The air was too thick in here, syrupy with the smell of gasoline, with the quickening of their breaths. It plugged Redโs nose and her ears until she could close her eyes and pretend she wasnโt here at all, forcing herself to think of that pattern in the curtains.ย You canโt see me but I can see you,ย and Red could see nothing here at all with her eyes shut.โ
โHeโll shoot us if we leave the RV,โ Oliver said, like they hadnโt all been listening, like they hadnโt all just heard that together.
Red opened her eyes, twisting her hand out of Maddyโs grip. She watched as Oliver dropped the walkie-talkie down on the table, a heavier thud than it should have made. It stood end up, the green LCD display watching them.
โWe are never getting out of this RV.โ Simon sni๏ฌed, running his hand down his face, pulling the skin out of shape, revealing the red underneath his eyes. โIf weโre going to die here, fuck it, Iโm having more tequila.โ
โNo, Simon,โ Red croaked, her voice raw and unused.
โFuck it!โ he barked, strolling over to the kitchen counter. โCome on, everyone, letโs do shots in the dark.โ
Reyna sidestepped, blocking his way to the counter and Oliverโs open backpack.
โNo,โ she said sternly. โWe need to stay rational.โ
โWhat are you, the tequila guardian?โ He pointed at her. โRight, because Iโm Mexican?โ
โNo, because youโre standing in the way.โ He hiccupped. โIf I want to die drunk, then Iโll die drunk, thank you and good night.โ
โWeโre not going to die,โ Arthur said, stepping forward to pull Simon back, hand on his shoulder. โWe just need to give him what he wants. Whatโs the secret heโs talking about?โ
โAnd who?โ Maddy added quickly, picking at her ๏ฌngernails.
Red looked straight ahead, blinked slowly, clearing her eyes like someone who had no secrets. Someone who wasnโt thinking of them right now. Everyone had secrets, though, didnโt they? Somebody else here had to. Were hers any worse, any bigger? Most likely, at least the one she was keeping now. The plan. But no one could ever know about that, that was the point. Oh, and there was the fact that her mom was dead and it was probably her fault, all her fโcould it be Bart Simpson, the pattern in the curtain?
โItโs not me,โ Simon said, giving up on the tequila. He pushed past Red and Maddy to drop back on the sofa, head resting against the mattress wedged there. โMy only secret is that I havenโt told my parents I want to be an actor, not work in ๏ฌnance. Donโt think someoneโs threatening to kill me over being a secret theater kid. Apart from my dad, that is,โ he said, adding in an exaggerated stage whisper: โHeโs Korean.โ
โI canโt think of anything,โ Arthur said, pausing to scratch his eye. โNothing big enough for this.โ
โMe either,โ Maddy said, almost too fast. Red noticed. And the way she wouldnโt look up or hold anyoneโs gaze.
Oliver stepped forward, cleared his throat. โI know who it is. I know what this is about.โ
Red looked at him. Maddy looked at him. Arthur and Simon looked at him. Reyna didnโt.
โItโs me and Maddy,โ he said.
Maddy sti๏ฌened. โI donโtโโ she began.
โโItโs obvious, isnโt it?โ Oliver cut across her. โThis is about our mom.โ Now Reynaย wasย looking at him. โWhat do you mean?โ she asked.
โThis must be about her case. The Frank Gotti case.โ โWhatโs that?โ Arthur said.
โOur mom is assistant DA, and sheโs the lead prosecutor on an upcoming homicide case.โ
โIn the Ma๏ฌa,โ Simon said, gesturing with his beer bottle. Wait, where did he get a beer from?
โYeah, exactly.โ Oliver snapped his ๏ฌngers at him. โThis whole thing seems exactly like something theyโd pull.โ
โWhy? Whatโs the case?โ Arthur made the mistake of asking him.
Could Red really stand to listen to this one more time? Oliver glanced at her and she kept her face straight.
โSo, about a year ago,โ he began, leaning back on the table, โthe boss of the organized crime groupโโ
โThe Ma๏ฌa,โ Simon o๏ฌered.
โYes, the Ma๏ฌa.โ Oliverโs jaw tightened, clearly irritated at the interruption. โThe boss of the family, a man called John DโAmico, died of throat cancer in the hospital last year. He left behind a bit of a power vacuum, with three members of the family vying for the top job to replace him.โ
Yep, Red thought, ๏ฌrst up wasโ
โTommy DโAmico,โ Oliver said, holding up one ๏ฌnger. โJohnโs oldest son.โ
Number two:
โJoseph Mannino, who had been Johnโs underboss, which is a second-in-command-type thing.โ
And ๏ฌnally:
โFrancesco Gotti, who had been Johnโs consigliere, which is like the top adviser role.โ
Oliver tucked away his three upheld ๏ฌngers, and Frank Gotti was the one who ๏ฌashed into Redโs mind, that photo of his face sheโd seen and seen again, one dark curl of hair falling down to cover his left eye.
