Oliver clambered forward, the white beams re๏ฌected in the dark of his eyes as they drew closer, the sound of wheels peeling against the road.โ
โWho is it?โ he hissed.
โNo, itโs not more of them, is it?โ Simon said, one hand up to shield his eyes.
โIt could be the police!โ Maddy said, her hands clutched to her chest.
Red looked out the windshield, unblinking, ๏ฌlling herself with the white light, like the night had grown its own eyes, staring back into her.
โTurn on our headlights, Reyna.โ Oliver pushed her toward the cockpit. โSo we can see who it is.โ
Reynaโs hand scrabbled forward, reaching for the lever without taking her eyes o๏ฌ those lights. She pushed it and the RVโs headlights clicked on, clashing with the others, head to head.
And now they could see what it was. Not a police squad car, but a white truck ๏ฌecked with dirt, the low rumble of its engine as it rolled forward. Two ๏ฌgures obscured behind the windshield.
It swerved, slowly, to the spare stretch of road on their right, the headlights ripping free from theirs, four distinct beams.
โWho the fuck isโฆโ Arthur trailed o๏ฌ, moving forward to stand beside Reyna at the front.
The truck sighed, pulling to a stop right in front of them, almost corner to corner with the RV. The engine switched o๏ฌ, taking the lights with it.
Silence and static, and the after-tick of their engine.
Now that their beams were no longer blinding her, Red could see it was a man and a woman, late sixties or early seventies sheโd guess from this distance with two windshields between them.
โWho areโโ she began to say. The static cut away.
โGet rid of them,โ the voice crackled from Redโs hands. She ๏ฌinched, staring down at the walkie-talkie. โYou get rid of them now, or I will kill them.โ
Not with the sniper, then. Not part of the plan.
โDo not tell them anything,โ he continued, voice darker and deeper now. โSay you are ๏ฌne, just broken down. If you tell them anything or signal to them in any way, I will shoot them both.โ
Not part of the plan at all.
Red glanced up, caught Oliverโs eye, staring at her as the keeper of the voice.
โTheyโre not with him,โ Oliver said. โWe can use them to get help.โ โHe just said not to do that,โ Arthur spoke up. โHe just saidโโ
โI will kill them,โ the sniper cut in, as though he had somehow heard. โIf you tell them youโre in trouble, tell them anything, you will be killing them. Iโll do it.โ
Static.
โGet rid of them or they die.โ
Arthurโs eyes widened, his mouth falling open in a silent word.
โButโโ Maddy started to say, but the rest didnโt matter, because they heard the clack of a door handle slicing through the too-quiet night. Red turned, watched the driverโs-side door of the truck ๏ฌing open, waiting there as the man climbed out behind it. Fur-lined jacket zipped up to his chin, graying hair and red-dotted cheeks.
โHello!โ he called, cupping his hands around the word to protect it from the night. โYou folks all right in there?โ
He leaned into the truck door and it slammed shut just as the other side opened. The woman stepped out, hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, eyes searching, looking through the windshield. They alighted on Red and the woman smiled, raising a pale hand in a still wave.
Red smiled back, with teeth, just as the voice in her hands said, โGet rid of them or they die. Open the door and tell them youโre ๏ฌne.โ
โWe have to send them away,โ Arthur said, turning his eyes to the door of the RV.
Oliver pulled him back. โBut this could be our only chance toโโ
โYou heard what he said.โ Arthur pushed against him. โDo you want to kill these people?โ
โWe have to do what he says.โ Reyna walked over, resting one hand against Oliverโs chest. โYou understand that? Heโs pointing a ri๏ฌe at them right now.โ
โHello?โ the man outside called again, boots crunching against the road as he walked over, toward the door.
โFine, go,โ Oliver said, letting go of Arthurโs shirt. โSimon, youโre the actor. Act like weโre ๏ฌne.โ
โIโm not going out and standing in that doorway.โ Simon shook his head. โHe already shot at me once.โ
โHe told us we can,โ Arthur said. โHe wonโt shoot if weโre sending them away. Iโll do it.โ
In one quick movement, Arthur slammed down on the handle and pushed the front door. It swung wide open. The man stood just a few feet from the door, a wrinkled smile stretching into his face, skin folding like paper.
โHello there, folks,โ he said, eyes ๏ฌicking up to Arthur as he dropped down the ๏ฌrst step, then to Simon and Reyna behind, then Red. She stood back, gripping the walkie-talkie too tight between her hands, like she could make him not shoot by hiding him away.
โHello, sir,โ Arthur replied, bowing his head slightly, moving down another step.
