Arthur drew Redโs head back, brushing the wayward hair out of her eyes, and the dirt and the grit.โ
โYouโre okay.โ His words against the back of her head, warm and spreading. One hand against her forehead. โYouโre okay.โ
It was hot in here but Red was shivering, winter-night-without-heating shivering. Worse. Muscles vibrating uncontrollably beneath her skin, teeth chattering, crunching the last ๏ฌecks of dirt in her mouth.
Her breath was too fast, whistling in and out of her chest, agonizing. Why was there pain everywhere? She was alive and it hurt to be alive.
โHe didnโt shoot,โ Arthur said, stroking the back of Redโs head, because she still had one. โYouโre okay, youโre not hit. Youโre in shock. Just breathe.โ
Maddy bent down in front of her, angry red streaks down her face from crying, almost as deep as scratches, like ๏ฌngernails had put them there, not water.
โYouโre okay, Red,โ she said it too, grabbing for Redโs hand, squeezing it. โHere.โ A glass of water appeared in front of Red. Reyna was holding it out, her hair out of place, bunched up like it had been grabbed. But Red couldnโt take the glass, she was shaking too hard, the air quivering around her.
โHe didnโt shoot you.โ
Oliverโs voice, from farther away.
Red turned against Arthurโs chest, looking for where it had come from. Oliver was standing in front of the driverโs seat. He was holding one arm across his stomach, bending over it. There was a red mark on his cheekbone, the eye watering on that side.
โHe didnโt take the shot,โ Oliver continued talking, confusion in the one eye that wasnโt glazed. โI was blocking the door. You were out there for three minutes at least. And yet he didnโt take the shot. Why?โ he asked her, like Red could possibly know why she was still alive.
Red shu๏ฌed, pushing herself away from Arthur, onto her unsteady feet.
Her hands were still shaking, betraying her as she pushed against the ๏ฌoor.
Arthur straightened up too, faster than her, holding Redโs elbow to guide her up. She glanced down at the point of contact, where he held on to her. There was another mark on the back of his hand now, not just the checkboxes and theย YOU OK?ย There was a graze, raw and bleeding, across three of his knuckles. And just to their right, on the ๏ฌoor, the white-and-blue bowl was smashed to pieces, the unfolded paper votes strewn about.
โWhy didnโt he shoot you, Red?โ Oliver said, straightening up with a wince, his voice ๏ฌnding its footing again.
โOliver, no,โ Reyna said, a hint of warning, a growl just beneath the surface.
But Oliver couldnโt be stopped. He wasnโt sorry. That was what heโd said, before he threw Red out of the RV, but he hadnโt meant it. He couldnโt.
He took a step forward.
โYouโre the anonymous witness in the Frank Gotti trial, the entire case rests on you, why didnโt they kill you?โ he said, shaking his lion head. โHe had his opportunity. You were right there. For three minutes. Why didnโt he shoot you, Red?โ
โI donโt know!โ Red shouted back, rage churning in her gut, taking over all those other red feelings. It was brighter, hotter. โI donโt know why he didnโt fucking shoot me!โ
She didnโt. Sheโd almost wished for it, kneeling in the dirt out there. Now the terror was receding, withdrawing from her ๏ฌngertips and her limbs back
into her gut, and she was just as confused as Oliver. This must be about her, about the trial. It was the only thing that made sense.
โHe didnโt shoot you,โ Oliver said again, like saying it would bare the answers, wringing them out of the words. โWhy are you immune? He killed that old couple out there. He shot at Simon in the mirror. Would shoot any of us if we tried to leave the RV, but he didnโt shoot you, Red. And thereโs only one reason why.โ
โWhat?โ Red said, because she wanted to know too. โYouโre the one working with them, arenโt you?โ โOliver,โ Arthur said, low and dangerous.
โRedโs the mole,โ Oliver explained, meeting Arthurโs gaze. โDonโt you see? Itโs the only thing that makes sense. Theyโre not going to kill one of their own.โ
โBut sheโs the witness in the trial?โ Maddy said, voice drawing up at the end, making it a question, seeding it with doubt.
Yes, Red was the witness in the Frank Gotti trial, that much was true, but suddenly she couldnโt speak to defend herself, because how could she? Her throat was narrowing, narrowing, a blockade, sti๏ฌing the words before theyโd formed.
