The Assassin's Assassin

VI

"Is there anything I can do to stay alive?" He shakily asks, poor guy, I wish I could give a simple answer, hell even say that he was gonna be, okay. Instead, I look to the ground and heave a heavy sigh. I look up again and turn to face him. I look him dead in the eyes and tell him,

"If you can change your and, if you have them, your family's names and move at least across the country, go international if can. If can you can't do that, go home, again, if you have family, take them and yourself to a remote motel or hotel or whatever. Stay there for at least two months. For both options, make sure you have access to a good fire arm. Don't feel bad about killing anyone who comes for you, these people don't have a conscience, heart or soul." He nods and takes a deep breath to recollect himself, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry you got dragged into this." I apologise, he responds with a nod, gets into his taxi and races off. I can't blame him, I'd react like that too if I still had sanity intact.

The first thing I do is check for a signal, nothing. I sit down and look around taking in the desert that surrounds me. Well, at least I'll be able to see if I've got incoming. I then tilt my head backwards, looking up at the sky, "Now, we both know I'm not the praying type, I mean, for all I know you're not there at all, but, if you are, please, hear my prayer. This prayer is not for me, but for that poor guy whose life I endangered, keep him and his family safe, they're innocent people. I've never asked anything of you ever, so please, gimme this, let the guy and his family live until they die a natural death, preferably old age." I pray looking up, for the first time in my life, really believing and fully putting my faith in god. Time will only tell if my faith was in vain.

It was a good hour or two before another vehicle came down the road, I stood up and signalled that I was looking for a lift. The hatchback Corolla pulls up and the driver rolls down the window,

"Not a murderer?" He asks with a small chuckle, I empty my pockets,

"Nope, just a hopeless damsel stuck in the desert." I reply sarcastically, he chuckles, "But seriously, can you get me across the border to Nevada? Just drop me at the nearest remote hotel and I'll be good." I request,

"Of course, hop in, just be careful, don't let me dog out, that's not a problem, is it?" The guy replies,

"Not at all." I answer and being careful not to let the Rottweiler out, I get in the back.

"Don't worry he wouldn't hurt a fly, unless that fly hurts me." The guy reassures,

"I don't judge based on breed, he's gorgeous, what's his name?" I ask as we head off,

"Bear, original I know." The guy answers, I chuckle. Bear at first was wary of me, maybe he sensed that something was off about me. Well he's not wrong. After I let him sniff my hand and let him come to me, he was more than comfortable with me being there, he even laid down resting his head on my lap.

"He likes you." The guy comments,

"Thank god." I reply pretending to be extremely relieved, he laughs,

"I'm Vernon by the way." The guy introduces,

"Kath." I introduce patting Bear's head.

"So, what's gonna go down in Nevada?" Vernon asks after a while,

"Don't know, I'm improvising as I go at the moment." I answer honestly,

"Who are you running from?" He asks, well he's not dumb, but, in this case, ignorance is a bliss, there's no way that I can be tracked through hitch-hiking. I search my brain for a witty, somewhat true response,

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you." I answer wittily which makes Vernon laugh, nailed it,

"Part of some secret government program huh?" He responds continuing the joke, or what he reads as a joke,

"Could you say that a little louder? I don't think Spain heard you." I reply sarcastically, Vernon laughs again,

"You're alight you know." Vernon compliments as Wanted Dead Or Alive by Bon Jovi comes on, "You aright? Don't you like the song?" he asks,

"Hm? No no I like it, don't worry." I reply dropping the strained smile that had stretched itself across my face.

After a few hours, Vernon pulls up at a remote cheap as looking hotel, perfect, I bid him good bye and walk in to check in. The room is crappy as expected, very little furniture with suspicious stains. I lock the door behind me, turn off my phone, hide it along with my purse and let myself fall onto the slightly hard bed and fall asleep, body clock? What body clock, never heard of one before.

"Room service!" Is the first thing I hear as I wake up. Looking over at the digital clock on the bed-side table I see it's 4;16 pm, well shit, gotta move again, "This is the second time I like my job." The voice beyond the door calls impatiently,

"Just got up thanks." I groan rolling onto my back and hoist myself off the bed. I drag my feet over to the door unlock and open it,

"Well sorry, wow you look like shit." The room service girl answers, impatient, teenage girl, probably the owner's daughter.

"Well thank you for your blunt honesty that I never asked for at any point in our conversation." I bite back sarcastically stepping back for her to enter then go to fetch my phone and purse, rolls her eye at me as her response. I pay her no mind and walk out of the room in a slightly grumpier mood than I should be due to hunger. A quick hitch-hike to the nearest town and I'm sat at a diner digging into my food.