I had only a minute to take everything in before I heard someone coming. Panicking, I whipped my head around to look for a hiding spot. The only objects in the room were a large grand piano and a few armchairs tucked away in the corner. In a dead run, I flung myself underneath one of the chairs, squeezing my body through. To my great delight, flaps hung on the bottom, concealing whatever lay hidden underneath.
I could feel the vibrations of their boots hitting the floor as they marched into the room.
“All right, this kid has to be around here somewhere. If they had gotten out, we would have known about it. You and you, come with me. The rest of you, search this room,” the head guard ordered.
“There isn’t much to search, sir.”
“Just do it,” he snapped.
After he left, the two guards began their search. I couldn’t see them, but I could hear their footsteps against the wooden floor as they moved across the room. One of them began to walk in my direction until I could hear them right in front of the chair. I held my breath, staying absolutely motionless.
Finally, after a few minutes, one of the guards announced that the room was empty, muttering angrily about his grumpy boss as they both left the room. I waited five more minutes before peeking out from under the chair. I faced the grand piano, which seemed to stare down at me disapprovingly as I shimmied my way out from under the chair.
To my left was a beautiful oval-shaped doorway. As I stepped through it, I realized that I had entered a courtyard. A magnificent angel fountain stood in the center, wings spread and water spouting from its mouth and into the large basin below. Ferns had been strategically planted throughout the courtyard. Bushes lined the pathway, exotic flowers surrounding each cement bench.
I hurried down the pathway, running down steps that led to a large arched gate. I hesitated before touching it. What if this was like the one surrounding the campus, charged with a million watts of electricity? I stood there for a minute, contemplating what to do.
There was a shout from behind me. I turned to meet the gaze of one of the guards staring through the glass window of the ballroom-type room. For some reason, they had decided to come back. At the same time he broke into a dead run, I reached for the gate. Thankfully, they hadn’t bothered to make it electrified. The old gate swung open almost too easily. I sprinted through, running blindly until I realized the courtyard had been placed on the East side of the mansion. I ran westward toward the dorms, thankful that I had been smart enough to wear all black. Tonight the moon was almost completely covered by thick clouds, turning the sky nearly pitch black.
After a while, I noticed that I couldn’t hear any footsteps behind me, no ragged breathing or shouting. Nothing at all. I turned to see that no one was following me. Frowning, I wondered why. Someone had just broken into the headmaster’s house. Wouldn’t he have everyone searching for them? Foolishly, I stopped running entirely. I still didn’t hear a thing. It was as if it were any other night. Baffled, but grateful at the moment, I made my way back to the dorm building.
Drone Training
“I HAVE TO admit, this is pretty interesting.”
I watched silently as Jack studied the initials on the back of the pool ball, brushing over the letters with his thumb. In his other hand, he held a regular ball from the pool table in the dormitory’s lounge area. This one only had the Wackerson Academy logo on the back.
It was early the next morning and we all sat around the same abandoned snack booth Candy had showed us the previous day. We didn’t have much time. Training would be starting up again as soon as breakfast was over.
He glanced back up at me, expression borderline impressed. “Nice job, Lily. Looks like you’re in, too.”
I raised an eyebrow. After everything I had been through last night, I felt like I had a right to be accepted into the group. I had told them about what had happened. They all had agreed that it was strange no one had pursued me, and they all seemed intrigued by the pool ball.
True had already given us the full report on what she had been able to find out about the kid soldiers. According to her, we hadn’t been able to recognize them because they had been shipped in from a different academy, perhaps even multiple academies. Each member had undergone a top secret experiment known as Drone Mission IV. This group was made up of the few people who had survived. The specific procedure was unknown to her, but the result was what we had witnessed the other day. Their minds had been almost completely erased, replaced with an artificial intelligence able to receive any kind of order programmed into their system. They had become a strange hybrid of robot and human, perhaps lost to the normal world forever.
We had asked her how she was able to acquire such information. Her reply: “When you’re at the wrong place at the right time, you happen to hear the strangest things.”
She did not elaborate, and oddly enough, neither Jack or Candy pushed her to do so. They were too stunned by what she had just told us.
After True and I had proven ourselves worthy enough to join their precious group, it was finally time to get down to business before training started up again. It just so happened that they had been planning their escape for a few weeks now, and the plan was almost complete. All we needed to do was to choose the right time to make our move. Of course, this would have been easier to figure out if True and I knew how they planned to escape, but apparently we couldn’t be trusted with that information quite yet.
Timing meant everything and we agreed that the darkness of night would be a great cover. But after curfew, there were the patrol cars to think about. As a group, we would bring too much attention to ourselves. Therefore, we would have to leave the dorms one at a time or in pairs at the most, with a certain time lapse between each person or couple. We would meet down by the woods. Jack refused to say more after this, indicating that whatever means of escape they had found was somewhere in those woods. The day was yet to be declared. All we needed to know right now was that it would be soon.
A loud horn sounded. The signal of the end of breakfast and the beginning of another grueling day. Off we went, slinging bags over our shoulders and trudging after the head counselors with our feet slightly dragging along the way.
