Chaos.โ
When had Maddy started screaming? Red couldnโt remember now. Like the sound had always been there in her head, along with the static.
Simonโs shoulders bucked, thrashing as he choked on air.
The walkie-talkie dropped to Oliverโs side, chaos in the golden swirl of his eyes, moving too fast to be in real time.
Arthur stuttered. Reyna swore.
Red listened, the chaos creeping into her own brain as she realized that something new was beginning now, a shift in the air and a hitch in her chest.
โHow does he know our names?โ Simon choked. โHow the fuck does he know our names?!โ
โNo, no, no,โ Maddy shaped her scream. โHeโs here to kill us. Heโs going to kill us all!โ
โIโI donโt u-understandโฆโ Arthur shook his head. โH-howโโ
โFuck!โ Reyna held the sides of her face, strands of black hair clinging to her skin. โThis was planned. This was all planned. He was waiting for us here.โ
Not random, no. Not wrong place, wrong time. Planned. It was all planned. And why was Maddyโs scream still in her head?
Oliverโs eyes kept spinning, like they were broken, spooling loose right out of his skull.
โOliver, do something!โ Reyna shouted. โSay something. He knows who we are!โ
He snapped back into life. โWhat can I say, Reyna? What can I do? Iโm trying to think what this means!โ
โWhat this means is that he trapped us here on purpose. He knew we were coming.โ
โHow could he know?โ Simon said, eyes watering as he coughed on the words. โWe got lost.โ
โWhy? Why?โ Maddy wailed.
โEveryone, let me think!โ Oliver roared into the chaos, patches of red climbing up his neck, threatening to take his face.
Maddy cried. Simon coughed.
Arthur stared and Reyna shook her head.
Red listened, ๏ฌlling herself with the static to push out the scream. But the static cut out, and in its place that deep, tinny voice.
โI can tell you your dates of birth and home addresses too, if you like.โ
Oliver recoiled from the walkie-talkie in his hands, placing it down on the table. He stood back and studied it, arms hugged around his chest.
โIs it possible he searched the RV license plate after he shot out the tires?โ he asked the others. โThat it might have led him to Simonโs uncle, then Simon, then to ๏ฌnding the rest of us?โ
Red could tell from Oliverโs face that he didnโt believe it even as he gave voice to it, that an answer wasnโt needed because it had already been given in the asking.
โHe knew who we were before we got here,โ Reyna said, joining Oliver to stare down at the walkie-talkie. โHe brought us here, trapped us here.โ
โWhy?โ Maddy wiped her face.
โHeโs going to kill us,โ Simon said, and his voice didnโt match the words, hollow and ๏ฌat.
โI donโt want to die,โ Maddy cried, a new tear cascading to the cli๏ฌ edge of her nose. It jumped free, splattering on the ๏ฌoor.
Red took Maddyโs hand again, gave it a squeeze. Not quite anย itโll be okayย anymore, but anย Iโm here too.
Oliver nodded to himself, once, twice, then he lurched forward to pick up the walkie-talkie again.
โWeโve already called the cops,โ he said. โA while ago. They say theyโll be here any minute.โ
Static.
A crackling sound, cold and inhuman. He was laughing again. Oliver waited for the static to return, then he held down the button.
โYeah. Hilarious, isnโt it? Theyโll be here in less than ๏ฌve minutes, so you should probably pack up and start running if you want to get a head start.โ
โThe cops arenโt coming. No oneโs coming to help you.โ A muscle twitched in Oliverโs cheek.
โYes they are. We called them,โ he said, a new hint of desperation in his voice.
Static.
โYou didnโt call anyone. Thereโs no service. I made sure of that.โ
Oliver lowered the walkie-talkie, his thumb straying away from the button.
โFUCK!โ he screamed, holding on to the word as it ripped at his throat.
Flecks of spit in the air.
โHe knocked out the cell service?โ Reyna said, her hand moving to the back of Oliverโs neck as he bent forward, elbows to his knees, head to his hands. Defeated already.
โHow could he do that?โ Simon said, turning to aim the question at each of them. Nothing.
โThe more important question is why,โ Reyna replied. โWhat does he want? We give it to him and maybe he lets us go.โ
โHe wants to kill us,โ Maddy said, squeezing Redโs hand back, so hard that she felt their bones crunching together.
Oliver sni๏ฌed, straightening up. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and pushed the button.
โPlease donโt kill us,โ he said.
Oliver Lavoy was not ready to die. Were any of them? A crackle from the walkie-talkie.
โThat depends on you,โ the voice said. โI want something from you. And I will get it before the night is over.โ
โI said you can take my credit card. All of our cards. Take whatever we have.โ
Red had nothing. Static.
โI told you, itโs not money I want.โ
โAsk him what he wants,โ Simon said, ๏ฌapping one hand to get Oliverโs attention. โAsk him.โ
Oliver held down the button. โWhat do you want?โ
Static.
โOne of you knows something. A secret. You know who you are and you know what it is.โ
Redโs eyes crossed in front of her, and she imagined she could see the sound of the static, staining the air a speckled gray, closing in around her. Maddyโs shoulders dropped, her hand growing sticky and uncomfortable in Redโs. Arthur was blinking, too fast, turning to watch Simon as he coughed and spluttered. Reynaโs eyes dropped, and Oliver chewed the inside of his cheek. No one was looking at Red, but she looked at them all.
Oliver raised the walkie-talkie to his mouth again. He waited one moment, then two.
โWhat secret?โ he asked, releasing the button. Static.
โThatโs for the six of you to ๏ฌgure out. And remember one thing: you canโt see me but I can see you. If you try to run, I will shoot.โ
