Balancing Act

by Sheldon's Muse

The Barillo Cartel is on the rise again, but they might be the least of Agent Sands' worries. When the deck is being stacked against you, it might just take a little teamwork to perform the Balancing Act.

Title: Balancing Act

Rating: Rated M for Sands' filthy mind and mouth, as well as several other's dirty mouths. 0:-)

Disclaimer: We do not lay any claim to any of Robert Rodriguez's brillinace, ie. his characters from his movie Once Upon a Time in Mexico. The only claim we lay is for our own characters.

Summary: The Barillo Cartel is on the rise again, but they might be the least of Agent Sands' worries. When the deck is being stacked against you, it might just take a little teamwork to perform the Balancing Act. This is co written by myself (mayorst) and a friend of mine, (midnightmuse). Hang on to your socks and enjoy! ;-)

Candace Preston stepped tentatively down the street, stepping over fallen banners and broken beer bottles. It looked like it had been one hell of a party. The Day of the Dead indeed.

She sighed and swiped at the sweat that was building on her brow. She wasn't fond of the heat. She had two contacts she was to get in touch with to find the MIA agent. Candace wasn't sure why exactly the agency wanted her to bring him in. They had no need for him. From what she'd heard they'd sent him down to get rid of him. Come to think of it, they probably sent her down for similar reasons.

A gunshot rang out over her shoulder, and she jumped, and ducked down. She looked up at the church, and smirked. That was contact number one. El Mariachi.

El hit the Barillo cartel goon shadowing her. It was still dangerous times after the failed coup. The president seemed to be in control, but the remains of the Barillo cartel was fighting to the death for control, of the country and itself. Without Barillo, the cartel seemed to have fallen into an even greater madness of cruelty and killing.

"Miss, it is not safe to be walking the streets alone just now." El stated. That was why he was still here-until the very bad were dealt with.

Candace stood, and glanced over her shoulder at the cartel man lying on the ground now dead. She dusted herself off, and strode purposefully towards him. "Nice shot." She murmured as she drew up next to him. She stuck her hand in the back pocket of her jeans, which were no doubt too tight, but hell...it helped with the job sometimes. She withdrew a folded up printout of Agent Sheldon Sands, and held it up before El's eyes.

"Look familiar? Well he should. Where is he now?" She demanded.

El winced at the unwelcome sight of Sands, and that the American was bringing more attention to him.. "Sands… I haven't seen him. I stopped working for him. I was not the only one, the only case of ships leaving the sinking rat." El said with a humorless smile.

"Who knows where he is? As you've said, you're not the only ship. Where are the others docked?" She asked using his terms for Sands'...hired hands

"Cucuy disappeared. I believe there was a FBI agent. I overheard a little of his conversation with Barillo, and from it, it had Sands feel to it, a hook to snare reluctant players. Jorge. I didn't hear to clearly Romarez, Romarn, something like that a retired agent. Barillo had tortured and killed a partner of his Artuleta. I do not know the man, where he might be, but if you find him, he might lead you to your man." El said.

Candace gave a wry smile. Contact numero dos. "Jorge Ramirez retired FBI. Yes I've heard of him. If you see Agent Sands, please give me a call." She handed him one of her cards, before heading back to the idling taxi a block away.

She knew where Ramirez lived, had been given a helluva lot more info on him than just that. She gave the driver directions. She got out and went to knock at the door.

After several minutes, and still no answer Candace looked around, and silently broke the lock and slipped in. She searched his small apartment. It took only minutes to do, with no luck. She saw a phone lying on a table, and approached it cautiously. Upon further inspection, it was a CIA issued cell phone. She flipped it open, and pressed speed dial one and waited for it to connect.

He was sure he was still dreaming, it seemed like his eyes were closed anyway. He wondered what had snatched his attention from images of the day of the dead, when he seemed to hear his phone. He reached for it, directed by the sound and flipped it open putting it to his ear…

"Sands... " He said groggily, "To what do I owe the pleasure?" as he wondered why his dream had suddenly gone black, and pain was creeping in. This dream was beginning to feel nightmarish. He wanted it to end, and the dancing crowd he had been in moments before to be back. Even if they were all dead in the dream, it was better than this.

Candace smiled a tightlipped smile. "Agent Sands, so good to hear you. If you'd be so kind as to direct me to where you are, I'd be all the more pleased." She said in a silky voice.

