Chapter Text
The bright southern California sun broke the horizon as Rhett traveled the short distance between his house and Link’s. The warm summer weather was hanging on well into October and the clear sky was a relief after the weeks of uncharacteristically rainy weather.
Link had been his friend for over thirty-five years. His best friend for most of that time. They had even described their relationship similar to that of an old married couple. However, over the last handful of years that friendship had withered under the stress of running their wildly successful YouTube show. Now they were little more than business partners. But even that was strained.
Tempers between the two old friends flared on a regular basis. Their usual give and take was interrupted by angry outbursts and frustration. Stevie, the company’s Chief Creative Officer and show producer, called them into her office last week.
“I want you two to see a counselor,” She said solemnly.
“Like, couples counseling?” Link squeaked.
“Whatever you want to call it.” Stevie waved her hand dismissively, “All I know is that this … this tension is not conducive to a successful show.”
The two gentlemen sat in silence. Finally, Rhett spoke up,“God knows I’m just as tired of the constant bickering as you are. But, is counseling really necessary?”
“Finally, we agree on something,” Link followed up sarcastically.
Rhett cut his eyes to Link. “Maybe just a weekend trip. Hiking or something.”
“A whole weekend?” Link complained.
“Jesus, Link. Just once could you think before you whine?” Rhett rubbed his face with both hands.
“Whine? I’m not wh-- ,” Link stopped himself, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. “All I’m saying is that a whole weekend seems excessive. What about we start with an afternoon together?”
“I was prepared for some pushback.” Stevie tucked her long blonde hair behind her ear, reached into her desk drawer, and handed a folder to each man.
Rhett was the first to speak after flipping through the folder's contents. “Mountain biking?”
“Downieville Downhill. I’ve been wanting to go here for years!” Link said wistfully.
“That’s well and good for Link. I, on the other hand, have no desire --”
Stevie interrupted, “Believe me, I took that into consideration. There is also a symposium on tree rings and how they can predict an upcoming apocalypse at the park lodge. The only caveat is that you participate in both activities together.”
Both Rhett and Link exhaled and sank in their chairs. They knew Stevie was right and the trip sounded like fun even if it was with a pain in the ass.
Rhett pulled into Link’s driveway and before he could put the car in park, he saw the garage door slide open. Link emerged pushing his mountain bike, scowl firmly planted on his face.
“You’re late,” Link growled.
“Kiss my ass,” Rhett mumbled.
“Nice,” Link whispered under his breath. He hoisted his bike onto the bike rack and locked it.
Rhett shook the bikes to test the lock, looked at Link and asked exasperatingly, “Can we go now?”
“I need to get my backpack.” Link jogged back into the garage. He turned, “I was cleaning out the garage and found a bunch of your stuff. Do you mind getting it out of here?”
Rhett felt a pang at the thought of Link ridding his garage of anything that was his. It felt like when you break-up with someone and they give you back a box of your t-shirts and CDs.
Link pulled the tote off his meticulously kept shelves and handed it to Rhett. Rhett set it down and popped open the container. He immediately recognized the contents as props from a GMM episode where they had talked about their readiness for the apocalypse and Rhett had purchased a few items for Link and himself.
Rhett picked through the contents noting things like a water purifier, a camp stove, and sternos.
"I bought most of this for you," Rhett said softly.
"Come on. Apocalypse? Really?" Link discounted.
Then a long object caught his eye. Rhett grasped the handle and unsheathed a gleaming, 16-inch hunting knife. He held it up to eye level letting the light glisten across the sharp blade.
“I’m taking this with me,” he said, mesmerized by the lethal weapon. After re-sheathing the knife, he gleefully clipped the black nylon sheath to his belt.
“Jesus, Rhett. What on earth will you need that for?” Link rolled his eyes and cocked his hip to the side.
“None of your fucking business,” Rhett dismissed but suddenly felt bad. It had become easier and easier to be cruel.
“Whatever, let’s get this over with.” Link hooked the handle of his backpack and headed to the car.
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This was the part Rhett was dreading. Aside from all of it. Driving for hours with Link Neal. Yes, this was the same man he used to do nothing but drive around the back roads of North Carolina singing and talking. Now a long drive with him felt like torture. How in the hell were they going to make it there without one of them pushing the other out of the moving vehicle?
After about ten minutes a deafening silence, Link mercifully drifted off the sleep. Rhett didn’t think he could be more grateful. As the rows of homes slowly morphed into shops, and shops to rolling hills, Rhett let his mind wander. He glanced over to Link noticing his peaceful expression. Rhett couldn’t remember the last time he saw him like that. All he ever got was the ever present scowl or an exasperated sigh and eye roll. When had things changed? How did they get here? Maybe Stevie was right. Maybe it was time to examine that.
