Oliverโs eyes burned into hers, past them, into the unknowable things behind, like he could see her thoughts racing back and forth, trying to pull them his way.
The static from the speakers ๏ฌzzed against her too-tight ๏ฌngers, tongue pressed against the back of her teeth.
Which one?
She had to choose one of them. Had to make a decision, now, down to her. Two outstretched hands, waiting. Reyna or Oliver?
Redโs heart thudded against her ribs, trying to break free, to take no part in this. Red had known Oliver forever, he was right about that. And sheโd chosen him once already, four hours ago, coming back to the RV when her gut and her mom told her to run. Should she have run? Where would she be by now? Would Don and Joyce still be alive?
โRed!โ Oliver shouted, impatient now, ๏ฌexing his ๏ฌngers and taking one step toward her.
The hairs stood up on the back of her neck and her gut told her to move, to peel away from him because there was danger behind his eyes. And this time, Red listened to it. She backed up, eyes still on Oliver, moving two steps
toward Reyna by the front door. Quickly, before she could regret it, or double- or triple-think it, she turned on her heels and pushed the walkie-talkie into Reynaโs warm hand.
Reynaโs ๏ฌngers closed over it, catching Redโs for a moment. A shared blink.
โNo!โ Oliver barked, charging forward, the RV juddering with his heavy steps.
Arthur darted into Oliverโs path, his body blocking them from him, a line of sweat rolling down his temple.
โStop,โ he said, voice spiking, his mouth grim and tense as he held one hand up to Oliverโs shoulder, pushed against it. โItโs Reynaโs decision if she wants to tell.โ
Simon hurried over too, joining the barricade beside Arthur, arm to arm. The Lavoys on one side of the RV, Reyna and Red by the door, Simon and Arthur in the middle. Maddy had gotten to her feet now, watching, chewing anxiously at her thumb.
โItโs not!โ Oliver stopped in his tracks, spraying the words into Arthurโs face. โItโs my decision. Iโm in charge here. I donโt care what Reyna tells him, I am not leaving this RV! No one is leaving this RV!โ
A ๏ฌutter in his voice, hidden just beneath the rage. He was frightened, wasnโt he? That was what this was. Underneath those too-wide shoulders and golden-brown eyes, and red-๏ฌushed skin, Oliver was scared. By the time it reached the surface, though, it had twisted itself into anger, for cover.
โWe have to do what he wants,โ Reyna called across the barricade. โThereโs no other way.โ
โDonโt you dare tell him, Reyna!โ Oliver shouted back, peering through the gap between Simonโs and Arthurโs heads. โDonโt you dare tell him what I did.โ
The barricade jostled back as Oliver pushed against them.
Reyna sucked in a deep breath and let it out, the air playing through Redโs tied-back hair. She raised the walkie-talkie to her lips and held down the button.
The static cut out.
โHello?โ Reyna said, the word shaking only at the edges. Static.
โHello,โ the voice crackled from the speaker. โIโm here.โ Static.
โReyna, donโt you fucking dare!โ
โItโs Reyna Flores-Serrano,โ she said, holding down the button, pressing her eyes shut. โI think I have the secret that youโre looking for.โ
Static.
โYou do, do you?โ the voice hissed, dark and deep, giving nothing away. โLetโs hear it, then.โ
โReyna!โ
Arthur dug his heels into the ๏ฌoor as Oliver pushed against him. โOliver, stop!โ Simon said from the struggle.
โItโs about what happened to Jack Harvey, in Hanover, in January,โ Reyna said, her chin bunched and trembling, eyes still closed. โHow he died.โ
Static as she let go of the button, eyes ๏ฌickering open, backing away against the door as she looked up and saw Oliverโs face, the silent threat in his eyes.
The static stretched on and on. Universes bloomed and died in the seconds they waited, listening to the empty hiss. Red willed the voice to come, like she had countless times before, di๏ฌerent voice, di๏ฌerent reason, but it never worked before either.
โCome on,โ Simon said, daring a glance back, eyes focusing on the walkie-talkie in Reynaโs grip.
A crackle.
The static died.
Silence. It felt strange in Redโs ears, after all this time.
โSounds like a touching story,โ the voice said. He cleared his throat. โBut itโs not the one Iโm looking for.โ
A gasp. From Maddy; Red knew without looking.