"And who might you be?" Sands replied. "I might not want to direct you to finding me. That might not be the most pleasant experience going. As for where I am, I have no clue. Besides, I am not here really." he said groggily.

Candace sighed impatiently. "Well I'd suggest you figure it out. Do something-call for help, I don't really know. Or perhaps you can open your goddamned eyes?" She rolled her own. "I'm CIA sent to retrieve you, get you back in the states." She said as an afterthought, that he might be more compliant knowing she was an agent. Fat chance.

Sands frowned. Memories were beginning to clamor for attention. "I can't see fuckmook, I have no eyes. " He groaned. That's why he hurt so damn much when he was awake. An involuntary shiver ran through him. "I don't know where I am. I passed out after… " He paused. Maybe it wasn't polite to tell too much. He was not that far gone. "Dr Guevera worked on me. He pumped me full of something, I don't remember too well… " He said bitterly.

"Excuse me?" She'd been uninformed of his injuries, and began to wonder if the agency even knew of the extent of them. If they did, they were damn foolish to send her in after him. Or maybe that was the idea. The thought resurfaced once again.

"You heard." Sands said sharply. "Now who the hell did you say you were, specifics and what team did you bring down with you?" he asked.

"Agent Candace Preston, and there's no team."

"Well, Ace-no team means trouble for me, and I suspect for you, cause it's hitting the fan down here just now. I have no doubt, and someone doesn't like you." Sands said smoothly.

"Ha. Ha. That's just rich. I really don't give a damn if you don't like me. I'm not all that fond of you." She didn't know the man, and with just a phone call he was already grating on her nerves.

It had been long enough for the CIA issued phone to do its job. She terminated the call with not so much as a "Goodbye," and looked closely at the screen. She sighed as it pinpointed Sands' coordinates on a global positioning system.

She slipped back out of Ramirez's apartment, taking the phone with her. According to the map, she wasn't that far, maybe a mile or two. She could make there by foot, if she didn't die of heat stroke.

XXX

Sands drifted awake again, not having even realized he'd passed out. Whatever Guevera had pumped him full of was strong, good and strong. He already felt a cold hunger as it began to leave his system. What he fought to accept despite knowing it was that he was really awake-that he truly couldn't see. His eyes… were gone.

He pushed the idea away, and tightened his grip around he phone. He didn't know how long he'd been out cold. The dryness of his mouth suggested several hours, but he had no real way of knowing. He put the phone to his ear, but the dial tone was dead. She was long gone. She probably hadn't been there at all. His line before had been compromised and he'd called for a new secure line… Ajedrez had turned up instead. It smacked of more betrayal than hers.

"Bitch." he muttered, despite knowing it wasn't only her that had hung him out to dry.

Candace couldn't tell when he was asleep or awake. When she'd arrived nearly an hour before, she'd not dare touched him. She knew reflexes of agents were damn good, and she didn't want to end up with her throat slit. So she'd spoken his name aloud softly several times, but gotten no response.

She'd been fine sitting for a while and cooling off. When he'd spoken, she smirked. "Well hello to you too."

He turned his head in her direction. It was the voice from the phone. He placed her position in the room. "I wasn't referring to you. '' Sands said. ''And for your information, myself in our previous conversation. " He sat up slightly. ''I am sure you're just the sweetest thing, when someone gets to know you. '' Sands said wryly. "Fact is, I neither have the time or inclination, Candy so you can track a call. I can tell you attended "Introduction to being a CIA agent 101." I feel so reassured now. Tell me your plan on getting us out of Mexico alive and just why I should go." Sands said dryly.

"Wait just a minute there cowboy." She had a gun under his chin in seconds. "What did you call me?"

Sands laughed disconcertingly, as the gun pressed into his jaw. He knew exactly what it was without seeing it-a gun "You really think that's going to scare me? You're an amateur at terror…Candy." he smirked.

She dug the barrel in hard, until he coughed a little. "I've killed lesser men for calling me that-not that there are many." She smirked slightly. "The name's Candace-or Preston if you prefer."

"Right Candy, I heard you quite clearly first time. Point is I don't care about your little hang-ups or neurosis, I prefer Candy. " He said. He hardly cared what she wanted to be called, who she was, or anything else. His eyes had been drilled out and he was stuck down in Mexico-hung out to dry with some uptight lone agent sent down to bring him out. Someone in the CIA was really taking the piss.

She released the safety on the gun, and vaguely wondered if the man had a death wish. "Hate to break it to ya-but Candy ain't an option." She drawled, some of her natural Mississippi accent coming through.