After several hours, Rhett pulled off the highway onto a nondescript side road. He remembered the paperwork warning visitors not to use their GPS, but instead use the accompanying map. He knew he would need Link to navigate so he sharply pushed Link’s shoulder, inadvertently knocking his head against the window. Oh shit.
Link came up out of his nap with a start,“Jesus fucking Christ man!”
“Sorry. I need you to read this stupid map.” Rhett tossed it into Link’s lap.
Link snatched up the map and unfolded the handwritten, trifold rendering of the area roads and typography. He looked around trying to acclimate himself.
“The sign said Lone Wolf Pass when I turned off the highway,” Rhett tried to help.
“That should be this road,” Link’s finger running down one of the darker lines, “Yeah, this is Lone Wolf Pass. So, we should be looking for a bridge, then a right turn… onto … um .... Pine Bluff Road?” Link glanced up to the road as if to double-check his deduction.
“Just don’t get us lost. I’m starving. I’m counting on that ‘Lunch Provided’ part of the package.”
“Big, surprise. Rhett’s hungry,” Link ridiculed and rolled his eyes.”Here. This’ll hold you over.” Link reached into his backpack and tossed him a bag of trail mix.
Rhett held the bag of trail mix in complete shock. “Is it poisoned?”
“Dammit Rhett, I’m trying to be nice here,” Link said and turned to stare out the window.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. Thank you,” Rhett admitted softly.
Link continued to look away from Rhett. It seemed they had been at cross purposes for so long now. One extending the olive branch the other answering the effort with some sort of snark. Back and forth. Link found solace in staring out his window. Tall pines studded the mountainside and lined the road. They had been driving for quite some time when a large metal bridge came into focus. When Rhett got the car halfway over the expanse, he slowly came to a stop.
“Wow, look at that water.” Rhett craned his neck to see the white, churning rapids rush beneath the bridge.
Link was in awe as well. “Good thing we weren’t planning on rafting this weekend,” Link said without turning, “All that rain we got sure has the river churning.”
Rhett lurched the car forward as if to quickly distance himself from the dangerous waters. Right after the bridge there appeared a road angling off to the right. Rhett wondered if this was their turn but noticed that there was no signage and the road wasn’t paved like the one they were on.
Rhett stopped the car and watched Link turn the map this way and that to determine if this was the road that they were meant to take.
“Here, gimme the map, Link.” Rhett huffed and grabbed at the paper.
“Hold on a minute.” Link frowned and twisted away. “The issue is scale. There’s no real key here. You know, an inch equals a mile, kinda thing.” Link held the map closer to his face, as if that would help. “But based on the length of time it took us to get down the other road, I’m guessing this might be it.”
“Might?” Rhett cocked an eyebrow.
“What’s the worst thing that could happen, Rhett? We realize we took a wrong turn and have to double back?” He said, whirling his index finger for emphasis.
“And miss lunch, Link!” Rhett whined.
“And miss lunch, Link,” Link mocked in an octave higher whine.
“Jerk,” Rhett retorted.
“Here goes nothing,” Rhett said as he pulled onto the bumpy dirt road. “How long before we know for sure that this is a huge mistake?
“If we don’t see signs for the camp within the next, maybe, 10 miles, I’d be worried,” Link tried to sound assured in his advice. Truth be told, he was already worried but pride kept his false bravado intact.
The road was littered with crevasses cut by rain running to the river that the road seemed to follow alongside. Link could barely make out the white water over the steep cliff out his window. The two-lane dirt road narrowed slightly as they continued on. The pines to his left were crowded out more and more by jagged rocks.
After what seemed like an eternity Rhett exhaled hard through his nose, “Okay, Link, it’s been 12 miles on this road, if you can call it that, and no signs for the camp. As a matter of fact, no signs of civilization at all.”
“I told you it ‘might’ be the right road,” Link growled back.
“I should have read the damn map myself,” Rhett said under his breath as he craned his neck to see over the cliff on the passenger side of the car.
“Well, I guess we turn around, then,” Link said defensively.
“And where do you suppose we do that, Link?” Rhett spat back, eyebrows low.
Link relented that the road had narrowed significantly between the rocks to the left and cliff to the right.
“We could back up to where the road was a little wider?” Link offered meekly.
Rhett twisted to look behind the car and sucked in air between his teeth. “We could, but one wrong move and we’ll be rafting those waters,” Rhett opined.
Link peered anxiously over the cliff. “I guess we keep going and pray that it opens up soon.” Rhett inched the car forward. The road, now just a trail, really, was barely as wide as the car and the tension in the car was palpable.
Link eyes flitted from the road to Rhett’s profile. Rhett leaning far forward navigating the car over the ragged trail. “Shit, this was a bad idea,” Rhett moaned. Just as ‘idea’ left his lips, both felt the back end of the car sink and slide down the edge of the cliff.
Link braced himself between the dash and Rhett’s shoulder.
Rhett stabbed at the break, “No, no, no, nooooo!”