Page 92 of Lady and the Camp
We cut through the path reaching the obstacle course first, then the thicker trees and brush beyond. We combed the woods, circled around, and back again. Nothing.
I wiped sweat from my forehead. “Where is this guy?”
“Maybe he never jumped the fence.” Brycen paced in a tight circle. “He could have reached the boundary and followed the fence line up to the main road on your side.”
I checked my phone again. Texted back to my camp security.We’ve got nothing.
Sorry, man. Sheriff isn’t available now either.
I sighed and showed Brycen the text.
“Let’s head to camp and regroup.”
Back at the Trail Blazers, the camp was eerily quiet. Desolate even. “Where is everybody?”
“Probably in the lodge,” Brycen answered. “Smart.”
Something yellow caught my eye. Round and sailing through the air. Sailing….atme.
I ducked but was too late. “Ah!” The object made impact and exploded against my arm. A shower of water sprayed my face and body.
Three pink-haired heads shot up from behind the deck railing at the lodge. “Mr. Lucas? Is that you?” a girl’s voice called out.
I shook off the water and grumbled something unintelligible. Heck, it was unintelligible tome.
“Sorry!” That came from Bianca.
“Come on out,” Brycen yelled. “No more water balloons.”
Campers emerged from the cover of trees and other hidden areas. A teen boy with braces approached. “In case anybody came at us this way, we were prepared.”
Prepared.With water balloons. Against a guy with a who-knew-what agenda. “Whose idea was that?” I couldn’t help asking.
The boy scuffed his feet. “I think her name’s Bianca. But we were all in. It was all of us. Together. Filling balloons and taking position.”
I shot Brycen a look. He took in a calming breath, but he looked anything but Zen. “Thanks, Eli. Go on and get your friends ready for lunch.”
Hudson jogged over. “Don’t get mad.” She winced at her own words. “I did not condone or encourage the water balloon attack strategy. Or the pink hair. Turns out they’re very protective.”
“You’ve got some loyal campers.” Brycen looked between the two of us. “Loyal staff, too. Look, once this threat clears, we should talk, Lucas. About the future of our camps.”
“Sure.” Agreeing got Brycen off my back for the moment. I had too much else on my mind to consider anything other than the immediate danger to Hudson and the campers. “Hudson, can I talk to you?”
She nodded and veered off to a spot out of earshot from campers and staff. I followed, dreading what I had to tell her.
She spun to face me. “I’m leaving camp. I have to.”
I began to object when she raised a hand. “I saw you and Brycen tearing into the woods and knew it was bad. One of the girls overheard you say a cabin was broken into.” Her lip trembled. “I’m assuming it was mine. Someoneislooking for me, aren’t they?”
“We still don’t know that. We only know someone was on-site. We don’t even know if it’s the same person coming back for what they couldn’t do the last time. We just don’t know.”
She bit her lip. I was desperate to pull her into my arms, to tell her everything would be okay. But I needed answers.
Hudson stepped closer. “I keep telling them the posts they found online are too disconnected, too far-fetched. But what if it’s true?”
I rubbed my palms against my shorts—still wet from splash damage. “We need to go back to our camp and assess. Make a plan. We’ll leave the campers here with Maggie, the counselors, and the Trail Blazers staff.”
Brycen walked over. “Sorry to interrupt, but we should go to your side of the camp and check out the damage. The kids can stay here.”
