Page 38 of Five Survive

“He’s going to kill us,” Simon said, and his voice didn’t match the words, hollow and flat.

“I don’t want to die,” Maddy cried, a new tear cascading to the cliff edge of her nose. It jumped free, splattering on the floor.

Red took Maddy’s hand again, gave it a squeeze. Not quite anit’ll be okayanymore, but anI’m here too.

Oliver nodded to himself, once, twice, then he lurched forward to pick up the walkie-talkie again.

“We’ve already called the cops,” he said. “A while ago. They say they’ll be here any minute.”

Static.

A crackling sound, cold and inhuman. He was laughing again.

Oliver waited for the static to return, then he held down the button.

“Yeah. Hilarious, isn’t it? They’ll be here in less than five minutes, so you should probably pack up and start running if you want to get a head start.”

“The cops aren’t coming. No one’s coming to help you.”

A muscle twitched in Oliver’s cheek.

“Yes they are. We called them,” he said, a new hint of desperation in his voice.

Static.

“You didn’t call anyone. There’s no service. I made sure of that.”

Oliver lowered the walkie-talkie, his thumb straying away from the button.

“FUCK!” he screamed, holding on to the word as it ripped at his throat. Flecks of spit in the air.

“He knocked out the cell service?” Reyna said, her hand movingto the back of Oliver’s neck as he bent forward, elbows to his knees, head to his hands. Defeated already.

“How could he do that?” Simon said, turning to aim the question at each of them. Nothing.

“The more important question is why,” Reyna replied. “What does he want? We give it to him and maybe he lets us go.”

“He wants to kill us,” Maddy said, squeezing Red’s hand back, so hard that she felt their bones crunching together.

Oliver sniffed, straightening up. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and pushed the button.

“Please don’t kill us,” he said.

Oliver Lavoy was not ready to die. Were any of them?

A crackle from the walkie-talkie.

“That depends on you,” the voice said. “I want something from you. And I will get it before the night is over.”

“I said you can take my credit card. All of our cards. Take whatever we have.”

Red had nothing.

Static.

“I told you, it’s not money I want.”

“Ask him what he wants,” Simon said, flapping one hand to get Oliver’s attention. “Ask him.”