Camp Wacko: The Drones of Summer

by Faith Wilkins

  “You look great, by the way.”

  He drove off, going as fast as he possibly could. I could hear him whooping with joy from the rush as I turned to go inside, wondering why I hadn’t been able to tell him anything.

  Trouble with a Capital T

  ALL I COULD hear were the huffs and puffs of the other runners. Sweat ran down my forehead along my nose, clothes clinging to my body. I felt like barfing. My vision was getting blurry and it wasn’t because I had left my glasses in the dorm room. There was a loud pounding in my head that pulsed through my ears.

  We had been running this track for the past hour. The heat was getting to be unbearable. You’d think I’d be used to this, since I used to run the track every day at my school back home, but this was far worse. For one thing, this track was way bigger. Furthermore, I had never had to run for this long. I don’t think even the cross-country team had to run this long. There were two-minute breaks, of course. But they were only long enough for us to get some water and rest for a second. Then we were off again.

  I watched Dustin zoom past everyone. I still hadn’t been able to tell him the whole truth. I certainly couldn’t do it now. He ran a whole lap ahead of me. Why did he even put himself through this stuff? He was the headmaster’s son. He’d probably already been trained. He had told me once that he had learned everything he needed to know by the time he was around eight. So he was just showing off. What made things worse was that True trotted right behind him. As you may have already guessed, I’m not that great of a runner. Never have been. Probably never will be.

  I thought back to last night. Once Dustin left, I had immediately tried to contact Agent Cooper. However, when I pressed the special button on my handy-dandy frames, nothing happened. Only snowy static filled my vision. I was forced to remove the glasses entirely. I tried shaking them, tapping them against my knee. Nothing worked. The lenses showed only static. When I pressed the button again, the static cleared, but the overall problem still remained. I could no longer communicate with the FBI.

  Trying hard not to panic, I had quickly checked the recording device. Well, that was still working at least. There wasn’t any need to keep recording, because Dr. Wacko had said pretty much everything they needed to hear. Now all I had to do was to make sure it stayed safe and hidden. I decided to hide it under the bed in one of the many new shoe boxes found in the closet.

  Right after I had slid the shoe box under the bed, True had arrived, appearing just as drained as I felt. She told me Dr. Wacko had plans for her too. She would be second in command. Apparently that meant she’d be overseeing all the kids that entered this advanced academy. She would also become the main recruiter and motivator. True was as creeped out as I was. There was no doubt about it. This psycho had to be stopped. Since I had no idea how to regain contact with Agent Cooper, I would have to find my own way to make this happen.

  Back on the track, the horn finally sounded, signaling that we were done. Many dropped right where they were. I crawled to the overhang where everyone gathered for water and Gatorade. Everybody was dead on their feet. It was still fairly early in the morning and we’d already run for an hour. The camp counselors told us we had forty-five minutes to do whatever we wanted, then we were to report to the gymnasium and wait for further instructions. Some camp.

  A few kids headed for the bathrooms, while others went for the showers. A whole bunch of kids literally ran for the pools. I personally wanted a shower more than anything at the moment, but not the public ones. Gross. I went back to the dorm and took a long, private shower.

  Once dressed, I went to the volleyball nets. I seriously needed to get my mind off some things, and letting off some steam at the courts was a good way to do it. Not a whole lot of people were there. Entire nets remained unoccupied. I picked up a ball. A girl walked over to the other side of my net. She looked to be about my age, slightly taller. Her sleek dark hair had been pulled back into a red scrunchie. She wore bright red shorts and a yellow tank top. The girl waved. I waved in return.

  “Wanna play some volleyball?” she asked.

  I nodded. As it turned out, the girl could play some serious volleyball. She had me running for my money. The ball didn’t even hit the ground for the whole set.

  Soon enough, the horn sounded again. Neither of us wanted to quit, but we had to.

  “You’re really good,” I complimented her as we made our way to the gym.