"Sure it ain't funny- how that doesn't seem to prevent my ability to say it. Let me guess your next response, 'a bullet in the head will stop me'. Think the CIA will see it as a mercy killing, or that I was somehow in some clear and present danger. Think I really care? Fact is if you lose it over a damn name we're dead anyway, neither of us is making it back out of Mexico." Sands stated calmly.

She grit her teeth, and with another hard shove with the gun, she pulled back and reset the safety. "Don't expect me to answer to it." She muttered, moving away from his bed.

Sands smiled. Well she had provided something useful, a small victory... He lay back in the bed. "So, what's your grand plan for getting a shot up blind agent out of Mexico? I am mildly curious just to know how soon it's likely to hit the fan?" he asked.

Candace crossed her arms over her chest as she studied him. "First it might be good to get you dressed." She couldn't help the grin that spread over her face, as she went for the thin sheet.

"Well yes, that's stating the obvious but in that vein I assume we will be walking through doors and that the plan will at some point involve going outside." Sands said dryly.

"What do you think genius?"

"Well I'd hate to make assumptions about your plan and just what skills and foresight you actually have." Sands said in a similarly biting tone back.

"Then don't." She said simply. The truth was, she didn't know what they were dealing with, not like he did.

"Right, well on your advice I will assume you know… nothing" he smiled coldly. He hurt like hell and was getting impatient at some word game. Some real information wouldn't go amiss. "But you can tell me what the outcome of the coup was, and what's going on in the Barillo Cartel."

"Well...there's a bunch of dead people on the street." She said wryly. Damn the agency, and not informing her of all the details. All she was told was to get in and get out-plus some sadistic injured agent.

Sands let out a pained sigh at her level of knowledge. "Ok well at least you know how to spot a dead person I assume." He moved to sit up. He damn well hurt and more than knew if he stopped and let the adrenaline or his anger fade out, he was in very big trouble. He might as well lie down and die but she was provoking a familiar spark of anger. "Ok., have you any clues what building we are in now?" Sands said irritably.

"A hospital." She said simply, making no move to help him. He'd probably push her away literally if she attempted to.

"Ok and does this hospital possess a name?" He said with a laboured patience.

"Culican General Hospital."

"Right at least I know what side of town I am on now." He said. "I guess it's time to get out of here. I haven't been quite with it. When was the day of the dead?" he asked, sounding as if it was possible for him to have lost quite as much time as he felt he had.

"I believe it was...yesterday." She said slowly.

"Ok. So did they advise you on a safe route out-safe houses along the way?" Sands asked. That was meant to be the set up, but whether that was what he had got, he was beginning to seriously doubt. There was also meant to be a team of at least three to get an agent out. "You were sent in alone right?" he asked, not quite able to believe this was really true.

"Yes I was sent in alone, with no instructions on how to get you out, only that that was the assignment." She said, unsure why he was unable to grasp that she came alone. It was only her third assignment. Sure she'd goofed on the previous three, but hell...she was supposedly still in training after 4 years... She shrugged. Third time's the charm, or so they say.

"No safe houses?" he asked again, a hollow feeling growing in the pit of his stomach.

Candace was beginning to feel the same. "Should there be?"

Sands felt around on the bedside cabinet and found his sunglasses, slipped them on. He found a drawer in it and found what felt like his own clothes. The shirt had a small bullet hole in the arm. He smiled, feeling inside the drawer. Holsters, but no guns.

He sighed. "Should there be? What did they send me a rookie?" he muttered. "Fuckmooks. Who the fuck did you piss off up there to get this assignment-or rather this assignment, set up this way? Well, " he said beginning to dress slowly. Bullet holes were a bitch. He let out a hiss of pain and pressed on. "Yes. Yes there should be safe houses, there should be at least three agents sent in, a set route-well two or three possible routes, and an emergency contact to call in if it hits the fan. Or "Mother" as this protective agent is affectionately called now. They have to, by agency rules send someone in. unless the situation is too far-gone and lethal to spare more agents lives. That I assume is not the case, but fucking bells! They seem not to want me to make it out of Mexico and seem you pissed someone off or fucked up big time, for them to send you down. Great. I am inspired with confidence." He said, wincing even more as after managing to pull on his boxers and trousers. His socks and boots were a bitch to manage.

Candace sat in stunned silence. How come no one ever told her about this? How come she was sent down here alone in the first place? She was pissed now. "What the fuck is going on?" She muttered more to herself.

