Chapter 6 6

Li Qi went to sleep after returning. Although it was still very early, he should go to bed as soon as he could, so that he would not fall asleep when he couldn't. This has always been his principle.He never went to work according to a regular time before, so for him, there is no real difference between Tuesday and Sunday, Monday and Friday are similar, and night and day are actually the same.He can sleep twelve hours, work thirty-six hours, and if he doesn't work for the next thirty-six hours, he sleeps another twelve hours, then another twelve hours, and sleeps until something happens .

The bed was very short, the mattress was uneven, the air in the room was like a thick hot soup pressing against the thin sheets on his body, and he could hear the insects outside, rattling loudly.There were about a billion bugs, and if he listened carefully he could make out the different bug calls, but if he wasn't paying attention, it sounded like they were all screaming together.The sounds of the night, far away from the hustle and bustle, the lone growls of the pumas and coyotes in the distance, heard by the horses, felt the restless commotion from the barn.After a while, the horses quieted down, but if the ghostly wail was heard again, the horses would panic again.He heard the sound of the air turbulence, the swarm of bats taking off outside, and he imagined that he could feel the change in air pressure, imagine that he could hear the rhythm of their membranous wings beating.He lay in bed, watching the stars from a small window above until he fell asleep.

The distance from Pecos to El Paso was more than two hundred miles, dotted with clusters of motels and gas stations and fast food restaurants.The hit squad drove west for an hour, seventy miles, and stopped at the second business district they saw.This is a woman's habit, don't stop at the first place, always pick the second, and always arrive late at night.It was almost superstitious, but she rationalized it as good safety practice. The second commercial area has a gas station, which is so large that even an eighteen-wheeler truck can drive in, and there is also a two-story motel and a 24-hour restaurant attached.The tall, handsome man walked into the hotel desk and paid for two rooms that were not connected together: one on the ground floor, far from the desk, and another on the second floor, halfway down the aisle.The woman chose the upstairs one.

Go to sleep!she said to her two partners.We still have work to do. At two o'clock in the morning, Li Qi heard Joshua and Billy return to the dormitory, the temperature was just as hot, and the insects were still screaming as loudly.The truck's engine was still a few miles to the south, getting closer, getting louder, then slowing down, turning around the door.There was the babble of the suspension as the car passed the yard, then pulled into the downstairs garage, the engine dead.Then there was the ticking of the engine cooling, and footsteps went upstairs.The two were rough and loud, and Reacher tried to stay asleep while listening to them pass his bed, walk to the bathroom, and back to their bed.When the two lay down, the springs under the bed made a sound, and then there were only the sound of insects and two regular breathing sounds.The two worked hard during the day and got drunk at night.Li Qi was very familiar with these voices, because he had lived in the dormitory on and off for seventeen years.

When I wake up, all insect calls are gone, as are the stars, and the windows above are replaced by waking morning light.It was about six o'clock in the morning!he thought.In summer, in such a southern place.The temperature was already very hot at this time, he raised his hand to look at his watch, it was ten past six, Saturday morning.He thought of Judy in London. It was already ten past twelve in London, almost six hours, and she had been awake for a long time.She might be looking at a painting in a museum, or she might be sitting in some English teahouse wondering what to have for lunch.Then he thought of Carmen.Guriel was in the house over there, forty-eight hours before Sloup came home.Then there was Ellie, who was probably tossing and sweating in her little bed, unaware that her tiny life was about to turn again.

He took away the wrinkled bed sheets and walked to the bathroom naked, still clutching his clothes.Joshua and Billy were still sound asleep, neither of them had their clothes off, and Joshua's boots were even still on his feet.Both were snoring slightly, their limbs spread wide and motionless.The air smelled faintly of beer, the smell of a hangover. He turned on the hot water, washed the sweat off his body with soap, and then turned to cold water to wake himself up.But the cold water was as hot as the hot water. He was thinking that the water should be pumped from the hot ground, absorbing heat from bottom to top.He filled a sink with water and soaked his clothes in it.It was a trick he had learned long ago as a boy, somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, by a midday sentry.If you wear wet clothes, before the clothes dry, it is equivalent to a built-in air conditioner, which can keep your body very cool. This is the law of evaporation, just like a cooling machine.He put on his wet clothes, letting the cotton cling to his skin, and climbed down the stairs into the dawn outside.The sun appeared on the horizon ahead of him, and the sky above had a purple arch, but not a single cloud.The dust under my feet is still steaming from yesterday's heat.

The voyeurs gathered one by one, just like the previous five times.By this time, these things have become routine, all too familiar.An adult is responsible for driving the truck to the little boy's house, and the little boy will wait outside the door, and then the two will go to another adult's house together, but things have changed here today. He called me just now.The second grown-up explained.The plan has changed, and we are going to the Kyanaso Canyon to receive new instructions in person. Face to face with whom?the first grown-up asked. Isn't it him? No, it's some new faces who want to work with us.