  She grinned. “Thanks. You too. My name’s Candy.”

  “Cool. My name’s Lily.”

  The word “huge” would be an understatement when describing the room we stepped into. The gymnasium was as big as a high school. Weights, treadmills, and a whole bunch of other exercise equipment were set up. Counselors gave us the orders, stationing different groups at different places.

  My group was on the mechanical bicycles. Oh joy. I hated these, but I managed to keep my legs pumping. Dustin was in my group. So was Candy. They were on the bikes on either side of me. Dustin winked at me and began to pedal faster. Immediately I began to pedal faster too. Even though the bikes weren’t going anywhere, we had a full-fledged race going on. Candy soon joined in.

  After all the running earlier, it didn’t take long for my legs to get tired. Dustin and Candy showed no sign of stopping, so I tried my hardest to keep up. However, I was not as equipped for this type of thing as they obviously were, so I eventually slowed and left them to race.

  Dustin seemed impressed that Candy could still keep up after so long. There was something else in his expression. Interest. He was checking her out and he liked what he saw. I followed his gaze. She was definitely pretty with her olive skin and high cheekbones. She was sweating, but every hair on her head remained in place; every piece of clothing stayed neat and unwrinkled. Candy’s clothes clung to her in a sort of elegant way, showing off her lean body. I glanced down at my own attire, a T-shirt that was pasted to my body with sweat and a pair of baggy Bermuda shorts. Not my best look. Since I had awakened to find everyone gone already—I had been up all night thinking, as usual—I had thrown some clothes on in a hurry. I was skinny enough, but not exactly toned, if you know what I mean. My hair had been pulled back into a messy ponytail. To make things worse, on top of everything else going on, I had started to break out on my chin.

  So why wouldn’t he like Candy? Compared to me, she appeared, well, perfect. Athletic and good-looking. Everything a guy would want. His dad really didn’t make a very good matchmaker. Cameron had been his first pick for Dustin’s mate. That made two bad choices in a row now. Would he try to get rid of me like he did Cameron? The thought of what happened to her caused my head to swim.

  “Hey, are you okay?” Dustin had stopped pedaling to stare at me, worry plain on his face. Candy had also stopped pedaling. The feeling of their eyes upon me made me even more self-conscious.

  I assured them I was fine, but my voice sounded slightly strangled.

  Neither of them were satisfied. Dustin insisted that I take a break, while Candy handed me a water bottle.

  Get a grip, Lily. Nobody’s getting rid of anyone. You’re just overreacting, I thought, trying to calm myself down.

  Before I could hop back on the bike, it was time to move to the bench-press station. The weights had been set up in a line, steadily increasing in size. At least for the majority of us, the point of this training session was to ease us back into the normal routine of the previous academies we had attended. Starting off slow, we worked our way up through the line of weights, testing our limits and moving forward from there.

  I was definitely rusty after spending a year of fairly normal life before it was taken away from me yet again. The forty-pound weights weren’t very difficult, though. I moved along the line easily without much stress. A counselor stood behind each set of weights as a spotter, making sure we didn’t hurt ourselves. I didn’t start to have difficulty until we came to the big guns, which were the hundred- to two-hundred-pound weights. I set my back flat against the bench,
making sure my hands were spaced just so on the steel bar. With a quick intake of breath, I pushed up, lifting the weights only slightly. Opting to try again, I pushed harder, sweat beginning to break out in small beads on my forehead. I was able to lift the weights only a little bit higher than before. Exasperated, I set the bar back in its rack, sitting up to take a break for a minute. My spotter handed me a water bottle. I craned my neck to see Dustin and Candy, who had already moved two sets ahead of me. Sweat ran down Dustin’s slightly reddening face, but he was doing well. Candy had a harder time, arms shaking under the pressure. However, she managed just fine, a slight smirk showing off the dimple in her left cheek as she succeeded in lifting the heavy weight high over her head before slowly setting it back down.

