Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
E zra’s squeak rattled Chaz. His delivery was a little dramatic, but the sentiment was true. If the rain didn’t stop or they didn’t have the chance to warm up, trying to hike was going to suck. Wet feet in wet shoes meant blisters and other feet horrors Chaz couldn’t even contemplate. Chaz had to solve the problem, and he didn’t have the slightest inkling of how to go about it.
They could attempt to retrace their steps back to the body. Hopefully nothing had found it. If any animals had started gnawing on it, he and Ezra would be fucked. There’d be missing or new evidence. The cops would throw the book at them for abandoning a body. April would be pissed. They’d get arrested. Ezra would be tossed in jail. Who knows what would happen to him? And the bad guys—who Chaz still hadn’t figured out—would get away scot-free. Chaz shook his head. Nope, wasn't gonna happen. That scenario was just a fever nightmare. He and Ezra were going to get out of these fucking woods and kick those assholes to hell and back. Chaz refused to allow Ezra to fail on his first mission.
“Don’t worry. This is just a hiccup to our adventure. If you can find some dryish wood, hopefully under here, I’ll try to start a small fire. The space for us and the fire will be tight. I have the power to create heat.”
“If you’re sure.” Ezra’s lack of faith in Chaz was to be expected. They hadn’t had the greatest morning when it came to decisions. Soon, Chaz would fix that, and they’d be back to where they were last night, Chaz giving Ezra pure pleasure. Ezra’s buoyant enthusiasm would be locked and loaded. All because Chaz had a plan.
“Of course, I am. Come on. Find some sticks and then take off your socks and shoes. Try to dry your feet as best you can. I’ll see if we can warm up.” Chaz scratched at the ground, gathering pine needles and twigs. The fire would be smoky, but better than nothing. He watched Ezra and noted his speed. He was slow, but not too lethargic. He hadn’t fallen into the cold and dismal "we’re fucked" phase yet. He found a good handful of twigs that he dropped beside Chaz.
While Ezra had taken off his footwear, Chaz rubbed his hands together as the fire grew. Ezra had pulled his pack to the front and found a new pair of socks. His actions made Chaz unaccountably proud. His guy was a pretty damn smart hiker. “You brought new socks.”
“I did. I’ve stepped in enough creeks and puddles to always have extras, just in case.” Ezra groaned as he pulled the dry ones on. “Oh yeah, that’s the stuff."
Chaz swallowed. How dare his body jolt at Ezra’s tone when they were cold and wet! He shook off the urge to focus on his own comfort. Nothing was going to happen. Nothing. “I’m glad.”
The small fire filled their tiny space with smoke and made it a challenge to breathe. Chaz accepted the irritation for the modicum of warmth. He snuggled against Ezra and basked in the tiny flames.
“You should probably switch too.” Ezra rested his head on Chaz’s shoulder. A pained expression crossed Ezra’s face as his long limbs jammed against his chin. He didn’t complain. Chaz slid his arm under Ezra’s elbow and relaxed. A moment of calm was what they needed. Soon, the rain softened to drops and mist. They had an opportunity to try again.
“We should go.” Neither of them moved, despite Chaz’s suggestion.
Chaz grunted before shimmying away from Ezra. Someone had to be an adult. It might as well be him. Chaz changed his socks and smothered their fire while Ezra sat with a ridiculous pout on his face. “Come on. The sooner we find our way back, the sooner we can cuddle again. Except not wet and tired.”
“I’d like that.” Ezra groaned as he stood, stretching to unbelievable heights. Chaz always thought he was tall, but seeing Ezra now, his fists hitting the rocky ceiling, showed otherwise.
“Let’s try this again. Except we go in this direction.” Chaz jerked his head opposite of the bog. Ezra chuckled at his lame joke, making Chaz happy.
The rain stopped as they journeyed deeper into the woods. Their clothes began to steam as the summer sun dried them off. Chaz sighed as he lifted his face to the sky, basking in the majestic heat.
“This is a lot better.” Ezra agreed. “And typical Ontario.”
“I don’t care. I’m drying out. And is that…?” Chaz caught a glimmer through the trees. Finally, they’d reached the bay. They could pinpoint their location and get out. God, he loved hiking and camping. It was one of his favourite things to do, but this had shown him another side, and Chaz was ready to pitch this adventure to the curb. He wanted his bed and his couch now. “I think that’s water!”
