Quincy’s face turned red, and then without warning, he slapped her. “Your mother deserved that for convincing you to escape. What I did to her was not the same as what I do with you.”
“Of course it’s the same. There is no difference. I never wanted you. I never wanted any of this. I still don’t. I don’t want your baby, and I don’t want your house.”
Quincy reached forward, his fingers closing around her neck. This was it. He was going to strangle her. Sarah closed her eyes, welcoming whatever came next.
***
It took three days for the kid to heal. And during that time, Deadshot felt like he was losing his mind. He had never before in his life been so worried. That first night and the day thatfollowed were the worst. He honestly wasn’t sure whether the kid would pull through or not. He also had no idea how he would cope if the kid died on his watch. Deadshot had come to feel responsible for the kid.
Luckily, by the second night, the kid’s fever had broken, and he started to eat small amounts of food without vomiting. They could probably have gotten on their way the second day, but Deadshot was not willing to take any chances and wanted the kid to recover completely before they continued their mission.
It felt strange to care about somebody again after so many years. The last people Deadshot ever cared about were his aunt, uncle, nephews, and nieces. He had loved them, but still, he had left them. The bond that he felt with the kid was different. It reminded him of his love for his brother. Deadshot wasn’t sure whether he was happy about that realization or not. It was much easier not to care about anybody. He had lived his life that way and was quite happy with it. He didn’t need this new complication now. Yet there was nothing he could do to change it.
On the fourth day, they finally got on their way, leaving the river and shade behind. Both of them drank their bellies full of water and filled their canteens before they left. Deadshot hated that they had to leave the water behind, but staying in one place wouldn’t help their cause. They still had a mission to complete, and it was time to move on.
“That was horrible,” the kid stated as they rode south. “I think that is the sickest I’ve ever been.”
“I was scared you weren’t going to make it,” Deadshot admitted.
“What do you mean? You said the scorpion’s venom isn’t lethal.”
Deadshot shrugged. “I lied. People do it all the time.”
“Why would you lie to me about such a thing?” the kid complained. “That’s such a mean thing to do.”
“I did it to help you,” Deadshot replied. “You were panicking. If I told you the truth, it would have made things worse. The fact that you thought its venom wasn’t lethal allowed you to relax, and your body needed that.”
The kid looked deep in thought for a moment. “I guess that makes sense,” he said with a sigh. “But don’t lie to me again.”
“I’ll try not to, but I can’t promise anything. If your life depends on it, I’ll do what I have to.”
“I could have handled the truth.” The kid looked at him disapprovingly. “I’m not a child anymore.”
“Fine, next time I’ll tell you the truth. Just stop complaining,” Deadshot replied with a laugh, and to his relief, the kid joined in. The last thing he felt like doing was arguing with the kid. He had had a rough couple of days and was hoping to get through the day without having to worry.
Chapter 39
The weeks passed by slowly. Everything looked the same, and they weren’t finding anything helpful. Deadshot could tell that the kid was losing hope, and he did his best to keep him positive. Deadshot had never been much of a talker, but to keep himself sane, he helped the kid, who spoke a lot more. They shared stories about their past, which was something completely new and unexpected for Deadshot. Surprisingly enough, he didn’t mind it at all. In fact, it felt great to be able to talk to somebody about things like that.
The kid had told Deadshot so many stories about his family that Deadshot felt like he knew them. They truly did sound like wonderful people, and he had never before hoped so much that he would find somebody alive.
Since the accident with the scorpion, they had been lucky when it came to water. They had run out a couple of times but managed to find some every time. Of course, they had been drinking sparingly and making sure their horses had what they needed to survive, too. The desert was the worst place in the world to search for somebody. It was unforgiving and cruel.
Finding Quincy and bringing him and his men to justice would be the highlight of Deadshot’s career, but he was more than ready to go back into retirement. His body was reminding him exactly why he had retired in the first place, and he missed his bed terribly.
Deadshot wasn’t even sure how long they had been in the desert anymore. After a while, everything started to get distorted, and he was wondering if he had made a mistake by suggesting they search for Quincy in the desert. Maybe there was no secret hideout there. Maybe Quincy and his gang were in Mexico or somewhere up north.
“I know that you know where we are and where we are going,” the kid said, sounding tired. “But to me, it feels like we are going in circles. Everything looks the same.”
“This is tough. I won’t lie, but don’t get discouraged.” Deadshot took a sip of his coffee and looked up at the stars. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the moon was full. It was a beautiful night. “We’ll find Quincy. If not in the desert, then somewhere else.”
“It doesn’t feel like it.” The kid added some branches to the fire, making it bigger than it needed to be. “Even if my mother and sister were alive, I doubt that they’d still be.”
Deadshot shrugged. “Maybe that’s true,” he agreed. “But there is no way of knowing unless we find Quincy, so that is what we are going to do. Whether we find him here or someplace else, we will find him, and I will get answers for you.”
Deadshot and the kid carried on searching. They searched for days but found nothing. To keep themselves entertained, they trained a lot. They continued to practice, and the kid grew more skilled by the day. They should also continue to help him train Atlas. The creature was truly remarkable and learned so quickly. Despite their aches and pains, he also taught the kid some physical movements—how to punch, how to kick, and how to duck and roll out of a fight. These were all important things to know.
There were many other survival tactics that the kid needed to learn as well, and the desert was one of the best places to teach him. Deadshot taught him how to track animals, how to hunt, and how to forage. He taught him which berries and plants were edible and which were poisonous, and the next time they ran out of water and needed to dig in a riverbed, the kid was the one to break through.
