"Here. Take my watch, and I'll use the timer on my cell phone. We can have a look around the area; cover whatever distance out we can in an hour, then turn around and meet back here in two. That way you can't wander too far." Roden handed his watch to Manda, but she didn't take it.

"What if I get lost? What if I fall down a hole or get dragged off by a wild animal?" She was legitimately scared.

"Manda, I promise you. If you are not back at this spot in two hours, I will come looking for you. I swear to you, I will not leave this forest without you. Okay?" Manda still hesitated, but took the watch from him.

They decided which directions they would forge out in, coordinated their times, and left the white Jetta behind to search for Max and Esther. Roden headed towards the area to the left of the car, while Martin took the right, and Manda begrudgingly began walking down the dirt road in which the Jetta was pointed.

Roden studied every inch of ground that he could, trying to catch everything and still manage to move quickly so that he could cover a lot of area. The terrain was so rough, that it was hard to maneuver through, let alone discover evidence of any previous traversing.

The guilt of forcing Manda to reluctantly scout the woods on her own ended up distracting Roden's progress. As much as he disliked her company, he hated to push her into this frightening but necessary seclusion, even for the benefit of their search. For her sake, and for the sake of his own sanity, he hoped that one of them would find at least one new clue, if not the actual location of Max's hiding place. Otherwise, they'd have to go back to their original plan, which meant continuing on to the remaining cabins and using the process of elimination.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The conversation between Max and Ess casually moved onward, and dialog between them became not unlike two old friends who were catching up after years of leading separate lives. The effect of the amity made Max extremely blissful and left Ess a little befuddled.

Max wished, and not for the first time in the past twenty-four hours, that he had a sketchpad. He was now able to observe Ess like he never could before. Her movements and expressions were beyond anything his imagination had been able to conjure up over the years. He noticed that when Ess became animated in conversation, her delightful eyes narrowed slightly, her brilliant cheeks emitted a warm glow and her plush lips curled up at the sides slightly higher than when she simply smiled. Quite exquisite. He wanted to capture it so he could have it to keep forever.

Ess was fully aware that she shouldn't feel so at ease with this man, and she tried not to; but he exuded this unexpected sort of consoling quality that made her slowly drop her guard, despite her best efforts. Sure he was a stranger and he held her in seclusion in the middle of nowhere against her will, but he pulled it off so well that she let herself forget that this was an impromptu camping trip.

In fact, she found his character quite unimposing, and his conversation quite intelligent. If they had met in a bar or café, she probably would have been immensely attracted to him. If the circumstances had been different, she knew that she would have been very happy to be acquainted with him. She didn't find him to be all that physically striking at first, to be honest, but his easy exchange and sincere attention made him absolutely charming.

Their conversation took it's natural turns and shifts, and eventually progressed to the topic of coincidences. The subject had a simple beginning in that it played much importance in the progress of stories, both true and fiction. Max observed, and Ess gladly latched on to the suggestion, that without coincidental meetings and incidences, there could be no plots, no chains of events, no happy endings or just desserts. Without coincidences there would be no stories, no remarkable experiences in peoples lives. Life would simply be methodical, and purposeless.

"Yes, you're right," Ess agreed enthusiastically, "The greatest stories ever written are full of coincidences. Ah, let me see, like: Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is pining away like a sissy over some girl when he happens to run into the daughter of his family's enemy and falls in love with her; then, the day he and Juliet plan to run off together, he runs into her cousin and unintentionally kills him. That just accelerates the events that ultimately lead to the death of the two lovers. Tragic. But full of coincidences."

It was a long speech for Ess, and she found that her brain was moving faster than her mouth. Occasionally she stumbled over her words, but she just kept going. It felt so good to be listened to.

"Then, of course, there's Pride and Prejudice, again – I have to bring up the coincidences in that story: Elizabeth Bennett visits her best friend at Rosings Park at the same time Mr. Darcy is visiting his aunt, which leads to his botched up first proposal. Then, Lizzy happens to show up for a tour at Pemberly the same day Darcy returns to his home, and they're thrown back together. The events eventually lead him to save her family's honor and finally gain her hand in marriage."

Max was more than willing to supply his own examples, too, and found Ess equally willing to listen as she was to speak. "Charles Dickens was a great user of coincidences in his stories, too. Oliver Twist ended up getting caught robbing the house of some people that had known his mother; oh, and Nicholas Nickelby ended up saving poor abused Smike from a third rate boarding school, and found out later that they were actually cousins. Then, of course, you can't forget A Tale of Two Cities. Charles Darnay and Syndey . . . oh, what was his name? Carton, yes, thank you. They happened to look so much alike that they could pass for twins, and they both loved the same woman. So, in the end, Sydney was able to sacrifice himself to save Charles's life and make Lucie Darnay happy. Lots of coincidences."

"Wow." Ess was unbelievably impressed by Max's knowledge of Dickens. "And it's so true in real life, too. Like getting on that plane – "

". . . Or off. . . " Max offered up.

". . . Or taking the road less traveled. . ."

". . . Or overhearing a conversation in a restaurant," Max supplied without missing a beat.

"Right." Ess fumbled at that offering, but continued, blushing, "They all stop or start or change a person's story, for better or for worse." She was very aware of the coincidence that led them to where they were now: her anecdote in the restaurant. She was apt to think that that pivotal moment changed her life for the worse. It was not an unreasonable conclusion, only, she was still hoping for a happy ending. The thought made her shiver through her blanket.

Max noticed this, and quickly handed his own blanket to her. She tried to refuse, but Max insisted that he was getting too warm anyway. This was a chivalrous fib, but Ess accepted the blanket, while Max stoked the fire.

"I'm in the mood for more coffee. How about you?" Max smiled graciously, and Ess couldn't help but smile back and nod. More coffee would be perfect.

As he refilled the kettle, he continued their conversation over his shoulder. He had her talking, he had her comfortable, and he would do anything to keep it going. When the kettle was full, he placed it on the burner and turned away from the stove to comment on Ess's latest statement regarding the consequences of events in Alexander Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo. That was when he saw part of a face disappearing from the window by the door.