"Oh just about the worst shit you can imagine and I get a rookie." he sighed and moved to stand. "Now be a dear and find a nurse or what passes as a fucking doctor in this place and get me some frigging painkillers, cause I am riddled with bullets and for some reason I have a bitch of a headache coming on." he muttered.

"I'm not your goddamn servant!" She snapped irritably. "Get them yourself!"

"Correction a rookie with an attitude problem. " He stood. "I swear at this rate only one of us is getting out of this fucking hospital alive." He muttered under his breath.

He ran his hand along the length of the bed as a guide and then paused at the end of it, listening for the nurse's station. There surely had to be one in this god-forsaken place. He heard some chatter in Spanish off to his left and he turned in that direction, running his hand along the ends of the neighbouring beds to act as a guide. He then strode towards the voices.

"Excuse me. I don't mean to interrupt, but I need to check out. If you could tell me where to go for that and some meds-mucho painkillers-and my guns. I came in with guns and I'm kinda gonna need those back." he shot them a smile as the chatter had stopped instantly as he reached them.

Candace groaned and followed him. "Would you stop with the rookie shit? I've been in the agency for 4 fucking years." She muttered.

She froze, as the nurses all ceased talking. She looked around amongst them, her eyes darting about. "Shit." She mumbled under her breath. There were several armed men talking with a doctor. When Sands emerged, the doctor's eyes locked on him. The armed men turned, and quickly made their way towards them. Candace grabbed onto Sands' forearm tightly, coincidentally the one where the gunshot wound was.

"Time to go." She ground out.

Sands winced as she grabbed his arm. He paused, tilting his head and heard the hurried footsteps coming towards them. He 'looked' over at Candace. ''I take it they aren't coming to ease my fevered brow." he said wryly, feeling the loss of his guns, deeply. "You got more than one gun on you Ace?" he said."Care to share, cause unarmed feels a bit of a bitch in this kind of situation." he said, following her with no clue where she was leading him, but his gut instinct told him men with big nasty fatal kind of guns were closing in.

"Don't even think about it hotshot-you can't see, remember? Or did they somehow affect your memory?" She pulled him towards the back exit. She nearly groaned as she didn't have her own vehicle, but there was no time to worry about that. She'd just have to work with what was available.

She burst through the back door, and let out a low whistle. Seemed that what was available was more than all right. She quickly broke into the sleek black Jaguar, and unlocked the doors shoving Sands into the passenger side. She finally handed Sands a gun. "Shoot at any sound you hear outside the car." She ordered, as she fumbled to hotwire it. "Shit. Shit. Shit." She cursed under her breath as she heard the approaching men.

"No-really?" Sands said sarcastically. "I think I got it sweetie. " He said turning to face the door. "You're lucky I damn well need you to drive. You at least have one use." he muttered.

The men paused as they came through the door and Sands heard them make the mistake of relaxing.. Sands tilted his head in Candy's direction. "That them? I'd hate to just shoot some nurse coming off duty-well no that's a lie really. I'd not really give a shit, but nurses tend not to shoot back. " He heard one of the men chuckle. "Can I help you?" Sands said. "Is there something you find especially amusing?"

"Smoke the fucker!" Candace cried as she was finally able to start the Jag.

She sat up, as her the gun went off, and revved the car up. She shifted into reverse, and slammed her foot on the gas, twisting around in her seat to look out the back. Once they were at the end of the parking lot, she slammed on the brake, whipping them in 180, and then quickly shifting gears again peeling out of the parking lot.

"Who the hell are those people?" She asked once they were a good mile away from the hospital, and she was certain no one was following.

"Can't say I got a good look at them, to put a name to the face. " Sands said slowly to her as if she were a certifiable idiot. ''Could be Barillo Cartel, or the local police, or AFN. Could be CIA, FBI, could be fucking Quakers for all I know! There is a lot of shit going down. " Sands stated. "Whoever they were, they didn't make a move until I was trying to leave or you got there. Now that is either an incredible co-incidence, or it should tell us something-me something-and I am not a great believer in co-incidences." he stated.

She sighed. "Would you quit with the sarcasm for one minute!" She cried. She took a deep breath. "What the hell do we do now?" She asked, glancing over at him and seeing him fingering the gun. She scowled and snatched it away from him, the car swerving slightly. "Stop fucking playing with it." She muttered, stashing it in the center console for the time being.