โThe three of them split the family into factions, as it were,โ Oliver continued, glancing around to make sure they were all listening. โThere was ๏ฌghting but no one got seriously hurt. Not until last August, when Frank Gotti
killed Joseph Mannino himself. Shot twice in the back of the head. And my momโour momโis the one whoโs prosecuting Frank. The trial is in a few weeks and sheโs going to get a guilty conviction. We know it. They clearly know it.โ
Arthur looked down, eyes ๏ฌickering back and forth like he was sifting through everything Oliver just said.
โSo you think thisโโhe gestured around at the RV, at the wide-open nothing outside the blocked-up windowsโโus being here, that sniper out there, is about that murder case?โ
โYes, thatโs clearly whatโs going on,โ Oliver replied, his eyes unfaltering. โThis is all about my mom. Theyโre trying to get to her. And they are using me and Maddy to do it.โ
โYou mean, like, holding us for ransom?โ Maddy said, uncertain.
โIn a way.โ Oliver nodded. โTheyโve probably already contacted her, told her they are holding us hostage somewhere.โ
โBut why?โ Reyna chimed in now. โWhat would they want from her?โ
โIf they go to trial, Mom is going to put Frank in prison for the rest of his life. They canโt let that happen; heโs their leader. Well, to some of them. They are probably demanding she ๏ฌnd a way to drop the charges to stop the case going to trial. Orโฆโ He trailed o๏ฌ.
โOr theyโll k-kill us,โ Maddy ๏ฌnished it, stumbling over the word.
Oliver didnโt say anything, but his silence was answer enough, the static from the walkie-talkie ๏ฌlling in for him. โAnd, now that Iโm thinking it through, maybe this secret heโs talking about, the secret he wantsโฆmaybe itโs the identity of the eyewitness. The one the whole case rests on. And they want Mom to give it to them.โ
โSo they can kill the witness and stop the trial?โ Reyna asked, eyes narrowing, a knot of lines forming across her forehead. Red looked to Oliver, waiting for the answer.
โYeah,โ he replied. โWouldnโt be the ๏ฌrst time a witness for the prosecution was killed right before trial with these kinds of people. Thatโs why Mom tried so hard this time to protect the witnessโs anonymity. This whole thing has organized crime written all over it.โ
โAnd will she give it up?โ Red asked then, trying to catch up with the others, to see the whole picture and their place within it. โWill she give them the witness?โ
Oliver looked across at her. He blinked.
โIf itโs a choice between me and Maddy and the witness, Mom will give them the name,โ he said. โLife or death. Sheโll have to.โ
Red nodded. Something tightened in her chest, uncomfortable and warm, as Oliverโs words became real. Fuck. Either way it went, someone was going to die here. If Oliver was right, that was. And, it seemed, he usually was.
โThatโs why we canโt let that happen,โ Oliver continued, hardening his gaze, sharing it with the others. โWe have to stop them. We have to escape. We canโt let my mom give up that name. This trial is too important. It would be the end of her career.โ
โAnd someone would die,โ Maddy reminded him. โShe would be killing the witness, giving them up.โ
โRight. I already said that,โ Oliver snapped, missing the point. Red caught it, though, glad that Maddy was here to o๏ฌset her brother. Between saving a life and his momโs career, it was clear which was most important to Oliver. And probably, by extension, his own career. Red bit her lip so she didnโt say anything, not that it would probably change his mind at all.
โAre you sure thatโs what this is about?โ Reyna asked Oliver, looking up at him, something in her eyes, a glint that Red couldnโt read. A silent conversation in half a second.
Oliver brushed her o๏ฌ. โYes, it has to be about that. I mean, if you just think logically, Maddy and I are the most high-value targets here. It has to be about us.โ
Red couldnโt disagree.
โAny reason anyone else here would be held hostage by a sniper?โ he asked the room.
The others shook their heads, Red too.
โNobody loves me,โ she said with a sni๏ฌ, not like Catherine loved Maddy and Oliver. That hurt, thinking about it, a twist in her gut and a hole in her heart.
โRight, okay. Weโre all agreed?โ he said, not looking for an answer. โSo now we have to work out how to escape.โ