The little boy said nothing, while the first grown-up shrugged. I'm OK.He said. Also, we'll have money to take.The second adult said again. That's even better.said the first man. A second man squeezed in, closed the door, and the van turned north. Li Qi walked around the corner of the dormitory, passed the corral, and walked towards the stable.There was no sound at all, and the whole place seemed to be dazzled by the sun, when it occurred to him to look at the horses.Do they sleep lying down?He slipped in through the crack of the gate and found that the answer was no, horses don't lie down and sleep.They sleep standing up with their heads down and their knees locked in place by the weight of their body.The big mare, who had been fighting with him for a long time yesterday, smelled him, opened her eyes, looked at him listlessly, moved one front foot listlessly, and then closed her eyes again.

He turned his head to look around the stall, anticipating the work that might need to be performed.Horses need to eat, so there should be a place to store food.What do horses eat?Should it be hay, bales of hay all over the place, or straw on the ground?He found a corner compartment, stockpiled with bags of stuff, supposed to be feed or something.They were big bags of waxed paper bought from a specialty feed mill over there in San Angelo, so the horses were supposed to eat mostly hay and then feed for vitamins.They should also drink water, because there is a tap in the corner and a long water pipe connected to it, and there are drinking troughs in front of each fence.

After watching the stalls, Li Qi came out and walked towards the big house.He looked in through the kitchen window, but there was no one there, no activity, and it looked exactly the same as when he left last night.He continued down the road, heard the front door open behind him, and turned to see Bobby.Gurriel came out and stood on the porch.He's wearing the same T-shirt as yesterday, as well as the same hat, but this time it's upside down and the brim is now over his eyes.In Bobby's right hand he held a rifle, which must have been taken from the rack in the hall. It was a small-bore bolt-on .22, modern design, and in very good condition.He slung the gun over his shoulder and stopped suddenly.

I'm going to wake you up.He said.I need a driver. Why?Li Qi asked.where are you going? hunt.Barbie said.Go in the van. You can't drive? Of course I will, but two people at a time.You drive, I shoot. Can you sit in a truck and shoot? I will show you.Barbie said. He went to the garage and picked out the newer van, which had rail bars installed next to the bed in the back. you drive.He said.On the farm, I sat in the back, leaning on the armrest so I could have a 360-degree view of the fire. Driving while shooting? That's the essence of technology, it's interesting, Schlupp invented it, and his technology is first-rate. What are you playing? armadillo.Barbie said.He walked aside, pointing to the road to the desert.The road was a narrow dirt track, with compacted tracks cutting across the surface, curving here and there to avoid rock formations and take the places with the least obstruction. This is hunting heaven.He said.The environment here is very good, in such a southern place, and armadillos are everywhere, fat and big, it is best to have chili armadillos for lunch. Li Qi didn't speak. Have you ever eaten an armadillo?Bobby asked. Li Qi shook his head. delicious.Barbie said.When my grandpa was young, because of the Great Depression, this was pretty much the only thing left to eat.People gave it a nickname, Texas Turkey, or Hoover Pig, so that people at that time would not starve to death.Now those who are engaged in environmental protection have listed it as a protected animal, but as long as it is on our own land, we have the right to hunt and kill it, this is my opinion. I do not think so.Li Qi said.I don't like hunting. Why?Very challenging! For you it might be.Li Qi said.But I already know I'm smarter than an armadillo. You are here to work, Li Qi, and you will do what others say. Before I start working, there are some things I need to discuss. for example? For example, wages. Two hundred a week.Barbie said.Eat and sleep included. Li Qi didn't speak. OK?Bobby asked.You need work, right?Or do you just want Carmen? Li Qi shrugged, two hundred yuan a week?It's been a long time since he went to work a week for two hundred dollars.But then again, he's not here to make money. good.He said. You have to do what Joshua told Billy. good.Li Qi said again.But I don't want to take you hunting, not now, nor ever.This is a matter of conscience. Bobby was silent for a long time.I will find a way to