Part VIII: Don't Read Part VII First

The man was still in awe of the sight he had just seen while the gila monster continued to consume the dead flesh. The corpses had been laying in the sun for mere minutes, but a putrid stench emanated from each of them. The gila didn't seem to mind but the man was horribly disgusted. He refused to walk past the fallen creatures. Walking past meant getting closer to that awful smell. The man kneeled in the sand. He opened his briefcase and removed the rest of the cash. He brought it to his nose and took a deep breath, filling his nostrils with the scent of all the bills he brought with him. Exhaling slowly, the man took a few steps toward the rapidly decaying animals. He drew back his fist full of cash and shoved it into the belly of the lion. The smell subsided immediately. The man didn't remove his hand, however, instead opting to push his other hand into the beast, washing his hands in its blood. Pulling them out, the man dug his hands into the sand. He stood up and walked back to his briefcase. With his sand battered hands, the man pulled out some of the documents he had kept and placed them on the ground. Stepping on them, he ground them into the sand, kicking dirt and sand over them until they were covered completely. The gila had long since stopped feasting and watched the man's very peculiar actions. When the man was finished, he cringed slightly, as the smell was beginning to overpower him again. Gagging, the man quickly walked past the animals, briefcase in hand. The gila followed.
The storm seemed to be closing in on every side, though the sky directly above the man was cloudless and blue. Every so often, the gila glanced up at the man and the man took notice. "Just don't ask." said the man and the gila quit glancing. They walked for several miles until the travelers saw a wall of rain all around them, but still, their heads evaded the storm. Within minutes, however, an army of raindrops pounded wave upon wave upon them. The gila tried to shield himself by walking directly behind the man's left leg, the man leaned into the rain with his hand in front of his face and his briefcase still at his side. Lightning flashed and thunder clapped. The sun had disappeared completely in a blanket of cloud. Neither the man nor the gila could tell if it were night or day, all they knew was darkness. The lightning offered glimpses of their surroundings which was always the same. Dunes. Soon however, the lightning had all but subsided and the two were submerged in pitch black, disoriented more by the relentless rain. "Maybe we should take a break." the man shouted to the gila, but I'm not sure he heard him. The rain blasted the sand over and over and the sound was all but deafening. Not knowing a response, the man continued his pursuit, unhinged from his straight path. The lightning had ceased altogether, leaving the pair to stumble through the darkness and wetness of a night of all nights. Thunder still roared overhead but no light would ease the man's eyes as he strained to see ahead. Suddenly a blinding flash of lightning struck the sky and in the blink of sight the man swore he saw something in the sky. Another flash confirmed it. A large bird, like an eagle, navigated the terrible skies of the storm. Each flash of lightning saw the bird circling ahead, closer to the man each time.
Then, without warning, the rain stopped. The clouds cleared. The eagle was nowhere to be found.