Page 29 of These Reckless Hearts

Once Stone and I start sectioning out our metal-detection area, Ninja loses all concern about the treasure. He keeps his eyes peeled, and I’m impressed by his single-mindedness. He holds his gun in his hand, lowered to the rock and sand at our feet as he starts a perimeter walk and doesn’t stop.

The familiar beeping of our equipment starts, and Stone and I stay together as we do our up and backs, making sure to overlap slightly over the line we just searched. Today, we have a bunch of hits, but they’re nothing big: bits of old flatware from miners, antique metalwork. It’s obvious this area was used for a camp back in the day. We don’t find what we’re looking for, but it’s still exciting. The constant beeps from the machine keep us on our toes, but it also slows our search because we dig up each and every detection.

Each time it sounds off, nerves flutter in the pit of my stomach. Sure, after the fifth fork it kind of gets redundant, but I’ve always been a story-loving girl. The fork may be insignificant, but what about the tale behind it? What if my previous treasure hunters used one of these forks? Better yet, what if it was my original ancestor himself, making camp while he searched for a vein he could mine on? We’re talking years and years of history.

If the Superstitions could talk, they would tell one hell of a tale. Green vegetation dots the brownish-red rock and dirt terrain that make up the mountainside. To our north-east, the crags of the mountain jut toward the sky in sharp lines. It’s formidable and beautiful at the same time. I’ve counted myself lucky on so many occasions to be able to enjoy this landscape in a way that not many other people do.

“You have that look in your eye again,” Stone almost whispers.

I peek at him. The detector is in his hand, but he’s staring back at me as if he might have been watching me for a while now. “Sorry, I was just thinking.”

“You’re so breathtaking up here. I fell in love with you surrounded by these rocks. To me, you’ll always be the mountain girl with the big eyes and determination that makes me think I can do anything.”

“We can, can’t we?”

He shakes his head, finally smiling again. “When I’m with you, I always think so.”

He reaches for my hand, and I take it. For the first time in days, he touches me. He rubs his thumb up and down my knuckles, and I hope that this is Stone finally getting out of his own head.

The moment is short-lived. Both of us stop when we hear the telltale sound of trouble. Straining my ears to hear where it’s coming from, I gasp in a breath and hold it.

Fuuuck. It’s off to the south, right where Ninja is walking. “Stop!” I yell.

Ninja freezes, his narrow focus darting at eye level for the threat.

“Don’t move,” Stone demands.

We check the ground around us to make sure we’re okay. When it’s clear, we walk toward the rattle. When you’ve been in the mountains as much as us, you get used to this. We never leave for a trip without our snake guards, and we made sure Ninja and Dave had some, too. But that doesn’t mean snakes can’t bite around the guards.

The rattle sounds again. “Shit. Fuck,” Ninja curses. “Is that what I think it is?”

“It’s a rattlesnake, man.” Stone keeps his voice low and steady. “Stay where you are. Dakota and I are coming.”

My heart beats a mile a minute. Ninja could get seriously hurt or even die from a bite if we can’t get him medical attention right away.

“I don’t like the sounds of your voices. Am I fucked or what?”

We creep closer, careful to keep our eyes peeled for the predator. We come within feet of Ninja, searching the ground near him. Rocks of all sizes greet us with sand interspersed throughout. When the rattle sounds again, we spot the snake next to a fairly large boulder about a foot and a half away from him.

That’s...not good.

“Okay,” Stone starts. “It’s to your left. What you need to do is move very slowly to your right. When I tell you to,” he rushes out, speaking up when Ninja starts to move automatically. “Very slowly,” Stone explains. “I’ll tell you when to take the steps, okay?”

Ninja nods, and I don’t think it’s my imagination when I see more sweat dotting his brow now than before.

“Now,” Stone tells him.

Ninja takes one step, then we wait to see what the snake is going to do. It stays where it is, however, the rattle gets louder. “Dude....”

“It’s fine,” I soothe. “He’s not near you.” My words are calmer than I am. This is really nothing to fuck with. One wrong move….

“Now,” Stone instructs again.

Ninja takes another step.

The snake uncoils. Stone and I take a step back, keeping our distance. “Now,” Stone repeats once the snake settles again.

Ninja takes another step, moving slowly just like Stone told him to. If he moves too fast, the snake could perceive it as a threat and lash out.

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