keep you from being near her, and every day I will find something for you to do. If you have something to do, come find me in the stall.After Li Qi finished speaking, he turned and walked away. Ellie brought him his breakfast to the barn.She was wearing a mini denim overalls and her hair was wet and untied.She held a plate of scrambled eggs in her hand, and put the silver knife and fork straight in her breast pocket. She memorized a passage very intently. My mother said, don't forget to go horseback riding.she repeated.She told you to wait for her here at the barn after lunch. Then she ran back to the big house without saying a word.Li Qi sat down on the haystack and began to eat eggs.After eating, he took the plate back to the kitchen and walked back to the dormitory.Joshua and Billy weren't there waiting to give him orders.Just right.he thought.Instead of looking for them, he just lay down and dozed in the heat. Coyanasso Canyon is on the river channel, and the wide channel will carry the water from Mount Davis into the Pecos River, which then flows into the Rio Grande and then flows all the way to the Mexican border.However, this water source is seasonal and unstable, so the area is sparsely populated.There are many abandoned farmsteads along the dry riverbed, very far from each other, and there is almost nothing else.One of the farmhouses had a particularly sunken house at the back that looked dusty from the sun.There was an empty barn at the front of the house, without a door, and a wall was missing on the west side facing the house.In this arrangement, the interior of the barn cannot be seen unless standing directly in front of the yard. Crown Victoria was parked in the barn waiting, the engine idling and the air-conditioning running.There is a staircase on the outside of this barn leading to the hayloft above, and there is a small balcony outside the door on the upper floor.The woman is standing on the balcony, basking in the sun, from where she can see the winding road.She saw the voyeur's van two miles away, going very fast with a cloud of smoke behind it.She watched until she was sure no one else was following, then turned and walked down the stairs, gesturing to the other two. The two got out of the car and waited in the sun.They heard the sound of a van on the road, and then it rounded the corner of the barn and slowed in the yard.They directed the van with hand gestures, like traffic cops, and directed it into the barn, and one of them led it in on foot, like the guys on the landing pad.He took the car to the back wall, gestured repeatedly, and then gave the car a thumbs up to stop.He went to the driver's seat and his partner to the passenger seat. It is human instinct for the driver to turn off the car and relax.After running at high speed, they finally arrived at the secret meeting place, new plot instructions, and the psychology of expecting to receive a lot of money.The driver rolled down the window, another man in the passenger seat did the same, and they were both dead, with nine centimeter bullets through the temples.The little boy sitting in the middle lived only a second longer. A lot of blood and brains were sprayed on both sides of his face, and he was clutching the notebook tightly. Then the short, dark man bent in and faced He was shot twice in the chest.The woman pushed him away and reached out to adjust the window opening to an inch or so, both sides the same.An inch would allow insects to get in, but not scavengers.Insects help the body decompose, but scavengers snatch the body parts away, potentially exposing their corpses. Reacher slept for about two hours before Joshua and Billy returned.They gave him no instructions but washed his hands and feet for lunch But Li Qi was not included because he refused to be the driver. Bobby told me you kicked some guy out.Li Qi said. Joshua just smiled. what guy?Billy said. The guy who came with Carmen. Mexican? her friend. Billy shook his head.Never heard of it, we never drove anyone away.What are we, police? You are the police.Joshua said. Am I? Joshua nodded.Bobby said, you are the Army Police. You discussed me? Joshua shrugged and said nothing. time to go.Billy said. Twenty minutes later, Carmen herself brought him his armadillo lunch, covered on a plate, very peppery.After she put down the things, she left in a hurry without saying a word, so Li Qi started to eat.Armadillo meat is sweet and torn, chopped, mixed with beans and chilli paste, and then roasted in a warm oven for a little longer.Li Qi had eaten worse food, and he was hungry, so he still ate with relish.He finished his lunch slowly and took the plate back to the kitchen, but Bobby was standing on the