"Well stop asking stupid questions for a minute" Sands countered. "And I need a gun-lots of guns. I am not having this go down around me unarmed. Shot the first guy right between the eyes. The second in the chest. I can handle a gun blind, it's not like driving.. " He sighed. "Tell me what those fuckers looked like, then I might have some idea of who they are. Where are you heading by the way or are we just driving around in circles?" he paused. "And it was one minute and fifty eight seconds until that…possibly sarcastic comment." he added.

"Oh shut the fuck up!" She muttered halfheartedly. "The men...were in black suits, most of them Hispanic, one of them was American I believe, and another Asian." She murmured. "And I'm not giving you any weapons!" She said firmly. "As for where we're going...I'm just driving-down a straight stretch." She said bitingly.

"Ok. They sound familiar… The American and Asian could be a CIA partnership; the Mexicans could be fucking anyone. It's a big country with oddly enough a lot of Mexicans in it." he said deadpan. "And you better fucking give me a gun cause what the fuck would you have done? Got them to wait until you'd hotwired the car, until they started. Hold that thought, who did I kill- the American and Asian, or the Mexicans? Cause if that was a CIA team and I just killed them that might affect our getting out of the country. Just when it was all going so well." Sands stated.

"You shot the Mexicans." She said simply. Maybe if she didn't talk he'd shut up.

"Ok, not sure if that's a good or bad thing. Is anyone following us? That's your area, obviously." Sands said dryly.

She sighed melodramatically. "No, no one's following us."

"That's just great. Well if I am not allowed to play with any guns and you have the driving sorted, I might as well get a little shut eye-so to speak. " He muttered. "By the way, wake me up when you stop. I need you to stop at the next chemists we pass-ok Sweetie?" he said making the seat tilt back and trying to relax. Not that the pain would let him, but he folded his arms across himself and tried to make it look like he was.

She sighed again. "Great. Just great. Where the hell am I supposed to go?" She muttered to herself. "Don't even know where the hell I'm going. Would be nice if the CIA gave crash courses in navigating in foreign countries that you're unfamiliar with." She muttered to herself.

"America. Head for America, ok?" Sands muttered. "Did they give you a map?" he asked incredulously. "If not let's add that to the shopping list: guns, pain meds, and a map of Mexico. Hell we're almost home free.''

She sighed in somewhat of relief. "I know how to get to the states." She murmured.

They'd been driving for nearly an hour, when Candace received a call from nature. She began to make tiny strangled noises, as she searched for a restaurant or gas station. There was nothing. Nothing but endless desert.

"Wonderful." She said derisively. She gnawed on her lower lip, and glanced down to see how much gas there was. "Great!" She spat out. They were nearly out of gas as well.

Sands woke. He felt restless and in pain from being cooped up in the car now as well as the rest. "What is it?" he said. "Cause I sense there was a lack of genuine feeling in that 'great'. " he sighed.

"We're nearly out of gas." She said wearily, raking a hand through her hair.

"Oh peachy…Ok, where are we? Tell me what you see." he said.

"Uh...a whole lot of nothing?"

"Ok… And how long have we been driving through this nothing, and for how long?" he asked not sure how long he had managed to sleep.

"About an hour now." She was hot, tired, and thirsty as all hell.

"Heading which way? " he groaned. "Great, so now we are stuck out in the desert. I am gonna need rescuing from being fucking rescued." he muttered.

"Hey! Shut up!" She smacked him upside the head. She was tired of him treating her like she was some damn kid that he could walk all over.

He quickly grabbed the gun and pressed it against her head "Now lets get this straight-you don't fucking touch me again, is that clear, Candy?"

His head was too fucking painful without her thinking she could hit him. His finger itched on the trigger. He had killed people for far less and he was already having a bitch of a bad day-or couple of days. He did a quick calculation of how he would get out of this if he killed her and paused for a moment.

"Ok… Ok... " He said to himself getting out his phone. ''You didn't happen to note the name of this friggin' road you've taken us down?" He said. "Cause if I can get us some supplies I am going to need to know where they are to be delivered to. " He sighed.

She jerked the wheel hard to the left, and they were spinning off to the side of the road. "You're fucking psycho!" She cried.

Once she had the car in park, she slid in her seat pressing her back against the door, and turned, kicking her gun out of his hand. She no doubt bruised his hand, if she hadn't broken a couple knuckles. She watched as her gun went sliding across the center console, and onto the floor by her seat. She sat for a moment, silent. Her chest was heaving, as she was breathing hard, gnawing on her lip as she waited for his reaction.