Nobody wanted another day of getting beaten nearly to a pulp by those freaky robot kids.
When we arrived, there they were, as if they hadn’t even moved. Again, Dustin stood in front and again the leader of the strange little robot army stood right by his side. I knew Dustin could feel me staring at him, but he avoided my eyes completely, his whole body purposely facing the other direction. I watched as he made eye contact with Candy instead. Their eyes locked for a split second. She cocked her head as if asking a question. He simply looked away. Candy raised an eyebrow and her gaze fell on me for a second. I could only indicate my own confusion with a shrug, trying hard to smother a tiny sense of satisfaction.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of something resembling a rope dangling from one of the tree branches. I looked up to find a strange web of ropes high above our heads, connected by knots the size of baseballs. From what I could see, there was no netting on the ground. Hopefully this meant we wouldn’t have to climb whatever that thing was. I mean, they weren’t crazy enough to send us up there without any netting to catch us if we fell. Right?
“Our last session was a test for us to see how far you have come in your combat training.” Dustin spoke just loud enough for us to hear him, his voice soft and void of emotion. “For the most part, the results were impressive. You are definitely the right group for this mission. It’s time to take things to the next level.”
He pointed skyward, causing everyone to look up at the web of ropes. “Like before, you will be paired with one of these soldiers behind me. Only this time, each one has been set to your individual level, so the circumstances should not be as difficult for you. The fun will be in the location. You will be fighting up there, while struggling to maintain your balance and control. If any of you are
afraid of heights, this will not be a very enjoyable session for you.”
With the snap of his fingers, a few ropes fell to the ground, our means of transport into the trees. The branches trembled. Squinting, I noticed dark figures hidden among the foliage. They had to have been sitting up there the whole time. I wondered if they were part of the robot kid army.
We were split up into groups, each group sent to a different cluster of trees in certain corners of the field. True and I weren’t in the same group. We could only pass uneasy looks as we were paired with our sparring partners and sent to our stations.
“Joe A-1 will be your partner today,” Dustin informed me once it was my turn to go up.
The leader of the army stepped forward, ready for action. Oh man. If this guy was as ruthless a fighter today as he was the other day, I was going to have a serious problem. I shot Dustin a look, trying and failing to hide my growing unease.
Pressing his hand to the small of my back, he appeared to be sending me on my way toward the trees. Instead he leaned in ever so slightly.
“You’ll be fine. Trust me,” he whispered. “You’re not still afraid of heights, are you?”
“Of course not,” I muttered, already getting queasy at the thought of fighting with this guy so high up.
Dustin patted my back, giving me a small nudge forward. “Just focus on the fight, nothing else. Good luck.”
Before I could say thank you, he was on to the next person, calling another member of the human drones to step forward. The boy, or rather, Joe A-1, followed my every move. I stepped forward to grab hold of the rope I would need to use to climb into the treetops. Glancing up, I could now see a masked figure looking down at me. They were holding the rope steady.
I took a deep breath. This was definitely going to be a very different experience. I began to climb, bracing my feet against the thick tree trunk to lessen the amount of upper-body strength I would need to pull myself up. It still took me a few minutes to reach the top, where the mysterious figure let go of the rope to help me up. As soon as I was stable, they went right back to holding the rope steady as my scary combat partner made his way up with startling strength and speed. I turned my attention to the branches. Multiple ropes had been tied to a number of the sturdiest branches available. Chest tightening a little, I quickly chose the biggest branch I could spot and climbed on. Under my weight, it bent slightly, causing the leaves to shake. Gritting my teeth, I kept moving until I reached where the rope began.
The way the ropes had been connected resembled the grid pattern of a net. I noticed that some kind of wire had been intertwined with the rope, making the small holes in the net even smaller. I tested the strange netting with my hands, keeping my stomach flat against the branch. It felt sturdy enough, but I was still very tentative when placing a knee, and then another, onto the web. Amazingly, it remained taut, barely sagging under the pressure.
By the time I was finally able to stand upright, Joe A-1 was already right behind me. I backed up a bit in order to have more room, struggling to keep my balance. The web wobbled a little. A few of the others had already begun to fight, keeping as far from the edge as possible. Joe followed, mimicking my every step, dormant eyes trained on me. It was beyond creepy.
“So, are you afraid of heights?” I squeaked, taking a quick glance down.
My stomach did a somersault. I pressed a hand to my forehead, closing my eyes for a minute. Deep breaths.
Joe A-1 cocked his head, blinking. He didn’t seem to fully comprehend what was wrong with me. Nor did he understand my question.
“Is your name really Joe A-1?” I tried again, desperate to keep my mind off the ground below.
Again, just a slight incline of the head and a few blinks. This guy really wasn’t much of talker, was he?
“All right then,” I said, moving into fighting stance. “Let’s get this over with.”
That he understood perfectly. Within two quick steps, he was upon me, fists flying. I deflected the throws as best as I could, already struggling to catch my breath. I thought Dustin had promised they had been reprogrammed to our level. This particular drone was coming at me nearly just as hard as our first fight.
Without warning, Joe A-1 fell back, allowing me a few minutes to breath.
