A Touch of Lightning

by Kit Fortier

  "I brought some beers, a couple of steaks, a couple sandwiches I put together…"

  "So… you emptied out your fridge?"

  Fox snickered. "Shut up."

  Jake took hold of the cooler. Whatever he packed, it was quite heavy, and most likely full.

  "We're only going to be gone one day, maybe two, right?"

  Fox nodded. "To be fair, I'm used to packing a bit for myself when I go out alone."

  Jake eased off. "Gotcha."

  "We're good," Fox said, locking the door behind him. Jake followed Fox downstairs.

  "Hey-do your folks do housekeeping stuff?" Jake asked.

  "Yeah. Why?"

  "Think you could ask them if they could skip over mine? I'll get the towels and such myself."

  "Sure, give me a sec." Fox dropped his backpack into the back of his truck and popped into the front office. He could see Fox talking with a couple of men closer to Jake's own age. He watched One of them type something into the computer, and Fox nodded his approval. With a smile and a wave, Fox stepped out into the sun. The day was beginning, and Jake was ready.

  Fox hopped into the driver's side after he took the cooler from Jake. He tucked it next to the large footlocker chained to the head of the bed along with his backpack.

  "Let's go!"

  "Hang on," Jake said. Fox held back from turning on the ignition and gave Jake an expectant glance. Jake leaned in and gave Fox a solid kiss. "Thank you for this."

  Fox grinned as he licked his lips. "Can't wait to see what you'll give me when you actually see the place."

  *** Fox

  The drive didn't take long. Fox kept his eye on the road while Jake held his hand out the window, waving his fingers in the wind. They rode in comfortable silence for the brief ride out to the camp.

  At a nondescript roadside marker, Fox pulled off the road, thankful for the solid shocks on his truck. About half-a-mile in, he drove into a clearing. It connected to a well-driven path that cut through the trees. There were bumps, but nothing that threw Fox off course. Soon, they made it to the other side of the trees, and all of Keyhole Reservoir sprawled before them.

  "Here it is," Fox said. He drove his truck around, so the bed faced the water, and parked out in the open. Fox hopped into the back of his truck and undid the chains holding his footlocker in place.

  "Jake, can you take this?"

  Jake nodded, and quickly appeared where Fox leaned over with the footlocker. Fox hopped out and opened up the box. He pulled out a rolled up, heavy rubber mattress, and a small battery powered air compressor.

  "For later," Fox said, as he unrolled the mattress over the truck's bed. He connected the air compressor to the mattress. With a flip of a switch, the compressor kicked on, and the mattress began to fill.

  *** Jake

  Jake breathed in the summer air that swept over the water. It was nice and brisk out, but as the day moved along, he was sure that would change. At any rate, Jake doubted it would be anything too severe or unmanageable, given Fox's resourcefulness.

  "This might be a bit, so feel free to look around," Fox said. Jake nodded. He looked back at the site. It consisted of a firepit, surrounded by bowling ball-sized stones at the center of a rounded clearing. A lone pine provided a wide umbrella of shade at one end of the clearing, and on the other end, an A-frame cabin stood, weathered, worn, but well-kept and well-loved. The woods bordered the clearing to the south. On the north end was a twenty-foot drop-off into the water. A chain ladder was bolted deep into the stone overhang and dangled off the edge against the short cliff. The bottom rung skimmed the surface of the water.

  Jake started from the chain ladder. It was the only solid marker on the perimeter of the site. He started walking a wide circle around the campfire. Fox was still tending to the mattress and rifling through his footlocker.

  Jake discreetly spread a fine line of silver and salt in his wake. Jake went around the lip of the cliff. He circled around a few yards deep into the woods. Finally, he circumvented the grassy area that comprised the clearing, including the lonely pine, the cabin, the truck and the dirt lot it was parked on. When he returned to the ladder, Jake knelt down as if to look at the water, and quietly fixed the circle in place.

  "Like it?"

  Jake startled, surprised by Fox's approach. "We're gonna have to put a bell on you if you're gonna do that to me," Jake laughed. Fox returned the mirth.

  "I just started the fire."

  Jake looked over his shoulder and saw a good sized flame in the fire pit.

  "I didn't see you unpack any lighter fluid."