porch steps like a guard. Horses need more feed.he cried.Go shopping with Joshua and Billy after taking a nap and fill up the car. Li Qi nodded, walked forward to the kitchen, handed the plate to the maid, and thanked her.Then he went into the barn and sat down on a bale of hay and waited.The horses turned to look at him from the fence, slow and listless in the heat.One of the horses was chewing slowly, with several straws stuck in its lip. Carmen walked in ten minutes later.She had changed into faded blue jeans and a sleeveless checked cotton shirt, and she was carrying a straw hat and leather bag, looking small and frightened. Bobby didn't know it was you who tipped off the IRS.He said.He thought he had just been discovered by a spy, so he might as well think so. She shook her head.Sloop knew. Why? She shrugged.In fact, he didn't really know, but he decided in his heart that I must have done it.He's been looking for someone to take the blame, what better choice do you think?Although there is no evidence at all, he guessed right, ironic, right? But he didn't tell Bobby. Of course he wouldn't say it.He was so stubborn that he couldn't get along with them.Although they hated me and he hated me, he wouldn't say it.They are the same, they won't say it to his face, but they will reveal it in front of me. You should get out of here, there are forty-eight hours. She nodded.Exactly forty-eight hours, because the jail would release him at seven in the morning, and they'd drive there all night to pick him up, about seven hours.So around this time on a Monday, he'd be home just after lunch. Then go now. no way. This is your way out.He said.It is impossible to do anything in this place completely cut off from the outside world.Carmen smiled wryly.I know that too, I've lived here for almost seven years, pretty much my entire adult life.She hung her hat and bag on the nails on the wall and did all the saddling by herself, quickly and efficiently.Soft, nimble, and effortless, the slender muscles in her arms stretched and relaxed to allow her to lift the saddle.She fastened the buckles with precision, and had two horses ready in no time, in a quarter of the time it took Reacher to get a single horse. You are good at these things.He said. Gracias, senor (thank you, sir).she says.I practiced it many times. So how do they believe you keep falling off your horses?And it still happens at a fixed time? They think I'm clumsy. Reach watched as she led his horse, one of the castrated stallions, out of the fence.Standing beside the horse, Carmen looked even petite. Wearing this pair of jeans, her waist seemed to be so thin that Li Qi could grasp it with one hand. You don't look stupid at all.He said. She shrugged.People believe what they want to believe. Li Qi took the reins from her.The horse snorted, its feet moved, its head moved up and down, and Li Qi's hands also moved up and down. take it out.she says. Shouldn't we be wearing leather pants?And gloves? How can it be?People never wear those things here, it's just too hot. Li Qi waited for her, she was riding a smaller mare.Carmen put her hat on, took her purse off the nails on the wall and put it in her saddle bag, then followed Li Qi, confidently leading her mare out into the yard to the heat and sun. Well, like this.she says.Carmen stood on the left side of the mare, stepped on the stirrup with her left foot, grasped the saddle head with her left hand, stepped on her right foot twice, and smoothly sat on the saddle.Li Qi also did the same, put his left foot on the stirrup, grasped the saddle head, put his whole body weight on the foot on the stirrup, then straightened his foot, pulled his hands hard, and leaned his body weight to the right and forward , and suddenly he was in the saddle.The horse's back is very wide, and it feels high when sitting on it, similar to an armored personnel carrier. Put your right foot in.she says. Reacher put his right foot into the other stirrup and adjusted his sitting position to make himself as comfortable as possible while the horse waited. Now reel up the reins on the pommel with your left hand. This is very simple, as long as you learn how to do it in movies.He flung his right hand away as if he were holding a Winchester or reeling a rope. Take it easy and kick lightly with your heel. Li Qi gave a kick, and the horse started to move forward.He grabbed the pommel with his left hand to keep his body balanced, and after a few steps, he began to catch the rhythm.The horse's advance caused Li Qi's body to sway from side to side, and every time he changed his steps, he would also lean forward and backward at the same time.He gripped the pommel tightly, using his feet