14. A Trip Down Memory Lane

"So what ya here for Quinny?", said Squid.

Quinn rolled over onto his back while trying to get up. 

"Hey, not so fast there."

Squid nudged with his foot Quinn mid-motion, sitting him back down on his butt. 

"I asked a question. You don't leave till I get an answer."

Quinn wrapped his arms around his knees and tried getting comfortable.

"I'm looking for Shirley."

"Who?" 

"...Shirley."

"Who the Hell is.. Wait. You mean that pet bird Harrison keeps couped up with him?"

"Yeah. That's Shirley." 

"Now let me ask you a question Quinny.. Why would I bother to steal some old mechanics pet?"

Squid started to scratch his head with the barrel of his gun. 

Quinn watched, hoping it would go off somehow. 

"Don't you think I got better things to do with my time? I mean, Harrison is a chump but I've got no quarrel with him."

Quinn dusted his hands off and started to rise to his feet again. 

"Ok. I guess I'll be going then." 

This time Squid let Quinn to his feet. He watched as the boy stood tall, sizing him up. Before Quinn could react Squid backhanded him with his free hand. Falling over from the force Quinn lay on his side. 

"Get up ya little b*****d. I'm not done with you, yet."

Grabbing Quinn by the collar he threw him onto a nearby couch. The impact caused the couch to move back a bit giving off a loud screech as the wooden legs rubbed against the floor. 

Squid was never one to let an opportunity pass him by, even if there wasn't one, he would make it. 

"So tell me, boy. Whats so special about this bird that Harrison would send ya all the way over here to ol' Squid?"

Dazed and confused, Quinn could feel a slow pitter-patter on his leg. Looking down he could see blood was dripping from somewhere on his face. 

"I don't know.. We just want to find her."

Leaning against the wall with his arms folded now. Squid gently tapped his gun against his leg wondering if he was being lied to or not. 

"..Ok. Fair enough. You can go."  

Still dazed from the blow Quinn stood up as his legs wobbled under his weight. Making his way to the door he turned the knob and descended the stairs. The two goons stepped aside making a path. Suddenly, a force pushed Quinn past the last couple of steps onto his knees and hands. A searing pain penetrated his back. 

"Watch ya step, Quinny." 

Not looking back, for the third time Quinn lifted himself up, knees and hands burning.  Then he heard the click of a gun being cocked. A sudden urge to run came over him. Gunshots rang out as dirt exploded a few feet to the left of Quinn and then the right. Quinn couldn't help but jump every time but kept his pace. Quinn was resilient and Squid hated that. Quinn refused to run with his tail between his legs, not today, not ever, not from Squid. 

Roars of laughter erupted in the background. 

Squid leaned against the doorway as he cupped his hands around his mouth.

"MAKE SURE YA COME BACK AND VISIT, QUINNY!"

"Why didn't you kill him, Boss?" 

"Call it a hunch, but I think the boy is hiding something. Call Rat, let him know I got a job for him."

The two goons looked at each other while nodding in unison at Squid's command.