โYโall okay?โ the man asked. โWe thought we saw some lights ๏ฌashing from the road back there, drove around to see if anyone was in trouble.โ He gestured over his shoulder with his thumb. โLooks like you got a couple of ๏ฌats there at the front.โ
โYeah,โ Arthur said, scratching the back of his head. โWe think we drove over something, got a couple of punctures.โ
โWell, Iโll be,โ the man said, standing back, glancing at the rear tire. โLooks like you got a third out, too.โ
โAnd I think I smell gas.โ The woman stepped forward now so that she too was framed in Redโs view of the open door, blocked by Arthurโs moving shoulders as he scratched at one of his own arms.
โThis is my wife, Joyce,โ the man said, nodding to her. โIโm Don.โ โNice to meet you both,โ Arthur said.
โWhere are yโall from?โ Joyce said, a sweet smile on her face as she stood side by side with her husband. Red tried not to picture it, the red dot ๏ฌoating across their backs, darting unseen between their heads. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.
โPhiladelphia,โ Arthur answered.
โThought I recognized the accent,โ said Don. โLong way from home.โ โYeah, weโre on our way to Gulf Shores, for spring break,โ Arthur said. โBless your hearts,โ said Joyce.
Oliver moved toward the door then, his jaw set, clearly deciding it was safe if Arthur hadnโt been killed yet. He pushed past him, dropping down to the ๏ฌnal step.
โHello,โ he said, voice crisp and clear, back arrow-straight, the full Oliver Lavoy display. โNice to meet you both. Iโm Oliver.โ
โDon. Joyce,โ Don repeated. Seemed he recognized that Oliver was the natural leader here. How could you not, with that straight back and those ๏ฌerce golden eyes? โWe live on a farm just yonder, back that way. We were passing by and saw ๏ฌashing lights.โ
โWhat must yโall think of us, coming home past two in the morning,โ Joyce giggled, hiding it behind one hand. Red noticed the blue polish peeling o๏ฌ her nails. โWe were with our daughter, she lives in Jacksonville. She just
had a baby this afternoon, our ๏ฌrst grandbaby.โ The words burst out of her, tripping over each other, like she couldnโt have not said it, like maybe that was the reason theyโd stopped after all.
โOh, congratulations to you both,โ Oliver said, and Red could hear the smile pasted over his voice. โNew grandparents.โ
โWeโre so excited,โ Joyce said, looking up at her husband. โArenโt we, Don? We couldnโt not go and meet the baby right away, could we? Sheโs called him Jacob, after my daddy who passed last year, and he is the cutest little bundle you ever saw. Isnโt he, Don?โ
โYes, dear.โ
โBut,โ Joyce went on, eyes ๏ฌicking between Arthur and Oliver and Reyna as she told her story, โyou know how it is, with a new baby, you donโt want your parents hanging around, telling you what youโre doing wrong that ๏ฌrst night. Thatโs why we decided not to stay the night and drive home, leave her and Thomas to it, you know?โ
โI see.โ Oliver nodded. โWell, Iโm sure she appreciated you driving all that way and back to visit.โ
โWeโre going to go again next weekend, arenโt we, Don?โ
โJoyce, will you hush up for one moment?โ Don said in answer, an a๏ฌectionate burr in his voice. โThese people donโt want to hear our life story, Iโm sure.โ He looked down, grinding his boot into the road, raising his heel to study it. โSheโs right, you know. You got a gas leak all around here. Looks like the whole tank mightโve emptied.โ
Please donโt let him look too hard and see the bullet hole in the side there, the one that took out the tank.
โYeah, we think a branch might have got caught under us,โ Oliver said, not missing a beat. โMust have dragged it for a while and it punctured the tires, knocked something loose underneath.โ
Don made a face, gritting his teeth. โHave you called Triple-A?โ he asked.
โYes,โ Arthur said, at the same time that Oliver said, โNo.โ
An awkward moment, Donโs gaze trailing up away from the two of them. He must have noticed the broken window then, his eyes narrowing, skin
crinkling between his brows. The static ๏ฌzzed and Red held the walkie-talkie behind her.
โWe couldnโt get a signal,โ Oliver explained.
