Exit to nowhere

Chapter VIII. Wolf in sheep's clothing

Caspar muttered some well chosen words as he stomped over to the faded camp fire and grabbed Erica's bag. Sure as hell would not be in there, he knew it. He'd seen it on her. She knew where it was, and there would be a snowball's chance in hell that she would tell them. Right now it felt like he could strangle Soran and not give a rats ass.

He turned and walked back, throwing the bag hard at him. "You check it yourself and YOU make serious shit happen. I sure as hell will not be responsible for more damage made to that."

Soran raised his indexfinger, about to speak, but was silenced by a deadly stare from Caspar as he got closer.

"Just don't! Leave me the heck alone, okay, " he hissed, now towering over Soran, making sure he got the point, " You do it. You got plenty of time. I've got other things to do."

Soran's face went blank. "Like what?" he huffed out.

"The pond, remember?"

"You got to be kidding me? Are you serious?" Soran couldn't believe what he was hearing, his voice got lower, and he narrowed his eyes at Caspar as he shook his head, "Ooooh, you are ONE ugly hypocrite. Aren't you?"

Caspar stared him down. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

As Erica had wandered off down to the shore and was out of earshot, Soran motioned with his thumb in her direction, his voice now stepping up a bit, "I can see what's going on here. You want to nail her don't you?" a calculated smirk on his face, "Now it all makes sense. That's why you have been in my way all the time. You son of a . . . .!"

Caspar pursed his lips. "Shut up and search the damn bag instead of cluching at straws. Just because you walk around with a set of blue balls doesn't mean that I do."

Soran laughed. "Seems like I struck a nerve here." He took the bag and turned around to walk away when he felt Caspar's strong hand on his shoulder, turning him back.

"You can imagine whatever you like in that sick brain of yours, Wolfe. Just remember, it was you that got us here. Not me. And especially not her." Caspar drilled his eyes into Soran's and his voice sounded like the devils, " So I suggest that you get started with the search, or better yet, finish the repair on that god forsaken phone."

With that, he released the grip he had on Soran's shoulder and he walked down to the shore where Erica stood facing the vast ocean. As he approached her, he couldn't help but to feast upon the sight of her. Damn it. He would rather die the most gruesome death, than to admit to Soran that he'd been right. Erica sure looked good enough to eat, and he was a starving man.

"How are you?" he asked, coming up behind her.

She turned her head, a small smile on her face. "Good, considering the circumstances," she said with a small chuckle as she rubbed her own arms up and down, "Would be even better if I could get rid of this ever present coat of salt."

Caspar raised one of his brows at her with a satisfied smirk on his face." Yeah, about that."

~ ~ ~

The look on her face when they cleared the shrubs and thicket and came out in the opening with the pond in the middle, almost made Caspar's heart skip a beat. With her mouth agape, she turned to him with her eyes sparkling.

"Fresh water?"

Caspar nodded. Then to his surprise, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him, hugging him tight, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, " she whispered into his chest, her lips accidentally brushing against his skin.