โSheโs the one who led us down this road, told Reyna to keep going,โ Oliver said, raising his thumb, keeping score like Red had before. โThe sniper has known things he couldnโt possibly know unless someone in here was telling him. Our escape plans, the note about calling the police. Redโs been holding the walkie-talkie this whole time, sheโs the one who told us it wasnโt bugged. Why does she know so much about walkie-talkies, anyway? Sheโs outside for three minutes, sheโs the witness, the one theyโre here to kill, and yet they donโt take the shot. Maybe sheโs not the witness, maybe she lied. Because sheโs working with them.โ
But Redย wasย the witness. She might be a liar but that part was true. Then why hadnโt the sniper killed her, the small voice in her head asked. She should be dead now. That must have been what they wanted, what all this was about. โWhy would she be working with them?โ Reyna spat, and it was clear which side she was taking. Reyna couldnโt have been that otherย yesย vote,
could she? But that left Simon, Arthur or Maddy, and that hurt more.
โI donโt know,โ Oliver spat back. โMoney? Everyone knows Red needs money.โ
Red winced. Everyone did, huh?
โBut what does the sniper want if this isnโt about Red being the witness?โ Simon asked, moving his hands up and down like a weighing scale, shooting Red a sympathetic look so she knew it was only hypothetical. Had he been theย Yesย vote? No, Simon wouldnโt do that to her.
โI donโt know butโyou know whatโit doesnโt really matter anymore.โ
Oliverโs eyes ๏ฌashed. โBecause now weโฆWait, hold on a second. Red, hold your hands up in the air where I can see them. Do it now!โ
Red hesitated, glancing around the RV at the rest of them. No, not again. Were they turning on her again? No, she shouldnโt think like that. This was Oliver, all Oliver. They werenโt on his side, theyโd fought him to open the door so Arthur could come get Red, that must be what happened, reading the signs. And yet there was danger in Oliverโs downcast eyes, and Red didnโt want to set him o๏ฌ again, the terror stirring in her gut.
She put her hands up by her head, palms open, arms bent at the elbows, glancing back at the kitchen counter, at the walkie-talkie hissing away on top of it. Her job, her responsibility.
โKeep them there,โ Oliver said, charging forward, but he moved past her, into the kitchen.
Red looked back at Arthur. He was shaking his head.
Oliver went to the oven, pulled it open and reached inside, coming back with the saucepan, lid taped down. He brought it over to the counter and started picking at the pieces of duct tape, peeling them away.
โOliver?โ Maddy asked.
He shushed her, the sound too harsh, like a coiled snake buried there in his throat.
Oliver slid o๏ฌ the lid and reached inside. His hand closed around his own phone, pulling it out from under the rest.
He held a ๏ฌnger up, demanding silence from the rest of them, as he then turned to his backpack on the counter, reaching his spare hand inside. The
hand reemerged clasped around a Bluetooth speaker, black and round, dotted in honeycomb holes.
He turned it on with a welcome beep, and then unlocked his phone to connect.
Red watched him scrolling through his music app again, selecting a playlist labeledย Classic Rock.ย He pressed play on a song and slid the volume bar all the way up.
The guitar began, deafening, striking up and down. Then the drums, shaking the RV and the very bones inside her.
Red looked at Oliverโs screen before he dropped it back into the saucepan, replacing the lid. The song was โParanoidโ by Black Sabbath, and Red must be losing her mind because she almost found that funny, standing here with her hands raised like a fugitive. All because she didnโt die.
Oliver grabbed the walkie-talkie, placing it right beside the too-loud speaker. He still thought it was bugged, didnโt he? Or he wasnโt taking the chance for whatever he had to say next. Oliver moved away, gesturing silently for the others to gather around him by the table. They did. They must have been scared of the danger in his eyes too. Arthur came to stand beside Red, the fabric of his shirt brushing against her raised arms.
โRed,โ Oliver said, and she could only just hear him over the music blaring behind her. โKeep your hands where I can see them or I will duct-tape them behind your back.โ
โThatโs not necessary,โ Arthur growled back at him.
Redโs arms were aching already, elbows drooping, but she kept them up, gritting her teeth.
Oliverโs eyes circled the group, skipping over Red. โWhat I was saying is, it doesnโt matter anymore, whatever this secret is that the sniper wants. Because now we have the upper hand.โ
He paused, waiting for the vocals to come back in on the song.
