Chapter 29
Deadshot watched Rider carefully. Nobody had bothered following them after the shootout in the saloon.
Not wanting to take any chances, they had traveled for a couple of hours before stopping.
By that time, it had already been dark, and they had to set up camp by the light of a lantern.
Luckily, they had found a spot with many trees and were able to quickly collect some branches and start a fire.
Both of them had grown quiet, the adrenaline of the fight having worn off.
Deadshot was hungry, and he was pretty sure that Rider was too, so as soon as the fire was ready, he put some water to boil.
Now they were busy eating some of the bread rolls that they had bought at the bakery.
They had added some tinned meat and beans, and it tasted delicious.
The kid looked all right, but Deadshot knew what it felt like to kill a man for the first time. Deadshot did not regret all the lives he had taken during his time as a bounty hunter, but all those deaths by his hands still left a mark on his soul.
“How are you holding up?” Deadshot asked as he checked on the coffee. It was almost done, so he prepared the cups.
The kid shrugged and took a bite of his bread roll. After he ate a few more bites, he finally answered. “I’m all right.”
“You sure about that?” Deadshot wasn’t convinced.
“Positive,” the kid replied. “I mean, it feels strange knowing that I killed a man, but if I didn’t, he would have killed you or me, and he was a bad guy, so it’s okay.”
“It is definitely okay. In fact, it is good. The world is a much safer place for it.” Deadshot removed the pot of coffee from the fire and poured the scorching liquid into their cups. He handed one of them to Rider. “Just so that you know, you were great in the fight.”
A huge smile broke out on Rider’s face. “I think so too.”
Deadshot couldn’t help but laugh at the kid. “Just don’t get too confident. You still have a lot to learn.”
“I know that,” the kid replied. “But I’ve got the best teacher, so I’m pretty sure I’m going to be just as good as you one of these days.”
Deadshot raised a brow, smirking. “Is that so?” He knew the kid was joking, but the way he fought really was impressive. If he kept on training, he might actually get to be as good as Deadshot.
“It sure is,” the kid stated. “Maybe I’ll even get to be better than you.”
“Maybe,” Deadshot agreed. “Just don’t forget me when you’re rich and famous.”
All playfulness vanished from the kid’s face.
“I’ll never forget you. You’ve done so much for me,” the kid said.
“You know, I’m hoping that my mother and sister are still alive out there somewhere, but we both know that they might not be.
There was no way I would have been able to figure any of this out on my own. You are all I have now.”
Deadshot almost choked on his coffee. Nobody had ever said anything like that to him before, and he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Not knowing what to say, Deadshot simply didn’t say anything. Instead, he drank his coffee and watched the kid.
“Do you have any family?” the kid asked.
Deadshot had been avoiding talking about his past, but for some reason, he felt compelled to answer the kid.
“No, my parents and brother were killed in a raid when I was eight years old.” It felt strange talking to the kid about himself, but now that he had started, he might as well tell his whole story.
“I went to live with my aunt and uncle after that. I was raised with my nephews and nieces, but we weren’t very close.
They were nice people, good people. They took care of me like I was one of their own, but I never felt like I belonged. That is why I became a bounty hunter.”
The kid sucked in his breath, clearly shocked by what he had just heard. “I . . . I didn’t know,” he stuttered. “I’m so sorry.”
Deadshot shrugged, not wanting to get emotional about it. “It’s all right. Happened a long time ago.”
“I guess, but it’s still horrible.”
“True,” Deadshot agreed. “Back then, I always wished for somebody to help me find the men who had killed my family. Your situation kind of reminded me of that time in my life. I think that’s why I decided to help you.”
“So they never found them?” the kid asked.
Deadshot shook his head. “No, they simply disappeared.”
The kid slowly sipped on his coffee, obviously contemplating everything Deadshot had just told him. “Did you ever try to find them once you became a bounty hunter?”
“I never knew the man’s name, and I never saw any wanted posters of him, but his face is ingrained in my memory. I was always looking for him, but I never found him.”
“I wish I were as strong as you. Everybody kept telling me that I had to accept that my mother and sister were dead, but I simply couldn’t do it. I had to know, and now we’re out here chasing a ghost.”
“We’ll find him,” Deadshot promised. “Even if it is the last thing I do, we’re going to find that bastard, and I’m going to make him pay for what he’s done to you and your family.”
“What if they are dead?” the kid asked. “What if we find him and he confirms it?”
Deadshot let out a long breath. “Then you decide what you want me to do with him. We kill him, or we bring him in and let the law deal with him.”
“He should die,” the kid stated without hesitation. “Whether he killed my mother and sister or not.”
“If that’s what you want . . .”
“It is, but I meant after we find him. What if I don’t have any family left? What do I do?”
That was a tough question, and Deadshot wasn’t sure how to answer it. The kid was fourteen, which was an in-between age. He wasn’t a child anymore, but at the same time, he wasn’t an adult.
“Sometimes we have to grow up fast,” Deadshot finally replied. “If your family is dead, it’ll be up to you to live for all of them. I can’t tell you what to do, but I know you’ll figure it out. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders.”
“That doesn’t help much,” the kid said with a small smile. “But I guess you’re right. I’ll just have to figure it out as I go.”
“Life isn’t easy, kid,” Deadshot informed him. “Whether your mother and sister are alive or not, your life is never going to be the same again. It is up to you to make the best of it.”
The kid took both of their empty cups and refilled them.
It was late, but they were still wide awake.
Soon enough, the exhaustion would kick in—it always did after a fight—but for now, Deadshot was happy to talk to the kid.
He had been alone for so long that he hadn’t even realized how much he missed companionship.
“Sugar?” the kid asked, knowing that Deadshot didn’t always add it to his coffee.
He shook his head and took the cup. “No, thanks.”
The kid added a heaped spoon to his and then focused his attention back on Deadshot. “If you could do it all over again, would you?”
“Which part?” Deadshot asked, taking a sip of his coffee. It was strong and bitter, just like he liked it.
“Becoming a bounty hunter and spending your life on the road.”
Deadshot didn’t even have to think about it. “Yes, in a heartbeat.”
The kid nodded. “Don’t you ever regret not getting married or having children?”
“No regrets,” Deadshot replied honestly. “I mean, of course, I’ve wondered what that would have been like, but ultimately, if given the choice, I wouldn’t change anything.”
“Does that mean you’re happy?”
Deadshot shrugged. “I’m not unhappy. I might not have lived the life most people choose, but I’ve done a lot of good. Helped a lot of people. I think that counts for something.”
After that, they both fell silent. A lot had been said, and Deadshot felt strangely at ease. That night, he fell asleep, imagining all the ways he could make Quincy Calaway pay.