Shakir and Curt still drive the beat up old truck it shakes, rattles and rolls down the road in reverse with black smoke continuing to pour forth from the exhaust, white smoke is starting to vent from the grill of the truck forcing Shakir who is behind the wheel to pull over to the side, the sun is beginning to set as the two cut the engine off and get out to check the engine. Evers lifts the old rickety hood up and is looking at the engine trying to figure out the problem, while Shakir with his entire head and face covered by a wrapped shirt only leaving his eyes exposed looks down the road as far as he can see and then look back from where they came.


Shakir: This is a desolate place, we haven’t seen a car since yesterday morning.

Curt looks over at Shakir

Curt Evers: Yeah but a broke down truck is the least of our worries, we are running low on food and water, we have enough to last us through the night but that’s it, I don’t think there’s another petro station for another thirty miles or so.

Shakir: Not to worry we will hunt for our food when we run out, and I’m sure we will find a watering hole if we look hard enough.

Curt Evers: What will we do is we fail to kill an animal, and find this watering hole that you speak of? What then?

Shakir: We eat what’s dead on the road friend, we build a fire cook all of the bacteria out and eat it.

Curt Evers: That’s fuking disgusting, I’m no fuking bum! I’m better then this, I will sooner starve to death then to eat road kill!

Shakir: Then you will surely die….

Curt Evers: GOD THERE HAS TO BE SOME WAY TO SURVIVE THIS FORSAKEN PLACE!!!! SOMEONE HAS TO BE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO COME BY AND TRY TO AID US!!!

Curt yells out in desperation, and kicks the grill of the truck knocking a dent in it.

Shakir: Next time we should just load up in the trucks that carry our camels to the shows.

Curt snaps defiantly

Curt Evers: FuK THAT! I’m not riding with camels in a truck trailer to be stuck neck deep in camel sh1t.

Shakir begins to get irritated
Shakir: Friend tell me something you would do? We are to poor to ride in expensive cars and limos, when we get on a plane we are lucky to scrounge up enough money to get the cheapest seats they offer. We aren’t high profile wrestlers and Allah never promised us that we would be, remember this is all a test! We must endure the hardships to prove to Allah that we are capable of being the elite.

Curt Evers: Well lets set up camp while we still have some light to work with, and bunker down to weather this damned place another night.

The two say nothing more to one another and begin bringing out their supplies, they build a small fire 50 yards from the truck and set up a make shift shelter near the fire, they sit around the camp fire both men having a hungry ravenous look in their eyes, both hungry for different reasons, one hungry for his own personal gain, the other hungry to get in his God’s favor, thus making both men as deadly as they come. The shear desperation of these men will drive them to any lengths and beyond to achieve their goals and once again they both find themselves backed in a corner with little to nothing at all to get them through the next day. The fire crackles and pops , as the two eat their rationed food both men look into the fire as if they are hypnotized by destructive power that it holds, animals are heard all around them coming out into the night but it doesn’t bother them, they just sit quietly for a long while in their hypnotic state until Shakir breaks the silence.

Shakir: I want to burn Eddie and Ac James as fire burns coals.

Curt Evers: I just want to blow through them, destroy them and move on to climb the ranks. I know by beating them that it will bring me one step closer to having more money, and building a reputation, which then means I will be living a far better life style then what I’m currently living.

Shakir: It doesn’t bother me to live on the edge of nothingness, I would walk on food through the entire middle east in the relentless heat for Allah, I would do anything for him even live as we live now for all time if that is what he commanded. I want to make an example out of the tag team champions, friend. I want them to fear the mighty power of Allah, and I want to do so infront of all those infidel Australians!

Curt Evers: When the time comes for us to take their belts and flog them I say we do it and be out of there, I don’t want to waste anymore time with them then we need to. I want us to burn through the challengers of the tag division, and I want to show Senester that I mean business, that I am serious about earning his favor.

Shakir: In time friend I believe with all my heart we will go down as one of Allah’s greatest Crusaders, Allah knows and sees all Friend, he knows when you lie and when you speak truth to earning his favor, and you want to be sure you are earning his favor for the right reasons not for your own personal goals.

Shakir and Curt lock eyes. Shakir’s eyes are filled with a passionate zeal, where as Curt’s eyes are only filled with greed, lust, and anger.

Curt Evers: I am doing all that I have for the right reasons brother, that I promise you.

Shakir: Let us hope it is for the right reasons friend.

Curt Evers: Don’t worry brother I will not be leaving your side anytime soon, and when the time comes for me to I will always be your greatest supporter.

Shakir smiles and then laughs a little

Shakir: As I will for you friend, we started this journey together and in the end we will end it together that I am certain of.

Curt Evers: I wouldn’t have it any other way brother, unlike all these other pairings we trained together, and from day one of stepping into this business we have been together and traveled together we are inseparable.

Shakir: We just have to stay focused and not harden our hearts towards one another or Allah, we have to always stand united to fight for the same cause, if we can do that we will be unstoppable!

Curt Evers: I know brother and we will succeed!

The two laugh as their spirits are lifted and the tension between them is eased, things are turning back to normal for the team of TNT , The both of them know that even commerads as close as they are to one another have disagreements from time to time but with each disagreement they survive together they become that much stronger. Energy begins to pump through them both, a energy of wicked intent, they sit and wait patiently for some poor fool to make a very unfortunate stop but the night passes without a single car appearing, through out the night the two take turns tending to the camp fire, the sun begins to rise which the two get under the cover of their make shift tent occasionally sipping on what water they have left, trying to conserve energy and escape the unmerciful sun. When the heat of the day comes the two sweat profusely and they are the most uncomfortable they have been yet, Shakir laughs, Curt looks over at him unamused.

Curt Evers: What’s so funny about us possibly dying here from thirst and starvation? Do you realize by the time anyone comes here we could be dead?

Shakir: This heat is nothing to what its like back home, at least here you can see what moves across the ground instead of worrying with each step you take that you might step on a snake or scorpion that’s cooling under the sand. We will survive friend if this is all this place can offer as far as agony then we will survive, when the sun begins to go down I will go out and search for a water source, just keep the fire going ok?

Curt Evers: Yeah sure whatever you say…

Curt doesn’t seem very enthused or impressed

Shakir: We might get lucky and ambush some fool who comes this way today, you never know what Allah has in store for us.

Curt Evers: I don’t see that happening but what I do see happening is us withering up from this heat and dying a slow agonizing death, I guess it is fitting for us two who have failed twice in one night.

Shakir looks to the horizon with a focused look on his face he is no where near finished, he is far from giving up and he knows it will be him who will carry the both of them through the coming days, weeks, or however long that they are out here. His childhood years spent in the middle east has prepared him for this very scenario he knows he can survive out here or anywhere for that matter with very little, because he knows how to work with what he has available and knows how to get the most out of whatever supplies he has.