โWe know they wonโt shoot Red,โ Oliver shouted, voice still half buried. โSheโs immune, for whatever reason, whether sheโs the mole or the witness orโฆit doesnโt matter. What matters is that they wonโt shoot her. And now we know that. And we can use it.โ
โWhat are you saying?โ Reyna shouted, words almost lost under the noise. โIโm saying that Red can leave the RV without getting shot!โ Oliver
replied. โSheโs immune. We can use that to escape.โ
โYou mean send Red out to go get help?โ Simon yelled, hands cupped over his ears.
โNo, not Red!โ Oliver returned, shooting a glance her way, and she raised her hands a little higher. โI donโt trust her. She could be the mole, working with them.โ
โIโm not!โ Red shouted, just as the song was ending, an abrupt and ringing quiet after that last chord.
Oliver silenced them all with his terrible eyes, waiting for the next song to begin. It did, three quick notes strummed on the guitar, followed by another sequence. Red actually knew this song; Mom and Dad used to sing it whenever they were driving on I-95. โHighway to Hellโ by AC/DC, and this time Red couldnโt not laugh as the drums pitched in. No one else could hear except her, and yes, she must have ๏ฌnally lost her mind, like she lost everything else. Retrace your steps, Red. When did you last see your mind?
โThereโs enough evidence to suggest Red is the mole, we canโt trust her!โ Oliver came in with the vocals, showing too many teeth.
โSo, whatโs your plan, then?โ Simon shouted. Plan, plan. Red had a plan once. There was a graze on the skin of Simonโs hand too, as he swiped the hair out of his eyes, dragging it out of his sweat.
Oliver turned to his sister.
โMaddy,โ he shouted as the chorus began. โYou and Red are the same height. Your hair is basically the same color. If we dressed you up in Redโs clothes, the sniper wouldnโt be able to tell the di๏ฌerence. Youโd look the same through his sights.โ He stepped forward, looming over Maddy. โHeโll think youโre Red and he wonโt shoot. You can leave the RV and youโll be ๏ฌne.โ
โI donโt โโ
Maddyโs lips formed around the next words, but she didnโt say them loud enough to be heard.
โHeโll think youโre Red. Sheโs immune for whatever reason; he wonโt shoot. You walk calmly to the truck out there, get in, turn around and drive
away. Youโll take a couple of phones with you and as soon as you drive into a signal, you call the police. Or as soon as you ๏ฌnd a house and ask to use their landline.โ
Maddy backed away from her brother, stumbling against the driverโs seat. Her face changed, rearranging to make room for the fear: a space between her lips, hanging open, a gap above and below the color of her eyes, stretched too wide. She shook her head.
โI donโt think I can,โ she cried, into the music.
Oliver nodded his head in response, making her go still. โYouโre the only one who can!โ he said. โIt canโt be Reyna, or me, or Arthur, or Simon. Youโre the only one who looks like Red. It has to be you. Youโll be ๏ฌne. The sniper didnโt shoot Red. She was out there for three minutes and he didnโt shoot her. All you have to do is get to that truck right there and drive away and you can send help for the rest of us.โ
โOliver, this is too risky,โ Reyna said. โWe donโt know why he didnโt shoot atโโ
โHands up, Red!โ Oliver roared.
Red braced her elbows against her hips, keeping her hands, palm out, by her shoulders. If sheโd lost her mind, then Oliver must have lost his hours ago. How could he ask his little sister to do that? To leave the RV in full view of the sniper? It was madness.
โYou donโt have to do it, Maddy!โ Red shouted, staring at Oliver instead. โYou donโt have to do what he says.โ But wasnโt she a hypocrite, because look at her, standing here with her hands up because heโd ordered her to. The song changed again, to one Red didnโt recognize, more guitars screeching in her ears, more drums beating up and down her ribs.
Maddy looked nervously up at her brother. โI donโt know,โ she said over the music.
He stepped forward. โYou have to do it, Maddy. Youโre the only one who can. The only one who can get help for the rest of us. Donโt you think Iโd go if the circumstances were di๏ฌerent?โ He stabbed a ๏ฌnger against his chest. โIf I could be the one to rescue us all, I would. But thatโs not how itโs played out.