โOh.โ Joyce smiled; she hadnโt picked up on the strain in Oliverโs voice. โThe service is terrible around here. Weโre lucky to get one bar in our house, and thatโs with me hanging out the window in the back bedroom.โ
โEven worse today,โ Don added, eyes back on Oliver, though he didnโt look as sure and easy as he had thirty seconds ago. โOur neighbor told us that this morning, some truck drove into the cell tower south of Ruby. Knocked out all the networks. Apparently he ๏ฌed before the police got there. Iโm guessing it was a stolen truck and he drove around the turn too fast, lost control. I called AT&T from the road this afternoon and they said their engineers were dealing with it, and service should be back by morning. If they can be trusted,โ he added with a sni๏ฌ.
Red swallowed.ย Theyย did that. Drove a truck into the cell tower to disable it. All part of the plan to trap them here. But this wasnโt part of the plan. Don and Joyce werenโt supposed to be passing at this time. Don and Joyce werenโt supposed to ๏ฌnd them trapped here, in the wide-open nothing, on their way back late from meeting their ๏ฌrst grandchild. Don and Joyce werenโt supposed to happen.
โThat explains it, then,โ Oliver said. โExcuse me for one moment.โ Oliver held up a ๏ฌnger and then backed up the steps, through the door of the RV. He walked toward the dining table, pushing Red out of the way, beckoning to Maddy, hiding by the sofa.
โIf you were driving a car,โ Don was saying, โwe might could have towed yโall.โ He looked around, surveying the giant hulking shape of the RV. Red stepped forward, brushing against Simon at the threshold to outside. โThis is quite something, isnโt it?โ Don said, slapping the metallic side of the RV.
โThirty-one feet,โ Red said.
โIs that right?โ Don said, a crinkle in his eyes as he looked up at her, pursing his lips to blow out a low whistle. โWell, Iโll be.โ
โItโs my uncleโs.โ Simon stepped forward, shooting the couple a smile.
Red caught the sideways view, muscles straining in his cheek.
โReally?โ Don asked. โAnd how much does something like this set you back?โ
The static spluttered behind Redโs back, cutting out. โSend them away,โ the voice threatened, low and hissing. Red held her breath.
โWhat was that, son?โ Don looked up at Simon.
โI said I think itโs for people with more money than sense,โ Simon chuckled, loudly, covering the static. โLike my uncle, I guess.โ
โRight.โ Don laughed politely.
โWell, we got no sense and no money.โ Joyce joined in the laughter, her shoulders hitching. That was when Redโs eyes ๏ฌnally caught it, slipping over the side of Joyceโs shoulder, hiding in the folds of her tied-back hair. The red dot. Waiting. Ready to put a hole in her.
Red swallowed again, her smile stretchy and tight, pulling uncomfortably at her skin. Keep a straight face, just like she was taught. Give nothing away with her eyes. Face straight, story straight, all she had to remember.ย Can you remember all that, Red?
โHow many does it sleep?โ Don asked. โThere are ๏ฌve of you, right?โ โThereโs six of us,โ Reyna corrected, a quiver in her voice that made Red
think sheโd seen the dot too. Reyna was premed; she knew all the soft and delicate things waiting there beneath Donโs and Joyceโs ๏ฌesh, all the horrifying ways they could split apart in the path of a bullet. Insides that would stay inside, because they were going to send them away to save them. Red must have stopped smiling; Joyce was looking at her funny.
โYou okay, sweetheart?โ she asked.
Red blinked, pasted the smile back on. โYeah,โ she said, โyou?โ
โIโm ๏ฌner than a frog hair split four ways,โ Joyce answered. โBut Iโm worried about yโall and how weโre gonna get you on your way.โ
โWhat happened to the window here?โ Don asked, his feet shifting, eyes too, straying up to the shattered glass.
โTree branch,โ Reyna said, almost too quick, like Oliverโs lie had been waiting on the tip of her tongue. But it didnโt quite ๏ฌt. โWe were too big to
come down this narrow road here, but we pushed through because we couldnโt turn back, next thing we know, tree comes through the window.โ
โRight.โ Don nodded, blinking slowly, like he was trying to picture it in the pitch-black behind his closed eyelids.
Red heard whispering behind her. Not from the walkie-talkie, from Maddy and Oliver, bent over the table, their backs to her.
She sidled away from the open door as Simon asked Don and Joyce about their new grandchild, and how the birth went.
Red stepped up behind Maddy, peered over her shoulder. On a piece of paper, ripped from the pad, Maddy was writing something with the felt-tip pen, waiting for Oliver to tell her the next word.