  With a huff, I decided to try again. Determined, I pushed with everything I had. Every muscle in my body begged for me to stop, but I kept pushing forward. My spotter stood at the ready, obviously expecting me to drop it or something. Finally I managed to lift them high over my chest. I grinned, quite satisfied with myself.

  My arms wobbled. Oh crud. Brought to the brink, my poor arms gave way, causing the weights to come swooping down at my chest with startling speed. Like a pro, my spotter rushed forward, grabbing hold of the bar and setting the weights down before they crushed my windpipe. I sat up, breathing hard. The counselor patted my back, letting me know that was enough of the bench press for me that day. I gladly accepted my water bottle from him and took the time to glance down the line again.

  Dustin and Candy had moved even farther down the line. Dustin acted as Candy’s spotter as she attempted to lift one of the heaviest weights. She struggled to lift it, her olive skin turning a soft maroon. Dustin put his own hands under the bar, helping her lift it. With a cry of triumph, she managed to lift it a few inches above her chest, with Dustin’s help of course. After they set it back down, Candy bounced up to give Dustin a high five. Laughing, they didn’t bother to move down the line anymore, chatting as if they were old friends.

  I had just decided to join them when one of the counselors blew a loud whistle. It was time to move to the next station. Luckily, lunchtime came only a few minutes after.

  This time True and Candy sat with me and Dustin.

  Candy told us about her family. She was the middle child in the perfect nuclear family of three children and two parents. They were all into sports. Her dad was a gym coach and her mom was a professional volleyball player. She had even been in the Olympics. Candy’s big brother was in pro football, while her little sister played lacrosse. Her parents had heard about the summer camp and immediately signed her up. Her siblings were already in camps of their own.

  I wondered if she knew this wasn’t a normal summer camp. By the look on True’s face, I could tell she was thinking the same thing. Dustin’s expression startled me. His eyes shone with the hungry desire of a kid in a candy store. Pun fully intended. Face tilted toward the lean, mean athletic machine, he gazed at her like she was some kind of gift from God. Something from deep within my stomach churned, making me feel quite literally sick. The irritating part was that she didn’t even appear to notice, oblivious to the love-struck boy as she continued to chatter, taking big bites of her veggie wrap in between words. Careful to keep my gaze away from Dustin, I pretended to be fully engaged in the conversation while my mind angrily drifted.

  The second-worst part of this stupid camp was the hikes they made us take. We even had to carry backpacks full of gear while we made our way up steep hills and around jagged rocks. After lunch, Dustin and Candy proved they were great at this too. They hurried along without a sweat, leaving me in the dust. True lagged behind with me just because she was a good friend.

  I trudged along, tripping on loose rocks now and then. This was hardly a trail. Dense with thickly leafed trees, bushes, and the occasional wild animal, it was more like bushwacking through the forest. I struggled with my boulder of a backpack, feeling like I was booking it through the school hallways again with my heavy schoolbooks in tow. My body ached with the scratches and bruises accumulating on various patches of skin. True tried to help me as best as she could, but nobody could ease the pain and anxiety I felt.

  Soon the other campers weren’t even in view anymore. The counselors didn’t seem to be bothered by the fact that the woods had swallowed up two of their campers. They continued on with the other, more agile students. With an exasperated groan, I swung the stupid gear off my aching back and plunked down on a decent-sized rock, the cool hard surface a relief to my bare legs. True took a seat on the soft forest floor.

  “So,” True said, taking a swig out of her water bottle. “D’ you think she knows yet?”

  I didn’t have to ask to whom she was referring. Taking a long gulp from my own water bottle, I replied, “No, but she will. The way he’s looking at her…she’s bound to notice sometime.”

  “He looks at you like that sometimes.”

  Rolling my eyes, I ignored the outrageous comment, suggesting that we get a move on before we were completely left behind. By my brooding manner, my friend knew not to bring the subject up again.