Reynaโs eyes darkened, shadows cast by her eyebrows drawing together, lines of confusion across her forehead. โWhat?โ she whispered to herself, staring down at the walkie-talkie, hissing again.
The struggle in the middle of the RV stopped, Oliver pulling back, straightening up, a new look rearranging his face, red patches slowly receding under his collar. His eyes did the opposite: they lightened.
โItโs not about that,โ he said, voice almost returned to normal, croaking only on the lowest notes. โItโs not about what we did, what happened. Itโs not about me.โ And as he said that last part, the smile was back playing across his face. Not cruel this time, just unapologetic and there, he didnโt try to hide it. He didnโt have to be afraid anymore.
The barricade broke apart. Arthur bent forward, breathing hard, wiping the sweat from his hands against the front of his jeans. Simon stretched up, burying both hands in the mess of his dark hair as he said, โFuck me,โ followed by a low whistle.
โNot about what happened to Jack?โ Reyna said, her voice climbing up at the end, but it wasnโt really a question, not one that needed an answer. She couldnโt believe it, that was why. She had been so sure; Red could tell by her eyes, by the fall of her mouth.
โItโs not about me or Reyna,โ Oliver said through the smile, turning to look at Arthur, Simon and Red in turn. โWe arenโt the ones with the secret. Itโs one of you.โ
The breath caught in Redโs narrowing throat as she studied Oliverโs smile. Was the RV getting smaller around them, tighter? It was supposed to be thirty-one feet but theyโd never measured. What if it was twenty-nine and shrinking? Oh no, Oliver was watching her as she looked around. It couldnโt be her. She had one secret, but no one knew about it, that was the entire point. She didnโt even want to think it, in case Oliver could somehow read it in her eyes. Not him. Especially not him.
Simon shu๏ฌed, and Arthur hid his hands in his front pockets, glancing up at the ceiling. Was the RV shrinking around him too? Squeezing them all together. Too hot. Too stu๏ฌy.
Reyna handed the walkie-talkie back to Red, the weight of it against her skin a small comfort, until the static cut out again.
โIโm starting to lose my patience.โ The voice crackled back into life. โI have twenty-four more rounds with me.โ He paused, let that number sink in.
It did, sinking right into Redโs gut, where it churned with that other, yawning feeling. Twenty-four. Four deadly holes in each and every one of them. โIf I donโt get my answers soon, I will start shooting at the RV randomly.โ
Static.ย Crack.
The microwave exploded.
Maddy screamed. Simon dropped.
Glass rained down, sparks ๏ฌashing around the new hole in the back of the machine, a glimpse through into the night beyond.
There was a matching hole in the bathroom wall. Walls, metal, plastic, glass, it went through them all, in less time than it took for Red to blink, to ๏ฌinch and hold her hands up to her ears, the walkie-talkie hitting the side of her head.
โThereโs one,โ the voice said, whispering right into Redโs ear. The next second, it re๏ฌlled with static.
โFuck!โ Simon said, pushing himself up from the ๏ฌoor, brushing o๏ฌ his legs. Patting his chest like he was checking for holes. But he wasnโt in its path, none of them were. Oliver had been the closest, and the shot had taken something from him: his smile.
Crack.
Redโs hands were ready by her ears.
A splintered hole lower than the last shot, in the wall just above the stove, a few inches closer to where the six of them stood. Oliver darted away, knocking into Arthur as he did, the RV shuddering with his feet. He came to stand by Maddy at the dining table, one hand on her shoulder.
โWe should take cover!โ he yelled.
โWhere?โ Simon shouted back. โThere is no cover. The bullets go through everything!โ
Simon was right; there was nowhere to hide. The RV wasnโt a shield, it wasnโt safety, it was only an illusion, a false barrier between here and the red dot outside. A hot tin can, shrinking, ๏ฌlling with holes. The night punching new eyes through the walls to watch them squirm.
โThereโs two,โ the voice hissed, so close to Redโs face, it was as though she could feel his breath, blowing through the speaker.
He had twenty-two more bullets to go, how long until one of them found ๏ฌesh and bone and worse?
โGive me what I want,โ the voice continued, Red holding it up for the others to hear. โYouโre getting closer. Yes, this is about someone who died. Someone who was killed, in Philadelphia. You know who you are.โ
Static.
