"Do you normally make-out with the people you're hired to kill? It doesn't strike me as very professional."
"Put the gun down," Gabriel panted, not answering her.
"Why on earth would I do that?"
"Because you're not going to shoot me," Gabriel rep...
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"There's sleeping beauty," Gabriel heard a voice with a slight drawl say.
Gabriel cracked his eyes open, finding himself on a couch in Levi's cabin. An older man sat across from him, looking at him in amusement. "Who are you?" Gabriel asked groggily.
"One of Levi's neighbors," he answered. "Name is Earl. And before you ask, yes, I'm aware of what the two of you do for a living. At least the broad strokes. Can't say I approve, but it's really none of my business. We all know to keep to ourselves around here."
The appeal of having a cabin in the middle of nowhere suddenly made much more sense. With neighbors like these, Levi could probably get away with all types of debauchery.
"Do you want me to get you anything?"
"No, thank you," Gabriel replied. "You just came over here to watch me?"
Earl shrugged. "I'm retired. And bored. Levi called in a panic and this seemed interesting, so why not? And I did owe him a favor...he helped me wrangle some stray cattle about a year ago."
Gabriel smiled at the image of Levi, the epitome of an inner-city boy, chasing after some stray cows. He leaned back against the couch and took a deep breath. Earl slapped his knees and began to stand up.
"Well if that's all, I'll head back to..."
"Do you have a spare vehicle?" Gabriel asked, interrupting Earl.
The older man looked at him, confused. "How'd you get here?"
Gabriel responded by staring at Earl, unblinking.
"Right, right. None of my business, I get it. I've got an old truck at my place. Drives fine, s'long as you know how to drive stick."
"I'll give you five thousand for it," Gabriel said immediately.
Earl whistled. "Boy, it ain't worth that much."
"It is to me," Gabriel replied.
Earl looked at him and nodded. "C'mon then. Gather up your things and I'll drive you back and give you the keys."
Gabriel went back downstairs to retrieve his briefcase and gun. The woman had wiped out the cash in the main compartment, but she either didn't notice or didn't care enough to check the secret compartments that hid more cash and his passports. He headed back upstairs to where Earl was waiting.
"That's all you brought?"
"It was a last-minute trip," Gabriel replied.
The two climbed into Earl's newer truck. "Do you want to talk abo-" Earl began.
"No," Gabriel interjected, cutting him off.
"Fair enough," Earl said. "Levi's not much of a talker either."
The two drove to Earl's place in silence. When they arrived, Gabriel quickly exchanged cash for the man's old truck. "Good luck," Earl told him, giving him a pat on the back before leaving him.