  Evil Planning

  THE TRAINING BECAME more tedious as time went by. Within a matter of days, our free time was limited to twenty minutes. The focus of the training changed constantly. One day it was all about exercise and upper-body strength. The next, we learned about chemistry and advanced biology. Then came Technology 101. Everything and anything that could possibly be jammed into our brains was taught. I got the feeling they wanted to turn us into perfect little adults with the knowledge of scholars. We had to be able to know everything. Do everything. I felt like my head was going to explode with all this information, splattering the walls with bits and pieces of my fried brain.

  Candy slowly became aware of Dustin’s blooming crush. She calmly took things in stride. The right words and the right body language had the boy wrapped around her finger like a limp piece of string. He was the puppet and she the puppeteer, pulling whatever strings she wanted to. Watching the whole ordeal play out brought bile to my mouth. Time was rapidly running out and here Dustin was, following this girl around. He had promised he would do everything in his power to stop what was about to unfold. I was livid to realize that this boy just could not keep his promises. I made a point of avoiding the two of them, going out of my way to stay out of their path. They were what you would call a package deal now, and I really didn’t have the stomach to see it day after day.

  However, they were not really a couple per se. No, it was more like Dustin was her loyal subject. He carried her books for her, held the door open for her, the works. They didn’t act like a normal couple either. There were no public displays of affection or anything like that. It was more like she led and he followed. Again, the sight was rather repulsive, so I averted my eyes every time they skipped past, lost in their own world of Candy. Now and then I thought I felt Dustin’s gaze upon me for a second or two, but I never looked up to see.

  While all of this drama took place, True and I were still trying to come up with some kind of plan that would include both the disruption of Dr. Wacko’s plans and our escape. My friend had been a little more social than I had, talking to as many of our fellow campers as possible. This is how she found out about a specific group of kids whose ultimate goal was the same as ours, to stop whatever Dustin’s father was planning and get the heck out of here. They were a very close-knit group, kind of like a club. There were even rumors of their knowledge of the only possible way out. How it was possible for such a group to form so quickly was questionable, but True swore they existed. They didn’t trust just anyone, so getting them on our side would be tricky.

  We would have to find a way to infiltrate the group and gain their trust. The only way to do so was to befriend one of the existing members. At the moment, True knew of only one person she was almost a hundred percent sure of. You’re going to love this one. Candy.

  I frowned at the thought as I got ready to leave the dor
m room for a little late night snooping. True and I had agreed to take turns, and tonight was mine. For about the hundredth time, I tried to get my spy-tech glasses to work. Nothing, just static. I rubbed my arm, remembering the tracking device. For some reason, the area was bothering me more than normal. Just where were my FBI friends, anyway? I thought for sure they would have been here by now. When I got out of this place, I was definitely going to have a few choice words for Agent Cooper.

  A soft rustling came from somewhere outside, causing me to lose my train of thought for a second. With a shake of my head, I dismissed the sound. Probably a wild animal or something. There it was again. This time quiet voices accompanied the sound. Curious now, I silently trotted over to the window in swift movements. Darkness, darkness, and more darkness. I couldn’t see a thing. However, my hearing was fully operational and there were definitely people out there. I hurriedly threw on a jacket and tiptoed down the ever-so-long flights of stairs.

  Stepping out into the warm night air, I strained to hear what I had heard back in my room. I surreptitiously made my way around the whole dorm building. No dice. Baffled, I continued to investigate in the direction from which the mysterious voices had come.

  I had only gone a few paces before spotting a patrol car. These guys were no joke. I didn’t know what the consequence was for being caught outside after curfew, and I had no desire to find out. I quickly ducked behind the closest thing available and waited for it to pass.

  As the vehicle came closer, I was surprised to find Headmaster Crazy behind the wheel. He whizzed passed without a sideways glance in my direction, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. In the passenger’s seat sat a boy I had seen around campus, tense and alert. I decided to follow, my curiosity piqued.