“More times than I can count.”
“So you’ll find them?” the kid asked, obviously needing some sort of confirmation that Deadshot could, in fact, do what he was asking of him.
“Nothing is guaranteed,” Deadshot replied. “But what I can tell you is that I’ve always caught my man, no matter how long it took or how difficult it was.”
The kid looked impressed. “You really never gave up on one of them?”
“No.” Deadshot shook his head. “I enjoy the chase. Giving up has never been an option for me.”
The last of the sunlight was disappearing, and it was time for the kid to be useful. Deadshot would do the heavy lifting, but the kid was going to have to contribute too. This wasn’t a vacation, and the kid was going to have to toughen up.
“We need a fire,” Deadshot told him. “And my knees aren’t good.” He patted his left knee. “Especially this one.”
“I’ll get some,” the kid offered, as if he had a choice.
“Don’t get lost. I’m not searching for you.”
“There are trees right over there,” the kid said with a frown. “How dumb do you think I am?”
Deadshot laughed and pointed at the kid’s gun belt. “Dumb enough to take that off.”
The kid quickly grabbed it and fastened it around his waist. “We were just sitting here.”
“And if I didn’t remind you, you would have gone off collecting wood without it. What if bandits attacked or you came across a wild animal?”
The kid’s eyes roamed their surrounding area. Deadshot had led them far away from the road and to a more secluded area, hidden by boulders and trees. It wasn’t perfect, but finding a perfect camping spot wasn’t easy while on the road. As long as it provided some cover, it would do.
“You think there are wild animals here?”
Deadshot nodded. “Definitely, but they’re more scared of you than you are of them. I’d be more worried about bandits.”
“Will they really attack just the two of us? We don’t even have much with us.”
“Some gangs only raid ranches and farms, maybe the occasional bank or store, but desperate bandits will attack almost anybody they come across.”
“I guess that makes sense,” the kid said, his hand resting on his pistol.
“You even know how to use it?”
“I can shoot,” the kid confirmed, his voice cracking as he spoke.
“All right, off you go then.” Deadshot pulled his bag closer. “The fire isn’t going to build itself.”
Deadshot watched as the kid walked off hesitantly. He had scared him. Good. A person couldn’t afford to relax while they were traveling. The kid’s hand remained on his pistol as he walked, and Deadshot sighed with frustration. The kid’s father had probably shown him how to use the pistol, but he doubted that the kid could shoot. Deadshot was going to have to teach him, and he had no idea if he had the patience for that.
Chapter 20
The kid might not have known much about the world outside of his ranch, but he was doing okay. It didn’t take him too long to collect all the wood, and he carried the branches in big bunches, showing that he wasn’t too weak. He also managed to get the fire started pretty quickly, and soon enough, Deadshot had a pot of water boiling on the fire so that they could have coffee with their supper. Coffee always made things better, and Deadshot was looking forward to a warm cup of bitter liquid to ease his worries.
Supper was a simple meal made up of tinned meat and cornbread. Bread wasn’t always easily accessible while traveling, so when they had it, it was a luxury. Deadshot had no idea what the kid had been eating for the last few weeks or where he had been staying for that matter. None of that mattered. What Deadshot did know was that the kid was going to have to get used to living off the bare minimum, and that soon enough, they were going to have to start hunting. Meat was a great source of protein and strength, and they were going to need all the strength they could get.
Deadshot dished up some of the dried meat, which he had warmed up, along with the cornbread and some beans, and handed it to the kid.
“Thanks,” the kid mumbled as he started wolfing down the food.
“You hungry?” Deadshot asked, raising a brow. The kid was eating like he hadn’t had a proper meal in a long time.
“Yeah,” the kid replied. “Haven’t been eating much while I was searching.”
