Page 14 of Five Survive

“Not to just swoop in and save the day here, but I’m gonna,” Simon said, leaning his elbow on Red’s shoulder. “Can’t believe I’m the observant one here, but: there’s a spare tire on the back of the RV.”

Maddy’s face rearranged, her relief obvious even through the darkness that separated them. She gave Simon an amused smile, and Arthur gave him a pat on the back, the vibration passing through Redtoo.

“Yes,” Oliver said. “I was just going to ask you whether there was a spare.”

Of course he was.

“I assume there’s a jack somewhere?” he asked.

“I’m a Simon, not a Jack,” Simon replied, with a wry smile that Oliver clearly hadn’t noticed.

“I mean the device to lift the—”

“Oh right,thatjack,” Simon said in an exaggerated tone, miming smacking himself on the head. He really did belong on a stage somewhere. “Yeah, I think there’s probably one in those lower storage units.”

“Right, okay.” Oliver clapped and it was too loud, echoing throughthe quiet scrubland, patches of grass bristling at the intrusion. “Let’s get this done as quick as we can, then get back on the road to that fucking campsite.”

The darkness held its breath, listening as they made their plans. Then the wind let go, dancing through Red’s hair, and the grass chattered and the trees whispered, and Red wondered what it was they were saying to each other.

Was now a bad time for Red to say she had to pee?

“Reyna.” Oliver turned to her. “You and Maddy go with Simon to find the jack, and we’ll need a wrench too. Something to remove the nuts.”

“That’s what she said,” Simon whispered so only Red could hear.

“Arthur.” Oliver pointed to him. “You and me will get the sparetire.”

“Okay.”

“What about me?” Red said as the others picked up their feet and started to move.

“Think we are all heading in the same direction,” Arthur said, beckoning for her to follow.

They were, moving as a group to the rear side of the RV, Maddy swiping the flashlight up on her phone to help light the way. She pointed it at the side of the RV, the light glaring against the glossy off-white sides and the red-and-blue-stripe motif along the center. The RV seemed bigger from out here, a faint yellow glow leaking out of the windows. Maddy moved the beam lower, the flashlight revealing three large storage units around the rear wheel, under the overhanging side.

Maddy opened the one at the very end, and Reyna knelt to have a look.

“No, that’s the generator in there,” she said. “Next one.”

Red moved past them, following Arthur and Oliver as they walked around the back of the vehicle. A black ladder was attached here, running to the roof of the RV. And mounted beside it, in a canvas cover, was the spare tire.

Oliver gave it a slap.

“Let me just see something,” Arthur said, planting one foot on the bottom rung of the ladder. He pushed up, climbing fast, his phone a lump in the back pocket of his jeans. Not that Red was looking.

“What are you doing?” Oliver called up to him as Arthur stepped out onto the roof of the RV. He might have lost himself to the dark sky if it weren’t for his white sweatshirt, glowing like the moon. Red looked up even farther and, hey, she could see the actual moon.

“Just wondering if I can see any lights nearby,” Arthur replied, disappearing from sight as he walked farther along. The sounds of his shoes pattering. Red and Oliver waited for the answer.

“Anything?” Oliver said. “Arthur?”

“Er, let me look over here and…” Arthur grunted. “No, I can’t see any.” He came back, looming large over them as he turned and carefully guided his foot back to the ladder. “No sign of civilization anywhere.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Oliver said as Arthur climbed down. “We’ll get this tire changed in no time and be on our way.”

Arthur jumped to the ground, brushing off his knees as Oliver unzipped the canvas cover from the spare tire. He pulled at it and it rattled against its mount.

“Hey, have you found a wrench or something?” Oliver called to the others. “We need it to get the spare down.”