"And your point is?" Sands said casually. "Now I believe I asked if you knew which frigging road we are on or do you fancy walking back to civilization in this heat?" He said coldly

He decided killing her or making her pay big time would have to wait until he found where the hell they were. He focused on the point in the car he had heard the gun come to rest. At this point confident she could get to it before him. Perhaps…either way, he needed to know where they were.

"I don't know where we are you dipshit." She muttered, her eyes watching him cock his head towards her gun.

"So let's recap. So far you have taken me away from any medical care, you neglected to get medical supplies-like I requested-or gas, you didn't pay attention to where we are and we're out of gas, and now I am also more injured than before we met. I am meant to believe the agency sent you to get me out rather than make sure I am dead even if I wasn't before we met? Ok… Find out where we are. I mean you can right? You found me after calling me." He lifted his phone. "You can use global navigation to find out where this little phone in my hand is right? Where we are? Then you will know what road we are on. Call me." Sands said dryly, irritated he had to even explain it. "And you say your not a frigging rookie how many cases you been on? " he asked. "And how many agent you get killed on them?" he muttered.

Her eyes flashed, and she almost wished he could see her when she smacked him again. "I've gotten no one killed that didn't deserve to be killed." She said with an edge to her voice.

She flipped open her own phone, and pulled up their location. She gave Sands the coordinates, and looked at him expectantly.

"What now hotshot-hm? What do we do all the way out here?"

Even without eyes he glared at her. He didn't bother to respond to her, instead he flipped open his phone and pressed speed dial to his own personal supplier of nice toys and such. "Juan-Sands here."

He paused. "You heard that did you? Well it's obviously not true unless they have network connections on the other side. Like Twain, reports of my death have been slightly exaggerated. However what I do need is some supplies- ASAP. I need a vehicle with a full gas tank." He all but gave Candy a pointed stare. "And either bring along transport back or some gas to refuel what I am in. On second thought make it a second vehicle back." Sands said, that way he could dump this waste of space agent and get away somewhere quiet where the CIA that was happy to see him die couldn't find him. "Bring some serious pain meds, two weeks supplies, a first aid field kit, and a nice working selection of guns. You know my tastes and enough ammo to down an army and I am gonna need some water bottles, some food, and throw in a couple of bottles of tequila and my brand of tobacco and rolling papers. " He said. "Also some top notch intelligence. You know I will reward you for it."

He flipped his phone shut after giving the guy their location. "Now we wait an hour and a half, if the rat hasn't sold out and he really is bringing the supplies, I'd say under an hour-if he's selling me out," Sands said. "In that scenario that isn't the only gun you've got I hope?" Sands said calmly.

"Oh but you don't need my help." She said in a sickly sweet voice.

She didn't bother answering his questions. She grabbed her gun, and got out of the car popping the trunk. Perhaps there was some emergency water bottles or something. She swiped at the sweat on her forehead, as she stuck the gun in her waistband and went around to the trunk. She opened it up, and her mouth dropped open. She started to gag, and had to turn away. There certainly was something in the trunk.

"Your help's got me all but lost out here. " Sands muttered.

He sighed as she got hold of the gun. He rolled the window down, but the car was getting like an oven. He got out and prepared for a long wait. Sitting in the shade the car was giving-which wasn't much, he turned in the direction he heard her popping open the trunk.

"There any trees, shade around here?" He frowned as he heard her gag. He stood and walked towards her his hand resting on the side of the car as he did so. As he reached the trunk, he paused. "Now that, that is not what you want to find in a trunk." he said, the odour unmistakable. "Once smelled, never forgotten and in this heat." He slammed the trunk shut again. "Nice selection on the car. There any rags-cloths around? I would feel a lot better if our-my fingerprints weren't all over this little beauty. It's even out of gas so it won't even burn well." he sighed.

"Is that all you can fucking think about? Being blamed? There's a fucking dead doctor in the trunk!"

She raked her fingers through her hair, tugging on it. He looked like he was an American doctor too...With this car, most likely a specialty surgeon. She took deep shallow breaths, and paced back and forth across the two-lane highway. It was completely deserted.

Sands turned his head to follow her as she paced. "I'd not waste your energy in this heat. I ask again, is there any shade nearby?" he said and sighed. "A doctor… Male or female and how were they killed? And for how long were they in the trunk, estimate cause it's a coincidence, just as the Americano and Asian duo turn up, there is a dead doctor in the very same hospital's car lot. I am not big on coincidences. " He said.