“Attack me,” he ordered calmly.
I frowned, standing up straight. “Excuse me?” “Attack me,” he said again, a little more forcefully this time.
I reluctantly obeyed, half expecting the ease with which he blocked my attack. Beads of sweat running into my eyes, I hit him with everything I had, determined to get at least one punch in. Of course he didn’t slow down, but this time neither did I.
Finally, my fist connected with his jaw, sending him stumbling backward. This was my only chance to actually win this fight. I continued to go at him with as many punches and kicks as I could muster. Although he had been taken aback, he was still able to fend me off with more strength than any normal human being. However, I was able to bring him to his knees. I backed away, watching.
“You are very good.” Joe A-1 was panting as he started to stand back up. Panting!
“Thank you,” I breathed. “You’re quite the lean, mean fighting machine yourself.”
A hint of a smile crossed his lips before he went into drone mode again, coming toward me like the Terminator himself. In an instant, something was very different. His eyes had glazed over, a determined look on his face.
I wasn’t sure what brought on this change, but I really didn’t have the time to find out. He had taken out a small dagger from one of the many pockets on his thick black pants. I wondered if there was a different weapon for each pocket. It wouldn’t surprise me if there were.
Without warning, his right leg came spinning out in a sweeping kick, tripping me. I fell flat on my back, the mixture of rope and wire cutting into my skin. I tried to get up, but Joe A-1 was too fast. He had me pinned down, knife at my throat. His full body weight felt as if I had a car on top of me. There wasn’t time to think of the best possible move to use to get myself out of this situation, so my instincts kicked in. I kneed him where it counted.
Pain contorted his features and he loosened his grip, just a little. At least now I knew he was somewhat human. I used all of my strength to push him off. This training session was getting to be a little too intense for me. The second I felt his weight shift, I was gone, running across the net for for the trees.
Unfortunately, he was right behind me. I pushed through other kids’ training sessions, dodging the swipes of other weird robot kid hybrids meant for their sparring partners. I didn’t realize how far away we had moved to the center of the web. I could see the figure still perched in the branches now.
“Help!” I yelled.
They merely shook their heads, motioning for me to stop. That was an order I couldn’t obey. I was getting off this thing whether they liked it or not.
Then Joe A-1 tackled me from behind, forcing me to fall. The momentum created from the fall caused both of us to roll away from safety and right toward the edge. Joe A-1 kept a painfully strong grip on me with one hand, and grabbed hold of the web with the other, stopping us with a violent jerk.
Once he was sure we had stopped, he wrapped a firm hand around my neck, forcing me to stand. Taking the dagger from between his teeth, he held it to my face.
“OK, you win. Now let go,” I choked out, working to keep my voice calm.
His grip around my neck tightened and I felt my feet leave the ground. “You are not supposed to run.” His words were clipped, mechanical.
I could barely breathe now. The air was being cut off from my brain, and spots were appearing in front of my eyes.
“You…aren’t…supposed…to k-kill me. Stand down,” I managed through short puffs of the little bit of air I had left.
One of those words had to be some kind of trigger, because he dropped me. Just like that, I was free. Never had I been so grateful for precious oxygen in my entire life. I to
ok giant gulps of it, gorging myself with the air I so desperately needed. Tears began to spill over as I wheezed, my heart refusing to slow.
Meanwhile, Joe A-1 had remained frozen in place, staring vacantly ahead of him. His lips were moving, but nothing appeared to be coming out. As I gathered the strength to take a step toward him, I realized he was muttering something.
Crazy things I couldn’t even understand. “Joe?” I reached out with a wary hand.
His head snapped in my direction. “Benjamin. My name is Benjamin.”
Before I could react, he was no longer standing. Eyes rolling back in their sockets, his body began to convulse uncontrollably. His head twitched from side to side.
Finally the tree ninjas had realized something was wrong. A few of them ran out to help, proceeding to carry the boy away. Where had they been when I needed them? The others had stopped their training to see what was going on.
We were all ordered to climb down and head straight for the dorms. Training was officially over for the day.
Truth Hurts
THE NEXT DAY, we were informed that advanced combat training would be postponed indefinitely for the time being. Instead, we were told to join the others in the neuroscience course. Such an abrupt change was not explained by anyone. The counselors refused to say a word. As usual, Dustin had disappeared. No one needed to tell me the reason. I knew why they had stopped the training. Something had gone wrong with one of their precious experiments, and they were trying to fix the problem. They were probably checking the whole army now, making sure whatever happened to Benjamin couldn’t happen to the others.
I couldn’t really dwell on that situation for too long, because a few days later Candy approached me and True and told us that the crew had come up with a date for our escape, which happened to be that very night. We all agreed that things were starting to escalate. More people were missing and the other campers had started to notice. While the headmaster was rarely seen, he had previously made brief appearances here and there to ensure his power over all of us. These days he remained absolutely hidden. Nobody had seen or heard from him at all. The mansion stood mysteriously silent as always, keeping its many secrets under strict security. There was no way I would be getting back in there any time soon. The number of guards and patrol vehicles had nearly doubled.
Camp Wacko: The Drones of Summer Page 10
