The sun was falling fast behind the horizon to the west, and the sky was magnificent with the orange and purple colors. It was hard to believe that one's life was in jeopardy with such a beautiful sunset.
Albert and Britney continued to walk and were totally exhausted from the heat of walking for hours.
"I can't walk anymore," Britney said and stopped and dropped to her knees. She opened up the grocery bag and removed their last bottle of water. She opened it up and took a swig.
"The temperature's already dropping," Albert said with a shiver while she handed him the bottle.
He cautiously scanned the area over while he took a swig of water. He looked concerned while he looked at the desert.
Britney noticed and sensed he was worried about something. "What's wrong?"
"I forgot about rattlesnakes out in the desert," he asked a little fearful.
"Oh yeah. There have some huge ones out here," she said.
Albert quickly looked around nervous there could be huge rattlesnakes within striking distance.
Britney chuckled. "We'll be safe as long as I have my revolvers," she said while she looked around the area. "Let's camp over there by those rocks. We can build a fire and shield it from the road, so we're not spotted," she said while she pointed at three rocks about twenty feet away. Then Britney's eyes widened when she remembered something important. "We don't have any matches," she said and frowned.
Albert thought for a few seconds, then his eyes remembered something, and he quickly set the laptop bag, car cover, and emergency kit in the dirt.
He opened up the kit and rummaged inside and smiled when he removed a lighter. "Not to worry my dear," he said while he held up the lighter.
"Were you a boy scout by chance?" she asked curiously.
"Yes and also an Eagle Scout," he replied.
"So was my older brother," she said while she looked around. "Now we need some wood."
They both spotted some Honey Mesquite trees about thirty feet away.
"I'll get some wood while you break off some of those small branches from those small bushes. We can use them as kindling," Albert said and felt like a boy scout again.
He walked over to the trees.
Britney walked over some Shadscale bushes about ten feet away.
While Britney broke off some twigs off the scrub brushes, she glanced over at Albert.
Albert jumped up and held onto a small branch.
He shook it while he hung from the branch. It broke.
He jumped up and held onto another small branch. He shook it around while he hung from the branch. It broke.
He felt like the man, so he jumped up on a higher branch. He shook it around while he hung from that branch. It broke, and he slammed onto the ground and lay there a little dazed.
Britney chuckled at Albert on the ground while she broke off some more small branches. "You know, rattlesnakes could be near those trees," she yelled out at Albert.
He jumped up in a panic and frantically searched the area for snakes.
Britney laughed while she broke some more twigs.
Albert dragged the tree branches to the rocks while Britney carried the small twigs from the bushes.
Fifteen minutes later, the fire was hot and toasty and hidden from view of the road.
The car cover was spread out near another rock.
Britney and Albert sat on the cover and ate some peanut butter sandwiches. Britney made a few minutes ago. They had some water left, and it was still warm. But they didn't care since it was wet.
"Are you married?" he asked curiously.
"No. I've been concentrating so much on my career that I haven't had time to date," she replied then took a bite of her sandwich.
"I can understand that. I imagine working for the FBI is an exciting life," he said, then took a bite of his sandwich.
"Wendy was always trying to get me married. But that could change the day I meet the right man, as I would like to have children before I get too old to enjoy them."
"You'd make a great mother," he said.
"Thanks," she replied with a smile and loved the compliment.
"Was Wendy married?"
"She's a widow. Her husband was in the Army and killed in Iraq," she replied.
"My wife Ginger was my whole life. The day she died, part of me died. She was actually the first girl that loved me. Unfortunately, she didn't want kids," Albert said with sad eyes.
Britney felt sorry for him and stroked his arm a little. "I'm sorry about the loss, but you really have to move on. Just be glad you had the lovely experience with her."
"Those sound like the exact words I told Ginger after her father died in a hunting accident," he said.
"There are plenty of women out there who would love to have you."
They both finished their sandwiches, and Albert's stomach gurgled.
Britney looked over at Albert. "I wish we had more to eat, but we have to conserve what we have left for tomorrow's long journey," she said. Then something caught her eye. "Be quiet," she replied in a low voice.
Albert immediately and thought there was a rattlesnake close by and he froze.
Britney slowly grabbed one of the revolvers with a silencer. She aimed it at the desert and fired a shot, which made Albert's heart miss a beat.
He looked curious while Britney stood up. "I hope you eat rabbit," she said while walked away.
"You can hunt. You remind me of my wife," he said while he watched her walked over to a dead rabbit twenty feet away.
Britney walked back with the dead rabbit. "I hope you have a knife in your kit?" she asked while she dropped the rabbit into the dirt by their campfire.
Albert leaned over and opened up the emergency kit. He produced a knife and held it up.