"Ok, what do you suggest Ace?" He said sarcastically. "Bury the body out here, no spades in the boot? Torch the car or just wait like a patsy for this to be found-and I am sure they will believe you didn't kill the nice doctor and abduct me from the hospital." Sands said wryly.

"Just-shut up!" She cried pressing her hands to her ears.

She looked around and spotted a lone tree with the bare minimum of shade. She sighed, and went over to Sands, grabbing the sleeve of his shirt and pulling him with her to the tree.

As she sunk down, leaning against the bark she groaned. "I don't know what to do...you're the expert right?" She murmured. "He was definitely American..." She said slowly. "Shot right between the eyes."

Sands sat, getting a bit of the limited shade. "Ok well I have not been quite in this situation before. Sounds like he was executed. I mean it could be a very expert domestic incident over him spending too much time at work or a road or parking spot rage incident, but given the hypocritical oath, that's slightly less than likely-or-or its connected to you and me being at that hospital. Whatever, it's not good. If it's connected to us and is a professional job, they are gonna be laughing their socks off we escaped in that car and already probably setting us up for it. APB's out on us with the local law enforcement and such or if its just as professional, but by some random chance not connected, whoever it is, is gonna be worried and pissed off and wanting to find and get rid of us as latter day witnesses. Ok, you're not one of those… by the book agents are you? Cause if we do the self-preservation thing we might technically become accomplices after the fact and for not calling the fact there is a body in the car you stole. I ask, just to know what kind of an agent I am forced to work with here. '' He sighed.

She groaned. "Would you please just shut the fuck up? I'm tired of hearing you go on and on about the 'kind of agent you're forced to work with'."

She pushed up from the tree, and moved away from him going to sit in the hot sun near the car as opposed to the minimal shade from the tree and be 'forced' to be near him.

"Fine." Sands said as he stood and got his bearings. He walked back in the direction of the car and opened the passenger door, popping open the glove compartment. He felt about inside it, there were a few bits of paper that he pocketed. He then walked over to the trunk and sighed as he reached in his trouser pockets and slipped on some latex gloves.

"Time to get messy. " he said as he popped it open and reached inside.

A look of very slight distaste crossed his face. He felt the body-shoulders, a jacket-and in its inside pocket a wallet. Bad place to keep it. He felt inside the guy's pants pockets, the car keys and some other bits of papers. He took them out and pocketed them as well. He then felt back up towards the body and the face. She had said between the eyes.. He felt the bullet hole and judging the calibre of the bullet, it was the same calibre as standard CIA issue, but that meant next to nothing. A co-incidence perhaps. He wiped any remnants of blood off on the man's jacket. He was beyond complaining-and shut the boot.

He turned. "Where are you? I need you to tell me what if anything is on the papers this guy had on him, his name… and such." he said tilting his head in the general direction he'd heard her disappear off in.

She stubbornly kept her mouth shut, and kept still making no movement he could hear. He'd made it clear she was of no help to him other than getting him in more danger.

Sands let out an irritated sigh. He listened intently and began walking in the direction she had headed off in. Listening all the time for her breathing and the smallest noise to show where she was. He walked fairly near her and stopped.

"You going to give me the silent treatment all day?" he asked. "Fine, I will try and work it out myself." he gave an angry sigh, and walked back to the shade. "You can stay out there and fry, for all I care if you're not going to help me." he said, getting out a credit type card from the dead man's wallet and tried to work out his name from the raised letters. "Dr. S. M. Friedman" he finally said. "I think…"

Candace leaned back against the hot exterior of the car. She could feel herself getting dehydrated, but she really didn't care. Indeed it was better to 'fry' than to be in his 'all knowing' presence.

Sands sighed and tilted his face skyward, trying to judge what time of day it was. Of course he didn't know what time of day they set off at either. Hell he wouldn't even know what day it was, if she hadn't said.

"Look I am sorry, had a rough couple of days." he said trying to keep all tone of how bad, out of his voice. "They sent you out to a real mess, and I am sorry for taking it out on you." He was not the type to apologise, and he didn't feel his comments were hugely unjustified, but-and it was an important but, if Juan had sold him out, she was all he had going for him.

She snorted. "You think I wanted to come out here?"

Sands let out a slight sigh. "No, no I don't suppose you did." he said. "Look we started out on the wrong foot, people have been trying to set me up, torture and kill me far too much lately." he gave a wry smile "So what do you say, we start over?" he offered.