“Don’t run! There could be traps ahead!” Ezra scolded. Chaz stopped dead and cranked his head to peer at Ezra, who was so serious.
“Really, Ezra? How many video games do you play?” Chaz asked. Not that video games were to be mocked, just Ezra’s first reaction was a little over the top. Chaz accepted Ezra’s warning, as sinkholes could be found everywhere.
“It’s not that. We had a streak of good luck, and I'm not jinxing it,” Ezra explained. Chaz agreed. The gods had been smiling down on them.
“I’ll accept that.” Chaz kept his eyes on the water’s bright shimmer as they changed their course. He held his hand out and waggled his fingers. This moment required a connection to Ezra. They might finally be free of their trek. As they drew closer to the glimmery awesomeness, small doubts formed in Chaz’s mind. Something was wrong. The water didn’t feel right or seem large enough to be Georgian Bay.
“You have a look. Why do you have that look?” Ezra squeezed his hand even as he braced himself.
Chaz shook his head. Worrying Ezra was the last thing he hoped to do. “Nothing. Just pondering.”
“Chaz…” Ezra dragged out his name, and his adult reprimand made Chaz smile briefly. Chaz lifted on his toes and kissed the frown away. The sudden burst of affection froze Ezra.
“Bear with me, okay? I have a thought, but I don’t want to share it until I have a better idea of what I’m seeing.” Chaz led Ezra through the thinning trees, following the promise of water. As the ground became looser, sand mixing with tree debris, his premonition began to make sense. They had not found their bay. He appreciated being this close to water, but their journey hadn’t ended.
“What’s this?” Ezra gaped at the sight before him as he scratched his head. “This isn’t the bay, is it? We found some random lake. Fuck.”
“We’re on the right track, Ez. Lakes attract cottagers and campers. If we go around, we might find an old logging trail or hiking path. This is fine. We’ll be fine,” Chaz assured Ezra.
“Okay.” Ezra’s tone worried Chaz enough that he made it a mission to boost his spirits somehow. This hiking trip from hell was descending to the seventh ring of hell faster than he expected. Ezra was flagging, and Chaz didn’t have the guts to share this was a typical SPAM mission. Dull moments happened during this sagging middle. Maybe not while being surrounded by a large swath of trees, but a lot of the time.
“Let’s try to catch a fish,” Chaz suggested. He pulled his backpack off and rummaged around for the slim pole. He was sure he'd packed it, just in case he had the opportunity. Sometimes his backpack behaved while other times, it was stubborn. Hopefully, it’d give him what he desired.
“You have a fishing pole?”
“I do. It’s a telescopic rod. I like to fish. It’s one of the things that soothes the savage beast.” Chaz waggled his eyebrows and grinned as Ezra chuckled. “I never know when the urge to get away from society will come upon me, so I keep these sorts of essentials on me all the time. The other stuff my pack decides. It’s weird.”
“And smart.”
“You don’t have to sound so shocked. I’m not just a grumpy Neanderthal.” Chaz clapped a hand on Ezra’s shoulder before approaching the water, which was clear as a bell and perfect for fishing. He could already see schools of sunfish and rock bass darting around.
“I didn’t call you that.”
Chaz smirked at the put-upon tone in Ezra’s voice. Hopefully Ezra discovered fun soon. He had the expression of a man completely done in. Chaz had to catch a few fish for lunch so Ezra would revert to his more cheerful self.
“I know. I’m trying to jolly you into a better mood, but it’s not going well. Anyway, lunch is in the process of being caught. Could you find some deadfall for a fire? I promise you’ll be smiling soon!” Chaz bounced on his toes. His giddiness wasn’t natural, but it felt right in light of Ezra’s unhappiness. He’d been telling the truth when he suggested a good meal would boost Ezra’s mood. While the lake wasn’t the bay they were looking for, they were closer to some sort of civilization. He had an inkling as to where they might be, and if they continued to walk opposing the sun, they’d make it to their destination and possibly a campground.
“Sure.”
Bolstering Ezra was the name of the game. Catching the fish was a step. Chaz cast his line in the water and watched with a critical eye as Ezra moved slowly around and gathered all the sticks and branches.
The fish were biting, and Ezra was beside him on the shore, cheering him on. Chaz had four small fish before fifteen minutes were up. “This is perfect. You’re a good luck charm, Ezzy-baby.”
“Really? Ezzy-baby?” Ezra wrinkled his nose, which encouraged Chaz to continue.