Youโre the only one who can do it. The only one who can make sure we all survive the night.โ
โThis is a terrible idea,โ Arthur said loudly. โMaddy, you shouldnโtโโ โShut up, Arthur!โ Oliver snarled at him, face softening again as he
turned back to Maddy. โIt will work, Maddy. Do you think I would send you out there, my little sister, if I thought there was any chance of you getting hurt? Of course I wouldnโt. They will think youโre Red, and sheโs immune for whatever reason. They will let you go.โ
Oliver was nodding and then so was Maddy, not quite in time with him. โOkay,โ she said, voice wavering, punctured by the screaming guitars. โI
think I can do it.โ
โGood girl.โ Oliver stepped forward, planting a kiss on the top of her head, pinching her shoulder in his full grip. โSimon.โ He whipped around. โWhere did you say the keys were? For the truck?โ
โTheyโre still in Donโs hand,โ Simon replied, gaze darting to Maddy. โOkay, you just walk to Don, calmly, slowly, like you know they wonโt
shoot you because youโre Red.โ Oliver had both his hands on Maddyโs shoulders now, speaking right into her face. โYou take the keys, you can do it, just donโt look at his head. Then you walk to the truck, get in. Start the engine, pull around and drive out of here. Got it? Itโs simple.โ
Maddy was still nodding, sheโd never stopped, but Red could tell that she didnโt want to do this. She was terri๏ฌed, almost vibrating with it. And Red wasnโt sure now if Maddy was more scared of the man out there with the ri๏ฌe, or of that look in her brotherโs eyes.
โI can do it,โ Maddy repeated, eyes swimming as she looked around at them all. โI can do it,โ she said. โIโll get help, I promise.โ
Her eyes latched onto Red. Shifted. What did that mean? Another look Red didnโt understand. Did she want Red to step in, to put a stop to this?
โMaddy, you donโt have toโโ
โRed!โ Oliver spun to face her. โTake o๏ฌ your clothes!โ
โMaddyโs scared, she doesnโt want to do this!โ she shouted back at him.
Oliver took one step forward, but then so did Red, closing the gap. Fuck it, theyโd both lost their minds, they could do this dance together. Oliver
didnโt listen to her last time, about the note, and two people died. He would listen to her this time. It was Maddy, and she was too damn important.
โWhy are you making her do this, Oliver? You donโt know it will work. We donโt know why they let me live just then, but itโs not because Iโm working with them, Iโm not! I donโt care if you believe me, but we both care about Maddy! She is not expendable, just a pawn for you to use in one of your plans. How many of those have gone right for you tonight? Oh, thatโs right, none of them! You canโt send her out there in front of a ri๏ฌe. If Maddy doesnโt want to do this, then she doesnโt have to, and you canโt manipulate or bully her into it. Or throw her out like you did to me!โ
Redโs words had sharpened too, razors dragging themselves up her throat as she threw them toward Oliver. Heโd made her think her last thoughts, out there on her knees, and he wouldnโt do that to Maddy too. No. Enough was enough. Oliverโs eyes ๏ฌashed, but so did hers, jaw clenched, hands still raised but now they were ๏ฌsts.
โRed, take your clothes o๏ฌ!โ Oliver barked. โOliver, stop it!โ Reyna shouted.
โRED?!โ
โNo,โ Red said. โI wonโt. Iโm not listening to you anymore.โ
If Maddy couldnโt refuse her brother, then Red could do it for both of them. She could do that. Maddy took care of her and now it was Redโs turn.
Oliverโs nostrils ๏ฌared, eyes ๏ฌickering as they jumped between Red and Maddy, head hinging on his neck. Dark circles in his eyes like fat beetles, legs skittering up his eyelashes. Red stepped forward again and Oliver moved back, legs knocking into the table. This time he would listen, he wouldโ
Oliver checked behind him, down at the table. In the next second, he lunged for something, wrapping his ๏ฌngers around it.
Red couldnโt see, not until he swung back, the jagged kitchen knife gripped in one hand. Sharp. Re๏ฌecting Oliverโs distorted face back up at him. Rivulets of sweat dripping down his skin.
Maddy gasped. Simon stepped back.
Oliver raised the knife and pointed it at Redโs throat.
โI will only ask you one more time!โ he screamed, and the knife glinted at her. โTake o๏ฌ your clothes!โ