to keep his body balanced. very good.she says.Now I'll take the lead and he'll follow, your horse is tame. He thought to himself, if you carry a 250-pound person on your back in the 110-degree heat, I will follow you.Carmen flicked her tongue, kicked her heels, and her horse smoothly rounded Richie's and led the way across the yard and past the house.Carmen rocked easily in the saddle, her thigh muscles bouncing and contracting to keep her body balanced.Her hat covered her eyes, she held the rein with her left hand, and her right hand drooped naturally. Li Qi saw the fake diamond shining blue in the sun. She led him through the gate, out onto the road, and straight across without looking.Li Qi looked at both sides, one was south and the other was north, but there was nothing but heat and a silver illusion in the distance.On the other side of the wide road there is a step about a foot high that leads to the upper limestone formation.Li Qi leaned forward, let the horse on his lap climb up, the rock formation above rose slowly, stretched forward for a distance, and rose to an altitude of fifty feet above sea level at a distance of nearly a mile.There was a deep east-west crack in the ground, and a hole the size of a bomb crater, made by the rain.The horse seemed to know where to go, and so far he hadn't needed to direct it, which made him feel relieved, because he didn't know how to steer the horse either. Beware of rattlesnakes.cried Carmen. good.he cried. Horses startle at the sight of anything that moves, get hysterical and start running wild.If it really happens, remember to hold on tightly, and hold on to the rope. good.He said it again. There are many small plants in the cracks of the rock, trying to take root down, and there are some smaller holes in the ground, about two or three feet wide, and some have gaps below the edges.He thought to himself, just suitable for snakes to live.He watched carefully at first, but then gave up because the light was too bright to see what was in the shadows, and the saddle began to make him uncomfortable. How far do we have to go?he cried. Carmen turned her head, as if she had known the problem. We're going to climb over the top of the hill.she says.Go to the canyon below. The limestone layer unfolded smoothly and flat, so Carmen slowed so that Reacher's horse could walk side by side with her.But it was kept slightly behind, so Li Qi kept behind her, so that he could not see Carmen's expression. Bobby told me you had the key.He said. Really? He told you to drop it yourself. No, that's not true, they never gave me the key. He didn't answer. They take it very seriously.she says.As if there was some symbolism in not giving me the key. So he is lying? She nodded to the distance.I told you, don't believe a word he says. He said the gate was never locked anyway. Sometimes it is, but sometimes it isn't. He also told me that you don't need to knock on the door. That is also a lie.she says.Since Sloop was gone, if I didn't knock on the door, they'd run to get the rifle, and then they'd put on a face and say, Oh, sorry, we're on our nerves with strangers sneaking around the house.A very serious look. He didn't speak. Bobby is a good liar, Richie.she says.I told you. I think so too!Because he also told me that you brought a guy back and he told Joshua and Billy to drive him away, but Joshua and Billy didn't seem to know this guy at all. She was silent for a long time. No, it is true.she says.I met a guy in Pecos about a year ago and the two of us were in a relationship.At first it was only in his dwelling, but he was not satisfied. So you brought him here? This is what he wants, he thinks he can work here and be with me every day.I think this is outrageous, but I still do as he says, and that's why I have the idea of ​​asking you, because it really works, at least for a while, two or three weeks!Then Bobby found out about us. Then what? No, my friend left. So why are Joshua and Billy denying this to me? Maybe it wasn't the two of them who actually drove him away, maybe they didn't know it, or maybe it was Bobby who drove him away himself.My friend is not as big as you, he is a schoolteacher, but he is unemployed. He just disappeared? I saw him, just once, in Pecos.He was terrified and would not talk to me. Did Bobby tell Sloop? He promised that he would not speak, we have an agreement. What agreement? She was silent again, and continued to ride, sitting lazily on the rocking horseback. Unusual agreement.she says.If I would do something for him, he would keep it a secret. What's up? She paused for another moment.Things I don't want to tell you.she says. I understand. Yes, it's something you understand. So