  Fox shrugged. "Just used tinder and flint. It's easy."

  Jake stood up and turned to face Fox with a grin. "Were you a Boy Scout, too?"

  "Small town boy's gotta do something. When I turned ten, I needed something to do."

  Jake didn't miss the way Fox's smile fell a touch.

  "Made it to Eagle."

  "That's… amazing," Jake replied, a hint of awe in his voice. "Not every day you run across an Eagle Scout."

  "Come sit with me," Fox said, tugging Jake along. He had placed two collapsing chairs next to each other. The footlocker lay between the firepit and the chairs. Jake marveled at the setup as they crossed to the firepit.

  "Is that box of yours bottomless or something?"

  "I know how to pack," Fox smirked.

  "No shit." It wasn't a question, rather a statement of mild amazement.

  Fox indicated the chairs and sat only after Jake sat.

  "And people say chivalry is dead," Jake mused as he stood over his chair.

  "What's that?"

  "Just these little things I've noticed about you," Jake said.

  Fox huffed. "I'd do it for anyone."

  "I know. That's one of the things I like about you." Jake stretched in his chair, tensing up his whole body, then releasing the tension with a long exhale. He glanced over at Fox, who was clearly reserved.

  "What's the story behind this place?" Jake asked quietly. Fox looked up, the haze of preoccupation lifted and cleared away with a bright smile. Unlike the others, this seemed special, tied to the memories Fox had here.

  "Dad brought me here a lot as a kid. It was our special spot. But a couple years after my mom left, we stopped coming here. When I learned how to drive, I'd come back myself-to camp out, or to think, or just get away."

  Jake nodded.

  "Hey-I know you said you started your hike at the Tower. Where else have you been?"

  Jake breathed in deep. "It's a long list."

  "It's not even lunchtime. We've got all day," Fox said. He wasn't smiling, but the smile was in his voice all the same.

  "I headed north for a bit--ended up passing the outskirts of Miles City in Montana. After that, I went into Troy. I heard they had some silver mines. They did, but it was industrial stuff. Still, I hung out there for a bit before moving on. There was a place near Coeur d'Alene that I wanted to see--it's at the shores of Lake Pend Oreille. After that, I cut through Spokane, then turned south to Bend, Oregon. My goal was Mount Shasta, and boy that was worth it.

  "I ended up spending about a year crossing through California after that. Went past Sacramento and all those tourist-trap places on the bay. Then Fresno. Spent some time in Death Valley. Breathtaking, that was. It took a while, but I walked across three states in a day. That happened when I crossed the point where California, Nevada, and Arizona meet. I cut across the desert to Sedona."

  "I heard it's really beautiful there," Fox had turned in his chair to better face Jake.

  "Oh yeah," Jake agreed. "It was… Colorful barely describes it. It's the layers and layers of copper and red and gold cut against a clear blue sky."

  Fox hummed his approval.

  "I veered off course for a bit to visit Globe."

  "Also Arizona?"

  "Yep. About three hours southeast of Sedona. I was interested in places that were big on silver."

  "I read about a place called Silverton," Fox lit
up. "It was one of the places that hit it big with mining, but kinda fizzled out after the Great Depression. Did you go there?"

  "Actually, I did. It was a little off my path, but worth it."

  "Nice. Is that where you got that?" Fox said, pointing at the bracelet on Jake's wrist.

  "I got this in Kuwait." Jake didn't go any further with that. "After Silverton, I started heading north again. I passed by Denver. In time, I came to the road that would take me to Sundance on one side, or Moorcroft on the other."

  "And you chose Moorcroft… Because it wasn't a tourist trap like Sundance?"

  Jake smiled, tapping his nose. "Correct."

  "Wow," Fox breathed. "You've been around quite a bit."

  "Twice."

  "Twice?" Fox exclaimed. "How do you mean?"

  "The first time, I kinda circled around. The second, as much as I could, I simply cut through between the major points."

  Fox blinked. "Why?"

  Jake rolled his head around in a self-soothing move to center himself. "It's something I have to do."

  Fox's brows furrowed. "Isn't that like some seven thousand miles or so?"

  Jake's eyes widened. "You're good. That's about right, give-or-take some detours."