Red lowered the walkie-talkie, glancing across at the other side of the RV, catching Maddyโs eye. They held on for two long seconds. There was something new there, a strange shift in Maddyโs eyelids, a glaze like panic across them. A look Red didnโt recognize, and she knew all of Maddyโs faces. What was wrong? Red tried to decipher it, but Oliver interrupted her.
โSomeone who was killed, in Philadelphia,โ he said, repeating the sniper word-for-word.
De๏ฌnitely not Red then. She had never killed anyone, not unless you counted her mom, and Red wasnโt sure people would. It was her fault, yes, all her fault, and she was the one who carried the guilt, but she hadnโt been the one carrying the gun, the one who made her get down on her knees. Two shots to the back of the head.
Simon was shaking his head, running his hands over his torso like he was still checking for holes. Arthurโs hands were in his pockets again, or maybe theyโd never left. Red wasnโt the only one looking; Oliver was studying them too.
โAnything to do with your uncle, Simon?โ Oliver asked, pointedly. โHe lives in Philly too, right, he ever killed anyone?โ
โNo.โ Simon shook his head even harder. โHeโs not like that. And if he has, I donโt know anything about it, itโs not my secret. I swear,โ he said, doubling down on those ๏ฌnal two words.
Reyna shifted behind Red and the RV creaked with her weight. A creak, not so di๏ฌerent from that muted crack, and Redโs hands were ready, halfway to her ears. But it wasnโt, not this time. She looked around, at the cockpit, the dining table, the sofa bed, and it didnโt matter that Maddy also slept on the
left because neither of them would ever sleep on it, the kitchen with the destroyed microwave, the punctures in the bathroom wall. How could she stand here, stand it, knowing that that crack could come any time, and there would be another gaping hole, through the walls, the furniture, her stomach? Blood was red and so was she. The color of her momโs favorite coat, though Red had never worn that one to bed in winter; she couldnโt get close to it, in case she took the smell out of it and replaced it with her own. And, anyway, why was Maddy still looking at her like that?
โArthur.โ Oliver turned to him instead, narrowing his eyes, the pupils grown too large again, dark and unnatural. โYouโre the newest here, arenโt you?โ He didnโt wait for him to answer. โMaddy, how long have you known Arthur?โ
Maddy jumped at the sound of her own name, ๏ฌnally blinking away that look. โOh, um,โ she said, glancing awkwardly across at Arthur. โMaybe six or seven months. Since the start of senior year.โ
Why was she answering, why was she helping Oliver? Couldnโt she recognize the danger back in his eyes? Didnโt she feel it up the back of her neck?
โBut you go to a di๏ฌerent school, right?โ Oliver directed the question back at Arthur.
โRight,โ Arthur said, removing his hands from his pockets, crossing them in front of his chest, the drawnย YES/NOย boxes visible on the back of one hand, Redโs shaky check mark.
Oliver stepped toward him. โYou donโt like your friends at your own school, then? Or they donโt like you? Why is that?โ
โIโI,โ Arthur stuttered. โItโs not like that. I have friends. Simon happens to be one of them. And Maddy. And Red.โ
He said her name last, but there was her mark, right there on his skin, bones rippling beneath it as he tensed.
โWhat are you doing, Oliver?โ Reyna asked. He ignored her.
โBut you live in Philly too.โ Oliver took another step toward Arthur. โAnd youโre the person here that everyone knows the least. Maddyโs been friends
with Red since they were born, and Simon since middle school.โ
โSo?โ Arthur said, taking a step back as Oliver kept coming, prowling toward him.
โSo, are you the one with the secret?โ Oliver pulled up, right in front of him, their noses too close.
โNo,โ Arthur said, raising one ๏ฌnger to push his glasses back up.
โCome on, stop wasting time!โ Oliver slapped a hand down on the kitchen counter beside him and then he charged, wrapping his hands in Arthurโs shirt, driving him backward. โHe could start shooting again any second! Whatโs the secret? Who died?!โ
โI donโt know!โ Arthur shouted back, trying to wrestle his arms inside Oliverโs grip as they slammed back against the refrigerator door.