did he keep a secret? I don't know either, he made me do it twice and it was pretty disgusting.He was disgusting himself, but he kept the promise.Then again, he's a good liar, so I think he still told Sloop about visiting his brother.I always knew this was a losing bet, but what can I do?What choice do I have? So Bobby thinks that's why I'm here, and he thinks the two of us are related too. She nodded.I guess so, because he didn't know that Sloop was going to hit me, and if he did, he assumed I wouldn't act. Li Qi was also quiet for a while, twenty yards, thirty yards, the horses were walking at a slow pace. Get out of here!He said.How many times do you have to listen to me? I will not run away.she replied. They had climbed to the top of the hill, and she made a little noise to stop her horse.Li Qi's horse also stopped, shoulder to shoulder with her.They were about fifty feet above the plain, and the calcium carbonate rock formation on the west side of the front slowly descended, dotted with many depressions the size of a baseball field.Behind me, to the east, the red house and other buildings lay flat for a mile on the scorched earth like a model. The road stretched north and south like a gray belt.Behind the small garage, the dirt trail winds southeast through the desert like a scar on a patch of burned and potholed skin.The air was very dry and extremely clean, and the horizons on both sides were the same, becoming an invisible haze at the junction of heaven and earth.The high temperature is really fatal, and the sun is so scary that Li Qi feels that his face is about to burn. Be careful when going downhill.Carmen said.To maintain balance. She led the way, letting her horse find its way downhill, while Reach followed with a heel kick.The horses began to trot forward, so Li Qi couldn't catch the rhythm and jumped uncomfortably on the horse's back. Come with me.she cried. Carmen headed to the right, toward a flat bottom without water, filled with rocks and sand.He began to think which way to pull the rope, but his horse turned by itself.Its feet stepped on the gravel, slipped occasionally, and followed to the right to the hollow below.Li Qi on the horse swayed back and forth violently, and Carmen in front had already slipped off the saddle, and then stood on the ground stretching his muscles and bones and waiting for him.His horse stopped next to Carmen's, and Reacher stuck his right foot out of the stirrup and dismounted in reverse of the motion he had mounted half an hour ago. how do you feel?she asked. I now know why John.Wayne (Note: The late well-known American western film actor.) Walking will be so strange. Carmen smiled faintly, took the two horses to the edge of the canyon, and took a big stone to press the other end of the two reins.There was silence all around, only the heat was steaming up.She opened the saddle pockets, took out the bag, unzipped it, reached in and took out a small chrome pistol. You promised to teach me.she says. etc.He said. What's up? He didn't speak, walked left and right, squatted down and stood up.He looked at the swale floor, walking around, taking advantage of the angles of the shadows. What's up?she asked again. Someone has been here.He said.There are tire marks.Three people, the car came from the west. Tires?she says.Where? Li Qi pointed to her.Here, what should be the truck tires, stop here, and the three of them crawl to the edge on their knees. He came to the end of the trail at the edge of the hollow, lay down on the hot sand, then crawled forward, raising his head. Someone is spying on the house.He said. how do you know? Because there's nothing else to see here. Carmen crouched beside him, still holding the chrome pistol. Too far.she says. It must be with a telescope, or even an astronomical telescope. you sure? Have you ever seen reflection?The kind where the sun shines on the glass, when the sun just comes out in the morning? She shuddered.No.she says.there has never been. These tire marks are new.He said.No more than one or two days at most. She shuddered again.It's Sloop.she says.He thought I was going to take Ellie away because he was getting out of prison, so he sent someone to watch me. Li Qi stood up and walked back to the center of the depression. You see the tire tracks.He said.They passed here four or five times. He pointed down, and there were several groups of tire marks overlapping each other, intricately intertwined, at least four groups, or even five groups.The tire marks are clearly imprinted on the sand, and many details can be seen, for example, the outside of the front wheel has been almost worn away. But they didn't come today.Carmen said.Why? I have no idea.Li Qi