Red squinted to read the note.ย Help, call the police. Thereโs anโ
โActive shooter,โ Oliver hissed at her, Maddy turning his words into
scratchy black letters on the page. โWe are trapped.โ
โYou canโt do that,โ Red said, making Maddy jump, smudging the last word. She hadnโt known Red was right behind her. โHe said heโd kill them.โ
โHow is the sniper going to know if I pass them this tiny note?โ Oliver turned to her, a low hint of rage stirring in his voice. How dare she question him. He was the leader, didnโt she know? โHe is hundreds of yards that way. Heโs never going to know.โ
โHe might,โ Red said, breath stalling in her chest. Come on, she had to do better than that.
โHow, Red, how?โ Oliverโs eyes ๏ฌashed. โGo on, explain to me how the sniper is going to see this tiny piece of paper.โ
โWhen you hand it over,โ she said, straightening her back too, raising her chin. He was only a few inches taller than her like this. And she couldnโt let him do this.
โI have a plan for that, obviously,โ Oliver spat. โMaddy, fold it, and again, and now on the top, write:ย Do not read until youโve left this road.ย Now, quickly.โ
Maddy folded the note, her elbow crashing into Red as she did, tongue tucked in her teeth. โSay it again,โ she said, preparing the pen, shaking in her
grip.
โDo not read until youโve left this road,โ he spat, keeping his voice low. โHe said he would kill them.โ Red watched Oliver watching his sister as
she scratched out the words, blocky and big on the small square of paper. โHeโs going to kill them.โ
โNo, he wonโt,โ Oliver replied, ripping the ๏ฌnished note away from Maddy. โI will shake Donโs hand and pass it over. If I angle it right, the sniper wonโt even see the handshake, heโll just see me trying to get rid of them. Don will know somethingโs wrong and not to react when he reads that top part. They wonโt read the rest until theyโre safely out of here, and then theyโll send help. The sniper will never know, he canโt know. This is going to work.โ
He ๏ฌipped the note in his hand, unfolding it to check the words inside.ย Help, call the police, thereโs an active shooter. We are trapped.
He refolded it, pressing harder than Maddy had, eyes spooling across the
words on top, scratchy and desperate.ย Do not read until youโve left this road.ย โWhat if it doesnโt work?โ Red said, hand darting out to hold on to
Oliverโs sleeve, surprising them both. Maddy too, who gasped behind her. โHeโll kill them. Thatโs someoneโs mom and dad out there. New grandparents. Donโt do this. Donโt drag them into this.โ
โRed, be quiet. You donโt know what youโre talking about.โ He shrugged her o๏ฌ.
But she did know, she knew better than anyone. If something happened to Don and Joyce, their daughter would blame herself for the rest of her life. Why hadnโt she insisted they stay the night? Why couldnโt she have had the baby tomorrow instead? Or yesterday? All her fault, dead because of her.
Red couldnโt put that into words, though, it didnโt belong, wouldnโt ๏ฌt. So she tried just one word.
โPlease.โ
โWhatโs going on?โ Arthur was back inside the RV, his voice low, walking over to stand between Red and Oliver. โWhat are you doing?โ
โIโm giving them a note to call the police, passing it over in a handshake,โ Oliver said, like he was expecting praise for his bright idea.
Arthur looked at Red and she tried to tell him with her eyes. Please understand.
โYou canโt do that.โ Arthur turned back to Oliver, and Red breathed out, so glad that Arthur had come back, glad that he was standing right here next to her, on her side. โHeโll shoot them,โ Arthur said.
Oliver rolled his eyes, a muscle ticking in his jaw. โNo he wonโt, he will never know. The sniper hasnโt actually taken a shot at one of us yet. Not one. Maybe heโs actually blu๏ฌng, just trying to scare us into doing what he wants, maybe he isnโt planning on killing anyone. Not us, not them.โ He tried to move past but Arthur stepped in his way.
โWhat if he does shoot?โ Arthur hissed. โYouโd be killing them.โ
โWell, I guess itโs four against two. The others would agree with me.โ Oliver gestured his head toward Reyna and Simon in the open doorway. Then his eyes ๏ฌicked back to Red and Arthur; they were the two, outvoted, outnumbered.
Unless:
โMaddy?โ Red said.
Maddy held her gaze. โTheyโll be ๏ฌne,โ she said quietly. โWe canโt not ask them to help us.โ
โYouโll thank me when the police turn up and save you,โ Oliver said, like it was a threat.
The static crackled into silence.
โYou have sixty seconds to get rid of them,โ said the voice, vibrating in Redโs hand. A metallic double click from the speaker as he cocked the ri๏ฌe. โFifty-nine, ๏ฌfty-eight.โ
โMove.โ Oliver pushed Red out of his way, the note folded small, clutched in one hand.
