Deadshot had always been able to see right through him, though, and the bounty hunter quickly picked up on his fear.
“I don’t blame you for being scared,” Deadshot said. “The desert is a deadly place, and that is why not many men dare to cross it.”
“Have you? I mean, ever entered it or crossed it?” the kid asked, hoping that Deadshot would say that he had.
Deadshot nodded. “Sure have. A couple of times, actually.”
The bounty hunter’s words gave Rider some hope. If Deadshot had made it through the desert a couple of times, then surely he could survive once.
“Was it as scary as people say?”
“I don’t wanna scare you, kid, but yeah, it’s a horrible place, and I wouldn’t take you there unless I thought that was where we would find Quincy and the answers you are looking for.”
“But we will be okay, right?” Rider felt his whole body tense. Going on a mission with Deadshot was one thing; crossing the desert was a completely different scenario.
“Of course, we’ll be perfectly fine, just as long as you listen to me.”
“I always do,” Rider pointed out, although he knew it was a lie. Much like Deadshot, Rider liked doing things his own way. At the start of their journey, he never dared defy Deadshot, but as their time grew together, he had started feeling more like himself.
Deadshot laughed at this. “You mostly listen to me,” he corrected. “Sometimes you remind me too much of myself. I can see the stubbornness in you.”
Rider liked the fact that Deadshot was comparing him to himself. Deadshot had quickly become someone that Rider looked up to. Rider had loved his father, and his father taught him everything he knew about ranching, but Deadshot was different. Deadshot knew about the world and could protect himself. Deadshot also fought for justice and was willing to help Rider find the answers he needed, regardless of how dangerous the situation was. Rider could only hope to one day be as smart and strong as Deadshot.
“Maybe I learned that from you as well. We have been spending a lot of time together, after all,” Rider joked.
“That’s possible, I guess, but it’s more likely that it’s just who you’ve always been. Stubbornness isn’t exactly something you learn... it’s a personality trait.”
Rider had never thought of himself as stubborn, just strong-willed, but maybe he was, and if it meant that he was like Deadshot, he was all right with that.
They were both quiet for a while as they rode toward the desert. Rider was still scared, but he knew that Deadshot would watch out for him.
“It’s good to be scared,” Deadshot said as if he could read his mind. “The desert shouldn’t be underestimated, and fear will keep you alive.”
“I’d rather rely on you than fear,” Rider stated with a smile. “You’ve done this before and survived. I know you’ll keep me safe and find my mother and sister if they are alive.”
***
Deadshot couldn’t help but feel a little proud of the trust the kid had in him. They had come a long way since they first met. Deadshot helped the kid that one night, but he never thought he would see him again, never mind go on such an elaborate mission with him. So far, bringing the kid with him had proven to be a good idea, but the worst was still to come.
Traveling through the desert wasn’t easy, and searching for someone was going to be even more difficult. Deadshot had no idea how they were going to find Quincy or any of his men, but they were closer than before, and that was something. The fact that he didn’t have a plan didn’t bother Deadshot. He preferred going into a situation with a plan and knowing what to do, but he had completed many hunts without a plan.
When tracking somebody, it wasn’t always possible to plan. Knowing what to expect made things easier, but Deadshot was more than capable of improvising on the spot. The problem with searching for somebody in the desert was that there were no roads to follow, and tracks never stuck around. With the wind and the sand, it was virtually impossible to follow somebody.
“Why did you travel through the desert before?” the kid asked, always full of questions.
“I was following an outlaw. He thought he could escape me by fleeing into the desert. He was wrong.”
“You caught him?”
“Yeah, caught him alive and took him to Sheriff Cooper.”
“That’s the bee’s knees,” the kid replied, causing Deadshot to laugh.
“I’m glad you think so, kid.” Deadshot glanced at the kid, who was watching him in awe. It was kind of nice to have somebody look up to him like the kid did, but it also made him feel more pressured to succeed. Not that he had any intention of failing. Failure wasn’t an option for Deadshot. It never had been and never would be.
Life as a bounty hunter hadn’t always been easy. Traveling all the time took a toll on a person’s body and mind. There had been times when Deadshot felt overwhelmingly lonely and times when he loved the solitude. He didn’t regret his life’s choices, but sometimes he wondered how his life would have turned out if he had taken a different path. What would have become of him if his family hadn’t been killed? Would he have become a rancher, or would he still have become a bounty hunter? There was no way of knowing, and it didn’t really matter anyway. Nobody could change the past, so it was better to focus on the present.
“We’ll stock up on supplies tomorrow,” Deadshot told the kid. “I don’t want us to go into the desert unprepared.”