said. Carmen turned her head and handed him the gun.Teach me how to use this.she says. Li Qi's gaze returned from the car marks on the sand to the pistol.This is a Lorcin L︱22 automatic pistol with a two-and-a-half-inch barrel, a chrome-plated frame, and a pink mother-of-pearl plastic handle.Made in Mira Loma, California.The manufacturing date is not too long, and it has probably not been used since leaving the factory. Is this gun good?she asked. how much did you spend? More than eighty yuan. Where did you buy it? A gun store in Pecos. Is it legal? She nodded.I have filled out all the necessary documents, is it a good gun? should be.He said.That's about eighty bucks. The shop owner said the gun was a good fit. suitable for what? Suitable for ladies.But I didn't tell him why I needed the gun. He weighed the gun in his hand. It was small, but solid.It's neither light nor heavy, and it should be unloaded. Where are the bullets?he asks. Carmen walked back to the horses, took a small box from her bag, and walked back to give it to him.It was neatly filled with small . 22 bullets, about fifty of them. Teach me how to reload.she says. He shook his head.You should leave your gun here.He said.Throw it away, forget it's there. Why? Because this whole thing is crazy.Guns are dangerous things, Carmen, you shouldn't keep them around Ellie, accidents are likely to happen. I'll be careful, and there are plenty of guns in the house anyway. The rifle was different, she was too young to press the trigger and point the gun at herself at the same time. I have been hiding it, and she hasn't found it yet. It's just a matter of time. She shook her head.This is my decision.she says.She is my daughter. He didn't speak. She won't find out.she says.I keep the gun by the bed, she won't go in there. What would happen to Ellie if you decided to use it? She nodded.I know, I've been thinking about it, I just hope she's too young to understand it.When she's older, maybe she'll understand that it's the lesser of two evils. No, what will happen to her?What would happen if you left her alone after you were imprisoned? Self-defense doesn't need to go to jail. Who said it was self-defense? You know yeah! It doesn't matter if I know, because I'm not a sheriff, I'm not a prosecutor, I'm not a judge and jury. She fell silent. Think about it, Carmen.He said.They're going to arrest you and charge you with first-degree murder.You don't have money for bail, and you don't have money for a lawyer, so there's only a public defender.The prosecution will subpoena you, and then you have to go to trial, which may take you six months to nine months, or even a year.Assuming everything goes your way after that, the defense attorney says you acted in self-defense, the jury agrees, the judge apologizes for putting a wronged woman through so much torture, and you go home. .But at least a year has passed by then, what will Ellie do during this time? She didn't speak. She had to spend a year with Rusty, he said, by herself.Because she is the object that the court will entrust to take care of Ellie.grandmother?It couldn't be more ideal. They won't do that once they know about the Gurriel family's problems. Well, after half a year the social workers came and put her in a foster home, but is this the arrangement you were hoping for? Her heart twitched.Rusty would have sent her there anyway, and she would have refused to take her in, because Scrooge was gone. Then throw the gun into the desert!This is not a good way.He handed the gun back to her, and Carmen took it and put it in the palm of his hand, as if it were a precious treasure.She swung the pistol from one hand to the other like a child playing a game.The butts of fake pearls gleamed in the sun. no.she says.I'm going to learn how to use it and increase my confidence.And I've decided, it's my decision, you can't decide for me. He was silent for a moment, then shrugged.All right!Your life, your children, your decisions.Guns are serious stuff, though, and you need to give them your full attention. She handed it back, and Li Qi placed the gun in his left palm, with the body of the gun extending from the pulp of his thumb to the middle knuckle of his middle finger. Two caveats.He said.This gun has a very, very short barrel, see?Li Qi's right index finger slid from the chamber to the muzzle of the gun.Two and a half inches, full length.Did they tell you in the store? She nodded.The guy said it would fit nicely in my purse. This will make your gun very inaccurate.He said.The longer the barrel, the straighter the shot, which is why the barrel of the rifle is made to be three feet long.If you're going to use this gun, you have to be very, very close