  Fox fell back against his chair.

  "Once I get back to Devils Tower, it's one step from done."

  "That's some Forrest Gump stuff," Fox murmured. Jake laughed.

  "You said you were doing this for your son," Fox was almost hushed, as if what he said might startle the local wildlife.

  Jake's laugh faded. "Well remembered."

  "Is he… Okay?"

  Jake couldn't lie. "He's fine. Some of my military buddies adopted him."

  A wedge of silence fell between them. The sun was now at its highest point. Fox leaned off his chair and opened up his footlocker, pulling out his backpack. Jake's eyes trailed Fox's motion as he pulled out a bottle of suntan lotion and an old Army blanket.

  "Let's spread out," Fox said. He flung the blanket open in the shade of the solo pine tree and let it fall to the soft, grass, tossing the lotion onto it.

  "Ah, this explains your sexy tan," Jake smirked.

  Fox laughed. "Yep. No tan lines, either."

  Jake searched his memory of watching Fox pad away from him in the buff. He couldn't recall a single tan line. He snapped out of his reverie. Jake's mouth went dry in an instant as Fox got completely undressed before him. The young guy looked over his shoulder and gave Jake a wink and a flirty grin as he grabbed his clothes. He jogged to the truck, stashed them, and jogged back to the blanket. Jake found Fox's exposed bits bouncing around as he ran weirdly amusing.

  "For an Eagle Scout, you sure are a lot of trouble."

  "Get over here so I can put some lotion on you."

  Jake stood up and pulled off his shirt. "You said this was private property, right?"

  "Yep. Dad owns it. He got it from his parents. The only way anyone could see us is if they are either out on the water or peering through the trees. Even then, the parcel is ours from the rope ladder to the turnoff on the road. Why? You nervous?"

  Jake smirked. He pulled off his trail-runners and undid the buttons on his jeans, shucking them. The grass was soft between his toes, and the breeze cooled his warm skin.

  Fox reached out and pulled Jake over, urging him to his knees, then onto his stomach. Jake heard the flip of a lid, the squelching noise of lotion pouring out, and another lid flip. He barely noticed the lotion dripping onto his back, but he definitely relished in Fox's strong touch as he rubbed the lotion in.

  Jake thought back to the last time he had someone's attention like this. Aside from the dozens of ports in a storm? There was Kate. She was gorgeous, she was smart, they were drunk at a welcome home party. That led to Ben. Kate didn't ask Jake to be involved. She was willing to care for Ben on her own, and she would have, if not for the head-on car crash that ended her life. Jake took custody of Ben, unwilling to see him get lost in the vast maze that was the foster child system.

  Yet, knowing what he knew now, that might have been the better option.

  How he'd been able to shelter Ben from the nightmare to follow, he didn't know. Jake and Ben fled Flagstaff to Austin, then from Austin to San Diego. Jake hoped to get lost in the human shuffle. He encountered Sully there, and over the years, Sully taught him many things--but Sully's death put Jake and Ben back on the road.

  They'd ended up near Mountain Home, guests of the Samuelses. In their shared past, they worked in the same squadron, in the same shop. Taylor Samuels and Sarah Miller were in the early days of their relationship. Jake was often along for the ride.

  They deployed together. On one such occasion, an improvised explosive device threatened to end Taylor's life. Jake stayed level-headed, and he helped Taylor through the life-or-death panic they both felt. Shortly after the explosion, before Taylor could be medically evacuated, Jake donated his own blood on the spot to keep Taylor from going under. To Taylor, Jake saved his life, and both he and Sarah looked for any way to repay the favor. They were there for Jake when Ben was born. They were there for him when Kate died. They helped care for Ben for five years before Jake and Ben disappeared.

  When Jake and Ben showed up at their door a few years later, the Samuelses took them in. No questions asked. Within days, Jake had put together paperwork that left his friends with powers of attorney for Ben's care. For all intents and purposes, the Samuelses would adopt Ben. Jake then broke the news to Ben that he'd have to leave, that he'd return, but he didn't know when. Ben was twelve. Ben didn't understand. Ben cried. When Jake put Ben down for bed that night, Jake slid down the wall outside the guest room and cried, too.