โOliver!โ Simon darted forward, trying to pull Oliver away, but he was too weak and Oliverโs shoulders too wide. โCan we please remember who the real enemy is?โ he pleaded, voice breaking. โThe guy outside with the fucking ri๏ฌe. Not any of us.โ
โHave you ever hit someone with your car and driven away?โ Oliver shouted into Arthurโs face, those puppet strings under his skin again, at the back of his exposed neck.
โNo!โ Arthur said, struggling against Oliverโs iron grip. โSold drugs to someone? Did someone overdose?โ โNo, Iโve never hurt anyone!โ
Arthur bucked, kicking against the refrigerator, pushing away.
Oliver was stronger, shoved him back, forearm pressed against Arthurโs neck.
โIโm not like that!โ Arthur rasped, the wind knocked out of his chest, trapped in his pinned-down throat.
โOliver, stop it!โ Reyna screamed. But didnโt she know? She couldnโt control him anymore, no one could. He was loose and he was wild.
โSomeone was killed, in Philadelphia!โ Oliver roared in his face. โYou must know.โ
โOLIVER!โ
That was Maddy. He didnโt listen to her either.
โItโs not me, we just learned that!โ Oliver continued, pressing harder. Arthurโs face was turning red. โItโs not what me and Reyna did. And itโs not about the Frank Gotti case, so itโs nothing to do with me or Maddy!โ
Arthurโs eyes darted across to Red, strained and in pain as he struggled against Oliverโs grip. She had to help him.
โOliver, leave him alone!โ Red shouted, daring to move forward. It was useless, Oliver wasnโt listening, too focused on Arthurโs face, inches from his.
โJust tell me what it is!โ Oliver spat. โI am not dying in this fucking RV!โ โM-my br-brother,โ Arthur managed to hiss, raspy and weak.
โYour brother? Your brother fucking what?โ Arthur looked at Red again, wide and desperate.
Red needed to help him. And they had that deal, remember, the one Arthur didnโt know about; that he didnโt have to talk about his brother if she didnโt have to talk about her mom. Except, for some reason, her mom wouldnโt leave her alone tonight.
Oliverโs free hand was at his side, ๏ฌngers balling into a ๏ฌst, then ๏ฌexing out. No.ย Nonono.ย Theyโd just heard what happened after Oliver punched that Jack. Jack might have hit him ๏ฌrst, but Oliver hit him harder and that was all it took. A fatal bleed on the brain. Oliver wasnโt going to hit Arthur, was he? Then why was his thumb tucking itself under his ๏ฌngers, forming a ๏ฌst that stayed?
No, Red couldnโt let him. But what could she do? Oliver was the strongest, the natural leader, the highest-value. Red didnโt have the secret. This wasnโt about what happened to Jack Harvey, or the Frank Gotti case, which she knew forward and back, Oliver had just said that. It wasnโt. The voice had con๏ฌrmed it: Maddy and Oliver werenโt being held hostage for the name of the witness. So what could she do?
But that clue: someone who was killed, in Philadelphia. That ๏ฌt two people Red knew of. Her mom, killed on her knees ๏ฌve years ago in an abandoned power station. Two shots to the back of the head. And the other, more recent, wasโฆunlessโฆunless this whole setup wasnโt about getting the name, like Oliver had initially thought, holding him and Maddy as hostages. What if they already had the name? No, it couldnโt be, that was the whole
point, but it wasnโt impossible, was it? Oliver said it happened all the time. Which meant thatโ
โOliver, stop!โ Simon pulled at his shirt. โYouโre choking him!โ
Red had to help Arthur, she had to, his breath now wheezing through his throat in a terrifying low whistle, Oliverโs ๏ฌst raising by his side. Red had to help, and now she knew how. They already had the name, didnโt they? That was it. Why hadnโt she realized sooner? Why had she blindly followed what Oliver said? Maybe she had realized, part of her, and sheโd only wanted to keep it, like Oliver had with his secret. Of course. She knew it now, cold and inevitable. This was all about her. About the plan. If she gave it up now, sheโd lose it all, wouldnโt she? But she had to help Arthur.
โStop!โ Red screamed, the sound tearing at her throat. โOliver, leave him!
Itโs me!โ
Oliver pulled back slightly, releasing Arthurโs throat. His head whipped over his shoulder and he stared at Red. โWhat did you say?โ he demanded.
Arthur coughed, bending over as Oliver ๏ฌnally let go, stepping away from him.
Red looked up and breathed out. โIโm the one with the secret.โ