"Good. Since you were a boy scout, prepare the rabbit for dinner," she said while she sat down on the car cover.
"My pleasure," he replied, then walked over to the rabbit.
Thirty minutes later, the rabbit was on a stick above the flames and almost cooked.
"Ginger wasn't much of a cook. I take that back, she could boil a mean cup of water for tea," he said while he looked at the rabbit.
Britney chuckled.
"When you shot that critter, you brought back memories of my father-in-law."
"How's that?" she asked.
"Well, he lived up in a secluded farm in the mountains in central Pennsylvania and was an avid hunter. You know, deer, squirrel, rabbit, you name it he would kill it. And he sure loved guns. He must have had around twenty different types of pistols, rifles, assault rifles and even some antiques," Albert recalled from memory.
"Did you get along with him?"
"Yeah, he was quiet and never spoke about his past. I guess being a farmer didn't have many experiences to brag about," he replied.
"You seem to be scared of guns," she said.
Albert nodded in agreement with a little shame.
Britney grabbed the knife off the cover.
"Why are you afraid of guns?" she asked while she sliced a piece of rabbit meat.
"Oh, something that happened when I was a kid," he replied while she handed the meat to him. He blew on it to cool it off. Then took a bite.
"What was it?" she asked curiously while she sliced off a piece of me for herself.
Albert looked ashamed, and she sensed it.
"You can tell me. I'll understand," she said then munched on her rabbit meat.
Albert looked at Britney, and there was something about her that made him feel comfortable. "When I was eight years old, Dad had guns in the house. One day, he was trying to show me how to shoot while we were in the woods. I accidently shot him in his knee. He walked with a limp for the rest of his life," Albert replied, ashamed of himself.
"You were young, and it was an accident," she replied while she cut off some more meat.
"I know, but guns still bother me. Ginger's dad taught her how to shoot, and she was a marksman. I never knew her mother since she died when Ginger was young. Ginger was devastated when her father died three years ago. She tore up all our family pictures, even our wedding photos. She became depressed, withdrawn and wasn't as loving," he said while she handed him another piece of meat.
"That's a shame," she replied while she cut off another piece of meat for herself.
"But our vows said for better or worse, so I stuck by her side."
"Now that's the quality in a man I want," she said while she ate her piece of meat.
"Then she talked about working the family business. I couldn't bear the thought of being a farmer," he said
"I take it she never did since you're on this side of the continent."
"You're right. She decided to take an accounting job in LA. So we moved here," he said.
"Well, I'm glad, because I've would have never met you," she said.
"I'm also glad I had the opportunity to meet you," he replied with a smile.
They continued to talk while they finished off the rabbit.
Twenty minutes later, the sun was long gone over the horizon, and the desert was a spooky dark. They both yawned, and their bellies were full from the cooked rabbit.
"We better get some sleep. We've got a long walk to Vegas and don't have much time," she said.
Britney lay on her side with her back turned at Albert. He lay on his back and stared at the stars.
"Man, I never realized there were so many stars up in the sky," he said.
"The lights of the big cities hide them," she replied.
"That's a shame because the night sky is so beautiful," he said while he continued to stare at the stars.
"Sure is," she said while she rolled over on her back and stared at the stars.
Five minutes had passed, and Britney lay on her side on with her back to Albert.
Albert looked at Britney then he leaned over to the laptop bag and removed the laptop. He opened up the laptop and gave the monitor a quick kiss. "Goodnight Ginger," he whispered to the laptop.
"Goodnight and my name is Britney," she replied.
Albert cringed and quickly shoved the laptop into the bag. He rolled over on his back.
Ten minutes later, they were both sound asleep.
It was now two in the morning and one of the stars in the sky got brighter then got dimmer.
The campfire started to diminish.
Albert woke up for his middle of the night bathroom trip. He looked over at the sight of Britney sound asleep. She looked so beautiful, he thought.
He stood up and saw the laptop bag by the cover. He couldn't resist.
He grabbed the laptop and quietly walked away into the darkness.
He walked about twenty feet from Britney and relieved himself.
He sat down in the dirt and removed the laptop from the bag. He opened it up and pressed the power button.
He looked around the area a little fearful of rattlesnakes. The Dell laptop finished booting up. "Ginger," he quietly spoke to the monitor.
The Heavenly Chat website appeared.
"I see you're stuck in the desert," Angel 12978 quietly said.
"I hope you don't mind me talking about your dad. And I hope you're with him up there," he replied in a whisper.
"That's okay," Angel 12978 replied, and there was a short pause. "I see you two are getting along just great."
"I do enjoy her company."