“It flows off the tongue,” Chaz said. He repeated the nickname and grinned as Ezra squirmed. Lunch was cooking soon after Chaz gutted the fish. They sat under the hot summer sun, their feet bare and dangling in the water. It was a dream come true—despite being lost. Chaz could pretend this was a date for a few minutes.
“Thanks, Chaz.” Ezra set the bones of his fish on the coals and stretched. The light that had been missing in his eyes had reappeared. “I hadn’t realized how hungry I was.”
“It happens to the best of us. Hunger is a slippery demon.” Chaz chewed on the last of his fish before lying back on the stony beach. Everything inside him loosened, and he could breathe easier again. Had he been concerned about Ezra? God. When had he become the person who put others before him?
“I didn’t expect you to say that.” Ezra cocked his head as he stared at Chaz. “You were so snobby when we met.”
“Me? A snob? Oh, come on. I was cool.” Chaz rolled his hand and surfed. A snort of laughter from Ezra was his reward. “I admit I don’t like people coming into my space and telling me what to do. But you…”
“I hit every one of your buttons. I understand. Newbie agent and all that jazz.”
“It’s not that. You were… are so vibrant. And fucking happy. Which annoyed me. However, your kind of optimism allows me to breathe.” Chaz hoped Ezra would understand the message because he didn’t know what he was saying, and he wasn’t going to repeat himself.
“You were pissed off I was nice? And now… you’re not? Dammit, Chaz, you make no sense.”
“Why do I have to make sense?” God, this conversation couldn’t go more off the rails than it already had. His brain throbbed as he tried to figure out where he went wrong. “I was trying to repay the favour.”
“Well, stop. I don’t like it,” Ezra snapped.
Chaz jerked as though slapped and snarled at Ezra. “I’m going to be so positive, even if it hurts me.”
“Fine.”
This was ridiculous. Why were they fighting like children? Taking a deep breath, Chaz closed his eyes and focused on what was at stake. Their lives. Since he was the more rational of the two, he’d have to be the one to grow up. He studied the lake and tried to pick out any geographical features like the roundness and the length. Nothing stood out to him. It was a typical, random lake in the middle of Ontario.
“What’re you thinking?”
“Making guesses in my head. You’re not going to go after me, are you?”
“I wasn’t trying to attack you. I just said you were being weirdly nice.” Ezra frowned. “I must be more tired than I thought.”
“Same. But we’re so close, and I hoped a pit stop would energize us. I’m done with not knowing where I am.” Chaz stretched his legs out and leaned back. He might regret relaxing when they had to continue, but right now, he was in heaven. “Okay, ten more minutes and we try again.”
“Agreed.” Ezra lay on the sandy ground and raised his arms above his head. His groan reminded Chaz of the previous night. He ached to do nothing more than to take Ezra and pleasure him until he made that sound again.
Their bickering in the past, Chaz soaked in the peace of their surroundings. Only bird calls and wind could be heard. Ezra’s breath had evened out as they basked in their break. Chaz was ready for the next leg of their day. When he tried to hike again after this, he was going to bring a goddamn compass so they wouldn’t have to rely on their phones.
“Chaz? Would you—do you think maybe there’s a chance we could possibly—” Ezra stopped and pressed his lips together. Chaz cocked his head and waited for Ezra to try again. “I’d really like to go on a real date. Like in a restaurant or something. With indoor plumbing.”
Chaz grinned. “Yeah, man. I’m cool with that.”
“Cool.” Ezra bobbed his head.
They smiled goofily at each other. Chaz began thinking of places that would make Ezra happy when an unfamiliar rustle stopped him. The noise wasn’t from a small rodent. The creature was large and created a godawful racket. His instinct was to stand and yank Ezra behind him. He snagged his back and ran along the shoreline. The only clue he had about Ezra being with him was the gasps of laboured breathing. Why couldn’t they catch a break?
When Chaz’s chest was ready to explode, he slowed and bent over. He caught his breath and glanced behind them. A large misshapen brown thing was kicking their fire. “Is that… is that Bigfoot?”
“What?” Ezra whipped his head around to stare before meeting Chaz’s eyes. “What the fuck? I thought he was dead!”
“Obviously not! Where the fuck did he come from?” Chaz gasped. He was still winded from the zero-to-sixty dash he’d just completed. “Goddamn, I will not do that again.”
“Chaz…Chaz. We need to move.” Ezra pulled on Chaz’s elbow and forced him into another jog.