"Whatever." She muttered. It was far too hot to be arguing.

"Great" Sands said, "Look do you want to come over to the shade? If it's because I am over here, we can take having the shade in turns?" he offered.

"I'm fine." She ground out. She didn't need him feeling sorry for her or whatever the hell he was trying to do.

"Ok, if you say so, you're fine. Well you can act as lookout; you'll see them a lot sooner than I will hear them I expect. "Sands stated, "Let me know when you see something Oh just in case they are hostile, I hope you are the side of the car, they can't see you from miles away." Sand said, as he rolled a cigarette and lit it.

She sighed loudly, and pushed up against the car to stand. It took more effort than she thought it would-more effort than it should. She moved slowly, and sat down beside Sands under the tree, their sides barely touching. Her breathing was a bit laboured, but she was conscious.

Sands tilted his head in her direction, and listened to her breathing, it was a lot more laboured than it should be. He kept silent, he was sure she'd appreciate that, he'd got the impression he was irritating her slightly After what felt like ten minutes, but was really probably nearer five, he could judge it better by how long it usually took him to finish a cigarette, than by how much time it felt was passing, he bit his lip.

"Can you see anything along the road yet?" he asked, he wished he could see along the road for himself, and this probably carried in his voice. He'd even like to have been able to see the desert

"Mm?" She breathed, her eyes fluttering open. She'd been dozing lightly. She looked down the vast expanse of empty road. "Hm…. No." She murmured, her eyes drifting shut once more, against her will. "I'll let you know when I do." She whispered.

"Ok, thanks " Sands said, unaware she had shut her eyes. He assumed she was keeping watch, and he relaxed against the tree. He felt uncomfortable and was in too much pain. The pain relief from the hospital had worn off long ago. He was also feeling far too hot; the heat was stifling even without wearing black.

Sands sighed and wiped his brow, as he slipped off his waistcoat and unbuttoned his shirt and took it off. He tilted his head. He was feeling horribly light headed, but he could've sworn he could hear something.

He listened intently, "Can you hear something?" He asked Candace. "Is that them?" He had been leaning slightly against her, and had assumed that was why he'd been getting the silent treatment. He frowned slightly. "It's a car, or is it several? What do you see Candace?" he asked, hating that he was so helpless.

She jerked upright, causing him to grapple so he wouldn't fall over. She looked at him oddly. "What happened to your shirt?"

Sands tilted his head and frowned. "It's hot." He stated, as if that were all the explanation necessary. He then shook his head slightly. "Look that doesn't matter- is that them? Listen, I can hear something, I am hoping it's not the heat playing with my head. That's why I need to know if there are any cars heading this way."

She took a moment, to focus and turned to the road. Sure enough there were 3 black vehicles heading towards them. She struggled to push to her feet, a major feat, as her legs didn't want to hold her up. She put her hand over her eyes shading it from the sun to watch as the cars slowly drew nearer.

"Uh Sands...does Juan usually travel in threes?" She asked warily.

"Juan?" Sands said slowly, "Juan is hard pressed to travel in ones, but I told him to bring us transport, remember" he said, "So, there should be two. " Sands said. "I am not sure why he would bring an extra vehicle." He frowned feeling woozy. "I suppose he might do, if they are all together"

He struggled to a stand himself, he was feeling bad, and he couldn't help but have a bad feeling at the pit of his stomach. He'd feel better if he could see it was Juan; it was not like Candace even knew what Juan looked like.

Candace herself was beginning to feel uneasy. "Does he have three of the same black type of Mercedes?" She asked, keeping her voice calm. Her hand snaked to her gun, her sweaty fingers slipping over it.

Sands struggled to stand, "Not that I know off. " He said. "Of course in a coup there is always lots of dough floating around, and Juan is one of those types to fully cash in." Somehow this didn't make him feel all that much more reassured.

"Right." Candace said dumbly as the first of the vehicles came to a stop.

The passenger side door opened and a tall man got out. He looked over at Candace and walked closer.

He had a sub automatic in his hands, and he aimed it at her. "How about you move over here, nice and slow. Let me see your hands, this will go a lot smoother that way." he added.

Candace's mouth opened and shut like a fish out of water. She glanced down at Sands who was hidden because he'd still not managed to stand up. She swallowed hard and moved to go around the car. Seconds later, she had her own gun out and fired off a shot ducking down behind the car as she heard more doors open and a spray of bullets shower over them.