"Sleeping under the stars with Britney. How romantic!" Angel 12978 whispered from the monitor.
Thoughts of a romantic evening with Britney just crossed his mind, but Albert quickly dismissed them, as he felt really guilty with cheating on Ginger.
"Aw come one, Albee. You have to move on with your life, and that means finding a new love," Angel 12978.
"I can't let you go, Ginger. I still love you with all my heart," he whispered to the monitor.
"You'll let me go in due time. I promise," Angel 12978 said.
"Never!" Albert quickly responded.
"Albee, be extremely careful, a rattlesnake is coming at you to our right," Angel 12978 said with a serious tone.
Albert was scared to death while he looked to his right and anticipated a snake bite. There was nothing.
"Got ya!" Angel 12978 replied with a chuckle. "Now go get some sleep. You have the President's life to save tomorrow," Angel 12978 said.
"I don't know what time or the location of the hit," Albert said.
The Special Security Consultants Project database suddenly appeared. Then it was if someone had remote control of the website, and another section of the database opened. More information about the hit from the Viper section appeared.
"It happens tomorrow night at eight," Albert said while he read the information about Viper's hit.
"What happens tomorrow?" Britney's voice was heard from the darkness.
The Heavenly Chat website disappeared.
Albert looked toward the campfire, and Britney walked up to him. "I got some more information. The hit will happen tomorrow night at eight," he told her while she sat down in the dirt next to him and looked at the information.
"Tomorrow at eight. You're pretty good with the computer," she said while she thought about their situation while Albert placed the laptop back in the bag. "I guess we'll have to get up as soon as there's sunlight," she said.
She stood up and grabbed Albert's hand. "Let's get some more sleep," she said then held his hand while they walked back to their campfire.
Albert quickly placed some more tree branches on the fire. Then they got on the car cover and still wore their hats.
The fire got larger and warmed up the area, but it was still chilly.
"I'm still a tad cold," Britney said with a bit of a shiver. "We need to cuddle closer to keep each other warm," she replied while she slid to the center of the cover.
Albert moved toward the center. They covered their bodies with the cover while they cuddled in the center. It's been a long time since Albert felt the warmth of a woman's body. He liked the feeling but still wanted it to be Ginger, but he always felt a tad guilty.
They were sound asleep ten minutes later.
One of the Suburban's with two thugs inside drove north on ninety-five searching for Taylor and Britney.
They drove by the area where Albert and Britney camped out. They didn't see the campfire since the rocks shielded it.
Meanwhile, down in Vegas, Kirby and Grant got rooms at the Sam's Town casino on the east end of town.
Inside Kirby's room, they were on their third pot of coffee and had their second 5-hour energy drinks. They hearts raced, but they were awake for any developments.
Kirby paced around the room. "We better hope those two don't make it into town tomorrow," he said.
"Maybe the desert will take care of them for us," Grant replied while he watched Kirby paced nervously around the room.
Then after a few minutes of pacing, Kirby's eyes lit up with a great idea. "I got it!" he cried out while he ran to his cell phone on the coffee table. He opened it up and quickly made a call.
"Hello," Frank answered, half asleep.
"It's Kirby. Listen, we need something else," he said.
"What?" Frank replied irritated that he was awakened.
"I need you to put something out to the Secret Service that it was just learned that Taylor and your agent assisted in letting that stinking Arab terrorist escape. And make it appear that they're connected with al-Qaeda and are believed to be in Vegas. Make sure the Secret Service also know that they're wanted for murder in San Francisco," he told Frank.
"Connected with al-Qaeda, murder in San Francisco, and Secret Service in Vegas. Got it," Frank replied with a yawn then disconnected his end of the call.
Grant winked at Kirby who looked at him with an evil smirk.
In a trailer about two miles northeast of Vegas, Viper cleaned the Soviet 91/30 sniper rifle for the hit later in the evening. After the rifle was cleaned, Viper disassembled and placed the rifle into a small black cloth bag.
Viper then cleaned a pistol with a silencer and shoved it in the bag.
Viper opened up a vanilla envelope.
Inside was a forged employees badge for a janitor at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. Another package had a janitor's uniform along with the picture of a Secret Service agent named Tommy Winston.
Tommy was being paid one hundred thousand dollars to allow Viper into the MGM. He went crooked because of a cocaine habit he developed during frequent visits with an escort. That was another bad habit he couldn't quit. Also provided were typed instructions on which door at the rear of the casino.
They instructed how to enter at the MGM using Tommy's assistance. Then Viper found a smaller packet with some cocaine – a little present for Tommy.
Viper got up and went off into the bedroom.
Fifteen minutes later, Viper fell fast asleep to be well rested for tomorrow's assignment.