  "Hey."

  The whispered word in Jake's ear pulled him from his thoughts with tender ease.

  Fox turned Jake over, concern on his face. He ran his fingers over Jake's chest.

  "You were a million miles away, and this," Fox said, trailing a thumb across Jake's cheek. He swept up tears in his touch.

  Jake took hold of Fox's hand, kissing his fingers.

  "Should I do your front?" Fox asked. There wasn't a hint of untoward intent--it was an earnest question. The sincerity from such a ridiculous question made Jake's heart flip a little. He didn't know why.

  "Yeah. Then I'll take care of you."

  *** Fox

  The intimate proximity Fox and Jake shared did get him hard. But Fox pressed on, massaging suntan lotion into Jake's skin from neck to knee. He paid special attention to Jake's calves. It wasn't to provide protection from the relatively mild sun, but because he knew how long Jake had been on his feet, on the road.

  Fox enjoyed the feel of the man-the strength just beneath his skin, the softness of the hair on his legs, arms, his rear, his chest. Fox could easily have made the moment about sex. He refrained, choosing instead to give Jake comfort.

  Still. He wasn't sure if he went too far. Jake's eyes were closed, but he had tears pooling.

  When Jake came out of wherever he had been, Fox was careful not to upset him. The light exchange and the smiles read like Jake was alright, but Fox believed otherwise. Still, he wouldn't change anything about the moment.

  Particularly when Jake said, "I'll take care of you."

  Fox let himself believe that, if only for a little bit. Jake had a way of stilling time for him-that the newness of whatever this was would be permanent. He tried reminding himself that it was fleeting, that soon Jake would be on the road again.

  It almost worked.

  Fox finished ministering to Jake in relative silence. The faraway cry of an eagle faded over the gentle rustling of the wind through the trees. Water lapped against the cliff, inviting them in. Jake sat up and took the lotion from Fox, motioning him to lie down. Fox came down on his stomach, and closed his eyes, soaking in Jake's touch.

  He listened to Jake's breathing, his own respirations falling in sync. Adam's touch wasn't nearly as soothing, nearly as deep. Fox knew that now. He almost groaned with e
ach caress. Jake tapped him on the shoulder, and he flipped onto his back.

  As before, Jake's hands slid across Fox, massaging in the lotion. Fox watched Jake, who seemed focused on the task. But then Jake's eyes locked onto Fox's, and while he continued on his work, Jake simply kept his eyes on Fox.

  It was ludicrously intimate. Jake wasn't even touching Fox the way they had touched at the lodge. Fox was pinned, but safe, like he was beneath a heavy, warm blanket. Jake finished, leaning over Fox for a kiss.

  Sunlight filtered through the shade of the pine, giving Jake a kind of halo from where Fox lay, looking up at him. Jake rubbed his fingers against Fox's jaw, grinning at the sound of stubble being scraped.

  "What to do now?" Jake said.

  Fox sat up slowly, the warmth of the moments they shared touching falling away gently. "We're all dressed up, so to speak," he laughed. "Let's lay out for a while."

  Jake nodded. They both got off the blanket, which Fox folded up and tossed back in the footlocker. They sat back in the chairs, propping their feet up on the box that held everything.

  "What was it like, being out on the road?"

  Jake opened his mouth and closed it. He repeated that motion, like a strange impression of a fish out of water.

  "The first few months, I questioned everything. Why I was doing what I was doing, why I did what I did. I only had myself to talk to for large chunks of time. But after a year, I started taking in the moments as they came.

  "I loved taking in Devils Tower. I'd been to the Grand Canyon before, so it was just as amazing to see how high up Nature could go like that. Of course, I've seen mountains that were taller. But it was like something plopped that thing down where it was. It screams, 'I'm here, whatcha gonna do about it?' Tolkien could have written about Hobbits adventuring to it.

  "For the most part, I went out of my way to avoid civilization. People. I couldn't quiet my mind when there were thousands of other minds nearby screeching at me. But every now and then, I'd stop in to a town or a city to buy supplies and sleep in an actual bed. I think they call it 'self-care', these days.

  "But when I'm out in the natural world, I feel like I can think, like I can breathe. I get what all those poets said, the ones we read about in school and what not.