to the target, you know?Within a few inches would be the best distance, right in front of the target.It's better if you can get direct contact with the target, if you're standing across the room and shooting, you might be miles away. good.she says. Second warning.He took a bullet out of the box and held it up.It's a small, slow thing with a warhead at the tip and the gunpowder remaining in the case.This kind of bullet is not very big, and the thrust behind it is also very small, so it may not be able to cause a lot of damage. It may be worse than a bee sting, so one shot is not enough, so you have to get very close and keep buckling. Pull the trigger until the bullet runs out. good.she said it again. Look good now. He pulls the magazine out, puts nine rounds in it, puts it back in, loads the first round; then he pulls out the magazine again, fills the last empty space, puts it back in, loads it again, safety The bolt was left open. The gun was loaded and locked.He said.Now you have to do two things, one is to push the safety off, pull the trigger ten times, the gun will fire ten times until it runs out of bullets, because one round is already in the gun and nine rounds are in the magazine. He handed her the gun. 不要把槍對著我。He said.絕對不要把上膛的槍對著任何一個妳沒有決心要殺的東西。 她接了過去，小心翼翼把槍拿得離李奇遠遠的。 try it.他跟她說。開保險，然後扣下扳機。 她用左手把保險扳開，然後用右手瞄準，閉上眼睛扣下扳機一次。槍在她手裡亂竄，槍口朝下。槍響不大，因為四周太過空曠，只有十呎外的地上，一塊岩屑和一片塵土飛了起來。彈殼彈出時伴隨一聲金屬振盪，還有悶悶的響聲。馬匹在原地踏步移動，然後寂靜再次籠罩四周。 至少還能用。she says. 把保險扳回去。He said. 卡門把保險扳回定位，然後李奇轉頭看著馬，他可不希望兩匹馬到處亂竄，然後他們得在大太陽下追著馬到處跑。不過牠們倒很安分，靜靜地站著，無精打采地看著兩人。李奇轉回頭，解開衣服的第一顆釦子，把襯衫從頭上脫掉，往南走了十五呎，將襯衫拿到窪地邊緣放下、鋪開，當成一個人的軀幹。他回頭，站在她身後。 現在開槍射我的襯衫。He said.記得永遠要瞄準身體，因為面積最大，也最脆弱。 她把槍舉起來，然後又放下。 I can not do it.she says.你應該不希望衣服上有彈孔吧？ 我認為機會很低。He said.妳試試看。 她忘了打開保險，扣著壓不下去的扳機兩次，很納悶為什麼不會動。然後她突然想起，把保險打開、槍口瞄準、閉上眼、開槍。李奇猜她大概射偏了二十呎，離得很遠。 把眼睛睜開。He said.假裝妳對這件襯衫很憤怒，當作用手指著它，好像在大吼大叫一榡。 她把眼睛睜開，調整肩膀，右手對著目標平舉、開槍，但又沒打中，大概偏離左邊六呎，稍微低了點。 let me.He said. 她把槍交給他，槍在李奇手裡看起來很小，手指幾乎伸不進扳機護環。他閉上一隻眼睛，瞄準目標。 我要打口袋。He said. 他連續開了兩槍，兩發子彈連續，手掌紋風不動。第一發擊中撕壞的口袋對面的腋下，第二發打中襯衫，不過已經偏向下方。李奇恢復原本的姿勢，把槍交回去。 再換妳。He said. 她又開了三槍，還是一樣沒中。一發太右邊、一發太左邊、最後一發打在土裡，大概離目標七呎。她看著襯衫，放下槍，非常失望。 有什麼感想？he asks. 我得靠近一點。she says. That's right.He said.而且不完全是妳的問題。短槍管的手槍本來就是近距離武器，妳看到我打的嗎？偏了十二吋。人站在十五呎外，一顆偏左、另一顆偏下，連路徑都不太一致。而且射擊是我的專長，在部隊裡我還得過手槍射擊冠軍，有幾年時間沒人是我的對手。 good.she says. 他從她手裡拿過手槍，蹲在沙地上，重新把子彈裝滿。一發在膛裡，九發在彈匣。手槍上膛、保險關著、槍放到地上。 把槍留在這裡，他說，除非妳非常、非常篤定。妳確定下得了手嗎？ I think so.she says. 光想不夠，妳得要心裡明確地知道，要能狠下心來靠近他，把手槍塞到他肚子上，連開十槍。如果妳沒這種決心，或是猶豫了，他會搶下妳手裡的槍，可能回過頭來對著妳，也可能胡亂掃射，打中跑來的愛莉。 她靜靜地點點頭：最後的手段。 千萬要記得，從妳掏出槍的那一刻起，如果不是完全成功，就是一切化為烏有。 她再次點點頭。 妳的決定。He said.不過我建議妳把槍留在這裡。 她站著不動，過了很長一段時間，然後彎下腰，把槍撿起來，放進皮包裡。李奇走過去把襯衫拿起來，從頭上套進去。兩個彈孔，一個在腋下，另一個紮到褲子裡。然後他繞著窪地四處走，把八個彈殼統統拿起來。這是老習慣，卻很有用。他把彈殼放在手裡搖動，就像玩弄銅板，然後放到長褲口袋裡。 回程路上，話題圍繞在恐懼上。卡門騎回坡頂前都沒說話，到了最高點，她又停了下來。紅屋群在下方展開，籠罩在遠方的熱氣之中。卡門坐著不動，眼睛看著下方，兩隻手握在馬鞍頭上，什麼話也沒說，眼睛無神。李奇的馬照樣停在她身後一步距離，所以李奇的視野跟她一樣，不過旁邊多了她頸部跟肩膀的線條。 你曾經害怕過嗎？she asked. never.He said. 她又沉默了一下。 How can it be?she asked. 他抬頭看著天空。這種能力是學來的，那時候我還只是個小孩。 怎麼學的？ 李奇看著地上。我有個哥哥，小時候什麼事他總是比我先，可是我一直想跟他一樣。他有些恐怖漫畫，而且不管到什麼地方，只要能收看美國的電視節目，他就會看那個卡通，所以我也跟著看那個恐怖漫畫、看那部恐怖的卡通。有一次內容是跟太空探險有關，我記不得叫什麼名字了，我們在某個基地看黑白電視，大概是歐洲吧！他們有艘太空船，形狀像艘小型潛水艇，但是有跟蜘蛛一樣的腳。他們會把太空船降落在某個地方，下船去探險。記得有天晚上演的是他們被一隻很可怕的生物追殺，這隻怪物毛茸茸的，就像大猩猩一樣，有點像大腳哈利，長長的手臂上長滿了毛，還會大聲咆哮。牠一路追著他們回到太空船，就在牠快要追上時，他們爬進船裡，把艙門關了起來。 那時候你很害怕？ 即使他人在後面卡門看不到，他還是點了點頭。那時候我還不到四歲，嚇得屁滾尿流的，那天晚上我百分之百確定那東西就躲在我床下。我那時候的床很高，而且又老舊，於是我認定那東西就住在我床下，牠一定會跑出來抓我，我幾乎已經感覺到牠的爪子伸到我身上來了。於是我整晚睡不著，因為如果我睡著了，牠一定會跑出來抓我，所以我努力保持好幾個小時不睡。有時候我會叫我爸爸進來，可是他來的時候，我卻不敢告訴他，因為這樣很丟臉。就這樣，恐懼的日子一天天持續下去。 Then what? 我開始生氣，不是氣我自己感到害怕，因為我一直認定那東西是真的，我害怕是應該的。我氣的是那個讓我害怕的東西、威脅我的東西，於是有天晚上，我的怒氣爆發出來了，我大吼大叫道：好，有種你出來試試看！try it!我一定會把你打得屁滾尿流！我面對恐懼，把恐懼轉變成攻擊性。 這樣有效？ 從那時候開始，我再也不曾感到害怕了，這變成了一種習慣。那些太空探險家根本不應該轉頭逃跑，卡門，他們應該留下來面對那隻怪物，他們應該轉身還擊。要是妳看到讓妳害怕的東西，應該要挺身靠過去，而不是逃跑。本能地，反射性地，把妳的憤怒反過來對著它。 這就是你的方法嗎？ 一向都是。 那我也應該這樣嗎？面對史路普？ 我覺得所有人都應該這樣。 她沉默了一下，眼睛望著下方的房子，然後視線往上抬，看著後方的地平線。她彈了一下舌頭，兩匹馬同時往前走，順著緩緩的長坡往下，朝著馬路過去。卡門移動身體好在馬鞍上保持平衡，李奇也模仿她的姿勢，安然地坐在馬上，不過卻不是很舒服。他想騎馬一次就夠了，應該不會再有下次。 巴比還說了什麼？she asked.關於我們的事。 她說妳幾乎一整個月的白天都不在家，有時連晚上也不在，他猜我們兩個應該是在佩科斯的汽車旅館幽會。他很氣妳居然把我帶到這裡來，尤其是在史路普要回家的前夕。 我希望我們兩個真的有幽會，她說，在汽車旅館裡外遇。真希望事情就這麼單純。 他沒說話，卡門暫停了一會兒。 你也希望我們有過嗎？she asked. 李奇看著她坐在馬鞍上，柔軟、苗條，臀部順著馬匹的步伐左右搖擺。她手臂上的深蜜色肌膚在陽光下十分亮麗，頭髮長度到達背部的一半。 這樣可能不太好。He said. 兩人回來時下午已快過完，約書亞跟比利正在等著。他們兩個一起靠著馬廄的牆，站在屋簷下的黑影中，貨車已在院子裡停好待命，準備要去飼料經銷商那裡。 一次要三個人去？卡門輕聲說。 巴比的意思。Li Qi replied.他要讓我盡可能離妳遠點，盡力破壞他想像中的兩人世界。 卡門的眼珠轉呀轉。我會把馬牽回去。she says.我得先幫牠們洗洗。 兩人一起在馬廄門前下馬，約書亞跟比利此時離開牆壁，一副不耐煩的模樣。 are you ready?cried Billy. 他半小時前就應該好了。Joshua said. 為了這些話，李奇刻意讓他們繼續等，慢慢走向宿舍。一方面是因為他不打算讓他們如意，另一方面也因為他在馬鞍上坐了太久、兩腿僵硬。他去了趙廁所，把臉上的灰塵洗掉，然後用冷水把襯衫潑濕，再慢慢走回去。貨車的車頭已經轉向大門，引擎也已經發動。卡門正在刷她的馬，栗色的軟毛飄下淡淡的灰塵，他分不清楚那是獸毛還是皮毛？約書亞側坐在駕駛座旁，比利則站在乘客座車門旁。 let's go!he cried.他讓李奇坐在中間，約書亞把腳收進來，關上車門，然後比利從他那邊擠進來。約書亞把車子開往大門，到了路口稍微暫停，然後向左轉，這時候李奇就知道了，情況比他猜想得更嚴重。