.
    Zane nodded slowly as he tipped his head to one side, watching his partner. “We’ll be careful. You know what to do,” he said quietly.
    Ty looked back at Zane, the frown still set on his face. But as Earl watched them, he could see a hint of calm come over his son. Earl had never seen anyone have that effect on Ty, and it truly surprised him.
    Ty sighed heavily and nodded. “Just… be on your toes,” he requested of Zane before he glanced at Earl and Deuce and nodded at them.
    “Everything okay?” Deuce asked carefully.
    Ty shook his head in answer. “We’re gonna slow down some,” he told them before giving Zane one last look and then turning around.
    Earl watched Ty for a moment and then turned his chin to observe Zane as the man watched Ty walk off. Then Zane shifted his weight and took four long strides to catch up, and he stopped Ty by saying something quietly enough Earl couldn’t quite make it out. Ty turned and responded just as quietly, reaching out in what appeared to be an unconscious gesture to fix the strap of Zane’s pack before turning around again.
    Deuce moved to follow, his head down as Earl stared after them all. He couldn’t quite figure Ty and Zane out. He wouldn’t call them friends, exactly. They were always mouthing off and antagonizing each other, much like Ty and Deuce did. But when the situation became tense, their relationship changed. The closest thing he could compare it to was him and Mara.
    He wasn’t sure which hole to peg them in.
    Earl glanced at Zane as the others pulled ahead, narrowing his eyes at the man. Surprisingly, Zane’s eyes flickered up to meet his own and actually hold them; apparently Zane was waiting for him to say something rather than running his mouth again. Earl merely nodded at him, unable to think of anything that needed to be said right then and there. Partners, friends, adversaries… none of the pegs fit anywhere.

    D EUCE paused on the trail, watching Ty and Earl moving ahead of him. It was only a few seconds before Zane caught up with him.
    “You okay?” Zane asked. He was looking tired himself. Deuce nodded, though he was leaning heavily on his walking stick. He wiped at the back of his neck with his bandanna as Zane spoke again. “I think next vacation I’m going to the beach.”
    Deuce barked a laugh and nodded. “I’ll go in half with you,” he offered as they started moving again, the walking stick taking a lot of the weight off his bad leg as they moved.
    Ahead of them about twenty yards, Ty glanced over his shoulder to check on them. When he saw they’d fallen behind, he stopped and turned around to wait on them. Earl did the same,