โNo,โ Arthur whispered, but he didnโt move to stop Oliver. Red tried, grabbing his shirt again. โOliver, please donโtโโ
Oliver turned, angry puppet strings up his neck again. His free hand darted out to Redโs throat. He shoved her and she fell back onto the sofa.
โYou shut up,โ he hissed, bending over her. โYouโre going to get us all killed.โ
But he was going to get them killed, those innocent people outside, and he didnโt care, he didnโt care because they werenโt him.
โForty-seven, forty-six,โ the walkie-talkie crackled.
Arthur reached out a hand and Red took it, pulling her to her feet, but it was too late, Oliver was in the doorway, pushing past Reyna to walk down the steps.
โWe have a landline at our place,โ Joyce was saying. โWe can give some of yโall a ride and you can call for help from our house.โ
They walked over to the door, Redโs hand in Arthurโs and she couldnโt remember now, how it had got there.
โOh, donโt worry about it,โ Oliver said, voice loud and cheery. โWeโre ๏ฌne here. We were actually just going to get some rest now; we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. You said the service should be back in the morning, weโll call Triple-A when we wake up, no problem.โ
โAre you sure?โ Don asked. โItโs no trouble.โ
โVery sure,โ Oliverโs voice boomed. โThink we all just want a good nightโs sleep and then weโll worry about getting this RV ๏ฌxed in the morning. Right, gang?โ Oliver turned back to look at them, all six of them gathered by the door, Maddyโs breath on the back of Redโs neck.
โRight,โ Reyna said with a smile, but she didnโt know what was about to happen.
โIf youโre sure?โ Don returned the smile, dipping his head. Could he tell something was wrong? โCome on then, Joyce-bug, letโs get you home.โ
โBefore you go,โ Oliver said with a ๏ฌourish, โI wanted to say thank you so much for stopping, and a huge congratulations on becoming grandparents.โ Red watched as Oliver stepped to the left, reangling Don, putting his back to the sniperโs position.
Where was the red dot?
โCongrats, sir.โ Oliver o๏ฌered his hand to Don in the darkness. Note tucked under his thumb.
โBless your heart, arenโt you sweet?โ Joyce said, as Don reached out and took Oliverโs hand, shaking it up and down just once.
Oliverโs hand withdrew, empty.
Donโs face darkened, his eyebrows drawing low as he looked down at the piece of paper in his hand.
Reyna noticed it too, head shifting sideways on her neck.
โWell, itโs been nice chatting with you all anyway. Don says I can talk until the cows come home.โ Joyce laughed, her face up to the sky, and it was too much, this was too much.
Should Red scream at them to get in the RV, or tell them to run? Like she should have before, if sheโd only listened to her gut and not Oliver.
Don hadnโt moved. His eyes shifted across the note and up, a muscle twitching, pulling at the lines around his mouth. He looked at the broken window again.
โThank you,โ he said, nodding at Oliver, closing his ๏ฌngers around the note. Another nod. Now he must know that something wasnโt right here. But he wouldnโt know what until he unfolded the note scrunched up in his hand. โThatโs very kind of you,โ Don laughed nervously.
Oliver laughed with him. โWell,โ he said, โyou must be tired after such a busy day. Weโll let you get to it.โ
โSure.โ Don gritted his teeth as his boots pivoted on the road, keys jangling in his grip. He turned to his wife, straightening out his face before she saw it. He didnโt want her to know. โCome on then, honey, we better get out of here.โ
Maybe it would be okay. Maybe theyโd get back in their truck and be out of here before the sniper knew anything was wrong.
Red wasnโt breathing, staring as Joyce gave her a ๏ฌnal smile, a ๏ฌnal wave. The only one who didnโt know, eyes kind and crinkled, blue polish peeling o๏ฌ her nails. She turned to go, walking alongside her husband. Red didnโt blink, she couldnโt, she had to protect them with her eyes.
She could hear Arthurโs breath stuttering in his chest, beside her. His hand wasnโt holding hers anymore, small movements in his shoulders, disturbing the air around her. Was he shaking?
โYou have a safe trip home,โ Oliver said cheerfully, raising one hand in goodbye as they approached their truck.
Crack.
Too quick.
Joyce folded sideways onto the road, a space where the middle of her face had been.
โJoyโโ Don said, not panicking yet, because he didnโt know, maybe she just fell.
Crack.
A plume of blood in the headlights.
A gaping hole in Donโs face, beside his forever-open mouth. He fell slowly, knees buckling ๏ฌrst, crumpling backward over his legs, bent all wrong. Empty stare up at the stars, a halo of red pooling on the road.
